Biography Books
McGraw-Hill Education - Europe Chasing Daylight. How My Forthcoming Death
Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERChasing Daylight is the honest, touching, and ultimately inspirational memoir of former KPMG CEO Eugene O'Kelly, completed in the three and a half months between his diagnosis with brain cancer and his death in September 2005. Itâs haunting yet extraordinarily hopeful voice reminds us to embrace the fragile, fleeting moments of our lives: the brief time we have with our family, our friends, and even ourselves. Glimpse the strategies Gene embraced to accept and live the final stages of his life with vibrancy and calm - and what his preparations for death taught him about life.This paperback edition features a new foreword by his wife, Corinne O'Kelly and a readers' group guide and questions âœA moving memoirâ The TimesâœChallenging and thought-provokingâ The Financial Timesâœ[A] well-written and moving book.â The Economist.com"Voicing universal truths not often found in business or how-to tracts...[O'Kelly] madTable of ContentsA Gift The Bottom Line The Business of Dying Is Hard The Best Death Possible The Good Good-bye Transition .Chasing Daylight By Corinne O’Kelly Afterword By Corinne O’Kelly . A Reader’s GuideQuestions for Discussion A Conversation with Corinne O’Kelly
£11.69
Little, Brown Book Group Bit Of A Blur
Book SynopsisI was the Fool-king of Soho and the number-one slag in the Groucho Club, the second drunkest member of the world''s drunkest band. This was no disaster, though. It was a dream coming true.''For Alex James, music had always been a door to a more eventful life. But as bass player of Blur - one of the most successful British bands of all time - his journey was more exciting and extreme than he could ever have predicted. In Bit of a Blur he chronicles his journey from a slug-infested flat in Camberwell to a world of screaming fans and private jets - and his eventual search to find meaning and happiness (and, perhaps most importantly, the perfect cheese), in an increasingly surreal world.Trade ReviewAlex James is a witty, engaging guide to the mad goings-on behind the scenes of Britpop. Blur's bassist famously estimates that he blew around £1m on champagne and cocaine during the Nineties. Here's how. * INDEPENDENT *Bright, passionate . . . James writes with wit and flair * TIME OUT **'The definitive guide to Britpop . . . this effervescent memoir emerges as the most fascinating, as well as hilarious, document to date of those times * OBSERVER *Guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye - in a good way * ELLE *
£11.39
Penguin Books Ltd Kingdom of Fear Loathsome Secrets of a
Book Synopsis''Hot damn! Let us rumble, keep going and don''t slow down . . . let''s have a little fun . . .''In his much-anticipated memoir, Hunter S. Thompson looks back on a long and productive life. It is a story of crazed road trips fuelled by bourbon and black acid, of insane judges and giant porcupines, of girls, guns, explosives and, of course, bikes. He also takes on his dissolute youth in Louisville; his adventures in pornography; campaigning for local office in Aspen; and what it''s like to accidentally be accused of trying to kill Jack Nicholson.
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers Twopence to Cross the Mersey
Book SynopsisThis major best-selling memoir of a poverty-stricken childhood in Liverpool is one of the most harrowing but uplifting books you will ever read.When Helen Forrester's father went bankrupt in 1930 she and her six siblings were forced into utmost poverty and slum surroundings in Depression-ridden Liverpool. The running of the household and the care of the younger children all fell on twelve-year-old Helen. With very little food or help from her feckless parents, Helen led a life of unrelenting drudgery and hardship.Writing about her experiences later in life, Helen Forrester shed light on an almost forgotten part of life in Britain. , Forrester's memoir of these grim days is as heart-warming as it is shocking.Trade Review‘It was the biography that I would have written if my parents had not been given benefits, if they’d had to rely on parish hand outs … [I] want to press this book into your hands and go, “You must read this”.’ Caitlin Moran ‘Remarkable that from so bleak and unloving a background came a writer of such affectionate understanding and unsettling honesty’ Sunday Telegraph ‘What makes this writer’s self-told tale so memorable?… An absolute recall, a genius for the unforgettable detail, the rare chance of subject’The Good Book Guide 'Should be long and widely read as an extraordinary human story and social document' Observer
£9.49
Oxford University Press Culture and Anarchy
Book Synopsis''The men of culture are the true apostles of equality.''Matthew Arnold''s famous series of essays, which were first published in book form under the title Culture and Anarchy in 1869, debate important questions about the nature of culture and society that are as relevant now as they have ever been. Arnold seeks to find out ''what culture really is, what good it can do, what is our own special need of it'' in an age of rapid social change and increasing mechanization. He contrasts culture, ''the study of perfection'', with anarchy, the mood of unrest and uncertainty that pervaded mid-Victorian England. How can individuals be educated, not indoctrinated, and what is the role of the state in disseminating ''sweetness and light''? This edition reproduces the original book version and enables readers to appreciate its immediate historical context as well as the reasons for its continued importance today, in the face of the challenges of multi-culturalism and post-modernism. ABOUT THE SERIE
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The Ring of Bright Water Trilogy
Book Synopsis''Gavin Maxwell''s trilogy is essential reading'' Sunday HeraldFifty years ago Gavin Maxwell went to live in an abandoned house on a shingle beach on the west coast of Scotland. A haven for wildlife - he named his home Camusfearna and settled there with the otters Mij, Edal and Teko.Ring of Bright Water chronicles Gavin Maxwell''s first ten years with the otters and touched the hearts of readers the world over, brilliantly evoking life with these playful animals in this natural paradise. Two further volumes followed bringing the story full circle telling of the difficult last years and the final abandonment of the settlement.For the first time the entire trilogy is available in a single narrative in this beautifully presented collection.''If you like your wildlife, this is a must-read'' Reader Review''For lovers of otters this is an admirable compilation'' Reader Review''You will fall in love with Scotland'' Reader ReviewTrade Review"Gavin Maxwell's trilogy is essential reading" - Sunday Herald"
£13.49
Dover Publications Unofficial Super Swiftie Word Search Book Volume
Book Synopsis
