Biography Books

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Book SynopsisDANNY ROBINS is an award-winning British writer, broadcaster and journalist. He created the hit BBC podcasts The Battersea Poltergeist, Uncanny and The Witch Farm, and the Olivier Award-nominated West End play 2:22 - A Ghost Story, which is now playing in countries around the world. He has created and written various shows for TV and radio, including the BAFTA-nominated series Young Dracula for BBC1. The TV series of Uncanny will be broadcast on BBC 2 later this year.Most impressively though, he came second in the UK Air Guitar Championship (he was robbed) and he bizarrely once had a Number 11 hit single by accident. Ask him about it when you see him.

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Book Synopsis'A compelling account of a compulsory subject ... A masterpiece of compression and readability' Daniel Finkelstein'A deft, clear-eyed summary of Thatcher's life' Rory Stewart'Iain Dale introduces Margaret Thatcher to a new generation and intelligently explodes some of the myths about her' Simon HefferMargaret Thatcher was a woman of tremendous paradoxes: a conviction politician who was also a pragmatist; someone who delighted in her tough reputation, yet could also be emotional, and even tearful, when confronted by personal or national tragedy. Her reputation as a cabinet leader was one of being quasi-dictatorial, yet she left her ministers to get on with their jobs far more than any of her successors ever have. She was known as a classical laissez faire liberal, yet she started out as a social conservative, and wasn't averse to state intervention when she felt it was warranted. Iain Dale's sparkling short biography of Margaret Thatcher brings her to life in all her paradoxes and contradictions, and shows how her election in 1979 really was a turning point in British history. Dubbed the Iron Lady' by the Soviets, she was one of the few recent prime ministers to burnish an international reputation, fighting the Falklands war, playing a leading role in defeating Communism and winning the Cold War, and through her battles with the European Economic Community. Domestically, she ushered in a period of forty years of consensus on the limited role of the state, an industrial relations settlement and the dominance of the private sector in the economy a settlement that is only now being seriously questioned. A little over a decade after her death, Margaret Thatcher introduces her to new generations of readers who may not remember her premiership, but who are living with its consequences.

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Book SynopsisThe follow-up to the BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week Other MindsA Times and Sunday Times Book of the YearA Waterstones Best Book of 2020The scuba-diving philosopher explores the origins of animal consciousness.Dip below the ocean's surface and you are soon confronted by forms of life that could not seem more foreign to our own: sea sponges, soft corals and flower-like worms, whose rooted bodies and intricate geometry are more reminiscent of plant life than anything recognisably animal. Yet these creatures are our cousins. As fellow members of the animal kingdom the Metazoa they can teach us about the evolutionary origins of not only our bodies, but also our minds.In his acclaimed book, Other Minds, Peter Godfrey-Smith explored the mind of the octopus the closest thing to an intelligent alien on Earth. In Metazoa, he expands his inquiry to animals at large, investigating the evolution of experience with the assistance of far-flung species. Godfrey-Smith shows that the appearance of the Trade ReviewA Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year A BBC Science Focus Book of the Month ‘This gentle approach won a wide readership for Godfrey-Smith’s last book and deserves to do the same for this. But perhaps his exploratory style is well-suited, not just to the general reader, but to the problem of consciousness itself’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Enthralling … A rather winning combination of not once ever making readers feel as if they are being lectured to; rather, it is the sensation of joining a wise, ever-patient friend on a time-traveling tour of the cognitive experiences of animals … Metazoa brings an extraordinary and astute look at our own mind’s essential link to the animal world’ Aimee Nezhukumatathil, New York Times ‘A profound scientific drama, in which the lives of quite un-human creatures illuminate deep mysteries about the nature of sentience, and what it means to possess a mind … In Metazoa, the scuba-diving historian and philosopher of science tackles these questions with eloquent boldness … As in Other Minds, Mr Godfrey-Smith recounts close encounters with marine fauna, gleaned from years of diving off the Australian coast. These have an electric immediacy … Evocative [and] gripping’ Barbara Kiser, Wall Street Journal ‘Peter Godfrey-Smith's new book Metazoa is, like his last one, not only deeply interesting but beautifully written. Also, it finally taught me how to pronounce "cnidarian" properly’ Philip Ball ‘Peter Godfrey-Smith writes and thinks like no one else that I know of. He’s well immersed in the science of life, a deep-diver into the philosophical implications of the factual world – and a writer so skillful he can give a reader chills. Metazoa is his deepest dive to date on what life is’ Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild

