Biography: general Books

Book SynopsisThe first biography of sculptor Chana Orloff. In Sculpting a Life, the first book-length biography of sculptor Chana Orloff (1888-1968), author Paula Birnbaum tells the story of a fiercely determined and ambitious woman who fled antisemitism in Ukraine, emigrated to Palestine with her family, then travelled to Paris to work in haute couture before becoming an internationally recognized artist. Against the backdrop of revolution, world wars, a global pandemic and forced migrations, her sculptures embody themes of gender, displacement, exile, and belonging. A major figure in the School of Paris, Orloff contributed to the canon of modern art alongside Picasso, Modigliani and Chagall. Stories from her unpublished memoir enrich this life story of courage, perseverance, and extraordinary artistic accomplishments that take us through the aftermath of the Holocaust when Orloff lived between Paris and Tel Aviv. This biography brings new perspectives and understandings to Orloff’s multiple identities as a cosmopolitan émigré, woman, and Jew, and is a much-needed intervention into the narrative of modern art. Trade Review“Sculpting a Life is a thoroughly researched, scrupulous biography that will undoubtedly stand as the definitive study of Chana Orloff. At the end of this admirable biography, we’re left with the sense that Chana Orloff’s greatest creation was herself. She mastered the diasporic art world of the interwar era, fashioning a transnational and uniquely Jewish identity.” * H-France *"This is the first biography of Orloff (1888–1968), a Ukrainian-born Jewish sculptor whose work is part of collections in Israel, Europe and the United States. Birnbaum. . . traces the artist’s multiple migrations — from Ukraine to Palestine to Paris to Switzerland and back to Paris while establishing a second home in Tel Aviv after World War II — and the impact these migrations had on her career." * J. The Jewish News of Northern California *“Birnbaum has created a truly remarkable and compelling portrait of the internationally-exhibited multi-national sculptor who worked across—and fully participated in—the tumultuous decades of twentieth century Jewish, modernist, and world histories from her elective home in Paris. Wide ranging-research sustains subtle insights into the formal, historical, and cultural significance of Orloff’s compelling portraits of her Jewish intellectual, political and artistic contemporaries that she created alongside a modernizing, feminist exploration of women’s subjectivities and life experiences through sculptural embodiment. A truly vital monument to Chana Orloff’s extraordinarily fascinating place in our extended, and fuller understanding of the art of the twentieth century and its creative communities.” -- Griselda Pollock, Professor Emerita of Social and Critical Histories of Art, University of Leeds"Paula Birnbaum’s well-researched study of Chana Orloff is a tremendous achievement. In this pathbreaking, first book-length biography of the unfairly neglected sculptor, Birnbaum places Orloff securely in the company of her School of Paris contemporaries. Even more, she illuminates and contextualizes Orloff’s multiple identities as a cosmopolitan émigré, woman, and Jew. This wide-ranging book is a major contribution to our understanding of Jewish art, feminist art, and Israeli art." -- Samantha Baskind, Distinguished Professor of Art History, Cleveland State University"Sculpting A Life offers a fascinating case study of an artist whose life and work embodies themes of gender, migration, displacement, and belonging. This first of its kind biography explains the extraordinary conditions in which Chana Orloff lived and carried out a long and prolific career in Ukraine, France, Palestine, and later Israel. By analyzing her hyphenated identities from an intersectional point of view, Birnbaum captures the complexities and tensions between cosmopolitanism and national identity for women artists who live and work in diaspora. This book is an important contribution to the history of modern art, as well as Jewish history, while highlighting the many layers of gendered issues that impact women’s careers in an age of transnationalism. Although Orloff does not fit neatly into the discipline of art history, which is normatively written according to fixed notions of national style grounded in a stable idea of the nation-state, its enormous contribution is correcting the canon of modernity and offering a more inclusive history of art." -- Tal Dekel, author of Transnational Identities: Women, Art and Migration in Contemporary Israel“Paula Birnbaum’s biography of Chana Orloff offers a timely and much-needed intervention into the narrative of modern art. Orloff’s life is a perfect model for the study of artistic practice within the contexts of forced displacement, voluntary immigration, transnationalism, and the multilinguality so pervasive in the 20th century.” -- Alla Efimova, Author and Curator“Paula Birnbaum’s lucid and engrossing biography of Chana Orloff (the first of its kind) restores the artist to her rightful place among the 20th century’s foremost sculptors. More than this, through meticulous research embedded in a lively, engaging narrative, a complete portrait emerges of a sublime artist negotiating the difficult balance of her diverse identities. There is also a distinctively Jewish story told here, one of a life’s journey touched, shaped and bruised by late 19th and 20th century social and political upheavals from Ukraine to Palestine, France and Israel: a life that incorporated extraordinary highs and lows including a six-year close friendship with Modigliani and a courageous last-minute border-crossing escape from Nazi pursuers. Both art and artist are brightly illuminated in this vivid record of Chana Orloff’s intense, crowded, and extraordinarily creative life.” -- Jonathan Wilson, author of Marc Chagall“In Sculpting a Life: Chana Orloff between Paris and Tel-Aviv, Paula J. Birnbaum offers readers a deeply researched, beautifully illustrated, and engagingly written biography of a cosmopolitan and once-renowned sculptor who deliberately resisted categorization. In the world of art, Orloff (1888-1968) became an outsize figure with a multifaceted hybrid identity; she was tenacious, resilient, and enterprising, overcoming multiple historical obstacles (ranging from pogroms to two world wars and persecution of Jews) that not only disrupted her professional development as an artist but also threatened her very survival. Orloff’s strong emphasis on motherhood as central to her artistic expression is particularly noteworthy, as is her fascination with the female body. This book also reminds readers of the relative marginality in Paris of the subsequently famous circles of émigré artists in which Orloff traveled (including Picasso, Modigliani, and Chagall, who hailed from Spain, Italy, Russia, and Palestine) and the difficulties of 'defining' French art during the first half of the twentieth century. Particularly noteworthy are Birnbaum’s efforts to ground Orloff’s extraordinary life and ultimately successful career in historical context and to probe the meanings implied in her sculptures and drawings.” -- Karen Offen, The Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Stanford University; Author of European Feminisms, 1700-1950: A Political History, The Woman Question in France, 1400-1870, and Debating the Woman Question in the French Third Republic, 1870-1920.“Birnbaum’s deeply researched study rescues an extraordinary artist from obscurity. Triumphing over infinite odds, Chana Orloff, a Russian Jewish émigré, became an original and compelling artist in modern Paris during and between the world wars. This book brilliantly restores her resilient voice and amazing story.” -- Wanda M. Corn, Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor Emerita in Art History, Stanford University“Birnbaum weaves together pioneering research and analysis into a compelling narrative of Orloff’s life and work, a story about the courage, perseverance, and accomplishments of an artist who overcame the dislocation of multiple migrations and trauma of forced exiles, facing anti-Semitism and gender bias. This exemplary biography is a model for analyzing the complexities of an artist whose multiple migrations, identities, and the tensions between cosmopolitanism and national identity deeply informed her work.” -- Ruth E. Iskin, Ben Gurion UniversityTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: Ukrainian Beginnings, 1888-1905Chapter 2: Moving to the Promised Land, 1905-1907Chapter 3: Becoming a New Hebrew Woman, 1907-1910Chapter 4: Paris: from Haute Couture to Avant-Garde, 1910-1913Chapter 5: Forging a Career at the Onset of War, 1913-16Chapter 6: Orloff during Wartime 1916-1919: Amazon, Mother, and WidowChapter 7: Portraitist of Montparnasse: 1919-25Chapter 8: Villa Seurat: Building a Studio and a Community, 1926-1929Chapter 9: Transatlantic Travel and Networks, 1929-1930Chapter 10: From Paris to Tel Aviv: The Jewish Art World in the Pre-State period of 1930sChapter 11: Occupation and Escape, 1938-1942Chapter 12: Exile and Return, 1942-1948Chapter 13: “Israeli Artist of the École de Paris,” 1948-1968Chapter 14: Conclusion: Legacy in Israel & FranceAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe New Yorker's Best Book of 2023sorrowful, tender...beautiful. – The New York Times Book Review“...arresting and memorable….Masud both finds a way to comprehend her own story and establishes a strong voice that confirms her as a significant chronicler of personal and national experience.” – Financial Times Sharply, subtly, and very movingly, Masud thinks with places, seeking as she does to find a way back into, and then out of, the traumas of her early life. - Robert Macfarlane, author of Underland: A Deep Time Journey A surprising and lyrical journey—part memoir, part nature book—meditating on the meaning of flatness and its literary tradition to find ways to understand ourselves and our trauma in one of nature’s most undervalued wonders. For readers of Dr. Gabor Maté's The Myth of Normal, Robert Macfarlane, G. Sebald's Rings of Saturn, Amy Liptrot's The Outrun, and Richard Mabey's Nature CureDoes the concept of flat have an undeservedly bad rap? There are centuries’ worth of adoration for rolling hills and dramatic, mountainous landscapes. In contrast, flat landscapes are forgettable and seemingly unworthy of poetic or artistic attention. Noreen Masud suffers from complex post-traumatic stress disorder: the product of a profoundly disrupted and unstable childhood. It flattens her emotions, blanks out parts of her memory, and colours her world with anxiety. Undertaking a pilgrimage around Britain's flatlands, seeking solace and belonging, she weaves her impressions of the natural world with poetry, folklore and history, and with recollections of her own early life.Masud's British-Pakistani heritage makes her a partial outsider in these landscapes: both coloniser and colonised, inheritor and dispossessed. Here violence lies beneath the fantasy of pastoral innocence, and histories of harm are interwoven with nature's power to heal. Here, as in her own family history, are many stories that resist the telling. She pursues these paradoxes fearlessly across the flat, haunted spaces she loves, offering a startlingly strange, vivid and intimate account of the land beneath her feet.Masud combines memoir, nature writing, and literary reflection to explore what can be drawn from these powerful places, and to understand her own experience of complex trauma and post-traumatic stress, as well as grief and loss. A Flat Place is a book that drives to the heart of what it means to experience place — bodily and psychologically — and the healing properties of literature and landscape.

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Book SynopsisIn The Wanderer, Carole J. Garrison fulfills her bucket list by meeting with the people who fascinate her and the places that lead her to them. Through her journeys, she explores the unexpected human connections that transform the experience of travel, and she celebrates the gifts of kindness she encounters around the world from the perspective of a solo female traveler. In each new place she visits, the nomadic Garrison keeps company with a cast of fantastic characters, each of whom opens her eyes to new cultural perspectives while inspiring love and laughter. The Wonderer is a heartfelt and honest memoiristic travelogue that invites us into the life and journeys of Garrison.

