Autobiography: general Books

Book SynopsisThe fascinating life of Starfleet’s celebrated captain, and Bajor’s Emissary of the Prophets, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Benjamin Sisko tells the story of his career in Starfleet, and his life as a father and Bajor’s Emissary to the Prophets. Chart his rise through the ranks, his pioneering work designing the Defiant class, his critical role as ambassador and leader during the Dominion War, and his sacred standing as a religious leader of his adopted home. Explore the hidden history of his childhood and early career in Starfleet, and the innermost thoughts of the man who made first contact with the wormhole aliens and opened safe passage to the Gamma Quadrant, and united Starfleet, Klingon and Romulan forces to defeat the Dominion. Discover Sisko’s personal take on his confidantes Lieutenant Dax and Major Kira Nerys, the enigmatic Garak, and his adversaries, Gul Dukat and Kai Winn, as well as his fatherly advice for his son Jake. Passing on lessons from father to son, from his experiences with the Prophets to the writings of Benny Russell, Sisko’s story is a unique phenomenon in Starfleet and human history, told in the way only he can.Trade Review“Ultimately, the book left me with a craving to start Deep Space Nine again. So in that respect alone, it is a success. But it’s deeper than that. I feel as though I have a fresh pair of eyes. A fresh appreciation for Sisko as a character and for Avery Brooks as a performer. It is often said that the best actors put a piece of themselves into their performances. Avery Brooks did that with Sisko. But I feel that Attico also put a piece of himself into the character through this book.”TrekCentral.net“All in all, this is an excellent book that provides a profound understanding of how Benjamin Sisko evolves into the distinguished figure from Star Trek lore. An amazing record of him, the novel gives us great insights into the evolution of this wonderful character we know and love from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, allowing readers to deepen appreciation for him even more.”WarpFactorTrek“The autobiography is an inspiring, at times gut-wrenching, look into the life of one of Starfleet’s best captains. Though bittersweet since no one has seen him since he left with the Bajoran prophets, the book will leave you feeling like, for the first time, you really know Benjamin Sisko. And will probably make you want to watch Deep Space Nine again with this new knowledge. And that’s a good thing.”Red Shirts Always Die

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary story of life on a South African game reserve from the 'Indiana Jones of conservation' and the authors of The Elephant Whisperer.Lawrence Anthony's South African game reserve is home to many animals he has saved, from a remarkable herd of elephants to a badly behaved bushbaby called George. When one of his rhinos was brutally slaughtered for her horn, he didn't hesitate to lead an armed response against the poachers. Then he learned that there were only a handful of northern white rhinos left in the wild, living in an area of the Congo controlled by the infamous Lord's Resistance Army and soon to be hunted into extinction. Lawrence knew he had to take action. What followed was an extraordinary adventure, as he headed into the jungle to negotiate with the rebels, while battling to save his own animals from terrible drought and to save the eyesight of his beloved elephant matriarch Nana. The Last Rhinos i

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Book SynopsisDaily Mail Showbiz Memoir of the Year''A beautiful book'' Chris Evans''Terrifically entertaining'' Mail on Sunday''An arresting photographic voyage through the life and loves of this enigmatic English star'' S magazine''Though not a conventional autobiography, we learn what makes the national treasure tick'' Daily ExpressIn the early days of my career, I didn''t think I stood a hope in hell. Look at me: I''m short, stocky, slightly overweight, deep of voice, passionate, dark haired, olive skinned, hardly your typical Englishman. What chance did I have, going into the world of British theatre?David Suchet has been a stalwart of British stage and screen for fifty years. From Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde, Freud to Poirot, Edward Teller to Doctor Who, Harold Pinter to Terence Rattigan, Questions of Faith to Decline and Fall, right up to 2Trade ReviewTerrifically entertaining . . . Behind the Lens sees the real David Suchet step forward at last -- Cole Moreton * Mail on Sunday *His career is fascinating, with tales of mortifying sex scenes and obsessive perfectionism. This unconventional book still shows us what makes this national treasure tick -- Sharon Wright * Daily Mirror *A clear impression of a man who knows exactly who he is . . . Suchet proves charming company . . . his reflections on life are gentle, good-natured and generous * TLS *Most fascinating is his relationship with the Poirot role. This is a series of intense scenes from an extraordinarycareer. Though not a conventional autobiography, we learn what makes the national treasure tick * Daily Express *A very unique autobiography . . . stunning . . . a beautiful book -- Chris Evans * Virgin Radio *An arresting photographic voyage through the life and loves of this enigmatic English star -- Sharon Wright * S magazine *Bursts with images . . . with which any working photographer would be delighted . . . the book offers more insight into the mind and philosophy of this remarkable man than a more conventional biographical approach could have achieved -- Jack Watkins * Country Life *Beautifully packaged memoir -- Hannah Stephenson * Press Association *A beautiful and engaging read * Woman's Way *Beautiful . . . revealing * Radio Times *A series of autobiographical sketches, written in an amiably informal style . . . generously illustrated * Spectator *David Suchet's book Behind the Lens reveals his considerable talent as a photographer and takes an interesting path, seeking to show us his life and experience through his eyes. The correspondence between his words and his pictures (the book is lavishly illustrated) is never less than interesting and often revealing. He has a seriously good eye for an image, which reflects back on his feeling for character and situation. He takes us through his career and life and world view * Graham Cowley *

