Biography Books

Book SynopsisTHE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER''Warmly funny, dry and mischievous . . . Genuine and brilliant.'' Daily MailPaul O''Grady is one of Britain''s very best loved entertainers. He is known and adored by millions, whether as the creator of the acid-tongued Blonde Bombsite, Lily Savage, the presenter of the fantastically successful, award-winning Paul O''Grady Show on Channel 4 or the massive hit ITV show, For the Love of Dogs.Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O''Grady tells story of his early life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure. It is a brilliantly evoked, hilarious and often moving tale of gossip in the back yard, bragging in the corner shop and slanging matches on the front doorstep, populated by larger-than-life characters with hearts of gold and tongues as sharp as razors.At My Mother''s Knee features an unforgettable cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, figTrade ReviewOne of the most brilliantly observed testimonies to working-class life I've ever read -- Sue Carroll * Mirror *Funny, well observed and recognisably human. Soon you start to wonder why all celebrity autobiographies can't be like this * Private Eye *Among the three-for-two slew of sleb lit heaped on the tables of the nation's major bookshops... At My Mother's Knee distinguishes itself on every level -- Carol Ann Duffy * Observer *Paul speaks with warmth and hilarity about a childhood filled with poverty. Hugely interesting and entertaining * Heat *While most celeb memoirs are as memorable as an air kiss, O'Grady's is a proper snog * Scotsman *Warmly funny, dry and mischievous... Genuine - and brilliant * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisStatesman, pre-eminent leader and founder of the free world's then largest and most formidable trade union, Ernest Bevin was one of the greatest and most inspirational figures of the twentieth century. Minister of Labour in the wartime coalition during the Second World War, he was at Churchill's right hand, masterminding the home front while the war supremo commanded the battle front. Following the war, he was Foreign Secretary at one of the most pivotal moments of international history, responsible for keeping Stalin and communism out of Western Europe, and for creating West Germany, NATO and the transatlantic alliance, all of which underpin European democracy and security to this day. Born into abject poverty, an orphan farm boy from Bristol with virtually no formal education, Bevin's remarkable rise to fame and power is unmatched by any leader to this day. In this insightful and wide-ranging new biography, Andrew Adonis examines how 'the working-class John Bull' grew to a position of such authority, and offers a critical reassessment of Bevin's life and influence. Skilfully bringing to life this extraordinary figure, Adonis explores Bevin's powerful legacy and lessons for our own age, restoring this charismatic statesman to his rightful place among the pantheon of Britain's greatest political leaders.Trade Review"An excellent book which rescues Bevin from 'the condescension of posterity', capturing an extraordinary political figure." - Gordon Brown "Far more people, in my experience, have heard of Bevan than Bevin. Luckily, with this timely biography, Andrew Adonis restores Bevin to his rightful place as not only a Labour Party legend but a giant of twentieth-century history. In this brilliant and most entertaining portrait, Adonis demonstrates the qualities of historian and experienced politician that have made him one of the most quotable commentators of the day." - William Keegan, senior economics commentator, The Observer "Adonis brilliantly captures Bevin's creative genius, propagandist skill and sheer chutzpah." - John Bercow "A biography brimming with colour and insight that brings both the character of the man and his many achievements vividly to life." - Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer "Andrew Adonis writes rivetingly." - Alan Johnson, The Spectator "As a reintroduction to a forgotten giant this is a fine work... Someone should definitely slip a copy of this book into Keir Starmer's backpack." -Robert Shrimsley, FT "Bevin's extraordinary origins and path to politics are captured beautifully in Adonis's account." - Stewart Wood, The Oldie

