Autobiography: general Books

Book SynopsisWhen the journalist Lynn Barber was 16, she was picked up at a bus-stop by an attractive older man who drew up in his sports car - and her life was almost wrecked. A bright confident girl, on course to go to Oxford, she began a relationship which, incredibly, was encouraged by her conventional, suburban parents and which took her into the louche, semi-criminal world of west London just as the 1960s began. Ruin beckoned, until one day she made an important discovery.''An Education'', the opening piece of this fascinating memoir, was highly praised when first published in Granta magazine, and is currently being filmed by the BBC with a Nick Hornby script.Trade ReviewCandid, unsentimental and extremely funny. I read it in one glorious go, laughing and crying throughout. -- Zoe Heller

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Book Synopsis''One of the gems of the year'' - Michele Magwood, Sunday Times (Books LIVE SA)The story of a young man fighting to recover from a devastating psychotic break and the mother who refuses to give up on him.Zack McDermott, a twenty-six-year-old Brooklyn public defender, woke up one morning convinced he was being filmed as part of an audition for a TV pilot. Every passerby was an actor; every car would magically stop for him; everything he saw was a cue from ''The Producer'' to help inspire the performance of a lifetime. After a manic spree around Manhattan, Zack, who is bipolar, was arrested on a subway platform and admitted to hospital. So begins the story of Zack''s free fall into psychosis and his desperate, poignant, often darkly funny struggle to claw his way back to sanity, regain his identity, and rebuild some semblance of a stable life. It''s a journey that will take him from New York City back to his Kansas roots and to the one person who Trade ReviewA startlingly moving memoir of mother and son, structural injustice, and inflammable mental illness. Gorilla and the Bird is as piss-cuttin' a pietà as anyone has any right to hope for. And Zack McDermott- the guy's a fleet, funny, unsentimental storyteller who manages that rare thing: he allows a damaged soul to be found. -- Kent Russell, author of I Am Sorry to Think I Have Raised a Timid SonThis remarkable book illustrates Willam Osler's dictum, 'Ask not what disease the person has, but rather what person the disease has.' When that disease is bipolar disorder spiked with the Truman Show delusion, and that person is Zack McDermott, a terrific and terrifically funny writer, the result is an incredibly powerful read. Zack's mother, endlessly strong and supportive, reminds us that we also need to ask what family the disease has. -- Joel Gold, MD, author of Suspicious Minds: The Truman Show Delusion and Other Strange BeliefsZack McDermott's portrait of a mind under assault from bipolar illness is both fascinating and heartbreaking to observe, and he takes us into his experience with riveting intensity. But McDermott's real achievement is capturing the moving determination and steadfast love of the mother who saves him, the remarkable Bird who breaks the loneliness, quiets the fear, and gives him a home worth returning to. -- George Hodgman, New York Times bestselling author of BettyvilleThis book is one of the gems of the year -- Michele Magwood * Sunday Times (SA) *Breathless, funny, absurd and often completely inappropriate . . . McDermott's insights on mental illness [are] extremely refreshing. The humour and affection with which McDermott describes both his clients and his fellow psych-ward inmates never veers into mawkishness or pity - a rare quality in literature on this topic. Understandably, writers often avoid making jokes about mental illness or those who suffer from it . . . but it is this unconventional approach that makes McDermott's writing so compelling. Those of us who have ever had a psychotic episode or a breakdown, or have ever been in psychiatric hospital, will know that there's a rich vein of dark humour bubbling beneath the surface. McDermott doesn't just acknowledge that: he revels in it, and the result is utterly charming. -- Emily Reynolds * Times Literary Supplement *Despite the subject being really rather heart-wrenching, I found myself laughing out loud at regular intervals throughout Zack's memoir. This is a depiction of mental illness in all of its raw, unnerving honesty - and a true testament to the life-changing power a mother's love can deliver to you. Everybody needs a Bird in their life. -- Stella Dwyer * Grazia *

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Book SynopsisLibanius, one of the last great publicists and teachers of Greek paganism, has much to tell us about the tumultuous world of the fourth century AD. His works include Orations, the first of which is an autobiography, and Letters.

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Book SynopsisLibanius, one of the last great publicists and teachers of Greek paganism, has much to tell us about the tumultuous world of the fourth century AD. His works include Orations, the first of which is an autobiography, and Letters.

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Book SynopsisToday, Paddy Armstrong is a husband and father, and it has been over twenty-seven years since his conviction was quashed. But the memory of his experiences lives on. For the first time and with unflinching candour, he lays bare the experiences of those years and their aftermath.

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Book SynopsisPeople have been enchanted by elephants for centuries. For Gerry Creighton, this fascination began at an early age; his father was a keeper at Dublin Zoo and instilled in him a love and respect for animals. Gerry followed his father and joined the zoo at 15, where he would spend the next 36 years observing, studying and caring for elephants.Raised by the Zoo tells the story of Gerry's life in service to the many animals at Dublin Zoo a place that holds fond memories for every family across Ireland. Filled with a lively cast of the zoo's inhabitants including Lucy the Chimp and Upali the Elephant it captures a pivotal period in Dublin Zoo's history and underscores the importance of environmental conservation efforts around the world.