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Book SynopsisSoon to be a limited Netflix series starring Zoe Saldana!This Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller is “a captivating story of love lost and found” (Kirkus Reviews) set in the lush Sicilian countryside, where one woman discovers the healing powers of food, family, and unexpected grace in her darkest hours. It was love at first sight when actress Tembi met professional chef, Saro, on a street in Florence. There was just one problem: Saro’s traditional Sicilian family did not approve of his marrying a black American woman. However, the couple, heartbroken but undeterred, forged on. They built a happy life in Los Angeles, with fulfilling careers, deep friendships, and the love of their lives: a baby girl they adopted at birth. Eventually, they reconciled with Saro’s family just as he faced a formidable cancer that would consume all their dreams.From Scratch chronicles three summers Tembi spends in Sicily with her daughter, Zoela, as she begins to piece together a life without her husband in his tiny hometown hamlet of farmers. Where once Tembi was estranged from Saro’s family, now she finds solace and nourishment—literally and spiritually—at her mother-in-law’s table. In the Sicilian countryside, she discovers the healing gifts of simple fresh food, the embrace of a close knit community, and timeless traditions and wisdom that light a path forward. All along the way she reflects on her and Saro’s romance—an incredible love story that leaps off the pages. In Sicily, it is said that every story begins with a marriage or a death—in Tembi Locke’s case, it is both. “Locke’s raw and heartfelt memoir will uplift readers suffering from the loss of their own loved ones” (Publishers Weekly), but her story is also about love, finding a home, and chasing flavor as an act of remembrance. From Scratch is for anyone who has dared to reach for big love, fought for what mattered most, and those who needed a powerful reminder that life is...delicious.Trade Review“This beautiful memoir takes us on Tembi’s personal journey of love, parenthood, and ultimately the loss of her husband, Saro. She learns to heal in the most beautiful way—through the support of three generations of women—and yes, there’s Italian food. Lots and lots of Italian food!”—Reese Witherspoon“An utterly incandescent love story. Tembi Locke has written a deeply personal tale brimming with hope and inspiration. There is both great beauty to be found within loss, and also the opportunity for transformation for those who let life truly break them open. In this unforgettable memoir, Tembi shows us how powerful—and ultimately uplifting—that journey can be. You will be forever changed for having turned these pages.” —Claire Bidwell Smith, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief"How does your love for your husband grow as a newlywed, a wife, a caregiver, and a young widow? How do you survive a love that was worth waiting for out in the rain? To try, Tembi Locke climbs volcanoes, cooks, and communes with her husband’s family in a small town in Italy. Sicily, A Love Story is a heartbreaking, but reassuring memoir of forgiveness. And Locke is a strong, joyful woman; a veteran actor who it turns out is a poet." —Helen Ellis, bestselling author of American Housewife“A marvelous memoir about taking chances, finding love, and building a home away from home. In Sicily, a Love Story, Tembi Locke writes movingly about loss, grief, and the healing miracle of food.” —Laila Lalami, author of The Moor's Account. “In her literary debut, actor and TEDx speaker Locke offers a warm memoir of romance, wrenching loss, and healing...A captivating story of love lost and found.” —Kirkus Review“Tembi Locke's moving, vivid memoir is an epic cross-cultural romance, a tragedy, a tale of self-discovery and, best of all, a testament to the simple healing powers of good food.” —Shelf Awareness“Actress and TEDx speaker Locke movingly describes the process of grieving and finding solace during three summers in Italy after the death of her husband...Locke’s raw and heartfelt memoir will uplift readers suffering from the loss of their own loved ones.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1869, John Muir set out from California's Central Valley with a flock of sheep and trekked into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. His journals describe the summer he spent in what would become Yosemite National Park. Celebrating the Sierra's lizards and mountain lions, tall trees and waterfalls, fierce thunderstorms and bears, Muir raises an awareness of nature to a spiritual dimension.John Muir is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation and his vision, passion and integrity continue to inspire readers today - particularly in this, his best-loved book.Trade ReviewMuir's prose is a miracle of immediacy. His books are illuminated by sunshine and starlight. The cold mineral air of the mountains and the resiny reek of coniferous forests lift bracingly off his pages. No other writer is so ceaselessly astonished by the natural world as Muir, or communicates that astonishment more urgently. Muir lived "in an infinite storm of beauty", and his readers live in it with him -- Robert MacfarlaneAn inspirational figure for modern environmentalism . . . his enthusiasm and heart-felt love of nature is immensely impressive. Thankfully the wilderness blooms again in Muir's evocative prose * * Guardian * *Brilliant description is the currency of My First Summer in the Sierra . . . Religious awe and powerful terrestrial awareness mark [Muir's] prose in what is essentially a song to nature's marvels and to our humanness of being * * Scotsman * *The richness of Muir's writing roots deeper into the terrain than any other wilderness writer known to me * * Los Angeles Times * *Muir was a geologist, an explorer, philosopher, artist, author, and editor, and to each of his avocations he devoted that deep insight and conscientious devotion which made him its master * * New York Times * *The great mountain man . . . [John Muir] remains a towering presence in American cultural life, and is internationally acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of modern conservation -- Mark Cocker, author of Crow CountryAs more and more of us grow aghast at what we have done to the world we started with, Muir's reverence and devotion will seem keenly germane, and our regret may be transmuted into a fight for the future -- Edward Hoagland

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Book SynopsisTHE TIMES #1 BESTSELLERTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLEROne of Vogue's Best Books to Read in 2021One of O Magazine's 55 Most Anticipated Books of 2021One of Marie Claire's 25 Best 2021 Memoirs to Pre-Order Now'Electrifying.' The Sunday Times'A glorious, rogue, raw account ... It is funny; it is shocking; it is good.' The Times'Dangerous, alluring and misunderstood: Sharon Stone remains one of our best ever movie stars ... Her new book serves as a spectacular reminder of the outrageous fun of her Nineties fame and why she is more than due for contemporary respect.' Independent'Brawler, hillbilly, misfit, thief - the actress's memoir of her hardscrabble life, The Beauty of Living Twice, is a feast of yarns and jokes.' Daily Telegraph'While [The Beauty of Living Twice] contains some startling personal revelations, equally affecting is Stone's warmth and grace, qualities that, by the end, feel quite miraculous . . . Writing with zeal and urgency, Stone argues for a stronger legal system, for rape kits on police shelves to be processed, for better training for teachers and paediatricians. Above all, she offers a hopeful glimpse of life beyond trauma . . . The Beauty of Living Twice promises the possibility of improvement or redemption, of compassion and understanding, of living honestly.' The Washington Post Sharon Stone, one of the most renowned actresses in the world, suffered a massive stroke that cost her not only her health, but her career, family, fortune, and global fame. In The Beauty of Living Twice, she chronicles her efforts to rebuild her life, and the slow road back to wholeness and health. In an industry that doesn't accept failure, in a world where too many voices are silenced, Stone found the power to return, the courage to speak up, and the will to make a difference in the lives of women and children around the globe. Over the course of these intimate pages, Stone talks about her pivotal roles, her life-changing friendships, her worst disappointments, and her greatest accomplishments. She reveals how she went from a childhood of trauma and violence to a business that in many ways echoed those same assaults, under cover of money and glamour. She describes the strength and meaning she found in her children, and in her humanitarian efforts. And ultimately, she shares how she fought her way back to find not only her truth, but her family's reconciliation and love. Stone made headlines not just for her talent and beauty, but for her candour and her refusal to "play nice," and it's those same qualities that make this memoir so powerful. The Beauty of Living Twice is a book for the wounded, and a book for the survivors; it's a celebration of women's strength and resilience, a reckoning, and a call to activism. It is proof that it's never too late to raise your voice, and speak out.Trade ReviewIn this courageous, daring and tender-hearted memoir, Sharon Stone interrogates her own trauma and a myriad of losses and discovers the gift of clear seeing. The Beauty of Living Twice is so much more than a celebrity tell-all. It is an act of reckoning, contrition, and above all, love. -- Dani Shapiro, author of INHERITANCEStone's memoir opens with a scene in a hospital bed, where the iconic actress is battling a brain bleed. That near-death experience and its aftermath is a jumping off point, an opportunity to reflect on the jagged, unlikely path that led her from a small town in Pennsylvania to becoming one of America's hottest stars. But this is not your typical Hollywood autobiography. Brutally honest, restless and questing, Stone bravely grapples with her own imperfections with courage and candor. * O Magazine, #33 of Top 55 Most Anticipated Books of 2021 *Elegantly written with her wicked sense of humour on full display, the memoir is catnip for fans who have never managed to crack the exterior of the elusive star. * US Vogue *wonderfully sardonic -- Lynn Barber * Daily Telegraph *Table of Contents1: Death Becomes Me 2: What Is Home 3: Style 4: Kitchen-Sink Irish 5: An Education 6: Work 7: Role Models 8: Basic 9: Invisible 10: Dreams 11: Dancing Lessons 12: Answered Prayers 13: Cages 14: Choices 15: Karma 16: Hope 17: The Bull 18: Me Too 19: The Beauty of Living Twice i: Acknowledgments ii: Resource Guide

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Book SynopsisTHE #5 TIMES BESTSELLEREver wondered what it's truly like being an England test cricketer? Why not ask England's greatest ever bowler?Jimmy Anderson invites you into his world of cricket and gives you a very personal insight into what it's like playing at the top level. Through stories of his 16-year international career, Jimmy draws back the curtain on test cricket to reveal bizarre superstitions and rituals, strange training camps, the personalities he's encountered, life on tour and what it's like being a bowler in a batsman's world.Bowl. Sleep. Repeat. is a fascinating, entertaining and deeply personal look at the game of cricket and what life's like beyond the boundary rope.

