Biography Books

Book SynopsisThe inspirational biography of Lieutenant Yulia Mykytenko, a commander serving on the frontline of the Ukraine War.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA brilliant read.''SHAY GIVENA must-read for any Newcastle fan.''ALAN SHEARERA triumph... Beautifully written.''LES FERDINANDFASCINATING CHRONICLES OF AN UTTERLY UNIQUE LIFE IN FOOTBALL AND 18 YEARS AT NEWCASTLE UNITED.Once Upon a Toon offers a unique perspective on life behind the scenes at one of England's most famous football clubs. No other individual has had the immense privilege of working at Newcastle United in the capacity that Paul Ferris once did: as a player between 1981 and 1986, as a physiotherapist between 1993 and 2006, and finally as a key member of Alan Shearer's management team in 2009.This is a light-hearted, often hilarious and sometimes unbelievable retelling of the events Paul experienced and characters he encountered. His numerous, otherwise forgotten, tales from the bygone era of 1980s football include the likes of Kevin Keegan, Jack Charlton, Arthur Cox, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Beardsley, George Best and more. Ferris's chronicles from 18 years at Newcastle United also feature managers such as Graeme Souness and Sir Bobby Robson, the tumultuous 19932006 period and Alan Shearer's ill-fated short tenure.If you are a Newcastle United supporter, football fan or loved The Boy on the Shed, this book is the ultimate way to revisit the club's precious glory days of football.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA moving and powerful account of the problems faced by a new generation, from crime to poverty to an increasingly divided society, from an extraordinarily accomplished young activist and entrepreneur.My name is Jeremiah Emmanuel. I''m twenty years old. I''m an activist, an entrepreneur, a former deputy young mayor of Lambeth and member of the UK Youth Parliament. I wanted to change the world, but the world I was born into changed me first.Raised in south London, I lived in an area where crime and poverty were everywhere and opportunities to escape were rare. Violence was accepted, prison was expected. Your best friend might vanish overnight, never to be seen again. That was the world I knew; the only one I thought was possible for people like me.But somehow, as I got older, I found my way to a different world: a place where people listened to you, where opinions were heard, where doors were opened, where there were opportunities around every corner. Every

Read more less

Book SynopsisFinding Your Self and Choosing Joy Over Fear"Uplifting and loaded with practical wisdom on how to come out of a crisis with more, not less." ―Suleika Jaouad, The New York Times, "Life, Interrupted" columnist#1 Best Seller in Diseases & Physical AilmentsFierce Joy is the incredible finding your self story of one woman who learned to shed perfection and find joy in every day.Learn to find joy in every day. Susie Rinehart seemed to have it all―two beautiful kids and a loving husband, a job where she was respected as a leader, and medals as an ultramarathon champion. Then she found out that a tumor on her brainstem threatened to take away her voice…and her life. With so much at stake, Susie had to rethink how she wanted to live. Brave is better than perfect. So many of us grew up believing that achievements would lead to love and acceptance. Just ace that test, win that race, get that job, and happiness will follow. But it’s hard to arrive at happiness when we’re motivated by fear. When she faced losing everything, Susie learned to choose joy over fear, and brave over perfect.Find strength in your voice. This incredible story is about healing, rediscovering yourself, and becoming a warrior in a new way. For anyone who has lost their voice in the never-ending struggle to please others, Susie offers hope. In each section of the book she offers a series of takeaways―lessons she learned when life forced her to slow down and step back.Readers of Fierce Joy will: Learn how to overcome fear and choose joy Stop trying to be perfect and choose to be brave Learn to slow down and enjoy life Become a warrior for healing and happiness Fierce Joy is a memoir perfect for readers who loved Big Magic, The Unwinding of the Miracle, Love Warrior, Untamed, or Risking the Rapids.Trade Review“Breathtaking. Raw. Real. This is a memoir about what it means to have a voice. When Rinehart loses her ability to speak, she learns to listen to herself.” ―Jen Pastiloff, author of On Being Human“Breathtaking and honest. Susie's story serves as a deep reminder of our own impermanence, and provides a powerful wake up call for women and girls to use our voices now." ―Andrea Isabelle Lucas, Author of Own It All and Founder of Barre & Soul"Powerful, honest, riveting. What happens when a crisis forces you to give up perfectionism and self-worth-through-doing? Susie Rinehart's story of survival is a gift to any woman who longs to free herself of the shackles of 'not-enough.'" ―Rachel Simmons, author of Enough As She Is"Uplifting and loaded with practical wisdom on how to come out of a crisis with more, not less." ―Suleika Jaouad, The New York Times, "Life, Interrupted" columnist“This stunning memoir wakes us up to the kind of happiness that is possible when we are brave enough to go after it. At the heart of this big, brilliant story is this: You are already enough. This book is wise and revolutionary. It changed my life.” ―Christine Carter, author of Raising Happiness and The Sweet Spot

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn avid music fan from a young age, A Casual Life is centred around six particularly memorable band t-shirts owned by Euron Griffith as he grew older (but not necessarily wiser). From the disastrous first (and last) gig by his debut band, through to his eventual deal with a major label, from life growing up in pre-internet north Wales (when even pop radio couldn? t make it past the mountains) to the smoky clubs of Soho, this is a story of how music gets into the soul and how it helps us cope with all life throws our way.

