Autobiography: adventurers and explorers Books

Book SynopsisThe first of John Master's evocative memoirs about life in the Gurkhas in India on the cusp of WWII

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisAfter half a century of metropolitan infamy, Quentin Crisp graduated to international fame when his widely acclaimed autobiography The Naked Civil Servant made him a household name, even in respectable households.In this second volume of autobiography, Quentin Crisp describes the wider horizons of his years as a celebrity at home and aborad, and explains his personal philosophy of inaction, as well as his love affair with North America.How to Become a Virgin is a witty, acute and perceptive as its inimitable author.Trade Review‘There must be something in a writer if every paragraph can make you howl with mirth’Observer ‘If Quentin Crisp had never existed it is unlikely that anyone would have had the nerve to invent him’The Times

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Book SynopsisThe junior doctor is back - but now, he's out of the wards and onto the streets, working for the Phoenix Outreach Project. But how prepared is he?Trade ReviewThis book will have you crying bucket loads one moment and laughing out loud the next. * News of the World *Pemberton treats a grim subject with warmth and self-deprecating good humour . . . equally enlightening sequel. **** * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisWhere have you been all our lives, Mindy?' GlamourMindy Kaling has lived many lives: comedienne, actress, obedient child of immigrant professionals and, now, writer. With a blend of witty confessions and unscientific observations, Mindy writes about everything from being a timid young chubster afraid of her own bike to living the Hollywood life, dating, friendships and planning her own funeral all executed with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls.Hilarious' ElleTrade Review[Mindy Kaling is] like Tina Fey’s cool little sister. Or perhaps… the next Nora Ephron. * The New York Times *Kaling doles out neurotic charm and hilarious everywoman musings. * Elle *Kaling’s debut is the perfect combination of memoir and hilarious, goofy lists that you’d expect from The Office star and writer-executive producer. * Allure.com *Reading her words is like listening to a likably gabby friend chatter happily over generously poured glasses of red wine. * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisA TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 SPORTS BOOK AWARDSLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017The incredible true story of four ordinary working mums from Yorkshire who took on an extraordinary challenge and broke a world record along the way.Janette, Frances, Helen and Niki, though all from Yorkshire, were four very different women, all juggling full time jobs alongside being mothers to each of their 2 children. They could never be described as athletes, but they were determined to be busy and the local Saturday morning rowing club was the perfect place to go to have a laugh and a gossip, get the blood pumping in the open air, and feel invigorated.Brought together by their love of rowing, they quickly became firm friends, and it wasn't long before they cooked up a crazy idea over a few glasses of wine: together, they were going to do something that fewer people than had gone into space or climbed Everest had succeeded in doing. They were going to cross 3,000 miles of treacherous ocean in the toughest row in the world, The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.Yes, they had children and husbands that they would be leaving behind for two months, yes they had businesses to run, mortgages to pay, responsibilities. And there was that little thing of them all being in their 40s and 50s.But two years of planning, preparation, fundraising, training and difficult conversations later, and they found themselves standing on the edge of the San Sebastian harbour in the Canary Islands, petrified, exhilarated and ready to head up the race of their lives.This is the story of how four friends together had the audacity to go on a wild, terrifying and beautiful adventure, not to escape life, but for life not to escape them.Trade Review‘We’re so impressed, what an incredible experience and a great achievement.’ITV This Morning ‘They raced into the record books, and the hearts of many people inspired by the story of four ordinary women who proved that anything is possible.'BBC Breakfast ‘The legacy of their adventure will be felt by thousands of people across Yorkshire in years to come.’Yorkshire Post

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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 SynopsisKangchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world and a notoriously difficult and dangerous mountain to climb. First climbed from the west in 1955 by a British team comprising Joe Brown, George Band, Tony Streather and Norman Hardie, it waited over twenty years for a second ascent. The third ascent, from the north, was made in 1979 by a four-man team including the visionary British alpinist Doug Scott.Completed before his death in 2020, and edited by Catherine Moorehead, Kangchenjunga is Doug Scott’s final book. Scott explores the mountain and its varied people – the mountain sits on the border between Nepal and Sikkim in north-east India – before going on to look at Western approaches and early climbing attempts on the mountain. Kangchenjunga was in fact long believed to be the highest mountain in the world, until in the nineteenth century it was demonstrated that Peak XV – Everest – was taller. Out of respect for the beliefs of the Sikkimese, no climber has ever set foot on the very top of Kangchenjunga, the sacred summit. Scott’s own relationship with the mountain began in 1978, three years after his first British ascent of Everest with Dougal Haston. The assembled team featured some of the greatest mountaineers in history: Scott, Joe Tasker, Peter Boardman and Georges Bettembourg. The plan was for a stripped-down expedition the following spring – minimal Sherpa support, no radios, largely self-financed. It was the first time a mountain of this scale had been attempted by a new and difficult route without the use of oxygen, and with such a small team. Scott, Tasker and Boardman summited on 16 May 1979, further consolidating their legends in this golden era. Kangchenjunga is Doug Scott’s tribute to this sacred mountain, a paean for a Himalayan giant, written by a giant of Himalayan climbing.

