Biography Books

Book SynopsisSir William Garrow was born in Middlesex in 1760 and called to the Bar in 1783. He was the dominant figure at the Old Bailey from 1783 to 1793, later becoming an MP, Solicitor-General, Attorney-General and finally a judge and lawmaker within the Common Law Tradition. Garrow is now in the public-eye for daring to challenge entrenched legal ways and means. His 'gifts to the world' include altering the relationship between judge and jury (the former had until then dominated over the latter in criminal trials), helping to forge the presumption of innocence, rules of evidence and ensuring a general right to put forward a defence using a trained lawyer. He gave new meaning to the trial advocate's forensic art of cross-examination, later diverting skills honed as a radical to help the Crown when it was faced with alleged plots, treason and sedition. This is a generous work in which well-known legal historian and biographer John Hostettler and family story-teller Richard Braby (a descendant of Garrow) combine their skills and experience to produce a gem of a book. The lost story of Sir William Garrow and its rediscovery will prove enlightening for professional and general readers alike and provide an invaluable 'missing-link' for legal and social historians. It is also a remarkable work of genealogical research which will register strongly with family historians.Trade Review'A Law book yes, but boring no, a delight to read': Internet Law Book Reviews. 'Without the pioneering work of William Garrow, the legal system would be stuck in the Middle Ages': Radio Times 'Garrow can truely be said to have revolutionised the practice of criminal law': Geoffrey Robertson QC (from the Foreword). 'A blockbuster of a book': Phillip Taylor MBE of Richmond Green Chambers.'[Hostettler and Braby's] definitive biography ... is informative, entertaining and a really good read, and in the process rescues Garrow from undeserved obscurity': Littlehampton GazetteTable of ContentsForeword Geoffrey Robertson QC. 1.Family Background 2.Education in Criminal Law. 3.Garrow and English Criminal Procedure. 4.Early Trials 5. Adversary Trial and Human Rights. 6.Government Prosecutor. 7.The Picton Trials. 8.Member of Parliament and Law Officer. 9.Garrow vs. Brougham. 10.Judge. 11.Garrow's Homes. 12.Sarah 13.Garrow's Will And Trust 14.Garrow's Extended Family. 15.Joseph Garrow's Literary Legacy. 16.Published Stories. 17.Conclusion. Timeline of William Garrow's Life. APPENDIX 1: Garrow Genealogical Studies APPENDIX 2: A Snapshot of Crime and Punishment in the 1800s APPENDIX 3: Some Primary Sources. Select bibliography. Index

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For those who equate graffiti tagging with the cosy quirkiness of Banksy or the colourful artistry of wasteground murals - this book will be a real eye-opener. 'The Lost Boyz documents Justin's road to change and redemption. This is the story of almost feral youth, spraying their mark on the urban chaos of pre-millenium London. A story of what it's like to grow up as a confused and mentally unstable child of mixed race in a predominantly white area. A story of mental torture, racism and extreme violence. The Lost Boyz takes the reader through the dirty back streets and dark alleys of south London where vicious gangs of graffiti taggers fought an all-out turf war that left many victims and casualties in its wake. The Lost Boyz squandered their youth in a nihilistic rush towards oblivion. And some did not survive the journey. Justin Rollins was one of the lucky ones...He spent years in prison before managing to wrest back some control over his life. Now in his mid 20s Justin is a changed man, hardly recognisable (both physically and mentally) to the youth I first met. He now has a young daughter of his own and is reconciled with the family he once felt so distant from. He no longer drinks or takes drugs, and nor does he see himself as separate from the rest of society. In writing this book, which was a long and painful journey for him, Justin hopes to lay his ghosts of the past to rest. And if it serves as a warning to even one kid who may be starting out on the same road, then it is a job well done': Noel 'Razor' Smith, crime writer (from the Foreword) .

