Biography Books
Oil on Water Press Song Over the Bones
£11.69
Windhorse Publications The Sound of One Hand: A Buddhist life
Book SynopsisFor Satyadasa the Buddhist path has been fulfilling and often joyous, but also full of doubts and obstacles. What does it mean to be a Buddhist in the West in the twenty-first century? And is being born with one hand a curse - or a blessing? "I'm just pretending to be a Buddhist. I'm only on this solitary retreat because I've heard it's a good idea ... successful people don't need to meditate in damp huts ... they go on proper holidays. I am not successful, ergo, here I am."Trade ReviewThis beautifully written memoir goes surprisingly deep because it is so exceptionally honest....' - Vishvapani Blomfield, Buddhist contributor to BBC's Thought for the Day; '...absolutely wonderful - there were times when I laughed out loud, it's utterly delightful, very funny, touching, full of gorgeous details and wonderful characters.' - Mimi Khalvati, poet and founder of The Poetry School; '...both profound and moving as well as hilariously funny in places.... I recommend it wholeheartedly.' - Vidyamala Burch, OBETable of ContentsAbout the author xi Publisher's acknowledgements xii Preface to the second edition xiii 1 Stumped 1 2 The breakfast table 10 3 Ontology 25 4 Out of my head 44 5 A long way to go 60 6 Buddhists in Bethnal Green 71 7 Very strange, very okay 83 8 Cult 91 9 Freedom within 103 10 Moon metaphors 111 11 My guru reads the Daily Telegraph 128 12 Funny teeth 137 13 The Middle Way 147 14 Cats and dogs 163 15 After the ecstasy, the laundry basket 174 16 On solitary 181 17 It makes sense at every level, except the one on which I live 190 18 Prosthetics 205 19 We are where we are 217 20 Big mind 230 21 Making merit 242 22 In the bardo 255 23 Death and rebirth 262 24 Lineage 279 Author's Note 292
£11.39
Windhorse Publications (UK) Sangharakshita Concordance to His Complete Works
Book SynopsisThis is a rather unusual reference work. With elements of index, dictionary, encyclopaedia, concordance, and collection of quotations, it has been designed to act as a comprehensive and accessible guide to the whole of the Complete Works. Sangharakshita?s life of creative engagement with the world of reading, writing, and knowledge began with the years he spent, confined to bed by a childhood illness, absorbed in the many volumes of an encyclopaedia, and he once declared that ?the most useful book in the world, leaving aside the scriptures, is the dictionary?. There?s a pleasing symmetry in the completion of his Complete Works by a reference work of his own. Sangharakshita once said that a dictionary is full of interesting surprises, and that is certainly true of this concordance. It answers one?s questions, raises other questions, and above all it is full of signposts to help the reader find their own particular way through the vast forest of the Dharma.
£23.96
Danann Media Publishing Limited Bruce Springsteen - Born to Dream: 50 Years of
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£18.69
Danann Media Publishing Limited Harry Styles - As It Is
Book SynopsisA comprehensive illustrated biography of Harry Styles''s amazing story to date Harry Styles is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series The X Factor. Following his elimination early on, he was brought back to join the boy band One Direction, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Styles released his self-titled debut solo album through Columbia Records in 2017. It debuted at number one in the UK and the US, and became one of the world?s top-ten best-selling albums of the year. Its lead single, ?Sign of the Times?, topped the UK Singles Chart. Styles? second album, Fine Line (2019), debuted a top the US Billboard 200 with the biggest first-week sales by an English male artist in history, and was listed among Rolling Stone?s ?500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Harry?s new Album Harry?s House was released in 2022 and achieved No 1 on The Billboard 200 breaking records along the way. He is the first UK male artist to debut at No 1 on the Billboard Chart with his first 3 albums.
£999.99
Danann Media Publishing Limited Chanel: The Fashion Icons
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£18.69
Danann Media Publishing Limited Napoleon: Life of an Emperor
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£18.69
The Book Guild Ltd A Midland Meander: A Circular Walk around the
Book SynopsisFollowing on from Brian’s escapades in South-East England, this ramble of 150 miles circumnavigates the West Midlands conurbation. Being closer to his home in Birmingham and partly undertaken over two Covid ravaged years, this walk is a testament to the author’s resilience and determination to complete the project. In this book, in travelogue style, Brian shares his experiences of walking around the built-up area in a clockwise direction. Brian delights in sharing anecdotes with his readers gleaned from various observations and encounters on the journey. A Midland Meander is an examination of the geography, geology and landscape, the history, the people and places of this heart of England, ranging from the River Severn to the River Tame. More than just a walking guide, this book, like his previous publications, is essential reading for walkers and lovers of the great outdoors. For those who can only sit at home, it is an opportunity to share in the experience and the author’s consuming interest in environmental issues shines through on every page.
£13.46
The Book Guild Ltd We Still Wrote Letters Then...: Reflections of
Book SynopsisConscious that the culture of letter-writing has largely been lost, Diana Miserez felt urged to share in print some of the letters exchanged mainly between herself and her parents throughout the years she worked as a humanitarian aid worker with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Red Cross. Illustrated with photographs reflecting the reality of two of her assignments in Africa and Asia (and some unusual handicrafts), We Still Wrote Letters Then gives readers insights into situations across the world so far removed from the lives of family members living in peaceful Britain. It is also a testimony to the author’s parents, whose letters demonstrate their dignity, modesty and open-mindedness, and whose support buoyed the author throughout her many years working on fascinating and potentially alarming assignments overseas.
£13.49
Polaris Publishing Limited Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
Book Synopsis'Maggie has changed the way the game is played forever' - The Sunday Times Maggie Alphonsi is not only a national sporting icon, the face of international women’s rugby and star player of the England side that won the World Cup in 2014. She is also an inspirational and totemic figure who transcends sport. The compelling story of her life makes her achievements even more extraordinary. Hers is an against-all-the-odds tale, becoming the best player in the world despite having to battle against racism, sexism, and prejudice. It is a book forged from the raw emotion, passion, and testimony of an iconic player, who rose to the elite of world sport when the world was seemingly stacked against her. It is a moving and revealing story of a woman who was not prepared to be defined by anyone but herself and gives the reader a unique insight into how she met her goals.Trade Review'a moving and important book' -- Donald McRae * The Guardian *
£18.00
Polaris Publishing Limited Counterfeit Worlds: The Cinematic Universes of
Book SynopsisPhilip K. Dick, the visionary author behind Blade Runner, is the most adapted science fiction writer in cinema history. Though he struggled to make a living during his lifetime, his work has since served as a deep seam of ideas to be mined by filmmakers such as Ridley Scott, Paul Verhoeven, Steven Speilberg, John Woo and Richard Linklater, resulting in some of the most successful and influential SF movies of all time. For the still-unequalled future world of Blade Runner to the mind-bending A Scanner Darkly, via the blockbusting action/adventure of Total Recall, Paycheck and Minority Report – not to mention the debt of gratitude films like The Matrix and The Truman Show owe to his work – the legacy of Philip K. Dick has revolutionised Hollywood. Illustrated with rare photos, Counterfeit Worlds is the first book to trace the history of Philip K. Dick screen adaptations, both in cinema and on television.