£6.23
Yale University Press Auschwitz and After
Book SynopsisWritten by a mamber of the French resistance who became an important literary figure in postwar France, this memoir of life and death in Auschwitz and the post-war experiences of women survivors has become a key text for Holocaust studies classes.Trade Review"I find Rosette C. Lamont’s remarkable translation of Charlotte Delbo’s work perceptive, delicate, and poignant—in short: exceptional."—Elie Wiesel"For 75 years, Nazism’s victims have told their affliction. This will carry on. Meanwhile, no other “Auschwitz” writer than Charlotte Delbo has so clearly shown human detail and human depth."—John Felstiner, author of Can Poetry Save the Earth?: A Field Guide to Nature Poems"Delbo's exquisite and unflinching account of life and death under Nazi atrocity grows fiercer and richer with time. The superb new introduction by Lawrence L. Langer illuminates the subtlety and complexity of Delbo's meditation on memory, time, culpability, and survival, in the context of what Langer calls the 'afterdeath' of the Holocaust. Delbo's powerful trilogy belongs on every bookshelf."—Sara R. Horowitz, York University
£16.99
Oxford University Press Medieval Writers and their Work
Book SynopsisIn an updated edition of his hugely successful student introduction to English literature from 1100 to 1500, J. A. Burrow takes account of scholarly developments in the the field, most notably devoting a final chapter to the impact of historicism on medieval studies. Full of information and stimulating ideas, and a pleasure to read, Burrow''s book deals with circumstances of composition and reception, the main genres, ''modes of meaning'' (allegory etc.), and medieval literature''s afterlife in modern times. It shows that the literature of authors such as Chaucer, Gower, and Langland is more readily accessible than usually imagined, and well worth reading too. By placing medieval writers in their historical context - the four centuries between the Norman Conquest and the Renaissance - Professor Burrow explains not only how they wrote, but why.Trade ReviewThis book is the most effective introduction to Middle English literature that I know. It is everywhere alert to the ways that modern literary sensibilities need to be adjusted in order to appreciate the medieval norm, and Burrow combines astonishing learning with a pedagogical shrewdness that always picks out just the telling passage or focusing cultural fact. This second edition adds a great deal of new and equally important material to a work that had already become a classic in its own right. * Christopher Cannon, Girton College, Cambridge *Table of Contents1. The period and the literature ; 2. Writers, audiences, and readers ; 3. Major genres ; 4. Modes of meaning ; 5. The afterlife of Middle English literature ; Notes ; Bibliography
£32.49
Gallery Books Dont Wait Till Youre Dead
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Oxford University Press Rights of Man Common Sense and Other Political
Book Synopsis`An army of principles will penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot . . . it will march on the horizon of the world and it will conquer.'' Thomas Paine was the first international revolutionary. His Common Sense (1776) was the most widely read pamphlet of the American Revolution; his Rights of Man (1791-2) was the most famous defence of the French Revolution and sent out a clarion call for revolution throughout the world. He paid the price for his principles: he was outlawed in Britain, narrowly escaped execution in France, and was villified as an atheist and a Jacobin on his return to America. Paine loathed the unnatural inequalities fostered by the hereditary and monarchical systems. He believed that government must be by and for the people and must limit itself to the protection of their natural rights. But he was not a libertarian: from a commitment to natural rights he generated one of the first blueprints for a welfare state, combining a liberal order of civil rights with egalitarian constraints. This collection brings together Paine''s most powerful political writings from the American and French revolutions in the first fully annotated edition of these works. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Review'OUP's excellent series continues with a collection from the Christopher Hitchens de ses jours.' GuardianTable of ContentsCommon Sense ; American Crisis 1 ; American Crisis X111 ; Letters to Jefferson ; Rights of Man ; Rights of Man. Part the Second ; Letter Addressed to the Addressers on the Late Proclamation ; Dissertation on the First Principles of Government ; Agrarian Justice
£6.99
Oxford University Press Collected Maxims and Other Reflections
Book Synopsis''Our virtues are, most often, only vices in disguise.''Deceptively brief and insidiously easy to read, La Rochefoucauld''s shrewd, unflattering analyses of human behaviour have influenced writers, thinkers, and public figures as various as Voltaire, Proust, de Gaulle, Nietzsche, and Conan Doyle. The author gave himself the following advice: ''The reader''s best policy is to assume that none of these maxims is directed at him, and that he is the sole exception...After that, I guarantee that he will be the first to subscribe to them.''This is the fullest collection of La Rochefoucauld''s writings ever published in English, and includes the first complete translation of the Réflexions diverses (Miscellaneous Reflections). A table of alternative maxim numbers and an index of topics help the reader to locate any maxim quickly and to appreciate the full range of La Rochefoucauld''s thought on any of his favourite themes, such as self-love, vice and virtue, love and jealousy, friendship and self-interest, passion and pride. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewThis superb publication of La Rouchefoucauld's seminal 'Maxims' combines the erudition and comprehensiveness of a scholarly edition with the welcoming accessibility of a first-class textbook. * Kevin De Ornellas, University of Ulster *
£10.44
Oxford University Press The First Emperor
Book SynopsisSima Qian tells the story of the First Emperor, founder of the Qin dynasty, in whose reign the Great Wall was built and whose tomb was guarded by the famous terracotta warriors excavated in 1974. His account details the ruthless exercise of power but also the creation of an empire that endured until 1911.Trade Review...vivid, near contemporary account... * CH, The Independent *Its vast scope can guide you to places they never reach - such as third-century BC China, with imperial historian Sima Qian, * Boyd Tonkin, The Independent *Table of ContentsThe Birth of the First Emperor ; An Assassination Attempt ; The Biography of the Chief Minister of Qin ; The Builder of the Great Wall ; The Annals of Qin ; The Treatises ; The Story of the Rebel Xiang Yu ; The Story of the Rebel Chen Sheng
£7.99