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Book SynopsisWith an introduction by author Anne Enright.Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book award, a story of civil war and a family's unbreakable bond.How you see a country depends on whether you are driving through it, or live in it. How you see a country depends on whether or not you can leave it, if you have to.As the daughter of white settlers in war-torn 1970s Rhodesia, Alexandra Fuller remembers a time when a schoolgirl was as likely to carry a shotgun as a satchel. This is her story - of a civil war, of a quixotic battle with nature and loss, and of a family's unbreakable bond with the continent that came to define, scar and heal them.Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, Alexandra Fuller's classic memoir of an African childhood is suffused with laughter and warmth even amid disaster. Unsentimental and unflinching, but always enchanting, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is the stTrade ReviewLike Frank McCourt, Fuller writes with devastating humour and directness about desperate circumstances . . . tender, remarkable * Daily Telegraph *A book that deserves to be read for generations * Guardian *Perceptive, generous, political, tragic, funny, stamped through with a passionate love for Africa . . . [Fuller] has a faultless hotline to her six-year-old self * Independent *This enchanting book is destined to become a classic of Africa and of childhood * Sunday Times *Wonderful book . . . a vibrantly personal account of growing up in a family every bit as exotic as the continent which seduced it . . . the Fuller family itself [is] delivered to the reader with a mixture of toughness and heart which renders its characters unforgettable * Scotsman *Her prose is fierce, unsentimental, sometimes puzzled, and disconcertingly honest . . . it is Fuller's clear vision, even of the most unpalatable facts, that gives her book its strength. It deserves to find a place alongside Olive Schreiner, Karen Blixen and Doris Lessing * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA brand-new collection from the award-winning poet, the companion piece to the Sunday Times bestselling Slug''Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest'' SARAH MILLICAN''Hollie McNish''s words always sweep me away'' GIOVANNA FLETCHER''Bold, hilarious and tender'' SALENA GODDENThis book is written out of both hate and love for the worldAs people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others? We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun. In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.''Never have we needed her more'' STYLIST''I''ve loved her work for years'' JO BRAND''She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love'' KAE TEMPEST

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Book Synopsis'A pin-up and an oracle for millennial women.' Dolly AldertonIn her remarkable literary debut, Taylor (AKA Self Esteem) will explore the devolution of a woman.

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Book SynopsisTed has co-starred in BBC2's Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing since Series 3 and is now an integral part of the popular show, keeping Bob and Paul on their toes. He is mostly Patterdale Terrier although a DNA test revealed some surprising results. He is 12 years old and lives in Surrey but travels a lot with his fishing work. This is his first book.Ted's trusted co-author Lisa Clark has been producing entertainment and comedy shows for over 30 years from The Big Breakfast and Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, to Shooting Stars, Vic & Bob's House of Fools and Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing since it began in 2018. Lisa lives with Ted, a Briard called Bo, her current husband, Dan, and occasionally her sons, Jon-Joe and Archie.

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Book SynopsisA classic of travel writing, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is Eric Newby's iconic account of his journey through one of the most remote and beautiful wildernesses on earth.It was 1956, and Eric Newby was earning an improbable living in the chaotic family business of London haute couture. Pining for adventure, Newby sent his friend Hugh Carless the now-famous cable CAN YOU TRAVEL NURISTAN JUNE? setting in motion a legendary journey from Mayfair to Afghanistan, and the mountains of the Hindu Kush, north-east of Kabul.Inexperienced and ill prepared (their preparations involved nothing more than some tips from a Welsh waitress), the amateurish rogues embark on a month of adventure and hardship in one of the most beautiful wildernesses on earth a journey that adventurers with more experience and sense may never have undertaken. With good humour, sharp wit and keen observation, the charming narrative style of A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush would soon crystallise Newby''s reputation as one of the greatest travel writers of all time.One of the greatest travel classics from one of Britain''s best-loved travel writers, this edition includes new photographs, an epilogue from Newby''s travelling companion, Hugh Carless, and a prologue from one of Newby''s greatest proponents, Evelyn Waugh.Trade Review'The master storyteller. He transformed travel writing' Independent 'One of the most enjoyable reads of the last century' Herald Tribune 'The most successful travel writer of his generation. It's impossible to read this book without laughing aloud' Observer 'Endlessly entertaining and self-deprecating' Daily Mail 'Full of serendipity and surprise' The Economist 'A total success' New Yorker 'Notable addition to the literature of unorthodox travel … tough, extrovert, humorous and immensely literate' Times Literary Supplement '”A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush” established him as a traveler who not only journeyed fruitfully but had the ability to bring his readers with him' William Trevor, Guardian 'I still think the last few sentences of “A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush” the funniest ending to any book I have read' Geoffrey Moorhouse, The Times 'The book that made [Newby's] reputation … typically ironic in its understatement' Observer 'Newby is easily the best of the bunch' Sunday Times 'All the lyricism, and spirit of adventure and discovery [in] Newby's work' The Times 'As good as its hype' Wanderlust

