Biography Books

Book SynopsisPainter, poet and actor Salvator Rosa was one of the most engaging and charismatic personalities of seventeenth-century Italy. Although a gifted landscape painter, he longed to be seen as the pre-eminent philosopher-painter of his age. This new account traces Rosa's strategies of self-promotion, and his creation of a new kind of audience for his art. The book describes the startling novelty of his subject matter - witchcraft and divination, as well as prophecies, natural magic and dark violence - and his early exploration of a nascent aesthetic of the sublime. Salvator Rosa shows how the artist, in a series of remarkable works, responded to new movements in thought and feeling, creating images that spoke to the deepest concerns of his age.

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Book Synopsis'Machiavellian' can signify duplicity and amorality in politics, but Machiavelli himself is far more complex than this cliche. A high-ranking Florentine government official and prolific writer of hugely influential political, military and historical works, Machiavelli was also a vernacular poet, first-rank dramatist and religious radical, rejecting not only the contemporary Catholic Church but Christianity itself. From champion of Florentine popular republicanism to political radical to conservative, Robert Black explores the many faces of the man described as the father of modern political philosophy and political science.

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Book SynopsisA critical biography of René Descartes, whose first principle (“I think therefore I am.”) reshaped modern philosophy. Often called ‘the father of modern philosophy’, René Descartes’ contributions to philosophy, mathematics and natural science set the intellectual agenda for the seventeenth century. In this biography and assessment of his works, based on the most up-to-date research, Steven Nadler follows Descartes from his early years and education in France to the Dutch Republic, where he lived most of his adult life, to his final months as tutor to Queen Christina of Sweden.Nadler shows how Descartes’ ‘renewal’ of philosophy involved a transformation in both the way in which philosophy is done and the fundamental understanding of the cosmos, the natural world and human nature. His work was a springboard for many of the metaphysical and epistemological problems that continue to engage philosophers today. 'Steven Nadler’s outstanding biography achieves a fine balance of life, ideas and context, allowing Descartes’s philosophy to emerge from its eclectic seventeenth-century milieu in all its dazzling originality and strangeness. Lucid, compelling and unfailingly judicious, this is a marvelous new study of a magisterial modern thinker.' — Clare Carlisle Tresch, King’s College London

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Book SynopsisFord Madox Ford had a fascinating life, spent among several of the most important groups of artists and writers of his time. Friends with Henry James, H. G. Wells and above all Joseph Conrad, Ford was a leading figure of the avant-garde in pre-First World War London, publishing Ezra Pound, Wyndham Lewis and D. H. Lawrence in The English Review. After the warhe founded The Transatlantic Review in Paris, helping to launch Hemingway and Jean Rhys. A prolific writer in his own right, Ford’s best-known books are the modernist tour de force The Good Soldier (1915) and the Parade’s End tetralogy (1924–8). Drawing on recently discovered correspondence and photographs, this cogent new critical biography demonstrates Ford’s vital contribution to modern fiction, poetry and criticism.

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Book SynopsisThe Bolognese naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi was a prolific writer, polymath and prodigious collector who amassed the largest collection of naturalia in sixteenth-century Europe, as well as hundreds of coloured drawings detailing them. Many of these drawings found their way into his illustrated publications, most of which were published posthumously. This book provides a concise yet comprehensive portrait of Aldrovandi, paying particular attention to two aspects: the role that the newly discovered continent of America played in his research interests, and his study of abnormalities of physiological development in organisms. Peter Mason gives insight into Aldrovandi’s fascinating life, his early work on antiquities, his natural history and other collecting activities, his network of correspondents and patrons, and the influence and legacy of his collection and publications.

