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Thomas Sowell is one of America’s leading voices on matters of race and ethnicity. In his book Inside American Education he surveyed the ills of American education from the primary grades to graduate school with “an impressive range of knowledge and acuity of observation,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Now in his book Race and Culture he asks the question: “What is it that allows certain groups to get ahead?” The answer will undoubtedly create debates for years to come.

The thesis of Race and Culture is that productive skills are the key to understanding the economic advancement of particular racial or ethnic groups, as well as countries and civilizations—and that the spread of those skills, whether through migration or conquest, explains much of the advancement of the human race. Whether this body of skills, aptitudes, and disciplines is called “culture” or “human capital,” it explains far more than politics, prejudice, or genetics. Rather than draw on the experience of one country or one era of history, Race and Culture encompasses dozens of racial and ethnic groups, living in scores of countries around the world, over a period of centuries. Due to its breadth and scope, this study is able to test alternative theories empirically on a vast canvas in space and time. Its conclusions refute much, if not most, of what is currently believed about race and about cultures.

The follow-up novel to the blockbuster Sideways—the inspiration for the award-winning film of the same name, starring Paul Giamatti—Sideways Oregon tracks the continuing story of Miles Raymond and his buddy Jack.

Seven years have passed since Miles and Jack took their infamous bachelor trip to the Santa Ynez Valley. Miles has written a novel that was made into a wildly successful movie, which changed his life. Jack, contrarily, is divorced, has a kid, and is on the skids. Phyllis, Miles’s mom, suffered a stroke that left her wheelchair-bound and wasting away in assisted living, and she desperately wants to live with her sister in Wisconsin.

When Miles gets invited to be master of ceremonies at the International Pinot Festival in Oregon, he hatches a harebrained scheme. With Jack as his copilot, he leases a handicapped-equipped van, hires a pot-smoking Filipina caretaker, and—with his mother’s rascally Yorkie in tow—they take off for Wisconsin via Oregon’s fabled Willamette Valley.

This is one road trip that is anything but predictable …

Written by the award-winning creator of the global board game sensation, Catan is a new adventure perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike.

Norway, 860.

Half-brothers Thorolf, Yngvi, and Digur have conspired to help Asla—daughter of Halldor, a powerful Viking chieftain—to escape her father’s oppressive rule. However, when they are discovered the chieftain’s revenge is swift and mighty. Pillaging his way through the realms of his daughter’s liberators, Halldor banishes his kin and has the brothers driven from their land.

Left with no other choice, the three brothers—together with family and their allies—depart their home, sailing for new shores and, after a treacherous voyage, finally reach their destination: Catan, Land of the Sun.

But new challenges await on this island, and new discoveries must be made if they are to survive. Will the brothers be able to stand together and offer a better future for all the settlers, or will this new mission divide them even more …

In this luminous sci-fi debut, a nonverbal autistic woman refuses to crumble as she stands against a dogmatic society clinging to a centuries-long conflict built on lies.

Citadel is the only human city on the alien planet Edalide, ruled by the biweekly tides that bring both deadly danger and much-needed resources. But the drowning waters, constant threat of starvation, and eternal cold aren’t the most dangerous challenge. For the Flooded Forest is ruled by demons: monsters from Hell sent by their vengeful god as penance for their ancestors’ rebellion. To save their souls and return to their former glory, Citadel must kill every single one.

Or so they believe.

Olivia lost her lover to the demons almost a year ago. But during a scientific expedition, a chance encounter reveals that the demons are sentient—a startling discovery that would get Olivia executed if she exposed it.

Driven by the burning need for answers, Olivia embarks on a dangerous journey into the Forest. There, she must face alien monsters, zealous warriors, and the demons of her own past. But change comes slowly, and always with a price…

From the Academy Award–winning writer Rex Pickett comes the third installment in the Sideways series.

Sideways: Chile follows the further adventures of Miles Raymond (played by Paul Giamatti in the critically acclaimed movie Sideways). It’s now a few years later and Miles is a successful author with a blockbuster movie adaptation under his belt, but he’s still searching for something, and depression has him, once again, in its taloned grip.

When he is offered a chance to travel to the country of Chile and visit their wine regions for a magazine assignment, Miles—his world turned upside down by bad financial investments and even worse luck with relationships—happily agrees. A somewhat rudderless Miles finds Chile, their people, and their spectacular and vastly diverse wine regions, to be just the first step in a life-transforming journey.

This macabre tale—part dark fantasy, part Gray’s Anatomy—tells the chilling story of a man driven mad by his search for the truth, with hypnotic and horrifying images.

Philadelphia, the late 1870s. A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia’s esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: that the mythological beasts of legend and lore—including mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact humanity’s evolutionary ancestors. And beyond that, he wonders: what if there was a way for humanity to reach the fuller potential these ancestors implied?

The Resurrectionist offers two extraordinary books in one. The first part is a fictional biography of Dr. Spencer Black, from his childhood spent exhuming corpses through his medical training, his travels with carnivals, his cruel and crazed experiments, and, finally, his mysterious disappearance. The second part is Black’s magnum opus: The Codex Extinct Animalia, a Gray’s Anatomy for mythological beasts, all rendered in meticulously detailed anatomical illustrations.

Watch Silo, the new Apple TV+ sci-fi series starring Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins!

The first book in the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling trilogy, Wool is the story of mankind clawing for survival.

