The official companion to the Emmy-winning Netflix drama chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and starring Claire Foy and John Lithgow, The Crown by Peter Morgan, featuring additional historical background and beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she began her journey towards becoming a queen. As Britain lifted itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice of his career and family name; and her rebellious sister embarked on a love affair that threatened the centuries-old links between the Church and the Crown. This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of resolve to ensure that the Crown always came out on top. Written by the show’s historical consultant, royal biographer Robert Lacey, and filled with beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills, The Crown: The Official Companion: Volume 1 adds expert and in-depth detail to the events of the series, painting an intimate portrait of life inside Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. Here is Elizabeth II as we’ve never seen her before.

THE STORY: The Queen is dead: After a lifetime of waiting, the prince ascends the throne. A future of power. But how to rule? Mike Bartlett’s controversial play explores the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain’s most famous family.

At the outset of the Second World War, John Colville, a young diplomat, was seconded from the foreign office to Number 10 Downing Street. For nine of the next sixteen years, he served three prime ministers - briefly Neville Chamberlain and Clement Attlee - but for much of that time as Private Secretary to Winston Churchill. During those momentous years Colville kept a diary, though this was forbidden by wartime regulations, locking it nightly into his desk at Number 10. Colville seldom left Churchill's side and the insights and observations he records paint an invaluable portrait of the nation's most famous leader both in times of war and peace. Transcribed and edited by Colville before his death, this new edition includes new material, both from the war period and from the time when he was private secretary to the then Princess Elizabeth when she became engaged and then married Prince Philip.

One of NPR's 50 Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade In the follow-up to the "delightful" Regency fantasy novel (NPR.org) Sorcerer to the Crown, a young woman with no memories of her past finds herself embroiled in dangerous politics in England and the land of the fae. When sisters Muna and Sakti wake up on the peaceful beach of the island of Janda Baik, they can’t remember anything, except that they are bound as only sisters can be. They have been cursed by an unknown enchanter, and slowly Sakti starts to fade away. The only hope of saving her is to go to distant Britain, where the Sorceress Royal has established an academy to train women in magic. If Muna is to save her sister, she must learn to navigate high society, and trick the English magicians into believing she is a magical prodigy. As she's drawn into their intrigues, she must uncover the secrets of her past, and journey into a world with more magic than she had ever dreamed.

A Grammy Award-winning singer and her husband share what a Godly marriage looks like and encourage readers with faith-forward and Biblical relationship advice. ​ Fantasia Taylor—American Idol, Grammy-winning vocalist, and chart-topping singer—and her husband businessman Kendall Taylor were both successful and living in their purpose when they met and married three weeks later. Their marriage has had its ups and downs, but the one thing that has sustained them through all of it is the practice of taking off their crowns—the accolades, their egos, the things the world tells you matter—and serving each other within the home. It doesn’t matter who you are in the world—you need to humble yourself and serve your partner in order to put your marriage, your family, and your faith first. Seven years later, after facing a host of real-world challenges—from marital stress to professional and financial pressures, to their high-risk pregnancy and the premature birth of their daughter—Fantasia and Kendall’s marriage has become a beacon of hope and love as they have opened up about their lives in their weekly ‘Taylor Talks’ broadcast. Now, in their first book together, Fantasia and Kendall dish about their shared experiences and struggles, opening up about the challenges and triumphs they’ve faced together and how they have come out stronger for them. They also share stories about how they've made their relationship work against all odds and why they try to always treat each other like royalty. In their trademark no-nonsense, real-talk style, they discuss topics that affect all relationships, including the importance of submitting to one another, handling conflict, clearing the lines of communication, keeping the romance alive, navigating the challenges of blended family, and how to maintain healthy relationships when you haven’t seen them modeled before. Insightful, wise, and grounded in faith, Fantasia and Kendall’s story offers hope and encouragement and gives straight-up advice about making your relationships last.