Autobiography: arts and entertainment Books
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC An Orderly Man
Book Synopsis________________''Absorbing... his gift for dialogue is exceptional'' - The Observer________________First published in 1983, An Orderly Man is volume three of Dirk Bogarde's best-selling memoirs.After completing work on Visconti's Death in Venice, the celebrated actor seeks a refuge from 20 years of continual motion'. This dream of a peaceful retreat materialises itself in the form of a neglected farmhouse in the South of France. However, before he is rewarded with the calm he craves, he is forced to endure the relative evils of dying olive trees and the rampaging mistral.In this pursuit of the tranquil, Bogarde manages to portray the simplest of issues in the most delicate and humane way. This volume also covers the years in which Dirk Bogarde gave some of his finest acting performances and began his career as a gifted writer, imposing order on a rich and varied life.Trade ReviewAbsorbing... his gift for dialogue is exceptional * The Observer *
£14.39
Little, Brown Book Group Boys in the Trees
Book Synopsis#1 New York Times BestsellerA People Magazine Top Ten Book of the Year''A sensational memoir . . . brilliantly well written. Carly Simon is incapable of writing a boring sentence . . . you can forgive anything for the unparalleled brilliance of her writing'' - Lynn Barber, Sunday Times''Hugely affecting memoir . . . heartfelt and remarkable'' - Fiona Sturges, IndependentCarly Simon is a household name. She was the staple of the ''70s and ''80s Billboard charts and was famously married to James Taylor with whom she has two children. She has had a career that has spanned four decades, resulting in thirteen top 40 hits, including the Number 1 song ''You''re So Vain'', numerous Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. She was the first artist in history to win a Grammy Award, an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her song ''Let the River Run'' (from the film Working Girl). Boys in the Trees Trade ReviewA sensational memoir . . . brilliantly well-written. Carly Simon is incapable of writing a boring sentence . . . you can forgive anything for the unparalleled brilliance of her writing - Sunday TimesHugely affecting memoir . . . heartfelt and remarkable - IndependentAbsolutely tremendous and my music book of the year - The ScotsmanSinger Carly Simon is refreshingly honest on sex and stardom - The TimesOne of the best celebrity memoirs of the year - Hollywood ReporterIntelligent and captivating - PeopleCompelling - Rolling Stone
£12.34
Little, Brown Book Group Friends and Enemies
Book SynopsisIncluded in The Times and Daily Telegraph Book of the Year round-ups''Friends and Enemies is an extraordinary read showing unflinching candour from a truly remarkable woman'' Elton John''Blistering . . . shockingly candid . . . stiletto-sharp memoir of the year'' Daily Mail''Magnetic and magnificent . . . Amiel is superb, furious and, best of all, funny. Say what you like about her - and many have - but the Black Lady can write'' The TimesBarbara Amiel''s long-awaited memoir is shockingly honest, richly detailed and pulls few punches. An instinctive feminist and now a foe of feminism''s political correctness, her own memoirs cover a formidable array of experiences - political, sexual, marital and material. Born in London during the Blitz, the only consistent strain in her early life was a fierce belief in her identity as a Jew even as the Jewish community disowned her and an unquestioned vTrade ReviewFriends and Enemies is an extraordinary read showing unflinching candour from a truly remarkable woman * Elton John *Magnetic and magnificent . . . Amiel is superb, furious and, best of all, funny. Say what you like about her - and many have - but the Black Lady can write -- Quentin Letts * The Times *Blistering . . . shockingly candid . . . stiletto-sharp memoir of the year * Daily Mail *Extraordinary -- Camilla Long * Sunday Times *Utterly gripping . . . [Amiel] has raised the bar stratospherically for the celebrity memoir -- Carol Midgley * The Times *Frighteningly, hilariously, gob-smackingly honest book . . . whatever you do, read this brilliant book -- Anna van Praagh * Evening Standard *I could go on reading about her life for ever . . . frank and funny -- Jan Moir * Daily Mail *A fabulous tale of sex and high society . . . 608 gloriously indiscreet pages of elegant vitriol -- Hilary Rose * The Times *A scorching memoir exposing the cut-throat world of the one per cent -- Chantal Clarendon * Daily Telegraph *Amiel is capable of taking one's breath away with her searing frankness, and, from the evidence so far presented, her book is grisly and gripping in almost equal measure . . . an absorbing historical document . . . a salacious read -- Simon Kelner * i news *Full of passion and fury . . . What a woman -- Sarah Sands * Mail on Sunday *An observant and unforgiving account of a life that "has always been a precarious mix of gutter and ballroom, of intense work and absolutely unhealthy play". Packed with enough memorable characters, household moves, dinner parties, and jewelry shopping excursions to fill at least three typical memoirs. A celebrity memoir with an uncompromising kick * Kirkus Reviews *Extraordinary . . . jaw-dropping candour . . . a terrific writer * Jewish Chronicle *Neither holds a candle to Barbara Amiel's sizzling sexpot-and-shopping extravaganza . . . entirely riveting -- Judith Woods * Mail on Sunday *Fabulously furious, frequently jaw-dropping book . . . This raging, splendid, defiant, crazy tigress of a book said it all -- Allison Pearson * Sunday Telegraph *I don't think I've enjoyed a book as much as Barbara Amiel's autobiography in years . . . Pure, wicked joy -- Anna van Praagh * Evening Standard *A beautifully written memoir that I could not put down . . . her memoir sets a new standard as an unreserved, self-deprecating narrative . . . Deploying her uncommon talent as a wordsmith, she has written a memoir that is a testament to her fearlessness in facing and admitting her own demons as well as in exposing the foibles, cruelty and failings of others -- Diane Francis * Financial Post *This is undoubtedly the autobiography of the decade. Barbara Amiel's searing - and sometimes brutal - honesty, both about herself and others, leaves the reader staggered. The fact that she has for decades been the most sexually attractive female public intellectual on either side of the Atlantic, and certainly knew it, got her into extraordinary scrapes which she describes with a political incorrectness that is as refreshing as it will be highly controversial. How one person could have lived so many starkly different lives - bikini model, gangster's moll, first female editor, TV provocateur, multi-married sexual adventuress, proud Zionist, poet's muse, Cold War warrior, titled society hostess, assiduous prison visitor, and more - is truly extraordinary. There is not a hint of self-pity despite endless opportunities for it - including a rape, an abortion, depression, and three divorces - but instead we get many abandoned, laugh-out-loud scenes and witticisms that will live with the reader for a long time. No-one expected a discreet memoir from Barbara Amiel, but few could possibly have imagined that it would be quite this powerfully, dangerously, profoundly self-revelatory * Andrew Roberts *Fabulously gutsy and revealing memoir (Daily Mail memoir of the year) -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *An operatic reckoning -- Sarah Sands * Spectator *
£999.99
Headline Publishing Group A Black Girl in the Middle
Book Synopsis''Growing up in Queens, I didn''t know being named Shenequa was considered ghetto or uncouth. It was only later in life that I realized I was being judged by a decision I had no control over... I will examine the double-standard Black girls with big names like Shenequa face, and the quick math we have to calculate when trying to de-escalate drama.''In A BLACK GIRL IN THE MIDDLE, a timely, compelling, and blazingly honest essay collection, Shenequa Golding holds up her magnifying glass to both her own experiences and those of young Black women everywhere. With her trademark wit and originality, Shenequa covers identity-searching themes of white supremacy, feminism, misogyny, love, sex and heartbreak. But this isn''t just a book about Black women''s trauma, it is also a book that embraces and celebrates the things that make Black women different. For readers of SLAY IN YOUR LANE, Candice Brathwaite and Issa Rae.