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Book SynopsisSo what does happen when someone dies? What does it feel like? Why do some people find it hard to leave places and loved ones behind? And how do people who die in accidents and other sudden deaths fare? How does our grief affect those who have passed on? What is the tunnel experience all about? Is there any such thing as a life review? How do those who have passed over experience time? Why do they return to their soul families in spirit? Do people then reincarnate? If so, what say do they have in their life to come?Based on his own amazing experiences of life between lives and his numerous communications with those who have passed over, Barry Eaton answers many questions about the spirit world.Table of ContentsPreface xiPart A Dying to go Home 1 A life cut short 3 2 Fear of death 8 3 The next world 19 4 The soul s path 23 5 Clearing a haunted house 29 6 Where do we go after death? 33 7 The vastness of the spirit world 36 8 Where we fit in 44 9 Is suicide punished? 50 10 Staying for your own funeral 53 11 Accepting we are dead 59 12 Possession and walk-ins 61Part B The Journey Home 13 The tunnel linking both worlds 67 14 Last time around 77 15 Experiences in the tunnel 85 16 The final moments 88 17 Healing time 91 18 Inside the healing centre 95 19 Where to now? 101 20 God and the afterlife 106Part C Adapting to Our New Conditions 21 Brian s new afterlife house 113 22 Life review 117 23 The Akashic Records 120 24 How karma affects us 125 25 Meeting the Council of Elders 128 26 Soul families and soul mates 138 27 Exploring the village 148 28 Brian meets his soul group 152 29 Paradise found 157Part D Afterlife Activities 30 Unlimited opportunities 163 31 Fun and entertainment 167 32 Is there sex over there? 172 33 Religion and the afterlife 177 34 Just another day in paradise 181 35 A fisherman s story 189 36 Furthering our knowledge 195 37 The Hall of Records 200 38 Communicating with people on earth 206 39 Spirit healers 214 40 Brian visits his earthly home 216 41 Are we being watched from afar? 220 42 Contact in the dream state 225 43 Brian s earth family in trouble 229Part E A Screenwriter Reports from the Afterlife 44 Contacting John Dingwell 235 45 Leaving loved ones behind 244 46 John s take on religion 247 47 Knowing when souls are crossing over 250Part F Preparing for the Next Life 48 When the time is right 255 49 On the road again 262 50 Unanswered questions 265 51 The next life 270 52 One more time 273Afterword 277 Notes 281 Further reading 285 About the author 287

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Book SynopsisAfter Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, he was sent into exile on St Helena, arriving in October 1815. For the six years until his death, he was an 'eagle in a cage', reduced from the most powerful figure in Europe to a prisoner on a rock in the South Atlantic. But the fallen emperor was charmed and entertained by Betsy Balcombe, the pretty teenage daughter of a local merchant.Anne Whitehead brings to life Napoleon's time on St Helena and the web of connections around the globe which framed his last years. Betsy's father, William Balcombe, was well-connected in London, and he smuggled letters and undertook a clandestine mission to Paris for Napoleon.Betsy's friendship with Napoleon cast a shadow over the rest of her colourful life. She married a Regency cad, who soon left her and their daughter, and she travelled to Australia in 1823 with her father, who was appointed the first Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales. After her father was exposed for fraud and the family lost their fortune, she returned to London and published a memoir which turned her into a celebrity.With her extraordinary connections to royalty in London and to the Bonaparte family and their courtiers, Betsy Balcombe led a life worthy of a Regency romance. This new account reveals Napoleon at his most vulnerable, human and reflective, and a woman caught in some of the most dramatic events of her time.Trade ReviewAnne Whitehead deftly weaves a lively, poignant tale of Napoleon's last years on St Helena and the precocious teenager whose impudent charm briefly enlivened his exile. Her indefatigable pursuit of a tantalising archival trail takes her readers from St Helena to England, Scotland, France and New South Wales, uncovering a life curiously shadowed by its early brush with fame. -- Professor Penny Russell, University of Sydney, author of Savage or Civilised?A fascinating exploration of the life journey of Betsy Balcombe Abell from St Helena to Sydney to London. This is a well-researched and readable history of the dramatic repercussions for an English family of its proximity to Napoleon in his final years on St Helena. -- Professor Ann Curthoys, University of SydneySt Helena: an exiled emperor in the garden pavilion and in the house a pretty flighty teenager. And therefrom spring some fascinating narratives, ending up, after a disastrous marriage to a stylish cad, in colonial New South Wales. -- Marion Halligan, award-winning author of Shooting the FoxDeftly woven... Whitehead's history is thorough, possibly the best account of Betsy, interesting for what it tells us about the life of an ordinary woman. * Sydney Morning Herald *The most meticulously researched version yet of Betsy's incredible life... Remarkable. * Herald Sun *

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Book SynopsisThree barely felt like a family. It felt like it did not count. Like we were unfinished. Incomplete. There was always a gap at the table, room to set places for others. Visitors were few and far between. Mostly, there was only me.Only is a painfully honest and entertaining story of an unconventional childhood. It reveals what it feels like to be an only child and the focal point of two people damaged by trauma and tragedy, and the courage it takes to break free from the past and the pull of its secrets.Caroline Baum's poignant and gripping memoir is for anyone who has felt the pressure of being at the fulcrum of a seesaw, the focus of all eyes and expectations - torn between love and fear, obedience and rebellion, duty and the longing to escape. In exploring what being a Good Daughter means and why it can be so difficult, Only uncovers truths that offer readers deep emotional insight.Trade ReviewAn unflinchingly honest exploration of what it takes to be a good daughter, with a heart-melting scoop of ice cream. -- Elizabeth GilbertA rich and rollicking tale that deepens into the tenderest of daughterly tributes. -- Helen GarnerA conflicted love letter to her European origins and the uncrushable spirit of her glamorous, at times difficult parents, this lyrical page turner made me laugh and made me weep. -- Magda SzubanskiA vivid and moving account of life as an only child: there's glamour in this world but terrors aplenty. -- Richard GloverOnly is a wild and deeply felt tale. With her unflinching gaze, Caroline Baum explores the inheritance of being an 'only', contrasting an exotic cast of the glamorous and the famous with her unconventional, often solitary childhood. -- Ailsa Piper

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Book SynopsisAlan Joyce & Qantas: The Trials and Transformation of an Australian Icon is the fascinating, unauthorised story of Alan Joyce? s meteoric rise and turbulent 15-year tenure as the CEO of Qantas.The twists and turns of the last 15 years of the Qantas story contain all the ingredients of a corporate thriller, with constant shocks to the system, and boardroom dramas and disasters narrowly avoided. During this tumultuous period, as CEO of Australia? s iconic airline, Alan Joyce became one of the best-known corporate figures in Australia, and one of the most polarising.He? s had to steer the company through cyclones and bushfires, volcanic ash clouds and a tsunami, a pandemic, two fleet groundings, intense union battles and a bitter turf-war. He? s been through mass sackings, defections from his inner circle, calls for his resignation, personal bust-ups and betrayals, and question-marks over the survival of the company.

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Book SynopsisWe have a lot to be positive about in South Africa. With all our problems, it’s easy to feel bleak. But hold those thoughts, because Legends might be just the tonic you need to drive off the gloom. This book tells the stories of a dozen remarkable people – some well known, others largely forgotten – who changed Mzansi for the better. Most South Africans are proud of Nelson Mandela – and rightly so. His life was truly astounding, but he’s by no means the only person who should inspire us. There’s King Moshoeshoe, whose humanity and diplomatic strategies put him head and shoulders above his contemporaries, both European and African. And John Fairbairn, who brought non-racial democracy to the Cape in 1854. Olive Schreiner was a bestselling international author who fought racism, corruption and chauvinism. And Gandhi spent twenty years here inventing a system of protest that would bring an Empire to its knees. Legends also celebrates Eugène Marais’s startling contributions to literature and natural history (despite a lifelong morphine addiction); Sol Plaatje’s wit, intelligence and tenacity in the face of racial zealots; Cissie Gool’s lifetime fighting for justice and exposing bigots; and Sailor Malan’s battles against fascists in the skies of Europe and on the streets of South Africa. Legends also celebrates Eugène Marais’s startling contributions to literature and natural history (despite a lifelong morphine addiction); Sol Plaatje’s wit, intelligence and tenacity in the face of racial zealots; Cissie Gool’s lifetime fighting for justice and exposing bigots; and Sailor Malan’s battles against fascists in the skies of Europe and on the streets of South Africa. And then there’s Miriam Makeba, who began her life in prison and ended it as an international singing sensation; Steve Biko, who shifted the minds of an entire generation; and Thuli Madonsela (the book’s only living legend), who gracefully felled the most powerful man in the land. Engagingly written and meticulously researched, Legends reminds South Africans that we have a helluva lot to be proud of.