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Book Synopsis8 August 1963; a railway track in Buckinghamshire. The moon shines clearly over Bruce Reynolds and sixteen other men robbing a train of its sacks of money. The Great Train Robbery has entered British folklore as one of the most audacious and extraordinary crimes of the twentieth century. The haul 2,631,684 - is, in todays money, a staggering 26 million.Bruce Reynolds, the leader of the gang, was sentenced to 25 years in prison; even the Commissioner of the Met, Sir Robert Mark, thought that excessive. On its first publication in 1995 Bruce Reynolds autobiography was widely acclaimed and it is now regarded as a classic in the true crime genre. Now reissued with a new introduction and final chapter, the story is brought up to date to include the return of Ronnis Biggs to the UK, the deaths of Buster Edwards, Roy James and Taters Chatham and the continuing story of Reynolds life since his release from jail, as well as dozens of previously unseen photographs.Trade ReviewHis story stands apart ... skilful enough to capture both the immediate excitement of crime and the dull price it so often extracts * The Times *Far superior in style and narrative to the standard self-serving criminal memoir * Guardian *Exceptional... elegantly writtenAmazes and immorally amuses with his high-living, anti-establishment career * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisPractical, inspiring, and thought-provoking, Common Threads shines a light on the impact of trauma and mental illness on individuals and their families as they search for healing.From a young age, Melissa Collins Harrell was acquainted with the toll mental illness can take on a family, particularly children. Although she knew her parents loved her, she was thrust into the role of caregiver at the stage of life when she needed to be cared for. Through dance, faith, and a growing resiliency, Melissa began her healing journey. She pursued training in counseling and public health, had a family, and built a good life. But more trauma was waiting for her.In this moving memoir that weaves together her personal life and professional work, she provides resiliency tips, inspirational and uplifting scriptures, and insight and commentary based on her own experiences. It''s an offering that will reach into the hearts of those suffering from trauma as well as the helping prof

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Book SynopsisSheila Tofield tells her moving true story about being a single mother in 1950s Britain, in The Unmarried Mother.''A searing, honest testimony'' Lesley PearseSheila grew up in Rotherham, the daughter of an uncaring mother who made her believe she was useless, stupid and - most painfully of all - unlovable. As a young woman, her worst childhood fears were confirmed when her fiancé broke off their engagement without an explanation. Heartbroken and vulnerable, Sheila was easy prey to the worst type of man - a man who turned his back on her when she told him she was carrying his child. In Fifties Britain, an unmarried, pregnant girl received,not sympathy but censure and contempt. Shunned by most of her family, Sheila ended up in a Church of England home for unmarried mothers, with no apparent alternative than to give up her child for adoption. But when she held her newborn daughter in her arms for the first time, Sheila knew she had to do the

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Book SynopsisTHE STORY OF THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED CHANGE WITH HER CALL FOR GREATER FREEDOMS FOR WOMEN. FROM THE WINNER OF THE 2018 UN PEACE PRIZE THE GUARDIAN: 'MANAL AL-SHARIF BECAME A GLOBAL FIGUREHEAD OF A CAUSE THAT DREW THE ATTENTION OF GLOBAL LEADERS WHO URGED THE [SAUDI] KINGDOM TO OVERTURN THE BAN' ON WOMEN DRIVING.  'Future generations will marvel at Manal al-Sharif. Her gripping account of homegrown courage will speak to the fighter in all of us. Books like this one can change the world'  Deborah Feldman, New York Times bestselling author of Unorthodox 'Manal al-Sharif is following in a long tradition of women activists around the world who have put themselves on the line to expose and challenge discriminatory laws and policies' Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International NewsManal al-Sharif was born in Mecca the year fundamentalismTrade Review'Future generations will marvel at Manal al-Sharif, whose voice is laden with quiet dignity even at its most urgent. Her gripping account of homegrown courage will speak to the fighter in all of us. Books like this one can change the world.' -- Deborah Feldman, New York Times bestselling author of Unorthodox'Manal is no Chanel-draped, chauffeur-driven Saudi princess. Her account of why a single working mother’s life compelled her to confront the kingdom’s fiercely patriarchal ways is touching and revealing in equal measure. This is such an astonishing, humble, truthful book, more illuminating than a hundred newspaper stories on Saudi Arabia.' -- Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad'A captivating read. Manal al-Sharif refuses to hide her scars, unveiling what she endured and sacrificed to become a professional who has fearlessly pushed the boundaries of tradition.' -- Elena Gorokhova, author of Russian Tattoo

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Book Synopsis#1 New York Times BestsellerA People Magazine Top Ten Book of the Year''A sensational memoir . . . brilliantly well written. Carly Simon is incapable of writing a boring sentence . . . you can forgive anything for the unparalleled brilliance of her writing'' - Lynn Barber, Sunday Times''Hugely affecting memoir . . . heartfelt and remarkable'' - Fiona Sturges, IndependentCarly Simon is a household name. She was the staple of the ''70s and ''80s Billboard charts and was famously married to James Taylor with whom she has two children. She has had a career that has spanned four decades, resulting in thirteen top 40 hits, including the Number 1 song ''You''re So Vain'', numerous Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. She was the first artist in history to win a Grammy Award, an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her song ''Let the River Run'' (from the film Working Girl). Boys in the Trees Trade ReviewA sensational memoir . . . brilliantly well-written. Carly Simon is incapable of writing a boring sentence . . . you can forgive anything for the unparalleled brilliance of her writing - Sunday TimesHugely affecting memoir . . . heartfelt and remarkable - IndependentAbsolutely tremendous and my music book of the year - The ScotsmanSinger Carly Simon is refreshingly honest on sex and stardom - The TimesOne of the best celebrity memoirs of the year - Hollywood ReporterIntelligent and captivating - PeopleCompelling - Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisAutobiography of a journalist based in Yorkshire, heavy sport bias.