£13.49
Polaris Publishing Limited Stand Up and Fight: When Munster Beat the All
Book Synopsis'A modern classic . . . Absolutely riveting and frequently moving' – The Telegraph 'Among the best books ever written on Irish sport' – Sunday Tribune 'Brilliant . . . Stand Up and Fight is the definitive account. It captures the essence of what makes Munster rugby and its provincial team so unique' – Tony Ward, Irish Independent 'A terrific combination of intelligent reportage and open-eyed mythmaking' – Sunday Times 'A seminal account' – New Zealand Herald 'Irresistible' – Guardian 31/10/1978, Thomond Park. On one of the greatest days in rugby history, Munster beat the All Blacks. More than 100,000 people claimed to have watched the game, even though the ground could only hold 12,000. Now, fully updated for the 45th anniversary of the match, Alan English tells the true story.
£12.34
Eyewear Publishing Flame Ash Feather
Book SynopsisA memoir about the author's trauma of losing her sister Flora in the Lockerbie bombing and how raising chickens helped her through her grief.
£17.00
Filament Publishing The Church has a Past has it got a Future
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£16.20
Filament Publishing Beyond Leonardo his curiosity kickstarted the future
£24.65
The Conrad Press Unceasing War on Poverty
Book SynopsisA biography of Beatrice and Sidney Webb
£22.50
The Conrad Press Dickens's Favourite Blacking Factory: The story
Book Synopsis‘Dickens’s Favourite Blacking Factory’ is the extraordinary story of Charles Day, a self-made nineteenth-century boot-blacking entrepreneur, the dispute over whose Will led Charles Dickens to create the apparently endless case of ‘Jarndyce and Jarndyce’ in his novel ‘Bleak House’. In this remarkable and highly imaginative telling of a true story, after a decades-long search for information on his ancestor, the author makes a fluke discovery, revealing a sweeping story of Regency and early-Victorian London. An actual 170,000-word document uncovered in the National Archives exposes the tragic last two months of the life of Charles Day. This includes his deteriorating mental faculties resulting from tertiary syphilis, his remarkable philanthropy, blackmail by a dodgy solicitor, the inertia of the contemporary legal system and the shame of illegitimacy, particularly in the wealthy classes. Perhaps the plot of Dickens’s ‘Bleak House’ even reflects aspects of Charles Day’s own life?Table of ContentsIllustrations 11 Family Trees 13 Maps 17 Preface 23 I. Prologue 29 II. Life 39 1. Small beginnings to big success 40 2. Introductions in Regency times 55 3. Competition and intellectual property 71 4. Edgware and the Peake sisters 84 5. The Peakes of Stafford, a likeness and lavish living 95 6. Births, deaths and almshouses 111 7. The troublesome daughter and making provisions 132 8. Towards the end 147 III. Death 167 The diary of William Foote 168 Preface 169 Dramatis Personae 171 Introduction 173 The Diary 187 IV. Aftermath 285 1. The beginnings of legal proceedings 286 2. Dufaur 300 3. The Price boys and a census 306 4. The Court of Chancery 316 5. Caterham 331 6. The destination of Charles Day’s fortune 339 7. The Dickens connection 354 V. Epilogue 371 The Unmasking of John (or Charles) Price 372 Appendix One The responses of Susannah Peake in PC53 402 Appendix Two The Will and Codicils of Charles Day 414 Sources, notes and references 440 Bibliography 453 Acknowledgements 455 Table of Contents Preface 3 Chapter 1: On Optimism, Hope, and False Hope 9 Chapter 2: On People and Human Nature 19 Chapter 3: On Negotiation and Cooperation 37 Chapter 4: On Stupidity 45 Chapter 5: On Creation of Artifacts and Things 49 Chapter 6: On Futility and Exasperation 59 Chapter 7: On Acceptance 79 Chapter 8: On Being Poor 85 Chapter 9: On the Value of Discipline 91 Chapter 10: On the False Promise of First Impressions 101 Chapter 11: On Wisdom 105 Chapter 12: On Competition 113 Chapter 13: On Trying to be Something You’re Not 125 Chapter 14: On Caution, Omens, and Sympathy 131 Chapter 15: On Leaders & Leadership 137 Chapter 16: On Patience 143 Chapter 17: On Making the Best of a Bad Situation 147 Chapter 18: On Accepting Consequences 151 Chapter 19: On Burdens, Luck & Fate 157 Glossary 165 Gloss: On Optimism, Hope, and False Hope 167 Gloss: On People and Human Nature 173 Gloss: On Negotiation and Cooperation 185 Gloss: On Stupidity 191 Gloss: On Creation of Artifacts and Things 195 Gloss: On Futility and Exasperation 201 Gloss: On Acceptance 215 Gloss: On Being Poor 219 Gloss: On the Value of Discipline 223 Gloss: On the False Promise of First Impressions 229 Gloss: On Wisdom 231 Gloss: On Competition 237 Gloss: On Trying to be Something You’re not 245 Gloss: On Caution, Omens, and Sympathy 249 Gloss: On Leaders & Leadership 253 Gloss: On Patience 257 Gloss: On Making Best of a Bad Situation 261 Gloss: On Accepting Consequences 263 Gloss: On Burdens, Luck & Fate 267 About the authors 272
£11.39
The Conrad Press Escaping the Dark Shadow
Book Synopsis‘Escaping the Dark Shadow’ is an unforgettable memoir that takes the reader on an exciting, highly personal, emotional, and informative journey from the 1950s to the present. It is the true story of a sensitive boy and the man he grew into. This is also the true story of living through a remarkable period of liberation through fashion, Mary Quant’s miniskirts, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, technology, Telstar, and a man on the moon. As well as this, ‘Escaping the Dark Shadow’ is a chronicle of many of the most significant changes in world history since about 1960.