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Book SynopsisAn Open Access edition of this book is available on the Liverpool University Press website and through Knowledge Unlatched. The world-famous French singer Édith Piaf (1915-63) was never just a singer. Dozens of biographies of her, of variable quality, have seldom got beyond the well known and usually contested ‘facts’ of her life. This book suggests new ways of understanding her. A ‘cultural history’ of Piaf means exploring her cultural, social and political significance as a national and international icon, looking at her shifting meanings over time, at home and abroad. How did she become a star and a myth? What did she come to mean in life and in death? At the centenary of her birth and more than fifty years after her passing, why do we still remember her work and commemorate her through the work of others, from Claude Nougaro and Elton John to Ben Harper and Zaz, as well as in films, musicals, documentaries and tribute acts around the world? What does she mean today? The book proposes the notion of an imagined Piaf. To a large extent, she was her own invention, not only by virtue of her talent but because she produced narratives about herself, building a mystery. But she was also the invention of others: of those she worked with but above all of her audiences, who made their own meanings from her carefully staged performances. Since her death, the world has been free to imagine new Piafs. From the 1930s until today, she has variously embodied conceptions of the ‘popular’ and of ‘chanson’ as a new kind of middlebrow, of gender, sexuality, national identity and the human condition.Trade ReviewReviews 'It is a sharp and profoundly satisfying book, exposing in a sympathetic way the contradictions of the artist as well as the cultural complexities of her persona. this book is sure to become an important reference point for students and scholars of French Studies and Popular Music Studies alike, and an essential blueprint for future French music studies.' Barbara Lebrun, Modern Contemporary France'Looseley’s enthusiasm for Piaf pervades this book ... This cultural study is written with scrupulous attention to detail and accuracy and has a comprehensive chronology, notes and index.' The Franco-British Society'David Looseley’s volume is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the complexity behind the mythical figure of Piaf and it provides an admirable model for a searching analysis of the myth making machinery of popular music.' Peter Hawkins, Popular Music'Looseley’s book offers a compelling way of rethinking the mythology of Piaf while still addressing its power through narratives, especially his analysis of her early career. He nimbly moves between the dramatic narratives of Piaf’s affairs and scandals, while at the same time addresses how their public consumption reflected significant changes in French society.' Indiana University Northwest'All in all, this outstanding study is unmissable for anyone interested in Piaf, France, French culture in the globalized world, and — more generally — the importance of properly understanding popular culture.' Hugh Dauncey, French Studies'Edith Piaf: A Cultural History is a rich, well-researched, rigorous book, with brilliant analyzes, as in the case of the song "Three Bells", and lucid reflections on phenomena such as the popular voice, the divas or the future of tragedy today. Looseley also develops the concept of "middlebrow" which can, in my opinion, become a hermeneutical tool very relevant in the French context and elsewhere. And it is also and above all a well written text, which reads like a story, like a parable of contemporary French popular culture, its myths, its actors, its mediations and its audiences, all the more interesting that it is complexified, questioned systematically, without any certainty, not even that of the continuity of the myth Piaf, is free of suspicion. These qualities have just been recognized by the awarding of the literary prize of the Franco-British Society for the year 2015.' Isabelle Marc, Volume! The French journal of popular music studiesTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsChronologyIntroductionPart I: Narrating Piaf1 Inventing la Môme2 Piaf and her public3 A singer at warPart II: Piaf and Chanson4 A new Piaf5 High art, low culture: Piaf and la chanson française6 Ideology, tragedy, celebrity: a new middlebrowPart III: Afterlives7 Losing Piaf8 Remembering Piaf9 Performing PiafConclusionNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisMost people know Roald Dahl as a famous write of children’s books and adult short stories, but few are aware of his fascination with medicine. Right from his earliest days to the end of his life, Dahl was intrigued by what doctors do, and why they do it. During his lifetime, he and his family suffered some terrible medical tragedies: Dahl nearly died when his fighter plane went down in World War II; his son had severe brain injury in an accident; and his daughter died of measles infection of the brain. But he also had some medical triumphs: he dragged himself back to health after the plane crash, despite a skull fracture, back injuries, and blindness; he was responsible for inventing a medical device (the Wade-Dahl-Till valve) to treat his son's hydrocephalus (water on the brain), and he taught his first wife Patricia to talk again after a devastating stroke. His medical interactions clearly influenced some of his writing – for example the explosive potions in George’s Marvellous Medicine. And sometimes his writing impacted on events in his life – for example the research on neuroanatomy he did for his short story William and Mary later helped him design the valve for treating hydrocephalus. In this unique book, Professor Tom Solomon, who looked after Dahl towards the end of his life, examines Dahl’s fascination with medicine. Taking examples from Dahl’s life, and illustrated with excerpts from his writing, the book uses Dahl’s medical interactions as a starting point to explore some extraordinary areas of medical science. Solomon is an award-winning science communicator, and he effortlessly explains the medical concepts underpinning the stories, in language that everyone can understand. The book is also peppered with anecdotes from Dahl’s late night hospital discussions with Solomon, which give new insights into this remarkable man’s thinking as his life came to an end.Trade ReviewReviews 'Solomon’s book shows how deeply medicine and illness permeated Dahl’s life, explaining much about his character, his achievements and even (perhaps) his creativity.'Tom Shippey, TLS'Overall, the story of Dahl’s life is only part of the concoction that is Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Medicine, and the book provides novel insight into the less discussed aspects of the life of this well-loved and fascinating author.'Isabel Lokody, The Lancet'Solomon (neurological science, Univ. of Liverpool, UK) has written an entertaining and unique biography of Roald Dahl. Renowned for his books and short stories, including Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach, Dahl had a deep knowledge of medicine that informed his writing. Solomon was a doctor on the ward where Dahl was admitted for anemia, which gave him the opportunity to develop a relationship with Dahl, based in part on their shared knowledge of medicine. Solomon describes how Dahl’s writing drew on personal life experiences that were linked with psychological or physical trauma. A plane crash as a fighter pilot, malaria, the death of his young daughter Olivia, the serious injury of his son Theo, and a stroke suffered by his wife (the actress Patricia Neal) surface in his stories in unexpected ways. Solomon’s anecdotes combine with biographical details to give a full picture of Dahl and what drove his creative process. This is a very interesting and enjoyable read for fans of Dahl’s whimsical and dark humor. Proceeds from this book will go to six charities that were significant to Dahl.'J. Swiatek, UConn Health, CHOICE'Inspired by meeting, conversing with, and medically treating Dahl in 1990...the book reflects the wealth of research undertaken by Solomon in archives, as well as his engagement with Dahl’s vast corpus, and the conversations with Dahl’s friends and families, in a concerted effort to diagnose the anecdotes shared during their witching hours on the ward.'Dr Jen Baker, The British Society for Literature and Science'This book is a delight to read and at times will bring you to tears: for example, when we hear about Olivia’s unexpected death and its effect on Dahl. At other times the book will make you laugh out loud: for example, when we hear about the “golden age of chocolate”... This is a special and heartwarming book, full of incident, highly readable and informative....I can almost guarantee you will enjoy it and learn not only about Dahl’s writings but also about his contribution to medicine and to rehabilitation.' Barbara Wilson, The Oliver Zangwill Centre, Ely, Neuropsychological RehabilitationTable of ContentsAbout the AuthorIntroductionProloguePART ONE: A TOWERING GIANTChapter 1: The Witching HourChapter 2: Prodding and PokingChapter 3: Into AfricaChapter 4: CrashPART TWO: THE GREAT INVENTORChapter 5: A Lucky Piece of CakeChapter 6: TalesChapter 7: Threats and DangersPART THREE: AN ENORMOUS SHADOWChapter 8: 'It'll Be Good for Them'Chapter 9: A Clue HereChapter 10: A Shot in the ArmPART FOUR: GOBBLEFUNKINGChapter 11: A Bubble BurstsChapter 12: The Mysterious Joy of LanguageChapter 13: The Cabbage and the GiantChapter 14: Thousands Across the CountryPART FIVE: NO BOOK EVER ENDSChapter 15: Rusting to PiecesChapter 16: The PatientChapter 17: The Last NightAcknowledgementsBibliographyNotesPhoto CreditsIndexCharity Support

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Book SynopsisAged 29, Lu Spinney's son Miles suffered a devastating head injury and was left in a coma. With unflinching honesty, Lu Spinney has written a passionate, urgent account of the years following her son Miles's accident, revealing his existence imprisoned in a limbo of fluctuating consciousness, at times agonizingly aware of his predicament. With unfailing honesty and courageous prose, Lu Spinney's memoir explores the very nature of self and the anguish of witnessing Miles's suffering as she and her family come to realise that, although he has been saved from death, he has not been brought back to a meaningful life.Trade ReviewMy heart is being ripped out by Beyond the High Blue Air ... It's a devastating, important memoir that fills me with love for the author, Miles and his siblings. -- Cathy RentzenbrinkLu Spinney has a tragic story to tell. The circumstances are unique. But what she expresses - disbelief, hope, anger, dismay - is universal. And the ethical questions she raises are vitally important. Most important, she writes beautifully. -- Blake MorrisonThis profoundly moving and grippingly readable book brings to mind The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. * The Sunday Times *Impossible to read this eloquent, heart-breakingly well-written record of a mother's loss without realising that the people you love are all also standing on the precipice edge Lu Spinney describes so well. -- Francis SpuffordThis book is a work of the highest literary skill and heroic courage born out of what for most would be unendurable, and wholly silencing, maternal pain. To read it is to feel, sympathetically, both that pain and admiration for the woman who has written so eloquently through it. -- John SutherlandBeautifully written... What is striking and remarkable about this is how movingly Spinney manages to get inside her son's mind... Highly recommended * The Bookseller *A courageous story... a tribute to maternal strength, understanding and love that forces us to question our preconceived ideas about humanity. * Literary Review *This unflinching look at what happens when death is prevented but life is not worth living is heartbreaking and important. * Stylist *This is not an easy book. Spinney's eye is unflinching and she spares us nothing in this increasingly hopeless tale... Doctors and lawyers need to read this book and think about the impact of unsuccessful life-saving interventions... we have no plan of what to do with bodies that house damaged brains, or how to cope with the philosophical and emotional difficulties inherent in caring for someone who is there but not there. -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * The Sunday Times *Rivetingly written * The Sunday Times *Lu Spinney's account of her son's vegetative condition after a snowboarding accident and the cruellest decisions a mother can be confronted with. Exquisitely written. -- John Sutherland