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Book SynopsisAn uplifting true story from foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author, Angela Hart.Why has no one given Jasmine the safety and care she desperately needs? Angela is determined to find a solution.Jasmine is a little girl with a difficult upbringing whose current foster carers have refused to keep her on as they can no longer handle her behaviour. Social Services place her with specialist foster carer Angela Hart. Angela does her best to provide a secure environment for Jasmine in the hope that she can begin to move on, but it proves challenging as Jasmine often breaks out in bursts of anger and sometimes physical violence. Can Angela show Jasmine what safety looks like? And can she help Jasmine's beloved grandparents – who have been campaigning to become her full-time guardians – persuade social services that they are best placed to look after this troubled little girl?The Girl with the Saddest Secret is the eighth book from well-loved foster carer Angela Hart. A true story that shares the tale of one of the many children she has fostered over the years. Angela's stories show the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to those children whose upbringing has been less fortunate than others.Trade ReviewPraise for Angela Hart: A no holds barred insight into the reality of looking after someone else's children. A remarkable story from a remarkable woman, it brought back a lot of memories for me. -- Casey WatsonPraise for Angela Hart: A moving story that testifies to the redemptive power of love. I hope Angela Hart inspires many others to foster. -- Torey HaydenPraise for Angela Hart: A true tear-jerking tale of love and compassion. -- Sunday Mirror

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Book SynopsisWonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands is a wonderfully entertaining autobiography by Mary Seacole - nurse, entrepreneur and intrepid traveller. Soon to be a major motion picture starring GuGu Mbatha-Raw.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.Mary Seacole left her native Jamaica to travel through the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Central America and to England. Keen to offer her services to English troops in the Crimea War, she was at first refused official support. Undaunted she went anyway and set up her famous hotel catering for British soldiers. She supplied food, drink and welcome respite from the front line. She also tended to wounded soldiers and dispensed medicine in the teeth of battle. Despite her invaluable contribution, she returned to England penniless and in ill health. Thankfully her astonishing achievements were acknowledged and she became the toast of London society.Trade ReviewThere is distressingly little black prose of consequence to be found in the English canon before the 20th century. Mary Seacole stands out as a gloriously entertaining exception, a Caribbean witness to the black experience in the Victorian age who deserves to be much better known -- Robert McCrum * ‘The 100 best nonfiction books’, Guardian *Traveller, entrepreneur, healer and woman of colour, Mary Seacole is a singular and fascinating figure -- Jan Marsh * Independent *

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Book SynopsisA behind-the-scenes look at the meteoric rise and stunning takedown of a nightclub empire, by the man who held the reins. Limelight, Tunnel, Club USA, and Palladium—the cutting-edge, insanely successful, and notoriously decadent clubs that dominated New York City’s entertainment scene, their influences reverberating around the world. Across four decades, a single mysterious figure stood behind them all: Peter Gatien, the leading impresario of global nightlife. His clubs didn’t follow the trends—they created movements. They nurtured vanguard music acts that brought rock, house, grunge, hip-hop, industrial, and techno to the beautiful ones who showed up night after night to tear the roof off every party. But as Peter and his innovative team ramped up the hedonistic highs, Rudolph Giuliani was leading a major shift in the city. Under the guise of improving New York City’s “quality of life,” the club scene was targeted—and Peter Gatien’s empire became a major focus of the administration. In this frank and gritty memoir, Peter Gatien charts the seismic changes in his personal and professional life and the targeted destruction of his nightclub empire. From Peter’s childhood in a Canadian mill town to the freedom of the 1970s, through the excesses of the 1980s and the ensuing crackdown in the 1990s, The Club King chronicles the birth and death of a cultural movement—and the life of the man who was in control of every beat.Trade Review“A giant of the 1970s through 1990s New York City club scene…paints a picture of a simple guy with big dreams who was always vulnerable to outside speculation and conjecture…crisp, vivid prose…a warm tale of a local boy making good on the other side of the border…Sixteen years after his deportation back to Canada, Gatien tells his side of the story. An arresting and provocative narrative.” —Kirkus Reviews “Gatien once dominated the empire that is New York nightlife. Now he’s telling his story—the highs, the hedonism, and all the gritty details.” —Newsweek “Peter Gatien may be the wisest cat in New York…he’s got a tale to tell, one filled with fabulousness and tabloid phantasmagoria…The Club King, his slick new memoir out this month, chronicles Gatien’s rise from a working-class kid in a sulfurous paper mill town in Ontario.” —Rolling Stone “The Limelight and Tunnel are long gone. But the story of their vilified owner is still being written…With his memoir, The Club King published on April 1, he hopes for a degree of catharsis after an epic rise and fall, but also to celebrate a lost New York, when clubs felt mysterious and transgressive, luring the misfits and outcasts from the city’s creative underground, and every night felt like a Mardi Gras on Mars.” —New York Times “[Gatien’s] legacy is—or ought to be—one of dogged entrepreneurism and a creative culture-centered approach to nightlife…If you were in New York and of partying age in the ‘90s, you almost certainly spent time in one or more of Gatien’s spots. But the entrepreneur’s story has many more chapters to it…The Club King covers one of clubland’s darkest chapters but doesn’t dwell on it…a chance to tell his own story.” —Billboard “[A] formidable career as the preeminent swizzle stick in the cocktail of Manhattan nightlife…full of stories.” —The Face “Peter Gatien’s new memoir The Club King: My Rise, Reign, and Fall in New York Nightlife arrives at a time when gathering at nightclubs already seems like a distant memory. Which makes this fast-paced account of his legendary run of clubs in the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s seem even more like a fantasy.” —Now Toronto “A mesmerizing memoir chronicling [Gatien’s] unlikely journey from a humble childhood in a Canadian mill town to the apex of a cultural empire that defined the spirit of pre-gentrification New York.” —Another Man Magazine “NYC nightlife impresario Peter Gatien—who was behind legendary ‘90s clubs Limelight, Palladium, Club USA, and Tunnel—has revealed his wildest moments with celebs from Johnny Depp to Mick Jagger in a new memoir.” —Page Six