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Book SynopsisWhen John Bercow retired as Speaker of the House of Commons on 31 October 2019, he had become one of the most recognisable and iconoclastic figures in British politics, occupying a ringside seat during one of the most febrile periods in modern British history. In his no-holds-barred memoir, he offers verdicts on the leading figures of his era - from Tony Blair to David Cameron, Theresa May to Boris Johnson, and charts his extraordinary political journey. UNSPEAKABLE is essential reading for anyone interested in politics and how our democracy is - or should be - run.Trade Review[Bercow] has used this memoir to settle many old scores, but he [is] charming, attractively self-depracating and he addresses the head-on charges against him -- Chris Mullin * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisChris Bonington Mountaineer is a photographic autobiography, documenting over sixty years of climbing the world’s most beautiful and challenging mountains. Few climbers can match Bonington’s climbing achievements. He is one of the most accomplished and respected climbers in the world.In this 2016 revised edition, which features over 500 photographs, we are given a frank perspective into the surreal, majestic and occasionally tragic corners of his incredible mountaineering career. Whether in the Arctic, the jungle or on an 8,000-metre peak, Bonington’s stunning photography and engaging conversational prose take us through the detail of daily life on expedition, the action of the climbing and the grandeur of the mountains.From his foundations – climbing in Snowdonia, the English Lake District, and the Highlands of Scotland – Bonington takes us to the Alps and on his expedition apprenticeship in 1960s Nepal. This quickly leads to trips to Patagonia, the Karakoram, the Amazon, Baffin Island and the River Nile, before the meat of his career on the big walls and 8,000-metre peaks of the Himalaya – with his leadership of the expeditions that made the first ascents of the south face of Annapurna in 1970 and the south-west face of Everest in 1975, and culminating in his own ascent of Everest in 1985. The greatest challenge and survival story of all is his first ascent and epic descent of The Ogre in Pakistan with Doug Scott. Bonington’s undying hunger for adventure leads to later exploratory trips to Greenland, India and Morocco, and a return to the scene of one of his defining first ascents, the Old Man of Hoy, with world-class adventure climber Leo Houlding.The result is a penetrating insight into the motivations and fears of a driven climber who set out year after year from a life of comfort and success to test himself amongst the world’s most savage mountains. Chris Bonington Mountaineer is a must for anyone with a passion for exploration, mountains or climbing.Trade Review'A gem, both in terms of climbing history and pure scenic mountain photographic art.' (review of the first edition by The New York Times).Table of ContentsForeword by Leo HouldingIntroduction to the 1989 first edition by Ken Wilson1 Foundations2 The Alpine Experience3 Expedition Apprenticeship4 Adventure Journalist5 Himalayan Big Walls6 Small Teams, Fine Peaks7 K2: End of an Era8 Climbs from China9 Snatched Opportunities10 Everest: A Fulfilment11 Adventures in Greenland12 Tibet's Secret Mountain13 Joint Expeditions in India14 Treks and Family Climbs15 Young Men of HoyClimbing RecordAcknowledgements

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Book SynopsisA BEST BOOK OF 2023 IN THE TIMES, GUARDIAN AND WALL STREET JOURNALFrom Hadley Freeman, bestselling author of House of Glass, comes a searing memoir about her experience with anorexia, and her long journey to full recovery.From the ages of fourteen to seventeen, Freeman lived in psychiatric wards after developing anorexia nervosa. For the next twenty years, she grappled with various forms of self-destructive behaviour as the anorexia mutated and persisted.Anorexia is one of the most widely discussed but least understood mental illnesses. In a brilliant narrative that combines personal experience with deep reporting on the issues around the illness, Freeman details her experiences with anorexia, and how she overcame it.Good Girls is an honest and hopeful story that will be profoundly helpful for those who suffer from an eating disorder, and those who desperately want to understand them.Trade Review‘A frank and insightful account … offers insight into the unique struggle of adolescent girls in an era when they are told they can be anything’ The Times ‘A clear-eyed view of a debilitating and misunderstood illness’ Guardian ‘Freeman manages to turn this tragic and taxing tale into a gripping story’ Financial Times ‘This is a vital contribution that it’s to be hoped will change how we understand anorexia, and perhaps also influence the messages we put across to young girls’ Jewish Chronicle ‘For parents of girls with eating disorders, this is vital, revelatory, and deeply moving’ Caitlin Moran ‘Recounting her years of anorexia with uncommon honesty, Hadley Freeman makes a powerful case for finding the will to live’ Lauren Collins, author of When In French ‘Breaking the silence around eating disorders with piercing honesty’ Hugo Rifkind, Times columnist ‘I urge any anorexic, or parent of an anorexic, to read this book’ Daily Mail ‘This is a heart-breaking account of what might lead someone to feel self-starvation is her only option and Freeman should be commended for her bravery in writing about this’ Evening Standard ‘She has brought to bear every ounce of her trademark clarity, precision and wit to render her own experience, and that of other women with anorexia, with the utmost specificity and sensitivity’ New York Times ‘Freeman is a brave, illuminating and meticulous reporter, and uses her experience wisely’ Observer

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Book SynopsisAn “essential” (Kevin Maurer, #1 New York Times bestselling author) memoir of a young Air Force linguist coming of age in a war that is lost.When Ian Fritz joined the Air Force at eighteen, he did so out of necessity. He hadn’t been accepted into colleges thanks to an indifferent high school career. He’d too often slept through his classes as he worked long hours at a Chinese restaurant to help pay the bills for his trailer-dwelling family in Lake City, Florida. But the Air Force recognizes his potential and sends him to the elite Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, to learn Dari and Pashto, the main languages of Afghanistan. By 2011, Fritz was an airborne cryptologic linguist and one of only a tiny number of people in the world trained to do this job on low-flying gunships. He monitors communications on the ground and determines in real time which Afghans are Taliban and which are innocent civilians. This eavesdropp

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Book SynopsisA New Yorkerstaff writer, investigates his grandfather, a Nazi Party Chief, in this unflinching, gorgeously written, and deeply moving exploration of morality, family, and war (Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain)The book we need right now' Atul Gawande, author of Being MortalWhat do we owe the past? How to make peace with a dark family history? Burkhard Bilger hardly knew his grandfather growing up. His parents immigrated to Oklahoma from Germany after World War II, and though his mother was an historian, she rarely talked about her father or what he did during the war. Then one day a packet of letters arrived from Germany, yellowing with age, and a secret history began to unfold.Karl Gönner was a schoolteacher and Nazi party member from the Black Forest. In 1940, he was sent to a village in occupied France and tasked with turning its children into proper Germans. A fervent Nazi when the war began, he grew close to the villagers over the next four years, till he came to thi

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Book Synopsis''Nerve-shattering, enlightening and deeply moving'' - JOHN NICHOL''A powerful and compelling read'' - ROWLAND WHITEOn 5 December 2002, trainee pilot Nathan Gray walked away from an ''unsurvivable'' crash at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire. His instructor, seated behind him, was killed instantly. Despite the physical pain and mental scars, he found the strength and resilience to continue his flying career. Today Commander Nathan Gray is one of the UK''s elite test pilots - the best of the best. Hazard Spectrum allows us to share Nathan''s dizzying journey to the top of the Fleet Air Arm. With over 140 combat missions to his name, he is among the most decorated pilots in the British armed forces - our very own Maverick. In an exhilarating first-person narrative, Nathan takes us inside the cockpit as he holds Taliban fighters at bay in Afghanistan, and leads a top-secret mission to seek out Osama Bin Laden in tTrade ReviewNerve-shattering, enlightening and deeply moving, Hazard Spectrum tells the story of a boy from the Potteries who ignored the so-called experts telling him that his aim to be a fighter pilot was just a dream. Nathan Gray scaled the highest reaches of military aviation and now, with this riveting account of fighting the war against terror, and his determination to confront the demons threatening to ground him, he pushes the flight envelope to the limit, and beyond -- John Nichol, former RAF navigator and bestselling author of Spitfire, Lancaster and TornadoHazard Spectrum is so packed with incident that it's hard to know where to begin. Flying the Harrier in combat, Nathan Gray took the fight to the enemy in ways the jump jet's designers could scarcely have imagined and, as a test pilot pushing the envelope of the fifth generation F-35 stealth fighter, overcame dire emergencies that could have killed him. But it's the human story that makes Gray's memoir so special. His remarkable career as a naval aviator seems both inspired by, and to pay tribute to, a fallen comrade who, in a terrible crash that Gray somehow walked away from, tragically lost his life. It all makes for a powerful and compelling read -- Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607 and Harrier 809

