Biography Books
Unbound Where Are the Fellows Who Cut the Hay
Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2024 ''Essential reading for anybody who wants to understand rural life'' Patrick Galbraith, author of In Search of One Last Song ''This is a book of life and why we should celebrate our roots before it is too late'' John Connell, author of The Cow Book Where Are the Fellows Who Cut the Hay? is an ode to rural life, charting traditions of the past, how they were lost and why we need to reconnect. Exploring the relationship between everyday items and the communities that make them, Robert Ashton provides a snapshot of twenty-first century England. Where are the people who grow barley, milk cows and produce wool? How have their farming methods become less ethical, sustainable and natural over time? And what are we doing today to reverse that change? Inspired by George Ewart Evans's Ask the Fellows Who Cut the Hay, Ashton gives vo
£16.99
Unbound What Makes a Mum
Book SynopsisNot a Fictional Mum makes sure no woman gets left behind' Giovanna Fletcher In this inspiring, topical and painfully funny memoir, Not a Fictional Mum asks what it is that really makes a mum? What Makes a Mum? is a less conventional journey of being mothered and reaching motherhood, from teenage foster care, struggling with infertility and navigating the adoption process. Not a Fictional Mum reveals the policies and statistics that led her to campaign for change, and what emerges is a picture of resilience, determination and hope. A personal account and a manifesto for change, What Makes a Mum? looks at family beyond genetics and offers a guiding hand to anyone in the long and sometimes agonising pursuit of becoming a mother. Funny, clever . . . but above all else real and beautifully written' Lisa Faulkner Opened my eyes to a whole other part of being a mother' Rochelle Humes
£11.69
Batsford Secret Voices
Book Synopsis 'Totally addictive.'' Alice Loxton, The Daily Telegraph ''An intriguing, highly snackable guide to women's experiences.'' Independent ''A modern classic.'' Alison Weir, author and historian ''The sort of book you return to again and again.'' Tracy Borman, author and historian A captivating collection of daily extracts from women''s diaries, looking back over four centuries to discover how women''s experience of men and children, sex and shopping, work and the natural world has changed down the years. And, of course, how it hasn''t. Organised around the calendar year, in this engaging anthology you'll find Lady Anne Clifford in the seventeenth century and Loran Hurnscot in the twentieth both stoically recording the demands of an unreasonable husband; Joan Wyndham and Anne Frank, at much the same time, but in wildly different settings, describing their first expe
£21.25
And Other Stories HalfBads in White Regalia
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.49
The Conrad Press My Boys Cant Swim
Book SynopsisA personal memoir
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co The Royal Butler
Book Synopsis
£18.70
The History Press Ltd Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS
Book Synopsis‘The best biography I’ve read recently’ – Colin Bateman, Sunday Independent An excellent examination of Mayne… Ross corrects many of the myths about him that have flourished over the years - History of War magazine ‘This welcome reassessment, officially backed and well-researched, sets the record straight’ – Soldier Magazine‘Paddy’ Mayne was one of the most outstanding special forces leaders of the Second World War. Hamish Ross’s authoritative study follows Mayne from solicitor and rugby international to troop commander in the Commandos and then the SAS, whose leader he later became and whose annals he graced, winning the DSO and three bars, the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d’Honneur.Mayne’s achievements attracted attention, and after his early death legends emerged, based largely on anecdote and assertion. Hamish Ross’s closely researched biography challenges much of the received version, using contemporary sources, the official war diaries, the chronicle of 1 SAS, Mayne’s papers and diaries, and a number of extended interviews with key contemporaries.Ross’s analysis shows Mayne to be a dynamic, yet principled and thoughtful man, committed to the unit’s original concepts. He was far from flawless, but his leadership and tactical brilliance in the field secured the reputation of the SAS, proving he was every bit a rogue hero.Trade ReviewThe best biography I’ve read recently -- Colin BatemanThis welcome reassessment, officially backed and well-researched, sets the record straightAn excellent examination of Mayne… Ross corrects many of the myths about him that have flourished over the years.” * History of War magazine *
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers Let Me Tell You What I Mean
Book Synopsis Twelve early pieces never before collected that offer an illuminating glimpse into the mind and process of Joan Didion. Trade Review Praise for Let Me Tell You What I Mean: ‘The peripheral, the specific, the tangible – or, as the writer Hilton Als notes in his foreword, “the Didion gaze”, the penetrating prose of a reporter who writes with a scalpel – is by far the most compelling theme in Didion’s latest collection of essays’ Vogue ‘The clarity of Didion's vision and the precision with which she sets it down do indeed feel uncanny … Reading her now, she does seem prophetic, as manifested, for instance, in her concerns in 1968 about the weaknesses of the “traditional press”, whose unspoken attitudes and “quite factitious ‘objectivity’” come “between the page and the reader like so much marsh gas”. Perhaps those iconic sunglasses were really X-ray specs’ Independent ‘Didion’s dogged pursuit of the truth in her writing is more vital than ever in our era of fake news, echo chambers and political turmoil. This is an essential read that reminds us of her magic’ i Paper ‘The slighter these pieces are, the more remarkable they seem: they’re so deft and enigmatic … A sentence by Didion, whether it sticks to 39 characters or articulates possibilities in multiple dependent clauses, is always a marvel of magical thinking’ Observer ‘One of the most celebrated, influential and pioneering writers of the past 60 years. As the great chronicler of US cultural, societal and political movements, Didion’s prose illuminates understanding of what connects and divides a nation … It’s a treat for Didion fans but also serves as an introduction to the writing that would become legendary’ Irish Times ‘A valuable addition to the literature of self-doubt and self-awareness, an elegant untangling of what and why we remember and forget’ Francesca Wade, Guardian
£9.49
Wordsworth Editions Ltd Down and Out in Paris and London & The Road to
