Autobiography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisFrom Tyler Henry, clairvoyant and star of E!'s hit reality series Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, comes Between Two Worlds, a captivating memoir about his journey as a medium thus far.Dying doesnt mean having to say goodbye. Tyler Henry discovered his gift for communicating with the departed when he was just ten years old. After experiencing a sudden, accurate premonition of his grandmothers deathwhat Tyler would later describe as his first experience of knowingnesslife would never be the same. Now in his twenties, Tyler is a renowned, practicing medium, star of the smash hit E! reality show, Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, and go-to clairvoyant of celebrities, VIPs, and those simply looking for closure and healing. He has worked with some of Hollywoods biggest names including Khloe Kardashian, Amber Rose, Margaret Cho, Jaime Pressly, and Monica Potter. Despite struggling to accept his rare talent, Tyler grew to embrace it, and

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Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning country/pop star Shania Twain comes an in-depth look at her difficult childhood and rise to worldwide fame.

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Book SynopsisA MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: The TODAY Show, Vanity Fair, Financial Times, W Magazine, Oprah Daily, LibraryReadsPraised as “funny and witty” by Kwame Alexander on the TODAY show, now published in the US for the first time, Fearless and Free is the memoir of the “trailblazing” (People), rule-breaking, one-of-a-kind Josephine Baker, the iconic dancer, singer, spy, and Civil Rights activist.“A gorgeous, captivating gem of a memoir… Josephine Baker’s as enthralling on the page as she was on the stage.” —Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author of Eden Undone and Sin in the Second CityAfter stealing the spotlight as a teenaged Broadway performer during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, Josephine then took Paris by storm, dazzling audiences across the Roaring Twenties. In her famous banana skirt, she enraptured royalty and countless fans—Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso among them. She strolled the streets of Paris with her pet cheetah wearing a diamond collar. With her signature flapper bob and enthralling dance moves, she was one of the most recognizable women in the world.When World War II broke out, Josephine became a decorated spy for the French Résistance. Her celebrity worked as her cover, as she hid spies in her entourage and secret messages in her costumes as she traveled. She later joined the Civil Rights movement in the US, boycotting segregated concert venues, and speaking at the March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr. First published in France in 1949, her memoir will now finally be published in English. At last we can hear Josephine in her own voice: charming, passionate, and brave. Her words are thrilling and intimate, like she’s talking with her friends over after-show drinks in her dressing room. Through her own telling, we come to know a woman who danced to the top of the world and left her unforgettable mark on it.

