Autobiography: adventurers and explorers Books

Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.

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Book SynopsisRenowned and loved for her refreshing candour on everyday issues, social, domestic and intimate, Stacey Solomon reminds us how important it is to embrace ourselves; the good, bad and the ugly.Stacey's authenticity and her courage to say what others daren't opens discussions on sensitive but significant topics; her lack of sex drive after having kids, her battles with anxiety, the lows of motherhood and even the importance of hairy legs.In Happily Imperfect, be moved to tears and laughter by joining Stacey in her journey so far, as she reveals how to stay positive despite the everyday pressure to be and look perfect. Told through hilarious, sometimes moving, and always charming anecdotes, discover how to get the best out of life by being positive, not following the crowd, and trusting your gut instincts.Covering how to navigate motherhood, deal with anxiety and prejudice, as well as the experience of getting older, Stacey has plenty of words of wisdom to share. With tips and tricks on h

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Book SynopsisA lyrical investigation both powerful and transcendent' CHIGOZIE OBIOMAAcutely observed, hauntingly rendered and deeply affecting' AMINATTA FORNABoth epic and intimate' MARGO JEFFERSONAn astonishing search for a missing person, the hidden tragedies of war and the truth of Nigeria's history.Emmanuel Iduma never met his uncle, his father's favourite brother and the man for whom he is named. The elder Emmanuel left home in 1967 to fight in the Biafran War and was not seen again. The war lasted for three years, with young Igbo men volunteering to fight for a breakaway republic in the chaotic wake of British decolonization. Around one hundred thousand others who fought in the war share a fate like Emmanuel's uncle, though there are no official records of these losses. The tensions that gave rise to the conflict remain live, threatening sometimes to bubble over. In this landscape, there are no monuments or graves. Instead, a collective remembering that remains, for the most part, silent.I ATrade Review‘A thorough and thoughtful reporter, Iduma explains how it has become taboo in Nigerian culture to discuss the war, and uses his family’s own tragedy to tell the devastating story of a country that has not been allowed to properly mourn its dead. I Am Still With You is a deeply felt eulogy for those who were lost and a sobering reflection on the shame that comes with silence’ Time Magazine, The 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 ‘A lyrical investigation into the nature of being, history, the collective memory of Biafra – a dark chapter in world history. Iduma writes with such startling clarity that the book ultimately becomes both powerful and transcendent’ Chigozie Obioma, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of The Fishermen and An Orchestra of Minorities ‘A genre-defying work, I Am Still with You is a quest, both spiritual and real, a travelogue, a memoir, and a history of Biafra … Acutely observed, hauntingly rendered, and deeply affecting – a masterful achievement’ Aminatta Forna, author of The Devil That Danced on the Water ‘Iduma confronts and contemplates the wounds left by the Biafran war: death on a mass scale; deaths in his family; griefs, angers and questions that still plague the living. I Am Still With You is both epic and intimate. It gives us the beauties and consolations of an ethnical imagination’ Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland ‘In clear, elegiac prose, Iduma’s search leads to an affecting conclusion’ New Statesman ‘Iduma’s quietly brilliant new book … blends travelogue, reportage, criticism, memoir, and history in a hypnotic tale’ Vulture, Best Books of 2023 ‘An immersive memoir … Iduma’s unraveling of the past is bound to leave readers eager to uncover their own family secrets’ Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER The side-splittingly hilarious and heart-warming new book from your favourite teacher duo and hosts of Two Mr Ps in a Pod(cast)Remember the distant days of lockdown and those futile attempts to homeschool distracted, disinterested kids? Parents rejoiced to send them back to school, while teachers prepared to face them all again Five. Days. A. Week! Coming out the other side of the pandemic years, podcast sensations Lee and Adam Parkinson aka the Two Mr Ps bring you the most hilarious, ridiculous anecdotes from inside our primary schools.Join in on the classroom antics as they share the unexpected pitfalls of online teaching, all the reasons you need a strong stomach to take on Early Years and why not every household item makes a suitable Harry Potter wand

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Book Synopsis“In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only succeeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history.” –President Barack Obama, 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony“Just as I Am is my truth.Trade Review“The autobiography of Miss Cicely Tyson is a balm for the afflicted.” — New York Times “A parting gift to readers and chronicles an incredible life, lived fully.” — USA Today “This grand tale of her immense talent and desire to live out loud will resonate with anyone who has a dream.” — O, the Oprah Magazine "It’s in these poignant moments that the memoir becomes a resonant meditation on the link between an actress’s life and her art. This showstopping tale hits the mark." — Publishers Weekly “What shines most from the memoir is how Tyson’s story, while frankly written and supremely eye-opening, isn’t just her own. It’s also the story of Black women in America, of generations past, present and yet to come, whose wills to survive are divinely gifted and ancestrally guided.” — Washington Post "Tyson speaks with incisive clarity, humor, and moral authority…” — Booklist “If you’re ready for your next book, “Just As I Am” is the one to pick.” — Washington Informer “This book is Ms. Tyson’s abundant treasure to each of us: her life, in her words, just as she is. She shares truths usually whispered between close friends in the dim light of a back bedroom, those candid declarations not often spoken aloud. And she tells her story the way only a black woman can: in all of its dazzling authenticity, heels off and voice undulating, shifting between anguish and exuberance. The art of acting is the art of exposing, an emotional unveiling before others. Ms. Tyson is as revelatory on these pages as she has been on the stage." — — Viola Davis, Academy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning actress and producer