£10.44
Shoestring Press Critic at Large: Essays and Rreviews 2010-2022
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£9.50
Icon Books Elon Musk: Risking It All
Book SynopsisA NEW EDITION OF MICHAEL VLISMAS' EYE-OPENING BIOGRAPHY OF ELON MUSK, NOW WITH NEW MATERIAL COVERING THE LATEST IN MUSK'S FAMILY AND BUSINESS LIFEIn 2022 Elon Musk - one of the richest and best-known people on earth - made headlines worldwide with his bid to buy Twitter, and he is often in the news for his entrepreneurial exploits and his controversial tweets. Who is this boundary-pushing billionaire with grand plans of inhabiting Mars, and what lies at the heart of his vision? Why is he so utterly unafraid of risk?As an awkward Pretoria schoolboy who loved comics and science fiction, Musk's early years and singular family background were crucial in forming his stellar ambitions. Journalist and author Michael Vlismas, who attended the same high school as Musk, knows well the environment that shaped him and offers new insights into Musk's development, including his troubled relationship with his father.Tracing his remarkable life, from his South African childhood to his move to Canada at 17 and then to the US - where Musk made millions out of PayPal and built Tesla and SpaceX into two of the world's most famous companies - this is the revealing new story of a man driven to preserve the optimism he sees in humanity and find a future for humans 'out there among the stars'.
£10.44
Green Magic Publishing Brian Jones The Original Rolling Stone
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£11.69
Scribe Publications Abortion: a personal story, a political choice
Book Synopsis‘How better to honour the women who have fought for abortion rights, those who are still fighting around the world, those who have suffered from its illegality, those who still suffer from its limitations, than to continue to talk about it?’ In this timely essay, Pauline Harmange provides an intimate, detailed account of her abortion. Reminiscent of Annie Ernaux’s Happening, Abortion is nuanced, complex, honest, and precise. Harmange gives voice to the emotions, reflections, and contradictions that someone could experience when they choose to terminate a pregnancy. At a time in which women’s reproductive rights are being called into question around the world, Abortion is a clarion call, a powerful personal testimony, and a resolutely political vision: to restore power to our experiences, all our experiences, by sharing them, and to transform society for the better.Trade Review‘Abortion: a personal story, a political choice … defuses arguments on both sides of the abortion rights issue by presenting an intelligent, heartfelt understanding of what matters most … a solid, thought-provoking read that proves to be a noteworthy effort to open a much-needed discussion about a societal taboo.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘In this nuanced account, Harmange (I Hate Men) reflects on her decision to have an abortion … She uses her story as a launching pad to explore the politics of abortion and laments that taboo inhibits frank discussion of the “feelings of ambiguity, negativity, sadness, and insecurity” that can accompany the procedure … Harmange excels at illuminating intersections between the personal and the political, and her willingness to probe her own pain makes for powerful reading. Timely and affecting, this packs a punch.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Harmange’s essay so perfectly marries the personal and political, illustrating why we need to keep the conversation going around abortion and the nuances of experience.’ * Ramona Magazine *‘In this personal essay, [Harmane] explores the need for a space in which women are free to talk about the feelings of ambivalence, negativity, sadness and insecurity that can follow an abortion. When she decided to undergo this procedure because of her economic circumstances, she thought it would be “quick and easy, over and done”. But it wasn’t that simple. While she didn’t regret it, she still had to live with the legacy of society’s attitudes toward the termination of pregnancy and her own body’s visceral response. Her candid ruminations add valuable nuance to this fraught debate.’ -- Fiona Capp * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘The vulnerability and openness with which Harmange shares her emotions reveal that for many women who find themselves pregnant — often despite contraception, the decision to abort is not an easy one…In many ways, Abortion is a bookend to Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux’s book Happening.’ * The Arts Fuse *Praise for I Hate Men: ‘A delightful book.’ -- Roxane GayPraise for I Hate Men: ‘Rousing … a call to liberation. Her writing is full of hope, unwavering in its trust of other women and their abilities.’ * Independent *Praise for I Hate Men: ‘Written in wise prose, devoid of excess or rage, I Hate Men explores the terrain of contemporary feminism, its arguments in keeping with those of writers like Rebecca Solnit, as well as the movement’s key ideas: patriarchy, the mental load, #MeToo, and solidarity.’ * L’Obs *Praise for I Hate Men: ‘An exhilarating essay to be read in one sitting.’ * Libération *
£9.49
Book Guild Publishing Ltd The Cornwall Sabbatical: Observations Through a
Book SynopsisAfter thirty years abroad, Jonathan Cox, a Cornishman and former journalist, returns to Cornwall to study at Falmouth University, accompanied by his Swiss wife, Marlis. The Cornwall Sabbatical is a humorous chronicle of their experience as they explore picture-perfect fishing villages and coastal coves and crisscross a granite landscape of rugby posts, old mine stacks and the barely discernible ruins of an ancient Celtic nation. The gritty Cornwall of his childhood has gentrified into one of the most desirable locations in the UK and become a magnet for Michelin restaurants even as sharp inequalities remain. A touching story about a lost way of life, The Cornwall Sabbatical reveals how Cornwall’s unique geology, climate, natural history and position as the end of the known world for much of antiquity has created a pioneering libertarian spirit and distinctive culture that is timeless.
£10.44
Valley Press Dorothy
Book SynopsisOne eveningwhen they are sitting quietly togethershe breaks the silenceand starts to talkDorothy tells the complete story of a Yorkshire woman, in verse, from her birth early in the last century to her death in the first years of this. Like so many of her generation, she lived a life both ordinary and extraordinary; shaded by grief, troubled by family dynamics, and restricted by the realities of class, location and gender. Hers was a life where survival itself, the simple act of continuing, was a victory to be celebrated but one where the reminders of why we continue, the blinding moments of sunshine when the clouds part, were that much sweeter because of it.Tender and insightful, harrowing and uplifting, Dorothy is a stunning act of empathy from a son towards his mother. Her story, told through the author's assured, unpretentious verse, is both specific and universal enough to resonate with all who encounter it; to challenge some, heal others, and leave a lasting impression on the world Dorothy came to love.
£13.50
Valley Press Slipstream: On Memory and Migration
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£16.99
The Emma Press Blood & Cord: Writers on Early Parenthood
Book SynopsisA child is born and everything is made anew. In this blur of new beginnings there are tears and laughter, new words and new silences: this is an unmaking and remaking of the self. From short stories about unnerved fathers and lost mothers, to poems about 'half-built Lego palaces' and friends who share their deepest secrets, Blood & Cord is a raw exploration of new parenthood. Voicing silenced conversations about loss, grief, and loneliness, as well as the joys and laughter that are part and parcel of becoming a parent, the stories told within offer a refreshingly honest account of life after new life. This collection is a hand in the dark, offering comfort and solidarity to any new parent. Edited by Abi Curtis, with prose pieces from Naomi Booth, Jennifer Cooke, Rebecca Goss, Daisy Hildyard, Caleb Klaces and Malcolm Taylor, and poems from Liz Berry, Rachel Bower, Tommy Brad, Janine Bradbury, Ruth Charnock, Abi Curtis, Paige Davis, Gail McConnell, Elizabeth Hogarth, Alex McRae Dimsdale, Sandra Simonds and Sylvie Simonds.Trade Review'Many kinds of parenthood are presented in this superb new collection of poems and stories. Mothers and fathers convey the spectrum of ways in which the self is remade by parenthood, the 'complete subjugation' of this task - bodily, mentally, spiritually - tearing apart the boundaries of love for which new language is required. Thankfully, the writers herein are more than up to this otherwise monumental task. New and experienced parents alike will find solace and resonance in this wonderful book.' - Carolyn Jess-Cooke
£10.79
Whitefox Publishing Ltd Felicity Bryan: A Memoir
Book SynopsisFelicity Bryan was best known as one of Britain’s leading literary agents. She packed an extraordinary life with adventure, her many passions – literature, journalism, ballet and opera, art and gardening – and her deep friendships across the world. In the summer of 2019, she was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. True to character, she set about using her time well. Among her many activities during her final year, she wrote this memoir, which covers the period from when she left school in the early sixties to her marriage in 1981.