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Book Synopsis‘Mountains have given structure to my adult life. I suppose they have also given me purpose, though I still can’t guess what that purpose might be. And although I have glimpsed the view from the mountaintop and I still have some memory of what direction life is meant to be going in, I usually lose sight of the wood for the trees. In other words, I, like most of us, have lived a life of structured chaos.’Structured Chaos is Victor Saunders’ award-winning follow-up to Elusive Summits (winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize in 1990), No Place to Fall and Himalaya: The Tribulations of Vic & Mick. He reflects on his early childhood in Malaya and his first experiences of climbing as a student, and describes his progression from scaling canal-side walls in Camden to expeditions in the Himalaya and Karakoram. Following climbs on K2 and Nanga Parbat, he leaves his career as an architect and moves to Chamonix to become a mountain guide. He later makes the first ascent of Chamshen in the Saser Kangri massif, and reunites with old friend Mick Fowler to climb the north face of Sersank.This is not just a tale of mountaineering triumphs, but also an account of rescues, tragedies and failures. Telling his story with humour and warmth, Saunders spans the decades from youthful awkwardness to concerns about age-related forgetfulness, ranging from ‘Where did I put my keys?’ to ‘Is this the right mountain?’Structured Chaos is a testament to the value of friendship and the things that really matter in life: being in the right place at the right time with the right people, and making the most of the view.Trade Review'In his unique, conversational style, Victor Saunders has taken us on a wonderful journey; sometimes heart-breaking, often hilarious. His observations are surgically precise, his evocative descriptions are skilfully penned and his personal reflections are unstintingly honest. From his early awkward years to his many impressive climbs in the Great Ranges, what stands out above all in Structured Chaos is the value he places on friendship.' – Bernadette McDonald, 2021 Book Competition Jury‘Victor is a fine writer, with a vivid authenticity to the narrative of his mountaineering adventures.’ – GRAHAM LITTLE, Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal‘Saunders is a remarkable man who has survived all his life’s mishaps to write his autobiography.’ – STEPHEN A. CRAVEN, The Himalayan Journal‘Whether you are a seasoned alpinist or just starting out, this book sparks the imagination and leaves you psyched to go out there and find your own adventure!’ – GARETH JONES, The Professional Mountaineer

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The degradations of the death camps, and the prospect of his own imminent end, propel Zalmen Gradowski to an act of witness that rises now and then to Biblical heights of eloquence. To read this tragically riven collaborator in the Holocaust is to be shaken to the bone.” * J. M. Coetzee *“Grad­ows­ki aston­ish­es with fresh insights that only a camp insid­er could pos­si­bly have. . . . [C]ogent, frank, and sen­si­tive—well worth a long pondering. In the book’s inci­sive after­word, Pro­fes­sor Arnold I. David­son con­cludes that Grad­ows­ki ​‘left us a writ­ten con­so­la­tion of courage, deter­mi­na­tion, and posthu­mous vic­to­ry. He was and remains a hero’. Indeed, until we learn from this Son­derkom­man­do mem­ber, none of us can think our­selves tru­ly knowl­edge­able about the Shoah.” * Arthur B. Shostak, Jewish Book Council *"Drop whatever you are doing right now and go order the first complete English translation of his manuscripts, newly published as The Last Consolation Vanished. You may never be able to read another Holocaust-related book again.” * Dara Horn, Jewish Review of Books *“These two historically precise and shattering Yiddish-language testimonies by Zalmen Gradowski rank among the most important documents of the twentieth century. An outstanding translation by Monet, and two fine essays accompanied by a superb critical apparatus by editors Davidson and Mesnard bring these documents of murder and resistance to life like no edition before. The outcome is a major achievement in Holocaust historiography.” * Robert Jan van Pelt, author of 'The Case for Auschwitz' *

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Book SynopsisThe author recounts his, and Hitler's, journey to the front line.