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Book Synopsis‘Fabulous. I read this in a single weekend and I didn’t want it to end. Scammers, con-artists, catfishers – you have met your match’ Jeremy Vine‘A brilliant read. Moves effortlessly between hilarious and informative and back again’ Ed Byrne, comedian and actor'Astonishing' Daily MailOnline romance fraud is a problem across the globe. It causes financial and emotional devastation, yet many people refuse to take it seriously. This is the story of one middle-aged woman in a cardigan determined to understand this growing phenomenon.No other woman has had so many online romances – from Keanu Reeves to Brad Pitt to Prince William – and Becky Holmes is a favourite among peacekeeping soldiers and oil rig workers who desperately need iTunes vouchers. By winding up scammers and investigating the truth behind their profiles, Becky shines a revealing, revolting and hilarious light on a very shady corner of the internet.Featuring first-hand accounts of victims, examples of scripts used by fraudsters, a look into the psychology of fraud and of course plenty of Becky’s hysterical interactions with scammers, this is a must-read for anyone who needs a reminder that Keanu Reeves is NOT in love with them.Trade Review ‘I knew Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love With You by Becky Holmes would be hilarious because I’ve been following her interactions with romance scammers on Twitter for a while. What I wasn’t prepared for was that it would also be eye opening and sometimes heartbreaking. A fabulous and – dare I say it – important read’ Jane Fallon, bestselling author of Worst Idea Ever ‘Fabulous. I read this in a single weekend and I didn’t want it to end. Scammers, con-artists, catfishers – you have met your match. At last the web-bastards get their just deserts’ Jeremy Vine, TV and radio broadcaster ‘This book is a total blast! Vitally informative and extremely funny, it had me gripped like a very fine thriller’ Peter James, bestselling author ‘An extraordinary book, where a solid comic concept transforms into a thoughtful examination of the scammers and the scammed and how our need for love can be exploited. I thought I was getting a book I could laugh at on the toilet, but was instead forced to examine the human condition and my own frailties. What a scam!’ Richard Herring, comedian and writer ‘I knew this book was going to be really funny, but I hadn’t expected it to also be such a thoughtful and disturbing examination of the sad, seedy and scary world of online romance scammers. Becky’s a brave woman, taking on these pests so we don’t have to’ Charlie Higson, author and comedian ‘A funny, sweary, absurd delight that knows just when to take the subject seriously too. I loved it’ Dave Gorman, comedian and presenter ‘A hilarious and timely guide on how to fend off online scammers from someone prepared to take them on at their own game and deliver some richly deserved justice’ Simon Kernick, thriller writer ‘A brilliant read. Moves effortlessly between hilarious and informative and back again’ Ed Byrne, comedian and actor ‘Clever, pertinent and very, very funny ... Striking journalism’ Daniel Finkelstein, columnist for The Times 'Astonishing' Daily Mail 'A revealing, revolting look into the world of romance fraud . . . Entertaining . . . Holmes writes in the sort of jolly, happily vulgar register popularised by Caitlin Moran' Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis***FEATURED ON BBC 2''s BETWEEN THE COVERS WITH SARA COX***The Faber Book of Reportage is John Carey''s remarkable collection of eyewitness accounts that draws on the voices and emotions of the people who experienced some of history''s most memorable events.''Stunning . . . There are descriptions in this book so fresh that they sear themselves into the imagination.''JEREMY PAXMAN''Fascinating - there's funny stuff, interesting stuff, loads of brilliant stuff really.''JO BRAND (on BBC 2''s Between the Covers)What was it like to be caught in the firestorm that destroyed Pompeii? To have dinner with Attila the Hun? To watch the charge of the Light Brigade? To see the Titanic slide beneath the waves? John Carey''s best-selling Faber Book of Reportage draws its eyewitness account from memoirs, travel books and newspapers. This is history with the varnish removed.

