Biography: adventurers and explorers Books

Book SynopsisThe story of Hanns Scharff, the German master interrogator of the Luftwaffe who questioned captured American fighter pilots of the USAAF Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in World War II. German IntelligenceOfficerHanns Scharffgained the reputation as the man who could magically get all the answers he needed from the prisoners of war in World War 2. In most cases, the POWs being interrogated never realized that their words, small talk or otherwise, were important pieces of the mosaic Hanns Scharff was constructing for the benefit of Germany's war effort. In the words of one former POW, What did Scharff get from me? Nothing, yet there is no doubt he got something. If you talked about the weather or anything else, he no doubt got some information or confirmation from it. His technique was psychic, not physical.Another POW commented, Hanns Scharff could probably get a confession of infidelity from a Nun! To this day, ex-POWs fret

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Book SynopsisThe decade that followed James Stockdale's seven and a half years in a North Vietnamese prison saw his life take a number of different turns, from a stay in a navy hospital to president of a civilian college to his appointment as a senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution. In these essays he offers his thoughts on his imprisonment.

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Book SynopsisMeticulously researched, Marshall Hall: A Law unto Himself is the first modern biography of a complex and influential man. In an age of inadequate defence funding, minimal forensic evidence, a rigid moral code and a reactionary judiciary, his only real weapons were his understanding of human psychology and the power of his personality.Trade Review'Sally Smith more than does justice to the extraordinary life of this complex man, with its ups and downs, its stresses and strains, its triumphs and occasional disasters. Her book is not only the portrait of a man, but also of an age and a profession the like of which we will never see again. There have been and will be other great advocates, but the raw battle for the life of an accused in the shadow of the noose is something that now belongs to history. It was a battle at which Marshall Hall excelled.' Paul Magrath, ICLR Review'Her book is real-life crime history at its best, enhanced by her expert insight into guilty men and women, crafty solicitors, procedural intricacies, legal costs and fees, tabloid sensationalism and human nature at its grubbiest. This is a tip-top book of its kind.' From a review by Richard Davenport-Hines in the Oldie.'She seeks to explain this forensic phenomenon and with zip and vivacity she succeeds.' From a review by Alan Moses in The Times Literary Supplement.'A fascinating book that should hold any reader in its grip.' From review in The Law Society Gazette.Table of ContentsPART I OBSCURITY Chapter 1: ‘The last moment’ Chapter 2: ‘Splendid types of English public school life’ Chapter 3: ‘Words can never tell my grief’ Chapter 4: ‘Violent passionate extraordinary advocacy’ PART II NOTORIETY Chapter 5: ‘Mysterious death of a barrister’s wife’ Chapter 6: ‘God never gave her a chance’ Chapter 7: ‘Vote for my daddy, Marshall Hall’ Chapter 8: ‘Outrageous gutter rags’ Chapter 9: ‘Disgraceful conduct’ PART III ASCENDANCY Chapter 10: ‘A simple matter of a moment’ Chapter 11: ‘The scales of justice’ Chapter 12: ‘I have shot him – he dared me to do it’ Chapter 13: ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee’ Chapter 14: ‘It’s a shame!’ PART IV FAME Chapter 15: ‘A strange magnetic quality’ Chapter 16: ‘Unsuitable for the eyes and ears of pure women’ Chapter 17: ‘God’s great Western sun’ Chapter 18: ‘You damned swine, you have seduced my wife’ Chapter 19: ‘Some great statue of mourning’ Appendix Acknowledgements Select Bibliography Sources and Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller ***''[A] compelling story of overcoming adversity... Unexpectedly fascinating... amazingly inspiriting...'' --- The Observer''...the vitality of the book lies in its directness and conversational candour... An engaging memoir'' --- The Sunday Times''Extraordinary'' --- Evening Standard ''Funny, honest and at times heart-breaking - a terrific read.'' --- Lorraine Kelly''For a politician to have such an extraordinary story to tell is rare. For that politician to be able to tell it with such eloquence and benevolence is rarer still. This book is a triumph.'' --- Alan Johnson''This riveting tale of social aspiration leads us from the East End to Westminster in detailed honesty.'' --- Ian McKellen ''A moving and inspiring hymn to the ups and downs of life - to love, to adversity and above all courage.

