Biography: adventurers and explorers Books
The Long Exile
Book SynopsisA chilling true story of deception and survival set amidst the Inuit communities of the Canadian Arctic.Trade Review'[McGrath] offers a carefully imagined portrait of the appalling lives of the Inuit on Ellesmere Island. This is a story of official wrong-headedness and arrogance and McGrath relays it with compassion. The narrative is gripping.' Guardian 'A wealth of research underpins this harrowing tale, which is at once a lawyer's deposition and love letter to the icy world above the treeline.’ Observer ‘Melanie McGrath’s tragic tale has an icy ring of truth that wrings the heart.’ The Times ‘Melanie McGrath is a gifted, passionate and sensitive story-teller and through her the authentic voice of the Arctic, not the clarion call of great white explorers, rings loud and clear. She gets right under the Inuit’s seal-skin parkas; her research is meticulous, her touch is light, her understanding and invisibility are the absolute opposite of the years of foreign domination. Her play with language is disarming and original. Fresh, illuminating and heartbreaking history.’ Sunday Telegraph 'Poignant and humane book. McGrath, who tracked down some of the survivors as well as traveling in the territory, tells an impressively researched and often poetic story.' Observer ‘McGrath also has a wonderful feel for landscape and so the Arctic itself assumes the life of a character.The language is lovely. Modulated, lyrical and beautiful as the stark nature it describes, it makes McGrath's book more than a fascinating and instructive read. It makes it a joyful one.' Evening Standard
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Michael Foot A Life
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers The KitCat Club
Book SynopsisOphelia Field’s ‘Kit-Cat Club’ is a story of a changing time in 17th-century Britain, during the reigns of Queen Anne and George I, when a group of men and their enterprising initiatives paved the way for new literary and political viewpoints, born out of the most unexpected circumstances.Trade Review‘The decades after the Civil Wars have been rich pickings for cultural historians. These were the years of coffee houses and clubs, an atmosphere captured in Ophelia Field's wonderrful THE KIT-KAT CLUB.’ Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph (Book of the Year) Christian Tyler, Financial Times (Book of the Year) ‘Field is meticulous in describing the literary and other artistic achievements of the wits in the club: but the fascination of this book lies in the tale she tells of their social advancement and, to an extent, of the way the club altered manners and attitudes to class around the country.' Literary Review ‘In a general book such as this, with such broad general themes, the details matter. Here Field has succeeded admirably. She has a native gift for historical retrieval so that we see the past in close-up, as it were, as well as in wide view.’ The Times 'After reading this stimulating book, it is shocking to realise that the Kit-Cat Club has had to wait so long for its influence to be recognised. Field offers rich compensation, in a book that is both instructive and engrossingly readable.' Guardian (Book of the Week) 'What particularly distinguishes this book is the humane perspective in which the writer places her protagonists…As an essay in group biography her book presents an authoritative portrait of a genuinely revolutionary era.' Sunday Telegraph ‘Elegantly written…this deeply researched book is a fitting memorial to a remarkable body of men who contributed so much to British politics and culture.’ Sunday Times
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers THE ORDEAL OF ELIZABETH MARSH How a Remarkable Woman Crossed Seas and Empires to Become Part of World History
Book SynopsisFrom the author of ‘Britons’, the story of the exceptional life of the intrepid Elizabeth Marsh – an extraordinary woman of her time who was caught up in trade, imperialism, war, exploration, migration, growing maritime reach, and new ideas. Linda Colley's new book breaks the boundaries between biography, family stories and global history.Trade Review'This is a remarkable book, both for its contents and because it is a new species of biography…Linda Colley has written a full-blown economic romance with an extraordinary range…bringing all the resources of her skills as a historianand researcher to her story. It is a major achievement and an enthralling narrative.’ Guardian ‘Compelling…exhilarating…as a work of big history illustrated with brilliant minatures it is a triumph.’ Sunday Times 'Stimulating and impressive…this is a remarkable life.' Financial Times ‘This excellent biography reads like an eighteenth century picaresque novel'. Daily Telegraph Observer; 'A brilliant illumination of women's lives in Britain during its first imperial century… Colley liberates the humanity of Elizabeth's story and makes it sing for the modern reader'. ‘A minor miracle of biographical reconstruction…a fine historian.’ Sunday Telegraph