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Book SynopsisHillary Clinton dominated Amy Chozick's life for more than a decade. Here, she tells the inside story of Clinton's pursuit of the US presidency in a campaign book like no other.A breathtaking, page-turning masterpiece' Mary KarrA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAmy Chozick's assignments, covering Clinton's imploding 2008 campaign and then her front-row seat to the 2016 election on The Hillary Beat,' set off a years-long journey in which the formative years of Chozick's life became, both personally and professionally, intrinsically intertwined with Clinton's presidential ambitions. As Clinton tried, and twice failed, to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling,' Chozick was trying, with various fits and starts, to scale the highest echelons of American journalism.In this rollicking, hilarious narrative, Chozick takes us through the high- and low-lights of the most noxious and dramatic presidential election in history. Chozick's candour and clear-eyed perspective from her seat on the HillarTrade Review‘Chasing Hillary [is] so wickedly readable: like Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury it’s a nonfiction novel’Peter Conrad, Observer ‘Grudges, mis-steps and battles with the press corps are revealed in a searing account of Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign’ Edward Luce, Financial Times ‘Riveting… This book is in part a memoir and Chozick’s first person voice is funny and readable’ Suzy Hansen, Guardian ‘A funny, insightful memoir…With her lively voice and eye for detail, “Chasing Hillary” is an enjoyable read, like The Devil Wears Prada meets The Boys on the Bus’ Charlotte Alter, New York Times ‘Amy Chozick has written a breathtaking, page-turning masterpiece that pretends to be about Hillary Clinton’s defiant presidential run. But Chasing Hillary is also – for the brilliant Chozick – a deeply personal story. Wait till you get the gory, insider details of the bloodiest political battle in recent memory. A must read!’ Mary Karr ‘Amy Chozick sweeps us along on a ten-year chase after the most famous and elusive woman in modern politics. At the bittersweet end, she captures Hillary, and America, and the traveling press, and some part of herself.’ David Maraniss ‘This insanely readable book manages to bring humor and a fresh inside perspective to the saddest event in history. The details alone are sure to drive Democrats to fisticuffs, or whatever we do when the kale runs out.’ Gary Shteyngart

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Book SynopsisSetting out to conquer the language he loves (but which, amusingly, does not seem to love him back), Alexander devotes himself to learning French, going beyond grammar lessons and memory techniques to delve into the history of the language, the science of linguistics, and the art of translation.Trade Review'He throws himself into learning to speak French with Gérard Depardieu-like gusto... the appeal of Flirting With French is in the author's amiable dunderheadedness as he delves into the culture, with all its confounding contradictions' New York Times Book Review'Hilarious and touching, all the way to the surprise ending. In this "travelogue" about learning French, William Alexander proves that learning a new language is an adventure of its own - with all the unexpected obstacles, surprising breakthroughs and moments of sublime pleasure traveling brings' Julie Barlow, co-author of Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong'A light-hearted and humorous read. Anyone who has struggled to get to grips with becoming fluent in French will relate to this book. A recommended buy' Complete France'His quixotic resolve to transcend his inherent competence recalls the participatory journalism of George Plimpton, the lanky patrician whose unlikely stints in football and boxing lent nobility to failure. Like Plimpton, Mr. Alexander presents himself as an apprentice, but the reader quickly discovers he is also a master teacher' Wall Street Journal 'I could so relate to William Alexander's insecurities-and ecstasies-while pursuing his major crush: France and her seductive language. Reading Flirting with French motivates me to continue courting the language, no matter how often I'm stood up mid-sentence!' Kristin Espinasse founder of French-Word-A-Day.com'Funny, informative, well-written, Flirting with French is a delightful and courageous tale and a romping good read. Voila!' Mark Greenside, author of I'll Never Be French'Beyond just being a fun way to escape to France via the author's entertaining adventures, Flirting with French gives us an incredible amount of detail about the history and origin of the French language' Belle Provence Travels

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Book SynopsisOn 12 October 1972, a Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying members of the ''Old Christians'' rugby team (and many of their friends and family members) crashed into the Andes mountains. I Had to Survive offers a gripping and heartrending recollection of the harrowing brink-of-death experience that propelled survivor Roberto Canessa to become one of the world''s leading paediatric cardiologists.Canessa, a second-year medical student at the time, tended to his wounded teammates amidst the devastating carnage of the wreck and played a key role in safeguarding his fellow survivors, eventually trekking with a companion across the hostile mountain range for help.This fine line between life and death became the catalyst for the rest of his life.This uplifting tale of hope and determination, solidarity and ingenuity gives vivid insight into a world famous story. Canessa also draws a unique and fascinating parallel between his work as a doctor performing arduous hTrade ReviewA haunting and deeply moving book - Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisNow airing as the three-part documentary series The Other Mrs Jordan on ITVX. From whirlwind romance to gaslighting campaign: this is truth far stranger than fiction. When Mary met Will Jordan online, she was a single mother who’d given up trying to find Mr Right. And yet here he suddenly was: articulate and attractive, with a fascinating background. Soon they were in love, and when he proposed after a month it seemed recklessly romantic. Caught up in a whirlwind, Mary accepted that Will’s work often took him away from home, out of contact. She was his rock, supporting him emotionally when a misunderstanding led to criminal charges, and even selling everything when blackmailers threatened to kidnap their children. Together, they took on the world. And then one day the phone rang, and a woman introduced herself as ‘the other Mrs Jordan’… In this raw account of deception on a grand scale, Mary Turner Thomson recounts what happened after she discovered every word he’d said, from the very first moment, was a lie. This is her painful, humiliating truth—but she tells it for one reason: she too was once a strong, independent woman who would have read all this and thought It could never happen to me… Revised edition: Previously published as The Bigamist: the true story of a husband’s ultimate betrayal, this edition of The Bigamist includes editorial revisions.Trade Review“A brilliant and incisive account of [Thomson’s] nightmare.” —Daily Express “I couldn’t put down this gripping read.” —Woman “The most shocking Internet-dating story you will ever come across.” —The Sun “Gives the misery memoir concept a horrible new twist.” —The Bookseller “If ever there was a story to prove the age-old adage that love is blind, this is surely it.” —Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisA powerful, lush memoir about a Hawaiian woman who ran away from paradise to discover who she is and where she belongs. Born and raised in Hawai‘i by a father whose ancestors are indigenous to the land and a mother from the American South, Jessica Machado wrestles with what it means to be “local.” Feeling separate from the history and tenets of Hawaiian culture that have been buried under the continental imports of malls and MTV, Jessica often sees her homeland reflected back to her from the tourist perspective—as an uncomplicated paradise. Her existence, however, feels far from that ideal. Balancing her parents’ divorce, an ailing mother, and growing anxiety, Jessica rebels. She moves to Los Angeles, convinced she’ll leave her complicated family behind and define herself. Instead, her isolation only becomes more severe, and her dying mother follows her to California. For Jessica, the only way to escape is a reckless downward spiral. Interwoven with a rich and nuanced exploration of Hawaiian history and traditions, Local is a personal and moving narrative about family, grief, and reconnecting to the land she tried to leave behind.Trade Review“[A] memoir about loneliness, loss, and finding a cultural identity…[that] gorgeously portray[s] the complexity of Machado’s spiral into despair…Machado’s rich descriptions and frank voice make the book worth reading.” —Kirkus Reviews “Machado movingly excavates notions of identity, family, and Native culture in her debut, a memoir…[Her] narrative hums with raw emotion...Her depiction of Hawaii is far from the carefree paradise shaped by tourists and Western colonialism and instead offers a sharp consideration of class distinctions and the islands’ history. The result is a luminous coming-of-age portrait.” —Publishers Weekly “Mixing in Hawaiian history and folklore throughout her memoir, Machado offers a heady and enticing read.” —Booklist “At long last, a book that shatters the colonial gaze too often cast on the Pacific; here, Jessica Machado brings the islands to life with incendiary dynamism and pitch-perfect prose. A mesmerizing portrait of a woman, her ‘ohana, and the ancestral knowledge deep within — I never wanted this to end. Local is an unforgettable debut and a triumph for Kanaka and APIA literature.” —T. Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of the Fatherless Girls “Machado is a ferociously talented writer who blends insight, compassion, history, and love into this breathtaking story of home, family, and belonging. This book is necessary reading for anyone who has ever wanted to understand Hawai’i, their families, or themselves.” —Lyz Lenz, author of Belabored “A deeply moving memoir about navigating pain—both personal and systemic—through the complex history of Hawai’i. By revealing her own story, she also reveals the stories of the Kanaka, and the result is both heartbreaking and uplifting.” —Samhita Mukhopadhyay, author of the forthcoming The Myth of Making It