£16.49
Temple Lodge Publishing Rudolf Steiner Master of the White Lodge
£14.24
New Haven Publishing Ltd Iggy and the Stooges
Book SynopsisThis is the authorized biography of Iggy And The Stooges as told by Jeffrey Morgan, the authorized biographer of Alice Cooper. Originally published in 2009 and long out of print, this new expanded edition features previously unpublished photographs and interviews, plus commentary by Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, and James Williamson.
£26.99
Little, Brown Book Group Climbing The Bookshelves
Book Synopsis''That politics was the most exciting of all the exciting things in the world I never doubted''Shirley Williams was born to politics. As well as being influenced by her mother, Vera Brittan, her father George Catlin, a leading political scientist, encouraged his daughter to have high ambitions for herself - including daring to climb the bookshelves in his library. Elected as MP for Hitchin in 1964, she was a member of the Wilson and Callaghan governments and was also the Secretary of State for Education. As one of the ''Gang of Four'' Shirley Williams famously broke away from the Labour Party to found the SDP in 1981 and later supported its merger with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democrats. This is her story.Praise for Climbing the Bookshelves''Very few politicians are loved, but Shirley Williams was one'' Independent''She speaks human, which is a surprisingly rare political talent'' Guardian''Decent,
£8.24
Little, Brown Book Group The Word Detective A Life in Words From
Book SynopsisLanguage is always changing. No one knows where it is going but the best way to future-cast is to look at the past. John Simpson animates for us a tradition of researching and editing, showing us both the technical lexicography needed to understand a word, and the careful poetry needed to construct its definition. He challenges both the idea that dictionaries are definitive, and the notion that language is falling apart. With a sense of humour, an ability to laugh at bureaucracy and an inclination to question the status quo, John Simpson gives life to the colourful characters at the OED and to the English language itself. He splices his stories with entertaining and erudite diversions into the history and origin of words such as ''kangaroo'', ''hot-dog'' , ''pommie'', ''bicycle'' , not ignoring those swearwords often classed as ''Anglo-Saxon'' ! The book will speak to anyone who uses a dictionary, ''word people'' , history lovers, students and parents.Trade ReviewInviting, adj., is given two senses by the OED: that which invites or gives invitation, and attractive, alluring, or tempting. Although this superb memoir is not likely to lead you into temptation, it otherwise fits the definition very well. Simpson was a key figure on the editorial team that rescued the OED from obsolescence and ensured its ongoing relevance. They took on the considerable job of bringing the OED online and of adapting it in other ways that have transformed it from a historical monument into an indispensable record of our living language. In similar fashion, this funny, insightful, and really just wonderful book renders Simpson's own past accessible, engaging, and germane. Part social history, part dictionary history, and part personal history-with beguiling etymologies interwoven throughout (computer, deadline, skanking)-The Word Detective will appeal to any reader curious about the English language and how it evolves. Simpson is the perfect guide to the OED. I adored this book -- Alena Graedon, author of The Word ExchangeThere is a poignant and unanticipated counterpoint to John Simpson's fine memoir of his time at the OED-for while his majestic dictionary was during his tenure undergoing changes of the profoundest kind, he and his family were dealing with a personal challenge that places all his lexicographic achievements in the most human of contexts. This is a wonderful book, then-but on two levels, both equally revealing, intimate and true -- Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the MadmanA perfect title. According to the OED, a Sherlock is someone "who investigates mysteries or shows great perceptiveness". This aptly summarizes Sherlock Simpson, who tells the inside story of how that great dictionary has come to be written, illustrated by illuminating and sometimes daring word histories, and grounded in an engaging and moving autobiography. Anyone fascinated by words and their history will love it -- David CrystalPeople think of dictionaries as oracles that channel eternal verities about The Language. In fact they are the handiwork of mortals who deliberate about how to make sense of the creative brainchildren and viral fads of hundreds of millions of wordsmiths. The Word Detective is a delightful and revealing look at the human side of dictionaries, with insights galore about the nature of language. (And why does the adjective galore come after the noun?) -- Steven Pinker, author of The Language InstinctVibrant and inspiring * Publishers Weekly *Simpson's memoir features entertaining, culturally revealing stories of many curious words, phrases, and roots * Booklist *Simpson, writing with a wry and often self-deprecating wit and an obvious passion for his subject, tells a story that is at once deeply personal and part of the larger story of a fundamental shift in how we share information * Maximum Shelf *I found this book surprisingly moving. John Simpson's quiet devotion to his daily task, handling words with calmness and devotion, even love, is an inspiration -- Roger Lewis * Mail on Sunday *A charmingly full, frank and humorous account of a career dedicated to rigorous lexicographic rectitude . . . [Simpson] is an absolute hero -- Lynne Truss * International New York Times *A compelling tribute to the wonder of language -- Anita Sethi * Guardian *Poignant . . . a sustained and sincere reflection on what it means to make a dictionary - the toil, the puzzles, the costs and the profits -- Henry Hitchings * Guardian *This elegantly crafted volume will surely provide greater entertainment than a few more famous memoirists this autumn -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *
£8.24
John Murray Press Tennis Whites and Teacakes
Book SynopsisTennis Whites and Teacakes brings together the best of Betjeman''s poetry, private letters, journalism and musings to present a fully rounded picture of what he stood for. From his arguments for new steel buildings to his amusement about the etiquette of village teashops, it reveals Betjeman not just as a sentimentalist but as a passionate observer with a wonderful sense of humour and an acute eye.
