Ruth Scurr Knihy

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2015 COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD This is the autobiography that John Aubrey never wrote. You may not know his name. Aubrey was a modest man, a gentleman-scholar who cared far more for the preservation of history than for his own legacy. But he was a passionate collector, an early archaeologist and the inventor of modern biography. With all the wit, charm and originality that characterises her subject, Ruth Scurr has seamlessly stitched together John Aubrey's own words to tell his life story and a captivating history of seventeenth-century England unlike any other. 'A game-changer in the world of biography' Mary Beard 'Ingenious' Hilary Mantel 'Irresistible' Philip Pullman

The biography creatively presents John Aubry's life as if it were a personal diary, offering an intimate glimpse into his thoughts and experiences. By adopting this format, the author captures the essence of Aubry's character and the significant events that shaped his life, providing readers with a unique narrative that blends factual biography with a reflective, personal tone.

A revelatory portrait of Napoleon to mark the 200th anniversary of his death, written for our own time, not in power politics or epic battles, but through his love of nature and the gardens that gave his revolutionary life its light and shade. Napoleon's gardens range from his childhood olive groves in Corsica, to Josephine's gardens and menageries in Paris, to gardens in Cairo, Rome and on Elba, to the walled garden of Hougoumont at the battle of Waterloo, and ultimately to Napoleon's final garden on St Helena, where Chinese labourers built him a summerhouse where he could sit and scan the sea in his final months. In this lively and perceptive cultural history, Napoleon is placed firmly in this context, he wanted to see himself as a patron of the sciences and progress, bringing an end to the Revolution and binding up its wounds.

Ruth Scurr traces Robespierre's life from a troubled childhood in provincial Arras to the passionate idealist, fighting for the rights of the people, and sweeping on to the implacable leader prepared to sign the death warrant for his closest friends.

Robespierre was only thirty-six when he died, sent to the guillotine where he had sent thousands ahead of him.

Exploring the tension between grandeur and simplicity, this work by Charlotte Brontë delves into the complex legacy of Napoleon. It invites readers to reflect on the nature of historical narratives and the portrayal of influential figures. Through Brontë's insightful prose, the text examines themes of power, mortality, and the impact of personal choices on history, encouraging a thoughtful engagement with the past.