Biography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisFollowing Don Van Vliet's death Mike Barnes will look to reassess his legacy through new interview material and with reference to reports and eulogies that appeared in the media. Mike Barnes gives an assured survey of all of Don Van Vliet's creative work as well as an insight into the extraordinary personality behind it and the history of a truly original rock band.Trade ReviewBarnes gets the story, and with the full participation of those brave musicians who attempted to interpret Beefheart's sometimes otherworldy methodology.' The Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisMary Berry is one of Britain's most respected and well-loved gurus of the kitchen. The undisputed Queen of the Aga has been the focus of many television shows and regularly contributes her expertise on "Woman's Hour." The recent hit BBC show "The Great British Bake Off" has once again put Mary back into the limelight and has reignited a passion for baking across the nation.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD' That was the cry from Leonardo DiCaprio as he stood astride the bow in Titanic - the movie that would go on to smash all records, raking in a whopping GBP1.1 billion worldwide. Now, few Hollywood movers and shakers would dispute that statement as Leo has rocketed to become one of the highest paid actors in the world. And his position looks set to be secure after an incredible 2013 which saw Hollywood's hottest talent appearing as the eponymous Jay Gatsy in the Great Gatsby, following swiftly on the heels of the great success of Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster, Django Unchained. Yet, although he's spent over 15 years at the top of his profession, Leonardo remains something of an enigma - his often daring movie choices suggest an actor still striving for perfection.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDanny O'Donoghue is loved by millions around the world as the frontman of The Script. A cheeky Irish charmer, he is blessed with rugged good looks and a voice that pours every drop of emotion into heartfelt lyrics. But success did not come quickly for the Dubliner - it took years of hard grafting to hit the big time. Youngest of a musical family, Danny was born to be a rock star. With no interest in education, his long path to stardom began after a chance meeting with would-be guitar hero Mark Sheehan. Little did the two youngsters know that they would ultimately find fame together as one of Ireland's most successful bands. But Danny would spend a decade in musical purgatory in the US, stealing bags of ice just to fill his bath and making tea in the recording studios for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, before the two triumphantly struck out on their own. With years of learning from the best, they knew the recipe for success. the Script exploded onto the scene in style, with hit singles turning them into worldwide stars. With Paul McCartney, Take That and U2 all clamouring for their support, they were soon headlining arenas themselves. And in 2012, Danny's career reached new heights as a judge on hit show The Voice. His journey from tea boy to TV star, music hero and household name was complete.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom playing the school joker as a young boy to shake off the trauma of his parents' divorce to becoming one of the world's most bankable movie stars, Will Ferrell has always used comedy as a way to bring happiness to others. He doesn't care if you laugh at him or with him - if you're laughing at all, then he's done his job. This comprehensive biography of Will Ferrell explores his early days on famed US variety show Saturday Night Live, and also charts Will's transition from quirky support character to being one of the world's most bankable movie stars - thanks to films like Elf, The Other Guys and, of course, a certain little-known anchorman from San Diego. Read Will Ferrell: The Biography if you want to stay classy!

Read more less

Book SynopsisMiley Cyrus first shot to fame at a young age playing Hannah Montana but she has long-since said goodbye to her good girl image, and is now best known for pushing the boundaries - both on and off stage. This biography tells of Miley's extraordinary upbringing; what it was like growing up with Billy Ray Cyrus as her dad and how she coped with being a multi-millionaire by the time she was 15. It tells of her ups and downs, her relationship breakups and her difficult search for friends who wouldn't betray her. From childhood all Miley wanted to do was perform, whether that be singing or acting. She has had to fight to get where she is today and has had to face many battles over the years: she was bullied relentlessly at school; she lost the person she was closest to in the world and she has had to deal with a stalker who thinks he is married to her. Fortunately, Miley shares a tight bond with her siblings, who share her love of music, and she enjoys spending family time with them and her parents whenever she can. Find out why she will never regret her controversial MTV VMA performance with Robin Thicke and how she felt as she performed her Bangerz tour around the world in this in-depth biography written by one of Miley's biggest Smilers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTalks of an abusive, violent childhood at the hands of her father a strict and sadistic soldier in the US Army, who made family life hell. Christina was taken out of school and home educated for a period after bullying from peers reached an all-time high. Tells of how her desperation to flee the violence - as well as a desire to save her mother, who was trapped in her marriage financially - drove Christina into childhood stardom. How she was first discovered, on TV talent shows and a starring role on The Mickey Mouse Club, which would eventually lead to a record deal and the first number 1 single of many. Gives the inside story on how she rebelled against being a bubble-gum pop singer, parted ways with a controlling management, and made a comeback with a raunchy controversial new look. Reveals the death threats she received and the media backlash as she lost her reputation as America's good girl forever. Also explains how she began to assert herself and write her own songs in the studio. Tells the inside story on the making of each of Christina's albums as well as her marriage, motherhood and her subsequent divorce. Coverage of the making of her seventh album Lotus and her stint on The Voice brings the story up to date

