Autobiography: general Books

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Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE 'The political book of the year' Sunday Times 'You will not read a more important book about America this year' EconomistTrade Review‘Brilliant … offers an acute insight into the reasons voters have put their trust in Trump’ Observer ‘Powerful and highly readable account of the light of the poor white Americans in Kentucky’, Books of the Year, Financial Times ‘Essential reading for all yankophiles, politicians and anyone interested in how Donald Trump won over the rust belt to arrive at the White House’, Books of the Year, Sunday Times ‘The memoir gripping America … Vividly articulates the despair and disillusionment of blue-collar America’ Sunday Times ‘A tough-edged elegy for ‘white trash’ hillbilly America’ David Aaronovitch, The Times ‘America’s political system and the white working class have lost faith in each other. ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ offers a starkly honest look at what that shattering of faith feels like for a family who lived through it. You will not read a more important book about America this year’ Economist ‘Vance’s description of the culture he grew up in is essential reading for this moment in history’ David Brooks, New York Times ‘Clear-eyed and nuanced, a powerful antidote to the clamour of news’ The Times ‘With exquisite timing Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ offers something profound at this time of political populism … a great insight into Trump and Brexit’ Ian Birrell, Independent ‘I bought this to try to better understand Trump’s appeal to those white working-class people who feel left behind, but the memoir is so much more than that … It’s an important social history/commentary but also a gripping, unputdownable page-turner’ India Knight, Evening Standard ‘A painfully honest account of America’s white underclass by a brilliant young man’ George Osborne, New Statesman ‘A beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America … [Vance] offers a compelling explanation for why it’s so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it … a riveting book’ Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'A must-read. Funny and utterly compelling' Jonathan Ross The Bafta-garlanded creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd tells of his rise and painful fall. Part comedy-writing masterclass, part diary of a gender wars 'cancellation'. Having cut his teeth in music journalism, Graham Linehan became the finest sitcom writer of his generation. He captured the comedy zeitgeist not just as the co-creator of Father Ted but also with The IT Crowd and Black Books, winning five Baftas and a lifetime achievement award. Then his life took an unexpected turn. When he championed an unfashionable cause, TV commissioners no longer returned his emails, showbiz pals lost his number and his marriage collapsed. In an emotionally charged memoir that is by turns hilarious and harrowing, he lets us into the secrets of the writing room and colourfully describes the high-octane atmosphere of a sitcom set. But he also berates an industry where there was no one to stand by his side when he needed help. Bruised but not beaten, he explains why he chose the hill of women and girls' rights to die on - and why, despite the hardship of cancellation, he's not coming down from it any time soon.Trade Review'One of the best TV comedy writers of all time delivers a book which is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered: a) how to create a hit sit-com and b) how it feels to lose everything. It's funny, complicated and utterly compelling' Jonathan Ross 'One of the most compelling and unflinchingly honest memoirs I've read in many years. It's also the funniest' Andrew Doyle 'Graham Linehan has long been one of my favourite writers - and this book shows that his brilliance in prose is the equal to his brilliance as a screenwriter. It unfolds with the urgency of a Sam Fuller film: that of a man who has been through something that few have experienced but has managed to return, undaunted, to tell us the tale' Richard Ayoade 'Hilarious, raw and touching. A must-read for anyone who wants to know the backstory behind Father Ted - and why he gave up the life of a luvvie to fight the threats posed by trans ideology to women's rights and child safeguarding' Helen Joyce 'This book is great company, and reminds us that Graham is first and foremost a writer, and a very funny one indeed. It is a not inconsiderable relief, in fact, to see that he has not lost the gift' Simon Evans 'A brilliant account of the evolution of a comedy writer, but also an extraordinary and chilling portrayal of cancel culture. I found it unputdownable' Lissa Evans A funny but dark memoir that goes from Linehan’s childhood in Dublin (nerdy, bullied) to his days as a music journalist, to writing Father Ted and The IT Crowd, to getting involved in the trans argument’ The Herald ‘A beautifully written memoir that is full of good humour and grace, and the best account yet of cancellation. Linehan’s is a story that calls out to be heard. To recommend it is to take a small stand’ Entertainment Focus ‘Because so much of the discussion around Tough Crowd will almost certainly be focused on his politics, I want to start by saying that this is a great book, full stop. In fact, it is one of the most entertaining new books I’ve read in a long time, in any genre’ Spiked ‘Simultaneously eloquent and chatty, Linehan never strays far from his need to entertain. The saddest thing about this memoir is that the very people who should read it, to hear the facts, probably won’t’ Irish Independent ‘The good news is that Graham Linehan is still funny. Tough Crowd contains a lot of fire and brimstone, but it is very entertaining’ The Critic ‘Linehan’s bracing and, at times, riveting memoir...charts the story of his apparent cancellation, but it also takes a deep dive into his formative years as a writer. The Father Ted chapters are stuffed with great detail and gossip’ Irish Independent ‘Seriously funny. Like Father Ted, Linehan will never stop scheming to escape his exile, and we laugh because it hurts’ The Distance ‘Sure to be the most controversial British TV memoir of the decade’ British TV.com

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Book Synopsis"One of the most original, amazing stories I've ever read" (Mary Gaitskill), iconic rock-and-roll musician Adele Bertei's memoir Twist is her harrowing and electric story of transforming trauma through art, pluck, and imagination, as told through the inimitable voice of her young alter ego, Maddie Twist. From iconoclastic writer and musician Adele Bertei comes a wholly original hero's journey that wages war on the cliche of the "misery memoir." Set in a 1960s and '70s American neighborhood rife with poverty and violence, fatherless Irish mothers and Italian mobsters, and women crucified into madness by misogyny, Bertei speaks through her electrically alive avatar Maddie Twist to flip the victim script. Through her unshakable belief in imagination, poetry, music, and community, she transforms trauma into survival. The immediacy of Maddie's voice is a revelation, providing insight into long-enduring systemic problems without the scrim of adult analysis. In an age of lies and obfuscation, Twist is a sharp yet tender arrow to the heart of naked truth. Bertei reveals what it's like to be a queer teen at a time when discovery could be fatal. Maddie peers deeply into the American psyche, refusing to consent to the systems of harm. Along the way we encounter an unforgettable schizophrenic mother, Catholic saints, West Side Story and Oliver!, poet killers, the abyss of rape, girl-gangsters and faux-pimps, teenage lesbian sex, racial tensions and misconceived divides, a drag family known as the Holy Maudlins, Vietnam vets in dark and light, cabaret, true family, rock and roll. And the ultimate saving grace: love. A compelling personal history of queer culture from a working-class view and a glimpse into worlds yet unseen, Twist is good medicine: for readers who've experienced similar traumas, for teens caught in the foster care system, for the formerly incarcerated looking for hope, for writers grappling with how to tell their own stories. Most of all, it's for everyone seeking transportive experiences in art and on the page.Trade Review"Twist is one of the most original, amazing stories I've ever read-a story of innocence and brutality, of courage and faith and luck. It is the story of an extraordinary woman-child in an extraordinary time, of devils and angels, trolls under the bridge and unexpected helpers. For all the pain and misfortune in the early life of the intrepid narrator, it is most of all about the connective, transformative power of art and soulful community. Twist is strong and strange poetry; while reading it you may hear music in your head-I did." -Mary Gaitskill "Twist is a dark, demented, horrific and hilarious shot to the heart of American girlhood. Adele Bertei was gender fluid before gender even entered the lexicon. Her writing is miraculous, but the bigger miracle may be that the author survived to write it. And lucky for us she did. This is a book to love." -Jerry Stahl "A powerful look at survival and redemption despite extremely challenging obstacles.... [Bertei] narrates with a zest and objectivity probably only possible from a long temporal remove, and she excels at bringing readers deep into the difficult circumstances of her life.... Throughout the book, Maddie comes across as curious, impulsive, and observant, fond of losing herself in books and brought to life by the music she hears-and creates." -Kirkus (starred review) "This raw, vivid work brings readers into a life of poverty, domestic violence, mental illness, war, and trauma . . . Readers travel with her through her coming-of-age experiences, such as being shunned and punished for her attraction to other girls. She also candidly shares her experiences of sexual violence. After aging out of the foster-care system, the author stumbles but finds her footing in the family she forms with her drag-queen neighbors, her boss at the thrift store, and her love for music and writing. VERDICT Bertei's childhood is harrowing, and her memoir does not hold back on the details, which are horrific at times. But the author sounds her voice loudly in this book, and her sense of self is captured throughout the pages. The end result is likely to captivate readers." -Rebekah Buchanan, Library Journal "Fascinating.... Twist is beautifully written in crystalline prose without judgment or stigmatization. What carries her through is music and singing and Bertei writes memorably about both. This is a story about a gay teenager in the 1960s and early 70s at a time, and in institutions, which had little understanding and less tolerance for gay youth. There are episodes of horrifying brutality and violence against Bertei. Yet the great accomplishment of Twist is that it ends on an uplifting and positive note, as Maddie/Bertei becomes herself-the person we know will go on to be a force in the New Wave No Wave scene in New York.... To be placed on your hit parade." -Tom Teicholz, Forbes "Bertei depicts her relationship with her brilliant mother, who was schizophrenic, with uncommon empathy and grace.... Equal parts raucous and harrowing, Twist gives the reader a glimpse of the formation of a singular, uncompromising artist." -Brendan Dowling, Public Library Association "Once 'the Devil ran through' her family, Maddie free falls from institution to institution, growing into her queerness and discovering her fate-that 'God has to be music.' This riveting novel/memoir by underground icon Adele Bertei situates the making of a survivor rebel against the background of the chaotic side of 1960's America. An honest, hard times page turner filled with heart and revelation." -Sarah Schulman "A harrowing voyage through the cultural tornado of America in the latter part of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of a thoroughly 21st century girl. This book gives serious credence to the expression 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' Very inspirational." -Rufus Wainwright

