Barbara Taylor Popular Books
Barbara Taylor Biography & Facts
Barbara Taylor Bradford (born 10 May 1933) is a British-American best-selling novelist. Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, was published in 1979 and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. She has written 40 novels, all bestsellers in England and the United States. Early life Barbara Taylor was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England to Freda and Winston Taylor. Her father was an engineer who had lost a leg while serving in the First World War. She attended a nursery school in the Leeds suburb of Upper Armley alongside the writer Alan Bennett. As a child during the Second World War, she held a jumble sale at her school and donated the £2 proceeds to the "Aid to Russia" fund. She later received a handwritten thank-you letter from Clementine Churchill, the wife of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Her older brother Vivian died of meningitis before she was born. She later described her mother as having "put all her frustrated love into me." Her parents' marriage is fictionalized in her 1986 novel An Act of Will. In her youth, Barbara Taylor read Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, Thomas Hardy, and Colette. At the age of ten she decided to be a writer after sending a story to a magazine. She was paid 7s 6d for the story, with which she bought handkerchiefs and a green vase for her parents. Taylor Bradford's biographer, Piers Dudgeon, later uncovered evidence that her mother Freda Walker was the illegitimate daughter of Oliver Robinson, 2nd Marquess of Ripon, a local Yorkshire landowner who employed her mother, Edith Walker, as a servant. Dudgeon informed Taylor Bradford that her grandmother and Ripon had had three children together. After some hesitation, Taylor Bradford allowed Dudgeon to publish this information in his biography. Although initially angry at Dudgeon's discovery, she later said that "I came round. There's no stigma now." Her grandmother later spent time in workhouses, which Taylor Bradford explored in the ITV television series Secrets of the Workhouse (2013). Career Taylor left school aged 15. After working briefly in the newspaper's typing pool, she became a reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post. While there, she worked alongside Keith Waterhouse. At the age of twenty, she moved to London, where she later became the fashion editor of Woman's Own magazine and a columnist for the London Evening News. She went on to write an interior decoration column syndicated to 183 newspapers. Her first fiction writing efforts were four suspense novels, a genre she later abandoned. Taylor Bradford would subsequently describe "interviewing herself", saying that "I was in my late thirties. I thought: what if I get to 55, and I've never written a novel? I'm going to hate myself. I'm going to be one of those bitter, unfulfilled writers." Her debut novel, A Woman of Substance, became an enduring best-seller and, according to Reuters, ranks as one of the top-ten best-selling novels of all time. It was followed by 39 other novels, all bestsellers in the United Kingdom and the United States. Taylor Bradford considers Irish historian and author Cornelius Ryan her literary mentor. Ryan encouraged her writing and was the first person (other than her mother) to whom she had confided her literary ambitions. Her favourite contemporary authors are P. D. James, Bernard Cornwell, and Ruth Rendell. Recurring plotlines and common themes A common pattern in her novels is a young woman of humble background rising in business through years of hard work, often involving enormous self-sacrifice. As Taylor Bradford is often quoted: "I write about mostly ordinary women who go on to achieve the extraordinary." Film adaptations Ten of Taylor Bradford's books were made into television mini-series and television movies, produced by her husband Robert E. Bradford. Five of her television adaptations were rereleased on DVD in the UK in September 2008 by Acorn Media UK: A Woman of Substance Hold The Dream To Be The Best Act of Will Voice of the Heart Personal life Taylor Bradford met her husband, American film producer Robert E. Bradford, on a blind date in 1961 after being introduced by the English screenwriter Jack Davies. They married on Christmas Eve 1963, and moved permanently to the United States. Taylor Bradford became an American citizen in 1992. Taylor Bradford received an honorary doctorate from Leeds University, the University of Bradford, Mount St. Mary's College, Sienna College, and Post University. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the 2007 Birthday Honours for her contributions to literature. Her original manuscripts are archived at the Leeds University Brotherton Library Special Collections beside those of the Brontë sisters. In 2017, Bradford Taylor was recognised as one of 90 "Great Britons" to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday. Taylor Bradford's wealth is estimated at between £166–174 million, leading to rumours that she owns 2,000 pairs of shoes and that her former Connecticut home's lake was heated for the benefit of her swans. Taylor Bradford addressed the rumours in a 2011 interview, tracing the shoes rumour to a joke and the heated lake to the previous owners of the house who had installed it on part of the lake to provide an ice-free area for a pair of swans in winter. In 1990 she was the subject of This Is Your Life where she was surprised by Michael Aspel at Heathrow Airport. Her husband died in 2019. Taylor Bradford lives in Manhattan, New York City. Selected works Fiction The Emma Harte Saga A Woman of Substance (1979) Hold the Dream (1985) To Be the Best (1988) Emma's Secret (2003) Unexpected Blessings (2005) Just Rewards (2005) Breaking the Rules (2009) A Man of Honour (2021) The Ravenscar Trilogy The Ravenscar Dynasty (2006) Heirs of Ravenscar (2007) (published as The Heir in the U.S.) Being Elizabeth (2008) The Cavendon Chronicles Cavendon Hall (2014) The Cavendon Women (2015) The Cavendon Luck (2016) Secrets of Cavendon (2017) The House of Falconer Master of His Fate (2018) In the Lion's Den (2020) The Wonder Of It All (2023) Other fiction Act of Will (1986) The Women in His Life (1990) Remember (1991) Angel (1993) Voice of the Heart (1983) Everything to Gain (1994) Dangerous to Know (1995) Love in Another Town (1995) Her Own Rules (1996) A Secret Affair (1996) Power of a Woman (1997) A Sudden Change of Heart (1999) Where You Belong (2000) The Triumph of Katie Byrne (2001) (NL, De wereld aan haar voeten) Three Weeks in Paris (2002) Playing the Game (2010) (NL, Liefdesspel) Letter From a Stranger (2011) (NL, De geheime brief) Secrets From the Past (2013) Hidden (2013) (published as an eBook) Treacherous (2014) (published as an eBook) Who Are You? (2016) (published as an eBook) Damaged (2018) (published as an eBook) Non-fiction A Garland of Children's Verse (1960) The Dictionary of 1001 Famous People: Outstanding Personages in the World of Science, the Arts, Music and Literature (with Sam.... Discover the Barbara Taylor popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Barbara Taylor books.
Best Seller Barbara Taylor Books of 2024
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A Stone for a Pillow
Madeleine L'Engle & Lindsay LackeyBook #2 of The Genesis Trilogy. This special reissue of a classic work of spirituality from the author of A Wrinkle in Time offers lifetransforming insights on the rich heritage of...
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The Soul Of Kindness
Elizabeth Taylor & Philip HensherINTRODUCED BY PHILIP HENSHER'Elizabeth Taylor is finally being recognised as an important British author: an author of great subtlety, great compassion and great depth. As a reader...
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Troubled Waters
Rosie HarrisLet muchloved multimillion copy bestseller Rosie Harris take you back in time with this wonderfully evocative, emotional and atmospheric saga of love, life and trauma. Fans of Dill...
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John Denver
John CollisJohn Denver was America's biggestselling solo star of the '70s. In commercial terms he was on a par with Sinatra in the '40s, Elvis in the '50s and the Beatles in the '60s. He expe...
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Sold into Egypt
Madeleine L'Engle & Lindsay LackeyBook #3 of the Genesis Trilogy. This special reissue of a classic work of spirituality from the author of A Wrinkle in Time offers lifetransforming insights on the rich heritage of...
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Goodbye Piccadilly
Cynthia Harrod-EaglesIn 1914, Britain faces a new kind of war. For Edward and Beatrice Hunter, their children, servants and neighbours, life will never be the same again. Perfect for fans of Downton Ab...