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Book SynopsisReeling from a brutal childhood, immersed in a world of go-go dancers and hustlers, dirty cops and gangsters, Stephanie Johnson was determined to become the fiercest thing the city had ever seen. And she succeeded. This is her story.The storytelling phenomenon Humans of New York has captivated a global audience of millions with personal narratives that illuminate the human condition. But one story stands apart from the rest . . .She is a woman as fabulous, unbowed, and irresistible as the city she lives in.Meet Tanqueray.Humans of New York featured a photo of a woman in an outrageous fur coat and hat she made herself. She instantly captured the attention of millions. Her name is Stephanie Johnson, but she’s better known as 'Tanqueray,' a born performer who emerged from a troubled youth to become one of the best-known burlesque dancers in New York City.Real, raw, and unapologetically honest, this is the full story of Tanqueray as told by Brandon Stanton – a memoir filled with never-before-told stories of Tanqueray's struggles and triumphs through good times and bad, personal photos from her own collection, and glimpses of New York City from back in the day when the name 'Tanqueray' was on everyone’s lips.Trade ReviewA deeply touching memoir . . . A beautiful, sometimes shocking story, kept out of the lily-white, upper crust canon of literature — until now -- Washington PostOutrageously funny, raw and unfiltered, and quintessentially New York City, the true-life story of Tanqueray will seduce and fascinate you -- Reader's Digest 'Reader's Pick'Hypnotizing . . . this has it all: humor, intrigue, and heart * Publishers Weekly *A frank, deadpan and often melancholy memoir * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisMost Hollywood biographies are little more than 500-page musings on the ‘ when-I-met… ’ theme, filled with famous names, love affairs and cliché s of a ‘ meteoric rise’ or ‘ tragic fall’ . Bruce Campbell’ s If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor is the boisterous antidote to such convention. Campbell is the ultimate ‘ B’ Movie actor. Star of the cult Evil Dead trilogy, with a CV that ranges from buddy Sam Raimi’ s Spider-Man, through The X-Files and Xena: Warrior Princess, to the less-than-glamorous Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, you’ ve probably never heard of him. But his is one heck of a story! The popularity of Bruce, the cult hero of cable TV and Hollywood’ s second rung, is burning brighter than ever, his legion of fans undiminished after over thirty years. Insightful, encouraging and brilliantly funny, If Chins Could Kill! is a brilliant place to start for those unfamiliar with his work. For everyone else, it acts as a wonderful reminder for just why they fell in love with him in the first place.Trade Review‘An insightful and rant-filled guide to being almost famous'‘[an] entertaining and witty Hollywood memoir…[with] enough insights and smarts to appeal to readers with a serious interest in popular culture.’‘This engaging memoir offers much more than the standard, glamorous "and then I did..." show business autobiography… it succeeds as an evocative memoir that allows the reader to know Campbell. High recommended’‘ An insightful and rant-filled guide to being almost famous' ‘ [an] entertaining and witty Hollywood memoir… [with] enough insights and smarts to appeal to readers with a serious interest in popular culture.’ ‘ This engaging memoir offers much more than the standard, glamorous "and then I did..." show business autobiography… it succeeds as an evocative memoir that allows the reader to know Campbell. High recommended’

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Book SynopsisTake a journey to Château-de-la-Motte Husson in the spellbinding memoir from Sunday Times bestselling authors, Dick and Angel Strawbridge.Dick and Angel recount the newest and biggest challenges they faced on the journey to transforming their once derelict and abandoned château in France''s Pays de la Loire into a thriving family home and sustainable business.When the Covid-19 pandemic engulfs the world, the château faces a new challenge and the Strawbridges must find ways to adapt in order to keep their dream life in France alive. From the cancellation of the wedding season to finding new ways to complete renovations, living in an isolated bubble whilst continuing to film their TV series through to life after the pandemic, this is Dick and Angel at their most honest and heartfelt, revealing many details never seen on TV.As entertaining, warm and irresistible as ever, Join Dick and Angel on their remarkable journey to find their family''s fo

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller! This “infectious and contagious” (“Stone Cold” Steve Austin) memoir from WWE superstar Rebecca Quin—a.k.a. The Man, a.k.a. Becky Lynch—delves into her earliest wrestling days, her scrappy beginnings, and her meteoric rise to fame.Raised in Dublin, Ireland, in a devoutly Catholic family, Rebecca Quin constantly invented new ways to make her mother worry—roughhousing with the neighborhood kids, hosting secret parties while her parents were away, enrolling in a warehouse wrestling school, nearly breaking her neck and almost kneecapping a WWE star before her own wrestling career even began—and she was always in search of a thrilling escape from the ordinary. Rebecca’s childhood love of wrestling set her on an unlikely path. With few female wrestlers to look to for guidance, Rebecca pursued a wrestling career hoping to change the culture and move it away from the antiquated disre