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Book SynopsisFrancoise Gilot was a young painter in Pasis when she first met Picasso - he was sixty-two and she was twenty-one. During the following ten years they were lovers, worked closely together and she became mother to two of his children, Claude and Paloma. Life with Picasso, her account of those extraordinary years, is filled with intimate and astonishing revelations about the man, his work, his thoughts and his friends - Matisse, Braque, Gertrude Stein and Giacometti among others. Francois Gilot paints a compelling portrait of her turbulent life with the temperamental genius that was Picasso.She is a superb witness to Picasso as an artist and to his views on art.Trade Review[Gilot's] recall of his [Picasso's] discussions about art, details of private visits to friends such as Matisse, Braque and Giacometti, and her intimate understanding of his temperament, make this work unique * DAILY TELEGRAPH *This memoir is both a vivd portrait of a monstrously difficult man and a brilliant depiction of a great artist at work * NEW YORK TIMES *... no-one in the Picasso entourage was so close to him... fascinating. * Tim Hilton *

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Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERINDIE BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION WINNER'EXTRAORDINARY' The Times, 'BEAUTIFUL' Dolly Alderton, 'SHATTERING' Observer, 'INCREDIBLE' Benjamin Zephaniah, 'UNPUTDOWNABLE' Sunday Times, 'ASTOUNDING' Matt Haig, 'POWERFUL' Elif Shafak At the age of seventeen, after a childhood in a foster family followed by six years in care homes, Norman Greenwood was given his birth certificate. He learned that his real name was not Norman. It was Lemn Sissay. He was British and Ethiopian. And he learned that his mother had been pleading for his safe return to her since his birth.This is Lemn's story: a story of neglect and determination, misfortune and hope, cruelty and triumph.Sissay reflects on his childhood, self-expression and Britishness, and in doing so explores the institutional care system, race, family and the meaning of home. Written with all the lyricism and power you would expect from one of the nation's best-loved poets, this moving, frank and timely memoir is the result of a life spent asking questions, and a celebration of the redemptive power of creativity.Trade ReviewA lyrical, painful and yet hope-filled memoir . . . Shattering, light-searching * * Observer * *Searing . . . Unputdownable . . . My Name Is Why is authentic and beautiful, a potential game-changer in public attitudes to children raised in care. It's about bureaucratic cruelty and what happens when love is absent. Don't miss it * * The Times * *An extraordinary story * * Sunday Times * *The most amazing thing about this book is that it's not made up. This actually happened. It is an incredible story -- BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAHI have never read a memoir like it. A blistering account of a young life in the hands of neglectful authorities. It's a quest for understanding, for home, for answers. Grips like a thriller. Astounding -- MATT HAIGThe great triumph of this work comes from its author's determination to rail against what he rightly diagnoses as this institutionally endorsed disremembering of black and marginalised experience. It is a searing and unforgettable re-creation of the most brutal of beginnings -- Michael Donkor * * Guardian * *Utterly devastating and beautiful . . . Breathtakingly written -- DOLLY ALDERTONThis is a deeply moving memoir that speaks with incredible poeticism. A staggering exposé of colonial theft and abandonment, this book is grippingly heartbreaking -- DAVID LAMMYA fascinating memoir . . . So powerful -- ELIF SHAFAKThe engaging transfiguring truth of My Name Is Why is like a baptism of truth - leaving you washed clean of lies and reborn in love. Profound in its kindness, intelligence and unselfish heart, this book is important and unputdownable -- JESSICA HYNES

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Book SynopsisBorn on the 2nd of June 1960 to Jamaican parents, Shaun is a Londoner born and bred, and has been a devoted Chelsea fan since 1967. From the age of 12, Shaun knew he wanted to be a barrister and was determined to make it. Despite one or two setbacks along the way, he finally managed to fulfil his childhood ambition when he was called to the bar in November 1984. He has been a Criminal Defence Advocate now for nearly 34 years, and has worked tirelessly on cases ranging from murder to money laundering to firearms to drug trafficking. Shaun has also regularly appeared on British television quiz shows such as Fifteen-To-One, The Weakest Link, Greed, and Are You an Egghead?. Shaun catapulted to national prominence and recognition when, on the 5th December 2004, he became the first black person to win the BBC’s renowned Mastermind. Since 2009, he has become a household name, regularly appearing as The Dark Destroyer on the smash ITV hit teatime quiz show, The Chase. Read how Shaun’s passions have helped turn him into the man he is today: staunchly just and fair, ruthless when he needs to be, kind, fun, and a fiercely loyal friend.

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Book SynopsisWhen David Morehouse - a highly decorated army officer - was hit by a stray bullet, he began to be plagued with visions and uncontrolled out-of-body experiences. As a consequence, he was recruited as a psychic spy for STARGATE, a highly classified programme of espionage instigated by the CIA and the US Defence Department. Trained to develop spiritual, clairvoyant capacities, he became one of a select band of 'remote viewers' in pursuit of previously unattainable political and military secrets. When Morehouse discovered that the next step in the top-secret programme was 'remote influencing' - turning 'viewers' like himself into deadly weapons - he rebelled. In his efforts to expose the programme, he and his family endured the full force of the US intelligence community's attempts to silence him. As the multi-million-dollar STARGATE scandal was exposed to the world, Morehouse himself became the enemy of the secret services...In Psychic Warrior one of STARGATE's 'viewers' finally reveals the extraordinary truth of this secret operation. Originally published in 1996, there is a continuing demand for David Morehouse's story in the U.K. Out of print for over a year, this new edition of Psychic Warrior features a new foreword by the author.Trade Review"David Morehouse is a courageous man with an extraordinary story that transcends time and space." - Nexus.

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Book SynopsisThe first memoir by an indigenous tribal leader in the Amazon, who fought Big Oil to preserve her tribe's territories, and thousands of acres of pristine rainforest.

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Book SynopsisIn this stunningly insightful and humorous sequel to Finding Joy, Keeping Joy explores the long terms consequences of chronic illness. Through the eyes of Joyce, Aunt Beth and Logan we follow Joyce’s fight to regain her health and her freedom after nearly a decade of being housebound with Lyme disease.

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Book Synopsis'THE BEAUTY MYTH' FOR THE INSTAGRAM GENERATIONWomen Don't Owe You Pretty is the ultimate book for anyone who wants to challenge the out-dated narratives supplied to us by the patriarchy.Through Florence's story you will learn how to protect your energy, discover that you are the love of your own life, and realise that today is a wonderful day to dump them.Florence Given is here to remind you that you owe men nothing, least of all pretty.WARNING: CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT (AND A LOAD OF UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS). THE FEMINIST BOOK EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT.'An incredible mouthpiece for modern intersectional feminism.' - Glamour'A fearless book.' - Cosmopolitan 'A hugely influential young woman.' - Woman's Hour 'Rallying, radical and pitched perfectly for her generation.' - Evening Standard*OUT NOW Florence Given's DEBUT NOVEL, GIRLCRUSH *Trade ReviewRead the book - it'll change your life. * Mae Muller *