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Book SynopsisSimone de Beauvoir, still a teen, began a diary while a philosophy student at the Sorbonne. Written in 1926-27—before Beauvoir met Jean-Paul Sartre—the diaries reveal previously unknown details about her life and times and offer critical insights into her early intellectual interests, philosophy, and literary works. Presented for the first time in translation, this fully annotated first volume of the Diary includes essays from Barbara Klaw and Margaret A. Simons that address its philosophical, historical, and literary significance. It remains an invaluable resource for tracing the development of Beauvoir’s independent thinking and her influence on philosophy, feminism, and the world.Trade Review"Both volumes are strong and important contributions to feminist philosophy, not only in their themes but in significantly addressing these themes with reference to gendered human existence. I recommend them to anyone who is interested in understanding the making of a feminist philosopher, especially to early researchers working on Beauvoir, to undergraduates trying to understand philosophy, as well as to scholars seeking to understand Beauvoir and her philosophical themes." --Hypatia"Klaw's extensive notes are invaluable, not only in providing biographical background for Beauvoir's literary and philosophical references, but also for flatting difficulties in translation." --Choice​"A fascinating text! Barbara Klaw's translation is consistently accurate as well as highly readable and the entire volume is essential for understanding how Beauvoir became Beauvoir."--Gerald J. Prince, author of A Grammar of Stories: An Introduction"This is a truly remarkable book, and a significant contribution to Beauvoir scholarship. Barbara Klaw's excellent translation provides unique access to the formative years of one of the twentieth century's great philosophers, authors, and public intellectuals. Beauvoir's portrayals and reflections on her first meetings and conversations with Sartre, on family, love, friendship and everyday life in Paris—as well as her thoughts on the philosophical and literary texts that she studied—are all included in this fascinating book. This is mandatory reading for all striving to obtain an understanding of Beauvoir, her life, and her work."--Tove Pettersen, President of the International Simone de Beauvoir Society​"This diary increases our admiration for Beauvoir's heroic determination to make something of herself. A precious document."--Bookforum​"This is a groundbreaking and extremely important work for feminists, philosophers, and scholars of autobiography, and a welcome academic corrective to the edited, abridged, and simplified commercial representations of this important and complex twentieth-century French feminist, philosopher, and writer."--Kentucky Philological Review​"Barbara Klaw, Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir, Margaret Simons, and Marybeth Timmerman have given the world a remarkable gift. This volume is organized, annotated, and contextualized superbly. How much richer and more profound [Beauvoir's] corpus becomes with the addition of these priceless writings. The publication of her diaries will only further elevate her philosophical and literal legacy."--H-France Review​"This indispensable volume offers a panorama of Beauvoir's intellectual preoccupations. The translators and editors are to be applauded for producing such a valuable contribution to Beauvoir studies."--French Studies "An admirable example of careful translating and editing. The diary presents an opportunity for opening an avenue of Beauvorian scholarship in aesthetics."--APA Newsletter “This is a magnificent piece of work. It is an engaging read and lets English readers to whom French is not accessible have first-hand access to some now much-discussed evidence regarding the independence of Beauvoir’s thought. The translation is beautiful, smooth, and true. A real coup!”--Claudia Card, author of The Cambridge Companion to Simone de Beauvoir “This book is an enormously significant event which scholars have been eagerly awaiting for quite some time. Study of Beauvoir’s diaries not only alerts us to fascinating and unknown influences on her intellectual and personal development, but it could also form the basis for an amazing study of how the raw material of adolescent emotion, all its masochism and its narcissism, became transmuted into the readable and beautiful texts from which we can all learn so much.”--Meryl Altman, DePauw University

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Book SynopsisDick Gregory's million-copy-plus bestselling memoir, now in trade paperback for the first time.

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Book SynopsisAged nineteen, Alison McKelvie was a self-confessed romantic, immersed in books and poetry, and dreaming of beauty, truth and love. In 1940, whilst working as a secretary at MI6, Alison met Alexander Wilson. Thirty years her senior, Alexander was worldly and charismatic. An intense affair quickly led to marriage and two children. But the Wilsons'' lives then spiralled into the depths of poverty. Alexander was sacked, imprisoned twice, and then declared bankrupt. His lack of reliability was a hefty emotional burden for Alison to bear. Nevertheless, she loved her husband unreservedly and stuck by him through thick and thin.In 1963, Alexander died suddenly of a heart attack. Alison''s world imploded when she discovered that their life together had been built upon layer after layer of deception. Who was Alexander Wilson? How well had Alison really known him? Slowly the lies were unravelled: Alexander had been a novelist, spy and, devastatingly, a bigamist. Alison was the thiTrade ReviewClear, unsentimental and eloquent prose . . . a testimony to her [the author's] fidelity, her integrity and her deep faith -- Charlie Hegarty * Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisBuild your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right levelOlaudah Equiano was kidnapped as a child from his village in Africa and shipped to America to begin life in slavery. This book recounts his amazing journey to freedom and how he eventually helped to put an end to slavery. The text and pictures graphically portray his life aboard ship, on the plantations and later life in the English gentry.Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts.Text type A biographyThere is a useful glossary and a timeline of Olaudah''s life to help children recount the information.Curriculum links Citizenship : to realise the nature and consequences of racism; Geography: To recognise how places fit together within a wide geographical context.This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

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Book SynopsisOne hundred years ago, Captain Scott, naval officer and explorer wanted to be the first person to reach the South Pole. Was he the first to reach it? Discover what happened to him and his men when they went to the coldest place on Earth.Purple/Band 8 books offer developing readers literary language, with some challenging vocabulary.Text type: An information bookCurriculum links: Literacy: Information texts.This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

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Book SynopsisThe much-loved Guardian columnist asks what it takes to make a husband, and looks to his own married life to provide the answer.**Anything resembling advice should be taken at reader's own risk.You'll never get divorced if you never get married. Not even your granny minds if you live in sin anymore. And if you're single you can choose curtains without somebody else butting in. So why bother with marriage? It can't just be an easy way round having to buy your own deodorant.Guardian columnist Tim Dowling is a husband of some twenty years. His marriage is resounding proof that even the most impossible partnership can work out for the best. Some of the time.So while this book is called How To be a Husband', it's not really a how-to guide at all. Nor is it a compendium of petty remarks and brinkmanship although it contains plenty of both. You may pick up a few DIY hints. You might learn that while marriage is founded on love, it endures through bloody hard work. Most likely it will make yoTrade Review‘You'll whoosh through this book with cheery hoots of laughter… Dowling's a very fresh and smart writer… There's a proper laugh every couple of pages… But as well as being funny, which he has to be, Dowling is sometimes plangent… and he is more often than not wise… there's pleasure and treasure here’ Sam Leith, Guardian ‘There's no denying [HOW TO BE A HUSBAND’ss] enormous readability … Dowling's frequently hilarious Bildungsroman, detailing his evolution from feckless layabout to equally feckless husband and father, offers wisdom, insight and laugh-out-loud one-liners in equal measure … Gloriously entertaining’ Alexander Larman, Observer ‘This isn’t a self-help book … What [Dowling] has done, effectively, is invent an entirely new genre in literature: that of the self-hinder book … A rare delight.’ Spectator ‘Less a self-help than a self-hinder book, the Guardian columnist’s account of how he has coped with the challenges of matrimony (answer: badly) should really be called How Not To Be a Husband.’ Thomas Hodgkinson, Spectator, Books of the Year ’A charming book that claims erroneously, not to be a self-help guide. I’ve read it. My wife has read it. Divorce has been postponed, at least to Boxing Day.’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘A charming book’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThe candid tale of one of Britain's most outstanding contemporary philanthropists. These pages wryly track Peter's varied career moves, from flogging tickets for one of The Beatles first major concerts, to getting inadvertently caught up in a New York family turf war while trying to buy a treated wood company.However, at the book's heart is a serious mission to present a clear and galvanising case for strategic philanthropy, crucially with the founding of educational charity, The Sutton Trust.Partly an inspiring memoir, partly an impassioned call to action for social mobility and educational equality, Peter Lampl's autobiography describes how a self-made entrepreneur amassed a fortune and then chose to use it to help others.Trade Review‘Peter Lampl embodies the great truth that those in a position to make a difference should do so.’ Michael Bloomberg‘Using his private wealth to advance the public interest, Peter Lampl has transformed the opportunities available to thousands of young people and changed the way we think about social mobility.’ Gordon Brown