Penguin Books Ltd Unto This Last and Other Writings
Book SynopsisFirst and foremost an outcry against injustice and inhumanity, Unto this Last is also a closely argued assault on the science of political economy, which dominated the Victorian period. Ruskin was a profoundly conservative man who looked back to the Middle Ages as a Utopia, yet his ideas had a considerable influence on the British socialist movement. And in making his powerful moral and aesthetic case against the dangers of unhindered industrialization he was strangely prophetic. This volume shows the astounding range and depth of Ruskin''s work, and in an illuminating introduction the editor reveals the consistency of Ruskin''s philosophy and his adamant belief that questions of economics, art and science could not be separated from questions of morality. In Ruskin''s words, ''There is no Wealth but Life.''Table of ContentsEdited with an Introduction and Notes by Clive WilmerIntroductionChronologyFurther ReadingThe King of the Golden RiverFrom The Stones of Venice, Volume IIThe Nature of GothicFrom The Two PathsThe Work of Iron, in Nature, Art, and PolicyFrom Modern Painters, Volume VThe Two BoyhoodsUnto This LastPrefaceEssay I: The Roots of HonourEssay II: The Veins of WealthEssay III: Qui Judicatis TerramEssay IV: Ad ValoremFrom The Crown of Wild OliveTrafficFrom Sesame and LiliesOf Kings' TreasuriesFrom Fors ClavigeraLetter 7: CharitasLetter 10: The Baron's GateNotes
£12.59
HarperCollins Publishers The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
Book SynopsisStunning three-volume slipcased set containing the most comprehensive in-depth companion to Tolkien's life and works ever published, including synopses of all his writings, and a Tolkien gazetteer, who's who and chronology.The three volumes contained in this slipcase, written by two of the foremost experts on J.R.R. Tolkien, comprise the definitive handbook to one of the most popular authors of the 20th century. Tolkien''s progress is traced from his birth in South Africa in 1892, to the battlefields of France and the lecture-halls of Leeds and Oxford, to his success as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, until his death in 1973. His many academic and literary achievements, his public reception, and his enduring fame are examined in detail.The first volume in this set is a Chronology of Tolkien''s life and works, the most extensive biographical resource about him ever published. Thousands of details have been drawn from letters, contemporary documents in libraries and archives, and a wide variety of other published and unpublished sources. Assembled together, they form a portrait of Tolkien in all his aspects: the distinguished scholar of Old and Middle English, the capable teacher and administrator, the devoted husband and father, the brilliant creator of Middle-earth.The second and third volumes, the Reader''s Guide, is an indispensable introduction to Tolkien''s life, writings, and art. It includes histories and discussions of his works; analyses of the components of his vast ''Silmarillion'' mythology; brief biographies of persons important in his life; accounts of places he knew; essays on topics such as Tolkien''s interests and attitudes towards contemporary issues, ideas found in his works, adaptations, and invented languages; and checklists of his published works, his poetry, his pictorial art, and translations of his writing.
£90.00
HarperCollins Publishers A Family Friend
Book SynopsisThe new fostering memoir from the Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers A Big Little Life
Book SynopsisDean Koontz's first ever nonfiction book, the deeply moving story of his life with his good dog TrixieDean Koontz is known for exploring the dark side of human nature in his fiction. But his softer, playful side comes out when he talks about his beloved dog, Trixie, a golden retriever.Trixie had a special place in Dean''s heart. And now, in this, his first non-fiction book, Dean opens his heart to his readers to give us memories of Trixie, of the glorious dog who changed him and changed his life.There''s everything in this memoir: adventure, mischief, emotion, and sadness too. Dean will talk with joy about the many gifts Trixie gave him and the lessons she taught and he''ll talk with sadness at losing his beloved pet.The loss of a dog is a heartbreak that''s been experienced by a great many people, and Dean''s delving into that loss is a powerful part of this book, and a cathartic experience for those of us who have loved and lost an animal companion.Trixie had a big little life and Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR DEAN KOONTZ’S NOVELS: 'Dean Koontz is not just a master of our darkest dreams, but also a literary juggler' The Times ‘Dean Koontz straddles the genres, and pretty successfully, too … Odd Thomas is certainly a page-turner – this is a read-at-a-sitting novel – with a terrific final twist’ The Observer ‘Psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying’ The New York Times 'Near Dickensian powers of description.' Los Angeles Times
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Crying for Help
Book SynopsisThe second book from Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson.Two weeks after saying farewell to her first foster child, Casey is asked to look after Sophia, a troubled 12-year-old with a sad past. Sophia's actions are disturbing and provocative and, before long, Casey and her family find themselves in a dark and dangerous situation.Two years ago Sophia's mother had a terrible accident. Sophia has been in care ever since.Right away, Casey feels something isn't right. Sophia's a well-developed girl, who looks more like 18 than 12. She only seems to have eyes and ears for men, and treats all women with contempt and disgust. And she has everyone around her jumping through hoops.Over time, as more details begin to emerge about Sophia's past, it becomes clear that her behaviour is a front for an early life filled with pain and suffering. But although Casey feels she is gradually breaking through to Sophia and getting her to open up about things she has never spoken about before, her vio
£10.44
Octopus Publishing Group Enzo Ferrari
Book Synopsis**DAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE WEEK**Soon to be an AppleTV+ series, this is the definitive account of how Enzo Ferrari became the master of motor racing, and one of the most complex, important and imposing figures in the 20th century.The book draws upon years of original research, conducted in Italy and abroad, and unveils hidden aspects of Ferrari''s career - from his early days as a racer, to how he founded the Ferrari company, and even his dealings with the Italian Fascist government and Communist leaders.Learn how Ferrari pushed his drivers to the brink of disaster, revolutionised the automobile industry and overcame family and company infighting on his rise to greatness.