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Book Synopsis''The next round in Billy''s fight is pain-racked, frank and reflective . . . an inspiring piece from a man who''s been to hell and back and has the scars to prove it''JOE COLE''Brutally honest, dark and disturbing. A book that tells of the reality of drugs and a failing prison system''NEIL SAMWORTH, author of Strangeways: A Prison Officer''s Story''Billy Moore writes with such a tragic authenticity that it kept me willing for him to succeed, even as I knew he was never too far from self-destruction. It''s his self-awareness that I admire - unflinching and brutal and also, it should be said, his wonderful way with words''Professor Emeritus DAVID WILSON, author of My Life with Murderers''His life may have had many ups and downs, but Billy is a wonderful example of never giving up''JAMES ENGLISH''A true story of forgiveness, not only learning to forgive others but also learning to forgive yourself. An incredibly emotional story about an incredible man who''s had an incredible journey''LIAM HARRISON''This time I am telling the story of my life both before prison in Thailand and what followed once I was back in the United Kingdom, my cancer diagnosis, more prison time and, finally, redemption. I am trying to understand aspects of my childhood that had a role in my eventual downward spiral into addiction, pain, misery and loss''BILLY MOOREBilly Moore spent three years in Klong Prem prison in Thailand, popularly known as the ''Bangkok Hilton'', where he witnessed acts of extreme violence and sexual assault. Eventually he found purpose through taking part in Muay Thai boxing tournaments in jail. Here, he found ''a wall of human community'' amongst the elite boxers and regained his sobriety.He was granted early release by the King of Thailand having excelled as a Muay Thai boxer in inter-prison tournaments. But back in the UK and a decade later - with his demons resurfacing - Billy''s past caught up with him. He was caught and convicted of a burglary and was despatched to HMP Walton under then home secretary Theresa May''s three-strikes rule. Billy has spent almost twenty-two years in various prisons, but since then, he has not only survived cancer, but also gone on to become a powerful advocate of boxing and anti-knife crime initiatives in the Liverpool area, training young boxers.A Prayer Before Dawn was made into a film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and starring Joe Cole, of Peaky Blinders'' fame. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, but by the time it went on general release, Billy was back in prison in the UK.In this follow-up to Billy''s first international bestseller, an autobiography set largely in Thailand''s infamous prison system, Billy sets out to explore his experience of childhood abuse that would lead to a life of drug addiction and near-constant incarceration. After Billy''s sentence in Klong Prem prison was commuted as a result of his extraordinary success as a Muay Thai boxer, he returned to the UK.In this vividly told story, Liverpudlian Billy contrasts his first-hand experience of one of the cruellest prison systems in the world with his experience of UK prisons. The result is, in part, a shocking exposé of the inadequacy of care and the lack of humanity in British prisons. But Billy''s story is mainly one of rehabilitation, recovery and redemption. Rich in detail, honesty and humour, his book is a fast-paced, unputdownable read which shows how the human spirit can endure and eventually thrive.Trade ReviewThe next round in Billy's fight is pain-racked, frank and reflective . . . an inspiring piece from a man who's been to hell and back and has the scars to prove it. -- JOE COLEBilly Moore writes with such a tragic authenticity that it kept me willing for him to succeed, even as I knew he was never too far from self-destruction. It's his self-awareness that I admire - unflinching and brutal and also, it should be said, his wonderful way with words. -- Professor Emeritus David Wilson, author of My Life with MurderersBrutally honest, dark and disturbing. A book that tells of the reality of drugs and a failing prison system. -- NEIL SAMWORTH, author of Strangeways: A Prison Officer's StoryHis life may have had many ups and downs, but Billy is a wonderful example of never giving up. -- JAMES ENGLISHA true story of forgiveness, not only learning to forgive others but also learning to forgive yourself. An incredibly emotional story about an incredible man who's had an incredible journey. -- LIAM HARRISON

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Book Synopsis‘An Insignificant Boy’ is a moving, poetic, evocative tale of a lost boyhood –beautiful, funny, dark, and strange. But ultimately, it is uplifting and full of hope. A secretive father is haunted by the atomic bomb. An ageing mother dreams of escape. Born into the Space Age of Bowie, astronauts, and future visions, Clix is an isolated, imaginative child, growing up in a house full of ghosts – plus a terrible secret. A boy who, aged eight, builds a radio station to ask for help. But there’s a twist: every word of this unique tale is true. It is the final broadcast of Radio Clix.

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A moving account of one man's race to save a herd of elephants – with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, The Elephant Whisperer is an enthralling book that will appeal to animal lovers and adventurous souls everywhere.When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival – dangerous and unpredictable, they would be killed if Anthony wouldn't take them in.As Anthony risked his life to create a bond with the troubled elephants and persuade them to stay on his reserve, he came to realize what a special family they were, from the wise matriarch Nana, who guided the herd, to her warrior sister Frankie, always ready to see off any threat, and their children who fought so hard to survive.

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Book SynopsisWhilst on holiday in Kenya, Corinne Hoffman fell in love with a Masai warrior. Eventually she moved into a tiny shack with him and his mother and spent four years in Kenya. However, slowly but surely, the dream began to crumble. She eventually fled back home with her baby daughter. From wild animals through starvation to ritual mutilation, this is a book steeped in humanity and one that tells a fascinating tale.At once a hopelessly romantic love story and a gripping adventure yarn, The White Masai is a compulsive read.Trade Review"'I've been completely riveted by it - in fact haven't put it down all morning. What an amazing story!... one of the bravest and most vivid I've read in years and I'm not surprised it's a bestseller' - Deborah Moggach 'Hofmann is a talented writer, describing with unflinching detail the consequences of a passion that combines the element of a holiday romance with troubling fantasies about the noble savage. Gripping' - Joan Smith, Independent 'This extraordinary story is a dashing tale of love and adventure in contemporary Kenya' - Mavis Cheek, Daily Mail Critic's Choice 'A deliciously readable book - it really is possible to gulp it down in one long sitting' - Mail on Sunday 'The White Masai has already sold four million copies in Europe and has now been turned into a big Hollywood film. Theses successes suggest that, in publishing terms at least, Corinne Hofmann has finally struck gold' - Ireland on Sunday 'An extraordinary and unputdownable tale' - Bookseller 'It's a truly riveting read, better than any reality TV show' - Publishing News 'It is the most extraordinary story (as the four million people who have already bought the book in Europe would no doubt agree!)' - Robert Gwyn Palmer (Sunday Telegraph) 'Extraordinary' - Hollywood Reporter"

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWhat better gift to give for Christmas than this wonderfully irreverent collection of the great Jilly Cooper's columns from the 60s? * i newspaper *No one else can make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, quite like Jilly Cooper * Gill Sims *Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels * Pandora Sykes *This book has given me so much pleasure * Alan Titchmarsh *Britain needs this jolly Jilly Cooper collection...Line after line, anecdote after anecdote is laugh-out-loud funny, the prose bouncing along like a labrador puppy * The Times *

