Biography Books

Book SynopsisFrom the moment they first cut a swathe of crime across 1930s America, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker have been glamorised in print, on screen and in legend. The reality of their brief and catastrophic lives is very different -- and far more fascinating. Combining exhaustive research with surprising, newly discovered material, author Jeff Guinn tells the real story of two youngsters from a filthy Dallas slum who fell in love and then willingly traded their lives for a brief interlude of excitement and, more important, fame. Thanks in great part to surviving relatives of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, who provided Guinn with access to never-before-published family documents and photographs, this book reveals the truth behind the myth, told with cinematic sweep and unprecedented insight by a master storyteller.

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Book SynopsisFew American lives are stranger or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channelling his energy into such landmark works as FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS - and his provocative style revolutionised writing. Now, for the first time ever, Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour have interviewed Thompson's friends, family and colleagues and woven their memories into a brilliant oral biography. From Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger, to Ralph Steadman, to Jack Nicholson, more than 100 members of Thompson's inner circle bring into vivid focus the life of a man who was more complicated and talented than any previous portrait has shown. It's all here: the creative frenzies, the love affairs, the drugs, booze and guns, and, ultimately, the tragic suicide. As Thompson was fond of saying, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."Trade ReviewAn excellent oral history tribute to Hunter S. Thompson GQ For those who like their literary entertainment with a little more snarl to it THE DAILY TELEGRAPH A wonderfully entertaining chronicle of Hunter's (life) International Herald Tribune

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Book Synopsis"Among the earliest artistic descriptions of the hallucinogenic experience in European literature, the four pieces in this volume document Gautier’s and Baudelaire’s own involvement in the Club of Assassins, who met under the auspices of Dr Moreau to investigate the mind-enhancing effects of hashish, wine and opium. As well as providing an absorbing account of nineteenth-century drug use, Hashish, Wine, Opium captures the spirit of French Romanticism in its struggle to free the mind from the shackles of the humdrum and the conventional, and serves as a fascinating prologue to the psychedelic literature of the following century."Trade ReviewReveals to us enchanting and visionary landscapes, and beguiles us with vegetable correspondences, musical transformations and watery expanses. -- Margaret Drabble

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Book SynopsisUnder the pressure of his boss, the intransigent Riviere, the airmail pilot Fabien attempts a perilous flight during a heavy night-time thunderstorm in Argentina. As conditions get worse and the radio communication with Fabien becomes increasingly difficult, Riviere begins to question his uncompromising methods, and his distress turns to guilt when the pilot's wife comes to find him in search of answers. Based on Saint-Exupery's own experiences as a commercial pilot, Night Flight is a haunting and lyrical examination of duty, destiny and the individual, as well as an authentic and tragic portrayal of the intrepid early days of human air travel.Trade ReviewWhat gives this book an authentic and inimitable flavour is the personal confrontation with a recurrent peril... Quite aside from its literary merits, which I much admire, this book is valuable as a document; and it is the unusual combination of these two qualities which makes Night Flight so exceptionally important. -- Andre Gide

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Book SynopsisFamed for having killed his cousin Alessandro, the Duke of Florence, in 1537, but also for writing accomplished literary works, including a comedy and several poems, Lorenzino de’ Medici remains one of the most enigmatic figures of Italian literature. In his masterpiece, Apology for a Murder, he reveals the inner motives behind his act, portraying himself as a hero to be numbered alongside the great tyrannicides of ancient Rome and Greece. Lorenzino himself, in 1548, was murdered by two soldiers hired either by the emperor Charles V or by Cosimo, Alessandro’s successor as Duke, and this volume includes the dramatic account of his killing by Francesco Bibboni, one of the assassins, as well as a selection of Lorenzino’s poems, giving a fully rounded image of the antihero of Alfred de Musset’s Lorenzaccio.

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Book Synopsis"Rising from humble beginnings as a foundling, Castruccio Castracani came to prominence as one of the most powerful and shrewd warlords in Italy. Indeed, Machiavelli argues, so great was his vigour and charisma that - had he not been prevented by his untimely death - he might have surpassed in fame the great generals of antiquity and brought all the territories of Italy under his sole dominion. Written in Machiavelli's characteristically lucid and terse style, Life of Castruccio Castracani is not only a key text in understanding the development of the author's ideas on leadership and good statesmanship that would find fuller expression in The Prince, but also a revealing account of the political ferment and fractious factionalism of fourteenth-century Italy. This edition is accompanied by selected passages from Machiavelli's Florentine Histories and a detailed map with historical notes."Trade ReviewCastruccio Castracani is a short book that tells a larger story… it will show that greatness, as Machiavelli defined it five centuries ago, is made, not born. -- Richard OveryMachiavelli was a pioneer of political science. He was a republican and a patriot. His prose style was as clear as Julius Caesar’s. He was a literary genius. * The Times *Machiavelli is a pivotal figure in the history of political thought. His views of human nature, society and government mark a break with medieval philosophy and sixteenth-century political thought based on assumptions about God’s purposes for man. * New Statesman *We are much beholden to Machiavelli and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do. * Francis Bacon *

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about remoteness: a memoir of places observed in solitude, of the texture of life through the quiet course of the seasons in the far north of Scotland. It is a book grounded in the singularity of one place - a house in northern Aberdeenshire - and threaded through with an unshowy commitment to the lost and the forgotten. In these painterly essays Davidson reflects on art, place, history and landscape. Distance and Memory is his testament to the cold, clear beauty of the north.Trade Review'This is a poet's book, his mind wide open to the cultures of the world, especially of the north, specifically Aberdeenshire. The language is luscious, musical and precise, rich with quotation and the cultures of, especially, northern Europe, from minerology and industry to poetry, painting, music.' --Gillian Clarke, National Poet of Wales Praise for THE IDEA OF THE NORTH by Peter Davidson: 'A masterpiece... beyond being merely clever or wise: a beautiful book.' --Scottish Review of BooksTable of ContentsForeword by Robert Macfarlane Prologue The Green Evenings Secret Hills SPRING Orkney Northern Waters Spar Boxes, Northern England SUMMER Summer in the North The Rich Boys of Bygdoy and other fragments of a summer A Northward Journey and a Summer Storm HARVEST Bringing Home a Portrait by Cosmo Alexander Painting Northern Scotland The Food of the North (with Jane Stevenson) THE BACK END OF THE YEAR Visits in Autumn A Letter from Copenhagen The Grim Consolations of the North The Aesthetics of Remoteness and the North WINTER Winter in the North Epilogue: The Snow over Madrid Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisFrom the former Treasury Secretary, the definitive account of the unprecedented effort to save the U.S. economy from collapse in the wake of the worst global financial crisis since the Great DepressionOn 26 January, 2009, during the depths of the financial crisis and having just completed five years as President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy F. Geithner was sworn in by President Barack Obama as the seventy-fifth Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. Now, in a strikingly candid, riveting, and historically illuminating memoir, Geithner takes readers behind the scenes during the darkest moments of the crisis. Swift, decisive, and creative action was required to avert a second Great Depression, but policy makers faced a fog of uncertainty, with no good options and the risk of catastrophic outcomes.Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises takes us inside the room, explaining in accessible and forthright terms the hard choices and politically unpalatable decisions that Geithner and others in the Obama administration made during the crisis and recovery. He discusses the most controversial moments of his tenures at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and at the Treasury, including the harrowing weekend Lehman Brothers went bankrupt; the searing crucible of the AIG bonuses controversy; the development of his widely criticized but ultimately successful plan in early 2009 to end the crisis; the bracing fight for the most sweeping financial reforms in seventy years; and the lingering aftershocks of the crisis, including high unemployment, the fiscal battles, and Europe’s repeated flirtations with the economic abyss. Geithner also shares his personal and professional recollections of key players such as President Obama, Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, and Larry Summers, among others, and examines the tensions between politics and policy that have come to dominate discussions of the U.S. economy. An insider’s account of how the Obama administration saved the economy but lost the American people, Stress Test reveals a side of Timothy Geithner that only few have seen.Trade ReviewSensational ... Tim's book will forever be the definitive work on what causes financial panics and what must be done to stem them when they occur. -- Warren BuffettDeals with issues far bigger than anything on the Man Booker long list. -- Anne Ashworth * The Times *Stress Test is an absolutely compelling account of the financial crisis, written in a clear, graceful style with striking honesty at every step along the way. -- Doris Kearns GoodwinThis is a lucid, fascinating, and extremely important book … Geithner does something unusual: he engages in substance. With both insight and humility, plus a good dose of wry humor, he explains what really happened during the financial crisis. No matter your political persuasion, you will find this book educational, enlightening, and interesting. -- Walter IsaacsonA fascinating memoir about life in the maelstrom of the financial crisis … Earlier books have described much of what happened that September, but Geithner was present for all the frantic meetings, the thousands of phone calls — and in the case of Lehman, the failure to find a buyer that could keep it alive. New problems cropped up almost weekly, if not daily. He explains each in easy-to-understand language and what the issues were that shaped the responses… There could be another crisis someday, of course, but what Geithner and his colleagues did has made one far less likely. * USA Today *