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Cavendon Hall
Barbara Taylor BradfordFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an epic saga of intrigue and mystique set in Edwardian England. Cavendon Hall is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her very best, and...
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A Rhythm of Prayer
Sarah Bessey, Amena Brown, Barbara Brown Taylor & Lisa Sharon HarperNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER For the weary, the angry, the anxious, and the hopeful, this collection of moving, tender prayers offers rest, joyful resistance, and a call to act, writ...
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The Marriage Game
Fern MichaelsIn a dazzling celebration of the power of friendship and love, acclaimed bestselling author Fern Michaels brings her trademark wit and warmth to an actionpacked story featuring a g...
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Emma and I
Sheila HockenAs a girl, Sheila never let her gradual descent into blindness prevent her from trying to do everything a sighted person could do. Then at 17, unable to see to find her way around ...
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The Ravenscar Dynasty
Barbara Taylor BradfordBarbara Taylor Bradford introduced the illustrious Harte family in her blockbuster A Woman of Substance. Now she has created an unforgettable new dynasty: the Deravenels.On a bitte...
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Dangerous to Know
Barbara Taylor BradfordThat is why the police are profoundly baffled when Sebastian Locke is found dead at his country estate under mysterious circumstances. Has he been murdered? And if so, who would ha...
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Everything to Gain
Barbara Taylor BradfordMallory Keswick can't imagine how her life could possibly be better. She has a wonderful, fulfilling marriage to a man who loves, supports, and nurtures her. She has a lovely home ...
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Breaking the Rules
Barbara Taylor BradfordFollowing a terrifying encounter in the quiet English countryside, a young woman flees to New York in search of a new life. Adopting the initial M as her name, and reinventing hers...
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A Different Sky
Meira ChandSingapore a trading post where different lives jostle and mix. It is 1927, and three young people are starting to question whether this inbetween island can ever truly be their ho...
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Like Mother, Like Daughter
Maggie HopeSadie Raine has a bad reputation...When she runs off with a Canadian airman, her two young daughters are left behind to pick up the pieces.But Cath Raine is determined to rise abov...
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Unexpected Blessings
Barbara Taylor BradfordThe new blockbuster from one of the world's greatest storytellers delves into the life of Emma Hartethe original Woman of Substanceand the ambitious, passionate, and volatile women...
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Lovesong
Julius LesterJulius Lester was born the son of a black Methodist minister in the south. His book Lovesong is a beautifully written account of his spiritual journey away from the conventions of ...
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Tsarina
Ellen Alpsten"Makes Game of Thrones look like a nursery rhyme." Daisy Goodwin, New York Times bestselling author of The Fortune Hunter“[Alpsten] recounts this remarkable woman’s colourful life ...
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The Power of Dreams
Rosie HarrisFans of Dilly Court, Kitty Neale, Emma Hornby and Rosie Goodwin will love this vivid and compelling saga, set around Tiger Bay and Cardiff. Muchloved multimillion copy bestseller ...
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Christmas Wishes
Katie FlynnIt is the autumn of 1945 and identical twins Joy and Gillian Lawrence are on their way home to Liverpool, having been evacuated to Devonshire five years earlier.Their mother has be...
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A Dream of Love
Rosie HarrisHer life was full of hardship and despair...When Molly's father returns from the war a broken man, the whole family is forced to move into the slums of Liverpool. Despite many diff...
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The Triumph of Katie Byrne
Barbara Taylor BradfordTen years later, Katie, a struggling actress in New York, is still haunted by the tragedy. Her friend Carly remains in a coma, and Katie desperately wants to achieve suc...
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Sisters
Prue LeithGrowing up in the outback of South Africa, sensible Poppy realized she would always have to look out for her younger sister, the beautiful, wild, and unreliable Carrie. Years later...
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The Downstairs Maid
Rosie ClarkeShe is a servant girl... When her father becomes ill, Emily Carter finds herself sent into service at Priorsfield Manor in order to provide the family with an income. He will be th...