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers ghost girl
Book SynopsisA stunning and poignant account of an extraordinary teacher's determination from the author of the #1 Sunday Times bestsellers The Tiger's Child and One Child.Trade Review"Torey Hayden deserves the kind of respect I can't give many people. She isn't valuable, she's incredible. The world needs more like Torey Hayden." – Boston Globe "A testament to the powers of caring and commitment." Publishers Weekly. "An amazing story."Washington Post. “A skilful storyteller… Torey Hayden writes vividly about the challenges and frustrations of working with disturbed children.” Washington Post Book World
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers Edward Heath The Authorised Biography
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Gordon Brown
Book SynopsisThe gripping inside story of Gordon Brown's rise to become Prime Minister.Gordon Brown's arrival at the Treasury in May 1997 was greeted with great excitement not to mention anticipation. Officials of every rank looked on expectantly to see what miracles the chancellor would work. And so, as Master of the New Era, Brown created relationships across every Whitehall department and extended his influence to every aspect of government. He brought into effect the most important budgetary changes of the past decade: the commitment to Private Finance Initiative, which altered infrastructure from the London Underground to the NHS and state schools; the management of the Inland Revenue; the increase in taxes; and the demise of Britain's pension funds.In this gripping and fully updated biography, reissued to coincide with Brown's assumption of Tony Blair's mantle, best-selling author Tom Bower documents the rise to power of a driven and complex politician, and exposes how the ambitions of the LaTrade Review‘As a psychological profile, an exploration of personal ambition and a study of political obsession driven by religious angst, this biography is gripping.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Intensively researched but coolly critical…this remains the most thorough biography we have.’ Independent ‘What makes this worth reading is Bower’s damning indictment of Brown's main boast: his supposedly sure stewardship of the economy.’ The Times ‘A powerful book which poses serious questions.’ James Naughtie ‘Compulsively readable…essential reading.’ Norman Lamont
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers Ocean Devil
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Universal Man The Seven Lives of John Maynard Keynes
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers The First Iron Lady A Life of Caroline of Ansbach
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Freedom at Midnight
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Globalist
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Winnie Nelson
Book SynopsisGripping and profoundly moving' DAMON GALGUTDeft and operatic' OBSERVER?A TIMES BEST BIOGRAPHY OF 2023From one of South Africa's foremost nonfiction writers, a deeply researched, shattering new account of Nelson Mandela's relationship with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Drawing on never-before-seen material, Steinberg reveals the fractures and stubborn bonds at the heart of a volatile and groundbreaking union, a very modern political marriage that played out on the world stage.One of the most celebrated political leaders of the twentieth century, Nelson Mandela has been written about by many biographers and historians. But in one crucial area, his life remains largely untold: his marriage to Winnie. During his years in prison, Nelson grew ever more in love with an idealised version of his wife, courting her in his letters as if they were young lovers frozen in time. But Winnie, every bit his political equal, found herself increasingly estranged from her jailed husband ' s politics. Behind Trade Review A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR; A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR; A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR; A TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR; A WASHINGTON POST BOOK OF THE YEAR ‘A gripping portrait of Africa’s most famous romantic couple . . . The most nuanced of storytellers, Steinberg has always had an extraordinary ability to get inside his protagonists’ heads . . . [and] is a superb chronicler of modern Africa, capturing the poignant, questing energy of its inhabitants’ lives like no other writer’ The Times ‘Winnie & Nelson is a beautiful and immensely sad book. Steinberg, a distinguished South