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Book SynopsisA moving reflection on motherhood, friendship, and women making their mark on the world of food from the author of Feast. Food writer Hannah Howard is at a pivotal moment in her life when she begins searching out her fellow food people—women who’ve carved a place for themselves in a punishing, male-dominated industry. Women whose journeys have inspired and informed Hannah’s own foodie quests. On trips that take her from Milan to Bordeaux to Oslo and then always back again to her home in New York City, Hannah spends time with these influential women, learning about the intimate paths that led them each toward fulfilling careers. Each chef, entrepreneur, barista, cheesemaker, barge captain, and culinary instructor expands our long-held beliefs about how the worldwide network of food professionals and enthusiasts works. But amid her travels, Hannah finds herself on a heart-wrenching private path. Her plans to embark on motherhood bring her through devastating lows and unimaginable highs. Hannah grapples with personal joy, loss, and a lifelong obsession with food that is laced with insecurity and darker compulsions. Looking to her food heroes for solace, companionship, and inspiration, she discovers new ways to appreciate her body and nourish her life. At its heart, this lovely and candid memoir explores food as a point of passion and connection and as a powerful way to create community, forge friendships, and make a family.Trade ReviewPraise for Plenty “Howard recounts her struggles to have a baby with a refreshing candidness that inspires hope, even when recalling her most desperate moments. Readers will fall in love with Howard’s astute perspective on food, love, and the richness both bring to life.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Food is so often used as a lens for men to explore our world, but Plenty subverts the genre and gives us a memoir that dives into the complex feminine humanity of the people who bring us what we eat and drink. Hannah Howard’s winding path to marriage and motherhood is punctuated by glorious women, from the Italian chef who left the machismo of restaurants to create a virtual cooking school to the lesbian barista whose fertility struggles dovetail with her business-building. The beguiling culinary descriptions pull you in, but the true magic of this book is in the way food—and the ragtag, often initially rootless people who make it—can create family. Plenty is both a deeply personal memoir and an inquisitive illumination of other women’s stories, and Hannah’s unflinching vulnerability will have you rooting for her the whole way through.” —Ali Rosen, Potluck with Ali “Hannah Howard’s Plenty is both an examination of a problem—the lack of exposure and acclaim that women working in food industries consistently experience—and a solution for that problem, as Howard introduces her readers to a global network of incredible women chefs, baristas, cheesemakers, and more. Plenty is much more than just a puff (pastry) piece, however. Like a great meal, Plenty also has subtle bitter and sour notes, as Howard lays bare her own personal challenges working in the industry. A must read for anyone who loves food, restaurants, and feminism.” —Hugh Ryan, author of When Brooklyn Was Queer “Reading Hannah Howard’s work is like spending time with a good friend whose honesty and warmth reawaken us to the vivid colors of life—to friendship, heartache, and love, and to life’s many sensual pleasures, not least among them food. We come to the end of Plenty ready to face the day, whatever it brings.” —Clifford Thompson, author of What It Is: Race, Family, and One Thinking Black Man’s Blues “Hannah Howard’s food writing is always so delicious, joyful, and a delight to read. In Plenty she also writes beautifully about women she admires, who work in all different aspects of the food world, from a hip Brooklyn coffee house to a Vermont goat farm, to a French barge. These tales of friendship and great meals are woven together with the story of her own journey towards motherhood. It’s a reminder to all of us that true nourishment, and fulfillment, comes when women support one another, and empower each other to take up all the space we need in the world.” —Virginia Sole-Smith, author of The Eating Instinct “Reading Hannah Howard is like a visit with the best kind of old friend—one with a heartfelt and charming story to tell.” —Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road “A celebration of food, women, and their unique contributions to the food world, Plenty details Hannah’s journey through pregnancy, motherhood, and life in New York intertwined with her passion for food in an honest and relatable way, with both heart-warming and heart-aching stories. She weaves in tales of other women’s career paths in the food industry, whether in Spain, Norway, or NYC, highlighting the steps taken to achieve their dreams. Their stories of success and the countless challenges they faced are inspiring and helpful for anyone who is considering a career in food.” —Yasmin Fahr, author of Keeping It Simple Praise for Hannah Howard “From places as far-flung as Norway and as near as New Jersey, Hannah Howard celebrates romance, family, good work and good food, growing up, and making a home in a voice that is hopeful and generous and true. Plenty is a book for lovers and friends, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. It will fill you up and give you reason to carry on.” —Dinah Lenney, author of The Object Parade “What’s clear in Plenty is Hannah’s love of all things food, not only gigantic alpine wheels and the sizzle of a knob of butter in a hot pan, but her passion for storytelling around food and her respect for the many women warriors pioneering in what has long been a male-dominated industry. Plenty is an important book—a long-overdue tribute to the inspiring tribes of women in the food world. It’s also a deeply personal book. For Hannah, food is not only an obsession but a darker compulsion. As she says herself, her love for food is profound and profoundly complicated. In Plenty, Hannah writes with vulnerability, generosity, and unhindered emotion as readers bear witness to the ups and downs of her journey toward motherhood—from recovering from an eating disorder to the anticipation of finding a partner in New York, from the harrowing experience of miscarriage to the birth of her daughter in the middle of a global pandemic. This memoir made my heart swell.” —Natasha Scripture, author of Man Fast “Hannah Howard writes with exceptional candor, insight, and intelligence.” —Rosie Schaap, author of Drinking with Men “Hannah Howard brilliantly captures the complicated relationships so many of us have with food, love, sex, and ourselves in lyrical prose that will make you hungry for more.” —Kimberly Rae Miller, author of Beautiful Bodies