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Book Synopsis'The greatest Gaelic footballer of all time.' Pat SpillaneWhen Colm Cooper retired from inter-county football in 2017, he left behind a remarkable legacy. The holder of five All-Ireland medals and eight All-Stars, he was Kerry’s stand-out forward for fifteen years. From a family steeped in Gaelic football, and a core member of the Dr Crokes team, Colm was still in his teens when he first played for Kerry at senior level. Overcoming struggles with injury and personal tragedy, Cooper became one of the GAA’s most recognizable and best-loved figures at a time of tumultuous change in the game. But the man known nationally as ‘Gooch’ is also an intensely private figure who has never courted publicity and his personal story remains largely untold. Now Gooch – The Autobiography unlocks a previously unopened door, tracing a compelling path through the life beyond the headlines. This is the story of an ordinary man who became an extraordinary footballer.Trade Review‘An absolute must-read . . . a fascinating insight into his personal journey . . . honest, unassuming and understated’ * Irish Independent *‘One of the game’s greats . . . as razor sharp on the pages of his autobiography as he ever was in the opposition’s half’ * Irish Examiner *

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Book SynopsisMario Balotelli has a reputation like no other in football. Since exploding on to the scene at Inter Milan in 2007, he has won league titles in both Italy and England, moving between Europe's elite clubs.Yet for all his undoubted talent, he is better known for his off-field antics - not least his infamous run-ins with both the police and Manchester's firefighters. Once described by José Mourinho as 'unmanageable', match-winning performances at the highest level have continued to convince clubs such as AC Milan and Liverpool to give him a chance.With exclusive access to friends, teammates and coaches, acclaimed football biographer Luca Caioli talks to the people best placed to explain the mystery that is Mario Balotelli.

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Book SynopsisAdapted from his extraordinary autobiography, Angels of Divine Light (Transworld, 2010), for the Open Door series of short books for emerging readers, Aidan Storey recalls how the presence of Angels sustained him through years of great turmoil. As he recalls the sexual and mental abuse he suffered in primary school, and the dark days of depression that followed, he describes how the Angels, through the power of angelic healing, taught him how to bring light and love into his life and the lives of many others. Profoundly moving, this is an inspiring story of hope and forgiveness, and a testament to the healing power of Angels that will stay with you for ever.

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Book SynopsisBeginning in 1968, fifty-five personal essays and poems reveal the power of Ireland’s finest writers to delve into the details of Irish life with warmth, sincerity and wit. Here, side by side, are stories around the first moon landing, the eruption of violence in the North, the visit to Ireland by Ronald Reagan, the Eurovision Song Contest, 9/11, direct provision centres, the Celtic Tiger and its crash, great sporting moments, Edna O’Brien, Seán Ó Ríordáin, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs and Sinéad O’Connor, emigration, moving statues, Irish weather and water, first love and first jobs, wedding day dresses, setting up home, parenthood, illness, loss and starting over. As a record of Ireland from wonderful and unexpected angles, Miscellany50 will amuse and intrigue for many years to come. Originally commissioned for performance at Miscellany50 Live radio festival weekend in late 2018, this is a unique collection in a beautifully illustrated volume.

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In 2013, Úna-Minh Kavanagh, a young journalist and content creator, was racially abused and spat upon in Dublin’s city centre. Having dealt with racism throughout her young life, this proud Kerrywoman had finally had enough. In the days that followed, she took to Twitter to call out the ‘land of a thousand welcomes’ for its naivety and cowardice in dealing with racism. The incident was widely shared in the media and her story went viral. But Úna-Minh’s story actually begins in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 1991, when she was adopted at just three days old by a single woman from Kerry. Raised in a loving, Irish-speaking home by her mother and grandfather, Úna-Minh was instilled with an enduring sense of her multi-faceted Irish identity. In her first book, she writes honestly and humorously about tackling racism, language elitism and online trolls and the joy of turning her love of the internet, video games and accessible Irish-language content into a healthy work/life balance. Sprinkled throughout with Úna-Minh’s own #FrásaAnLae, Anseo is the heartwarming story of a diverse and contemporary Irish life.

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Book SynopsisIn early 2018, Erin Darcy created an online art project, In Her Shoes – Women of the Eighth, to safely and anonymously share private stories of the real and devastating impact of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Ireland. In the five months leading up to the referendum on abortion, the project asked a simple question of undecided voters: put yourself in her shoes. Within weeks, Erin was receiving hundreds of stories from a broad spectrum of experiences of planned and unplanned terminations. By the time Ireland historically voted Yes to Repeal the Eighth on 25 May 2018, the page had gathered over 100,000 followers, was reaching over four million readers each week and had been featured by international news outlets. What began as a solo act of grassroots activism by a mother and an artist had unleashed a national conversation on human rights that would change Ireland forever. Where once there had been silence and shame, now there was honesty and empathy. For 43 per cent of voters, it was ‘stories in the media’ that influenced their decision to vote Yes. But for Erin Darcy, In Her Shoes was also a distraction from her own heartbreaking loss, loneliness and depression as she grieved her mother’s death and sought a community of her own. In time, it became an act of healing, as she connected with other women, mothers and campaigners who felt the same overwhelming need to do something. Here, In Her Shoes: Women of the Eighth reproduces thirty-two of those anonymous stories, representing the entire island of Ireland. Published with their authors’ consent and illustrated by Erin, they are powerful testimonies to storytelling as salvation from heartache, stigma and threat. Together, they record lived truths previously omitted from history and signal a monumental change in the social landscape of our country.

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Book SynopsisThe New Frontier is a landmark publication of writing from the Irish Border, composed of non-fiction, fiction and poetry – it is a chorus of voices from some of the island’s greatest writers, that conveys in its multiplicity the true meaning of our border. At a time when the division of our shared island has once again become an international concern, the Border now a threshold between Europe and the United Kingdom, The New Frontier seeks to explore the meaning of this partition in the 21st century for those people that inhabit that divide. This collection of writing ultimately poses the question: What does it mean to be Irish, Northern Irish, or British in the modern age, and what does it mean to live on a threshold between a kingdom and a republic? The New Frontier will undoubtedly become a key cultural and literary touchstone. This anthology considers the border, and our historical divisions, through literature, by inviting writers from border areas to respond imaginatively and instinctively. By writing the land, writing the body, writing the lived experiences of this complex and misunderstood part of Ireland, The New Frontier looks to reclaim the border region from decades of misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Featuring writing from: Conor O’Callaghan, Darran Anderson, Garrett Carr, Luke Cassidy, Nidhi Zak, Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Michael Hughes, Séamas O’Reilly, Pat McCabe, Lias Saoudi, Maureen Boyle, Emily Cooper, Dean Fee, Jill Crawford, Annemarie ní Chuirrean, Peter Hollywood, John Kelly, Michelle Gallen, Marcel Krueger, Eoghan Walls, Orla McAlinden, Bronagh McAtasney, Mícheál McCann, Jess McKinney and Maria McManus