Read more less

Book SynopsisBruno Mars has sold over 115 million records worldwide as a singer, producer and songwriter. This book documents his childhood in Honolulu and how he found fame from the age of four.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoel McIver's acclaimed Black Sabbath biography, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, concluded in 2011 that its subjects were at a crossroads. Could Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill manage after over 40 years in business to get back together one more time? After all, the veteran heavy metal musicians were grieving for their fallen comrade Ronnie James Dio and about to face a devastating medical diagnosis for one of their own. McIver's brand-new, updated volume brings the story up to date with the tale of Sabbath's near-miraculous return to form with the Rick Rubin-produced 13 album, which topped charts worldwide on its release in 2013. In true Sabbath style, however, nothing went entirely to plan, with internal arguments, last-minute band-member replacements -- and a genuine fear that this may be Sabbath's very last shot at glory.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this revised edition of his definitive biography of Dolly Parton, Stephen Miller has updated his original book on the superstar. Going behind the larger-than-life image to discover what makes Dolly tick, Miller gets to the core of a remarkable woman from a poor East Tennessee background who made it in the male-dominated world of Sixties Nashville and went on to build a respectable movie career. Talking to Dolly's family members, musicians and producers, the author explores Dolly's private life, including her closely-guarded relationships with her husband of nearly fifty years, Carl Dean, and her lifelong friend Judy Ogle. What emerges is a unique portrait of a strong woman who took control of her life, her music and a successful business career with resolute determination. Dolly loves making jokes at her own expense; perhaps the best joke has been how one of America's great singer-songwriters became a legend by being serious about her music while being frivolous about her image.

Read more less

Book SynopsisKirsty MacColl led a dazzling life - tender, creative, heroic and full of love. This book, by her mother Jean MacColl, charts with moving insight Kirsty's early years and celebrates her brilliant career at the front rank of the music business in the 1980s and 1990s with such hits as the Pogues collaboration 'Fairytale of New York'. It mourns her tragic and untimely death - killed by a speedboat in Mexican waters in December 2000. It also tells, with heartfelt truth, the shocking story of the elaborate cover-up and gross miscarriage of justice that followed and appeals for justice to be done in her name.Trade Review'A moving and beautiful portrait' - DAILY MAIL

Read more less

Book SynopsisHe was known as The Golden Torso, the underwear model who famously dated Keira Knightley. But Jamie Dornan has always dreamed of being an actor - and as star of the hotly-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey movie he has finally sealed his position in Hollywood. From his role as S&M hero Christian Grey in the adaptation of EL James' hit novel to playing a serial killer in BBC series The Fall and Abe Goffe in New Worlds, Jamie is carving a name for himself playing characters with a serious passionate side. But the path to success has been far from easy for the Northern Irish actor. His personal life has had as many twists and turns, highs and devastating lows as the shows that are making him famous. Son of a doctor, Jamie and his two sisters had what looked like a charmed childhood growing up in a sprawling family home in an affluent area of Belfast, attending a top boarding school with dreams of treading the boards like his legendary great aunt Greer Garson. But looks can be deceiving and behind the sports trophies and amateur acting triumphs, there was a series of personal tragedies, the burden of which Jamie still carries with him today. He later struggled to cope with life in the limelight as an internationally famous model in his twenties dating an actress and winning hordes of female fans the world over posing alongside Kate Moss and Eva Mendes. Now married and father to a baby daughter, the Bafta-nominated star has a new set of challenges on his hands. In this, his first biography, Louise Ford, reveals Jamie's successes and struggles both on and off screen and explores what the future holds for the model turned actor who once doubted he could ever have it all.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Ball is more than a Laurence Olivier Award winner and multiplatinum recording artist; he holds the unique status of being Britain's foremost musical theatre actor. Testimony to his success is the huge cult following he has built ...not least among theatre audiences. From his debut in London's West End, with a superb performance in the original 1985 cast of Les Miserables, to unqualified acclaim in Aspects Of Love, Passion, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and more recently in Hairspray and Sweeney Todd. Michael's silky smooth voice and boyish charms have seduced audiences everywhere, a popularity that has led to more than 15 sought-after solo albums and the hit single 'Love Changes Everything'. Television and radio have not been slow in courting his talents, from his first flirtation with the small screen and a rather embarrassing appearance in the ITV soap Coronation Street to hosting his own successful chat shows. He even represented Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992. Andrew Lloyd Webber, understated as ever, joked: 'He's a top man at what he does - and he has a rather nice taste in Savile Row suits.' But there is so much more to Michael than curly-haired smiles and smartly-dressed dulcet tones. In this first ever biography of the star, author Willie Robertson provides a comprehensive and compelling insight into the legend that is Michael Ball. A must read for any fan!