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Book SynopsisOver the last fifteen years of his life, Tolstoy collected and published the maxims of some of the world’s greatest masters of philosophy, religion and literature, adding his own contributions to various questions that preoccupied him in old age, such as faith and existence, as well as matters of everyday life. Banned in Russia under Communism, A Calendar of Wisdom was Tolstoy’s last major work, and one of his most popular both during and after his lifetime. This new translation by Roger Cockrell will offer today’s generation of readers the chance to discover, day by day, these edifying and carefully selected pearls of wisdom.Trade ReviewSomeone who can see so much and so fully does not need to invent anything; someone who observes so poetically does not need to compose anything. For Tolstoy beauty and truth are one and the same thing. -- Stefan Zweig

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Book SynopsisAs featured on The Joe Rogan Experience______________________________A journalist's twenty-year obsession with the Manson murders leads to shocking new conspiracy theories about the FBI's involvement in this fascinating re-evaluation of one of the most infamous cases in American history.Twenty years ago, reporting for a routine magazine piece about the infamous Manson murders, journalist Tom O'Neill didn't expect to find anything new. But the discovery of horrifying new evidence kick-started an obsession and his life's work. What had he unearthed and what did it mean: why was there surveillance by intelligence agents? Why did the police make these particular mistakes and why did Tom's greatest ally in this fight turn into his biggest foe? Chaos is an explosive read that will shock, grip and change our understanding of a case that has haunted the world for over fifty years.______________________________'Riveting ... Sensational revelations ... True crime fans will be enthralled.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'[Full of] scandalous findings ... to me it seems only too plausible. O'Neill's intricately sinister 'secret history' often sounds incredible; that doesn't mean that it's not all true.' OBSERVER'Tantalizing ... Founded on prodigious research ... O'Neill's 20-year investigation reads like a thriller.' LOS ANGELES TIMESTrade ReviewO’Neill's investigations started twenty years ago…and they have continued ever since … His research monomaniacally took over his life … [Full of] scandalous findings … As it develops, O'Neill's tale embroils an increasingly stellar cast of accomplices or enablers … No unified field theory of malfeasance would be complete without a link to the JFK assassination and the ensuing cover-up. O’Neill supplies one, and to me it seems only too plausible. Inevitably there are contemporary resonances … O’Neill's intricately sinister ‘secret history’ often sounds incredible; that doesn't mean that it's not all true. * Observer *Chaos explodes a bomb under Manson’s Helter Skelter race war … Tantalizing … Founded on prodigious research, it convincingly impugns key tenets of Bugliosi’s [Helter Skelter] narrative and exhumes a trove of provocative data … Explosive revelations … O’Neill’s 20-year investigation reads like a thriller with overtones of Philip Marlowe. * Los Angeles Times *A kaleidoscope swirl of weird discoveries and mind-bending hypotheticals that reads like Raymond Chandler. * New York Times *A 20-year quest for the truth may have not found any definitive answers — but it definitely changes the story … Chaos offers a slew of newly reported information that proves one thing: There’s more to it than we thought. * Rolling Stone *Whatever you think you know about the Manson murders is wrong. Just flat out wrong. Tom O’Neill’s twenty years of meticulous research has unearthed revelations about the murders, the murderers, the prosecutors who tried them and a rogues gallery of cops, drug dealers, bent doctors, famous celebrities, grotesque government research, secret agents and shadowy figures in a conspiracy/cover up so sweeping and bizarre, you’ll be as astounded as you are terrified. If your friends call you paranoid, maybe they’re just ignorant.

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Book SynopsisIN 12 YEARS, MICHELLE LYONS WITNESSED NEARLY 300 EXECUTIONS.As a reporter and then spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Michelle was a frequent visitor to Huntsville's Walls Unit, where she recorded the final moments of death row inmates' lives before they were put to death by the state. Michelle witnessed some of the most notorious criminals, including serial killers, child murderers and rapists, speak their last words on earth, while a cocktail of lethal drugs surged through their veins.Misgivings began to set in as the execution numbers mounted. She came to know and like some of the condemned people she saw die, and began to query the seemingly arbitrary nature of the death penalty. Do executions actually make victims of us all?'Haunting, dark and hard to put down' Houston Chronicle'A portrait of what it's like to be surrounded by death... a memoir of perseverance in the face of routine tragedy' The Daily Beast

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Book SynopsisNiki Lauda drove a car for sport, but crossed the line between life and death and fought back to even greater glory. Even people who know nothing of Formula One have heard of his crash at Nurburgring in 1976, when we was dragged from the inferno of his Ferrari so badly injured he was given the last rites. Within 33 days, he was racing again at Monza. His wounds bled, he had no eyelids. He was terrified. A year later, he reclaimed his World Championship title.In To Hell and Back he reveals how he battled fear to stage a comeback that seemed beyond human endurance. Then it’s Lauda vs Hunt, an epic rivalry later dramatized in 2013’s Hollywood blockbuster Rush, and he looks back on the strict childhood and parental disapproval that he believes gave him an ‘addiction to excellence’. There’ll never be another like him.