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Book SynopsisRingolevio is a classic American story of self-invention by one of the more mysterious and alluring figures to emerge in the 1960s. Emmett Grogan grew up on New York City’s mean streets, getting hooked on heroin before he was in his teens, kicking the habit and winning a scholarship to a swanky Manhattan private school, pursuing a highly profitable sideline as a Park Avenue burglar, then skipping town to enjoy the dolce vita in Italy. It’s a hard-boiled, sometimes hard-to-believe, wildly entertaining tale that takes a totally unexpected turn when Grogan washes up in sixties San Francisco and becomes a leader of the anarchist group known as the Diggers. The Diggers, devoted to street theater, direct action, and distributing free food, were in the thick of the legendary Summer of Love, and soon Grogan is struggling with the naive narcissism of the hippies, the marketing of revolution as a brand, dogmatic radicals, and false prophets like tripster Timothy Leary. Above all, however, he struggles with himself.Ringolevio is an enigmatic portrait of a man and his times to set beside Hunter S. Thompson’s stories of fear and loathing, Norman Mailer’s The Armies of the Night, or the recent Chronicles of Bob Dylan, who dedicated his 1978 album Street Legal to the memory of Emmett Grogan.

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Book SynopsisNational Book Critics Circle Award WinnerNational BestsellerLambda Literary Award FinalistNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME * NPR * The Washington Post * Kirkus Reviews * Washington Independent Review of Books * The Millions * Electric Literature * Ms Magazine * Entropy Magazine * Largehearted Boy * PasserbuysIrreverent and original. New York TimesMagisterial. The New YorkerAn intoxicating writer. The AtlanticA classic! Mary KarrA true light in the dark. Stephanie DanlerAn essential, heartbreaking project. Carmen Maria MachadoA gripping set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become. A wise and brilliant guide to transforming the self and our society. In her powerful new book, critically acclaimed author Melissa Febos examines the narratives women are told about what it means to be female and what it takes to free oneself from them.When her body began to change at eleven years old, Febos understood immediately that her meaning to other people had changed with it. By her teens, she defined herself based on these perceptions and by the romantic relationships she threw herself into headlong. Over time, Febos increasingly questioned the stories she'd been told about herself and the habits and defenses she'd developed over years of trying to meet others' expectations. The values she and so many other women had learned in girlhood did not prioritize their personal safety, happiness, or freedom, and she set out to reframe those values and beliefs.Blending investigative reporting, memoir, and scholarship, Febos charts how she and others like her have reimagined relationships and made room for the anger, grief, power, and pleasure women have long been taught to deny.Written with Febos' characteristic precision, lyricism, and insight, Girlhood is a philosophical treatise, an anthem for women, and a searing study of the transitions into and away from girlhood, toward a chosen self.

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Book SynopsisCaught between these covers is the authentic, forthright voice of Christian Watt, servant girl, lady?s maid and fishwife. Born in 1833, her working life began in domestic service before the age of nine and ended with her selling her husband?s catch from door to door. The tragic death of most of her close male family ? her husband, four brothers and her favorite child ? drowned by a sudden squall that sunk their boat, robbed her of her sanity. But cared for in the remarkable Cornhill Asylum in Aberdeen, a kindly doctor encouraged her to write her memoirs in pencil. In 1983 this bundle of papers, which included other family documents, was turned into a book by the historian David Fraser, and has been saluted as the Montaillou of Scotland.

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating follow-up to the highly successful Dear Francesca, Mary Contini writes to her other daughter, Olivia, to tell the story of her great-grandparents, the humble Italian shepherds who emigrated to Edinburgh and then helped to transform Britain's food culture. Sharing some of the recipes that they brought over, the tomatoes, the garlic, the sausage, the wine, this is a mouthwatering memoir of family and food. It is also a brilliant evocation of life between the wars, a triumphant story of survival against all the odds, that captures the sights and smells of Italian life and culture, at home and abroad.Trade ReviewA charming story . . . she unravels the family history like a precious thread. Contini's writing has a naturalness and honesty about it that brings a lump to the throat on occasion. * * Sunday Herald * *A happy blend of epistle, storytelling, memoir. * * The Times * *Refreshingly down to earth, the book is eminently readable. * * Evening Times * *Don't miss it. * * Daily Mail * *

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Book SynopsisA Boy Called Arsenal is an honest and emotional true story about a man who, after a life-long battle with mental and physical problems, finally became diagnosed with autism at the age of forty-nine in 2011. The catalyst for his diagnosis was his daughter’s attempted suicide, which drove this troubled man to finally get the help he needed. Arsenal grew up in Liverpool and became obsessed with Arsenal Football Club as a young boy. At the age of twenty-three, he changed his name by deed poll to Arsenal Whittick. The book is based on a series of recordings of conversations between the author and Arsenal as well as discussions with his ex-wife and his two daughters. Using extracts from a variety of sources including medical letters, personal letters and football reports, A Boy Called Arsenal is a heart-warming and triumphant story of a life-changing diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

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Raised on a farm near Changi (visited by Albert Einstein in the 1920s), Anthony Teo attended Singapore's 19th century St Anthony's Boys School and St Joseph's Institution. Having completed a course at the 330-year-old Harvard at new Cambridge in Massachusetts, USA, Anthony then went in search of America, driving across country from New York to San Francisco, through the mile-high Jackalopean landscape of Wyoming. His co-driver was his friend Leo Soong in his classic 1,000-mile-a-day steed of the 1960s — BMW 2002 ti. Leo, who unbeknownst to Anthony at the time, was Madame Chiang Kaishek's favourite nephew.Years later, Anthony was at old Cambridgeshire's 800-year-old University of Cambridge, UK as a Visiting Fellow to complete his hunt for the origins of the two univer-cities (Harvard-Cambridge and Cambridge-Cambridge Market Town).

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Book SynopsisWhen you find your husband lying dead, you think you will not forget a single detail of that moment. As an archaeologist, I like to get my facts right, and I will try my best to do so, but five years have passed since that day in 2016 and I am excavating my own unreliable memory. I cannot go back and check.'Extraordinary, unflinching, wonderful, moving' - Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina'This memoir has been compared to The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, and I can see why . . . In the end, there is so much love in this book. In writing such a meticulously honest book, she memorialises her cant-hating husband in the best way possible. I think he would be proud of her too.' The TimesSarah Tarlow's husband Mark began to suffer from an undiagnosed illness, leaving him incapable of caring for himself. One day, about six years after he first started showing symptoms, Mark waited for Sarah and their children to leave their home before ending his own life.Although Sarah had devoted her professional life to the study of death and how we grieve, she found that nothing could have prepared her for the reality of illness and the devastation of loss.Fiercely vulnerable, deeply intimate and yet authoritative, The Archaeology of Loss describes a universal experience with an unflinching and singular gaze. With humour, intelligence and urgency, it is in its very honesty that it offers profound consolation.'This book is a companion for anyone navigating the hardships of loss and uncertainty' - Octavia Bright, author of This Ragged Grace'A tender and big-hearted embrace of a book . . . A poetic excavation of loss, grief and ritual.' - Graham Caveney, author of The Boy with the Perpetual NervousnessTrade ReviewExtraordinary, unflinching, wonderful, moving -- Nina Stibbe, author of Love, NinaBracingly candid . . . Digs away at our collective fantasy that in dying or caring for the dying we are at our best. In reality, in either role we are often withdrawn, in pain, resentful, bad-tempered: our worst . . . addictively unsentimental * The Times *Scrupulously honest . . . Threaded through with tantalizing glimpses of the world of archaeology, Tarlow’s book is a raw, courageous examination of a sad ending to an uneasy relationship. * Times Literary Supplement *In Archaeology of Loss Sarah Tarlow has harnessed the consoling power of unvarnished truth. Direct, honest and deeply compassionate, this book is a companion for anyone navigating the hardships of loss and uncertainty, but it's also a celebration of all that love can stretch to hold. Informed by both Tarlow's lived experience and perspective as an archaeologist, it asks vital questions about what it means to live and die well. I found it both thought-provoking and moving. -- Octavia Bright, author of This Ragged GraceThe narrator has the scholar’s inability to soften or sweeten what she knows, which is that we don’t always love the dying and the dead, and that rage and mixed feelings are at least as interesting as sorrow. Look elsewhere for cheeriness; the pleasures offered here are those of intelligence and complexity in the hard times that will come to many of us. -- Sarah Moss * The Guardian *Brave, bold and exquisitely told and with such vibrancy and force, The Archaeology of Loss is a personal story of love, grief, and pain perfectly framed by the author's deep knowledge of the archaeologies of death and mourning. -- Helen Paris, author of Lost Property A wonderful work of memoir . . . powerful, fiercely honest, grippingly written and utterly immersive. -- Harry Whitehead, author of The Cannibal SpiritA tender and big-hearted embrace of a book, one that holds whole worlds in its arms: courtship, scholarship, reflections on death and its rituals. Here is an archeologist welding her intellectual acumen to her experience of her husband's terminal illness. A poetic excavation of loss, grief and ritual. -- Graham Caveney, author of The Boy with the Perpetual NervousnessA meticulously clear yet tender self-excavation exploring love and bereavement, today and through time, from a brilliant archaeologist. -- Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of KindredProfound and poignant . . . beautifully written. -- Melanie Giles * Antiquity *

