The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa: Vintage Quarterbound Classics

A beautiful hardback edition of the great Italian classic. 'Historical fiction at its best' The WeekIt is the spring of 1869 and there is talk of revolution in Sicily. Fabrizio, the charismatic Prince of Salina, still rules over thousands of acres and hundreds of people, including his own numerous family, in mingled splendour and squalor.

But then comes Garibaldi's landing on the Scicilian coast. As Garibaldi's forces press inland, the Prince must decide whether to resist the forces of change or come to terms with them.