Books published by publisher Penguin/Michael Joseph

This is a fictional story-fast paced, exciting, richly textured with memorable characters. Lincoln International Airport calls itself boastfully: Aviation Crossroads of the World. Yet those with inside knowledge are aware of grave deficiencies. Operational areas are outmoded to the point of danger; air traffic control is overtaxed; the supposedly-modern glass and chrome main terminal has become a whited sepulcher. Against this background is set a dramatic, behind-scenes story of seven eventful airport hours during a mid-winter snowstorm, and of the men and women-with pressures, passions and problems of their own. You will meet: Joe Patroni, cocky and genial airline maintenance chief, striving to clear a disabled aircraft from an urgently needed runway; Air Traffic Controller Keith Bakersjeld, suffering stress, and conscience stricken by the memory of an air disaster for which he was responsible; Tanya Livingston, passenger relations agent whose suspicions, triggered by a sharp-eyed Customs Inspector, reveal an unsuspected crisis; Captain Vernon Demerest, arrogant, admired by women, and despising "ground bound penguins," especially Airport Commissioners; Elliot Free mantle, crusading lawyer, leading a group of home owners incensed by airport noise; Ada Quonsett, a prim old lady who explains her so-easy techniques as an aerial stowaway; D. O. Guerrero, a psychotic with a homemade bomb ... and many others. Arthur Hailey has employed the same multi-plot technique which he used so successfully in Hotel and The Final Diagnosis. And, as usual, he has written an engrossing, enjoyable tale, packed with little-known and fascinating information: How, for example, smugglers trip themselves up with Customs; the way in which stewardess pregnancy programs work; what is an airport "Conga Line;" how much an airline will pay on the spot for a damaged luggage claim; and why airport insurance booths are hated by airline pilots ... But the true-hero of this novel is the Airport.

*AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 2 FACT NOT FICTION BOOKCLUB* 'I was hoping against hope that the penguin would survive because as of that instant he had a name, and with his name came the beginning of a bond which would last a life-time' Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays. He even has a motorbike, Che Guevara style. What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin. Set against Argentina's turbulent years following the collapse of the corrupt Perónist regime, this is the heart-warming story of Juan Salvador the penguin, rescued by Tom from an oil slick in Uruguay just days before a new term. When the bird refuses to leave Tom's side, the young teacher has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - in particular one homesick school boy. And as for Tom, he discovers in Juan Salvador a compadre like no other... The Penguin Lessons is a unique and moving true story which has captured imaginations around the globe - for all those who dreamed as a child they might one day talk to the animals. Praise for The Penguin Lessons 'Entrancing ... the writing is a delight, the story itself so touching that I didn't want it to end. I really loved this book' Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear 'Fantastic, fantastic - I have been glued to The Penguin Lessons ... it's so good. A magical story' Dj Nihal, BBC Radio 2 Fact Not Fiction Bookclub 'An uplifting true story about author Tom Michell's years as a teacher in Argentina and the penguin he adopted as a pet' Good Housekeeping 'A crazy, witty, enchanting story' Woman & Home 'His tone suits the material perfectly ... you believe every word ... No fool, this penguin. No fools these publishers, who have unleashed such a delightful and charming book just in time for Christmas' Daily Mail 'One of the most touching tales we've read all year *****' Heat 'A cheerful, readable book and all the more lovely for being a true . . . a memoir as charming as Juan Salvador himself' Stylist's Emerald Street 'Tom Michell seems like the sort of fellow you'd like to have dinner with sometime. He would no doubt regale you with fascinating tales of life in Argentina during the 1970s: living with high inflation and the collapse of the Perónist government, hiking in the high Andes, wandering the snowy, pine-covered wilderness of Tierra del Fuego. Oh, and he might tell you a little bit about a Magellanic penguin he used to know' Washington Post 'Warm and unique ... it's hard not to wish you were there ... a lovely story about a remarkable trip to the other side of the world and a gorgeous friendship between one man and his penguin' The Bookseller 'While Michell devotes much of his time to heartwarming penguin antics, he also recalls the less idyllic elements of his time in Argentina, including runaway inflation and a military coup. Michell's crisp, intelligent voice is equally at home chatting about motorcycling through the Argentine countryside and hiding a penguin for the duration of a bus trip. His classic dry British wit provides the perfect counterbalance to the inherent sweetness of the penguin's remarkable devotion. Animal lovers and travel fans alike will find Michell's adventures bright and charming' Shelf Awareness 'Lively and endearing ... In clever, entertaining vignettes accompanied by simple yet engaging illustrations, Michell ... interweaves introspection, travel tales, and penguin facts in a charming story that also reveals the charismatic nature of this gregarious and increasingly endangered species' Publishers Weekly 'Packed full of funny, heart-warming anecdotes and peppered with interesting details of the political and economic picture of Argentina, this would make a perfect Christmas stocking filler' Irish Examiner

No one writes about cars like Jeremy Clarkson. While most correspondents are too busy diving straight into BHP, MPG and MPH, Jeremy appreciates that there are more important things to life. Don't worry, we'll get to the cars. Eventually. But first we should consider: • The case for invading France • The overwhelming appeal of a nice sit-down • The inconvenience of gin and tonic • Why clothes are no better than ice cream • Spot-welding with the Duchess of Kent • And why Denmark is the best place in the world Armed only with conviction, curiosity, enthusiasm and a pair of stout trousers, Jeremy hurtles around the world - along motorway, autoroute, freeway and autobahn - in search of answers to life's puzzles and ponderings without forethought or fear for his own safety. What, you have to ask, could possibly go wrong . . .