£18.70
Orion Publishing Co America Over the Water
Book Synopsis''Shirley is a time traveller, a conduit for essential human aches, one of the greatest artists who ever lived'' Stewart Lee''Without doubt one of England''s greatest cultural treasures'' Billy BraggIn America Over the Water, celebrated English folksinger Shirley Collins offers an affecting account of her year-long stint as assistant to legendary musical historian and folklorist Alan Lomax. Together, they travelled to Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Georgia, discovering Mississippi Fred McDowell and many others, in their tireless work to uncover the traditional music of America''s heartland. Blending the personal story of Shirley Collins'' relationship with Lomax and offering a unique first-hand account of a country on the brink of the civil rights era, America Over the Water cuts right to the heart of the blues in a fascinating account of Collins'' and Lomax''s ground-breaking journey across the southern staTrade ReviewShirley is a time traveller, a conduit for essential human aches, one of the greatest artists who ever lived, and yet utterly humble -- Stewart LeeWithout doubt one of England's greatest cultural treasures -- Billy Bragg
£13.49
Hodder & Stoughton What Have We Here: Portraits of a Life
Book SynopsisWHAT HAVE WE HERE? follows Billy Dee Williams from his childhood growing up in Harlem to his days on Broadway and in Hollywood before landing the role in George Lucas' space opera that would win him everlasting fame.Over a 60-year career spanning Broadway, music, movies, and television, Billy's tales and travels include Lawrence Olivier, Marlon Brando, James Baldwin, Henry Fonda, Duke Ellington, Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, Sylvester Stallone, Diahann Carroll, and a world of less famous but no less colourful characters.And that's just his life on this planet. As hundreds of millions of Star Wars fans worldwide know, Williams is and always will be Lando Calrissian, the double-dealing, outlandishly handsome rogue from George Lucas' classic Star Wars adventures The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, a role he reprised in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
£21.25
Grand Central Publishing My Good Side
Book Synopsis
£20.00
Amazon Publishing The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to
Book SynopsisZhu Xiao-Mei was born to middle-class parents in post-war China, and her musical proficiency became clear at an early age. Taught to play the piano by her mother, she developed quickly into a prodigy, immersing herself in the work of classical masters like Bach and Brahms. She was just eleven years old when she began a rigorous course of study at the Beijing Conservatory, laying the groundwork for what was sure to be an extraordinary career. But in 1966, when Xiao-Mei was seventeen, the Cultural Revolution began, and life as she knew it changed forever. One by one, her family members were scattered, sentenced to prison or labor camps. By 1969, the art schools had closed, and Xiao-Mei was on her way to a work camp in Inner Mongolia, where she would spend the next five years. Life in the camp was nearly unbearable due to horrific living conditions and intensive brainwashing campaigns. Yet through it all Xiao-Mei clung to her passion for music. And when the Revolution ended, it was the piano that helped her to heal. Heartbreaking and heartwarming, The Secret Piano is the incredible true story of one woman’s survival in the face of unbelievable odds—and in pursuit of a powerful dream.
£8.54
Taylor & Francis Inc Pete Seeger in His Own Words
Book SynopsisLong an icon of American musical and political life, Pete Seeger has written eloquently in a diverse array of publications but nowhere is his life story more personally chronicled than in these, his private writings, documents and letters stored for decades in his family barn. Pete Seeger: His Life in His Own Words, collects Seeger's letters, notes, published articles, rough drafts, stories and poetry - creating the most intimate picture yet available of Seeger as a musician, an activist and a family man. The book covers the passions, personalities and experiences of a lifetime of struggle - from the pre-WWII labour movement and the Communist Party, to Woody Guthrie, the Civil Rights movement and the struggle against the war in Vietnam. The portrait that emerges is not of a saint, but a flesh-and-blood man, struggling to understand his time and his place.Trade Review"Pete Seeger is one of America's rare elders. Always hopeful, sometimes in the midst of despair, always ardent, and often wise, and having endured sacrifice, he appears in these pages of his writing and correspondence as an exemplar of courage, dignity, humility, and thoughtfulness." —Alex Wilkinson, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of The Protest Singer: An Intimate Portrait of Pete Seeger "The Rosenthals deftly selected and arranged the material to tell Seeger's life story so that it reads like a full-fledged autobiography. The words are Seeger's, and the bountiful wisdom is Seeger's, but the handiwork is the Rosenthals'." —Matthew Rothschild, in The Progressive "Gathering the most extensive collection of Seeger's writings to date — ranging from unpublished letters, diaries, and notes to himself, to previously published album-liner notes, book introductions, and journal articles — sociologist Rob Rosenthal and his son, Sam Rosenthal, introduce a man deeply committed to the power of music, community, and ideas... This remarkable collection displays Seeger in all his cantankerous, playful, idealistic, and loving glory. He's one of America's national treasures, and this treasure trove of his writing reveals why." —Library Journal “Growing up with Pete’s music, I dreamed of making music and being an active citizen of the world. Read this book – and give it to your kids to read.” —Dar Williams “These writings are like hidden treasures – unaltered, unlaundered, and revealing Pete’s evolution as a conscientious and conflicted patriotic American. Pete’s letters and observations ensure that we won’t forget how his commitment to this simple act of singing songs – especially together – helped him cut across every barrier while speaking out for the things that he cared most about – truth and fairness.” —Nick Forster, host of the nationally broadcast eTown “Thirty years ago, Pete Seeger sent me a letter supporting a political campaign. It was a leaf, carefully pasted on a hand-made card. He is one of our great trees. This book is a wonderful ‘leaf’ to future generations.” —Tom Hayden “The book offers unusual insight into Seeger’s motivations, and for his relentless optimism in the face of adversity. Seeger has spoken the truth for nearly 100 years, and his writings offer inspiration to all those working for peace, justice and for a better world…[Rob and Sam Rosenthal] have produced a book that all Seeger admirers will want to read.” —Randy Shaw, Editor of BeyondChron Table of Contents1: The Early Years: 1919–1947; 1: Growing Up (1919–1934); 2: Becoming a “Folk Singer” (1935–1947); 3: Mentors and Influences; 2: Life as a “Folk Singer”; 1: A Framework; 4: What Is Folk Music?; 2: Social Movements in the United States; 5: The Labor Movement, the Communist Party, and the Blacklist; 6: The Civil Rights Movement; 7: The Movement Against the War in Vietnam; 8: The Environmental Movement and the Ship Clearwater; 9: Reflections on a Life in Movements; 3: Beyond the United States; 10: Other Struggles of the 20th Century; 11: Travels Abroad; 12: Musics of Other Countries; 4: Issues for Performers; 13: A Philosophy of Making Music; 14: Participation; 15: Commercialization, Popularization, Authenticity, and the Star System; 16: Reflections on a Life in Music; 17: Balancing Work and Family Life; 3: Other Dimensions; 18: Other Writings; 19: Other Correspondence; 4: Looking Back and Looking Forward; 20: Philosophical Musings and Utopian Visions
£24.32
New Village Press Artists in My Life