Read more less

Book Synopsis*** A GARDENS ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR***''A beautiful book about nature...I recommend it'' Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)A powerful work of memoir and storytelling that will change the way we think about the natural world.Unearthed is the story of how Claire Ratinon found belonging through falling in love with growing plants and reconnecting with nature.Like many diasporic people of colour, Claire grew up feeling cut off from the natural world. She lived in cities, reluctant to be outdoors and stuck with the belief that success and status could fill the space where belonging was absent. Through learning the practice of growing food, she unpicked her beliefs about who she ought to be. Over her first year living in the English countryside and with the first vegetable patch of her own, she finds a pathway back to nature''s embrace. And through growing the food of Mauritius, recording her parents'' stories and exp

Read more less

Book SynopsisA three-year-old boy dies, having apparently fallen while trying to reach a bag of sugar on a high shelf. His grandmother stands accused of second-degree murder. Psychologist Susan Nordin Vinocour agrees to evaluate the defendant, to determine whether the impoverished and mentally ill woman is competent to stand trial. Vinocour soon finds herself pulled headlong into a series of difficult questions, beginning with: was the defendant legally insane on the night in question? As she wades deeper into the story, Vinocour traces the legal definition of insanity back nearly two hundred years, when our understanding of the human mind was in its infancy. "Competency" and "insanity", she explains, are creatures of legal definition, not psychiatric reality, and in criminal law, "insanity" has become a luxury of the rich and white. With passion, clarity, and heart, Vinocour examines the troubling intersection of mental health issues and the law.Trade Review"A chilling book … unquestionably a page-turner, and revealing the ending would be a spoiler … A satisfying courtroom drama that hits the sweet spot between good storytelling and sharp legal analysis.” – Kirkus

Read more less

Book SynopsisPublished on the 12thanniversary of Margaret Thatcher's death, and in the 100thanniversary of her birth, this new, completely updated edition of Memories ofMargaret Thatcher is a fitting tribute to a global political legend.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first detailed and comprehensively researched biography of the heir apparent to the Djokovic-Nadal-Federer era.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPenned in 1925 during the aftermath of a nervous breakdown, On Being Ill is a groundbreaking essay by the Modernist giant Virginia Woolf that seeks to establish illness as a topic for discussion in literature. Delving into considerations of the loneliness and vulnerability experienced by those suffering from illness, as well as aspects of privilege others might have, the essay resounds with an honesty and clarity that still rings true today. ‘Novels, one would have thought, would have been devoted to influenza, epic poems to typhoid, odes to pneumonia, lyrics to toothache. But no – with a few exceptions… literature does its best to maintain that its concern is with the mind; that the body is a sheet of plain glass through which the soul looks straight and clear, and, save for one or two passions such as desire and greed, is null, and negligible and non-existent.’

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisBen Newman has spent three years of his life 'up north' gaining a social work qualification. Along the way he has gained a wife and a baby boy, with another baby on the way. Earning money is a priority and he finds a temporary post as a Resettlement Officer on the large new council estate of Highfield.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a personal account written by a man reflecting on his time as a young pilot with the Royal Flying Corps in France during the First World War, who eventually became an ace. It is a story of survival against the odds at a time when the conduct of air operations depended so much on individual skills, innovation, courage – and luck. Hugh White flew F.E.2D Scout aircraft with 20 Squadron as a reconnaissance patrol pilot aged just eighteen. By his nineteenth birthday he was a flight commander and the most experienced pilot on the squadron. He then became a flight commander on 29 Squadron flying the S.E.5a which was Britain’s best fighter aircraft at the time. During the two years of flying, he experienced and survived a series of escapades including a dramatic mid-air collision with the enemy. Told by Hugh in his own words, he gives a unique insight into war in the air. With the break-up of his squadron and being reduced to a substantive rank – simply because of his young age – Hugh’s writing ends in 1919. From this point, the story is continued by his younger son Chris. He describes Hugh’s life and RAF career from flying Bristol Fighters in India during the 1920s, undertaking engineer training at Henlow, to commanding 501 Squadron in the mid-1930s and becoming a full-time technical officer until his retirement as an air vice-marshal in 1955. This book includes a foreword by Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey (Hugh’s nephew) which puts Hugh White’s early wartime service into context. It is a timely reminder, following the centenary of the end of the First World War, of the difficulties that young pilots faced at the time. A must-read for those interested in wartime exploits.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFROM THE ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF DEAR MICHAEL, LOVE DAD & OUT OF THE MADHOUSE 'I am Ian Wilkerson. 54 years old. Married forever. Three children. I have been made redundant. I believe I have cancer. And... I am losing my mind.' The announcement of a baby - his first grandchild - tips Ian's world upside down. As he struggles with his thoughts and feelings, a short walk with Bernard, his Jack Russell, turns into their longest journey. A story of love, loss and family ties, Ian and Bernard's funny, thought-provoking and emotional adventure will stay with you long after it comes to its dramatic ending.Trade Review"An utterly compelling and intriguing story of a man, in late middle age, confronting his personal demons by walking out of his home one day without word, warning or explanation. Very funny in some places, unspeakably poignant and sad in others. A philosophical and moving tale for our times" Charlie Mortimer; "A Tender and thoughtful novel exploring the bond between man and man's best friend ...sincere and evocative..." Michael Simkins