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Book Synopsis"My mentor and former boss Alf Wight said that the life of a vet is never dull and how true he was. It is funny looking back that he found fame through his James Herriot books, and now his former surgery and myself have been taken to the nation’s heart once again through our show The Yorkshire Vet. "It just shows what a nation of animal lovers we are and these past few years have been particularly challenging for all of us with the Coronavirus outbreak. But what it has shown me is the comfort and support our pets give us in times like these. All the same, it was this, along with recent changes to my working life that gave me an opportunity to reflect, so I want to look back at some of my favourite cases and share them with you."

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Book Synopsis''I read the first chapters at such a pace that I almost had to remind myself to breathe.'' Sunday Times''Tense, powerful and gripping... her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional.'' Adam Kay, ObserverAt seven months pregnant, intensive care doctor Rana Awdish suffered a catastrophic medical event, haemorrhaging nearly all of her blood volume and losing her unborn first child. She spent months fighting for her life in her own hospital, enduring a series of organ failures and multiple major surgeries.Every step of the way, Awdish was faced with something even more unexpected and shocking than her battle to survive: her fellow doctors' inability to see and acknowledge the pain of loss and human suffering, the result of a self-protective barrier hard-wired in medical training.In Shock is Rana Awdish''s searing account of her extraordinary journey from doctor to patient, during whichTrade ReviewOutstanding... What marks it out is not the scale or urgency of the trauma, although I read the first chapters at such a pace that I almost had to remind myself to breathe. It is the writing. It sparks and crackles with a dark energy... The writing is not just intense, but intelligent... In Shock stands above other patient memoirs. -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *Tense, powerful and gripping... her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional. -- Adam Kay * The Observer *In Shock is both an enthralling page-turner and a haunting call to arms for the medical profession to practice with greater kindness, compassion and humility. Awdish captures beautifully how and why doctors, against our best selves, can lose sight of our patients in furious pursuit of the diagnosis, the save, the cure. Anyone – doctor or otherwise – whose life has been touched by illness will be transfixed by this deeply moving tale of catastrophic illness and everything it teaches us. -- Rachel Clarke, author of Your Life in My Hands: A Junior Doctor's StoryAwdish looks at the way we practice medicine with a combination of love and outrage. She writes beautifully about the secret, shameful feelings many doctors feel they have to hide and she shows us how we might do better. After reading this book, I feel like a different doctor. -- Gabriel Weston, author of Direct Red: A Surgeon's StoryA brave, powerful memoir about what it is like to be both a doctor and a patient... There is a widsom that literally comes from suffering. * The Times *There are few recent books to compare it to. Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, another physician’s account of illness, ended with his death. Awdish lives to tell the tale, but her cascade of medical problems is appallingly severe. Like [Adam] Kay’s, her writing is motivated by trauma, both her own and that of her medical colleagues…The dramatic story of her illness and recovery alone would make the book compelling, but in the growing genre of medical non-fiction, it is her reflections on medical practice that really stand out. -- Dr Alexander Van Tulleken * TLS *Compelling and insightful, this story of what a doctor learns through coming close to death is packed with both action and reflection. * Cathy Rentzenbrink, bestselling author of The Last Act of Love *Urgent and supremely eloquent... In Shock is a book to set alongside the likes of Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Direct Red by Gabriel Weston and, of course, Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *An extraordinary memoir. * Daily Mail *Awdish describes her experiences powerfully... In Shock is a reminder that the sick are not subhuman, doctors are not superhuman, and that medicine needs to be human in order to truly heal. -- Sarah Ditum * Mail on Sunday *In Shock is a notable, ambitious and welcome contribution to an emerging dialogue concerning the quality and orientation of acute hospital care. -- Paul D'Alton * Irish Times *Awdish's book is the one I wished we were given as assigned reading our first year of medical school, alongside our white coats and stethoscopes ... dramatic, engaging and instructive. * New York Times *Harrowing and enlightening... This is a story of darkness and light, horror and hope. It's not an easy read, but it is a fascinating one, and highly recommended. * The Sunday Business Post *Had me hooked right from the start. Incredible story, and even more incredible story-telling... has had an unexpected impact on me and will change the way I practice medicine from here on. * Dr Ranj Singh *

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Book SynopsisSue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters at Columbine High School in 1999 who killed 13 people before ending their own lives, a tragedy that saddened and galvanized the nation. She has spent the last 15 years excavating every detail of her family life, and trying to understand the crucial intersection between mental health problems and violence. Instead of becoming paralyzed by her grief and remorse, she has become a passionate and effective agent working tirelessly to advance mental health awareness and intervention.Trade ReviewGripping, troubling and compelling * Guardian *Should be required reading for parents of adolescents ... a book of nobility and importance * The Times *Unsparing and intelligent ... an immensely powerful read * Sunday Times *As harrowing as it is important * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisMia is nineteen, too mentally ill and too often on drugs to keep a 'straight' job so she starts working at a massage parlour. She takes to sex work with recklessness, aplomb, and good humour.As she works her way through Sydney's many rub-and-tug joints, Mia, or Sasha as she is now known, meets women from every walk of life who choose sex work for myriad reasons. While negotiating the demands of her new job, she battles her problematic drug use, and the mental illness that has shaped her life. Rather than needing saving from sex work, it is the work that saves her from her many demons.This is a unique memoir, a story about a distinct period in a woman's life, a path taken on the way tomaking her what she is. It is shameless, painfully honest and with an ending that refuses to wrap up in a tidy bow.