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Book SynopsisAs one of the UK's leading commentators, David Wilson shows how some serial killers stay in the headlines whilst others rapidly become invisible - or "unseen". Yet Mary Ann Cotton is not just the first but perhaps the UK's most prolific female serial killer, with more victims than Myra Hindley, Rosemary West, Beverly Allit or male predators such as Jack the Ripper and Dennis Nielsen. But her own north east of England and criminologists apart, she remains largely forgotten, despite poisoning up to 21 victims in Britain's 'arsenic century'. Exploding myths that every serial killers is a 'monster', the author draws attention to Cotton's charms, allure, capability, skill and ambition - drawing parallels or contrasting the methods and lifestyles of other serial killers from Victorian to modern times. He also shows how events cannot be separated from their social context - here the industrial revolution, growing mobility, women's emancipation. And concerning the reticence of 'human nature', Like Dr Harold Shipman, Cotton was allowed to go on killing despite reasons to suspect her.The book contains other resonances to aid understanding of how serial murderers can continue to kill despite such things as coincidence, gossip, whispers or motives that become more obvious with the benefit of hindsight. It is also a detective story in which the persistence of a single individual saw Cotton tried and executed, events analysed first-hand and in detail from the records.Trade Review'A fascinating book... The historical research is illuminating'- feminists@law; 'The great strength of Wilson's book is in providing an extensive examination of Mary Ann Cotton and the murders she committed, framed within the context of Britain's industrial revolution ... an interesting and useful book'- Howard Journal of Criminal Justice; 'This book is an enthralling read. I started off firmly believing that Mary Ann Cotton was innocent - that, indeed, there had been no murders. David Wilson's meticulous research, his eye for detail, his forensic ability to reconstruct the material that survives, and assess the probabilities where gaps remain in the record, opened my eyes. He does not write generic "true crime", but history of the highest order': Judith Flanders, best-selling author, journalist and historian.

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Book SynopsisThe inside of Derren Brown's head is a strange and mysterious place. Now you can climb inside and wander around. Find out just how Derren's mind works, see what motivates him and discover what made him the weird and wonderful person he is today. Obsessed with magic and illusions since childhood, Derren's life to date has been an extraordinary journey and here, in Confessions of a Conjuror, he allows us all to join him on a magical mystery tour - to the centre of his brain... Taking as his starting point the various stages of a conjuring trick he's performing in a crowded restaurant, Derren's endlessly engaging narrative wanders through subjects from all points of the compass, from the history of magic and the fundamentals of psychology to the joys of internet shopping and the proper use of Parmesan cheese. Brilliant, hilarious and entirely unlike anything else you have ever read before, Confessions of a Conjuror is also a complete and utter joy.Trade ReviewWeird, whimsical and, at times, uproarious... Brown takes us on a meandering pleasure cruise downriver. It is worth the journey * The Sunday Times *It combines a playfully baroque prose style with pinpoint observation and almost excruciating levels of self-examination, if not loathing. It's a fascinating experience -- AL Kennedy * Guardian, Books of the Year *A fantastic voyage into Derren Brown's intensely sharp brain... A deeply funny and eccentric triumph * Heat *Closer to the work of someone like Malcolm Gladwell than to the... reminiscences of Brown's memoirs-writing contemporaries * Word *A lovely kind of magic trick in book form * Boing Boing *

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Perfect for taking on vacation or as preparatory reading before a visit - or as entertainment for lovers of London and literature. Compiled by Robin Saikia, a London-based writer and journalist.

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Book SynopsisThe recorded history of the diving industry has been fundamentally corrupted over the past 150 years. The result is a complete misunderstanding of how it all began. Who invented the diving helmet? Refer to any encyclopaedia or history book and the answer you will find will almost certainly be wrong. The First Treasure Divers reveals the true and fascinating story. It blows away the myths and deliberate misinformation that have crept into the historical record. Thanks to the painstaking research the author has carried out over the past 25 years, the falsehoods are peeled away to unveil the true, definitive account. It follows the lives of two brothers as they struggle to turn their newly-invented diving helmet to advantage and how they wrestle with apathetic and even hostile authorities for recognition of their invention. It thunders through sunken treasure adventures to the heroism and horrors of the Crimean War. The impact of the invention of the diving helmet is immense. In the 180 years since the Deane brothers carried out the first ever commercial helmet dive off the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England, the diving business has expanded to a global industry with an annual turnover in excess of $3,000,000,000. From another point of view, the life-support technology developed in the diving industry provided the knowledge for keeping the pioneering, high altitude pilots alive, which in turn evolved into the life-support systems of the astronauts who walked on the moon.Table of ContentsPart One Breathing Fire and Water 1 Sweepers and Smugglers 2 Sunken Treasure 3 Breathing Fire 4 Breathing Water 5 Bombay or the Isle of Wight 6 Rubber Dresses 7 HMS Royal George Visit Part Two Struggle and Strife 8 Blind Eyes, Deaf Ears 9 Treasure Island 10 HMS Royal George Revisited 11 The Mary Rose Mystery 12 The Royal Engineers attack HMS Royal George Part Three Competition and Catastrophe 13 Open and close 14 The Pain 15 Up and Down Part Four Horrors and Heroism 16 Back to Whitstable 17 It's War 18 First Blood 19 Sebastopol 20 Home