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Book SynopsisIn Two Minds is the first comprehensive biography of Jonathan Miller – the story of one of post-war Britain’s most intriguing polymaths. Descended from immigrants who fled Tsarist anti-Semitism to become shopkeepers in Ireland and London’s East End, Miller was born into an intellectual milieu, between Bloomsbury and Harley Street – the son of a novelist and a leading child psychiatrist. Miller trained as adoctor but then forged a career as a stellar comedian and as a world-renowned theatre and opera director. He is a controversial humorist, public intellectual and TV personality. As a star in the groundbreaking satirical revue Beyond the Fringe, he shot to fame alongside Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. His expertise and interests encompass many areas, from medicine (he wrote and presented the hugely acclaimed BBC documentary series The Body in Question) to the history of art, Mozart, atheism and the nature of laughter. Jonathan Miller is one of the most multi-talented Britons of his generation, celebrated for his dazzling intelligence and anti-establishmentarian wit. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this is an entertaining and illuminating portrait of a fascinatingly complex man.Trade ReviewA remarkable portrait of a complex and Coleridgean figure, a man in two minds about himself for most of his life * The Telegraph *Bassett is herself a fine, fierce theatre critic – her write-ups of Miller's productions have verve and perceptive grace… thorough… entertaining * Guardian *‘An admirably thorough job of a biography: sympathetic, deeply researched, informed by long conversations with Miller and dozens of friends, colleagues and, occasionally, enemies.’ * The Spectator *‘Kate Bassett’s fascinating book draws together the many strands that combine to make this renaissance man.’ * Jewish Chronicle *‘Sir Jonathan Miller is a remarkable man. As one of the great egocentrics of his generation, he would not question this judgment... Ms Bassett’s first-class biography does not mask Sir Jonathan’s weaknesses, but she says that, “in conversation, his flaws seem more tragicomic than intolerable—the bile and bitterness never quite obliterate the man’s warmth.”’ * The Economist *‘Absorbing, in-depth and erudite… Bassett, who clearly likes and respects her subject but isn't overawed by him, sensibly marshals the arguments on both sides and leaves it up to the reader how posterity will regard Miller.’ * Observer *‘Miller’s bravura is exemplary and life-enhancing, so it is sad to learn from Kate Bassett’s magnificent biography (brilliantly researched – even the extensive endnotes are a joy) that the man himself somehow feels hard-done-by, unappreciated and under-rewarded.' * Financial Times *‘Bassett’s beautifully balanced account… describes how caring [Miller] can be to friends, and how he can enthuse them with his dazzling cross-disciplinary ideas. His secret of survival? For every bridge he burns, he’s somehow able to build another. He’s inexhaustible, and unceasingly curious. Bassett treats her subject with respect, and, thankfully, without kid gloves… fascinating’ * Bloomberg *‘There is no more extraordinary figure in British public life than Jonathan Miller… His achievement is undeniable, as In Two Minds makes clear, and though his workaholic days are behind him, he reveals no signs of retirement.’ * Wall Street Journal *A remarkable portrait of a complex and Coleridgean figure, a man in two minds about himself for most of his life. * Five stars - Telegraph *Scrupulously researched, always fascinating... As Bassett says in her admirably measured book, there's 'bile and bitterness' here. As she demonstrates, there's also genius. * London Times *Bassett is herself a fine, fierce theatre critic - her write-ups of Miller's productions have verve and perceptive grace... thorough... entertaining. * Guardian *An admirably thorough job of a biography: sympathetic, deeply researched, informed by long conversations with Miller and dozens of friends, colleagues and, occasionally, enemies. * Spectator *Kate Bassett's fascinating book draws together the many strands that combine to make this renaissance man. * Jewish Chronicle *Sir Jonathan Miller is a remarkable man. As one of the great egocentrics of his generation, he would not question this judgment... Ms Bassett's first-class biography does not mask Sir Jonathan's weaknesses, but she says that, "in conversation, his flaws seem more tragicomic than intolerable--the bile and bitterness never quite obliterate the man's warmth. * Economist *Absorbing, in-depth and erudite... Bassett, who clearly likes and respects her subject but isn't overawed by him, sensibly marshals the arguments on both sides and leaves it up to the reader how posterity will regard Miller. * Observer *Kate Bassett's brilliant, exhaustively researched biography... reminds us what a truly astonishing man he is. Just try to imagine post-war British culture without him. * Jewish Chronicle *Compelling.. a dense, exhaustively well-researched portrait... a persuasive, ultimately rather sad portrait of a North London Jewish boy. * Sunday Times *‘Jonathan Miller…prodigiously multi-talented: mimic, comic actor, opera director, television-talker, scientist – he has excelled in all those spheres… This absolutely brilliant biography…shows us that Miller is still the brilliant schoolboy, fascinated by dissecting animals and reading philosophy, still with an adolescent sense of mischief and the adolescent sense of grievance.’ -- A.N. Wilson‘Bassett’s beautifully balanced account…describes how caring [Miller] can be to friends, and how he can enthuse them with his dazzling cross-disciplinary ideas. His secret of survival? For every bridge he burns, he’s somehow able to build another. He’s inexhaustible, and unceasingly curious. Bassett treats her subject with respect, and, thankfully, without kid gloves…fascinating.’ * Bloomberg *‘Showing tremendous understanding of the poisoned chalice that his Janus-faced intellect has been… A remarkable portrait of a complex and Coleridgean figure, a man in two minds about himself for most of his life.’ * Telegraph *‘Absorbing, in-depth and erudite…Bassett’s book…produce[s] an appealingly multifaceted figure of a man whose polymathic genius has never been in doubt, but whose refusal to toe the British line of self-deprecation has seen him become something of a prophet without honour at home.’ * Observer *‘Sympathetic, deeply researched, informed by long conversations with Miller and dozens of friends, colleagues and, occasionally, enemies.’ * The Spectator *‘Bassett is herself a fine, fierce theatre critic – her write-ups of Miller’s productions have verve and perceptive grace…entertaining.’ * Guardian *‘Miller’s bravura is exemplary and life-enhancing…Kate Bassett’s magnificent biography [is] brilliantly researched – even the extensive endnotes are a joy.’ * Financial Times *Scrupulously researched, always fascinating… As Bassett says in her admirably measured book, there’s ‘bile and bitterness’ here. As she demonstrates, there’s also genius * The Times *Compelling.. a dense, exhaustively well-researched portrait... a persuasive, ultimately rather sad portrait of a North London Jewish boy * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis'Incredibly moving' Daily Mail'To Siri with Love is a beautifully honest and illuminating love letter to Gus, your typical atypical nonneurotypical human.' Jon Stewart'A moving and witty memoir with a big heart.' Nigella Lawson'An uncommonly riotous and moving book [that] will make readers laugh - yes, out loud - before sweeping them, finally, into a soul-spilling high tide . . . Technology's great promise may in fact be to summon, capture and display our most human qualities, both the darkness and the light, to pave avenues of deepened connections with others.' New York TimesWriter Judith Newman never had any illusions that her family was 'normal'. She and her husband keep separate apartments-his filled with twin grand pianos as befits a former opera singer; hers filled with the clutter and chaos of twin adolescent boys conceived late in life. And one of those boys is Gus, her sweet, complicated, autistic 13-year-old.With refreshing honesty, To Siri With Love chronicles one year in the life of Gus and the family around him -- a family with the same crazy ups and downs as any other. And at the heart of the book lies Gus's passionate friendship with Siri, Apple's 'intelligent personal assistant'. Unlike her human counterparts, Siri always has the right answers to Gus's incessant stream of questions about the intricacies of national rail schedules, or box turtle varieties, and she never runs out of patience. She always makes sure Gus enunciates and even teaches him manners by way of her warm yet polite tone and her programmed insistence on civility.Equal parts funny and touching, this is a book that will make your heart brim, and then break it. Warm, wise and always honest, Judith Newman shows us a new world where artificial intelligence is beginning to meet emotional intelligence -- a world that will shape our children in ways both wonderful and unexpected.Trade ReviewTo Siri with Love is a beautifully honest and illuminating love letter to Gus, your typical atypical non neurotypical human. -- Jon StewartA moving and witty memoir with a big heart. -- Nigella LawsonWriting with wit, humor, and effervescent honesty . . . This odd yet endearing pairing comprises the book's rewarding and adorable closing third, a funny, warmhearted narrative of wry wisdom derived from the foibles of both Gus and Henry and powered by a maternal love that autism could never compromise. "In a world where the commonly-held wisdom is that technology isolates us," writes the author, "it's worth considering another side of the story."A powerful and heartfelt 'slice of life' tale. * Kirkus Review *This warm series of stories offers a glimpse of what it's like to parent a child who has a touch of magic in his soul. * Good Housekeeping *An uncommonly riotous and moving book [that] will make readers laugh - yes, out loud - before sweeping them, finally, into a soul-spilling high tide . . . Technology's great promise may in fact be to summon, capture and display our most human qualities, both the darkness and the light, to pave avenues of deepened connections with others. * New York Times *By turns hilarious and compassionate, To Siri with Love is one of the most moving books about modern parenthood ever written. -- Laura Zigman, author of Animal HusbandryNewman shares her sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always insightful and upbeat recollections . . . A positive yet honest look into one family's journey with autism. * Library Journal *Judith Newman redefines maternal love . . . The book is part Operating Instructions, part love letter to both her son and technology, and a totally engrossing read. Cancel your plans when you pick up this book because you'll want to read it cover to cover. -- Annabelle GurwitchI was riveted by To Siri with Love. Judith Newman doesn't just describe and analyze her son's brain, she paints it on the page, sings it, even dances to it in moments. Yes, this is a book about a boy. But more than that, it's a book about the myriad-and sometimes magical-lenses there are through which to see the world. I finished it with different eyes than the ones I began with. -- Meghan Daum, author of The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of DiscussionBeautiful, hilarious, and touching, Newman's journey is universally relatable. While exploring the complexities of being human, it is also, in the end, the enduring story of family and all the mysteries, crises, and unexpected joys therein. This book is 123.57 percent (and that may reflect my own spectrum issues) wonderful! -- Sandra Tsing Loh, author of The Madwoman in the Volvo[Newman]'s warmth and wit is reminiscent of Nora Ephron. The result is a bracingly honest chronicle of life alongside an autistic family member. * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisA.J. Jacobs has received some strange emails over the years, but this note was perhaps the strangest: “You don’t know me, but I’m your eighth cousin. And we have over 80,000 relatives of yours in our database.” And so begins A.J. Jacobs’s quest to build the biggest family tree in history. In an era of us-versus-them thinking, this book is a hilarious, heartfelt and profound exploration of what binds us all – where family begins, how far it goes, and the science that is revolutionizing the way we think about ethnicity, history and the human species. This book is about A.J. Jacobs’s family. But it’s also about your family. Because it is the same family.Trade Review'The Sower", the Simon & Schuster logo, is perfect opening icon for this story about human seed sown by our common ancestors out of Africa and how you and I are related to the Jacobs clan. Like AJ's previous hilarious books, this one involves way-over-the-top performance art -- this time the mother of all family reunions, at which I sang "We are family" (and the rest of you 7.5 billion were expected to sing along). Genealogy is now, deservedly, tied for the top hobby, along with other ancient biotechnologies, gardening and sex. You could have no better guide than ace jovialist and awesome jester, AJ. Now, more than ever, we celebrate our connections, we read, we smile.' * George Church, author of Regenesis *‘[An] enjoyable…light-hearted blend of popular science and sociology.’ * Irish Times *‘[A] reminder that family history bonkers and magnificent in equal measure.’ * Who Do You Think You Are? *'Over the years, many authors have weighed in on the mixed bag that is family, but few have done so with the keen eye, sharp tongue and big heart of A.J. Jacobs.' * Washington Post *'It’s A.J. Jacobs’s best book yet!' -- Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired and author of The Inevitable'It's All Relative is the funniest, most thoughtful, most original and entertaining book about family that you will ever read and wish you'd written.' * Mary Roach *'An incredibly moving, funny and inspirational read, exploring the utopian dream that the endeavours of family historians across the planet can reunite us as one happy family.' * Nick Barratt, consultant genealogist on Who Do You Think You Are *'A hilarious read from beginning to end.' * Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg *'A terrific read and A.J. is a terrific writer…funny and super-interesting.' * Michael Ian Black *'Esquire contributing editor Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically) muses on the nature of family and the interconnectedness of humanity in this entertaining introduction to the world of genealogy...With short, lively chapters and an easygoing voice, Jacobs keeps the story flowing.' * Publishers Weekly *'Whimsical but also full of solid journalism and eye-opening revelations about the history of humanity, the book is a real treat.' * Booklist, Starred Review *'The astonishing discoveries he makes... remind us of the common bonds that unite us as a single global family. As Jacobs’s (however distant) cousin, I admit I may be biased in singing his praises, but as It’s All Relative proves, who isn’t?' * Henry Louis Gates, Jr. *'Consistently thought-provoking...and his natural gift for humor lightens the mood of even the most serious discussions. A delightful, easy-to-read, informative book.' -- Kirkus'A.J. Jacobs... takes us on another unique adventure that pits idealism vs. practicality: Bringing about world peace and harmony by finding “cousin” connections among people throughout the globe and then hosting a “Global Family Reunion.”' * Scott Fisher, host of Extreme Genes *