African writer and scholar, chronicles that pain, and writes about each of them with insight and empathy . . . Winnie & Nelson is more than a joint biography, as good as it is at that; it’s a deft and operatic interweaving of two outsized characters’ Observer ‘An excellent new biography of the couple . . . Steinberg suspects that the couple’s myths will only endure – but his thorough interrogation of their story should help readers reconcile themselves with the messier truth’ Daily Telegraph, **** review ‘[A]n empathetic portrait of one of the most controversial power couples in history… What Steinberg does extremely well in this book is to pry those doors ajar using archive, interviews and never-seen-before transcripts of conversations between Winnie and Nelson during prison visits’ Sunday Times ‘Gripping and profoundly moving, this is Jonny Steinberg’s finest book. I can’t wait to read it again’ Damon Galgut, Booker Prize–winning author of The Promise, in Literary Hub ‘Unlikely to be superseded in a long time’ J.M. Coetzee, Nobel Laureate 2003 ‘Remarkable . . . a powerful, page-turning political fable unlike any I’ve read’ Aminatta Forna, author of Happiness and The Window Seat
£22.50
HarperCollins Publishers A Thousand Miles From Care
Book SynopsisSoon to be a MAJOR MOVIE. A gripping and heartbreaking story, A Thousand Miles from Care tells the 30-year quest Steve Johnson undertook to uncover the truth about his brilliant brother?s death.At the entrance of Sydney Harbor, the cliffs rise fourteen stories above the Pacific, like a gigantic skirt made of sandstone. North Head, one of the most memorable cliffs, is a gorgeous place to watch the sunrise. But it?s an unforgiving place to lose your footing. When Steve Johnson?s younger brother Scott went over the edge in 1988, he hit an outcrop on the way down and exploded on the rocks below.A Thousand Miles from Care draws upon the mountain of exclusive materials Steve amassed over his 32-year fight for answers, including sealed court transcripts, police records, interviews with suspects, inquest reports, correspondence with gang members, private investigations, and much else. It utilizes unique details, interview transcripts and insights based on Johnson?s close relationship with authorities and high-ranking New South Wales officials developed over more than three decades.This profoundly impactful book traces the steps Steve Johnson, his family and friends took to solve the mystery of Scott?s alleged suicide, navigating an openly hostile police force and a maze of dead ends, unreliable informants, skinhead gangs, a faked confession, police-connected drug rings, and setbacks at every turn. A Thousand Miles from Care is above all, a love story between two brothers but shared by everyone who worked so long for truth and justice for Scott.
£17.00
HarperCollins Publishers Gods Ghostwriters
Book SynopsisMonumental and eye-opening' Reza Aslan''A revelation [and] an intellectual triumph'' Irish Independent''[A] massive achievement'' SpectatorRefreshingly readable'' GuardianThe untold story of how enslaved people created, gave meaning to, and spread the word of the New Testament, shaping the very foundations of Christianity.For he past two thousand years, Christian tradition, scholarship, and pop culture has credited the authorship of the New Testament to a select group of men: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul. But the truth is that these individuals did not write alone. In some meaningful ways they did not write at all.Hidden behind these named and sainted individuals are a cluster of enslaved coauthors and collaborators, almost all of whom go uncredited. They were responsible for producing the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament. They took dictation, sometimes editorialising in the process, and polished and refined the final manuscripts. When the Christian message began to move
£22.50
HarperCollins Publishers The Plot
Book Synopsis ‘A riveting read that skips along at pace. Illuminating and concerning, it lifts the lid on the tawdry world of Westminster powerbroking’ Tim Shipman, The Times The explosive behind-the-scenes account of the plot to bring down Boris JohnsonTrade Review 'It’s a rattling read – a non-fiction page-turner’ The Times
£22.50
£16.14
HarperCollins Publishers Inc A Cooks Tour
Book SynopsisFrom the star of No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain''s New York Times-bestselling chronicle of travelling the world in search the globe''s greatest cuilnary adventuresBourdain shows himself to be one of the country''s best food writers. His opinions are as strong as his language, and his tastes as infectious as his joy. -Sam Sifton, New York Times Book ReviewThe only thing gonzo gastronome and internationally bestselling author Anthony Bourdain loves as much as cooking is traveling. Inspired by the question, What would be the perfect meal?, Tony sets out on a quest for his culinary holy grail, and in the process turns the notion of perfection inside out. From California to Cambodia, A Cooks'' Tour chronicles the unpredictable adventures of America''s boldest and bravest chef.Fans of Bourdain will find much to love in revisting this classic culinary and trave
