Biography: adventurers and explorers Books
Little, Brown Book Group Simon Weston Moving On
Book SynopsisSimon Weston was horrifically burnt in the Falklands conflict of 1982. He has since rebuilt his life to become a true hero for our times and he brings his astonishing story up to date in the pages of this new autobiography. Now happily married with three young children, he campaigns tirelessly for charities - he has jumped with the Red Devils and run the New York marathon - to create a better future for young people and veterans alike. But his road to recovery has certainly not been without its darker moments. This book sees him lay his Falklands ghosts to rest: in a final, moving return to the islands, he bids a last goodbye to the old self he left behind.
£9.49
The History Press Ltd John Brown
Book SynopsisA century after Queen Victoria''s death, debate still rages surrounding her relationship with her gillie, John Brown. Were they ever married? What was the extraordinary hold he had over her? This biography aims to shed new light on these questions and to discover the truth behind Brown''s hold on his royal employer. Following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, the Queen found solace in the companionship of John Brown, who had commenced his royal employment as a stable hand. He became The Queen''s Highland Servant in 1865 and rose to be the most influential member of the Scottish Royal Household. While the Queen could be brusque and petulant with her servants, family and ministers, she submitted to Brown''s fussy organization of her domestic life, his bullying and familiarity without a murmur. Despite warnings of his unpopularity with her subjects by one Prime Minister, the Queen was adamant that Brown would not be sacked. The Queen''s confidence was rewarded when Brown saved her from
£11.69
The History Press Ltd George Vs Children
Book SynopsisThe six children of King George V and Queen Mary all lived to maturity except the youngest, Prince John. The eldest, who was Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, reigned as King Edward VIII for less than a year. His infamous romance with Mrs Simpson plunged the country into the abdication crisis and led both of them into a long period of exile. King George VI, who reluctantly and unexpectedly ascended to the throne, was a shy man, handicapped by a speech impediment and a sense of his own inadequacy. However, together with his Consort, Queen Elizabeth, and the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, he gave the nation spirited guidance throughout World War II. Both surviving younger brothers served in the armed forces during war-time. Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was Governor General of Australia from 1944-6 and crowned his military career with promotion to the rank of Field-Marshal. George, Duke of Kent, an officer in the RAF, was tragically killed on active service in
£10.79
The History Press Ltd Princess Victoria Melita
Book SynopsisPrincess Victoria Melita played a colourful role from her birth in 1876. The second daughter of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, she made a brief and unhappy marriage at the age of 17 to her cousin, Ernest, Grand Duke of Hesse. In the face of strong opposition from her family she divorced him seven years later and married another cousin, Grand Duke Cyril of Russia, resulting in three years of exile. When revolution toppled the empire in 1917, the Grand Duke and Duchess and their children escaped to Finland, living in danger for three long years. Following the atrocities of the Bolsheviks at the time, including the murder of most of the Romanov family, the Grand Duke believed he was the senior surviving member of the imperial house, and proclaimed himself Tsar. However, they were never able to return to their homeland, and the Grand Duchess died in exile in 1936. Using previously unpublished correspondence from the Royal Archives and Astor papers, this is a portrait of the Princess, set against the imperial courst of the turn of the 20th century and inter-war Europe.
£9.49
The History Press Ltd Harold
Book SynopsisKing Harold Godwineson is one of history''s shadowy figures, known mainly for his defeat and death at the Battle of Hastings. His true status and achievements have been overshadowed by the events of October 1066 and by the bias imposed by the Norman victory. In truth, he deserves to be recalled as one of the greatest rulers. Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King sets out to correct this distorted image by presenting Harold''s life in its proper context, offering the first full-length critical study of his career in the years leading up to 1066. Ian Walker''s carefully researched critique allows the reader to realistically assess the lives of both Harold and his rival William, significantly enhancing our knowledge of both.
£12.34
The History Press Ltd Capability Brown and the Eighteenthcentury
Book SynopsisWHO WAS ‘THE FAMOUS MR. BROWN’, and why are his parks still so important?
