Gyles Brandreth - Free Library Land Online

Philip: The Final Portrait

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:20:48 +0300

______________________________________________________________________________________**THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER**'As a sparkling celebration of Prince Philip, the book will be hard to beat' - THE TELEGRAPH'Brandreth explores a temperament on the brink of anger and agitation with immense tact, even affection.' - THE SPECTATOR'This affectionate biography of Prince Philip is stuffed with entertaining anecdotes ...so readable and refreshing even after the millions of words that have been written about Prince Philip in the past couple of weeks.' - THE TIMES'Brilliant... there is so much in this book you won't find anywhere else.' - LORRAINE'A stately, respectful and joyful tribute. It is an extraordinary story, told with unique insight and authority by an author who knew him for more than 40 years.' -EDINBURGH EVENING NEWSThis is the story of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - the longest-serving consort to the longest-reigning sovereign in British history. It is an extraordinary story, told with unique insight and authority by an author who knew the prince for more than forty years. Philip - elusive, complex, controversial, challenging, often humorous, sometimes irascible - is the man Elizabeth II once described as her 'constant strength and guide'. Who was he? What was he really like? What is the truth about those 'gaffes' and the rumours of affairs? This is the final portrait of an unexpected and often much-misunderstood figure. It is also the portrait of a remarkable marriage that endured for more than seventy years. Philip and Elizabeth were both royal by birth, both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria, but, in temperament and upbringing, they were two very different people. The Queen's childhood was loving and secure, the Duke's was turbulent; his grandfather assassinated, his father arrested, his family exiled, his parents separated when he was only ten. Elizabeth and Philip met as cousins in the 1930s. They married in 1947, aged twenty-one and twenty-six. Philip: The Final Portrait tells the story of two contrasting lives, assesses the Duke of Edinburgh's character and achievement, and explores the nature of his relationships with his wife, his children and their families - and with the press and public and those at court who were suspicious of him in the early days. This is a powerful, revealing and, ultimately, moving account of a long life and a remarkable royal partnership.

Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:22:03 +0300

Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders

aka Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance

London, 1889. Oscar Wilde, celebrated poet, wit, playwright and raconteur is the literary sensation of his age. All Europe lies at his feet. Yet when he chances across the naked corpse of sixteen-year-old Billy Wood, posed by candlelight in a dark, stifling attic room, he cannot ignore the brutal murder. With the help of fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle he sets out to solve the crime -- but it is Wilde's unparalleled access to all degrees of late Victorian life, from society drawing rooms and the bohemian demi-monde to the underclass, that will prove the decisive factor in their investigation of what turns out to be a series of brutal killings. The Oscar Wilde Murders is a gripping detective story of corruption and intrigue, of Wilde's growing success, of the breakdown of his marriage, and of his fatal friendship with Aidan Fraser, Inspector at Scotland Yard...Set against the exotic background of fin-de-siecle London, Paris, Oxford and Edinburgh, Gyles Brandreth recreates Oscar Wilde's trademark sardonic wit with huge flair, intertwining all the intrigue of the classic English murder mystery with a compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age.

Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:21:19 +0200

For the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Winnie-the-Pooh," Gyles Brandreth chronicles the writing of this beloved classic and the life of its creator, A. A. Milne.

Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear tells the remarkable story of A A Milne, a playwright, a bestselling crime writer, poet, polemicist, humorist, and the man who created Winnie-the-Pooh.
Gyles Brandreth explores "Winnie-the-Pooh," a bear beloved by millions: his genesis, his life across a hundred years, his special philosophy, and the reasons for his worldwide popularity. Brandreth's book is also the intimate biography of three generations of the fascinating and troubled Milne family, which knew fame and fortune, despising both for a time, but a family that ultimately found a profound reason to be grateful for the riches Pooh brought them.
With an extraordinary cast list that includes Elizabeth II and Walt Disney, Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear moves from idyllic childhood games in the English...