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Book SynopsisDuine de shárscéalaithe na Gaeilge In Eanáir 1952, sé bliana sula bhfuair Peig Sayers bás, thionscain Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann agallaimh léi agus í in ospidéal Naomh Anna, Baile Átha Cliath. Bhí Peig thar a bheith sásta labhairt lena cuairteoirí a raibh Gaeilge Chiarraí ar a dtoil acu agus seanaithne aici orthu. Foilsítear den chéad uair in Níl Deireadh Ráite na hagallaimh sin mar aon le réamhrá tathagach, tráchtaireacht agus aistriúchán Béarla ar an iomlán. Cuireann Peig i láthair anseo seanscéalta idirnáisiúnta, scéal Fiannaíochta, finscéalta taistealacha, seanchas stairiúil agus sísheanchas, roinnt paidreacha, agus tá cúpla léaráid óna mac, Mícheál Ó Gaoithín, mar anlann leo. Léiríonn na taifeadtaí a bua mar scéalaí oilte, a hacmhainn grinn, a móreolas ar scéalta traidisiúnta agus a cumas máistriúil á gcur i láthair trí shúile mná. Buanaíonn an saothar seo ionad Pheig mar dhuine de shárscéalaithe na Gaeilge agus cinntíonn sé go bhfuil a cuid scéalaíochta le háireamh ar scoth na healaíne béil sa tír seo. Among the first rank of Irish storytellers In January 1952, six years before she died, Peig Sayers was interviewed by a team from the Irish Folklore Commission in St Anne’s Hospital, Dublin. She was more than happy to be recorded, and pleased to be visited by old friends, all of whom spoke fluent Kerry Irish. In Not the Final Word these interviews are published for the first time, in both Irish and English, along with a substantial introduction and detailed annotation. Here Peig tells her versions of international folktales, a Fenian tale, some prayers, migratory legends and historical and supernatural lore, illustrated in paintings by her son, Mícheál Ó Gaoithín. She emerges as a warm and authentic storyteller, with a ready sense of humour, a deep knowledge of traditional narrative and highly skilled in its presentation. This collection reaffirms Peig Sayers’s position in the first rank of Irish storytellers and firmly establishes her tales in the canon of Irish oral literature.Trade ReviewThe rescuing of the great storyteller Peig Sayers from the bored contempt of generations of school students is one of the noblest causes in Irish letters. Any remaining doubts about her status as an artist are banished by Bo Almqvist and Pádraig Ó Héalaí[s] wonderful bilingual edition of interviews she gave in 1952, complete with two CDs of the recordings, Níl Deireadh Ráite/Not the Final Word. -- Fintan O'Toole * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisNew fiction by: Suad Aldarra Caleb Azumah Nelson Jan Carson Elaine Feeney Oona Frawley Sinéad Gleeson Anna Jean Hughes Caleb Klaces Naomi Krüger Henrietta McKervey Paul McVeigh Mary Morrissy Nuala O'Connor Chris Wright To live with dementia is to develop extraordinary and various new ways of being – linguistically, cognitively and practically. The storyteller operates similarly, using words and ideas creatively to reveal a slightly different perspective of the world. In this anthology of fourteen new short stories, commissioned by Jan Carson and Jane Lugea, some of the best contemporary writers from Ireland and the UK powerfully and poignantly explore the depths and breadth of the real dementia experience, traversing age, ethnicity, class and gender, sex and consent. Each writer’s story is drawn from their own personal experience of dementia and told with outrageous and dark humour, empathy and startling insight. Here are heroes and villains, tricksters and saints, mothers, fathers, lovers, friends, characters whose past has overshadowed their present and characters who are making a huge impact on the world they currently find themselves in. They might have dementia, but dementia is only a small part of who they are. They will challenge, frustrate, inspire and humble you. Above all, these brilliant pieces of short fiction disrupt the perceived notions of what dementia is and, in their diversity, honesty and authenticity begin to normalise an illness that affects so many and break down the stigma endured by those living with it every day. Find out more about the AHRC-funded research project based at Queen's University Belfast, from which this anthology has emerged: www.blogs.qub.ac.uk/dementiafiction/ Trade ReviewRounded picture of dementia from those who know it well. -- John Walshe * Sunday Business Post *“…there is great variety in these nine fictions, not only in the character and degree of agency of the dementia sufferer, but in the degree to which the reader is challenged by the form.” -- David Butler * Books Ireland Magazine *

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Book SynopsisOver the last thirty years, the English Premier League has grown to become the richest and most popular league in football – and the Irish have been at the heart of its success since the very beginning. In exclusive interviews with thirty former and current players, and an in-depth analysis of Irish players’ involvement, Gareth Maher celebrates the astounding contribution that the Republic of Ireland has made to the most famous league in the world of sport. With insights from Seamus Coleman, John O’Shea, Niall Quinn, Shay Given, Jonathan Walters, Richard Dunne, Andrew Omobamidele and many more, Away Days uncovers the good, the bad & the ugly of a league that has been home to almost two-hundred Irish players. This is the story of Ireland’s impact on the Premier League as told through the experiences of the players who have lived through the title wins and the relegation scraps, the big-money moves and the cancelling of contracts, the villian's disdain and the hero’s acclaim over three whirlwind decades.Trade Review"An absorbing study, Away Days is a fascinating read. Just perfect for a football nut like me.” -- George Hamilton * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisStories from the lives of some of Ireland’s greatest sports stars. From the highs of lifting trophies and overcoming the impossible, to the lows of battling injury and facing defeat, these are inspiring stories written in plain English for emerging readers. Drawn from bestselling autobiographies and other first-hand accounts, the book features stories from: AP McCoy, Barry McGuigan, Bonnar Ó Loingsigh, Cora Staunton, Gavin Bazunu, Henry Shefflin, Katie Taylor, Keith Earls, Niall Quinn, Paul O’Connell, Philly McMahon, Ronnie Delany, Rosemary Smith, Sonia O’Sullivan and Valerie Mulcahy. An Open Door initiative, published in association with the National Adult Literacy Agency.