Read more less

Book SynopsisBENEDICT CUMBERBATCH has played detective and monster, barrister and scientist, politician and painter, comic and spy. Still only in his thirties, he has become one of Britain's foremost acting talents, excelling in theatre, television, radio and cinema. With a string of starring and supporting roles, he has portrayed contemporary icons, historical figures and fictional favourites, from Stephen Hawking, to William Pitt the Younger, to Frankenstein. He has become a radio comedy staple too, as the bungling airline pilot Captain Martin Crieff, in Radio 4's Cabin Pressure. But inevitably, he is still best known for his idiosyncratic and boldly 21st century incarnation of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC TV series, Sherlock. In this book, Justin Lewis traces Benedict Cumberbatch's career to date, from his early promise in Harrow School plays, through his first supporting roles in film, theatre and TV, to national and international acclaim. He examines his considerable contributions not only to Sherlock, but also to Sir Tom Stoppard's adaptation of Parade's End on television, and to feature films such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Star Trek Into Darkness and War Horse.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCHRIS PRATT is now one of the world's most sought-after actors. As the breakout star of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie (two of 2014's biggest box-office hits), as well as landing the lead role in the 2015 Jurassic Park franchise re-boot, Jurassic World, his meteoric rise to fame is proof that anything is possible in Hollywood. Chris's journey to the movie-star A-list may just make him the ultimate 'zero to hero', but it certainly wasn't an overnight success story. A chance encounter transformed Chris's life from living in a van and waiting tables to make enough money to survive, to the bright lights of Los Angeles and his first tentative steps into the acting world. After years as a supporting player in both comedy and dramatic roles, on television (Everwood, Parks and Recreation) and in movies (The Five-Year Engagement, Delivery Man), Chris finally started to attract superstar buzz after appearing in three Best Picture Oscar-nominated films between 2011 and 2013. Along the way he's shown that nice guys don't always finish last, juggling a successful movie career and life as a devoted family man, and somehow finding time to develop killer abs along the way.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPaul Hollywood is without doubt the man of the moment in British baking. His luxurious dough recipes have been single-handedly responsible for the mass ignition of ovens across the UK since the advent of The Great British Bake Off. Admired for his straighttalking style and amazing technical knowledge, Paul's judging partnership with Mary Berry has been described as one of television's best ever. Having suffered a rocky period in the USA - both professionally and personally - Hollywood is now back in England, once again enjoying the astounding success of The Great British Bake Off and his own touring shows. What's more, with his marriage fully reconciled and his wife Alexandra enjoying cooking success of her own, the sky truly is the limit for Paul Hollywood. But then, he was always destined for great things. Descended from a line of illustrious bakers, Hollywood originally trained as a sculptor, giving him the deftly skilful hands his viewers delight in watching. From kneading dough as a 17-year-old apprentice to his father to working as head baker at the prestigious Dorchester Hotel, his professional career is legendary. For the first time, this compelling biography sheds light on the man behind the counter, from his youth on Merseyside to the sunny climes of Cyprus and beyond. Journalist A S Dagnell delves deep into Paul Hollywood's story and charts the ingredients that have shaped this enigmatic character into the dazzlingly talented king of British baking.