A revisionist new biography reintroducing readers to one of the most subversive figures in English history—the man who sought to reform a nation, dared to defy his king, and laid down his life to defend his sacred honor NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KANSAS CITY STAR AND BLOOMBERG Becket’s life story has been often told but never so incisively reexamined and vividly rendered as it is in John Guy’s hands. The son of middle-class Norman parents, Becket rose against all odds to become the second most powerful man in England. As King Henry II’s chancellor, Becket charmed potentates and popes, tamed overmighty barons, and even personally led knights into battle. After his royal patron elevated him to archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, however, Becket clashed with the King. Forced to choose between fealty to the crown and the values of his faith, he repeatedly challenged Henry’s authority to bring the church to heel. Drawing on the full panoply of medieval sources, Guy sheds new light on the relationship between the two men, separates truth from centuries of mythmaking, and casts doubt on the long-held assumption that the headstrong rivals were once close friends. He also provides the fullest accounting yet for Becket’s seemingly radical transformation from worldly bureaucrat to devout man of God. Here is a Becket seldom glimpsed in any previous biography, a man of many facets and faces: the skilled warrior as comfortable unhorsing an opponent in single combat as he was negotiating terms of surrender; the canny diplomat “with the appetite of a wolf” who unexpectedly became the spiritual paragon of the English church; and the ascetic rebel who waged a high-stakes contest of wills with one of the most volcanic monarchs of the Middle Ages. Driven into exile, derided by his enemies as an ungrateful upstart, Becket returned to Canterbury in the unlikeliest guise of all: as an avenging angel of God, wielding his power of excommunication like a sword. It is this last apparition, the one for which history remembers him best, that will lead to his martyrdom at the hands of the king’s minions—a grisly episode that Guy recounts in chilling and dramatic detail. An uncommonly intimate portrait of one of the medieval world’s most magnetic figures, Thomas Becket breathes new life into its subject—cementing for all time his place as an enduring icon of resistance to the abuse of power.

'A compelling and evocative re-imagining of the events that led to this most infamous of murders; full of wit and pathos.' Hana Cole, author of The Devil's Crossing BECKET: WARRIOR 1159 Toulouse. Thomas of London, Chancellor of England, has spent a lifetime as a clerk, administrator, and ambassador. Now he must prove himself a warrior and leader of men, if his friend and master King Henry II of England is to achieve his ambition to rule all France. The fiery King and calculating Chancellor are as close as brothers, but many at court see Thomas as an upstart. Becket must fight on a political as well as military front. The city of Toulouse controls trade into Spain and the Mediterranean. With it in English hands, Henry will control more of the Frankish Kingdom than Louis VII of France. The French King, and Count Raymond of Toulouse, will stop at nothing to save the city and France from the greatest English host ever assembled. Thomas and the English army must prove their mettle, or be condemned to defeat on foreign soil. BECKET: REBEL 1164. Northampton. Thomas of London, the reluctant Archbishop of Canterbury, was an ambitious courtier who thought of nothing but pleasing his King. Now he must prove to the English church and his former master that he has been directed towards a new calling. The fiery King Henry II and calculating Archbishop were once as close as brothers. But their professional duties impinge upon their personal relationship. Crown and church, embodied in the persons of King and Archbishop, must confront one another. Henry aims to subdue the rebellious clergyman in Northampton, but Thomas plans to escape to the Pope in France. King Louis of France and Pope Alexander are both wary of supporting the Archbishop and angering the vindictive Henry. As agents scour England for the rebel, Thomas must evade them and find allies in his perilous dispute with the English King. The road to liberty will be a bloody one. BECKET: MARTYR 1170. Canterbury. Thomas of London, the rebellious Archbishop of Canterbury, has made peace with Henry II, after six long years in exile.Henry and Thomas are both prepared to put past differences aside, but there is little trust left between the two former close friends and allies. A single ill-judged word or action could spark a conflict between the two men - and church and state. Thomas's return to England threatens the interests of Henry's barons and his enemies in the church. They will stop at nothing to destroy the popular, but proud, clergyman. Back in Canterbury, Thomas is intent on taking his revenge on those who conspired against him, whatever the consequences. News that Thomas has excommunicated royal supporters soon reaches the King. It is the last straw for the Henry. He explodes in a rage, calling on four knights to rid him of his 'turbulent priest'. They are words that will resound down the centuries and leave Henry with a lifetime of regret. With no hope of a lasting peace between the King and Archbishop, there can be only one, bloody, conclusion. Jemahl Evans is the author of the acclaimed Sir Blandford Candy series of novel. He lives in West Wales. Praise for Jemahl Evans: 'The research is impeccable and the writing full of verve.' Antonia Senior, The Times 'It's great fun and a rollicking good read.' Historical Novel Society 'Frankly, glorious.' Michael Jecks 'Warrior is a swift, breathless plunge into the high medieval period.' J.A. Ironside, author of The King's Knight

Every few weeks a politician, pundit or soap star causes a media storm by making a gaffe or tweeting a joke that some people do not find funny. Comedy is very hard to get right and yet we think it’s important to have a sense of humour and not take yourself too seriously. On the other hand, a sense of humour failure can lead to losing your friends, your twitter account, your job, your career and, in some cases, your life. James Cary knows about this. He is a sitcom writer who’s written jokes about bomb disposal in Afghanistan (Bluestone 42), defended comments about Islam by Ben Elton on Newsnight, been on a panel with radical Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary, sits on the General Synod of the Church of England and somehow managed to co-write episodes of Miranda. An odd mix, but one that makes him very readable. This entertaining, breezy book, explains how comedy works (with jokes and quotes) and gives much-needed insights into the controversy surrounding humour.

This major new edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations offers the broadest and most up-to-date coverage of quotations available today. Now with 20,000 quotations arranged by author, this is Oxford's largest quotations dictionary ever. As well as quotations from traditional sources,and with improved coverage of world religions and classical Greek and Latin literature, this foremost dictionary of quotations now covers areas such as proverbs and nursery rhymes. For the first time there are special sections for Advertising Slogans, Epitaphs, Film Lines, and Misquotations, whichbring together topical and related quotes, and allow you to browse through the best quotations on a given subject. In this new fifth edition there is enhanced accessibility with a new thematic index to help you find the best quotes on a chosen subject, more in-depth details of the earliest traceable source, an extensive keyword index, and biographical cross-references, so you will easily be able to findquotations for all occasions, and identify who said what, where, and when.

A biography of the twelfth-century queen, first of France, then of England, who was the wife of Henry II, also discusses life in the Middle Ages.