£10.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Louder I Will Sing A story of racism riots
Book Synopsis WINNER OF THE COSTA BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2020 ''This is the story of arguably one of the most important, yet least known, events in modern British history. Lee''s journey and fight for justice are both inspiring and enraging'' AKALA What would you do if the people you trusted to uphold the law committed a crime against you? Who would you turn to? And how long would you fight them for? On 28th September 1985, Lee Lawrence''s mother Cherry Groce was wrongly shot by police during a raid on her Brixton home. The bullet shattered her spine and she never walked again. In the chaos that followed, 11-year-old Lee watched in horror as the News falsely pronounced his mother dead. In Brixton, already a powder keg because of the deep racism that the community was experiencing, it was the spark needed to trigger two days of rioting that saw buildings brought down by petrol bombs, cars torched and shops looted.
£7.64
Little, Brown Book Group Catch the Sparrow
Book Synopsis''Catch the Sparrow is true crime at its most personal and purposeful - heartfelt and intimate, noble and determined, meticulous and brave''Robert Kolker, New York Times bestselling author of HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD and LOST GIRLSGrowing up, Rachel Rear knew the story of Stephanie Kupchynsky''s disappearance. The beautiful violinist and teacher had fled an abusive relationship on Martha''s Vineyard and made a new start for herself near Rochester, NY. She was at the height of her life - in a relationship with a man she hoped to marry and close to her students and her family. And then, one morning, she was gone.Near Rochester - a region which has spawned such serial killers as Arthur Shawcross and the ''Double Initial'' killer - Stephanie''s disappearance was just another news item. But Rachel had more reason than most to be haunted by this particular story of a missing white woman: Rachel''s mother had married Stephanie''s father after the crime, and RachTrade ReviewCATCH THE SPARROW is true crime at its most personal and purposeful--heartfelt and intimate, noble and determined, meticulous and brave -- Robert Kolker, New York Times bestselling author of HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD and LOST GIRLSCATCH THE SPARROW is a one-of-a-kind true crime narrative, meticulously reported and compellingly written. The real twist in Rachel Rear's pursuit of this cold case murder is the stunning relationship of the teller to the tale. No novelist could have invented it -- Jonathan Dee, author of THE LOCALS and THE PRIVILEGESA poignant and honest memoir combined with a suspenseful tale of a vibrant young woman's senseless murder and the lengthy and often shocking investigation that followed, CATCH THE SPARROW is my favorite type of true crime book -compassionate, compelling, and achingly, heartbreakingly real. I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come -- Alison Gaylin, Edgar Award-winning author of THE COLLECTIVEIn this engrossing account of the murder of a step-sister she never met, Rachel Rear shows us how complex the relationship between victim, perpetrator and those affected by loss can be. Like the best true crime books, it transcends the genre -- Dean Haycock, author of MURDEROUS MINDS
£14.24
Little, Brown Book Group Murder at Home
Book SynopsisHome is where the heart is. But home is also the most common site for murder. The grimly fascinating new book from the UK''s leading criminologist David Wilson uncovers the dangers that exist where we least expect them - perfect for fans of The Dark Side of the Mind and The Mind of a Murderer. The home is the place where murder most commonly occurs. In England and Wales, each year on average 75 per cent of female murder victims and 39 per cent of murdered men are killed at home.This gripping new title from the author of My Life with Murderers and A Plot to Kill explores the tragic prevalence of domestic murder and how, for so many victims, their own home is the place they are most in danger.David Wilson is the UK''s leading criminologist and his knowledge of murder is unparalleled. By walking through each part of the house, he explains how each room''s purpose has changed over time, the weapons they contain, and ultimately,
£16.50
Little, Brown Book Group Kants Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why
Book Synopsis''An uplifting work: complex, precise and bracing'' Susie Boyt, Financial Times''A profound book about the intrication of literature and life, about the modest, miraculous ways art helps us to live'' Garth GreenwellIn twenty-nine intimate, brilliant and funny essays, Claire Messud reflects on a childhood move from her Connecticut home to Australia; the complex relationship between her modern Canadian mother and a fiercely single French Catholic aunt; and a trip to Beirut, where her pied-noir father had once lived, while he was dying. She meditates on contemporary classics from Kazuo Ishiguro, Teju Cole, Rachel Cusk and Valeria Luiselli; examines three facets of Albert Camus and The Stranger; and tours her favorite paintings at Boston''s Museum of Fine Arts. Crafting a vivid portrait of a life in celebration of the power of literature, Messud proves once again ''an absolute master storyteller'' (Rebecca Carroll, Trade ReviewIn this moving and evocative essay collection, novelist Messud reflects on family, art, and why she writes . . . These intimate, contemplative and probing essays reveal Messud's rich inner life and generosity of spirit * Publishers Weekly (Starred review) *Powerful and inspirational: Messud is as fine a critic as she is a novelist * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *All writing is autobiographical, but almost never in the ways we presume. This is a profound book about the intrication of literature and life, about the modest, miraculous ways art helps us to live. Claire Messud, with her lapidary intelligence and dizzying sense of history, is among the most luminous writers at work today -- Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness and What Belongs to YouClaire Messud's essays are generous visions of the world, informed by her razor-sharp intellect and uncompromising honesty -- Maaza Mengiste * Observer (Best books of 2020) *Claire Messud's collection of essays and reviews from the past 20 years - titled Kant's Little Prussian Head & Other Reasons Why I Write - is an uplifting work: complex, precise and bracing . . . The family section is rendered vividly, in sentences beautifully formed and built to last. Some of the scenes Messud conjures feel unforgettable . . . The strength and delicacy of these chapters leave you trusting Messud's taste and judgment before you sample her criticism, which doesn't disappoint -- Susie Boyt * Financial Times *
£7.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 34
Book SynopsisThe incredible Sunday Times bestseller''Essential...A complex blend of overexcited Adrian Mole-like anecdotes mixed with shocking moments of racism and insights into Muslim religious practices'' Sunday Times''Authentic, funny and very relatable'' - Sayeeda WarsiIn 1997, Britain was leading the way to an exciting new world order. A funny, loveable and naïve 13-year-old Tez Ilyas from working class Blackburn wanted to be a doctor. By the end of 2001, the UK was at war with Afghanistan and Islamophobia had shot through the roof. 18-year-old Tez wasn''t heading for a medical degree. In this rollercoaster of a coming-of-age memoir, comedian Tez Ilyas takes us back to the working class, insular British Asian Muslim community that shaped the man he grew up to be. Full of rumbling hormones, mischief-making friends, family tragedy, racism Tez didn''t yet understand and a growing respect for his religion, his childhood is both a nostalgic celebration of everything that made growing up in the 90s so special, and a reflection on how hardship needn''t define the person you become. At times shalwar-wetting hilarious and at others searingly sad, this is an eye-opening childhood memoir from a little-heard perspective that you''ll be thinking about long after you''ve finished the last page.Trade ReviewEssential...A complex blend of overexcited Adrian Mole-like anecdotes mixed with shocking moments of racism and insights into Muslim religious practices * Sunday Times *The razor-sharp narrative delves into [Tez's] life as a teenager growing up in Blackburn in the 1990s, who is caught between the ugly shadow of racism and the traditional values of a Muslim family connected to their roots * Eastern Eye *
