Most Popular Books by Paul Gallico

A stunning new edition of a beloved children’s classic. On the desolate Essex marshes, a young girl, Fritha, comes to seek help from Philip Rhayader, a recluse who lives in an abandoned lighthouse. She carries in her arms a wounded snow goose that has been storm-tossed across the Atlantic from Canada. Fritha is frightened of Rhayader, but he is gentler than his appearance suggests and nurses the goose back to health. Over the following months and years, Fritha visits the lighthouse when the snow goose is there. And every summer, when it flies away, Thayader is left alone once more. The Snow Goose is set in the years running up to the evacuation of Dunkirk in the Second World War. Originally published in 1940 in the Saturday Evening Post, it was brought out in book form the following year by Knopf, Michael Joseph and M&S simultaneously. It won the prestigious O Henry prize that same year and has been continually in print ever since. The Snow Goose has inspired a number of musical scores and albums, has been made into two feature films and moved generations of readers. A new feature film will be released in the coming year. Beautifully written, with a powerful ending, and breathtakingly illustrated, this is an exquisite edition of Gallico’s masterpiece. From the Hardcover edition.

By the author of the classic The Snow Goose, a heartbreaking story about a young girl and her most unusual cat, who has magical powers that save her owner''s life. Seven-year-old Mary adores her ginger cat, Thomasina, and is crushed when Thomasina falls sick, and Mary’s father, a grim, inflexible man who is the town vet, decrees that the only thing to be done is to put Thomasina down. Mary refuses to speak to her father, and then she herself contracts a life-threatening disease. In the meantime, however, Thomasina has been rescued—by the mysterious Lori, the Red Witch of the glen. Thomasina is now Talitha, the descendant of an Egyptian goddess, and she is coming back to seek revenge! Thomasina, like Jenny of The Abandoned, Paul Gallico’s other great feline heroine (Jenny is Thomasina’s great-aunt), tells her own story in her own way, witty, charming, divine, and sometimes as sharp as an unsheathed claw. Thomasina is a cat for the ages. Thomasina is a sheer delight.

In this classic from the author of The Poseidon Adventure , a New York copyeditor embarks on a heroic journey in Europe at the dawn of World War II. Who is Hiram Holliday? On the surface, Hiram is a bespectacled, middle-aged copyeditor at an esteemed New York City newspaper. Punctual and polite, he leads a mundane existence behind a desk with a well-sharpened pencil in hand. The only excitement that he ever sees is in the news stories that pass beneath his fingers. But on the inside, he longs to travel to Europe and be a man of action. Over the years, he saved his money and studied hard to learn all the skills of a romantic hero. He has become a crack shot, a skilled boxer, an expert swordsman, a poly-linguist, and an analyst of disguises and facial expressions. Then, after his knowledge of the comma is rewarded at work with a hefty bonus and vacation time, Hiram decides to fulfill his life''s dream and head across the pond. Excitement soon finds him after his arrival in London. An international kidnapping plot envelops him, spies and Nazis spar with him, and he rescues a beautiful princess. Traveling to Paris, Prague, Berlin, Vienna, and then Rome, he tackles one challenge after another. But with the clouds of war looming over the counry, Hiram must remember his studies if he wants to end his vacation in one piece . . . Originally published in 1939.

The high-octane thriller that inspired the Academy Award–winning film: On a sinking cruise ship, passengers fight rising water—and each other—to survive. On its maiden voyage, luxury ocean liner SS Poseidon is capsized by a massive undersea earthquake. A handful of survivors must fight for their lives—struggling to make it from the upper deck of the ship to the hull, the only part above water, before the ship sinks. Faced with rising water and the violence of desperate passengers and crewmembers, the group must do everything it can to survive—before time runs out. Adapted into an award-winning film by Irwin Allen, The Poseidon Adventure is a thrilling tale with timeless suspense and excitement.

One of Sports Illustrated''s Top 100 Sports Books of All Time: A classic collection by one of the twentieth century''s most influential sportswriters From 1923 to 1937, New York Daily News columnist Paul Gallico''s dispatches from ringside, rink-side, the sidelines, and the grandstand were a must-read for every American sports fan. Where else could one discover what it was really like to box heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey? To tee off against golfing legend Bobby Jones? To strap on a glove and try to catch Dizzy Dean''s ferocious fastball? Gallico went where no other reporter dared, and for that he earned a permanent place in the pantheon of great American sportswriters alongside Ring Lardner, Red Smith, and Roger Kahn. Then, like a pitcher hanging up his cleats after throwing a perfect game, Gallico walked away to pursue other authorial interests, including the fiction that earned him his greatest renown. His parting gift to his devoted readers was Farewell to Sport, a collection of twenty-six of his finest pieces. In these bulletins from the golden age of sports, Gallico profiles icons such as Babe Ruth, Bill Tilden, and Gene Tunney. He exposes the scripted drama of professional wrestling and the hypocrisy of big-time college football. And in feats of daring that went on to inspire a whole new school of journalism, he sacrifices his pride to meet the greatest athletes of the day on their own turf. A brilliant snapshot of a fascinating era in sports history and a masterwork remarkably ahead of its time, Farewell to Sport is a fitting testament to the legacy of Paul Gallico.