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Book SynopsisH.D. (Hilda Doolittle, 1886–1961) was one of the first writers of free verse in English, best known for her sparse Imagist poems. For over forty years she wrote poetry that resurrected forgotten ancient goddesses, and autobiographical prose that explored her trauma, her desires, and the unique struggles of a twentieth-century woman writer. She was also a scholar of religion, mythology and history, a translator of ancient Greek, and worked in early avant-garde film. Dubbed the ‘perfect bi-’ by Sigmund Freud, she placed issues of sexuality and gender at the centre of her writings. This new biography explores the fascinating life and work of this important modernist figure, once written out of literary history but now receiving the attention she deserves.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: ‘Inexorably entangled’, 1886–1911 Chapter 2: ‘My pencil run riot!’, 1911–14 Chapter 3: 'The black cloud fell’, 1914–18 Chapter 4: ‘To make a self’, 1919–26 Chapter 5: ‘The perfect bi-’, 1927–39 Chapter 6: ‘This is not writing . . . this is burning’, 1939–46 Chapter 7: ‘Content, besieged with memories, like low-swarming bees’, 1946–61 References Select Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisBrilliant, hard-working, immensely productive and influential, the naturalist Richard Owen was a great promoter of science, and played a large role in shaping London’s Natural History Museum. An often difficult and arrogant individual, he was accused of plagiarism and bullying, and is the only man whom Charles Darwin claimed to hate. Although strongly opposed to Darwin and Thomas Huxley’s theories of evolution through natural selection, there is evidence that a few of Owen’s ideas were not so very distant from theirs. This biography gives an account of Owen’s life and work, providing possible psychological and social reasons for some of his more controversial characteristics, and his sometimes rather strained relations with his scientific contemporaries.Trade Review'Armstrong’s biography accomplishes its admirable purpose – describing in considerable detail Owen’s many accomplishments and contrasting them with his disagreeable nature.' – Geoffrey Martin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography, Southern Connecticut State University; 'This book is a fascinating account of the life of Sir Richard Owen. Patrick Armstrong’s balanced commentary of an intelligent but controversial individual makes for compulsive reading.' – Vivian Louis Forbes, Adjunct Associate Professor of Geography, The University of Western Australia; 'In this lively and sure-footed biography, distinguished historian of science Patrick Armstrong brilliantly brings a lifetime of scholarship to the task of explicating why Victorian-era palaeontologist and Charles Darwin collaborator and detractor Richard Owen remains worthy of our attention. A fascinating study!' – Tom Chaffin, author of Odyssey: Charles Darwin, the Beagle, and the Voyage that Changed the World.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Northern Origins: Childhood and Early Life 2 Early Days in London: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the Zoological Society and the Royal College of Surgeons 3 Monsters and Curiosities: Extant, Extinct and Non-Existent 4 Dr Owen, Dr Mantell and the Dinosaurs 5 Darwin and Owen 6 Huxley, the Hippocampus and Histrionics 7 The Evolution of Owen’s Evolutionary Ideas 8 Museums and Committees 9 A Cottage in Richmond Park, by Grace and Favour of Her Majesty 10 Owen’s Character and Personality Chronology References Further Reading Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisDoctor, militant, political essayist, ambassador, teacher, journalist, pan-Africanist: Frantz Fanon represented a new model of engaged intellectual who sought to decolonize mid-twentieth-century thought, society and culture and move beyond the ideology of race. Born Black in colonial Martinique, he fought for France during the Second World War but later renounced his native land and aspired to be Algerian during the Algerian War of Independence. Emphasizing Fanon’s gift for self-invention and performance, Frantz Fanon charts the key turning points in his short, extraordinary life and explores how his pioneering work in psychiatry influenced his revolutionary philosophy. It is essential reading for those who wish to know more about this unique, visionary figure.Table of ContentsAbbreviations Introduction: Fanon: Doctor, Writer, Revolutionary 1 More French than French: Boyhood on a Colonial Island 2 Fighting for the Republic: From Dissidence to Combat 3 Return to the Native Land: With and Against Césaire 4 The Voyage In: Love and Loathing in Lyon 5 Getting Under the Colonial Skin, Leaping Out of History 6 Socialtherapy: The Breakthrough of Saint-Alban 7 Blida: Where Medicine Meets War 8 Public Acts of Provocation: Fanon in Performance 9 My Name is Ibrahim: Exile in Tunis 10 Lifting the Veil/Preaching Revolution 11 Accra, Pan-Africanism and the Southern Front 12 Down to the Wire: The Damned Reborn 13 The Final Crossing 14 Fanon’s After-Lives References Select Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisEngland manager Gareth Southgate's decision to appoint Kane, still just twenty-three years old, as the team captain in 2017 could have been seen as premature, bringing with it pressure that could damage a young player's career. However, he knew that Kane, a modest, humble and inspiring figure was up to the task.Having lost faith in the national team, English fans weren't sure the players would even make it out of their group. No one could have predicted that this young and relatively inexperienced side would achieve their best result since 1990, or that their captain would win the tournament's Golden Boot with six goals. Perhaps most importantly for the team and their manager, they brought the country together to make for an unforgettable summer.While their eventual semi-final loss to Croatia came as a stinging disappointment, this is just the start for the team and their skipper, one of our most exciting players for a generation and a truly world-class English star.In this in-depth biography, bestselling sports writer Frank Worrall traces Kane's journey from an ordinary childhood in north London, growing up just a few miles from White Hart Lane, to the most remarkable tournament of his career.

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Book SynopsisWhy Jesus? Perhaps you have had the funny feeling that God wants to get your attention. Or maybe you're intrigued with what you've heard about Jesus. Or maybe you're simply looking for meaning and direction in your life. John Stott spent a lifetime wrestling with questions about Jesus both personally and in dialogue with skeptics and seekers around the globe. In Why I Am a Christian he provides a compelling, persuasive case for considering the Christian faith. If you take an honest look at Jesus, you will discover that following him gives you the purpose, identity and freedom you've been searching for--and far more than you have ever imagined.

