Biography: general Books

Book SynopsisToday we view Cézanne as a monumental figure, but during his lifetime (1839-1906), many did not understand him or his work. With brilliant insight, drawing on a vast range of primary sources, Alex Danchev tells the story of an artist who was never accepted into the official Salon: he was considered a revolutionary at best and a barbarian at worst, whose paintings were unfinished, distorted and strange. His work sold to no one outside his immediate circle until his late thirties, and he maintained that 'to paint from nature is not to copy an object; it is to represent its sensations' - a belief way ahead of his time, with stunning implications that became the obsession of many other artists and writers, from Matisse and Braque to Rilke and Gertrude Stein. Beginning with the restless teenager from Aix who was best friends with Emile Zola at school, Danchev carries us through the trials of a painter tormented by self-doubt, who always remained an outsider, both of society and the bustle of the art world. Cézanne: A life delivers not only the fascinating days and years of the visionary who would 'astonish Paris with an apple', with interludes analysing his self-portraits, but also a complete assessment of Cézanne's ongoing influence through artistic imaginations in our own time. He is, as this life shows, a cultural icon comparable to Monet or Toulouse.Trade ReviewDanchev's Cézanne has... virtues of imaginative sympathy, independence of mind, and wide scholarship. He writes as if Cézanne's life and character are as immediately present before him as is the art -- Julian Barnes * TLS *A brave new life of Cézanne ... much of this new material successfully illuminates Cézanne's inner life. An important book * Sunday Times *Enlightening . . . Accomplished and subtle -- Michael Prodger * Mail on Sunday *This is a great book - possibly the best - on one of the most respected impressionists * Bookseller *The most engrossing biography of an artist that I have read for years. With lightness of touch, depth of thought, a vast cultural hinterland and an assured understanding of painting, Danchev marvellously brings to life Cézanne the man, as well as the pioneering artist called "the father of us all" by Picasso. -- Jackie Wullschlager * FT *A magisterial biography -- Jonathan Lopez * Wall Street Journal *A new view of an old subject ... an impressive achievement -- Christian House * Independent on Sunday *This is the best account of [Cézanne's] astonishing career and Danchev responds to the challenge with great sensitivity and genuine brio. This is a book which will survive the test of time. -- John Golding CBE, Emeritus Professor of the Royal AcademyAlex Danchev compellingly guides us through Paul Cezanne's much mythologized life from his over-bearing father and early days in the South, as a school friend of Emile Zola, to his position as one of the revered creators of modern painting. The development of Cezanne's thinking and the construction of his paintings are explored alongside his complex relationship with other painters and the Parisian art establishment. Danchev has a great ability to weave his research and analysis into a compelling narrative: understanding what was required for Cezanne to make art modern. -- Sandy Nairne, National Portrait GalleryA fantastically multidimensional Cézanne. . . . reads much like . . . one of Paul Cézanne's paintings . . . Mr. Danchev's portrait of Cezanne's life is heavy, thick with deceptively simple detail, and unendingly rich in offering context and detail for the reader to make sense of what contexts surrounded Cézanne, how Cezanne understood himself, and how the surrounding artistic milieu and climate informed Cezanne's paintings . . . Cezanne, A Life is a compelling and well-written biography of an enduring, enigmatic and complex figure in the changing world of turn-of-the-20th-century modernist art. -- Dr Lydia Pyne * New York Journal of Books *An enchanting literary exercise... exquisite in style... romantic, intense, affectionate and occasionally wry... a masterpiece. -- Brian Sewell * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisA window into a life of insatiable desire and uninhibited sex - this is Parisian art critic Catherine M.'s account of her sexual awakening and her unrestrained pursuit of pleasure. From the glamorous singles clubs of Paris to the Bois de Boulogne, she describes her erotic experiences in precise and beautiful detail. A phenomenal bestseller throughout Europe, The Sexual Life of Catherine M., like Fifty Shades of Grey, breaks with accepted ideas of sex and examines many alternative manifestations of desire. Told in spare, elegant prose, her story will shock, enlighten and liberate you.Trade ReviewElegantly written and extraordinarily frank. Here is a book so rich in sexual revelation that it could feed five tabloids for a year and still have something left for Channel 5 * Independent on Sunday *Millet is the new icon of highbrow pornography * Guardian *The author writes like a connoisseur who is perfectly at ease with her subject... A brilliant testimony of a life spent at the sexual front line -- James Harkin * Independent on Sunday *This is the most explicit book about sex ever written by a woman, though it is far from pornographic. Catherine Millet sets about coolly and rationally exploring her insatiable appetites - and she has lived to tell the tale that is the opposite of lurid. It is a comprehensive and elegant performance -- Edmund WhiteI don't approve of The Sexual Life of Catherine M. But I am grateful she has written it -- Lynne Truss * The Times *She proves again that Catholicism and filthy sex go together like salt beef and rye * Independent on Sunday *Readers may find this book disturbing or repellent, but they are unlikely to find it dull. I thought that it was the most honest book I had ever read on the subject of sex -- Rowan Pelling * Daily Telegraph *Her fans are now citing her as a feminist sexual crusader * Observer *Millet's achievement is that she curates or, more accurately, catalogues her sexual adventures with no sense of shame or remorse -- Deborah Levy * Independent *Is this the most original novel of the year? -- JG Ballard * Guardian *You are amazed at her honesty as you are by her exploits. Some of what she does and says mirror your own thoughts and fantasies -- Marcelle D’Argy Smith * Daily Express *It is Millet's subversive achievement to describe pleasure for its own sake * New Statesman *This bestseller shocked Europe and looks set to become controversial here * Daily Mirror *Her descriptions are laced with a laconic frankness which veers between intelligent reflection and willed self-objectification -- Michael Fishwick * Economist *Millet diverts the tradition of erotic writing by French women such as Pauline Reage and Alina Reyes firmly into the realm of non-fiction, with this account of her sexual encounters, tastes and unconventional morality... Millet writes extremely well, describing her recollections vividly, and investing her physical largesse with a queenly magnanimity... Millet's sexual aesthetic is a literary one, invoking Sade, Reage and Proust... a work of libertine philosophy' -- Lisa Hilton * Times Literary Supplement *Millet's implicit mission is to write about her own desire with absolute candour and a fierce refusal to consider her audience's needs or sensibilities -- Kathryn Hughes * Literary Review *Explicit and honest * Dazed & Confused *Pornography must have been a challenge, but Catherine M has risen to it in a way that will have Descartes encoring from Beyond... Catherine M writes with the enthusiasm of one who invented multiple-partner sex even though she no longer practises the intercourse that she writes about... Genuine free-love requires a level of trust and honesty few of us are prepared to bring into our dealings with others. Catherine M. might be said to be a genuine innocent -- Ron Butlin * Sunday Herald *The unabashed erotica of The Sexual Life of Catherine M... salutes the Marquis de Sade in a straight-talking romp through dozens of one-night stands catalogued with savage wit by a Parisian intellecual -- Katrina Dixon * Scotsman *She has recorded her numerous sexual encounters in disarming detail and an alluring style of cool detachment... They make for extraordinarily compulsive reading. Some may think her honesty gratuitous, others will identify with it and find it inspiring * Good Book Guide *The investigation of one's woman sexuality is still, by its nature, unique -- Nick Hasted * Uncut *For those unfamiliar with the female body, it's also illuminating! -- Simon Lovat * Gay Times *An aloof, gracefully crystilline style as elegant as any French pornography since Sade * Vogue USA *Graceful, thoughful, oddly charming, and profoundly pornographic. A bold, intelligent, pioneering tour de force * Kirkus Reviews *The porn most likely to be read by those who wouldn't be seen dead clutching a sweaty copy of Fiesta is The Sexual Life of Catherine M. ... Fine observations and precise prose style... She fits neatly into a category of literary outrage -- Big Issue * Tina Jackson *An ideal languorous holiday read * Diva *Do not read this unless you have a wildly satisfying sex life * Sleazenation *Highly literary, and beautifully, reverently, precisely descriptive -- Morgan Falconer * Ham & High *Millet's unashamed approach to sex is certainly refreshing and admirable -- Anna Carey * Sunday Tribune *By reclaiming sexual morality as a highly personal matter outside any kind of political control Millet lets sex take revenge on politics -- Jane Cornwell * Weekend Australian *

