Biography Books

Book Synopsis'A hell of a tale and Jonathan Beckman gives it all the verve and swagger it deserves . . . I read it with fascination, delight and frequent snorts of incredulity' The Spectator On 5 September 1785, a trial began in Paris that would divide the country, captivate Europe and send the French monarchy tumbling down the slope towards the Revolution. Cardinal Louis de Rohan, scion of one of the most ancient and distinguished families in France, stood accused of forging Marie Antoinette's signature to fraudulently obtain the most expensive piece of jewellery in Europe - a 2,400-carat necklace worth 1.6 million francs.Where were the diamonds now? Was Rohan entirely innocent? Was, for that matter, the queen? What was the role of the charismatic magus, the comte de Cagliostro, who was rumoured to be two-thousand-years old and capable of transforming metal into gold?This is a tale of political machinations and extravagance on an enormous scale; of kidnappings, prison breaks and assassination attempts; of hapless French police disguised as colliers, reams of lesbian pornography and a duel fought with poisoned pigs. It is a detective story, a courtroom drama, a tragicomic farce, and a study of credulity and self-deception in the Age of Enlightenment.Trade ReviewGlittering and gloriously goofy . . . This is a terrific tale, told with assurance and gusto * Guardian *Jonathan Beckman has an eye for a good story. His account of the affair is full of human drama, including illicit sex, assassination attempts and prison escapes . . . a superb piece of research that separates myth from reality * Sunday Business Post *A really fascinating history * Dan Stevens *Stranger than fiction and told with a verve that suggests the author relishes his dodgy tale * Country Life *Jonathan Beckman has tunnelled into the warren of misinformation . . . and has come out with what must be as near to the truth as we'll get * Daily Mail *Jonathan Beckman tells his complicated tale with gusto * Observer *A wonderfully enjoyable account of one of the most audacious cons ever perpetrated * John Preston, Evening Standard Books of the Year *Jonathan Beckman dazzlingly rehabilitates Marie Antoinette in an atmospheric and evocative account of diamonds, fraud, intrigue and a 1785 case that stoked antiroyalist feeling in France * Telegraph Books of the Year *A richly enjoyable account of one of the most audacious scams ever perpetrated * Mail on Sunday *Beckman's tale of the Diamond Necklace Affair is full of character and tawdry details, and glistens with wit and insight * Daily Telegraph *Beckman has waded through masses of evidence from the trial to retell this fascinating and complicated story * Daily Mail *Gripped me like a whodunnit . . . That's not surprising. It relates the story of the greatest crime caper of the 18th Century * The Times *Beckman has waded through masses of evidence from the trial to retell this fascinating and complicated story * Irish Daily Mail *Beckman's diligent detective work uncovers the murky truth behind this cause celebre * Mail on Sunday *Stranger than fiction but just as gripping, How to Ruin a Queen is a masterly exploration of the 'diamond necklace' affair * Hilary Mantel *A work of scholarship and imagination, that focusses new light on the famous and extraordinary affair of Marie Antoinette and the stolen diamonds. The narrative is like an ingenious chess game showing us the complex moves of bishops, knights and pawns round the king and queen. Jonathan Beckman is the new Wilkie Collins of biographical history * Michael Holroyd *How to Ruin a Queen is a fascinating and impeccably researched account of one of the great scandals of the 18th century. Beckman is a master-storyteller whose consummate skills are evident on every page * Amanda Foreman *A murky story of the Ancien Regime including diamonds and sex, brilliantly told * Lady Antonia Fraser *Necklace to neckless! This is the murky tale of the diamond heist that led to Marie Antoinette's demise * Tatler *A rollicking whodunit * Independent *A hell of a tale and Jonathan Beckman gives it all the verve and swagger it deserves . . . I read it with fascination, delight and frequent snorts of incredulity - and I strongly suspect you will too * The Spectator *Fascinating . . . a gripping detective story and a witty revelation of a scandal that shocked Paris * BBC History Magazine *In his intriguing history, Jonathan Beckman has spun out of this dirty tangle of source material a clear and compelling narrative line . . . with its exuberant use of language and subtly ironic storytelling, it is almost as colourful as the scandal it explores * Sunday Times *Gripped me like a whodunit . . . Beckman tells this scarcely believable story with flair * The Times *Jonathan Beckman skilfully unfolds the intricacies and absurdities of this extraordinary episode . . . Beckman provides us with an engaging and finely researched study of an affair that, despite having the plot of a frothy operetta, was of genuine historical significance * Literary Review *As gripping as a heist movie * Mail on Sunday *A gem . . . glistening with wit and insight * Sunday Telegraph *Fast-paced, colourful and rich * The Economist *Vivid and compelling * History Revealed *