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Book Synopsis''I was born in a sprawling house by the Yamuna River in Delhi. When I was a few minutes old, Grandmother welcomed me into the world by writing Om, which means I am in Sanskrit, on my tongue with a little finger dipped in honey. When the family priest arrived to draw up my horoscope, he scribbled astrological symbols on a long scroll and set down a name for me, Indrani, or queen of the heavens. My father ignored him completely and proclaimed my name was to be Madhur (sweet as honey).''So begins Madhur Jaffrey''s enchanting memoir of her childhood in India. Her description of growing up a in a very large, wealthy family (half a train was booked to transport the family from Delhi to the mountains for the summer) conjures up the spirit of a long lost age. Whether climbing the mango trees in her grandparents'' orchard, armed with a mixture of salt, pepper, red chillies and roasted cumin, or enjoying picnics in the foothills of the Himalayas, reached by foot, rickshaw, palanquin Trade ReviewMemoirs don't come much more mouthwatering than this * You Magazine *'...looks to be a real treat. It will appeal to the legion of Madhur Jaffrey fans and to armchair cooks everywhere with its evocative story' * The Bookseller *With the sparkle of a true storyteller, Madhur Jaffrey leads the reader through her childhood in India with enchanting warmth and grace....Recollections of her vast family's changing relationships....are told through vivid colours, rich flavours of spice and sweetness, and intense smells, textures, sounds and feelings. Those who like getting their teeth into a good biography will be pleased to receive this * Easy Living *Enchanting...redolent of spices and the smells of cooking all under the Indian sun * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisAs the newly appointed County Inspector of Schools in North Yorkshire, the author reveals in this warm and humorous account, the experiences of his first year in the job - and what an education it was! He quickly learns that he must slow his pace and appreciate the beautiful countryside.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIncludes: Autobiography; 1726; Journal of a Voyage; Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind; The Kite Experiment; Poor Richard's Maxims; The Internal State of America; Speech in the Constitutional Convention at the Conclusion of its Deliberations

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe wit and wisdom of a national hero * Daily Mirror *Full of the infectious energy that inspired the nation * Daily Mirror *A dose of wisdom from a British hero . . . A paean to the power of positive thinking * Daily Telegraph *Charmingly delivers his words of wisdom * i *Gives us a chance to spend a bit longer in his company, to enjoy his wry humour again and to understand how his apparently ordinary life equipped him for his final extraordinary year * Telegraph *So full of warmth and wisdom that it'll make your heart feel lighter by the end * Culturefly *Reads like a self-help book written by a kindly grandfather for his grandchildren: it urges you to dress properly, eat a good breakfast, be nice to others, and not to worry about the rest of it * Daily Telegraph *After the difficult and lonely time we've all shared, it's above all a reminder to keep looking for the joy, every single day * This England *A collection of anecdotes and wisdom from the inspirational war veteran * Sunday Times *Captain Sir Tom's memoir-cum-self-help manual is brimful of illuminating reminiscence and good humour. It brings home what a truly remarkable man he was * Daily Telegraph *This small book punches above its weight with words of wisdom from national treasure Sir Tom * Sunday Express *Inspirational * Choice Magazine *