Oscar Wilde and the Return of Jack the Ripper

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 15:38:36 +0200

Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle are recruited to track down Jack the Ripper in a novel that is at once a gripping detective story and a witty portrait of two of the most brilliant Victorian minds.London, 1894. When it appears that the notorious Jack the Ripper has returned to London, Chief Constable Melville Macnaghten recruits his neighbor Oscar Wilde to help him solve the case, hoping the author's unparalleled knowledge of the London underworld might be exactly what the police need to finally capture the serial killer.In an account narrated by Wilde's close friend, fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilde gathers together suspects from the theaters, brothels, asylums, and traveling circuses of East London in the hopes of finding the true identity of Jack the Ripper before he can strike again. But even as the pair of amateur detectives venture further and further into a tangled web of criminals, performers, and prostitutes, new...

[Oscar Wilde 07] - Jack the Ripper: Case Closed

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:28:09 +0200

London. 1894. 'I am not a detective, chief constable.' 'No, but you are a poet, a freemason and a man of the world. All useful qualifications for the business in hand.' So says Police Chief Macnaghten to Oscar Wilde, in a Chelsea drawing room in the company of Arthur Conan Doyle. The business they are gathered to discuss is none other than the case of Jack the Ripper, the most notorious murderer in England. And thus the three men set out to solve one of the world's most famous mysteries - the ultimate truth about the identity of Jack the Ripper. Case Closed is Arthur Conan Doyle's account of the events of 1894, the year of the return of Jack the Ripper. Based on Oscar Wilde's real-life friendship with Conan Doyle and the extraordinary but little-known fact that in 1894 the detective in charge of the Jack the Ripper investigations was Oscar Wilde's neighbor in Tite Street, Chelsea, this is a revelatory and gripping detective story, combining the intrigue of a classic murder mystery with a witty and compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age. **

Dancing by the Light of the Moon

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 12:45:21 +0200

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A collection of over 250 of our nations best-loved poems to read, relish and recite, handpicked by Gyles Brandreth . . .

'Gyles has discovered the secret of finding happiness through learning poetry by heart. It's wonderful and so much fun.' Dame Judi Dench
__________

A little poetry really can save your life . . .

Poetry is officially good for you.

Not only does it enhance literacy in the young, but learning poetry by heart is the one truly pleasurable thing you can do to improve memory, boost brain power, extend your vocabulary and beat cognitive decline as time goes by.

In Dancing by the Light of the Moon, Gyles Brandreth shares over 250 poems to read, relish and recite, as well as his advice on how to learn poetry by heart, and the benefits of doing so.

Whether you are nine,...

Odd Boy Out

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 23:22:06 +0300

The compelling, witty and remarkably honest autobiography from beloved star of Just a Minute, QI, Have I Got News For You and Celebrity Gogglebox
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
'Hilarious, ribald, eye-popping, unforgettable, will make you laugh out loud' DAILY MAIL
'Warm, witty, charming. A moving and very affectionate family history. An enthusiast for life' THE TIMES
________
Enter the world of Gyles Brandreth - broadcaster, actor, writer, former politician - as he takes us on an extraordinary journey into his past.
From growing up in an apparently well-to-do but strapped-for-cash middle-class English family to his adventures in swinging London, Gyles encounters princes, presidents, pop stars and prime ministers, gets involved in everything from setting up Scrabble championships to examining Danish sex shops, and thrills us with countless tales of family, friends and acquaintances, both famous...

Breaking the Code

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 00:41:15 +0200

“Brandreth is the true Samuel Pepys of our day." Andrew Neil, BBC Radio Five Live “Brandreth, for my money, offers about the most honest, and the most amusing, account of the demented, beery futility of the Tory-ruled Commons in the 1990s." Boris Johnson, Daily Telegraph “Hilariously acute ... Irresistible." Matthew d'Ancona, Sunday Telegraph “Extremely touching ... Brandreth emerges as a decent, amusing, talented and charming man." Simon Heffer, Daily Mail “As a witty and insightful chronicler ... Brandreth is unsurpassed." Michael Simmons, The Spectator Gyles Brandreth's revealing journal paints an extraordinary portrait of Whitehall and Westminster in our time – warts and all. Brandreth – MP for Chester and government whip – enjoyed a ringside seat at the great political events of the 1990s, from the fall of Margaret Thatcher to the election of Tony Blair. With candid descriptions of the key figures of the era, from the leading...

