Penguin Books strana 5 z 485

The first part of a major new anthology which uncovers the rich reality of life for queer men in London In the 1940s, it was believed that homosexuality had been becoming more widespread in the aftermath of war. A moral panic ensued, centred around London as the place to which gay men gravitated. In a major new anthology, Peter Parker explores what it was actually like for queer men in London in this period, whether they were well-known figures such as John Gielgud, 'Chips' Channon and E.M. Forster, or living lives of quiet - or occasionally rowdy - anonymity in pubs, clubs, more public places of assignation, or at home. It is rich with letters, diaries, psychological textbooks, novels, films, plays and police records, covering a wide range of viewpoints, from those who deplored homosexuality to those who campaigned for its decriminalisation. This first volume, from 1945 to 1959, details a community forced to live at constant risk of blackmail or prison. Yet it also shows a thriving and joyous subculture, one that enriched a mainstream culture often ignorant of its debt to gay creators. Some Men In London is a testament to queer life, which was always much more complex than newspapers, governments and the Metropolitan Police Force imagined.

A DYING MAGIC. A SLAUGHTERED QUEEN. A WORLD ON THE BRINK OF WAR. The Mistral - a divine, ancient wind - has long swept over the realm, bestowing magical abilities on those destined to shape the future. But The Mistral is dying. As it falters, and fear of all-out war consumes the kingdom, a peace delegation sets out from the land of Terrius to the city of Lurella. At the delegation's heart is Swan, daughter of an assassinated queen, who holds a powerful and rare ability. She must seek answers - both to her mother's murder and her own inability to master her powers. Before it's too late. Meanwhile, in Lurella's duelling pit - The Iron Circuit - Fenne, a feared fighter, comes to the attention of one city ruler, who sees in her an opportunity . . . As the Peace Pledge begins, Swan and Fenne are thrown together by a dark conspiracy - one that could forever alter not just their fate, but that of The Mistral. And the fragile balance holding the realm together . . . The Mistral begins an epic new fantasy trilogy - a sweeping tale of high magic. Of dangerous powers and deadly ambition. And a world on the precipice of the darkest of wars . . .

A rare insight into the heart of pro cycling and the inner workings of the peloton, from Team Sky and Ineos Grenadiers legend, Luke Rowe. There's one well-established truth in professional cycling: the strongest always wins. Yet in a sport of champions, victory is only possible as a team. At the heart of that team effort, that unity, is the road captain. After more than a decade as the pre-eminent road captain in professional bike racing, Luke Rowe reveals here for the first time the intricacies of that role. As he lifts the lid, he provides the ultimate insider's view on racing tactics and strategy within the professional peloton. He gives readers an unprecedented insight into what exactly is going on within that pulsing mass of athletic power and state-of-the-art machinery, seen through the eyes of the rider tasked with leading his team to glory. Featuring exhilarating stories from his years at Team Sky and Ineos Grenadiers - where he played a fundamental role in the team's dominance at the Tour de France, leading Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal to their Tour victories - Luke shows what it's like to manage a road race unfolding at 60km/h. As he points out, it is 'like playing chess on wheels'. Road Captain immerses readers in the team dynamics, tactical complexities and split-second decisions vital to success in professional cycling. It discloses the mental and physical battles taking place within a group of riders, and reveals how the biggest bike races are won.

The second in a major two-part anthology uncovering the rich reality of life for queer men in London, from the end of the Second World War to decriminalization in 1967 In the 1940s, it was believed that homosexuality had been becoming more widespread in the aftermath of war. A moral panic ensued, centred around London as the place to which gay men gravitated. Peter Parker's fascinating new compendium explores what it was actually like for queer men in London in this period, whether they were well-known figures such as Francis Bacon, Joe Orton and Kenneth Williams, or living lives of quiet - or occasionally rowdy - anonymity in pubs, clubs, more public places of assignation, or at home. It is rich with letters, diaries, psychological textbooks, novels, films, plays and police records, covering a wide range of viewpoints, from those who deplored homosexuality to those who campaigned for its decriminalization. This second volume, from 1960 to 1967, shows how key elements in British society gradually changed their views on homosexuality, resulting in the landmark 1967 act by which it was no longer considered a crime if it took place between adults in private. This did not end violence, discrimination and prejudice, but it at least curbed official persecution. Some Men in London is a testament to queer life and its thriving, joyous subculture - a subculture without which the 1960s would have been immeasurably impoverished.