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Book Synopsis''He''s a great coach. He lives and breathes the game. There''s nothing he doesn''t know'' Brian O''Driscoll''The best coach Irish rugby - arguably Irish sport - has ever had'' Malachy Clerkin, Irish TimesIn the autumn of 2010, a little-known New Zealander called Joe Schmidt took over as head coach at Leinster. He had never been in charge of a professional team. After Leinster lost three of their first four games, a prominent Irish rugby pundit speculated that Schmidt had ''lost the dressing room''.Nine years on, Joe Schmidt has stepped down as Ireland coach having achieved success on a scale never before seen in Irish rugby. Two Heineken Cups in three seasons with Leinster. Three Six Nations championships in six seasons with Ireland, including the Grand Slam in 2018. And a host of firsts: the first Irish victory in South Africa; the first Irish defeat of the All Blacks, and then a second; and Ireland''s first number 1 world ranking.Along the way, Schmidt became a byword for precision and focus in coaching, remarkable attention to detail and the highest of standards. But who is Joe Schmidt? In Ordinary Joe, Schmidt tells the story of his life and influences: the experiences and management ideas that made him the coach, and the man, that he is today. And his diaries of the 2018 Grand Slam and the 2019 Rugby World Cup provide a brilliantly intimate insight into the stresses and joys of coaching a national team in victory and defeat.From the small towns in New Zealand''s North Island where he played barefoot rugby and jostled around the dinner table with seven siblings, to the training grounds and video rooms where he consistently kept his teams a step ahead of the opposition, Ordinary Joe reveals an ordinary man who has helped his teams to achieve extraordinary things.''Rugby obsessives and amateur coaches will revel in the insight that Schmidt offers into his training methods, tactics and preparation ... Full of insight, emotion and considered analysis'' Irish Daily Mail''An insight into the fascinating personality of the man who has been the single most influential figure in Irish rugby over the last decade'' Irish Times''He is clearly more than an ordinary coach, the winning of two Heinekens, beating New Zealand twice, the 2018 Grand Slam and reaching no.1 in the World Rankings are positive brushstrokes, marking Irish rugby for ever ... A rocky read about exceptional deeds, told in extraordinary fashion'' Irish Daily Star''Undoubtedly the greatest coach in Irish rugby history'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewRugby obsessives and amateur coaches will revel in the insight that Schmidt offers into his training methods, tactics and preparation ... Full of insight, emotion and considered analysis * Irish Daily Mail *An insight into the fascinating personality of the man who has been the single most influential figure in Irish rugby over the last decade * Irish Times *He is clearly more than an ordinary coach, the winning of two Heinekens, beating New Zealand twice, the 2018 Grand Slam and reaching no.1 in the World Rankings are positive brushstrokes, marking Irish rugby for ever ... A rocky read about exceptional deeds, told in extraordinary fashion * Irish Daily Star *Undoubtedly the greatest coach in Irish rugby history * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''He''s one of the best players I''ve ever played with. As a forward, I''d say he''s the best.'' Johnny SextonSeán O''Brien does not come from a traditional rugby background. He grew up on a farm in Tullow, far from the rugby hotbeds of Limerick and Cork or the fee-paying schools of Dublin. But as he made his way up through the ranks, it soon became clear that he was a very special player and a very special personality. Now, Seán O''Brien tells the remarkable and unlikely story of his rise to the highest levels of world rugby, and of a decade of success with Leinster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.Trade ReviewA really, really honest and revealing read -- Matt Cooper * Today FM *Fuel is about revelation - not so much the late-night, boozy, tops-off revelation, although there is a good bit of that. It's more about the baring of his vulnerabilities and driving forces * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA REESE''S BOOK CLUB PICKA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER''An example of how one woman can change the world by telling the truth about her life with unflinching, relentless courage'' GLENNON DOYLEAustin Channing Brown''s first encounter with racism in America came at age seven, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. Growing up in majority-white schools and neighbourhoods, Austin ''had to learn what it means to love Blackness,'' a journey that led to her becoming a writer, speaker and expert helping organisations practice genuine inclusion. In this bestselling memoir, she writes beautifully and powerfully about her journey to self-worth and how we can all contribute to racial justice. ''A leading new voice on racial justice'' LAYLA F SAAD, author of ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY''Most people say, that books has legs; I measure the impact of a bTrade ReviewAustin Channing Brown introduces herself as a master memoirist. This book will break open hearts and minds * Glennon Doyle *Most people say, 'that books has legs;' I measure the impact of a book by how often I throw it across the room. [Austin's book] has serious wings. It broke me open * Brene Brown *Powerful . . . Brown calls on readers to live their professed ideals rather than simply state them * Publishers Weekly *Takes readers on a journey through the racial divide in a way we've truly never seen before. Powerful, haunting, and absolutely impossible to put down, [Brown's] account of what it's like to grow up black, middle-class, and female in modern America is not to be missed * PopSugar *A deeply personal celebration of blackness that simultaneously sheds new light on racial injustice and inequality while offering hope for a better future * Shondaland *I have laughed, I have held back tears, I have reflected with joy, hope and hurt while reading. Austin captures perfectly the sentiment of many black people in America. She's not only telling her story, she's telling our story. Austin is a gift to the body and the culture * Lecrae *The movement toward diversity and forgiveness, [Brown] points out, too often involves white people seeking credit for recognizing the crimes of the past even as they do nothing to fix things today, and black people being required to provide endless absolution and information while calmly enduring dignity-eroding and rage-inducing injustices * Library Journal *Brown passionately rejects facile reliance on 'hope,' stating that 'in order for me to stay in this work, hope must die' and 'the death of hope gives way to a sadness that heals, to anger that inspires, to a wisdom that empowers me.' An eloquent argument for meaningful reconciliation focused on racial injustice rather than white feeling * Booklist *Austin Channing Brown is a leading new voice on racial justice and she is the author of one of my favourite books of 2018, which is called I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. Austin is committed to exploring the intersections of racial justice, faith, and Black womanhood * Layla Saad, author of ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY *

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Book SynopsisThe autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, a fascinating insight into the mind of one of the greatest contemporary spiritual leaders''An extraordinary story'' Daily Mail''Compelling, fascinating, eye-opening'' Washington Post''A vital historical witness, not only to inhumanity but to compassion'' Los Angeles Times''Forthright... often amusing'' New York TimesIn 1938 a two-year-old boy was recognised through a traditional process of discovery as being the reincarnation of all previous Dalai Lamas, the spiritual rulers of Tibet. Taken away from his parents, he was brought up in Lhasa according to a monastic regimen of rigorous austerity and in almost total isolation. Aged seven he was enthroned in the 1000-room Potala palace as the supreme spiritual leader of a nation the size of Western Europe, with population of six million. And at fifteen, he became head of state.Trade ReviewA simple and powerful autobiography, The Dalai Lama's story of exile must serve, of course, as a vital historical witness, not only to inhumanity but to compassion as well, not only to betrayal and treachery but to generosity and faithfulness * Los Angeles Times Book Review *The prose is clear and engaging, full of subtle implication and humor. His observations of Western culture are poignant * San Francisco Chronicle *Forthright... often amusing... he has retained much of the freshness of the child's view of what was happening to him, and his account is moving * New York Times Book Review *An earnest, inspiring and wholly captivating classic tale of spiritual adventure. With candor, great charm, and good humor, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize tells his life story * Kirkus *His autobiography was waited for, and is worth waiting for * Chicago Sun Times *Throughout his story, told with great humility, the Dalai Lama reveals his obligation both to address the time-honored spiritual needs of his people and to help them deal with the practical considerations of their disrupted lives. Anyone wanting to understand Tibet today will do well to read this priest-king's tale of coping with the ancient and modern worlds that have shaped him * Chicago Tribune *Compelling... fascinating... eye-opening * Washington Post Book World *A touching book, that arouses great sympathy for its extraordinary author * Spectator *A wonderfully entertaining and fascinating book... One comes away from this book with tremendous respect and admiration for this compassionate man and spiritual leader * Foreign Affairs *An extraordinary story * Daily Mail *A touching book, that arouses great sympathy for its extraordiary author * SPECTATOR *From the supernatural marvels of Shangri-La to the life-and-death manoeverings of Realpolitik: an earnest, inspiring, and wholly captivating tale of spiritual adventure * KIRKUS REVIEWS *The Dalai Lama's autobiography should leave no one in doubt of his humility and genuine compassion. Written without the slightest hint of pretence, the exiled leader of Tibet recounts his life, from the time he was whisked away from his home in 1939 at the age of four, to his escape from Tibet in 1959, to the winning of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. The backdrop of the story is the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet. We learn in calm detail of imprisonment, torture, rape, famine, ecological disaster and genocide that in under four decades of Chinese rule have left a million-and-a-quarter Tibetans dead and the Tibetan natural and religious landscapes decimated. Yet the Dalai Lama's story is strangely one of hope. This man who prays for four hours a day harbours no ill will toward the Chinese and sees the potential for good everywhere he casts his gaze. Someday, he hopes, all of Tibet will be a zone of peace and the world's largest nature preserve. Such optimism is not naive, but a result of his daily studies in Buddhist philosophy and his doctrine of Universal Responsibility. Inspiring in every way, Freedom in Exile is both a historical document and a fable of deepest trust in humanity. * Brian Bruya, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisConservationist and naturalist John Lister-Kaye, founder of the Aigas Field Centre, writes about his life in the glens, the wildlife that surrounds him and the primeval magical exchange that takes place between man and nature once so central to ancient civilisations. He describes finding the ruined nineteenth-century estate that is to become Aigas, taking it over and turning it into a going concern as an Educational Centre, and his own personal motivation, following the Torrey Canyon oil spillage and natural disasters in the 1960s, to become a conservationist. Interspersed within the narrative detail are engaging and enlightening descriptions of flora and fauna. John Lister-Kaye carries the reader very effectively into the minute worlds he observes and backs up keen scrutiny with facts and figures.SONG OF THE ROLLING EARTH is a notably entertaining and enlightening addition to the canon of naturalist writing that includes Gavin Maxwell''s RING OF BRIGHT WATER, Henry WilliamsoTrade ReviewDeeply personal and perceptive...a wonderfully lyrical book surging with the sheer joy of nature, from Scotland's premier nature writer * Magnus Magnusson *A personal, finely poetic book, an odyssey of people, places and wild things. * Christopher Smout, Historiographer Royal in Scotland *Lister-Kaye establishes himself as one of the finest nature writers in the language * SCOTSMAN *An environmental classic * SPECTATOR *

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Book SynopsisWinifred Foley grew up in the 1920s, a bright, determined miner''s daughter - in a world of unspoilt beauty and desperate hardship, in which women were widowed at thirty and children died of starvation. Living hand-to-mouth in a tumbledown cottage in the Forest of Dean, Foley - ''our Poll'' - had a loving family and the woods and streams of a forest ''better than heaven'' as a playground. But a brother and sister were dead in infancy, bread had to be begged from kindly neighbours and she never had a new pair of shoes or a shop-bought doll. And most terrible of all, like her sister before her, at fourteen little Poll had to leave her beloved forest for the city, bound for a life in service among London''s grey terraces.