Oscar Wilde and the Murders at Reading Gaol: A Mystery

Sun, 17 Nov 2013 07:22:28 +0200

In this new installment in the engaging mystery series Booklist called “pitch-perfect” and “enthralling”—currently in development as a BBC television series—the incomparable playwright, novelist, raconteur, and now ex-convict Oscar Wilde faces his most fiendishly puzzling case yet.It is 1897, France. Oscar Wilde has fled the country after his release from Reading Gaol. Tonight he is sharing a drink and the story of his cruel imprisonment with a mysterious stranger. Oscar has endured a harsh regime: the treadmill, solitary confinement, censored letters, no writing materials. Yet even in the midst of such deprivation, his astonishing detective powers remain undiminished—and when first a brutal warder and then the prison chaplain are found murdered, who else should the Governor turn to for help other than Reading Gaol’s most celebrated inmate?

About the Author

Gyles Brandreth is a prominent BBC broadcaster, theatre producer, novelist, and biographer. He has written bestselling biographies of Britain’s royal family and an acclaimed diary of his years as a member of Parliament. Visit OscarWildeMurderMysteries.net.

Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:22:29 +0200

Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:22:29 +0200

Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:22:28 +0200

In OSCAR WILDE AND THE NEST OF VIPERS, the fourth in Gyles Brandreth's acclaimed Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries series featuring Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, the Prince of Wales asks Oscar to investigate a scandalous crime at the very heart of Victorian high society...'Intelligent, amusing and entertaining' Alexander McCall Smith The story opens in the spring of 1890 at a glamorous reception hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Albemarle. All London's haut monde is there, including the Prince of Wales, who counts the Albemarles as close friends. Although it is the first time Oscar and Bertie have met, Oscar seems far more interested in Rex LaSalle, a young actor, who disarmingly claims to be a vampire...However, what begins as a diverting evening ends in tragedy. As the guests are leaving, the Duchess is found murdered, two tiny puncture marks in her throat. No one has entered the house; no one has left. Desperate to avoid another scandal, the Prince of Wales asks Oscar to investigate the crime. What he discovers threatens to destroy the very heart of the Royal Family...

Review

Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile 'Brandreth's portrait of Oscar Wilde is entirely plausible; plots are ingenious and the historical backgroud is fascinating' -- Scotsman 'Cleverly plotted, intelligent and thoroughly diverting ... This novel is an educated page-turner; a feast of intriguing and light-hearted entertainment' -- Good Book Guide Praise for Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death'Hugely enjoyable' -- Daily Mail 'A cast of historical characters to die for' -- Sunday Times 'A carnival of cliff-hangers and fiendish twists-and-turns ... The joy of the book ... is the rounded and compelling presentation of the character of Wilde ... The imaginary and the factual are woven together with devilish ingenuity. Brandreth also gives his hero speeches of great beauty and wisdom and humanity' -- Sunday Express

About the Author

Gyles Brandreth is a writer, performer, former MP and government whip whose career has ranged from hosting Have I Got News For You to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London's West End. Currently a reporter with The One Show on BBC1 and a regular on Radio 4's Just a Minute, his acclaimed Victorian detective stories - The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries - are now being published in nineteen countries around the world and are currently in development for TV. All six books in the series, Oscar Wilde and the Candellight Murders, Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death, Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile, Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers, Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders and Oscar Wilde and the Murders at Reading Gaol are available from John Murray. You can find out more about the Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries at www.oscarwildemurdermysteries.com and at www.johnmurray.co.uk and about Gyles at www.gylesbrandreth.net

Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:22:28 +0200

2007 - Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:58:55 +0200