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Book SynopsisKing of Pop Art Andy Warhol is one of the greatest artists of all time. Rarely venturing into public without his camera and tape recorder, Warhol was a great observer and documentarist of the American social scene.Somewhere within the iconic images, carefully-made personae, star-studded milieu, million-dollar price tags and famous quotes lies the real Andy Warhol. But who was he?With Andy Warhol,Robert Shore unfolds the multi-dimensional Warhol, dissecting his existence as undisputed art-world hotshot, recreating the amazing circle that surrounded him, and tracing his path to stardom back through his early career and his awkward and unusual youth. After Warhol, nothing would be the same - he changed art forever. Find out how with his remarkable story.'Lives of the Artists' is a new series of brief artists biographies from Laurence King Publishing. The series takes as its inspiration Giorgio Vasari's five-hundred-year-old masterwork, updating it with modern takes on the lives of key artists past and present. Focusing on the life of the artist rather than examining their work, each book also includes key images illustrating the artist's life.

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Book SynopsisAn elegant, revealing portrait of a remarkable family that helped to shape the politics, arts and sciences of modern Britain. The Times hailed Richard Burdon Haldane as ‘one of the most powerful … intellects’ British statesmanship had ever seen. His brother John, a great physiologist, invented the first gas masks used in World War One. Their sister Elizabeth was among the first women to become a senior public servant. Their mother Mary, friend and advisor to top politicians and churchmen, nurtured these exceptional minds. Mary’s grandchildren swapped her traditional roots for radical socialism, but continued the brilliant family legacy. Naomi Mitchison was a doyenne of Scottish literature; one Nobel prizewinner called her brother, the geneticist J.B.S. Haldane, ‘the cleverest man I ever knew’. Like the Darwins and Keyneses, this clan of thinkers lived in rapidly changing times, and helped to remake the world around them. Drawing on extensive family interviews and previously unseen private papers, Serious Minds details scandal, tragedy and achievement within a dynasty that shaped modern Britain–from the welfare state, education system and military, to our understanding of energy, the human body, and the origins of life itself.Trade Review'The Haldane family is a phenomenon to this day. . . Now their achievements have been chronicled by Richard McLauchlan, whose book Serious Minds charts their astonishing range. . . Remarkable.' -- The Times'In this ambitious biography Richard McLauchlan looks back over two centuries and explores the Haldane family’s influence on British law, politics, science and social welfare. . . . McLauchlan tells their stories with verve.' * TLS *‘[A] riveting biography.’ -- Morning Star'Superbly researched ... this excellent family history effortlessly weaves its way through two centuries of societal change.' -- Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine'Lucid and witty, and... based on impressive new scholarship... this excellent book is also a threnody for a Scotland that has irrecoverably passed.' -- Scottish Affairs'An engaging and uplifting account of one of Britain's greatest intellectual dynasties.' -- Brendan Simms, Professor of the History of International Relations, University of Cambridge, and author of 'Britain's Europe''A refreshing and very stimulating read, covering a vast canvas in an effortless way.' -- Sir Anthony Seldon, British political biographer'A story that needed telling: the achievements of the extraordinary and eccentric Haldane family are woven into the past two centuries of British history.' -- Sir Roderic Lyne, former British Ambassador to Russia'Richard McLauchlan revives with gusto the rich connected stories of this extraordinary family. A wonderful weaving together of so many brightly coloured threads.' -- Sir Tim Hitchens, President of Wolfson College, University of Oxford'A great read. The female Haldanes in particular are an object lesson in what women can achieve, whatever obstacles are put in their way, yet also of how higher education transformed possibilities for women in the course of just a few generations.' -- Alison Rose, Principal of Newnham College, University of Cambridge'Lively, interesting, and very well researched, weaving together a tapestry of anecdote and achievement, full of life’s colour and texture.' -- Peter Mandler, Professor of Modern Cultural History, University of Cambridge

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Book SynopsisA memoir of one man’s journey into, and out of, the movement that foreshadowed the modern-day “Antifa.” Between 1999-2005, as the nation convulsed with uncertainty over a contested election and the Sept. 11 attacks, A.J. Lozier attended and helped organize protests across the United States, as an active participant in the anarchist "black bloc," predecessor to the modern-day "Antifa." He was charged, tackled, swung at, shot at with rubber bullets, punched and, once, arrested. He did his fair of shoving too, all in the name of Anarchy, which he believed to be the only hope for a more peaceful and equitable society, in which capitalism was a thing of the past. This is no "behind the mask" exposé, but nor is it a work of unselfconscious propaganda. It is first and foremost a story, but one that charts how a pure-intentioned desire for peace and justice morphed into a mechanism for justifying any behavior. It is a story that foreshadows the Antifa we see today.

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Book Synopsis'Callaghan's portrayal of a city under siege is many-layered and brilliantly told' Sunday Times Iraq, 2014 As ISIS laid terrible siege to Mosul, a zoo on the eastern edge of the Tigris was kept open against all odds. Under the stern hand of the zookeeper Abu Laith, whose name – loosely translated – means Father of Lions, its animals faced not only years of occupation, but starvation and bombardment by the liberating forces. Father of Lions is the story of Mosul Zoo: of resilience and human decency in the midst of barbarism. 'Father of Lions captures, with heartbreaking poignancy, the human cost of these conflicts' Josie Ensor, Middle East Correspondent for the Daily Telegraphy 'Through the story of a man who loves both lions and life, Louise Callaghan shows how humour and defiance can counter cruelty' Lindsey Hilsum, author of In ExtremisTrade ReviewAn unexpectedly funny and moving book. You might not expect to laugh when reading about ISIS-held Mosul, but through the story of a man who loves both lions and life, Louise Callaghan shows how humour and defiance can counter cruelty, and why both humans and animals crave freedom -- Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor, Channel 4 News and author of In Extremis: the life of war correspondent Marie ColvinCallaghan knows her way around a war. Her portrayal of a city under siege is many-layered and brilliantly told. The gallows humour and defiance of Mosulis in the most desperate circumstances will appeal to British readers * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisLieut.-Col. Laurence Austine Waddell (1854–1938) was a British Army officer with an established reputation mainly due to a work on the 'Buddhism' of Tibet, his explorations of the Himalayas, and a biography which included records of the 1903-4 military expedition to Lhasa (Lhasa and its Mysteries). Waddell was also in the limelight due to his acquisition of Tibetan manuscripts which he donated to the British Museum. His overriding interest was in 'Aryan origins'. After learning Sanskrit and Tibetan, and in between military expeditions and gathering intelligence from the borders of Tibet in the Great Game, Waddell researched Lamaïsm. He extended his activities to Archaeology, Philology and Ethnology, and was credited with discoveries in relation to Buddha. His personal ambition was to locate records of ancient civilisation in Tibetan lamaseries. Waddell is little known as an archaeologist and scholar, in contrast with his fame in the Oriental field, due to the controversial nature of his published works dealing with 'Aryan themes'. Waddell studied Sumerian and presented evidence that an Aryan migration fleeing Sargon II carried Sumerian records to India. He interrupted his comparative studies of Sumerian and Indian king-lists to publish a work on Phoenician origins and decipherment of Indus Valley seals, the inscriptions of which he claimed were similar to Sumerian pictogram signs cited from G. A. Barton's plates, which are reproduced in this volume. Waddell's life is reconstructed from primary sources, such as letters from Marc Aurel Stein at the British Museum and Theophilus G Pinches, held in the Special Collections at the University of Glasgow Library. Special attention is paid to the contemporary reception of his theories, with the objective of re-evaluating his contribution; they are contrasted to past and present academic views, in addition to an overview of relevant discoveries in Archaeology.

