Biography Books

Book Synopsis Afterword by Alzheimer's Research UK. 'Shobna Gulati is the Northern heroine of a nation' - Lemn Sissay'Lucid and probing' - Guardian'Wonderful and emotional, a masterpiece of resilience.' - Emma Kennedy Remember Me? is a memoir about caring for a parent with dementia and the memories that resurface in the process. In her first book, Shobna Gulati sets out to reclaim her mother's past after her death, and in turn, discovers a huge amount about herself and their relationship. Remember Me? captures the powerful emotions that these memories hold to both Shobna and her mother; secrets they had collectively buried and also the concealment of her mother's condition. What ensues is a story of cultural assimilation, identity and familial shame.'A raw, honest, moving and wry account of the complexity of a mother daughter relationship convoluted by the torment of dementia.' - Sanjeev Bhaskar'Gulati's book not only describes the complexities of caring (we must not forget its joys, she says, alongside its difficulties) and her mother's dementia, it is also an exploration of identity.' - Guardian'You'll find yourself not wanting to leave her trusted embrace.' - Desiree Burch'Beautifully written. Heartfelt.' - Kate Robbins 'I laughed, I cried ... a relationship like no other.' - Ferne Mccann

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Book SynopsisIn 1953, in the presence of an investigator, Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gramme of mescalin, sat down and waited to see what would happen. When he opened his eyes everything, from the flowers in a vase to the creases in his trousers, was transformed.Trade ReviewConcise, evocative, wise and, above all, humane, The Doors of Perception is a masterpiece * Sunday Times *There is nothing the pen of Huxley touches which it does not illuminate, and as the record of a highly civilised, brilliantly articulate man under the influence of an astonishing drug, The Doors of Perception is a tour de force * Daily Telegraph *You can look at Aldous Huxley and draw parallels with the Beatles: Crome Yellow and Those Barren Leaves were his breakthrough Merseybeat books, Point Counter Point was his 'Revolver', with The Doors of Perception his full-blown Sergeant Pepper trip. Like the Beatles, Huxley had so many ideas in his head that it was natural he would want to expand and experiment. What drugs provided for them both was not escape, but reevaluation * The Times *The Doors of Perception is a poignant book, partly because it reveals the human frailties and yearnings of a very cerebral writer * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisNew edition with a foreword by Bernardine Evaristo 'A brutal record of segregated America ... essential reading' Guardian 'An anti-racist classic' Bernardine Evaristo In the autumn of 1959, a white Texan journalist named John Howard Griffin travelled across the Deep South of the United States disguised as a working-class black man. Black Like Me is Griffin's own account of his journey. Published in book form two years later it sold over five million copies, revealed to a white audience the daily experience of racism and became one of the best-known accounts of racial injustice in Jim Crow-era America. Embraced by some and fiercely criticised by others, its legacy sixty years on remains problematic, but Black Like Me nevertheless stands as a fascinating document of its times. 'There is a saying among Negroes that no white man, no matter how hard he tries, can really understand what it's like to be black in America. John Howard Griffin has come closer to this understanding than any white man that I know.' Louis Lomax, Saturday Review 'If it was a frightening experience for him as nothing but a make-believe Negro for sixty-six days, then you think about what real Negroes in America have gone through for 400 years.' Malcolm XTrade ReviewBlack Like Me awoke significant numbers of white Americans to truths about discrimination of which they had been unaware or had denied ... it remains powerful, revealing and moving. * Washington Post *Black Like Me revealed to white America - and Griffin himself - the indignities, abuse and threat of violence that black people had to put up with on a daily basis. * Black History 365 *One of the most extraordinary books ever written about relations between the races -- BBC Radio 4's ‘The Today Programme’One of the most remarkable one-man social and psychological experiments in history ... it is worth reading what he wrote - and then reflecting on how far we have come. And how far we have to go. * BBC News *One of the most fascinating journalistic investigations carried out in the USA ... when Griffin described what he experienced, it awoke a vast section of the American public to what was happening in their country. * Voice *A brutal record of segregated America ... essential reading * Guardian *An important, illuminating and fascinating read -- Bernardine Evaristo * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller and winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year 2023Fully updated paperback edition, with two new chaptersBeth Mead is one of the world''s most talented footballers - Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Euro 2022, England Player of the Year 2021-22, Arsenal Player of the Season 2021-22, and nominee for the 2022 Ballon d''Or. But long before this, Beth was just an ordinary kid from Hinderwell, North Yorkshire who wanted to play football. Now, Beth shares the challenges that shaped her, what she faced on the journey to the top, and the life events that made her stronger - from being dropped from the England squad and receiving devastating family news, to finding her best form under the guidance of Jonas Eidevall and Sarina Wiegman. Filled with positive lessons and an exclusive account of England''s triumphant Euros campaign, Beth offers readers of all ages a heartfelt,

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA Daily Mail Book of the Year. A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year.Famed American actress Demi Moore at last tells her own story in a surprisingly intimate and emotionally charged memoir.For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight or the headlines.Even as Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception. As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress and, always, if she was simply good enough.As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman's at once ordinary and iconic life.

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Book SynopsisThe third collection of memoirs from the author who inspired the BBC and Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small. This omnibus edition comprises of Vets Might Fly and Vet in a Spin. Training as an RAF pilot in the smoke and bustle of London is a far cry from James Herriot’s day job as a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales. And while he is keen to serve Queen and country, James cannot help but miss his life in Darrowby - despite frequent arguments between his colleagues, bad-tempered cattle and equally irritable farmers, and the continuing saga of Cedric the flatulent dog. But most of all he misses his wife Helen; pregnant with their first child. The question is constantly hanging over him - will he be going to war? And when will he get to go home? Since they were first published, James Herriot’s memoirs have sold millions of copies and entranced generations of animal lovers. Charming, funny and touching, All Things WisTrade ReviewBulls with sunstroke, pigs on the run and a cake-eating Peke with a betting habit . . . I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then. -- Kate HumbleHerriot's enchanting tales of life in the Dales are deservedly classics. Full of extraordinary characters, animal and human, the books never fail to delight. -- Amanda Owen, bestselling author of The Yorkshire Shepherdess