Book SynopsisMargaret Randall reveals personal stories and profound insights about the artists who most influenced her life. Artists in My Life is a collection of intimate and conversational accounts of the visual artists that have impacted the renowned poet activist Margaret Randall on her own journey as an artist. Randall writes of each relationship through multiple lenses: as makers of art, social commentators, women in a world dominated by male values, and in solitude or collaboration with communities and the larger artistic arena. Each story offers insight into the artist’s life and work, and analyses the impact it had on Randall’s own work and its impact on the larger art community. The work strives to answer bigger questions about visual art as a whole and its lasting political influence on the world stage. Randalls describes her motivations: ”I go beneath the surface, asking questions and telling stories. I have wanted to answer questions such as: Why is it that visual art—drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, architecture—grabs me and, in particular instances, feels as if it changes me at the molecular level? How do art and memory interact? How do reason and intuition come together in art? Do women and men make art differently? Does great art change the viewer? Does it change the artist? How does art travel through time?”Trade Review"Panoramic yet intimate, Artists in My Life brings Margaret Randall’s poetic and photographer’s sensibilities, as well as her superb prose, to these portraits of artists who have touched her life. The examples are far-ranging, from well-known Elaine de Kooning and Frida Kahlo to contemporaries like Jane Norling or the unknown creators of 10,000-year-old petroglyphs and the Nazca lines of southern Peru. Male power, female resistance, the pain of childhood abuse or physical disability shaped the lives and art of some, but all persisted in claiming their independence and unique artistic creativity. This is a fascinating read." -- Louise Lamphere, Past-President of the American Anthropological Association"These essays on the radiant living that art enables are crafted with an eye to scene structure and narrative economy within the accidental landscapes of recollection. Randall’s accounts relate forms as configured differently by artists, many of them women, who have challenged the social calibrations of power and its interpersonal complexities. Animating the work of Elaine de Kooning, Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Lucy Lippard, Sabra Moore, Jane Norling, and Barbara Byers, among others, Randall underscores the distinct ways materiality “draws us into meaning” and collective memory. This generous tribute confirms the enduring impact of Randall’s form of storytelling where “perspective is everything”—such that it reconfigures the impact of the singular on the horizon of the plural. " -- Roberto Tejada, author of Still Nowhere in an Empty Vastness"Margaret Randall’s Artists in My Life clearly shows how a writer can gain sustenance and guidance from the work and the lives of a range of visual artists, photographers, and architects. Randall also gives us a glimpse into the journeys of her own life—the importance of art, community, place, and politics—providing sustenance and guidance to all of us. " -- Kenny Fries, award-winning author of In the Province of the Gods"Margaret Randall composes an intimate portrait of influential artists and creators through the lens of a feminist, lesbian, revolutionary, poet and photographer who herself has lived an extraordinary life. . . . Perhaps it’s a product of Covid-19 lockdown but she makes me want to travel in time and place. From the '60s in New York City to “pre-history” Yucatan, this writing is the closest I will ever come." -- Catherine DeMaria, artist, Warehouse 1-10, Magdalena, New Mexico
£30.00
Two Click Press A Painter's Palate: Tastes and Tales from a
Book SynopsisFood, art and life combine in a lavishly-illustrated book about Turkish cuisine, Turkish village life - and the will to survive a frightening diagnosis. In July 2019, painter and art teacher Eljay Dickins was diagnosed with a Grade 4 inoperable malignant glioblastoma brain tumour. Sufferers have a 1 in 12 chance of surviving six months. Early diagnosis, radio- and chemotherapy, together with a determination that somehow she wouldn't be crushed by it, helped save her life. Published three and a half years later, A Painter's Palate is a result of that dogged drive to live. As a creative person, Eljay responded to her diagnosis her own way - through her rich and vibrant paintings (a selection of which are included in the book) and through writing, drawing upon her years running painting holidays in an old stone house near the Aegean in Turkey. Funny and often touching, the book brings together over 180 recipes of authentic Turkish daily family fare with vivid descriptions of her life as an Englishwoman in Turkey, of the people she met and the food she cooked while she was there. A Painter's Palate is a lighthearted, uplifting and inspirational tale of village life and local food, infused with Eljay's ever-positive attitude, irreverent sense of humour and hope for the future against seemingly insurmountable odds.
£14.24
Cornerstone The Beautiful Ones
Book SynopsisTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA Times, Sunday Times and Telegraph Book of the Year______________________________________________'A triumph ... a masterclass in the bottling of its subject’s seductive essence. His presence in this book is so strong that it’s hard to believe he has really left the building'MOJO'Handsomely presented, visually sumptuous'THE TIMES______________________________________________From Prince himself comes the brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time—featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his tragic death. Prince was a musical genius, one of the most talented, beloved, accomplished, popular, and acclaimed musicians in pop history. But he wasn't only a musician—he was also a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of his early records to the mythical landscape of Purple Rain to the psychedelia of Paisley Park. But his greatest creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, the greatest pop star of his era. The Beautiful Ones is the story of how Prince became Prince—a first-person account of a kid absorbing the world around him and then creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and fame that would come to define him. The book is told in four parts. The first is composed of the memoir he was writing before his tragic death, pages that brings us into Prince's childhood world through his own lyrical prose. The second part takes us into Prince's early years as a musician, before his first album released, through a scrapbook of Prince's writing and photos. The third section shows us Prince's evolution through candid images that take us up to the cusp of his greatest achievement, which we see in the book's fourth section: his original handwritten treatment for Purple Rain—the final stage in Prince's self-creation, as he retells the autobiography we've seen in the first three parts as a heroic journey. The book is framed by editor Dan Piepenbring’s riveting and moving introduction about his short but profound collaboration with Prince in his final days—a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he’d so carefully cultivated—and annotations that provide context to each of the book’s images. This work is not just a tribute to Prince, but an original and energizing literary work, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image, his undying gift to the world.