Most Popular Books by Leon Garfield

''Him what''s born on the chime . . . he''s the one what''ll have communications with the devil.'' At the age of fourteen, ''chime-child'' Peter Gannet is apprenticed to a locksmith in Covent Garden. But his desperate longing to escape from the insufferable adults around him and go to sea leads him into some dubious undertakings. Before long, the old ship''s carpenter''s dire prophecy comes true, for in the locksmith''s workroom he meets a phantom with an empty sleeve. Tense and atmospheric, this is a gripping thriller about ghosts, a wall of hands, envy, dishonesty and finally murder!

Unsettling words from his father before he dies set twelve-year-old William on a mission to eighteenth-century London where he encounters an odd assortment of characters, some of whom seem determined to kill him.

A New York Review Children''s Collection Original The Complete Bostock and Harris combines two delightful, suspenseful, and madly funny tales about two boys in eighteenth-century England, clever and mischievous Harris and sweet but not-so-bright Bostock, who in spite of their differences are the best of friends. In “The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris,” the wily pair put their classical education to the test when they adopt the Spartan custom of exposing infants to the wild, leaving Harris’s infant sister, Adelaide, to the elements. The boys imagine a wolf will come to nourish her, but their plan backfires. It is springtime in “The Night of the Comet,” and in the days before Pigott’s comet will pass over their town, Harris’s and Bostock’s thoughts turn to love: Bostock swoons over Harris’s sister Mary; Harris longs for Captain Bostock’s telescope. The boys strike a deal: Bostock will make off with the telescope in exchange for Harris’s “expert” wooing advice. Unfortunately, that expertise is not quite what Bostock would have hoped.

One stormy December night some time in the eighteenth century, a coach came thundering down the long hill outside of Dorking on its usual journey into London. But something unusual was to happen that night as one of the passengers unexpectedly gave birth to a child. Not until he was eight did Sam Chichester discover that the coachman and guard he called ''Ma and ''Pa'' were not his real parents. Sam will need to grow up, leave home, and find love before he will finally uncover the truth about his parentage.

Fantasy.

Life in eighteenth-century London was hard and especially so for the city''s apprentices. For seven long years they struggled for their livelihoods among the fetid houses and sinister quays of old London. But despite their hardships there was hope and even fun. This compelling story-cycle follows them round the year, through the dark, cold winter nights to midsummer in the city, The lamplighter, the pawnbroker, the midwife or the clockmaker, their stories interweave delightfully to paint a colourful picture of life in London 200 years ago.

An action-packed pirate story, with bloodcurdling deaths, terrifying ghosts and adventures galore on the high seas. Orphan Jack Holborn stows away on a ship, little guessing the dangers and excitements that lie on his journey ahead. Before long he finds himself caught up in the middle of a mystery surrounding his long-lost mother, but before he can discover the truth, he has to survive the quest through an eerie African jungle for a famous diamond, worth more than Jack''s wildest dreams.

The Strange Affair of Adalaide Harris

Harris offers Bostock the affections of his sister in exchange for the brass telescope of Bostock''s father and starts a string of misunderstandings about who is courting whom in Brighton

Examines the lasting cultural contributions of the age of the Hanover Kings, focusing on the work and personalities of the Kings and queens, writers, musicians, architects, and scientists of the eighteenth century.

Ayant survécu à la pendaison, le terrible Black Jack entraîne Barthélemy dans son sillage et l''oblige à partager sa vie de truand. La rencontre d''une jeune déséquilibrée modifie le comportement de Barthélemy. Un roman dans la tradition des grands romans d''aventures où l''action rocambolesque des personnages colorés se déroule dans un décor historique. Un suspense maintenu du début à la fin.

The story of two apprenticed lads in 18th century London as they seek the attention of the pie-maker''s lovely daughter.

An illustrated, abridged version of the Shakespeare comedy with background information and explanatory stage directions.

En ce soir de la Saint-Sylvestre, Benjamin Partridge, l''apprenti de l''apothicaire Corbett, s''est mis en route pour livrer un médicament : cinq kilomètres à parcourir par une nuit sans lune, sur un chemin battu par les vents et infesté de brigands... Il pense à la chaleur de son foyer et souhaite, de toute son âme, la mort de ce gredin de Corbett. Attention, jeune Partridge ! Et si votre imprudent souhait se réalisait ? Spectres et pactes étranges pour ce conte fantastique envoûtant. Une réflexion sur la haine et la vengeance dans un univers mystérieux.

A little girl named Abigail finds mad King Nebuchadnezzar eating the flowers in her garden and helps him return to his palace and to God.

Against a background of the building of the Tower of Babel, a boy tries to train a stray dog--and God watches over all.

Prehistoric story in which a close encounter with a sabre-toothed tiger sparks off the staging of the first play ever. 5-8 yrs.