Showing results by narrator "David Blair" in All Categories

Why are we so mesmerized by gold? Why is it so revered and so valued? From the earliest times to the present day, humans have been attracted by this sun-coloured metal, sometimes worshipping it, always prizing it. Gold: The Metal that Rules the World investigates the history of this versatile element, examining what it is, how it came to be found on Earth and why it has played such an important part in human history.

Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Christie’s wildly unconventional investigator, Parker Pyne, all make appearances in The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories—a riveting collection of short stories featuring a host of murderous crimes of passion, pleasure, and profit. There's a body in a trunk...

In Not Old, Not Young, Not Done, you’ll find encouragement to faithfully follow Jesus through the ups and downs of this season. No matter what the specific circumstances you might find yourself in during the “afternoon of life,” author Christopher Ash speaks truth to the heart.

This is a delightful collection of fairy tales and fables written by the most beloved of all children's authors and read with charming wit and tenderness. Includes the story of that fleet-footed Gingerbread Man who commences running as soon as the oven door is opened.

**Pre-order The Knight's Pledge, the second book in the Will Bowman series, now!** 1190 - Humble layman Will Bowman lives in the countryside with his pregnant wife, when soldiers from Richard Lionheart's army tear through his home. Will is beaten unconscious, and awakes to find his wife murdered...

In this compelling account, Ian Fitzgerald tells the complete story of oil, from its formation over millions of years to its first discovery and use by humankind to its role as a crucial energy source and the conflicts that have since revolved around it.

In this compelling study, Joshua Clover undertakes the task of decoding the film. Examining The Matrix's digital effects and how they were achieved, he shows how the film represents a melding of cinema and video games (the greatest commercial threat to have faced Hollywood since the advent of television) and achieves a hybrid kind of immersive entertainment. He also unpacks the movie's references to philosophy, showing how The Matrix ultimately expresses the crisis American culture faced at the end of the 1990s.

A legendary fusion of science fiction and horror, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) is one of the most enduring films of modern cinema – its famously visceral scenes acting like a traumatic wound we seem compelled to revisit. Exploring the ways in which Alien compels us to think about otherness, Luckhurst demonstrates how and why this interstellar slasher movie, this old dark house in space, came to coil itself around our darkest imaginings about the fragility of humanity.

Ridley Scott's dystopian classic Blade Runner, an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, combines noir with science fiction to create a groundbreaking cyberpunk vision of urban life in the twenty-first century. In his innovative and nuanced reading, Scott Bukatman details the making of Blade Runner and its steadily improving fortunes following its release in 1982.

Suave, unflappable and ambitious, veteran politician Charles Bannister knows his way around the corridors of power. As chief whip, he's adept at keeping MPs in line and squashing potential scandals—aided by his brother-in-law, MI6 Agent Henry Colvil, who whispers useful titbits of information in his ear. His position seems invincible—but nothing is forever, and when the tides of politics turn, Charles finds himself under threat. In these six series, we follow his fortunes and those of his close friend Home Secretary Dougal Baxter. Together, the duo rise, fall and rise again.

This collection of classic Christmas tales is a delightful celebration of Christmas and the joyful spirit of giving. "What Christmas is as We Grow Older" is Charles Dicken's touching essay on the true meaning of charity; "Christmas Day" is a delightful story of a young boy's willingness to sacrifice skating with his friends to help an old woman; "The Little Match Girl" is the heart-wrenching classic about a poor little match girl, cold and alone on the streets on Christmas Eve; and "The Greatest of These" is an upbeat, inspiring story of a pair of farmers who bring Christmas to a poor neighbor's family.

A wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems celebrating all the warmth and joy of the holiday season. "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" is a kindly editor's reply to a young reader regarding the existence of Santa; "Silent Night" is the classic song read with meaning and reverence; "The Christmas Masquerade" is a charming tale of a magical Christmas Eve.

A delightful collection of children's favorites hosted by a hilarious wicked witch and narrated with delightful enthusiasm. Featuring the classic story of "Snow White", the story of "The Seven Ravens", the charming "Little Ida's Flowers", and the mirthful "The Shoemaker and the Elves".

The all-conquering King Henry V is dead, and the throne is occupied by his infant son, Henry VI. The good Duke Humphrey of Gloucester has been appointed protector, but a struggle for power soon develops between the young king's Lancastrian relatives and the powerful house of York under Richard Plantagenet. Meanwhile the French, led by Joan of Arc, the maid of Orleans, threaten to win back the territories lost to Henry V.

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.

This is the story of a family and the secret that lies at its heart. André is the son, raised by his aunt in the French countryside. His mother Gabrielle, beautiful but distant, lives in Paris. Surrounded by his cousins, far from the noise of the city, André's childhood is a happy one. No-one questions the absence of his mother, or dares voice the name of his father. But beneath the quiet joy of the everyday lies a tragedy, passed down through the generations. Over time, the truth will come to the surface, whether the son desires it or not.

For Squadron Leader Alex Everton dogfights in his Spitfire have become his way of life. He knows every time he goes up in the air, he might not make it home again, but he’ll keep fighting anyway. The boys in blue seem to be winning the Battle of Britain, but during a raid over Dieppe the Luftwaffe gain the upper hand and Alex’s spitfire is shot down. Alex expects to either drown in the water beneath him or be incarcerated in a German prisoner of war camp. Instead, he becomes an evader, dodging the enemy as he tries to get back home to Blighty.