Book SynopsisGeorge Orwell is a difficult author to summarize. He was a would-be revolutionary who went to Eton, a political writer who abhorred dogma, a socialist who thrived on his image as a loner, and a member of the Imperial Indian Police who chronicled the iniquities of imperialism. Both the books in this volume were published in the 1930s, a “a low, dishonest decade,” as his coeval W.H. Auden described it. Orwell’s subjects in Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier are the political and social upheavals of his time. He focusses on the sense of profound injustice, incipient violence, and malign betrayal that were ubiquitous in Europe in the 1930s. Orwell’s honesty, courage, and sense of decency are inextricably bound up with the quasi-colloquial style that imbues his work with its extraordinary power. His descriptions of working in the slums of Paris, living the life of a tramp in England, and digging for coal with miners in the North make for a thoughtful, riveting account of the lives of the working poor and of one man’s search for the truth. Our edition includes the following essays: Marrakech; How the Poor Die; Antisemitism in Britain; Notes on Nationalism
£5.96
Faber & Faber Hildegard of Bingen
Book SynopsisBest known today as a fine composer, the twelfth-century German abbess Hildegard of Bingen was also a religious leader and visionary, a poet, naturalist and writer of medical treatises. Despite her cloistered life she had strong, often controversial views on sex, love and marriage too - a woman astonishing in her own age, whose book of apocalyptic visions, Scivias, would alone have been enough to ensure her lasting fame.In this classic and highly praised biography - first published by Headline in 2001 - distinguished writer and journalist, Fiona Maddocks, draws on Hildegard''s prolific writings to paint a portrait of her extraordinary life against the turbulent medieval background of crusade and schism, scientific discovery and cultural revolution. The great intellectual gifts and forceful character that emerge make her as fascinating as any figure in the Middle Ages.More than 800 years after her death, Pope Benedict XVI has made Hildegard a Saint and a Doctor of the Church (one of only four women). Fiona Maddocks has provided a short new preface to cover these tributes to an extraordinary and exceptional woman.
£13.49
Oxford University Press The Mabinogion Oxford Worlds Classics
Book SynopsisThe 11 tales of the Mabinogion combine Celtic mythology and Arthurian romance. This new translation recreates the storytelling world of medieval Wales and re-invests the tales with the power of performance.Trade Review[This] translation into English by Professor Sioned Davies has not only enhanced public understanding of the text but has led to new perfomrances and inspired a series of modern stories. * Challenge Cardiff *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Translator's Note ; Guide to Pronunciation ; Select Bibliography ; map of Wales at the time of theMabinogion ; The First Branch of the Mabinogion ; The Second Branch of the Mabinogion ; The Third Branch of the Mabinogion ; The First Branch of the Mabinogion ; Peredur son of Efrog ; The Dream of the Emperor Maxen ; Lludd and Llefelys ; The Lady of the Well ; Geraint son of Erbin ; How Culhwch won Olwen ; Rhonabwy's Dream ; Explanatory Notes ; Glossary of Personal Names ; Glossary of Place-Names
£8.99
Granta Books A Body Made of Glass
Book SynopsisA fascinating and revelatory cultural history of hypochondria, from Hippocrates to wellness influencers - for fans of Andrew Solomon and Siddhartha Mukherjee
£15.29
Unbound Playing to Lose: How a Jehovah's Witness Became a
Book SynopsisIn this bold and intimate memoir Ariel Anderssen charts her journey from a strict religious upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness to her current position as one of the most widely recognised BDSM performers in the world. Her route between the two includes a period as a wretchedly miserable, teenage political activist, a phase touring with a Christian theatre group, and accidentally discovering a talent for posing for art nude photography. This surprising and unconventional career path led her to a life-altering introduction to BDSM-themed erotic artwork and a whole world she never imagined existing.This is a book about BDSM, and about sexuality, but most of all it is about one woman’s struggle for self-acceptance and the rewards that come from confronting who you are with honesty and compassion.TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains descriptions of sexual violence that some readers may find upsettingTrade Review'In Playing to Lose, Ariel Anderssen creates an erudite and witty insight into the world of BDSM modelling, but more than that, it is a deeply felt exploration of freedom: what it takes to be free, and what it looks like' Ali Millar, author of The Last Days'Moving and heartfelt, an utterly brilliant whirlwind of a book' Rebecca Reid, author of The Power of Rude'Often hilarious, frequently moving, sometimes disturbing and even harrowing, above all fearlessly honest, Playing to Lose guides us through a journey from repression to liberation that may well liberate the reader too. It’s a brave book by a brave writer, full of challenges and insights. Like all good writing, it makes us look again at things we thought we knew or took for granted, and to some readers it may reveal a world they never knew existed or one they hoped was real' Ramsey Campbell, author of The Lonely Lands
£13.49
Ebury Publishing Loose Head: Confessions of an (un)professional
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEARThe truth about being a rugby player from the horsey's mouth.This book is not just about how a psychiatrist called Humphrey helped me get back on my horse and clippity-clop all the way to the World Cup semi-final in Japan. It's the story of how a fat kid who had to live up to the nickname Psycho grew up to play and party for over a decade with rugby's greatest pros and live weird and wonderful moments both in and out of the scrum. That's why I'm letting you read my diary on my weirdest days. You never know what you're going to get with me. From being locked in a police cell to singing Adele on Jonathan Ross (I'll let you decide which is worse), being kissed by a murderer on the number 51 bus to drug tests where clipboard-wielding men hover inches away from my naked genitalia, melting opponents in rucks, winning tackles, and generally losing blood, sweat and ears in the name of the great sport of rugby. This is how (not) to be a rugby player.Trade ReviewVery funny * The Guardian *A rollicking book covering everything from rituals to red mist, nudity to nicknames * Rubgy World *
£13.49
Quercus Publishing Test Cricket
Book SynopsisThe first narrative history of Test cricket
£22.50
Fitzcarraldo Editions The Question of Palestine
Book SynopsisA major work by one of the great public intellectuals of the twentieth century, The Question of Palestine was the first book to narrate the modern Palestinian experience in English. Edward Said's project to bring Palestine into history' was unquestionably a success there is no longer a question of whether Palestine had a history before colonization and yet Palestinian self-determination is as distant as ever. With the rigorous scholarship he brought to his influential Orientalism and shaped by his own life in exile in New York, Said's account of the traumatic national encounter of the Palestinian people with Zionism is still as pertinent and incisive today as it was on first publication in 1979.
