'A witty, gossipy, sparkling history, full of bright jewels of anecdote... Magnificent Rebels is a triumph' THE TIMES, Book of the Week 'Extraordinary... A thrilling intellectual history that reads like a racy, intelligent novel, with a cast of unforgettable characters' SUNDAY TIMES 'Magnificent Rebels is a magnificent book: a revelation which could easily become an obsession' SPECTATOR 'A thrilling page-turner, by turns comical & tragic... My book of the year so far' TOM HOLLAND 'Elegantly written, deeply researched and totally gripping' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE In the 1790s an extraordinary group of friends changed the world. Disappointed by the French Revolution's rapid collapse into tyranny, what they wanted was nothing less than a revolution of the mind. The rulers of Europe had ordered their peoples how to think and act for too long. Based in the small German town of Jena, through poetry, drama, philosophy and science, they transformed the way we think about ourselves and the world around us. They were the first Romantics. Their way of understanding the world still frames our lives and being.We're still empowered by their daring leap into the self. We still think with their minds, see with their imagination and feel with their emotions. We also still walk the same tightrope between meaningful self-fulfilment and destructive narcissism, between the rights of the individual and our role as a member of our community and our responsibilities towards future generations who will inhabit this planet. This extraordinary group of friends changed our world. It is impossible to imagine our lives, thoughts and understanding without the foundation of their ground-breaking ideas.

Anne de Courcy, the author of Husband Hunters and Chanel's Riviera, examines the controversial life of legendary beauty, writer and rich girl Nancy Cunard during her thirteen years in Jazz-Age Paris. Paris in the 1920s was bursting with talent in the worlds of art, design and literature. The city was at the forefront of everything new and exciting; there was no censorship; life and love were there for the taking. At its center was the gorgeous, seductive English socialite Nancy Cunard, scion of the famous shipping line. Her lovers were legion, but this book focuses on five of the most significant and a lifelong friendship. Her affairs with acclaimed writers Ezra Pound, Aldous Huxley, Michael Arlen and Louis Aragon were passionate and tempestuous, as was her romance with black jazz pianist Henry Crowder. Her friendship with the famous Irish novelist George Moore, her mother’s lover and a man falsely rumored to be Nancy’s father, was the longest-lasting of her life. Cunard’s early years were ones of great wealth but also emotional deprivation. Her mother Lady Cunard, the American heiress Maud Alice Burke (who later changed her name to Emerald) became a reigning London hostess; Nancy, from an early age, was given to promiscuity and heavy drinking and preferred a life in the arts to one in the social sphere into which she had been born. Highly intelligent, a gifted poet and widely read, she founded a small press that published Samuel Beckett among others. A muse to many, she was also a courageous crusader against racism and fascism. She left Paris in 1933, at the end of its most glittering years and remained unafraid to live life on the edge until her death in 1965. Magnificent Rebel is a nuanced portrait of a complex woman, set against the backdrop of the City of Light during one of its most important and fascinating decades.

In a world where fantasy is reality, you ARE the dragon.

Grab four gripping urban fantasy books and 5 short stories now! City of Snow: An Assassin. A Cold Killing Ground. A City of Snow. When my blade falls nothing can stop it. I travel to the City of Snow. My skin chills in the freezing wind. I need to free the people from evil. A lot more than I realise depends on this kill. Awaiting Death: An Assassin. A Mysterious Mission. A Dark Truth. Sometimes death needs quickening. I love mysterious missions. I love killing. I love getting paid. But I hate feeling uneasy. Can I find out the truth before it’s too late? City of Fire A Tyrannical Overlord. A Puppet King. An Assassin Ready To Kill. In a world ruled by an Overlord, I’m their only hope. I kill in the City of Fire. I protect the innocent. I escape impossible places. Can I escape the City of Fire before it’s too late? If you love action packed, enthralling fantasy assassin short story, you’ll love this one! BUY NOW! City of Light A City In Need of Chaos. A Puppet King Needing To Die. A City of Light. Light brings darkness. I stand in a cold little high street. I need to cause chaos. I decide against my orders. How deadly is my choice? City of Vengeance: A Rageful Assassin. A King Going To Die. An Assassin wants Vengeance. I screw over people twice as hard. I feel boiling sweltering heat. I wait for my target. I want vengeance. Do I know the price of vengeance? Don’t miss this page-turning, action-packed fantasy short story kicking off the gripping City of Assassins novellas! City of Death A Rebellion In Mortal Danger. An Overlord's Unstoppable Army. One Assassin To Save The World. The Overlord must die. My enemy hunts my friends. I want to save them. I have to warn them. No matter the cost. Can I save my friends from annihilation? If you love fast paced, action packed fantasy books with romantic elements, you will love this! City of Martyrs A Rebellion In Tatters. A Dire Warning. One Assassin To Save Everyone. The Hunters Come For Her. The Assassin hates the Overlord. She hears the Hunters are coming. The Assassin knows only one thing can save them. Can the Assassin save the Rebellion? If you love tense fast paced urban fantasy books, you’ll love this! City of Pleasure An Unstoppable Army. A Dire Threat. An Unthinkable Solution. Peace never lasts. The Assassin learns about an unstoppable army. She needs to protect The Rebellion. The Assassin hopes the City of Pleasure helps. Can she save her friends? Or will she seal the fate of millions? If you enjoy gripping, fast-paced urban fantasy novellas, you’ll love this one! City of Power A Dragon’s Resting Place. A Capital Of Power. A Rod Of Sacrifice. In The City of Power The Final Battle Begins. The Assassin meets a contact. She learns about the Hunters. The Assassin knows the Final battle begins. Can the Assassin prevail? Or is everything lost? Buy this gripping, action packed conclusion to the fast paced urban fantasy series now! You don’t want to miss this!