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 Gold Moonbeam Children''s Book Award in Non-Fiction: Chapter Book Commended as a "moving and hopeful story of courage and perseverance" in a starred review by Booklist, American Shoes is a profound mosaic of memories recounting 15-year-old Rosemarie Lengsfeld Turke?s escape from Nazi Germany, leaving her life and family behind to forge ahead in an America she left as a small child.Set against a backdrop of Adolf Hitler?s rise to power, the reign of Nazi Germany, and the entire course of World War II in Europe, American Shoes recounts the tumultuous childhood of a young American girl and her family trapped within a country that turned against itself, where human decency eroded and then vaporized. Forced to grow up in the midst of endemic fear stoked by a ravenous madman, American Shoes portrays the breakdown of a society from a child?s point of view, deep inside a land where millions of law-abiding citizens were targeted as threats, and then removed for extermination. This is the story of a brave girl who, despite not being Jewish, was perceived to be one of those threats and was compelled to keep her American identity secret for fear of her family?s arrest, concentration camp placement, or worse. Fighting to see through a relentless barrage of Nazi lies and propaganda, caught within a nation where resistance or opposition meant incarceration if not certain death, American Shoes illuminates one family?s struggle to survive against impossible odds as a cataclysmic world war marched closer and closer until it was upon them. Vividly told for the first time after seven decades of a family?s collective silence, American Shoes reveals the story of a brave and spirited young girl named Rosel who refused to accept the new order of a world gone mad, inside a society that became more sinister and macabre than any childhood nightmare could ever be. Driven by the faint memories of the land where she was born?a hazy beacon that guided her toward freedom and a new life?this is the story of Rosemarie Lengsfeld Turke.

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Book SynopsisIn My Century the great Polish poet Aleksander Wat provides a spellbinding account of life in Eastern Europe in the midst of the terrible twentieth century. Based on interviews with Nobel Prize winner Czeslaw Milosz, My Century describes the artistic, sexual, and political experimentation --in which Wat was a major participant-- that followed the end of World War I: an explosion of talent and ideas which, he argues, in some ways helped to open the door to the destruction that the Nazis and Bolsheviks soon visited upon the world. But Wat''s book is at heart a story of spiritual struggle and conversion. He tells of his separation during World War II from his wife and young son, of his confinement in the Soviet prison system, of the night when the sound of far-off laughter brought on a vision of 'the devil in history.' 'It was then,' Wat writes, 'that I began to be a believer.'

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Book Synopsis2019 Washington State Book Awards Finalist in Biography & Memoir On the morning before Halloween in 2007, Sarah receives a phone call from her husband’s arborist colleague: Matt, her spouse of seven years and father of their two small children, has been severely injured by a falling tree branch while working in a neighborhood east of Seattle. Visions of their future go dark as she learns to care for the man she depended on for support. Faced with choices about how to behave through this unexpected journey, she takes as many steps back as she does forward and begins a rite of passage she never imagined.Trade Review"With Losing, Cannon is rejecting that kind of superimposition. She’s trying to do justice to the reality of the situation while still building a narrative she can live with around it. She’s trying to be true to her husband while breaking her vows. She’s sharing her story with you while still keeping the integrity of her story intact. Every human contract has a flaw built into it. Cannon is trying to find a way to embrace that flaw, to turn it into a strength, and to find the honesty embedded within the lie. The drama of Losing is in watching her come to terms with that gap and to incorporate it into her story as best she can." —Paul Constant, Seattle Review of Books “Sarah Cannon’s memoir navigates trauma’s juggernaut in a way so compelling the reader witnesses the opening catastrophe first hand through the lens of her experience. This sense of attunement to her journey continues throughout the aftermath of the initial crisis. Over time Sarah comes to know herself within the context of her profoundly altered life. With fierce unflinching grist she faces the unrelenting learning her struggle demands and emerges with discerning hard won clarity. Her courage is palpable and inspires.”—Joan Fiset, author of Namesake “In The Shame of Losing, Sarah Cannon captures the roller coaster from heartbreak to hope; from despondence to renewal, that she and her family have been riding since that instant when everything changed. This is a book about the brutal realities of a traumatic brain injury; but it is also about a young mother trying to save her own life. Honest, poetic; stark and stunning: a debut memoir that you will never forget.”—Ann Hedreen, author of Her Beautiful Brain “This is an unforgettable story of a “full-time witness” to trauma and its aftershocks. With refreshing candor and a brilliant sense of humor, Sarah takes us through the maze of caring for a loved one who has suffered a traumatic brain injury and reckons deeply with what her own recovery should look like. This book will stay with me for a long time. ‘—Leigh Stein, author of Land of Enchantment Review in Punctuate https://www.pifmagazine.com/2019/02/letting-go-of-the-shame-of-losing-an-interview-with-the-writer-sarah-cannon/

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Book SynopsisEveryone knows Steve Madden’s name and his shoes, but few are familiar with his story. Over the past thirty years Steve Madden has taken his eponymous shoe company from the fledgling start up he founded with a mere $1,100 to a global, multi-billion dollar brand. But Madden’s mistakes, from his battle with addiction to the financial shortcuts that landed him in prison, are as important to his story as his most iconic shoes. In this raw, intimate, and ultimately inspiring book, Madden holds nothing back as he shares what it took to get here and the lessons he’s learned along the way. From his unconventional hiring strategies to his slavish devotion to product, Madden offers a business perspective that is as unique as his styles. In The Cobbler, readers are treated to the wild ride though his rise, fall, and comeback. But they will also walk away uplifted by a man who has owned up to his mistakes and come back determined to give back and use his hard-won platform to create positive change.Trade Review“Steve has consistently and deliberately confronted and overcome various personal and business obstacles. He has achieved unprecedented levels of success and has built one of the most impressive shoe companies in the business. It is an inspirational story of an unlikely entrepreneur, who despite his continuing to defy all the rules, continues to prevail." – Kenneth Cole, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Kenneth Cole Productions “Steve Madden is the epitome of an addict underdog, his rise back to the top gave me hope as an addict myself to lead a clean, successful life. The Cobbler will give you the real truth about what it takes to go from the depths of a bottom to the cream that rises to the top.” - Stacey Griffith, Founding Instructor, Soul Cycle, and Author of Two Turns From Zero “The Cobbler gave me rare insight into the mind of a brilliant and creative businessman. Steve has his demons that he owns up to here with the type of honesty that is rare and refreshing. A truly great read about a fascinating man.” - Donny Deutch, TV personality and Chairman Emeritus, Deutsch, Inc. "In The Cobbler, Steve writes about his struggle with addiction in a way that is raw and real and incredibly inspiring. I know his story will give hope to a lot of people who are suffering, while educating others about what life is really like for an addict and what it takes to recover and succeed." - Seamus Mullen, Chef and Author of Hero Food and Real Food Heals "I'd recommend The Cobbler to anyone who's interested in starting a business, needs a little inspiration, or just loves a good story." - Molly Sims, Model, Author, and Entrepreneur