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Book SynopsisIs lap dancing harmless fun, providing entertainment for men and well-paid, self-empowering work for women? The lap dancing industry has long argued that it offers an everyday service within free market guidelines, but in 2010 the UK government legislated that lap dancing venues in the UK should be classed as 'sex establishments'. So, are lap dancers sex workers rather than exotic dancers? What attracts so many women to work within the industry? Are women being sexually exploited and their bodies used as objects for male gratification? Media depictions of lap dancers often fall prey to caricatured and stereotypical images. Having worked as a lap dancer herself, Jennifer Hayashi Danns knows about the industry from direct experience. In "Stripped" she tells her story, and gives a voice to many others who have either worked in the clubs or been directly affected by what goes on in them. In sometimes raw, direct language, the various contributors express their knowledge of the lap dancing industry and the impact it has had on their lives. These compelling narratives give dramatic perspectives into a secretive and largely undisclosed world, peeling away some of the gloss on the surface, and revealing the often seedy and desperate reality of the lap dancing industry. The second part of the book offers insightful commentary, analysis and solutions.Trade Review'A rare opportunity to the hear performers' voices above the din of sex industry propaganda.' - Kat Banyard, author of The Equality IllusionTable of ContentsWhy I wrote this book Part 1: EXPERIENCES Alicia Topaz Journalist Student Bella Prostitute Waitress Wife Auditionee Natasha Solicitor Activist Part 2: ANALYSIS Some background to the industry Entertainment or exploitation? A way forward About OBJECT Acknowledgements References

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Book SynopsisPacked with ideas and inspiration, The Mystery Feast offers numerous pathways into the magical world of storytelling. Beginning with a poem, 'All we do', Booker prize-winning novelist Ben Okri presents his considered thoughts on the purpose and meaning of stories, concluding with a series of condensed 'Notes to the modern storyteller'. The collection is completed with a 'stoku' - a brief tale on the theme. Based on decades of honing his art, this stimulating booklet gives a glimpse into the mind of a master of contemporary storytelling. 'In every moment, we are part of the infinite stories that the universe is telling us and that we are telling the universe.'Table of Contents1. All we do 2. Under the Sun A meditation on stories Notes to a modern storyteller 3. The story in the next room, A Stoku

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Book SynopsisFrom his birth in 1916 (in the carding room of a cotton mill) until he ran away to London, William Woodruff lived in the heart of Blackburn’s weaving community. But after Lancashire’s supremacy in cotton textiles had ended with the crash of 1920, his father was thrown out of work. From then on, including the great depression of the 1930s, Woodruff and his family faced a life blighted by extreme poverty. Reading this book today, it is hard to comprehend that within living memory - and in what was the richest country in the world - so many people couldn’t even afford to buy enough food. For the ordinary families of Lancashire, unemployment was an ever-present fear: "If you worked you ate. If there was no work you went hungry."

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Book SynopsisExtracts inspired by the Shropshire countryside from writers including John Betjeman, Tom Sharpe, Charles Dickens, DH Lawrence, Samuel Johnson, Wilfred Owen and AE Housman each matched with a stunning specially-commissioned photograph.

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Book SynopsisDavid Jones's In Parenthesis is the greatest poem to emerge from the First World War, and indeed one of the greatest to emerge from any war. It could have been written only by someone who had not only experienced the war in all its horror, but who was himself soaked in both poetry and history and for whom that war deepened his understanding of both. Thomas Dilworth's biography takes us through the intellectual development of a patriotic young Welshman from the London lower- middle classes who joined up at the beginning of the war, served throughout on the Western Front, and learned, through living through the sodden misery of the winter of 1915-16 and the nightmares both of the Somme and then of Passchendaele, that war could be not only terrible but also, through the comradeship it brought with it, deeply fulfilling. This was this strange paradox that lies at the heart of In Parenthesis. Anyone who seeks to understand that poem should first read this book. But so should anyone who seeks to understand how David Jones's generation endured the Great War. Professor Sir Michael Howard, OM MC Accompanying the biography are photographs of Jones and his wartime sketches and drawings, many previously unpublished. The quickly drawn sketches of infantrymen, landscapes, ruined villages and still-lifes bring the story to life as works of documentary realism.Trade ReviewPraise for Reading David Jones: Thomas Dilworth, one of the foremost contemporary Jones scholars, has taken infinite time and trouble to produce this exemplary guide to Jones's major works - the author's intense and thoughtful focus on this difficult poetry bears rich rewards. Those of us who, like Auden, have persisted with the task of "reading David Jones" owe Dilworth a substantial debt. THE TLS 'Dilworth is capable, patient, hugely knowledgeable and always informative.' THE REVIEW OF ENGLISH STUDIES