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Book Synopsis**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD****THE TIMES MEMOIR OF THE YEAR 2019**'The best royal book by miles . . . funny, gossipy and riveting'JANE RIDLEY, SPECTATOR'If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention'SUNDAY TIMES'A captivating account of a life lived with resilience and grace'DAILY MAIL'The stoical Lady G writes with infectious joy and optimism'DAILY EXPRESS'The gossip is stupendous but it's also tremendously touching. It's one of those books that makes you long for bed so you can read more!'JILLY COOPER'I can't recommend it highly enough'LORRAINE KELLY'Gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring'THE TIMES'A candid, witty and stylish memoir'MIRANDA SEYMOUR, FINANCIAL TIMES'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir'THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind'GUARDIAN'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world.'RUPERT EVERETT~The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation. Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.Anne Glenconner has been close to the Royal Family since childhood. Eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, she was, as a daughter, described as 'the greatest disappointment' by her family as she was unable to inherit. Her childhood home Holkham Hall is one of the grandest estates in England. Bordering Sandringham the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were frequent playmates. From Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation to Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady Glenconner is a unique witness to royal history, as well as an extraordinary survivor of a generation of aristocratic women trapped without inheritance and burdened with social expectations. She married the charismatic but highly volatile Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who became the owner of Mustique. Together they turned the island into a paradise for the rich and famous, including Mick Jagger and David Bowie, and it became a favourite retreat for Princess Margaret. But beneath the glitz and glamour there has also lurked tragedy. On Lord Glenconner's death in 2010 he left his fortune to a former employee. And of their five children, two grown-up sons died, while a third son had to be nursed back from a coma by Anne, after having suffered a near fatal accident. Anne Glenconner writes with extraordinary wit, generosity and courage and she exposes what life was like in her gilded cage, revealing the role of her great friendship with Princess Margaret, and the freedom she can now finally enjoy in later life.Trade Review'Lady Glenconner's life story is a combination of royal magic, personal tragedy and resilient survival. With humour, courage and preternatural poise, she at last tells the story of her uniquely fascinating life' -- Tina Brown'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world' -- Rupert Everett'Anne Glenconner has written a remarkable memoir - containing, at last, a genuine portrait of Princess Margaret from one who knew her well. But this book is poignant too, and through the pages shine her courage and good-humoured acceptance of her demons and tragedies' -- Hugo Vickers'Remarkable . . . If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention' * The Sunday Times *'A funny, sometimes tragic and disarmingly frank memoir . . . Lady in Waiting is gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring' * The Times *'A startling, rare, beguiling insight into a lost world of royalty and celebrity with as many tears as there are titles' * Daily Express *'It's a total hoot - I couldn't put it down' -- Janet Street-Porter'Marvellous book . . . one's eyes were on stalks' -- Jan Moir * Daily Mail *'A romp of an autobiography' * The Times T2 *'[An] astounding memoir' -- India Knight * The Sunday Times Magazine *'A candid, witty and stylish memoir' -- Miranda Seymour * Financial Times *'An absolute hoot' * The Times *'This memoir made me laugh, wince, cry and gasp. For anyone who craves a bracing dose of the older generation's stiff upper lip, Anne Glenconner provides it.' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *'Wonderful' -- Janice Turner * The Times *'The insider memoir of the year' -- Julian Glover * Evening Standard *'A remarkable life, remarkably told' * The Sunday Times *'It's impossible not to admire her fortitude . . . funny and sometimes dazzling' -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *'Rollicking . . . [Lady in Waiting] paints such a rich picture of the aristocracy it's impossible not to marvel at the institution, both in admiration and horror' * Sydney Morning Herald *'This outlandish memoir drips with royal tidbits . . . but it's also insightful on the more damaging aspects of being a member of the British aristocracy. Sobering - and terrific fun' * Metro *'The author reads her own words in indomitable fashion, and anyone who enjoyed Craig Brown's life of Glenconner's former employer, Ma'am Darling, will find this fascinating.' * Financial Times *'This year's Ma'am Darling - the perfect book to curl up on the sofa with.' * The i *'This riveting read will leave you open-mouthed and hungry for more.' * Sunday Post *'Fascinating and beautifully written . . . I can't recommend [Glenconner's] book high enough' * Spectator *'Captivating' -- Catherine Bennett * Observer *'Beyond admirable' -- Sophie Money-Coutts * Sunday Telegraph *'Lady in Waiting has made me laugh and cry several times. I raced through it in 4 days. Book heaven' -- Fearne Cotton'Riveting life' -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind.' -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *'One of the most enjoyable books of 2019 . . . Anne Glenconner, now 87, captures a lost world in which she waited (with remarkable good grace) on Princess Margaret. Sometimes the best view of history is given by the minor characters' -- Allison Pearson * Sunday Telegraph *'Such a moving book' -- Bella Mackie'A riotous social document and a beautifully written account of a vivid life superbly lived' * The Critic *'Sparkling, endearing and alarming' * Times Literary Supplement *'[Lady in Waiting] has two things going for it: the first is that it is not what it seems; it is definitely not "a lavender sort of scented memoir" . . . Its other great strength is Glenconner herself' -- Hadley Freeman * Guardian *'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir' * The Wall Street Journal *'Lady Glenconner displays resilience of a different kind in her memoir about the astonishing ups and downs of her artistocratic life' * Mail on Sunday *'Funny, revelatory, poignant, occasionally jaw-dropping' * Sunday Times *'Anne Glenconner writes with wit, generosity and courage about her life in a gilded cage ... Fascinating!' * Platinum *'Finely drawn . . . Glenconner has an eye for detail' * London Review of Books *'The publishing sensation of 2019, this candid, wise, witty and gossip-filled memoir by Princess Margaret's 87-year-old former lady-in-waiting (and best friend) tells the true story behind the scenes in The Crown - and reminds us that, sometimes, it's the minor characters who give us the sharpest view of history' * Daily Telegraph *'A captivating account of a life lived with resilience and grace' * Daily Mail *'The stoical Lady G writes with infectious joy and optimism' * Daily Express *'If you're looking for something to read in lockdown, I can't recommend it highly enough' -- Lorraine Kelly'. . . tremendously touching. It's one of those books that make you long for bed so you can read more!' -- Jilly Cooper * Good Housekeeping *'This funny and touching read will allow you to take a peek inside the glamorous world and volatile life of an aristocrat' * Bella *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE LONDON HELLENIC PRIZE 2017 WINNER OF THE PRIX MÉDITERRANÉE 2018From the award-winning, best-selling writer: a deeply moving tale of a father and son's transformative journey in reading and reliving Homer's epic masterpiece.When eighty-one-year-old retired scientist Jay unexpectedly enrols in his estranged classicist son Daniel's course on the Odyssey, the journey of a lifetime commences. Professor and student glean life lessons from the page over a semester and, that summer, son and father take to the sea to follow Odysseus's epic trail. Reading Homer becomes their chance to understand each other before it's too late. Theirs is a moving and erudite story of filial love and the importance of the classics. Rich with literary and emotional insight and weaving themes of deception and recognition, marriage and children, the pleasures of travel and the meaning of home, this is memoir writing at its finest.Trade Review‘A brilliant family memoir … At its core, it is a funny, loving portrait of a difficult but loving parent: … An Odyssey is a stellar contribution to the genre of memoirs about reading – literary analysis and the personal stories are woven together in a way that feels both artful and natural. A thoughtful book from which non-classicists will learn a great deal about Homer … A funny, loving portrait of a difficult but loving parent: a “much-turning man”’ Emily Wilson, Guardian ‘Combining an in-depth literary analysis with a personal narrative is a bold enterprise. An Odyssey could have been, in the hands of a lesser writer, grandiose. It isn’t. It is so well written that every page makes you feel more alert and alive. The brilliance of An Odyssey lies in the insightfulness of the writing, as Mendelsohn immerses himself in the Odyssey: lives it, breathes it, and presses it for meaning’ Helen Morales, TLS ‘There are a handful of books that have captured the pleasure and romance of this subject. Donna Tartt’s was one … this is another. Homer has a phrase for those who can speak bewitchingly: they have ‘winged words’. Mendelsohn has winged words’ The Times ‘The book enacts a truth that has long been central to Mendelsohn’s writing and teaching, which is that the great works of antiquity remain relevant today. His prose flits seamlessly across intervals and registers, switching from erudite exposition one minute to emotion-filled reminiscence the next. An accomplished, brave book that testifies to what is perhaps The Odyssey’s most abiding message: that intelligence has little value if it isn’t allied to love’ Observer ‘An exquisitely written book about fathers and sons, life and grief’ Mail on Sunday ‘Subtle, profoundly moving … an intricately constructed, multidimensional journey of a father and son and their travails through life and love … A book of shimmering, beautiful, dapple-skilled intelligence’ Adam Nicolson, New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisDuring the ten years she lived at the edge of Putney Common Jilly Cooper walked daily on this expanse of green. The book is a distillation of those diaries: an affectionate and enthralling portrait - warts and all - of life on Putney Common. more tellingly about the sorrows - as well as the joys - of caring for dogs and children;Trade ReviewMiss Cooper's life is a curiously endearing mixture of Joyce Grenfell and August Strindberg - endlessly gracious neighbourly occasions undercut and made bearable by a home life of wonderfully chaotic neurosis and catastrophes - highlighted by sudden and marvellous insights into neighbours and former friends -- Sheridan MorleyAn entrancing book -- Lynda Lee-Potter * Daily Mail *A brilliant and beloved book and absolutely unputdownable -- Elizabeth LongfordSo observant... a delightful book -- Valerie Singleton * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisJames Herriot grew up in Glasgow and qualified as a veterinary surgeon at Glasgow Veterinary College. Shortly afterwards he took up a position as an assistant in a North Yorkshire practice where he remained, with the exception of his wartime service in the RAF, until his death in 1995. He wrote many books about Yorkshire country life, including some for children, but he is best known for his memoirs, beginning with If Only They Could Talk. The books were televised in the enormously popular series All Creatures Great and Small.Trade ReviewBulls with sunstroke, pigs on the run and a cake-eating Peke with a betting habit . . . I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then. -- Kate HumbleHerriot's enchanting tales of life in the Dales are deservedly classics. Full of extraordinary characters, animal and human, the books never fail to delight. -- Amanda Owen, bestselling author of The Yorkshire Shepherdess