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Modern Slave
Book SynopsisGaia was groomed, abused and enslaved but then she fought backGaia Cooper is just 14 years old when she is groomed by a criminal gang and forced to commit organised credit card fraud.Despite being placed in care somewhere Gaia should feel safe she is left even more vulnerable, and is horrifically abused and exploited by the men manipulating her.Will the authorities save Gaia or will she have to save herself?
£8.54
Orion Publishing Co Untitled
£21.25
Penguin Books Ltd Lets Just Say It Wasnt Pretty
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.79
Pan Macmillan This Really Isn't About You
Book Synopsis'A magnificent, beautifully written memoir. Unsentimental but heartbreaking, the voice – true and clear. Brilliant.' Nina StibbeIn 2014 I moved back to the United States after living abroad for fourteen years, my whole adult life, because my father was dying from cancer. Six weeks after I arrived in New York City, my father died. Six months after that I learned that I had inherited the gene that would cause me cancer too.When Jean Hannah Edelstein's world overturned she was forced to confront some of the big questions in life: How do we cope with grief? How does living change when we realize we're not invincible? Does knowing our likely fate make it harder or easier to face the future? How do you motivate yourself to go on your OkCupid date when you’re struggling with your own mortality?Written in her inimitable, wry and insightful voice, Jean Hannah Edelstein's memoir is by turns heart-breaking, hopeful and yet also disarmingly funny. This Really Isn't About You is a book about finding your way in life. Which is to say, it’s a book about discovering you are not really in control of that at all.Trade ReviewDeft, witty and profound, this is a true story about how to let go, and when to hold on. Jean Hannah Edelstein's writing glows with a peerless clarity that had me turning the pages all night. A stunning book. -- Jessie BurtonJean Hannah Edelstein is one of the most brilliant writers of her generation, as witty, wry and unsentimental as Nora Ephron. This is a magnificent book, about families, mortality, love and the hard, necessary work of becoming an adult. -- Olivia LaingNever sentimental, this memoir is by turns extremely funny and extremely sad; Edelstein is a wonderful writer, and this is a stunning book. * Stylist *A most magnificent, beautifully written memoir. Unsentimental but heartbreaking, the voice – true and clear. Brilliant. -- Nina StibbeA very funny and charming and bittersweet book. -- Jami Attenberg, author of All Grown Up[This] debut book does everything I love about memoir: it hits you with the truth, it reads as enthrallingly as fiction can, and it leaves you changed.' * Elle *One of Red’s favourite essayists, Jean Hannah Edelstein’s memoir is a work of deceptive simplicity and heart-crushing truths . . . by the end, you’ll never want to let her go. -- Sarra Manning * Red *Jean Hannah Edelstein is an exceptional writer, simultaneously wry and heartbreaking. She has this incredible ability to extrapolate moments of grace and sadness from the everyday. And this memoir about cancer, mortality, shifting ideas of home and love is no exception. -- Nikesh ShuklaThis isn’t the heroic narrative about a fight for life against the odds, but instead it’s about getting on with things, maybe not in the most heroic way, but in a way that’s funny and real and quietly profound. This Really Isn't About You is wry and poignant and true, and I loved it. -- Julie CohenInsightful and charming, this is a breathtaking exploration of grief and becoming -- Laura Jane Williams, author of ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFASTIt’s a wonderful, warm and funny dissection of grief and life that left me feeling like Jean was a friend I never made, and wishing I had. -- David Whitehouse, The Long ForgottenThis Really Isn’t About You really isn’t about me, but it resonated in all sorts of ways: as a woman, as a writer, as a daughter. It is funny and serious, moving yet entirely unsentimental, and bracingly truthful. Jean Hannah Edelstein considers life in all its complexity with great clarity, grace and wit. -- Lisa Owens, author of Not WorkingA bold and unusual meditation on loss, instability, freedom and home. Engrossing, funny and brave. -- Kate Murray-Browne, author of The Upstairs RoomA powerful debut about a woman who is diagnosed with a genetic cancer syndrome shortly after her father’s death from cancer. Read if you’re into: memoirs, powerful tales written by Jewish women, and heartbreakingly funny writing. * Alma magazine *Jean Hannah Edelstein has written an elegant, beautiful book about a time in her life that was messy and ugly. It's strange to say such a sad story was "a joy", but her gift as a writer is that it was. -- Emma Forrest, author of Your Voice in My HeadShe writes about the biggest and most recognisably tiny aspects of humanity with such detail – and she’s darkly hilarious. -- Daisy Buchanan * Sheer Luxe *
£11.69
Birlinn General The Cadence of a Song
Book SynopsisThis is the first biography of one of the twentieth century's most scholars of Hebridean culture, making extensive use of Maragret Fay Shaw's own dairies letters and notebooks, this book celebrates the legacy and life of a remarkable woman, and is a must-read for anyone interested in Gaelic and island culture.