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Book SynopsisSt Patrick is one of the most famous saints of all time. Thousands of people with no direct Irish connection celebrate St Patrick’s Day, parading along the streets of New York, Boston, Chicago, San Antonio, Texas and Sydney, where St Patrick’s Day is a national holiday. These celebrations are the latest version of the cult of St Patrick, which has persisted in different forms since his death on 17 March, 462AD. But who was St Patrick, and how much of what we know about him is fact, how much legend? This book looks at the historical man and the evidence of his writings, the myths and the apocryphal stories, and describes the social changes that led in the 18th century to his emergence as a symbol of Irish nationalism. Patrick: From Patron Saint to Modern Influencer is a fascinating and lively portrait of the man who converted pagan Ireland to Christianity – a fresh, sometimes startling examination of the folklore and traditions that have developed around the saint through the ages. First published in 1989 in the UK and USA, this fully updated edition features new photographs and illustrations and will be an indispensable companion for anyone seeking to understand the role of St Patrick in forging modern Irish identity.Trade ReviewA readable, beautifully-illustrated book -- Mary Kenny * The Irish Post *An impressive study -- Paul Clements * The Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis'Beautifully woven' Sunday Times'Extraordinary city stories ... ambitious and entertaining ... [Taylor] does a fine job of telling the New York story' GuardianA symphony of contemporary New York told through the magnificent words of its people - from the best-selling author of Londoners.In the first twenty years of the twenty-first century, New York City has been convulsed by terrorist attack, blackout, hurricane, recession, social injustice, and pandemic. New Yorkers weaves the voices of some of the city's best talkers into an indelible portrait of New York in our time - and a powerful hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people. Vibrant and bursting with life, New Yorkers explores the nonstop hustle to make it; the pressures on new immigrants, people of colour, and the poor. It captures the strength of an irrepressible city that - no matter what it goes through - dares call itself the greatest in the world. Drawn from millions of words, hundreds of interviews, and six years in the making, New Yorkers is a grand portrait of an irrepressible city and a hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people.Trade ReviewBeautifully woven * Sunday Times *One of Craig Taylor's many skills as an interviewer lies in his eye for the vivid detail that captures a larger abstraction ... Remarkable -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Extraordinary city stories ... ambitious and entertaining ... [Taylor] does a fine job of telling the New York story -- Hari Kunzru * Guardian *As gorgeous, cacophonous and shocking as New York itself. Like those great oral historians Studs Terkel and Ronald Blythe, Craig Taylor has the gift of drawing out the most idiosyncratic confidences, creating a magical, uproarious and sometimes terrifying portrait of life in the ultimate city - Olivia Laing, author of The Lonely CityA symphonic choir of voices rising from the five boroughs ... the city is hopping, punching, reeling, dancing, thrumming, honking, thriving ... Taylor is as skilled a writer of literary nonfiction as I have ever read * The TLS *An incredible achievement. Insightful, funny, surprising, profound, moving and honest. This could be the great American novel - and it isn't even a novel - Joe Dunthorne, author of SubmarineThis is a stunning piece of work. New Yorkers is rich with the voices and stories of the city; voices that Craig Taylor has listened to with attentive generosity and that he offers us here with something close to love - Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir-13Jaw-dropping ... Enthralling ... Start spreading the news: Taylor's book is a stunning work of modern social history * Independent *A monumental and beautiful testimony to a city and to life itself ... This is what Craig Taylor has done: not just reveal a city, but the human spirit that lights the city; that spirit, which despite its flaws and madness, seems in the end to always wish to transform chaos and hatred into meaning and love - Jonathan Ames, author of The Extra ManEvery decade or so, a book comes along to define an epoch in New York life . . . Craig Taylor's New Yorkers is one of those. It is a monumental document of our age of precarity, catastrophe, and scrolling anomie. Just as importantly, though, it is an antidote, the opposite of a lockdown: a welcoming into the apartments of our neighbors and out into the living street. For those newly arrived to the city or long in love with it, New Yorkers belongs on the short shelf of required reading - Garth Risk Hallberg, author of City on FireCraig Taylor gets us. His sojourn in New York has resulted in a wonderful portrait of the city and its people, in good times and in bad, living, persevering, triumphant - Kevin Baker, author of DreamlandAn engrossing, multihued 'oral portrait' of New York City as told by the people who live there .... Admirers of the Big Apple will be enthralled * Publishers Weekly *One of the most enjoyable trips to New York I've ever taken: fascinating, exciting and weird. Like the very best kind of guide, Craig Taylor showed me parts of the city I would never have found on my own - Chris Power, author of Mothers: StoriesIn New Yorkers he has both perfected the method and found new range in his own voice. I lived in the city for six of the years covered here, but though Taylor does capture a tone I remember, I feel more that I've come to know the place better through the lens of his curiosity - John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of PulpheadCraig Taylor has conducted Gotham's voices into a gorgeous score. He has such a gift for getting cities to pause for their solos and close ups. With Londoners and now New Yorkers a decade later, he's like a Carson, a Winfrey, a Letterman of the vox populi: generous with each human he sits down with, making them look good without any makeup and giving them all the best lines. I've never heard New York sound this good, this in tune, despite its seas of trouble - Leanne Shapton, author of Swimming Studies[Taylor's] love of New York is plain, his ability to listen extraordinary -- Erica Wagner * New Statesman *The subjects are loquacious and often richly self-aware, leading to some memorable, blackly comic vignettes * Observer *Not even Craig Taylor's delightful cacophony of voices, dozens and dozens of them spilling their New York stories, can compass its vastness and variety. But what a tasty slice Taylor serves up! Until you can fly into JFK and see, hear, and smell for yourself, savour the grit, sweat in the choking humidity and shiver in the canyoned midtown winds - until then, his New Yorkers is just the ticket . . . Taylor deserves the keys to the city * Spectator *His achievement here is to accurately recreate the kinetic rhythms of New Yorkers' speech and, despite the disparity of choices, present us with a cohesive, intimate and vivacious kaleidoscope of New York in pages that crackle with the braggadocio, intensity and daring with which the city is synonymous. * Sunday Business Post *Taylor's bravest act in writing this book - subtitled, A City and Its People In Our Time - is to keep out of the way; preface and Coda apart there is no Taylor here. In an age of author's "Me! Me! Me!" complexes his schtick is "Them! Them! Them!" Let the people speak * Reaction *

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Book SynopsisElizabeth Jane Howard (1923-2014) wrote brilliant novels about what love can do to people, but in her own life the lasting relationship she sought so ardently always eluded her. She grew up yearning to be an actress; but when that ambition was thwarted by marriage and the war, she turned to fiction. Her first novel, The Beautiful Visit, won the John Llewellyn Rhys prize - she went on to write fourteen more, of which the best-loved were the five volumes of The Cazalet Chronicle. Following her divorce from her first husband, the celebrated naturalist Peter Scott, Jane embarked on a string of high-profile affairs with Cecil Day-Lewis, Arthur Koestler and Laurie Lee, which turned her into a literary femme fatale. Yet the image of a sophisticated woman hid a romantic innocence which clouded her emotional judgement. She was nearing the end of a disastrous second marriage when she met Kingsley Amis, and for a few years they were a brilliant and glamorous couple - until that marriage too disintegrated. She settled in Suffolk where she wrote and entertained friends, but her turbulent love life was not over yet. In her early seventies Jane fell for a conman. His unmasking was the final disillusion, and inspired one of her most powerful novels, Falling.Artemis Cooper interviewed Jane several times in Suffolk. She also talked extensively to her family, friends and contemporaries, and had access to all her papers. Her biography explores a woman trying to make sense of her life through her writing, as well as illuminating the literary world in which she lived.Trade ReviewHugely absorbing * Guardian *A careful and accurate portrait * Daily Telegraph *Cooper has assiduously gathered material from everyone involved, and the details and perspectives are tantalizingly fresh * The Times *Looks set to be the literary biography of the autumn * Good Housekeeping *In this fascinating biography, Artemis Cooper paints a picture of a complex and tricky woman * Sunday Express *A careful portrait of a fascinating woman * Sunday Telegraph *Compelling * Sunday Times *An unexpected treasure . . . It is as compelling and unified as a novel, while recounting a full, messy, complex human story . . . Cooper is respectful but never sycophantic, clear-eyed but never mocking. Familiar stories are retold but also reconsidered, and set in context. And the book pays the literary biography's ultimate compliment - it will send even those most familiar with the novels back to their bookshelves to revisit them * Financial Times *Elegant, sympathetic but clear-sighted * Mail on Sunday *I inhaled every blissful word. A sad, revelatory, brilliantly written account of one remarkable woman's life in writing, cooking, and having sex. An unexpected triumph -- Rachel Johnson * Daily Mail *Artemis Cooper's biography of Howard asserts the importance of Howard the writer, but also paints a painful portrait of a woman whose emotional life was often determined by the approval and attention of men * Guardian Review *Cooper's biography is a careful portrait of a woman bursting with every talent except the capacity to inspire enduring love * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisWhy is it that the more advanced our society becomes, the unhappier we are?Seeking an answer from the only honest perspective, Tobias Jones and his wife opened up their family home and ten acre woodland to those going through crises in their lives, or suffering from depression, addiction and loneliness.They will encounter extraordinary people: from 'Roadkill Kev' to 'Mary Poppins'; build a chapel, raise pigs and encounter both violent antagonism and astounding generosity. At the same time, they will open themselves, their children and their ideals up to the most demanding of judgements and transformations.Five years on, they think they are on to something. To sit down to eat together, to work on the land, to have no tolerance for drugs but a lot of tolerance for change – it takes time and many mistakes, but they have found a way to help people.This is the story of how.Trade ReviewThis is no Hollywood-style tale of redemption and transformation. It is something much more honest: a warts-and-all account of what it is like to try a radically different way of living, and to not only survive, but have real triumphs . . . Thanks to Jones's sense of humour the book rarely feels "worthy", in the pejorative sense, despite the subject matter . . . Admirably erudite, charming and reflective . . . To read this book is to imagine, even if only briefly, that a different way of living might be possible. -- Alice O'Keefe * Guardian *Fascinating and remarkable . . . a study of compassion in action * Sunday Times *This is an enjoyable book * Mail on Sunday *[I was] Amused and moved by this book . . . The Joneses' desire to rescue lost people is both magnificent and astonishing * The Times *Chosen as a summer read by Julian Baggini * Observer *Extremely gripping and moving . . . Often very funny . . . Jones writes beautifully about the changing seasons . . . Each night I looked forward to reading this book. Clearly there is something in our psychological make-up that longs to be part of an 'extended household', breaking bread with strangers. Or - at least - to experience it voyeuristically through the pages of a captivating memoir * Independent *There is much beauty in the story of Windsor Hill Wood, the rural idyll that Jones and Fra create together. He manages to take us with him into it . . . Jones is a sublime writer, who has the ability to bring tears to the eye * Daily Telegraph *It's a gentle meditation on a brave venture that leaves the reader uplifted and even a little enlightened * Press Association *It is Jones's humanity and gift for characterisation that make his book so captivating . . . His account rings with universal truths . . . A Place of Refuge asks difficult questions about how often mental illness is connected with the fact that 'community', as it's currently understood, is delivered through a screen * Financial Times *A wonderful book describing the bosky - sometimes bolshie - community he and his wife set up for allcomers: recovering alcoholics, addicts and anoxerics. It is written with the keenest eye for nature - human and leafy - and a wisdom learned the hard way (perhaps there is no other way) -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *