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Book SynopsisRoger Daltrey is the voice of a generation.That generation was the first to rebel, to step out of the shadows of the Second World War... to invent the concept of the teenager.This is the story from his birth at the height of the Blitz, through tempestuous school days to his expulsion, age 15, for various crimes and misdemeanours within a strict school system. Thanks to Mr Kibblewhite, his authoritarian headmaster, it could all have ended there. The life of a factory worker beckoned.But then came rock and roll. He made his first guitar from factory off-cuts. He formed a band. The band became The Who - Maximum R&B - and, by luck and by sheer bloody-mindedness, Roger Daltrey became the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.This is the story of My Generation, Tommy and Quadrophenia, of smashed guitars, exploding drums, cars in swimming pools, fights, arrests and redecorated hotel rooms.But it is also the story of how that post-war generation redefined the rules of youth. Out of that, the modern music industry was born - and it wasn't an easy birth. Money, drugs and youthful exuberance were a dangerous mix. This is as much a story of survival as it is of success.Four years in the making, this is the first time Roger Daltrey has told his story. It is not just his own hilarious and frank account of more than 50 wild years on the road. It is the definitive story of The Who and of the sweeping revolution that was British rock 'n' roll.

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Book SynopsisIn the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C. diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and then she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Hit with this devastating barrage, Tig took her grief onstage. Days after receiving her cancer diagnosis, she broke new comedic ground, opening an unvarnished set with the words: 'Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer.' The set instantly went viral, and was ultimately released as Tig's sophomore album, Live, which sold one hundred thousand units in just six weeks and was later nominated for a Grammy.Now, the wildly popular star takes stock of that no good, very bad year - a difficult yet astonishing period in which tragedy turned into absurdity and despair transformed into joy. An inspired combination of the deadpan silliness of her comedy and the open-hearted vulnerability that has emerged in the wake of that dire time, I'm Just a Person is a moving and often hilarious look at this very brave, very funny woman's journey into the darkness and her thrilling return from it.Trade ReviewThe book is heartbreaking, and brilliant, and funny. . . it’s fantastic. * Ellen Degeneres *Notaro's thrilling, candid, and hilarious memoir is a provocative and convincing rallying cry to seize the day * Booklist *I’m Just a Person will make you laugh, or cry, or both. * Marie Claire *Notaro’s story is funny not because it’s true (although it is), but because it’s told by the world-class stand-up with wit and vulnerability. * O Magazine *Anyone who can write a sharply funny-and bravely optimistic-story about losing her mother, going through a break up, and being diagnosed with breast cancer all in the span of four months is an absolute heroine in our book. All hail, Tig Notaro! -- GlamourComedian Tig Notaro takes pain and successfully converts it into laughs in I’m Just a Person… It’s an intriguing and inspiring look at one woman’s way of pressing on * Bustle *I'm Just a Person is Tig's journey in her own words, taking us through the repeated and unexpected heartaches of loss, the awkwardness and humiliation that comes with being ill, and all the social and personal struggles that come with either of those taxing situations. And yet, she has penned a very funny, deeply moving narrative. This isn't emotional torture porn or blandly uplifting treacle; this is hardcore honesty and sincerity told through a hilarious, sardonic lens.Not only is it a terrific, meaningful read, but it was a wonderful guidebook that helped me be there for a friend who endured a similar loss. Knowing what to say and what not to say is just one worthwhile lesson Tig provided amongst all those laughs and poignant words. * Glen Dallas, Manhattan Book Review *A tragedy turned into a thing of beauty * Elle UK *

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Book SynopsisPreviously published in hardback as Hey Jo, this is a moving and candid memoir from the woman who married the most controversial member of the Rolling Stones, and had the strength and courage to bounce back from heartbreak.

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Book SynopsisNational Best Seller From the National Book Award–winning author of Just Kids: an unforgettable odyssey of a legendary artist, told through the prism of the cafés and haunts she has worked in around the world. It is a book Patti Smith has described as “a roadmap to my life.” M Train begins in the tiny Greenwich Village café where Smith goes every morning for black coffee, ruminates on the world as it is and the world as it was, and writes in her notebook. Through prose that shifts fluidly between dreams and reality, past and present, and across a landscape of creative aspirations and inspirations, we travel to Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul in Mexico; to a meeting of an Arctic explorer’s society in Berlin; to a ramshackle seaside bungalow in New York’s Far Rockaway that Smith acquires just before Hurricane Sandy hits; and to the graves of Genet, Plath, Rimbaud, and Mishima. Woven throughout are