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Book Synopsis'Enormously readable...excellent' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'A superb piece of thorough journalism' David Aaronovitch, The TimesNigel Farage is arguably one of the most influential British politicians of the 21st century. His campaign to take the UK out of the EU began as a minority and extreme point of view, but in June 2016 it became the official policy of the nation after a divisive referendum. In Michael Crick's brilliant biography, One Party After Another, we find out how he did it, despite never once managing to get elected to Parliament until 2024. Farage left public school at the age of 16 to go and work in the City, but in the 1990s he was drawn into politics, joining UKIP. Ironically, it was the electoral system for the European Parliament that gave him access to a platform, and he was elected an MEP in 1999. His everyman persona, combined with a natural ability as aTrade Review'Enormously readable. Farage is...too often reduced to a caricature, and one of the great qualities of Crick's book is that he turns him back into a complicated human being. Crick's Farage emerges as a surprisingly mercurial, anxious, moody figure. Although biographies of modern politicians are usually pretty dreadful, Crick's is excellent.' -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *'Brilliantly well researched and endlessly entertaining' -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *'Like those of all political upstarts, Nigel Farage’s career is marked by generous helpings of luck. His story is full of tantalising what ifs, and in this definitive biography Michael Crick makes the most of them. Crick, a notoriously tenacious political correspondent, has dug deep in the mire of Farage’s fallings-out. He is excellent at following a virtual paper trail, particularly when it involves electoral trickery. His book is fair-minded, frequently amusing.' -- David Runciman * Guardian *'Simply a superb piece of thorough journalism... If you want to know the facts about th[is] strange and discombobulating man...you will never need to go to another place to find them. Crick...would not have been out of place in the CID... It is one of the many great virtues of Crick’s indefatigability that he supplies all the information that allows me to argue with some of his conclusions. And that is quite a recommendation.' -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *'A gripping and vivid biography... Comprehensively researched, fluently written and brimming with both funny stories and jaw-dropping ones, this is the best biography of Farage that will be written.' -- Andrew Rawnsley * Observer *‘An extended act of investigative journalism…a roller-coaster read, lurching from one sensation to another… Warts-and-all ... an admirable and intelligent biography.’ -- Simon Heffer * Daily Telegraph *'Michael Crick argues convincingly that [Farage] is one of the top five most significant politicans of the past half century... A deeply enjoyable book, written with immense brio and enhanced by some great photos.' -- Lynn Barber * Spectator *'Absorbing, richly detailed biography... One Party After Another is both fluent and authoritative.' -- Fintan O’Toole * Times Literary Supplement *'Michael Crick [is] a writer adept at excavating information his subjects would prefer hidden. Crick has delivered a comprehensive chronicle that details...the internal squabbles and viciousness of the party’s early days, as well as his subject’s love life.' -- Robert Shrimsley * Financial Times *'Crick's enormously readable biography of the man who brought us Brexit insists that, alongside Blair and Thatcher, Farage was one of the most significant politicians of the past 50 years.' * Sunday Times Summer Reading *'Crick offers a 360-degree view of the Brexit saga... More intriguing is his picture of Farage the man. What a picaresque life! Remainers may loathe this humanising of a hate figure...yet Crick is fair, interrogating the worst rumours.' -- Janice Turner * New Statesman *'Nigel Farage...has a good claim to be one of the most influential politicians in postwar Britain. A lively, chaotic and sometimes sinister figure (witness his close friendship with Donald Trump and admiration for Viktor Orban), Farage is an ideal subject for Crick, one of the UK's most experienced political journalists.' -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times Best Summer Reads *'Michael Crick is a brilliant journalist with a perceptive eye, a sharp pen and an admirably Tiggerish energy in pursuit of a story.' -- Julia Langdon * Tablet *'Heavily researched and scrupulously balanced...if this gruesomely compelling biography proves one thing, it’s that mocking Farage can be an extremely risky business.' -- Andrew Lynch * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisA moving account of the bond between people and animals by a vet at a London animal charity

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Book SynopsisAn extremely timely reevaluation of the lost Labour Prime Minister. The man who set the course for the last Labour government, and in whom many see the future of the next.

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Book SynopsisExcellentsummation The fundamentals of Churchill's extraordinary life stand outtrue and clear, and his example of leadership is revived for a new generation' International Churchill SocietyIn Winston Churchill, veteran historian Peter Caddick-Adams gives us an overview of Churchill's life, from his early days as a soldier and part-time journalist through to the Second World War and beyond. Caddick-Adams argues that the recipe for Churchill's success during his wartime premiership of 1940-45 can be found in the First World War. The nation, and its leaders, had undergone a dress rehearsal' in 1914-18: conscription, rationing, convoys, air raids, mass production, women's uniformed services, coalitions and war cabinets had all happened before, which Churchill had personally witnessed and, in some cases, helped administer. This experience, combined with Churchill's extraordinary abilities (along with some foibles), were what enabled Britain to survive. Winston Churchill is the first book in a new series from Swift Press The Prime Ministers comprised of engaging, concise introductions to our past leaders.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and original biography of Eadward Muybridge, charting how his pioneering work in motion picture ushered in a period of technological innovation.

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Book SynopsisFootball is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for ninety minutes and at the end, the Germans win.' Gary Lineker

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Book SynopsisDrawn from fresh post-pandemic interviews, Beyond Division relates stories of how thirty diverse Israeli women leaders, artists, scientists, philanthropists, healers, academicsreligious and secular Jews, Christians, Druze, Ethiopians, Arabs, and others, from the North to the Southlead lives of purpose in their polarized nation, despite war and socio-ethnic differences.