£16.19
The History Press Ltd The Woodvilles
Book SynopsisThe first non-fiction book on the notorious and perennially popular Woodville family
£11.69
The History Press Ltd The Little Book of Yorkshire
Book SynopsisThe Little Book of Yorkshire is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. The county's most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters, royal connections and literally hundreds of wacky facts about Yorkshire's landscape, cities, towns and villages (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia), come together to make it essential reading for visitors and locals alike. Soak up the vast array of quirky tales from the regal Richmond of John of Gaunt to the sporting Barnsley of Dickie Bird. A handy little book for residents and visitors alike.
£9.49
The History Press Ltd Richard IIIs Beloved Cousyn
Book SynopsisRichard III's 'Beloved Cousyn'
£9.49
The History Press Ltd The Other Mitford
Book SynopsisThe story of the other Mitford, Pamela
£9.99
The History Press Ltd Herbert Ponting
Book SynopsisThe first biography of Herbert Ponting, a member of both Scott’s and Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditionsTrade ReviewA welcome and illuminating new biography of Ponting that brings together the many strands of his remarkable career in a carefully researched and comprehensive text. -- Michael Pritchard
£15.29
The History Press Ltd Nicholson
Book SynopsisThe Irishman who became the ‘Hero of Delhi’
£999.99
The History Press Ltd Impostress
Book SynopsisMeet Sarah Wilson, a real life Moll Flanders of the eighteenth century - 'the greatest impostress of the present age' - who created a remarkable series of lives for herself on both sides of the Atlantic.
£11.69
The History Press Ltd Katherine Howard
Book SynopsisThis revelatory biography disputes the popular belief that Katherine Howard committed adultery or that she was promiscuous
£17.09
The History Press Ltd Spy Runner
Book SynopsisThe life of Major Ronnie Reed, legendary MI5 officer from 1942 to 1976, is revealed in his only interview, recorded by his son
£10.44
The History Press Ltd Tudor King in All But Name
Book SynopsisThe first full biography of Edward Seymour, kinsman of Tudor royalty, from Lord Protector of England to the block
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Women of the Durham Coalfield in the 20th Century
Book SynopsisThe follow-up to Hannah's Story, this recounts the fortunes of Hannah’s female descendants into the 20th century and the enduring challenges they facedTrade Review"Margaret Hedley’s account of her great-grandmother’s married life in the first decades of the 20th century illuminates the conditions faced by women in pit villages.""The book brilliantly colours in the detail of the women's lives."
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Josephine Butler
Book SynopsisThe charismatic campaigner who fought Victorian exploitation of vulnerable women, and the State organisation of prostitutionTrade ReviewHelen Mathers deftly brings together the public political drama and private emotional relations of Butler’s complex, sometimes tragic life. -- Sue Morgan
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Pauline Gower Pioneering Leader of the Spitfire
Book SynopsisFlying ‘Anything to Anywhere’: the life of pilot Pauline Gower, MBE, who led the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary during WW2Trade Review'A magnificent and most readable effort' – Medal News * Medal News *
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Nazi Wives
Book SynopsisGoering, Goebbels, Himmler, Heydrich, Bormann, Hess names synonymous with power and influence in the Third Reich. Perhaps less familiar are Carin, Emmy, Magda, Margaret, Lina, Gerda and Ilse These are the women behind the infamous men complex individuals with distinctive personalities who were captivated by Hitler and whose everyday lives were governed by Nazi ideology. Throughout the rise and fall of Nazism these women loved and lost, raised families and quarrelled with their husbands and each other, all the while jostling for position with the mighty Führer himself. And yet they have been treated as minor characters, their significance ignored, as if they were unaware of their husband's murderous acts, despite the evidence that was all around them: the stolen art on their walls, the slave labour in their homes, and the produce grown in concentration camps on their tables. Nazi Wives explores these women in detail for the first time, skilfully interweaving their stTrade Review‘[Wyllie] recounts their stories with a bracing combination of scholarship and an almost cinematic approach to spinning a compelling narrative.’‘Highlighting similarities in the women’s backgrounds, Wyllie provides a distinctive prism through which to view the period.’‘Wyllie’s study of the other halves of the Third Reich is exhaustive and studded with fascinating detail.’