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Book SynopsisRising from obscurity to leading roles and Oscar nominations, the author has been both celebrated and vilified in the media; survived marriages, divorces, and a string of romances; was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine; and suffered public humiliation over his drug and alcohol issues. This book offers a close-up look at the man.Trade Review“And now we have “Rebel: My Life Outside the Lines,” playing at a bookstore near you. Touching, funny in parts, full of the excesses postwar America readily supplied, and, hopefully, truthful. Pick it up.” -- Washington Post“The noted film actor and notorious bad boy hunkers down and tells a few tales of his life...Better than the usual run of actor memoirs and plenty of fun to boot.” -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Includes two new essays!NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MICHIKO KAKUTANI, THE NEW YORK TIMES • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED, THE GLOBE AND MAIL, AND LIBRARY JOURNALFor readers of Nora Ephron, Tina Fey, and David Sedaris, this hilarious, wise, and fiercely candid collection of personal essays establishes Lena Dunham—the acclaimed creator, producer, and star of HBO’s Girls—as one of the most original young talents writing today.   In Not That Kind of Girl, Dunham illuminates the experiences that are part of making one’s way in the world: falling in love, feeling alone, being ten pounds overweight despite eating only health food, having to prove yourself in a room full of men twice your age, finding true love, and most of all, having the guts to believe that your story is one t

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Book SynopsisMilligan''s Meaning of Life is a glorious celebration of the legendary Spike Milligan. Here you will find his most intimate and hilarious reflections on life.With his lightning-quick wit, unbridled creativity and his ear for the absurd, Milligan revolutionised British comedy. Throughout his life, Milligan also wrote prolifically - scripts, poetry, fiction, as well as several volumes of memoir, in which he took an entirely idiosyncratic approach to the truth. In this ground-breaking work, Norma Farnes, his long-time manager, companion, counsellor and confidante, gathers together the loose threads, reads between the lines and draws on the full breadth of his writing to present his life in his own words: an autobiography - of sorts.From his childhood in India, through his early career as a jazz musician and sketch-show entertainer, his spells in North Africa and Italy with the Royal Artillery, to that fateful first broadcast of The Goon Show and beyond into the aTrade ReviewMilligan is the Great God to all of us -- John CleeseThe Godfather of Alternative Comedy -- Eddie IzzardMy father had a profound influence on me. He was a lunatic. -- Spike Milligan

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Book SynopsisColin Hart, the former Deep Purple and Rainbow tour manager devoted over thirty years of his life to these great rock musicians. This is his story and indeed theirs. A tale of excess in terms of greed, petulance, anger and devotion. It is counter balanced by extremes of pure talent, showmanship and, of course musicianship. He was the constant 'man in the middle' through all of the break ups, make-ups and revolving door line-up changes. Joining them at twenty-four years old and leaving with a curt email dismissal thirty years later, he was there every step of their rock 'n' roll way. A story of two of the most innovative, often copied, rock bands; seen through the eyes, ears and emotions of their 'mother hen' (as Jon Lord described him). He was their minder, chauffeur, carer, provider, protector, father confessor & confidant. In truth he is the only one who can tell this tale of both bands as he was the only one there on the road throughout the life of, not one, but both gigantic bands.