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed author Andrey Kurkov gives powerful insight into life in Kyiv following the 2013 protests and before the 2022 Russian invasion.-16°C, sunlight, silence. I drove the children to school, then went to see the revolution. I walked between the tents. Talked with rev­olutionaries. They were weary today. The air was thick with the smell of old campfires. Ukraine Diaries is acclaimed writer Andrey Kurkov's first-hand account of the ongoing crisis in his country. From his flat in Kyiv, just five hundred yards from Independence Square, Kurkov can smell the burning barricades and hear the sounds of grenades and gunshot. Kurkov's diaries begin on the first day of the pro-European protests in November 2013, and describe the violent clashes in the Maidan, the impeachment of Yanukovych, Russia's annexation of Crimea and the separatist uprisings in the east of Ukraine. Going beyond the headlines, they give vivid insight into what it's like to live through - and try to make sense of - times of intense political unrest, on the path to the current crisis.Trade ReviewAndrey Kurkov's Ukraine Diaries offer a unique personal insight into one of the world's most complex trouble spots. The fact that Kurkov lives in the heart of Kiev, and the fact that he can write so well, give an eloquence and immediacy to his account of day to day life in the teeth of a crisis. This is history, with feeling -- Michael Palin[Kurkov writes] in the style of an informed but convivial flaneur, and his entries crackle with irony and humour -- Marcus Tanner * Independent *Controlled rage and wry wit, nicely captured in Sam Taylor’s translation… Kurkov’s diaries are valuable * The Economist *As his diaries make clear, real life has outstripped his blackly comic fiction for surreal detail, political cynicism and latent menace -- Ben Hoyle * The Times, Book of the week *The power...lies in the interweaving of the extraordinary and the mundane -- John Thornhill * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisHe wanted a war. And, for his sins, he got one. James Brabazon was an ambitious young war reporter when he entered the chaos of the Liberian Civil War in 2002. Running with the infamous LURD rebels, he survived numerous deadly ambushes and a dramatic two-hundred-mile escape from Government troops through dense equatorial jungle. He even had a bounty put on his head. Surrounded by child soldiers, cannibals and ruthless rebels, Brabazon was accompanied by Nick du Toit, a South African mercenary with a dark past. Before long, Nick promised James the scoop of his life: a front seat, beside Simon Mann, in an audacious coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea. And the offer was too good to refuse.Trade Review'An outstanding memoir about the power of friendship in the morally complex theatre of war. James Brabazon is a fearless reporter and a brutally honest narrator. I couldn't put this book down. -- ANDY MCNABJames Brabazon has written a fully-adrenalized book about civil war, mercenaries and the tiny margins by which fate determines the course of one's life. He is not only a beautiful writer but an incredibly brave reporter, and this book reflects both brilliantly. I was also in the Liberian civil war in 2003 - on the other side - and I remember hearing that there was this crazy Brit who was running with the rebels as they advanced on the capital. Brabazon's account of an attempted coup by friends of his in Equatorial Guinea is a classic story of intrigue, greed and violence in one of the most dysfunctional countries in the world. -- SEBASTIAN JUNGERCompelling. * * Sunday Times * *Intriguing. * * Spectator * *Brabazon's book is alarmingly frank...it is a compelling insight into a devastated region that is the playground of rapacious warlords, western intelligence agents and opportunistic businessmen. * * Sunday Business Post * *intriguing * * Spectator * *

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Book SynopsisIn 1889 Frederick Rea arrived from the Midlands to teach in South Uist, at that time one of the poorest places in the Outer Hebrides. Roads were often no more than rough tracks across the mountain moorland or over the storm-swept machair, and his Gaelic-speaking pupils were often frozen and starving. In this extraordinary book, he recounts the years he spent in this remote corner of Scotland, where he was welcomed with uncommon kindness and generosity by the islanders, who found him to be a sincere, conscientious man and an excellent teacher. The book also reveals Rea's keen powers of observation as he describes the lonely, ruggedly beautiful landscape and the customs and lifestyle of the people. Frederick Rea treasured his memories of South Uist for the rest of his life, and his love and respect for the islands and islanders is wonderfully conveyed in this vivid testament.

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Book Synopsis The story of Hudson Taylor is one of adventure and excitement - of improbable answers to prayer, opposition from the establishment and triumphs of faith. Even more interesting is the story of the relationship at the heart of it all - the story of Hudson and Maria Taylor.There are few love stories as enchanting as that of Hudson Taylor, the pioneering missionary, and Maria Dyer. Their relationship and short marriage flourished in the bitterest of circumstances because their lives were firmly rooted in their devotion to God, as well as to each other.They were a perfect match, (though not perfect people), a couple who show us how to share our lives at the deepest level.John Pollock draws his material extensively from original letters and papers. What unfolds is a picture of courage and adventure in Imperial China, a lost world of pigtails, Mandarins and dragon-roofed temples. It also shows how Maria played a crucial role in shaping the ministry of a Yorkshire lad who, against oriental and western opposition, changed the way that missionaries work.

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Book SynopsisCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge embarked on a new life when she married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in April 2011. Now she is the wife and mother of future monarchs. She has proved herself more than equal to the demanding life of a member of the Royal Family, and meanwhile has become a fashion icon and ambassador for several charities. This superbly illustrated souvenir guide follows her life, from her happy childhood and prestigious education to her fairy-tale wedding and the births of her two beautiful children. Catherine, with her natural charm, easy manner and kind nature, has won hearts in Britain and around the world. This is her story.

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Book Synopsis These Christian women were once little girls playing with dolls, making mistakes and growing up in quite a different world. But was it that different? Irene Howat has researched the lives of these famous women of God and draws out lessons we can all relate to, especially youngsters today. Featuring Ida Scudder, Betty Green, Janette Li, Mary Jane Kinnaird, Bessie Adams, Emma Dryer, Lottie Moon, Florence Nightingale, Henrietta Mears and Elizabeth Elliot. Trade ReviewThis is a wonderful book - in fact it's a wonderful series. Irene Howat writes with a real warmth and insight. People that you have never met come alive on the page. Christian legends and unsung heroes all become friends you can understand and look up to. In a world where role models of real integrity are few and far between the Lightkeeper's series fills the gap! -- Catherine Mackenzie; CF4K Editor (Author and CF4K Editor)

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Book SynopsisSir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), mathematician and physicist, is one of the foremost scientific intellects of all time. This fully illustrated, accessible guide to the life and work of Isaac Newton is the perfect introduction to his groundbreaking work on gravity, motion, optics, light, colour and calculus. It also considers his lesser known research into chemistry, theology and alchemy while assessing his continuing legacy. Organised chronologically, this book covers his childhood in rural Lincolnshire, school days in Grantham and undergraduate life at Trinity College, Cambridge. All of his major discoveries, breakthroughs and publications are lucidly described. Entries include: the story of the falling apple, Gravity and the Principia, Newton’s laws of motion, Optics, Alchemy and Divinity, as well as his time as Warden of the Royal Mint in London. This is the essential guide to the life, work and legacy of one of the greatest geniuses of all time.Organised chronologically, this book covers his childhood in rural Lincolnshire, school days in Grantham and undergraduate life at Trinity College, Cambridge. All of his major discoveries, breakthroughs and publications are lucidly described. Entries include: the story of the falling apple, Gravity and the Principia, Newtons laws of motion, Optics, Alchemy and Divinity, as well as his time as Warden of the Royal Mint in London. This is the essential guide to the life, work and legacy of one of the greatest geniuses of all time.

