Anton Lesser

A recreation of Charles Dickens extraordinary life.

Thomas Cromwell is a brutal blacksmith's son who rises from the ashes of personal disaster and deftly picks his way through a court where 'man is wolf to man.' King Henry VIII is obsessed with protecting the Tudor dynasty by securing his succession with a male heir to the throne. Told from Cromwell's perspective, "Wolf Hall" follows the complex machinations and back room dealings of this pragmatic and accomplished power broker who must serve king...

As 1968 dawns, a year of change promises to disrupt the private and professional lives of Endeavour Morse and his colleagues. Endeavour's recent promotion leads him to reluctantly mentor new recruit Fancy, while Thursday is beginning to think about life after the police. But in Oxford, crime never sleeps, and the team continues to be challenged by mysterious and intriguing cases of murder, greed, and deception. Meanwhile, the rise of organized crime...

Spring 1972 brings with it a new start for Morse, having taken time out to deal with the drink. His return to CID coincides with a gruesome discovery in a college garden. The investigation leads him and Thursday to a celebrated orchestra and when a second tragedy hits, they uncover a web of secrets at the company's core.

Having escaped to hide in Elizabethan London, Matthew and Diana must find a powerful witch teacher to help Diana control her magic and search for the elusive Book of Life. Enemies are everywhere, the threat to witches is growing, and Diana and Matthew's romance faces a barrage of new threats, from within as much as without.

Published in 1839, Nicholas Nickleby is Charles Dickens' third novel. In it, Nicholas Nickleby must earn a living to support his mother and sister after his father dies unexpectedly. Turning to a wealthy uncle in London for help, Nicholas is hired on as assistant to Wackford Squeers, a sadistic and small-minded schoolmaster. Meanwhile, his sister must take a job in a milliner's studio and is occasionally pressed into service by their uncle who exploits...

"A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter Miss Havisham and her beautiful ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor--these form a series of events that change the orphan Pip's life forever, as he abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens's novel depicts Pip's education and development through adversity as he discovers the...

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, discusses the author and the theater of his time, and provides quizzes and other study activities.