The classic and very funny account of the dark side of American politics 'Calm, clear, dispassionate and devastating - and a joy to read' Harper's 'Brilliant and influential … his evisceration of populism has found a new generation of readers' Guardian 'American political life … has served again and again as an arena for uncommonly angry minds' How can a country be captured by rumours, surreal conspiracy theories and the most brazen of conmen? The historian Richard Hofstadter asked these questions in the 1960s, amid fears of rising extremism in America. Yet his dazzling dissection of the paranoid worldview - a brew of overheated exaggeration, suspicion and perceived victimhood that can derail entire nations - is a lesson for the ages in the seductive politics of the irrational. In an era where we ourselves feel assailed by endless paranoid public statements it is comforting to read Hofstadter's incisive refusal to see these as something new. In his discussion of famous and obscure untruths, some of which have profoundly impacted American domestic and foreign policy, he provides the antidote for the present day. 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics' was first published as an essay in Harper's Magazine in late 1964 and has been argued over ever since.

Rediscover the brilliance of Regiment of Women in the Mermaid Collection - classic books by popular pioneering female authors republished to delight new generations of readers. Pre-order this gorgeous edition now. Set in a small town in Edwardian England, Regiment of Women is a page-turning and beguiling novel about the complicated relationship between a teacher and pupil at a private (and elitist) girls' school . . . With a foreword by Jacqueline Wilson 'I understand her. You don't. She likes to be top dog. She'll do anything for that. She likes to know every woman and child in the school is a bit of putty, to knead into shape.' Miss Clare Hartill, teacher at a girls' boarding school, has a bewitching ability to get her own way, whether it is among the staff or the pupils who'll do anything to please her. When nineteen-year-old Alwynne Durand is hired, Clare takes this innocent and enthusiastic but undisciplined young teacher under her wing. Soon, the pair are spending every moment together, with Alwynne growing as dependent on Clare as she is drawn to her beguiling wit and charm. But when tragedy touches the school, Alwynne begins to question Clare's attentions. Sometimes, she thinks, her new friend can be cruel. Torn between a Clare she loves and a Clare she fears, Alwynne must decide between loyalty and independence - before Clare chooses for her . . .

A DYING RUSSIAN SCIENTIST confesses to his children what he did as a young man. A MURDERED SPY shares vital intelligence before he's ruthlessly assassinated in the English countryside. A RITUAL KILLING hidden in a forest clearing in Sweden hints at something much worse. FORMER MI6 AGENT RUNNER Stella McRae is the only person who can be trusted to investigate now her former employer has been compromised. EX-SAS OPERATOR Tommy Kane has always had Stella's back, but as the threats against them escalate, will his formidable skills be enough this time? OCTAGON A devastating plot against the West is already in train. Only Stella and Tommy stand in its way. And time is running out...

Prepare to view the world through a new lens - SPEED - a groundbreaking exploration that challenges your perceptions of life's driving force, from the internationally bestselling author 'There is perhaps no other academic who paints pictures with numbers like Smil' Guardian In a world that feels like it's moving faster than ever, Smil examines how our relentless pursuit of speed - in areas such as production, travel and communication - shapes not only our technological landscape but also our social and environmental realities. And through engaging anecdotes and striking statistics, Smil challenges the assumption that faster is always better. He invites readers to reconsider the implications of our collective obsession with speed, and its intricate relationship with nature and innovation. For example, he highlights the surprising fact that erosion can actually accelerate mountain growth, and he points out that the rapid adoption of mobile phones - achieving 90 per cent penetration in just nineteen years - reflects historical patterns of technological adoption, suggesting that our world may not be moving significantly faster than in the past. Whether exploring the tiny mites that can traverse 300 times their body length in a second or the societal impacts of high-frequency trading, Speed invites readers to engage in a more balanced conversation about the role of speed in our lives, in an age defined by haste.

The most radical and powerful idea in business isn't disruption… it's integrity. The Lean Startup transformed how a generation of entrepreneurs build products and sparked a global movement for smarter, faster innovation. Now Eric Ries takes the next step, asking a deeper question: how can we build companies that stay true to their mission once they succeed? In Incorruptible, Ries reveals the hidden forces that cause even great organizations to drift from their values and shows how to design businesses that can withstand that pressure. Drawing on two decades of work with founders, CEOs, and investors around the world, offers the blueprint for "mission-locked" organizations that can grow, prosper, and endure without losing their soul. Including wide-ranging examples such as Cadbury, John Lewis Partnership, Vanguard and Anthropic, Incorruptible uncovers the urgent need for purpose-driven leadership. It gives every builder, founder, executive, investor or citizen the tools to create enterprises that uplift rather than exploit. We all have a role to play in shaping a better future. This book is the place to start.

