Derek Jacobi

Derek Jacobi’s life has been devoted to acting, since his stage debut at the age of seven, in a local library production of The Prince and the Swineherd. Cast as the National Youth Theatre’s Hamlet during his final year at school, Derek won a scholarship to Cambridge, where he studied and acted alongside other future acting greats. He has since starred in roles ranging from the lead in I, Claudius to Hitler in Inside the Third Reich.

If Captain Tom's big heart and generosity of spirit helped see us through difficult days, this was his parting gift. Full of the wit, warmth and wisdom that made him so special, his reflections and guiding principles form a long life, well lived; Life Lessons will be a source of reassurance, hope and encouragement for generations to come. And a reminder, whenever times are hard, that tomorrow will be a good day.

To lighten the boredom of convalescence, Inspector Alan Grant investigates a crime of the time of Richard III by reconstructing it and considering it with his critical policeman's eye. The result is surprising. Was Richard III the monster the history books have portrayed?

Lewis Raycie is sent on a Grand Tour of Europe with instructions from his father to acquire a collection of Old Masters. When Lewis returns with a priceless collection of Renaissance masterpieces instead of the Raphael that his father wanted he is ridiculed by his family and disinherited by his father.

It is November 1890 and London is gripped by a merciless winter. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are enjoying tea by the fire when an agitated gentleman arrives at Baker Street. He begs Holmes for help, telling the unnerving story of a scar-faced man with piercing eyes who is stalking him. Richard & Judy Bookclub

The politics of empire-building and the hypocrisies, back-stabbings, and corruptions of Rome's first family come to light. First published in 1934, the book retains a marvelously modern and often comic tone, and is written in the form of Claudius' autobiography. This is gripping stuff, read by one of our finest actors, who also starred as Claudius in the classic television series.

In the sweltering summer of 1938, with Lisbon in the grip of Portugal's dictatorship of António Salazar, a journalist is coming to terms with the rise of fascism around him and its insidious impact on his work. Consumed by the passing of his wife and the child he never had, Pereira lives a quiet and lonely existence. One day, the young and charismatic Monteiro Rossi enters his life, changing everything.

A man who once shied away from criticizing Portugal's authoritarian regime finds himself unable to stay quiet any longer, resulting in his political awakening and a devastating act of rebellion.

In 1913 Sir Randolph Nettleby hosts a shooting party at his country estate. The guests create an opulent and decorative finale to the Edwardian era.

Written with the same skill and quality that made Tolkien's 'Hobbit' a classic, these five fairy tales, largely overlooked because of their short lengths, are finally brought together for the benefit of old and young alike.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020 Captain Tom Moore, 99-year-old Second World War veteran, came up with a big idea: he'd walk laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS. By the time the telegram from the Queen arrived, he'd raised over 30 million pounds. From his humble Yorkshire childhood, via the battlefields of Burma and the peaks of the Himalayas, to becoming the NHS and the nation's hero, this is a journey for all of us.

When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring-cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast travel and motor-cars that leads them all on a timeless adventure.