______________________________________________‘Prince’s voice comes through loud and clear; his personality, joie de vivre and single-mindedness jumping off the page throughout.’CLASSIC POP MAGAZINE'The Beautiful Ones is for everyone. It's not a read, but an experience, an immersion inside the mind of a musical genius. You are steeped in Prince's images, his words, his essence… The book can be a starting point for a Prince fascination, or a continuation of long-standing admiration. Either way, it will deepen the connection of any reader with the musical icon.”USA TODAY ‘The Beautiful Ones remains a jewel-like fragment, Piepenbring’s sensitive introduction providing a snapshot of the Purple One’s last months at Paisley Park and during the Piano and Microphone tour’ Q MAGAZINE 'An affirmation of Prince’s Blackness and humanity… Prince writes about his childhood with clarity and poetic flair, effortlessly combining humorous anecdotes with deep self-reflection and musical analysis… Prince is one of us — he just worked to manifest dreams that took him from the North Side of Minneapolis to the Super Bowl.'HUFFPOST‘A compelling curiosity that finds its author orbiting around a few touchingly intimate encounters with his sphinx-like subject … with passages, lyric sheets and photographs from the Purple One himself’TELEGRAPH, Books of the Year 'A memoir that is written by Prince, literally. Handwritten pages he had shared with Piepenbring make up Part 1, taking us from his first memory — his mother's eyes — through the early days of his career... The Beautiful Ones doesn't paint a perfect picture. It's not definitive. It can't be, it shouldn't be and, thankfully, it doesn't try to be. We'll never know what it might have been if Prince had lived. But it's a good start. Now, it's up to us to take what's there and make something out of it for ourselves, creating, just as Prince wanted.'NPR 'Both a pleasure and a surprise ... Prince took the project very seriously, and it shows in the work he delivered. ... It shines an intimate and revealing light on the least-known period of his life'VARIETY‘The Beautiful Ones is a book in pieces, fragments of the ground-breaking autobiography Prince had planned. Pieced together after his death in 2016, it collects his handwritten childhood memoires, superb personal photographs and his chosen co-writer Dan Piepenbring’s vivid account of their brief collaboration. Yet remarkably despite the central absence, it still catches something of Prince between the gaps - a trace of perfume, a glance to camera, a first kiss’ SUNDAY TIMES, Book of the Year‘This is a beautiful book and a must-have for Prince completists’DAILY EXPRESS ‘A ghostly memoir of a pop legend’THE iTrade ReviewA triumph…The Beautiful Ones rivals the Beastie Boys Book – or even your favourite Prince song – as a masterclass in the bottling of its subject’s seductive essence… his presence in this book is so strong that it’s hard to believe he has really left the building. ***** * Mojo *Handsomely presented, visually sumptuous... These tantalising pages will only enhance the enigmatic pop star’s mystique. Fluidly written, intimate and warm… it offers glimpses, partial and alluring. * The Times *Prince remains as enigmatic as ever. And yet, it is in the very fragmentary structure of the book that the essence of the man comes alive…In a world of identikit pop stars terrified of upsetting the apple cart, this is a book that reminds us that Prince truly was one of a kind. * Irish Independent *The Beautiful Ones is a splendidly produced book… and if we are only to have fragments, then these are the very best ones to have: childhood, his complex relationship with his handsome father… and his beautiful complicated mother Mattie… this book is a fun glance, a tiny bolt from what now feels like a very distant past, and will leave you feeling nothing but huge affection for little, brilliant Skipper. * The Spectator *A compelling curiosity that finds its author orbiting around a few touchingly intimate encounters with his sphinx-like subject… with passages, lyric sheets and photographs from the Purple One himself. * Daily Telegraph *
£21.25
Fantom Films Limited Shooting the Pilot
Book Synopsis
£16.99
Vintage Publishing Character Breakdown
Book Synopsis'Entertaining...revealing, shocking' BERNARDINE EVARISTO'Sublime' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMSActor and director Zawe Ashton brings us a unique look at life, work and the absurdities of today's worldZawe Ashton has been acting since she was six. She has played many different roles, from 'cute little girl' to 'assassin with attitude', Oscar Wilde's Salome to St Trinian's schoolgirl by way of Fresh Meat's Vod. In Character Breakdown, Zawe scrolls through a version of her life. Or is it a version of her art? Or something in between. In it, she encounters glamour, horror, absurdity and questions like: is a life spent more on performance than reality any life at all?'Smart, funny, vivid, honest, dark, timely' The Times'A smart, funny and well-written take-down of modern showbiz' Elizabeth Day, author of How To FailSelected by Bernardine Evaristo as one her 20 books by Black British Womxn WritersTrade ReviewA very great bookA smart, funny and well-written take-down of modern showbiz -- Elizabeth Day * Mail on Sunday *Smart, funny, vivid, honest, dark, timely * The Times *An entertaining and original memoir touching on career, life and identity. It is an enjoyable read, despite the humiliating tales of auditions or filming situations where she is physically assessed, objectified or subject to casual racism. Understandably there is an undertone of rage in her keen observations -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *Character Breakdown embraces darkness while also being a wickedly absurd look at modern show business * Stylist *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Help
Book Synopsis'A beautiful and clever book about being human' Russell BrandCOMEDY. TRAGEDY. THERAPY. Simon Amstell did his first stand-up gig at the age of thirteen. His parents had just divorced and puberty was confusing. Trying to be funny solved everything. HELP is the hilarious and heartbreaking account of Simon’s ongoing compulsion to reveal his entire self on stage. To tell the truth so it can’t hurt him any more. Loneliness, anxiety, depression – this book has it all. And more. From a complicated childhood in Essex to an Ayahuasca-led epiphany in the Amazon rainforest, this story will make you laugh, cry and then feel happier than you’ve ever been.Trade ReviewA beautiful and clever book about being human. All the warmth of his comedy without the inconvenience of his face * Russell Brand *Hard to imagine anyone not loving this... go Simon Amstell! * Stephen Fry *Disarmingly, almost alarmingly, honest. I laughed out loud 57 times * Martin Freeman *No one makes loneliness and anxiety as funny as Simon Amstell. Every sentence in this book is simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious * Hadley Freeman *Enrapturing. Touching, funny and sweet * Alain de Botton *
£13.49
Vintage Publishing This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare
Book SynopsisThe Oscar-nominated Precious star and Empire actress delivers a much-awaited memoir which is wise, complex, smart and funny.This Is Just My Face is the whirlwind tour of Gabourey Sidibe’s life so far. In it, we meet her polygamous father, her gifted mother who fed the family by busking on the subway, and the psychic who told her she’d one day be ‘famous like Oprah’. Gabby shows us round the Harlem studio apartment where she grew up, relives the debilitating depression that hit her at college, and reminisces about her first ever job as a phone sex ‘talker’ (less creepy than you’d think). With exhilaratingly honest (and often hilarious) dispatches on friendship, depression, celebrity, haters, fashion, race, and weight, This Is Just My Face will resonate with anyone who has ever felt different - and with anyone who has ever felt inspired to make a dream come true.'Frank, funny, and insanely charming' Lena Dunham'A read that lives up to the unforgettable attitude of its name' Glamour'You’re the BOMB, girl!' President Barack ObamaTrade ReviewHere, Gabourey Sidibe cements her status as gives-zero-effs queen of Hollywood AND perceptive best friend in your head. Frank, funny, and insanely charming…we are blessed by her honesty, passion and wit * Lena Dunham *A read that lives up to the unforgettable attitude of its name...This is Just My Face will make you fall in love with this funny, talented, gorgeous, bad bitch of a woman * Glamour *Gabourey Sidibe's memoir isn't your average celebrity memoir. It's good. Really good. And