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Book SynopsisA 1000-PIECE PUZZLE inspired by the life and works of the Brontë family. The perfect challenge for book lovers - or anyone who loves a good jigsaw.ALL YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS can be found hidden in this detailed puzzle, as well as some real-life historical figures who played a part in their lives.INCLUDES A PULL-OUT POSTER identifying all the characters and telling their talesTHE WORLD OF... JIGSAWS are a fun way of celebrating the lives and works of creative greats. Also available in the series: The World of Frida Kahlo, The World of Shakespeare, The World of Jane AustenSCREEN-FREE FUN from one of the world''s leading publishers of books and gifts on the creative arts. Laurence King Publishing works with some of the world''s best illustrators, designers, artists, and photographers to create beautifully produced books and gifts which are acclaimed for their inventiveness, beautiful design and a

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Book Synopsis''A Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac'' Washington Post''It''s true; Marxists just wanna have fun... a revolutionary bestseller'' GuardianAt the age of twenty-three, Ernesto ''Che'' Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado set out from their native Argentina to explore their continent, with only a single 1939 Norton motorcycle to carry them, nicknamed La Poderosa (''the powerful one''). They travelled not to visit the usual tourist attractions, but to meet ordinary people and understand Latin American life. In amidst the tales of youthful adventures - of women, wine, thrilling escapes and the power of friendship - the young Che also learns first-hand about poverty, philosophy and philosophy and forms himself into the man who would become the world''s most famous and admired revolutionary and freedom fighter. ''For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader. By the end of the journey, a politicized Guevara has emerged to predict his own legendary future'' TimeTrade ReviewIt's true; Marxists just wanna have fun...A revolutionary bestseller * Guardian *For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader. By the end of the journey, a politicized Guevara has emerged to predict his own legendary future * Time *The vision of the noble loner, whether freedom-fighter or biker...gives hope to world-weary revolutionaries and non-revolutionaries alike. * Telegraph *A Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac * Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION* 'Extraordinary' Kate Mosse 'Electric' Lemn Sissay 'Searing' Julia Samuel One Omaha winter day in 1978, when Debora Harding was just fourteen, she was abducted at knife-point, thrown into a van, assaulted, held for ransom, and left to die. But what if this wasn't the most traumatic, defining event in her childhood? Undertaking a radical project, Debora Harding dexterously shifts between the past and present to unravel her story. From the immediate aftermath to the possibility of restorative justice twenty years later, Dancing with the Octopus lays bare the social and political forces that act upon us after the experience of serious crime. A vivid, sly and intimate portrait of one family's disintegration, this is a darkly humorous and ground-breaking narrative of reckoning and recovery.Trade ReviewA searing literary work that will help many of us see trauma in a different light. In strong and powerful prose Debora Harding shows us what it means to move forward through grief. -- Julia Samuel, author of * This Too Shall Pass *Dancing with the Octopus is a brave and authentic picture of the tailwinds of trauma, the limits of human forgiveness and what it takes to maintain hope in a world bent on breaking us. Highly readable, and deeply moving. -- Rachel Louise Snyder, award-winning author of * No Visible Bruises *A gripping account of one woman's confrontation with the terror and heartbreak of her past. Harding combines true crime and family saga to illustrate the aftershocks of trauma, and the courage, tenderness, and humor that recovery requires. -- Melissa Febos, author of * Abandon Me *Debora Harding writes with a stunningly original mixture of insight, wit, and humanity about a life packed with so much drama, loss and resilience that you can't believe its not an epic work of fiction. -- Kate Weinberg, author of * The Truants *Extraordinary, so powerful and like nothing I've read. Astonishing book. It deserves to be the most massive hit. -- Kate MosseI have just finished reading Dancing with the Octopus... You are lucky! The electricity of this true crime memoir awaits you. -- Lemn Sissay (via Twitter)Debora Harding's book is a beautiful and exacting monument to resilience and recovery -- Jessamy Calkin * Daily Telegraph *It's as gripping as any thriller and as moving as any novel you're ever likely to read. -- Paul Chahidi (via Twitter)Incredible ... a memoir like few others ... seek it out -- Jane Garvey * Woman's Hour *Darkly humorous . . . Harding draws a complex web of interlinked experiences to show how suffering can set up shop for good in a family and a town * CrimeReads - Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020 *Gripping ... written with such a light touch that you are drawn in straight away from the moment you open it -- Jeremy Vine * BBC Radio 2 *A sharp, compelling recollection of abuse, gaslighting, and the process of trauma... Ultimately, Dancing with the Octopus is a book about telling and the power of retelling-an act carried out with wit, grace, and humour by an author of her own narrative truth * Cambridge Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisRobin Ince is a comedian, actor and writer. The Guardian once declared him a becardiganed polymath' which seems about right. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including The Importance of Being Interested and I'm a Joke and So Are You. With Professor Brian Cox, he created and presents the award-winning BBC Radio 4 show The Infinite Monkey Cage, which ranks among the most popular science podcasts worldwide. He also won Celebrity Mastermind but forgot that calcium was the dominant element of chalk. After being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 52, he finally has an excuse.