£22.50
Brown Dog Books Finding Joy
Book SynopsisI would like to introduce myself, I feel it's only fair. Only I know you so well now, you might get a scare. I know you know I'm in there, though I crept with greatest stealth: I am the hidden monster buried within yourself. Joyce is only sixteen when she's torn from the life she loves. Two years pass, but Joyce, her family, and her best friend Logan, are no closer to learning what's causing her dizzying array of symptoms. As Joyce tried to come to terms with her increasing limitations those around her struggle to understand what she is going through. Baffled and unsure, the doctors eventually diagnose Joyce with ME and CFS. But when Joyce and her family refuse to accept this diagnosis, her mental stability is called into question. Desperate for the truth and scared for Joyce's life, their only hope lies in a private hospital where she is finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Can Joyce survive a treatment as brutal as her illness? Can she find her way in a world she no longer recognises?
£8.54
Unbound Haramacy: A collection of stories prescribed by
Book Synopsis'A beautiful love letter to the diaspora, Haramacy is an essential collection of essays that push the conversation forward on issues to do with visibility, mental health, race and class' Nikesh Shukla'A superbly crafted collection of essays. Often elegant, often visceral, always essential' Musa OkwongaJournalism in the UK is 94 per cent white and 55 per cent male, while only 0.4 per cent of journalists are Muslim and 0.2 per cent are Black. The publishing industry’s statistics are equally dire. Many publications will use British Black, Indigenous People of Colour when it’s convenient; typically, when the region the writer represents is topical and newsworthy. Otherwise, their voices are left muted.Haramacy amplifies under-represented voices. Tackling topics previously left unspoken, this anthology offers a space for writers to explore ideas that mainstream organisations overlook. Focusing on the experiences of twelve Middle Eastern and South Asian writers, the essays explore visibility, invisibility, love, strength and race, painting a picture of what it means to feel fractured - both in the UK and back home. Appreciating both heritage and adopted home, the anthology highlights the various shades that make up our society.The title, Haramacy, is an amalgamation of the Arabic word ‘haram’, meaning indecent or forbidden, and the English word ‘pharmacy’, implying a safe, trustworthy space that prescribes the antidote to ailments caused by intersectional, social issues. The book features contributions by novelists, journalists, and artists including Aina J. Khan, Ammar Kalia, Cyrine Sinti, Joe Zadeh, Kieran Yates, Nasri Atallah, Nouf Alhimiary, Saleem Haddad and Sanjana Varghese, as well as essays by editors Dhruva Balram, Tara Joshi and Zahed Sultan.
£10.44
Fitzcarraldo Editions The Other Girl
£9.89
Pushkin Press The Brontës in Brussels
£14.24
Y Lolfa The Bish Its All About Me
£20.90
Daunt Books False Calm
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Liars Poker
Book Synopsis*THE OUTRAGEOUS INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*The classic Michael Lewis book that defined an era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune in London and New York, by the author of The Big Short and Going Infinite. What readers are saying about Liar''s Poker:''Still has relevance today'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Probably Michael Lewis''s best work''⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A great insider''s look at the most important firm on Wall Street during the 1980''s'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''An absolute classic'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐__________The time was the 1980s. The place was Wall Street. The game was called Liar''s Poker.Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street''s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush.From mere trainee to lowly geek, to triumphal Big Swinging Dick: that was Michael Lewis''s pell-mell progress through the dealing rooms of Salomon Brothers in New York and London during the heady mid-80s when they were probably the world''s most powerful and profitable merchant bank.Funny, frightening, breathless and heartless, Liar''s Poker is the original story of hysterical greed and excessive ambition, one that is now more potent and enthralling than ever.__________''If you thought Gordon Gekko of the Wall Street movie was an implausibly corrupt piece of fiction, see how you like the real thing. This rip-the-lid-off account of the bond-dealing brouhaha is the work of a real-life bond salesman.'' The Sunday Times''So memorable and alive . . . one of those rare works that encapsulate and define an era.'' Fortune''The funniest book on Wall Street I''ve ever read.'' Tom Wolfe''Wickedly funny'' Daily Express''Hilarious'' New York TimesTrade ReviewAn amazing book, readable, funny and mind-boggling ... one of the great business books of all time * Punch *Read all about it: headlong greed, inarticulate obscenity, Animal House horseplay . . . * The Sunday Times *Immense verve and wit * 20/20 Magazine *A highly immoral book * Daily Mail *Wickedly funny * Daily Express *As traders would say, this book is a buy * Financial Times *
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co Call The Midwife A True Story Of The East End In
Book SynopsisA fascinating slice of social history - Jennifer Worth''s tales of being a midwife in 1950s London, now a major BBC TV series.Jennifer Worth came from a sheltered background when she became a midwife in the Docklands in the 1950s. The conditions in which many women gave birth just half a century ago were horrifying, not only because of their grimly impoverished surroundings, but also because of what they were expected to endure. But while Jennifer witnessed brutality and tragedy, she also met with amazing kindness and understanding, tempered by a great deal of Cockney humour. She also earned the confidences of some whose lives were truly stranger, more poignant and more terrifying than could ever be recounted in fiction. Attached to an order of nuns who had been working in the slums since the 1870s, Jennifer tells the story not only of the women she treated, but also of the community of nuns (including one who was accused of stealing jewels from Hatton Garden)Trade ReviewWorth's books are full of fascinating social history: about living conditions in east London, the scale of poverty and violence, the realities of postwar medicine and the workhouse * NEW STATESMAN *
£8.99
Orion Publishing Co The Electricity of Every Living Thing
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Wintering, Katherine May, The Electricity of Every Living Thing is a life-affirming and poignant exploration of nature, and how reconnecting to wild landscapes can create peace in our unquiet minds.''A windswept tale, beautifully told'' Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path ''A manifesto for the value of difficult people. I loved it'' Amy Liptrot, author of The OutrunIn August 2015, Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She wanted to understand why she had stopped coping with everyday life; why motherhood had been so overwhelming and isolating, and why the world felt full of inundation and expectations she can''t meet. Setting her feet down on the rugged and difficult path by the sea, the answer begins to unfold.The Electricity of Every Living Thing tells the story of the year in which Katherine comes to terms with a diagnosis which shakes
£9.49
CB Editions Spent Light
Book SynopsisA work of fiction, memoir and history and love.