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Book SynopsisChristopher Zyda confronts the long-buried and painful memories of his harrowing fifteen-year journey in The Storm: One Voice from the AIDS Generation, a heart-wrenching love story and coming-of-age tale during the early years of the AIDS crisis in Los Angeles.It all begins in early 1984, when Chris, a twenty-one year old UCLA English Literature major, risks ostracism when he comes out of the closet to his fraternity brothers just as the AIDS pandemic is beginning to explode in gay communities across the United States. Soon afterward, Chris meets and falls in love with Stephen, a graduate of Yale University and Law School, and the two of them build a life together as their friends start to fall sick and die from the spreading storm of AIDS.Stephen begins showing symptoms of AIDS in early 1986, and Chris faces a difficult choice as he is certain that he, too, eventually will be stricken by the disease. He abandons his writing career and attends the UCLA business school so that he can earn enough money to pay for healthcare during Stephen's illness.The Storm is filled with heart, optimism, and love, interspersed with Los Angeles history, gay and lesbian history, AIDS history, and the backdrop of the 1980s and 1990s. It is an unflinching and, at times, raw memoir of perseverance, integrity, forgiveness, the power of love, spiritual growth, Carpe Diem, dreams, and, most of all: survival and ultimate triumph.Trade Review"The Storm achieves something remarkable, managing to tell a painfully disturbing story that ultimately offers an inspiring message of hope. With storytelling bravado, Christopher Zyda demonstrates the virtue of English majors becoming great financial executives, as he takes us on a very dark journey that illuminates the worst and best of the human condition. We witness homophobia on full, vicious display, and we also meet people who stepped up to do the right thing, as I was very pleased to learn was the case with so many of Chris’ colleagues at Disney. This memoir is as important as it is riveting, since it delivers a powerful firsthand perspective on what it was like to be gay in America before and during the storm of AIDS, as well as the devastating toll the epidemic took not just on those who were struck down, but on those who survived."—Michael D. Eisner, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company"Christopher Zyda has the soul of an artist and the razor-sharp mind of a senior corporate executive. He brings these two qualities together to make The Storm a singular, exciting, and very intimate memoir. This is a look at the AIDS crisis and prejudice through a unique point of view—that of a senior executive at one of America’s largest and most important corporations, The Walt Disney Company. At the same time, it is a deeply personal, human, and revelatory look at coming of age in a very different America. Chris has written a book that is both devastating and harrowing, but at the same time joyous, optimistic and hopeful. This is the essence of great literature, and The Storm is an important and very moving memoir."—Peter Chernin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Chernin Group, and former President and Chief Operating Officer of News Corporation"In my career, I’ve been involved with a number of action movies. Well, you might say that The Storm is an action memoir! Christopher Zyda’s epic account of the AIDS crisis is not only incredibly moving, but it moves! This page-turner is emotional, suspenseful, dramatic, and has as many surprising plot twists as the best blockbusters. Because it is a memoir, it is intensely personal and affecting. At the same time, Zyda tells his tale on a vast canvas that encompasses all that was going on in America during that era, giving the book a remarkably epic feel. Most of all, I was deeply touched by this riveting story of suffering and loss, redemption, and ultimate triumph."—Lawrence Gordon, producer of numerous blockbuster films including Die Hard, 48 Hours, and Field of Dreams, and former President and Chief Operating Officer of 20th Century Fox"Christopher Zyda’s compelling memoir is a passion play. He courageously reveals with wit and pathos, the enormous struggle he endured to evolve, against all odds, into a fully formed exceptional human being. Chris’ “coming of age” in the period of AIDS hysteria brings to light a remarkable triumph of the human spirit. He suffered the agony of self-doubt, the loss of a great love, the pain of abandonment, and the cruelty of ignorant and mean-spirited people. Instead of giving into cynicism, he fought for his life and plumbed his natural gifts of intellect, compassion, toughness, and morality to prevent the dark side from winning. Victorious in many of his principled battles, it was ultimately through Chris’ practice of forgiveness that he transformed himself and countless others. He proclaims that we must “accept responsibility to save ourselves.” In seizing a carpe diem mindset—he does just that. He is one of the better angels of our nature."—Elaine P. Wynn, co-founder of Wynn Resorts and Mirage Resorts

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Book SynopsisAfrica has a way of luring you in, Scott Corey writes in the opening lines of Whistling for Hippos. It begins with a flash of dark eyes in the firelight and ends with life-long fascination. Or it may begin with a mud-brick village awash in moonlight, the delicious taste of peanut sauce and rice, or the grunt of a hippo from midstream. The strongest tug on Corey''s heart came the first time one of his students raised a slender dark hand and asked a question. This was the true Africa, the living, breathing Africa he came to love.Corey''s charming and humorous account of life in West Africa will appeal to readers of all ages who enjoy adventure and love of travel. The memoir contains characters and stories that show the depth and resilience of human nature.