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Book SynopsisFrancoise Gilot was a young painter in Pasis when she first met Picasso - he was sixty-two and she was twenty-one. During the following ten years they were lovers, worked closely together and she became mother to two of his children, Claude and Paloma. Life with Picasso, her account of those extraordinary years, is filled with intimate and astonishing revelations about the man, his work, his thoughts and his friends - Matisse, Braque, Gertrude Stein and Giacometti among others. Francois Gilot paints a compelling portrait of her turbulent life with the temperamental genius that was Picasso.She is a superb witness to Picasso as an artist and to his views on art.Trade Review[Gilot's] recall of his [Picasso's] discussions about art, details of private visits to friends such as Matisse, Braque and Giacometti, and her intimate understanding of his temperament, make this work unique * DAILY TELEGRAPH *This memoir is both a vivd portrait of a monstrously difficult man and a brilliant depiction of a great artist at work * NEW YORK TIMES *... no-one in the Picasso entourage was so close to him... fascinating. * Tim Hilton *

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Book SynopsisWith an Introduction by Angus Calder. As Angus Calder states in his introduction to this edition, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom is one of the major statements about the fighting experience of the First World War'. Lawrence's younger brothers, Frank and Will, had been killed on the Western Front in 1915. Seven Pillars of Wisdom, written between 1919 and 1926, tells of the vastly different campaign against the Turks in the Middle East - one which encompasses gross acts of cruelty and revenge and ends in a welter of stink and corpses in the disgusting 'hospital' in Damascus. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is no Boys Own Paper tale of Imperial triumph, but a complex work of high literary aspiration which stands in the tradition of Melville and Dostoevsky, and alongside the writings of Yeats, Eliot and Joyce.

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Book SynopsisFrom the legendary author Edmund White, a stunning, revelatory memoir of a lifetime of gay love and sex.

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Book SynopsisNo man is an island, wrote John Donne. BBC Home Editor Mark Easton argues the opposite: that we are all islands, and it is upon the contradictory shoreline where isolation meets connectedness, where 'us' meets 'them', that we find out who we truly are. Suggesting that a continental bias has blinded us, Easton chronicles a sweep of 250 million years of island history: from Pangaea (the supercontinent mother of all islands) to the first intrepid islanders pointing their canoes over the horizon, from exploration to occupation, exploitation to liberation, a hopeful journey to paradise and a chastening reminder of our planet's fragility. But that is only half of this mesmerising book: aided by the muse he names Pangaea, Easton also interweaves reflections on what he calls 'the psychological islands that form the great archipelago of humankind'. Taking readers on an enchanting adventure, he illustrates how understanding islands and island syndrome might help humanity get closer to the truth about itself. Brave, intelligent and haunting, Islands is a deep dive into geography, myth, literature, politics and philosophy that reveals nothing less than a map of the human heart.

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Book Synopsis'Late Light brings the refreshing perspective of someone who goes from seeing England as a foreign place to someone who deeply studies its secret wonders. An astonishing read.' - Amy Liptrot, The OutrunThis is a book about falling in love with vanishing thingsLate Light is the story of Michael Malay's own journey, an Indonesian Australian making a home for himself in England and finding strange parallels between his life and the lives of the animals he examines. Mixing natural history with memoir, this book explores the mystery of our animal neighbours, in all their richness and variety. It is about the wonder these animals inspired in our ancestors, the hope they inspire in us, and the joy they might still hold for our children.Late Light is about migration, belonging and extinction. Through the close examination of four particular 'unloved' animals - eels, moths, crickets and mussels - Michael Ma