The world outside has grown toxic, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. The remnants of humanity live underground in a single silo. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they want: they are allowed to go outside.

After the previous sheriff leaves the silo in a terrifying ritual, Juliette, a mechanic from the down deep, is suddenly and inexplicably promoted to the head of law enforcement. With newfound power and with little regard for the customs she is supposed to abide, Juliette uncovers hints of a sinister conspiracy. Tugging this thread may uncover the truth—or it could kill every last human alive.

In this moving account, Peter Korn explores the nature and rewards of creative practice. We follow his search for meaning as an Ivy-educated child of the middle class who finds employment as a novice carpenter on Nantucket, transitions to self-employment as a designer and maker of fine furniture, takes a turn at teaching and administration at Colorado''s Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and then founds a school in Maine: the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, an internationally respected nonprofit institution.

Furniture making practiced as a craft in the twenty-first century is a decidedly marginal occupation. Yet the view from the periphery can be illuminating. For Korn the challenging work of bringing something new and meaningful into the world through one''s own volition—whether in the arts, the kitchen, or the marketplace—is what generates the meaning and fulfillment that so many of us seek.

This is not a how-to book in any sense. Korn wants to get at the why of craft in particular and the satisfactions of creative work in general to understand their essential nature. How does the making of objects shape our identities? How do the products of creative work inform society? In short, what does the process of making things reveal to us about ourselves? Korn draws on four decades of hands-on experience to answer these questions eloquently, and often poignantly, in this personal, introspective, and revealing book.

Professor and “de facto global therapist” to an ever-growing audience of hundreds of thousands of people builds on national bestseller The Parasitic Mind to argue that happiness is not merely a changeable mood but a process toward which we can strive by following some basic steps that have been known to humans for millennia.

Happiness is a fact

It is a scientific fact, which means we can measure it, we can assess it, and we can devise strategies to make ourselves happy and fulfilled human beings.

Or so says, Professor Gad Saad, author of the sensational national bestseller The Parasitic Mind and popular host of The Saad Truth podcast. Professor Saad roams through the scientific studies, the wisdom of ancient philosophy and religion, and his extraordinary personal experience as a refugee from war-torn Lebanon turned academic celebrity to provide one of the most provocative, helpful, and entertaining listens you are likely to encounter.In The Saad Truth about Happiness you’ll learn the secrets to living the good life, including:

how to live the life you want—not necessarily the life expected of you,

why resilience is a key to happiness,

why your career needs to have a higher purpose than a paycheck,

how variety truly can be the spice of life,

why marriage is so important,

how Aristotle had it right when he preached moderation, and

why you should take a hint from your dog and realize that playfulness equals happiness.

Enlightening, bold, and good-humored, The Saad Truth about Happiness is as lively, stimulating, and captivating as its author, who has become a “de facto global therapist” to an ever-growing audience of hundreds of thousands of people. Listen to this book and you’ll see why so many seek his counsel.

The daughter of a wealthy investor and a handsome young businessman clash in this enemies-to-lovers romance from the author who brought you Lakeshire Park.

1813, Brighton, England.

When Anna Lane offered her heart to Alexander Lennox, she did not expect to learn that he had secretly promised his suit to another. Hurt and embarrassed, Anna begs her father to take her to the seaside where she can escape the gossip of the ton and recover, but her father insists they remain in London so he can attend to some business. Feeling the sting of rejection again, Anna longs for the day when she can dictate her own future and find a companion who will love her for who she is.

Born into modest circumstances, Graham’s hard work and ability to spot a good investment has allowed him to provide for his mother and younger sisters. Now, with a new opportunity in his sights, Graham approaches Mr. Lane, his business partner and mentor, hoping to persuade him to travel to Brighton to close the deal. Graham must act fast or else he might lose his chance to turn his meager earnings into permanent financial stability.

To Graham’s relief, Mr. Lane is interested in his proposal, but he counters with one of his own. He has business elsewhere, so Anna—whom he trusts with his business affairs—will accompany Graham to Brighton, and if she gives a good report, he will invest.

Both Anna and Graham hesitate. Though they have a passing acquaintance through Anna’s father, the two have never truly gotten along. Anna feels that Graham is only interested in money, while Graham feels that Anna is stubborn and self-absorbed.

The two reluctantly travel to Brighton together, and Anna is determined to find fault with every inch of the seaside town—including Graham. She is tired of feeling like a pawn being moved about by other people’s desires. But while staying at Highcliffe House and seeing the kind and gentle way Graham treats his family, Anna wonders if there is more to her rival than she thought.

But it will take more than a day at the beach for these two headstrong hearts to admit that, if they set aside their misconceptions about each other and be vulnerable enough to share their true selves, they might have a chance at real love.

A gripping narrative of nuclear mishaps and meltdowns around the globe, all of which have proven pivotal to the advancement of nuclear science

From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters. Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns.

Every incident has led to new facets of understanding about the mighty atom—and Mahaffey puts forth what the future should be for this final frontier of science that still holds so much promise.

In his groundbreaking and controversial book The DIM Hypothesis, Dr. Leonard Peikoff casts a penetrating new light on the process of human thought and thereby on Western culture and history.

In this far-reaching study, Peikoff identifies the three methods people use to integrate concrete data into a whole, as when connecting diverse experiments by a scientific theory, separate laws into a constitution, or single events into a story. The first method, in which data is integrated through rational means, he calls Integration. The second, which employs nonrational means, he calls Misintegration. The third is Disintegration—which is nihilism, the desire to tear things apart.