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Book SynopsisOn 11th April 1919, less than a year after the assassination of the Romanovs, the British battleship HMS Marlborough left Yalta carrying the Russian Imperial Family into perpetual exile. The Russian Court at Sea vividly recreates this unlikely voyage, with its bizarre assortment of warring characters and its priceless cargo of treasure.Trade ReviewA gripping account of the Romanovs' choppy passage into exile. Welch's detective work has produced a book that is wonderfully witty and sad by turns. * Mail on Sunday *The book's readability and telling use of detail are splendid. * Spectator *A quirky and gripping vignette of 20th-century Russian history. * Sunday Times *A gripping account of the Romanovs choppy passage into exile. Welch s detective work has produced a book that is wonderfully witty and sad by turns. * Mail on Sunday *Yes, it's been told before, but the 1919 exile of the Romanov family from Russia, in which they sailed on HMS Marlborough, is a splendidly exotic story that is well worth another airing; and Frances Welsh does it grippingly here, with lots of details I hadn't come across before. I loved to read of the goods they brought with them, including rolled-up Rembrandt paintings, Faberge eggs and other treasures of the sort. What a pilgrimage, to be sure. * Sunday Telegraph *A fascinating, poignant portrait of a bizarre collection of people caught up in the chaos of their exodus" * The Irish Times *A voyage of delight - revealing, fascinating and by turns shocking and amusing - a story so extraordinary that it reads like a novel. * Lancashire Evening Post *Brooks gets inside the head, explains how the brain works... it's like frieze-framing a novel and discussing the motivation of the characters. It's fascinating... * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisDear Nana (sketch design) is an award-winning journal filled with over 60 fun and inspiring questions carefully created to inspire any grandmother to tell her story - probably one of the most valuable gifts you will ever buy. Everyone has stories to share about their own amazing life and it is so important to find ways to capture and treasure them. Dear Nana contains 60 carefully designed questions to ask her about her life. Ask her to complete it carefully, adding photos and memorabilia along the way. Find out how things have changed throughout her life, what things did she do as a child that are different from today. What were her own parents really like and what adventures has she had in her life. Discover what your own mum or dad was like when they were young! What about your own relationship with your grandmother, what are her favourite memories of the times you have spent together and is there any advice she would like to give you? When you get her completed journal returned to you, this will be one of the most emotional presents you have ever received. A great gift for Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day, her birthday, an anniversary, Christmas or just because you care ...

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Book SynopsisBorn in November 1916 to the Marquess and Marchioness of Granby, Lady Ursula was a sprightly and charming lady whose memoirs of her uniquely glamorous life make riveting reading. Describing herself as having been an observant child, she records life at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, as maintained on a feudal scale until September 1939. Her vivid accounts include the numerous servants and their roles from liveried footmen to the pig man. She also describes her close relationship with her father who succeeded as 9th Duke of Rutland in 1925, and whom she helped as a girl in his sensitive restoration of another Manners family seat, the mediaeval Haddon Hall, Derbyshire. We hear of her coming-out Ball at Belvoir Castle in 1934 at the age of seventeen and her role in the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. Dressed by Norman Hartnell, she was one of the Six Maids of Honour who bore the Queen's train in Westminster Abbey. In 1938 she accompanied the new King and Queen on their triumphant first state visit to Paris and Versailles. By contrast, her war work was soon to include being in charge of hundreds of women at a munitions factory in Springfield, Grantham. Her activities here were described in letters which her celebrated aunt, Lady Diana Cooper, wife of Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich, sent to their son, John Julius, while a schoolboy. They are quoted here by his kind permission. Lady Ursula recalls her close friendships with men as varied as Rex Whistler, the Maharajah of Jaipur and Paul Getty. The story told is unforgettable, and though it has touches of Brideshead and Downton Abbey, it is utterly novel for, unlike them, it is actually real.Trade Review"her enthralling memoir" Mail On Sunday | "fans of Debo and the restoration of Chatsworth are sure to enjoy this section of the book" The Mitford Society | "This is the Real Thing, an evocative account of English upper-class life throughout the 20th century."

