Books

The author of The Satanic Verses has said publishers re-editing the James Bond spy stories for reasons of political correctness “in light of today’s attitudes” are acting in a “remarkably alarming” fashion. Rushdie, who lost sight in one eye last year when he was stabbed by an Islamic extremist, criticised …

England has moved up to fourth place in global rankings for children’s reading. Previously, in 2016, the nation came joint eighth out of 50 countries. But it has improved despite disruption to education during the Covid pandemic, the ­latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study reveals. The research takes place …

The stone stands next to a bus stop on the outskirts of Chichester. Today, post-war semi-detached houses, a community centre and a sense of Home Counties order prevails on Broyle Road in this anonymous corner of Sussex. Yet, if you can pick out the inscription on the faded stone, you …

Will Dean (Image: Handout) It is the ultimate locked room mystery. An edge-of-the-seat thriller set on a gigantic cruise ship where nobody can arrive and nobody can leave. But author Will Dean has given the concept a spine-chilling twist. Shortly after his fictional ship sets sail for America from Southampton, …

A Heinkel 111 like the one hat crashed on Chesil Beach carrying secret German navigational aids (Image: GETTY) The Reverend Richard Howard looked across the roofscape of Coventry. It was the night of November 14, 1940, and the air raid sirens were sounding as he stood high above the nave …

Line of Duty: Adrian Dunbar on plans for a new season By the time an exasperated Met Commissioner Sir John Waldron asked Mark to do something about the breakdown in CID discipline, Scotland Yard was staggering from the effects of multiple scandals. Waldron’s invitation to act was the green light …

It’s been 12 years since George RR Martin last published a book in his A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series.  Since Game of Thrones concluded four years ago, the 74-year-old has been reassuring his fans that he’s working hard on the next book, The Winds of Winter. He …

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond and incredibly, for the first time ever, 007 is now On His Majesty’s Secret Service following the death of the late Queen. A new official novel of the same name by Young Bond author Charlie Higson, has been published …

Queen ‘put herself up’ for 2012 James Bond sketch says writer With all the royal rebranding going on – from the King’s cypher on the Beefeaters’ uniforms at the Tower of London, his head on stamps, coins and banknotes, and, ultimately, changes to British passports and post boxes – it’s …

Roger Morgan-Grenville photographed at home in West Sussex for the Daily Express (Image: Steve Reigate) These days, what we once called nature we now call biodiversity. And, ironically, for the developed country with by far the highest per capita proportion of conservation group membership in the world, we are also …