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers William Pitt the Younger A Biography
Book SynopsisThe award-winning biography of William Pitt the Younger by William Hague, the youngest leader of the Tory Party since Pitt himself.William Pitt the Younger was one of the most extraordinary figures in British history. Prime minister at the age of twenty-four, he went on to dominate British politics for two decades, presiding over such complex and treacherous national crises as the madness of King George III, the beleaguered union with Ireland, the fallout from the French Revolution and the trauma of the Napoleonic Wars.With the keen eye of an experienced politician, William Hague examines the enigmatic life and tumultuous times of a man capable of both wit and arrogance, economic genius and financial mismanagement. A rich cast of characters and a vivid backdrop of global conflict make this riveting biography of Pitt the Younger compulsive reading.Trade Review‘A shrewd political biography and a sensitive portrait of one of our most enigmatic heroes.’ Simon Sebag Montefiore ‘One of the most enjoyable biographies for years…if you buy only one political biography this year, make it the one.’ John Major ‘A first-class work of history; informative, well written and captivating.’ The Times ‘What makes the book such an engrossing and stimulating read is the author’s passion for and understanding of politics.’ Sunday Times ‘A weighty and scholarly biography…the empathy, indeed the identification of subject with author, is remarkable. Hague deserves an accolade…he has written a serious, detailed and thoughtful study of one of Britain's greatest prime ministers.’ Shirley Williams, Guardian ‘Truly fine…The need for a distinguished, readable, single-volume work has long been recognised. William Hague has now triumphantly filled this gap.’ Scotsman ‘Narrated with a finely attuned sense of the politically dramatic.’ Andrew Roberts, Evening Standard ‘A reliable and readable account of an unusual politician and a tragic life.’ Spectator ‘A fascinating account.’ Christopher Foyle, Mail on Sunday
£17.09
Hodder & Stoughton HISTORY HIT Guide to Medieval England
Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered about Edgar Ætheling, the fourteen-year-old who took on William the Conqueror? Or about the woeful collapse of the Angevin Empire under King John? Or what about Eleanor Cobham, a noblewoman found guilty of witchcraft for predicting the death of the King?Join Matthew Lewis and the creators of History Hit on a guided tour spanning more than five centuries of English medieval history and witness spectacular changes in military, political and economic spheres. At home and overseas, England''s status and identity was in constant flux, and yet through it all, the nation withstood the turmoil of everything from the 9th century attack of the Great Heathen Army to the year of three kings in 1483 - just.From the bit before 1066 - which matters just as much! - through to the Wars of the Roses, The History Hit Guide to Medieval England charts the extraordinary development of a young nation that went on to emerge as a global superpower.
£15.29
Picador Candy Darling
Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceA Best Book of the Year (So Far): W magazineA Must-Read: The New York Times Book Review, Nylon, Star Tribune, Ms., Kirkus Reviews, The Bay Area Reporter, Town & Country, InsideHook, San Francisco Chronicle[A] monumental biography. -Hilton Als, The New YorkerA rich portrait of a glittering, communal, and bygone NYC . . . [and] of the glamorous queer icon. -Arimeta Diop, Vanity FairFrom the acclaimed biographer Cynthia Carr, the first full portrait of the queer icon and Warhol superstar Candy Darling.You must always be yourself no matter what the price . . . Don't dare destroy your passion for the sake of others. The Warhol superstar and transgender icon Candy Darling was glamour personified, but she was without a real place in the world.Growing up
£16.14
HarperCollins Publishers Hartley A Zanzibar Chest
Book SynopsisA deeply affecting memoir of a childhood in Africa and the continent''s horrendous wars, which Hartley witnessed at first hand as a journalist in the 1990s. Shortlisted for the prestigious Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-fiction, this is a masterpiece of autobiographical journalism.Aidan Hartley, a foreign correspondent, burned-out from the horror of covering the terrifying micro wars of the 1990s, from Rwanda to Bosnia, seeks solace and solitude in the remote mountains and deserts of southern Arabia and the Yemen, following his father's death. While there, he finds himself on the trail of the tragic story of an old friend of his father's, who fell in love and was murdered in southern Arabia fifty years ago. As the terrible events of the past unfold, Hartley finds his own kind of deliverance.The Zanzibar Chest' is a powerful story about a man witnessing and confronting extreme violence and being broken down by it, and of a son trying to come to terms with the death of a father whom he also saw as his best friend. It charts not only a love affair between two people, but also the British love affair with Arabia and the vast emptinesses of the desert, which become a fitting metaphor for the emotional and spiritual condition in which Hartley finds himself.Trade Review‘A powerful blend of family history and war correspondent’s memoir…searing, deeply instructive.’ Anthony Daniels, Sunday Telegraph ‘A truly impressive and haunting book, an impassioned and often beautifully written account of one man’s journey to the heart of darkness, and his slow, painful voyage back.’ Harry Ritchie, Daily Mail ‘Underpinning the grisly details of wars in Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi that Hartley experienced first-hand and at no small emotional cost to himself, is a touching story of his childhood in colonial Africa.’ Iain Finlayson, The Times ‘Wonderful and everywhere remarkable…Hartley writes with love and an astonishing zest.’ Allan Massie, Daily Telegraph ‘“The Zanzibar Chest” is a necessary book…you will struggle to find a more authentic, urgent or brilliant account of the underbelly of contemporary Africa…this book seems destined to become a classic.’ Christopher Ross, Sunday Express A masterpiece. This is a hugely ambitious book.’ Matthew Leeming, Spectator ‘No other African correspondent has been so successful in blending both hard reporting and laddish on-the-road antics within a personal and lyrical framework. Hartley evokes the excitement and pathos of the modern continent…he is perhaps the best mzungu writing about the real Africa today.’ Andrew Lycett, Sunday Times ‘Hartley always writes beautifully…gripping and intensely moving.’ James Astill, Guardian