In The DIM Hypothesis Peikoff demonstrates the power of these three methods in shaping the West by using the categories to examine the culturally representative fields of literature, physics, education, and politics. His analysis illustrates how the historical trends in each field have been dominated by one of these three categories, not only today but during the whole progression of Western culture from its beginning in ancient Greece.

Extrapolating from the historical pattern he identifies, Peikoff concludes by explaining why the lights of the West are going out—and predicts the most likely future for the United States.

From New York Times bestselling author D.J. Molles comes a brand-new action-packed fantasy adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

What is the price of magic? Not the magic of tricks and illusions, but the kind that heats cities, powers armies, and transforms continents. Magic that forges empires. The Brannic Empire owes its existence to this magic, and for those in power, no price is too great. Even when that price is their own children. For it is the ashes of those with magical abilities that the Church of Alchemy harvests to fuel this machine of empire. So the furnaces burn, and the empire grows. And they call it progress.

Trying to escape a lifetime of regrets—and outrun his own demons—veteran soldier Lochled Thatcher embarks on the Fourth Crusade to Leftland, a country rich in magic. Desperate to save her brothers, Rony joins Lochled’s squad only to discover that war is very different from all the songs and fancy speeches. As politics and power clash, Kayna, a Seeker, and Ord, a priest of the Church of Alchemy, find their foundations of loyalty and faith shaken and crumbling. In this theater of chaos, magic, and treachery, soldier and priest alike will find their humanity in as much danger as their lives. Will they lose themselves to cruelty and deception? Or can one good action reverse the course of generations of evil?

A bold, brutal look at war and belief, A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a sweeping epic fantasy perfect for fans of The Witcher and Joe Abercrombie.

ASHES OF EORMUN, Season 1Book 1: A Harvest of Ash & Blood Book 2: The Orphan and the QueenBook 3: The Breath That Breaks the Stone (Coming Fall 2024)

Five Carly Classics from the bestselling Simply Series in one hot bundle!

Simply Sinful

He’s not the man she thought he was. But when danger lurks, he’s the man she needs.

Any rookie on the force could verify if Charmed! is a legit etiquette school for businessmen, or … something else. But coming off a wrenching drug bust, Detective Kane McDermott’s captain gave him a choice. Take the fluff case, or take enforced time off.

The moment Kane meets Kayla Luck, he’s in trouble. Dinner out leads to a hot night in bed, and Kayla falls hard and fast. Until she learns the business suit hides a badge, and she calls it quits. But Kane’s already lost his heart—and discovered she’s in danger. And if he can’t convince her she’s safe with him, he’ll lose the woman he loves.

Simply Scandalous

He runs in high society circles … and he’s running circles around her heart.

Logan Montgomery has found his niche as an assistant district attorney. But Gran just revealed some worrying intel—dad and his political cronies are about to maneuver him into running for mayor.

But Gran has a plan: a pre-emptive strike involving a pretty blonde caterer with supple curves—and a family history literally dripping with scandal. There’s just one flaw in her scheme: Logan’s not a player. And there’s a delicious spark of attraction that makes him want to try for something special with Catherine Luck.

Raw desire and genuine affection tip them into forbidden territory—love. Until Catherine gets a stark reminder that the Montgomerys never do anything without an ulterior motive.

Simply Sensual

Do the job. Take the money and run. Until, in a flash, love changes everything.

In retrospect, Ben Callahan should have known this job was trouble. Way more than his normal PI fee and unlimited expenses, just to watch over one woman and report back? Alarm bells should have sent him running back to New York. But with his Mom needing assisted living care, Ben takes Emma Montgomery’s tempting offer to watch over her granddaughter.

Then he meets Grace Montgomery, a golden-haired princess. Gifted, gorgeous, reckless. As Grace sheds her inhibitions faster than a high-speed shutter, Ben finds himself breaking his own rules for a woman full of unexpected secrets and thousand-watt sensuality. But when Grace discovers who’s signing Ben’s paycheck, her heart could be too broken for his love to repair.

Body Heat

NYC summer days are hot. Nights are even hotter …

Not much has stirred Detective Jake Lowell’s interest since a perp put a bullet in his shoulder, killed his partner, then walked on a technicality. Until a sexy waitress at a tiny neighborhood café catches his eye.

Working two jobs, Brianne Nelson never expected to do more than fantasize about Mr. Tall, Tanned, & Gorgeous. But when her new physical therapy client turns out to be the man who fuels her fantasies, she realizes she’s going to be seeing a lot more of him—in the flesh—than she bargained for.

It’s not long before skin-on-skin contact turns into a hot summer fling. But the killer Jake is after isn’t going down without a fight, and more than their hearts could get caught in the crossfire …

Simply Sexy

It all started with a not-so-innocent sprig of mistletoe …

When his adoptive father, Joe, falls ill, globetrotting news reporter Colin Lyons doesn’t hesitate to drop everything to fly home and take over Joe’s baby, the Ashford Times. He’s only got until New Year’s to save this sinking ship, and to do that, he needs an ally. Rina Lowell, new to Ashford, is the perfect target to help him, even if it means the job she loves will be cut in the end.

He never expected one kiss to take his simple plan to save the Times and tie it into impossible knots … and possibly cost him the woman he loves.