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Book SynopsisCocaine is the world's most notorious narcotic. It underpins a vast, multi-billion pound underworld with a dark and deadly side. But who really are the shadowy people behind this chilling network? The coca farmers, the jungle sweat-shop workers, the smugglers, the suppliers, and, ultimately, the dealers who provide for the world's hundreds of millions of users. Cocaine Confidential goes inside the lives of all these characters to reveal their stories for the first time. Along the way you'll meet hitmen, pimps, desperate former international footballers, coke barons, mules, hardened traffickers and corrupt cops as the truth is unravelled in a roller coaster ride through this secret world.Trade ReviewBestselling investigative journalist Wensley Clarkson has seemingly penetrated the inner sanctum of Noye's closest so called criminal associates, to paint a chilling portrait of a brilliant master criminal - News of the World

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Book SynopsisRipper Murders From Old Photographs is not a standard retelling of the story of the Whitechapel Murders but the tale of historically important photographs connected to the case, discovered by the author in 2007. Half of the book deals with The Whitby Collection. This is a surviving series of 27 images taken by the amateur criminologist John Gordon Whitby in 1961. They show many of the murder locations and related streets as they looked at that time. The book will not only tell the known facts about the photographer, but will - for the first time - reproduce every one of the photographs, along with modern comparison shots in colour. The second half of the book deals with an image that some have described as the most important photographic discovery in the Jack the Ripper case for quarter of a century. Before the discovery of a unique image purchased on eBay for less than $5, no photographic image was known to exist of the murder location of supposed Ripper victim Elizabeth Stride. Not only will this book present the photograph to the world for the first time, it will also discuss in detail the vast amount of research that has been undertaken to authenticate and date the image and, with frequent reference to the photo album it came from, will try to close in on identifying the photographer.

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Book SynopsisThe Atom Bomb was crucial to a post-War world dominated by the Cold War. Yet the stories of the people who chose to give atom secrets to Russia has never fully been told. Paul Broda’s father and stepfather both passed secrets to the Russians, for no personal gain. Here he gives his personal account of his family and their actions. Scientist Spies is a compelling account of three lives swept up in the great events of Communism, Fascism, World War II, and the creation of the Atom Bomb. Paul Broda’s father Engelbert Broda (Berti) was an Austrian who was imprisoned as a Communist in Berlin in 1933 and then twice in Austria, twice escaped arrest, and was secretly in Russia in 1936. He came to England and from 1942 worked on the Atom Project. The author’s mother, Hilde, met Berti in Berlin and joined him in London in 1938. In 2009 it emerged from Russian archives that Berti had spied for the Russians, as MI5 had long suspected. Alan Nunn May, who was to become Paul Broda’s stepfather, was a physicist who trained at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge under Rutherford and Chadwick. He also joined the Atom Project in 1942 and he gave atomic secrets to the Russians during the War. Alan was convicted under the Official Secrets Act in 1946, and served nearly seven years in prison. Hilde met Alan after his release and they married in 1953. The espionage by both Berti and Alan affected subsequent history to the extent that each separately has been said to have ‘started the Cold War’. Here, for the first time, Paul Broda describes the origins of his ‘three parents’, all born in 1910-11, what shaped their attitudes towards Communism and Fascism and why they gave secrets. Using family sources, such as letters and Alan’s own accounts, Paul Broda has been able to combine their stories with much material that was released by MI5 in 2006-07, and what he himself saw. In this unique and very personal memoir, he presents his own view of his parents as principled and committed individuals who believed that they were making the world a safer place, but invites readers to form their own views.Trade Review''This is an unusual and illuminating contribution to the literature on Soviet espionage that has become part of Anglo-Saxon Folklore. All the most so because it is written from the point of view of the spies rather than their hunters [...] It should be read, and will probably survive to fascinate and instruct the generations in the 21st Century'' -- The Times Literary ReviewThis is an unusual and illuminating contribution to the literature on Soviet espionage that has become part of Anglo-Saxon foklore. All the more as it is written from the point of view of one of the spies rather than their hunters. -- London Review of BooksScientist Spies is a rarity among spy stories in that is in almost entirely factual and devoid of speculation and exaggeration -- Morning StarA very personal and sensitive memoir, it is a very readable book with will be on considerable interest to scientists and non-scientists – and all those interested in the history of the Cold War. -- Medicine and Conflict JournalMuch more than a mere account of events and behaviours seen through the the eyes of achid, the author, whose early years straddled the period, it is a most remarkable publication -- Portico Magazine

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'I am just going outside and may be some time.' With these words, on 17 March 1912, Captain Oates walked out to his death in an Antarctic blizzard and won a place for himself in history as 'a very gallant gentleman'. His reputation for courage and endurance as one of the members of Scott's doomed expedition to the South Pole is as powerful today as it was almost a century ago. Yet, as Sue Limb and Patrick Cordingley reveal in this new edition of their classic biography of the man, there is much more to Captain Oates's life than his final famous act of self-sacrifice. Their work is, as Sir Ranulph Fiennes noted, a 'fascinating character study of a quintessential British hero'.

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`It was the most providential escape yet. It will probably have the effect of making them think that I am even more mysterious than they believe me to be, and that is saying a good deal.’ Michael Collins knew the power of his persona, and capitalised on what people wanted to believe. The image we have of him comes filtered through a sensational lens, exaggerated out of all proportion. We see what we have come to expect: `the man who won the war’, the centre of a web of intelligence that `brought the British Empire to its knees’. He comes to us as a mixture of truth and lies, propaganda and misunderstanding. The willingness to see him as the sum of the Irish revolution, and in turn reduce him to a caricature of his many parts, clouds our view of both the man and the revolution. Drawing on archives in Ireland, Britain and the United States, the authors question our traditional assumptions about Collins. Was he the man of his age, or was he just luckier, more brazen, more written about and more photographed than the rest? Despite the pictures of him in uniform during the last weeks of his life, Collins saw very little of the actual fight. He was chiefly an organiser and a strategist. Should we remember him as a master of the mundane rather than the romantic figure of the blockbuster film? The eight thematic, highly illustrated chapters scrutinise different aspects of Collins’ life: origins, work, war, politics, celebrity, beliefs, death and afterlives. Approaching him through the eyes of contemporaries and historians, friends and enemies, this provocative book reveals new insights, challenging what we think we know about him and, in turn, what we think we know about the Irish revolution.