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Book SynopsisThe gripping true story of the hunt for a man-eating tiger across the forbidding landscape of Russia's Far East....Trade ReviewAn adventure so heart-thumping, it can feel like a spy thriller.An unbelievable tale, expertly told, with a few paragraphs that I would give my eye teeth to have written.Like its majestic and terrifying subject, John Vaillant's book moves with subtlety and grace, commands a vast terrain - and has the power to shake the observer's soul . . . What unfolds, in a richly layered story that partners cunning with sublimity, is a tragedy in several acts and with multiple dimensions . . . The Tiger also counts as a supreme example of true-crime writing driven by wide-angle empathy and compassion. Some readers may choose to shelve it, not among cosy wildlife yarns, but with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *A tale with memorable characters, a beautifully described setting and moments of startling drama . . . Vaillant's research is matched by the elegance of his writing . . . Vaillant is able to empathise so fully with both human and animal protagonists that it is hard to believe he wasn't there . . . This is a remarkable story, exceptionally well told -- Tim Souster * Financial Times *This masterful account of the terror, death and grief caused by a man-eating Amur tiger in Russia in 1997 is as mesmerising, rangy and relentless as the creature in question. * Sunday Telegraph *Extraordinary . . . a brilliantly told tale of man and nature -- Tim Flannery * New York Review of Books *Few writers have taken such pains to understand their monsters, and few depict them in such arresting prose. * New York Times Book Review *Compelling . . . a superb book - hyper-intelligent, wonderfully well-written, with a great cast, both human and animal, and at its heart, the amazing and truly chilling story of one tiger's winter campaign of murderous revenge -- Harry Ritchie * Daily Mail *The structure of Vaillant's nonfiction hunting tale echoes that of Moby Dick, alternating a gripping chase narrative -- the search, in the late 1990s, for a man-eating Amur tiger in the Primorye region, on Russia's far eastern border -- with dense explanations of the culture and ecology surrounding the chase. * New York Times *This is an altogether different kind of manhunt story . . . . The pursuit culminates in a breathtaking stand-off of man versus cat in a forest clearing - a denouement every bit as explosive and surprising as the raid in Abbottabad earlier this week. -- Hampton Sides * Wall Street Journal *Riveting * Washington Post *By all means read Vaillant's magnificent book about the animal: The Tiger offers readers a shiver-inducing portrait of a predator that has been revered - and feared - like no other animal. * San Francisco Chronicle *Brad Pitt has bought the movie rights to The Tiger, but with all due respect to Mr. Pitt, there's no way the movie will match Mr. Vaillant's book. * Washington Times *An affectionate account * TLS *The Tiger is the sort of book I very much like and rarely find. Humans are hard-wired to fear tigers, so this book will attract intense interest. -- Annie Proulx, Puliter Prize-winning author of THE SHIPPING NEWSThe Tiger takes us on a journey to the raw edge of civilization, to a world of vengeful cats and venal men, a world that, in Vaillant's brilliant telling, is simultaneously haunting and enchanting. -- Hampton Sides, author of GHOST SOLDIERSThis book must be read by everybody who is interested in the conservation of wildlife. It takes you to the Russian wilderness to meet face-to-face with the Siberian tiger. -- Temple Grandin, author of ANIMALS IN TRANSLATIONAn absolutely superb book. -- George Schaller, Wildlife Conservation Society & PantheraA masterpiece * Outside *Brilliant * US Library Journal *An instant classic * Calgary Herald *Astoundingly gripping * Toronto Star *Read this fine, true book in the warmth, beside the flicker of firelight. Read it and be afraid. Be very afraid. -- Simon Winchester * Globe and Mail *Breathtakingly exciting * Vancouver Sun *A hair-raising tale in which conservation, madness and even murder collide. * Montreal Gazette *Fascinating and compelling plot * Ottawa Citizen *Not so incidentally, if ever a nonfiction author has used the techniques of fiction any better to recount a real-life narrative, it is difficult to imagine who that author would be. * Seattle Times *Part natural history, part Russian history and part thriller; it tells a gripping and gory story of what it's like to stalk - and be stalked by - the largest species of cat still walking the Earth. * National Public Radio (USA) *John Vaillant is a literary shaman. * Quill & Quire *Enthralling * Christian Science Monitor *An extraordinary account of a tracker on the trail of a Siberian man-eating tiger in 1997. Along the way we get a load of tiger facts and a beautiful portrait of a forbidding region. It is a stunning, lovely, lovely book. * Bookseller *Writing in a vigorous, evocative style . . . Vaillant paints a haunting portrait of man's vexed relationship with nature. * Publishers Weekly *An adventure so heart-thumping, it can feel like a spy thriller.An unbelievable tale, expertly