Books

Some of the UK’s most loved bedtime stories for children are more than 50 years old, research shows. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written by Eric Carle, and Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came For Tea have stood the test of time for decades and are still often read by parents …

The devastation of the Great Fire of London was catastrophic (Image: GETTY) The cracking and roaring of the blaze could be heard 40 miles away in Oxford, like the rushing of a great wind. Lead roofs turned to molten metal rivers, stones splintered and the human victims – officially, there …

The published continued: “The book is designed to be a visual compendium of charts, cross-sections, and magical particulars, collecting together enchanted objects, fabulous foodstuffs, curious plants, and fantastic beasts from the Harry Potter universe. The seven spectacular chapters will allow readers to relive their favourite moments from the books, learn …

But, here, he reveals another surprising talent – he’s a fine tour guide to the gruesome, grimy, grotty side of the country. Starting with a section exploring the history of our shops, restaurants and lavatories, he moves on to disasters, assassinations, murderers and other notable criminals before expanding his tour …

Peter Kay is back. In the last few months, he announced his comeback to comedy with an enormous residency tour that will see him taking on some of the country’s biggest venues across months. This is quite a big deal for the 49-year-old, who cancelled another massive tour back in …

Lyon, bruised and battered, in June 1944 (Image: Getty) The city of Lyon is bisected by two rivers, dominated by two enormous hills, crisscrossed by a network of centuries-old tunnels and, nearly 80 years after its liberation from the Nazis, haunted by dark shadows. Even today, the identities of the …

James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s estate last night sensationally claimed he would sanction the rewriting of his famously politically incorrect novels. His postwar series of spy novels are littered with misogynistic and racist references which have fallen foul of the sensitivity police. Although he died in 1964 aged 56 his …

James Bond fans have just learned that some of the original novels, written by Sir Ian Fleming, will be receiving some major edits in the coming months. The Daily Telegraph has reported certain words and phrases – including the N-word – will be removed from the books. But fans of …

Rowling continued: “When I realised I was definitely going to go, I would take a few pages of the manuscript into work each day… just a few pages so he wouldn’t realise. “Gradually, in a cupboard in the staff room, bit by bit, a photocopied manuscript grew and grew because …

It’s enough to leave James Bond traditionalists shaken and stirred. Writer Ian Fleming’s superspy novels are the latest to be edited for 21st-century sensibilities. Racial references have been erased from the thrillers, ready to be reissued later this year to mark Bond’s 70th anniversary. But while remarks on black people …