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Book SynopsisLife is an ocean and love is a boat, In troubled waters that keeps us afloat ...This lively collection uncovers for the first time how the best Irish love songs came to be. This is for anyone who ever wondered who the 'Galway Girl' was, or if there was a real-life 'Nancy Spain'. Learn the often surprising, sometimes bittersweet, but always absorbing stories of the real women who inspired some of the world's finest love songs.Trade Review'Fascinating insight.' * Books Ireland *'A worthy and recommended book.' * Irish Examiner *Table of Contents1 'Una Bhan' - Tomas Laidir Costello 92 'Danny Boy' - Blind Rory O'Cahan (Ruaidhri DallO Cathain) and Frederick Edward Weatherly 253 'Down by the Salley Gardens' - W. B. Yeats 414 'Gortnamona' - William Percy French 655 'On Raglan Road' - Patrick Kavanagh 816 'Nancy Spain' - Barney Rush 957 'Sarah' - Phil Lynott 1118 'Grace' - Sean and Frank O'Meara 1319 'Past the Point of Rescue' and 'Crusader' -Mick Hanly 16110 'The Voyage' - Johnny Duhan 17911 'After All' - Frank and Walters 19712 'To You I Bestow' - Mundy 20713 'Galway Girl' - Steve Earle 22114 'You Raise Me Up' - Brendan Graham 235

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Book SynopsisOn Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien met a four-day-old baby barn owl - a fateful encounter that would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage in one wing, the owlet had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, then a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. Wesley is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together.As Wesley grew, O'Brien snapped photos of him at every stage, recording his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, adult owl with a heart-shaped face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature. When O'Brien develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist who saved the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued from death by the insistent love and courage of this wild animal.Wesley is a thoroughly engaging, heart-warming, often funny story of a complex, emotional, non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love and loyalty.Trade ReviewI LOVE Wesley the Owl! Stacey O'Brien has captured the essence of the soul of an unforgettable owl. This book is destined to become a classic, and will deepen importantly the way we understand birds. * Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig. *Perfect * The Lady *Wesley the Owl is beautiful, funny, transcendental, fascinating and powerful. I LOVED THIS BOOK! * Lynee Cox, author of Swimming to Antartica. *This fun book reminded me of Marley & Me but with wings. Warm, weird, and wonderful, Wesley the Owl is proof that man's best friend sometimes has feathers. * Mark Obmasick, author or The Big Year *...stunning, unforgettable. Read this book and you will never see owls, or humans, in the same light again. * Kenn Kauffman, author or Kingbird Highway. *A heartfelt journey of life and love with one of nature's wild creatures, Wesley the Owl is a must read story of faith, compassion and selfless devotion. * Jay Kopelman, author of From Baghdad with Love. *Funny, frequently moving and with incredibly insight ... Wesley is ultimately a tale of true friendship, which reveals a woman as remarkable as her barn owl. * Your Choice *

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Book SynopsisThey know who they are and what they're capable of - cross them at your peril.No real hard bastard needs to brag or bully; most are modest, thoughtful and quiet. They have nothing to prove, as opposed to wannabe tough guys, who may pump themselves full of steroids or devote themselves to the study of a martial art, but can they handle themselves during an aggressive confrontation? It is the real hard bastard's absolute willingness to fight literally anyone, his ability to be uncompromisingly violent, his complete lack of fear, and unwillingness to admit defeat that makes him stand out in a crowd. A real hard bastard exudes an unmistakable air of confidence and authority.The full list of Hard Men is: Geoff Thompson (Former British nightclub bouncer and world-famous martial artist. Now a BAFTA-award-winning writer); Thomas Silverstein (America's most dangerous prisoner); Arthur White (Once one of London's most notorious debt collectors. Now reformed and a Christian); Tom Taylor (A former US Presidential bodyguard); Don Murfet (Minder to the rock band Led Zeppelin); Charlie Bronson (Britain's most violent prisoner - also an artist and writer); Gary Alexander (Full-contact fighting champion of North America); Roy Shaw (British bare-knuckle fighting champion; Ali vs Tyson; Hard Bastards: what exactly are they?; Noel 'Razor' Smith (Former British gangster serving multiple life sentences); Street Kings & Bare-Knuckle Fighters (the toughest of them all); Mike Tyson (Boxer); The Krays (Britain's most infamous gangsters); Dave 'Boy' Green (British boxer); Luciano Leggio (Sicilian gangster); Bob Honiball (Martial arts expert currently training Eastern European special forces); Peter Rollack aka 'Pistol Pete' (New York City gang member); Gregory Peter John Smith (Australian bandit); John Brawn (Ireland's hardest man, martial artist and bouncer); William Coss (Just a regular US citizen put in an extreme situation); Mickey Francis (Manchester's most notorious football thug and gangster, now a professional wrestler); Jake LaMotta (Boxer); Vladimir Bogomolov (Soviet bodyguard); Big Joe Egan (Probably the hardest white man on the planet); Dennis Martin (Doorman, bodyguard and Liverpool's hardest man).