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Book SynopsisSee aboveTrade ReviewWas she right to publish? Most certainly. If we are to have a mature attitude to our intelligence services, we need this kind of inside account - it is vital in stripping away mystique and building understanding * Daily Telegraph *Stella Rimington deserves our thanks for resisting the bullying of the cabinet office and many of her colleagues and associates in Whitehall, and pushing on to publication * New Statesman *She writes in a refreshingly self-deprecating style of juggling the roles of single parent and chief "spook" * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisAn alternatingly funny and poignant memoir from our finest living example of [the American civic poet] (The New York Times)Trade Review"In his powerful and gripping memoir, Robert Pinsky chronicles his Jewish American upbringing in New Jersey and shows how it led him to poetry, vividly illuminating a disappearing time and place in America, and shining a light on what it means to be a poet. At once expansive and lyrical, historically significant and deeply intimate, Jersey Breaks tells an unforgettable story." -- Meghan O’Rourke, author of The Invisible Kingdom"What makes a great poet? Robert Pinsky provides some of the ingredients to his becoming an American original. We know that a language obsession will feed itself in unlikely places. But what places, exactly? Poetry craves particulars. Pinsky gives us Izzy Ash’s junkyard, the Tally-Ho Tavern, the magazines in the waiting room of his father’s optical shop, the library at Stanford University. He’s too wise to force cohesion. The result is a lyrical coming-of-age story centered around lyricism itself." -- Russell Shorto, author of Smalltime"Robert Pinsky pays attention. That’s how he became an American poet: by hearing music even in the syllables of the conductor’s voice calling out, ‘Passengers going to Hoboken, change trains at Summit.’ Only such a poet, so attuned to the melody of language, could see the formidable feat of translating Dante as a matter of ‘metrical engineering.’ The other half of that phrase is important, too, since engineering is a question of work, and this is a chronicle of the working class, the memoir of an optician’s son who understands that real work is essential to the creation and appreciation of poetry. (He was a distracted student, producing as hilarious proof here a report card only a future poet could generate.) This poet knows well that he owes his life as a poet to others—his recollections of teachers like Paul Fussell are particularly vivid—and so he was a generous poet laureate committed to the principle of service, listening to the voices of others. In that spirit, we should listen to the voice of Robert Pinsky, the intelligence and grace of his prose, his poetry, his song." -- Martín Espada, National Book Award-winning author of Floaters

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Book SynopsisThis nostalgic, humorous and richly illustrated volume celebrates the Somerset of years gone by. Syd Durston was seven when the Second World War broke out. As well as causing panic in Britain's cities, the war transformed life in the countryside in all sorts of ways. This is how one boy remembers life in rural Somerset during that time, where from the age of ten you were at school between 9 a.m. and noon, and then you could work on the land until 8 p.m.'. It is an elegy to the levels and the moors, and the rich diversity of wildlife that could once be found in the fields thousands of grasshoppers, large and small, hopping everywhere, butterflies of all kinds feeding on the red clovers that were now in flower; the smell of the honeysuckle and the dog roses in the hedges' and a lament for the landscapes and ways of life that we have now lost. From the outbreak of war to the drama of D-Day, Syd whose watercolour paintings, many of which illustrate this collection, aim to show the reality of farming life as it was then captures a moment in history as it really was. Containing more than 120 paintings, sketches and drawings, it will delight residents and visitors alike.

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Book SynopsisThe powerful, refreshingly honest, first-hand account of a childhood spent in the Care system.At the age of nine, Hope Daniels walked into Stoke Newington Police Station with her little brothers and asked to be taken into care. Home life was intolerable: both of Hope’s parents were alcoholics and her mum was a prostitute. The year was 1983. As London emerged into a new era of wealth and opportunity, the Daniels children lived in desperate poverty, neglected and barely nourished. Hounded by vigilante neighbours and vulnerable to the drunken behaviour of her parents’ friends, Hope had to draw on her inner strength. Hackney Child is Hope's gripping story of physical and emotional survival – and the lifeline given to her by the support of professionals working in the care system. Despite all the challenges she faced, Hope never lost compassion for her parents. Her experiences make essential reading and show thTrade Review‘A shocking reminder of what some children are subjected to as they grow up’ -- Harry Keeble, Best Selling Author of Baby X‘An insightful look into one girl’s journey into the Care system in the eighties, Hope’s story shows the maturity and opportunistic attitude some vulnerable children undertake in order to thrive’ -- Ruth Stivey, The Who Cares? Trust‘Hackney Child is already gaining 5 star reviews ... It’s raw and absorbing’ * Grazia *‘Reading it, one is left with a kind of desolation naïve as it might be, that children in the UK are still living lives like this’ -- Louise Carpenter * The Times Magazine *‘Incredibly powerful ... Hackney Child really is a must-read, not only for social workers but also for teachers, nursery staff, neighbours and friends’ -- Rebecca Maxfield, Beacon Hill Training‘A refreshingly honest, first-hand account ... It offers an invaluable insight into the emotional world of such children ... It will touch your heart, stir all kinds of emotions, and give you a perspective which is so child focused, it may change how you view the care system’ -- Urs Bielmann, UK Fostering‘A must read for anyone seeking deeper understanding of the experiences and feelings of children who come into the care system’ -- Henrietta Bond, Adoption & Fostering‘For all those who believe we intervene too often in family life; that parents always know best; that removing a child from his or her parents is an abuse of human rights; this book is essential reading’ -- Martin Narey, Slideshare

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Book SynopsisMy sand life, my pebble life. My life measured out in tides, coming in and going out. My life measured out in games of trying to spot the sea first. My life measured out in the delicious and indulgent sadness that comes from leaving a holiday cottage for the last time and for the first time in several days it isn't raining, but at least the kids have had a great time and, let's face it, so have you. Warm and darkly funny, this sublimely crafted book transports you (in a blue Ford Zephyr, with an AA route map, a granny in the back and a bingo hall on the horizon) to the world of childhoods by the sea. Specifically, Ian's memories of childhood: ones we'll all identify with endless sunny days on the beach, done to a turn fish and chips, legendary games of cricket, tea and cakes and family crammed into a tiny caravan, holiday cottages that live forever, buckets of shells, a busted fishing net and enough sand to make a beach, with the tide out, way out In this nostalgic collectionTrade ReviewMy Sand Life, My Pebble Life is a fine companion * John Hegley *a collection of heart-warming coastal tales from writer, playwright and broadcaster Ian McMillan...evokes a wonderful sense of nostalgia that's sure to transport you back to your own coastal experiences. * Coast Magazine *It's the grit in the shell that turns these memories into pearls... To describe these essays as 'poetic' seems almost redundant. There is a small cluster of poems...at the heart of the book, but the whole thing works at that level... McMillan's turn of phrase is as richly laconic as ever. -- Brian Morton * Times Literary Supplement *This heartwarming and sea-air-infused collection of coastal memories will instantly transport you back to childhoods spent at the seaside. * Countryman *a kaleidoscope of seaside memories * The Radio Times *Combines poignant snatches of personal history with a delightfully nostalgic celebration of the British seaside holiday. * Daily Mail *Poignant...this book is sure to bring a smile to your face * Towpath Talk *Quietly surreal ... McMillan's turn of phrase is as richly laconic as ever. * Times Literary Supplement *delivered in Ian's unmistakable homespun poetic fashion... My Sand Life, My Pebble Life transports the reader to coast around the country * Yorkshire Post *This delightful, warm companion will provide ideal holiday reading for many * Best of British magazine *Ian McMillan is brilliant at narrating life and capturing the moment * Big Issue in the North *delightful * Prospect *evocative * Choice Magazine *Charming...heart-warming...nostalgic * The Great Outdoors *Take a nostalgic trip with broadcaster, journalist and poet Ian McMillan as he brings his coastal memories to life with an abundance of rich memories... perceptive and funny. * The People's Friend *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Coasting Barefoot in the sand in Blackpool One day that boy will be prime minister July 2020: There’s a couple there with masks on September 2020: The eternal EPCOT fridge magnet March 2020: The lost glove and the high wind Years went over and nobody found us The helicopter at the picnic Pieces to camera The coast that wasn’t a coast or maybe it was Overexposure Six and out The saxophone, the sea Jazz and bells and early morning coffee Joe’s Prize Bingo and the lockout East Coast, magnetic coast Who’s that in the picture? My sand life, my pebble life Filey fact, Filey fiction The shape of the watch on the wrist The map of getting the map Carrying the Methodist The wallet I haven’t seen one of those for years Going to extremes: North Going to extremes: East Going to extremes: West Going to extremes: South Autumn Winter Spring Summer Snow beach Like a statue Seeing the sand You’ll write a poem about that Pre-Cleethorpes dreaming April 2021: Almost forgetting the pie Drugged by the pie The running man Don’t touch the sides of that tent What the weather said Eating chips by the sea, a rhapsody Islands of midges and wasps Being a curator Into the wind The snake in the bed The oar The currency The Hunstanton Frisbee incident Coast as a series of novelty cruet sets Young man with a notebook Towels and trunks Tide out Up the path My sand life my pebble life

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Book SynopsisAutobiography of talented actress and comedian, Carys Eleri, star of S4C series ''Parch'' and her one woman comedy show, ''Lovecraft''. Death is not a laughing matter, but laughter can act as therapy. In her first book Carys talks frankly and touchingly about the loss of her beloved father from Motor Neurone Disease and best friend Trystan from cancer.