Note: These titles were originally published in 2000–2002 by Harlequin Temptation, Blaze. They appear here in their original glory, without substantial revision.

“This book is not mere history; it is an exposé. You won’t know which is more shocking: the lengths to which FDR and New Dealers like Senators (and future Supreme Court justices) Hugo Black and Sherman Minton went to suppress freedom of speech, privacy, and civil rights; or the degree to which these efforts have been concealed by pro-FDR and New Deal propagandists.”—Randy E. Barnett, Patrick Hotung Professor of Constitutional Law, Georgetown University Law Center

Spying on citizens. Censoring critics. Imprisoning minorities. These are the acts of dictators, not American presidents….

Or are they?

The legacy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt enjoys regular acclaim from historians, politicians, and educators. Lauded for his New Deal policies, leadership as a wartime president, cozy fireside chats, and groundbreaking support of the “forgotten man,” FDR, we have been told, is worthy of the same praise as men like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln….

But is that true? Does the father of today’s welfare state really deserve such generous approbation? Or is there a dark side to this golden legacy?

The New Deal’s War on the Bill of Rights: The Untold Story of FDR’s Concentration Camps, Censorship, and Mass Surveillance unveils a much different portrait than the standard orthodoxy found in today’s historical studies.

Deploying an abundance of primary source evidence and well-reasoned arguments, historian and distinguished professor emeritus David T. Beito masterfully presents a complete account of the real Franklin D. Roosevelt: a man who abused power, violated human rights, targeted dissidents, and let his crude racism imprison American citizens merely for being of Japanese descent.

Read it, and discover how FDR:

shamelessly censored critics of his administration, barred them from the public square, destroyed their careers, and even bankrupted them when possible;

locked up Japanese-American citizens in concentration camps built on American soil;

sowed the seeds of today’s out-of-control surveillance state;

and much, much more…

Here is an all too rare portrait of a man who changed the course of American history … not for the better.

Read it, and you’ll never view the fireside president the same again.

An eminent authority presents a new perspective on affirmative action in a provocative book that stirred fresh debate about this vitally important issue when it was published in 2005.

In this important book, an eminent authority presents a new perspective on affirmative action, investigating its actual consequences in the United States and in other countries where it has been in effect. Evaluating his empirical data, Thomas Sowell concludes that race preference programs worldwide have not met expectations and have often produced the opposite of what was originally intended.

A direct sequel to Aliens and Alien 3—Weyland-Yutani, the Colonial Marines, and Bishop’s creator all pursue the android for the deadly Xenomorph data contained in his brain. Written by T. R. Napper, author of the acclaimed 36 Streets, whose explosive work explores the artificial intelligence and what it is to be human.

Massively damaged in Aliens and Alien 3, the synthetic Bishop asked to be shut down forever. His creator, Michael Bishop, has other plans. He seeks the Xenomorph knowledge stored in the android’s mind and brings Bishop back to life—but for what reason? No longer an employee of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, Michael tells his creation that he seeks to advance medical research for the benefit of humanity. Yet where does he get the resources needed to advance his work. With whom do his new allegiances lie?

Bishop is pursued by Colonial Marines Captain Marcel Apone, commander of the Il Conde and younger brother of Master Sergeant Alexander Apone, one of the casualties of the doomed mission to LV-426. Also on his trail are the “Dog Catchers,” commandos employed by Weyland-Yutani.

Who else might benefit from Bishop’s intimate knowledge of the deadliest creatures in the galaxy?

David is a modest man who works in a bank, lives in a rooming house, enjoys books and quiet walks by the lake. Three months after unexpectedly being fired from his job, he takes a temporary position at a mortuary. And there, sitting alone in the “slumber room” one late afternoon, he sees something that he cannot comprehend, something that no science can explain, something that will force him to question everything he believes in, including himself. After his metaphysical experience, all his relationships change—with his estranged wife, his girlfriend, his mother—and he grudgingly finds himself at the center of a bitter public controversy over the existence of the supernatural.

The young and virtuous physician’s daughter Helena desperately loves Count Bertram, but he regards her as beneath his notice.

When Helena cures the king of France of a mortal illness, he rewards her with Bertram’s hand, but before their marriage can be consummated, the count flees. To win her husband back again, Helena forms a daring and resourceful plan.

A plot to unmask the strutting soldier Parolles makes up another strand in this sometimes disturbing comedy of deception and disguise.

ACT IScene 1. Bertram, the young Count of Rossillion, is leaving home to take his place at the court of the King of France, who is gravely ill. Bertram bids farewell to his mother the widowed Countess, her friend the old lord Lafew and the young and virtuous Helena, daugther of a famous doctor now deceased, who lives as a dependent in the old Countess’ household. Helena is passionately in love with Bertram, though without hope because he is so far above her in birth. Parolles, a blustering soldier who has attached himself to Bertram, is also going to the French court and Helena determines to follow. She has learned the mysteries of medicine from her father; if she can cure the King, she may win Bertram’s heart.Scene 2. The ailing King tells of war between the Florentines and Sienese; he will give permission to any young gentleman of France who wishes to go to Italy in search of glory. Bertram arrives and the King greets him warmly. Scene 3. The Countess gently forces Helena to admit her love for Bertram and reveal her plan to attempt the King’s cure. The old lady kindly offers her support.