£8.49
Mirror Books The Girl from Nowhere: A Romani Ghetto Life
Book SynopsisMy mother was a prostitute. My grandmother and great-grandmother were prostitutes.Maybe I should have given the family business a chance...BBC RADIO 4 PICK OF THE WEEK, Katie Puckrik'Eliska's story is an extraordinary and powerful read. It's the ultimate book about survival and an against-all-odds fight to make it in life. Highly recommend.' Clover Stroud'A scintillating, devastating memoir, and a fiercely witty and unabashed tribute to the toughness of the human spirit.' Damian Le Bas__________________________________________________To westerners, being Gypsy means being wild, romantic and free.To Eliska Tanzer, it means being rented out to dance for older men. It means living without running water. It means not being allowed a job or an education. It means being stuffed into a bare room with all your aunts and cousins, fighting over the thin, stained blanket the way you fight over the last piece of half-mouldy bread.It means joining the family prostitution ring when you're still a child.But Eliska was given a way out. Slung out of Hoe School and shipped to England in a washing machine box, she thought she had made it. But her dream soon turned into a nightmare.A moving and timely memoir from a powerful new voice in literature.Trade Review'A remarkable book about the hardest of beginnings written in a voice that is vibrant, sparkling, full of irrepressible humour, compassionate intelligence and ultimately forgiveness' Catherine Simpson -- Catherine Simpson'A scintillating, devastating memoir, and a fiercely witty and unabashed tribute to the toughness of the human spirit.' Damian Le Bas'Eliska's story is an extraordinary and powerful read. It's the ultimate book about survival and an against-all-odds fight to make it in life. Highly recommend.' Clover Stroud
£8.09
Vertebrate Publishing Ltd Winter 8000: Climbing the world's highest
Book Synopsis‘He appeared, without a word, in the tent’s entrance, covered in ice. He looked like anyone would after spending over twenty-four hours in a hurricane at over 8,000 metres. In winter. In the Karakoram. He was so exhausted he couldn’t speak.’Of all the games mountaineers play on the world’s high mountains, the hardest – and cruellest – is climbing the fourteen peaks over 8,000 metres in the bitter cold of winter. Ferocious winds that can pick you up and throw you down, freezing temperatures that burn your lungs and numb your bones, weeks of psychological torment in dark isolation: these are adventures for those with an iron will and a ruthless determination.For the first time, award-winning author Bernadette McDonald tells the story of how Poland’s ice warriors made winter their own, perfecting what they dubbed ‘the art of suffering’ as they fought their way to the summit of Everest in the winter of 1980 – the first 8,000-metre peak they climbed this way but by no means their last. She reveals what it was that inspired the Poles to take up this brutal game, how increasing numbers of climbers from other nations were inspired to enter the arena, and how competition intensified as each remaining peak finally submitted to leave just one awaiting a winter ascent, the meanest of them all: K2.Winter 8000 is the story of true adventure at its most demanding.Trade ReviewMcDonald shines a burning and intimate light into the souls of those who push themselves to the very edge of what is humanly possible. An instant mountaineering classic.JIMMY CHIN, CO-DIRECTOR OF FREE SOLO -- Jimmy ChinBernadette McDonald has the skill and experience to work on the largest Himalayan tapestry, the epic history, as well as pick at its individual human threads.ANDY KIRKPATRICK, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF PSYCHOVERTICAL AND COLD WARS -- Andy KirkpatrickIn Winter 8000, Bernadette McDonald demonstrates once more her essential contribution to mountaineering history. With vividness and keen insight, she evokes a world that few experience first-hand: the landscapes of black ice, thin air and searing cold – as well as the haunting inner realms of people drawn to the isolation of the highest peaks and the darkest months.KATIE IVES, ALPINIST EDITOR-IN-CHIEF -- Katie IvesReading Bernadette’s superb book brought back memories of our attempt on the South-West Face of Everest in autumn 1972 when the wind and bitter cold overtook us. K2 is the only 8,000-metre peak still unclimbed in winter. Already the most difficult and dangerous mountain in the world, its first winter ascent remains a huge challenge for climbers of this generation and the future.SIR CHRIS BONINGTON -- Sir Chris BoningtonThere are no stories more terrifying, dramatic, and tearful than the abundant struggles, frequent tragedies, and rare successes in winter Himalayan climbing.STEVE HOUSE, ALPINIST, AUTHOR OF BEYOND THE MOUNTAIN -- Steve HouseBernadette McDonald has done it again. She has chronicled the first winter ascents of the fourteen highest peaks on Earth by men and women who pushed the limits of mountaineering to glorious new extremes at a terrible cost. Rich in character and conflict, Winter 8000 never turns its back on the central question: Is it worth the risk?DAVID ROBERTS, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF MOUNTAIN OF MY FEAR -- David RobertsBernadette McDonald’s clear-eyed portrayal of the men and women who embark on these ferocious adventures reveals their addiction to the cruel, rarefied beauty of the high Himalaya, and how intense ambition pushes them to risk destroying their lives and shattering the hearts of those who love them.MARIA COFFEY, AUTHOR OF WHERE THE MOUNTAIN CASTS ITS SHADOW -- Maria CoffeyWith this book, Bernadette McDonald burnishes her already shining reputation as one of our great climbing historians. These accounts give us a fascinating portrayal of the few alpinists who are willing to endure winter ascents of the world’s highest mountains.STEVE SWENSON, AUTHOR OF KARAKORAM: CLIMBING THROUGH THE KASHMIR CONFLICT -- Steve SwensonTable of ContentsIntroduction A Solitary VisionChapter One Everest – First Time LuckyChapter Two Manaslu – Zakopane BoysChapter Three Dhaulagiri – The Looking GlassChapter Four Cho Oyu – Two for TwoChapter Five Kangchenjunga – How Much Is Too Much?Chapter Six Annapurna – Carpe DiemChapter Seven Lhotse – Climbing in a CorsetChapter Eight Shishapangma – The ItalianChapter Nine Makalu – Two Against the WindChapter Ten Gasherbrum II – AvalancheChapter Eleven Gasherbrum I – Lost FathersChapter Twelve Broad Peak – Unfinished BusinessChapter Thirteen Nanga Parbat – Magnificent ObsessionChapter Fourteen K2 – A Mountain for ThoroughbredsConclusion Ice WarriorsAppendix A Selected List of ClimbersAppendix B Summary of First Winter Ascents of 8000ers
£20.40
Octopus Publishing Group Make Hay While the Sun Shines: A Year on the Farm
Book Synopsis*A Sunday Times Bestseller***INCLUDES AN EXTRA Q&A CHAPTER EXCLUSIVE TO THE PAPERBACK**For five generations, the Pemberton family have farmed at Birks Farm in the picturesque town of Lytham on Lancashire's Fylde Coast, working at the heart of the area since the 1830s and supplying dairy produce to the local community ever since. In 2016, Tom Pemberton uploaded a one-minute video to YouTube about how to use the farm shop's new raw milk vending machine. He thought a handful of people would watch it. It turns out many more did. And so he began uploading regular videos, every Tuesday, Friday and the occasional Sunday to show what he gets up to on the farm. Things don't always go to plan, especially when you're the farmer's son, but every day's a learning day and Tom approaches work as he does life in general: stay positive and don't take yourself too seriously. Make Hay While the Sun Shines takes us behind the farm gate and follows a year on the farm: from calving to maintaining machinery, from mucking out to planning and building a brand-new cow shed. Tom gives us a unique insight into everyday life on a busy dairy farm with all its highs, lows and hard graft. Full of heart, amusing anecdotes and unforgettable characters like Tom's dad, Andy - aka the Ginger Warrior - this is Tom's story of determination, adventure and how to keep a smile on your face even when you're knee-deep in cow poo.