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Book SynopsisThe gripping biography of one of the most successful managers in the game, José Mourinho, giving rare insight into the man and the manager – now completely revised and updated to include the tumultuous 2020-21 season.José Mourinho is undoubtedly one of football’s most charismatic and controversial characters. His name is never far from the headlines and having worked at some of the biggest clubs in the world – Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – despite the challenges he has faced, he knows how to deliver when it matters. But is the way he conducts himself on the touchline and in front of the cameras the real Mourinho, or an act he puts on for the watching world?In this highly acclaimed biography, author and award-winning sports correspondent Robert Beasley reveals the man behind the scenes. Granted privileged access into the Special One’s inner sanctum, Beasley delves into the workings of the famed manager’s mind, as well as backroom antics and transfer sagas at some of the game’s greatest clubs. Revealing the untold stories behind how close Mourinho came to getting the England job, his at times tumultuous relationships with the football establishment, his trials and tribulations at Tottenham and why he will always put family and friends before football, this is a side to José Mourinho you never thought you’d see.Trade ReviewExplosive ... this book has rocked football with its fascinating insight in to what makes the game's most controversial manager tick * Daily Mail *Controversial * The Times *Beasley's book is a valuable, balanced insight into a man who seems intent on splitting people into "haters" or believers * Newsweek *

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Book SynopsisPaul Sinton-Hewitt has been recognised for his contributions to fitness and public health, receiving awards such as the CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to grassroots sports participation in 2014 and the Albert Medal from the RSA. One Small Step is his first book.

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Book SynopsisHailed as Newby''s ''masterpiece'', Love and War in the Apennines is the gripping real-life story of Newby''s imprisonment and escape from an Italian prison camp during World War II.After the Italian Armistice of 1943, Eric Newby escaped from the prison camp in which he''d been held for a year. He evaded the German army by hiding in the caves and forests of Fontanellato, in Italy''s Po Valley. Against this picturesque backdrop, he was sheltered for three months by an informal network of Italian peasants, who fed, supported and nursed him, before his eventual recapture.Love and War in the Apennines' is Newby''s tribute to the selfless and courageous people who were to be his saviours and companions during this troubled time and of their bleak and unchanging way of life. Of the cast of idiosyncratic characters, most notable was the beautiful local girl on a bike who would teach him the language, and eventually help him escape; two years later they were married and would spend the rest ofTrade Review'His masterpiece' Spectator 'Superbly funny … as civilizing, generous and affecting as “Vivere in Pace”, and the men, women and children, weather and woodsmoke are as fresh as yesterday' Observer 'A vivid description of Italian village life, full of notable characters … and the reactions of one sensitive man to being out of the war in the middle of one' Daily Telegraph 'It is necessary to state with emphasis that this is a very good book indeed' Times Literary Supplement 'An exciting story, superbly told. And wisdom, courage and generosity illuminate it' Punch

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE NEW MEMOIR FROM ALAN CUMMING. BAGGAGE: TALES FROM A FULLY PACKED LIFE PUBLISHES 28 OCT '21'One of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read' STEPHEN FRYWINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2015THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERATTITUDE MAGAZINE'S BOOK OF THE YEARA beloved star of stage and screen, Alan Cumming's life and career have been shaped by a complex and dark family past - full of troubled memories, kept buried away. But then an unexpected phone call from his long-estranged father brought the pain of the past hurtling back into the present, and unravelled everything he thought he knew about himself. Not My Father's Son is the story of his journey of discovery, both a memoir of his childhood in Scotland, and an investigation into his family history which would change him forever.'Equal parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living . . . beautifully written, honest . . . I was completely sucked in' NEIL GAIMANTrade ReviewEqual parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living, Not My Father's Son is a beautifully written, honest look at the forces of blood and bone that make us what we are, and how we make ourselves. I was completely sucked in -- NEIL GAIMANWhat a shattering, compelling and extraordinary story Alan Cumming has to tell. And he does so with such style and grace . . . Beautifully and cunningly structured, Not My Father's Son is one of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read -- STEPHEN FRYDo you know the old line "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me"? Alan Cumming's moving memoir Not My Father's Son is all that and more. This is a beautiful book-sad, funny, haunting, surprising, suspenseful, gut-wrenching, endearing. It will linger inside of you long after you turn the final page -- HARLAN COBEN * * author of New York Times bestsellers MISSING YOU and SIX YEARS * *In beautiful, honest, arresting prose, he offers a tale you'll never forget. A real diamond of a book. -- ANDREW O'HAGANIncredibly affecting -- DAMIAN BARR, Books of the Year * * Herald * *A poignant chronicle of damage sustained in youth and his recovery -- MARIELLA FROSTRUP * * Observer * *Powerful . . . the result is both heart-breaking and brave . . . A thoroughly gripping read, one that keeps its biggest revelation until the very end * * Sunday Times * *Moving * * Observer * *You'll like him a lot . . . Compelling * * Evening Standard * *A clear-eyed, often moving account of both his terrifying childhood and his recent attempts to come to terms with his past [. . .] Not My Father's Son moves elegantly and with an occasional dash of humour between Cumming's childhood and the revelations of the more recent past [. . .] memorable * * Chicago Tribune * *One of the most fun people in show business * * Time * *Cumming's eccentric style and assured voice shine brightly on every page, while escorting readers and fans on a memorable journey that is simultaneously insightful, brave, moving, and witty * * Book List * *Not My Father's Son shows Cumming to be a particularly skilled storyteller. His personal story is spun out in a thrillingly mysterious way . . . in this deeply touching memoir, Cumming has certainly marked himself out as one of our bravest and most perceptive writers, and an unexpected literary talent * * The List * *Powerful and shocking . . . That he can write isn't a surprise . . . He delves into his own history and leaves no stone unturned, no dark corner unprodded . . . What Cumming knows better than most is that you can never tell from the surface what's going on beneath * * Scotland on Sunday * *An open and honest memoir with some extraordinary twists * * Easyjet Traveller * *Powerful * * Big Issue * *Compelling . . . a frank, twisting book . . . a page-turner * * Metro * *A brave and thoughtful book * * Spectator * *Cumming's bravery is breathtaking . . . this is a brave book, airing fundamental agonies of the human condition with as light a touch as is possibly possible * * Sunday Express * *Best of all, [Not My Father's Son's] emotional intelligence is high * * Glasgow Sunday Herald * *Cumming is a good writer and keeps us guessing . . . the book grips like a neo-noir thriller . . . He knits together the various strands of his life with remarkable assurance. The occasional flashes of lightness in the dark, the few, very few, happy times with his father glow like embers, only to be extinguished by the overwhelming memory of the dark beast that kept him in a constant state of terror . . . What might have been a misery memoir is anything but. The bracing honesty and humour plus the fact that there is not a scintilla of self-pity makes this a tremendously encouraging book * * Daily Express * *This year's best memoir * * The List * *A haunting family history woven with empathy for his soldier grandfather but without a trace of self-pity about his abusive father * * Independent on Sunday, Best Memoirs of 2014 * *A brilliantly vivid and heartrending account of Cumming's early life, interspersed with some well-observed, comic and intriguing scenes from his more recent past * * Sunday Business Post * *A great read * * Connaught Telegraph * *Cumming's unsurprising gift for drama never overwhelms the realities of the damage done, nor his joyous determination to crush bad memories by living a good life * * Guardian * *With a completely captivating style, Cumming cleverly interfaces events from his past with the present * * Broadway World * *Gripping, well-composed and moving, this memoir is impossible to put down and remains with you well beyond the last page * * Pride Life * *This is such a great book: a memoir written with style and depth * * Sunday Business Post * *I very seldom cry but Alan Cumming's Not My Father's Son took me pretty close . . . Reads with the intensity of great fiction even though it's true -- IAN RANKIN * * Mail on Sunday * *Alan's powerful story is one which stays with the reader long after the final page has been read * * Attitude * *