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne women’s journey of menopause and vaginal atrophy. Written in collaboration with her daughter in a `tongue in cheek’ way to help break taboos of vaginal atrophy. This book is informative, serious, tear-jerking and guaranteed to make you laugh. Through this book you’ll learn the hidden secrets of menopause aimed to help you during your own experiences, informing women, men and health professionals of all ages. “An amazing piece of work. It made me smile and cry at the same time and really feel every woman on the planet needs to read it” – Dr Louise Newson. “If you have a vagina, know or love somebody with a vagina, you need to read this.” Diane Danzebrink, The Menopause Counsellor “This extraordinary, outstanding book is refreshingly candid and one of a kind. It is the sort of book you will buy extra copies of, to give to your daughters, your sisters and your friends.” Julie Bennett, Educational Author “I love the book and already have patients and friends in mind that I can recommend it to.” Fiona Mitchell, Women’s Health Physiotherapist “I would recommend it to everyone.” Amanda Tozer, Consultant Gynaecologist “Absolutely love it! Such an honest and informative read, smashing the taboo surrounding the conversation about our vaginas.” Sam Evans, Sexual Health Expert

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘I write from the realms of the ugly, for the ugly, the frigid, the unfucked and the unfuckables, all those excluded from the great meat market of female flesh, and for all those guys who don’t want to be protectors, for those who would like to be but don’t know how, for those who are not ambitious, competitive, or well-endowed. Because this ideal of the seductive white woman constantly being waved under our noses – well, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist.’ Powerful, provocative and personal, King Kong Theory is a candid account of how the author of Baise-moi came to be Virginie Despentes. Drawing from personal experience, Despentes shatters received ideas about rape and prostitution, and explodes common attitudes towards sex and gender. King Kong Theory is a manifesto for a new punk feminism, reissued here in a brilliant new translation by Frank Wynne.Trade Review‘I can think of almost no book I’ve enjoyed in recent years as much as King Kong Theory – in part for its content, in part for the ferocity of its style. In a world that continues to have difficulty contending with sex work, porn, class, and sexual violence without resorting to tired tropes, Virginie Despentes offers a fresh, necessary, inspiring path forward, just as she has been doing for decades now in a variety of media. This book is a classic, and I’m so grateful for it.’ — Maggie Nelson, author of The Argonauts‘I love King Kong Theory. It’s a fuck-you push-back against a blood-sucking patriarchal culture that keeps murdering and raping women till they get the idea (the survivors, ha) that they should be stupidly grateful to serve men, just lucky to even be allowed to play. This is liberatory galloping prose, inhale it now and if you’ve read it before read it again in this new jangling translation, ornery and alive like we need to be. This short fiery book is essential.’ — Eileen Myles, author of Chelsea Girls‘In the dire age of corporatized and sanitised feminism, King Kong Theory is the radical – and darkly funny – manifesto we need.’ — Amelia Abraham, author of Queer Intentions‘Despentes is often described as a “rock-and-roll” Balzac ... She also resembles, by turns, William Gibson, George Eliot and Michel Houellebecq, with a sunnier attitude.’ — Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick‘Part-memoir, part-critical treatise on masculinity and power, with reference to rape, pornography, and prostitution, King Kong Theory is the kind of book you want to place in the hands of everyone you know. It is arresting from the very first lines; there’s something aggressively incantatory about it, a kind of battle-rap braggadocio.’ — Lauren Elkin, Harper’s

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Vivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war'' Max Hastings, Sunday TelegraphTwo months before the outbreak of WWII, seventeen-year-old Geoffrey Wellum becomes a fighter pilot with the RAF . . .Desperate to get in the air, he makes it through basic training to become the youngest Spitfire pilot in the prestigious 92 Squadron. Thrust into combat almost immediately, Wellum finds himself flying several sorties a day, caught up in terrifying dogfights with German Me 109s. Over the coming months he and his fellow pilots play a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. But of the friends that take to the air alongside Wellum, many never return.***''An intimate account . . . rich in detail'' James Holland, Wall Street Journal, ''Five Best World War II Memoirs''''An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone'' Independent''A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure'' Daily ExpressTrade ReviewVivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war -- Max Hastings * Sunday Telegraph *It took him 35 years to turn his notebooks into a narrative, and the result is a highly personal account of what it is like to face mortal combat, day and night, and what it does to a man who is barely more than a boy -- Ben MacintyreAn intimate account . . . rich in detail * Wall Street Journal, 'Five Best World War II Memoirs' *An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone * Independent *A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure * Daily Express *Amazingly fresh and immediate . . . absolutely honest, it is an extraordinarily gripping and powerful story * Evening Standard *There have been countless books about the Battle of Britain. But the combination of immediacy - Geoffrey Wellum had jotted down notes in an exercise book at the time - and distance - another 35 years would pass before he expanded his notes into a narrative - gives this account extraordinary depth and resonance . . . First Light will rank among the finest of Second World War memoirs * Independent *One of the most gripping personal accounts of aerial warfare ever written * Guardian *Wellum's story is astonishing . . . moving yet startlingly clear-eyed * Telegraph *No other account of flying in the Battle of Britain has been articulated as well as Geoffrey's in First Light * Daily Express *