£10.44
Pan Macmillan The Spy Who Loved
Book Synopsis'Compulsively readable . . . thrilling' – Sunday Telegraph'Brings alive a glamorous, swashbuckling heroine' – Sunday TimesIn June 1952, a woman was murdered by an obsessive colleague in a hotel in South Kensington. Her name was Christine Granville – Churchill's favourite spy. That she died young was perhaps unsurprising. That she had survived the Second World War was remarkable.The daughter of a feckless Polish aristocrat and his wealthy Jewish wife, Christine fled to Britain on the outbreak of war and persuaded MI6 to make her their first female recruit. She took on mission after mission, skiing into occupied Poland, serving in Egypt and later parachuting into occupied France.Her quick wit, courage and determination won her release from arrest more than once, and she saved the lives of several fellow officers, including one of her many lovers just hours before he was due to be eTrade ReviewA stunning biographical achievement -- Alison Weir, lison Weir, New York Times bestselling author of Innocent Traitor and The Lady ElizabethClare Mulley tells her story with a bravura that matches Christine's charismatic character * Saga *A fine account of Christine Granville's extraordinary war, told with skill and care . . . Mulley succeeds in making her human . . . inspiring * Literary Review *Compulsively readable . . . Clare Mulley has done a dogged piece of detective work piecing together Christine's ultimately tragic life. Understandably obsessed by her charismatic subject, she has written a thrilling book and paid due homage to a difficult woman who seized life with both hands * Daily Telegraph *A breath-taking story, told with panache and sympathy for an extraordinary heroine. Mulley vividly brings to life not only a resourceful and unusual woman but in doing so helps us understand what makes an ordinary person act with superhuman courage in times of adversity. The Spy Who Loved is required reading for anyone interested in understanding what makes an ordinary person act with superhuman courage in times of adversity. This is a gripping read -- Anne Sebba, New York Times bestselling author of That WomanNot only was Christine Granville Britain's first woman agent in World War II but carried out some of the most daring missions ever conceived. Her biographer Clare Mulley has provided a vivid account of her activities yet maintains a balanced assessment of the results. Careful research has created sustained tension, vitality and immediacy which are truly page-turning -- Gordon Thomas, bestselling author of The Pope's Jews and Gideon's SpiesI enjoyed and admired The Spy Who Loved . . . A really gripping account of the remarkable Christine Granville -- Simon Mawer, bestselling author of Trapeze and The Glass RoomAn astonishing story, brilliantly told. If a Hollywood movie isn't made about Christine Granville's remarkable life, I'd be amazed -- Charles Cumming, award-winning author of A Foreign CountryImpressively researched, and absolutely fascinating. Christine Granville is one of those women you can't help wishing you'd met in real life -- Jojo Moyes, award-winning author of Me Before YouCompulsively readable . . . Clare Mulley has done a dogged piece of detective work piecing together Christine's ultimately tragic life... She has written a thrilling book, and paid overdue homage to a difficult woman who seized life with both hands * The Sunday Telegraph *Mulley writes well . . . This is both a compelling read and a testimony to the work of a dedicated opponent of Nazism. I highly recommend it * BBC History Magazine *Spellbinding saga of espionage and adventure * Vogue.com *Admirable and overdue -- Ben Macintyre, The New York Times Book ReviewOustanding . . . While a few books about Christine have emerged in the intervening decades, only now, with the publication of Clare Mulley's scrupulously researched and expertly rendered biography, do we have a multi-dimensional, uncensored, impartial portrait of the legendary spy – said to be Churchill's favorite – whose forty-four-year existence was filled with more eye-popping adventures than we'd find plausible in any novel or movie * The Daily Beast *Well-written and thoroughly researched . . . One British functionary described [Granville's] dispatches from the field as 'good reading.' The same can be said of Ms. Mulley's biography of this extraordinary woman * Wall Street Journal *Excellent . . . A romping adventure of international espionage, grand plots and sex, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance . . . [a] well-researched portrayal, a fascinating and riveting account of an exceptional spy's exceptional life . . . An exemplary feminist biography, which, without ever slipping into didacticism, takes its subject, her desires and her choices seriously * Haaretz *A dazzling tale * Maclean's *Mulley gives a remarkable, charismatic woman her due in this tantalizing biography -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)Compulsively readable . . . Clare Mulley has done a dogged piece of detective work piecing together Christine's ultimately tragic life . . . She has written a thrilling book, and paid overdue homage to a difficult woman who seized life with both hands -- The Sunday Telegraph (UK)Brings alive a glamorous, swashbuckling heroine -- The Sunday Times (UK)Engrossing biography details the high-voltage life of one of Britain's most remarkable female spies . . . Fascinating -- Mail on Sunday (UK)
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Shetland Way
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Nights Out At Home
Book Synopsis
£18.70
Pan Macmillan The Odyssey
Book SynopsisHomer's great epic, The Odyssey, is perhaps Western literature's first adventure story, and certainly remains one of its finest. It describes King Odysseus of Ithaca's epic, ten-year quest to return home after the Trojan War. He encounters giants, sorceresses, sea-monsters and sirens, while his wife Penelope is forced to resist the suitors who besiege her on Ithaca. Both an enchanting fairy tale and a gripping drama, The Odyssey is immensely influential, not least for its rich complexity and the magnetism of its hero. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition uses a translation by T. E. Lawrence, now remembered as 'Lawrence of Arabia' and the author of Seven Pillars of Wisdom. First published in 1932, his translation took four years to complete and has been continuously in print ever since. It is recognized as the first translation to be both faithful to the original text and written in accessible language. This edition also features an afterword by Ben Shaw.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.