£11.69
The History Press Ltd Lady Katherine Grey
Book SynopsisThe first full biography of Katherine Grey in decades, written by an acclaimed Tudor historianTrade ReviewThis was a very enjoyable read
£17.00
The History Press Ltd Alan Turings Manchester
Book SynopsisTuring's involvement in the world's first computer and his life in Manchester
£17.00
Little, Brown Book Group Magda Goebbels
Book SynopsisDuring the past twenty years, innumerable books about the Third Reich have been published, but little attention has been paid to the women who lived alongside the Nazi leaders. Magda Goebbels (1901-1945) is arguably the most contradictory and the most intriguing among them. What made a beautiful and intelligent woman go from being deeply in love with the ardent Zionist leader Victor Chaim Arlosoroff to marrying Joseph Goebbels, Hitler''s minister of propaganda and a ferocious anti-Semite? Indeed, in the eyes of many people she was the ''First Lady'' of the Reich, owing to Hitler''s lifelong attachment to her. How could the devoted mother of six, the poster-child of family values during the Third Reich, turn into Medea and poison these six children? Anja Klabunde''s thoroughly researched and remarkable biography for the first time brings together these stunning facts.Trade ReviewNever less than gripping * Michael Burleigh, MAIL ON SUNDAY *Klabunde has pieced together a chilling story that confirms the outsider's greatest fears about those within the Nazi Party elite * Rosemary Goring, GLASGOW HERALD *An engaging and lucid account of a supposed anomaly: a cultivated woman at the heart of the Nazi regime * LITERARY REVIEW *This thoroughly researched biography explores how a beautiful and intelligent woman turned into a fanatic. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *
£12.59
The History Press Ltd Surviving Tenko
Book SynopsisThe dramatic tale of Margot Turner''s survival as a prisoner of war during the Pacific conflict of the Second World War inspired the 1980s television series Tenko. The cargo ship on which she was evacuated from Singapore in 1942 was shelled, leaving her on a makeshift raft with sixteen other survivors. One by one they perished, leaving her along, burnt black by the sun, and suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Discovered by a Japanese destroyer, she was imprisoned on Banka Island and nursed back to health by nuns. A nurse by profession, Margot was initially permitted to help run the operating theatre on her recovery, when, unexpectedly she was arrested by the dreaded Kempeitai and thrown into Palembang jail. There, crammed with murderers and rapists in a filthy cell, she spent six months living in daily fear of joining the many prisoners who were noisily tortured and executed, before being returned to the prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war.In this, the first biography for forty years, Penny Starns describes the often horrific but occasionally heart-warming experiences of this unbreakable woman who, not content with surviving the war, went on to become a brigadier and matron-in-chief of the British Army nursing services. Using recently released material from the National Archives and Turner''s own words, Starns re-analyses the Pacific conflict against a backdrop of one person''s incredible fortitude and strength, and brings the story of a remarkable woman to life.
£12.34
The History Press Ltd In the Footsteps of William Wallace
Book SynopsisIn the footsteps of William Wallace
£16.99
The History Press Ltd The Auschwitz Kommandant
Book SynopsisBarbara Cherish's upbringing in Nazi-occupied Poland was one of relative wealth and comfort. But her father's senior position in the Nazi Party meant that she and her brothers and sisters lived on a knife edge. In 1943 he became commandant of perhaps the most infamous of all the concentration camps: Auschwitz. The author tells her father's story with clarity and without judgement, detailing his relationship with his family and his unceasing love for his mistress, as well as the very separate life he led as a senior officer of the SS. Captured by the US Army at the end of the war, he was held at Dachau and Nuremberg before being extradited to Poland. He was tried in the Auschwitz Trial' at Krakow, found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and executed in January 1948. A unique insider's view of the dark heart of the Third Reich, it is also a heartbreaking tale of a family torn apart that will open the eyes of even the most well-read historian.
£10.79
The History Press Ltd Titanic Captain The Life of Edward John Smith
Book SynopsisCommander Edward John Smith''s career had been a remarkable example of how a man from a humble background could get far in the world. Born to a working-class family in the landlocked Staffordshire Potteries, he went to sea at the age of 17 and rose rapidly through the ranks of the merchant navy, serving first in sailing vessels and later in the new steamships of the White Star Line. By 1912, he as White Star''s senior commander and regarded by many in the shipping world as the ''millionaire''s captain''. In 1912, Smith was given command of the new RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage, but what should have been among the crowning moments of his long career at sea turned rapidly into a nightmare following Titanic''s collision with an iceberg. In a matter of hours the supposedly unsinkable ship sank, taking over 1,500 people with her, including Captain Smith.