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Book SynopsisAs a trained nurse, newly married to the son of the Governor of Rhodesia during the UDI years, Susan writes compellingly about bringing up a family on their farm in Matabeleland in the midst of the unfolding terror and growing number of atrocities. Above all it is a human story. Sometimes shocking and always moving, there is also warmth and humour as Susan creates a gripping picture of the conflict and tells of her family's survival when many of her friends and neighbouring farmers didn't. The book is a testament to the courage displayed by so many people who were tested day after day by almost unimaginable horrors. The Litany Bird is the popular name of the Nightjar, a largely nocturnal bird found throughout southern Africa. Its haunting call sounds like 'Good Lord, Deliver Us.'Trade ReviewThis is a moving book, calmly written despite the horrors it details. The Spectator Susan Gibbs's extraordinary memoir. She writes vividly about her love of Africa and its people, and it is impossible not to admire her courage. Her account is threaded with amusing anecdotes. Daily Mail Sue Gibbs is a gifted writer. She tells a compelling personal story of bringing up a family on a farm whilst living through the harrowing times as Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. It is a wonderfully evocative read. Tom Benyon OBE, Founder of ZANE Deeply moving. Douglas Hurd (Former Foreign Secretary) This book reminds us of the courage which they (the Gibbs) and so many of their friends and neighbours showed. Lord Carrington (Former Foreign Secretary) Sometimes a book can touch a part of the soul and for me, Call Of The Litany Bird is such a one. New Books Magazine One really does feel, as the book progresses, the deterioration in the situation and the worries and concerns both of the white farming community and the Africans who shared so much of their lives. The definitive account. Major General Colin Shortis (Former BMATT Commander in Zimbabwe) A heartfelt account of human endeavour to try and lead as normal and productive lives as possible throughout grave turmoil. New Africa Analysis This book is a gem. Robin Byatt CMG (British High Commissioner to Zimbabwe 1980 to 1983) There are not many books which cause me to cancel any thought of doing anything else just so I can get stuck in to them, but this one did it for me today. Go buy this book, you will not be disappointed. John Gaye (Blogger) This is an amazing story, told with modesty and without undue drama. Amazon ***** Review An elegant and easy style. Amazon ***** Review

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of a boy's life, growing up on a farm in the 1960s. Nine-year old Bill, the author, moves with his family from the suburbs of London to a dairy farm in North Devon, an idyllic environment where he grows up for the next ten years. Pithy anecdotes talk about his daily chores of looking after the cows and helping with the harvest, often turning into disasters - or adventures. With his dog Lucy, he roams the countryside observing wildlife, his passion, encountering birds of prey and his beloved butterflies and moths. He also loves to keep and breed many pets, particularly guinea pigs and budgerigars, yet, having to attend three different schools does not leave happy memories, until he meets the local girls - his first loves.

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Book SynopsisChasing Shadows is the story of an obsessed fan's one-man quest to find the original Deep Purple singer Rod Evans. Evans dropped off the radar in 1980 following a legal case that buried him with a debt in excess of half a million dollars. Just like the mysteries that surrounded Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett and the Manic Street Preachers' Richie Edwards, nobody - literally nobody - has any idea where he is or what he has been doing. So Jarvis set himself a challenge: Find Rod Evans. Part memoir, part piece of musical history, part piece of musical mystery. In this personal quest the author relays his encounters with fellow original Deep Purple member Nick Simper and as an obsessive fan, all that that entails. Rod Evans remains the pivot throughout the book and when Deep Purple finally get accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame it sets the author off to the Induction Ceremony in New York where he may or may not find the Holy Grail he has sought for several years. It is also about friendship and how the people we meet influence us and share the journeys on which we embark. It is a picaresque tale, sometimes comic, sometimes moving, sometimes laced with fantasy, but it is one in which everyone - or, at any rate, everyone above a certain age - will find somewhat familiar.

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Book SynopsisIn 1968, Yorkshire County Cricket Club won a record 29th outright County Championship title. Blessed with the talents of Brian Close, Fred Trueman and Geoffrey Boycott, they dominated their opponents through sheer desire, skill and belief. It was a golden era for the club, and no one saw it coming to an end. But over the next few years, everything changed. Yorkshire's star players departed and their rivals benefited from the introduction of overseas professionals like Garry Sobers, Viv Richards and Clive Rice. As they decided only to hire those born within the county, Yorkshire struggled to compete with their contemporaries and became one of the worst-performing teams in the land. It was a dire time for the club. But when a young Sachin Tendulkar arrived at Headingley in April 1992, a revolution began. Through his talent and personality, Yorkshire's first overseas player modernised a failing institution and gained experience that helped him become the greatest international batsman of his generation. This is the story of how a promising 19-year-old became an Honorary Tyke... and, in the process, changed the history of England's most successful club.

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Book SynopsisMemories of growing up in an ordinary but loving family in Lancashire in the 1940s and early 50s, brought to the page with an almost pre-verbal immediacy.