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Book SynopsisThe Enigma of Kidson is a moving, thought-provoking, inspiring and hilarious biography of an inspirational and controversial teacher. Move over Mr Chips. Kidson had everything that central casting requires of a legendary schoolmaster: a passion for his subject, a brilliant didactic style, a silly walk, a smelly spaniel, breath-taking rudeness, eccentric mannerisms and catchphrases, a maverick attitude towards authority, and above all, a deep empathy, loyalty and dedication towards his boys. He had an extraordinary influence on his pupils - David Cameron, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Johnnie Boden, Nicky Henderson, Sir Matthew Pinsent, `Lupin' and Dominic West among them. This unique portrait features recollections and vignettes of incidents in the classroom and the tutorial. As Kidson was an inspirational History Beak (master), history is a strong theme throughout the book and through Kidson's life story we get a vivid social history of the latter part of the twentieth century where the themes of education, culture, teaching, adolescence, discipline, mentorship, pronunciation, parenting and old age are all examined.Trade Review'A great read about a great man' Taki The Spectator; 'I didn't expect to be moved to tears by a tribute book to an Etonian schoolmaster. But the story of Michael Kidson (1929-2015) drew me in and moved me deeply. This sprawling hotchpotch of recollections turns out to be essential reading for anyone interested in the forming of teenaged boys' minds and, in its very haphazardness, manages to paint a remarkably full portrait of a good, kind and enigmatic bachelor schoolmaster who changed boys' lives by civilising them and being there for them in the ways that mattered.' Ysenda Maxtone Graham The Oldie; 'Nothing short of a triumph. I laughed out loud dozens of times... it is really, really wonderful' Sir Matthew Pinsent; 'This book needs an H.M. Government health warning for OFSTED inspectors as it describes an inspired beak who ignored all the modern rules but put his pupils first.' Jacob Rees Mogg;Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword Prologue 1. Eton Revisited 2. Abdul the Camel Driver 3. Private Business 4. Crime and Punishment 5. A Shropshire Lad 6. Toiling Upward 7. The Corner House 8. Beaks 9. A Sheeted Tombstone 10. The Heartless Ramparts 11. Sport 12. Parents 13. Hold on, Jack! 14. Outside the Classroom 15. The End Game 16. After Eton 17. Retirement 18. I Can't Stand the Preliminaries 19. Vale Epilogue Appendix: History Matters Postscript Eton Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZE 2018 In the 1950s and 1960s, Memphis, Tennessee, was the launch pad of musical pioneers such as Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Al Green and Isaac Hayes, and by 1968 was a city synonymous with soul music. It was a deeply segregated city, ill at ease with the modern world and yet to adjust to the era of civil rights and racial integration. Stax Records offered an escape from the turmoil of the real world for many soul and blues musicians, with much of the music created there becoming the soundtrack to the civil rights movements. The book opens with the death of the city’s most famous recording artist, Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash in the final days of 1967, and then follows the fortunes of Redding’s label, Stax/Volt Records, as its fortunes fall and rise again. But, as the tense year unfolds, the city dominates world headlines for the worst of reasons: the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King.Trade Review'This book is for anyone who has an interest in music and American history, and as you read about the happenings in 1960s America, it is impossible not to see the parallels with present day USA. This gives added depth and meaning to the story Cosgrove tells, and lifts Memphis 68 far above the plethora of music titles out there on the bookshelves' * Scots Magazine *'There are few writers who so clearly and powerfully evince the relationship between popular culture and politics . . . This is a book that grabs you from the off. Cosgrove writes about the music with a passion and fire which is infectious' * Scots Whay Hae *'As ever, Cosgrove's lucid, entertaining prose is laden with detail, but never at the expense of the wider narrative. Hinging on that Memphis destination, he traces the savage dichotomy at the city’s heart: it was the site of multi-racial soul imprint Stax, but also the places where Martin Luther King was killed. A heartbreaking but essential read, and one that feels remarkably timely' * Clash Magazine *