not just because it's revealing (although that it is), but because it's well-written... Observant and funny, but not indulgent or try-hard * Cosmopolitan *A book you will want to give your daughter * The New York Times *"I just wrote the truth, and it made me feel better." That is the theme of this unique and universal book by a young woman who is both a total surprise and an instant classic. Gabby combines New York and Senegal, the streets and the heights, bravery and self-doubt, laughing and seriousness. Her truth helps us to find ours—and what could be a bigger gift than that? * Gloria Steinem *Sidibe’s hilarious Twitter account is no fluke – the Empire actress’ memoir about growing up in New York City and finding unexpected fame in Hollywood is sharp, witty, and wonderfully substantive * Entertainment Weekly *Gabourey Sidibe’s delightful memoir This Is Just My Face: Try Not To Stare offers a memorable look into what happens when a black girl’s dreams come true, from the inside out. From her unique childhood as the daughter of a subway singer mother and polygamous father to struggling with depression to getting the role of Precious, Sidibe is fearless, incredibly funny and gorgeously open. What she offers of herself in these pages is a gift * Roxane Gay *A mix of complexity, intelligence and humor, Gabby's book promises to be as big a success as her acting * People *To know Gabby is to love Gabby. To read her book is to love her even more. It is bold, brave, on-your-front-foot writing. Her story inspires you to step up and own your life with a compassion and confidence so potent that it will break down any door * Laura Linney *A funny, smart memoir * Nylon *You’re the BOMB, girl! * President Barack Obama *
£7.59
Icon Books Black Sunset: Hollywood Sex, Lies, Glamour,
Book SynopsisFor me it begins in such an ordinary way ... with a gorilla, a blonde,and a gun ...Mid- 20th century Hollywood; 'RaymondChandler's LA before Pilates and cell phones'. Clancy Sigal (who would later bethe inspiration for Doris Lessing's 'Saul Green') is just back fromfighting in the Second World War and an abortive solo attempt to assassinate HermannGoering at the Nurenburg trials. Charming his way into a job as anagent with the Sam Jaffe agency, Sigal plunges into a chaotic Hollywood peopled by fastwomen, washed-up screenwriters, wily directors, and starstruck FBI agentstrailing 'subversives'. He parties with the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, TonyCurtis and an anxious Peter Lorre, who becomes a drinking buddy.But this is the era of the Hollywood Blacklistand Sigal, like many of his contemporaries, is subpoenaed to testify before theHUAC. Will he give up the list of nine names, burning a hole in his pocket, tosave his own skin? Hilarious, touching, intimate and revealing: Sigal'smemoir reads like a forgotten hardboiled detective novel and has all the makings of aninstant classic.Trade ReviewBuzzes with gossip and scandal....This is one of the best Hollywood memoirs ever. -- The Jewish ChronicleSuperblyevokes the Cold War fears of communist subversion, the hidden FBImicrophones, subpoenas, and the naming of names ... What stands revealedis a hypocritical culture and society ... Sigal'sprose style is that of the secret agent in the macho gun-toting sense,with a side-of-the-mouth, shoulder-holster private-eye delivery out ofRaymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. -- Mail on SundayThe beauty of Black Sunset, for most readers, will be found in the details, lovingly or painfully described, page after page ... Sigal brings the innocent and guilty back, once more, at close range, and proves himself the liveliest of literary nonagenarians in the process. -- LA Review of BooksSigal stumbles into Hollywood [...] lands the most reviled job in the biz - talent agent - and this milieu is where most of Black Sunset takes place, haunted by the Wink and by a conspiracy of accidents.Black Sunset moves with the express swagger of a Hawks or Wellman picture, although it feels like an Ozu once it's all over and the characters linger in silhouette as if they were a fixture of the freeway system at night. -- CounterpunchGripping ... a great tale of survival. [Sigal is] a terrific writer. -- Literary ReviewHis scapegrace adventures are described with so much vitality and scabrous wit you feel as charmed as one of his serial conquests...[a] marvellous book. -- The SpectatorThis true story of life as a theatrical agent is as good as any Chandler novel, full of intrigue, betrayal and incredible stories of the hard-boiled and hard-drinking seediness behind the glamour. A fantastic read -- Virginia Ironside, author of No Thanks! I'm Quite Happy Standing
£11.69
Omnibus Press Going Deaf For A Living
Book SynopsisGoing Deaf for a Living is Steve Lamacq’s candid reflection of several decades spent on the frontline of the alternative music scene. As a writer at the NME and co-host of The Evening Session, Steve naturally attended hundreds of gigs and collected a lifetime’s supply of musical encounters. From witnessing Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers cutting `4Real’ into his arm to the infamous Oasis interview that sparked national outrage, Going Deaf for a Living provides the first-hand account of some of British music’s most memorable moments. But this isn’t just a book about working in the music industry: at its heart, this is a tale about being a music fan – what drives us, infuriates us and fascinates us about the artists we put so much faith in. Covering the periods of grunge, Britpop and the arrival of indie, this acclaimed memoir – updated for the first time – is a thrilling journey through the last great hurrah of the analogue music industry.
£13.49
O'Brien Press Ltd Sandy Kelly: In My Own Words
Book SynopsisBorn in Sligo into a family of travelling entertainers, Sandy Kelly has become one of the top musical performers in Ireland. Sandy was co-opted into the family variety show from an early age. As a teenager she sang on the social club circuit in the UK, playing an ever more prominent role. When she returned to Ireland, she developed initially as a pop performer before following her instincts and concentrating on a music career. Her landmark 1989 recording of the Patsy Cline hit ‘Crazy’ led her to perform on stages all over the world, including the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the lead role in Patsy – The Musical in London’s West End. But the music industry can be a tough place. Sandy has dealt with prejudice and financial pressures. Alongside the glamour of show business, she has experienced the heartaches of divorce, family illness and death, and faced the challenges of raising a daughter with special needs. Sandy has stood strong at the heart of Ireland’s music scene for over four decades. Here, for the first time, she recounts the highs – and lows – of a lifetime in music, in her own words.Trade Reviewan absolutely fantastic read -- RTE TV’s The Late Late Show's Patrick KieltyTable of ContentsForeword by Shay Hennessy 7 Introduction 13 1. The Showman’s Daughter 16 2. My Magical Childhood on the Show 30 3. Dusky Dan & Maggie Brennan 43 4. Goodbye to the Show 52 5. Life in Ballintogher 60 6. My Sister Barbara – The Early Years 69 7. Wales 76 8. The Fairways & Mike Kelly 91 9. Something’s Lost, but Something’s Gained 109 10. My Daughter Barbara – Sometimes Miracles Hide 118 11. Gone Country 134 12. The Power of a Prayer 152 13. ‘Woodcarver’ 162 14. My Journey with Johnny & June 172 15. Sandy – the TV Series 187 16. Branson – Cash Country 196 17. Patsy 217 18. My Sister Barbara – the Later Years 238 19. Leaving it all Behind 253 Acknowledgments 265 Index 265
£20.69
Andrews UK Limited Imposter: An Autobiography
Book Synopsis
£11.39
Dynasty Press Ltd An Engagement With Time
Book SynopsisWinton Dean (1916-2013), the renowned musical scholar and critic, gives a sparkling account of his early life. He writes of his controversial father, Basil Dean, the theatrical and film producer and founder of ENSA, his great uncle Rufus Isaacs and Daisy, Countess of Warwick, the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales.