£9.89
Bonnier Books Ltd The Mountbattens: Their Lives & Loves: The Sunday
Book Synopsis'Richly entertaining... impressively well-researched' Daily Mail, Biography of the YearThe Sunday Times bestselling biography of the glamorous couple behind the modern royal family, the aunt and uncle of Prince Philip.DICKIE MOUNTBATTEN: A major figure behind his nephew Philip's marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and instrumental in the Royal Family taking the Mountbatten name, he was Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia during World War II and the last Viceroy of India.EDWINA MOUNTBATTEN: Once the richest woman in Britain and a playgirl who enjoyed numerous affairs, she emerged from World War II as a magnetic and talented humanitarian worker loved around the world.From British high society to the South of France, from the battlefields of Burma to the Viceroy's House, The Mountbattens is a rich and filmic story of a powerful partnership, revealing the truth behind a carefully curated legend.Was Mountbatten one of the outstanding leaders of his generation, or a man over-promoted because of his royal birth, high-level connections, film-star looks and ruthless self-promotion? What is the true story behind controversies such as the Dieppe Raid and Indian Partition, the love affair between Edwina and Nehru, and Mountbatten's assassination in 1979?Based on over 100 interviews, research from dozens of archives and new information released under Freedom of Information requests, prize-winning historian Andrew Lownie sheds new light on this remarkable couple.'Painstakingly researched... genuinely enthralling' Observer'A page-turner which is also a carefully researched work of history' Spectator'A compelling new biography...superbly researched' Daily Express'Incisive... strongly recommend' The TimesTrade ReviewOne of the few joys of lockdown for me. Lownie is an unusual biographer in that he is at once a great investigative journalist, but also a fine writer. * Tim Walker, journalist and broadcaster *Richly entertaining... impressively well-researched * Daily Mail, Biography of the Year *Incisive... strongly recommend * The Times *A study in aggressive social climbing [with] quick-moving fluency * Sunday Times *Painstakingly researched... genuinely enthralling * Observer *A page-turner which is also a carefully researched work of history * Spectator *A compelling new biography...superbly researched * Daily Express *Everything a top-notch biography should be * Budapest Times *Well-researched, enjoyable, revealing * The Oldie *By dint of prodigious research, Lownie has stripped away the accretions of fable and fiction to give us an unvarnished double portrait. It is vivid, well balanced and often sympathetic * Literary Review *A well-balanced portrait of flawed individuals... The book promises scandal and does not disappoint. Lownie's book dares to go where no other Mountbatten biography has gone before. An explosive account that looks behind the façade of a celebrated couple * The Lady, 5 stars *Wherever a reader turns in this magnificent book there are new ideas to consider. Lownie's writing fits the complex nature of his subject yet is always completely unambiguous. I loved this book. * Queensland Reviewers Collective *A fine blend of political, military, and personal history. * Hindustani Times *A complex story beautifully written which never felt less like a history lesson, but I learned so much by the end. A triumph of storytelling. -- Anne SebbaA timely debunking of the golden Mountbatten myth. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Lownie's portrait of a deeply flawed man and his extraordinary marriage is an irresistible read. -- Robert BeaumontContains many fresh social and political insights into an important subject, revealed in a gripping and detailed narrative. -- Richard Thorpe, biographer of Anthony Eden and Harold MacmillanAn entertaining, knowledgeable account of the extraordinary official, sexual and social lives of royal relative, Earl Mountbatten, and his multi-millionairess wife, Lady Edwina. -- Sarah Bradford, Royal biographer'Lownie's account of things is a mixture of inevitably indulgent gossip, descriptions of lavish parties, yachts and mansions, while also evaluating Mountbatten's chequered military career and Edwina's humanitarian work. One for royal watchers.' -- Sydney Morning Herald"This glittering biography delves into the scandal-filled and history-making partnership of Lord Louis 'Dickie' Mountbatten and his wife Edwina, an heiress turned humanitarian who charmed the world." -- PeopleWherever a reader turns in this magnificent book there are new ideas to consider. Lownie's writing fits the complex nature of his subject yet is always completely unambiguous. I loved this book. * Queensland Reviewers Collective *Acute observations, careful analysis and skilful articulation * Royal History Geeks *"A juicy dual biography. Readers will be astounded by the intrigues and accomplishments of this remarkable couple." -- Publishers WeeklyWell-written and reads very easily....a valuable warts and all portrait of a couple who were centre stage in British public life for some sixty years. Recommended * The Naval Review *A brilliant book! Here's 'Uncle Dickie' as he's never been revealed before * Robert Lacey *An audacious, myth-busting book by a master biographer (determined to get to the truth). * Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang, author The Last Vicereine *A remarkable and definitive portrait -- Frederick Forsyth on Stalin's EnglishmanShrewd, thorough, revelatory * William Boyd on Stalin's Englishmen *[Lownie] manages to convey the charm as well as the turpitude * Craig Brown on Stalin's Englishmen *Exhaustively researched and absorbing book * New Statesman on Stalin's Englishman *A meticulously researched biography...an astonishing piece of research -- Sunday Times on Stalin's EnglishmenLownie certainly knows what makes a good book, and in Stalin's Englishman he has delivered one of his own - many times over * Independent on Stalin's Englishmen *A magnificent biography... a narrative as gripping as a thriller * Daily Express on Stalin's Englishmen *Scrupulous and comprehensive * The Week on Stalin's Englishmen *Everything a top-notch biography should be * Budapest Times *"A well-researched deep-dive into the lives of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, a couple who witnessed much of the 20th Century's history - including Royal landmarks - at first hand" * Grazia *'"The Mountbattens" is most compelling as a strangely sweet tale of open marriage.' * New York Times Book of the Year *"full of detail and insight and is written in a clear, unshowy style." * The Lady *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Priestdaddy A Memoir