told, with a few paragraphs that I would give my eye teeth to have written.Enriched by sparkling sidetracks into nature and history, this enthralling true-crime narrative takes us on a snowbound search not only for a beast but for a motive. Like its superb quarry, Vaillant's book moves with grace and stealth, covers a vast terrain and shakes the observer's soul * Independent *The structure of Vaillant's nonfiction hunting tale echoes that of Moby Dick, alternating a gripping chase narrative -- the search, in the late 1990s, for a man-eating Amur tiger in the Primorye region, on Russia's far eastern border -- with dense explanations of the culture and ecology surrounding the chase. * New York Times *This masterful account of the terror, death and grief caused by a man-eating Amur tiger in Russia in 1997 is as mesmerising, rangy and relentless as the creature in question. * Sunday Telegraph *This is an altogether different kind of manhunt story . . . . The pursuit culminates in a breathtaking stand-off of man versus cat in a forest clearing - a denouement every bit as explosive and surprising as the raid in Abbottabad earlier this week. * Wall Street Journal *Extraordinary . . . a brilliantly told tale of man and nature * New York Review of Books *The Tiger also counts as a supreme example of true-crime writing driven by wide-angle empathy and compassion. Some readers may choose to shelve it, not among cosy wildlife yarns, but with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. * Independent *A remarkable story, exceptionally well told. * Financial Times *Few writers have taken such pains to understand their monsters, and few depict them in such arresting prose. * New York Times Book Review *A superb book -- hyper-intelligent, wonderfully well-written, with a great cast, both human and animal, and at its heart, the amazing and truly chilling story of one tiger's winter campaign of murderous revenge. * Daily Mail *Riveting * Washington Post *By all means read Vaillant's magnificent book about the animal: The Tiger offers readers a shiver-inducing portrait of a predator that has been revered - and feared - like no other animal. * San Francisco Chronicle *Brad Pitt has bought the movie rights to The Tiger, but with all due respect to Mr. Pitt, there's no way the movie will match Mr. Vaillant's book. * Washington Times *An affectionate account * TLS *The Tiger is the sort of book I very much like and rarely find. Humans are hard-wired to fear tigers, so this book will attract intense interest.The Tiger takes us on a journey to the raw edge of civilization, to a world of vengeful cats and venal men, a world that, in Vaillant's brilliant telling, is simultaneously haunting and enchanting.This book must be read by everybody who is interested in the conservation of wildlife. It takes you to the Russian wilderness to meet face-to-face with the Siberian tiger.An absolutely superb book.A masterpiece * Outside *Brilliant * US Library Journal *An instant classic * Calgary Herald *Astoundingly gripping * Toronto Star *Read this fine, true book in the warmth, beside the flicker of firelight. Read it and be afraid. Be very afraid. * Globe and Mail *Breathtakingly exciting * Vancouver Sun *A hair-raising tale in which conservation, madness and even murder collide. * Montreal Gazette *Fascinating and compelling plot * Ottawa Citizen *Not so incidentally, if ever a nonfiction author has used the techniques of fiction any better to recount a real-life narrative, it is difficult to imagine who that author would be. * Seattle Times *Part natural history, part Russian history and part thriller; it tells a gripping and gory story of what it's like to stalk - and be stalked by - the largest species of cat still walking the Earth. * National Public Radio (USA) *John Vaillant is a literary shaman. * Quill & Quire *Enthralling * Christian Science Monitor *An extraordinary account of a tracker on the trail of a Siberian man-eating tiger in 1997. Along the way we get a load of tiger facts and a beautiful portrait of a forbidding region. It is a stunning, lovely, lovely book. * Bookseller *Writing in a vigorous, evocative style . . . Vaillant paints a haunting portrait of man's vexed relationship with nature. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisIn the age of big data, no company embodies its promise and its perils more than Palantir. This software firm sells some of the most powerful and dangerous technology in the world, ingesting huge quantities of data and spotting patterns, trends, and connections that would likely elude most people. Apart from Facebook, you’d be hard-pressed to find another tech company that’s making as big of a splash – or fraught with more potential pitfalls. Founded in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terror, Palantir now has more than thirty federal agencies as clients. From climate change and terrorism to poverty to immigration, money laundering, and the future of warfare, Palantir is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the 21st century. At its helm is cofounder and CEO Alex Karp, an atypical tech boss with a law degree from Stanford and a doctorate in social theory from Germany’s Goethe University, yet no background in either computer science

