Most Popular Books by Paul Gallico

The moving wartime story of friendship and heroism, set against the dramatic backdrop of the World War II Battle of Dunkirk In the marshes of Essex, one of the last wild places left in England, a disfigured artist lives alone in an abandoned lighthouse. Shunned by society, he spends his days painting scenes of the coast and the birds that migrate to the meadowlands every winter. His days are solitary until one November afternoon, a young girl from a nearby village comes to his door carrying a wounded snow goose in her arms. The unlikely pair develop a friendship that deepens over the ensuing years, waiting together for the arrival of the birds every autumn. In 1940, with England at war, the birds depart early from the shores. The man, too, is called away by his duty as an Englishman to help evacuate the soldiers stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk. A moving tale of love, war, bravery, and sacrifice.

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.

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.

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, as Peter is walking out the door, he sees a truck bearing down on a tabby. Dashing out to save the cat, he is struck by the oncoming truck himself. 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.

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 Tabitha, the descendant of an Egyptian goddess, and she is coming back to seek revenge! Thomasina, like Jenny of The Abandoned, 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.

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...

When his beloved donkey becomes ill, a young Italian boy is determined to take her to the crypt of St. Francis in Assisi in hopes of making her well.

A stranger comes to the city of Mageia and challenges its inhabitants with a new kind of magic - a magic that restores innocence and faith.

A Christmas tale about a frontier family in Colonial America.

"The Snow Goose" is the most famous of these three stories by Paul Gallico. It is the story of Philip, a lonely painter who lives in an old lighthouse, and Fritha, a young girl who brings him a large white bird, the snow goose. It becomes a special bird in Philip''s life, and later the girl becomes special too.

Through Snowflake''s special role in the pattern of creation and life, the author gives a simple allegory on the meaning of life, its oneness and ultimate safety.

Published to coincide with the Queen''s Diamond Jubilee

***A BOOK CLUB PICK FROM THE QUEEN CONSORT''S READING ROOM*** Now a major film, starring Leslie Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Isaacs and Lucas Bravo ''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 Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the-earth London charlady who cheerfully cleans the houses of the rich. One day, when tidying Lady Dant''s wardrobe, she comes across the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life - a Dior dress. In all the years of her drab and humble existence, she''s never seen anything as magical as the dress before her and she''s never wanted anything as much before. Determined to make her dream come true, Mrs Harris scrimps, saves and slaves away until one day, after three long, uncomplaining years, she finally has enough money to go to Paris. When she arrives at the House of Dior, Mrs Harris has little idea of how her life is about to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform forever. Always kind, always cheery and always winsome, the indomitable Mrs Harris takes Paris by storm and learns one of life''s greatest lessons along the way.

Classic storytelling from a bestselling author. Gallico''s most famous story, THE SNOW GOOSE, is set in the wild, desolate Essex marshes and is an intense and moving tale about the relationship between a hunchback and a young girl. THE SMALL MIRACLE is a contemporary fable about a young boy''s love for his dangerously ill donkey.

Julian West, a headstrong but endearing prodigy, travels from San Diego to Washington, DC in order to patent his invention - a seemingly innocuous toy gun that shoots beautiful, luminous soap bubbles.

The author of The Silent Miaow examines the cat in all his infinite variety, moods, and from every aspect--psychological, social, intellectual, and historical. More than 60 charming poems are illustrated by beautiful full-color photographs by famed photographer Nishikawa. Full-color photographs.

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

There is a superstition that if the Barbary Apes leave Gibraltar, the English will also leave. This story is set in Gibraltar at the start of the Second World War, and is the story of the efforts required to keep the apes in Gibraltar. The major problem is an ape called Harold (a.k.a. Scruffy), who is appallingly behaved, and who does his best to bring down the wrath of officialdom on all the apes and their keepers.

The resolute London charwoman rescues little ''Enry from his cruel foster parents, and together they set out to find his American father. Illustrated by Vasiliu.

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.

Professor Constable, a world renowned scientist, believes his daughter, who died of leukemia at the age of 10 years, is trying to communicate with him from beyond the grave.

On a tour to Moscow won in a raffle, Mrs. ''Arris and friend try to reunite her English employer and his long-lost Russian fiancee.

This is the original version first published in 1940 in The Saturday Evening Post, later expanded into a longer version and published in book form in 1941.

Legendary tales set in Assisi, the Principality of Liechtenstein and on the coast of England.

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.

Three sets of characters in the Europe of 1950 act out this hair-raising story. First of all there are the Americans, all members of the staff of an English-language Paris newspaper - from the veteran graduate of the city desk to the brash and idealistic green reporter. Then there are the Europeans - a cross-section of poor but proud ex-gentry, a former French Resistance underground worker, rascals, Dior fashion models. Finally therer are the Russians with their scientifically calculated horrors to reduce men to animals. The brash young reporter is captured in the Russian-occupied zone of Austria. Tension is high as the Russian psychiatrists use wonder drugs and the latest techniques of psycho-analysis (in reverse) to break down the reporter''s sanity and make him confess to spying - scenes reminiscent of Vogeler - while his paper, through clever undercover work that discloses damaging evidence of Titoism, seeks to blackmail the commissar involved and obtain the reporter''s release. There are a love-tangle - two women love the reporter - and plenty of action. A man gives his life before a solution is achieved. -- Publisher''s descripion.