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Book SynopsisAn outspoken memoir by a much-celebrated Indian filmmaker. “I am a filmmaker by accident and an author by compulsion,” claims Mrinal Sen, who became part of the great triumvirate of Bengali cinema—along with Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak—in the 1950s and ’60s when he founded the rebellious Indian New Wave. Throughout his career, he kept that fire of protest burning, his acute political awareness and left-wing orientation spurring his creativity. Over decades, the themes that pervaded his cinema mirrored the spectrum of human suffering and experience, and in turn crystallized the anger of a restive mind against social injustice, economic deprivation, and communal divide. In this memoir, a celebrated ambassador of Indian cinema on the global stage, for whom cinema became a lexicon that gave voice to the times, reflects on encounters with the legends of the world of images as well as his inspirations and obsessions—not least among them, the city of Calcutta. Always Being Born is a fascinating memoir of a great artist and a buoyant social commentator who continued to confront, fight, and survive on the very challenges that propelled him to look beyond and dream. Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Editor’s Note1.My City: Mercilessly Maligned, Dangerously Loved 2.Given the Bene?t of the Doubt, I Walked into the Brave New World — Long Way, Dif?cult Way3.Hiroshima and the Cannibal Time4.Long Years Ago, We Made a Tryst with Destiny, and Now5.We Make Things Spectacular, but Not by Their Exceptional Qualities6.I Live in the Instant Present. I Invest the Past with Contemporary Sensibilities7.I am Twenty. For One Thousand Years, I Remain Twenty8.Deadly Discipline, When Trains Ran on Perfect Time9.Wherever I Go, Things Keep on Happening10.I Pull Myself by the Hair, and Force Myself to Look at the Mirror11.Nineteen-eighties! A Decade, Every Inch Worth My While12.Take Chances! I Wish You All a Very Tough Time13.An Old Letter, and a Few Things, Here and There14.The ‘Delicious Liar’ Continues ‘To Tell The Tale’, Left Untold15.Nineteen Eighty-three! Going Places, Meeting the World16.Nineteen Eighty-four: The Year of ‘The Ruins’, and Back and Forth17.I Never Say I’ll Retire, for I am Always Being BornEpilogue Annexure Filmography

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Book Synopsis"Memories were people too, y'know!" Within the tenements of the notorious Scottie Road, amidst dockyards and back-kitchen sink dramas, the Butlers navigate Liverpool with stoic wit 'n' brio. For Gerrid, the seventh son of a seventh child, born in the seventh month, and youngest to the matriarchal May, childhood is fuelled by observation and imagination. But it too-soon becomes clear that resilience must prove the most life-formative skill required to comprehend communal and familial, repetitive, grief... The first autobiographical instalment from the author of Planet Young - as seen on BBC TV's Between the Covers.Trade Review“Deeply moving, evocative and magical. This inimitable Scouse voice has painted a picture of a bygone working-class era like no one else.” — Sophie Willan; “The miasma of a prodigious childhood recall was rarely better caught. As origin myths go, this one rings so very true.” — Roger Hill; “Epitomises the security and challenges of growing up a working-class effeminate boy in the safety of a tenement community. A memoir but so much more; it is the beautifully written story of a family, a community, and a class.” — Dr Maria Barrett; “A remarkable, touching testimony to working-class childhood and a family so flourishing on the page you’ll swear you lived next door with the kettle on standby.” — Caleb Everett

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Book Synopsis'On the bookshelves, there was plenty of stuff on being gay, and much needed, joyous accounts of what it is to be trans, but nothing really that encapsulates what is it to be both - to exist in the hazy terrain between.'After his relationship with his girlfriend of 5 years ended, Harry realised he was a single adult for the first time - not only that, but a single, transmasculine and newly out gay man.Despite knowing it was the right decision, the reality of his new situation was terrifying. How could he be a gay man, when he was still learning what it was to be a man? Would the gay community embrace him or reject him? What would gay sex be like? And most importantly, would finding love again be possible?In this raw, intimate and unflinchingly honest book, we follow Harry as he navigates the sometimes fraught and contradictory worlds of contemporary gay culture as a trans gay man, from Grindr, dating and gay bars, to saunas, sex and ultimately, falling in love. Harry's brave and uplifting journey will show you there is joy in finding who you are.Trade Review"Brilliant and SO funny!" * Elliot Page - BAFTA and Emmy-awarding winning actor *This singular exploration of one man's journey towards himself shows us we are infinitely distinct and unique, and all the stronger as a community for it. -- Andrew McMillan, Poet (100 Queer Poems, Physical, Pandemonium)This book manages to convey the wisdom and self-reflection of an elder, while also containing so much potential for how much life Harry has yet to live. It shares a trans gay experience in a way that welcomes cis people into the conversation, while never once making his queerness 'palatable'. Harry's anger at how much further we have to go is only matched by the scale of his hope that, together, we'll get there - and in this memoir Harry is showing us the way. A miracle. -- Adam Zmith - Author of Deep Sniff: A History of Poppers and winner of the Polari First Book Prize 2022As a community with millions of people, there is no 'one size fits all' experience, and this is a perfect example of the nuance in trans experiences. I laughed and cried, I related and I learned. His vulnerability and honesty feels like an antidote in an increasingly hostile world. Beautiful. -- Shivani Dave (they/them), journalist and radio presenterCelebrates the interconnectedness and incongruity of gender, doing so in a way that frees the reader by extension. Will live on in the minds of each and every reader. -- Neil Czeszejko, Delphic ReviewsThe projected portrait of being trans by the media is bleak, yet Harry writes with such warmth and candour that he shines a light on the majesty of being exactly who you are - unapologetically. Without sugar-coating issues or hiding the hostility we face as a community, this book is a nuanced and individual look into the complexity of the trans experience within the wider LGBTQIA+ community - a triumph. -- Ben Pechey, author, presenter & LGBTQIA advocateAn engaging and easy-to-read book about a life experience that hardly anyone talks about. -- Christine Burns MBE, Activist and author of Trans BritainBoth a rallying cry for liberation, and an intimate self reflection, Nicholas celebrates and examines queer masculinity in its various forms, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Nicholas' s wit comes through the page in moments of consideration, balanced out with steamy, sexual liberation. A Trans Man Walks Into A Gay Bar is a book with something for all of us, no matter where we lie on the spectrums of gender, sex, expression, and sexuality. -- David Chipakupaku, journalistA beautifully important, eye-opening book in a world of criticism and ignorance. Harry, inviting into his life with commendable rawness, is helping so many people understand, educate and grow with our community. A vital reminder that no trans person needs to be fixed. -- Daniel Harding, author of Gay Man TalkingHopeful and life affirming, A Trans Man Walks into a Gay Bar is impossible to put down. This is a memoir that doesn't shy away from uncomfortable truths but Harry's writing is profoundly moving, he handles the most complex conversations with the lightest of touches. Charming, witty and sexy, this is a book for anyone who has ever felt lost or who has found themselves, or is somewhere along the way. -- Laura Kay, author of The Split, Tell Me Everything and Wild ThingsFrank, Funny, Exciting and ExploratoryI was absolutely glued to this.Incredible insight into how non-linear the trans journey can be; the way the world treats you differently based on your presentation, the sadness of letting go of previous spaces and the unique fear which goes with being thrust into a new community. As someone whose body also doesn't and may never conform to society's standards, I stan this book. -- Fox Fisher, author and activistNicholas has written a revelatory, deeply generous memoir of queer existence and resistance. His message is empowered and empowering, sensitive and full of heart -- Peter Scalpello, queer poet and author of Limbic

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Book SynopsisA celebaration of the Sesiwn Fawr festival on reaching its 30th year, by Ywain Myfyr and friends.