£14.39
The History Press Ltd Titanic Valour
Book SynopsisHarold Lowe, Fifth Officer of RMS Titanic, was described by another survivor as ‘the real hero of the Titanic.’ After taking an active role in the evacuation, Lowe took command of a raft of lifeboats, distributing passengers among them so he could return to the wreckage and look for survivors – the only officer to do so.
£9.49
The History Press Ltd Birdie Bowers
Book SynopsisHenry Birdie' Bowers realised his life's ambition when he was selected for Captain Scott's Terra Nova expedition to the Antarctic, yet he also met his death on the journey. Born to a sea-faring father and adventurous mother on the Firth of Clyde, Bowers' boyhood obsession with travel and adventure took him round the world several times and his life appears, with hindsight, to have been a ceaseless preparation for his ultimate, Antarctic challenge. Although just 5ft 4in, he was a bundle of energy; knowledgeable, indefatigable and the ultimate team player. In Scott's words, he was a marvel'. This new biography, drawing on Bowers' letters, journals and previously neglected material, sheds new light on Bowers and tells the full story of the hardy naval officer who could always lift his companions' spirits.
£15.29
Orion Publishing Co Pippa Funnell The Autobiography
Book SynopsisThe autobiography of the most successful Three Day Event rider of all time - updated for the paperback edition.
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co Mao
Book Synopsis''One of the greatest historians of China'' Chris Patten''Balanced, reliable and drawing on the most up-to-date research ... Spence eschews any overall judgement. He lets the facts speak for themselves and they are extraordinary enough'' LITERARY REVIEWA biography that penetrates Mao''s rhetoric and infamous self-will to distil an intimate portrait of a man as withdrawn and mysterious as the emperors he disdained.From humble origins in the provinces, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by years of weak leadership, foreign imperialism and war. In this sharply drawn account Jonathan Spence, award-winning historian and author of acclaimed books about the old and the new China, brings to life this modern day emperor and the tumultuous era that he did so much to shape. He presents Mao as a ''Lord of Misrule'', who deliberately turned upside-down the traditional hierarchies of Chinese society. Trade ReviewBalanced, reliable and drawing on the most up-to-date research ... Spence eschews any overall judgement. He lets the facts speak for themselves and they are extraordinary enough * LITERARY REVIEW *One of the greatest historians of China -- Chris Patten
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Dylan Thomas
Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of the poet who was almost as notorious for his 'rock 'n roll' lifestyle as his artistic workTrade ReviewAndrew Lycett [brings] lots of fresh, carefully researched detail to the boozy and sex-obsessed private life. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH (4.7.04) *Untapped archives and tireless research have shed a fresh light on the short life of literary sensation Dylan Thomas...This biography...is a tragic yet compelling read. * DAILY EXPRESS (.9.7.04) *[an] enjoyable biography...often very funny. * SUNDAY TIMES (11.7.04) *[Lycett] succeeds in painting a surprisingly sympathetic picture of the man. -- Simon Shaw * MAIL ON SUNDAY (22.8.04) *
£14.24
Orion Publishing Co Anna of all the Russias The Life of a Poet under
Book SynopsisLife of the Russian poet who withstood Stalinism and became an inspiration to millionsAnna Akhmatova is recognised as one of the greatest poets of Russian literature, an iconic figure who gave voice to the suffering of the Russian people during the brutal years of Stalin''s Terror.Akhmatova began writing at a time when ''to think of a woman as a poet was absurd'' but her genius soared above any such category. Hailed as a great beauty, she married three times yet her personal life was shot through with tragedy and her only son and third husband were held captive in the Gulags. Through illness, poverty and repression she maintained her resistance to the regime, with a dignity and composure that led her to be dubbed ''Anna of all the Russias''.Trade ReviewShe does make Akhmatova seem alive. * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *the image she paints of her subject, the faded aristocrat scrabbling for food, warmth and cigarettes in post-revolution Russia is immensely powerful, and her admiration for the poet shines through. * SUNDAY TIMES *Elaine Feinstein, with much detail, tells the story again, offering her own translations of some of Akhmatova's verse. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Robert Peel