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Book SynopsisIsobel Wylie Hutchison was many things: a botanist, traveller, poet and artist. She travelled solo throughout the arctic collecting plant samples, wrote and published extensive volumes of essays and poetry, and was - in short - one of the most remarkable Scottish figures of her time. However, since her death in 1982 her legacy has been forgotten compared with her male counterparts. Now Isobel can speak for herself again. While better known for her solo journeys across the Arctic, these essays detail Isobel's journeys across Scotland, including visits to Skye, John O' Groats and the various literary shrines across the country. Written with characteristic wit and a keen interest in both science and myth and folklore, the essays serve as important cultural markers not just of Scotland as it was and has developed, but of a woman's experience of travelling alone and a testament to the importance of cultural connection, exploration and communication.

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Book Synopsis This fascinating anthology is a dive into the personal letters of some of the brightest literary minds in history. This collection is a look into the personal lives of some of the world''s most beloved poets, novelists, and playwrights. Take a peek into their correspondence, where you might be surprised what you learn. The letters contain wisdom and life lessons from the likes of John Keats and Oscar Wilde, as well as shared feelings of loneliness from CharlotteBrontë, loss from Ovid, and love from George Eliot. With one letter for every day of the year, you can start or end your day with words from some of the brightest minds that ever put pen to paper. This is a collection with emotional, historical and literary significance, helping us to understand some of our favourites even further. This anthology spans the centuries from the classic to the contemporary, and includes Ignatius Sancho, Jane Austen, William Wordsworth, the Brontës, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, Maya Angelou, and many more.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZEChosen as 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' by Observer, Guardian, Telegraph, Irish Times, New Statesman, Times Literary Supplement, HeraldWhen Olivia Laing moved to New York City in her mid-thirties, she found herself inhabiting loneliness on a daily basis. Increasingly fascinated by this most shameful of experiences, she began to explore the lonely city by way of art. Moving fluidly between the works and lives of some of the city's most compelling artists, Laing conducts an electric, dazzling investigation into what it means to be alone, illuminating not only the causes of loneliness but also how it might be resisted and redeemed.Trade ReviewTriumphant . . . A brave writer whose books open up fundamental questions about life and art * * Telegraph * *Luminously wise and deeply compassionate . . . A fierce and essential work -- HELEN MACDONALD, author of H IS FOR HAWKWonderfully freewheeling . . . Constantly surprising . . . Inspired * * Guardian * *The Lonely City is a stunning homage to how extreme loneliness can make us more hospitable to the strangeness of others - to the risks and innovations of art and artists. Laing has written a classic that will be cherished for years to come -- DEBORAH LEVY, author of SWIMMING HOMEA new kind of literature . . . Endlessly, compulsively fascinating * * New Statesman * *Unusually brave . . . Sublime * * The Times * *Laing cuts close to the bone of a universal yet often unrelatable state * * Financial Times * *A gifted critic and biographer . . . a fascinating, eerie piece of writing * * Sunday Times * *One of the finest writers of the new non-fiction . . . Compelling and original * * Harpers Bazaar * *Exhilarating . . . beautifully integrated, original, compassionate * * Independent * *The Lonely City is continually unexpected, stimulating and beautifully structured. I am in awe of Olivia Laing's insights, braininess and that something that feels like recklessness until it lands -- PETER CAREYA remarkable combination of personal mediation and psychological and artistic inquiry, The Lonely City is always superbly written, fascinating and often sharply moving. Ultimately the book has a paradoxical effect: at the same time as it makes one aware of one's own inescapable solitude, it leaves one feeling less alone -- ADAM FOULDS, author of The Quickening MazeBlisteringly precise . . . Her gift as a critic is her ability to imaginatively sympathize with her subjects in a way that allows the art and life of the artist to go on radiating meaning after the book is closed * * Elle * *Smart and oddly consoling . . . Laing makes the topic her own * * New York Times Book Review * *Considered, authoritative, evocative, empathetic, and full of insight . . . To join Laing in that atmosphere is to enter a world that is at once dark and lambent, and in which loneliness features not just as an eternal fall, but as one of the treasures of what it is to be fully, briefly, human -- MATTHEW ADAMS * * The National * *An uncommonly observant hybrid of memoir, history and cultural criticism . . . a book of extraordinary compassion and insight * * San Francisco Chronicle * *Remarkable . . . a memoir, an essay and a group biography all in one, which takes a difficult, almost taboo subject and deftly turns it over anew * * Evening Standard * *A devastating and intimate examination of urban loneliness. With a unique voice, and painstaking research, Laing explores the dark side of our cities as well as the redemptive power of communities -- GAVIN FRANCIS, author of Adventures in Human BeingAccessible, bright and endlessly thought-provoking . . . a commentator of exceptional heart and voice * * Irish Independent * *Magical . . . reminding us of how it feels to be lonely, this book gently affirms our connectedness * * Boston Globe * *Connecting becomes less intimidating if the fear of failure is removed. This brave book is a step in that direction * * Economist * *Intensely involving and affecting . . . Laing's superb study extends far beyond art criticism * * The Lady * *Part memoir, part treatise on art and geography, Olivia Laing's book looks at loneliness and how public spaces and especially art can cure or calm this very modern condition * * Red * *