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Book SynopsisA poignant memoir about cultural differences told by an international rights veteran in the book publishing industry. Traveling from the Silicon Valley through the college towns of Berkeley and Stanford, Loving at a Distance is a touching memoir that describes a European bibliophile’s experiences in the high-tech sectors of California. Living on two different continents is always a big challenge for a family. In a pandemic, however, that challenge becomes almost insurmountable. An aging German grandmother, Petra Hardt finds that her regular journeys across the Atlantic to visit her children and grandchildren in California aren’t really helping her understand the Californian way of life and work. With self-irony and laconism, she details the connections and confusions between generations, exploring how different lifestyles and attitudes have affected her relationships. Her relatable experience of trying to bond with loved ones across distance is one shared by millions of other families around the world. The personal impressions and observations are complemented by flashbacks to the author’s career in the international book trade. Why were the business trips to Beijing, Beirut, and Kolkata so easy to manage, while living in California is so hard? Showing us the world through Hardt’s grandmotherly eyes, Loving at a Distance is a tender and lively memoir about different ways of living and working in the age of globalism.Table of ContentsLoving at a Distance IBerkeley Silicon Valley Berlin San Francisco / BerkeleyWorking at a DistanceKolkataSloveniaBeijing, ShanghaiBeirut, Cairo, United Arab EmiratesLoving at a Distance IIBerkeley Berlin Berkeley Loving at a Distance IIIIn the Virtual Space between Berlin and BerkeleyAcknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIncluding a number of short essays by Bataille and Leiris on aspects of the other's work as well as excerpts on Bataille from Leiris' diaries, this collection of correspondence throws new light on two of Surrealism's most radical dissidents. In the autumn of 1924, just before André Breton published the Manifeste du surréalisme, two young men met in Paris for the first time. Georges Bataille, 27, starting work at the Bibliothèque Nationale; Michel Leiris, 23, beginning his studies in ethnology. Within a few months, they were both members of the Surrealist group, although their adherence to Surrealism (unlike their affinities with it) would not last long: in 1930 they were among the signatories of "Un cadavre," the famous tract against Breton, the "Machiavelli of Montmartre," as Leiris put it. But their friendship would endure for more than 30 years, and their correspondence, assembled here for the first time in English, would continue until the death of Bataille in 1962.Table of ContentsEditor's AcknowledgementsAbbreviations Michel LeirisOn Georges Bataille Georges Bataille as Don Giovanni From Bataille the Impossible to the Impossible Documents From the Time of Lord Auch Georges BatailleOn Michel Leiris Surrealism from Day to Day The Publication of 'A Corpse' Racism Georges Bataille and Michel LeirisCorrespondence 1924-61 Michel LeirisGeorges Bataille, As Time Goes By Robert Desnos, Georges Bataille and Marcel GriauleEye Bernard NoëlAfterword: A Way of Looking that is Understood Appendix: A Bio-Bibliographic ChronologyPeriodicals to which Bataille and Leiris both contributed (1925-62)BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe daily journal of a giant of German literature, touching subjects ranging from everyday life to the political and social conditions in East Germany as viewed from West Berlin. Max Frisch (1911–91) was a giant of twentieth-century German literature. When Frisch moved into a new apartment in Berlin’s Sarrazinstrasse, he began keeping a journal, which he came to call the Berlin Journal. A few years later, he emphasized in an interview that this was by no means a “scribbling book,” but rather a book “fully composed.” The journal is one of the great treasures of Frisch’s literary estate, but the author imposed a retention period of twenty years from the date of his death because of the “private things” he noted in it. From the Berlin Journal now marks the first publication of excerpts from Frisch’s journal. Here, the unmistakable Frisch is back, full of doubt, with no illusions, and with a playfully sharp eye for the world. From the Berlin Journal pulls from the years 1946–49 and 1966–71. Observations about the writer’s everyday life stand alongside narrative and essayistic texts, as well as finely-drawn portraits of colleagues like Günter Grass, Uwe Johnson, Wolf Biermann, and Christa Wolf, among others. Its foremost quality, though, is the extraordinary acuity with which Frisch observed political and social conditions in East Germany while living in West Berlin. Trade Review"Frisch is remembered for innovative plays and experimental prose on the themes of identity, self-delusion, anti-Semitism, and the clash between cultural heritage and materialism. Frisch moved to Berlin in 1973, and it was there that his increasingly autobiographical writings began to reveal a tormented soul teetering on the brink of self-loathing. . . . The Berlin journal is distinguished by a Kafkaesque combination of real-life events, musings, dreams, distant memories and preliminary sketches." * Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. From Notebook 1 (1973?)2. From Notebook 2 (1973–74)

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Book SynopsisA behind-the-scenes look at the life of filmmaker Mrinal Sen through the eyes of his son Kunal, who grew up immersed in the world of Indian cinema. “No one remembers when and why I started calling my father Bondhu. It was a strange way to address a father, as the word means ‘friend’ in Bengali. . . . As I got older, I became very self-conscious about such an odd name . . . and yet I cannot explain why I could not switch to the more acceptable Baba or something similar.” Just as Kunal Sen, son of actor Gita Sen and filmmaker Mrinal Sen, was approaching adolescence, his father’s cinematic celebrity was reaching new heights. In this memoir, Kunal reflects on growing up in a middle-class household in South Calcutta, where his father’s Marxist beliefs and unrelenting urge “to be challenged and contradicted” often collided with the practical challenges of making a living. Through it all, what emerges is a picture of a family’s unyielding commitment to the craft of cinema, the risks each of its members took, and their endearing sense of humor. Celebrating Mrinal Sen’s birth centenary in 2023, Bondhu takes us on an intimate journey of a son attempting to reconcile his father’s public and private selves.Table of ContentsPart 1. BondhuFirst BondingEarly FriendsMy Bondhu My MaOur HomesThe Lighter SideOur Encounters with ReligionThe Revolutionary Years Part 2. Filmmaker PreparationsThe Economics of AestheticsUnknown TonguesCasting for FreshnessCasting for ExperienceThe Crew MusicMy Friends, His ColleaguesPart 3. FatherThe Story CollectorTo Those Who Knew HimAs a Father A Seedling in a Forest The Last Few Years His Legacy

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Book Synopsis`I didn't even recognize my own face in the mirror. Nothing felt right. Dazed. Paralyzed by fear, my first instinct was to run but I had nowhere to hide...Voices echoed, ricocheting across the room. I wished they sounded familiar.'At the age of 14, Lynsey Calderwood suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her physically unmarked but destroyed her memory. Thrust back into an apparently nonsensical world of which she had no recollection, Lynsey spiralled downwards into depression and eating disorders as she became socially ostracized.This is the story, in her own words, of Lynsey's quest to discover her identity and, eventually, to come to terms with her disability. She faces devastating setbacks and her sense of loss, grief and rage is movingly recalled. Courage and perseverance, coupled with her engaging sense of humour, see her through; and her tale will be an inspiration to anyone who has faced similar obstacles.Trade ReviewIt's written by a young person, in a young person's language, however it will still hold appeal across the board to people who have been affected by brain injury, and should be a must read for all professionals involved in the care and support of children and young people. -- Encephalitis Society NewsletterThis is a remarkable and unique narrative by a woman who has suffered a brain injury when she was 14 years old, and covers an 8-year post-concussion time span. She has lost all childhood memories, and her new learning is limited and inconsistent...The stigma and lack of understanding associated with having a hidden disability is conveyed evocatively. Nevertheless, the book is not intended to elicit sympathy but to allow her expression of both the frustration and the ironies of coping with a brain injury...Clinicians who work with clients who have brain injuries will feel humbled and can but learn from this book...It is rare for anyone with or without a brain injury to accomplish such an excellent book. -- Journal of Mental HealthImagine it, if you can. Well, you probably wouldn't get close to imagining how dreadful it could be to find your brain has suddenly messed up big style after a head injury. This revealing story tells what happened to one not so ordinary adolescent in November 1992... This is her story. The account of a reconstructed identity. Read it and experience the regrowth of an adolescent spirit. -- from the Foreword by Dr Robert McCabe, Consultant Adolescent Psychiatrist, Gartnavel Royal HospitalTable of ContentsForeword, Dr Robert McCabe. 1. How I Felt in the Beginning. 2. The Behavioural Unit. 3. Diagnosis. 4. The Mental Hospital, Rebellion + Bullying. 5. Back to School + More Bullying. 6. New School + New Friends. 7. Anorexia, the Gym + Exercise Addiction. 8. My Gran. 9. The Brain Injured Community. 10. Sexual Identity. 11. Rehab + College. 12. Work. 13. Inspiration + The Road Ahead.

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Book SynopsisJeanette Purkis spent her early life reacting violently against her feelings of embarrassment, anger and confusion about her 'difference' from other people. She was unaware until well into adulthood that everything she found difficult, including her lack of success in forming relationships, could be a result of having Asperger Syndrome.Used to being a misfit from a very young age, Jeanette found that being a member of a group in which she had a label - Jeanette the Communist; Jeanette, Enemy of the State; Jeanette the convict; Jeanette the drug addict - gave her a sense of order she could depend on, particularly in prison, where each day had a set routine and the inmates accepted her because of her rebel attitude. Finally diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of 20, the author only began to accept her diagnosis some years later when she felt for the first time that she might learn to cope with being herself.Jeanette's remarkable life and her journey towards finding a different kind of normal is compelling and inspiring reading for people with autism spectrum disorders, and those living or working with them.Trade ReviewThis is a well written and remarkable account of the life story of Jeanette Purkis, who has Asperger Syndrome.The book gives lots of examples of Jeanette's survival mechanism - to play whatever role was expected of her . Her inability to communicate her feelings and the reasons for her actions led to frequent misunderstandings. Not knowing the `rules' of relationships also resulted in Jeanette being used by others. It was quite compelling reading, with Jeanette's life unfolding like a novel. Overall, I would recommend this book to professionals and parents or carers of those with Asperger Syndrome. Teenagers and adults with autistic spectrum disorders may also find it helpful to read Jeanette's journey towards finding a 'different kind of normal . -- NAPLICSubtitled 'Misadventures with Asperger Syndrome', with a Foreword written by Donna Williams. Jeanette's journey has been far from easy - she was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome whilst serving a prison sentence. Her story is harrowing at times but extremely informative for those wanting to understand more of the challenges that a person with Asperger Syndrome has to live with and manage. -- The SpectrumFinding A Different Kind of Normal offers straightforward and extremely valuable introspective advice and hope for young people with ASD and their families, this advice is oftentimes best heard from individuals who live everyday with autism spectrum disorders. The hope is something we all can learn from. -- Dennis Debbaudt's Autism Risk and Safety NewsletterThis autobiography demonstrates the impact of undiagnosed Asperger Syndrome on the author's childhood, adolescence and early adult life. Jeanette Purkis responds to a tortuous awareness of her difference by endeavouring to mould herself into shapes that others will find acceptable. With the lack of awareness of social rules and inability to read other's facial expressions that is characteristic of autism spectrum disorders, her quest is further complicated when she looks to addicts, criminals and militant political activists as role models. -- HCPJ MagazineThere are so few books written by people with Asperger's that I would rate Finding a different kind of normal essential reading in terms of the insights it offers into the condition - and ultimately the uplift and inspiration it gives as we see Jeanette conquer her difficulties, find self-acceptance and get the support she needs. I would commend it to those working in the mental health services and in prisons and to those with an interest in Asperger's syndrome, self- harming behaviours and addictions. -- HCPJ MagazineI Think that this is a bookt that all sufferers of Autism or Aspergers syndrome should try to read.. I Woiuld like to say thank you to Jeanette for sharing her story. -- BFKBooks - The Bookfriends Kingdom blogThis powerful autobiography is wrtiten without embellishment to provide an open and frank look at the author's life. Her loneliness, confusion and vulnerability whilst growing up are apparent as, having not fitted in from a young age, she adopts a series of different indentities from Christian to Communist, criminal and drug addict before being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and then finally coming to terms with who she is. -- YouthmindTable of Contents1. Being in the world but not of it. 2. Searching for the rules. 3. Learning which way is left. 4. Acting, independently. 5. Becoming the enemy. 6. Losing friends and gaining contacts. 7. Watching the end of the world. 8. Dying and surviving. 9. Educating the mad. 10. Forgetting the script.