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Book SynopsisA funny, tender, utterly beguiling story about a woman's search for happinessTrade ReviewIf Eat Pray Love has become a bible for women wanting to initiate change in their lives, then Gilbert is their patron saint * Sunday Times *A defining work of memoir * Sunday Telegraph *Everyone who reads it has a new best friend * The Times *If you read one book, this should be it * Sun *Life changing * Daily Express *Gilbert’s prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible * The New York Times Book Review *An engaging, intelligent, and highly entertaining memoir * Time *A meditation on love in its many forms - love of food, language, humanity, God, and most meaningful for Gilbert, love of self * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisAfter in-depth research of the circumstances of that fateful night, investigative writer and former journalist Noel Botham finally reveals what he alleges to be the truth - Princess Diana fell victim to a ruthlessly executed assassination. Twenty years later, the tragedy still shapes Britain as we know it today. How could the Establishment betray the trust of a whole nation? How was the killing executed? Was there really another car in the tunnel at the time of the crash? Reporting from the innermost sanctums of British intelligence and royalty, Botham reveals shocking answers to what he claims is one of the UK's most successfully kept secrets. As Botham affirms, The Murder of Princess Diana firmly lays to rest the outdated theory that Diana's death was a mere accident, and finally gives the people of Britain the explanation they deserve.

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Book SynopsisIt’s been said Janis Joplin was second only to Bob Dylan as the ‘creator-recorder-embodiment of her generation’s mythology’. But how did a middle-class girl from Texas become a ’60s countercultural icon?   Janis’ parents doted on her and promoted her early talent for art. But the arrival of a brother shattered the bond she had with her intellectual maverick of a father, an oil engineer. And her own maverick instincts alienated her from her socially conformist mother. That break with her parents, along with the rejection of her high school peers, who disapproved of her beatnik look and racially progressive views, and wrongly assumed she was sexually promiscuous, cemented her sense of herself as an outcast. She found her tribe with a group of offbeat young men a year ahead of her, who loved her intellectual curiosity, her passion for conversation, and her adventurous search for the blues. Although she never stopped craving the approval