Read more less

Book Synopsis ‘Remarkable' Observer 'Acutely observed, poignant and beautifully written' Daily Telegraph ‘My mother is scraping a piece of burned toast out of the kitchen window, a crease of annoyance across her forehead. This is not an occasional occurrence. My mother burns the toast as surely as the sun rises each morning.’ Toast is Nigel Slater’s award-winning biography of a childhood remembered through food. Whether recalling his mother’s surprisingly good rice pudding, his father’s bold foray into spaghetti and his dreaded Boxing Day stew, or such culinary highlights as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered something of a status symbol in Wolverhampton), this remarkable memoir vividly recreates daily life in 1960s suburban England. Likes and dislikes, aversions and sweet-toothed weaknesses form a fascinating backdrop to Nigel Slater’s incredibly moving and deliciously evocative portrait of childhood, adolescence and sexual awakening.Trade Review'Acutely observed, poignant and beautifully written…Slater tells his heartbreaking story with great subtlety. The theme of food and love is a fascinating one and I have never seen it better handled.' Daily Telegraph 'He recreates with moving honesty and laugh-out-loud comedy the hopes and fears of boyhood. Remarkable.' Observer '”Toast” connects emotions, memory and taste buds. Genius.' Lynne Truss, Sunday Times 'A talent for prose as simple and pleasurable as his recipes.’ Sunday Telegraph 'Exquisitely written…You read this remarkable memoir partly cringing, partly marvelling at Slater’s hallucinogenic retrieval of times past. He is the Proust of the Nesquik era.' Independent 'It achieves a remarkable freshness…[and] reveals a gift for doleful, Alan Bennett-like comedy.' Guardian ‘This touching memoir proves [Slater] is more than a cookery writer. Its emotional impact will touch a chord with many.’ Sunday Mirror ‘Wonderful, precise…extraordinary.’ Matthew Fort ‘It’s bitter-sweet, it’s a book to be consumed in a single sitting, a book that slips down really nicely. However you want to put it, “Toast” is delicious.’ The Oldie

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe No.1 football series - over 1 million copies sold!Bukayo Saka has the world at his feet. Since breaking through the ranks at Arsenal, the young forward has gone from strength to strength, helping his team lift the FA cup for a record 14th time. His versatile style of play means he can help his team all over the pitch. Discover how the boy born in Ealing, went on to represent England at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final, achieved his dream of representing his country at such a young age and overcame adversity to become the ultimate football hero.Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITINGSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONTHE TIMES / WATERSTONES TOP 10 BESTSELLERA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE INDEPENDENT, STYLIST, RHS, GARDENS ILLUSTRATED and moreWomen have always gardened, but our stories have been buried with our work. Alice Vincent is on a quest to change that: to understand what encourages women to go out, work the soil, plant seeds and nurture them, even when so many other responsibilities sit upon their shoulders. To recover the histories that have been lost among the soil and to understand women''s lives, their gardens and what the ground has offered them. Wise, curious and sensitive, Why Women Grow follows Alice in her search for answers, with inquisitive fronds reaching and curling around the intimate anecdotes of others.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntended for the fans of Anthony Bourdain, this is a collection of his journalism. Containing stories from his worldwide misadventures, it talks about scrounging for eel in the backstreets of Hanoi, the unglamorous aspects of making television, calling for the head of raw food activist Woody Harrelson, and confessing to lobster-killing guilt.Trade Review'Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and aioli.' Daily Telegraph 'Bawdie, bolshy and bursting with energy.' Daily Mail

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Road to Wigan Pier is a book in two parts: the first half is Orwell’s description of working-class life in industrial communities of the north of England, the second examines his own political views.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. This edition is introduced by journalist and author Amelia Gentleman.The Road to Wigan Pier is an insightful and powerful account of lives lived in poverty and deprivation in a time of low wages and meagre government support. Orwell describes dismal housing (including the lodging house where he stays), harsh working conditions and the devastating effects of unemployment. And he also vividly describes the courage and dignity of the people he meets. In the second half of the book, Orwell examines his own political and social affiliations with an impressive ability to provoke and to question. He defends middle-class values whilst critiquing the failures of his own class, he advocates socialism whilst criticizing the socialist movement in England.Trade ReviewWith absolute confidence, after several false starts, the mature George Orwell takes charge of this idiosyncratic account of working-class life from his first page. -- Robert McCrum, '100 best nonfiction books of all time' * Guardian *