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Book Synopsis''Incredible insight with a transgressive, witty, spirit.'' COURTNEY LOVE''The most sensational read of 2022!'' GEMMA COLLINS''A breath of fresh air... I want so many people to read this!'' TRAVIS ALABANZA''Visionary'' VIV ALBERTINEA STYLIST MUST-READ FOR 2022Wellness is oppressive, self-love is a trap, hustling is a health risk and it''s all the patriarchy''s fault. Poor Little Sick Girls is THE book for femmes who are online and want more from activism and life.Ione Gamble never imagined that entering adulthood would mean being diagnosed with an incurable illness. Watching identity politics become social media fodder from the confines of her sickbed Ione began to pick apart our obsession with self-care, personal branding, productivity and #LivingYourBestLife. Using her experience with disability to cast a fresh gaze on the particularly peculiar cultural moment in which young women find Trade ReviewA crystal-clear mirror held up to contemporary feminism . . . Ione Gamble examines feminism's fourth wave and its intersections with the internet and capitalism, to brilliant effect . . .Gamble inventively and accessibly explores the roots of feminism as it exists materially today. * i News *A clear-sighted, critically needed skewering of hustle culture, wellness and modern feminism's blind spots, Ione pulls no punches in Poor Little Sick Girls. Everyone - and I mean everyone - should read this book. -- Yomi AdegokeA sizzling insight into how tropes about sick women and unacceptable bodies have been constructed throughout history through a cultural and personal lens. Ione writes with warmth, honesty and nuance, inviting the reader into a conversation that has, up until now, been afforded little space for exploration. -- Liv LittleI inhaled Poor Little Sick Girls in one sitting. This book is smart, addictive, wry and insightful. At a time when online discourse feels so muddled, Ione manages to pick through the weeds with characteristic humour and nuance. This is the anti-girlboss Bible and I love it. -- Daisy JonesA thrilling exploration of the relationships between bodies, abstract forces like language and stereotypes, and the material conditions that shape young adults' lives. Ione Gamble's incisive analysis of the last 15 years of social media, pop culture, and online feminism both illuminate the sources of present-day challenges and model a more liberatory way forward. By tracing the pieces of her self to facets of her environment, she demonstrates how much of a responsibility we have to one another - and that, for all the cynical powers that make our world, we also have the power to remake ourselves. -- Tavi GevinsonWhere so much online is generic and conformist, Ione Gamble's aesthetic and vision is anything but. A style icon and writer who seamlessly blends the esoteric and the obscure with popular culture as well as a commitment to many forms of social justice, her forthcoming book Poor Little Sick Girls is bound to be a treat! -- Emma DabiriOne of the sharpest, wittiest and most incisive thinkers of her generation. I always want to hear Ione's perspective on feminism, culture, and art - or just about anything -- Sirin KaleIone is fiercely unapologetic and a defining voice of our generation. It's especially powerful to see how her own experiences of living as a sick person intersect with her discussions on feminism. This will resonate with anyone who has ever been seen as "unacceptable" and decided to think critically about that. -- Cat White