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Book SynopsisWith his trademark sense of humour and foot-in-mouth disease, The World According to Razor is like having a pint down the pub with Razor himself.

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Book SynopsisSuperstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: the, a, for, above, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller. It begins in North Philadelphia. He was born an accident, unwanted by his parents. His father was a drug addict who was in and out of jail. His brother was a crack dealer and petty thief. And his mother was overwhelmingly strict, beating him with belts, frying pans, and his own toys. The odds, in short, were stacked against our young hero, just like the odds that are stacked against the release of a new book in this era of social media (where HarTrade Review"[An] emotion-filled memoir full of grit and humor...Inspiring and thoroughly entertaining, Hart's memoir brings his readers into his hilarious universe of stories and philosophy." * Publishers Weekly, starred review *"Hart is an incredibly magnetic storyteller, on the page as he is onstage, and that’s what shines through…a genial, entertaining guide to a life in comedy.” * Kirkus Reviews *"Hilarious but also heartfelt." * Elle Magazine *"His new book will introduce readers to a Kevin Hart they’ve never known before…a reflection of his journey, his work ethic and his true self." * Parade.com *"Full of outrageous confessions and brutally honest tidbits about his life." * People.com *

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Book SynopsisThe classic, bestselling account of the infamous Kray twins, now a major film, starring Tom Hardy.Reggie and Ronnie Kray ruled London's gangland during the 60s with a ruthlessness and viciousness that shocks even now. Building an empire of organised crime that has never been matched, the brothers swindled, extorted and terrorised while enjoying a glittering celebrity status at the heart of the swinging 60s scene, until their downfall and imprisonment for life.Trade Review'The most famous biography of criminal life to have been published in Britain…a cult’ Time Out 'All credit to Mr. Pearson for a brave and disturbing book' Daily Express 'A scrupulous dossier of the Krays’ weird career' Daily Telegraph 'An exciting read' The Times 'Extremely well written and fittingly dead-pan' New Statesman