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Book SynopsisFlickerbook is the classic autobiography of the writer Leila Berg (1917-2012), who grew up in a Jewish immigrant neighbourhood in Salford, Greater Manchester. It recreates childhood pleasures and fears, relationships with family and lovers, and growing political engagement. It ends with the first air-raid siren in London September 1939.

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Book SynopsisA memoir about books, mostly - and bonfires, cliches, dystopias, failure, happiness, jokes, justice, privilege, publishing, rejection, self-loathing, shoplifting and umbrellas - by an author who has published poetry, fiction and non-fiction under his own name and pen names.

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Book SynopsisEvelyn Dove embraced the worlds of jazz, musical theatre and, most importantly, cabaret, in a career spanning five decades from the 1920s through to the 1960s. A black British diva with movie star looks, she captivated audiences and admirers around the world, enjoying the same appeal as the 'Forces Sweetheart' Vera Lynn throughout the Second World War.Refusing to be constrained by her race or middle-class West African and English backgrounds, she would perform for infamous Russian leader, Joseph Stalin; become a regular vocalist for the BBC and a celebrated performer across continental Europe, India and the US.At the height of her fame in the 1930s, she worked with the pioneers of black British theatre, replacing Josephine Baker as the star attraction in a revue at the Casino de Paris and scandalizing her family by appearing on stage semi-nude.This is a celebration of an extraordinary career punctuated with vertiginous highs and profound lows, and places Dove in historical context with artists of her time, such as Adelaide Hall, Dame Cleo Laine and Dame Shirley Bassey.

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Book Synopsis'An incredibly moving, truly inspiring story of the power of determination. An absolutely stunning read.' Katharine Birbalsingh'Fascinating and poignant... an astoundingly honest and intimate memoir.' Angela PetchPerhaps it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Perhaps it's true that you only know what you truly love when you no longer have it. But I wouldn't have known any of this if I hadn't left it all behind to discover where my home truly was...Growing up in British Guiana in the 1950s, Sharon Maas has everything a shy child with a vivid imagination could wish for. She spends her days studying bugs in the backyard, eating fresh mangos straight from the tree and tucked up on her granny's lap losing herself in books.But with her father campaigning for the country's independence and her mother away for work, there's a void in Sharon's heart, and she craves rules and structure. The books she devours give her a glimpse of life in a faraway country: England. And although none of the characters in these books look like her, her insatiable curiosity leads Sharon to beg to be sent to boarding school.Life at a conservative, Christian school is quite different from Sharon's liberal, atheist upbringing. Girls march silently and single file along corridors and earn badges for deportment. There are twice-daily hymns, grace before and after meals and mandatory bedside prayers. And, all the girls are posh and white, while Sharon is the only one with dark skin. Will she ever fulfil her dream of horseback riding over green hills and going on adventures like her literary heroes? And has she truly found what she was looking for in this chilly corner of the world, thousands of miles away from home?You will be swept off your feet by the unputdownable story of Sharon Maas's extraordinary childhood in British Guiana and England, a beautiful and inspiring coming-of-age tale of self-discovery, determination and chasing your dreams.Praise for The Girl from Lamaha Street:'Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal. This was a beautiful read and I learnt so much. I cried and I smiled and there was nothing more that I wanted from this book. Truly a gem.' Goodreads reviewer'To say this story was inspirational would be an understatement. I was utterly mesmerized... As a woman of color, I recognized myself and my experiences in the pages of this memoir... powerful, moving, and heartwarming... I devoured this book, and it is no doubt a five-star read.' Goodreads reviewer'Enlightening... powerful... Beautifully written... I found myself turning and turning, immersed in the story. A wonderful, evocative read.' Nicki's Book Blog'Engaging and intriguing... so good that I was completely enthralled from beginning to end.' NetGalley reviewer

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Book SynopsisThis rich biography tells the remarkable tale of Margaret Haig Thomas who became the Second Viscountess Rhondda. She was a Welsh suffragette, held important posts during the First World War and survived the sinking of the Lusitania. A leading British industrialist, she was also instrumental in securing a seat for women in the House of Lords. Closely associated with figures such as Winifred Holtby, Vera Brittain and George Bernard Shaw, she founded and edited the weekly paper Time and Tide, which dazzled British society with its cutting-edge perspectives. It championed progressive views on women's rights in the 1920s, became a leading literary space for women and men from the thirties onwards and a respected political commentator on national and international affairs. Drawing upon a rich array of sources, many previously unused, Angela V. John explores both the public achievements and the fascinating private world of one of the movers and shakers of British society in the first half of the twentieth century.Trade Review'Margaret, Lady Rhondda, was an improbable revolutionary ... Angela John's excellent biography is thus to be welcomed warmly.' Independent