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Duty of Care: 'This is the book everyone should
Book Synopsis'Beautifully written, passionate and moving, this is the book everyone should read about COVID-19' Kate Mosse'Hard to put down' Rachel Clarke'Gripping, humane, eye-opening and seriously tense' Ian DuntThe first book to tell the full story of the COVID-19 pandemic from a doctor on the frontline.ALL ROYALTIES FROM SALES GO TO HEROES, A CHARITY PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE WORKERS. On the 8th of February, Dr Dominic Pimenta encountered his first suspected case of coronavirus. Within a week, he began wearing a mask on the tube, and within a month, he moved over to the Intensive Care Unit to help fight the virus.From the initial whispers coming out of China and the collective hesitation to class this as a pandemic to full lockdown and the continued battle to treat whoever came through the doors, Dr Pimenta tells the heroic stories of how the entire system shifted to tackle this outbreak and how, ultimately, the staff managed to save lives.This incredible account captures the shock and surprise, the panic and power of an unprecedented time, and how, at this moment of despair, human generosity and kindness prevailed.'A startlingly personal account ... It can be described as a memoir, a thriller or a horror story, but it is really all at once' Observer'Reads like a thriller – a first-hand account of a group of individuals facing a terrible adversary – but it also moved me sometimes to tears because it communicates the humanity of the patients, as well as the NHS staff. As with all great writing, its honesty shines out' Tim Walker'An excellent book ... Moving and fascinating in equal measure' Xand van TullekenTrade Review'Duty of Care is a tense and gripping account of the unfolding pandemic from a doctor who was there. The bravery and dedication of NHS staff are extraordinary, the looming dangers vividly described. I found it hard to put down' -- Dr Rachel Clarke, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Life and Your Life in My Hands.'Gripping, humane, eye-opening and seriously tense. Public interest journalism which reads like a thriller novel' -- Ian Dunt.'Truly wonderful ... Brilliant at explaining what it means to be at the heart of things, the growing sense of menace ... Absolutely essential reading ... It deserves to be on every recommended reading list and pressed into the hands of every politician ... Beautifully written, passionate and moving, this is the book everyone should read about COVID-19' -- Kate Mosse.'A startlingly personal account ... It can be described as a memoir, a thriller or a horror story, but it is really all at once' * Observer. *'Reads like a thriller – a first-hand account of a group of individuals facing a terrible adversary – but it also moved me sometimes to tears because it communicates the humanity of the patients, as well as the NHS staff. As with all great writing, its honesty shines out' -- Tim Walker.'An excellent book ... Moving and fascinating in equal measure' -- Xand van Tulleken.Table of Contents0
£8.54
Icon Books Nikola Tesla and the Electrical Future
Book Synopsis'[This] crisply succinct, beautifully synthesized study brings to life Tesla, his achievements and failures...and the hopeful thrum of an era before world wars.' - NatureNikola Tesla is one of the most enigmatic, curious and controversial figures in the history of science. An electrical pioneer as influential in his own way as Thomas Edison, he embodied the aspirations and paradoxes of an age of innovation that seemed to have the future firmly in its grasp. In an era that saw the spread of power networks and wireless telegraphy, the discovery of X-rays, and the birth of powered flight, Tesla made himself synonymous with the electrical future under construction but opinion was often divided as to whether he was a visionary, a charlatan, or a fool. Iwan Rhys Morus examines Tesla's life in the context of the extraordinary times in which he lived and worked, colourfully evoking an age in which anything seemed possible, from capturing the full energy of Niagara to communicating with Mars.Shattering the myth of the 'man out of time', Morus demonstrates that Tesla was in all ways a product of his era, and shows how the popular image of the inventor-as-maverick-outsider was deliberately crafted by Tesla - establishing an archetype that still resonates today.Trade ReviewSuperb * Nick Smith, Engineering and Technology magazine *[This] crisply succinct, beautifully synthesized study brings to life Tesla, his achievements and failures...and the hopeful thrum of an era before world wars. -- NatureThere have been other Tesla biographies, but this is the one I have been waiting for ... Tesla, he shows us, was - like his one-time boss and rival Thomas Edison - inventing nothing less than the electrified future. -- Philip Ball, author of Invisible: The Dangerous Allure of the UnseenClear and engaging ... a pleasure to read * Physics Today *
£999.99
Quercus Publishing Climb Your Mountain: Everyday lessons from an
Book Synopsis'Life is too short to waste time on second-class ambitions. Go for the big ones.' Now in his late seventies, Sir Ranulph Fiennes looks back on a lifetime of exploration, and draws powerful, inspiring lessons that we can all use when faced by the tribulations of everyday life. Having crossed both Polar ice caps on foot, climbed Everest and the Eiger, served in the SAS and circumnavigated the world along its polar axis - a 53,000 mile odyssey that has never been repeated - 'Ran' looks back from the summit of an incredible life and teaches us how to: - Learn self-discipline, and master fear - Plan for success, and make your own luck - Learn from failure and strive to succeed - Keep going, whatever life throws at you
£18.00
Little, Brown Book Group Lucky Lupin
Book SynopsisLucky Lupin is a poignant yet light-hearted story of survival against the odds, based on Charlie Mortimer''s life with HIV/Aids during the early years (1984-1996), when there was neither treatment nor cure. Using a combination of good luck, gallows humour, Fray Bentos pies and copious quantities of Solpadeine, Charlie survived not only the illness but the hysteria that accompanied the so-called ''gay plague''. Anyone infected became a social pariah; had the local launderette got word of his illness they wouldn''t have washed his sheets but burnt them. Whilst taking full responsibility for the consequences of his behaviour - ''The fact is you don''t get AIDS from watching telly'' - Charlie initially took to the sofa and prepared for death, but, in time, he found the inner strength required to confront his fatal diagnosis, becoming, among other things, an antiques dealer and contemporary art collector.With blistering and often hilarious candour Charlie aTrade Review[...] a cast of outlandish relatives and friends with seemingly limitless reserves of black humour * Sunday Times *Mortimer is at his strongest when he talks about lust and obsession....There is graciousness in the way he faces terminal illness * Times Literary Supplement *[Charlie] comes clean or rather dirty about living with HIV in his typically irreverent, self mocking manner. Life affirming stuff * Tatler *[...] one shares [Charlie's] irrepressible sense that it is good to be alive. The wayward son turns out to be somebody one would like to meet, to know and to befriend * Oldie *He [Charlie] recounts repeated spells in rehab and a diagnosis of AIDS in 1986 with an offhand courage that Roger (father) himself might have admired, if not approved * The Mail *
