Penguin Books Australia

Nicholas Lezard loved London. Then the Olympics came along  . . . .

Suddenly his beloved city was invaded by über-people in branded sportswear who had contorted their bodies into odd shapes in order to run a bit faster, or throw things a bit further. Not to mention armies of reptilian brand-managers, chancers and corporate cheerleaders all wanting to cash in, as a blameless piece of the East...

Now updated for the 2012 Olympics

Americans may like to think they invented baseball (even if Jane Austen wrote about it decades earlier).

And the French might be proud of founding the modern Olympics (when, in fact, a Shropshire doctor beat them to it by forty years).

But it was the British that gave sport to the world.

Every child needs to be loved. But Sally's desire to be told she was special came at a price no child should have to pay. She was only three years old when she felt her Daddy's large hands moving under her skirt when she sat on his knee.
 
Her beloved mother suspected that something was wrong, but instead of tackling her husband, she took refuge in the bottle. She died when Sally was just six...

Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon are up against their smartest foe yet - but in their midst there is a traitor . . .

After losing their contract with the US government because of a daring raid too far, Cabrillo and his crew of mercenaries with a conscience are earning money the hard way: doing dirty, dangerous little jobs in the world's trouble spots. Now they've accepted a mission to...

Why would a man in Morocco who doesn't have enough to eat buy a television? Why do the poorest people in India spend 7 per cent of their food budget on sugar? Does having lots of children actually make you poorer?

One day in May, Hattie's life changes for ever . . .

Hattie Carrington has good reason to be happy. Her antiques business is flourishing, her teenage son is settled at school and she's enjoying a fling with a sexy, younger man. But when work takes her back to the village of Little Crandon, heartbreaking memories of her first love surface. It seems that the secret affair with married politician Dominic...

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows...

In the modern world our lives are more frenetic than ever. We live with a burning sense that we have to get something done. But what do we really achieve? And why are we never satisfied?

What is Buddhism? What are its true teachings? What can it bring to our lives?

Scotland's Empire tells the compelling story of Scotland's role in forging and expanding the British Empire, from the Americas to Australia, India to the Caribbean. By 1820 Britain controlled a fifth of the world's population, and no people had made a more essential contribution than the Scots - working across the globe as soldiers and merchants, administrators and clerics, doctors and teachers. In...

This bestselling history of Scotland traces the epic story of a nation from the Union with England to today's debates on the possibilities of Scottish independence in the future. Ranging from high politics to everyday life, The Scottish Nation is the most read modern history of Scotland at home and abroad: vital to understanding an ancient nation at a crucial time.

'Outstanding . . . if you are after...

'Kiss boys two times after I have gone'

On her deathbed, Kate Greene's only concern was for her two little boys, Reef and Finn, and her loving husband, Singe, who she was leaving behind.

The Montségur Medallion points the way to the most coveted relic, the Holy Grail. In the wrong hands it could destroy civilisation.

Finn McGuire finds himself framed for a string of murders moments after he uncovers the legendary Medallion in an ancient Syrian chapel. The culprits are a group of Nazi SS descendents known as The Seven who will stop at nothing to possess the pendant . . . and the...

'If people want a role model they can have Miley Cyrus!'

Sassy, cheeky, classy, sexy . . . Katy Perry isn't your average girl next door. She's not even your average multi-platinum, award-winning pop star.

Ever since charming (and shocking) the world with 'I Kissed a Girl', she's been making headlines. From reaching No 1 in charts worldwide to sell-out concerts everywhere, Katy's amazing success has...

This book is a rare and fascinating picture of contemporary New Zealand artists in their studios. It provides an array of fresh insights into the practical aspects of artists embarking on their creative processes.

For over 20 years, acclaimed celebrity chef Marc Thuet has been creating culinary art and receiving rave reviews from food critics. Nothing quite compares with the experience of dining at Thuet's restaurant or biting into a warm baguette from his fine bakery. With French Food My Way , he brings his passion for French food home . . . to your house.