£23.99
Hawksmoor Publishing Dana Gillespie: Weren't Born A Man
Book SynopsisThe memoirs of Dana Gillespie, the award-winning first lady of the Blues.
£18.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd Fathers & Sons
Book SynopsisRichard Madeley is fascinated by the speed of change in family life and how being a father has changed since the time of his father and grandfather. InFathers & Sons, Richard looks back at his own family to illustrate just how far British men's relationships with their sons have moved. Richard's grandfather had a childhood of almost unimaginable betrayal and sadness. His family abandoned him as a child to older relatives and emigrated without telling him. He grew up in a miserable situation and without any positive parenting role models yet managed to marry and have a son of his own. Richard's father was aware of his own father's discomfort and occasional frustration and anger, and grew to understand that this was due to his upbringing. He remembers no affection, or endearments from his dad and was packed off to a desolate boarding school in an echo of his own father's betrayal. In a bucking of the family trend, Richard's mother, a Canadian, introduced more loving and demonstrative relationships which Richard has continued with his own son and step-sons. Both a family story and a wide-ranging look at Britain's evolving social character, Fathers & Sonsis a uniquely honest and touching exploration of how our families operate.Trade Review‘If you love the Lakes, a good thriller or, better yet, both, you need to read this book’ -- Female First on The Night Book
£999.99
Nick Hern Books My Life in Pieces: An Alternative Autobiography
Book SynopsisAn alternative autobiography of the well-loved actor and man of the theatre, winner of the Sheridan Morley Prize for Theatre Biography. In My Life in Pieces Simon Callow retraces his life through the multifarious performers, writers, productions and events which have left their indelible mark on him. The story begins with Peter Pan – his first ever visit to the theatre – before transporting us to southern Africa and South London, where Callow spent much of his childhood. Later, he charms his way into a job at the National Theatre box office courtesy of his hero, Laurence Olivier – and thus consummated a lifetime’s love affair with theatre. Alongside Olivier, we encounter Paul Scofield, Michael Gambon, Alan Bennett and Richard Eyre, all of whom Callow has worked with, as well as John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson and Alec Guinness, David Hare, Simon Gray and many more. He writes too about figures he did not meet but who greatly influenced his life and work, figures such as Stanislavsky, Nureyev and Cocteau, as well as Charles Laughton and Orson Welles. And he even makes room for not-quite- legit performers like Tony Hancock, Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howard – and Mrs Shufflewick. The result is a passionate, instructive and beguiling book which, in tracing Simon Callow’s own ‘sentimental education’, leaves us enriched by his generosity and wisdom. 'first rate... the best writer-actor we have' David Hare 'Simon Callow combines zest, originality and passion and has elegantly turned his views and life in the theatre into an astonishing memoir' Richard EyreTrade Review'An engaging passionate book which will augment Callow's growing status as a national treasure' * Guardian *'Not simply a terrific actor who happens to write. You could as well call him a terrific writer who happens to act' * The Times *'Essential... [Callow has] a gift for transforming personal experience into blazingly intelligent, objective, critical appreciation' * Observer *
£13.49
RLPG A Thousand Faces Lon Chaneys Unique Artistry in
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£14.99
Clearview From Silence: Finding Calm in a Dissonant World
Book SynopsisA powerful and thought provoking memoir from one of the world's most successful orchestral conductors, whose life story, talent and dedication to music is an inspiration to read. A tragic car accident when Welser-Moest was a student shaped both his career and approach to music in the most profound and unexpected way, while the book documents an insider's view of the complex relationships between an opera house, its orchestra, the conductor and singers, and the creative struggle by all these parts to achieve perfection in every performance. Welser-Moest's book was published in Austria in July 2020 and rapidly became a no 1 bestseller. It remains a bestseller in the German language today. This edition will satisfy all lovers of opera and classical music who are English language readers.
£21.25
De Coubertin Books The Singing Winger
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Unicorn Publishing Group Stepping Stones: A Life of Art and Adventure
Book SynopsisThese memoirs reflect the momentous changes that have taken place over the last century through the prism of Flavia Ormond’s experiences: first as an evacuee in Canada during the Second World War, then as a returned exile travelling and working in unusual circumstances in Egypt and Italy, where she lived for many years; and finally her love affair with art which led to a rewarding career as an art dealer in London, New York and Paris, moving amongst leading collectors and museums. Early chapters are profiles of Flavia Ormond’s forebears, John Lubbock, an acolyte of Charles Darwin, Augustus Pitt Rivers, founder of the eponymous museum in Oxford, George Agnew of the notable art dealing firm in Bond Street, and the Grant Duffs, her immediate family. The author pursued her passion for cultural history and travel during a long marriage to John Ormond, great nephew of John Singer Sargent.