Book SynopsisLife of one of the greatest British Prime Ministers - by an author who knows the scene from his years as a senior Minister in Margaret Thatcher''s Cabinet.Robert Peel, as much as any man in the nineteenth century, transformed Great Britain into a modern nation. He invented our police force, which became a model for the world. He steered through the Bill which allowed Catholics to sit in Parliament. He reorganised the criminal justice system. Above all he tackled poverty by repealing the Corn Laws. Thanks to Peel the most powerful trading nation chose free trade and opened the door for our globalised world of today.Peel was not all politics. He built two great houses, filled them with famous pictures and was devoted to a beautiful wife. Many followers never forgave him for splitting his Party. But when in 1850 he was carried home after a fall from his horse crowds gathered outside, mainly of working people, to read the medical bulletins. When he died a few days later, factories closed, flags flew at half mast and thousands contributed small sums to memorials in his honour. He was the man who provided cheap bread and sacrificed his career for the welfare of ordinary people.Trade Review[An] impressive and entertaining biography -- John Stevens * THE TIMES *Hurd delivers a vivid and readable portrait of a semi-modern British titan. This biography is elegantly written -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * NEW STATESMAN *The author has a good grasp of the period, he has done a great deal of homework, and he has shaped the story magnificently -- A. N. Wilson * DAILY MAIL *[A] fascinating, eminently readable biography of Peel * ECONOMIST *This warm, sensible biography of Peel does a fine job of rescuing an important figure from relative obscurity -- Dominic Sandbrook * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Intelligent, rich reading with a lovely droll tone -- Duncan Fallowell * DAILY EXPRESS *Hurd writes well, and the book has the merit of bringing Peel alive as a human being -- Jane Ridley * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *The book is rich in every respect -- Mark Stuart * THE SCOTSMAN *
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co Jane Boleyn
Book SynopsisThe story of Henry VIII''s queens - as seen through the eyes of Jane Rochford, sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and cousin to Katherine Howard.''Outstanding ... fascinating and moving'' Amanda Foreman, bestselling author of THE DUCHESSJane Rochford was sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and Lady of the Bedchamber to Katherine Howard, whom she followed to the scaffold in 1542. Hers is a life of extraordinary drama as a witness to, and participant in, the greatest events of Henry''s reign.She arrived at court as a teenager when Katherine of Aragon was queen. Even before Henry''s marriage to Anne, her own marriage to George Boleyn brought her into the closest royal circles - and there she remained through the unfolding spectacle and tragedy of Henry''s succession of marriages. She survived the trauma of Anne and George''s executions and despite briefly being banned from Court managed to regain her place there to attend on Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves. Her supposed part in both Anne Boleyn''s and Katherine Howard''s downfall has led to her being reviled through centuries.In this fascinating biography Julia Fox repudiates the idea of the infamous Lady Rochford and Jane emerges as a rather modern woman forced by brutal circumstance to fend for herself in a politically lethal world.Trade ReviewAn outstanding debut ... A fascinating and moving read, JANE BOLEYN exposes the harsh reality of Henry VIII's court, where cleverness and ambition often led to the block -- Amanda ForemanAlthough JANE BOLEYN is written with scrupulous regard for fact, it has the pace and colour of an historical novel * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *A gripping book ... wonderfully readable * TABLET *
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co Harold Macmillan
Book SynopsisA masterly biography of a great Conservative Prime Minister (and publisher) - Harold Macmillan (1894-1986).Harold Macmillan was a figure of paradox. Outwardly, it was Edwardian elegance and civilised urbanity. Inwardly, it was emotional damage from his wife''s open adultery and his progressive perplexity at the onward march of time.The First World War showed the courageous soldier. From then on, it was politics, rather than the family business of publishing, which was to be his future. Nevertheless, although he supported Churchill in the 1930s he was deemed boring - and certainly not ministerial material.All changed with the Second World War. Appointed Minister in Residence in North Africa, Macmillan''s career flowered. After the War he became indispensable to Conservative Cabinets and as Churchill''s Minister of Housing in the early 1950s he achieved the target, against all expectations, of 300,000 houses annually. Thereafter, he was Eden''s Foreign STrade ReviewThe account of his ascent is compelling * SUNDAY TIMES *A mighty examination of a complex and curious character who was a hugely effective leader * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *A fascinating biography shows how a shy cuckold became the great actor-manager of British politics. * HUDDERSFIELD DAILY EXAMINER *