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Book SynopsisThe definitive modern biography of the great slave leader, military genius and revolutionary hero Toussaint LouvertureThe Haitian Revolution began in the French Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue with a slave revolt in August 1791, and culminated a dozen years later in the proclamation of the world''s first independent black state. After the abolition of slavery in 1793, Toussaint Louverture, himself a former slave, became the leader of the colony''s black population, the commander of its republican army and eventually its governor. During the course of his extraordinary life he confronted some of the dominant forces of his age - slavery, settler colonialism, imperialism and racial hierarchy. Treacherously seized by Napoleon''s invading army in 1802, this charismatic figure ended his days, in Wordsworth''s phrase, ''the most unhappy man of men'', imprisoned in a fortress in France.Black Spartacus draws on a wealth of archival material, much of it overlooked by previous biographers, to follow every step of Louverture''s singular journey, from his triumphs against French, Spanish and British troops to his skilful regional diplomacy, his Machiavellian dealings with successive French colonial administrators and his bold promulgation of an autonomous Constitution. Sudhir Hazareesingh shows that Louverture developed his unique vision and leadership not solely in response to imported Enlightenment ideals and revolutionary events in Europe and the Americas, but through a hybrid heritage of fraternal slave organisations, Caribbean mysticism and African political traditions. Above all, Hazareesingh retrieves Louverture''s rousing voice and force of personality, making this the most engaging, as well as the most complete, biography to date.After his death in the French fortress, Louverture became a figure of legend, a beacon for slaves across the Atlantic and for generations of European republicans and progressive figures in the Americas. He inspired the anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass, the most eminent nineteenth-century African-American; his emancipatory struggle was hailed by those who defied imperial and colonial rule well into the twentieth. In the modern era, his life informed the French poet Aimé Césaire''s seminal idea of négritude and has been celebrated in a remarkable range of plays, songs, novels and statues. Here, in all its drama, is the epic story of the world''s first black superhero.Trade ReviewThe art of biography lies in using a life story to bring a historical moment, as well as the society and culture that shaped it, alive and to make it legible. And in this, Hazareesingh succeeds admirably ... beautifully written and deeply engag­ing, connecting the many remarkable writings by and about Louverture in a symphonic narrative -- Laurent Dubois * American Historical Review *This is an erudite and elegant biography with a message that resonates strongly in our own time -- David Cannadineremarkable ... the sharpest portrait yet of Louverture ... Black Spartacus is a triumph. It takes a nearly impossibly complex history and weaves it into a compelling and accurate narrative that reads like fiction. -- Ben Horowitz * Financial Times *Black Spartacus is a tour de force: by far the most complete, authoritative and persuasive biography of Toussaint that we are likely to have for a long time...an extraordinarily gripping read. -- David A Bell * Guardian *There is no better literary contribution to the year of Black Lives Matter than Sudhir Hazareesingh's Black Spartacus, an authoritative biography of Toussaint Louverture, who led the successful "slave revolt" in Haiti and paved the way for Haitian independence. -- Vince Cable * New Statesman Books of the Year *an outstanding biography that breaks fresh ground and scrapes the crust of folklore, and cliché, from the Toussaint story ... scrupulous and absorbing ... After the summer of 2020, there could hardly be a more urgent and valuable book. -- Boyd Tonkin * Arts Desk *This thrilling, magisterial, superb biography, full of new material, tells the extraordinary swashbuckling, bloodspattered, inspirational life of Toussaint, brilliant leader of the Haitian slave revolt against France -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Evening Standard *Lustrous pearls ... scattered throughout Black Spartacus, turn this detailed, blow-by-blow account of Toussaint's military exploits into a dazzling, complicated narrative ... a breath-taking picture of the decade of Toussaint's dream -- Amy Wilentz * Spectator *Sudhir Hazareesingh's engrossing new life is the story of an island as well as a man ... Hazareesingh brings to the task a voracious appetite for original sources and a discerning ear for those that have the ring of truth. He also has a gift for tracing those threads that reveal a previously unrecognised pattern in the fabric of a life. -- Nathan Perl-Rosenthal * Wall Street Journal *With Black Spartacus, Sudhir Hazareesingh has produced the fourth - and best - biography of Toussaint Louverture since the bicentenary of Haitian independence ... The book deftly tackles the early stages of the slave uprising and gives one of the most convincing accounts yet of Toussaint's likely role in its opening moves. -- Paul Clammer * History Today *This superb new history of Louverture and his legacy portrays Saint-Domingue as the most profitable slave colony the world had ever known ... with rare narrative verve, Hazareesingh conjures his subject's extraordinary life. -- Ian Thomson * The Observer *This is a balanced, yet sympathetic, biography which throws light on Toussaint's personality and acknowledges the importance of his political ideals ... Toussaint is now a global figure, a byword for Black empowerment, and as such he has become a hero for our times. -- Alan Forrest * Times Literary Supplement *Hazareesingh presents a deeply researched, energetic, and comprehensively reenvisioned study of the extraordinary life and still-growing influence of Haiti's liberator and founding father. -- Donna Seaman * Booklist *a timely study of Toussaint Louverture, hero of Haiti's slave revolt -- Clive Davis * The Times *This timely biography digs deeper into archival material to reveal Louverture's uniquely modern views. * Evening Standard *engaging ... a vivid portrait of a complex, captivating and sometimes contradictory leader. -- Carrie Gibson * Prospect *Based on meticulous research in the French archives, Hazareesingh's scholarship deserves the highest praise. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Sudhir Hazareesingh's remarkable book is a sparkling example of the role history can play in society today and, in particular, the importance of shining a light on the often-overlooked experiences of the past. -- Paul RamsbottomSudhir Hazareesingh's account of what he dubs the "epic life" of Toussaint Louverture provides a meticulous biography of his subject and, at the same time, a comprehensive new introduction to the Haitian Revolution ... Black Spartacus is compellingly written and presents its rich source material, both historiographic and archival, with a welcome lightness of touch. ... the definitive English-language life of Louverture -- Charles Forsdick * Jacobin *Sudhir Hazareesingh's stellar, deeply engrossing Black Spartacus still thrums with great potential for our contemporary moment. [Toussaint] shines incandescent in Hazareesingh's tour de force, which has brought an immense amount of new material into the general public domain. The distinguished author, who is a fellow at Oxford's Balliol College, previously specialized in French intellectual and cultural history, and admits in his acknowledgements that he had "never ventured into the history of French colonialism in the Caribbean." But there's also an intriguing biographical element- his roots in the Indian ocean island of Mauritius - that has worked rather serendipitously. As far as this reader is concerned, it's that perspective which has wound up yielding the most original and penetrating insights in Black Spartacus. -- Vivek Menezes * Hindustan Times *This book weaves all these threads into a compelling narrative. Reality trumps fiction on every page. -- Francis Ghiles * ES Global *