Read more less

Book Synopsis**A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR**Quite simply, this book is a work of genius - Matthew Parris, The SpectatorAn essential study of post-war gay London life... one of the best anthologies I have ever read - John Self, The ObserverWith it's wide-ranging selection, generous biographical notes and provocative bibliography, Some Men in London is a serious and important contribution to our understanding of Britain up to today - Fiona Sampson, The TabletAn absolutely extraordinary book about actually what life was like for homosexual men in London in the 1940s and the 1950s It's amazing - Dominic Sandbrook The first part of a major new anthology which uncovers the rich reality of life for queer men in LondonIn the 1940s, it was believed that homosexuality had been becoming more widespread in the aftermath of war. A moral panic ensued, centred around London as the place to which gay men gravitated.In a major new anthology, Peter Parker explores what it was actually like for queer men in London in this period, whether they were well-known figures such as John Gielgud, Chips' Channon and E.M. Forster, or living lives of quiet or occasionally rowdy anonymity in pubs, clubs, more public places of assignation, or at home. It is rich with letters, diaries, psychological textbooks, novels, films, plays and police records, covering a wide range of viewpoints, from those who deplored homosexuality to those who campaigned for its decriminalisation.This first volume, from 1945 to 1959, details a community forced to live at constant risk of blackmail or prison. Yet it also shows a thriving and joyous subculture, one that enriched a mainstream culture often ignorant of its debt to gay creators. Some Men In London is a testament to queer life, which was always much more complex than newspapers, governments and the Metropolitan Police Force imagined.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe extraordinary drama of Malta''s WWII victory against impossible odds told through the eyes of the people who were there.In March and April 1942, more explosives were dropped on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta - smaller than the Isle of Wight - than on the whole of Britain during the first year of the Blitz. Malta had become one of the most strategically important places in the world. From there, the Allies could attack Axis supply lines to North Africa; without it, Rommel would be able to march unchecked into Egypt, Suez and the Middle East. For the Allies this would have been catastrophic. As Churchill said, Malta had to be held ''at all costs''.FORTRESS MALTA follows the story through the eyes of those who were there: young men such as twenty-year-old fighter pilot Raoul Daddo-Langlois, anti-aircraft gunner Ken Griffiths, American Art Roscoe and submariner Tubby Crawford - who served on the most successful Allied submarine of the Second World WaTrade Review'Holland's stirring account pays fitting tribute to the heroism of the island's defenders and its civil population ... the book teems with memorable characters.' MAIL ON SUNDAY