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2023 JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING''Unparalleled.'' THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE''A true masterpiece.'' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT''A tour de force.'' GUY SHRUBSOLE''Quietly courageous.'' PATRICK BARKHAM''Lyrical, wholehearted and wise.'' LEE SCHOFIELD''A knockout. I loved it.'' MELISSA HARRISON''Honest, raw and moving.'' SOPHIE PAVELLE''An extraordinary book by an extraordinary author.'' CHRIS JONES''A book of wit, wonder and of wisdom.'' NICK ACHESON''Beautiful.'' NICOLA CHESTERA visit to the rapid where she lost a cherished friend unexpectedly reignites Amy-Jane Beer''s love of rivers setting her on a journey of natural, cultural and emotional discovery.On New Year''s Day 2012, Amy-Jane Beer''s beloved friend Kate set out with a group of others to kayak the River Rawthey in Cumbria. Kate never came home, anTrade ReviewA true masterpiece; generous, elegant, acute, tender and furious. -- Charles Foster * Times Literary Supplement *The perfect commingling of deep research with sparkling observation and quiet eddies of feeling, helmed by a lifelong kayaker, biologist and all-round adventurous soul... small wonder The Flow is such a knockout. I loved it. * author of All Among the Barley *A rich mix of history and mythology, of science and nature writing at its very best. -- PD Smith * The Guardian *Our 2023 Nature Book of the Year winner is regrettably very topical, and every judge absolutely loved the book. The glorious detail and personal experiences, all written in such elegant and beautifully poetic language, was unparalleled. -- Alastair Giles * Director of the James Cropper Wainwright Prize *A quietly courageous, open-hearted exploration of Britain's becks, bourns and streams. -- Patrick Barkham * author of The Butterfly Isles *Lyrical, wholehearted and wise, The Flow is a hymn for the rivers of Britain. -- Lee Schofield * author of Wild Fell *Honest, raw and moving, Amy’s prose is as captivating as the rivers she describes. I thought I knew what rivers were, but this stunning book is a powerful reminder of their infinity, their mystery, and their bewildering complexity. -- Sophie Pavelle * author of Forget Me Not *The Flow moves deftly between deeply touching personal experience and carefully-researched erudition. It is a book of wit, of wonder and of wisdom. -- Nick Acheson, naturalist and conservationistThe Flow is an extraordinary book by an extraordinary author.In a golden age for nature writing, this stunning book is one of the very best. -- Ben Hoare * BBC Countryfile *A gutsy biologist with webbed feet, Amy-Jane Beer plunges the reader into rivers the length and breadth of Britain. We emerge bathed in wonder and full of fresh understanding. -- Derek Niemann * author of Birds in a Cage *Part memoir, part celebration of the many rivers and waters of Britain, The Flow is passionately alive – a work of tremendous range and scope by one of our finest writers about the living world. -- Caspar Henderson * author of The Book of Barely Imagined Beings *The Flow is a tour de force: blending crystal-clear prose with mythic poetry and a cascade of lucid facts, washed down with uplifting insights into life, death and the water that sustains us. -- Guy Shrubsole * author of Who Owns England? *A fascinating travelogue […] Beer’s prose has the luminous beauty of poetry, blending personal experience and absorbing research with a sense of awe. -- Hannah Beckerman * The Observer *Haunted by loss, The Flow is about the urgency of a life, land and love. -- Nicola Chester * author of On Gallows Down *From the incredibly moving opening scene, to a delightful conclusion, Amy-Jane Beer takes us on a journey on, in and through the waterways of Britain, in sparkling prose. A worthy successor to Roger Deakin's Waterlog. -- Stephen Moss * author of The Robin *The Flow is a wonderful book: as passionate as it is knowledgeable. From Yorkshire Derwent to Dart to Dee via the Zanskar, Amy-Jane Beer really does take us, in her phrase, ‘as close as we might ever get to being a river’. -- Mark Wormald * author of The Catch *A fascinating mix of research into our waterways and gut-wrenching emotion. I can’t find the words to do it justice: read it! -- Charlotte Smith, broadcaster * BBC Countryfile *With a poet’s gift for description, Beer makes her global travels vivid […] She’s got an ability to make even a small moment resonate, such as her child’s serendipitous discovery of a carnivorous sundew plant, with sharp prose and quick pacing. The result is an aquatic tour de force. * Publishers Weekly *Beer’s book examines the reverential place rivers hold in our culture and the stories hidden in their depths. -- Joe Shute * The Sunday Telegraph *A sublime and companionable meditation on nature’s processes. -- Charles Foster * Times Literary Supplement *I have read dozens of books about rivers and The Flow is one of the finest. -- David Profumo * Country Life *Necessary reading for us all. -- Julie Brominicks, landscape writer * BBC Countryfile *This erudite book is a joyous combination of science, nature, history, and mythology […] a genuinely moving voyage of discovery of our ecological and personal place in the nature that surrounds us. * Yorkshire Life *The Flow is an epic memoir that inspires awe for rivers and reveals their dual nature as both boundaries and portals. -- Kristine Morris * Foreword Reviews *Beer’s moving book is about water and landscapes as well as friendship, memory, loss and resilience. It is full of quiet wisdom and passion, and shows us what words can do when the personal and the ecological are blended organically. -- Elif Shafak * New Statesman *Water courses through biologist Amy-Jane Beer’s deep-dive into the lyrical beauty of Britain’s rivers. * Country & Town House *Simply beautiful. -- Stephen MossThe Flow is gutsy and profound from the off, with exquisite evocation of place, dives into deep time, moments of humour and surging anger at what we’ve done to our rivers. -- Ben Hoare * BBC Countryfile *As with all the best books about nature, The Flow is a marriage of two things: a hard-won knowledge of the subject and a rare ability to write beautifully [...] a warm and immersive book. -- Ian Carter * British Wildlife *Beautiful book. -- Nicola Chester * RSPB Magazine *Table of ContentsPrologue: Only water, moving on Chapter 1: Fresh and yet so very old Eddy: Snow dome Chapter 2: Torrent Eddy: Hollowing Chapter 3: Oak-water Eddy: Groundwater Chapter 4: Fly while we may Eddy: Dark water Chapter 5: Lines upon the land Meander: Bath toys Chapter 6: The meanings of water Eddy: Otter Chapter 7: The Bell Guy and the Gypsey Chapter 8: A willow grows aslant a brook Eddy: Minus seven Chapter 9: The cry of the Dart Meander: Flow Chapter 10: Trespassers will Eddy: Summer on the Nene Chapter 11: Chalk stream dreaming Eddy: Heron Chapter 12: Land covered by water Eddy: High water Chapter 13: Ouroboros Meander: Ghosts in the willows Chapter 14: The silver fish Chapter 15: Light and water Eddy: Damnation Chapter 16: Anadrome Chapter 17: Riverwoods Eddy: Flowover Chapter 18: Confluence and influence Meander: A river released Chapter 19: The Mucky Beck Eddy: Withow Gap Chapter 20: Rodents of unusual size Eddy: The narrow bridge Chapter 21: Heartland Chapter 22: A descent into Hell Gill (and out the other side) Epilogue Author’s note and acknowledgements Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThis book is inspired by true events but is not a biography.The truth is My Truth is not The Truth, and that''s as honest as I can be. It''s partially true, rather than painfully true, and I have possibly been economical with the truth, Your Honour.Basically, I made this sh*t up . . .While James Blunt''s crimes against music are well-documented, he also has some stories that are not. In Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story, James reveals his most riotous anecdotes to date for your amusement - and his parents'' horror - in this highly anticipated non-memoir.From his questionable Norfolk roots, eccentric family, boarding school antics, misjudged military service, rise to music stardom and tour escapades, James delves into his (surprisingly) fascinating life to date. What do you do when your mother writes irate emails to the future prime minister defending your honour? What does it take to run a male escort agency? And why exactly should

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Book Synopsis''One of the funniest books I have ever read'' HADLEY FREEMANA masterpiece' SATHNAM SANGHERA''The read of the summer'' THE SUNDAY TIMES''Brilliant funny and moving'' ADAM KAYA searingly honest, funny and moving family memoir in which David Baddiel exposes his mother's idiosyncratic sex life, and his father's dementia, to the same affectionate scrutiny.On the surface, David Baddiel's childhood was fairly standard: a lower-middle-class Jewish family living in an ordinary house in Dollis Hill, north-west London. But David came to realise that his mother was in fact not ordinary at all. Having escaped extermination by fleeing Nazi Germany as a child, she was desperate to make her life count, which took the form of a passionate, decades-long affair with a golfing memorabilia salesman. David's detailing of the affair including a hilarious focus on how his mother turned their household over to golf memorabilia, and an eye-popping cache of her erotic writings leads to the inescapable conclu

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating true story of an Englishwoman who spent 12 years alone in a cave in the Himalayas and became a world-renowned spiritual leader

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Book SynopsisOff-beat, irreverent and subversive a Jewish family memoir about convenient delusions and unsayable truths, from the acclaimed author of the cult classic novel, Submarine'The best book I've read in the past year . . . A masterpiece' Financial TimesA slippery marvel [and] a quixotic voyage into the heart of 20th-century darkness' ObserverPoignant and profound, comic and unconventional and genuinely, searingly meaningful' The New York TimesJoe Dunthorne had always wanted to write about his great-grandfather, Siegfried: an eccentric scientist who invented radioactive toothpaste and a Jewish refugee from the Nazis who returned to Germany under cover of the Berlin Olympics to pull off a heist on his own home. The only problem was that Siegfried had already written the book of his life an unpublished, two-thousand page memoir so dry and rambling that none of his living descendants had managed to read it. And, as it turned out when Joe finally read the manuscript himself, it told a very different story from the one he thought he knewThus begins a mystery which stretches across the twentieth century and around the world, from Berlin to Ankara, New York, Glasgow and eventually London a mystery about the production of something much more sinister than toothpaste. On the trail of one jolly grandpa' with a patchy psychiatric history and an encyclopaedic knowledge of poison gases, Joe Dunthorne is forced to confront the uncomfortable questions that lie at the heart of every family. Can we ever understand where we come from? Is every family in the end a work of fiction? And even if the truth can be found will we be able to live with it?Children of Radium is a remarkable, searching meditation on individual and collective inheritance. Witty and wry, deeply humane and endlessly surprising, it considers the long half-life of trauma, the weight of guilt and the ever-evasive nature of the truth.