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Book SynopsisLove, Nina meets Black Books: a wry and hilarious account of life in Scotland's biggest second-hand bookshop and the band of eccentrics and book-obsessives who work there 'The Diary Of A Bookseller is warm (unlike Bythell's freezing-cold shop) and funny, and deserves to become one of those bestsellers that irritate him so much.' (Mail on Sunday) 'Utterly compelling and Bythell has a Bennett-like eye for the amusing eccentricities of ordinary people ... I urge you to buy this book and please, even at the risk of being insulted or moaned at, buy it from a real live bookseller.' (Charlotte Heathcote Sunday Express) Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop, Wigtown - Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. A book-lover's paradise? Well, almost ... In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.Trade ReviewWarm, witty and laugh-out-loud funny, this gently meandering tale of British eccentricity will stay long in the memory. * Daily Mail *Funny and fascinating in equal measure - a must for all those of us who haunt the sepulchres where old books are laid to rest. * Anthony McGowan *The Diary Of A Bookseller is warm (unlike Bythell's freezing-cold shop) and funny, and deserves to become one of those bestsellers that irritate him so much. -- Jon Dennis * Mail on Sunday *Peopled with fascinating characters ... a sarcastic reminder of the struggles of small business ownership, the importance of community and the frustration of dealing with customers ... occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. * Herald *Wonderfully entertaining. * Observer *Tempted to follow your dream and open a second-hand bookshop? Don't do anything before you read Shaun Bythell ... second-hand bookshops are alive because of people like him. * The National *Utterly compelling and Bythell has a Bennett-like eye for the amusing eccentricities of ordinary people ... I urge you to buy this book and please, even at the risk of being insulted or moaned at, buy it from a real live bookseller. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *I tore through the pages, but I was also rather sad when it finished - I could have read much, much more. Any bibliophiles should race to get a copy. * Shiny New Books *A book and bookshop lover's delight. * Red magazine *Laconic, droll, opinionated and unconvincingly misanthropic ... Wigtown's Pepys. -- Alan Taylor * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisThe story of retired superintendent Dr Leroy Logan, MBE, one of the black officers who helped change the MetTrade ReviewI was amazed and intrigued by the way Leroy had stood his ground and progressed within the Metropolitan Police against so many obstacles: hostility, outright racism and being repeatedly overlooked for promotion. -- Steve McQueen, from the Foreword I have known Leroy for many years and have always been impressed with his ability to look at issues from different angles, to work in partnership with others and not to be afraid of making tough decisions. This timely book is a must for anyone who has a heart for justice in our society, offering a deeper understanding of the issues and hope for a better tomorrow. -- Patrick Regan OBE, CEO of Kintsugi Hope Leroy Logan is a great example of achievement against all the odds. -- The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover Logan tells his story well . . . Readers will benefit from getting to know this clear-thinking, courageous man and the culture he tried to change. * Christianity *

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Book Synopsis“Gato’s head snapped back… We could make out the shots of several 9mms, a couple of 38s and one or two 45s. I hurled myself through the doorway and into the room. I didn’t look back.”Caught in an Ecuador hotel room with 8kg of cocaine, Pieter Tritton was no mule or dupe. He had planned and organised everything. The consequence: a 12-year sentence inside one of the world’s deadliest prison systems, where gun fights, executions and riots are a part of everyday life. As a Brit banged up abroad, Pieter had to learn how to survive – and fast – because one wrong move would mean death.This is the insider account of what it’s like to live in a place worse than hell and come out a changed man on the other side.

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Book Synopsis'Well told, personable, fast-paced, and undoubtedly a fascinating read' Daily TelegraphGripping, moving and wildly exhilarating, Mud, Sweat and Tears is a must-read for adrenalin junkies and armchair adventurers alike.Bear Grylls is a man who has always sought the ultimate in adventure. Growing up on the Isle of Wight, he was taught by his father to sail and climb at an early age. As a teenager he found identity and purpose through both mountaineering and martial arts, which led the young adventurer to the foothills of the mighty Himalaya and a grandmaster's karate training camp in Japan.On returning home, he embarked upon the notoriously gruelling selection course for the British Special Forces to join 21 SAS - a journey that was to push him to the very limits of physical and mental endurance.Then, in a horrific free-fall parachuting accident, Bear broke his back in three places. It was touch and go whether he would ever walk again. However, only eighteen months later Bear became one of the youngest ever climbers to scale Everest, aged only twenty-three. But this was just the beginning of his many extraordinary adventures . . .Known and admired by millions, Bear Grylls has survived where few would dare to go.Readers are calling Mud, Sweat and Tears:'Extraordinary''Inspirational''Heart pounding''Awe-inspiring''A breath of fresh air''Thrilling''Courageous'Trade ReviewMen don't come much tougher than daredevil climber and adventurer, Bear Grylls * Sun *World-famous 'extreme adventurer' Bear Grylls had so far avoided telling his life story - until now. Well told, personable, fast-paced, and undoubtedly a fascinating read * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisNew edition with a foreword by Bernardine Evaristo 'A brutal record of segregated America ... essential reading' Guardian 'An anti-racist classic' Bernardine Evaristo In the autumn of 1959, a white Texan journalist named John Howard Griffin travelled across the Deep South of the United States disguised as a working-class black man. Black Like Me is Griffin's own account of his journey. Published in book form two years later it sold over five million copies, revealed to a white audience the daily experience of racism and became one of the best-known accounts of racial injustice in Jim Crow-era America. Embraced by some and fiercely criticised by others, its legacy sixty years on remains problematic, but Black Like Me nevertheless stands as a fascinating document of its times. 'There is a saying among Negroes that no white man, no matter how hard he tries, can really understand what it's like to be black in America. John Howard Griffin has come closer to this understanding than any white man that I know.' Louis Lomax, Saturday Review 'If it was a frightening experience for him as nothing but a make-believe Negro for sixty-six days, then you think about what real Negroes in America have gone through for 400 years.' Malcolm XTrade ReviewBlack Like Me awoke significant numbers of white Americans to truths about discrimination of which they had been unaware or had denied ... it remains powerful, revealing and moving. * Washington Post *Black Like Me revealed to white America - and Griffin himself - the indignities, abuse and threat of violence that black people had to put up with on a daily basis. * Black History 365 *One of the most extraordinary books ever written about relations between the races -- BBC Radio 4's ‘The Today Programme’One of the most remarkable one-man social and psychological experiments in history ... it is worth reading what he wrote - and then reflecting on how far we have come. And how far we have to go. * BBC News *One of the most fascinating journalistic investigations carried out in the USA ... when Griffin described what he experienced, it awoke a vast section of the American public to what was happening in their country. * Voice *A brutal record of segregated America ... essential reading * Guardian *An important, illuminating and fascinating read -- Bernardine Evaristo * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA Daily Mail Book of the Year. A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year.Famed American actress Demi Moore at last tells her own story in a surprisingly intimate and emotionally charged memoir.For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight or the headlines.Even as Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception. As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress and, always, if she was simply good enough.As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman's at once ordinary and iconic life.

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Book SynopsisThe third collection of memoirs from the author who inspired the BBC and Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small. This omnibus edition comprises of Vets Might Fly and Vet in a Spin. Training as an RAF pilot in the smoke and bustle of London is a far cry from James Herriot’s day job as a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales. And while he is keen to serve Queen and country, James cannot help but miss his life in Darrowby - despite frequent arguments between his colleagues, bad-tempered cattle and equally irritable farmers, and the continuing saga of Cedric the flatulent dog. But most of all he misses his wife Helen; pregnant with their first child. The question is constantly hanging over him - will he be going to war? And when will he get to go home? Since they were first published, James Herriot’s memoirs have sold millions of copies and entranced generations of animal lovers. Charming, funny and touching, All Things WisTrade ReviewBulls with sunstroke, pigs on the run and a cake-eating Peke with a betting habit . . . I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then. -- Kate HumbleHerriot's enchanting tales of life in the Dales are deservedly classics. Full of extraordinary characters, animal and human, the books never fail to delight. -- Amanda Owen, bestselling author of The Yorkshire Shepherdess

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Book SynopsisA book about intense physical and personal experience, narrating how Victoria Whitworth began swimming in the cold waters of Orkney as a means of escaping a failing marriage. This is a memoir of intense physical and personal experience, exploring how swimming with seals, gulls and orcas in the cold waters off Orkney provided Victoria Whitworth with an escape from a series of life crises and helped her to deal with intolerable loss. It is also a treasure chest of history and myth, local folklore and archaeological clues, giving us tantalising glimpses of Pictish and Viking men and women, those people lost to history, whose long-hidden secrets are sometimes yielded up by the land and sea.Trade ReviewThere's no shortage of books about wild swimming... Perhaps the most intriguing of the lot is Swimming with Seals' * Scotland on Sunday *onderfully evocative... Fascinating... The writing is consistently alert and engaging' * Scotsman *Attentive, astute and beautiful... I adored it' -- Amy Liptrot, author of The OutrunI finished this book wanting to find a cold lido, or jump into a lake, or walk into the cold sea and stay there for as long as I could stand it, and then do it again * Guardian *Each little "dreamlike postcard" in this captivating book takes you deeper into the world novelist Victoria Whitworth experienced as a sea-swimmer in the wild waters of Orkney' * Sainsbury's Magazine *The author's descriptions of the coastline in Orkney and the savannah in Kenya, where she spent some of her childhood, are sharp and original... enjoy wallowing in the richness of her theological, philosophical and literary knowledge' * The National *An eloquent celebration of swimming in the cold waters of Orkney and a fascinating memoir * Half Man Half Book *A tale of redemption through nature and water's powerful ability to heal * Outdoor Photography *Intelligent, wide-reaching memoir... somehow refreshing, and calming, even in its introspection' * The Bookseller. *Absorbing and thrilling -- Ella Foote, Outdoor SwimmingThe first thing that hooked me into this story was the sea... An unusual [memoir]' * Evening Standard *She writes beautifully of selkies and mermaids * Guardian *This isn't really a book about swimming at all, but a book about how we are controlled by the voices of the dead; about how the whole of life is necessarily a seance. That's a humbling perspective * Five Books *An extraordinary book * TLS *An intensely painful and personal memoir... This tapestry of myth, folklore and history, woven alongside her own story, imbues it with extra meaning and emotion. You'll be raring to jump into the freezing cold sea after reading this' * Scotland Magazine *