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Book SynopsisAs a young girl in China Xinran heard a rumour about a soldier in Tibet who had been brutally fed to the vultures in a ritual known as a sky burial: the tale frightened and fascinated her. Several decades later Xinran met Shu Wan, a Chinese woman who had spent years searching for her missing husband who had been serving as a doctor in Tibet; her extraordinary life story would unravel the legend of the sky burial. For thirty years she was lost in the wild and alien landscape of Tibet, in the vast and silent plateaus and the magisterial mountain ranges, living with communities of nomads moving with the seasons and struggling to survive.In this haunting book, Xinran recreates Shu Wen''s remarkable journey in an epic story of love, loss, loyalty and survival. Moving, shocking and, ultimately, uplifting Sky Burial paints a unique portrait of a woman and a land, both at the mercy of fate and politics.Trade ReviewA romantic epic of loss and redemption, of stoic constancy in the face of the vagaries of fate * Financial Times *Part family story, part mystical adventure in an alien culture, it's like Wild Swans crossed with Seven Years in Tibet * Condé Nast Traveller *This little-known culture has been brought vividly to life through the incredible love story of Shu Wen. This story of an extraordinary woman written by an extraordinary woman will stay with you long after closing the book * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD 2021THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2021A SUNDAY TIMES AND TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEARA dramatic, gripping account of the rise and fall of the notorious business tycoon Robert Maxwell from the acclaimed author of A Very English Scandal.''The best biography yet of the media magnate Robert Maxwell - by turns engrossing, amusing and appalling'' Robert Harris, Sunday Times''Electrifying... the supreme chronicler of modern British scandals'' Mail on SundayRobert Maxwell was a very British success. Born an Orthodox Jew, he escaped the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, fought in the Second World War, and was decorated for his heroism with the Military Cross. He went on to become a Labour MP and an astonishingly successful businessman, owning a number of newspapers and publishing companies. But aTrade Review'This is the best biography yet of the media magnate Robert Maxwell - by turns engrossing, amusing and appalling... it slips down as richly, easily and pleasurably as a tablespoonful of Beluga caviar' -- Robert Harris * Sunday Times *'Electrifying... the supreme chronicler of modern British scandals' * Mail on Sunday *'This is such a richly detailed, well-written, gripping biography I wished it could have been twice as long' -- Lynn Barber * Daily Telegraph *'I have a shelf full of books about frauds, but this one is by far the most enjoyable. By turns self-righteous and revolting, Maxwell makes the perfect villain' -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *'Any good biography of a mountebank depicts not only its subject but also the ambivalent society that accommodated the monster. John Preston's Fall does this with deft understatement ... Preston's A Very English Scandal used an almost novelistic eye to revive a well-worn scandal. Fall is equally satisfying' -- Quentin Letts * The Times *'An absorbing profile of the war hero turned rogue ... Preston comes to his subject with the advantage both of hindsight and his great skill at exposing hypocrisy and subterfuge ... he has an eye for the telling detail and an ear for the revealing quote' * Observer, Book of the Week *'There have been many books written about Robert Maxwell, but surely none as pacy, entertaining and jaw-dropping as this one... yes, this is quite a book' * Daily Mail *'Preston has written a wonderfully ­entertaining book and interviewed almost everyone who crossed ­Maxwell's path in his heyday. He has an eye for comedy and drama and, where he explains his subject's shady and dauntingly complex business dealings, he does so clearly and succinctly' * New Statesman *'Irresistible page-turning pace ... what emerges from Fall is a vividly grotesque picture of the emperor showing off his nonexistent new clothes to an applauding crowd of courtiers - politicians, editors, bankers - who all too willingly suspended any disbelief they may have felt' -- Francis Wheen * Spectator *'John Preston's book Fall, a recounting of the life of one of the most extraordinary figures in British corporate life, is timely ... almost 30 years since Maxwell died at sea in unexplained circumstances, it is possible to look back on his story and the fraud as a great, sweeping whole, a bridge from the second world war to the last years of the media barons before the internet began ... Preston tells the story well ... its strength is in telling the grand sweep of an extraordinary life' * Financial Times *'Vivid ... Preston (has a) gift for the kind of wry comedy that suits English decline' * Guardian, Book of the Day *'John Preston's research for this terrific biography is extensive; he interviewed three of Maxwell's children and his sister. But he also presents a large character at the heart of a gripping novel which happens to be true' * Evening Standard *'Thanks to Preston's fine writing, Fall fizzes along at pace and is engrossing as it charts Maxwell's astonishing life - and how he came to be so widely reviled' * i *'John Preston tells [the story of Maxwell] with great verve and the benefit of extensive interviews with, among others, Maxwell's one-time rival Rupert Murdoch... the portrait that emerges is more subtly drawn than previous ones' * Economist *'John Preston brings the old crook and liar magnificently to life in this sparkling biography... this beautifully written book provides many moments of high and low comedy... Preston's sharp eye for the ridiculous and the piquant conjures up a lost Fleet Street world' * Jewish Chronicle *'Preston is a natural storyteller' -- The TimesDeeply researched, fluently written, and darkly comic, it reads like a thriller -- Ben Macintyre on 'A Very English Scandal'Brilliant, sad, startling -- Jon Ronson on 'A Very English Scandal'A terrific book and brilliantly researched -- Claire Tomalin on 'A Very English Scandal'Very funny and endlessly extraordinary * Guardian on 'A Very English Scandal' *Preston is a natural storyteller * The Times *