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Book SynopsisThe life and times of one of our most enchanting artists; a twentieth-century fairy tale, lovingly remembered and luminously told.Trade Review"In buoyant and electric prose, laced with wit and leavened with ungrudging generosity, Dorothea Tanning has given us in this memoir a brilliant account of the fizz and panache of a truly remarkable life: Stravinsky provides her wedding champagne; at a Paris soiree, Andre Malraux upstages Orson Welles; J. Robert Oppenheimer turns up at Les Deux Magots; and the gentle and enigmatic surrealist Max Ernst, Ms. Tanning's husband, is the presiding spirit. This is a sustained success of recuperative magic." -- Anthony Hecht "It seems hardly fair that Dorothea Tanning, in a long, passionately inventive career as a painter, should have acquired as well the other harmony of prose, and that her passionate inventions as a writer should be so lovingly, so wisely resolved. Indeed it is not fair at all: the Muse was never an equal-opportunity employer, and the only appropriate response to Between Lives is untempered gratitude. How grateful I am for the Muse's caprice, twice over, for Dorothea Tanning is a dauntless writer who is entitled to love her life; she created it, and now, quite unfairly, I love it, too." -- Richard Howard

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

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Book SynopsisA candid and eye-opening inside look at the final decades of Sinatra''s life told by his longtime manager and friend, Eliot Weisman. By the time Weisman met Sinatra in 1976, he was already the Voice, a man who held sway over popular music and pop culture for forty years, who had risen to the greatest heights of fame and plumbed the depths of failure, all the while surviving with the trademark swagger that women pined for and men wanted to emulate. Passionate and generous on his best days, sullen and unpredictable on his worst, Sinatra invited Weisman into his inner circle, an honor that the budding celebrity manager never took for granted. Even when he was caught up in a legal net designed to snare Sinatra, Weisman went to prison rather than being coerced into telling prosecutors what they wanted to hear. With Weisman''s help, Sinatra orchestrated in his final decades some of the most memorable moments of his career. There was the Duets album, which was S

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Book SynopsisDiscover the true story behind the iconic London fashion label BOY' told by the man himself - Stephane Raynor. Packed with punk attitude and original photography, buy a ticket and take the ride. Join Raynor on a journey through a life less ordinary - lived in a tireless pursuit for THE NEW. Artist, innovator, designer, anarchist, hedonist, maverick, Raynor lives like he means it. The guy behind the guy behind the guy - he was there man...fomenting and agitating in the background of punk, new romantic, acid house, you name it.

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Book Synopsis''Mesmerising . . . an extraordinary piece of writing.'' - The i paper''A book that has the rare quality of being both poetic and accessible . . . missing Delicacy would be a huge mistake.'' - Guardian''A book that gets wiser, darker, and more brutally truthful every time you turn the page. Word of mouth is slowly turning it into a passionately recommended cult hit. A book you give a friend in trouble.'' - Caitlin Moran''Hilarious . . . heartbreaking.'' - The Observer''A layer cake of truth, pain and wisdom iced with charm. I loved it.'' - Sue PerkinsFrom award-winning comedian and writer Katy Wix comes Delicacy - a different kind of memoir from an astonishing new voice. Twenty-one snapshots of a life - some staccato, raw and shocking, some expansive, meditative, and profound, underpinned with moments of startling humour that shatter the darkness - alTrade ReviewA book that gets wiser, darker, and more brutally truthful every time you turn the page. Word of mouth is slowly turning it into a passionately recommended cult hit. A book you give a friend in trouble - like a shot of whisky, or a life raft. Or, like the book suggests, cake. * Caitlin Moran *A layer cake of truth, pain and wisdom iced with charm. I loved it. * Sue Perkins *Mesmerising . . . an extraordinary piece of writing. * The i Paper *Raw, profound and relatable. * Stylist *Painfully raw and incredibly funny * Simon Amstell *A book that offers many pleasures . . . hectically funny, eloquently angry. * TLS *Heartbreaking, ridiculously clever and laugh out loud funny. One of the best books on trauma I've ever read. * Scarlett Curtis *Gentle, heartbreaking, laugh out loud funny and poetically told - an intimate memoir that stays with you * Rose Matafeo *Katy sees the world like no one else and deciphers it with extraordinary beauty. Delicacy took my breath away * Lolly Adefope *Honest, raw, profound, deeply moving and funny * Bridget Christie *Wix is such an astonishingly good writer that she makes this into an unlikely page-turner. She turns her pain into poetry: intimate, candid, exquisitely described, deftly using words rich with grace, pain and power. * Chortle *Fabulous story-telling and completely delicious writing * Cariad Lloyd *A stunning book in which darkness and light, tragedy and humour, pain and hope are all masterfully, affectingly balanced. * Liam Williams *Brilliantly original, funny and insightful. Dry and comic, but also very moving. I absolute loved Delicacy * Katy Brand *Painfully vivid . . . insightful. * Sunday Express *Deeply comforting in how relatable it is, hilarious, and moving. I felt like this book was my best friend as soon as I started reading it * Mae Martin *Brimming with graceful, charming writing - this book perfectly encapsulates so many moments we face as girls and women and I only wish I'd read it sooner * Kiri Pritchard-McLean *An exquisite and important book. Delicacy is funny and sad and beautiful * Maeve Higgins *Katy has one of the most singular and enviable minds working today (and tomorrow) * Jamie Demetriou *Wix is showing a different side to herself, not only demonstrating her talents as a gifted writer but laying bare traumatic parts of her life with an honesty and openness that might surprise fans of her TV work. * The Sunday Post *It is mesmerisingly good. * The i paper *Hilarious, heartbreaking...She's a writer with impressive range, and Delicacy is entertaining and affecting. * Observer *Mesmerising . . . an extraordinary piece of writing * The i paper *

