Showing results by narrator "Ben Allen" in All Categories

The adventure continues as Mowgli returns to the jungle for even greater challenges, deeper friendships, and dangerous new enemies. From thrilling hunts to ancient jungle secrets, The Second Jungle Book expands the world of Kipling's beloved characters with stories full of courage, loyalty, and survival. Rich in imagination and atmosphere, this classic sequel captures the wild spirit of the jungle.

A well-to-do professor working in Moscow strikes up an unlikely friendship with a stray dog and attempts a scientific first by transplanting the testicles and pituitary gland of a recently deceased man into the dog. With a wild, but alarmingly human animal on the loose, the professor's previously respectable life becomes a nightmare beyond his imagination. A superb satirical novel, it is also a sharp and pointed criticism of Soviet society, especially the new rich that arose after the Bolshevik revolution.

Spirited and unpretentious, Chesterton's romp through English history recounts the thrilling story of a somewhat complicated nation, told through the soul of its people. From the Roman roads to the Magna Carta, the Reformation and the rise of democracy, Chesterton compellingly traces England's journey through history, often noting the persistent struggle between ordinary folk and overreaching elites.

‘No one is better . . . eden sees Crace at the top of his game’ - Telegraph Trouble has come to the garden. Its inhabitants live an eternal and unblemished life, tending to the bountiful fields, orchards and lakes, and serving their angelic masters. But now one of the gardeners has escaped...

In 1773, literary giant Samuel Johnson set off with his friend James Boswell on a tour of Scotland’s remote Highlands and Western Isles. What followed was a vivid travelogue capturing the landscapes, people, and customs of a region on the brink of change. With wit, insight, and curiosity, Johnson reflects on everything from ancient clan traditions to the decline of the Gaelic language—offering a rare glimpse into 18th-century Scotland through the eyes of one of England’s greatest minds.

The Essential Fyodor Dostoyevsky Collection brings together the definitive works of one of literature’s most profound psychological explorers. Through gripping drama, penetrating philosophy, and unforgettable characters, Dostoyevsky examines guilt, faith, freedom, suffering, and the mysteries of existence with unmatched intensity. This collection presents his greatest novels, novellas, and nonfiction—an ideal gateway for new readers and an indispensable treasury for devoted admirers.

While contemplating his life and deeming himself ridiculous, a man on the verge of suicide is interrupted by a young girl begging for his help. In his dark mood, he brushes her away, but when he returns home to commit the act he cannot move past his feelings of guilt over his treatment of the girl.

Jago is a kid from a rough part of London who has worked hard to get a job in a bank. Marcantonio is a member of the 'Ndrangheta crime families from Southern Italy. He is in Germany to learn how to channel their illicit millions towards legitimate businesses. When Jago witnesses Marcantonio commit a vicious assault, he is drawn into the middle of a delicate surveillance operation....

Introspective sailor Charles Marlow recounts a life-changing and deeply unsettling expedition to Congo as riverboat captain for a Belgian trading company. He is eager to find Kurtz – an allegedly progressive thinker and talented man – during his travels. The journey to Africa is long and arduous; the surrounding jungle is dense and oppressively quiet, causing havoc among the ship’s crew. Marlow also begins to sense all is not well with Kurtz – the others seem to be fearful of him and he is rumoured to be ill.

Stan Button had always dreamed of becoming a superhero. Then one day a letter arrives inviting him for an interview at the mysterious Mighty High School. To his amazement, Stan is offered a place - starting immediately. His superpower is ‘non-conventional’, as are those of his two new best friends, but lessons in supervillain-spotting and tight-wearing mean they are soon ready to defeat the evil Green Meanie, who might just be none other than a teacher at their school....

A heart-rending memoir of love, loss and the unique relationship twins share. More than thirty years ago, David Loftus’s cherished identical twin, John, passed away. Ever since, a day hasn’t passed without David feeling the loss. In 1987, after recovering from a brain tumour, John contracted...

In June 1862, Dostoevsky left St. Petersburg on his first excursion to Western Europe. Ostensibly making the trip to consult Western specialists about his epilepsy, he also wished to see the source of the Western ideas he believed were corrupting Russia. Over the course of his journey he visited a number of major cities, including Berlin, Paris, London, Florence, Milan, and Vienna. His impressions on what he saw, Winter Notes on Summer Impressions, were first published in the February 1863 issue of "Vremya" (Time), the periodical he edited, and are collected here.

A wonderfully entertaining work of autobiographical fiction, Paul Kelver is Jerome K. Jerome's dynamically written bildungsroman. First published in 1902, Paul Kelver follows our titular character as he comes of age in London: at once a harsh and unforgiving home, yet also magic and alive with opportunity. Navigating the complexities of his childhood, his family often fighting the misfortunate hand they've been dealt, Paul thoughtfully explores the various societal expectations thrust upon humanity and the unrelenting nature of life itself.

When his village is destroyed by the evil Prince Mephtik, young Jarral Gullen must search for answers. With the help of his three friends Archer, Scythe and the Lady Mandragorina - a band of magically talented adventurers - Jarral must make a terrifying journey into the unknown. Only then will he be able to answer the questions that haunt him. Will he be able to discover what strange talents he possesses? And why does the spectre known as the Poisoner want to hunt him down?

Winner of the Yorkshire Post Novel of the Year Award. From the bestselling author of the Cazalet Chronicles, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Getting It Right is a touching comedy about a young man trying desperately to come of age. Gavin – a sensitive, shy, hairdresser in the West End – is, at...

The Wealth of Nations is an economics book like no other. First published in 1776, Adam Smith's groundbreaking theories provide a recipe for national prosperity that has not been bettered since. It assumes no prior knowledge of its subject, and over 200 years on, still provides valuable lessons on the fundamentals of economics.

1916. Young artist Sam Burke is spared death by firing squad on the battlefields of France and brought to a remote castle by the Irish Sea. At the ‘Tin Nose Shop’, he is tasked with creating intricate masks to hide the mutilated faces of his fellow soldiers from the Front. While he tries to come to terms with the death of his best friend and the promise he failed to keep, Sam and the disfigured soldiers struggle to return to their former lives and their loved ones.

“This sumptuous romance explores the relationship between Philip II of France and Richard the Lionheart. . . . Betrayal and tragedy lurk around every corner, yet there are moments of breathtaking loveliness.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) “Absolutely captivating and...

In the aptly named borough of Foulsham, Grandfather Umbitt Iremonger has found a way of making everyday objects assume human shape, and turning real people into objects. Lucy Pennant has been discarded as a clay button, abandoned in the Heaps. Meanwhile, Clod has been turned into a gold coin and is being passed as currency through the town. Everywhere people are searching for Clod, who, it is believed, has the power to bring the mighty Umbitt down.

The G.K. Chesterton Fiction Collection brings together thirteen of Chesterton's major novels and short story collections, including the complete compendium of his beloved Father Brown stories. This collection takes you from his first published novel, The Napoleon of Notting Hill (often cited as inspiration for 1984) to stories of his monocled amateur sleuth, Father Brown, and all the way through to his final novel, the high satire The Return of Don Quixote.