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Book Synopsis**One of AudioFile Magazine''s Best Audiobooks of 2019**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe Moment of Lift is an urgent call to courage. It changed how I think about myself, my family, my work, and what's possible in the world. Melinda weaves together vulnerable, brave storytelling and compelling data to make this one of those rare books that you carry in your heart and mind long after the last page. Brené Brown, Ph.D., author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Dare to LeadMelinda Gates has spent many years working with women around the world. This book is an urgent manifesto for an equal society where women are valued and recognized in all spheres of life. Most of all, it is a call for unity, inclusion and connection. We need this message more than ever. Malala YousafzaiMelinda Gates''s book is a lesson in listening. A powerful, poignant, and ultimately humble call to arms. Tara Westover, author of the

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Book SynopsisI looked around and people''s faces were distorted...lights were flashing everywhere...the screen at the end of the room had three or four different films on it at once, and the strobe light was flashing faster than it had been...the band was playing but I couldn''t hear the music...people were dancing...someone came up to me and I shut my eyes and with a machine he projected images on the back of my eye-lids...I sought out a person I trusted and he laughed and told me that the Kool-Aid had been spiked and that I was beginning my first LSD experience...Trade ReviewThe Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is not simply the best book on the hippies, it is the essential book...the pushing, ballooning heart of the matter * New York Times *A life-changer, a rabble-rouser, a mind-blower, a gathering of the tribes, a call to arms, a manifesto for a new society, a car repair manual, a fly-on-the-paisley-patterned-wall account of a cultural revolution – a masterpiece! -- Jarvis CockerElectrifying * San Francisco Chronicle *An amazing book... A book that definitely gives Wolfe the edge on the nonfiction novel * The Village Voice *Every word seems placed with a care and a skill of contrivance... A major journalistic contribution to the future analysis of our own and America's strange period of this century * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisBorn in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire in 1966, musician Rick Astley started his career at the music production company Stock Aitken Waterman. His 1987 debut album, Whenever You Need Somebody, sold 15.2m copies worldwide and made him a household name. Since then he has gone on to release eight studio albums, selling over 40 million records worldwide, and played and toured around the world multiple times, including, in 2024, a sell-out UK arena tour. Never is his first and only official autobiography.

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Book SynopsisA searingly honest memoir from Dexys' iconic frontman, one of the great mavericks and creative geniuses of British music. At home, the prayerful eight-year-old altar boy was planning to attend college to train to be a priest. Elsewhere, he was thieving, lying, swearing, fighting and rarely out of trouble. In this astonishing memoir, Kevin takes us from the juvenile courts of his troubled teenage years to the early days of the New Romantic scene in the late '70s. An unwavering passion for music and highly tuned sense of fashion and style ignited an unstoppable drive within him, compelling him down a path that led to his huge chart successes with Dexys Midnight Runners in the early 1980s. However, despite being celebrated as a creative genius, inner turmoil was never far away, and a terrifying series of self-sabotaging events were to follow including a serious cocaine addiction leaving him in the wilderness in the 1990s, bankrupt, living in a bedsit, on the dole. Always resilient in the face of adversity, after a massive upheaval Kevin found his way back. He charts his return journey, from shocking audiences with his pioneering embrace of gender fluidity with My Beauty, right through to Dexys' triumphant appearance at Glastonbury in 2024. Vividly detailed, and with a truly rare degree of self-insight, this is Kevin's own, deeply personal account of an extraordinary life, raw and unvarnished. A remarkable memoir, as compelling and original as you would expect from one of the pioneering icons of music history.