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Wasted
Book SynopsisA retired career anorexic' examines herself and her, and our, culture in a masterpiece of confessional literature.At the age of four Marya Hornbacher looked in a mirror and decided she was fat. At nine, she was bulimic. At twelve, she was anorexic. By the time she was eighteen, she'd been hospitalized five times, once in the loony bin. Her doctors and her parents had given up on her; they were watching her die. But Marya decided to live. Four years on, now 22, here is her harrowing tale, powerfully told in a virtuoso mix of memoir, cultural criticism and psychological examination.Here is the amazingly articulate fury of a clever woman made stupid by her culture, who threw away her teenage years in a continuous cycle of bingeing and vomiting or just plain starvation.The first book to explore, from the inside, the intimate relationship between eating disorders and 1990s culture's historically unprecedented obsession with body, diet and gender; not a testimony to a miracle cure, but the s
£9.49
Bonnier Books Ltd Out of Faith
Book SynopsisAS SEEN IN THE TIMESMaria Compton was born and raised in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. Encouraged to keep her distance from outsiders, she grew up in a world of Church meetings, banishments and with the fear that the end of the world - known as the Rapture - was nigh. When she was still in her late teens, she married a man she barely knew. To those around her she lived the perfect life; dutiful wife, loving mother, devout Brethren woman. But underneath the surface, this life was far from perfect.Plagued by spiritual doubts, stuck in an abusive marriage and with her mental health in severe decline, Maria came to realise that she simply could not go on. And so, although knowing everything it would cost, she did the unthinkable: she left her church. Despite her attempts to stay in touch, Maria is no longer seen by her family, her friends or even her own children. But whilst she continues to grieve for everything she has lost, she holds fast to wh
£17.00
Penguin Books Ltd Njals Saga
Book SynopsisWritten in the thirteenth century, Njal''s Saga is a story that explores perennial human problems-from failed marriages to divided loyalties, from the law''s inability to curb human passions to the terrible consequences when decent men and women are swept up in a tide of violence beyond their control. It is populated by memorable and complex characters like Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a powerful warrior with an aversion to killing, and the not-so-villainous Mord Valgardsson. Full of dreams, strange prophecies, violent power struggles, and fragile peace agreements, Njal''s Saga tells the compelling story of a fifty-year blood feud that, despite its distance from us in time and place, is driven by passions familiar to us all. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction, chronology, index of characters, plot summary, explanatory notes, maps, and suggestions for further reading.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Story of My Life Penguin Classics S
Book SynopsisSeducer, gambler, necromancer, swindler, swashbuckler, poet, self-made gentleman, bon vivant, Giacomo Casanova was not only the most notorious lover of the Western world, but a supreme story teller. He lived a life stranger than most fictions, and the tale of his own adventures is his most compelling story, and one that remained unfinished at the time of his death. This new selection contains all the highlights of Casanova's life: his youth in Venice as a precocious ecclesiastic; his dabbling in the occult; his imprisonment and thrilling escape; and his amorous conquests, ranging from noblewomen to nuns.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Gilberto PizzamiglioNote on the TextTranslators' NoteTHE STORY OF MY LIFEFamily history. My first memory. Journey to Padua.PrefaceIIIMy grandmother boards me at the home of Doctor Gozzi. My first acquaintance with love.IIIBettina believed to be mad. Father Mancia. The pox. I leave Padua.IVThe patriarch of Venice confers the minor orders on me. Getting to know Senator Malipiero, Teresa Imer, Father Tosello's niece, Signora Orio, Nanetta, Marta, and La Cavamacchie. I become a preacher. My adventure at Pasiano with Lucia.VMy brief but highly eventful visit to Ancona. Cecilia, Marina, Bellino. The Greek slave girl from the lazaretto. Bellino revealed.VIBellino Unmasked. His StoryVIIComic encounter at Orsara. Journey to Corfu. Sojourn in Constantinople. Bonneval. My return to Corfu.VIIII became a true good-for-nothing. A great stroke of luck raises me from destitution to the rank of wealthy gentleman.IXMy apprenticeship in Paris. Portraits. Oddities. A thousand things.XMy blunders in the French language, my successes, my many acquaintances. Louis XV. My brother arrives in Paris.XIMy sojourn in Vienna. Joseph II. My departure for Venice.XIIFirst meeting with M. M. Letter from C. C. Second meeting with the nun in my superb casino in Venice. I am happy.XIIIContinuation of the preceding chapter. Visit to the convent and conversation with M. M. Her letter to me and my answer. Rendezvous at the casino in Murano, witnessed by her lover.XIVUnder the lead roof. The earthquake. XVSoradaci's betrayal. The means I used to overwhelm him. Father Balbi succeeds in his task. I leave my cell. Count Asquini's untimely remarks. The moment of departure.XVIMy escape from the prison. I nearly lose my life on the roof. I leave the Ducal Palace, take ship and reach the mainland. Father Balbi exposes me to danger. The ruse by which I separate from him for the moment.XVIIVoltaire, my discussions with the great man. Ariosto. The duke of Villars. The syndic and his three lovely ladies. Debate at Voltaire's house.XVIIICardinal Passionei. The pope. Mariuccia. My arrival in Naples.XIXI reach Marseilles. Mme. D'Urfé. My niece is well received by Mme. Audibert. I get rid of my brother and Passano. Regeneration. Mme. d'Urfé departs. Marcolina's constancy.XXMy arrival in London. Mrs. Cornelys. I am presented at Court. I rent a furnished house. I meet many people. The customs of the English.XXILord Keith. Appointment with the king of Prussia in the garden of Sans Souci. My conversation with the monarch. La Denis. The Pomeranian cadets.XXIII meet the czarina. My conversations with the great Sovereign. La Valville. I leave Zaira. My departure from St. Petersburg and arrival in Warsaw. Princes Adam Czartoryski and Sulkowski. The king of Poland, Stanislaus Poniatowski, called Stanislaus Augustus I. Theatrical intrigues. Branicki.XXIIIMy duel with Branicki.XXIVMy departure from Paris. My journey to Madrid. The count of Aranda. The prince of La Catolica. The duke of Losada. Mengs. A ball. La Pichona. Doña Ignacia.XXVMy courtship of Doña Ignacia, the gentleman-cobbler's daughter. My imprisonment at Buen Retiro and my triumph. I am recommended to the Venetian ambassador by a State Inquisitor of the Republic.Notes