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Book SynopsisA beautiful collection - charming, witty and touching - these stories give voice to a variety of different characters: from the little girl who wants to look 'subtle' for her father's funeral, a child who has an email pen pal on Jupiter and an old lady who becomes a star through 'zimmerobics'.Often writing in a vibrant Glaswegian vernacular, Donovan deftly gives her characters authenticity with a searing power, aided and abetted by tender subtlety.Trade ReviewNot since Alan Spence came on the scene has anyone written better about childhood and her richly expressive Scots is neither forced nor fey. A page-turner to make you laugh and cry. -- Donny O'Rourke * * Scotsman * *Hieroglyphics conjures up spellbinding stories of childhood and change in voices so vibrant they leave you speechless. -- Willy Mally * * Sunday Herald * *Hieroglyphics and Other Stories is Donovan's excellent debut collection . . . Donovan illuminates exactly the dislocations and intensifications that occur within a relationship, whether between lovers or mother and child. * * Daily Telegraph * *

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Book SynopsisBrenda Bullock, brought up on a council housing estate in Sheldon, holds up a mirror to Birmingham in the 1940s and 1950s: she tells of the games played then in the streets: hopscotch, queenie, marbles, skipping, roller skating. She takes us back to school life during and after the war, to what it was like to be sick before the advent of the NHS and antibiotics; the struggle to make ends meet and find enough food to put on the table; the pawn shop, hiding from the rentman - all the experiences shared by so many children of the '40s and '50s, all illustrated by line drawings of the old Birmingham landmarks by architect, Matthew Bullock.

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Book Synopsis'You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.' Such were the words of the master detective Sherlock Holmes to Dr Watson, as he noted how his friend failed to implement Holmes's techniques. In How to think like Sherlock you will learn how to increase your powers of observation, memory, deduction and reasoning using the tricks and techniques of the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. The book incorporates the latest techniques and theories across a range of topics: NLP, memory mapping, body language, information shifting and speed reading - this is a supremely practical book that will make you look at the world in a new light, and more importantly, impress those around you. Packed full of case studies, quotes and trivia from Arthur Conan Doyle's original novels and short stories, How to think like Sherlock also includes a series of fun tasks and games for you to complete that will ensure that when you reach the end of the book you will be thinking like Sherlock Holmes, the master of the science of deduction. You will never look at a shirt cuff, trouser hem or scuff of dirt on a shoe in the same way again!Other books in the series include: How to Think Like Stephen Hawking, How to Think Like Churchill and How to Think Like Steve JobsTrade Reviewideal present or stocking filler... gives you the chance to improve your deductive powers * Choice *A supremely practical book that will make you look at the world in a new light, and more importantly, impress those around you * Sherlockology *Smith is obviously a man who knows his Holmes and he uses Holmes' strengths to tutor his readers * The Bookbag *

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Book SynopsisPaul Bruce was a tough, idealistic young trooper in the SAS when he was dispatched to Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles. His top secret mission was to execute IRA suspects in cold blood. Bruce and his SAS comrades shot down one terrified victim after another, leaving their bodies to be buried in deep, unmarked woodland graves. In this historic book, the author reveals where his victims lie secretly buried as well as chronicling the mental breakdown of crack SAS troops ordered to carry out the dirtiest job in a secret war.

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Book SynopsisThe letters of a young doctor who was sent to a remote hospital in Bangladesh in the years following its war of independence. They describe the day-to-day life of the hospital, its ups and downs, its triumphs and disasters. Through these challenging circumstances, he discovers a new experience of the presence of God.

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Book SynopsisCritically acclaimed biography of one of England's best loved composers, with a full discussion and evaluation of his works. Gerald Finzi is one of the best-known modern English composers. While he is especially famous as a song-writer, for his sensitive settings of poets such as Hardy and Wordsworth, he also wrote in other genres; notable works includethe exquisite cantata Dies Natalis, and his cello concerto. He also exerted a major influence in the musical world as a whole, championing the neglected Ivor Gurney and reviving eighteenth-century composers with the amateur orchestra he founded. In this lively and sensitive study of his life and works, Diana McVeagh, the renowned Elgar and Finzi scholar, has made use of interviews with the main figures in his life, correspondence with contemporaries such as Vaughan Williams, Edmund Blunden, Arthur Bliss, Edmund Rubbra, Howard Ferguson and Herbert Howells, and her access to previously unpublished material in the form of his widow, Joy's, unpublished journal. The Finzithat emerges is a multi-faceted and complex character. The author shows how he developed from a solitary, introverted youth into a man with strong views and a myriad of interests: everything from education, pacifism, vegetarianism, to the Arts and Crafts movement, the English pastoral tradition, English apple varieties, and the significance of ancestry, friendship and marriage in an artist's life. She also discusses every work within the narrative of Finzi's life, and shows what makes his output so outstanding. Diana McVeagh is the author of the highly acclaimed Elgar the Music Maker [2007]; of the entries on Elgar and Finzi for The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians [1980, 2001]; and of the Finzi entry in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [2004].Trade Review[T]he author's style is very easy indeed, informal and communicative. * RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS SOCIETY JOURNAL *The book is very well researched and immensely informative. [...] From reading this particular biography, there is also the wish to read more by Diana McVeagh. * THE ELGAR SOCIETY JOURNAL *McVeagh's analyses unfailingly draw the reader's attention to the melodic and harmonic subtleties of Finzi's writing. At her best, as in a beautiful passage on Finzi and Hardy, she sings with a lyricism that matches Finzi's own. This book comes as a timely reminder that there should be a place for the finely wrought music of a minor master. -- Richard Lawrence * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *This has been long in preparation, but the wait has been worthwhile. Lucky the composer who finds so fair-minded, candid and scrupulous a biographer and one who writes so well...[McVeagh's] analyses achieve the rare distinction of being both illuminating and readable. This is one of the best-written books about a musician to appear for many years. -- Michael Kennedy * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *McVeagh surely loves Finzi's music and it shows. However her devotion is clear-eyed and her writing completely avoids the sort of pastoral hagiography that Finzi scholarship can easily collapse into. The book is self-recommending but that does not stop me recommending it. - * CLASSICAL MUSIC ON THE WEB *[This] is unquestionably destined to be the standard biography of Gerald Finzi. - -- Rolf Jordan * RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS SOCIETY JOURNAL *[Now] we have McVeagh at last, so good and so well written that those who already possess...other books must have it, not only to complement them but for the sheer pleasure afforded by such a winning combination of scholarship, insight and clear-eyed humanity.. their belief will be reinforced and intensified by Miss McVeagh's candour and her remarkable achievement in writing not only a good biography but in re-creating the atmosphere of English musical life in the half-century of Finzi's life. * FINZI NEWSLETTER *With clear-eyed affection for her subject, McVeagh relates Finzi's poignant history with clarity of design that does not preclude empathy, and never allows herself the luxury of letting him off lightly over either musical or personal foibles...[a] lovely, warm and elegiac book. -- Byron Adams * MUSIC & LETTERS *