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Book SynopsisTamás Vekerdy, one of the most well-known Hungarian psychologists, called Credo an ’essential insight not just into Feldmár’s life but into the world and the era that we currently live in.’ Feldmár was three and a half years old when the Arrow Cross came and took his mother to Auschwitz, his father to labour service, and his grandmother to the ghetto. A young Catholic woman hid him for a year and a half – perhaps she inspired Feldmár to become the kind stranger in many other people's lives years later. Feldmár was sixteen in 1956 when the revolution was crushed, and he escaped from Hungary to Canada all by himself. He fled from bleak prospects and a controlling, critical mother into the unknown. He ended up in Toronto, Canada, and became an academic. In the early 1970s, he met the person who radically changed his thinking: R. D. Laing. The book’s longest chapter, ’Journal Entries’, comes from notes Feldmár took in 1974–1975 when he studied with Laing in London. He adds notes and remarks in the present to the past, increasing the tension in the already fascinating passages. Following this is the text of an important conversation with Laing, covering topics such as love, therapy, and change. Next is a paper by his lifelong friend Francis Huxley, ’Shamanism, Healing, and R. D. Laing’. The book concludes with perhaps its most influential chapter, ’Fantasy and Reality’. Here, Feldmár speculates on the fundamental elements of his approach to psychotherapy: the nature of responsibility and ethics, politics, freedom, individuality, community, solidarity, will, and relationships. The bond between Feldmár and Laing permeates every page of Credo. The reader can closely follow Feldmár's remarkable journey of how their relationship shaped his therapeutic approach and helped him develop into the radical and inspirational psychotherapist he is today. This book is essential reading for all psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, and fans of R. D. Laing.Trade Review‘With an unerring sense of direction, Andrew Feldmár, born into a desperate situation in Hungary, found his way from Canada to R. D. Laing and the milieu around him in London in 1974 (I was there too). His one year of intensive involvement became foundational both for his life and for his career as a psychotherapist, founded in the ethics of ancient wisdom and existential courage. Through many what he calls “magnified moments”, he tells and shows how to fully inhabit one’s own life despite trauma and struggles, as a simultaneous sine qua non for being in communion with anyone else and with all that is. I remember and think of Andrew with respect and personal warmth; his Credo is well worth reading.’ -- Paul Zeal, MA, writer and psychotherapist’Andrew Feldmár’s Credo is an amazing memoir, filled with brave personal revelations, a record of his intellectual journeys and accomplishments, his conversations with some of the world’s leading psychologists, philosophers, psychiatrists, and healers – especially R. D. Laing but also Francis Huxley, David Bakan, and others – and his vast reading of the West’s major thinkers. Credo is a guide to Feldmár’s humility as a therapist, his eternal life as an outsider – a Jew, a Hungarian-speaking Canadian – and his ability to always start over again and to “market his pathology” as a compassionate therapist to very diverse populations. I am honored to have worked with him in Vancouver and New York — but even I did not know that Feldmár had founded a Laingian-style shelter (Soteria) for people with psychiatric diagnoses in Hungary or that friends had founded a Feldmár Institute there to popularise his theoretical and practical approaches to psychotherapy.’ -- Phyllis Chesler, writer, psychotherapist, and professor emerita of psychology and women's studies, College of Staten Island'I found reading Credo inspiring, even therapeutic, and I think it could be so for many who read it with an open mind and heart. It's written with careful, attentive observations and questioning of self and others, and with a clarity of intentions and aspirations. It has a lot of jargon-free, undogmatic, uncommon sense.' (Read the full review here) -- Leon Redler, physician, psychotherapist, and researcher'I found this an intriguing book to read. One can learn much about the formulation of a radical psychotherapeutic method here. [...] we can refer to Credo as a valuable contribution to the world of Humanistic Psychology, amongst other things.' (Read the full review here). -- Murray Gordon, MAHP, Living PsychologyTable of ContentsEDITOR’S NOTE PREFACE by Alphonso Lingis INTRODUCTION RUPTURES First Rupture My Father Second Rupture Irén Igaz Third Rupture My Mother Fourth Rupture Fifth Rupture Sixth Rupture Seventh Rupture Laing ORIGINS JOURNAL ENTRIES 1974–75, LONDON A CONVERSATION WITH R.D. LAING Love Therapy Forms Transformations Lying Change SHAMANISM, HEALING, AND R.D. LAING by Francis Huxley FANTASY AND REALITY R.D. LAING’S 12 RECOMMENDED BOOKS NOTES ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Book SynopsisIn Short: Private Notes of a Psychoanalyst is wise, uplifting and inspiring. Salman Akhtar brings his talent for poetic literature to gift us 111 pithy ‘proto-essays’ on a wide range of subjects. His meditations touch upon mental health, humor, death, animals, Freud, religion, children, and so much more. He imparts his advice with the lightest of touches, willing you to partake, consider, and refine his offerings. His aim: to further the cause and message of his beloved psychoanalysis.Trade Review‘Salman Akhtar distils his decades of clinical experience into pithy and poetic reflections on psychoanalytic theory and practice. His book, In Short, is a rare gem offering a thoughtful and provocative inquiry in both the prosaic and the profound facets of our profession.’ -- Joan Wheelis, MD, Training and Supervising Analyst, Boston Psychoanalytic Institute; author of 'The Known, The Secret, and The Forgotten'‘No one writes better than Professor Salman Akhtar. I simply could not put this book down, having read it with much pleasure in only one sitting. Sigmund Freud would have been extremely proud that Professor Akhtar has devoted himself with such warmth and such intelligence to our profession.’ -- Professor Brett Kahr, Senior Fellow, Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology, London, and Honorary Director of Research at the Freud Museum London, as well as Chair of the Scholars Committee of the British Psychoanalytic Council; author of 'Hidden Histories of British Psychoanalysis'Table of ContentsContents Introduction Part I Preparation 1. Reading Freud 2. Three ‘must read’ papers by Ferenczi 3. Children, animals, and poetry 4. Alternate professions 5. Life style requirements 6. Silent sacrifices 7. Seeking diverse supervision 8. Setting up an office 9. A mysterious rug 10. Entering a world of ambiguity 11. Reading, reading and reading 12. Borrowed faith Part II Principles 13. Mental health vs. mental illness 14. A mentally healthy person 15. Half-sane, half-insane 16. Happy and unhappy children 17. Peek-a-boo 18. Hunger, vision, and the rhythms of nature 19. Learning from children 20. The non-human envelope 21. Toy shops are not for kids 22. Spirituality vs. religion 23. Sex–aggression–sex 24. Metapsychology 25. Two major updates on metapsychology 26. ‘Bad’ death instinct, ‘good’ death instinct 27. Six misunderstandings about death in psychoanalysis 28. Three reactions to separation 29. Two griefs that last a lifetime 30. What happens to the deceased’s possessions? 31. A crowded preconscious 32. Receiving vs. taking 33. Reaction formation and undoing 34. Even Unabomber … 35. Double-bind 36. The unknown, the unmet, and the unlived 37. Where does an aborted childhood go? 38. Being emotional vs. being sentimental 39. Feeling ‘at home’ 40. Who should change? 41. Toxic nobility 42. Basic trust, earned trust, and mutual trust 43. Good enough revenge 44. Where the ego was … 45. Two ‘great crimes’ 46. Detachment theory Part III Practice 47. Who picks the day and time for the first appointment 48. Abstinence 49. Safeguarding the sacred nature of the clinical space 50. Restroom 51. Where is Rome? 52. Hearing is essential for listening 53. Floating couch 54. Does the analyst’s gender matter? 55. No ‘correct’ way of laying on the couch 56. Handling patients’ questions 57. Doodling etc. 58. Addressing the analyst by his/her professional title 59. Not asking about actual sex 60. Before and after 61. About defecation and feces 62. Diminishing frequency of sessions 63. Chronic lateness 64. The use of a deliberately wrong interpretation 65. Small gifts given by immigrant patients 66. Refusing to listen to certain kinds of material 67. Being special 68. Pleasure and mental illness 69. ‘Insane chemistry’ 70. Demystification 71. Imaginary interlocutors 72. When not to give the bill to a patient? 73. Humility 74. Which form of racism is worse? 75. Masochistic funnel 76. The novelist and the poet 77. Analyst’s boredom 78. Analyst’s financial status 79. Where does the analyst look? 80. Insight addiction 81. Three different outcomes 82. Why not this at the end? 83. The fate of the analyst’s bills 84. Uttering an adult patient’s first name 85. Procrastination and nail biting 86. Stillness 87. Cats, not dogs 88. Countertransference sublimation 89. Financial extremes Part IV Profession 90. The second beard 91. Psychiatry and psychoanalysis 92. Do we need a prefix to ‘psychoanalysis’? 93. Jewish psychoanalysis, Christian psychoanalysis 94. Pauses 95. Writers and non-writers 96. Analysts’ memoirs 97. Was Bion Hindu? 98. PEP vetting 99. Age-specific writing 100. The ‘domestication’ of wild analysis 101. Childless child analysts 102. Three tips for supervisors 103. Non-analyst friends 104. The future of psychoanalysis 105. Blood killing 106. Un-associated and un-affiliated 107. The analyst’s funeral 108. Analysts turned gurus 109. Taboos 110. The analyst’s dog 111. Alternate pathways Acknowledgments About the author Name index