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the most iconic guitarists of all-time, his staggering performance on Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction heralded the arrival of a brand new superstar name in rock. His complex relationship with frontman Axl Rose and the phenomenal music that emerged from that band cemented his reputation in rock's history books; since leaving G N' R, however, Slash has masterfully plied his trade through a series of solo projects and high profile guest appearances. This is the first book to examine the complete story of Slash, from his humble roots in suburban London in the late Sixties, to his thunderous ride through the alleys and red carpets of California to his present day success with Velvet Revolver. The book also takes a fresh look at the Guns N' Roses saga and examines all of Slash's other projects in exhaustive detail. Paul Stenning is the author of several books on rock music and is a regular contributor to the pages of Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, Alternative Press and Record Collector. He is the author of the best-selling book on Guns N' Roses, The Band That Time Forgot as well as biographies of AC/DC, Iron Maiden and My Chemical Romance.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis inspirational autobiography opens a window on the uniquely individual life of Vadim Muntagirov, one of the most celebrated dancers of our time. Vadim left home aged 10 to enter full time ballet training, arrived at The Royal Ballet School via the Prix de Lausanne aged 16 with no English, was cast as Albrecht in English National Ballet's Giselle aged 19 and danced Siegfried in Swan Lake at The Royal Albert Hall to considerable acclaim less than a year after graduating. Since then, with an expanded repertoire as a Principal with The Royal Ballet and in parallel demand as an international guest, Vadim's early promise has translated into a stellar career. Nicknamed Vadream, he is hugely admired and very much loved by audiences at home and abroad. Vadim's story affords a real insight into the intense work and level of commitment needed to rise to the top in ballet - and stay there. It enables readers to see the experiences which have shaped him, including the lasting effect of separation from his family, his rigorous early training, his discovery of a world beyond his homeland, and the unstinting support he has received in his adopted country as a student and during his years in the profession. This is a book which looks 'behind the scenes' and 'beyond the interviews' to reveal what is involved in becoming and being a Principal dancer, including the privilege of working with many ballet luminaries, the more informal moments, and the many etceteras which come with the job. But Vadim makes it about so much more than the daily 'ins and outs' as he shares his reactions, thoughts and emotions in a way which allows others to get to know him as a person.Table of ContentsPART ONE: STARTING POINTS [1990–2009] 1. A Child of the Urals 2. Six Years in Perm 3. An ‘Escape Route’ Emerges 4. The Leap to London PART TWO: FROM FIRST ARTIST TO LEAD PRINCIPAL [2009–2014] Repertoire with English National Ballet 5. In at the Deep End 6. Onwards and Upwards 7. All Change 8. An ENB Coda PART THREE: ROYAL BALLET MOMENTUM [2014–2022] Repertoire with The Royal Ballet 9. More Than Another Postcode 10. Diverse Debuts 11. On the Day of a Show 12. A Career on Hold 13. Nine Years and Counting PART FOUR: IT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY 14. Here, There and Everywhere 15. Teaching Is Learning Too 16. Beyond the Stage Door

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of Coco Chanel in her own words, as told by her to Paul Morand - in a Deluxe special edition, illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld and authorised by Chanel Told in her own words, Coco Chanel's memories offer a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential women in fashion history. During a visit to St. Moritz at the end of World War II, Chanel shared intimate details of her life, loves and fashion philosophy with her life-long friend, Paul Morand. Only coming to light after Chanel's death, her intimate recollections reveal the secrets behind her success and the captivating charm that made her a true icon The Allure of Chanel attracted the attention of Karl Lagerfeld, who embellished it with seventy-three drawings, sketched for this special illustrated edition.Trade Review'This enchanting, tiny book is the closest anyone can get to a face-to-face with Coco. It's written in her voice and in her words, and though it's full of lies, omissions and contradictions, there's enough raw truth in it to reflect the extraordinary woman who was Chanel, even though glimpsed shard by shard in a broken mirror' - Spectator'Morand was the all-round aesthete' - Nicholas Lezard'Morand was a citizen of the world, with a sharp eye and a neat turn of phrase' - The Tablet

Read more less