£15.29
HarperCollins Tony Hawk Professional Skateboarder
Book Synopsis
£999.99
HarperCollins The Skeptic
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Valachi Papers
Book SynopsisNew York Times Bestseller“As fascinating as fiction, a bloody history of the Mafia as lived by one of its members. —New York Times Book ReviewThe First Inside Account of the MafiaIn the 1960s a disgruntled soldier in New York''s Genovese Crime Family decided to spill his guts. His name was Joseph Valachi. Daring to break the Mob''s code of silence for the first time, Valachi detailed the organization of organized crime from the capos, or bosses, of every Family, to the hit men who clipped rivals and turncoats. With a phenomenal memory for names, dates, addresses, phone numbers—and where the bodies were buried—Joe Valachi provided the chilling facts that led to the arrest and conviction of America''s major crime figures.The rest is history.Never again would the Mob be protected by secrecy. For the Mafia, Valachi''s name would become synonymous with
£16.19
HarperCollins Innocent a Broad An
£11.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Crossing Over
Book SynopsisA work Booklist called ଯving and life-affirming, Crossing Over is the true story of one woman's extraordinary flight from the protected world of the Amish people to the chaos of contemporary life.Ruth Irene Garrett was the fifth of seven children raised in Kalona, Iowa, as a member of a strict Old Order Amish community. She was brought up in a world filled with rigid rules and intense secrecy, in an environment where the dress, buggies, codes of conduct, and way of life differed even from other Amish societies only 100 miles away. This Old Order community actively avoided all interaction with ೨e Englishߜ'96 everyone who lived on the outside. As a result, Ruth knew only one way of life, and one way of doing things.This compelling narrative takes us inside a hidden community, offering a striking look as one woman comes to terms with her discontent and ultimately leaves her family, faith and the sheltered world of her ch
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Profiles in Courage
Book Synopsis
£18.95
HarperCollins Grand Illusion The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 911
£12.74
HarperCollins Everything About Me Is Fake . . . And Im Perfect
Book SynopsisThe supermodel shares advice about how to look perfect, while also sharing personal stories about embarrassing professional moments and dating mistakes.
£12.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Lives of the Muses
Book SynopsisAll loved, and were loved by, their artists, and inspired them with an intensity of emotion akin to Eros.In a brilliant, wry, and provocative book, National Book Award finalist Francine Prose explores the complex relationship between the artist and his muse. In so doing, she illuminates with great sensitivity and intelligence the elusive emotional wellsprings of the creative process.
£13.29
£15.71
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Burro Genio
Book Synopsis
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Life of St. Francis
Book SynopsisA classic work of Christian literature commissioned by the Franciscan Order in the year 1250, The Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure—the Tuscan scholastic theologian and the greatest Franciscan mystic after St. Francis himself—is both a biography and an enlightening and inspiring spiritual treatise. A noteworthy addition to the HarperCollins Spiritual Classics series with a foreword by Donna Tartt, author of The Little Friend and The Secret History, this new edition of Bonaventure’s The Life of St. Francis reflects profoundly on the life of the virtues which Francis presented as the ideal of Gospel perfection.
£999.99
HarperCollins The Last Season
Book SynopsisAs Jon Krakauer did with Into the Wild, Blehm turns a missing-man riddle into an insightful meditation on wilderness and the personal demons and angels that propel us into it alone.” — Outside magazineDestined to become a classic of adventure literature, The Last Season examines the extraordinary life of legendary backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson and his mysterious disappearance in California''s unforgiving Sierra Nevada—mountains as perilous as they are beautiful. Eric Blehm''s masterful work is a gripping detective story interwoven with the riveting biography of a complicated, original, and wholly fascinating man.