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Book SynopsisChristopher Bollas presents us with a new literary form in his Conversations: twenty-three unique dialogues to captivate, amuse, and inspire. The psychoanalyst Paula Heimann asked: ‘Who is speaking? To whom? About what? And why now?’ We speak with the voice and position of many others – mothers, fathers, siblings, teachers – and ordinary conversation therefore stages the history of our interpersonal engagements. Heimann’s questions also apply when we talk to ourselves, and our inner dialogues reveal the hidden genius of our private world in which we are both actor and audience, poet and reader, politician and electorate. It's quite a ride, and an art form all of its own.Trade ReviewChristopher Bollas brings a psychoanalytic and absurdist mind to ordinary conversations, lifting them into a form akin to theatre. Funny, larky, and existential, Bollas turns the private inside out and these exchanges voice the surprising, yet recognisable, inner feelings of our contemporary moment. -- Mona SimpsonBollas invites the fascinating possibility that psychoanalysis is akin to poetic conjecture Why am I here What are we doing in this room together I don’t know I don’t know Could it be Why me Mama Papa This funny sad book wanders through the everyday and reflects on the nothingness of being Disappearing down the drains - the uncanny fear of the loss of self. Terror Why me Why me -- Anish KapoorTable of ContentsContents Brand new Can I help you? It feels good Customer relations Shopping Memories are made of this On board Reading Looking through the window The overall situation What is happening? Do I look stupid? Along came a spider The man with no worries What is it? Cyberspace On the same page Self with other Should we enter? The delay A thought searching for a thinker Being and nothingness So I went down to shop Afternote

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Book SynopsisThe story of this Bushman''s youngest son starts in 1960s'' small town New Zealand where life didn''t come without its challenges.This true story begins with a lot of rugby, beer, pig hunting and the socialising that was all part of our basic Kiwi lifestyle.However there was me, Terry, different from the rest of my siblings, separated by design and confusing to my parents...This book takes you through a journey out of Tokoroa and into the world where I tried most things, tasted as much forbidden fruit as I could and did my best to experience all life had to offer at the time, but maybe all that glitters isn''t always gold.My extended family''s backstory paints a picture of love, heartache, rebellion and loss that many of us would not recover from.Did I conform, did I behave, did I make amends and forgive?Prepare to be challenged, pushed and pulled in all directions as this story seldom has a quiet moment. Desperate times call for desperate measures and sometimes in our lives we react in a way that we later regret, or at least try to.Fatherhood, coming out as gay, sex, drugs and rock ''n'' roll all rolled into one story.Not just drama - more like adventure with the everlasting search for aresolution. Ngaru NuiNgaru RoaNgaru paewhenua

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Book SynopsisEvery Wrong Direction recreates and dissects the bitter education of Dan Burt, an American emigré who never found a home in America. It begins in the row homes of Jewish immigrants and working-class Italians on the mean streets of 1950s South Philadelphia. Every Wrong Direction follows the author from the rough, working-class childhood that groomed him to be a butcher or charter boat captain, through America, Britain, and Saudi Arabia as student, lawyer, spy, culture warrior, and expatriate, ending with a photo of his college rooms at St John's College, Cambridge. Between this beginning and end, through a Philadelphia commuter college, to Cambridge, then Yale Law School, across the working to upper classes, three countries, and seven cities over forty three years, it maps his pursuit of, realisation, disillusionment with, and abandonment of America and the American Dream.Trade Review'Dan Burt is a fine poet, and this memoir has all the sensitivity and vigilance you might expect from a writer with such a background. But his prose also has a robustness and documentary power that continually startles and engages.' - Sir Andrew Motion