£14.24
Orion Publishing Co The Operators The Wild and Terrifying Inside
Book SynopsisSix rollercoaster weeks that brought down America's top general by the ROLLING STONE journalist who broke the story - now the inspiration for the major motion picture WAR MACHINE.Trade ReviewGives an insightful look at how powerful some of the US's top generals really are, and also unwraps some of the chaos behind allied military command and the so-called 'war on terror'. * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *Hastings offers a fiercely intelligent analysis of how the American military spun the war in Afganistan. * THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *
£10.99
Headline Publishing Group The Dogs Of Windcutter Down One Shepherds
Book Synopsis''There is no good flock without a good shepherd, and no good shepherd without good dogs.'' These age-old words of wisdom have always guided Devon sheep farmer David Kennard. But as he battles to save his farm from extinction, they resonate more loudly - and unexpectedly - than ever. The storm clouds are already gathering when Borough Farm suffers a succession of potentially disastrous setbacks. Suddenly the Kennard family''s idyllic life is under threat. Will David achieve the seemingly impossible and make a living through farming sheep in the 21st century?As he fights for survival, David knows he will be able to rely - as always - on his faithful sheepdogs but even he is surprised when the dogs prove to be Borough Farm''s secret weapon...
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Dressed to Kill
Book Synopsis''My fingers close around the trigger. I pause for a split second to think about the bullets I am about to spray across the ground. After today, I''ll no longer be the new girl.''Captain Charlotte Madison is blonde, beautiful and flies Apache helicopters for a living. She has completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan and is currently fighting on the frontline in her third. DRESSED TO KILL shows us what life is like for a girl in a resolutely male-dominated environment. But she isn''t just a woman in a man''s world, she''s a woman women aspire to be - glamorous as well as brave, and beating the men at their own game. Only a tiny percentage of people can multi-task to the extreme level the aircraft demands, and most airmen who try to qualify as an Apache pilot fail. Full of the exciting, adrenaline-filled action that has made other military memoirs so successful, DRESSED TO KILL is also unique. A highly intelligent and brilliant young woman, Charlotte is Britain''s fTrade ReviewIt's not very often a war book makes its way onto Hot Stars' radar, but this real-life memoir by 26-year-old Charlotte is truly unique. She is just like one of us - she loves reading about celebs and fashion - but she's also on the frontline in Afghanistan. Passionate, hilarious and at times heart-wrenching, this brilliant book had us gripped! * *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Banged Up
Book SynopsisDavey Sommers should''ve ended up in a nice job, with a nice wife, living in a nice house... Instead, he ends up an eight-man unlock in prison, serving 17 years for assaulting a police officer, possession of firearms, obtaining money by intimidation and drug dealing. But then, Davey''s never done what''s expected of him.We''ve seen how prison works from one side of the door-now Ronnie Thompson has teamed up with Davey Sommers to tell the storyof what it''s like from the other side. BANGED UP is a gritty account of one man''s descent into crime- from small-time dealing to big time.And it''sabout therealities of beinga ''face'' in prison-having to keep your fearsome reputation intact, even while you''re behind bars. Life inside is revealed in all its gory detail- the smells, the tastes, the unsavoury company (and that includes the screws). Perhaps that''s why Davey thought he''d try his luck and escape rather than serve his time...This is a story of drugs, violence, li
£10.99
AuthorHouse The Game Was Good to Me
Book Synopsis
£16.77
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Doolittle Raid Doctor
£23.79
Penguin Random House Group Who We Are
£15.29
Avalon Publishing Group The Golden Girls of MGM
Book SynopsisGarbo and Crawford. Ava, Hedy, Judy, Liz epitomized Hollywood''s golden era. With a trembling lip or sultry eye, with a tear or song or husky whisper, these women held moviegoers across America in their sway from the hard times of the 1930s through the booming postwar years to the early sixties. They were royalty and box office, and led pampered public lives,furs, jewels, designer gowns limousines, flash bulbs, handsome escorts,that captured the national imagination. They also signed seven-year contracts with a morals clause, and the more they slipped, the more the secret abortions, efficient cover-ups, legal legerdemain, and dropped charges bound them to the wizard in their Oz, Louis B. Mayer. The slips are here along with the successes. Here, too, are the Blonde Bombshell Jean Harlow, Million-Dollar Mermaid Esther Williams, Sweater Girl Lana Turner, and bad girl Ava Gardner (She can''t act. She can''t talk. She''s terrific, declared Mayer after her screen test). From Jeanette MacDona