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Book SynopsisEdward Said experienced both British and American imperialism as the old Arab order crumbled in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This account of his early life reveals how it influenced his books Orientalism and Culture and Imperialism. Edward Said was born in Jerusalem and brought up in Cairo, spending every summer in the Lebanese mountain village of Dhour el Shweir, until he was 'banished' to America in 1951. This work is a mixture of emotional archaeology and memory, exploring an essentially irrecoverable past. As ill health sets him thinking about endings, Edward Said returns to his beginnings in this personal memoir of his ferociously demanding 'Victorian' father and his adored, inspiring, yet ambivalent mother.Trade ReviewEdward Said is among the truly important intellectuals of our century. His examined life, from the tragic and triumphant perspective of a mortal illness, is superbly worth living. I know I shall not read an autobiography to match this one for many years -- Nadine GordimerSaid is capable of writing like a gifted novelist, like a Palestinian Proust * Independent on Sunday *Out of Place recreates the sights and sounds, the smells and shouts, of a lost world, as Gunter Grass did for Danzig or Joyce for turn-of-the-century Dublin ... One of the greatest cities of our age has produced a work of art, one of the noblest autobiographies of our time * Irish Times *A fine elegy and a scrupulous reckoning with the past -- Marina Warner, Books of the Year * Daily Telegraph *This delicate and candid memoir by a very private man moved me enormously. Written in "counterpoint" to his illness (leukaemia) at times when he was recovering from chemotherapy, its importance may be measured by the ferocity of the public attempt which preceded and accompanied publication to discredit him as an authentic Palestinian voice -- Ahdaf SoueifOut of Place is an intensely moving act of reclamation and understanding, a portrait of a transcultural and often painful upbringing written with wonderful vividness and unsparing honesty. To read it is to come to know [Said's] family and his younger self as closely as we know characters in literature, to be shown, intimately and unforgettably, what it has meant in the last half-century to be a Palestinian -- Salman Rushdie

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Book SynopsisAn irresistible collection of essays and memoir from the internationally bestselling, Women’s Prize-winning author of The Dutch House 'Any story that starts will also end.' As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth as she explores family, friendship, marriage, failure, success, and what it all means. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: essays that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Ranging from the personal – her portrait of the three men she called her fathers; unexpectedly falling into a life-changing friendship with Tom Hanks; how to answer when someone asks why you don’t have children – to the sublime – exploring the Harvard Museum of Natural History before its doors open; the unexpected influence of Snoopy; the importance of knitting – each essay transforms the particular into the universal, letting us all see our own worlds anew. Illuminating, penetrating, funny and generous, These Precious Days is joyful time spent in the company of one of our greatest living authors.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR ANN PATCHETT: Patchett leads us to a truth that feels like life rather than literature -- Elizabeth Lowry * Times Literary Supplement, Book of the Year *One of my top favourite contemporary writers. I don’t think that there’s a book of hers that I haven’t put down at the end and been haunted by for weeks after -- Gillian AndersonFew novelists today combine such a forensic eye with an acute and humane understanding of human nature. I would read Ann Patchett’s shopping list -- Jojo MoyesShe is one of those rare writers, like Anne Enright or Anne Tyler, who is able to convey poignancy and humour in the space of a single sentence -- Elizabeth DayPatchett is a pleasure to read: there is a no-fuss casualness to the prose that is only possible when a writer is in control of every word and she is master of her art * Observer *Stunning -- India Knight * Sunday Times *We expect a lot from Patchett … This does not let her, or us, down * The Times *Like climbing into a luxurious automobile and hitting the road on a perfect day. Patchett is in the driver’s seat and I don’t mind where she takes me -- Erica Wagner * New Statesman *Spoken about in the same breath as the likes of Jennifer Egan or Dave Eggers, Patchett is one of the most celebrated novelists of our times … But it is her new book, widely billed a one of this autumn’s best new reads, where she truly comes into her own * Sunday Times Magazine *Bliss -- Nigella Lawson

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Book SynopsisAfter travelling to Spain at the end of 1936 with the intention of working as a correspondent for a British socialist newspaper, thirty-three-year-old George Orwell decided to join the Republican efforts to overturn Franco’s Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. Having enrolled in the POUM militias, the young writer was soon forced to experience first-hand the hardships and dangers of trench warfare, before becoming involved in the Barcelona May Day street fighting and nearly being killed by a bullet on his return to the front line. Orwell’s initial idealistic dreams of a victorious fight against fascism were gradually tainted by doubt and disillusionment as the divisions and infighting within the Republican coalition became apparent. Part war memoir, part tract, part exposé, Homage to Catalonia is a pivotal work in Orwell’s œuvre, and a key to understanding his political ideas and commitment to the socialist cause. Rejected by Orwell’s long-standing publisher, Gollancz, on political grounds, it is here presented in its original version, as published by Secker & Warburg in 1938.Trade ReviewA moving eyewitness account... [A] brilliant book - Noam Chomsky

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Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture called The Mauritanian 'A vision of hell, beyond Orwell, beyond Kafka' JOHN LE CARRÉThe first and only diary written by a Guantánamo detainee during his imprisonment, now with previous censored material restored.Mohamedou Ould Slahi was imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay in 2002.There he suffered the worst of what the prison had to offer, including months of sensory deprivation, torture and sexual assault.In October 2016 he was released without charge.This is his extraordinary story.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary account . . . the global war on terror has found in a Mauritanian captive its true and complete witness * * Guardian * *A vision of hell, beyond Orwell, beyond Kafka -- JOHN LE CARRÉUnnerving yet ultimately magnificent . . . there is something special about Guantánamo Diary that lifts it from human rights polemic to the realm of literary magic * * Sunday Times * *The work is a kind of dark masterpiece, a sometimes unbearable epic of pain, anguish and bitter humour * * New York Times * *Heartbreaking . . . there has never been a book quite like this . . . extraordinary and overwhelming * * New Statesman * *This Guantánamo detainee's harrowing memoir is a tremendous achievement - and a grave warning against ignoring the rule of law * * Observer * *This is a necessary book. It reminds us that the evil we're fighting can be found in ourselves as well as our enemies * * Daily Telegraph * *A sobering, often chilling, read. Slahi's story deserves to be widely read * * Independent * *Slahi's book offers a reminders that the struggles we face in these difficult times involve real individuals, not faceless creatures who are to be characterised as members as one or other hated group. That he has resorted to words, the mightiest of weapons, even as his incarceration continues, makes his experience all the more relevant today * * Financial Times * *A harrowing account of [Mohamedou Ould Slahi's] detention, interrogation, and abuse . . . One of the most stubborn, deliberate and cruel Guantánamo interrogations on record * * Slate * *

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Book SynopsisThis famous book, the inspiration behind Kate Bush's 1985 hit song 'Cloudbusting', is the extraordinary account of life as friend, confidant and child of the brilliant but persecuted psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich. Peter, his son, shared with his father the revolutionary concept of a world where dream and reality are virtually indistinguishable, and the sense of mission which set him and his followers apart from the rest of the human race. Here, Peter Reich writes vividly and movingly of the mysterious experiences he shared with his father: of flying saucers; the 'cloudbuster' rain-makers and the FDA narks; and of the final tragic realization of his father's death, which woke him up to the necessity of living out his life in an alien world. Already regarded as a modern classic, A Book of Dreams is not only a beautifully written narrative of a remarkable friendship and collaboration, but a loving son's heartfelt tribute to a loving father.

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Book SynopsisNearly thirteen years after Australia welcomed Jessica Watson and Ella's Pink Lady home from their record-breaking adventure, a new-release feature film will soon share the story of this remarkable young woman who followed her dream and conquered the world.