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Book Synopsis''Steeped in glory, loved by players for his light touch, he is probably the most coveted coach in the world.'' - Financial Times''a treasury of anecdote and insight'' - The Guardian ''Quiet Leadership contains page upon page of insight into his methods from Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Terry and more''. - Sport MagazineCarlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo. In Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reveals the full, riveting story of his managerial career - his methods, mentors, mistakes and triumphs - and takes us inside the dressing room to trace the characters, challenges and decisions that have shaped him. The result is both a scintillating memoir and a rare insight into the business of leadership.Trade ReviewA treasury of anecdote and insight * The Guardian *He's a great coach and an amazing person -- Cristiano RonaldoThere is nobody better than this international crisis manager to explain how to handle superstar players (Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale), difficult club presidents (Silvio Berlusconi and Roman Abramovich) and hysterical media -- Simon Kuper * Financial Times *Ancelotti is Europe's greatest manager -- Paul Hayward * Telegraph *enjoyable and insightful * Financial Times Review *Steeped in glory, loved by players for his light touch, he is probably the most coveted coach in the world. * Lunch with the FT *Page upon page of insight * Sport *

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Book SynopsisUnique biography of Charles Darwin in the form of a personal notebookTrade ReviewNever having ploughed through 'The Origin of the Species' this beautifully compiled edition with sketches and illustrations is a delightful way of learning more about the genius. -- Janet Suzman

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Book SynopsisAn eclectic collection of prose, poetry and practical advice for every day of the year. A mix of fact and fiction, fantasy and experience, the Bedside Companion for Gardeners is a treasure trove of green-fingered inspiration where practical advice blends seamlessly with poetry and prose from intrepid gardeners past and present. Dip in and out of this collection with an entry for every night of the year that draws on writing through the ages and from across the globe. The Bedside Companion for Gardeners incorporates practical advice from the 17th-century gardening diarist John Evelyn; inspiring prose from Elizabeth von Arnim and John Milton; astute commentary from Horace Walpole on William Kent and Nancy Mitford on the vulgarity of a Surrey garden. Kipling offers practical advice, while Tennyson waxes lyrical on an Arabian night garden. The perfect gift for any gardener, this magical book is an invaluable source of inspiration and guidance to revisit throughout the year. Trade Review‘A delightful read to escape into last thing at night’ – Paula McWaters -- Country Living‘The green-fingered will love this anthology’ -- Daily Express/Daily Mirror‘This thoughtful and inspiring selection offers a fresh perspective on our outdoor space’ * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisChurchill in Quotes celebrates the life and wit of this iconic figure – combining archive photography with the inspiring speeches, wry remarks and cutting comments he was known for. Sir Winston Churchill, statesman, orator and former Prime Minister was a man whose words gave hope and inspiration to the British people, and many are as relevant today as they were during the war years. Churchill's speeches were not always confined to serious political rhetoric and motivation: his off-the-cuff quips and comments displayed a wry wit and humour. This book is a celebration of an outstanding figure in British history, presented in almost 200 photographs, hand-picked from the vast archives of the Press Association, many of which have remained unseen since they were first published in the newspapers and magazines of their day. SELLING POINTS: . Updated format of bestselling Churchill in Quotes with a refreshed and contemporary design . Includes 200 historical images from the archives of the Press Association . Photography of major events in Churchill's life and career

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Book SynopsisSwifts live almost entirely in the air.They eat, drink, sleep, mate and gather their nesting materials on the wing, fly thousands of miles across the world, navigating their way around storms, never lighting on tree, cliff or ground, until they return home with the summer.Sarah Gibson has written a fascinating story of discovery, exploring what is known about these mysterious birds, their ancient ancestry and how they have been regarded through history.But the swifts are in real danger: often unintentionally, we are sealing our homes against wildlife of any kind.Cracks, gaps and crevices which for thousands of years have offered nesting space in buildings, are being closed off, while new housing rarely offers entry holes for nesting birds.Loss of breeding places is considered to be a significant factor in the steep decline of these birds over the last twenty years.Thankfully, there are people in the UK and across Europe striving to ensure a future for swifts. Their actions and stories Trade Review‘The moving tale of this ancient, mysterious bird’ RSPB’s Nature’s Home ‘lf you love swifts, this is the book for you. It's full of facts not likely to be found elsewhere.’ John Miles, Birdwatching magazine ‘[Swifts and Us] is an excellent introduction to our current state of knowledge of the European Swift and its interactions with people.’ British Ornithologists’ Union

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Book SynopsisA pioneering treatise on embracing cooperation and reciprocity to usher in a greener and more inclusive world, from the major anarchist thinkerA Penguin ClassicWelcome to the anarchist history of the world. In this lively, provocative work, Peter Kropotkin argues that mutual aid is a natural instinct in all of us, animal and human. Cooperation, reciprocity, support: these, for Kropotkin, are the overlooked foundations of our history. From the earliest days of evolution through to artisanal guilds, indigenous nomads, and even the Royal National Lifeboat Association, it is a pragmatic, mutually beneficial bond to our fellow humans that has allowed us to survive. In this, Kropotkin challenges all the major orthodoxies of his age, from individualism and social Darwinism to Marxist theories of the savior state. Instead, these essays insist that a better life for all of us--and our planet--begins when we reject competition, and embrace the local, the mutual, and the collective.