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Book SynopsisNow a Major Feature Length Documentary: 'Cassius X: Becoming Ali’ (Cinema release Spring 2023) Miami, 1963. A young boy from Louisville, Kentucky, is on the path to becoming the greatest sportsman of all time. Cassius Clay is training in the 5th Street Gym for his heavyweight title clash against the formidable Sonny Liston. He is beginning to embrace the ideas and attitudes of Black Power, and firebrand preacher Malcolm X will soon become his spiritual adviser. Thus Cassius Clay will become ‘Cassius X’ as he awaits his induction into the Nation of Islam. Cassius also befriends the legendary soul singer Sam Cooke, falls in love with soul singer Dee Dee Sharp and becomes a remarkable witness to the first days of soul music. As with his award-winning soul trilogy, Stuart Cosgrove’s intensive research and sweeping storytelling shines a new light on how black music lit up the sixties against a backdrop of social and political turmoil – and how Cassius Clay made his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali.Trade Review'Cassius X is a delightful ride in a cherry-red Cadillac, with soul music on the radio and a steady hand at the wheel. A thoroughly enjoyable journey' -- Jonathan Eig, author of Ali: A Life'Crisply written, fast-paced, and original, this book surges with the kind of effervescence we have long associated with a young Cassius Clay ... Filled with colourful details, with a learned eye toward the music of the era, Cassius X hits all the right notes' -- Michael Ezra, author of Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon'An exciting trip through the urban worlds of boxing, soul music, and crime, as Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam, becomes Muhammad Ali, and ascends the ranks of boxing to become World Heavyweight Champion during the early 1960s' -- Lewis Erenberg, author of The Rumble in the Jungle'There are many books about Muhammad Ali, but none like Stuart Cosgrove's Cassius X ... The book is a deeply personal look at one of 'The Greatest' public figures of the last one hundred years and is a model of how biographies of African Americans should be written' -- Ray Winbush, author of Belinda’s Petition: A Concise History of Reparations for the Transatlantic Slave Trade'Fascinating ... a different take on its subject, like a wayward B-side of a highly familiar tune' * Scotsman *'A vivid, knowing close-up of a crucial year in the life of boxing’s most iconic figure' * Kirkus *'Stuart Cosgrove's deep research and very human storytelling highlights how black music lit up the Sixties against a backdrop of political turmoil - and how Cassius Clay began his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali winning the world heavyweight title from scratch three times in the process' * Harrogate Advertiser *'You can almost smell the liniment and sweat and hear the classic songs of Tamla Motown when you start reading Mr Cosgrove’s work Cassius X... a compelling reminder of why he [Muhammad Ali] made such an impression' * Dundee Courier *'An engrossing and revelatory read.. and a great playlist. You do not have to be a fan of boxing or soul music to love this book' -- Val McDermid at Edinburgh International Book Festival'A benediction of a book about the early years of the sporting deity. Cassius X is a unique take – no easy feat when faced with an athlete who has been embalmed in books over the decades' * Sunday Times *'Equivalent to a biopic which portrays the fast-moving 1960s social, political and cultural scene and gives a fascinating insight into a lesser-known part of the legendary champion's life' * Dundee Courier *'A riveting profile of one of the world’s greatest sportsmen and the world he moved in' * Herald *'No ordinary tale of the life of The Greatest. Tells the story of the many social forces that shaped the life of the former world champion' * Press & Journal *'A terrifically fresh insight into sport’s greatest superstar' * The Scotsman, Best Sports Books of 2020 *'Another belter from The Soul Trilogy author... shines a light on how black music lit up politically turbulent 1960s America' * Sunday Post *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2023 From the author of Apollo's Angels, the first major biography of the figure who modernised dance: an intimate portrait of the man behind the mythology, set against the vibrant backdrop of the century that shaped him Balanchine's radical approach to choreography reinvented the art of dance and his richly evocative ballets made him a lasting legend. Today, nearly thirty years after his death, the man is still so revered that the mysteries of his biography are often overlooked. Who was George Balanchine? Born in Russia under the last Czar, Balanchine experienced the upheavals of World War One, the Russian Revolution, exile, World War Two and the cultural Cold War; he was part of the Russian modernist moment, a key player in Paris in the 1920s, and in New York he revolutionized ballet, pressing it to the forefront of modernism and making it serious and popular art. His influences were myriad. He considered himself Georgian, yet he did not step foot in his ancestral homeland until he was in his fifties. He was deeply influenced by the cold grandeur and sensuous beauty of the Orthodox Church, but equally absorbed by the new rhythms and dance steps coming out of Harlem in the 1930s. He collaborated broadly, with figures like Diaghilev and Stravinsky. A man of muses, Balanchine was married five times, always to young dancers, and consumed by many other loves in between. The difficulties of his life - personal losses, bouts of ill health, debilitating loneliness and dark moods of despair - resonate in his dances, which speak so poignantly of love and loss, and yet the full implications for his art remain unexplored. Now for the first time we look beyond the myth of 'Mr B' - the mask which Balanchine himself helped to create - to see 'Mr B' the man.Trade ReviewWith unique expertise in dance and what it means to dance, Jennifer Homans shows rare insider understanding of Balanchine's inexhaustible creativity... A magnificent and enthralling biography with an epic historical sweep, inflected by the poignancy and sensitivity of an intimate literary portrait * Marina Warner *One of the best stories of a Petersburger coming to America I've ever read. This isn't dutiful biography, this is literature as vibrant and alive as Balanchine's art * Gary Shteyngart, author Our Country Friends and Super Sad True Love Story *Jennifer Homans has not only resurrected George Balanchine down to the perfumed silk foulard, offering up a life of fairy-tale turns and tenacious demons, of prodigious imagination and impossible standards, of five wives and the slew of almost-wives. She has restored the Russia that disappeared out from behind Balanchine and the lush mirage that endured. More remarkably, she pins dance to the page with the precision, intensity, and range her subject prized. The result is lyrical and commanding, among the most electrifying pas de deux you're likely to find on the biography shelf. -- Stacy Schiff * winner of the Pulitzer Prize, New York Times bestselling author of The Witches and Cleopatra *Jennifer Homans's meticulously researched Mr. B gives us an artist who is as complicated, and even flawed, as he was groundbreaking and brilliant. It is a fascinating read about a true genius and his unrelenting thirst for beauty in art and in life -- Mikhail BaryshnikovNo previous biography of George Balanchine has caught so many of the disparate layers of this superlative choreographer to such revelatory effect -- Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic * The New York Times *Perfectly calibrated, sympathetic where necessary, fearlessly critical elsewhere, and a much-needed demolition of the Mr. B myths - the flawed genius tropes - that manages, in energetic, evocative prose, to enhance the intellectual and spiritual powers of Balanchine's ballets and the art overall -- Simon Morrison, author of Bolshoi Confidential: Secrets of the Russian Ballet from the Rule of the Tsars to TodayI'm entranced by Homans's chief gifts: her ability to pin a character instantly on the page, bringing to bear the back story and even more distinctively, her own ballet training infusing the story with a rare physicality. Then too there is the deftness of conveying Mr B.'s flaws of cruelty, caprice and autocracy without undermining his art.... Extraordinary -- Lyndall GordonA sensitive, stately and often thrilling new biography of the Russian-born choreographer George Balanchine... Mr B. is a serious act of cultural retrieval, by a writer who knows when to expand and when to collapse, who makes unexpected connections, and who knows when her subject pinches, borrows or steals. The critic, historian and dancer in Homans are nearly always in sync * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisJohn L. Williams draws on original research and interviews to provide a portrait of a young woman on the cusp of stardom, whose rise to fame was in many ways symbolic of a changing world.Trade Review'The rags-to-riches legend of the gritty girl from Tiger Bay' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *'A fascinating history not only of her early career, but of the casual racism and sexism that prevailed in Britain in the Fifties ... and the strength of character Bassey required to overcome it' Mick Brown, Daily Telegraph. * Daily Telegraph *'Sensitive and empathetic ... lovely details abound' Guardian. * Guardian *'Shirley Bassey has shown that even a triply underprivileged black Welsh woman could make it to the giddy heights of showbiz. This is the story John L. Williams tells in a fascinating book: the way in which she negotiated herself into another world' Independent. * Independent *'Wildly entertaining. Someone should make a movie' The Times. * The Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction: For One Night Only. Prologue: The Gambler. Mother and Father. In Tiger Bay Before the War. The Canadian Cafe. Life During Wartime. On the Street Where You Live. The Rainbow Club. Down the Docks. Hot from Splott. Stormy Weather. Talk of the Town. Burn My Candle. My Body's More Important Than My Mind. Viva Las Vegas. Sophisticated Lady. Cruel to Be Kind. Shirley the Weirdie. Screen Dreams. Love and Marriage. I (Who Have Nothing). A Knight in Shining Armour. The Man with the Midas Touch. The Second Time Around. Napoleon and Josephine. After the Rain. Discography. Appendices: A Short History of Tiger Bay; Bute Street and its Cafes; A Short History of Mahmood Mattan and the Murder of Lily Volpert; A Short History of Minstrel Shows; A Short History of British Striptease. Notes. Acknowledgments. Picture Acknowledgments. Text Acknowledgments. Index.

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Book SynopsisFew American lives are stranger or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channelling his energy into such landmark works as FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS - and his provocative style revolutionised writing. Now, for the first time ever, Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour have interviewed Thompson's friends, family and colleagues and woven their memories into a brilliant oral biography. From Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger, to Ralph Steadman, to Jack Nicholson, more than 100 members of Thompson's inner circle bring into vivid focus the life of a man who was more complicated and talented than any previous portrait has shown. It's all here: the creative frenzies, the love affairs, the drugs, booze and guns, and, ultimately, the tragic suicide. As Thompson was fond of saying, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."Trade ReviewAn excellent oral history tribute to Hunter S. Thompson GQ For those who like their literary entertainment with a little more snarl to it THE DAILY TELEGRAPH A wonderfully entertaining chronicle of Hunter's (life) International Herald Tribune