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Book Synopsis‘We walk in the footprints of great women, women who lived through hard times on farms, in villages, towns and cities. The lives of these women are an untold story. This book is a celebration of the often forgotten “ordinary” women who gave so much to our society.’ Alice Taylor Alice salutes the women whose energy and generosity made such a valuable contribution to all our lives. '[It] warmed my heart and reminded me of the value of family, friendship and community... I was enthralled... wonderful.' Irish Independent on And Time Stood StillTrade ReviewI highly recommend it … I thoroughly enjoyed it -- The Arts House, Cork’s C103 and Cork’s 96FMhighly enjoyable read -- Ireland’s Own Christmas Annualhighly enjoyable read -- Ireland’s Ownin these pages, we see Taylor’s remarkable gift of elevating the ordinary to something special, something poetic, even … Taylor avoids the mantel of social commentator in this book, and this is surely part of her charm. She is a teller of stories, simply that. She writes from personal experience and records the experience of others, without the gravitas and authority of an historian, but with empathy, wit and considerable poetic elegance. In The Women, she records fifteen remarkable lives that would otherwise have been forgotten. She is to be commended for that. And the fact that, like all of her books, it’s a thing of gentle beauty -- Irish Independentone of Ireland’s favourites … an absolutely beautiful read … beautifully finished … amazing stories that wouldn’t be known without you … the photographs in the book are special in themselves -- In Conversation with Weeshie Fogarty on Radio Kerrya really special reading experience … it’s an amazing book with some wonderful stories -- Shannonside FM and Northern Sound’s Joe Finnegan Showa book that will grip you by the heart -- U Magazinewonderful … put The Women on your Christmas gift list -- Bandon OpinionI reckon it’s going to be another winner -- Tommy Marren Show

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1844, taking a break from novel-writing, the thirty-two-year-old Charles Dickens embarked on a journey to Italy with his wife, his five children and his young sister-in-law. Struck by the scenery and the rapid diorama of monuments and novelties around him, the celebrated author of Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol captured his experiences and impressions in vivid detail. The result is a travelogue like no other, written by one of the finest writers of all time. Abounding in colour and humour, and interspersed with unforgettable set pieces, such as an eyewitness account of the beheading of a robber in Rome and a hilarious description of a tour guide’s ruinous tumble down the slope of Mount Vesuvius, Pictures from Italy is further proof of Charles Dickens’s genius and versatility.

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Book SynopsisThe Girl from Guildford Street describes a working class childhood, growing up in Lozells, Birmingham, 1957-1968. The author and her sister and cousins were the last generation to grow up in the back to backs: Birmingham council houses, two up, one down; no bathroom, inside toilet, central heating or hot running water; centred around a back yard with outside toilets, sheds and a brew'us or wash house. The author looks at family life in the back to backs, and how whole families lived on one street. The author's parents both worked in local factories at a time when manufacturing was booming in Birmingham. This is not a misery memoir - it is the story of a happy childhood in one of Birmingham's poorest areas. It also looks at the Sixties - the fashions, the politics, the music, the hairstyles, the World Cup - as a golden age.

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Book SynopsisFor as long as she can remember, Barbro Karl n has recalled a previous existence as Anne Frank, author of the famous diary. Now, prompted by a series of events that culminated in a struggle for survival, she tells her amazing story. She takes us from her early fame as a best-selling child literary sensation in her native Sweden to her years as a policewoman and successful horse trainer. But this is no ordinary life history. As the victim of discrimination, personal vendettas, media assassination, libel, and attempted murder, Karl n is eventually shown the karmic background to these events. Glimpsing fragments of her former life, she begins to understand how forces of destiny reach out from the past into the present, and she is finally free to be herself. This the story of a supernatural struggle for truth in the face of discrimination and lies. Eight pages of illustrations.

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Book SynopsisHenry Beston planned to spend only two weeks in his newly built cottage on the outer beach of Cape Cod. As summer drifted into autumn, however, he found himself so entranced by the landscape's rhythms and beauty that he could not bear to leave. Settled in his isolated house facing the North Atlantic, Beston spent a year immersed in the raw, elemental life of the great beach around him. Observing the migrations of seabirds, savage winter storms and the constantly shifting interactions between sea and shore, he wrote of the passing seasons in ecstatic, riveting detail. Long out of print in the UK, The Outermost House is a vital precursor to today's prominent nature writers. Impassioned and richly layered, it is a matchless evocation of the spirit of a place and the enduring appeal of the wild.

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Book Synopsis'Fantastic book written by a true LFC legend.' Jurgen Klopp'George Sephton is part of the brickwork of Liverpool Football Club and was witness to so many iconic moments. He has lived through a huge chunk of our history, from when Liverpool were in the Second Division, when he used to come to Anfield with his father, all the way to being crowned World Club and Premier League champions. It's been a rollercoaster ride, and George has been there for all the ups and downs - but mainly the ups.' Sir Kenny Dalglish'The voice of George Sephton has been heard at Anfield for so long that you could be forgiven for imagining him poised with a wind-up gramophone and a 78-rpm record of Gerry with his ukulele and a single Pacemaker, on a comb and tissue paper, piping Alan A'Court and Alf Arrowsmith onto the field.' Elvis CostelloGeorge Sephton's relationship with Liverpool Football Club began in 1971 when he wrote to the club secretary applying to be the stadium announcer. His first match also marked the debut of Kevin Keegan. For the past fifty years, Sephton has been at Anfield for all but a handful of home fixtures, as well as travelling with the team to major finals. From the highs of winning numerous league titles and European Cups, to the lows of Heysel and Hillsborough, Sephton has been with Liverpool through it all. From encounters with great managers and legendary players - from Bill Shankly to Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes to Jurgen Klopp, he tells his unique and entertaining story of the greatest club in the world.Table of Contentsi: Foreword ii: 'Sleeve Notes' iii: Prologue 1: Part One: The Fifties and Sixties 2: Part Two: The Seventies 3: Part Three: The Eighties 4: Part Four: The Nineties 5: Part Five: The 2000s 6: Part Six: The 2010s 7: Epilogue 8: Acknowledgements 9: Plate Section Photography Credits 10: Index

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Book Synopsis‘It won’t happen to me. That’s what I thought when I got on the plane to Venezuela. But it did – I got caught.’Caught smuggling half a million euros’ worth of cocaine, Paul Keany was sexually assaulted by Venezuelan anti-drugs officers before being sentenced to eight years in the notorious Los Teques prison outside Caracas. There he was plunged into a nightmarish world of coke-fuelled killings, gun battles, stabbings, extortion and forced hunger strikes until finally, just over two years into his sentence, he gained early parole and embarked on a daring escape from South America . . .Aided by his extensive prison diaries, Keany reveals the true horror of life inside Los Teques: a shocking underworld behind bars where inmates pay protection money to stay alive, prostitutes do the rounds and vast amounts of cocaine are smuggled in for cell-block bosses to sell on to prisoners for huge profits. The Cocaine Diaries is a remarkable story, told by Keany with honesty, courage and even humour, despite knowing that every day behind bars might have been his last.

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