Read more less

Book SynopsisA genre-bending story about breaking - both of the heart and literary form itself - from the critically-acclaimed author of Biography of X.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEve Smith has worked for over twenty years in almost all areas of the sex industry: in a brothel, as an escort, a hostess, in a strip club, online and as a dominatrix. She lives and works in the north of England. How Was It for You? is her first book.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Personals reveals how classified ads are not just a few commercial lines of text in print or online they can be a treasure trove of fascinating human stories; stories of love, loss, loneliness, redemption and hope.Some people do Sudoku, others watch Netflix. Brian O'Connell loves the classified ads.In an era of spin doctors and press releases, celebrities and social influencers, the classified ads can open a door into the lives of ordinary people with extraordinary stories.What draws Brian to the classified ads are the intriguing human stories he finds there, the unexpected twists and turns, the personalities, the curious objects and the range of human experience waiting to be discovered.The Personals is a diverse collection of compelling stories about the people and the lives behind the small ads.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTravel is good for us. It makes us happy!Escape more, celebrate more, "weekend" more with DK travel guides and create memories that last a lifetime.Each of our books is jam-packed with gorgeous pictures, helpful maps and expert insights, making them totally comprehensive, really easy to use, and full of ideas and inspiration. And we know what we're doing we've been publishing guides for over 30 years.So forget the ordinary. Travel extraordinary.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE HOLOCAUST AND THE NAZI MIND ''You have to read it'' Volodymyr Zelensky''Laurence Rees brilliantly combines powerful eye-witness testimony, vivid narrative and compelling analysis in this superb account'' Professor Sir Ian Kershaw''In this fascinating study of two monsters, Rees is extraordinarily perceptive and original'' Antony BeevorTwo tyrants. Each responsible for the death of millions. This compelling book on Hitler and Stalin - the culmination of thirty years'' work - examines the two leaders during the Second World War, when Germany and the Soviet Union fought the biggest and bloodiest war in history.Hitler''s charismatic leadership may contrast with Stalin''s regimented rule by fear; and his intransigence later in the war may contrast with Stalin''s change in behaviour in response to events. But as bestselling historian Laurence Rees shows, at a macro level, both were prepared to create undreamt-of suffering - in Hitler''s case, most infamously the Holocaust - in order to build the utopias they wanted.Using previously unpublished, startling eyewitness testimony from soldiers, civilians and those who knew both men personally, Laurence Rees - probably the only person alive who has met Germans who worked for Hitler and Russians who worked for Stalin - challenges long-held popular misconceptions about two of the most important figures in history. This is a master work from one of our finest historians.Trade ReviewIn this fascinating study of two monsters, Rees is extraordinarily perceptive and original -- Antony BeevorComing from one of the world's experts on the Second World War, this is an important and original - and devastating - account of Hitler and Stalin as dictators. A must read -- Professor Robert Service, author of Stalin: A Biography.Laurence Rees brilliantly combines powerful eye-witness testimony, vivid narrative and compelling analysis in this superb account of how two terrible dictators led their countries in the most destructive and inhumane war in history -- Professor Sir Ian Kershaw, author of Hitler – Hubris and Hitler – NemesisA brave and remarkable work. Revelatory, gripping and hugely relevant, it shows Hitler and Stalin as you've never known them. Truly a story of our time, with so many lessons for the troubled world we inhabit today, it will revolutionise your understanding of these two foremost tyrants -- Damien Lewis, author of The Nazi HuntersLaurence Rees's 'Hitler and Stalin' is an excellent addition to a subject that fascinates and horrifies in equal measure. Presenting this complex history with his usual clarity, his latest study is an enthralling read. By weaving many fresh eyewitness accounts into the narrative, offering new insights and commanding his reader's attention despite the huge scope of his task, Rees has written a book that will appeal to readers of biography and history alike -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third ReichLaurence Rees has produced a vivid and terrifying portrait of the twentieth century's two most brutal tyrants. His mastery of the subject shines through on every page. Provocative, gripping and full of fresh insights, Hitler and Stalin is narrative history at its very best. -- Henry Hemming, author of Churchill's IcemanA fascinating history... always compelling -- David Aaronovitch * The Times *Impressive . . . well paced and well informed with an eye for telling anecdotes and colourful character sketches . . . Rees' decision to add personal stories to his narrative adds an important layer to our understanding of both the dictators themselves and their victims -- Robert Gerwarth * The Daily Telegraph *[There are] many gems in this impressive book -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Engaging, modern fables with a feminist tang'' Sunday TimesDARK, POTENT AND UNCANNY, HAG BURSTS WITH THE UNTOLD STORIES OF OUR ISLES, CAPTURED IN VOICES AS VARIED AS THEY ARE VIVID.Here are sisters fighting for the love of the same woman, a pregnant archaeologist unearthing impossible bones and lost children following you home. A panther runs through the forests of England and pixies prey upon violent men.From the islands of Scotland to the coast of Cornwall, the mountains of Galway to the depths of the Fens, these forgotten folktales howl, cackle and sing their way into the 21st century, wildly reimagined by some of the most exciting women writing in Britain and Ireland today. ''A thoroughly original package that has a hint of Angela Carter'' The Times''Sharp writing and cleverly done'' SpectatorTrade ReviewEngaging, modern fables with a feminist tang * Sunday Times *A thoroughly original package that had a hint of Angela Carter * The Times T2 *Sharp writing and cleverly done * Spectator *Relevant and intriguing * New Statesman *It's easy to get lost in the stories from diverse voices * Guardian *Simply and beautifully executed * Observer *Freshly feminist * Times Literary Supplement *Leaves the reader yearning to believe in the redemptive power of magic -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times *Vivid, perceptive. At the heart of each mystical story is a woman, who, often on the cusp of a new beginning, remains haunted by traumas from her past. * New Statesman *Hag swarms with mermaids, boggarts and shape-shifters but it also explores the hopes and visceral dreads from which those creatures emerged in the human imagination. Daisy Johnson's wittily disquieting take on The Green Children of Woolpit is a masterclass. -- Susan Flockhart * Glasgow Herald *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2023THE SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEARProfoundly moving.'' EDMUND DE WAALA work of searching scholarship, acute critical observation, philosophical heft, and deep feeling.' ALEX ROSSA rare book: extraordinarily powerful - magisterial, meticulously rich and unexpected, deeply affecting and human.' PHILIPPE SANDSA remarkable and stirring account of how music acts as a witness to history and a medium of cultural memory in the post-Holocaust world.When it comes to how societies commemorate their own distant dreams and catastrophes, we often think of books, archives, or memorials carved from stone. But in Time's Echo, Jeremy Eichler makes a revelatory case for the power of music as culture's memory, an art form uniquely capable of carrying forward meaning from the past. Eichler shows how four towering composers - Richard Strauss, Ar

Read more less

Book SynopsisA remarkable story of turning heartbreak into hope Life as we know it can change in an instant, in the blink of an eye. And it did for Martina Cox and her family in 2018. On an ordinary day in April of that year, Seán Cox travelled to Anfield to watch his beloved Liverpool play. But he never made it to the match. A vicious, unprovoked attack left him with a severe brain injury, unable to walk or talk.Here, Martina tells their remarkable story. It is a story of inner strength and determination, of dedication and commitment. By not taking no for an answer and with the help of their family, their community, the Liverpool spirit, and tens of thousands of people across the world who were touched by Seán's story, they have achieved what was thought to be impossible.With Hope in Your Heart brings Seán's story right to the present day, as he moved back to his family home for the first time in two years just as the coronavirus lockdown took hold