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Book SynopsisBessie Mundy, Alice Burnham and Margaret Lofty are three women with one thing in common. They are spinsters and are desperate to marry. Each woman meets a smooth-talking stranger who promises her a better life. She falls under his spell, and becomes his wife. But marriage soon turns into a terrifying experience.In the dark opening months of the First World War, Britain became engrossed by 'The Brides in the Bath' trial. The horror of the killing fields of the Western Front was the backdrop to a murder story whose elements were of a different sort. This was evil of an everyday, insidious kind, played out in lodging houses in seaside towns, in the confines of married life, and brought to a horrendous climax in that most intimate of settings - the bathroom. The nation turned to a young forensic pathologist, Bernard Spilsbury, to explain how it was that young women were suddenly expiring in their baths. This was the age of science. In fiction, Sherlock Holmes applied a scientific mind to solving crimes. In real-life, would Spilsbury be as infallible as the 'great detective'?Trade Review'A riveting and beautifully written book. A high point in the annals of murder, for every necessary ingredient - callousness, ruthlessness, mystery, recklessness, boarding houses, detection, a chase, money, sex and even a bit of glamour - is present. Miss Robins has made a thumping good book out of it'. * Sunday Telegraph *'In Jane Robins' excellent The Magnificent Spilsbury - part-whodunit thriller, part-social history, part-biography - there's delight in the detail.. This is a pacy page-turner underpinned by meticulous primary source research. Frankly, it's a treat.. as satisfying as a fine thriller'. * The Scotsman *'Robins's description of the murders and of Smith's persuasive personality is gripping. The Magnificent Spilsbury teems with promise'. * Sunday Times *'As well as being a gripping, pacy account of a gruesome murder trial, this book is also a compelling piece of social history. Robins. . . shines a light on a dark age for women'. * Independent on Sunday *'Not just a compelling read but it also an intriguing slice of social history'. * The Express *Here Jane Robins gives us that story in all its tingling horror * Sunday Telegraph *Jane Robins's account of this classic murder story is riveting * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn the spring of 1895 the life of Constance Wilde changed irrevocably. Up until the conviction of her husband, Oscar, for homosexual crimes, she had held a privileged position in society. Part of a gilded couple, she was a popular children's author, a fashion icon, and a leading campaigner for women's rights. A founding member of the magical society the Golden Dawn, her pioneering and questioning spirit encouraged her to sample some of the more controversial aspects of her time. Mrs Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in her own right. But that spring Constance's entire life was eclipsed by scandal. Forced to flee to the Continent with her two sons, her glittering literary and political career ended abruptly. Having changed her name, she lived in exile until her death. Franny Moyle now tells Constance's story with a fresh eye and remarkable new material. Drawing on numerous unpublished letters, she brings to life the story of a woman at the heart of fin-de-siècle London and the Aesthetic movement. In a compelling and moving tale of an unlikely couple caught up in a world unsure of its moral footing, she uncovers key revelations about a woman who was the victim of one of the greatest betrayals of all time.Trade ReviewPraise for Desperate Romantics Franny Moyle's book on the Pre-Raphaelites:'An utterly gripping read' * Sunday Express *'Riveting' * Independent on Sunday *Moyle's book captures all the sex, madness and addiction, making modern-day sagas seem downright dull! * Glamour *Constance Wilde is the subject of one of this year's most heartbreaking biographies...Moyle vindicates a remarkble and courageous woman whose loyalty to her husband was unfailing. While focusing on Constance, the book sheds new light on Wilde as a fond, endearing and surprisingly domesticated family man * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisEntertaining, instructive, thought-provoking and hilarious, the unmistakeable voice of Deborah Devonshire rings out of this volume which combines her two collections of 'occasional' writings - Home to Roost and Counting my Chickens.The pieces are broad and eclectic in their subjects, ranging from treasures unearthed while the kitchen was being redecorated, musings about the reason for the reworded town sign, tourism at Chatsworth, a ringside view of both John F. Kennedy's inauguration and funeral, and the value of deportment. No matter what she's writing about she is always affectionate, shrewd and uproariously funny.Trade Review'A collection of the youngest Mitford sister's journalism, showing her customary wit and eye for the absurd' * Observer *Praise for Home to Roost:'Debo's is a voice from a vanished Golden Age ... the Duchess herself embodies these noble and conservative values and she personally is a wonderment and an inspiration' * Sunday Express *'Her latest has an introduction from Alan Bennett, so you get two national treasures for the price of one ... she's a wonderful writer' * Reader's Digest *'Behind the wit and quips, there is something else stronger and more rigorous ... a small, cumulative but revealing self-portrait ...this is a book about manners, how to behave, and being funny as a form of civilisation' * Spectator *'This prolific writer needs no introduction ... this small book is a brilliant selection. I read it with such enjoyment, sometimes laughing aloud, sometimes pausing to think "Goodness! How right she is". It is remarkable not only for its style but also for the grear clarity, sympathy , conciseness and humour ... brilliant' * Country Life *'This collection of wit and wisdom from the Duchess of Devonshire (and last surviving Mitford girl) just dances off the page ... funny and insightful ... whatever te subject, playfulness and a love of life spill from the page, and there are no words wasted. Perfect for dipping into, this book is bound to touch and tickle anyone's heart' * Waterstones Books Quarterly *'Affectionate, shrewd and uproariously funny' * Western Morning News *'The Book is peppered with humorous and affectionate tales of the country, in addition to providing a rare insight into some of the more momentous world events of the last century...endearing...candid and down to earth style...an intriguing window into the key events of a bygone era...all delivered as if to a friend, with a high degree of honesty and humour' * Derby Evening Telegraph, Lynne Brighouse *'The dowager duchess treats us to more of her musings...her profile is high following the success of In Tearing Haste' * Bookseller *'All her writing is characterised by incisive observation and unfailing humour ... this blend of sagacity and wit proves very appealing.' * Good Book Guide *Books of the Year 2009, 'an appealing blend of incisive observation and unfailing humour' * Good Book Guide *

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Book SynopsisChristina Noble's story is one of bravery and resilience in the face of deprivation and abuse on a scale that most would find unimaginable. Her childhood in the Dublin slums barely merits the name: after the early death of her mother, her family was split apart, her alcoholic father unable to care for his children. Christina was sexually abused and later escaped from an orphanage to live in poverty on the streets of Dublin. Whilst in an abusive marriage, in a dream she found the will to fight. Christina's hope lay in a determination to work among the bui doi, the street children of Vietnam, and this was the starting point for the most extraordinary part of her story. Within two years of arriving in Ho Chi Minh City she had opened a medical and social centre and achieved worldwide fame. Outspoken, often angry, yet profoundly moving, Bridge Across my Sorrows is one of the most inspirational stories ever told.Trade Review'An extraordinarily moving story . . . both heart-rending and inspirational' * Cameron Mackintosh *'Christina Noble's story is heartbreaking but finally inspiring because of her indomitable courage in the face of violence, neglect and abuse. Her spirit blazes across the page in this unforgettable book' * Sinead Cusack *'We see a human spirit of shining dignity, courage and resilience - it is not a surprise when she ultimately turns her life into a magnificent act of love and generosity' * Mia Farrow *'This is an amazing story - stiff with horror yet glimmering with humanity' * Claire Rayner *'Christina Noble's account of her childhood is shattering and inspiring, a record of grief and courage that would wring a tear from a stone - the author's integrity burns white-hot on the page. No one could invent these details, few could survive them' * Dervla Murphy *

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Book SynopsisThe Atom Bomb was crucial to a post-War world dominated by the Cold War. Yet the stories of the people who chose to give atom secrets to Russia has never fully been told. Paul Broda’s father and stepfather both passed secrets to the Russians, for no personal gain. Here he gives his personal account of his family and their actions. Scientist Spies is a compelling account of three lives swept up in the great events of Communism, Fascism, World War II, and the creation of the Atom Bomb. Paul Broda’s father Engelbert Broda (Berti) was an Austrian who was imprisoned as a Communist in Berlin in 1933 and then twice in Austria, twice escaped arrest, and was secretly in Russia in 1936. He came to England and from 1942 worked on the Atom Project. The author’s mother, Hilde, met Berti in Berlin and joined him in London in 1938. In 2009 it emerged from Russian archives that Berti had spied for the Russians, as MI5 had long suspected. Alan Nunn May, who was to become Paul Broda’s stepfather, was a physicist who trained at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge under Rutherford and Chadwick. He also joined the Atom Project in 1942 and he gave atomic secrets to the Russians during the War. Alan was convicted under the Official Secrets Act in 1946, and served nearly seven years in prison. Hilde met Alan after his release and they married in 1953. The espionage by both Berti and Alan affected subsequent history to the extent that each separately has been said to have ‘started the Cold War’. Here, for the first time, Paul Broda describes the origins of his ‘three parents’, all born in 1910-11, what shaped their attitudes towards Communism and Fascism and why they gave secrets. Using family sources, such as letters and Alan’s own accounts, Paul Broda has been able to combine their stories with much material that was released by MI5 in 2006-07, and what he himself saw. In this unique and very personal memoir, he presents his own view of his parents as principled and committed individuals who believed that they were making the world a safer place, but invites readers to form their own views.Trade Review''This is an unusual and illuminating contribution to the literature on Soviet espionage that has become part of Anglo-Saxon Folklore. All the most so because it is written from the point of view of the spies rather than their hunters [...] It should be read, and will probably survive to fascinate and instruct the generations in the 21st Century'' -- The Times Literary ReviewThis is an unusual and illuminating contribution to the literature on Soviet espionage that has become part of Anglo-Saxon foklore. All the more as it is written from the point of view of one of the spies rather than their hunters. -- London Review of BooksScientist Spies is a rarity among spy stories in that is in almost entirely factual and devoid of speculation and exaggeration -- Morning StarA very personal and sensitive memoir, it is a very readable book with will be on considerable interest to scientists and non-scientists – and all those interested in the history of the Cold War. -- Medicine and Conflict JournalMuch more than a mere account of events and behaviours seen through the the eyes of achid, the author, whose early years straddled the period, it is a most remarkable publication -- Portico Magazine