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Book SynopsisA Beat Memoir. Astonishing insider account of the Beat generation by Jack Kerouacs lover and probably the best book ever written about the Beats.Trade ReviewWhat Joyce Johnson is doing here, then, is several things. Sure, she’s writing a memoir of the ’50s, the ‘Beat Generation’ and Kerouac in particular . . . But she’s also writing her own biography and summation of the times . . . taking these two themes, she merges them into the idea of ‘minor characters,’ those people who live just as intensely or more so than those who are defining ‘what’s going on,’ but who still, under these inaccurate definitions, come in as minor characters . . . a tender, sweet intelligent book. Carolyn See, Los Angeles Times; [Johnson] has brought to life what history may ultimately judge to have been minor characters, but who were to her own generation major enough to shape its consciousness. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times; Joyce Johnson hands over to us the safe-deposit box that contains the lost, precious scrolls of the New York ’50s. Seymour Krim, The Washington Post; MINOR CHARACTERS is an avowedly nostalgic portrait that captures the excitement, the strangeness and the often misdirected and destructive energy of those lost days. The Philadelphia Enquirer; The love story of Joyce from the upper westside who journeys to the village on the subway, putting on a pair of copper earrings en route, and Jack, the confused, mother-tied, suddenly famous road poet from Lowell, Massachusetts . . . a first-rate memoir, very beautiful, very sad. . . E. L. Doctorow; Johnson, who was living with Kerouac when the novel that made him famous came out, has given us in Minor Characters a dispassionate portrait of a time that has since become a literary myth . . . at once forgiving and wry. James Atlas, The Atlantic; Tender and complex . . . far more than a simple enumeration of the highs and lows of an underground romance with Jack Kerouac . . . her book becomes a moving story of adolescent rebellion, and then a fascinating meditation on the relations between the sexes by one who in her Bohemian youth took a measure of freedom unthinkable to most women of her time. The Boston Globe; [A] lovely, poignant memoir . . . Minor Characters glows with affection. Todd Gitlin, The Nation; Realistic rather than flamboyant, Johnson succeeds in portraying the Beats not as oddities or celebrities but as individuals. In wry retrospect, she recognizes the folly of young women rebelling against their well-meaning parents only to become subservient to indifferent men. The New Yorker; Joyce Johnson does much more than add her personal memoir to the history of the Beats . . . Her honest story illuminates a classic pattern of feminine ambivalence, blurred direction and girlish dreams. Susan Brownmiller; A beautifully written venture into iconoclasm. Now, realer heroines emerge as Beat gods fall, along with all the strutting princes of literature. Sol Yurick; With a style balanced between lyricism and forceful clarity, Joyce Johnson has become one of our premier memoirists. O, The Oprah Magazine; Joyce Johnson summons up the mythic Greenwich Village of jazz, poetry and black-stockinged Bohemia with infinite ironic grace. She was, briefly, a muse for all those messy Beat angels. This is the muse’s side of the story. It turns out the muse could write as well as anybody. Angela Carter; An open, perfect memoir: the one to read when you think you are tired of memoirs: the one to study when you think you might write one. It’s here. In print and every word is right. Jill Robinson; Rich and beautifully written, full of vivid portraits and evocations . . . of the major Beat voices and the minor characters, their women San Francisco Chronicle; A major literary event, describing with a rare blend of intelligence and grace the difficult process of becoming, in Doris Lessing’s words, a “free woman.” Ann Charters

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Book SynopsisPitched somewhere between Almost Famous and Withnail & I, Apathy for the Devil is a unique document of this most fascinating and troubling of decades - a story of inspiration, success and serious burn out.As a 20-something college dropout Nick Kent''s first five interviews as a young writer were with the MC5, Captain Beefheart, The Grateful Dead, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed. Along with Charles Shaar Murray and Ian MacDonald he would go on to define and establish the NME as the home of serious music writing. And as apprentice to Lester Bangs, boyfriend of Chrissie Hynde, confidant of Iggy Pop, trusted scribe for Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, and early member of the Sex Pistols, he was witness to both the beautiful and the damned of this turbulent decade.

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Book Synopsis''FRANK, FILTHY and FEROCIOUSLY FUNNY'' Sunday Mirror''I loved every HONEST and HILARIOUS second!'' Carrie Hope Fletcher ''Made me CACKLE OUT LOUD on every single page'' Daisy BuchananLush (adj.) Very rich and providing great sensory pleasure (Oxford English Dictionary) (n.) A habitual drunkard (Oxford English Dictionary)Gabby and Emma have been best friends since primary school in Wales. Emma has a stable job, a nice home and has just got engaged. Gabby has had a succession of disastrous one-night stands and awful jobs since drama school . . . and she has just been diagnosed with scurvy. She has one year until the wedding to pull herself together and prove to her friends and family that she can be a proper grown-up.Described by Caitlin Moran as Trade ReviewGabrielle Fernie shares more of her most raucous stories with eye-watering honesty - a laugh-out-loud account of a young woman trying to get her disastrous life together before her best friend's wedding, to prove to everyone she can actually be a grown-up. * SheerLuxe.com *I ADORED Gabrielle Fernie's memoir, Lush - it's so giddy and gleeful and warm. She's a hugely gifted comic writer and there was something that made me cackle out loud on every single page -- Daisy Buchanan, author of HOW TO BE A GROWN-UPFrank, filthy and ferociously funny * Sunday Mirror *An enjoyable resurrection of the ladette, Lush covers drunken nights, one night stands and reality TV dating, showing not all Millennials are Instagram obsessed wellness devotees. * The Herald *Lush is only 'put-downable' because it makes you laugh so hard you fear if you continue reading you might burst. I loved every honest and hilarious second! -- Carrie Hope FletcherFernie's funny, filthy memoir about her life as a struggling actress and her attempts to pull herself together offers hope to anyone who feels growing up has somehow passed them by * iNews (Best non-fiction books for autumn 2018) *[Lush] had me guffawing on public transport -- Carrie Hope Fletcher * Metro *[A gift] for the friend whose cackle you can hear down the street. In this laugh riot, best friends Gabby and Emma have grown up together. When Emma reveals she is getting married, it dawns on Gabby she must grow up herself once and for all. Hilarious and debauched. * The Sun *I ADORED Gabrielle Fernie's memoir, Lush - it's so giddy and gleeful and warm. She's a hugely gifted comic writer and there was something that made me cackle out loud on every single page. * Daisy Buchanan, author of HOW TO BE A GROWN-UP *

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Book SynopsisAs he films the final episode, actor David Suchet recalls his experience of playing Agatha Christie's world-famous detective, Hercule Poirot, for almost a quarter of a century.Trade ReviewThis is an excellent book about the psychopathology of an exceptional actor... -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *David Suchet writes with tremendous warmth and sincerity about his most famous alter ego... -- Paul Whitelaw * Metro *

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Book SynopsisNOMINATED FOR SIX OSCARS, INCLUDING BEST PICTURE, SUPPORTING ACTOR AND SUPPORTING ACTRESS . . . Aged just five, Saroo Brierley lost all contact with his family in India, after waiting at a train station for his brother who never returned. Discover the inspiring, true story behind the film, Lion. This is the heart breaking and original tale of the lost little boy who found his way home twenty-five years later. ----------------------------------- As a five-year old in India, I got lost on a train. Twenty-five years later, I crossed the world to find my way back home. Five-year-old Saroo lived in a poor village in India, in a one-room hut with his mother and three siblings... until the day he boarded a train alone and got lost. For twenty-five years. This is the story of what happened to Saroo in those twenty-five years. How he ended up on the streets of Calcutta. And survived. How he then ended up in