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Book SynopsisNancy Durrell was a woman famous for her silences. Anaïs Nin said 'I think often of Nancy's most eloquent silences, Nancy talking with her fingers, her hair, her cheeks, a wonderful gift. Music again.' As the first wife Lawrence Durrell, author of The Alexandria Quartet, it is perhaps surprising that she is an unknown entity, a constant presence in the biographies of Durrell and others in the Bloomsbury set, yet always a shadowy figure, beautiful and enigmatic. But who was the woman who was with Durrell during the most important years of his development as a writer? Joanna Hodgkin decides to retrace her mother's fascinating story: the escape from her toxic and mysterious family; the years in bohemian literary London and Paris in the 1930s; marriage to Durrell and their discovery of the 'Eden' of pre-war Corfu and her desperate struggle to survive in Palestine alone with a small child as the British Mandate collapsed. Amateurs in Eden is a fascinating biography of a literary marriage and of an unusual woman struggling to live an independent life.Trade ReviewFrank and captivating . . . rich in charm and pathos . . . Hodgkin has done both Nancy and herself proud with this fresh portrait of a marriage we thought we knew, and of a woman we have never known well enough -- Miranda Seymour * Sunday Times *It's a cracking story, and Hodgkin is a meticulous researcher -- Olivia Laing * Observer *The animating spirit that pulses through this joint biography is to be thoroughly applauded -- D.J Taylor * Literary Review *This is not just a memoir of her mother. This is the history of a literary wife. On both counts, Hodgkin succeeds beautifully . . . Her story is not a footnote; it is absolutely central * Independent *A truly fascinating account of one of those many women, the wives and the girlfriends and the sisters of famous literary men, who have lived a twilight existence in the shadows of the historical canon. A particularly rich and honest account * Scotland on Sunday *An enjoyable, revisionist account of a bohemian marriage -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisIn Down to Earth, Nancy Cooper gives us a glimpse into the real life of a seventeen year old young woman who is recruited into the Women’s Land Army in 1943. It is a big change from her life at Old Hill in the Black Country, and a welcome escape from the secretarial training that she was desperate to avoid. She soon found herself living alone, far from home and working on several farms. She managed to milk 30 cows, working alone, as she did her part in providing the country with enough food in the shortages both during and after WWII. At one farm she cared for a yard full of pigs, who cunningly tried to outwit her attempts to share their food out. Dealing with unfairly jealous wives, strange billeting arrangements with a nocturnal visitor and rats everywhere were also ways in which Nancy’s resourcefulness was tested. There is now a memorial to honour the work of the Women’s Land Army at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire. If you go to see it you will notice that the rats have got in on this as well!

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Book SynopsisKenneth Noye is a criminal mastermind and millionaire. The man at the top of organised crime in Britain fled the country after the murder of young motorist Stephen Cameron on the M25. His extradition from Spain caused banner headlines across the country. This book contains sensational material that could never be published until now: information on Noye's criminal dealings, the sinister truth of his life of crime. Bestselling investigative journalist Wensley Clarkson has penetrated the inner sanctum of Noye's closest family and criminal associates to paint a chilling portrait of a brilliant master criminal. Fully updated for the paperback, Clarkson details exactly how Noye continues to control his extensive criminal empire from behind bars.

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Book SynopsisHe arrived to rally the troops, the main man in the Inter City Firm and his greeting passed into football fan history. 'Afternoon, gentlemen, the name's Bill Gardner.' That introduction alone was often enough to provoke sheer terror in his opponents. He is a genuine legend to anyone who's ever stood proud on a football terrace. No serious book on the culture would be complete without at least one mention of him. And now at last, he's telling his own, long-awaited story. For the first time, Gardner himself reveals what made him the top man, including his innermost thoughts and his memories of the classic years for football fans. And many familiar faces have queued up to add their comments in this book which shows just what it is that makes Bill Gardner unique among the toughest and the greatest of them all.

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Book SynopsisThis first and ground-breaking biography of Arthur Jefferson, the father of Stan Laurel (the mastermind behind the legendary comedy partnership of Laurel and Hardy), reveals that he was a major influence on his son, a fine comic actor himself, a successful playwright, and an excellent example of the provincial theatrical lessees who provided Victorians and Edwardians with their main source of entertainment. It describes the ups and downs of his life, family and career and how, in middle age, he had to confront the challenge to the world of intimate, local, live theatre from the emerging global, silent and then sound cinema industry. Ironically, it was the success of films like those of Laurel and Hardy which all but destroyed the provincial theatrical world that Arthur loved.

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Book SynopsisOver the last two decades, Brian Cockerill has ruled his world with an iron fist. Using nothing but his hands as weapons, he has patrolled the streets, clubs and raves of Britain in order to keep order and to 'tax' those whose ill-gotten gains he sees fit to take a share of. Drug dealers and shady club promoters everywhere know that, if The Taxman is in town, it's time to pay up or get out. All know of the appalling violence this man can exert on his enemies, and of the incredible presence of body and mind that he possesses. Yet despite his appalling record of aggression, Brian is a man who lives by rules and respect - balanced yet unpredictable, he has never used weapons, and those who have used arms against him have barely lived to regret it. The facts of his life are as amazing and awe-inspiring as they are true.

