Nothing Like the Sun

by Anthony Burgess

Published December 1964
One of Burgess's most acclaimed novels, Nothing Like the Sun has been out of print for over 10 years. An audacious and pacey romp through the life of William Shakespeare, it has long been regarded as the classic Shakespeare novel. From his humble origins to his exalted status as England's premier playwright and on to his tragic death, Burgess tells his story - leaving nothing out. Of particular interest to Burgess is Shakespeare's love-life, and the effect his relationships had on his work. From the historical sources, Burgess focuses on several of Shakespeare's possible relationships...and imagines how these translate into his work. As bawdy as A Midsummer Night's Dream, as moving as King Lear and as rich in imagination as The Tempest, this is a twentieth-century classic. This edition also features a new introduction by Burgess's biographer, Andrew Biswell (biography due out summer 2002, Picador).

The Kingdom of the Wicked

by Anthony Burgess

Published 1 January 1985
Who, I ask you, wants to drag his bones out of the earth, reclothed in flesh which, in some foul magic of reversal, is regurgitated by the worms, in order that his eyes may see God? Who, I ask you, wants to live for ever?
Sadoc son of Azor, a retired shipping clerk lying diseased and dying on the outreaches of the Roman Empire, sets down for future generations a tale of epic proportions: he is charged with recounting no less an event than the birth of Christianity. And what an account it is - the story of a religion of love, born into the cruelties of the kingdom of the wicked.
The Kingdom of the Wicked is one of Anthony Burgess's most ambitious novels. Its ancient setting, recreated in vivid and meticulous detail, is rendered new in this stunning account of the Roman Empire and its clashes with Christianity.