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Book SynopsisFor Elizabeth, Drake made the impossible real, serving as a crucial and brilliantly adaptable instrument of her ambitions to transform England from a third-rate island kingdom into a global imperial power.In 1580, sailing on Elizabeth’s covert orders, Drake became the first captain to circumnavigate the earth successfully.Trade Review“Fascinating. … Engaging. … Drake’s story is both dramatic and timely. … In Laurence Bergreen’s colorful assessment, an unlikely alliance between Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Francis Drake empowered English Protestants to … stake out the beginnings of the British Empire.” — New York Times Book Review, "Editors' Choice" “A dramatic tale of discovery. ... A comprehensive look at Drake, in all his contradictions. ... A lively and compelling history of a man whose blend of audacity, piety and cruelty changed the world.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Vivid. … Entrancing. ... The accounts of Drake’s circumnavigation and his subsequent naval career are very good indeed. They will surely delight aficionados of imperial history and anyone keen on real-life adventure stories.” — Wall Street Journal "With a keen sense of adventure and a sharp grasp of personalities on sea and land, Bergreen details Drake’s round-the-world adventures as well as political intrigues and mutinous sailors." — Booklist (starred review) “The swashbuckling life and times of the explorer who achieved what Magellan could not—and made England’s fortune in the process. ... Demonstrating his deep knowledge of the era, the author energetically recounts Drake’s action-packed journey. ... Bergreen masterly portrays the principal characters in this drama. … A smooth, dramatic, and well-fleshed world history.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “The great pleasure of In Search of a Kingdom is the revelation of Drake as a man of apparent contradictions that helped rather than hindered his ambitions. Readers in search of a story of how a clergyman’s son gained the support of a queen and helped found the British Empire will not be disappointed.” — Washington Independent Review of Books “Laurence Bergreen’s new book tells the swashbuckling tale of Sir Francis Drake. … Drake’s trip around the globe, which Bergreen describes in great and fascinating detail, was truly a marvel. … The account of Drake’s remarkable trip and Bergreen’s parsing of this complicated character will repay the time of readers who choose to take this 400-page trip.” — American Spectator

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Book SynopsisA TLS, TIMES, PROSPECT AND WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEARA groundbreaking examination of how the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn sent shockwaves across a continent and changed England forever.''In many places, where once we had speculation, we now have certainty. This book is at once an education and a joy to read'' LITERARY REVIEW''Combines meticulously researched history and contemporary voices with narrative flair'' SUNDAY TIMES''Anne Boleyn comes alive in this impressive study . . . Moves and informs'' THE TIMES''The most cogent narrative reading of the evidence to date'' SPECTATORThe story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is one of the most remarkable in history: a long courtship followed by a shotgun wedding and then a coronation, ending just short of three years later when a husband's passion turned to such hatred that he simply wanted his wife gone. In Hun

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Book SynopsisColm Tóibín was born in Ireland in 1955. He is the author of several novels, including The Master, Brooklyn, and The Magician, and two collections of stories. He has been three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2021, he was awarded the David Cohen Prize for Literature. Tóibín was appointed the Laureate for Irish Fiction for 2022-2024.

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Book SynopsisAn exciting new edition of Bella Bathurst's epic story of Robert Louis Stevenson's ancestors and the building of the Scottish coastal lighthouses against impossible odds.Whenever I smell salt water, I know that I am not far from one of the works of my ancestors,' wrote Robert Louis Stevenson in 1880. When the lights come out at sundown along the shores of Scotland, I am proud to think they burn more brightly for the genius of my father!'Robert Louis Stevenson was the most famous of the Stevensons, but not by any means the most productive. The Lighthouse Stevensons, all four generations of them, built every lighthouse round Scotland, were responsible for a slew of inventions in both construction and optics, and achieved feats of engineering in conditions that would be forbidding even today. The same driven energy which Robert Louis Stevenson put into writing, his ancestors put into lighting the darkness of the seas. The Lighthouse Stevensons is a story of high endeavour, beautifully tolTrade Review‘Deeply accomplished… this splendid book preserves the memory of great deeds performed in a heroic era’Frank McLynn, Sunday Times ‘Bella Bathurst has built a lamp herself: it illuminates the work of a literary hero, a family business, a habit of mind and a Scottish period… from the summit of this first terrific book she looks to become one of the best biographers of her generation’Andrew O’Hagan, The Times ‘An enthralling story, vivaciously recounted… These were epic and scarifying adventures, indicative of an age when the taming of nature was a philosophical given, its execution a religious passion’Alan Taylor, Observer ‘This is a grand book doing for lighthouses what Dava Sobel’s Longitude did for marine chronometers, and doing it, if comparisons are to be made, with considerably more panache’Nicholas Bagnall, Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable life of the vivacious, clever and forgotten Kennedy sister, who charmed the English aristocracy and was almost erased from her family history.The favourite child of Joe Kennedy and favourite sister of Jack, Kick Kennedy was spirited, vivacious and legendary for her charm. When the Kenndys sailed to Britain in 1938 she was presented as a debutante amid the pre-war social whirl of the British aristocracy. Here she met a shy, tall, handsome man called Billy, and, rebelling against family, faith, and country, soon married him. He was William Cavendish, heir to Chatsworth and the Duke of Devonshire, the most eligible bachelor in England. But their days of married bliss proved short, as war would bring tragedy and loss.Uncovering her spectacular life in full for the first time, Paula Byrne depicts a remarkable woman who bewitched the Churchills, Astors and Mitfords, and yet was almost erased from Kennedy family history.Trade Review‘Byrne conjures such a vivid portrait of her enchanting heroine that one almost feels deprived never having met her’ Daily Mail, Book of the Week ‘Byrne is engagingly smitten with her subject … Sentence by sentence, the book is a joy: a fresh take on the exceedingly well-worn theme of the Kennedy family. Byrne recounts the dramas of the end of her life with great pace and a poignancy that is all the more affecting for not being overdone’ Guardian ‘Byrne does a fine job rescuing Kick from undeserved obscurity, providing an important chapter to the story of this dazzling doomed dynasty’ The Times ‘Sparkling … fast-paced … transfixing’ Sunday Times ‘This absolutely enthralling biography is written by an expert hand… Her narrative is deceptively easy and fluid, cleverly belying the enormous weight and variety of her source materials’ Irish Independent ‘An exciting, heartbreakingly tense love story’ Kirkus Review ‘Written with panache … as engaging as its subject’ Sunday Express ‘A fun-loving American charms the English aristocracy with her wit and sangfroid, overcoming prejudice to win the heart of London’s most eligible bachelor … Paula Byrne … recaptures her brief but fascinating story’ Vogue ‘This very sad story is at the heart of Paula Byrne's excellent biography … supported by impressive research’ Financial Times ‘Sympathetic and faced-paced … Byrne’s portrait of the Kennedy’s at home is transfixing’ Sunday Times ‘A compelling biography … Byrne is to be commended for handling the formidable task with aplomb. She has produced a lively work … allowing [Kick’s] warmth, charisma and legendary vitality to shine through’ Country Life ‘Absolutely enthralling … Paula Byrne's narrative is deceptively easy and fluid cleverly belying the enormous weight and variety of her resource material’ Irish Independent