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Book SynopsisNow in paperback, Thi Sui's intimate and moving portrait of her family's journey from their war-torn home in Vietnam to their new lives in AmericaTrade Review“In The Best We Could Do, Bui poignantly depicts her parents’ journey and struggle from war-torn Vietnam in comic form—and it’s one book you can’t miss.” Medium "This is a stunning graphic novel that is not only enjoyable but important. It’s a memoir about Thi’s story of immigration, family, and hardship. It is a book that proves yet again how powerful the graphic novel medium can be in creating empathy and understanding." Tillie Walden, author of On a Sunbeam’ “In telling the story of her childhood in the U.S. and, later, the birth of her son, Bui explores her relationship with her mother and father, reflecting on how their experiences shaped them as individuals.” The Chicago Reader online “…a cinematic epic, following several generations through the travails of immigration and emotional dislocation.” PBS NewsHour Online “The book delves as much into her family's history as it does Vietnam's; traumatic things her parents had seen as children and young adults in the years before and during the war… For now, she's reconciled her story with her parents' — and she says hopes her book can provide a starting point for others to do the same.” All Things Considered, NPR

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Book SynopsisVivienne Westwood is one of the icons of our age. Fashion designer, activist, co-creator of punk, global brand and grandmother; a true legend. Her career successfully spanned five decades and her work has influenced millions of people across the world.For the first and only time, Vivienne Westwood has written a personal memoir, collaborating with award-winning biographer Ian Kelly, to describe the events, people and ideas that have shaped her extraordinary life.Told in all its glamour and glory, and with her unique voice, unexpected perspective and passionate honesty, this is her story.Trade ReviewThis wonderful memoir, which is adorned with beautiful images, provides a captivating portrait of a fascinating character * Daily Mail *An uproarious picaresque romp through Westwood's wild life * Daily Telegraph *This serious biography explores not only Westwood's life and career but also decades of British history and the way in which the fashion industry has developed. . .I consumed the 500-page biography in gulps, cramming it in and then decelerating to wallow in Kelly's sinuous prose * Business Day’s Wanted *I consumed the 500-page biography in gulps, cramming it in and then decelerating to wallow in Kelly's sinuous prose.In a world where clothes are designed to become unfashionable almost upon wearing them, Vivienne Westwood reminded me of why I'm so drawn to the industry and shows how fashion, as a wearable expression of art, can change the world for the better * Sartorial Reads *Table of ContentsChapter - 1: Everything is Connected Chapter - 2: The Girl in the Utility Dress Chapter - 3: Let it Rock Chapter - 4: Mrs Westwood's Wedding Dress Chapter - 5: The Dirty-Turquoise Skirt Chapter - 6: Sex at the World's End Chapter - 7: New York Doll Chapter - 8: God Save the Queen Chapter - 9: Thurleigh Court Chapter - 10: Pirate Princess Chapter - 11: Maid in Italy Chapter - 12: Culture Club Chapter - 13: Fräulein Kronthaler Chapter - 14: ‘Dowager Empress West’ Chapter - 15: Climate Revolutionary Chapter - 16: The River Flows On Section - i: Chronology: A Life in Fashion and Activism Acknowledgements - ii: Acknowledgements Section - iii: Notes on Sources Index - iv: Index Section - v: About the Author

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Book SynopsisFrom one of our most beloved and bestselling authors, a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950s.Born in 1951 in the middle of the United States, Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Bryson is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24 carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generation, Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around the house wearing a jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel round his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing evildoers (in his head) as The Thunderbolt Kid.Using his childhood fantasy life as a springboard, Bill Bryson recreates the life of his family in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality. In a period that saw the inexorable rise of television, the opening of Disneyland, the testing of the atomic bomb, and the explosion of choice in everything from food to cars, Bill Bryson's days followed in reassuringly cosy succession, enlivened by modest triumphs and disasters.Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, The Rise and Fall of the Thunderbolt Kid is a modern classic, full of Bill Bryson's inimitable, pitch-perfect observations............................................................................................................................................'Seriously funny' The Sunday Times'A funny, effortlessly readable, quietly enchanted memoir' Daily Mail'A wittily incisive book about innocence, and its limits, but in no sense an innocent book... Like Alan Bennett, another ironist posing as a sentimentalist, Bryson can play the teddy-bear and then deliver a sudden, grizzly-style swipe' Independent'Outlandishly and improbably entertaining... inevitably [I] would be reduced to body-racking, tear-inducing, de-couching laughter' New York Times'Characteristic mixture of bemused wit, acerbic astonishment and sweet benevolence... His evocation of an era is near perfect: tender, hilarious and true' The TimesTrade ReviewA wittily incisive book about innocence, and its limits, but in no sense an innocent book... Like Alan Bennett, another ironist posing as a sentimentalist, Bryson can play the teddy-bear and then deliver a sudden, grizzly-style swipe... might tell us as much about the oddities of the American way as a dozen think-tanks -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *A funny, effortlessly readable, quietly enchanted memoir... Bryson also provides a quirky social history of America... he always manages to slam on the brakes with a good joke just when things might get sentimental * Daily Mail *Characteristic mixture of bemused wit, acerbic astonishment and sweet benevolence... Evocation of an era is near perfect: tender, hilarious and true * The Times *Outlandishly and improbably entertaining... inevitably [I] would be reduced to body-racking, tear-inducing, de-couching laughter * The New York Times *Seriously funny * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisJames Herriot grew up in Glasgow and qualified as a veterinary surgeon at Glasgow Veterinary College. Shortly afterwards he took up a position as an assistant in a North Yorkshire practice where he remained, with the exception of his wartime service in the RAF, until his death in 1995. He wrote many books about Yorkshire country life, including some for children, but he is best known for his memoirs, beginning with If Only They Could Talk. The books were televised in the enormously popular series All Creatures Great and Small.Trade ReviewI grew up reading James Herriot's books and I'm delighted that thirty years on, they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then -- Kate HumbleHerriot’s enchanting tales of life in the Dales are deservedly classics. Full of extraordinary characters, animal and human, the books never fail to delight -- Amanda Owen, bestselling author of The Yorkshire ShepherdessThe attraction of Herriot’s ever popular memoirs of a country vet . . . is their alternating highs and lows, humour and pathos, and gripping anecdotes about delivering lambs, grumpy farmers, hypochondriac pet-owners, stroppy cows and blunt Yorkshire characters. And, of course, there’s a powerful nostalgia element in these stories about our green and pleasant land in the day before the ravages of ribbon development * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisBest known for his academt award-winning role as Dith Pran in "The Killing Fields", for Haing Ngor his greatest performance was not in Hollywood but in the rice paddies and labour camps of war-torn Cambodia. Here, in his memoir of life under the Khmer Rouge, is a searing account of a country's descent into hell. His was a world of war slaves and execution squads, of senseless brutality and mind-numbing torture; where families ceased to be and only a very special love could soar above the squalor, starvation and disease. An eyewitness account of the real killing fields by an extraordinary survivor, this book is a reminder of the horrors of war - and a testament to the enduring human spirit.Trade ReviewProfound, personal, and proud . . . one of the more important autobiographies of our time. * Los Angeles Times *Ngor shows the awful price he paid to play his role so brilliantly. His well-crafted book makes an unimaginable horror come to life. * Washington Post Book World *A superb book . . . perhaps the best . . . so far . . . on what it is like . . . to live under the still inexplicable horrors of the Khmer Rouge. * Sunday Times *The best book on Cambodia ever published. * Chicago Tribune *A terrible and thrilling story. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisGive them a feckin'' great time with the hilarious and remarkably honest autobiography from the star of Mrs Brown''s Boys, Brendan O''CarrollA story of humour born of pain, success wrung from adversity and of the steely ambition beneath the affable exterior - Sunday Life__________ ''What? What is it?'' ''You''re colour-blind.'' Nothing? Nothing? I was aghast. ''But that could be dangerous. I mean, when I start to drive how will I be able to tell traffic lights?'' ''I''ll give you a hint, son, the red one is on the forking top.'' Before he became the nation''s favourite Mammy, Brendan O''Carroll was known simply as Brendan. The youngest of ten children from a poor family in Dublin, Brendan left school at the mere age of 12 to begin what would become a long and varied working life. He would go on to be a waiter, a publican, a window cleaner and a publisher amongst other jobs. TTrade ReviewA story of humour born of pain, success wrung from adversity and of the steely ambition beneath the affable exterior * Sunday Life *