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co The Road Past Mandalay
Book SynopsisThe second part of the bestselling novelist's autobiography about his time in the Gurkhas during the second world war
£9.99
Schocken Books The Diaries of Franz Kafka
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Penguin Books Ltd Claimed
Book SynopsisPenguin Weird Fiction: a celebration of the very best of the weird, a store of novels and tales that for generations have delighted and horrified. Woken from his sleep by an urgent request to attend to a new patient, Dr. John Vanaman is soon at the home of Jesse J. Robinson, a wealthy industrialist, struck gravely ill after a struggle with a burglar. The thief was after Robinson's most prized possession, an item he obsessively guards: a mysterious green box, etched with a single line from an unknown language. Soon, Vanaman and Robinson's courageous neice, Leilah, are drawn into an odyssey, a voyage toward the box's ancient, terrifying originThe greatest novel by one of the pioneering female voices in horror writing, Gertrude Barrows Bennett's Claimed! is a masterful intertwining fantasy, philosophy, and terror. The most important female writer of speculative fiction that you've probably never heard of' Worlds Without End
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Steve Matchett The Mechanics Tale
Book SynopsisA fascinating insider''s look at life behind-the-scenes at Formula One.''An essential read'' AUTOSPORT''A must for the real inside story'' FORMULA 1 RACING''Recommended for anyone interested in F1 on the inside'' MOTORING NEWSFormula One Grand Prix mechanic Steve Matchett takes the reader on a compelling journey through his life in the pit-lane, from his beginnings as a young apprentice, through his time at Ferrari and BMW to his later success with Benetton. He gives eye-witness views of the great drivers, including Michael Schumacher, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. He also talks of key Benetton personalities, and explains how the team was transformed into a strong, competitive organisation, winning three World Championships. His determination and frustration in trying - and eventually succeeding - to break into the high-pressure world of Formula One leaps off the page.Trade ReviewA must for the real inside story * FORMULA 1 RACING *Every so often, in the endless stream of biographies churned out by the Formula One book industry, something different emerges. This is it. Recommended for anyone interested in F1 on the inside * MOTORING NEWS *An essential read * AUTOSPORT *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Long Way Down
Book SynopsisAfter their fantastic trip round the world in 2004, fellow actors and bike fanatics Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman couldn''t shake the travel bug. And after an inspirational UNICEF visit to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth. And so they set off on their 15,000-mile journey with two new BMWs loaded up for the trip. Joining up with producer/directors Russ Malkin and David Alexanian and the Long Way Round team, their route took them from John O''Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland to Cape Agulhas on the southernmost tip of South Africa. Riding through spectacular scenery, often in extreme temperatures, Ewan and Charley faced their hardest challenges yet. With their trademark humour and honesty they tell their story - the drama, the dangers and the sheer exhilaration of riding together again, through a continent filled with magic and wonder.Trade ReviewA great book BELLA
£10.44
Oxford University Press Inc The Colonialist
Book SynopsisThis is the first comprehensive biography of Cecil Rhodes in a generation. This critical work elaborates the life and times of Rhodes, showing how his racist politics impacted mining, industry, transportation, warfare, and society, while discussing how his controversial policies fueled a lasting white-dominated colonial society and had an enduring influence on modern South Africa.Cecil John Rhodes became one of the most influential people in the history of the British Empire. He made a fortune in South Africa by leading the world''s most important diamond mining company, De Beers, as well as a gold-mining concern called Consolidated Gold Fields. While he was a busy entrepreneur, he was also a member of the Cape Colony''s legislature and served as prime minister from 1890 to 1896, a key period for the development of racial discrimination. His British South Africa Company was given a charter to govern what is today Zambia and Zimbabwe. His most famous legacy is the Rhodes Trust, which funds the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University.A complex figure, admired and detested in his own time, Rhodes dreamt to unite Southern Africa''s colonies and republics into one state, dominated by white settlers, with labor provided by Black people who were constrained and pressured by discriminatory laws. He built his wealth on the backs of African migrant laborers, for whom he had little regard. His British South Africa Company was accused of fraud. And in 1895 and 1896, he famously encouraged a failed plot to overthrow the independent Boer republic in the Transvaal. Rhodes'' coup helped to precipitate the South African War, which started in 1899 and ended in 1902, the year of Rhodes'' death.This authoritative biography focuses on the relationship between Rhodes'' well-known activities in business and politics and the development of Southern Africa''s infrastructure, most famously his plan for a Cape-to-Cairo railway. Rhodes envisioned a region where racism became embedded in the mining, farming, communication, and transportation industries. He pursued this vision in the face of opposition from many quarters. Understanding the extent of Rhodes'' activities helps us to understand the challenges of modern Africa and the recent Rhodes Must Fall movement. A critical analysis of this contested figure, The Colonialist offers an original portrait of a crucial figure of his era.