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe instant Sunday Times top ten bestsellerA Guardian Book of the YearAn Evening Standard Book of the YearAn Independent Book of the YearNetgalley's non-fiction Book of the YearA national treasure's journey to the brink and back.'Will I wake up?''There's a 50:50 chance.'Michael Rosen wasn't feeling well. Soon he was struggling to breathe, and then he was admitted to hospital, suffering from coronavirus as the nation teetered on the edge of a global pandemic.What followed was months on the wards: six weeks in an induced coma, and many more weeks of rehab and recovery as the NHS saved Michael's life, and then got him back on his feet. Throughout Michael's stay in intensive care, a notebook lay at the end of his bed, where the nurses who cared for him wrote letters of hope and support. Embarking on the long road to recovery, Michael was soon ready to start writing about his near-death experience.Combining stunning new prose poems by one of Britain's best loved poets and the moving coronavirus diaries of his nurses, doctors and wife Emma-Louise Williams, this is a beautiful book about love, life and the NHS. Featuring original illustrations by Chris Riddell, each page celebrates the power of community, the importance of kind gestures in dark times, and the indomitable spirits of the people who keep us well.Trade ReviewAn astonishingly original and moving book * David Walliams *Harrowing, beautiful and sometimes very funny * Roddy Doyle *Emotional...impossible to read without a lump in the throat * Observer *Intimate, desolate and sometimes very funny * The Telegraph *Touching and, at times, surprisingly amusing * Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Uproarious memoir packed with anecdotes about the Harry Potter films' Daily Mail'Very funny and fascinating' Mail on Sunday'Brave and brilliant' Cosmopolitan'Highly readable' The TimesThey called for a break, and Gambon magicked up a cigarette from out of his beard. He and I were often to be found outside the stage that housed the Astronomy Tower, having 'a breath of fresh air' as we referred to it. There would be painters and plasterers and chippies and sparks, and among them all would be me and Dumbledore having a crafty cigarette.From Borrower to wizard, Tom Felton's childhood was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame saw him catapulted into the limelight aged just twelve when he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.Speaking with candour and his own trademark humour, Tom shares his experience of growing up on screen and as part of the wizarding world for the very first time. He tells all about his big break, what filming was really like and the lasting friendships he made during ten years with the franchise, as well as the highs and lows of fame and the reality of navigating adult life after filming finished.Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.The instant New York Times bestseller, November 2022Sunday Times bestseller, December 2022Trade ReviewHighly readable * Times *Brave and brilliant * Cosmopolitan *Very funny and fascinating, 5 out of 5 stars * Mail on Sunday *A brilliant memoir * Alex Zane *Uproarious * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBestselling author Bear Grylls has survived a free-fall parachute accident that left him with a broken back, possibly unable to walk again; falling down a mountain in the Rockies, severing a finger in the Vietnam jungle, a broken shoulder in Antarctica. He passed the gruelling training to join the SAS, crossed the North Atlantic in an open inflatable boat, and held the highest ever open-air formal dinner party, in a balloon at 25,000 feet.But the hardest thing he has ever had to face, he says, is the death of his father. It was then, age 25, that he found what he describes in an interview with the Telegraph as 'a really lovely quiet faith that has been a powerful thing in our lives'.As he wrote in GQ magazine, 'Faith doesn't mean you have to be especially "religious". But, in a nutshell, my faith tells me that I am known, that I am secure and that I am loved - regardless of the storms I may find myself in from time to time, regardless of how often I fall and fail.'For the first time, in this open, brave and honest book, Bear reveals the inspiration that helps him to stand strong and find peace each day. These daily readings - exploring themes of friendships, failure, courage, risk, and much more - show us all how to face each day with purpose and power. 'Be brave. Embrace faith wherever you may find it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.'Trade ReviewMy mission for Soul Fuel is that I have to have the confidence to be able to stand up and read it whether lam in a prison, a hospital, a mosque or a church. It's got to be unjudging, open, empowering and vulnerable, and it has got to help people from all walks of life and all ages. That is where I approached it from. * The Tablet *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDerek Jarman’s Blue weaves a sensory tapestry that serves as both a political call to action and a meditation on illness, dying, and love. “For Blue there are no boundaries or solutions.” —Derek Jarman Originally released as a feature film in 1993, the year before the acclaimed artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman’s death due to an AIDS-related illness, Blue is a daring and powerful work of art. The film - and this highly-anticipated book’s text - serve as iconoclastic responses to the lack of political engagement with the AIDS crisis. Written poetically and surrealistically, Jarman’s text moves through myriad scenes, some banal, others fantastical. Stories of quotidian life––getting coffee, reading the newspaper, and walking down the sidewalk––escalate to visions of Marco Polo, the Taj Mahal, or blue fighting yellow. Facing death and a cascade of pills, Jarman presents his illness in delirium and metaphors. He contemplates the physicality of emotions in lyrical prose as he grounds this story in the constant return to Blue - a color, a feeling, a funk. Michael Charlesworth’s compelling introduction brings Blue into conversation with Jarman’s visual paintings as never before.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**On the Saturday morning of January 9, 1993, while Jean Claude Romand was killing his wife and children, I was with mine in a parent-teacher meeting…With these chilling first words, acclaimed master of psychological suspense, Emmanuel Carrère, begins his exploration of the double life of a respectable doctor, eighteen years of lies, five murders, and the extremes to which ordinary people can go.Discover the true story that is ‘beyond the imagination of even the best crime writer' (Sunday Times)'A disturbing look at the dark side of human nature that is powerfully written and beautifully told' Louis Theroux'Mesmerising' Sunday Telegraph'Stunning' Evening Standard'Unputdownable' Washington Post'A masterpiece' New York TimesTrade ReviewA disturbing look at the dark side of human nature that is powerfully written and beautifully told -- Louis TherouxThe story told here is truly beyond the imagination for even the best crime writer * Sunday Times *The mesmerizing true crime tale of an apparently ordinary man whose life mutates in the space of a few blood-splattering hours from the realm of Renoir to that of Stephen King * People *He’s the best kind of writer, not just a bestseller but a man who is not afraid to leave the comfort zone of his desk, go out into the world, take risks, and get his shoes dirty * Observer *Unputdownable... Imagine a sleek, twenty-first century version of In Cold Blood * Washington Post *A triumph of insight and concision, brilliant both as a psychological study and as the portrayal of a community * Independent on Sunday *A masterpiece... It's a level of moral discomfort almost without equal in literature * New York Times *Savagely intense and utterly compelling... This is his paciest and cleanest-cut book...few books could better deserve a second chance to find new readers * Sunday Times *The Adversary is exactly the idea I have of a modern novel: struggling deftly with facts and with itselfAn absolutely stunning piece of work, totally involving and unforgettable * Evening Standard *This is the sort of story I dreamed of covering when I was a journalist. The sort of story for which the phrase You couldn’t make it up was invented. The Adversary takes a deep, mesmerising dive into the darkness of a human soul. There were moments when I truly could not believe what I was reading. But unlike other serial killer noirs sitting on my shelves, this horror is real. And so much more chilling for that.[A] book that fairly struck me over the head was The Adversary… it’s the coexistence of almost unimaginably variant realities within a family that haunts you. -- Megan Nolan * New Statesman, *Books of the Year* *A remarkably thoughtful and unnerving book...mesmerising * Sunday Telegraph *Profoundly disturbing...a remarkable and undoubtedly important book - perhaps even a necessary one * Daily Express *A fascinating meditation on Jean-Claude Romand and what his bizarre life might mean... Carrère's inquiry is highly personal, written in lucid prose...the narrative is often mesmerizing, and revealing about the fragility of human relationships * New York Times *