The incredible first memoir from the Booker-winning radical icon Arundhati Roy, author of The God of Small Things THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMENS PRIZE FOR NONFICTION 2026 'Heart-smashed' by the death of the mother she ran from at age eighteen and shaken by the intensity of her response, Arundhati Roy began this remarkable memoir - a soaring account, both intimate and inspiring, of how the author became the person and the writer she is: shaped by circumstance, but above all by her relationship to her extraordinary, singular mother, Mary, who she describes as 'my shelter and my storm'. With the scale, sweep and depth of her novels, and the passion, political clarity and warmth of her essays, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace - a memoir like no other.

A philosopher explains why the search for identity is meaningless, and how we should escape the self Modern life encourages us to pursue the perfect identity. Whether we aspire to become the best lawyer or charity worker, life partner or celebrity influencer, we emulate exemplars that exist in the world - hoping it will bring us happiness. But this often leads to a complex game of envy and pride. We achieve these identities but want others to imitate us. We disagree with those whose identities contradict ours - leading to polarisation and even violence. And yet when they thump against us, we are ashamed to ring hollow. In Against Identity, philosopher Alexander Douglas seeks an alternative wisdom. Searching the work of three thinkers - ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, Dutch Enlightenment thinker Benedict de Spinoza, and 20th Century French theorist René Girard - he explores how identity can be a spiritual violence that leads us away from truth. Through their worlds and radically different cultures, we discover how, at moments of historical rupture, our hunger for being grows: and yet, it is exactly these times when we should make peace with our indeterminacy and discover the freedom of escaping our selves.

A feminist cult classic about love, independence and what it means to be an individual, translated into English for the first time 'I want to have him, I really do. I just don't want him to have me.' Martina and Gustav, students in 1970s Stockholm, meet and fall immediately into coupledom. But what is coupledom? A route to marriage? A declaration of co-dependency? A new dimension of commitment and responsibility? A sexual confrontation? Or is it a habit that an intelligent person must consider breaking? Martina and Gustav discuss their relationship endlessly, between themselves and with others, as they try to make it work. Engagement, set during a time of social change and political upheaval, sees Martina trying to engage with the world on her own terms. Unwilling to marry, she finds herself in a state of permanent engagement while her friends settle down to marriage and children; uncertain of the world's future, she engages with demos, sit-ins and philosophy seminars in her quest for a new blueprint for joy. First published in 1976, when it was heralded as an instant classic, Engagement remains as relevant, hilarious and heartbreaking today.

A sizzling new adult sports romance, for fans of Heated Rivalry, Challengers, Carrie Soto is Back and Red, White and Royal Blue. Game. Set. Perfect Match? Recently-turned-pro tennis player Austin Hardy has been out since high school, and it's never been a big deal. That is, until he becomes the first openly gay man to compete in a Grand Slam tournament. Suddenly, being gay is a huge deal. If the newly found fame wasn't enough to send Austin spiralling, then tripping and falling in front of the very talented, very attractive, (probably) straight World #2, Diego Cruz, is the last straw. Only, the awkward gaffe marks the start of a blossoming friendship off the court. But when Diego admits his attraction to Austin, the flirty banter and mixed signals start to throw Austin off his game. And neither player wants to acknowledge their looming showdown at the fourth round of the US Open. Only one can win in the game of tennis, but who will win in the game of love?

An accessible, powerful overview of Noam Chomsky's political thought In sixteen extended talks with Alternative Radio's David Barsamian, Noam Chomsky explains: Why the 'war on drugs' is really a war on poor people. How attacks on political correctness are attacks on independent thought. How historical revisionism has recast the United States as the victim in the Vietnam War. Widely recognized as one of the most original and important thinkers of our age, Chomsky's trenchant analysis of current events is a breath of fresh air in a world more and more polluted by mainstream media.

For Detective Chief Inspector Joe Mottram, a summer on the island of Capri was meant to be an opportunity to reconnect with his troubled teenage daughter, Angelica, and his Italian in-laws, after his wife's Francesca's death by a hit-and-run. But when a British tourist is found dead and a member of his late wife's family is accused of murder, Joe is pulled back into a world of police cells, crime scenes and local corruption. As he discovers more about the island, he realises it holds the answers to Francesca's death, which may not have been a tragic accident after all.

The brand-new book from Diverse Book Award winning author, Jenny Ireland. When wild-child Margot is forced to go to on a summer holiday to the South of France with her family, she's definitely not happy about it. Enter Félix and Antoine. They are polar opposites. Félix: mild mannered, caramel haired and sweet. Antoine: dark haired. Tattooed. Arrogant. The only thing they seem to have in common is that they're both ridiculously attractive, and they both have a thing for Margot. But there's something much more significant about them that's going to come as a real shock to Margot . . .