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Book SynopsisRaw, intense and absorbing.' Matt HaigAs tender and funny as it is painful.' TLSI didn't give my hands much thought before they turned against me. They have been chipping away at my life, slowly, slowly, in a way I could never have predicted.'Lauren Brown is anxious. And when she feels worried, she picks at her skin. Secretly, quietly, but increasingly compulsively, her skin-picking begins to affect her day-to-day life until she realizes she must unravel the reasons behind it.This sparkling memoir follows the thread of Lauren's anxiety tangled and frayed back to its source. Written with rare wit and insight, it is an attempt to redirect the anxiety that's pooled in her fingertips for as long as she can remember, released in odd bursts in caravan parks, on European holidays, at GP surgeries and on the wind-stung north-east coast. It is a moving and joyful exploration of obsession, forgiveness, stigma and healing, and a true love-song to the north.Thoughtful, unsparing and at times daTrade Review‘Lauren articulates her experience of mental health difficulties in raw, intense and absorbing style.’ Matt Haig ‘What a book Lauren Brown has written! A new voice is here. Hands is bright and vivid in the scenes it summons up, brave in its candour, moving in the story it tells, and very often very funny.’ Robert Macfarlane ‘There is a warmth and intimacy to Lauren Brown’s writing. …She explores with sensitivity a subject that some might find uncomfortable or embarrassing. … She writes about her compulsion with wit and humour, and the result is a book as tender and funny as it is painful.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Light beautifully shed on a subject seldom talked about. This book is frank, raw and generous.’ Helen Mort, author of A Line Above the Sky: On Mountains and Motherhood ‘Accepting the existence of anxiety as something to live alongside, not hide from, Lauren Brown’s debut memoir is a moving and frank account of discovery and reflection. Written in humorous and conversational style, Hands marks Brown out as a startling new working-class writer’ Natasha Carthew, author and artistic director, Class Festival ‘Part detective story, part memoir, Hands is a voyage of discovery written with refreshing candour and clarity. Lauren took me with her every step of the way: I was left moved, enlightened and hopeful.’ Kathryn Mannix, author of Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations ‘A warm, humane memoir. Lauren Brown's debut is sympathetic, moving and hopeful.’ Kate Mascarenhas, author of The Psychology of Time Travel ‘ I absolutely loved Lauren’s voice … such intensity and bittersweet humour that I found myself laughing and crying within a matter of seconds.’ Maxine Chung, author of The Eighth Girl

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Book SynopsisWhat's sort of funny when something horrific happens is that nothing happens to the rest of the world. The cars still drive, the planes still flyeverything just continues. And that's probably the best gift we have. Because, for the most part, there's no right or wrong way to do things life becomes whatever you make it'This book has been written for you.In 2018, Ben's world collapsed around him when he unexpectedly lost his brother to suicide.In the raw aftermath of this tragedy, Ben found the strength to learn, educate and campaign about mental health. He also wrote this book as a reminder that in despair you can always find hope. It's packed with advice and practical takeaways.So read it, remember it and pass it on it could save your life.Trade Review“A candid, funny and confronting memoir, this book will strike a chord with anyone who's ever suffered with their mental health – or knows someone that has.”Laura Whitmore “A raw, honest, funny and much-needed voice in the mental health space. Ben West challenges everyone to face some uncomfortable truths in order to make meaningful change.”Jason Fox

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Book SynopsisTWELVE MOONS follows a year spent caught between the wild sea and the changing moon of the wide Northumberland skies.Caro Giles lives on the far edge of the country, with her tribe of daughters: The Mermaid, The Whirlwind, The Caulbearer and The Littlest One. She is at once alone and yet surrounded. Bound by circumstance, financial constraints, illness and the challenges of single motherhood, she has nowhere to go but the fierce landscape that surrounds her.Over the course of the year, the moon becomes her fellow traveller through dark times, and companion through joyful ones and even when the sky is wreathed in cloud, the moon is still felt in the pull of the tides.TWELVE MOONS follows the lunar calendar, each chapter sharing a month and a moon, and shows the simmering power that lies in our often hidden daily lives. A dazzlingly honest memoir that while never turning away from the awkward truths of life, also shows how love will flourish if we can only find a space for ourselves.SetTrade Review‘If Little Women had been written from the perspective of Marmee March – and Marmee was undergoing a divorce in the 21st-century Northumberland countryside – then it might read a lot like Caro Giles’ Twelve Moons…A reminder of motherhood’s tyrannous altruism, and of how nature’s changing contrasts – the moon, sea and seasons – can re-root us even during the hardest emotional storms.’New Statesman ‘A work of such determined beauty and generosity: the story of a mother making art and meaning in a difficult year and a remote location. Moonlit, full of strong tidal feeling, and deeply moving’ Tanya Shadrick ‘An incredibly poetic memoir…a woman finding her way back to herself’ Marianne Levy ‘A beautiful, absorbing story of what happens when a family doesn’t fit the mould and how solace can be found in the elements’ Amy Liptrot ‘A gorgeous, touching telling of a year of wild mothering – at the edge of place and time – but written straight from the very heart of its author’Kerri ní Dochartaigh ‘In this raw, fiercely honest memoir Caro Giles illuminates the madness, magic and mess of motherhood. It is a love letter to the wilds of Northumberland, a song to the pull of the sea and a heartful exploration of what it means to be broken and to fight to piece yourself back together’ Lulah Ellender ‘A hypnotic memoir of motherhood…Twelve Moons is an exploration of the annihilation and reclaiming of self that so many readers will recognise and return to. Caro Giles' writing exerts a gravitational pull, and her story of entanglement and enchantment, loneliness and love is a gift for these times’ Rebecca Schiller ‘There is power in her description of the relentlessness of life as a single parent, and in her evocation of the devastation that her divorce caused. You’ll finish the book full of admiration for Giles’s devotion to her girls, and hoping that she finds the identity she’s searching for’ Mail on Sunday