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Book SynopsisCelia Wells always felt like an outsider. Her unconventional early life was shaped by her Communist Party parents, she grew up as `town' not `gown' in Oxford, surrounded by books but living in a council house. She has uncovered an intriguing backstory with a bigamous grandmother, a convicted forger cousin transported to Australia in the 1840s, and the rise and fall of landed gentry. The author describes her parents' bohemian friends and their coded language and uses their original wartime correspondence to produce a picture of a fascinating heritage which ran against the grain and shaped an inquiring mind. A Woman in Law shows how the post-war political landscape provided opportunities for women yet failed to shift many entrenched advantages of gender and class. Tracing the rocky path to becoming Cardiff University's first female law professor, the author shows how her distinctive academic research led to different approaches to teaching criminal law as well as contributing to key reforms described in the book. As she asserts, `I wanted to write about my rather confused political and cultural background, and to relate it to my professional and personal life, to my academic writing, to my relationships, and my beliefs, my experiences of suicide and addiction in my close family.'Trade Review'Well written and beautifully composed in terms of the strands [the author] interweaves so successfully'-- Andrew Ashworth CBE; 'Beautifully written and searingly honest ... a rare resource ... emotionally articulate and deeply considered'--Nicola LaceyTable of ContentsForeword Nicola Lacey. Introduction. Part 1 - THE ACCIDENTAL COMMUNISTS - Getting Started; Class, Gender and Politics; Families - My Bigamous Grandmother; Social and Economic Transitions; Communism and the Carritt Connection; After the War; The Not So Secret Life of a Seven-year-old; Town and Gown; PART 2 - LIFE, LAW AND FEMINISM - Becoming a Woman; Becoming a Law Professor; Law and Life; A Woman Law Professor; Collisions - Expectations, Enabling and Endings; Where Did I Come From? To Oxford via Wolf Hall, St Pancras and Essex. References and bibliography. Appendix 1 - Women Law Professors - Negotiating and Transcending Gender Identities at Work; Appendix 2 - The Decline and Rise of English Murder: Corporate Crime and Individual Responsibility; Index.

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Book SynopsisFor around twenty years, Nick Fisk believed that one day he would find a letter on his doormat from Cardiff City FC requesting his services on the football pitch. When he realised it was unlikely he was ever going to be offered the role of groundsman, he decided the next best thing would be to write about the club instead. A former member of the not especially notorious non-hooligan gang, The Sad Crew, Fisk has plenty of experience to draw from, in terms of going to football matches, and coming up with ridiculous chants that nobody ever joins in with. In The Blues Are Back in Town Nick charts the 2014/15 season, following the team and its fans, and trying to rediscover his passion for the recently relegated club, while at the same time, reflecting on the good old days. The blog he kept, The Fisk Report, gave an insight into not just what it's like to be a typical fan, but what supporting The Bluebirds is like through the eyes of a Fisk. It is a funny, enigmatic and personal book about the passion and belief of being a football fan.

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Book SynopsisSelwyn Francis Edge, invariably known simply as ‘SF’, was a highly significant pioneer of motoring in Britain. When, in 1902, he drove a Napier to victory in the Gordon Bennett Cup, a mighty event on public roads between Paris in France and Innsbruck in Austria, he initiated serious British endeavour in motor racing. He was deeply involved in the birth of Brooklands, setting a 24-hour solo driving record there when the circuit opened in 1907. As a towering industry figure most closely associated with Napier and AC Cars, he played an important role in the growth of car manufacture in Britain. In the words of ‘Bentley Boy’ S.C.H. ‘Sammy’ Davis, ‘His keen grey eyes, the bushy eyebrows and the hawk-like face… made him a notable figure in any assembly.’ This biography uncovers the life of an extraordinary man whose achievements deserve to be far more widely recognised.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes the reader behind the scenes at Maranello Concessionaires Ltd, Britain's famous Surrey-based importer of Ferraris founded by Colonel Ronnie Hoare. When Neill Bruce first photographed a Ferrari road car, a Dino 246 GT, in 1971, his work so impressed the powers-that-be at Maranello Concessionaires that they commissioned him to do all their promotional photography thereafter. Whether shooting production cars, factory scenes or motor show stands, he has been in Ferrari's orbit ever since. In this illustrated memoir of his 50 years with Ferraris, he presents some of his best pictures - the great majority in colour - and tells engaging stories about how they came about, including some of the mishaps along the way. All Ferrari enthusiasts will be captivated by this delightful book.