ACT IIScene 1. Lafew announces the arrival at court of a young woman who claims to be able to heal the King. The King is deeply skeptical, but Helena persuades him to allow her to make the attempt. Should she succeed, the King is to grant her the husband of her choice.Scene 2. The Countess’ fool Lavatch is to be sent to the court. He claims that he has a response that will serve him in all social situations, but the Countess exposes his folly.Scene 3. Helena has restored the King to joyful health. He offers her the hand in marriage of any of the young lords at court, but when she chooses Bertram he recoils in horror. Angrily, the King commands Bertram to wed Helena instantly. The marriage takes place, but Bertram vows that he will never sleep with his bride and determines to steal away to the Italian wars at once.Scene 4. Helena receives a letter from Bertram telling her that he has been called away and ordering her to take leave of the King.Scene 5. Lafew warns Bertram that Parolles is a hollow sham. Helena enters and Bertram dismisses her curtly, instructing her to return to the Countess.

ACT IIIScene 1. The Duke of Florence prepares to welcome the young Frenchmen who come to fight on his behalf.Scene 2. Helena has received a letter from Bertram: until she can get the ring from his finger, which he has vowed never to remove, and produce a child that she has conceived by him, she will never be able to call him husband.Scene 3. The Duke of Florence, impressed by Bertram’s military promise, has given him an important command. Scene 4. The Countess has received a letter from Helena telling her that she has gone on a pilgrimage to atone for her sin in aspiring to Bertram’s love and freeing him from his responsibility for her. The Countess bitterly deplores her son’s arrogance and blindness.Scene 5. Helena has come to Florence where she meets a kindly widow and her beautiful daughter, Diana. The widow tells her that Bertram has fought heroically in the war but also that he has been attempting to seduce Diana. Scene 6. The French soldiers hatch a plot to convince Bertram of Parolles’ cowardliness; pretending to be enemy soldiers, they will capture him, then see if he is prepared to betray his friends.Scene 7. Helena, too, is setting a plot. Diana is to pretend to yield to Bertram’s suit on condition that he give her his ring. She is then to agree to an assignation in the dark, at which Helena will take her place.

ACT IVScene 1. Parolles is “captured” according to plan. He immediately offers to betray the Florentines and is blindfolded and taken off for interrogation.Scene 2. Bertram woos Diana, who will yield only if he will giver her his ring. Bertram is reluctant but such is his passion for the girl that he agrees. Diana tells him to come to her chamber at midnight. Scene 3. News has reached Bertram that Helena is dead; his friends condemn his hard-heartedness. The plotters interrogate Parolles. He begs them to spare his life and gives up the secrets of the army, slandering various Frenchmen, including Bertram, as he does so. At length his blindfold is removed and the plot revealed: Parolles’ true character has been exposed. Scene 4. Helena’s subterfuge has succeeded and she is now pregnant with Bertram’s child, though he believes it was Diana whose bed he shared. She resolves to return to France, and Diana and the widow agree to accompany her. Scene 5. In Rossillion, Lafew tells the old Countess of the exposure of Parolles. Bertram is expected home at any moment and news arrives that the King of France is also on his way to the Countess’ house.

ACT VScene 1. Meeting a French gentleman on the road, Helena gives him a letter to be delivered to the King of France.Scene 2. Parolles humbles himself before Lafew, confessing that the old Lord was the first to see through him.Scene 3. The King forgives Bertram for his cruel treatment of Helena, which the young Count seems to repent. The King recognizes a ring on Bertram’s finger as one which he hemself had previously given to Helena; Bertram denies this, saying that he had it from a woman in Florence. The french gentleman delivers Helena’s letter: this relates that Bertram has seduced Diana, then abandoned her—Diana herself is present and wishes to appeal to the King. Diana is summoned and Bertram dismisses her as a common prostitute, though admitting he has slept with her and that it was she who gave him the ring the King has recognized; Diana meanwhile, insists that she is still a virgin. The King does not know what to believe until, to the astonishment of all, Helena appears. She has the ring from Bertram’s finger and is pregnant with his child; the “impossible” conditions have been met and Bertram vows to love his wife “ever, ever dearly.”

CAST The King of France: Clive Swift / Helena: Emily Woof / Bertram: Sam West / Countess: Maggie Steed / Parolles: Edward De Souza / Lafew: Denys Hawthorne / Lavatch: Aden Gillett / Interpreter: Nicholas Murchie / First French Lord: John Warnaby / Second French Lord: Michael Higgs / Widow: Jenny Howe / Diana: Rebecca Saire / Duke of Florence: Gavin Muir / Mariana: Charlotte Harvey / Messenger: Scott Cherry

Director: Clive Brill / Composer: Dominique Le Gendre / Production coordinators: Polly Coles and Charlotte Harvey / Sound engineer: Wilfredo Acosta / Producers: Bill Shepherd and Tom Treadwell

TRACK LISTDisc 1Track 1: Act I, Scene iTrack 2: Act I, Scene iiTrack 3: Act I, Scene iiiTrack 4: Act II, Scene iTrack 5: Act II Scene iiTrack 6: Act II, Scene iiiTrack 7: Act II, Scene iv

Disc 2Track 1: Act II, Scene vTrack 2: Act III, Scene iTrack 3: Act III, Scene iiTrack 4: Act III, Scene iiiTrack 5: Act III, Scene ivTrack 6: Act III, Scene vTrack 7: Act III, Scene viTrack 8: Act III, Scene viiTrack 9: Act IV, Scene iTrack 10: Act IV, Scene iiTrack 11: Act IV, Scene iii

Disc 3Track 1: Act IV, Scene ivTrack 2: Act IV, Scene vTrack 3: Act V, Scene iTrack 4: Act V, Scene iiTrack 5: Act V, Scene iii

This pastoral is one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies, due to its delightful heroine, the wise, witty, and virtuous Rosalind, who complicates her love life by disguising herself as a young man.