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Book SynopsisWaris Dirie (the name means desert flower) lives a double life - by day she is a famous model and UN spokeswoman on women's rights in Africa, at night she dreams of her native Somalia. Waris, one of 12 children, was born into a traditional family of desert nomads in East Africa. She remembers her early childhood as carefree- racing camels and moving on with her family to the next grazing spot - until it came her turn to meet the old woman who administered the ancient custom imposed on most Somalian girls: circumcision. Waris suffered this torture when she was just five years old. Then, aged 12, when her father attempted to arrange a marriage with a 60 year old stranger in exchange for five camels - she took flight. After an extraordinary escape through the dangerous desert she made her way to London and worked as a maid for the Somalian ambassador until that family returned home. Penniless and speaking little English, she became a janitor in McDonalds where she was famously discovered by a fashion photographer. Her story is a truly inspirational and extraordinary self-portrait of a remarkable woman whose spirit is as breathtaking as her beauty.Trade ReviewWaris's story is one of remarkable courage. From the deserts of Somalia to the world of high fashion ... she emerges a real champion. She is the most beautiful inspiration to anyone * ELTON JOHN *A story that traverses continents, spans worlds of human experience and human pain ... Waris Dirie was a victim once, but she never will be again * EXPRESS *She was circumcised at five, fled an arranged marriage at 12, then became a Pirelli girl in her teens. Now, at twenty-eight, Waris Dirie is an ambassador for the UN. Her mission? To rid Africa of its most barbaric ritual * OBSERVER *Dirie's story is an extraordinary one. * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Notable BookA New York Times Editors'' ChoiceA New York Post Best Book of the YearAn Amazon Best Biography/Memoir''Hilarious and harrowing, and hard to put down'' Christopher Buckley, author of Thank You for Smoking''Might be a career-destroying book... highly enjoyable'' Daily Telegraph''A spin doctor to the rich and corrupt spills his secrets... starts with the crack of a Jack Reacher thriller'' The New York TimesThe man who used to pull the strings of the global media is now pulling back the curtain: a bridge-burning, riotous confession by a top PR operative who exposes the secrets of the $129-billion industry that controls so much of what we see and hear in the media.After nearly two decades in the PR business, Phil Elwood wants to come clean, by exposing the dark underbelly of the very industry that''s made him so successful. The first step is revealing exactly what he''s been up to for the past twenty years - and it isn''t pretty.From helping win the Qatar World Cup bid, to a four-day Las Vegas bacchanal with a dictator''s son, and helping to land a Middle Eastern dictator''s wife a glowing profile in Vogue at the same time the Arab Spring broke out, Elwood reveals all his slippery tricks for seducing journalists in order to create chaos and cover for politicians, dictators and spies.But as Phil moved up the ranks, he felt worse and worse about the sleaziness of it all - and his role in it - until he received a shocking wake-up call from the FBI. This risky game nearly cost Phil his life and his freedom. Seeing the light, he has decided to tell the full truth about who is the worst human._____''A rollicking, unexpectedly affecting story. . . It''s going to be one of the big, buzzy Beltway books of the year.'' Politico''Phil Elwood has written a book about his Washington life that''s part therapy, part cautionary tale ? and quite funny . . . What makes Elwood''s story stand out from the typical Washington read is that his personal demons are so intertwined with his professional choices . . . Elwood''s prose is zippy, even Sorkin-esque, and he relishes dark humor.'' The Washington Post''If Hunter S. Thompson billed clients by the hour, it would look like All The Worst Humans by Phil Elwood. The pacing and storytelling propel the book''s epic sweep across the darkside of DC and global hotspots. Even the most experienced in PR will learn things they did not know, and Elwood''s gripping personal story is an unexpected and wild ride.'' Bill McCarren, former Executive Director, National Press Club''A lively, often hilarious, blood-chilling tale.'' Sam Kashner, Air Mail''A redemption story about becoming a better human, a story Elwood tells with vulnerability, heart, and brutal honesty.'' James Kirchick, New York Times bestselling author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington''An exhilarating ride through the underbelly of global power structures.'' Ben Smith, author of Traffic and editor in chief of Semafor''I raced through this book and was gripped by every page.'' Sophie Heawood