Five veterans of the French Resistance fight crime on the Côte d''Azur in this spellbinding novel from the author of The Poseidon Adventure . During World War II, five men joined the underground French Resistance. They became known as the Zoo Gang thanks to their code names: the Tiger, the Elephant, the Leopard, the Wolf, and the Fox, their leader Colonel Pierre Roquebrun. Each had his own special skill, and together, they made life in the south of France hell for the Nazis. Thirty years later, southern France is known for its luxurious resorts where the ultra-wealthy and aristocracy play along the sun-soaked beaches of the Riviera. In the shadows, a new threat emerges. A series of criminal capers begin to disturb the peace—a giant jewel heist, the theft of a millionaire''s collection of Renoir paintings, a cunning kidnapping, and a sinister drug syndicate. While the local chief police detective, Captain Claude Scoubide, is intelligent and fully capable of doing his job, the crimes are solved by the Zoo Gang. Back together again, they''re fighting for the sake of good, but not always on the right side of the law . . . Originally published in 1971, The Zoo Gang was adapted into a six-part television series starring Brian Keith, John Mills, and Lilli Palmer. "Outstanding Gallico. . . . Sophistication, wit, memorable characters, a glorious and glamorous setting!" — Beaumont Journal "Sheer entertainment . . . a gem!" — The Columbus Dispatch

The classic satirical novel ''Mrs Harris is one of the great creations of fiction - so real that you feel you know her, yet truly magical as well. I can never have enough of her'' Justine Picardie ''It is almost impossible not to succumb to Gallico''s spell'' Times Literary Supplement Responsible for cleaning the homes of the rich, Mrs Harris is a humble charlady with a knack for putting things in order wherever she goes. When, much to her surprise, she wins a trip for two beyond the Iron Curtain, she has no idea of the adventure that lies ahead of her. Ever the loyal servant, however, Mrs Harris (accompanied by her loyal friend Mrs Butterfield) believes it only right that others benefit from her good fortune as well. With a mink coat in mind for Mrs Butterfield, she also hopes to use their ''oliday to reignite a lost romance between her lovelorn employer and a Russian woman he had loved years ago. Unfortunately, the discreet passing of documents is an activity which can land even the most well-intentioned charlady in hot water with the KGB...

Een jongetje dat in een kat veranderd is, vindt zijn toevlucht bij de kordate poes Jennie.

London hasn’t been kind to Peter, a lonely boy whose parents are always out at parties, and though Peter would love to have a cat for company, his nanny won’t hear of it. One day, Peter sees a striped kitten in the park across from his house. Crossing the road on his way to the tabby, he is struck by a truck. Everything is different when Peter comes to: He has fur, whiskers, and claws; he has become a cat himself! But London isn’t any kinder to cats than it is to children. Jennie, a savvy stray who takes charge of Peter, knows that all too well. Jennie schools young Peter in the ways of cats, including how to sniff out a nice napping spot, the proper way to dine on mouse, and the single most important tactic a cat can learn: “When in doubt, wash.” Jennie and Peter will face many challenges—and not all of them are from the dangerous outside world—in their struggle to find a place that is truly home.

Introducing the indomitable, endearing charlady, Mrs Harris...

A touching tribute to one of the greatest ballplayers of all time For seventeen seasons, Lou Gehrig was the heart and soul of the New York Yankees. The power-hitting first baseman donned the pinstripes for 2,130 consecutive games, a streak that earned him the nickname "the Iron Horse" and went unbroken for more than five decades. World Series champion, All-Star, American League Most Valuable Player, Triple Crown winner—the list of Gehrig''s on-field achievements is spectacular. But he is best remembered for the grace and the strength with which he faced an insurmountable challenge off the field: the disease that ended his career and which now bears his name. When he retired on April 30, 1939, Lou Gehrig called himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth." His words continue to resonate more than seventy-five years after they were spoken. In this heartfelt biography, which was the basis for the Academy Award–winning film The Pride of the Yankees, starring Gary Cooper, legendary sportswriter Paul Gallico tells the story of how a son of German immigrants rose to the pinnacle of greatness in America''s pastime and inspired the nation as no other athlete ever has.

A British PI goes undercover when a ghost threatens the outcome of the Cold War in this mystery from the author of The Poseidon Adventure . Alexander Hero knows a fake when he sees one. As the chief investigator for the British Society of Psychical Research and a private detective of the occult, being a professional skeptic of the paranormal is his job. Of course, he is just as eager to find proof of life after death as he is to expose scam artists and fraudulent ghosts. Unfortunately, that can mean occasionally placing his life in danger . . . American professor Samuel Constable is the head of the Department of Cybernetics in the advanced engineering school at Columbia University. He is also the key scientist working on a top-secret government project known as Operation Foxglove. Its success is vital to the defense of the free world, which is why US authorities are concerned about a recent disruption in Constable''s life and why they desperately need Hero''s help. For the past four months, Constable has been attending spiritualist séances on the Upper West Side. He believes he has not only seen and heard his dead ten-year-old daughter, Mary, but also now possesses physical proof of her return from the afterlife—a translucent, hollow, seamless wax hand, complete with Mary''s fingerprints. It could be real . . . or just a ploy to brainwash Constable and ruin Operation Foxglove. Now, Hero must go undercover to infiltrate the séance and decide for himself before the ghost persuades Constable to spill government secrets. But if Hero is exposed, he risks a fate worse than death . . . "A good one . . . well-solved." — The New York Times Originally published in 1964.

Published to coincide with the Queen''s Diamond Jubilee

By the author of the international bestseller The Snow Goose and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.