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Book Synopsis'We never train women in Sydney,' Caroline de Costa was told in 1974 when she applied to become a junior registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology. She and her husband packed their bags and their children, and headed for Dublin.When Caroline first started in medicine, being an unmarried mother was frowned on, cane toads were used for pregnancy tests, and giving birth was much riskier than it is today. Her funny and poignant stories of bringing babies into the world show that, while much has changed, women still work hard and it remains a bloody business. A birth plan is no guarantee of a normal birth (whatever that is).Men have always wanted to control women's bodies, and Caroline has been instrumental in giving Australian women of all backgrounds the opportunity to resist, and to choose when and how they have babies. Her behind-the-scenes stories reveal it's often the little things that win a campaign.Trade ReviewAn enthralling and at times eye-popping ride through her brilliant career as an obstetrician and fierce advocate for women's reproductive freedom. -- Anne Summers * Anne Summers *Caroline de Costa has lived an exciting and unusual life, is a brilliant doctor, a fierce and trailblazing feminist and now reveals herself as a gripping and evocative writer! -- Jane Caro * Jane Caro *

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Book SynopsisIn 1952, after a family breakdown in Ireland, a boy and his father arrive in Liverpool determined to follow their dreams. The boy fails miserably at school but finds a way to freedom through his running ability. He goes on to win national and international races, proving to himself and those back home in Ireland that he can amount to something. Eddie Forde's entertaining and engaging memoir paints a vivid picture of a family's struggle to survive constant moves around the city and his father's impossible schemes to make their fortune.Trade Review"I loved the way the characters of father and son emerge through their experiences - a heartrending relationship, sometimes loving, sometimes so difficult. The book brings you face to face with just how it was for Irish people to be living in Liverpool in the fifties, just existing on the brink, with constantly dashed hopes, and abject poverty." – Gillian Whitman, poet

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'There is one animal that is familiar to all of us, whoever we are, wherever we live''Even if we've never had direct contact with one, we will have seen one, or at the very least, heard one. For those of us who live in the western world it is more than likely that one sleeps in our house, possibly even on our bed. I'm talking of course, of the dog. Yet, this animal, which lives alongside five hundred million of us all over the world - as an invaluable partner and a trusted confidant - presents us with one great unsolved mystery: how did this relationship - the most complex and enduring of any between human and animal - start in the first place?'Kate Humble is a life-long animal lover. Now living on an idyllic farm in Wales, she has achieved her dream of surrounding herself with as many varieties as possible. But, as with many Brits, the dog has always held a special place in her heart. Here, she uses her journey with her sheepdog puppy Teg to frame her examination of this very special relationship. Written with warmth and love, and packed full of stories about rescue dogs, guide dogs, service dogs and medical dogs, this is a must-read for anyone with a four-legged friend.

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Book SynopsisPrior to World War Two, Wing Commander Guy Gibson joined the Royal Air Force. In 1944, he wrote down his experience of serving in the RAF. Aged just 25, Gibson had completed two full tours, each of 30 operations, with Bomber Command, and had led the now-famous Dam Busters raid against the dams of the Ruhr Valley in May 1943. He died aged 26 in 1944, when his Mosquito crashed near Steenbergen in the Netherlands. Gibson's story is an incredible one. He struggled daily to work the Handley Page Hampden, and then the Avro Manchester, flying both into enemy airspace with great difficulty. He goes into detail on this, describing the troubles facing him, and how he managed to overcome them. He also addresses the rapid professionalisation of the Bomber Command. At the start of the war, they seemed ill-equipped and unprepared to confront Germany, but they grew in confidence and stature, to represent one of the defining units of the Second World War. Gibson recounts this change.

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Book SynopsisCameos of some of Wales''s most noteable tramps, including Dewi Emrys and W.H.Davies. A volume that is a sequel to Ar Grwydir by a well-known Lampeter author.

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Book SynopsisThere are no winners in war, only losers. We have so far avoided a third world war, but across the globe regional conflicts flare up in a seemingly unstoppable cycle. Who can stand between the armed camps? Over six decades, Martin Bell has stood in eighteen war zones – as a soldier, a reporter and a UNICEF ambassador. Now he looks back on our efforts to keep the peace since the end of the Second World War and the birth of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the new State of Israel. From the failures of Bosnia, Rwanda and South Sudan to nationalism’s resurgence and the distribution of alternative facts across a darkening political landscape, Bell calls for us to learn from past mistakes – before it’s too late.Trade Review‘Martin Bell is the finest foreign correspondent of his generation.’ -- John Laurence, author of The Cat from Hué: A Vietnam War Story‘When I was a young reporter Martin Bell was the TV journalist we all wanted to turn into one day: brave, ferociously principled, unshowy, beautifully spare and articulate, and always uncompromising in preferring what was true to what was spuriously ‘balanced’. These qualities leap off the pages of this powerful and penetrating memoir-come-manifesto. His is a voice of clarity, compassion and towering authority. When I was young I wanted to be just like him. I still do.’ -- Allan Little‘In my view and without doubt Martin Bell was the finest war reporter of his generation. Martin’s personal reflections on not just Bosnia but so many other hotspots of the world flow easily, are hugely perceptive and simply get it. He is a master of emotive depiction and his words bring every situation he describes to life. I have not been able to put this book down since I received it.’ -- Colonel Bob Stewart MP‘Bell writes well and he has witnessed many interesting things in his long career… Martin Bell is clearly and transparently a decent and, in some respects, heroic man.’ -- Adrian Weale, Literary Review