£8.09
Little, Brown Book Group Guidance from the Greatest
Book Synopsis''We will overcome it [and] I hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge, and those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any'' Her Majesty The QueenThe Coronavirus pandemic forced the great British people to dig to the very depths of their resolve. It was during this crisis, the gravest crisis the country has faced since the Second World War, that members of the Greatest Generation - Tom Moore, Dame Vera Lynn, the Queen - proved vital reminders of the self-effacing stoicism required in times of emergency; to summon our ''Blitz spirit'' and to ''Keep Calm and Carry On''.Taking twelve qualities of the wartime generation, including fellowship, courage and integrity, and drawing on personal interviews with over two hundred Second World War veterans - from SAS officers to London firewomen to Dame Vera herself - Guidance from the Greatest shows us how we can impTrade ReviewInspiring * Daily Mail *
£11.24
Little, Brown Book Group Vessels
Book SynopsisAn unforgettable portrait of a marriage tested to its limits.When Dan, a writer with a passion for underground comics, and his wife Bekah, a potter dedicated to traditional Japanese ceramics, met through a mutual friend, they swiftly fell in love. Of all the women I''ve ever met, Dan told a friend, she''s the first one who felt like family. But at Christmas, as they prepared for the birth of their first child, tragedy struck.Based on Daniel Raeburn''s acclaimed New Yorker essay, Vessels: A Memoir of What Wasn''t is the story of how the couple clashed and clung to each other through a series of unsuccessful pregnancies before finally, joyfully, becoming parents. In prose as handsomely unadorned as his wife''s pottery, Raeburn recounts a marriage cemented by the same events that nearly broke it.Vessels is an unflinching, enormously moving account of intimacy, endurance and love.Trade ReviewDaniel Raeburn gets right down to the essentials: life, death, love, loss. There's not a spare syllable here, and the telegraphic style has the odd effect of amplifying these profound questions, allowing them to resonate fully. Vessels is a beautiful book about the sheer, mysterious contingency of anyone being born at all. -- Alison Bechdel, author of Are You My Mother?A brilliant and dazzling story about love, marriage and family. In a prose so transparent that you feel as if it's your own experience, Daniel Raeburn has written a beautiful book about loss and redemption -- Susan CheeverVessels conveys the complicated loves of marriage and parenting, of finding honest and enduring meaning in a time when one is hard-pressed to do so -- Antonya NelsonSpare and elegant and smart and propulsive, but above all alive with the close breath of the realest intimacy -- Claire Dederer[Vessels] is not only a poignant expression of how two young people matured as they created a family. It is also a celebration of the way that birth - even if that birth ends in sudden death - brings new life to parents. An eloquently candid memoir. * Kirkus *This is one of the wisest, saddest, most beautiful books about love that I've ever read. -- Tom BissellAffecting and often wrenching... Raeburn writes palpably of loss and anguish, but also shows how love, hope and resilience triumph over despair. * Publishers Weekly *An eloquently candid memoir.... The narrative is not only a poignant expression of how two young people matured as they created a family. It is also a celebration of the way that birth-even if that birth ends in sudden death-brings new life to parents. * Kirkus Reviews *More than offering a simple tale about grief and the struggles of parenthood, Raeburn speaks to the emotional influence of those we try to bring into the world and the lives we are responsible for. * Booklist *
£7.49
Little, Brown Book Group Opinions
Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger comes a stunning retrospective of essays and writings from the last decade covering politics, race and identity, feminism, popular culture, and more.Trade ReviewOpinions is a phenomenal collection of [Gay's] writing over the last decade, and she covers it all, from politics, the cult of celebrity, to civil rights and feminism, and her incisive analysis shines in every piece * Glamour UK *Essays, op-eds, and pop-culture pieces from the acclaimed novelist and memoirist . . . [Gay] has a gift for clean, well-ordered prose, and strong feelings on matters of race, gender, and sexuality. Most important, she possesses a fearlessness essential to doing the job right; though she can observe an issue from various angles, she never wrings her hands or delivers milquetoast commentaries . . . she comes to her opinions more out of empathy than ideology . . . Fierce and informed riffs on current events and enduring challenges * Kirkus Reviews *Gay has an ability to blend the personal and political in a way that feels simultaneously gentle and brutal . . . you look at a cultural moment through Gay's eyes and, by the end, you see the world differently -- Arwa Mahdawi * Guardian *This is a must-read for not only fans of Gay's work, but for everyone interested in reading intellectual, accessible, and important takes on timely topics * Booklist (Starred Review) *
£20.00
Headline Publishing Group The Sisterhood
Book SynopsisFor fans of Bryony Gordon and Dolly Alderton, The Sisterhood is an honest and hilarious book which celebrates the ways in which women connect with each other.''My five sisters are the only women I would ever kill for. And they are the only women I have ever wanted to kill.''Imagine living between the pages of Pride And Prejudice, in the Bennett household. Now, imagine how the Bennett girls as they''d be in the 21st century - looking like the Kardashian sisters, but behaving like the Simpsons. This is the house Daisy Buchanan grew up in,Daisy''s memoir The Sisterhood explores what it''s like to live as a modern woman by examining some examples close to home - her adored and infuriating sisters. There''s Beth, the rebellious contrarian; Grace, the overachiever with a dark sense of humour; Livvy, the tough girl who secretly cries during adverts; Maddy, essentially Descartes with a beehive; and Dotty, the joker obsessed with RuPaul'Trade ReviewWhimsical and brilliant observations on the female sex are explored through her own family tree... it's her natural and self-aware voice that makes this read a sharp, funny and relatable experience. * Magic Radio Bookclub *
£9.49