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Book SynopsisWendy Lawson's well-known poetry reflects the many aspects of a life lived with Asperger's Syndrome. In this illustrated collection of poems and short prose pieces, including some from her childhood and teenage years, Wendy engages with her past and present, writing frankly about childhood, self-discovery, adulthood and friendship. Her poetry also conveys the day-to-day challenges presented by divorce, bereavement, emigration, disclosing homosexuality and Asperger's Syndrome.Both reflective and life affirming, these poems offer evocative glimpses of the Asperger experience and will enrich readers' understanding of autism spectrum disorders.Trade ReviewIn this collection Wendy Lawson has used the medium of poetry and short prose to express her emotions and responses to a variety of life experiences and challenges she has faced through her childhood, teenage and adult life. Through the simplicity and immediacy of her writing she is able to help the reader gain an insight and perhaps develop empathy with the perspective on life of an individual with Asperger's syndrome. Some of her poems are particularly moving and poignant while others are uplifting and full of joy. I particularly liked those that provided a fascinating insight into some of the ways that individuals with an ASD think and feel.I found this a delightful book that touches on a wide variety of life experiences and would anticipate that many others would also enjoy and benefit from reading and sharing. -- Good Autism PracticeThis is the sixth book by Wendy, and showcases her considerable talents as a poet. Wendy's poetry reflects her personal life experiences from the Asperger perspective. Her poems are moving, insightful and at times quite distressing. As she says, "Life is like a poem; sometimes it rhymes and sometimes it does not." -- The SpectrumWendy has connected with herself through her poetry, and sharing her writing with a wider audience gives the reader a sense of who she is, and how she has come to truly accept herself with autism as part of the deal. And all of us have to come to terms with whatever the deal is that life brings to us. -- Lapidus QuarterlyAn author and poet who has Asperger syndrome, Wendy Lawson has experienced being treated as a woman with a learning disability, with mental health problems, and finally as someone who has an autistic spectrum disorder. As a result, she is able to give some insight into the worlds of people who experience these conditions. These poems offer glimpses of her emotional responses to her life experiences. -- British Institute of Learning DisabilitiesLife is like a poem; sometimes it rhymes and sometimes it does not. -- from the IntroductionTable of ContentsIntroduction. Childhood. 1. The Journey of Life. 2. Transition. 3. What is Play? 4. Please accept me. 5. What is time? 6. Lost. 7. Words. 8. What Do We Mean? 9. Space and Time. 10. Travelers 11. Change. 12. Moving Away. 13. Routine. Discovering Self. 14. So This Is Me! 15. Questions. 16. Wendy. 17. Becoming. 18. I Used To, But Now I… 19. My Body. 20. Care. 21. Indecision. 22. Autism Is. 23. So This Is Life. 24. Walking. 25. Relationships. 26. We are Walking Through a Valley. Adulthood. 27. Autism: My Gender. 28. Miracle. 29. The Group. 30. What Is Love? 31. Commitment. 32. Words 2. 33. Seasons. 34. My Love. 35. Time For. 36. I Know. 37. Easter 1992. 38. Tim. 39. Matt. 40. Mr Breeze. 41. The Quiet. 42. Sometimes. 43. Doubt. 44. Love. 45. Seasons 2. 46. Christmas 1993. 47. The Season of Advent in a Small Swiss Village. 48. Indecision. 49. Where is Wendy? 50. Today. 51. Empty Thoughts. 52. Ode To A Supervisor. 53. Torment. 54. What Is My Name? 55. Autism Is (Also). 56. Bob and Joan. Friendship. 57. For Emma. 58. Ayumi's Parting Song. 59. Feeling Safe. 60. Happy Birthday. 61. Attention Poem. 62. Doubly Drawn. 63. Wendy (take 2). 64. The Tree of Life. 65. Rain. 66. My Princess of The Deep. 67. Our Time. 68. Knowing You, Knowing Me. 69. The Last Supper. 70. The Future. Interests. 71. Of Interest. 72. Ode to the Blackbird. 73. Blue Tits. 74. The Pelican. 75. The Swan. 76. Flying High. 77. Clothing the Shadows.

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Book SynopsisThis beautiful book is written by an astute 17 year-old with Aspergers Syndrome. It tells some of his life story in his own poetic words; I am sure many of you, with or without Aspergers, will relate to his poetry, photography and illustrations. This book lets us gently into his world and shares with us some of the challenges he faced as an adolescent on the autistic spectrum.'- NAGC Magazine'A remarkable achievement for a teenager seeking to find his way through the confusion and frustration of living with Asperger syndrome.' - Current Awareness ServiceThis illustrated collection of Luke Jackson's insightful and often poignant poems offers a glimpse of the emotional and visual sensibilities of people on the autism spectrum in their adolescent years - perhaps the most challenging time for anyone with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Luke writes perceptively about identity, struggle, loneliness, love and the pursuit of happiness, and about finding calm amid the often overwhelming confusion and frustration that accompanies AS.Table of ContentsPreface. 1. Real. 2. Peace. 3. Crystalline Lifetime. 4. Confused. 5. Unknown. 6. Release. 7. Why. 8. Haze. 9. Essence. 10. Knowing Inside. 11. Phoenix. 12. Cold Memories. 13. The Question. 14. Joyful Personification. 15. Purpose of Life. 16. Commercialist Truths. 17. Freak. 18. Suicide Kills. 19. The Dragons Fly. 20. Cherry Blossoms. 21. Possibilities. 22. Liquid Existence. 23. Fleeting Moments. 24. Belittled Burdens. 25. Little Somethings. 26. Stranger and Strangers. 27. Nothing Means Nothing Anymore. 28. Love Answered. 29. All That's Left, Seeming Right. 30. Said the Wimble to the Wimbles. 31. Murderer. 32. Defining Gravity. 33. Painting with Light. 34. Repetition.

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Book SynopsisA little nine-year-old boy looks down at the gymnasium floor. The room is filled with children who like and respect him, but he has no real friends. He can barely name anyone in his class, and has trouble with the simplest things - recognizing people, pretending, and knowing when people are happy or angry or sad. Much of his life has been filled with anxiety. He is out of step with the world, which to him is mostly a whirlwind that must be actively decoded and put into order. And yet he was only one of seven fourth graders in the United States to ace the National Math Olympiad. In fifth grade he finished second in a national math talent search.That boy is autistic. He is also loving, brilliant and resilient. In this book, his father writes about the joys, fears, frustration, exhilaration, and exhaustion involved in raising his son. He writes about the impact on his family, the travails of navigating the educational system, and the lessons he has learned about life, what it means to connect with other people, and how one builds a life that suits oneself. And, oh, yes, math. Lots about math.Trade ReviewThis book is perfectly suited for anyone who wants to know more about living with a child who is autistic and would be beneficial to family members who have someone on the Autism Spectrum. This will help parents know what struggles other families have gone through and give guidance on how to navigate the system to enable your child to thrive in their surroundings. -- BellaOnline ReviewsDaniel Mont opens our minds and our hearts. In his words: Alex is autistic. Alex is also loving, brilliant and resilient. He has taught me a great deal about life, about what it means to connect with other people and about how one builds a life that suits oneself. Through raising Alex I've learned about a lot of things-how the mind works, how special education should work, the generosity of children, and-oh, yes, math. Lots about math. -- Gifted Education CommunicatorThis book is a cut above other parent narratives, because of it unsparing honesty, yet its positive view of Alex's strengths -- Book Reviews"'A Different Kind of Boy' is a heartfelt, candid and ultimately inspiring tale of the struggle of a father to teach his gifted child the awareness the boy needs to survive and connect with others, while making the most of his prodigious talents. A Different Kind of Boy is highly recommended reading for any parent of an autistic of specially gifted child.' -- The Midwest Book ReviewTable of ContentsA Fair-Haired Boy. 2. `You're a Father Now, Damn it!'. 3. The Wild Goose Chase. 4. A Different Sort of Boy. 5. Daycare. 6. An Addition to the Family. 7. Doors Opened and Closed. 8. `You want to do it!'. 9. Taking Turns. 10. `I Know, Mom, I Know'. 11. My Parents. 12. A Team. 13. Off the Charts. 14. The Evaluation. 15. `My Son, the Doctor'. 16. `Believe Me, They'd Have a Schedule!'. 17. An Integrated Classroom. 18. Crazy, Incomprehensible Rules. 19. Exhausted. 20. On the Town. 21. `That's Just Backwards Multiplication!'. 22. Frame of Reference. 23. Spreadable Fruit. 24. Diabetes. 25. Off to School. 26. Such A Bright Boy. 27. Mathematical Marvel. 28. Simon. 29. Careers. 30. `Daddy, Look What I Can Do!'. 31. `Don't Mourn For Us'. 32. Moving to D.C. 33. New kid on the Block. 34. Such Sensitive Children. 35. A Blessing. 36. Stamping Out Ambiguity. 37. Going Hazy. 38. Learning to Cope. 39. Black History Month. 40. Mr Hustle. 41. Front Page News. 42. Life. 43. Mathematical Marvel. 44. Connections Gained and Lost. 45. Graduation. 46. Becoming Self-Aware. Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisAn excellent book from start to finish, this story chronicles one year in the life of an autistic eleven-year-old-boy. Written with candor and honesty by Nicholas' mother, Jennifer, the diary touches on the bad days as well as the good. It also sheds light on the toll that raising an autistic child can take on a parent, as well as the obstacles and milestones that Nicholas meets along the way... the faith, hope and love that the Overton's have is reflective in every page. Because this book is written by the parent of an autistic child as opposed to a physician or counselor, the reader is more able to fully absorb what life is like for the Overton's. A must-read for any parent or family member who has or knows a child who is autistic.'- Metapsychology The various responsibilities and rewards that accompany parenthood provoke strong emotions, and with an autistic child, these feelings are often both heightened and contradictory. Starting and ending on the eve of her son's birthday, the date that also marks the anniversary of his diagnosis, Jennifer Overton uses the key calendar events in the year to discuss the roller coaster of emotions that accompany life with her autistic son Nicholas. Among many episodes, she describes the disappointment on her wedding anniversary as she realizes that Nicholas may never marry, the frustration on Mother's Day that comes from parenting a child without hugs and kisses, and the fear on his first day at school that while she may love him unconditionally, the wider world may not be so sympathetic. Using dialogue, narrative, letters and pictures, this book is a powerful account of what it is like to mother an autistic child, which puts a much-needed human face to autism amid all the overwhelming myths and facts that surround it.Table of Contents1. Nicholas' birthday: A letter to my son. 2. Hallowe'en: Trick or treat? 3. Remembrance Day: Trivia quiz. 4. Christmas: A visit to Oma's. 5. New Year's Day: Please stand by. 6. Valentine's Day: Roses are red. 7. Grandpa's birthday: Grandpa's story. 8. My birthday: The gift. 9. Good Friday: Battle fatigue. 10. Easter: Acceptance. 11. Our wedding anniversary: Pick your parents. 12. Mother's Day: Our age of innocence. 13. Moving day: Great expectations. 14. Father's Day: Heirloom. 15. Canada Day: O Canada we stand on guard for thee. 16.Summer Vacation: The agenda. 17. David's birthday: Case of the missing parents. 18. Labour day: The five stages. 19. Grandparent's day: Knitting. 20. Thanksgiving: Small miracles. 20. Nicholas' birthday: The conversation. Postscript.