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Book SynopsisWhen in March 2020 the Covid pandemic led the Government to impose a total lockdown Gabriel Josipovici decided that he would respond to a unique situation by writing an essay a day for a hundred days, prefacing each with a diary entry, keeping track of the changing seasons as well as the pandemic. As organising and generating principle for the essays he chose the alphabet, and the result is a stimulating kaleidoscope of topics from Aachen to Zoos, passing by Alexandria, Luciano Berio, Ivy Compton-Burnett, reflections on his own early works The Echo-Chamber and Flow, Langland's Piers Plowman, the idea of repetition in life and art, and much else. Josipovici reminds us that he has previously 'plundered episodes in my life to illustrate the intertwining of memory and forgetting, the desire to remember and the need to forget', and here he has someone say to him: 'You don't seem to be afraid of revealing a great deal about yourself.' 'I don’t think I feel it that way,' he responds. 'I can "reveal" precisely because it does not seem to be part of me. It seems to belong to someone else, a writer I have lived with, an immigrant I have known.' Loquacious, funny and incautious, this surprising book is in effect a kind of expressionist self-portrait as well as a meditation on a hundred days of the pandemic.Trade Review'Gabriel Josipovici is one of our most brilliant writers - every new book is an event to look forward to.' - Deborah Levy, Man Booker Prize Nominee

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Book SynopsisA The Spectator and Observer Book of the Year. The NB column in the Times Literary Supplement, signed at the foot by J.C., occupied the back page of the paper for thirteen years. For a decade before that, it was in the middle pages. That's roughly 60,000 words a year for twenty-three years. The purpose of the initials was not to disguise the author, but to offer complete freedom to the persona. J.C. was irreverent and whimsical. The column punctured pomposity, hypocrisy and cant in the literary world - as one correspondent put it: 'skewering contemporary absurdities, whether those resulting from identity politics or from academic jargon'. Readers came to expect reports from the Basement Labyrinth, where all executive decisions are made, and where annual literary prizes were judged and administered. These included the Most Unoriginal Title Prize - for a new book bearing a title that had been used by several other authors (eg, The Kindness of Strangers); the Incomprehensibility Prize, for impenetrable academic writing; the Jean-Paul Sartre Prize for Prize Refusal, and the All Must Have Prizes Prize, for authors who have never won anything. Readers of NB by J.C. will find an off-beat guide to our cultural times. The book begins in 2001 and proceeds to 2020. The substantial Introduction offers a history of the TLS itself from birth through the precarious stages of its adaptation and survival.Trade Review'the last unmissable proper diary column left in journalism' - Simon Jenkins; 'The secret of J.C.'s weekly column is its unique mix of anonymity with intimacy: this "stranger", whom we meet over our morning coffee, is the most discreet and delightful of guides to what's happening - good or mostly bad - in the literary world, with all its pretensions, follies, and occasional triumphs. I especially relished J.C.'s prizes - for the worst prose or the silliest blurb. Then again, leave it to J.C. to find the rare edition, the forgotten book of poems that deserves another look. True wit, coupled with wisdom: it's the rarest of writerly feats.' - Marjorie Perloff; 'I receive immense pleasure from J.C.'s Times Literary Supplement columns. Something more than pleasure: warmth, laughter, gratitude (especially when he is nailing academic unreadability)...' - Vivian Gornick

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Book SynopsisMargaret Tait (1918–1999) was a pioneering filmmaker for whom words and images made the world real. 'In a documentary', she wrote, real things 'lose their reality... and there's no poetry in that. In poetry, something else happens.' If film, for Tait, was a poetic medium, her poems are works of craft and observation that are generous and independent in their vision of the world, poems that make seeing happen. Sarah Neely, Professor in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at the University of Glasgow, draws on Tait’s three poetry collections, her book of short stories, her magazine articles and unpublished notebooks to make available for the first time a collection of the full range of Tait's writing. Her introduction discusses Tait as filmmaker and writer in the context of mid-twentieth-century Scottish culture, and a comprehensive list of bibliographic and film resources provides an indispensible guide for further exploration.

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Book SynopsisJanet Rising has written sixteen pony books for young readers including, with Carl Hester MBE, FBHS, the life story of Valegro, the greatest dressage horse that has ever lived. Although no stranger to writing fiction for adults, this is her first book for that audience: a hilarious, hair-raising and often thought-provoking look back at over fifty years of equestrian memories. Older readers will find themselves reminiscing about their own horsy memories; younger readers will marvel at how times have changed – but all will share a common empathy with the author's love of all things equine. Janet Rising refused to allow the fact that she was born in the suburbs, with no hope of ever owning a pony, to prevent her from making horses her life. Her equestrian career included teaching riding at various riding schools, working for a top class donkey stud, and 20 years as an equine journalist and editor of Pony, the magazine for young riders. For anyone who has ever wondered how teenage riders in the 1970s stayed alive despite hair-raising lessons and the absence of health and safety, about riding attire fashioned without stretch fabrics, how a love of horses makes for female empowerment, whether Pony Club mums make good riding sons, ideas on being an equestrian dominatrix, how not to clean tack, whether Happy Hackers need a re-boot and why riding bareback is not a good idea (and riding without a bridle even worse), this book will provide the answers. Included are equestrian tales throughout the 1980s and 1990s, why going posh might not be all its cracked up to be; the pitfalls of clipping and bewildering rug wardrobes, unconventional riding holidays in Spain and hair-raising African safaris; the pitfalls of teaching riding and the story of a small bay mule who captured the author's heart. There are highs, there are lows but always there are laughs. Written with wry humour and packed with surprises on every page, this is an equestrian memoir like no other – a horsy life you couldn't make up!

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Book SynopsisMartha’s parents were both extraordinary people living in extraordinary times. Ralph was a brilliant, poor Jew from the East End. Edith, also Jewish from a bourgeois family in Central Europe was a gifted pianist. They met as students in Paris in 1937 and were separated by the war. Their intimate, emotional and sometimes humorous correspondence throughout the war led to marriage in 1945. Each bore scars. She, from escaping the Nazis, he from childhood tragedy. Overshadowing them both was a secret that burdened Ralph for most of his life. After the war he became the world expert on Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edith devoted herself to her piano, performing and teaching. Invisible Ink is a compassionate, astute and ultimately uplifting portrait of their relationship. The author has also unearthed many other stories: her uncle’s heroism and pioneering work in medicine, her grandmother and cousin’s miraculous escapes from the holocaust. These are threads entwined in the greater tapestry of social and political history of the twentieth century. In discovering the truth about her family, Martha has also taken an inner journey towards understanding herself.