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Book SynopsisIn All You Need is Ears, legendary Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated record producer George Martin shares tales from his life and musical career with the Fab Four. George, he said, I don''t know if you''d be interested, but there''s a chap who''s come in with a tape of a group he runs. They haven''t got a recording contract, and I wonder if you''d like to see him and listen to what he''s got? Certainly, I said, I''m willing to listen to anything. Ask him to come and see me. OK, I will. His name''s Brian Epstein . . . George Martin spotted the Beatles'' talent, and recorded and produced The Fab Four from the start right through to The Beatles Anthology. Often called the fifth Beatle, Martin not only produced but also arranged some of the band's most iconic and distinctive songs, including Yesterday. In this witty and charming autobiography, Martin describes exactly what it was like to work in the studio with

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Book SynopsisWith six decades in show business under his belt, legendary director Ted Kotcheff looks back on his life.

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Book SynopsisFrom the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot, comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candour.Trade ReviewAs funny, wicked, naughty, eye-popping and compulsively, joyously brilliant as the genius who wrote it -- Stephen FryOn the last day, when the last human beings look out at the blackened cinders of their world, I can only hope that one of them will sing, "Some things in life are bad, they can really make you mad," and "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" will ring out as humanity's final words. I loved this biography of a song and the man who made it, and the picture he paints of his life, his friends, his passions, five Pythons and a Beatle -- Neil GaimanThe Monty Python man embraced fame and became friends with George Harrison, David Bowie, Paul Simon and many others. This is an unashamedly starry autobiography, packed with hilarious name-dropping anecdotes -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday Books of the Year *The pleasingly jolly tone of what he calls his "sortabiography" captures the daft glee with which the he and his fellow Pythons lampooned British authority -- Fiona Sturges * Guardian Best Books of 2018 *I read Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from cover to cover. My next mission is to read what's between the covers. It's a joy to read Eric Idle's fully transparent personal stories of what got him to the present from birth. Any Monty Python lover or lover of honesty and the crafting of a hilarious comedian and musical genius will love this book. And love Eric as I do. Not to spoil-alert, but his stating that "Laughter is the best revenge" sums it up. Read every word of this book or I will hunt you down and read it to you. And you don't want me in your house -- Bob SagetIf you're Christmas shopping then Eric Idle's Always Look on the Bright Side of Life is the perfect present. Very funny and touching -- Matt LucasIf I could go back in time and observe any comedian's journey, I think it would be a terrible waste of time travel. That said, I'd want to see just how Eric idle and a few friends changed comedy forever. This is the book that've been waiting for most of my life -- Conan O'BrienA thoroughly pleasurable read ... [It captures] the infectious glee with which the Monty Python troupe went about subverting the British establishment -- Alexander Larman * Observer *Charming ... A treasure trove of comedy insights * Rolling Stone *A hilarious, charming, book by this incredible, insufferable genius -- Steve MartinInevitably, Eric Idle's memoir, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, is no ordinary celebrity autobiography ... [Showbiz anecdotes] are combined with frank, fresh insights into five decades as part of Monty Python -- Hannah Shaddock * Radio Times *Idle is engaging