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Book SynopsisFatherless, friendly 31yoF looking for intrepid M50s-70s who wants to try being a father figure (not sugar daddy). Georgie Codd never had a dad. And she didn't think that would ever change until a stranger's practical joke made her wonder if she could find one. So began her quest for a father figure, placing dadverts' in newspapers, magazines and corners of the internet she thought the fatherly might frequent.Along with the conversations, meetings and the twists and turns of seeking family relationships with strangers comes a curious look at the societal, cultural and biological functions of fatherhood. What makes someone decide to have or not have a child? What is the experience for single parents, for queer communities, for people rejected by their birth family or for those who do the rejecting? And why were so many dads' angling for something other than parenthood?By turns brilliant and bonkers, hilarious and poignant, this is an unexpected story of the strange, intimate things we

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Book SynopsisLiz Truss's journey from schoolgirl revolutionary to Britain's shortest-serving Prime MinisterThe Sunday Times Politics Book of the YearA Guardian Politics Book of the Year 2023An insightful and at times riotously entertaining account of the lengthy rise and abrupt fall of Britain's 56th Prime Minister. What was intended as a prologue to her premiership is now a riveting political obituary in which every page drips with the seeds of both triumph and disaster. Cole and Heale have produced a meticulously reported account of Truss's drive, impulsiveness, eccentricity and ideological certainty which reads like a warning from history. It has elements of tragedy but is frequently very, very funny.' Tim Shipman''Make sure you put your seat belt on. Heale and Cole put you in the passenger seat of the fastest car crash in recent political history. It''s an unmissable romp through Liz Truss''s long journey to the top, fuelled by ambition and espresso. The clues that foretold the extraordinary catastrophe are all there, as the authors reveal in gory detail how Liz Truss nearly had the last laugh, before finally, as her government imploded, the joke was on her.'' Laura KuenssbergDespite being written off and mocked by even her closest colleagues, Liz Truss slowly but determinedly achieved her goal of taking over 10 Downing Street only to instantly plunge her administration into chaos and announce her resignation after a record-breaking 44 days. How did she do it? And what exactly went so wrong?With unrivalled access and insight, award-winning political journalists Harry Cole and James Heale provide the answers, drawing on interviews with Truss's friends and supporters, as well as her worst critics and rivals, from Kwasi Kwarteng to Michael Gove.Tracking Truss's transformation from geeky teenage Lib Dem to Tory PM, with the inside scoop on her first and only month in office, Out of the Blue is the unmissable behind-the-scenes account of Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister.Trade Review‘Completely absorbing and, in places, astonishing. It is the story of a gigantic error, well told. And important lessons can be learnt.’ Daniel Finkelstein ‘Offers a masterful, behind-the-scenes perspective on a political farce that affected us all’ 4* Telegraph ‘An admirable, thorough and solid body of research’ Times ‘Its lively style and air of authority illuminates [Truss’s] failings … with some wit, insight and a well-informed ear for the telling detail’ Observer ‘An entertainingly written black comedy that reveals much about how we are governed’ The Critic

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Book Synopsis?A gorgeous, sweeping epic' ANN NAPOLITANO 'A master of prose' WASHINGTON POST One of my favourite writers' ROXANE GAY Spectacular' JOANNE SEFTON I didn't want it to end' SARA SHERIDAN A breathtaking historical novel following the incredible construction of the Panama Canal and casting light on the unsung people who lived and laboured in its shadow by acclaimed author Cristina Henríquez. It is said that the Canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. Ada Bunting, a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados, arrives alone in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work in the grand building project of the Canal. Francisco, a local fisherman, resents the foreign nations clamouring for a slice of his country, but nothing is more upsetting for him than his son Omar's decision to work as a digger. Fo

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Book SynopsisThe unforgettable true story of one Jewish orphan's survival against impossible odds, and her lifelong quest for family, safety and a sense of belonging.Elida Friedman was never supposed to have been born. In the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania, Nazi law forbade Jewish women from giving birth. Yet despite the danger they faced, Dr. Jonah Friedman and his wife Tzila, choose to bring a daughter into the world a little girl they name Elida, meaning non-birth in Hebrew.To ensure her survival, the couple must smuggle their precious baby out of the ghetto into the arms of strangers. So begins a life of constant upheaval, with Elida changing families, countries, continents and even names, countless times. Surviving the war and the Holocaust that stole her parents, the young woman never gives up hope of finding a sense of family, and the chance to belong.A moving, powerful chronicle of overcoming impossible odds, The Forbidden Daughter is the true story of one unforgettable girl and her will to sur

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Kyle Carpenter’s memoir of gallantry beyond the call of duty provides a vivid reminder that grit and valor remain American hallmarks. A compelling account of life well lived against the toughest odds, one that will inspire and build confidence in every reader.” — JIM MATTIS, former U.S. Secretary of Defense “Kyle displayed a heroism in the blink of an eye that will inspire for generations” — BARACK OBAMA “Kyle Carpenter is truly amazing! He is definitely an American hero. His memoir deserves to be a huge success. I wish Kyle and his coauthor Don Yaeger the very best with You Are Worth It.” — MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, Duke University men’s basketball coach “I think Kyle Carpenter is one of the greatest living Americans, and I’m honored to know him. This book is important. After I read it I wanted to be better. Please share it with the people you love.” — ZAC BROWN, Grammy Award-winning musician “Kyle Carpenter has shown true courage and strength in the face of extraordinary challenges. From the attack in Afghanistan to multiple surgeries and obstacles, he never lost his faith or his will to serve his fellow brothers and sisters. His story inspires us and makes all Americans proud.” — NIKKI HALEY, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations “Astonishing. ... Encourages everyone to ‘Be part of someone else’s miracle.’” — Booklist "[An] incredible story." — RACHEL HOLLIS "Kyle Carpenter's courage and sacrifice as a Marine was the true act of servant leadership, and I couldn’t be more honored to know him. You won’t get a more genuine story of finding purpose or living a life with intention than You Are Worth It." — JOHN C. MAXWELL, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership "Offers valuable life lessons that speak beyond [Carpenter's] years. ... You Are Worth It is a work of last value. It holds tremendous potential to transform lives by assisting people in rising from their struggles stronger and more capable of loving one another." — The Federalist "A story of hope, selflessness, faith, and rebirth. ... Gives hope to those who are struggling." — Daily Caller