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis'His name was Ibrahim. He was about five years old and the thing he wanted most in the world was to go to school.' In a tiny country on the Horn of Africa, extreme adventurer, former soldier and star of Channel 4's Hunted Jordan Wylie made an extraordinary promise to a remarkable young boy. Ibrahim's home Djibouti is a refuge from neighbouring war zones, laying host to children excluded from the basic privileges we take for granted in the West. So, armed with skills learned from a lifetime of adventures, Wylie vowed to raise funds to build a new school for those children. And thus began a series of exceptional challenges, seeing Wylie row solo across the pirate-infested Bab el-Mandeb Strait in a world first and run extreme marathons in ice-cold climates. To cap it off, he embarked on a journey stand-up paddleboarding around mainland Great Britain, along the way facing military firing ranges, crazy teenagers on jet-skis, psychotic jellyfish and, finally, Covid-19. This is the inspirational true story of the lengths one man went to fulfil a young boy's dream - and of the good that can be achieved even in the hardest of times.Trade Review"Jordan is a fantastic role model for young people. He shows us all what you can achieve when you put your mind to it." - Tim Peake, astronaut "It was a real privilege to work alongside Jordan and see first-hand his commitment to helping inspire the next generation." - Alex Gregory MBE, double Olympic champion "A truly inspiring adventure filled with passion, purpose and humility." - Aldo Kane, adventurer, explorer and TV presenter "The extraordinary story of a former British soldier who had already done his duty but who went back to serve those whose lives are still blighted by war. Jordan Wylie epitomises the core values of our armed forces and veterans in everything he does to help others." - Johnny Mercer MP, former minister for defence people and veterans "A very powerful true story of one man's determination and endeavour to deliver on a special promise using the spirit of adventure." - Vex King, mind coach and author of Good Vibes, Good Life "Epic ocean adventures from a man who continues to push the boundaries of physical and psychological endurance." - Casper Steinfath, six-time world SUP champion "A highly accomplished adventurer who continues to inspire young people around the world to never give up and follow their dreams." - Nimsdai Purja MBE, elite soldier and mountaineer

Read more less