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable journey through space that interrogates the boundaries of our earthly existence and invites readers to marvel at the universe's dual nature both terrifying and enchanting.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'I've been waiting for this book all my life and everyone needs to read it' Claudia Winkleman Anya Hindmarch is a mother of five, stepmother, entrepreneur and globally renowned businesswoman. In If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair, she shares what she has learned during her busy and eclectic life, what she still worries about, and what advice she has received along the way. From practical tips and quick fixes, to profound observations about confidence and creativity, this inspiring handbook will show you how to live a little better – and why sometimes, the answer can be as simple as washing your hair. 'Comforting, practical and beautifully personal. This book feels like your best friend telling you it’s all going to be ok' Fearne Cotton ‘Warm, friendly, and packed to the rafters with excellent advice – I loved it’ India Knight 'A charming mix of memoir and manifesto' Grazia 'A hands-on, practical guide to managing the stresses of daily life' Evening Standard, Highlights for 2021 'Warm and refreshingly honest' Julia Samuel ‘I loved this book — it’s really unusual, surprising and inspiring’ Viv Groskop ‘A treasure trove of inspiring, down-to-earth and practical advice shared with humour and honesty’ Alexandra ShulmanTrade ReviewA hands-on, practical guide to managing the stresses of daily life * Evening Standard *A wise, straight-talking and empathetic guide for anyone wanting to start their own business or lead a happier life . . . with lashings of humility and zero psychobabble * Telegraph *I absolutely loved this book; it brings such wisdom, honesty and insight into a very important conversation on juggling motherhood, a career, entrepreneurship and the busyness of life -- Ella MillsA warm and refreshingly honest account of raising a blended family -- Julia SamuelA treasure trove of inspiring, down-to-earth and practical advice shared with humour and honesty -- Alexandra ShulmanEssential reading for the post pandemic entrepreneur . . . The ultimate guide to being both successful AND nice. Hail the roaringly kind 20s -- Christa D'SouzaI loved this book — it’s really unusual, surprising and inspiring -- Viv GroskopWarm, friendly, and packed to the rafters with excellent advice – I loved it -- India KnightAn engaging and down-to-earth guide to juggling family and a demanding career … Packed with motivation for budding entrepreneurs, quick fixes (including the tip that inspired the book’s title) and parenting advice, it’s an uplifting and enjoyable read’ * Sunday Express *Comforting, practical and beautifully personal. A gorgeous read -- Fearne Cotton

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Book Synopsis'Such a raw, honest and important book' Giovanna FletcherLike any new mum, Laura Dockrill felt rather overwhelmed after the birth of her son. But a slow recovery, sleep deprivation and anxiety quickly escalated into postpartum psychosis, and she had to spend a fortnight in a psych ward, separated from her family. It was only when Laura began to put her ordeal into words that she began to find herself again, and recovery seemed within reach.This is Laura's raw, honest and life-affirming story of how she made it through one of the most frightening experiences a mother can face. Now, she wants to break down the silence around postnatal mental health, shatter the idealised expectations of perfect motherhood, and show all new struggling parents that they are not alone.'A book to save a whole generation of women' AdeleA pleasure to read...I didn't want to put it down. If anyone is going through a similar experience it will make them feel less alone' Philippa Perry'A humbingly honest and human war report from the front lines of mothering psychosis and recovery; there is no other book like it' Caitlin Moran'An incredibly powerful book' Jessie Ware'This book will give women and their families confidence that the brain and body will heal' Dr Jessica Heron, CEO of Action on Postpartum Psychosis'An amazing read' Fiona Telford, postpartum psychosis survivorTrade ReviewThank you for this book, for shining a light on the darkness of psychosis, an illness that absolutely does happen to people like us. I found this book a balm for my soul, and am grateful to Laura for bravely penning such a beautiful account of an illness that is rarely talked about -- Bryony GordonMind-blowing -- Lemn SissayA book for those of us who didn’t have the fairytale. It’s important to know that even though things don’t always go to plan it doesn’t mean you aren’t a superhero or a power mum in your own right. Thank you Laura for making us all feel worthy. A must-read for all of those muddling through. -- Paloma FaithI saw the end of the world in her eyes. I knew she was in there somewhere but she was being held prisoner by her mind and we were all helpless to it. Sometimes things happen to us which means we can save other people, my own experience with mental health helped save her and now here she is about to save a whole generation of women! -- AdeleA humblingly honest and human war-report from the front lines of mothering, psychosis and recovery: there is no other book like it, and it is so desperately needed. -- Caitlin Moran

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Book SynopsisScientists have always kept secrets. But rarely in history have scientific secrets been as vital as they were during World War II. In the midst of planning the Manhattan Project, the U.S. Office of Strategic Services created a secret offshoot - the Alsos Mission - meant to gather intelligence on and sabotage if necessary, scientific research by the Axis powers. What resulted was a plot worthy of the finest thriller, full of spies, sabotage, and murder. At its heart was the 'Lightning A' team, a group of intrepid soldiers, scientists, and spies - and even a famed baseball player - who were given almost free rein to get themselves embedded within the German scientific community to stop the most terrifying threat of the war: Hitler acquiring an atomic bomb of his very own.While the Manhattan Project and other feats of scientific genius continue to inspire us today, few people know about the international intrigue and double-dealing that accompanied those breakthroughs. Bastard Brigade recounts this forgotten history, fusing a non-fiction spy thriller with some of the most incredible scientific ventures of all time.Trade ReviewAn exciting history of the battle for atomic supremacy during World War II [...] Throughout, Kean eschews erudite fastidiousness for consistent action and brio. Beginning with the title, the narrative is an engrossing cinematic drama. * Kirkus *Proving that history can be as exciting as adventure fiction * Choice magazine *

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Book SynopsisVirginia Woolf (1882-1941) was born in London. She became a central figure in The Bloomsbury Group, an informal collective of British writers, artists and thinkers. In 1912 Virginia married Leonard Woolf, a writer and social reformer. She wrote many works of literature which are now considered masterpieces, including Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Orlando, and The Waves.