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Book SynopsisThe deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made. This is the story of the men and women who risked everything to find it, earning their place in history beside the likes of Peary, Amundsen, Hillary, and Armstrong.In 2004, two great scientist-explorers attempted to find the bottom of the world. Bold, American Bill Stone was committed to the vast Cheve Cave, located in southern Mexico and deadly even by supercave standards. On the other side of the globe, legendary Ukrainian explorer Alexander Klimchouk - Stone's opposite in temperament and style - had targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the Republic of Georgia.Blind Descent explores both the brightest and darkest aspects of the timeless human urge to discover - to be first. It is also a thrilling epic about a pursuit that makes even extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale by comparison. These supercavers spent months in multiple camps almost two vertical miles deep and many more miles from their caves' exits. They had to contend with thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and much more. Perhaps even worse were the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called 'The Rapture'.Blind Descent is a testament to human survival and endurance - and to two extraordinary men whose relentless pursuit of greatness led them to heights of triumph and depths of tragedy neither could have imagined.Trade ReviewHeart-stopping and relentlessly gripping. Tabor takes us on an odyssey into unfathomable worlds beneath us, and into the hearts of rare explorers who will do anything to get there first. -- Robert Kurson, author of Shadow DiversHair-raising . . . the chronicle of an obsession to reach the deepest, darkest, loneliest, scariest, least survivable pocket of the planet....A big thumping man-book like The Perfect Storm. * Washington Post. *Using a pulse-pounding narrative, this is tense real-life adventure pitting two master cavers mirroring the cold war with very uncommonly high stakes. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *Blind Descent is as awe-inspiring as any adventure story above ground. Tabor's claustrophobic and pulse-pounding narrativepulls no punches in describing the many terrifying hazards that cavers face underground. Blind Descent is a captivating summer read for adventure seekers and armchair adrenaline junkies alike. * Amazon.com Best Books of June 2010 *A fascinating and informative introduction to the sport of cave diving, as well as a dramatic portrayal of a significant man-vs.-nature conflict. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, this is the first ever biography of Harold Larwood. Larwood, one of the most talented, accurate and intimidating fast bowlers of all time is mainly remembered for his role in the infamous Bodyline series of 1932-3 which brought Anglo-Australian diplomatic relations to the brink of collapse. Larwood was made the scapegoat - and despite the fact he was simply following his captain's instructions, he never played cricket for England again. Devastated by this betrayal, he eventually emigrated to Australia, where he was accepted by the country that had once despised him. Acclaimed author Duncan Hamilton has gained unprecedented access to the late sportsman's family and archives to tell the story of a true working-class hero and cricketing legend.Trade Review'An excellent storyteller, Hamilton looks beyond the dry detail of Bodyline to illuminate its principal perpetrator' The Cricketer. * The Cricketer *'Wonderful ... Meticulously researched and beautifully written. Please read it.' Mike Selvey, Guardian. * Guardian *'Finally Larwood's memory is honoured with the biography it deserves' Independent on Sunday. * Independent on Sunday *'A near-masterpiece... a magnificently written, intensely moving story of... a great England fast bowler. ... If you want to know why the Ashes matter, you could do worse then lose yourself for a few days in the story of this great and humble man.' Mike Atherton, the Times. * The Times *This is cricket biography of the highest stamp, fit to compare in recent memory with Gideon Haigh's excavation of the life of Jack Iverson, David Foot's dramatic revisionism on Wally Hammond and Leo McKinstry's remarkably even-handed portrait of Geoff Boycott. Five stars' Wisden Cricketer. * Wisden Cricketer *Table of ContentsForeword: Kicking Bradman Up the Arse. Bloody Hard Work, April 1923-June 1925. Captains, Oh My Captains, August 1925. His Master's Voice, June 1926-September 1927. Beer, Fags and a Cheese Sandwich, September 1929. The Little Bastard, August 1932-September 1932. We Conduct Cricketers' Funerals, December 1932-January 1933. It Wasn't Your Fault, Harold, January 1933-February 1933. Why Didn't You Bowl Underarm? April 1933. I'm Afraid You'll Have to Apologize, May 1933-November 1934. No Bugger Can Drive Me, August 1936. A Lonely and Desolate Chap, June 1948. Our Fate is in the Hands of the Gods, April 1950-December 1950. It's Not Like the Old Days, Don, December 1950-February 1971. I Love a Sunburnt Country, March 1977-1995. Afterword, February 2008. Acknowledgements. Appendices: Who's Who; Harold Larwood, First-Class Record; Australia v England, 1932-33; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisArctic explorer, survival expert and naturalist Freddy Spencer Chapman was trapped behind enemy lines when the Japanese overran Malaya in 1942. His response was to begin a commando campaign of such lethal effectiveness that the Japanese deployed an entire regiment to hunt him down, believing that a 200-strong guerrilla army was responsible for the wholesale destruction of their convoys. He was wounded, and racked by tropical disease. His companions were killed, or captured and then beheaded. Cut off from friendly forces, his only shelter the deep jungle, Chapman held out for three years and five months. Jungle Soldier recounts the thrilling and unforgettable adventures of the North country orphan who survived against all odds to become a legend of guerrilla warfare.Trade Review'Incredible ... the death-defying adventures of a great British war hero' Chris Ryan. * Chris Ryan *'This story of endurance in the fetid heat of the Malayan jungle is surely one of the most inspiring of the whole war ... A courageous and utterly English hero' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *'Freddy Spencer Chapman is the greatest war hero you have probably never heard of ... Perhaps this book will help win final recognition for a truly extraordinary man' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *'An extraordinary life ... Quite why Chapman hasn't found Lawrence of Arabia's fame is anyone's guess' Guardian. * Guardian *Table of ContentsList of Maps. Prologue: Behind Enemy Lines. A Very English Boyhood. Journeys on the Ice Cap. Goodbye to a Golden Boy. Scrambles in Sikkim. The Mission. To War. Across the Main Range. The Mad Fortnight. Disasters and Decapitations. Birds and Bullets. 'Japun! Japun!' The Betrayer. Journey to Shangri-La. A World Turned Upside Down. The Search for Noone. Taken by the Japanese. On the Run. The Traitor-Killing Camp. Hollow Days. Deliverance. The Lion in Winter. Glossary. Acknowledgement and Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisMartin Luther King left an indelible mark on 20th-century American history through his leadership of the non-violent civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. The election of Barack Obama as America's first black president in November 2008 has spawned a renewed interest in King's role as an agent and prophet of political change in the United States. Writing with verve and clarity but also with acute insight, Godfrey Hodgson traces King's life and career from his birth in Atlanta in 1929, through the campaigns that made possible the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to his assassination in Memphis in 1968. Hodgson sheds light on every aspect of an extraordinary life: the Black Baptist milieu in which King grew up, his theology and political philosophy, his physical and moral courage, his insistence on the injustice of inequality, his campaigning energy, his repeated sexual infidelities. Martin Luther King is a rounded and fascinating portrait of a Christian prophet and the most brilliant orator of his age, the central message of whose life and ministry was that Americans would never be fully free until they accepted that black and white Americans must be equal.Table of ContentsA Dream Deferred. Sweet Auburn. A Higher Education. Sick and Tired. The Little Brown Ghost. Between Two Fires. From Albany to Oxford. In the City of Vulcan. The Tide Turns. Mississippi Burning. The Hinge. Walks on the Wide Side. Vietnam and Beyond. The Last Campaign. Detective Story. A Voice Crying in the Wilderness. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisLabour's octogenarian powerhouse weaves together eighty years of fascinating personal, social and political history in her memoirs.From Boots Girl to Baroness, Joyce Gould boasts an impressive list of experiences and accomplishments. Through sixty-four years as a Labour Party member, she has fought for universal equality, for the right to a good standard of life for all, and for the spirit of her beloved party.The Witchfinder General is the political autobiography of the woman who notoriously made Labour electable again - nicknamed the Witchfinder General for her determination to end the debilitating discord of the 1980s by uncovering and removing the Militant Tendency - and as such it is a tender and frank depiction of the party over the past six decades. But more than that, it is a social history as seen through the eyes of someone who lived it, and a personal history of a pharmacist's apprentice turned political warrior, who has dedicated her life to making the world a better place.These memoirs document a long career in the fight for equality, the building of the modern Labour Party and the creation of the Britain we know today.Trade Review"A warm and uplifting read. It is riveting in its description of the routing of Militant and strong in its conclusion that the outcome of this May's local elections will be a 'defining point' for the 'new Labour regime and its record'." - Progress

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Book SynopsisWhen Fred Dibnah debuted on television in 1979, British audiences immediately embraced a new cultural icon: a steeplejack from Bolton who fell in love with England's decaying industrial landscape and an exhaustive storyteller whose charm and wit was matched only by his down-to-earth manner. The Producer of that first film, Don Haworth, would go on to make nineteen films about this unlikely celebrity and true British eccentric.Did You Like That? collects the best stories from these films: colourful tales told by Fred himself, recounting key moments in his life, his experiences as a steeplejack, his fascination with machinery, his work as an engineer, craftsman, artist, inventor and steam enthusiast, and his forthright views on life in general.Told with true Northern grit, Did You Like That? is the story of a man who never shied away from a hair-raising challenge, and the closest thing to Fred's autobiography we're likely to get. In paperback for the first time, this is Fred's story, in his own words.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the exciting story of J. Hudson Taylor and his mission to China. Driven by a deep concern for those without Jesus, and having an unshakeable confidence in the faithfulness of God, James Hudson Taylor sailed to China aged just 21. By the time he died aged 73, he had travelled to China 11 times, more than 18,000 Chinese Christians had been baptized, and the mission he founded was the largest in China. Recognized as one of the great 19th century missionaries, this classic biography is a true account of God's grace and what he can do with a life consecrated to him. Discover the exciting story of James Hudson Taylor and be inspired by one man's life in Christ. Content Benefits: Uncover the extraordinary story of J.Hudson Taylor, one of the great heroes of the faith, and be inspired by how God can use people who are willing to serve him wholeheartedly. Inspiring story of a man of faith who trusted God Highlights the power of prayer and obedience Riveting account of a missionary's life in China Part of the new Classic Authentic Lives Series An inspiring and fascinating look at one of the heroes of the faith Ideal reading for those who have read Mountain Rain, the biography of James O. Fraser Perfect book to encourage someone in their faith Ideal reading for anyone who loves to see God at work in the world Great gift idea for any occasion Binding - Paperback Pages - 384 Publisher - Authentic Media