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Book SynopsisAs a child in the 1960s, Luke Jennings was fascinated by the rivers and lakes around his Sussex home. Beneath their surfaces, it seemed to him, waited alien and mysterious worlds. With library books as his guide, he applied himself to the task of learning to fish.His progress was slow, and for years he caught nothing. But then a series of teachers presented themselves, including an inspirational young intelligence officer, from whom he learnt stealth, deception and the art of the dry fly. So began an enlightening but often dark-shadowed journey of discovery. It would lead to bright streams and wild country, but would end with his mentor's capture, torture and execution by the IRA. Blood Knots is about angling, about great fish caught and lost, but it is also about friendship, honour and coming of age. As an adult Jennings has sought out lost and secretive waterways, probing waters 'as deep as England' at dead of night in search of giant pike. The quest, as always, is for more than the living quarry. For only by searching far beneath the surface, Jennings suggests in this most moving and thought-provoking of memoirs, can you connect with your own deep history.Trade Review'Jennings weaves a net to mesh human struggle to the peace of the riverbank.' Guardian 'Beautifully evokes the landscape and lore of a postwar rural childhood.' Andrew Motion 'A book of personal reflection. Jennings's memoir sparkles like a dark trout stream in sunlight.' The Times 'Fabulous... A story of the sudden choices men face... Hours of wit, beauty and reflection.' Observer 'An exquisitely written memoir... springing from a tradition of memoir writing deeply rooted in the natural world.' Daily Telegraph 'Vivid and touching' Tom Fort, Literary Review 'A strange, original, haunting book, I will never pass a stream or a canal without remembering it.' Lynn Barber

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Book SynopsisIan Buruma's maternal grandparents, Bernard and Winifred (Bun & Win), wrote to each other regularly throughout their life together. The first letters were written in 1915, when Bun was still at school at Uppingham and Win was taking music lessons in Hampstead. They were married for more than sixty years, but the heart of their remarkable story lies within the span of the two world wars.After a brief separation, when Bernard served as a stretcher bearer on the Western Front during the Great War, the couple exchanged letters whenever they were apart. Most of them were written during the Second World War and their correspondence is filled with vivid accounts of wartime activity at home and abroad. Bernard was stationed in India as an army doctor, while Win struggled through wartime privation and the Blitz to hold her family together, including their eldest son, the later film director John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday), and twelve Jewish children they had arranged to be rescued from Nazi Germany.Their letters are a priceless record of an assimilated Jewish family living in England throughout the upheavals of the twentieth century and a moving portrait of a loving couple separated by war. By using their own words, Ian Buruma has created a spellbinding homage to the sustaining power of a family's love and devotion through very dark daysTrade ReviewA fascinating story... The complexities of class, race and nationhood are subtly teased out -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *A gentle and intimate study of identity and love... It is to Buruma's credit that so much has been laid bare... This is rich material that still resonates today. On matters of identity, on the public and private, the more things change, the more they stay the same. -- Philippe Sands * Financial Times *This artful volume reveals a good deal about the world we live in today... Exceptional * Spectator *Their Promised Land is a carefully and admirably written, highly readable work of social history told charmingly in a most intimate way through a close perusal of family correspondence. Buruma writes of British-born Jews of the upper-middle class with a great, sympathetic perspicacity and sweetness - these are after all his grandparents who are his subject - and, most revealingly, he traces with precision the effect on their lives of being Jews of German origin in their beloved England during the two world wars. * Philip Roth *In this warmly affectionate, richly textured family chronicle, Ian Buruma draws on his own memories and a treasure trove of intimate letters, to uncover a moving love story, and paint a vivid picture of a seemingly idyllic world darkened by unexpected shadows... A fascinating, subtle, wonderfully readable book. * Eva Hoffman *From these letters, Ian Buruma has woven an utterly engrossing story of cultivated, upper class German Jews who grew up in England and made its values their own... At once family memoir and history, this is a book to linger over and savour. * Lisa Appignanesi *A distinguished historian, Mr Buruma approaches his subject with the loving eye of a grandchild and an awareness of the larger forces that shaped their lives. His sensitive portrayal of the immigrant's divided loyalties and divided identity is timely in light of Europe's current struggle with colliding national, religious and ethnic identities. * The Economist *In Their Promised Land, Ian Buruma offers a searching, tender memorial of his grandparents' marriage that is, at the same time, a clarifying study in the complicated pleasures and discontents of multiple identity. * Adam Thirlwell *Ian Buruma, the critic, is justly famous for his ferocious acuity. Ian Buruma, the grandson, brings that same clarity of observation to this exceptional memoir, but he also writes with an elegiac tenderness that may surprise - and will deeply move - both his fans, and those readers who have yet to discover his magisterial gifts. * Judith Thurman *Buruma impressively captures his grandparents' remarkable lives in this insightful narrative. The author shapes his family's labor of a lifetime into a scintillating work of art. * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *Ian Buruma's moving love letter to his grandparents' memory is evocative and absorbing... The memory these good people left behind is lovingly recorded in this volume. It left me tearful with nostalgia for the world of the Schlesingers and my grandparents -- Julia Neuberger * Jewish Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisWith a biographer's eye for detail and a novelist's comprehension of the creative process, A. N. Wilson paints a masterful portrait of Dante Alighieri and unlocks one of the seminal works of literature for a new generation of readers.In Dante in Love, A. N. Wilson presents a glittering study of an artist and his world, arguing that without an understanding of medieval Florence, it is impossible to comprehend the meaning of Dante's great poem. He explains how the Italian States were at that time locked into violent feuds, mirrored in the ferocious competition between the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy. He explores Dante's preoccupations with classical mythology, numerology and the great Christian philosophers which inform every line of the Comedy. Dante in Love also lays bare the enigma of the man who never wrote about the mother of his children, yet immortalized the mysterious Beatrice, whom he barely knew.Trade ReviewThis is a book for all of us who enjoy poetry and want to think about sdome of the big questions such as the nature of love, the ide aa of redemption, and the possibility of a just society, but cannot tell our Guelphs from our Ghibellines or our Boniface from our Borgias... The narrative is exceptionally lucid and the detail is always vivid. This is biography done by a novelist at the height of his powers. Wilson moves seamlessly between Dante's life, his poems and the historical context... Wilson accomplishes his task with economy and balance... He has written a loving book that is worthy of the divine poet of love. -- Jonathan Bate, Sunday Telegraph Magazine

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Book SynopsisOn Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien met a four-day-old baby barn owl - a fateful encounter that would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing, the owlet had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, then a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. Wesley is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together.As Wesley grew, O'Brien snapped photos of him at every stage, recording his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, adult owl with a heart-shaped face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature. When O'Brien develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist who saved the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued from death by the insistent love and courage of this wild animal.Wesley is a thoroughly engaging, heart-warming, often funny story of a complex, emotional, non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love and loyalty.Trade ReviewI LOVE Wesley the Owl! Stacey O'Brien has captured the essence of the soul of an unforgettable owl. This book is destined to become a classic, and will deepen importantly the way we understand birds. * Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig. *Perfect * The Lady *Wesley the Owl is beautiful, funny, transcendental, fascinating and powerful. I LOVED THIS BOOK! * Lynee Cox, author of Swimming to Antartica. *This fun book reminded me of Marley & Me but with wings. Warm, weird, and wonderful, Wesley the Owl is proof that man's best friend sometimes has feathers. * Mark Obmasick, author or The Big Year *...stunning, unforgettable. Read this book and you will never see owls, or humans, in the same light again. * Kenn Kauffman, author or Kingbird Highway. *A heartfelt journey of life and love with one of nature's wild creatures, Wesley the Owl is a must read story of faith, compassion and selfless devotion. * Jay Kopelman, author of From Baghdad with Love. *Funny, frequently moving and with incredibly insight ... Wesley is ultimately a tale of true friendship, which reveals a woman as remarkable as her barn owl. * Your Choice *

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Book SynopsisWhen Denis O'Connor and his wife Catherine return to Owl Cottage, only to find it in a dilapidated state, they decide to restore his former home. But the memory of Denis's beloved cat, Toby Jug, still lingers on. On impulse, he buys four Maine Coon kittens and names them Pablo, Carlos, Luis and Max.Set against the wilds of the Northumbrian coast, Denis tenderly and humorously charts the ups and downs of life with his mischievous new cats. Forays into this beautiful countryside - in order to train his cats to bond more closely with him - are never without incident. However, when Pablo disappears, Denis is once again reminded of Toby Jug and the strength of bond between man and cat...Praise for Paw Tracks in the Moonlight:'A charming book that will appeal to all ages' The Pulse.'This genuinely endearing cat's life story is going to warm the cockles of hearts all over the world' Lancashire Evening Post.