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Book Synopsis'Haunting, wild, and quiet at once. A shimmering look at motherhood, in all gothic pain and glory. I could not stop reading.' Lisa Taddeo, author of Three WomenA harrowing account of one woman's reckoning with life, death and choice in Trump's America. For readers of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy.In 2017, Christa Parravani had recently moved her family from California to West Virginia. Surviving on a teacher's salary, she was already raising two young children with her husband, screenwriter Anthony Swofford.Another pregnancy, a year after giving birth to her second child, came as a shock. Christa had a history of ectopic pregnancies and was worried that she wouldn't be able to find adequate medical care. She immediately requested a termination - but her doctor refused to help. The only doctor who would perform an abortion made it clear that this would be illicit, not condoned by her colleagues or their community.In exploring her own choice, or rather in discovering her lack of it, Christa reveals the desperate state of female healthcare in contemporary America.'A brutally honest, rollercoaster of a journey that left me championing her bravery.' Esther Freud'I will never forget this book. Read it. This is all I can say.' Rachel Louise Snyder'Stunningly good' The Bookseller'Everyone should read this book' Sarah MansugoTrade ReviewEDITOR'S CHOICE: The writing is stunningly good * The Bookseller *Haunting, wild, and quiet at once. A shimmering look at motherhood, in all gothic pain and glory. I could not stop reading. * Lisa Taddeo, author of Three Women *Unflinchingly honest, Christa Parravani lays bare the terrors, exhaustion and the great sacrifice of a parent trying to provide a healthy life for her family. An inspired memoir - and a reminder of the serious metal required of every ordinary woman. -- Stephanie Danler, New York Times bestselling author of the novel 'Sweetbitter' and the memoir 'Stray'The book burrowed into some secret place in me, a place where it will exist not for weeks, or months, or even years, but forever. In my life, I will never forget this book. Read it. This is all I can say. You must read it -- Rachel Louise Snyder, award-winning author of No Visible Bruises and What We’ve Lost is NothingA searing testimony from the frontlines of American womanhood. -- Kate Manning, author of A Notorious LifeChrista Parravani is one of our great memoirists. Loved and Wanted is a breathtaking book of life and death. -- Scott McClannahan, author of The Sarah Book and CrapalachiaEveryone should read this book -- Sarah Manguso, author of 300 Arguments and OngoingLoved and Wanted paints an utterly necessary, groundbreaking portrait of so much more than one woman's choice, offering a fierce and essential explication of the many forces that constrain reproductive freedom... Loved and Wanted challenges us to pay attention, to hold complexity, and to understand why we have to do better. -- Merritt TierceA brutally honest, rollercoaster of a journey that left me championing her bravery. * Esther Freud *One of the best new books for the autumn...A harrowing critique of the US health system. * The i newspaper *What emerges is not simply a portrait of Parravani's difficult marriage, painful health issues and stressful financial burdens but a complex picture of the unsayable circumstances that shape one woman's relationship to her body, to her choice to have children or not and to the cost of that decision. In saying the unsayable, Parravani is unflinching and brave. * Bookpage *

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of Texas enacting a bill to deny abortions after 6 weeks, Loved and Wanted shines a light on motherhood and the right to choose. For readers of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy.In 2017, after becoming unexpectedly pregnant, Christa Parravani requested a termination. With two children already to care for and a history of ectopic pregnancies, she was worried she would not be able to find adequate medical care.However, when she asked for help, her doctor refused. The only doctor who would perform an abortion made it clear that this would be illicit, not condoned by her colleagues or their community.In exploring her own choice, or rather in discovering her lack of it, Christa reveals the desperate state of female healthcare in contemporary America, and examines her own reckoning with life, death and choice.Trade Review'The writing is stunningly good' - The Bookseller'A brutally honest, rollercoaster of a journey that left me championing her bravery.' - Esther Freud'Christa's writing is fearless and beautiful. Loved and Wanted is about women's reproductive freedoms, and lack of them, but it's also a book about motherhood, identity, marriage, home and belonging. Extraordinary, incredibly powerful, and breathtakingly honest.' - Clover Stroud

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Book SynopsisSarah Grace is a sexual assault survivor. On 17 July 2019, she fell asleep like any other night. A burglar broke into her apartment and attacked her as she slept. What followed was a fight for her life. That violent assault blew apart her world, reducing everything in it to ashes. From that battle, Sarah has waged many more. She had to fight her way through post-traumatic stress, the social stigma around sexual assault and an archaic court system in her bid to ensure her attacker couldn’t do the same to another woman. Some adversities were predictable – nightmares, panic attacks and the devastating loss of self. Others were surprising – toxic social reactions, friends withdrawing and a nightmarish trial that unearthed how heavily the criminal justice system is loaded against victims. Ash + Salt is a raw and powerful account of healing and thriving after sexual assault. Armed with courage and brazen candour, Sarah takes you through her own story to reveal the experience of a survivor. She offers the tools to survive the assault, its aftermath and the trial, and charts the path back to recovery. Because while ash marks the place of devastation, it is also the fertile soil from which new life can grow. This is a book for everyone – not just survivors, but their families, friends and colleagues too. Sexual assault affects us all, regardless of background or gender. It is one woman’s personal testimony, but it is also a call to arms. The time to speak up is now.Trade Reviewincendiary, urgent, necessary * The Bookaneer808 *a phenomenal book * Newstalk’s Pat Kenny show *When survivors of sexual assault speak out they bury the taboos around this heinous crime and empower other survivors. Thank you Sarah Grace for your strong courageous voice and for putting your experience in to words in your book Ash + Salt * Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland *Ash+Salt is a huge achievement & testimony to her experience as a survivor. Thank you Sarah for again sharing your story - we know it will help many others * Noeline Blackwell of the DRCC *an absolutely remarkable person -- Live 95’s Limerick Today

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