ACT IScene 1. Orlando, the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, has been kept “rustically at home” by his older brother, Oliver; he has been denied his inheritance and any formal education. When Orlando demands his birthright, the brothers come to blows. Charles the Wrestler describes how the old duke has been banished by his younger brother Frederick and has gone to live in the Forest of Arden. His daughter Rosalind has stayed at court with Celia, Frederick’s daughter. Hearing that Charles and Orlando are to wrestle the following day, Oliver lies to Charles, claiming that Orlando intends, if necessary, to resort to foul play in order to win the fight.

Scene 2. The courtier Le Beau urges Rosalind and Celia to watch the wrestling. They try to persuade the youthful Orlando not to fight, but he is determined to go ahead and succeeds in beating Charles. Frederick congratulates the victor but is displeased to learn of his parentage. Le Beau suggest that, the duke being so unpredictable, Orlando would be wise to leave the court. Orlando, who has fallen for the “heavenly Rosalind,” follows his advice.

Scene 3. Rosalind is telling Celia of her love for Orlando when Duke Frederick enters and banishes her from the court. Celia insists on accompanying her cousin and they decide to travel in disguise: Rosalind as a youth called Ganymede and Celia as his sister, Aliena. Their sole companion is to be the court fool Touchstone.

ACT IIScene 1. Duke Senior extols the joys of the hard, rustic life. A lord describes the melancholy Jaques’ distress at the brutality of the hunt.

Scene 2. Duke Frederick has learnt of the flight of Celia and Rosalind.

Scene 3. Orlando is warned by Adam, his father’s aged servant, that Oliver has resolved to murder him. Adam urges Orlando to escape, offering him his savings and his service.

Scene 4. Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone are now in the Forest of Arden, where they overhear Silvius telling the shepherd Corin of his unrequited love for the scornful Phebe. The tired travelers ask for help and decide to buy Corin’s cottage and sheep.

Scene 5. Jaques, Amiens, and others sing together.

Scene 6. When Adam becomes faint with hunger and exhaustion, Orlando promises to find him food.

Scene 7. Jaques eulogizes Touchstone’s wisdom. As the exiled courtiers prepare to eat, Orlando enters brandishing his sword and demanding food. The Duke disarms him by graciously inviting him to eat. Whilst Orlando goes back to fetch Adam, Jaques ponders on the seven stages of life, from infancy to senility. The duke is delighted to learn that Orlando is the son of “the good Sir Rowland.”

ACT IIIScene 1. Duke Frederick commands Oliver to find his missing brother and “bring him dead or living.”

Scene 2. Orlando wanders through the forest hanging verses in praise of Rosalind upon the trees. Rosalind derides the clumsy style until she realizes that their author is Orlando. When he arrives with Jaques, Rosalind (dressed as the boy Ganymede) draws him out on the subject of his love. She promises to cure him of his passion if he comes to her daily and woos her as if she were Rosalind.

Scene 3. Touchstone proposes to Audrey. Jaques intervenes, persuading them against being married by the ill-educated priest Sir Oliver Mar-Text.

Scene 4. Rosalind is devastated that Orlando has not come to woo her as he promised.

Scene 5. Silvius woos Phebe ardently, but she rebuffs his advances. When Rosalind accuses the shepherdess of pride Phebe is instantly infatuated with her/Ganymede. She decides to write to Ganymede and Silvius agrees to deliver the letter.

ACT IVScene 1. Rosalind is scornful of Jaques’ melancholy, insisting “I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad.” When Orlando arrives an hour late, she tells him that this is no sign of true love. Once alone with Celia again, she confesses the depth of her passion.

Scene 2. Jaques gives the exiled lords a hero’s welcome when they return from the hunt with a deer.

Scene 3. Silvius delivers Phebe’s stern letter to Rosalind who pretends not to believe that a woman could have written such words. Oliver enters carrying a bloody cloth and recounts how Orlando saved his life by killing the hungry lioness poised to attack him. The brothers are now reconciled and Oliver has been welcomed by the exiled duke. Rosalind swoons at the sight of the blood.

ACT VScene 1. Touchstone dismisses William, a rival for Audrey’s affections.

Scene 2. Oliver and Celia are in love and plan to marry the following day. When Orlando tells Rosalind “how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes,” she claims to know a magician who will unite him with his beloved.

Scene 3. Touchstone and Audrey are to marry the next day.

Scene 4. Rosalind reveals her identity to Orlando and her father, as Hymen, the god of marriage, looks on. All four couples are now to be married. Jaques de Boys, Sir Rowland’s second son, arrives with news of Duke Frederick’s conversion; having met a hermit in the forest, he has resolved to restore the dukedom to his brother and to retire from the world. As the celebrations continue, Jaques the courtier decides to join Frederick in his religious life.