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Little Girl Lost
Katie FlynnIt is a cold night and Sylvie Dugdale is weeping as she walks by the Mersey. A figure approaches and, dodging aside to avoid him, she falls into the river. Constable Brendan O'Hara...
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Till the Boys Come Home
Cynthia Harrod-EaglesThe final book in Cynthia's War at Home series Pack Up Your Troubles is available to preorder now.'Always a stayupallnight read with Cynthia HarrodEagles! 'Fabulous series of boo...
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A Journal of the Plague Year
Daniel Defoe & Christopher Bristow'The most reliable and comprehensive account of the Great Plague that we possess' Anthony Burgess In 1665 the plague swept through London, claiming over 97,000 lives. Daniel Def...
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A Wreath Of Roses
Elizabeth Taylor & Helen DunmoreINTRODUCED BY HELEN DUNMOREElizabeth Taylor's darkest novel . . . She writes with a sensuous richness of language that draws the reader down the most shadowy paths . . . Extremely ...
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A Secret Affair
Barbara Taylor BradfordSeeking some muchneeded rest and relaxation after a long stint as a TVnews war correspondent in Bosnia, 33yearold Bill Fitzgerald travels to Venice. There he is struck by the dark ...
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Playing The Game
Barbara Taylor BradfordIn New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford's new novel, Annette Remmington, a London art consultant and private dealer, is at the top of her game. She is consider...
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The Girls in Blue
Lily BaxterWhen her home is destroyed in a bombing raid over London, Miranda Beddoes is forced to take refuge with her grandparents down on the Dorset coast. With both her parents doing their...
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You Be Mother
Meg MasonWhat do you do, when you find the perfect family, and it's not yours? A charming, funny and irresistible novel about families, friendship and tiny little white lies.The only thing ...
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Master of His Fate
Barbara Taylor BradfordFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the first book in a stunning new historical saga.Victorian England is a country of sharp divides between ric...
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The New Rector
Rebecca ShawThe first Turnham Malpas novel from bestselling author Rebecca Shaw.When Peter Harris arrives in Turnham Malpas as the new rector, he finds the village people welcoming but set in ...
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How To Stay Married
Jilly Cooper OBEWhen Jilly Cooper, then a young Sunday Times journalist, was asked to write a book on marriage, she had been married to Leo Cooper for a mere seven years. Now they are celebrating ...
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A Man of Honor
Joseph Bonanno"Friendships, connections, family ties, trust, loyalty, obediencethis was the 'glue' that held us together."These were the principles that the greatest Mafia "Boss of Bosses," Jose...
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Secrets of Cavendon
Barbara Taylor BradfordFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford, comes a striking, breathtaking saga featuring the aristocratic Inghams and the Swann family, who have loyally ser...
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Secrets from the Past
Barbara Taylor BradfordFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a powerful and emotional novel about one woman's quest to uncover longburied secrets about her familysecrets she will stop at no...
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The Light In The Window
June Goulding'I promised that I would one day write a book and tell the world about the home for unmarried mothers. I have at last kept my promise.'In Ireland, 1951, the young June Goulding to...
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The Land of My Dreams
Cynthia Harrod-EaglesIt is 1916 and the Hunters, their friends and their servants are settling down to the business of war. As conscription reaches into every household, Britain turns out men and shell...
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Radical Spirit
Joan ChittisterFeeling burntout from life, strungout from social media, and put out by a society that always wants more from you? Beloved nun and social activist Joan Chittister, who appeared on ...
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A Man of Honor
Barbara Taylor BradfordThe prequel to Barbara Taylor Bradford's New York Times bestselling and dazzling saga A Woman of Substance.Opening five years before the start of A Woman of Substance, A Man of Hon...
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Hms Inflexible
A E Langsford1945. The battle against Japan in the Pacific is reaching its climax. One way or another, Inflexible will be Captain Thurston's last command of the war.Captain Thurston VC is a nav...