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Book SynopsisEssays exploring the relationship between museums and biographies, with worldwide examples and from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Museums and biographies both tell the stories of lives. This innovative collection examines for the first time biography - of individuals, objects and institutions - in relationship to the museum, casting new light on the many facets of museum history and theory, from the lives of prominent curators, to the context of museums of biography and autobiography. Separate sections cover individual biography and museum history, problematising individual biographies, institutional biographies, object biographies, and museums as biographies/autobiographies. These articles offer new ways of thinking about museums and museum history, exploring how biography in and of the museum enrichesmuseum stories by stressing the inter-related nature of lives of people, objects and institutions as part of a dense web of relationships. Through their widely ranging research, the contributors demonstrate the value of thinkingabout the stories told in and by museums, and the relationships which make up museums; and suggest new ways of undertaking and understanding museum biographies. Dr Kate Hill is Principal Lecturer in History at the University of Lincoln. Contributors: Jeffrey Abt, Felicity Bodenstein, Alison Booth, Stuart Burch, Lucie Carreau, Elizabeth Crooke, Steffi de Jong, Mark Elliott, Sophie Forgan, Mariana Françozo, Laura Gray, Kate Hill, Suzanne MacLeod, Wallis Miller, Belinda Nemec, Donald Preziosi, Helen Rees Leahy, Linda Sandino, Julie Sheldon, Alexandra Stara, Louise Tythacott, Chris Whitehead, Anne WhitelawTrade Review[D]eeply engaging and accessible, providing unique and varied snapshots into the lives and histories of museums and of those associated with them, while at the same time asking deep questions of agency, knowledge, affect, narrative, object, and self. * H-NET *For the academic historian new to the debate on what makes history in museums, the variety of content, particularly in the latter half of this edited volume gives some sense of the complexity of the subject. There is much of interest that can also be garnered from the first part, not least in considering how museums and their collections came into being. * REVIEWS IN HISTORY *Informed, informative, and a highly recommended addition to academic library reference collections. * MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Museums and Biographies - telling stories about people, things and relationships - Kate Hill A Show of Generosity: Donations and the intimacy of display in the 'Cabinet des médailles et antiques' in Paris from 1830 to 1930 - Felicity Bodenstein Introducing Mr Moderna Museet: Pontus Hultén and Sweden's Museum of Modern Art - Stuart Burch Sydney Pavière and the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston - Laura Gray 'His Best Successor': Lady Eastlake and the National Gallery - Julie Sheldon Women, Museums and the Problem of Biography - Anne Whitelaw A Curatocracy: Who and What is a V&A Curator? - Linda Sandino Significant Lives: telling stories of museum architecture - Suzanne MacLeod Schinkel's Museums: Collecting and displaying architecture in Berlin, 1844-1933 - Wallis Miller Personifying the Museum: Incorporation and Biography in American Museum History - Jeffrey Abt Making an Exhibition of Ourselves - Helen Rees Leahy Institutional autobiography and the architecture of the art museum: restoration and remembering at the National Gallery in the 1980s - Chris Whitehead Classifying China: shifting interpretations of Buddhist bronzes in Liverpool Museum, 1867-1997 - Louise Tythacott 'Dressed like an Amazon': the transatlantic trajectory of a red feather coat - Mariana Francozo Individual, collective and institutional biographies: The Beasley collection of Pacific artefacts - Lucie Carreau Sculptural biographies in an anthropological collection: Mrs Milward's Indian 'types' - Mark Elliott Houses and Things: Literary House Museums as Collective Biography - Alison Booth 'Keepers of the Flame': biography, science and personality in the museum - Sophie Forgan National History as Biography: Alexandre Lenoir's Museum of French Monuments - Alexandra Stara Autobiographical museums - Belinda Nemec Who is History? The use of autobiographical accounts in history museums - Steffi De Jong Community biographies: character, rationale and significance - Elizabeth Crooke Endpiece: The Homunculus and the Pantograph, or, Narcissus at the Met - Donald Preziosi

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Book SynopsisIn 1950, Kathleen O'Malley and her two sisters were legally abducted from their mother and placed in an industrial school ran by the Sisters of Mercy order of nuns, who also ran the notorious Magdalene Homes. The rape of eight-year-old Kathleen by a neighbour had triggered their removal - the Irish authorities ruling that her mother must have been negligent. They were only allowed a strictly supervised visit once a year, until they were permitted to leave the harsh and cruel regime of the institution at the age of sixteen. But Kate survived her traumatic childhood and escaped her past by leaving for England and then Australia when the British government offered a scheme to encourage settlement there. Fleeing her past again, Kate worked as a governess in Paris and then returned to England where she trained as a beautician at Elizabeth Arden. She married and had a son.A turning point in Kate's life came when she applied to become a magistrate and realised that she had to confront her hidden personal history and make it public. This is her inspiring story.Trade ReviewA truly shocking account. . . Disturbing and yet inspiring * Elle (Top 20 reads) *Moving * Times *

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Book SynopsisThe tragic murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl is well known. Why he was in Karachi; how he saw his role as an international journalist; why he was singled out for kidnapping; and where the incredible search effort led - are the subject of Mariane Pearl's book.A journalist in her own right, Mariane is, as was her husband, profoundly committed to the idea that a more informed public makes for a better world, and to the idea that risks are taken to uncover a story. A superb writer, she presents a truly illuminating tale - including her own crucial role in the investigative team, where she was responsible for negotiating unprecedented cooperation between the FBI and Pakistani intelligence and able to forge alliances with an array of people, from the Karachi chief of police to George Bush.A Mighty Heart is an extraordinary book - a fitting tribute to a dedicated reporter and a profound and heartbreaking love story.Trade ReviewMariane Pearl is a most remarkable woman. The book is heart-wrenching and extraordinary * John le Carre *She addresses her own tragedy without self-pity and with remarkable naturalness * New York Times *A transfixing account of an unimaginable ordeal, frank, taut, and almost unbearably moving * Andrew Anthony, Telegraph Magazine *Her memoir, though moving, is equally tough-minded * Christopher Taylor, Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisAs far as I'm concerned, Lance Armstrong and I are close to exact opposites, both physically and mentally ... If surviving this particularly deadly form of breast cancer required any of the Lance-like traits, such as a willingness to physically exert myself, I was as good as dead.'When well-meaning family and friends found out about her diagnosis, they often came armed with copies of Lance Armstrong's cancer survival book. Meredith reacted by penning a sharp, irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny memoir. More than just an account of her harrowing and, at times, hilarious treatments during her illness, Lopsided offers up entertaining memories of an offbeat life.A fiesty and irreverent memoir about life and death, family and friends, and everything in between.

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Book SynopsisFor decades, a war to control Glasgow's streets has been waged. On one side are some of the most violent and dangerous criminals in the world and, on the other, a police force with officers as hard as the gangsters, striving to keep the city safe. In GLASGOW CRIMEFIGHTER, legendary detective Les Brown tells the extraordinary and controversial inside story of his part in this conflict during his twenty-two years as a Glasgow detective. Throughout this time, he dealt with gangland bosses like Arthur Thompson and Tam McGraw, took on mobs of street fighters and helped in the hunt for Bible John. Compelling, hard-hitting and intensely human, GLASGOW CRIMEFIGHTER is a fascinating report from the frontline of a great city's battle against crime.

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Book SynopsisFor four decades Archie Macpherson has been one of Britain's finest football commentators. Instantly recognisable, he's never been short of an opinion or far from controversy. After joining the BBC full-time in 1969, he established himself not only as one of our foremost commentators but also as a cult figure in our national life. In A Game of Two Halves, Archie Macpherson gives us his unique perspective on his life and career. As well as brilliant anecdotes including his battles with Jock Stein, friendship and a spectacular falling out with Alex Ferguson, interviewing Terry Wogan in LA in a Jacuzzi in an open- top limousine and the Scotland football manager who took delivery of a plain white envelope, Archie Macpherson also tackles tough issues like sectarianism, the sad decline of commercial television and the future of the beautiful game. A Game of Two Halves is a candid, entertaining and thought provoking autobiography which brings Archie Macpherson's story and his passion for football to life with all his characteristic insight, humour and honesty.

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Book SynopsisKarel Capek is the most important, most versatile, but also the most neglected Czech writer in the twentieth century. His plays RUR and "From the Life of Insects" created a sensation in London in the 1920s; his word "robot" was introduced into the Oxford English Dictionary while his other plays as well as novels, short stories, essays, and travelogues followed in English translations in quick succession until cultural links were broken off by the war. Because of his liberal, anti-war views Capek's works were blacklisted by the Nazis occupying his homeland, as well as later by the communists. Presenting a study of all genres Capek used, BRB's book pays the debt history owes to Capek. Both as a writer and as a journalist, Capek sought the truth: in the epistemological sense, how we acquire knowledge; in the moral one, how we apply it to our behaviour. Recognizing great differences between individuals, Capek recommends tolerance and mutual trust as the best way towards the improvement of democratic human relations. His philosophical trilogy Hordubal, Meteor and An Ordinary Life -- is the best artistic expression of these ideas; as a journalist, he conveyed them explicitly. Capek's science fiction works show his admiration for the achievements of science and technology; he forecast the use of nuclear power, but strongly warned against its abuse. His readers particularly appreciated his common sense, wit and humour. Karel Capek was a man who taught through laughter.Table of ContentsIntroduction; The Beginnings; Canada's First Large Influx of Refugees; British Immigration Transforms the Colonies; Immigration in the MacDonald Era; The Sifton Years; Forging a New Immigration Policy; Immigration Doldrums; Immigration's Post-war Boom (1947-1957); Major New Initiatives; A New Era in Immigration; The Turbulent 1980s and Beyond; Developments in the Last Decade; Index.

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