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Book SynopsisIn this journey of discovery, John Micklewright travels the slow way, on foot, on paths, tracks and byways from the Channel to the Alps – from the coast of Normandy to the flanks of Mont Blanc. The Opening Country is a beautifully written account of his progress through the French countryside, an evocative patchwork of landscape, nature, history, literature, film, and – drawing on his father’s diaries that stretch back to the 1930s – of memoir. Always curious, absorbing all around him, ready on a whim to divert from his chosen route as he heads unhurriedly southwards. The natural world unfolds as spring turns to summer with surprises of bird song and butterflies, against a constant background of reminders of the economic and social story of rural France and of wars past. The result is an engrossing record of a classic long-distance walk through Britain’s nearest continental neighbour. The Opening Country is a book to fire the imagination – a call to travel slowly, to open eyes and ears, to discover and explore.

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Book SynopsisThere is simply no one like Cher. A mix of street smart, intelligence, talent and beauty, she's the celebrities' favourite celebrity and if you're not a Dolly Parton person, there's no doubt you're Cher obsessed. With six decades of No.1 hits, from Sonny and Cher days to her latest album (number 26) the Gold Dancing Queen in 2018, she's reinvented herself again and again.Turning her hand to serious acting in Silkwood, Mask, Moonstruck, The Witches of Eastwick and more, the multi-talented star had new award-winning film career in the 1980s, but yet again emerged as the 'Goddess of Pop' with dance-oriented pop-rock – and gaining a dedicated tribe of gay followers as a result. From LGBTQ rights to politics, from saving elephants to kitchen discos on TikTok, she's as engaged, relevant and controversial as she ever was – and she has a LOT to say for herself. Here is a collection of the funniest, sharpest, most deadpan quotes you'd expect from this authentic one-of-a-kind star who Time magazine named as 'Twitter's most outspoken (and beloved) commentator'.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing - and then marry him.' – BCC Observer, February 2005Table of ContentsI Got You, Babe: Cher's background and the early days of Sonny and Cher. The One and Only Cher: Becoming Cher. Famously self-effacing, here are her thoughts on her self-image, stage fright and superstardom. Love and Understanding: Romance, love, divorce, family and friends – tracks her headline-grabbing relationships from her split from Sonny to David Geffen, Greg Allman, Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise and 'bagel boy' Robert Camilletti. It's Entertainment: This is all about Cher's amazingly successful music and film career. Believe: Beliefs, values, LGBTQ rights, politics and passions – all the important stuff in life. If I Could Turn Back Time: Her reflections on body image, beauty, fashion, ageing and health.

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Book SynopsisPredict your future, reveal your past and understand your personality, talents and secrets with the art of chiromancy.Palmistry is not just about the lines on the hands, but the hand as a whole is just as important. This book will introduce you to the four basic hand shapes within palmistry, explaining the different elements and their associated traits, and how to observe the palm's natural topography – the lines and markings and the mounts and plains.The Little Book of Palmistry will help you discover more about yourself and become more familiar with one of the oldest and most reliable of fortune-telling arts.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.' - Thich Nhat HanhSAMPLE FACT: The best time to read a palm is in the morning, not long after the subject has woken up from nocturnal slumber and before he has had anything to eat or drink. This is so because consumption of food and participation in physical activities leads to increased blood circulation, which does not allow the very fine lines along the palm to be noticed.Table of ContentsAn Ancient Art: Historical beginnings, ancient texts, gypsy and Roma traditions, the resurgence of interest in the nineteenth century and palm-reading today. Reading the Hands: Left and right, dominant and non-dominant hands; hand shapes; finger and nail shapes, and getting started with a reading. The Lines: Covers the meanings of the major lines (heart, fate, sun, life, head) and how to analyze their length, depth and curvature. The Mounts: Covers the meanings of the mounts on the typography of the palm, according to their prominence: Venus, Luna, Mercury, Apollo, Jupiter, Saturn, and inner Mars, outer Mars and the plain of Mars. Other Markings: Subsidiary lines, mounts and markings, such as the marriage lines, bracelet lines, ring of Venus. Palm Readings: How to put it all together. Tips to keep in mind, such as a hand with many lines and markings is said to have had a life much more turbulent than one with fewer lines, and lines that intersect, run parallel or are missing.

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Book Synopsis'The greatest writer of his time.' (George Orwell)The author of 20 much-loved novels and novellas, Charles Dickens combined humour and pathos to explore Victorian society in all its shades. Widely praised for his rich narratives and larger-than-life characters, he was not only a celebrity author but also an admired social reformer. Moving from the refined drawing rooms of the upper classes to the horrors of the workhouse or the filthy back streets of London, Dickens' writings shone a light on the harsh inequalities of the times.The Little Book of Charles Dickens showcases wonderful quotes from the author's writings, alongside fascinating facts about his life and achievements. By turns witty, comic, insightful and wise, this delightful volume is a fitting tribute to a literary giant.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'It is said that the children of the very poor are not brought up, but dragged up.' Bleak HouseSAMPLE FACT: When Dickens was 12 years old, his father was sent to a debtor's prison. Forced to become the family's main breadwinner, the young Dickens worked at Warren's Blacking Factory, where he was paid a pittance for pasting labels onto bottles of shoe polish.Table of ContentsPoverty and Social Class • Crime and Corruption • Loyalty and Betrayal • Innocence and Guilt • Relationships • Wit and Wisdom