Book Synopsis''Priestdaddy caused a sensation when it hit bookshelves in 2017'' Vogue ''Glorious'' Sunday Times''Laugh-out-loud funny'' The Times''Extraordinary'' Observer''Exceptional'' Telegraph''Electric'' New York Times''Snort-out-loud'' Financial Times''Dazzling'' Guardian''Do yourself a favour and read this memoir!'' BookPageWINNER OF THE THURBER PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HUMOURThe childhood of Patricia Lockwood, the poet dubbed ''The Smutty-Metaphor Queen of Lawrence, Kansas'' by The New York Times, was unusual in many respects. There was the location: an impoverished, nuclear waste-riddled area of the American Midwest. There was her mother, a woman who speaks almost entirely in strange riddles and arnings of impending danger. Above all, there was her gun-toting, guitar-riffing, frequeTrade ReviewGlorious * Sunday Times *Extraordinary * Observer *Electric * New York Times *Exceptional * Telegraph *Snort-out-loud * Financial Times *Dazzling * Guardian *
£10.44
Canongate Books Little Ruins
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd (UK) All His Spies
Book SynopsisRobert Cecil, statesman and spymaster, lived through an astonishingly threatening period in English history. Queen Elizabeth had no clear successor and enemies both external and internal threatened to destroy England as a Protestant state, most spectacularly with the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder Plot. Cecil stood at the heart of the Tudor and then Stuart state, a vital figure in managing the succession from Elizabeth I to James I & VI, warding off military and religious threats and steering the decisions of two very different but equally wilful and hard-to-manage monarchs. The promising son of Queen Elizabeth's chief minister Lord Burghley, for Cecil there was no choice but politics, and he became supremely skilled in the arts of power, making many rivals and enemies. All His Spies is a wonderfully engaging and original work of history. Many readers are familiar with the great events of this tumultuous time, but All His Spies shows how easily these dramas could have turned out
£12.34
Pan Macmillan Sir Lewis
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
Blackbird Digital Books The Ten
Book SynopsisThe Ten is a captivating anthology of fiction and memoir by ten emerging writers, curated by The Writing Coach. This collection features powerful extracts from longer-form works, encompassing contemporary and historical fiction, fantasy, and poetic memoir.
£11.47
Abrams George Michael
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGavin’s engrossing biography of the singer takes the measure of a gifted, tragic and infuriating man. * New York Times *A fascinating, heartbreaking bio. * People Magazine *“James Gavin has delivered a stunning, empathic, and peerlessly knowledgeable biography of George Michael. Gavin’s attention to his subject’s artistry, his honest treatment of Michael’s struggles, his sharp-eyed understanding of the last days of record-company dominance, and his comprehension of the shifting tides of gay acceptance in our culture are sublime. The author of biographies of Chet Baker, Lena Horne, and Peggy Lee has, with this book, firmed up his place as one of our very best writers about music and life.” * Sheila Weller, author of Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—and the Journey of a Generation *“James Gavin is a biographer of the highest order, with a gorgeous sense of narrative and insight galore. His George Michael: A Life is a backstage, all-access pass into a glittery world filled with dark corners and trap doors. It’s a thrilling, albeit cautionary tale of success, excess, and a remarkable performer who met his destiny head-on.” * Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles: The Biography and Led Zeppelin: The Biography *“A compelling portrayal of one of the most enigmatic entertainers in music, a fascinating tale meticulously researched and written by James Gavin.” * Steven Gaines, bestselling author of Simply Halston: The Untold Story and The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles *“Read without prejudice and be prepared to be rattled and moved. Only James Gavin could do justice to this story of mercurial creativity, sex, and self-destruction in the glittery, harrowing, ethereal heights of pop stardom.” * David Hajdu, author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn and Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña, and Richard Fariña *“George Michael: A Life is quite a life—one you won’t easily forget. James Gavin has written a thoroughly researched, engrossing, and illuminating portrait of a pop icon battling his own demons, the era’s raging homophobia, and the ever-changing musical scene. Gavin captures the highs and lows with great intelligence and sensitivity. It’s insightful and profoundly moving.” * Patricia Morrisroe, author of Mapplethorpe: A Biography *“James Gavin is an ace biographer, and inGeorge Michael: A Life he tells the heartrending tale of a pop legend who couldn’t love himself but made the whole world feel good.” * Danny Fields, manager, the Ramones *“George Michael’s burning ambition, incredible talent, and dark secrets are examined by James Gavin in this engrossing behind-the-scenes portrait.” * Doug Herzog, former president of MTV Productions *“Though much has been written (and rewritten) about our fallen hero aka Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, this revealing (and often shocking) portrait by music biographer Gavin draws on scores of published media features and hundreds of interviews with friends, colleagues, and insiders. Exposing Michael's past battles with the media, his rampant sexual proclivities, and probing the later years as his personal life unraveled, this biography is moving, eye-opening, and essential, even for readers with just a casual interest in pop culture.” * Bay Area Reporter *“Music biographer Gavin offers a probing, definitive portrait of the equally gifted and tortured artist, charting his meteoric rise in the ’80s through his public self-destruction and tragic death.” * USA Today *
£12.59