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Book SynopsisA hybrid of memoir, travel and cultural history that explores how water altered LA and the history of film

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Book SynopsisTHE LANDMARK MEMOIR OF A GLOBAL MUSIC ICONSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021Sinéad O'Connor's voice and trademark shaved head made her famous by the age of twenty-one. Her recording of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' made her a global icon. She outraged millions when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on American television.O'Connor was unapologetic and impossible to ignore, calling out hypocrisy wherever she saw it. She remained that way for over three decades.In her acclaimed No 1 bestselling memoir Rememberings, O'Connor told her story - the heartache of growing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll; the fulfilment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music.Rememberings is intimate, replete with candid anecdotes and full of hard-won insights. It is a unique and remarkable chronicle by a unique and remarkable artist.*****'Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating' Irish Times'Beautifully observed ... lyrical, funny and anguished' Guardian'Her voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read' Michael Stipe'So good, you'll want to read it twice' Sunday Independent'A soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life' BBC Online'Tremendous . . . fierce and funny' Sunday Times Books of the YearTrade ReviewTremendous . . . fierce and funny * Sunday Times Books of the Year *Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating * Irish Times *So good, you'll want to read it twice * Sunday Independent *Beautifully observed . . . lyrical, funny and anguished * Guardian *It is a soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life * BBC Online *Fantastic . . . the way it's written is f**kin' beautiful . . . go out and get it -- Blindboy BoatclubHer voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read -- Michael StipeDevastating, wise, hilarious and original -- Róisín IngleA terrific book . . . absolutely brilliant -- Brendan O'ConnorO'Connor gets you onside so completely with her direct narrative, you feel you could be in the same room as her * Sunday Times *Rememberings offers O'Connor's very personal version of events, a tale of maternal and institutional abuse that might be a misery memoir, if it weren't related with such eccentric charm and cheery fortitude * Daily Telegraph *From wild youth to troubled adulthood, this memoir is a blast of chaos * Times *Utterly brilliant -- Paul HowardAstonishing. Staggering -- Rob DelaneySuperb . . . fantastic * Irish Daily Star *Beautifully written * VIP *Honest and illuminating * Irish Independent *Rememberings is an electrifying reminder of the importance of [O'Connor's] voice * Business Post *O'Connor brings everything to this memoir * Financial Times *Incendiary * i *Astonishingly good, wise and hilarious -- Louise NealonCandid, open-hearted . . . a lot of self-deprecation, a lot of laughs, and a measure of honesty that would put most of us to shame * Anglo-Celt *Genuinely incredible . . . [Rememberings is] suffused with humour and forgiveness * Guardian *There's nothing conventional about Sinéad O'Connor and there's little conventional about her memoir either. . . She writes with searing honesty and plenty of wit * Independent *Her complicated life makes for riveting reading. From ripping up photographs of the Pope on prime time US television and her mental health struggles to a rollercoaster spiritual quest, she has never been afraid to be fearless * iNews *

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Book SynopsisThe murders in London between 1888-91 attributed to Jack the Ripper constitute one of the most mysterious unsolved criminal cases. This story is the result of many years meticulous research. The author reassesses all the evidence and challenges everything we thought we knew about the Victorian serial killer and the vanished East End he terrorized.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisBestselling Danish author and practical mystic Lars Muhl looks back over the crucial events of his vivid life and explains how a series of visions and profound experiences have shaped his outlook and his teachingOver the years via his many books published by Watkins, Danish mystic Lars Muhl has become a leading spiritual teacher in the English-speaking world. This is intended as his last mainstream title and it gathers many of the exercises and the stories he has developed and told over the years, including encountering Jesus (who he calls by his Aramaic name Yeshua) in a Danish church and being comforted by his Guardian Angel after a car crash.His little sister died when he was young and from then he discovered a mysterious way of “seeing” and reading energies. Later on, he becomes a pop star and his early tour of Israel is the beginning of a journey where he later visits the remote cave at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were first found seventy years ago. It dawns on him that he had a past life as an Essene in the Holy Land at the time of Jesus/Yeshua, and he learns Aramaic, the language spoken there at the time.This means that he can shed a bright and refreshing light on what was taught in the Gospels. There are also several spiritual practices threaded through the book and, at the end, an entire chapter of transformative techniques. He also gives a comforting account of the process of dying. Overall the book is a profound summation of his mystical outlook, and it opens the way for us to experience this liberating God Consciousness for ourselves.