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Book Synopsis''Thick with rolls of gleaming new wire, the obstacle was designed to prevent a suicide bomber driving into the compound''s thick mud walls. Today, however, it had only succeeded in stopping a terrified-looking small white dog. I knew that the Taliban could be hiding in any one of these buildings, just waiting for one of us. But I knew I couldn''t just walk away.''In a remote outpost of Now Zad, in Helmand province, Pen Farthing''s tour of duty will change his life forever, but for entirely unexpected reasons ...Appalled by the horrors of a local dog fight, he intervenes to free the victims. One of these dogs finds his way into the Marine compound - and into Pen''s heart. Soon other strays are being drawn to the sanctuary provided by Pen''s makeshift pound, including one young mum who crawls under the compound fence carrying her newborn pups to safety. But as his time in Helmand draws to an end, Pen cannot leave the dogs of Now Zad to their own fates. He begins hatching plans to help them escape to a better life.Trade ReviewPen Farthing is absolutely wonderful, really truly my kind of heroInspirational ... his compassion and dedication are a fine example to us all * Daily Mail *An inspiring tale. Heartwarming stuff * News of the World *An exciting, funny and moving book ... Nowzad, AK, Jena, Tali and their pups could melt a stone's heart * Guardian *An emotional rollercoaster that will keep you turning the pages and reaching for the Kleenex - don't miss it -10/10 * Your Dog *

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Book Synopsis''I hated the thought of his child growing inside me...but at least I''d soon have somebody to love and, finally, somebody to love me back.''Tina has never had a stable upbringing. Aged seven, she has a paranoid schizophrenic for a mother and her father is a distant memory. So when Tina gets a new step-dad, who lavishes sweets and cuddles upon her, she feels wanted for the first time ever.Sadly, her new daddy isn''t all that he seems. He begins to sexually abuse Tina, using chilling threats to scare her into silence.Tina is so terrified, she even gives birth to four of her step-father''s children without breathing a word. Her world becomes so warped the cruelty she endures seems normal. Until eventually, the tragic death of one of her innocent children makes her see otherwise...This is the inspiring true story of how a frightened little girl grew into a fighter and finally found the strength to escape the man who stole her childhood.

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Book SynopsisExplorer, novelist, writer and film-maker, Sir Laurens van der Post was one of the most influential figures of our era. Here, in conversation with Jean-Marc Pottiez, he records his ideas and insights into a wide range of issues and personalities, forged by a lifetime of vast experiences and challenges.Trade ReviewI rank Laurens van der Post with the best writers of English - this book confirms my constant admiration and the nobility of his mind -- Raymond Mortimer * Sunday Times *Bushmen, Africa, the relation of man to animals (beautiful stories about elephants), Japan and Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, the forgiveness of enemies, June, spiritual growth, Churchill, Smuts, Mountbatten... Such a rapid catalogue must omit much of what he talks about, but may give some impression of the book's riches * The Times *A deeply thoughtful, engrossing book about his fascinatingly varied life and unusual ideas... Refreshingly unconventional, inspiring, optimistic, wise and true * Sunday Express *Overflows with ideas and insights gained during a long and eventful life * Independent *No one can write more feelingly of Africa... An experience not to be missed * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisThese are Anthony Burgess''s candid confessions: he was seduced at the age of nine by an older woman; whilst serving in Gibraltar in World War II he was thrown into jail on VE Day for calling Franco names; he once taught a group of Nazi socialites that the English equivalent of ''heil'' was ''sod'' and had them crying ''Sod Hitler''. Little Wilson and Big God moves from Moss Side to Malaya recalling Burgess''s time as an education officer in the tropics, his tempestuous first marriage, his struggles with Catholicism and the beginning of his prolific writing life. Wise, self-deprecating and bristling with incident, this is a first-class memoir.Trade ReviewPacked, provocative and masterly -- Sebastian FaulksLike the best of Burgess' novels, the book has terrific pace and vivacity... It is the story of a sort of Unlucky Jim * LA Times *

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Sayo Masuda''s story is an extraordinary portrait of rural life in japan and an illuminating contrast to the fictionalised lives of glamorous geishas.At the age of sis Masuda''s poverty-stricken family sent her to work as a nursemaid. At the age of twelve, she was indentured to a geisha house. In Autobiography of a Geisha, Masuda chronicles a harsh world in which young women faced the realities of sex for sale and were deprived of their freedom and identity. She also tells of her life after leaving the geisha house, painting a vivid panorama of the grinding poverty of rural life in wartime Japan. Many years later Masuda decides to tell her story. Although she could barely read or write she was determine to tell the truth about life as a geisha and explode the myths surrounding their secret world. Remarkably frank and incredibly moving, this is the record of one woman''s survival on the margins of Japanese society.

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Book SynopsisA powerful prescient memoir of life in 1970s Britain for a child of Windrush generation parents. ''This book is a classic'' Sunday TelegraphTo his fellow West Indians who assemble every weekend for the all-night poker game at Mrs Knight''s, he is always known as Bageye. There aren''t very many black men in Luton in 1972 and most of them gather there: Summer Wear, Pioneer, Anxious, Tidy Boots - each has his nickname. Bageye already finds it a struggle to feed his family on his wage from Vauxhall Motors, but now his wife Blossom has set her heart on her sons going to private school and she will not settle for anything less.This is the story of a father seen through the eyes of his ten-year-old son. It's a wry and gentle comedy about unfulfilling day jobs and late night poTrade ReviewI loved every word * Independent *[A] vivid and bittersweet window into a vanished world of 1970s suburbia * Metro *A quietly unforgettable book * Guardian *A fabulous example of storytelling * Glasgow Herald *A classic * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisJohn Burnside was among the most acclaimed writers of his generation. His novels, short stories, poetry and memoirs won numerous awards, including the Geoffrey Faber Memorial, Saltire Scottish Book of the Year and, in 2023, he received the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime's achievement in literature. In 2011 Black Cat Bone won both the Forward and the T.S. Eliot Prizes for poetry.Trade ReviewA marvellously meandering, digressive study of the nature of love… Burnside has a lovely garrulousness that is distinctively his own… Exact and enthralling. -- Tessa Hadley * Guardian *[An] indirect, peculiar, consuming memoir… Full of wonders. -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *A wise and wryly glum autobiography written in a highly rewarding, pared-back style. -- Martin Hemming * Sunday Times *Captivating and unsettling… A work of scalding honesty. -- Sophie Elmhirst * Financial Times *Intoxicating… Remarkable… A long-player that resonates long after the stylus has lifted. -- Brian Morton * Glasgow Sunday Herald *