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Book SynopsisLegendary Sheriff Irvine Smith QC is one of the most formidable criminal lawyers of his generation. Called to the Bar in 1953, he was involved as Counsel in some of Scotland's biggest cases, including the 'Glasgow Bank Raid', known at the time as 'the crime of the century'. He also defended five capital murder trials before the abolition of the death penalty and knew the full responsibility of trying to keep defendants from the gallows. He later became a Sheriff, quickly building a reputation as a no-nonsense judge with a sharp intellect and a dry and ready wit. He presided over the test case in the Ibrox Disaster. He was also one of the finest after dinner speakers of his generation, especially on the theme of St Andrew and Burns. This talent took him to many venues across the world. Irvine Smith's personal recollections are both frank and entertaining, charting the highs and lows of a remarkable life and career lived to the full.

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Book SynopsisJim Simpson of Big Bear Records has been involved in the music business for nearly 60 years, as musician, bandleader, promoter, record producer, festival director, manager, journalist and photographer. In his candid, constantly surprising, frequently amusing and occasionally shocking account you will encounter the joys and difficulties of managing Black Sabbath or of running a jazz festival in sun-kissed, crime-ridden Marbella. At home in Birmingham meet some of the characters who have enlivened 35 years of the Jazz Festival and read Jim's take on the scandals that closed the city’s premier jazz club. Revisit the exciting Brum Beat scene, take to the road with some 40 of the best (in some cases, most eccentric) American bluesmen of the 1970s, encounter the Blues Brothers Band in surprising places and enjoy Jim's tributes to some of the great names in British jazz, such as Humphrey Lyttelton and Kenny Baker, with whom he worked closely.

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Book SynopsisThe wartime double agent with a transmitter in his cell to contact suffragettes; the doctor hanged as he smiled to the farewells of lovers on the scaffold; the con who defied a gangland godfather and escaped the bromide in the prison tea; aristocrats and arsonists...The screws who guard Britain's prisons have seen them all. Stir! is the story of six of the country's most notorious jails - Durham, Wandsworth, Pentonville, Wormwood Scrubs, Dartmoor and Holloway - and of the men and women who entered their gates, sometimes stood on their scaffolds and occasionally vanished before their time. The book looks at early punishments, life on hell ships transporting convicts to far-off continents, the growth of prison populations, inmates sentenced to waste away on treadmills, the underworld giant who was birched, children starved and beaten for stealing, and even women forced to eat. Also investigated are the lives and thoughts of scores of inmates, from Oscar Wilde to Oswald Mosley; from Dr Crippen to Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged; from underworld legend Frankie Fraser to a Rolling Stone; and even the man who shot Martin Luther King, Jr.Just like Ronnie Barker's Porridge series, there are laughs too, as we uncover the man who measured bathwater, the prisoners punished for not wearing a collar and tie, the jail bookie who paid out in bread, and the unlucky brewers. The mix is all there in Stir!

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Book SynopsisBrought up in a large family living in a council house in the Stechford area of postwar Birmingham, David Prosser's childhood was not easy, he knew hardships and hunger, wearing worn out clothes and pumps with holes in. But, along with his best friend Trevor, David enjoyed the freedom of his youth with nearby fields, trees to climb, a river to play in and lots of places to explore. Times were hard so they did anything they could to make money: running errands for neighbours, carrying bags of coal on their backs, spending many hours on the tip collecting scrap metal and collecting rags from door to door to sell for pennies. Just two Brummie lads getting by on their wits trying to earn enough to pay for sweets, trips to the swimming baths and the cinema.

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Book SynopsisHenry Swanzy (1915-2004) has an unrivalled position as the midwife of Caribbean writing in the post 1950s period. As the editor of the BBC Caribbean Voices programme (initiated by Una Marson) between 1946 and 1956, he was there as the careers of George Lamming, Edgar Mittelholzer, Jan Carew, V.S. Naipaul, Sam Selvon and many others took off in London. As a programme aimed in the first place at a Caribbean listenership, Swanzy encouraged writing that was authentic to its Caribbean roots, in language, theme and social concern. As an Irishman, Swanzy retained enough of a post-colonial sensibility to be positively sympathetic to the nationalist thrust of the writing. He was evidently well-respected by the writers to whom he offered both literary and personal support – and not least for his awareness of their pecuniary needs. Once Caribbean Voices was well established, it was left in the hands of Caribbean editors (including Mittelholzer and V.S. Naipaul) and Swanzy himself went off to Ghana in 1956 to encourage and support writers and broadcasting there. Thanks to the generosity of Swanzy’s heirs, his private and often amusingly indiscreet diaries of this period (known as “Ichabod”) have been made available and carefully edited and documented by the team of Niblett, Campbell and Smith. With an introduction that puts Swanzy and these radio programmes in context, this is both an essential, entertaining and highly readable book for anyone even remotely interested in the development of Caribbean writing. Not least of its value is the extensive appendix where Niblett et al. have documented all the writers mentioned in the diary. This, in itself, is a salutary reminder of the wealth of writing talent in both the Caribbean and Ghana that flowered in this period but then, in the absence of other opportunities, in many cases undeservedly disappeared from view.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Diaries Appendix Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisAn unrivalled and very entertaining picture of the various and sometimes bizarre strands of Indian lives in colonial Trinidad. Seepersad Naipaul is a pioneer, combining insight with high style, however strange or mundane his subject.

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Book SynopsisA Grammar School Girl is the sequel to Grace Caroline Holte's The Girl from Guildford Street, which depicted an idyllic Sixties childhood in the working class Back to Backs of Aston and Lozells, at a time of radical political change when Birmingham was considered the Workshop of the World. The Seventies were a gloomier affair as much of the old city disappeared. Strikes, change and conflict were rife. The Birmingham Bombings marked the darkest day in the city's history. Yet there were happy times. In 1968, the author moved to the Newtown Estate, experiencing teenage trials and tribulations along with the delights of youth clubs and coffee bars. An education at King Edward's Grammar School for Girls, Handsworth, enabled her to attend University, a first for the family. Birmingham survived the troubled decade of the Seventies and emerged with her indomitable spirit intact. This is the story of one family during that era. It is Birmingham's story. It may also be your story.