£15.31
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press Manson in His Own Words
Book Synopsis The myth of Charles Manson is not likely to survive the impact of his own words, Nuel Emmons writes in the introduction to Manson In His Own Words, the shocking true confessions that lay bare the life and mind of the cult leader and notorious criminal. His story provides an enormous amount of new information about his life and how it led to the Tate-LaBianca murders, and reminds us of the complexity of the human condition. Born in the middle of the Great Depression to an unmarried fifteen-year-old, Manson lived through a succession of changing homes and substitute parents, until his mother finally asked the state authorities to assume his care when he wastwelve. Regimented and often brutalized in juvenile homes, Manson became immersed in a life of petty theft, pimping, jail terms, and court appearances that culminated in seven years of prison. Released in 1967, he suddenly found himself in the world of hippies and flower children, a world that not only accepted him, but even glorified his anti-establishment values. It was a combination that led, for reasons only Charles Manson can fully explain, to tragedy. Manson's story, distilled from seven years of interviews and examinations of his correspondence, provides sobering insight into the making of a criminal mind, and a fascinating picture of the last years of the sixties. No one who wants to understand that time, and the man who helped to bring it to a horrifying conclusion, can miss reading this book. Trade Review“A glimpse of part of the American experience that is rarely described from the inside . . . It compels both interest and horror.”—Washington Post“Disturbingly hypnotic.”—Vogue
£11.39
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press In the Shadow of the American Dream
Book SynopsisFew artists have captured the emotional, sexual, and political chaos of modern urban life as perceptively as David Wojnarowicz, whom Out magazine has called an acute observer of the unmapped region surrounding his heart and one of the best writers of his generation. In journal entries from age seventeen until his AIDS-related death at thirty-seven, In the Shadow of the American Dream chronicles the life of a radical artist who unequivocally defied bigotry even as he became a target for the right wing. It tells the story of Wojnarowicz''s creative birth, from publishing his first photographs and writing what would become The Waterfront Journals to completing his tour de force, Close to the Knives, at the height of his fame. In the Shadow of the American Dream is finally a record of the private Wojnarowicz, falling in love, exploring erotic possibilities on the Hudson River piers, becoming overwhelmed by the demands of survival, and searching for the pleasure and freedom he believed
£12.34
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press Flight of the WASP
Book SynopsisFifteen families. Four hundred years. The complex saga of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant elite in America’s history. For decades, writers from Cleveland Amory to Joseph Alsop to the editors of Politico have proclaimed the diminishment of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, who for generations were the dominant socio-cultural-political force in America. While the WASP elite has, in the last half century, indeed drifted from American centrality to the periphery, its relevance and impact remain, as Michael Gross reveals in his compelling chronicle. From Colonial America’s founding settlements through the Gilded Age to the present day, Gross traces the complex legacy of American WASPs—their profound accomplishments and egregious failures—through the lives of fifteen influential individuals and their very privileged, sometimes intermarried families. As the Bradford, Randolph, Morris, Biddle, Sanford, Peabody and WhitnTrade ReviewPraise for Flight of the WASP:“Illuminating . . . It is the virtue of his book that it brings the now defunct patricians to life in all their doubleness, begetters of American prosperities who drove themselves crazy trying to heal American hysterics.”—Michael Knox Beran, Air Mail “A formal, sincere and rather crowded portrait gallery of about a dozen significant Old Names—Biddles, Peabodys, Whitneys, et al.—that sternly accounts for their evil deeds while also tabulating their noble ones.”—Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times“Delightfully provocative . . . The book’s real delight lies in its brisk biographies of the people who illustrate the ascent and descent of WASP hegemony . . . Well-researched and well-written, Gross’ portrait gallery will, if nothing else, illuminate the odd corners of the lives of our nation’s elite and American history itself.”