£17.00
BenBella Books The Geraldo Show: My Life as Roadkill in the Age
Book SynopsisDuring my half a century in public life, my image and reputation have had more ups and downs than the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. I have been called savior and sinner, fool and wise man, crusader and exploiter, hothead and dope. I am routinely scorned, admired, beloved, and belittled—which one is usually based on when the viewer tuned in. Were you around for my early days as a crusading local newsman? Did you waste an evening with me inside Al Capone's empty vault? Were you watching when the bombs dropped in Afghanistan or Iraq, or did you tune in to the raucous talk show when my nose was broken in the best television studio brawl ever caught on tape? Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and my employment by the conservative rabble-rousers of Fox News—and, more recently, with the coming of the Age of Trump—my professional life has been even more difficult to define. How could a sincerely progressive native-born Jew-Rican New Yorker like me ever work for an outfit better suited to the vibes of Orange County, California, the Dixie, Appalachia, or the Mountain West? How could I not condemn and obstruct a wrecking ball like Donald Trump? Over five decades, I have met most of the era's good and bad guys, from Ronald Reagan to Charles Manson, Fidel Castro to Yasser Arafat, Muhammad Ali to John Lennon, and Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson. Two figure heavily in this book, both longtime friends: Roger Ailes, the disgraced yet undeniably brilliant creator of Fox News; and Donald Trump, once a flamboyant playboy, billionaire businessman, and now 45th President of the United States. At the vigorous twilight of a long and largely improvised life lived in plain sight, I have little left to prove. Faced with a series of random chances, for better and worse, what I made of my life is what I made of those chances. Time has enlightened and humbled me. Sincerely, Geraldo RiveraTrade Review"You have not lived a full and complete life unless and until you have the opportunity to listen to Geraldo tell the stories of each chapter in his life . . . The passion and love he has for this country, our military, his work ethic, now almost 50 years on television, makes him The Godfather of tough hard-hitting, know-no-fear, go-anywhere reporting. The Geraldo Show takes us on a journey. A journey that few people in life will ever get to go on. A journey to some of the most remote places in the world . . . This page-turning roller coaster ride Geraldo takes us on will truly inspire every reader to want to dive even deeper into themselves, to find that part of our souls that wish to be more courageous and bold in the lives we live. " —Sean Hannity, Fox News anchor and host of Hannity on Radio "With unrelenting pursuit, few were more dedicated to understanding the War on Terror than Geraldo Rivera. A must-read to understand the complexities of the battle overseas and the war over public opinion here at home." —Bill Hemmer, Fox News anchor "The Geraldo Show is a poignant account of combat as seen from the one person who has been there with our soldiers every step of the way. He captures war as it was fought; in all its ugliness, all its sacrifices, and all its heroism." —John F. Campbell, General, US Army (Retired) "I would go on an adventure with [Geraldo] anytime. The Geraldo Show is just the ticket." —Richard "Cheech" Marin, author and comedianTable of ContentsChronology Prologue Chapter 1: Roger & Me Chapter 2: Willowbrook, OJ, and the Semen-Stained Dress Chapter 3: 9/11 Changed Everything Chapter 4: Afghanistan and the Devil’s Workshop Chapter 5: Mistake in Tora Bora Chapter 6: Tour of Terror Chapter 7: Warrior Jew Heads to the Unholy Land Chapter 8: Facing Tora Bora Chapter 9: Geraldo of Arabia Chapter 10: Trump, bin Laden, and Dancing with the Stars Chapter 11: Furor at Fox Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author
£12.34
Outskirts Press Len Trumper Presents Whatever Productions
Book Synopsis
£24.26
Flammarion La Pausa
Book SynopsisHélène Fulgence is head of heritages sites, Chanel Arts & Culture. With texts by Montse Aguer i Teixidor, Laura Bartolomé, Philippe Collas and Eric Villedary, Flavia Frigeri, Elisabetta Gaspard, Marc Jeanson, Madeleine Meissirel, Olivier Meslay, and Antide Viand.
£97.50
Rupa Publications India Pvt Ltd. Engineering a Life
Book SynopsisIn December of 1961, twenty-year-old Krishan Bedianded at a port in New York armed with only $300 in his pocket and a resolve to study engineering in the United States. What transpires then is a story of one man''s perseverance and determination to create theife he had always dreamed for himself as aittle boy in Indiaa place where his options seemed anything butimitless. Krishan K. Bedi''s memoirs reflect the hardships and the triumphs on his path to fulfilling his dream of becoming an engineer and returning home to India as a successful man. Aesson in attitude, survival, perseverance and grit, Bedi brilliantly narrates the story of the immigrant experience, his close-knit relationships, and enmeshing culturesa story that not only affirms the American dream, but also resonates with millions.
£21.84
HarperCollins Publishers India REMO
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£16.49
Independently Published I'm Just The Guy Who Says Action
Book Synopsis
£9.99
Henry Holt & Company Inc The Daddy Diaries
Book SynopsisThe Instant New York Times Bestseller!New York Times bestselling author Andy Cohen goes from bottle service to baby bottles in a hilarious, heartwarming, and name-dropping account of the most important year of his life.Andy Cohen has taken on the most important job of his lifefather and boy (and girl!) does he have a lot to say about it!One of Andy Cohen's most momentous years starts off with a hangover the morning after an epic New Year's Eve broadcast. But Andy doesn't have time to dwell on the drama, as his role as media mogul is now matched with the responsibilities, joys, and growing pains of parenthood.This fast-paced, mile-a-minute look behind the scenes of living the so-called glamorous life in Manhattan now takes firm aim at life at home. With a three-year-old son, Ben, and a daughter, Lucy, born in May, stories of late-night parties are replaced by early mornings with Ben, drama at the play-ground,
£19.49
Chicago Review Press Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me
Book SynopsisGrowing up around music, young George was inspired to piece together a makeshift drum set and teach himself to play as he practiced in the dark, dank basement of his rundown New Jersey townhouse. He soon joined forces with his friends to form a group called the Jazziacs which then evolved into Kool & The Gang, a band that began playing clubs and charting hits while its members were still teenagers. By evolving their sound as musical tastes changed, the band was able to stay on the charts for decades, scoring 12 Top 10 hits in Funk, R&B, Pop, and Rock, and selling over seventy million albums while navigating the highs and lows of their career. In Too Hot, drummer, keyboardist, and primary songwriter George Brown describes life in and out of the band including a raucous life on the road as the band’s popularity grew. He weathered the ups and downs of his musical career and navigated many challenges including prescription drug addiction, depression, and health issues. George shares how his recent cancer scare, and subsequent treatment, compelled him to share his story, warts and all, to give readers a glimpse into a band whose reputation was considered relatively tame, but in reality, it was exactly the opposite.George hopes to help others realize their own professional and personal dreams—life is a symphony, and we must all be our own conductor. Table of Contents1 Intro 2 Verse 3 Pre-Chorus 4 Chorus 5 Bridge 6 Outro Epilogue Discography
£23.36
Whitefox Publishing Ltd Hunky Dory (Who Knew?): The best I can remember
Book SynopsisWHAT A STORY! WHAT A LIFE! A FASCINATING MEMOIR FROM A LEGENDARY MUSIC BUSINESS EXECUTIVE WHO... Signed the little-known David Bowie... Owned the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust albums... Looked after the The Rolling Stones... Helped reorganise The Beatles' Apple Corp... Worked with Mickie Most on The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Jeff Beck, and Lulu... Managed The Tremeloes, The New Seekers, and The Sweet... Masterminded a landmark court case that disrupted music publishers exploiting songwriters including Elton John... Started GTO Records, the company that signed Donna Summer, Billy Ocean, The Walker Brothers and Heatwave... AND WHO... Had dinner with John Lennon... Tea with Colonel Parker... Left Led Zeppelin's cash in a safe and lost the key... Threw Rod Stewart out of his office... Turned down chances to manage Queen and Andrea Bocelli... Almost tempted Stevie Wonder away from Motown... And foolishly allowed Iggy Pop to stay in his house! WHO KNEW?