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Book SynopsisMy Family and Other Animals is the bewitching account of a rare and magical childhood on the island of Corfu by treasured British conservationist Gerald Durrell, beautifully repackaged as part of the Penguin Essentials range.''What we all need,'' said Larry, ''is sunshine...a country where we can grow.''''Yes, dear, that would be nice,'' agreed Mother, not really listening. ''I had a letter from George this morning - he says Corfu''s wonderful. Why don''t we pack up and go to Greece?''''Very well, dear, if you like,'' said Mother unguardedly. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu.But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies.Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood.''Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities'' Sunday Telegraph''A bewitching book'' Sunday TimesGerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, India, in 1925. He returned to England in 1928 before settling on the island of Corfu with his family. In 1945 he joined the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper, and in 1947 he led his first animal-collecting expedition to the Cameroons. He later undertook numerous further expeditions, visiting Paraguay, Argentina, Sierra Leone, Mexico, Mauritius, Assam and Madagascar. His first television programme, Two in the Bush which documented his travels to New Zealand, Australia and Malaya was made in 1962; he went on to make seventy programmes about his trips around the world. In 1959 he founded the Jersey Zoological Park, and in 1964 he founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. He was awarded the OBE in 1982. Encouraged to write about his life''s work by his brother, Durrell published his first book, The Overloaded Ark, in 1953. It soon became a bestseller and he went on to write thirty-six other titles, including My Family and Other Animals, The Bafut Beagles, Encounters with Animals, The Drunken Forest, A Zoo in My Luggage, The Whispering Land, Menagerie Manor, The Amateur Naturalist and The Aye-Aye and I. Gerald Durrell died in 1995.Trade ReviewA bewitching book * Sunday Times *Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisIn 2004, bad boy Billy Fingers Cohen, a homeless small-time drug dealer and addict in a state of drug induced euphoria ran into a busy intersection and was killed instantly by a speeding automobile. He left behind a grieving sister. For weeks she struggled with grief and tried to make sense of Billy''s seemingly wasted life and tragic death.A few weeks after his death, William Cohen, aka Billy Fingers, woke his sister Annie at dawn. ''I''m drifting weightlessly through these glorious stars and galaxies and I feel a Divine Presence, a kind, loving beneficent presence, twinkling all around me.''Billy''s ongoing after-death communications take his sister on an unprecedented journey into the bliss and wonder of life beyond death. Billy''s profound, detailed description of the mystical realms he traverses, the Beings of Light that await him, and the wisdom he receives take the reader beyond the near-death experience. Billy is, indeed, as Dr. Raymond Moody points ouTrade ReviewA fresh, uplifting thoroughly modern account of life after death. I wholeheartedly recommend you read it. * Gordon Smith *The Afterlife of Billy Fingers is one of the best books I've read on the subject of life after death. Part of the book's premise is Annie's questioning whether her communication with Billy is real or her own craziness, and that mystery keeps us reading and seeking answers. We want to find out for ourselves what the source of this communication really is. Along the way, what Billy tells Annie is inspiring, enlightening, and insightful. * Hal Zina Bennett *...a work of transcendent wisdom, irreverent humour and sublime beaut * Mirabi Starr, author of 'Dark Night of the Soul' *The Afterlife of Billy Fingers is an extraordinary example of extended after-death communication. It's one of the most powerful, liberating and healing books on 'life after death' I've ever read. * Barry Guggenheim, Author of 'Hello From Heaven' *A fascinating book! * Dr Raymond Moody *

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Book Synopsis‘Churchill’s Little Redhead’ is the autobiography of much-travelled author and television presenter, Celia Sandys, Winston Churchill’s granddaughter. In 1959 she accompanied her grandparents on the ‘Christina’, Aristotle Onassis’s superyacht, for a grand tour of the Mediterranean with another guest, the legendary diva, Maria Callas. During the extraordinary journey, sixteen-year-old Celia witnessed the burgeoning romance between Onassis and Callas, a love affair which resulted in two divorces within a year. Celia was born in war-ravaged London in 1943, the daughter of Duncan Sandys, her grandfather’s Minister of Supply in his war cabinet, and Diana Churchill. Celia recalls in much detail post-war rationing and the make-do atmosphere that prevailed at the time. In her spirited book she describes the ups and downs of her three marriages, from which she bore three sons and a daughter. The sad death of her divorced mother is touched upon with tenderness, and the death of her favourite aunt, Sarah, who had spent several years deteriorating into alcoholism following the sudden death of her beloved husband is narrated with much understanding and obvious love. Once her children had flown the nest, Celia developed a new career as an author and wrote three books on her grandfather. One of which, ‘Chasing Churchill’, led her to present it as a television series, in which she travelled the world re-tracing her grandfather’s footsteps: from his military escapades in Cuba, the Boer War, his vital wartime meetings with President Roosevelt and countless other visits to his ‘other country’ the United States. A thoroughly modern and independent woman of spirit, Celia’s eventful life makes for a fascinating read.Table of ContentsChurchill Family Tree; Foreword; Acknowledgements and Picture Credits; Introduction; 1 Tuesday’s Child; 2 A Pink Cake; 3 A Tale of Three Childhoods; 4 Schooled for a Belted Earl; 5 Coming Out; 6 Travels with my Grandfather; 7 Growing Up; 8 White Mischief; 9 The Passing of a Legend; 10 A Politician’s Wife; 11 Living on my Wits; 12 Gorgeous Gianni; 13 More Adventures; 14 A Merciful Death; 15 A General’s Wife’s; 16 A Little Box of Treasure; 17 Telly Time; 18 Never Give In.

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Book SynopsisAlex Henshaw was awarded his private pilot''s in 1932 and made a name for himself during the 1930s competing in the air races which were to popular at the time. At the start of World War Two he became a test pilot first for Vickers Armstrong but was then invited by Jeffrey Quill to test Spitfires at Eastleigh. In June 1940, Henshaw moved to the Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham shortly afterwards becoming Chief Test Pilot there.In the years that followed, he flew thousands of the Spitfires and Seafires which were built at the plant, sometimes test flying as many as 20 different aircraft in a single day. By the end of the war, 37,000 test flights had been made with Henshaw flying an estimated ten percent of all Spitfires ever built. It could be hazardous work and two test pilots working from Castle Bromwich were killed in crashes. Often flying in poor conditions and landing without aids of any kind, Henshaw''s breathtaking acrobatic style and complete mastery of the aircraft were to save his life on several occasions.This is a new impression of a classic book about a truly classic aircraft. Much has been written about the Spitfire but as the reviewer of Sigh for a Merlin in Pilot Magazine put it, ''If you only buy one Spitfire book, make this it.''

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Book SynopsisIn 1939 the writer Enid Barraud, disillusioned with her city life, left London and went to live in a village in Cambridgeshire, joining what became known as The Women's Land Army, one of thousands of women who worked the land, while war raged overhead and abroad. In her recently rediscovered memoir, Set My Hand Upon The Plough, first published in 1946, Enid writes with remarkable candour and honesty about her life on the farm on the Home Front. Barraud preferred to identify as male, was known to the other farm workers as John, and lived with her female partner. The book now joins the ranks of important LGBT memoirs and casts new light on the lives of men and women who fought or worked for the liberation of Europe. This new edition has an introduction by Luke Turner, author of Out of the Woods and Men at War.

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Book SynopsisA victim of violent abuse at the hands of his stepfather, Lenny spent much of his teenage life in borstal as he began to follow a life of crime. However, it was his ability as a fighter that was to turn his life around. Lenny McLean inspired fear in many, but respect from all, as he became a bare-knuckle fighting legend. His fame became even greater in later life, appearing in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels just as his autobiography was reaching the top of the bestsellers chart. Lenny's untimely death from cancer in 1998 marked the beginning of the end of the old Cockney way of life and interest in his story has only increased since his passing, inspiring documentaries as well as a feature film, My Name is Lenny. In these unedited conversations between Lenny and his 'book man' Peter Gerrard, featuring many anecdotes that did not appear in The Guv'nor, we get to see the man behind the public image. As he looks back on his life, these transcripts reveal Lenny's humour and charm as well as the volatility that made him one of the most notorious figures ever to emerge from the East End.

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Book SynopsisShirley, The Life of a Botanical Adventurer is the remarkable story of Dr Shirley Sherwood, scientist, author, travel writer, gardener as well as mother and grandmother. Following the tragic death of her brilliant scientist husband, Michael Cross, in a freak air crash in 1964, she was left as a 30-year-old widow with two young boys aged four and three. For the next twelve years she worked as a key member of the Nobel Prize-winning team which developed Tagamet, the first block-buster drug (sales of over $1 billion a year). After her marriage to Jim Sherwood in 1977, she left science to concentrate full-time on the huge task of restoring the fabled Orient-Express train, probably the most luxurious and exotic form of travel ever devised. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, running between London and Venice, was relaunched in 1982, ninety-nine years after its first journey. Sherwood's history of the project sold more than 400,000 copies. The Orient-Express train was just the beginning. The Sherwoods went on to create the five-star Orient-Express Hotels company (now Belmond), which owned some of the finest hotels in the world, including the Cipriani in Venice, the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and the Copacabana Palace in Rio. They pioneered new train routes across the Alps, started the Eastern & Oriental Express running between Singapore and Bangkok- crossing over the Bridge on the River Kwai- opened up tourism in Myanmar with the first cruise ship to operate on the Irrawaddy, and took over the railways of Peru, which run all the way to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. Her most lasting achievement, the one of which she is proudest, is the Shirley Sherwood Collection of contemporary botanical art, which she started in 1990 and now includes over 1,000 paintings and drawings representing the work of more than 300 contemporary botanical artists from 36 countries. She has mounted exhibitions in many prestigious locations including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town and the Real Jardin Botanico, Madrid. The Shirley Sherwood Gallery in Kew Gardens is the first museum to be dedicated to modern botanical art and her books, which often accompanied her exhibitions, have been largely responsible for re-establishing botanical art in its rightful place as an important art form. These are just some of the many achievements in a long and rich life, vividly described in this book.Trade Review"Shirley Sherwood put botanical art firmly back on the agenda with her incredible collection and her unremitting quest for only the very best." – Sir Roy Strong CH FRSL “A remarkable and sophisticated life of science, travel and passion for the best of contemporary botanical art." - Sir Peter Crane FRS "Shirley is an inspiration in how to use one’s gifts wisely and live life well. Her memoir is a delight." - Dame Mary Archer"this is a compelling tale of a life rich in incident and bravery" -- Steven Desmond

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