CASTRosalind: Niamh Cusack / Orlando: Stephen Mangan / Jaques: Gerard Murphy / Touchstone: Clarence Smith / Celia: Victoria Hamilton / Silvius: Ian Pepperell / Phebe: Carolyn Backhouse / Duke Senior: Philip Voss / Duke Frederick: Hugh Ross / Oliver: Jonathan Tafler / Audrey: Sarah-Jane Holm / Adam: John Hollis / Amiens: Chook Sibtain / Le Beau: Sean Baker / Corin: Raymond Bowers / Charles the Wrestler: Matthew Morgan / Lord: Mark Lambert / Jaques de Boys: Duncan Bell

Director: Clive Bell / Composer: Dominique Le Gendre / Production coordinators: Polly Coles and Charlotte Harvey / Sound Engineer: Wilfredo Acosta / Producers: Bill Shepherd and Tom Treadwell

TRACK LISTDisc 1Track 1: Act I, Scene iTrack 2: Act I, Scene iiTrack 3: Act I, Scene iiiTrack 4: Act II, Scene iTrack 5: Act II, Scene iiTrack 6: Act II, Scene iiiTrack 7: Act II, Scene ivTrack 8: Act II, Scene vTrack 9: Act II, Scene viTrack 10: Act II, Scene viiTrack 11: Act III, Scene iTrack 12: Act III, Scene ii (up to line 240)

Disc 2Track 1: Act III, Scene ii (from line 241)Track 2: Act III, Scene iiiTrack 3: Act III, Scene ivTrack 4: Act III, Scene vTrack 5: Act IV, Scene iTrack 6: Act IV, Scene iiTrack 7: Act IV, Scene iiiTrack 8: Act V, Scene iTrack 9: Act V, Scene iiTrack 10: Act V, Scene iiiTrack 11: Act V, Scene ivTrack 12: Epilogue

Chaos and confusion mount to a crescendo in a wild and fast-paced comedy of mistaken identity, one of Shakespeare''s earliest plays.

Young Antipholus of Syracuse is searching the world for his identical twin brother, separated from him at birth. With him is his servant Dromio, who lost his twin brother at the same time. The pair arrive in Ephesus where, unbeknownst to them, their twins are living.

Antipholus of Syracuse is played by David Tennant, Antipholus of Ephesus by Brendan Coyle. Alan Cox and Jason O''Mara are the two Dromios, while Niamh and Sorcha Cusack play Adriana and Luciana.

Rome is a city divided, nobility and common people locked in mutual suspicion. The patrician Caius Marcius, later called Coriolanus, is Rome’s greatest soldier, but his proud refusal to accommodate himself to the demands of the plebeians leads to banishment and death.

A Roman history as well as tragedy, Coriolanus is a complex and subtle exploration of the themes of absolution and compromise, both in the political world and in the life of the individual.

Paul Jesson plays Coriolanus, and Marjorie Yates is Volumnia. Ewan Hooper plays Menenius

ACT IScene 1. The common people of Rome, the plebeians, are on the verge of rebellion due to the lack of grain; they blame the partricians—the Roman nobility—for their plight. They are especially bitter toward Caius Marcius, a patrician and a successful soldier, whom they regard as “the chief enemy to the people.” Menenius tries to persuade them that the patricians are acting in their best interests but when Marcius arrives he makes no attempt to disguise his contempt for the plebeians. When news comes that the Volsces have taken up arms against Rome, Marcius receives it with pleasure, believing their leader Tullus Aufidius to be a noble adversary. Sicinius and Brutus, tribunes appointed to represent the interests of the plebeians, discuss Marcius’ overweening pride.Scene 2. Aufidius prepares to go to war against Rome.Scene 3. Marcius’ mother, Volumnia, urges his wife Virgilia to glory in his warlike prowess. Valeria brings news that Marcius is about to attach the Volsces’ city of Corioles.Scene 4. Marcius curses the fainthearted Roman soldiers and urges them on to attack Corioles. When they refuse, he enters the enemy city single-handed. When the Romans see him alone within the walls of Corioles, they rush in to assist him.Scene 5. Marcius is contemptuous of the looting Roman soldiers and, despite his wounds, plunges back into the battle in search of Aufidius.Scene 6. Covered from head to foot in blood, Marcius announces victory at Corioles.Scene 7. Lartius prepares to go to the Roman camp and warns the lieutenant to guard the gates of Corioles well.Scene 8. Marcius and Aufidius fight.Scene 9. Although Marcius refuses all Cominius’ efforts to reward him with booty, the general insists that he accept the name Coriolanus, as tribute to his extraordinary bravery.Scene 10. Aufidius vows to destroy Marcius by any means—honorable or otherwise.

ACT IIScene 1. The tribunes Sicinius and Brutus try to persuade Menenius that Marcius is excessively proud, but he will have none of it, accusing them of ambition and servility. Coriolanus returns to Rome in triumph and is greeted by his wife and mother. Brutus and Sicinius fear that if Coriolanus becomes consul they will be stripped of their power.Scene 2. The Senate has deccided to make Coriolanus consul. With great reluctance he goes, as custom requires, to solicit the citizens’ votes by displaying his battle wounds in the marketplace.Scene 3. Despite the awareness of some plebeians that Coriolanus has little love for the common people they recognize his nobility, and choose him for consul. Once he has gone, however, their unease resurfaces and the tribunes persuade them to revoke their votes.