£16.19
HarperCollins Mr. S
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.49
HarperCollins Ike
£16.14
HarperCollins Playground
£12.89
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit
Book Synopsis“Poignant . . . deeply personal . . . an indelible history of the largely forgotten Jews of Egypt . . . ”Miami Herald In vivid and graceful prose, Lucette Lagnado re-creates the majesty and cosmopolitan glamour of Cairo in the years before Gamal Abdel Nasser's rise to power. With Nasser's nationalization of Egyptian industry, her father, Leon, a boulevardier who conducted business in his white sharkskin suit, loses everything, and departs with the family for any land that will take them. The poverty and hardships they encounter in their flight from Cairo to Paris to New York are strikingly juxtaposed against the beauty and comforts of the lives they left behind. An inversion of the American dream set against the stunning portraits of three world cities, Lucette Lagnado's memoir offers a grand and sweeping story of faith, tradition, tragedy, and triumph. Trade Review"Beautifully written... A great personalized telling of Egypt's complicated history in the last half of the 20th century." -- Fareed Zakaria "Like Andre Aciman...she conjures a vanished world with elegiac ardor and uncommon grace." -- Michiko Kakutani, New York Times "[A] crushing, brilliant book...one final kiss from the Lagnados to their beloved city." -- New York Times Book Review "This memoir of an Egyptian Jewish family's gradual ruin is told without melodrama by its youngest survivor." -- The New Yorker "The resilient dignity of Lucette's family transcends the fiercest of obstacles." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review "Lagnado gets to the heart of the modern exodus in a way only those who lived it can." -- Miami Sun Post "Captivating...illuminates its places and times, providing indelible individual portraits...An exceptional memoir." -- Booklist (starred review) "Excellent new memoir... One could praise Ms. Lagnado's book for many things." -- New York Sun "Full of emotion and longing, yet never sentimental, this lyrical memoir evokes a cosmopolitan Cairo." -- Jewish Woman "Lagnado spares nothing in the retelling...in this tender and captivating memoir." -- The Oregonian (Portland) "It succeeds especially as a... heartfelt elegy to the long-lost Cairo community of her youth." -- Library Journal "Nostalgic but objectively tempered portrait of a family at the heart of social and cultural upheaval." -- Kirkus Reviews "Beautifully written ... rich with history and insight. Wonderful." -- Oscar Hijuelos, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE "A stunning achievement." -- Andre Aciman, author of OUT OF EGYPT and CALL ME BY YOUR NAME "A subtle and eloquent description of fatherly love and a mesmerizing portrait of a man shattered by the immigration experience." -- Marianne Pearl, author of A MIGHTY HEART "Lagnado's richly textured memoir is a loving tribute to a lost man and a lost culture." -- Reform Judaism
£16.25
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Thomas Jefferson
Book SynopsisA balanced, readable portrait. A refreshing perspective.” —New York Times Book ReviewWith intelligence, insight, eloquence, and wit, bestselling author Christopher Hitchens gives us an artful portrait of a complex, formative figure in American history and his turbulent era.In this unique biography of Thomas Jefferson, leading journalist and social critic Christopher Hitchens offers a startlingly new and provocative interpretation of our Founding Father—a man conflicted by power who wrote the Declaration of Independence and acted as ambassador to France yet yearned for a quieter career in the Virginia legislature. A masterly writer, Jefferson was an awkward public speaker. A professed proponent of emancipation, he elided the issue of slavery from the Declaration of Independence and continued to own human property. A reluctant candidate, he left an indelible presidential legacy.
£12.29
HarperCollins Blood Brother 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Profiles in Courage
Book SynopsisTHE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING CLASSIC OF POLITICAL INTEGRITY With a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy and introduction by Caroline Kennedy John F. Kennedy’s enduring classic resounds with timeless lessons on the most cherished of virtues—courage and patriotism—and remains a moving, powerful, and relevant testament to the indomitable American spirit During 1954-55, Kennedy, then a junior senator from the state of Massachusetts, profiled eight American patriots, mainly United States Senators, who at crucial moments in our nation’s history, revealed a special sort of greatness: men who disregarded dreadful consequences to their public and private lives to do that one thing which seemed right in itself. They were men of various political and regional allegiances—their one overriding loyalty was to the United States. Courage such as these men shared, Kennedy makes clear, is central
£15.30
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Last Dive
Book Synopsis“Superbly written and action-packed, The Last Dive ranks with such adventure classics as The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air.”—Tampa TribuneSpurred on by a fatal combination of obsession and ambition, Chris and Chrisy Rouse, an experienced father-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve wide-spread recognition for their outstanding and controversial diving skills by solving the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented, World War II German U-boat that lay only a half day’s mission from New York Harbor.The Rouses found the ultimate cost of chasing their personal challenge: death from what divers dread the most—decompression sickness, or “the bends.” In this gripping recounting of their tragedy, author Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver, explores the thrill-seeking, high-risk world of deep sea diving, its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and notorious tragedies.
