Gifts

Jane Austen’s final novel shows her at her most moving and mature. Introduced by Siri Hustvedt, and illustrated by Deanna Staffo.

Featuring giants, duels, man-eating swamp rats and, of course, true love, Goldman’s funny and poignant lampoon of the fairy-tale tradition has inadvertently become a classic of the genre.

Both a sparkling comedy of manners and a gripping romance, Pride and Prejudice remains one of the best-loved books in the world.

No book has revolutionised our view of life on earth more than Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Yet its enduring popularity is a testament to the immense energy and startling simplicity with which Darwin makes his revelations.

This sparkling collection of Elizabeth David’s articles showcases the work of the woman regarded as the ’best food writer of her time’.

A lively collection of nursery rhymes, both familiar and little known, collected by Andrew Lang, the acclaimed folklorist and editor of the Rainbow Fairy Books.

Chateaubriand requested that his memoirs remain unpublished until after his death lest he be forced to be ‘less frank and truthful’. The result is a hugely entertaining autobiography, providing a vivid picture of France during the most tumultuous period of her history.

Jan Morris’s exuberant and witty love letter to the Manhattan of 1945 effortlessly evokes a time when it was ‘the most hopeful city on earth’.

Illustrated by Rebecca Green and introduced by Jane Gardam, this gorgeous Folio Society edition of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women celebrates its status as a timeless classic, an early feminist novel and a wonderfully engaging read.

More inspired lunacy in the third of Adams’s ‘trilogy of five’, here introduced by his friend, the acclaimed comedy writer Jon Canter.

Successive generations have been spellbound by the exploits of Frodo, Gandalf and their comrades as they journey towards Mordor to do battle with the Dark Lord Sauron.

In this award-winning history, Mary Beard guides us through the daily life of Pompeii, an existence that is far more complex than we might have realised. Lively, exciting and accessible, this book brings us as close as possible to the real Pompeii.

A witty crime caper from the author of The Moving Toyshop, with evocative illustrations by A. Richard Allen.

This thrilling adventure about a boy learning to survive in the wild continues to hold the world’s imagination. Enchanting tales and poems on the lives and customs of jungle creatures are brought vividly to life with beautiful illustrations by Maurice and Edward J. Detmold.

Originally told as bedtime stories for Kipling’s daughter Josephine, Just So Stories remains a classic of children’s literature. Simply and beautifully written, with an entirely believable, far from cosy vision of the joy, wonder and dangers of the natural world.

Angie Debo’s comprehensive and compassionate account provides an unrivalled history of American Indians from the dawn of their first contact with Europeans to the late 20th century.

In the first in his ‘trilogy of five’, Douglas Adams introduces us Earthbound readers to Zaphod Beeblebrox, the Babel fish, Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters and Marvin the Paranoid Android.

Hans Christian Andersen’s 17 most famous tales, including ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Snow Queen’ and ‘The Ugly Duckling’.

The thrilling true story of the largest British-led mass-escape of the Second World War.

Published as part of our Jane Austen series, this sparkling edition is introduced by Fay Weldon.

A beautifully presented collection that celebrates the radical style of a visionary American poet. This edition follows the 1955 text prepared by Thomas H. Johnson, which presents the poems as Dickinson intended.

A handsome edition of the first James Bond novel, with an introduction by John Banville.

Capote’s enchanting New York novella, introduced by Jay McInerney. With illustrations by Karen Klassen.

A vivid portrait of a post-Mao China, from one of the great travel writers.

A wonderful collection of fairy stories selected by Andrew Lang at the end of the 19th century and fully illustrated by Charles van Sandwyk for this Folio edition.

A classic of 20th-century literature, Daphne du Maurier’s mesmerising ’study in jealousy’ has captivated readers for generations.

Blending investigative journalism with the personal approach of a writer both fascinated and appalled by her subject, this is an award-winning portrait of life under ‘one of the most savage surveillance regimes ever known’. With previously unpublished photographs by the author.

Written more than 2,500 years ago, The Art of War remains the most famous military treatise of all time. Sun-tzu’s collection of precepts on strategic warfare has yet to be surpassed.

This elegant edition pays homage to one of the most revered voices of Russian literature. Introduced by the celebrated novelist Eimear McBride and illustrated with evocative photographs, this selection covers the full scope of Akhmatova’s work, from her early poems to her later revolutionary pieces.