£29.44
HarperCollins Publishers Can I Let You Go
Book SynopsisCan I Let You Go? is the true story of Faye, a wonderful young woman who may never be able to parent her unborn child.Faye is 24, pregnant, and has learning difficulties as a result of her mother's alcoholism. Faye is gentle, childlike and vulnerable, and normally lives with her grandparents, both of whom have mobility problems. Cathy and her children welcome Faye into their home and hearts. The care plan is for Faye to stay with Cathy until after the birth when she will return home and the baby will go for adoption. Given that Faye never goes out alone it is something of a mystery how she ever became pregnant and Faye says it's a secret.To begin with Faye won't acknowledge she is pregnant or talk about the changes in her body as she worries it will upset her grandparents, but after her social worker assures her she can talk to Cathy she opens up. However, this leads to Faye realizing just how much she will lose and she changes her mind and says she wants to keep her baby.Is it possibl
£8.54
Ebury Publishing Black Coffee Blues Black Coffee Blues 1
Book Synopsis''If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light, If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you.''Henry Rollins, renowned spoken-word performer, musician, actor and author of several books, has a unique, hard-edged view of the world. This collection of writings from 1989 - 1991 is the classic Rollins book.From dramatic fiction shorts detailing stark, disturbing realities to gut-wrenching tour journals destroying all misconceptions of the glamour of fame and the music industry; from the challenging poetry to revealing dream sequences, Rollins'' writing is unflinching in its honesty, uncompromising in its truth and irresistibly addictive.Trade ReviewAn intelligent and perceptive man. * Guardian *
£13.49
Jessica Kingsley Publishers Notes From A Queer Cripple
Book SynopsisHow can I enjoy my hot disabled body whilst dealing with internalised ableism?How can I best navigate my sex life with mobility issues or a carer?Why are queer spaces so inaccessible - and what can I do about it?Andrew Gurza is seriously hot. He''s also seriously disabled. Having spent a lifetime navigating the bars, clubs and apps of the queer scene, he''s learned a thing or two about sparking queer crip joy amidst the hellscape of ableism, microaggressions and ''pity sex''. With advice on everything from sexual autonomy and self-pleasure to date-prep and disability disclosure - this is both a self-care bible and an urgent call for the queer community to do better.
£14.99
Oxford University Press History of A Six Weeks Tour
Book SynopsisHistory of a Six Weeks' Tour (1817) is a volume of travel-writing by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Comprising prose narrative, correspondence, and poetry, it is a highly engaging account of their 'adventures and feelings' during two journeys from England to Switzerland at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
£10.44
CHEERIO Publishing Gilbert George and the Communists
Book SynopsisThe much-anticipated sequel to Bacon in Moscow, Gilbert & George and the Communists charts daring art dealer James Birch's next implausible transcultural mission.
£16.99
Baker Publishing Group I Dared to Call Him Father The Miraculous Story
Book SynopsisA first-person account of a wealthy Muslim woman in Pakistan who, through a succession of supernatural events, came to know God as her Father.
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers Keir Starmer
Book SynopsisTHE BESTSELLING BIOGRAPHY OF THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTERA Times Book of the Year; A Telegraph Book of the Year; A Daily Mail Book of the Year; A Waterstones Book of the YearRequired reading for anyone who has an interest in who governs Britain'' ALASTAIR CAMPBELL?''This will be the most important political book of the year' MATTHEW D'ANCONA, EVENING STANDARDThis authoritative but not authorised biography by Tom Baldwin provides answers by drawing deeply on many hours of interviews with Prime Minister himself, as well as unprecedented access to members of his family, his oldest friends and closest colleagues.Together, they tell an unexpectedly intimate story filled with feelings of grief and love that has driven him on more than any rigid ideology or loyalty to a particular faction.The book tracks Starmer's emergence from a troubled small town background and rebellious youth, through a storied legal career as a human rights barrister and the country's chief prosecutor, to becoming an MP relatively late in life.Baldwin provides a vivid and compelling account of how this untypical politician then rose to be leader of his party in succession to Jeremy Corbyn, then transformed it with a ruthless rapidity that has enraged opponents from the left just as much as it has bewildered those on the right.Above all, this is a book that should be read by anyone who wants to understand how someone who has too often been underestimated or dismissed as dull, now intends to change Britain.''The first serious and consistently readable biography of StarmerIt is a wonder that he has said so much to Baldwin'' PATRICK MAGUIRE, THE TIMES''This is an absolutely riveting and very timely biography'' AMOL RAJANHighly readable Baldwin has peeled back more layers than anyone else'' ROBERT SHRIMSLEY, FINANCIAL TIMES
£15.29
Quarto Publishing PLC Modern Women 52 Pioneers
Book SynopsisModern Women is a celebration of influential and inspiring women who have changed the world through their lives, work and actions. From suffragettes to scientists, activists to artists, politicians to pilots and writers to riot grrrls, the women included have all paved the way for gender equality in their own indomitable way. Find out about extraordinary women including writer and teacher Maya Angelou, computer scientist Ada Lovelace, abolitionist Harriet Tubman, film star Katharine Hepburn and pioneering musician Björk. Their lives also enable bigger stories to be told: the suffrage movement with Sophia Duleep Singh; the civil rights struggle and Audre Lorde; advances in science made by Rosalind Franklin; the push for artistic freedom in the work of Frida Kahlo and Louise Bourgeois; and the importance of equality in all sections of society advocated by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