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Book SynopsisI heard the rustle again, too close and too real to ignore. I clutched the flashlight, stuck my head out of the mosquito net… and found myself face-to-face with a jaguar. Four travelers meet in Bolivia and set off into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to find a hidden tribe and explore places tourists only dream of seeing. But what begins as the adventure of a lifetime quickly deteriorates into a dangerous nightmare. After weeks of wandering in the dense undergrowth the group splits up after disagreements, and Yossi and his friend try to find their own way back without a guide. When a terrible rafting accident separates him from his partner, Yossi is forced to survive for weeks alone against one of the wildest backdrops on the planet. Stranded without a knife, map, or survival training, he must improvise shelter and forage for wild fruit to survive. As his feet begin to rot during raging storms, as he loses all sense of direction, and as he begins to lose all hope, he wonders whether he will make it out of the jungle alive. The basis of an upcoming motion picture starring Daniel Radcliffe, "Jungle" is the incredible story of friendship and the teachings of nature, survival and human fortitude and a terrifying true account that you won’t be able to put down.Trade Review‘Simply breathtaking. Yossi’s story of survival haunted me for weeks’ -- Bryce Courtenay, author of The Power of One‘A thrilling book… One man’s amazing adventure’ * The Washington Post *‘One of those amazing survival stories that almost brings you [to] a cold sweat just from reading it. Once you start you won’t put it down’ * The Mercury *‘A true life adventure book of survival in the Amazonian jungle.’ * Publishing News *‘To this day, the story is just as thrilling and still has an important lesson about inner strength… Motivating and inspirational – it is hard to put down!’ * Bucks Herald Magazine *‘an unnerving memoir of an adventure in Bolivia that quickly turned into a tragic struggle for survival’ * ABTA Magazine *‘the story is frightening, tense and breathtakingly exciting.’ * The BH Magazine *‘... so captivating... As Ghinsberg introduces us to the colourful life of mochileros (backpackers) in South America, the journal-style writing captures a raw perspective of this ever-popular continent Better still,... * Real Travel magazine: My Favourite Book column *'A classic real-life adventure story' * The Good Book Guide *'Nail-biting stuff, ideal for fans of The Beach' * The Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisBorn at a clifftop lighthouse in 1910, Archie's life was spent in the world of Scottish lighthouses - he was one of the third generation of his family in the service of the Northern Lighthouse Board. Archie's stories have gripped listeners of all ages and have now been compiled by Anne MacEachern. Written in Archie's words, this account portrays the man and reveals a past way of life. From peacetime through war, dealing with goats, shipwrecked sailors or German spies, the story brings vividly to life the challenges of living and working at a lighthouse, including raising a young family at such an isolated and potentially dangerous place. Many characters appear at various lights, each with their own personality and often annoying habits. Short-term transfers took place in and just after World War 2 when communications and transport were particularly difficult. There were hardships and rewards, and a mystery to solve: the well-known disappearance of three keepers at the Flannan Isles in 1900. The men had to be - and were - remarkably resourceful and courageous, although not all could stand the isolation and dangers at offshore pillar rock lights, especially in wartime. The sea ruled their lives - creating idyllic periods on sunny, calm days but being uncontrollably destructive for much of the time. Like his colleagues, Archie upheld to the best of his ability the ideal of their Service, `For the Safety of All', but in his younger days he was not afraid to speak up and press, with others, for better conditions. His service as a full-time keeper continued in part-time capacities, extended over a period of 67 years. Through this man's keen eye, the reader will meet people, birds, animals and situations from a lifetime of service; a revealing glimpse into this close-knit world. There is also humour, often that dry Highland humour, which adds spice to the telling; in Archie's case a fondness for wild places and dried figs helped.Trade Review‘Anne’s faithful recounting of her husband’s career shows the importance of oral histories and is a shining example of how to preserve ancestral knowledge and records of maritime service’. Nautilus International -------------------- `A work of enduring love and humanity... and so much more. ...Archie's Lights is a balm in its comforting cadences and its reassuring tones, which hark back to a world of unshakeable values and quietly understated wisdom. ...Anne MacEachern has brought forward a masterpiece. ...she has woven a spell that transports the reader into another world; a world of harsh and inhospitable places like Dubh Artach and Skerryvore...' Scottish Review -------------------- `Not only is the daily routine of a keeper brought vividly to life but so are the remote communities that generously welcomed Lighthouse families into their midsts. The book is littered with fascinating anecdotes and details that are unlikely to be recorded elsewhere. We owe much to Archie's wife Anne for sharing this important story'. NLB Journal -------------------- `The story brings vividly to life the challenges of living and working at a lighthouse, including raising a young family in isolated and potentially dangerous places. I am sure that all those who have an interest in lighthouses, their history and the lives of keepers will enjoy Archie's Lights as much as I have'. The Northern Scot -------------------- `...this is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read in years! There is so much material to enjoy both anecdotal and factual... ...this book is crammed full of detail and excitement. Surely a worthy addition to the swelling bibliography of today's lighthouse world. This book stands in top place for me, and I give it full marks!' Bellrock.org.uk -------------------- `Over the years, Archie's stories have gripped listeners of all ages and have now been beautifully compiled by Anne MacEachern in this wonderful book. Highly recommended'. Sea Breezes -------------------- `...this book takes one on a rich journey through the twentieth century as a lightkeeper. ...a compelling biography. ...offers a fascinating insight into the distinct way of life which no longer exists. Through Archie's memories, Anne has opened up a wealth of detail relating to the history of lighthouses, their keepers and the communities they served in twentieth-century Scotland'. LAMP -------------------- `...a wonderful book for anyone with the slightest interest in lighthouses, and especially in Scottish lighthouses. ...succeeds in bringing the lighthouses to life in a way we've never quite seen before, by focusing on the story of one remarkable man. It also succeeds in bringing vividly to life a man who was an integral part of that long-gone world...' Undiscovered Scotland

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Book Synopsis"Unparalleled in British medical history James Owen Drife charted his reactions to the medical world in which he worked and published them, initially in World Medicine and then the British Medical Journal (BMJ). This book is sometimes painfully frank, at other times disturbing or very funny but always entertaining. It provides an important insight on the life and times of a doctor working in the NHS."

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Book SynopsisFrom the simplest slab of weathered stone to the most imposing monument, every marker in Glasnevin cemetery bears witness to a life that, in ways small or large, helped shape the history and culture of the Irish state. Shane MacThomáis offers a fascinating insight into some of these lives in this book. Within its pages, you'll meet not only the heroes of the Irish fight for freedom, like Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera, but also lesser-known Irish men and women who made important contributions to the state in the arts, sports, military service, politics and other areas of Irish life. Glasnevin Cemetery, encompassing Mount Jerome, Bully's Acre, the Hugeunot Cemetery and the jewish Cemetery, has great national significance through the social and historical influence of the people buried there from all walks of life over 178 years. Famous people interred there include the founder of the cemetery, Daniel O'Connell, as well as Charles Stewart Parnell, Anne Devlin, O'Donovan Rossa, Christy Brown, Brendan Behan and Luke Kelly.Trade Review"MacThomáis [...] has a great knowledge of graveyards and a great knack for storytelling" -- Colm Farren"our cemeteries are a treasure trove of the fascinating, the tragic, and the unexplainable."

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Book Synopsis These Christian women were once little girls playing with dolls, making mistakes and growing up in quite a different world. But was it that different? Irene Howat has researched the lives of these famous women of God and draws out lessons we can all relate to, especially youngsters today. Featuring Ida Scudder, Betty Green, Janette Li, Mary Jane Kinnaird, Bessie Adams, Emma Dryer, Lottie Moon, Florence Nightingale, Henrietta Mears and Elizabeth Elliot. Trade ReviewThis is a wonderful book - in fact it's a wonderful series. Irene Howat writes with a real warmth and insight. People that you have never met come alive on the page. Christian legends and unsung heroes all become friends you can understand and look up to. In a world where role models of real integrity are few and far between the Lightkeeper's series fills the gap! -- Catherine Mackenzie; CF4K Editor (Author and CF4K Editor)

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Book SynopsisHardback book with ribbon which has been numbered. Comprising over 104 images. A volume of appreciation for the life and work of eminent psychiatrist David Enoch, and an appreciation of the work of all doctors and psychiatrists; all nurses and social workers; all charities and everyone that extends hand and heart to share love and expertise.