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Book SynopsisCounty Armagh, the Orchard County, abounds in folk tales, myths and legends and a selection of the best, drawn from historical sources and newly recorded local reminiscences, have been brought to life here by local storyteller Frances Quinn. Armagh is the place where, legend has it, the warrior king Conor Mac Nessa once ruled and where Deirdre of the Sorrows met her lover Naoise. It is where St Mochua’s Well was said by some to curse as well as cure and where evidence of St Patrick’s disagreement with a bull can still be seen. And it is where Mrs Lester was rudely awakened in her grave. It is also said to be the home of a plethora of strange and magical creatures and stories abound of encounters with fairies, ghosts, dragons, witches and even a giant pig. From age-old legends and fantastical myths to amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales, this collection is a heady mix of bloodthirsty, funny, passionate and moving stories. It will take you into a remarkable world where you can let your imagination run wild.

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Book SynopsisMary Beard's by now famous blog A Don's Life has been running on the TLS website for nearly three years. In it she has made her name as a wickedly subversive commentator on the world in which we live. Her central themes are the classics, universities and teaching -- and much else besides. What are academics for? Who was the first African Roman emperor? Looting -- ancient and modern. Are modern exams easier? Keep lesbos for the lesbians. Did St Valentine exist? What made the Romans laugh? That is just a small taste of this selection (and some of the choicer responses) which will inform, occasionally provoke and cannot fail to entertain.Trade ReviewDelightful ... it has the virtues of brevity, eclecticism and learning worn lightly ... Beard is a very funny and penetrating commentator on academic life - and has a fantastic knack for controversy. If they'd had Mary Beard on their side back then, the Romans would still have their empire -- Sam Leith * Daily Mail *Enjoyable ... Beard is an exuberant communicator -- Dinah Birch * Observer *Sharply observed, often hilarious slices of academic life -- Charlotte Higgins * Guardian *Beard's studies of bygone times are infused with a peppering of wit that is unusual in an academic work, but given free rein here -- Julian Fleming * Sunday Business Post *This collection of her posts is pithy and engaging. The casual, humorous tone is seemingly informal. But the rhythm and cadence of the short blog have been honed to a fine art ... Beard remains self-deprecatory, invigoratingly sane and zestful -- Frances Spalding * Independent *The marvellously educative, hilarious It's a Don's Life by Mary Beard, the blogging queen -- Jane Gardam * Daily Telegraph *Beard has a spry, pithy, conversational style ... a diverting read -- Edmund Gordon * Sunday Times *Well-written, in short column-length bursts, it's the thinking person's loo book -- Alastair Mabbott * Glasgow Herald *It's a Don's Life is, by turns, enlightening, funny, outrageous * Weekend Australian *

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Book SynopsisIn Hello Everybody! a bestseller in his native Holland, Joris Luyendijk tells the story of his five yearsas a reporter in the Middle East. Young and inexperienced but fluent in Arabic, he speaks to stone throwers and soldiers, taxi drivers and professors, victims and aggressors chronicling first-hand experiences of dictatorship, occupation and war. But the more he witnesses, the less he understands and he becomes increasingly aware of the yawning gap between what he sees on the ground and what is later reported in the media. As a correspondent he is privy to the multitude of narratives with conflicting implications, yet again and again the media favours those stories that will confirm and reinforce the oversimplified beliefs of the West.Hello Everybody! Is a story of disillusionment and enlightenment, by turns hilarious and despairing, but most importantly it is a powerful wake up call to the way the media gives us a filtered and manipulated version of reality in the Middle East.Trade ReviewSuperb...This book will make readers think twice when they scan foreign news in the papers -- Julian Fleming * Sunday Business Post *Excellent...breezy but self-critical -- Ian Black * Guardian *Powerful...written in a very engaging, even gripping, style and what makes it most admirable is its honesty -- Dan Glazebrook * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisHer central themes are the classics, universities and teaching - and much else besides. In this second collection following on from the success of It's a Don's Life, Beard ponders whether Gaddafi's home is Roman or not, we share her 'terror of humiliation' as she enters 'hairdresser country' and follow her dilemma as she wanders through the quandary of illegible handwriting on examination papers and 'longing for the next dyslexic' - on whose paper the answers are typed, not handwritten. Praise for It's a Don's Life 'Delightful... it has the virtues of brevity, eclecticism and learning worn lightly... if they'd had Mary Beard on their side back then, the Romans would still have their empire' Daily MailTrade Review"'Delightful... it has the virtues of brevity, eclecticism and learning worn lightly... if they'd had Mary Beard on their side back then, the Romans would still have their empire' (Daily Mail)"

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Book SynopsisThis is a collection of compelling, true stories of after-death communication from the experiences of psychic medium Carole J. Obley. These inspiring examples open our hearts and minds by convincingly demonstrating how contact with the spirit world can be a catalyst in healing grief. We are uplifted and comforted by realizing that the challenges we face in life can be positively transformed by the magnificent strength of undying love.Trade Review'An extremely readable record. A worthwhile addition to anyone's library of spiritual and Spiritualist books. I welcome it.' Ray Buckland, Author of The Spirit Book. 'Carole Obley's extremely well-written journey into mediumship is an inspiration to anyone wanting to understand life after death, connect with loved ones or with their own spiritual guidance. This must-read book makes mediumship understandable for anyone in an easy-to-read format that transforms mysteries about life after death into realities.' Nancy Mramor, Author of Spiritual Fitness. 'Carole Obley's tools for healing grief are powerful and clear. This book can give people dealing with loss a new sense of purpose and a new level of relationship with their loved-ones in spirit.' Sharon Anne Klingler, author, Intuition and Beyond.