£13.29
HarperCollins Wild Heart A Life
£12.99
HarperCollins Other Powers
£14.24
HarperCollins The Master of Disguise
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Rosalind Franklin
Book Synopsis
£16.14
£16.14
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Kitchen Readings
Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of the private Hunter S Thompson - a larger-than-life madman, swilling booze with one hand and piloting classic cars with the other. It recreates the reminiscences of various Hunter's antics throughout his Woody Creek years.Trade Review"Down to its last detail...a work that surely would have inspired Thompson to fire off a letter of approval-rather than a few rounds from a firearm." -- Camden Courier-Post "Parlor gossip with a Gonzo twist. It's an essential installment in the Hunter figure legend that continues to grow. -- Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and editor of the Hunter S. Thompson letters collections THE PROUD HIGHWAY and FEAR AND LOATHING IN AMERICA. "This is the real Hunter S. Thompson. No friends knew him better than Cleverly and Braudis." -- Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of EINSTEIN: His Life and Universe "A pleasant addition to Thompsoniana." -- Kirkus Reviews "A tale of the smart, amusing and passionate soul behind the Gonzo mask...a must read." -- Loren Jenkins, Pulitzer Prize winning journlist and Senior Foreign Editor for National Public Radio "This book is hilarious and heart-breaking and hard to put down." -- William McKeen, author of OUTLAW JOURNALIST and HIGHWAY 61
£999.99
HarperCollins Death Be Not Proud P.S. Paperback
Book Synopsis
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Widow Cliquot
Book SynopsisThe Widow Clicquot is the New York Times bestselling business biography of the visionary young widow who built a champagne empire, became a legend in her tumultuous times, and showed the world how to live with style. Tilar J. Mazzeo brings to life the woman behind the label, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, in this utterly intoxicating book that is as much a fascinating journey through the process of making this temperamental wine as a biography of a uniquely tempered and fascinating woman.
£22.39
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Barbie and Ruth
Book Synopsis“Barbie and her creator, the sharp-elbowed gal who built the biggest toy company, have a story to tell.” —TimeBarbie and Ruth is the remarkable true story of the world’s most famous toy and the woman who created her. It is a fascinating account of how one visionary woman and her product changed an industry and sparked a lasting debate about women’s roles. At once a business book, a colorful portrait of an extraordinary female entrepreneur, and a breathtaking look at a cultural phenomenon, Barbie and Ruth is a must read for anyone who ever owned a Barbie doll.This is the entwined tale of two exceptional women. One was a voluptuous eleven-inch-tall beauty who debuted at the 1959 Toy Fair in New York City and quickly became the treasure of 9 out of 10 American girls and their counterparts in 150 countries. She went on to compete as an Olympic athlete, serve as an air force pilot, work as a boutique owner, run as a presidential candidate, and ignite a cultural firestorm. The other was Ruth Handler, the tenth child of Polish Jewish immigrants.A brilliant, creative, ruthless, and passionately competitive visionary, Ruth was a mother and wife who wanted it all—a masterful entrepreneur who, together with her curvaceous plastic creation, changed American business and culture forever.Trade Review"This stirring biography is a fine study of success and resilience." -- Publishers Weekly "Gerber's smoothly-written biography paints a fearless business woman as a devoted wife, a too-busy mother and a rock-'em-sock-'em executive." -- New York Post "Barbie and her creator, the sharp-elbowed gal who built the biggest toy company, have a story to tell." -- Time magazine
£13.60