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating work profiles Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), the foremost Islamic scholar and mystic of the medieval period. Attracting the patronage of the vizier Nizam al-Mulk early in his career, he was appointed head of the Nizamiyyah College at Baghdad, and attracted audiences from across the Islamic world, who sought his teachings on Islamic philosophy and jurisprudence. Eventually renouncing his position due to a spiritual crisis, he went into self-imposed exile, during which he wrote the Sufi masterpiece, Revival of the Sciences of Religion. Concise and lucid, this is a perfect introduction to the great man’s life and work.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Names and terms Chronology INTRODUCTION The Seljuqs The “Schools” of Law The Notion of Kalam The Mu‘tazili Factor Ash‘ari and the Three Brothers Philosophy (Falsafa) The Isma‘ilis Sufism 1 THE RISE TO RENOWN A Child of Khorasan The Stages of his Career Early Studies: Sufi Masters and Theologians Juwayni The Patronage of the Powerful Ghazali at Court The Temptations of Prestige 2 DEVOTION TO THE LAW Ghazali’s Contributions to Law The Example of Analogy (qiyas) The Indolence of the Learned Shafi‘i: the Beloved Model Fidelity to the Law 3 THE DOUBLE-EDGED DISCIPLINE: GHAZALI AND THEOLOGY Theology vs Philosophy Against a “Religion of Donkeys” Ghazali the Theologian The Dogmatic Manual al-Iqtisad fi’l-i‘tiqad Ghazali’s Mode of Argument in “The Just Balance” The Shadow of Ibn Sina A Human Accent Ghazali on Divine Names The Absence of Insight as Insight A Manual for Meditation Ghazali’s Attitude towards Kalam 4 THE POISON OF PHILOSOPHY AND ITS ANTIDOTE Did Ghazali Destroy Philosophy in Islam? The Seductiveness of System The Exposition of Philosophy: the Maqasid al-Falasifa The Attack: Tahafut al-Falasifa 5 CRISIS AND RECOVERY The Breakdown of 1095 Sickness and Health Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (“The Deliverer from Error”) Scepticism and Ghazali: His Early Crisis The Significance of Dream The Four Ways The Decisive Break and the Departure from Baghdad Baghdad, the “Nest of Darkness” The Role of Ahmad Ghazali 6 THE REVIVAL OF ISLAM The Character of the Ihya’ The Architecture of the Ihya’ CONCLUSION: KNOWLEDGE IN ACTION The Return to Teaching Death and Posthumous Career Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis‘Abd al-Mu’min (c.1094–1163) did not establish the first caliphate in the Islamic West, but his encompassed more territory than any that had preceded it. As leader of the Almohads, a politico-religious movement grounded in an uncompromising belief in the unity of God, he unified for the first time the whole of North Africa west of Egypt, and conquered much of southern Spain. Studying every facet of ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s rule, from his violent repression of opposition to the flourishing of scholarship during his reign, Maribel Fierro reveals an intelligent leader and a skilled military commander who sought to build a lasting caliphate across disparate and diverse societies.Trade Review‘Maribel Fierro, an internationally acclaimed authority on the Almohads, presents an accessible account of the true founder of the Almohad empire, ‘Abd al-Mu’min… Despite their importance, ‘Abd al-Mu’min and the Almohads rarely receive the coverage they deserve in surveys of the Islamic world and Fierro uses her deep erudition to address the balance in a way that will intrigue the novice and encourage the expert to think again.’ -- Amira K. Bennison, Professor in the History and Culture of the Maghrib, University of Cambridge‘‘Abd al-Mu’min is a little known but very important figure in the history of the Almohad caliphate and the twelfth-century Maghrib in general. Maribel Fierro has brilliantly brought him to life. Grounded in her in-depth scholarship and with a clear narrative strand, this biography should be the first port of call for anyone interested in this controversial figure.’ -- Hugh Kennedy, Professor of Arabic, SOAS, University of LondonTable of ContentsForeword 1 ‘Abd al-Mu’min, the Zanata Berber Who Built an Empire and Became Prince of the Believers 2 Looking for Knowledge: The Encounter with Ibn Tumart Travelling East in Hammadid territory: Mallala and Ibn Tumart Travelling West Through Almoravid territory to Igiliz: Mahdism Travelling North: Tinmal and the Purges Ibn Tumart’s Death and ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Succession History, Legend and Anthropology 3 From the Mountains to Empire: Submission to the Almohad Cause (al-tawhid) Through Jihad Discrediting and Fighting the Almoravids The Long Road to Marrakesh, the Rebellion of al-Massi and the Great Purge The Expansion Eastwards, the Rebellion of Ibn Tumart’s Brothers and the Fight Against Arabs and Normans The Conquest of al-Andalus and ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Death Jihad, the Army and the Collection of Taxes 4 Balancing Power to Achieve Dynastic Rule: The Almohad Hierarchies Ibn Tumart’s Family and Inner Circle: The Ahl al-Dar and the Council of Ten The Almohad Tribes, the Council of Fifty and the Shaykhs Purging the Almohads (Tamyiz and I‘tiraf) and Facing Rebellion ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Family and Genealogies The Sayyids, the Talaba, the Huffaz and the Husaba’ 5 Establishing God’s order (al-Amr al-‘Aziz): How to be a Maghribi caliph Mahdism, Caliphate and al-Amr al-‘Aziz The Writings of Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min Berber and Arabic, Igiliz/Tinmal and Mecca/Medina The Square: Coins, Drums, Books The Caliph, Provider of Happiness and Baraka: Banquets and Itinerancy 6 Giving Shape to the Caliphate: Buildings, Religious Practices, Law and Philosophy Building the Caliphate: Mosques, High Minarets, Towns and Gardens Purity, Islamic Rituals and the ‘Uthmanic Mushaf Forced Conversion: The Abolition of the Dhimma Malikism, Law and the Judges Re-imagining Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min: Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Tahir 7 The Caliph’s Men and the Rest: Administration and Knowledge Secretaries, Viziers nd Preachers Poets, Historians and Grammarians Doctors, Philosophers and Astronomers The Ghuraba’, the Mystics and the Saints Shifting Trajectories and the Non-Almohads 8 ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Significance and Legacy Sources and Select Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisFor nearly forty years John Wilson travelled the length and breadth of Scotland as a school inspector. From orkney to campbeltown and Jura to Dundee, he visited hundreds of schools and met thousands of teachers and pupils. In these memoirs, first published in 1928, he paints an insightful yet humorous picture of life in the country’s schools after the 1872 education Act, which brought free schooling for all Scottish children between the ages of five and ten.

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Book SynopsisThe compelling biography of the beautiful, talented Garman sisters and the glittering, romantic era in which they lived. Each of the seven Garman sisters were strikingly beautiful, artistic and wild. Born around the turn of the nineteenth century, most of the siblings were to become involved in the radical literary and political circles of British life between the First and Second World Wars. Their morals were unconventional: bisexuality, unfaithfulness and illegitimate children were a matter of course. Nevertheless they were high-minded and intensely loyal. They were the last muses: women who were prepared to sideline their own talent, friendships, material comforts – even their own children – in order to beguile and inspire the men they loved. Cressida Connolly's family biography delves into the lives of three of the sisters in intense and revealing detail. Kathleen Garman, the father's favourite, ran away to London to study music. She was spotted by the American sculptor Jacob Epstein, who promptly fell in love with her, and remained his muse until his death. They had three children, she was shot in the shoulder by his first wife and she finally became Lady Epstein in 1955. Mary Garman came to London with Kathleen and studied art at the Slade. She married poet Roy Campbell, who was to become the scourge of the literary establishment by espousing General Franco's side during the Spanish Civil War. Finally there was Lorna Garman, the youngest and most beautiful of all the family. At sixteen she married the wealthy Ernest Wishart, a landowner, communist and founder of the socialist publishing house Laurence & Wishart, who spent most of his life turning a blind eye to his wife's infidelities. Lorna was the love of Laurie Lee's life and they had a daughter. Lucian Freud painted several pictures for her. Through Cressida Connolly’s skilfull retelling of these remarkable lives, we get an intimate portrait of a golden age of romance, passion and art that is an original, beguiling read.Trade Review'Paints some wonderfully vivid pictures of how difficult the Garmans must have been to live with.' Sunday Telegraph 'Connolly writes with great elegance and perception about this ruthlessly sensual family.' Literary Review ‘A rollicking mix of the familiar and surprising.' Sunday Times ‘A sobering coda and an often hilarious tale.' Independent

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Book SynopsisSamuel Palmer was one of the most original artists Britain has produced. Still a teen when he was plucked from "the pit of modern art," he embarked on an intensely personal journey that led to an astonishing outpouring of mystical drawings and later to England's first artistic colony, "The Ancients," based in the idyllic landscape of Shoreham. This book reprints the first major writings on Palmer, which were published for a retrospective exhibition in 1881. They include a biography by his son, A. H. Palmer, and a critical appreciation by Pre-Raphaelite artist and critic F. G. Stephens.Trade Review"The London publishing house Pallas Athene has come up with the very welcome and worthwhile project of assembling English translations of early biographies of artists in an easily accessible publication." - Historians of Netherlands Art Reviews

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