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Book SynopsisJOSSER is the powerful and moving account of Oxford-educated Nell Stroud's life in the circus. It is also the story of the people of the circus: the trapeze artists, the clowns, the high-wire acts, the grooms, the llamas, the elephants - their commitment and expertise, their hard, marginalised, miraculous lives. Following a terrible riding accident which left her mother permanently brain-damaged, Nell ran away to the circus. What she found there was a life which became more real to her than the one she left behind. She found people who had sacrificed their lives for their art, who worked in all weathers, perfecting some of the most dramatic and beautiful acts ever seen. She found third-generation show-people who travelled around forgotten parts of Britain to bring their abstract, polished, multi-layered show to ever dwindling audiences. She found herself in an art form that soon, if we are not careful, we will lose. Whilst she has lived and worked among the circus people for several years, she is not one of them: she was not born in the circus. In their words she is a 'josser' a person in the circus from the outside world. This is her story.'The circus does cast a spell over some people. I felt overwhelmed by it. The circus filled up existence and left room for nothing else. What was there to do?Trade ReviewA dream book * THE BOOKSELLER *She did something we all dream of doing. Her book is a brave attempt to keep this dream alive * Dea Birkett *Above all Stroud has written an elegy for the circus and its traditions...We are lucky to have the record of this book * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *JOSSER is a paean to the circus: an impassioned plea for understanding and tolerance of its performers, as well as an obsessive account of the daily hardships of life in the Big Top * TLS *

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Book SynopsisThe undisputed queen of sex, drugs and rock n' roll was also the voice of a generation who, when she overdosed on heroin at the age of twenty-seven in October 1970; became the posthumous icon of bad girl femininity for millions around the world.Drawing on hundreds of interviews Echols renders Joplin in all her complexity, revealing how this sweet-voiced girl from Texas recreated herself, first as a gravely-voiced bluesy folksinger, and then as rock n' roll's first female superstar. Echols examines the roots of her musicianship and her efforts to probe the outer limits of life; declaring herself the first white-black person and pursuing sex with men and women alike. Moving from the electric ballrooms of San Francisco to the mud-soaked fields of Woodstock, Joplin's story is also a chronicle of the revolutions of the sixties - a generation's experiment with high-risk living and the exacting price they ultimately paid for this. Written in a captivating novel-like style this is a deeply affecting biography of one of America's most talented, tormented and enduring stars.Trade ReviewFinally a biography that doesn't downplay Janis's intelligence and deep knowledge of traditional American music ... how refreshing * Joan Osborne *Fascinating and insightful ... Alice Echols analyzes Joplin's place in the sixties with skill and brings her rebellion and pain vividly to life * JON WIENER, author of COME TOGETHER: JOHN LENNON AND HIS TIME *Forget everything you've ever read, heard or seen about Janis Joplin- Alice Echold has wirtten the definitve account of rock's first female superstar... enjoy it. * IRISH TIMES *After reading this, the next time you hear the raw, emotional pain in Janis Joplin's voice, you will understand where it all comes from. * THE TIMES *

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Book SynopsisWhen friends die, one's own credentials change: one becomes a survivor. Graham Greene has already had biographers, one of whom has served him mightily. Yet I hope that there is room for the remembrance of a friend who knew him - not wisely, perhaps, but fairly well - on an island that was "not his kind of place," but where he came season after season, year after year & where he, too, will be subsumed into the capacious story.' For millennia the cliffs of Capri have sheltered pleasure-seekers & refugees alike, among them the emperors Augustus & Tiberius, Henry James, Rilke & Lenin, plus hosts of artists, eccentrics & outcasts. Here in the 1960s Graham Greene became friends with Shirley Hazzard & her husband, the writer Francis Steegmuller; their friendship lasted until Greene's death in 1991. In GREENE ON CAPRI, Hazzard uses their ever volatile intimacy as a prism through which to illuminate Greene's mercurial character, his work & talk & the extraordinary literary culture that long thrived on this ravishing, enchanted island.Trade ReviewA little masterpiece of reminiscence... reading a personal sketch of this quality makes me think that perhaps the conventional biography is just a grandiose dump-bin for all those elements of life that do not matter MAIL ON SUNDAY Her observations are penetrating, her style is superb, and her range of literary reference is the equal of his. Marvellous TIME OUT Shirley Hazzard achieves an astonishing amount in less than 150 pages ... Her memoir, like the island it so fondly describes, is a real gem to which the reader will wish to return SUNDAY TELEGRAPH Shirley Hazzard is highly observant and alarmingly intelligent; she is also erudite, precise and morally scrupulous. Her short book is not only a joy to read for its lucid, thoughtful prose, but also a refreshing antidote to biographical overkill and presumption. As a picture of Graham Greene, it is like an Ingres portrait drawing: small, but miraculously clear Spectator An affectionate but not uncritical portrait of a companion who could be charming but also provocative... it is a convincing picture of a man who has been much and excellently written about but seldom with so astute and yet so warm an eye Times Literary Supplement Charming... succinct and satisfying... her memoir, like the island it so fondly describes, is a real gem to which the reader will wish to return Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisFor the better part of forty years, Edith Sitwell's poetry has been neglected by critics. But born into a family of privileged eccentrics, Edith Sitwell was highly regarded by her contemporaries: the great writers and artists of the day who attended her unlikely London literary salon. Her quips and anecdotes were legendary and her works like English Eccentrics confirmed her comic genius, while later she established herself as the quintessential poet of the Blitz.This masterly biography, meticulously researched and drawing on many previously unseen letters, firmly places Edith Sitwell in the literary tradition to which she belongs.

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Book SynopsisLudwig Wittgenstein, writes noted scholar Edward Kanterian, was a philosopher's philosopher'. He was one of the founders of modern analytic philosophy and is regarded as the greatest philosophical genius since Immanuel Kant. In this book, Kanterian traces the complex relationship between the philosopher's life, his work and his time. The author describes Wittgenstein's eventful life, his numerous trips, and his friendships with some of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century, including Bertrand Russell, John Maynard Keynes, George Edward Moore and Gilbert Royle. Kanterian also presents a careful account of Wittgenstein's notoriously abstract philosophical works, from his early masterpiece Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) to the Philosophical Investigations, published posthumously in 1953. The author makes Wittgenstein's work comprehensible to lay readers, as well as offering original interpretations that further illuminate the writings. Emerging from the highly sophisticated Viennese upper class at the turn of the last century, Wittgenstein had intellectual and artistic aspirations going far beyond theoretical philosophy. In particular he took great interest in art and music, and during his entire lifetime was deeply tormented by ethical and religious questions. There is something about Wittgenstein's life and persona, the author believes, that captivates our collective imagination and seems to offer answers to the ethical problems of our own time. Kanterian sees Wittgenstein's life as the focal point of important conflicts and tensions of an entire age. A readable, concise account that uses many telling quotations from the philosopher's own writings, as well as numerous illustrations, this book will appeal to scholars and students of Wittgenstein, and the broad audience for introductions to philosophy.Trade Reviewbeautiful ... well produced, compact ... with outstanding illustrations Manna