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Book SynopsisInvention, passion, war and exile are but some of the elements in this revealing new insight into Paddy Leigh Fermor's many Romanian journeys. Starting with the `great trudge' on foot through Romania in 1934 and ending in 1990 with his assignment for The Daily Telegraph following the fall of Ceausescu, The Vagabond and The Princess by Alan Ogden unravels the tapestry of fact and fiction woven by Paddy and reveals in detail the touching story of the love affair between the youthful writer and Balasa Cantacuzino, a beautiful Romanian Princess. After a poignant parting on the eve of the Second World War, they were reunited some twenty-five years later and remained in close touch until her death. Paddy had been the great love of her life. Alan Ogden brings great insight into this enduring and touching relationship as well putting into context the glamorous lost world of pre-WW2 Romania.Table of ContentsPreface A Note on Paddy's usage of place names and titles Part 1 - 1934 Chapter 1 - Romania in 1934 Chapter 2 - Hungarian Hosts and Hostesses Chapter 3 - The Secret Journey Chapter 4 - Bucharest 23 October - 14 November 1934 Part 2 - 1935-1945 Chapter 5 - Descriptio Moldaviae Chapter 6 - Baleni Part 3 - 1946-1965 Chapter 7 - The Curtain Falls Chapter 8 - Toutes les Tristesses du Monde Part 4 - 1966-2017 Chapter 9 - Romania Revisited Bibliography Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIn this highly entertaining and informative book, Christopher Joll and Anthony Weldon have captured the careers, accomplishments, follies and the occasional crimes of over three hundred of the officers and men who have served in the seven Regiments (two Household Cavalry and five Foot Guards) of the sovereign's personal troops. The pages of The DRUM HORSE IN THE FOUNTAIN will reveal a whole parade of remarkable and unusual characters... In the world of the arts - theatre, film, music, and writing - and sport there are many notable, and some surprising, Guardsmen including * two Oscar winning film stars - one of whom was drunkenly responsible for dispatching a Drum Horse into "The Fountain" in front of Buckingham Palace. And some of the most eccentric men ever to have been let loose on the public including * The irresponsible officer in charge of the Tower of London guard who had to break back into the Tower by climbing the mast of a barge on the Thames and then onto Traitor's Gate; * The VC who rallied his troops with a hunting horn; * The officer who dressed as a nun to entertain the Duke of Wellington; * The unfortunate officer who Queen Victoria thought was addressing her when he was actually trying to admonish his unruly horse - she was not amused; * Traitors, conmen, bigamists, a purveyor of `honours for cash' and three accused of murder - as well as at least five murder victims, one of whom died in a Chicago bootleggers' shoot-out. On military service the officers and men of the Household Division have * earned forty-four Victoria Crosses; * been founding members of SOE, SAS, Commandos, operated behind enemy lines and pioneered military parachuting; * acted as spies, double agents and spy masters; * been supported through the fiercest fighting of WW2 by a remarkably loayl tea-lady in her NAAFI wagon. As well as Prime Ministers and politicians, churchmen also feature prominently with * a Cardinal who, had he lived, might have been Pope; an Archbishop of Canterbury, known as `Killer', with an MC (as well as four padres awarded MCs), a bishop, two monks, three Lord Priors of the Order of St John, and two Grand Masters of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (who rank as Cardinals). Were this not enough, amongst actual, as well as aspiring, royalty and their progeny - legitimate and otherwise, there was * the aristocratic candidate for the throne of Albania (who, although almost blind, fought as a regimental officer in WW1 without actually enlisting). ...and, not to be forgotten, are * one regimental wolfhound in the 1930s which dispatched the Italian Ambassador's greyhound, three bears (one stuffed), two WW1 milking cows who took part in the 1919 Victory Parade, one monkey with the rank of Corporal of Horse and a very alert goose called Jacob.Table of ContentsContents Illustrations Foreword by Field Marshal the Lord Guthrie Acknowledgements Introduction Notes on styles, titles, honorifics and regimental names and ranks 1. For Valour 2. Of Hector and Lysander 3. A Soldier's Knapsack 4. O.H.M.S.S. 5. The Gentlemen Adventurers 6. The Concert Party 7. Sports Day 8. Doolally 9. On and Around the Velvet Bench 10. The Church Militant 11. Conduct Unbecoming 12. Animals On Parade And Finally . . . The Purple of Commerce Appendices i The Guards Memorial ii List of holders of the Victoria Cross iii Officers who served with the Special Operations Executive iv The Regiments, Formations and sub-units of the Household Division and their antecedent units Index About the Authors

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