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Book SynopsisThe truth about one of Britain's most infamous race murders has never been revealed. At around midnight on May 17 1959, a white gang ambushed 32-year-old Antiguan carpenter Kelso Cochrane on a Notting Hill slum street. After a brief scuffle one of them plunged a knife into his heart. The impact was as profound as the aftershock of Stephen Lawrence's murder more than forty years later. The previous summer Notting Hill had been convulsed by race riots. The fascists Sir Oswald Mosley and Colin Jordan were agitating in the area. So the news of an innocent back man stabbed in west London reverberated from Whitehall to the Caribbean. And when the police failed to catch the killer, many black people believed it would have been different if the victim had been white. Murder in Notting Hill is a tale of crumbling tenements transformed into a millionaires' playground, of the district's fading white working class, and of a veil finally being lifted on the past. Part whodunnit, part social history, it reveals startling new evidence about the murder.Trade ReviewIn the story of race and justice in this country, the murder of Kelso Cochrane is like an unhealed wound. Today's readers will see many similarities with what happened in relation to Stephen Lawrence -- the missed opportunities in the investigation, the denial of the race motive, the obvious official discomfort and confusion -- but this is a tragedy in its own right, and all the more dreadful in a time when racism was often overt and tolerated. Mark Olden has written a first-rate, highly readable account of the known facts, but he has also gone farther, tracking down surviving witnesses and, with due care and caution after all these years, shedding new light on the case. For anyone interested in justice in modern Britain this is an important book. (Brian Cathcart, Author: The Case of Stephen Lawrence; Jill Dando: her Life and Death; Were You Still Up For Portillo?)

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Book SynopsisAt the height of his fame as a composer, Edward Elgar publicly admitted that his success was owing to the influence of his mother. Copiously illustrated, this is the story of thatinspirational mother, Ann Greening, who gave her son love, security and understanding the best possible start in life. Despite her poor background and basic education, her interests were wide- ranging the natural world, literature and chivalry and she had a strong religious faith and sense of fun. She epitomised the Victorians' enthusiasm for self-improvement, and, in spite of not being musical, she played a crucial role in nurturing her son's genius. Her confidence and enthusiasm for learning enabled Elgar to turn what otherwise might have been seen as a distinct disadvantage in the lack of high-level music education to the creation of his own very individual style.

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Book SynopsisGeorge’s memory is inseparable from Orkney, where he was born the youngest child of a poor family and which he rarely left. His mother was a beautiful woman who spoke only Gaelic and his father was a wit, mimic and singer, who also doubled as postman and tailor. Tuberculosis framed George’s early life and kept him in a kind of limbo. He discovered alcohol which gave him insights into the workings of the mind. While attending the University of Edinburgh he came into contact with Goodsir Smith, MacDiarmid and Norman MacCaig – and Stella Cartwright with whom perhaps all of them were in love. By the time of his death in 1996 he was recognised as one of the great writers of his time and country.

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Book SynopsisThe book consists of a series of 'Reflections' on the kingsnamed Henry who (with gaps) ruled England from 1100 to1547. It seeks to explore their characters, and how eachresponded to the very different challenges they faced.

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Book SynopsisNow a Major Feature Length Documentary: 'Cassius X: Becoming Ali’ (Cinema release Spring 2023) Miami, 1963. A young boy from Louisville, Kentucky, is on the path to becoming the greatest sportsman of all time. Cassius Clay is training in the 5th Street Gym for his heavyweight title clash against the formidable Sonny Liston. He is beginning to embrace the ideas and attitudes of Black Power, and firebrand preacher Malcolm X will soon become his spiritual adviser. Thus Cassius Clay will become ‘Cassius X’ as he awaits his induction into the Nation of Islam. Cassius also befriends the legendary soul singer Sam Cooke, falls in love with soul singer Dee Dee Sharp and becomes a remarkable witness to the first days of soul music. As with his award-winning soul trilogy, Stuart Cosgrove’s intensive research and sweeping storytelling shines a new light on how black music lit up the sixties against a backdrop of social and political turmoil – and how Cassius Clay made his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali.Trade Review'Cassius X is a delightful ride in a cherry-red Cadillac, with soul music on the radio and a steady hand at the wheel. A thoroughly enjoyable journey' -- Jonathan Eig, author of Ali: A Life'Crisply written, fast-paced, and original, this book surges with the kind of effervescence we have long associated with a young Cassius Clay ... Filled with colourful details, with a learned eye toward the music of the era, Cassius X hits all the right notes' -- Michael Ezra, author of Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon'An exciting trip through the urban worlds of boxing, soul music, and crime, as Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam, becomes Muhammad Ali, and ascends the ranks of boxing to become World Heavyweight Champion during the early 1960s' -- Lewis Erenberg, author of The Rumble in the Jungle'There are many books about Muhammad Ali, but none like Stuart Cosgrove's Cassius X ... The book is a deeply personal look at one of 'The Greatest' public figures of the last one hundred years and is a model of how biographies of African Americans should be written' -- Ray Winbush, author of Belinda’s Petition: A Concise History of Reparations for the Transatlantic Slave Trade'Fascinating ... a different take on its subject, like a wayward B-side of a highly familiar tune' * Scotsman *'A vivid, knowing close-up of a crucial year in the life of boxing’s most iconic figure' * Kirkus *'Stuart Cosgrove's deep research and very human storytelling highlights how black music lit up the Sixties against a backdrop of political turmoil - and how Cassius Clay began his remarkable transformation into Muhammad Ali winning the world heavyweight title from scratch three times in the process' * Harrogate Advertiser *'You can almost smell the liniment and sweat and hear the classic songs of Tamla Motown when you start reading Mr Cosgrove’s work Cassius X... a compelling reminder of why he [Muhammad Ali] made such an impression' * Dundee Courier *'An engrossing and revelatory read.. and a great playlist. You do not have to be a fan of boxing or soul music to love this book' -- Val McDermid at Edinburgh International Book Festival'A benediction of a book about the early years of the sporting deity. Cassius X is a unique take – no easy feat when faced with an athlete who has been embalmed in books over the decades' * Sunday Times *'Equivalent to a biopic which portrays the fast-moving 1960s social, political and cultural scene and gives a fascinating insight into a lesser-known part of the legendary champion's life' * Dundee Courier *'A riveting profile of one of the world’s greatest sportsmen and the world he moved in' * Herald *'No ordinary tale of the life of The Greatest. Tells the story of the many social forces that shaped the life of the former world champion' * Press & Journal *'A terrifically fresh insight into sport’s greatest superstar' * The Scotsman, Best Sports Books of 2020 *'Another belter from The Soul Trilogy author... shines a light on how black music lit up politically turbulent 1960s America' * Sunday Post *

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Book SynopsisGeorge Orwell’s vivid memoir of his time living among the desperately poor and destitute, Down and Out in Paris and London is a moving tour of the underworld of society. Written when Orwell was a struggling writer in his twenties, it documents his ‘first contact with poverty’. Here, he painstakingly documents a world of unrelenting drudgery and squalor – sleeping in bug-infested hostels and doss houses of last resort, working as a dishwasher in Paris’s vile ‘Hôtel X’, surviving on scraps and cigarette butts, living alongside tramps, a star-gazing pavement artist and a starving Russian ex-army captain. Exposing a shocking, previously-hidden world to his readers, Orwell gave a human face to the statistics of poverty for the first time – and in doing so, found his voice as a writer.