£15.00
Simon & Schuster Dinner for Vampires
Book Synopsis*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* *A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF 2024* *NAMED ONE OF PEOPLE'S BEST CELEBRITY MEMOIRS OF 2024* A deliciously witty and inspiring memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free. In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show's millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult. An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she'd been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinistera slow
£23.99
Random House USA Inc Trump The Art of the Deal
Book Synopsis#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER ?President Donald J. Trump lays out his professional and personal worldview in this classic work?a firsthand account of the rise of America?s foremost businessman.?Donald Trump is a deal maker. He is a deal maker the way lions are carnivores and water is wet.??Chicago Tribune ?I like thinking big. I always have. To me it?s very simple: If you?re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.??Donald J. TrumpHere is Trump in action?how he runs his organization and how he runs his life?as he meets the people he needs to meet, chats with family and friends, clashes with enemies, and challenges conventional thinking. But even a maverick plays by rules, and Trump has formulated time-tested guidelines for success. He isolates the common elements in his greatest accomplishments; he shatters myths; he names names, spells out the zeros, and fully reveals the deal-maker?s art. And throughout, Trump talks?really talks?about how he does it. Trump: The Art of the Deal is an unguarded look at the mind of a brilliant entrepreneur?the ultimate read for anyone interested in the man behind the spotlight.
£16.50
Simon & Schuster Becoming Sister Wives
Book SynopsisThe uncensored, New York Times bestselling memoir by the polygamist stars of the hit show Sister Wives, Kody and his four wives openly discuss what it’s like living in a plural marriage.A SINGULAR STORY OF PLURAL MARRIAGE Since TLC first launched its popular reality program Sister Wives, Kody Brown, his four wives—Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn—and their seventeen children have become one of the most famous families in the country. Now, with the candor and frankness that have drawn millions to their show, they reveal exactly how their special relationship works—the love and faith that drew them together, the pluses and pitfalls of having sister wives, and the practical and emotional complications of a lifestyle viewed by many with distrust, prejudice, even fear. How do the four relationships differ? What effect does a polygamous upbringing have on their children? What are the challenges—emotio
£14.55
Headline Publishing Group Friends Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
Book Synopsis''There''s never been a more honest or raw memoir . . . and it may just save lives'' Daily Mail''Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends'' The Times''HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full name. My friends call me Matty.''So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more.In an extraordinary story that onlyTrade ReviewFriends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is a raw, unflinching memoir that took courage to write. As it turns out, Matthew Perry has a lot of courage. He takes us through his addiction, his illness and his paralyzing loneliness. Somehow, during the course of his life, Matthew was able to turn his pain into comedic joy for others, but, he tells us, it was at a cost. Matthew takes us through his "hell" but doesn't wallow. Ultimately, this book is filled with hope for the future. If you want to know about who Matthew Perry is, stay away from the rags and read this. * Marta Kauffman, co-creator of the NBC sitcom Friends *A fascinating, gruesome tale of addiction * Guardian *
£22.50
Simon & Schuster I'm Your Huckleberry
Book SynopsisIn this New York Times bestseller, legendary actor and star of the acclaimed documentary Val shares the stories behind his most beloved roles, reminisces about his star-studded career and love life, and reveals the truth behind his recent health struggles in a remarkably candid autobiography.Val Kilmer has played many iconic roles over his nearly four-decade film career. A table-dancing Cold War agent in Top Secret! A troublemaking science prodigy in Real Genius. A brash fighter pilot in Top Gun. A swashbuckling knight in Willow. A lovelorn bank robber in Heat. A charming master of disguise in The Saint. A wise-cracking detective in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Of course, Batman, Jim Morrison and the sharp-shooting Doc Holliday. But who is the real Val Kilmer? With I’m Your Huckleberry—published prior to the highly anticipated sequel Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer returns to the big screen as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky—the enigmatic actor at last steps out of character and reveals his true self. In this uniquely assembled memoir—featuring vivid prose, snippets of poetry and rarely-seen photos—Kilmer reflects on his acclaimed career, including becoming the youngest actor ever admitted to the Juilliard School’s famed drama department, determinedly campaigning to win the lead part in The Doors, and realizing a years-long dream of performing a one-man show as his hero Mark Twain. He shares candid stories of working with screen legends Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert De Niro, and recounts high-profile romances with Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, and former wife Joanne Whalley. He chronicles his spiritual journey and lifelong belief in Christian Science, and describes travels to far-flung locales such as a scarcely inhabited island in the Indian Ocean where he suffered from delirium and was cared for by the resident tribe. And he reveals details of his recent throat cancer diagnosis and recovery—about which he has disclosed little until now. While containing plenty of tantalizing celebrity anecdotes, I’m Your Huckleberry—taken from the famous line Kilmer delivers as Holliday in Tombstone—is ultimately a singularly written and deeply moving reflection on mortality and the mysteries of life.
£16.99
Orion Earth to Moon
Book SynopsisThe saying goes that God only gives you what you can handle. Well God didn''t grow up in my atheist, Wiccan, fame-laden, oversexed, teetotalling, drug-free, cloistered, chaotic, non-communicative, workaholic, feral-feeling house.''For Moon Unit, daughter of musician Frank Zappa and his ''manager'', Gail, processing a life so unique, so punctuated by the whims of creative urges, the tastes of popular culture and the calculus of celebrity, has at times been eviscerating. But it is her deep sense of humour and unshakeable humility that keeps her - and this memoir - pinned to the ground.A child-star at age 14 after her accidental international hit single (recorded with her father), ''Valley Girl'', turned her into a reluctant celebrity, Moon Unit Zappa''s life has been utterly extraordinary from her birth in 1967 into a family that was already blessed/cursed as music royalty thanks to the acknowledged genius of Frank. But what are the consequences of growing up in
£15.29
Penguin Publishing Group Sonny Boy
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£23.62
Grand Central Publishing Night People
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£23.55
Random House USA Inc Based on a True Story
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Driving, wild and hilarious” (The Washington Post), here is the incredible “memoir” of the legendary actor, gambler, raconteur, and Saturday Night Live veteran. When Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre “one step below instruction manuals.” Norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern Canada. When he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. When asked if this was the celebrity memoir, Norm replied, “Call it anything you damn like.”
£16.20
St. Martin's Press Gold Dust Woman
Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!All you ever wanted to know about Fleetwood Mac's mesmerizing frontwoman. - People MagazineDavis is astute and respectful...adept in his literary analysis. - The New York Times Book ReviewStevie Nicks is a legend of rock, but her energy and magnetism sparked new interest in this icon. At sixty-nine, she''s one of the most glamorous creatures rock has known, and the rare woman who''s a real rock n'' roller.Gold Dust Woman gives the gold standard of rock biographers (The Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks'' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsey Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the shot of adrenaline they needed to become real rock starsaccording to Christine McVieGold Dust Woman is
£22.49
Oxford University Press Louis Armstrong In His Own Words Selected Writings
Book SynopsisArmstrong recounts his early life in New Orleans, his experiences in Chicago and New York during the 1920s, his crowning as "King of the Zulus," and his late years in Queens, New York. Here is a dimension of Louis Armstrong that includes the history of jazz and, he history of American culture.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'a fascinating collection ... it's pretty damn entertaining.' * Mojo *Table of Contents1. "LOUIS ARMSTRONG + THE JEWISH FAMILY IN NEW ORLEANS, LA., THE YEAR OF 1907" (MARCH 31, 1969-1970); 5. "THE ARMSTRONG STORY" (1954); 10. EARLY YEARS WITH LUCILLE (CA. 1970); 15. LETTER TO L/CPL. VILLEC (1967)
£22.49