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Book Synopsis'This book will shake your brain and make your soul scream. I am so ready for myself after reading this book!' Adele'Untamed will liberate women - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It is phenomenal.' Elizabeth Gilbert, author of City of Girls and Eat Pray LoveWho were you before the world told you who to be? Part inspiration, part memoir, Untamed explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet the expectations of the world, and instead dare to listen to and trust in the voice deep inside us. From the beloved New York Times bestselling author, speaker and activist Glennon Doyle.*****For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There. She. Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high but soon she realised they had come to her from within. This was the voice she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions and social conditioning. Glennon decided to let go of the world's expectations of her and reclaim her true untamed self. Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanising wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is also the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honour our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts.Untamed shows us how to be brave. And, as Glennon insists, 'The braver we are, the luckier we get.'Trade ReviewThis book will shake your brain and make your soul scream. I am so ready for myself after reading this book! * Adele *Remarkable ... Untamed arrived in my lap at exactly the right moment. A time and age where I'm constantly considering my own authenticity and confidence to simply be me. * Fearne Cotton *Untamed will liberate women - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It is phenomenal. * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of City of Girls and Eat Pray Love *What an absolute guru of a woman ... Untamed is a sort of memoir, but unlike any you've ever read before ... Reading it is like receiving an intravenous drip of fist-pumping, adrenalised RIGHTNESS. * Elizabeth Day, author of How To Fail *This memoir is so packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today, what it means to be 'good' and what women will do in order to be loved. I swear I highlighted something in EVERY chapter. * Reese Witherspoon *

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Book SynopsisTHE REAL STORY OF BLAIR ''PADDY'' MAYNE, ENDORSED BY THE MAYNE FAMILY Summer 1944: the SAS were charged with the most crucial D-Day missions, taking on the might of the Nazi Reich deep behind enemy lines.Facing Hitler''s fearsome Panzer divisions with little more than raw courage and their nimble Willys jeeps, it would take maverick thinking and unconventional warfare to survive and overcome. Hunted at every turn, Blair ''Paddy'' Mayne''s SAS would face a bitter and bloody struggle to topple the enemy. Drawing on never-before-seen archive material, bestselling military historian Damien Lewis brings to life the incredible efforts of the SAS as they dared all to bring the war to its close. Praise for Damien Lewis'' books: ''A convincing insight into the terror and adrenaline rush of war'' - Mail on Sunday ''Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller'' - Lee Child''One of the most remarkable stories in the history of Special Forces'' operations'' - Daily Express''A howitzer of a tale'' - Daily Mail''Absolutely gripping'' - Times Radio''Riveting. Extraordinary'' - Dan Snow''An incredible story, and so well told'' - Bear Grylls''Honesty, integrity and real experience that puts you in the thick of the action'' - Billy Billingham

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Book Synopsis'Utterly gripped' Hilary MantelCharles Moore's bestselling and definitive biography of Britain's first female Prime Minister, now in a single volumeWith unparalleled authority and dramatic detail, Charles Moore's definitive biography of Margaret Thatcher presents the whole history of the woman who transformed Britain and the world. With unique access to Thatcher's private and governmental papers and extensive interviews with her, her family, and colleagues, Moore gives readers an unsurpassed portrait of her early years, her rise to power and her revolutionary eleven and a half years as Prime Minister. He guides us through her economic battles to her zenith at the Falklands crisis, her extraordinary three election victories and her dramatic final days in office. Moore describes her sometimes combative relationships with senior colleagues especially Geoffrey Howe, Nigel Lawson and Michael Heseltine - who contributed both to her rise and to her fall. He portrays the strength and importance of her relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, while offering a candid account of their difficulties. He also brilliantly conveys Thatcher's pivotal role on the world stage including in the ending of the Cold War, the fierce battle over the future of Europe, and her relationships with Reagan, Gorbachev, Bush, Kohl and Mandela. He shows how she was a pioneer of privatization, which has since been copied all over the world, and as the first leader of a major state to understand climate change. He explains how Thatcherism' became a set of ideas both welcomed and contested across the world. Throughout, Moore illuminates the complexities of Thatcher's character her determination, boldness and the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated political world - but is by no means uncritical. He shows what was remarkable about her and what was infuriating, her extraordinary strengths and sometimes surprising vulnerability. This edition, published to mark the centenary of Thatcher's birth, combines the insights of the original three volumes, providing a comprehensive portrait of one of the most influential figures of her age, whose life reminds us today of the power of great leadership.