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Book Synopsis Now a major film, this is a dramatic reinterpretation of the life of Mary Queen of Scots by one of the leading historians of this period. Trade Review‘A biography that reads as thrillingly as a detective story’ Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times ‘A masterpiece, full of fire and tragedy’ Amanda Foreman 'Rarely have first-class scholarship and first-class storytelling been so effectively combined' John Adamson, Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisNew York Times BestsellerFeatured in the critically acclaimed documentary RBGIt was beyond my wildest imagination that I would one day become the ''Notorious RBG. — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2019She was a fierce dissenter with a serious collar game. A legendary, self-described “flaming feminist litigator” who made the world more equal. And an intergenerational icon affectionately known as the Notorious RBG. As the nation mourns the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, discover the story of a remarkable woman and learn how to carry on her legacy. This runaway bestseller, brought to you by the attorney founder of the Notorious RBG Tumblr and an award-winning feminist journalist, is more than just a love letter. It draws on intimate access to Ginsburg''s family members, close friends, colleagues, and clerks, as well as an interview with the Justice herself. An original hybrid of reported narrative, annotated dissents, rare archival photos and documents, and illustrations, the book tells a never-before-told story of an unusual and transformative woman who transcended divides and changed the world forever.Trade Review"The authors make this unassuming, most studious woman come pulsing to life...'Notorious RBG' may be a playful project, but it asks to be read seriously...That I responded so personally to it is a testimony to [its] storytelling and panache." -- Jennifer Senior, New York Times Carmon and Knizhnik write powerfully about the progression of Ginsburg's legal career. In particular, they make vivid the development of her trademark arguments ... In her fierce honesty, resolute realness, and, yes, innate sense of style (those collars!), Ginsburg emerges as a cultural icon worthy of her own fanbase -- Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe "What a wonderful book: The annotated dissents! The knockout photos! Why she likes to write through the night! The litany of big cases she won as a lawyer, and how she picked them! How she made Bill Clinton cry! Notorious RBG is a laugh-out-loud joy to read." -- Rachel Maddow "A deeply original mashup of pop culture and serious scholarship. I plan to give a copy to both of my daughters." -- Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Devil in the Grove "This breezy, fun and thoughtful take on the life of the Justice explains exactly why a new generation created and embraced the Cult of Ginsburg." -- Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Oath and The Nine "This rigorously reported book shines a new light on the groundbreaking cases Ginsburg litigated challenging gender stereotypes." -- Louise Melling, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU "If you admired RBG before, Carmon and Knizhnik will make you fall in love with her, not only as a feminist hero but a human being." -- Vogue "Clark Kent had Superman. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has Notorious R.B.G... Carmon and Knizhnik have turned R.B.G's robe into a cape." -- New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisThis is Hemingway''s East African safari journal.''All I wanted to do was get back to Africa''Green Hills of Africa is Ernest Hemingway''s lyrical journal of a month on safari in the great game country of East Africa, where he and his wife Pauline journeyed in December 1933. Hemingway''s well-known interest in - and fascination with - big-game hunting is magnificently captured in this evocative account of his trip. It is an examination of the lure of the hunt and an impassioned portrait of the glory of the African landscape and of the beauty of a wilderness that was, even then, being threatened by the incursions of man.''In a class by itself - the country at all hours shines bright and clear in these pages'' Daily Telegraph''The best-written story of big-game hunting anywhere'' New York TimesTrade ReviewA fine book on death in the African afternoon. . .The writing is the thing; that way he has of getting down with beautiful precision the exact way things look, smell, taste, feel, sound * New York Times *If he were never to write again, his name would live as long as the English language, for Green Hills of Africa takes its place beside his other works on that small shelf in our libraries which we reserve for the classics * Observer *This book is an expression of a deep enjoyment and appreciation of being alive - in Africa. There is more to it than hunting; it is the feeling of the dew on the grass in the morning, the shape and colour and smell of the country, the companionship of friends ... and the feeling that time has ceased to matter * TLS *