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Book SynopsisThe only edition of the celebrated Autobiography that includes the long-missing and recently identified “Wagon Letters.”Table of ContentsIntroduction Acknowledgments Notes on the Text Maps: Franklin's Boston, Philadelphia, and London THE TEXT OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY The Autobiography "A Quire Book of Letters" The Outline of the Autobiography A Guide to People Mentioned in the Autobiography CONTEXTS Journal of a Voyage, 1726 Excerpts from Franklin's Letters Mentioning the Autobiography "Authentic Memoir of Dr. Franklyn" EXCERPTS FROM FRANKLIN'S WRITINGS ON AMBITION AND FAME, WEALTH, AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT AMBITION AND FAME From Poor Richard Improved, 1750 From Poor Richard Improved, Jan. 1758 To Sarah (Franklin) Bache, June 3, 1779 From Benjamin Vaughn, May 1785 From Jane Mecom, July 21, 1786 WEALTH To Cadwallader Colden, Sept. 29, 1748 To William Strahan, June 2, 1750 To Jane Mecom, Dec. 30, 1770 To Thomas Cushing, June 10, 1771 Benjamin Vaughn to Lord Shelburne, Nov. 24, 1782 To Robert Morris, Dec. 25, 1783 To Benjamin Vaughn, July 26, 1784 Last Will and Testament, 1788, and Codicil, 1789 SELF-IMPROVEMENT Franklin's Epitaph, 1728 Franklin's Junto Query on Human Perfection, 1732 [Poor Richard on Self-Improvement, 1749] Rules for Making Oneself a Disagreeable Companion, 1749 To Lord Kames, May 3, 1760 To Abiah Franklin, Apr. 12, 1750 To Joseph Priestley, Sept. 19, 1772 CRITICISM CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS Immanuel Kant • [The Modern Prometheus] David Hume • To Franklin, May 10, 1762 Franklin in the Cockpit • The Pennsylvania Gazette Report, 1774 Benjamin Vaughn's Account, 1779 Edmund Burke • To Count Patrick D'Arcy, Oct. 5, 1775 From the New-Jersey Gazette, Dec. 31, 1777 Peter Oliver •From Origins & Progress of the American Rebellion Richard Price • To Franklin, May 1790 Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau • Eulogy for Franklin before the National Assembly of France, 1790 José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez • A Brief Eulogy for Benjamin Franklin, 1790 José Francisco Correia da Serra • Eulogy for Franklin to the Royal Academy of Sciences, Lisbon, 1791 John Adams • On Franklin, May 15, 1811 NINETEENTH-CENTURY OPINIONS Francis, Lord Jeffrey •From the Edinburgh Review, 1806 Charles Brockden Brown •From Literary Magazine, 1806 John Keats • To George and Georgiana Keats, Oct. 14-31, 1818 Humphry Davy • Historical Sketch of Electrical Discovery Edgar Allan Poe • The Business Man Leigh Hunt •From Hunt's Autobiography Herman Melville •From Israel Potter Mark Twain • The Late Benjamin Franklin Empress Shōken of Japan • [A Franklinian Poem], c. 1890 Frederick Jackson Turner •FromThe Dial, May 1887 William Dean Howells • From Editor's Study, Apr. 1888 From Editor's Study, July 1888 From Editor's Study, Jan. 1890 From Editor's Easy Chair, Oct. 1905 RECENT OPINIONS Max Weber •From The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism D. H. Lawrence • Benjamin Franklin W. Somerset Maugham • [The Classic Books of America] I. B. Cohen • Franklin and Science David Levin • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: The Puritan Experimenter in Life and Art Michael Warner • Franklin: The Representational Politics of the Man of Letters Peter Stallybrass • Benjamin Franklin: Printed Collections and Erasable Writing Benjamin Franklin: A Chronology Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAndrew Motion has been close to the centres of British poetry for over fifty years.Sleeping on Islands is his clear-sighted and open-hearted account of this remarkable career. It takes us from scenes of a teenage home-life coloured by tragedy and silence where writing was as much a refuge as an assertion to the excruciations of early public appearances, to the decade he spent as Poet Laureate, promoting and ensuring the central place of poetry in a nation's character. Along the way, we hear about the risks and sacrifices involved, as well as the difficulties of sustaining a commitment to writing within a helix of other obligations. We see in close-up the significance of Motion's formative relationship with W. H. Auden and his subsequent friendship with Philip Larkin. And during his time as Laureate, we witness memorable encounters with Royalty and Prime Ministers, and discover the costs and complications that accompany such a high-profile role.

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Book SynopsisWhen Jenny and Robert fall in love in the late 1960s they decide to build a new future together, away from the city. They escape to an isolated sheep farm nestled on a mountainside. It has no running water but it is beautiful and rugged. Their young sons can roam wild. As their flock struggles, money runs low and rain drives in horizontally across the fields, inside the ancient house their marriage begins to unravel. Wilful and romantic, Jenny refuses to abandon her farm. She will bring her boys up single-handedly on the mountain. Together they embark on a perilous adventure. Running for the Hills is astonishing family memoir - Horatio Clare vividly recreates his mother''s extraordinary way of life and his own bewitching childhood in a magical story of love and struggle.Trade Review'The young family has to face the hardships that small farmers and smallholders endure everywhere' * The Times *'A tender, eloquent book about love, the power of the land and the price to paid for living out one's dreams' * Sarah Dunant *'A joy ... heartening, raw, tender.' * John Carey, Sunday Times *'Touching, funny and extremely well-written' * Telegraph *Enchanting ... magical ... so beautifully written that you almost hold your breath' * Daily Mail *'A major talent' * Marie Clare *'Beautifully written ... crammed with precious details ... It should be required reading' * Guardian *'It is the prose equivalent of a collection of poems by Ted Hughes - or Wordsworth' * Sunday Times *'The classic Great Escape . . . strikingly told' * Matthew Bell, TLS *'An assured and compelling first book ... A moving exploration of the slow triumph of adversity over optimism' * Rose Tremain, The Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisReveals how the author chose to abandon her ambition to become Prime Minister in favour of another ambition - to have a life.Trade Review'Oona King delivers the most intimate political diary ever ... the Bridget Jones of the Commons' Mail on Sunday 'Painfully honest, frequently hilarious ... She tells her story with humility, wisdom and considerable wit' Guardian 'Pacy, perceptive, frank, funny, free of the sludge of most political diaries. This is authentic Oona. It would make a good novel - but people would think it a little far-fetched' Neil Kinnock 'Tremendous - funny, revelatory, and above all authentic' David Hare