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Book SynopsisIn King Charles III: 40 Years of Architecture, Clive Aslet offers a lively account of the King and his epic engagement with architecture since the ‘carbuncle’ speech of 1984.King Charles III’s affection for architecture is well-known, but the extent of his engagement has never been fully presented to the public. This is the first book to draw together the many threads, from the ‘carbuncle’ speech, made at Hampton Court in 1984, until his accession to the throne. He has created model settlements such as Poundbury through the Duchy of Cornwall, Dumfries House in East Ayrshire has been made a beacon of social regeneration, and his educational initiatives have changed lives. The four decades of the King''s commitment to architecture have coincided with Clive Aslet''s career as a journalist, during which he has followed the story and often written about it, not least during the 13 years for which he was editor of Country Life. King Charles III: 40 Years of Architecture is based on new research including many interviews with the architects, critics, advisors and academics who worked with the (then) Prince of Wales on his far-reaching endeavors.

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Book SynopsisA love letter to the joys of childhood reading from Wonderland to Narnia.When Lucy Mangan was little, stories were everything. They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one.She was whisked away to Narnia - and Kirrin Island - and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy, and played by the tracks with the Railway Children. With Charlotte's Web she discovered Death and with Judy Blume it was Boys. No wonder she only left the house for her weekly trip to the library or to spend her pocket money on amassing her own at home.In Bookworm, Lucy revisits her childhood reading with wit, love and gratitude. She relives our best-beloved books, their extraordinary creators, and looks at the thousand subtle ways they shape our lives. She also disinters a few forgotten treasures to inspire the next generation of bookworms and set them on their way.Lucy brings the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life - prompting endless re-readings, rediscoveries, and, inevitably, fierce debate - and brilliantly uses them to tell her own story, that of a born, and unrepentant, bookworm.'Passionate, witty, informed, and gloriously opinionated' Jacqueline Wilson author of The Story of Tracy Beaker Trade ReviewI felt like this was written just for me, and I think everyone will feel this wayTHE most wonderful, funny, clever, charming, evocative book. * India Knight *A book for people who love books, by a person who loves books. Bookworms unite (or just sit in our separate corners and read!) * Stylist *A delicously nostalgic treat that will make you want to pull out all those old favourites again * Good Housekeeping *Artfully evokes that particular magic of reading as a child… Deliciously unrepentant, Mangan’s Bookworm makes a timely case not just for how vital reading is, but also for rereading books as a child, and how reading remains consoling, fortifying and, sometimes, magical. * The Sunday Times *A wonderful romp through the pages of childhood, illuminated by wisdom, humour and enthusiasm. * Bernard Cornwell *What Mangan does brilliantly is express the experience of reading and articulate the emotional connections we make with stories. She understands how books become entwined in our lives and help us make sense of the world. You don’t need to have enjoyed the same books as she has to recognise the pure, life-affirming joy of reading that Bookworm celebrates so eloquently. * The Observer *Lucy Mangan has enough comic energy to power the National Grid... We need this new memoir about her childhood of being a bookworm. It's enchanting. * The Spectator *To read Lucy Mangan’s memoir of growing up bookish is to be taken back to a time in life when reading wasn’t merely a gentle pleasure or mild obligation but an activity as essential as breathing. * Guardian *Anyone who has ever preferred books to life will recognise Lucy Mangan as a kindred spirit. Her moving, funny, honest and superbly-written memoir about how childhood reading shapes our personalities, memories and chances could not be more timely or more needed in an age of library closures, embattled Humanities teaching and Philistinism. * Amanda Craig *Lucy Mangan's passionate, amusing and nostalgic reflection upon her favourite children’s books deserves to become as much of a classic as the novels she revisits. * Sunday Express *A witty and thorough history of reading for children from the 17th century to the present day. Fiercely unsentimental and often funny, it's a memoir that will strike a ringing chord with anyone who spent most of their childhood glued to a book. * Irish Times *Deft, warm and beautifully balanced. Made me smile. Made me glow. Made me think again and again. * Jason Hazeley, co-author of the adult Ladybird series *Funny, nostalgic and super-interesting… Warm, witty and a must-read for every bookworm. * The Sun *The Guardian columnist has composed an enthusiastic love letter to childhood reading, and the classic books that have shaped many young lives, as well as providing a resource and guide on how to build a children’s library * Guardian *Funny and engaging. -- Sue Barraclough * Irish News *Bookworm is for anyone who longed to be on Kirrin Island with the Famous Five, slip through a back of a wardrobe into Narnia or will always think fondly of the penis named Ralph in Judy Blume’s Forever * Red Magazine *A warm, witty story about stories and the way they shape us. -- Lucy Brookes * CultureWhisper *Lucy Mangan’s passionate, amusing and nostalgic reflection upon her favourite children’s books deserves to become as much of a classic as the novels she revisits. -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *Enchanting. -- Ysenda Maxton Graham * Spectator *Joyful and heart-warming. * Muddy Stilettos *Entertaining and hugely engaging… An entirely inspiring read. -- Eithne Farry * Sunday Express *… like a heated but enjoyable discussion with a best friend bookworm. -- Jacqueline Wilson * The Week *A love letter to the books we all read as children. -- Mike Gayle * Metro *[W]ise and witty… all the time Mangan has the ability to be ceaselessly and apparently effortlessly funny * Books For Keeps *If you're a book lover of any form then you will almost certainly get something from this book… you will look fondly back on the books of your childhood too -- Paul Cheney * Nudge *In Lucy Mangan’s Bookworm…childhood books are brought vividly to life, as are the remembered pleasures of first encountering them -- Harriet Baker * Times Literary Supplement *Lucy Mangan's funny, warm Bookworm is personal and universal in the way that the very best books are -- Aliya White * Den of Geek, **Books of the Year** *Beautifully narrated, Bookworm brings the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life and brilliantly uses them to tell her own story * Psychologies *An enchanting, nostalgic, comfort read * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis''A wonderful memoir, written with great linguistic brio. Candid, shrewd and moving - a classic of its kind,'' William BoydHoward Jacobson''s funny, revealing and tender memoir of his path to becoming a writer.It''s my theory that only the unhappy, the uncomfortable, the gauche, the badly put together, aspire to make art. Why would you seek to reshape the world unless you were ill-at-ease in it? And I came out of the womb in every sense the wrong way round. In Mother''s Boy, Booker-Prize winner Howard Jacobson reveals how he became a writer. It is an exploration of belonging and not-belonging, of being an insider and outsider, both English and Jewish.Born to a working-class family in 1940s Manchester, the great-grandson of Lithuanian and Russian immigrants, Jacobson was raised by his mother, grandmother and aunt Joyce. His father was a regimental tailor, as well as an upholsterer, a market-stall holder, a taxi driver, a bal

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