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of Christopher Isherwood's parents their meeting in 1895, marriage in 1903 after his father had returned from the Boer War, and his father's death in an assault on Ypres in 1915, which left his mother a widow until her own death in 1960. As well as a family memoir, it is a social history of a period of striking change, and a portrait of the world which shaped Isherwood and which he rejected.Trade ReviewShows a deeper understanding of much that he had once rebelled against * Guardian *A moving account of his parents' marriage based on their letters and diaries * Independent *A social history of the first half of the twentieth century and a study of artistic megalomania... Christopher writes about Christopher with fine, clear, cool precision * Spectator *There emerge from this book three remarkable characters, two highly edifying, one a writer of compelling talent * Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisFrederick Douglass was a key figure in helping to secure the abolition of slavery in America discover his Narrative this Black History Month. A masterpiece [Douglass] was not only self-educated, with a love of language which should still be an inspiration; he was also self-created' New York Times Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818. After his escape in 1838 he became an ardent abolitionist, and his autobiography was an instant bestseller upon publication in 1845. In it he describes with harrowing honesty his life as a slave the cruelty he suffered at the hands of plantation owners; his struggles to educate himself in a world where slaves are deliberately kept ignorant; and ultimately, his fight for his right to freedom. A passionately written, inteTrade ReviewSlavery, color, racism and the struggle for equal rights all come together in the Douglass story...a declaration of freedom by a runaway slave that became a powerful antislavery tract * New York Times *Frederick Douglass has been hailed as one of history's most inspirational leaders and is a personal hero of Barack Obama who called him "the father of the civil rights movement" * Mirror *His life retains an emblematic glow transcending its biographical ingredients * Independent *

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Book SynopsisA glimpse into the mind of one of the world's intellectual giantsThe Autobiographies of Charles Darwin (1809-82) provide a fascinating glimpse into the mind and experiences of one of the world's intellectual giants. They begin with engaging memories of his childhood and youth and of his burgeoning scientific curiosity and love of the natural world, which led to him joining the expedition on the Beagle. Darwin follows this with survey of his career and ends with a reckoning of his life's work. Interspersed with these recollections are fascinating portraits - from his devoted wife Emma and his talented father, both bullying and kind, to the leading figures of the Victorian scientific world he counted among his friends, including Lyell and Huxley. Honest and illuminating, these memoirs reveal a man who was isolated by his controversial beliefs and whose towering achievements were attained by a life-long passion for the discoveries of science.For more than sevTable of ContentsAutobiographies " cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" border="0"AcknowledgmentsChronologyIntroductionFurther ReadingNote on the TextsAn autobiographical fragment1876 May 31 - Recollections of the Development of my Mind and CharacterCambridge, 1828-1831Voyage of the Beagle: from Dec. 27, 1831 to Oct. 2, 1836From my return to England Oct. 2 1836 to my marriage Jan. 29 1839Religious BeliefFrom my marriage, Jan. 29 1839, and residence in Upper Gower St. to our leaving London and settling at Down, Sep. 14 1842Residence at Down from Sep. 14 1842 to the present time 1876My Several PublicationsBibliographical Register

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING MEMOIR, MY PHYSIC LIFE BY SALLY MORGAN AS SHE EMBARKS ON HER 10TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR.Sally Morgan is an ordinary woman with an extraordinary gift: she can communicate with the dead.At just nine months old, Sally had her first psychic experience. It took a personal disaster in Sally''s life to understand how to take control of the mysteries of the spirit world and become a globally respected professional medium. Now in her 11th year of touring, Sally has done thousands of readings for people who have experienced a personal tragedy, passing on the messages of spirits to their loved ones with astonishing accuracy.Discover amazing anecdotes that will send a shiver down the spine and the experiences that have shaped Sally''s long and successful career. My Physic Life is packed with honesty as Sally opens up about her most chilling spiritual readings, while chatting about her life as one would with a f

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Book SynopsisTony Fitzjohn has spent over forty years re-introducing lions, leopards, rhinos and African Hunting Dogs to the wild. He is one of the world's leading field experts on the relationship between man and African wildlife. He was awarded the OBE by the Queen and the Order of the Golden Ark by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for his services to wildlife.Trade Review'Brilliant, truly brilliant. I was hooked. It was inspiring, moving and exciting. He is the last of the swashbuckling conservationists who has selflessly devoted his life to the people and the wildlife of Africa. A true african adventure of epic proportions. It makes me want to give up everything and move to Africa'. -- Ben FogleHugely compelling and funnily written. From tragedies of the worst kind to triumphs unimaginable, he's a true pioneer making up solutions to situations as he goes along * Martin Clunes *Born Wild describes his breathless roller coaster across the African savannah with passion and humour, an inspirational tale of what one comitted individual can achieve against the odds -- Brian Jackman * Sunday Telegraph *The passages describing the lions the three men were raising and rehabilitating into the wild are odes to harmony, serentiy and understanding * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThis autobiography is about growing up in Egypt. It is also an investigation into childhood perception in which the author uses herself and her memories as an insight into how children see and know. It is a look at Eygpt up to, and including, World War II from a small girl''s point of view, which is also, ultimately, a moving and rather sad picture of an isolated and lonely little girl.Trade ReviewSo vividly evocative that you can smell the dust and dung, jacaranda and the oleander. It offers potent glimpses of British colonial life 50 years ago: the snake-charmer in the garden; the nine-year old Penelope spying on de Gaulle at Government House... The result is a wise, colourful and touching tale * The Times *Lively uses the imaginative power of a mature novelist to evoke the sounds, sights and smells of Cairo which is not so much 'another country as another century' * Independent *

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Book Synopsis''It will be seen in these pages that I have lived several lives in one: first, the life of slavery; secondly, the life of a fugitive from slavery; thirdly, the life of comparative freedom; fourthly, the life of conflict and battle; and, fifthly, the life of victory, if not complete, at least assured.''First published in 1892, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass Written By Himself is the final autobiography written by Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), a man who was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. Securing his self-liberation at twenty years of age in 1838, he went on to become the most renowned antislavery activist, social justice campaigner, author, orator, philosopher, essayist, historian, intellectual, statesman, and liberator in U.S. history. A powerful literary work, Douglass'' final autobiography shares the stories of his ''several lives in one.'' Beginning with his war against ''the hell-black system of human bondage,'' Douglass bears witness to his personal experieTable of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Frederick Douglass LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS Appendix: Lessons of the Hour Explanatory Notes

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