This is the volume 4 in the bestselling "World According to Clarkson Series". Jeremy Clarkson had a dream - a world where the nonsensical made sense, the idiotic was abolished and the sheer bloody brilliant was embraced. In "How Hard Can It Be?", our hero embarks on a quest to set the world to rights. Again. En-route, he discovers how rhubarb will become the new crack, that a comb over will end anyone's quest for global domination and what unites a Filipino chambermaid in Abergavenny with Prince Andrew. For anyone who's ever woken up and thought the time has come to stop the nonsense and celebrate the sensational, read on. Because seriously, how hard can it be?

Part of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES.- What is Gravity?- How does it work?- And why are there extreme gravitational environments?EXPLORE how gravity controls the shape of space and the passage of time itself, influencing the history and destiny of the entire Universe.IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN 'WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN.'Discover the vast and momentous effects of this profound force on the world around us. Written by celebrated physicist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili, Gravity is a fascinating and authoritative introduction to a phenomenon as familiar to us as breathing.

E.C. Fremantle's THE POISON BED is a chilling, unputdownable thriller ripped straight from the headlines. ------------- 'A Jacobean GONE GIRL Dark and deeply satisfying, THE POISON BED is a tale of monstrous intrigue and murder' M J Carter 'Deliciously sinister. A toxic blend of glamour, intrigue and ambition' Andrew Taylor 'A thoroughly compelling tale of sexually-charged intrigue and murder. Once started, impossible to put down' Minette Walters 'A twisting tale of power and poison' Anna Mazzola 'Gripping and fascinating. Fremantle is a master' Santa Montefiore ------------- A Marriage. A Murder. One of them did it. Which of them will die for it? In the autumn of 1615 scandal rocks the Jacobean court when a celebrated couple are imprisoned on suspicion of murder. She is young, captivating and from a notorious family. He is one of the richest and most powerful men in the kingdom. Some believe she is innocent; others think her wicked or insane. He claims no knowledge of the murder. The king suspects them both, though it is his secret at stake. Who is telling the truth? Who has the most to lose? And who is willing to commit murder?

A classic mystery from Dick Francis, the champion of English storytellers. Charles Todd, a successful artist who paints horses, arrives at his cousin Donald's house and stumbles on a grisly scene: police cars everywhere, his cousin arrested for murder and Donald's wife brutally slain. Believing - unlike the police - Donald's story of a burglary gone wrong, Charles follows clues which lead him from England to Australia and a diabolical scheme involving fraud and murder. But soon Charles realises that someone is on his trail. Someone who wants to make sure that Charles won't live long enough to save Donald. Praise for Dick Francis: 'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror 'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph 'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care . . . the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman 'Francis writing at his best' Evening Standard 'A regular winner . . . as smooth, swift and lean as ever' Sunday Express 'A super chiller and killer' New York Times Book Review Dick Francis was one of the most successful post-war National Hunt jockeys. The winner of over 350 races, he was champion jockey in 1953/1954 and rode for HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, most famously on Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National. On his retirement from the saddle, he published his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, before going on to write forty-three bestselling novels, a volume of short stories (Field of 13), and the biography of Lester Piggott. During his lifetime Dick Francis received many awards, amongst them the prestigious Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for his outstanding contribution to the genre, and three 'best novel' Edgar Allan Poe awards from The Mystery Writers of America. In 1996 he was named by them as Grand Master for a lifetime's achievement. In 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2000. Dick Francis died in February 2010, at the age of eighty-nine, but he remains one of the greatest thriller writers of all time.

From Bernard Cornwell. the creator of the No. 1 bestselling Sharpe novels. Arthur seeks peace, with the aid of his sword Excaliber . . . After rebellions and betrayals by those he believed loved him most, Arthur looks at his most weak. His Saxon enemies decide to strike before he regains his strength, plunging Britain into war. It will require all Arthur's leadership and military cunning to win this last battle. But in this final struggle of the warlord, the intrigues of Mordred, now the adult heir to the throne of Britain, and the dark magic of the priestess Nimue could conspire to bring about Arthur's downfall. Even his trusty blade Excaliber may not be sharp enough to save him . . . Bernard Cornwell concludes The Warlord Chronicles, bringing the Arthurian legend to thrilling new life. 'A powerful and dramatic retelling of the Arthurian legend' Sharon Penman 'Of all the books I have written these are my favourites' Bernard Cornwell