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Book SynopsisRead this meditative and inspiring diary of Derek Jarman's famous garden at Dungeness, which is also a powerful account of his life as an HIV positive man in the 1980s. In 1986 Derek Jarman discovered he was HIV positive and decided to make a garden at his cottage on the barren coast of Dungeness. Facing an uncertain future, he nevertheless found solace in nature, growing all manner of plants. While some perished beneath wind and sea-spray others flourished, creating brilliant, unexpected beauty in the wilderness. Modern Nature is both a diary of the garden and a meditation by Jarman on his own life: his childhood, his time as a young gay man in the 1960s, his renowned career as an artist, writer and film-maker. It is at once a lament for a lost generation, an unabashed celebration of gay sexuality, and a devotion to all that is living. 'An essential - urgent - book for the 21st Century' Hans Ulrich Obrist This new edition features an introduction from Olivia Laing, the author of CrudoTrade ReviewThe most beautiful & furious book of all time -- Olivia LaingAn essential – urgent – book for the 21st Century -- Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine GalleryA marvellous, moving book * Sunday Telegraph *Jarman gave his garden a certain narrative; perhaps he treated it a bit like a film or theatre set. His films were visionary, eccentric, romantic and rebellious, all of which could also be said about his garden * Guardian *It's hard not to warm to the man who, in the face of all the personal and professional hardships described in this book, can still regard himself as 'the most fortunate film-maker of my generation * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisForged by Speed is mountain biking legend Steve Peat's incredible life story, from the Steel City of Sheffield to the top step of the world championship podium. Honest, compelling and funny, it is the autobiography of a British sporting legend.

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Book SynopsisWinston's Bandits provides, for the first time, a detailed account of Winston Churchill's greatest friendships.

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Book SynopsisFor all the West''s failings - terrible food, cold weather, and questionable politicians with funny hair to name a few - it has its upsides. Konstantin would know. Growing up in the Soviet Union, he experienced first-hand the horrors of a socialist paradise gone wrong, having lived in extreme poverty with little access to even the most basic of necessities. It wasn''t until he moved to the UK that Kisin found himself thriving in an open and tolerant society, receiving countless opportunities he would never have had otherwise. Funny, provocative and unswervingly perceptive, An Immigrant''s Love letter to the West interrogates the developing sense of self-loathing the Western sphere has adopted and offers an alternative perspective. Exploring race politics, free speech, immigration and more, Kisin argues that wrongdoing and guilt need not pervade how we feel about the West - and Britain - today, and that despite all its ups and downs, it remains one of the best places tTrade ReviewKisin has written a lively and spirited book defending the society he is grateful to have found himself in. If I can return the compliment, we are lucky to have him. -- Douglas Murray * Telegraph *Kisin's book [has] a powerful moral quality that ultimately makes it worth reading * Sunday Times *An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West is a paean to the freedom and dignity that many in the West take for granted. With solemnity and irreverence, Kisin, who grew up in the Soviet Union, explains that the loss off liberty is not imprisonment - it is horror. We are not born valuing self-determination, free speech and open inquiry. Each generation must relearn and fight for these values or we will revisit the horrors of the past upon ourselves. This book is a reminder of what's at stake. -- Peter BoghossianKisin's cool, steady but urgent message, that we should value and protect what we have, could not be more timely amid today's shrill screams about the various 'isms' and 'phobias' of which our country is irredeemably guilty * spiked *[Kisin is] a comedian by trade, but a writer by nature . . . powerful . . . a deadly warning which somehow manages to be bright and breezy * Spectator *[An] excellent book . . . both a thank-you to the country [Kisin] now calls home and a reminder to many of his generation that they should be careful what they wish for. * Daily Mail *An engaging writer with a nice line in self-deprecating wit * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn this intriguing, insightful and extremely educational novel, the world''s most famous hacker teaches you easy cloaking and counter-measures for citizens and consumers in the age of Big Brother and Big Data (Frank W. Abagnale).Kevin Mitnick was the most elusive computer break-in artist in history. He accessed computers and networks at the world''s biggest companies -- and no matter how fast the authorities were, Mitnick was faster, sprinting through phone switches, computer systems, and cellular networks. As the FBI''s net finally began to tighten, Mitnick went on the run, engaging in an increasingly sophisticated game of hide-and-seek that escalated through false identities, a host of cities, and plenty of close shaves, to an ultimate showdown with the Feds, who would stop at nothing to bring him down.Ghost in the Wires is a thrilling true story of intrigue, suspense, and unbelievable escapes -- and a portrait of a visionary who forced the authorities to rethink the way they pursued him, and forced companies to rethink the way they protect their most sensitive information.Mitnick manages to make breaking computer code sound as action-packed as robbing a bank. -- NPR

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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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