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Book SynopsisLandscape with Machines: The First Part of his AutobiographyTrade Review‘A fine opportunity to make the acquaintance of a unique man.’ * Daily Telegraph *‘Compulsory reading . . . enjoyable, readable and thought-provoking.’ * Waterways World *

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Book SynopsisThe story of Dave Pelzer is a legend of our times: the shattering tale of the child called ''It'' who was forced to live in the basement. His mother was the perpetrator of the horror, but she had a willing accomplice. It was Dave''s brother Richard - the author of this book. When Dave was twelve the police removed him from the household, but the cycle of abuse continued. Mrs Pelzer had a new target for her crazed, alcoholic wrath. The hunter became the hunted -- at the age of nine. This is his story. Recounting the warped dynamics of a family riven by abuse, he reveals his guilt at being the abuser, his scarring at being abused, the complete lack of questioning within the family about what was happening -- and even the twisted respect the boys had for their mother. Richard became the target of his mother''s artillery of insanity, the victim of savage beatings leading to hospitalization, the boy denied clean clothes, the one who ''deserved'' whole bottles of Trade ReviewIt is my sincere hope that Richard's story will help others with an unfortunate past to become productive, responsible and fulfilled adults * Dave Pelzer, brother of Richard. *Gut-wrenching recollections of the horrendous years-long abuse inflicted on the author by his alcoholic, emotionally disturbed mother * KIRKUS REVIEWS *Compelling stuff. * HEAT *Pelzer makes us aware of what can happen behind closed doors * WOMAN AND HOME *

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Book Synopsis''My life was changing and I didn''t like it. Everything was so out of my control, even my own body...''Happy-go-lucky Evie Meg was an award-winning teenage gymnast who dreamed of becoming a teaching assistant. But when she developed a hiccup tic that gave way to increasingly severe health problems the doctors couldn''t solve, could the power of an online community stop her from disappearing into the darkness?My Nonidentical Twin is a heartbreakingly inspirational story about finding friendship in unlikely places, what it truly means to be neurodivergent, and how hope can spring from even the bleakest of times.Why readers love Evie Meg...''I could not put this book down''''One of the most powerful books I have ever read''''Well worth reading through the tears''''It deserves more than 5 stars''''Love love love''

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Book SynopsisGeorge W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States.Trade ReviewDecision Points is well-written, and interesting from start to finish. I think people of all political stripes should read it. * Bill Clinton *Whether you love or loathe George W. Bush, this book is worth buying. It's well written, in a crisp narrative style. It is reflective and self-critical, informative about the decisions that he faced, and the process by which he achieved them...if understanding is the first step to redemption (for Bush), this book will help. * The Times *Decision Points...gives the reader an uncanny sense of how personality and the fateful interplay of personalities within an administration can affect policies that affect the world. * The New York Times *An immensely readable and fascinating account of the key decision moments of his presidency told through the prism of his life...will go a long way towards setting the record straight about those turbulent, transformative years of American history. * The Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR NEW TV SERIES: CAROL DRINKWATER''S SECRET PROVENCEThe third in the bestselling story which began with THE OLIVE FARM - from the author of THE FORGOTTEN SUMMER''Captures perfectly the dreamy atmosphere of the South of France and its people'' WOMAN AND HOME''Vibrant, intoxicating and heart-warming'' SUNDAY EXPRESS''The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear and disappear ... The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven''Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol and her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone and the future is uncertain. Feeling isolated and with no olives to harvTrade ReviewI love Carol Drinkwater's Olive Farm series about her life in Provence. I read them on the beach, thinking how wonderful a summer in France would be -- Jane Brown * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Drinkwater is a rare writer who tackles other people brilliantly...Vibrant, intoxicating and heart-warming * SUNDAY EXPRESS *A spellbinding memoir * CHOICE *One cannot resist Drinkwater's courage and joie de vivre, nor the enormous appetite and enthusiasm for her subject * DAILY MAIL *The new leader of the pack * THE TIMES *Refreshingly honest, this book brings alive the unknown side of Provence, and, as always, ensnares readers in a web of sheer delight * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *Beautifully written with a great sense of humour, it captures perfectly the dreamy atmosphere of the South of France and its people * WOMAN & HOME *