company -- Roland White * Sunday Times *When you have a tour guide as engaging as Eric Idle, you'll gladly go wherever he takes you. The writer and comedian best known as a member of the British sketch troupe Monty Python has curated an intimate journey of what it was like to be a writer who suddenly found himself a massively famous actor. . . . It's also the kind of book you'll want to read twice-once when the genius of Python sketches are fresh in your memory, and once when those scenes have faded so you can be reminded how these comedy rebels shook up an art form that was due for a dose of surreal silliness * Washington Post *This tell-all from my comedy hero Eric Idle is brilliant, hilarious, touching, enlightening, filled with swashbuckling adventure, edge-of-your-seat suspense, heart-pounding romance, and contained several typos and one inaccurate fact about the Spanish-American war. I expected more out of Mr Idle's proofreading skills, quite frankly -- Paul FeigIdeal for Python lovers -- Sarah Hughes * i Best book gifts to buy this Chrismas *A remarkable and very entertaining memoir * The People's Friend *

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Book SynopsisOriginally published as Relish, a fully revised and updated edition of the eye-opening story of one woman's incredible appetite for life: Dame Prue Leith, judge of hit show GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, tells all from childhood in South Africa to becoming a DBE.'What a terrific tale it is - of a South African girl who could stand the heat and made the kitchen into a remarkable career' TelegraphPrue Leith describes herself as greedy in all senses of the word. Cook, caterer, restaurateur, food writer, journalist, novelist, businesswoman, teacher, television presenter, charity worker, lover, wife and mother, she has certainly lived life to the full. Prue came to London in the early 1960s and, not long afterwards, opened Leith's Restaurant. By the mid-seventies she was a food columnist on the Daily Mail, had published several cookbooks and opened Leith's School of Food and Wine. But it wasn't all work. Prue writes with honesty of her love life, her longing for children, the birth of her son, the adoption of her daughter and much else besides. In this fully revised and updated edition she tells of how she met, fell in love with and married John Playfair as well as her exciting role as a judge on Great British Bake Off, now a hit show in the United States as well as the UK. Prue's down-to-earth attitude to life and her remarkable energy are an inspiration to women readers everywhere.

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller by Jay Blades, the beloved star of hit BBC One show The Repair Shop. Making It is an inspirational memoir about beating the odds and turning things around even when it all seems hopeless.We had our hardships, and there were times that we didn’t have a lot of food and didn’t have a lot of money. But that didn’t stop me having the time of my life.In his book, Jay shares the details of his life, from his childhood growing up sheltered and innocent on a council estate in Hackney, to his adolescence when he was introduced to violent racism at secondary school, to being brutalized by police as a teen, to finally becoming the presenter of the hit primetime show The Repair Shop.Jay reflects on strength, weakness and what it means to be a man. He questions the boundaries society places on male vulnerability and how letting himself be nurtured helped him flourish into the person he is today. An expert at giving a second life to cherished items, Jay’s positivity, pragmatism and kindness shine through these pages and show that with care and love, anything can be mended.Trade ReviewMoving and beguiling * The Bookseller *An incredible story of triumph over adversity, I couldn't put it down. -- Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Little MixJay can teach us all something about the simple power of compassion and creativity. -- Radio Times

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