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Book SynopsisLewis Hamilton's explosive arrival on the Formula 1 scene has made front-page headlines. In My Story, for the first time Lewis opens up about his stunning debut season in grand prix racing, as well as his dad Anthony, his home life and his early years. The only book with the real story, as told by Lewis.In his first season in F1, Lewis Hamilton thrilled the world of motor racing by finishing on the podium in his first nine consecutive races the first driver to do so in the sport''s 57-year history and drove to victories in Canada, America, Hungary and Japan. But bare statistics alone do scant justice to the amazing impact Lewis Hamilton has had on the sporting landscape. My Story gives the real account from Lewis himself, as he sets the record straight about his colourful life on and off the track.Given a grounded upbringing by his dedicated father in unremarkable Stevenage, Lewis tells about how he first tried out go-karting while on a cut-price family holiday in Ibiza. In his book he gives the real version of events at a motor sport dinner where, as a nine-year-old wearing a borrowed suit, he approached McLaren team boss Ron Dennis with the immortal words that were to change his life forever.He rose rapidly through the Junior and Formula ranks, dominating every series with his raw speed and canny race craft. Here Lewis candidly recalls those key moments that shaped his career and went some way towards compensating for the sacrifices made by his father Anthony in getting his son to the top.Lewis also charts how he got into the sport and was signed up by Ron Dennis, what motivates him, who are his closest friends, how he copes with the constant travelling, and the physical and mental challenges of driving a state-of-the-art Formula 1 car. He looks back in detail at the 2007 World Championship the race wins, the frightening crash in Germany, his intense rivalry with team-mate Fernando Alonso, his special relationship with Ron Dennis, and the furore over the Ferrari allegations right up to the dramatic last race of the season in Brazil.Trade Review‘Lewis will create the benchmark for a whole generation of drivers…He is already turning television viewers back on to motor racing’ Jackie Stewart ‘Lewis Hamilton is a phenomenon – nobody has come into the sport and done what he’s done’ Murray Walker Few 22-year-olds have achieved enough to warrant 290 pages of reminiscence, but Hamilton is the exeption.' 'Hamilton is not only outstandingly gifted as a racing driver, he is genuinely articulate and charming.' The Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisFlutter is a memoir about how the author fell in love with a secret gambler, and their journey to be free of this addiction.Dianne has recreated Tony's voice from her memories of him, supplemented by his diaries and notes, so the story is told from two points of view.

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Book SynopsisOver sixty years after Virginia Woolf drowned in the River Ouse, Olivia Laing set out one midsummer morning to walk its banks, from source to sea. Along the way, she explores the roles that rivers play in human lives, tracing their intricate flow through literature, mythology and folklore.Lyrical and stirring, To the River is a passionate investigation into how history resides in a landscape - and how ghosts never quite leave the places they love.Trade ReviewA beautifully written, elegant and subtle debut * * Financial Times * *A gentle, wise and riddling book -- ROBERT MACFARLANEMagical . . . By turns lyrical, melancholic and exultant, To the River just makes you want to follow Olivia Laing all the way to the sea -- PHILIP HOARE * * Daily Telegraph * *A beautifully written meditation on landscape * * The Sunday Times * *Wonderfully allusive . . . The book's subject and structure fuse pleasingly, weaving and meandering, pooling into biographical, mythical or historical backwaters * * Observer * *Without wanting to sound gushing, her writing at its sublime best reminds me of Richard Mabey's nature prose and the poetry of Alice Oswald . . . Laing seems to lack a layer of skin, rendering her susceptible to the smallest vibrations of the natural world as well as to the frailties of the human psyche * * The Times * *Has a Sebaldian edge to it that lifts it out of memoir and biography and into something far more tantalizing and suggestive * * Guardian * *This hugely accomplished first book draws on local lore and history, a vast range of research and some soaring lyrical writing * * Sunday Times * *Olivia Laing joins the best nature writers . . . Laing is a brilliant wordsmith and this is a beautifully accomplished book * * Independent * *Brave, distinctive, and deeply intelligent . . . The book has an intense, humming, cumulative effect * * Literary Review * *

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