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Book SynopsisMore lessons and life from the Yorkshire Dales...All Teachers Bright and Beautiful is the concluding volume in Andy Seed''s trilogy. As always, the book is peppered with the hilarious and heart-warming incidents that a life living and working with children inevitably contains. Andy Seed is sure to charm fans of Jack Sheffield and Gervase Phinn.Andy Seed is beginning his fifth year teaching at Cragthwaite Primary in the Yorkshire Dales, and as always a new term is full of surprises.These take the form of a beautiful, but not terribly bright, student on placement from the local teacher training college, and a particularly pushy and problematic parent with a fine line in complaining. It looks like Andy''s pupils are the least of his problems...At home in Applesett, things aren''t all rosy either. Barbara is forced to take a job as a postie to help pay the mortgage, which means finding someone to look after Tom and Reuben. When two ol

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Book SynopsisNOW AN ORIGINAL SERIES ON ABC • “Just may be the best new comedy of [the year] . . . based on restaurateur Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name . . . [a] classic fresh-out-of-water comedy.”—People   “Bawdy and frequently hilarious . . . a surprisingly sophisticated memoir about race and assimilation in America . . . as much James Baldwin and Jay-Z as Amy Tan . . . rowdy [and] vital . . . It’s a book about fitting in by not fitting in at all.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times   NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS   Assimilating ain’t easy. Eddie Huang was raised by a wild family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) immigrants—his father a cocksure restaurateur with a dark past back in Taiwan, his mother a fierce protector and constant threat. Young Eddie tried

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Book SynopsisPaul Joseph''s memoir starts with his childhood in the slums of Johannesburg in the 1930s. His political awakening and activism began as a 15-year-old Indian in a racially segregated school. It continued with his commitment to the fight against an oppressive regime. He participated in virtually all the political campaigns including the passive resistance of the 1940s. In 1956 he was one of the 156 people accused of high treason by the Apartheid government alongside Nelson Mandela. He was among the first recruits into the armed wing of the ANC UmKhonto We Sizwe. With an eye for detail and extensive knowledge of South Africans across the racial and class divides, he documents one of the most significant struggles for liberation in the 20th century.Trade ReviewUncle Paul and Aunt Adelaide Joseph are second parents to me and in that way their story is inseparable from mine. … – Zenani Mandela // Paul Joseph’s courageous role in South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle is inspirational. His life in that struggle for justice is both moving and uplifting. An incredible man! – Baroness Helena Kennedy, QC // Paul Joseph’s story is of a life of struggle for human liberation and a courageous struggle for life under apartheid. Electrifying! – Professor Gus John

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Book SynopsisThis heartfelt gay memoir about an adult son uncovering his father’s secrets is “a cross between Dickens’s David Copperfield, Rousseau’s Confessions, and the new pornography” (Donald Windham).   When his father died, J. R. Ackerley was shocked to discover that he had led a secret life. And after Ackerley himself died, he left a surprise of his own—this coolly considered, unsparingly honest account of his quest to find out the whole truth about the man who had always eluded him in life. But Ackerley’s pursuit of his father is also an exploration of the self—making My Father and Myself a pioneering record, at once sexually explicit and emotionally charged, of life as a gay man. This witty, sorrowful, and beautiful book is a classic of twentieth-century memoir.

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Book Synopsis''A deeply humane memoir of immense power - there is nothing more affecting than a first-hand experience finely told'' - Philippe Sands, author of The Ratline''A fabulous memoir . . . a testament to [Malka''s] skill and determination'' - Dame Maureen LipmanA Mother's Courage is Holocaust survivor Malka Levine's powerful and moving tribute to a determined and resourceful woman who refused to give up hope so long as her children needed her.Malka was two when the Nazi invaders forced her family into the Jewish ghetto in Volodymyr-Volynskyi, a small city in present-day Ukraine. It was the first step in a campaign of mass murder. Of the 25,000 Jews in the city in 1939, only thirty would survive. Malka's father was shot in the first pogrom. Before he died he begged her mother Rivka to save their children.Rivka kept Malka and her two older brothers alive through eighteen terrifying months, as the Nazis systematically killed the inhabitants of the ghetto. In the midst of the inhumanity, a few people risked their lives to help. A Wehrmacht officer saved them from being shot and a Polish dressmaker gave them sanctuary when the SS went hunting for victims.Then Rivka persuaded a Ukrainian farmer and his saintly wife to hide her and the children. The Yakimchuks agreed and kept their word, even after the SS commandeered the farm. They dug a pit under their barn, and there Malka's family stayed through a freezing winter and into the summer until the Red Army came. At the end of the war, Rivka was forced to draw on her strength yet again as she set out to create a new life for herself and her children.A Mother's Courage is Malka's chance at long last to thank not only her brave mum, but also all the heroes who opened their hearts to her and her family.

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