Nook takes on Kindle in e-books battle

The US book chain Barnes & Noble will sell its new Nook tablets in the UK starting from £159 as it looks to take on Amazon.

The company has also signed up with Hollywood studios such as Time Warner, Viacom, Sony and Disney to launch a TV and movie download service for its devices in the US and UK.

The Nook HD, with a seven-inch screen, will be priced at £159, matching Amazon's seven-inch Kindle Fire. It, and the £229 nine-inch Nook HD+, will be available from late November in the UK.

Barnes & Noble e-readers have won about a third of the US e-book market. The latest versions also allow users to watch video, send emails, subscribe to magazines and browse the Internet.