—BookPage (starred review)“A thoughtful deep dive into the history of the country and who has wielded power here, but is kept lively thanks to Gross’s ability to spin yarns that make even the Pilgrims feel exciting.”—Town & Country“An immersive and nuanced group portrait of New England’s elite from 1609 to today . . . Gross takes detours into extended considerations of areas in which his subjects had a hand, such as the displacement of Indigenous peoples and the study of eugenics. Striking an expert balance between the big picture and intimate thumbnails, this is an enlightening study of American culture.”—Publishers Weekly“A critical history of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant cohort of American society, once dominant, now descending . . . Readable and engaging.”—Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Michael Gross:“Does not skimp on the gossipy goods. There are descents into madness, prolific drug use, orgies, blackmail photos and suicide attempts . . . Also smart, well-researched and written with an insider’s eye . . . Engaging and on point.”—New York Times Book Review, on Focus“A delicious read. Sweeping . . . Thoughtful.”—Daily Beast, on Focus“I thought I knew practically everything about the fashion industry, but Michael Gross has corrected me. His thoroughly absorbing narrative dazzles with the most profound investigation and research. Focus is an enthralling and riveting read!”—Tim Gunn“Michael Gross . . . rules[s] the school of literature you might call Books About Buildings Where Lots of Rich People Live.”—Vanity Fair, on House of Outrageous Fortune“[Tom] Wolfe’s gift was in summing up an era through his description of [Sherman] McCoy and his environs. Michael Gross has done likewise by taking us inside the most expensive, most powerful address in the world . . . Stunning.”—CNN, on House of Outrageous Fortune“Michael Gross, an author with a delicate appreciation for bloated egos and wealth, makes them glitter in House of Outrageous Fortune: Fifteen Central Park West, the World’s Most Powerful Address. The intersecting strands of money, politics, greed, taste, ambition shine brightly.”—Bloomberg News“Compulsively readable.”—Liesl Schillinger, New York Times, on 740 Park“A blockbuster exhibition of human achievement and flaws.”—New York Times Book Review, on Rogues’ Gallery“Gross demonstrates he knows his stuff. It’s a terrific tale . . . Gossipy, color-rich, fact-packed . . . What Gross reveals is stuff that more people should know.”—USA Today, on Rogues’ Gallery“Michael Gross has proven once again that he is a premier chronicler of the rich. Rogues’ Gallery is an insightful, entertaining look at a great institution-with all its flaws and all its greatness.”—Gay Talese“One long, scurrilously detailed dish. The first comprehensive history of modeling and a chewy read.”—Harper’s Bazaar, on Model“Gossipy, bitchy and probably seminal. Gross pulls no punches. Model is a litany of skullduggery and dirty dealings.”—San Francisco Examiner
£19.79
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press Flight of the WASP
Book SynopsisFifteen families. Four hundred years. The complex saga of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant elite in America’s history. For decades, writers from Cleveland Amory to Joseph Alsop to the editors of Politico have proclaimed the diminishment of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, who for generations were the dominant socio-cultural-political force in America. While the WASP elite has, in the last half century, indeed drifted from American centrality to the periphery, its relevance and impact remain, as Michael Gross reveals in his compelling chronicle. From Colonial America’s founding settlements through the Gilded Age to the present day, Gross traces the complex legacy of American WASPs—their profound accomplishments and egregious failures—through the lives of fifteen influential individuals and their very privileged, sometimes intermarried families. As the Bradford, Randolph, Morris, Biddle, Sanford, Peabody and Whitney clans progress, prosper and periodically stumble, defining aspects in the four-century sweep of American history emerge: our wide, oft-contentious religious diversity; the deep scars of slavery, genocide, and intolerance; the creation and sometime mis-use of astonishing economic and political power; an enduring belief in the future; an instinct to offset inequity with philanthropy; an equal capacity for irresponsible, sometimes wanton, behavior. “American society was supposed to be different,” writes Gross, “but for most of our history we have had a patriciate, an aristocracy, a hereditary oligarchic upper class, who initiated the American national experiment.” In previous acclaimed books such as 740 Park and Rogues’ Gallery, Gross has explored elite culture in microcosm; expanding the canvas, Flight of the WASP chronicles it across four centuries and fifteen generations in an ambitious and consequential contribution to American history.
£14.24