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Book SynopsisInflammation is a normal and essential part of the body's defence system. It signals that damage is present and that the rest of the immune system needs to kick into action. However, when it becomes chronic, steps need to be taken to heal inflammation-related problems.Divided into four parts, The Anti-inflammation Plan guides the reader through the science behind inflammation and how it affects the body; ways of reducing it by getting enough sleep and reducing stress; the essential ingredients and nutrients needed such as green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and turmeric. The final part of the book offers 30 easy and delicious recipes making this book a comprehensive plan for reducing inflammation in the body.Table of ContentsThe Science: What is inflammation? The stages of inflammation; What is good about inflammation? What is bad about inflammation? How inflammation affects the body; How do you know you are inflamed? How to reduce inflammation Lifestyle: Exercise; Stress; Sleep; Avoiding bad habits Nutrition: Hydration; Balanced blood sugars; The Mediterranean diet; Foods to avoid; Key foods that reduce inflammation Recipes.

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Book SynopsisOn the day that A. M. Homes was born in 1961, she was given up for adoption. Her birth parents were a twenty-two year old woman and an older married man with whom she was having an affair. Thirty years later, out of the blue, Homes was contacted by a lawyer on behalf of her birth mother, and they began to correspond; her biological father contacted her soon after. These two individuals and their effect on the adult Homes are strange and unexpected, and the story spirals into something utterly raw and hilarious, heartbreaking and absurd. Along the way, Homes describes the clash between her childhood fantasies of her birth parents and the disappointing reality. She writes about the experience of experiencing biological resemblance for the first time (in 'My Father's Ass') and the addictiveness of the genealogical research she embarks on. She reflects on the significance of DNA testing and having two mothers and two fathers and unearths profound truths about her family and herself. Finally, she writes movingly about her own baby daughter and the way she has recently helped to mend Homes' fractured life.Trade ReviewA compelling, devastating and furiously good book written with an honesty that few of us would risk -- Zadie SmithVeracious words on the complexity and ambiguity of the fractured life of an adopted child. Celebratory and shattering, it will leave you asking yourself, adopted or not, who am I? -- Jamie Lee Curtis

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Book SynopsisWhen he turned sixty-five, the playwright Simon Gray began to keep a diary: not a careful honing of the day's events with a view to posterity but an account of his thoughts as he had them, honestly, turbulently, digressively expressed. The Smoking Diaries was the result, in which one of Britain's most beloved and original writers reflected on a life filled with cigarettes (continuing), alcohol (stopped), several triumphs and many more disasters, shame, adultery, friendship and love. Few diarists have been as frank about themselves, and even fewer as entertaining.

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Book Synopsis'During the Tang dynasty, the Chinese artist Wu Tao-tzu was one day standing looking at a mural he had just completed. Suddenly, he clapped his hands and the temple gate opened. He went into his work and the gates closed behind him.' Thus begins Sven Lindqvist's profound meditation on art and its relationship with life, first published in 1967, and a classic in his home country - it has never been out of print. As a young man, Sven Lindqvist was fascinated by the myth of Wu Tao-tzu, and by the possibility of entering a work of art and making it a way of life. He was drawn to artists and writers who shared this vision, especially Hermann Hesse, in his novel Glass Bead Game. Partly inspired by Hesse's work, Lindqvist lived in China for two years, learning classical calligraphy from a master teacher. There he was drawn deeper into the idea of a life of artistic perfectionism and retreat from the world. But when he left China for India and then Afghanistan, and saw the grotesque effects of poverty and extreme inequality, Lindqvist suffered a crisis of confidence and started to question his ideas about complete immersion in art at the expense of a proper engagement with life. The Myth of Wu Tao-tzu takes us on a fascinating journey through a young man's moral awakening and his grappling with profound questions of aesthetics. It contains the bracing moral anger, and poetic, intensely atmospheric travel writing Lindqvist's readers have come to love.

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Book SynopsisSandi Toksvig - broadcaster, writer, actor, and seeker of all things whimsical, has turned her probing mind to many of the most intriguing questions of our times in the pages of the Sunday Telegraph for many years. Now, for the very first time, these musings have been collected in one hilarious collection. In The Chain of Curiosity, Sandi takes the reader on a side-splitting journey through life's peculiarities in a book packed with wit, wisdom and wonderment. From pondering the joys of World Pencil Day to examining the intricacies of applause etiquette, and from tip-toeing around the delicate art of school report vocabulary to researching the oddest way to meet a sticky end, the tickling tidbits and intriguing revelations contained within the book will delight Sandi's fans, both old and new.Trade ReviewInspires ... wonderment and gentle chortles Independent

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Book SynopsisAs a first-time visitor to London, De Amicis was awestruck by the bustle and magnificence of the Victorian metropolis and wrote a number of sketches in his trademark witty, observational style, which made him one of the best-selling travel writers of his age. Originally conceived as a series of newspaper articles and later published in volume form, De Amici's 'Memories of London' brings back to life all the bygone charm of the capital of the British Empire. De Amici's impressions are paired here with a piece written by one of his contemporaries, the French writer Louis Laurent Simonin, which leaves the city's opulence and granduer behind and offers an uncompromising look at the poverty and squalor of its most deprived areas.Trade Review[De Amicis] recounts his adventures in the capital with a relish and perspicacity that still resonates today. * The Good Book Guide *His descriptions of London in the 1870s have so many parallels today, even if there are not so many oyster shells lying about. * TLS *

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