Archie Gibson’s initiation into desert warfare almost proved to be his last. Barrelling through the sand dunes at the wheel of his truck, Gibson spied a searing flash of light up ahead, the signature of a feared German 88mm gun firing… right at him. He leapt from his speeding vehicle just before it was torn ... Damien Lewis – Behind Enemy Lines: The Special Forces Heroes Who Changed the Course of WW2

LITERARY WALK: WESSEX WRITERSThe Dorchester Literary Festival Walk will be on Sunday 18 October 11am followed by cream tea at the Old Tea House 1–2pm.Join Mark Chutter, Chairman and Academic Director of the Thomas Hardy Society, for a fascinating walk exploring the literary writers of Dorchester including Thomas Hardy, William Barnes , the Powys brothers ... Literary Walk with Mark Chutter

A poetic journey through deep time, in which geologist Anjana Khatwa weaves scientific knowledge with traditional stories to bring alive the stories that rock holds and tells us. From the sacred stones of Stonehenge to the rose red city of Petra, from towering mountains to the smallest grains of sand, rocks have had a profound ... Anjana Khatwa – The Whispers of Rock

For five decades, Brian Jackman, Britain's foremost safari writer, has witnessed Africa's wildlife drama unfold at the front line. From his first encounter with a roaring lion in Kenya's Masai Mara in 1974, to documenting the famous Marsh Lions that captivated millions through the BBC's Big Cat Diary, Jackman has chronicled both the majesty and ... Brian Jackman – Lion Song: A Portrait of Wild Africa

The wonder of the night train: headlamps ablaze, passengers boarding after sunset and leaving before sunrise, slipping in and out of compartments unseen. For Monisha Rajesh, the singular thrill of sleeper trains inspired a new journey around the world – one filled with moonlit landscapes, cosy compartments and quirky companions. From Austria’s Nightjet to Scotland’s ... Monisha Rajesh – Moonlight Express

In early 2022, Charlie Walker set out to hike 600 miles along Siberia’s frozen rivers. He hoped to learn who its people are and how they reckon with their haunted past, as well as what the future might hold for this remote corner of the world. Camping in temperatures down to -50 degrees, exploring semi-deserted ... Charlie Walker – On Thin Ice

From wildfires and floods, to food poverty, degraded rivers, mass migration and conflict, the environmental crisis is already here – and it’s set to get worse. How can people lead good lives without ultimately hastening global collapse, and how might we ask those in developing countries to reject the consumerist culture that has seized richer ... Tony Juniper – Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet

We are living longer and, thanks to medical advances, our lifespan after the middle years continues to extend. But how do you age wisely? How do you remain psychologically healthy and fully engagedgiven the immense and daunting challenges of later life – regrets, loss, disappointments, physical deterioration, and mortality? From ancient Greece to the 21st ... Frank Tallis – Wise: Finding purpose, meaning and wisdom beyond the midpoint of life

‘I am writing this story without knowing its end: it begins long before I was born and will continue long after I die. I am writing this story to help myself heal and to make you understand.’ Strong Roots is the story of a century in Ukraine told through four generations of one extraordinary family. ... Olia Hercules – Strong Roots: A Ukranian Family History Through War, Exile and Hope

A never-before-told perspective on the British experience at Colditz – one of themost infamous sites in Nazi Germany. The grandson of a King, the son of the Viceroy of India, Churchill’s nephew. All held captive at the notorious Colditz prisoner of war camp, they were the Prominente: scions of the British establishment, and pawns in ... David Lascelles – Out of Colditz

Weaving ideas about our domestic and daily life with thoughts on style and the way wepresent ourselves, Alexandra Shulman combines anecdotes and observations from 25 years spent editing British Vogue and her current life as a freelance writer and commentator. She draws onher experiences as a magazine editor but also a mother, daughter, sibling, girlfriend,housekeeper ... Alexandra Shulman – Black Coffee and Red Lipstick

From the taking of Jerusalem in the 7th century AD by Caliph Umar, to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following the end of World War I, Christian popes, emperors and kings, and Muslim caliphs and sultans were locked in a 1,300-year battle for political, military, ideological, economic and religious supremacy. Simon Mayall focuses on ... Simon Mayall – The House of War: The Struggle Between Christendom and The Caliphate