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Spy Among Friends
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES No. 1 BESTSELLERWITH AN AFTERWORD BY JOHN LE CARRÉ''Riveting, astounding . . . An unputdownable postwar thriller'' Observer''Irresistibly readable'' Sunday Times''Worthy of John le Carré at his best'' Guardian''Hugely engrossing . . . Both authoritative and enthralling'' William Boyd________________Kim Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. Agent, double agent, traitor and enigma, he betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians in the early years of the Cold War.In the aftermath of the Second World War, Philby, Nicholas Elliott and James Jesus Angleton were rising stars in the intelligence world and shared every secret. Elliott and Angleton thought they knew Philby better than anyone - and then discovered they had not known him at all.This is a story of loyalty, trust and treachery, of m
£9.99
Ebury Publishing Victorias Secret
Book SynopsisDr Fern Riddell is a cultural historian, and an expert in sex, suffrage and entertainment in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Host of The History Channel's Podcast series #NotWhatYouThought and Presenter of BBC 4's 'A Victorian Scandal: The Rudest Book in Britain' she is the author of books including Death In Ten Minutes and Sex: Lessons from History.Historical Consultant for the BAFTA award-winning BBC and Amazon drama Ripper Street, she has advised on dramas for both the BBC and ITV2. As an on screen expert, she has appeared on Specialist Factual productions for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Arts, Smithsonian, BBC Radio 3 and 4, and has appeared as an expert historian for radio and television across the world, having worked with both Audible and Spotify.She writes for The Guardian, Huffington Post, Times Higher Education, The Telegraph, The New Statesman and BBC History Magazine. Her work has also appeared in THE DAILY MAIL, Penthouse and Time.COM.
£18.70
Random House Thunderclap
Book SynopsisLaura Cumming has been chief art critic of the Observer since 1999. Her books include A Face to the World: On Self-Portraits (2009) and The Vanishing Man: In Pursuit of Velázquez (2016) which won the James Tait Black Biography Prize. Her family memoir, On Chapel Sands: my Mother and other Missing Persons (2019) was a Sunday Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford, Costa and Rathbone's Folio prizes.
£11.69
Workman Publishing Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and
Book SynopsisPOWERFUL WISDOM FROM THE ELDERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES In this rich and multilayered collection of interviews, conversations, and intimate photographs, over 100 trailblazing women describe the ups, downs, and lessons learned while forging their unique paths. Collective Wisdom celebrates the stories of those who have been there and know the road—from an Olympic athlete and a NASA team member to award-winning artists, activists, writers, and filmmakers, from women in their fifties to centenarians. It is also a tribute to the importance of intergenerational connections between women, with interviews conducted by daughters, friends, mentors, and colleagues. Collective Wisdom creates a living, breathing sense of community—a space where all of us can gather, listen, share, and learn.Trade Review“While it shares a similar layout and open spirit as In the Company of Women, this book enjoys a more expansive look at social engagement, shared responsibility, and the capacity for joy from the perspective of age and a diversity of backgrounds and experience. Over one hundred women from 27 states (urban, rural, Native reservations) were interviewed for the book. . . . It was Bonney’s intention to spotlight women who may not ordinarily enjoy the spotlight and celebrate their life’s achievements, endurance, and pride.” —Lauren LeBlanc, Observer “Grace Bonney is a force, she did it again. Her latest book, Collective Wisdom, celebrates . . . a richly diverse group of trailblazing women over 50. Ordered!” —Tina Roth Eisenberg, the Swiss Miss Newsletter for Everyone “Such a good one. Give it to any woman in your life. Grace Bonney profiles over a hundred incredible trailblazing women… all over the age of 50. The book is packed with wisdom, life lessons, and inspiration.” —Grace Atwood, The Stripe, My Favorite Books to Give as Gifts “Less lists that are . . . 20 under 20 and more books like this!” —Eva Chen, via Instagram “Our new favorite coffee table book.”—The Good Trade “Nearly 100 women share priceless lessons learned through experience. . . . Alongside gorgeous photos, they discuss their beginnings, their influences and offer advice to the women coming up behind them. A standout profile: the founders of Gee's Bend Quilting Retreat, named for the area near Jackson, Miss., where formerly enslaved Africans later became landowners; the event attracts quilters from around the world. Their photo depicts hands joining together individual squares into something bigger, stronger—an ideal metaphor for this beautiful book.”—Shelf Awareness “Collective Wisdom is the magic we all hold deeply and pass on from generation to generation. Sharing it with the world is the lifework of Grace Bonney. Her careful weaving of excellent humans and harvest of words is a true art unto itself. Keep this book close by your side.”—Genevieve Gorder, interior designer and host of Dear Genevieve and Genevieve’s Renovation “Grace Bonney’s new book is a soulful treatise that emphatically proves that life—and living—gets better as you go. In a world that has historically worshiped youth, Collective Wisdom triumphantly reveals how artists, journalists, filmmakers, activists, chefs, tribeswomen, dancers, and even the oldest National Park Service Ranger in the US have created lives of authenticity, beauty, power, and meaning.”—Debbie Millman, writer, designer, and host of the podcast Design Matters “Reading Collective Wisdom gives me life and inspiration. The intimate stories of survival, self-love, confidence, and reinventing oneself after 50 or older left a mark on me that makes me want to keep dreaming and evolving no matter how many years I am over 50, 70—heck, 90. I was left feeling like there’s so much to look forward to.”—Carla Hall, chef and author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food
£25.19
Oni Press Ec Epitaphs from the Abyss Vol. 2
£16.12
Tellwell Talent Everything Has Order Every Action Has Its Place
£11.68