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Book SynopsisWalter Benjamin, critic, essayist, translator, philosopher one of the twentieth century's most influential intellectuals continues to intrigue today. His work stimulates a profusion of responses in the form of new novels, operas, films and artworks, as well as a never-abating production of academic texts. In this new biography, the first to be written in over a decade, author Esther Leslie uses the recently published entirety of Benjamin's correspondence, drawing on his numerous diaries and autobiographical works, in order to provide a careful account of his circumstances and thoughts. Benjamin had many interests: he cherished childhood and its trappings; had a passion for the displacement and novelty of travel; toys; cities; trick-books; and, ships; all are given due attention as the author weaves Benjamin's wayward apperceptions into the narrative of a life lived. She follows Benjamin as he travels from Berlin to Capri, Ibiza, Riga, Moscow, Paris, and finally the Spanish border where he died in 1940. The author acknowledges Benjamin's thesis that personal histories can be traced only in the context of social milieus, economic forces, technological shifts, and historical events, and seamlessly interweaves biographical details with an accessible yet concentrated account of Benjamin's intellectual development, drawing a colourful portrait of a capacious intellect trapped in increasingly hostile circumstances. Leslie's meticulous attention to Benjamin's political, intellectual, geographical and cultural journeying challenges the populist depiction of the intellectual as a tragic and lonely figure. Walter Benjamin restores its subject to his proper place as an artistic combatant and a man desirous of and relishing experience.Trade Review... a brilliant digest of Benjamin's life ... It draws on a mass of texts, including his accounts of a privileged Berlin upbringing and travel diaries. [Leslie] presents a definitive portrait of Benjamin the materialist, lingers on his obsession with children's books, and makes excellent use of German sources to detail his movements and finances. The Independent Leslie has inhaled the author of The Arcades Project as Kazin inhaled Blake. Benjamin, in fact, seems more coherent in her page than in his own ... It is as if, by evoking the tactile vitality of all that he touched with his thought, Leslie brings him back alive and kicking from the last border he crossed. Argue if you wish with his idea of "aura," his "hierarchies of meaning," or whether mechanical reproduction is good for the masses. But the mind that put Kafka and Chaplin into the same conceptual frame is his very own Klee painting, an Angelus Novus - the angel of history. -- John Leonard Harper's Magazine

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Book Synopsis40 or 50 families control the economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. Their interests range from banking to property, from shipping to sugar, from vice to gambling. 13 of the 50 richest families in the world are in South East Asia yet they are largely unknown outside confined business circles. Often this is because they control the press and television as well as everything else. How do they do it? What are their secrets? And is it good news or bad for the places where they operate? Joe Studwell explosively lifts the lid on a world of staggering secrecy and shows that the little most people know is almost entirely wrong.Trade ReviewA first-class study ... the product of an original, inquiring mind. * Sunday Times *The romp around the region's pleasure domes is a blast. * Asian Wall Street Journal *You badly need to read this book. Joe Studwell...should be named chief myth-buster for Asian business...his tone is ironic without being cruel...his mythbusting is as merciless as it is enlightening...Studwell skewers myths with equal passion and panache. * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisWhen the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White (1720-93) wrote The Natural History of Selborne (1789), he created one of the greatest and most influential natural history works of all time, his detailed observations about birds and animals providing the cornerstones of modern ecology. In this award-winning biography, Richard Mabey tells the wonderful story of the clergyman - England's first ecologist - whose inspirational naturalist's handbook has become an English classic.Trade ReviewHis evocation of the landscape is brilliant. We seem to be jogging down those deeply rutted lanes behind the parson looking over his shoulder. * Times Educational Supplement *Enthralling ... an excellent evocation of White and his times which certainly deserves a place beside the original work -- Alan Sillitoe * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisBorn in England c1820, Englishman Charles Heaphy - the first 'New Zealander' to win the Victoria Cross, the first European to explore the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island and the most distinguished 19th-century landscape painter in that country is, by any measure, a central figure in colonial history. In this engaging book, lavishly illustrated with Heaphy's paintings, drawings and maps, author Iain Sharp reveals the story of Heaphy's life and art.From his earliest surviving watercolour of birdlife in the Marlborough Sounds in August 1839 to his last known sketch on the back of an envelope, showing Maori witnesses at a Native Land Court hearing in December 1879, Charles Heaphy's paintings and drawings represent a remarkable visual diary of settler life. The works are without parallel in their evocative richness and have been a prototype for artists from Colin McCahon to Bill Hammond.Drawing on newspapers, diaries and letters as well as Heaphy's art, Sharp depicts a man who embodied the contradictions of European life in the colonies. Heaphy could be both a dreamy romantic and a self-serving opportunist, a man able to shoot a wild pig one day and discourse to scholars on geological science the next, someone who became almost as familiar with the back country as his Maori companions while thinking all the time of Europe. In charting the course of Heaphy's extraordinary life as artist, explorer, surveyor and soldier, Sharp tells us much about the settler culture and history.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisSir John Soane (1753-1837) has come to be regarded as one of the great architects of late 18th and early 19th century Europe, and contemporary architects and designers are becoming increasingly influenced by the subtleties of the unique 'Soane style'. Dorothy Stroud's classic book, which is appearing in paperback for the first time, in an updated second edition, is the culmination of a lifetime's research. It brings together all the threads in her previous writings on Soane, combining a concise biography of the architect with a comprehensive and fully illustrated survey of his works. After studying in Italy, Soane built up a considerable private practice and a reputation that secured his appointment in 1788 as architect to the Bank of England, where over a period of forty-five years he designed a vast complex of courts and offices. With his appointment to the Office of Works in 1815, he became responsible for public buildings in Whitehall and Westminster, which entailed the designing of a Royal entrance and gallery in the House of Lords, new Law Courts, Privy Council Offices and a State Paper Office. As professor of architecture at the Royal Academy from 1806, he was to play a leading role in the improvement of architectural education in Britain; and he was active in the founding of what is now the Royal Institute of British Architects. Although much of his work was thoughtlessly destroyed towards the end of the 19th century, a substantial number of buildings and parts of buildings survive, especially outside London, as a testimony to his geniusTrade Review'An important and welcome book on a great architect, on whom no comprehensive monograph has recently been published...Of [the latest] fruits of Soanean scholarship, Stroud's book is by far the best.' Burlington Magazine 'An invaluable reference work' Colin Amery in the Financial Times 'Handsomely illustrated and scrupulously researched, this classic work reveals the energy and versatility of our finest architect after Wren.' Independent on the second edition '...a splendid new revised paperback edition of Dorothy Stroud's Sir John Soane, Architect...This must stand as the definitive study of the famous architect's life and works.' Contemporary Review on the second editionTable of ContentsPart 1 The Soane story: " a good boy learns..."; a travelling student; setting up a practice; "form, if you can, a style of your own"; the Pitzhanger dream; family troubles; the last decades. Part 2 The architectural works of Sir John Soane: major commissions -early works 1781-1792, the middle period 1792-1820, late works 1820-1833; list of works; drawings exhibited at the Royal Academy.

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of a triangle at the heart of modern art in New York, 1917: Marcel Duchamp, Henri-Pierre Roche and Beatrice Wood.

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Book SynopsisIn many ways, Rudolf Steiner is the forgotten genius of recent times. A powerful thinker, who developed an intricate spiritual philosophy based on his ability to research and perceive spiritual dimensions, Steiner is perhaps best known today for his legacy to education, medicine and agriculture. But behind these practical manifestations of his ideas lies a profound teaching, which he called a 'science of the spirit' or 'anthroposophy'. In these wonderfully succinct summaries of Steiner's thought, Roy Wilkinson introduces us to aspects of this spiritual philosophy. The twelve chapters are on the following themes: Rudolf Steiner, herald of a new age; reincarnation and karma; the spiritual nature of the human being; the development of human consciousness; evolution of the world and humanity; relationships between the living and the dead; forces of evil; the modern path of initiation; life between death and rebirth; the spiritual hierarchies; the philosophical approach to the spirit; the mission of Christ.

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Book SynopsisBorn in Holland in 1893, Zeylmans van Emmichoven was one of the original pioneers of anthroposophy, the science of spirit established by Rudolf Steiner. As General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in the Netherlands, he worked closely with Steiner. A medical doctor and founder of the Rudolf Steiner Clinic in Scheveningen, he also conducted important research into the influence of colours, the psychology of peoples and nations, and individual human psychology. Emanuel Zeylmans' biography of his father draws on some beautifully written and moving autobiographical extracts as well as numerous other first-hand source materials. He traces Zeylmans' remarkable life from his upbringing in Holland and his first contact with Rudolf Steiner to his later attendance at the momentous Christmas Foundation Meeting and his many travels around the world to further anthroposophy. He examines the spiritual conflicts in which Zeylmans became embroiled, his life during the war years, and his innovative work in many fields. The author also catalogues Zeylmans' written works, and gives a full chronology of his life. Willem Zeylmans van Emmichoven is a compelling documentation of a leading figure connected with Rudolf Steiner. It brings to life the context of his biography - an exciting and yet difficult time in the development of new spiritual ideas - and the vibrant individuals around him. Zeylmans is portrayed as a warm, dynamic and fascinating individual, with enormous interest in people from widely differing cultures and backgrounds. A real 'world citizen', he recognized that every nation has its own particular task and importance.

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