Author:Richard Askwith
Discover a story that defies belief: National Velvet meets Downton Abbey with a splash of Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa's The Leopard.
* WINNER OF THE 2020 TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR *
* LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR *
Czechoslovakia, October 1937. Vast crowds have gathered to watch the Grand Pardubice steeplechase, Europe's most blood-curdling sporting test of manhood. With war looming, the race has a brutal political significance. The Nazis have sent the SS's all-conquering paramilitary horsemen to crush - yet again - the 'subhuman Slavs'. But Lata Brandisova, a silver-haired countess on a little golden mare, has other ideas...
'Heart-stopping reading' Clover Stroud, Daily Telegraph
[An] astonishing story… beautifully pieced together by journalist Richard Askwith… Unbreakable is…much more than simply the story of a horse race. It is also a compelling insight into the fading days of the Habsburg empire and the rise of the women’s liberation movement between the two wars… exceptional…[and] heart-stopping reading which left me in tears
—— Clover Stroud , Daily Telegraph[An] extraordinary story… Askwith’s compelling book, as much about 20th-century history and women’s equality as it is about racing, is a fitting tribute to a truly remarkable and courageous woman
—— Camilla Swift , Mail on SundayAskwith… writes beautifully… One of the most remarkable racing stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading
—— Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder[This] thoroughly researched, deeply moving account does justice to a remarkable life
—— John Cobb , Racing PostAn inspiring tale of an indomitable spirit
—— Nick Pitt , Sunday Times (Best Books of 2019)This is a truly great story which has the reader rooting for a 41-year-old woman of whom most will have never heard
—— Peter Sharkey , The PostLata Brandisová’s story is remarkable… Stirring, vivid stuff
—— History RevealedAskwith’s book has all the ingredients of a compulsive page-turner… Lata Brandisova was one of the most famous sporting figures in Czechoslovakia… Largely forgotten…Askwith has hunted down leads to present her story in compelling style
—— Alexandra Henton , FieldA great story, one worthy of the silver screen
—— UK Press Syndication, *Books of the Year*A fabulously written book about a remarkable lady. A must-read for National Hunt enthusiasts
—— James Fry , International Racing BureauAstonishing, inspiring, sad… I found it utterly compelling
—— Rose Paterson , Chairwoman, Aintree RacecourceFascinating
—— Stephanie Cross , Daily MailA truly great story
—— Peter Sharkey , The PostThe Czech nation will surely feel that he has done [Lata Brandisova] justice.
—— Robin Oakley , Literary ReviewGreen on Blue is harrowing, brutal, and utterly absorbing. With spare prose, Ackerman has spun a morally complex tale of revenge, loyalty, and brotherly love ... a disturbing glimpse into one of the world's most troubled regions.
—— Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite RunnerThis novel as a whole attests to Mr. Ackerman's breadth of understanding - an understanding not just of the seasonal rhythms of war in Afghanistan and the harsh, unforgiving beauty of that land, not just of the hardships of being a soldier there, but a bone-deep understanding of the toll that a seemingly endless war has taken on ordinary Afghans who have known no other reality for decades.
—— Michiko Kakutani, New York TimesElliot Ackerman has done something brave as a writer and even braver as a soldier: He has touched, for real, the culture and soul of his enemy
—— Tom Bissell, (The New York Times Book Review)Accomplished
—— ProspectRich and colourful . . . [there is] a vividness and poignancy that other accounts have lacked
—— Richard Overy , Financial TimesMcKay's book is better than narrative history. It is biography, but of place, rather than person. He makes Dresden come alive, before, during, and after the infernal 13th
—— John Lewis-Stempel , Daily Express, *****A passionate and original account of the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, one of the most controversial evens of the Second World War
—— Best Books of 2020: our favourites so farA weighty and considered investigation of events . . . an excellent book . . . providing a reliable, engaging, informative and, above all, sober narrative of events. The book will enable readers to make up their own minds - should they so desire - on the rights and wrongs of the matter. It is highly recommended
—— BBC History MagazineThis minute-by-minute retelling tackles the big questions, but also - by drawing on the letters and diaries from the Dresden City Archive - never loosed sight of the experiences of people who witnessed, and suffered, the attach first-hand
—— BBC History Revealed, Book of the MonthIt's a wonderful book, so absorbing, thoughtful and thought provoking, I didn't want it to end
—— Maureen Waller, author of London 1945: Life in the Debris of WarBouverie’s well-written Appeasing Hitler aims to provide a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression.
—— Jo Johnson , Financial TimesBouverie has mined an impressive range of sources and quotes from them judiciously. His narrative is lucid, his prose efficient, his put-downs witty… [he] tells an important story well.
—— Lucy Hughes-Hallett , New StatesmanThe skill with which Tim Bouverie navigates here through the worlds of politics, officialdom and diplomacy is quite exemplary… his explanations of complex issues are always lucid; his narrative style is thoughtful, unshowy and always a pleasure to read… This is, quite simply, the best book ever to have appeared on this whole subject
—— Noel Malcolm , OldieBouverie’s Appeasing Hitler provides a meticulous picture of a Britain that faced very different problems from our own
—— Thelma Lovell , Catholic HeraldScrupulously fair, [and a] readable account… [an] excellent book
—— Marcus Tanner , TabletAppeasing Hitler…is a staggeringly good account of the build-up to the Second World War… gripping, dramatic and revelatory
—— Christian May , City AMBouverie’s prose is fluent and assured throughout. Those in search of an entertaining read will find one… an admirable retelling of traditional history
—— Robert Crowcroft , History TodayAn enthralling, nuanced tale… the narrative is absolutely compelling
—— Times Literary SupplementAn elegantly written account by a rising young historian
—— The Times, *Summer reads of 2019*This is a gripping account of the wishful thinking that led us to the precipice
—— Neil Armstrong and Hephzibah Anderson , Mail on Sunday, *Summer reads of 2019*There is a sure command of narrative and judgment in faultlessly lucid prose, with subtexts of pathos
—— Bruce Anderson , SpectatorA fascinating narrative on the politics of wishful thinking and the law of unintended consequences in international relations
—— Ali Ansari , History Today, *Books of the Year*[A] finely researched and well-argued book
—— Daily Mail, *Books of the Year*[A] phenomenal book
—— William Keegan , ObserverExcellent
—— Andrew Roberts , Wall Street JournalExcellent and compelling
—— William Leith , Evening Standard