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Book Synopsis'He was "not of an age, but for all time".' (Shakespeare's contemporary Ben Jonson) No writer, before or since, has matched Shakespeare in terms of influence, critical acclaim or popular success. His genius lay in his sheer dramatic skill, his powerful use of imagery and his astonishing ability to create richly imagined characters. Packed full of the Bard's clever insights, witty asides and timeless nuggets of wisdom, and complemented by fascinating facts about his life and talents, this Little Book showcases some of the most remarkable lines ever crafted in the English language.SAMPLE QUOTES: 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.' - Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2'We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.' - The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1'Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.' - Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 2SAMPLE FACT: There is evidence that Shakespeare wrote a play called Cardenio, which was performed by the King's Men in 1613. No known copy of the play exists today.Table of ContentsLove and Friendship • Ambition • Loyalty and Betrayal • Revenge • Family • Wit and Wisdom

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Book SynopsisHave you ever found yourself noticing the same number cropping up on a calendar, your watch or a passing bus? Or wonder why you keep bumping into people born on the same day of the month? The answers you seek lie in numerology.This little book offers the basics to discover your individual life path number and the meanings attributed to those numbers. As numerology is concerned with self-discovery, it's become popular as a personal development tool. Every name, date and numerical pattern in your life holds meaning and qualities and can help you gain insight into yourself, your relationships and your fate.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'Numerology is the bridge between who you are now and who you have the potential to be.' AnonymousSAMPLE FACT: Birth number 4 personalities are solid, stable and confident, ambitious and realistic. Because these people are so reliable and focused, they are high achievers but can become workaholics.Table of ContentsNumerology Charts: Find out your unique life path, destiny, soul urge and maturity numbers, as well as your career, luck, love, home and health numbers. Number Meanings: The meanings, associations, strengths and weaknesses behind each number. Forecasting Numbers: Day, month and year numbers, their combinations and challenges and their meanings, plus planetary numbers. The Numbers Around You: How to decode recurring numbers you come across, such as house numbers, websites, businesses and phone numbers. Relationships and Events: Sympathetic and confrontational relationships between personality numbers; numbers associated with nature and natural events. Predictions and Applications: Taking your knowledge of numbers further with predicting, noticing patterns and repeats, and utilizing numbers to make greater connections and deeper meanings.

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Book SynopsisWe often think of wisdom as something reserved only for the elderly or educated and gained through life experience, however wisdom has a depth and nuance that can be fostered by considering perspective in relation to knowledge. This age-old saying sums it up well: 'Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom is knowing when to say it.'The Little Book of Wisdom offers guidance from some of the world's greatest minds in the art of making wise decisions that keep your immediate needs in mind, while maintain long-term perspective. As you'll soon discover, a little wisdom can go a long way in supporting choices you make in all aspects of your life.'True contentment is not having everything, but in being satisfied with everything you have.' - Oscar Wilde'How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.' - Anne Frank'One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.' - Eleanor RooseveltTable of ContentsWisdom for Personal Growth • Wisdom for Finding Contentment • Wisdom for Inspiring Change • Wisdom for Positive Relationships • Wisdom for Achieving Success • Wisdom for Thoughtful Reflection.

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Book SynopsisThe virtue of compassion is universally valued. Derived from the Latin 'com' and 'passio' and meaning 'to suffer together', practising compassion can strengthen your relationships, lessen the grip of negative thoughts, and increase emotional resilience. But how can we lean into loving kindness and cultivate compassion every day?The Little Book of Compassion offers guidance from some of the world's greatest minds in the art of responding to ourselves and others with compassion and kindness in times of difficulty. For true compassion allows us to diminish our indifference to the suffering around us.'We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.' - Dietrich Bonhoeffer'Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.' - Princess Diana'Our primary purpose is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.' - Dalai LamaTable of ContentsPractising Compassion • Self-Compassion • Compassion for Others • The Value of Compassion • The Impact of Compassion • Compassionate Reflections.

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Book SynopsisThe Godfather is a classic. Not just of Hollywood or America, but in worldwide cinema. Its legacy not only lives on in the 21st century, but it has also transcended its origins, today meaning more to so many than just a movie: it's a religion. Its cast of future Hollywood heartthrobs and acting icons – Brando! Pacino! De Niro! Caan! Duvall! Keaton! – was perfect. Its script, a masterpiece. Its score too. It became 1972's highest grossing movie and would remain the world's top grossing film for decades. And it received unprecedented critical acclaim.The Little Book of The Godfather is a celebration of this classic slice of cinema on its 50th birthday. It has everything a Godfather fanatic could want, and certainly could not refuse: from to killer stats to stunning facts, production notes to classic quotes, stories and tales from the set and the ongoing impact of the film's now legendary status. It's all here. Come and get it.'Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.' Peter Clemenza'You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, you made a good living. The police protected you and there were courts of law. So you didn't need a friend like me. Now you come and say "Don Corleone, give me justice." But you don't ask with respect. You don't offer friendship. You don't even think to call me "Godfather". You come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married and you ask me to do murder – for money.' Don CorleoneTable of ContentsAmerican Crime Story: The origins and history of the movie, from script to screen to success • 1945: Facts, stats and quotes about the plot, characters and filming • Don Vito Corleone: Everything you need to know about The Godfather, and Brando's portrayal of the character • Once Upon A Time In America: Actors, filmmakers and crew reflect on making the film • Long Live the King: The impact, success and legacy of the film over the past half-century • The Offer: All the best lines, quotes and production notes from the film.