ACT IIIScene 1. Coriolanus walks through Rome, discussing the news that Aufidius is again preparing to take up arms. When the tribunes warn him to go no further, Coriolanus accuses them of inciting the plebeians against him and asserts that the people did not deserve free distribution of corn because they were unwilling to defend their country in war. Menenius tries to calm him, but Coriolanus continues to rage that “gentry tile, wisdom,/Cannot conclude but by the yea and no/Of general ignorance.” Finally, Brutus orders Coriolanus’ arrest and chaos ensues as the plebeians are exhorted by the tribunes to seize Coriolanus but are beaten back by the senators. When the tribunes demand Coriolanus’ death, Menenius appeases them by saying that he will bring him to the Forum to answer their grievances.Scene 2. Coriolanus refuses to do as Menenius asks, but is eventually persuaded to go to the Forum by his mother Volumnia.Scene 3. Brutus and Sicinius are determined that Coriolanus should be brought down by the people. When he enters the Forum, he cannot contain himself and abuses the plebeians. Sicinius and Brutus announce his banishment from Rome.

ACT IVScene 1. Coriolanus bids a dignified farewell to friends and family.Scene 2. Volumnia rounds angrily on the tribunes.Scene 3. A Roman spy tells a Volsce of Coriolanus banishment.Scene 4. Coriolanus arrives in Antium and learns the whereabouts of Aufidius’ house.Scene 5. Coriolanus presents himself to Aufidius telling his old enemy either to kill him on the spot, or to accept his services in war against Rome. Aufidius welcomes him delightedly.Scene 6. The tribunes and others hear the terrible news that Coriolanus and Aufidius have invaded Roman territories.Scene 7. Aufidius is angered by Coriolanus’ arrogance and his growing popularity with the Volsces.

ACT VScene 1. After Cominius has attempted unsuccessfully to plead with Coriolanus for Rome, Menenius reluctantly agrees to approach his old friend.Scene 2. Coriolanus refuses to speak to Menenius.Scene 3. Volumnia, Virgilia, and her little son approach Coriolanus. Volumnia describes their agony at being torn between their love for Rome and for him. She begs him to negotiate a peace that is honorable to both sides and at last Coriolanus agrees.Scene 4. A messenger brings news that Volumnia has prevailed with Coriolanus.Scene 5. A Senator gives the women a rapturous welcome.Scene 6. Aufidius has returned to Corioles, enraged; he conspires with some of his followers to kill Coriolanus. When Coriolanus explains to the Volsces how he has brokered an honorable peace, Aufidius publicly accuses him of treachery. As the crowd rages against him, Coriolanus is killed by the conspirators.

CASTCoriolanus: Paul Jesson / Menenius: Ewan Hooper / Volumnia: Marjorie Yates / Brutus: Steve Hawthorne / Sicinius: Denys Hawthorne / Aufidius: Martin Marquez / Cominius: Michael N. Harbour / Titus Lartius: Anthony Jackson / Valeria: Shirley Dixon / Virgilia: Sarah Woodward / 1st Senator: Trevor Martin / 2nd Senator: Jamie Glover / 1st Citizen: Michael Higgs / 2nd Citizen: Jonathan Tafler / Corioles Messenger: Mark Bonnar / Corioles: Philip Bretherton / 1st Soldier: Christopher Luscombe / Young Marcius: Freddie Norton

Director: Clive Brill / Composer: Dominique Le Gendre / Production coordinators: Polly Coles and Charlotte Harvey / Sound engineer: Wilfredo Acosta / Producers: Bill Shepherd and Tom Treadwell

TRACK LISTDisc 1Track 1: Act I, Scene iTrack 2: Act I, Scene iiTrack 3: Act I, Scene iiiTrack 4: Act I, Scene ivTrack 5: Act I, Scene vTrack 6: Act I, Scene viTrack 7: Act I, Scene viiTrack 8: Act I, Scene viiiTrack 9: Act I, Scene ixTrack 10: Act I, Scene xTrack 11: Act II, Scene i

Disc 2Track 1: Act II, Scene iiTrack 2: Act II, Scene iiiTrack 3: Act III, Scene iTrack 4: Act III, Scene iiTrack 5: Act III, Scene iii

Disc 3Track 1: Act IV, Scene iTrack 2: Act IV, Scene iiTrack 3: Act IV, Scene iiiTrack 4: Act IV, Scene ivTrack 5: Act IV, Scene vTrack 6: Act IV, Scene viTrack 7: Act IV, Scene viiTrack 8: Act V, Scene iTrack 9: Act V, Scene iiTrack 10: Act V, Scene iiiTrack 11: Act V, Scene ivTrack 12: Act V, Scene vTrack 13: Act V, Scene vi

Rife with intrigue and treachery, this history play depicts the onset of the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York.

Young King Henry VI has married the beautiful Margaret of Anjou, but the new queen is ruthless and ambitious. Supported by the powerful Duke of Suffolk, Margaret plots the overthrow of her enemies, chief among them the Duke of Gloucester. But the Duke of York also aspires to the crown, and the common people, led by Jack Cade, are in rebellion. To the despair of the mild young king, England descends into civil war.

David Tennant plays Henry VI, and Kelly Hunter plays Queen Margaret. Norman Rodway is the Duke of Gloucester, Isla Blair the Duchess of Gloucester, and Clive Merrison plays the Duke of York.