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Book SynopsisFrom Thomas Becket''s early life as a merchant''s son and his time as the Archbishop of Canterbury to his assassination in the Cathedral itself, this enlightening book brings to life a colossal figure of British history. ''Lively, effortlessly readable, superb. A beautifully layered portrait of one of the most complex characters in English history'' The Times ____________________This is the man, not the legend . . . Thomas Becket lived at the centre of medieval England. Son of a draper''s merchant, he was befriended and favoured by Henry II and quickly ascended the rungs of power and privilege. He led 700 knights into battle, brokered peace between warring states and advised King and Pope. Yet he lost it all defying his closest friend and King, resulting in his bloody murder and the birth of a saint. In award-winning biographer John Guy''s masterful account, the life, death and times of Thomas Becket <

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Book SynopsisAn award-winning environmental historian explores American history through wrenching, tragic, and sometimes humorous stories of getting lostFascinating. . . . Underlying . . . is a deep belief in the importance of collaboration and cooperation between humans and their environments, as well as between humans and other humans.Robert Macfarlane, New York Review of Books The human species has a propensity for getting lost. The American people, inhabiting a mental landscape shaped by their attempts to plant roots and to break free, are no exception. In this engagingbook, environmental historian Jon Coleman bypasses the trailblazers so often described in American history to follow instead the strays and drifters who went missing. From Hernando de Soto's failed quest for riches in the American southeast to the recent trend of getting lost as a therapeutic escape from modernity, this book details a unique history of location and movement as well as the confrontations that occur when our phTrade Review"Fascinating. . . . Underlying . . . is a deep belief in the importance of collaboration and cooperation between humans and their environments, as well as between humans and other humans."—Robert Macfarlane, New York Review of Books “Nature Shock is original, compelling, deeply researched, and expansively written, showcasing Jon Coleman’s signature wit and verve.”—Louis Warren, author of God's Red Son: The Ghost Dance Religion and the Making of Modern America“In an ambitious continental frame extending from the sixteenth century to the present, Nature Shock carries us through the history of getting lost in America. This is an unconventional and deeply compelling history of American empire, nation-making, and identity seen not from the typical centers of power but rather from the unstable edges.”—Samuel Truett, author of Fugitive Landscapes: The Forgotten History of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands“From the wanderings of Spanish explorers to the age of smartphones, Jon Coleman’s Nature Shock artfully explores ‘getting lost’ in America and why it should matter to all of us.”—William Wyckoff, author of How to Read the American West: A Field Guide"No doubt about it, we are a nation of lost souls; in this book for our times, Jon Coleman explains brilliantly how that happened, and its consequences."—Thomas P. Slaughter, author of Exploring Lewis and Clark“In this sweeping work, Jon T. Coleman traces what it has meant to be lost over the centuries, and introduces the remarkable individuals who experienced such wilderness. The result is an illuminating and inspirational rethinking of nature and social connection.”—Louis P. Masur, Rutgers University

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Book SynopsisBorn on a Somerset pea-field in 1941, the second of eight children in a Romani family, Maggie Smith-Bendell has lived through the years of greatest change in the travelling community''s long history. As a child, Maggie rode and slept in a horse-drawn wagon, picked hops and flowers, and sat beside her father''s campfire on ancient verges, poor but free to roam. As the twentieth century progressed, common land was fenced off and the traditional ways disappeared. Eventually Maggie married a house-dweller and tried to settle for bricks and mortar, but she never lost the restless spirit, the deep love of the land and the gift for storytelling that were her Romani inheritance.Maggie''s story is one of hardship and prejudice, but also, unforgettably, it recalls the glories of the travelling life, in the absolute safety of a loyal and loving family.

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Book Synopsis‘We continued to receive unwelcome visits from the Hun – Fw 190s dropping bombs.’

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