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Book SynopsisJames Bond's favourite weapon of choice, vodka, is the soon-to-be crowned king of the alcohol market, following its premium gentrification. What once used to be the crude and rude Russian cousin of gin, is now the toast of upmarket towns and swanky city bars, arriving for the first time ever in all manner of flavours and celebrity sponsors.The Little Book of Vodka is a large swig and glug of stats, facts, quotes, notes, icons, origins of all things vodka-based, from its eastern European origins to its latest reincarnation as every taste-makers' go-to mixer and chaser. This tiny tome is a complete compendium, your ideal companion as you wait in line at the trendy new bar you've always wanted to go. Vodka is back, baby, and it's worth a shot!'I no longer know If I wish to drown myself in love, vodka or the sea.' Franz Kafka'There's no absolutes in life – only vodka.' Mick Jagger'Vodka is kind of a hobby.' Betty WhiteTable of ContentsAgainst the Grain: The history, origins and evolution of vodka in eastern Europe • Proof of Life: Vodka by-the-numbers in facts and stats • Pure Spirit: The science, distillation and manufacture of the product; how it's made • Bonded: Quotes from popular culture, TV, film, music, literature, food and drink, recipes and cocktails • Bottle Rocket: Vodka in culture, general facts and affection • Renaissance: Celebrity owners, current global domination and premium status

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Half a century after three teenage brothers decided to give a career in music a go, the Bee Gees are among the most successful and enduring names in popular music history.Trailblazing their way across pop music since the 1960s, Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb have made their songs Stayin' Alive, How Deep is Your Love, To Love Somebody, and I Started a Joke, timeless.Filled with staggering highs – especially as they became the definitive band of the disco era – The Little Guide to the Bee Gees is packed with quotes perfect for the music-lover in your life and just might help you stay alive.'Contrary to popular belief, we have no leader. We call it a democratic dictatorship.' - Maurice Gibb'We are brothers first, a pop group second.' - Barry Gibb'Show business is something you have to have in you when you're born.' - Robin Gibb

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Book SynopsisThe writer who changed America's literary landscape.One of the great novelists of the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway's spare, precise prose captivated critics and readers alike, while his swaggering personality made him a star beyond the literary scene. The author's world was full of daring and danger: he drove an ambulance during the First World War, had a love of bullfighting and boxing, and rushed to see action in the Spanish Civil War. His travels and adventures fuelled his art, while his troubled and often chaotic life was central to his creativity. Packed full of insightful quotes and fascinating facts about Hemingway's life and work, this little book creates an intriguing portrait of the complex man behind the writer.Sample Quotes: 'But man is not made for defeat... A man can be destroyed but not defeated.' - The Old Man and The Sea, 1952'Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.' - Hemingway, in a personal letter to the publisher, Charles Scribner IV'But life isn't hard to manage when you've nothing to lose.' - A Farwell to Arms, 1929Sample Facts: While serving as an ambulance driver during the First World War, Hemingway was badly wounded by mortar fire. He managed to help an Italian soldier reach safety, an action that earned him an Italian Silver Medal of Valour.Hemingway was an avid hunter and fisherman. His zeal for both pursuits worked their way into his fiction, such as the prize-winning novel The Old Man and the Sea and the acclaimed short story 'The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber'.Table of ContentsThe Man and the Myth • Journalist and War Hero • Adventures Abroad • Boxing and Bullfighting • Literary Friendships • Wisdom and Wit.

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Book SynopsisQueen Elizabeth II was much more than Britain's oldest or longest-serving monarch. Admired around the world for her serenity, wisdom and unwavering devotion to duty, she was a rock of stability in turbulent, changing times.Served by no less than 15 prime ministers, her extraordinary reign saw her visit more than 100 countries as she rubbed shoulders with powerful leaders and influential thinkers. And as Britain's empire declined, she pledged her 'heart and soul' as Head of the Commonwealth, made up of 54 richly diverse countries.The 170 quotes inside capture the queen's personal reflections on everything from history, world affairs and the monarchy to service, sacrifice and the family. Teeming with inspirational words and pearls of royal wisdom, this book is a fitting tribute to a much cherished sovereign.Table of ContentsThe Crown • The Sweep of History • The Commonwealth • Duty • The Firm • Observations • We Are Amused • Wisdom.

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Book SynopsisRichard Gallegos is a veteran ultramarathoner, husband, father, and mental health advocate. In this searingly honest account of his life, Richard relates his descent into alcohol and opiate abuse to cope with the emotional toll of being a first responder paramedic, witnessing every aspect of the horror and devastation that can be experienced by humanity.Faced with the reality of the irreparable damage his addictions were causing, Richard made the decision to regain control of his life and re-build his self-esteem by taking part in a series of ultramarathons, culminating in his participation in a one hundred mile raceThis is a truly inspiring and heartfelt autobiography, written by a man who hit absolute rock bottom and clawed his way back with astounding strength and determination. For anyone struggling with addiction, PTSD or any mental or emotional obstacles, Recovery Run is a must-read.

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Book SynopsisPearl Zhi Ping Chen always wanted to be a person who ''had rich life experiences''. And it seems she got her wish.Born in China 1950, Pearl was part of the generation who grew up during the rise of the Chinese Communist Party''s rule which deeply affected her young life. After having her education cut short in the Cultural Revolution, Pearl had to work even harder to improve her employment prospects. Working in a variety of roles around China, it was her hard work teaching herself English that gave her the opportunity to change her life, going from the daughter of a ''class-enemy'' to a qualified teacher. Pearl expanded her horizons, going on to not only gain employment and education in several other countries, but to also gain citizenship, for herself and her family, in two other continents, including her current home: Canada.Follow Pearl through her extraordinary life and see how one can overcome any limits through perseverance and the support of others.

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Book SynopsisThis is a historical story about James Parry (the author''s grandfather), and Asmus Nikolai Clausen. Here we get the story of their upbringing, their families, and their life journeys, until their paths cross.

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Book SynopsisGeology was St David''s doctor Henry Hicks'' huge passion. Author of many articles, he made a major contribution to 19th century geological study and, despite having no formal training in the subject, was eventually elected president of both the Geologists'' Association and the Geological Society.

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