£18.70
Princeton University Press The Plum in the Golden Vase or Chin Ping Mei
Book SynopsisThis is the fifth and final volume in David Roy's celebrated translation of one of the most famous and important novels in Chinese literature. The Plum in the Golden Vase or, Chin P'ing Mei is an anonymous sixteenth-century work that focuses on the domestic life of Hsi-men Ch'ing, a corrupt, upwardly mobile merchant in a provincial town, who maintaTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014 One of The Wall Street Journal Bookshelf Best Books of 2013, chosen by Tash Aw "The story sprawls. There are more than eight hundred named characters, from high officials and military commanders to peddlers and prostitutes, with actors, tailors, monks and nuns, fortunetellers, acrobats, and many others, even cats and dogs, in between. Roy helps us keep track of everyone in a fifty-six-page 'cast of characters.'... In the original woodblock printing of the text, characters follow one another, without punctuation, no matter their source. Modern printings provide punctuation, but Roy goes further by devising a system of indentation and differing type sizes to set off allusions, poems, and songs. With this editorial help, the translation is actually easier to read than the original."--Perry Link, New York Review of Books "David Tod Roy, after more [than] 20 years of work, completed the fifth volume of his translation of the Chin Ping Mei, entitled The Plum in the Golden Vase. It's a masterpiece [and] an epic scholarly achievement... The world of the Chin Ping Mei is beautiful and dark, cheap and exalted, righteous and profane, gorgeous and lurid and stinking and glorious."--Stephen Marche, Los Angeles Review of Books "Roy's complete translation makes it possible for English readers everywhere to read and appreciate this work, one of the great, sophisticated masterpieces of world literature."--Choice "Roy's translation ... is both more complete and more readable than previous English translations... Roy's rendering deftly switches between registers along with the novel, carrying across both its refined language and its infamous vulgarities."--Scott W. Gregory, Ming Studies "One can only begin to appreciate the work that has gone into this volume, with its numerous pages of notes, bibliography and index, and to the five volumes as a whole... We are indebted to Professor Roy. The novel is a masterwork of Chinese fiction, and we celebrate the completion of his translation."--Andrew Lo, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Praise for the previous volume: "[A] book of manners for the debauched. Its readers in the late Ming period likely hid it under their bedcovers."--Amy Tan, New York Times Book ReviewTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Cast of Characters xiii CHAPTER 81 Han Tao-kuo Takes Advantage of a Chance to Appropriate the Goods; T'ang Lai-pao Defrauds His Master and Disregards His Benevolence 1 CHAPTER 82 P'an Chin-lien Makes an Assignation on a Moonlit Night; Ch'en Ching-chi Enjoys Two Beauties in a Painted Bower 17 CHAPTER 83 Ch'iu-chu, Harboring Resentment, Reveals a Clandestine Affair; Ch'un-mei Transmits a Note to Facilitate a Lovers' Rendezvous 35 CHAPTER 84 Wu Yueh-niang Creates a Stir in the Temple of Iridescent Clouds; Sung Chiang Uprightly Frees Her from the Ch'ing-feng Stronghold 54 CHAPTER 85 Wu Yueh-niang Surprises Chin-lien in the Act of Adultery; Auntie Hsueh Agrees to Sell Ch'un-mei on a Moonlit Night 72 CHAPTER 86 Sun Hsueh-o Instigates the Beating of Ch'en Ching-chi; Dame Wang Marries Off Chin-lien to the Highest Bidder 90 CHAPTER 87 Dame Wang Hungers after Wealth and Receives Her Just Reward; Wu Sung Kills His Sister-in-law and Propitiates His Brother 113 CHAPTER 88 P'an Chin-lien Appears in a Dream in Commandant Chou Hsiu's Home; Wu Yueh-niang Contributes a Gift to a Subscription-Seeking Monk 131 CHAPTER 89 On the Ch'ing-ming Festival the Widow Visits the New Grave; Wu Yueh-niang Blunders into the Temple of Eternal Felicity 151 CHAPTER 90 Lai-wang Absconds Together with Sun Hsueh-o; Sun Hsueh-o Is Sold to Chou Hsiu's Household 174 CHAPTER 91 Meng Yu-lou Is Happy to Marry Li Kung-pi; Li Kung-pi in a Fit of Rage Beats Yu-tsan 194 CHAPTER 92 Ch'en Ching-chi Is Entrapped in Yen-chou Prefecture; Wu Yueh-Niang Creates a Stir in the District Yamen 218 CHAPTER 93 Wang Hsuan Relies on Righteousness to Help the Poor; Abbot Jen in the Desire for Profit Invites Disaster 244 CHAPTER 94 Liu the Second Drunkenly Beats Ch'en Ching-chi; Sun Hsueh-o Becomes a Trollop in My Own Tavern 269 CHAPTER 95 P'ing-an Absconds with Jewelry from the Pawnshop; Auntie Hsueh Cleverly Proposes a Personal Appeal 289 CHAPTER 96 Ch'un-mei Enjoys Visiting the Pools and Pavilions of Her Old Home; Commandant Chou Hsiu Sends Chang Sheng to Look for Ch'en Ching-chi 309 CHAPTER 97 Ch'en Ching-chi Plays a Role in the Commandant's Household; Auntie Hsueh Peddles Trinkets and Proposes a Marriage Match 330 CHAPTER 98 Ch'en Ching-chi Opens a Tavern in Lin-ch'ing; Han Ai-chieh Encounters a Lover in a Bordello 349 CHAPTER 99 Liu the Second Drunkenly Curses Wang Liu-erh; Chang Sheng Wrathfully Kills Ch'en Ching-chi 370 CHAPTER 100 Han Ai-chieh Seeks Her Father and Mother in Hu-chou; Ch'an Master P'u-ching Rescues Souls from Perdition 391 Notes 421 Bibliography 501 Index 525
£31.50
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Russias Man of War
Book SynopsisViktor Bout was a warlord's warlord, according to MI6, the US National Security Council and the CIAa terrorist facilitator, and the world's most prolific arms dealer. They tracked him everywhere, smuggling weapons from North Korea and the former Soviet Union into the world's bloodiest conflict zones, from Liberia to Afghanistan. Intelligence services called him a secret KGB asset; the White House, the most dangerous man in the world. But Bout strenuously denied this, describing himself as a businessman. Washington hunted Bout for more than a decade, before finally trapping him and jailing him for 25 years. Then, in December 2022, the story took an unlikely turn: President Biden pardoned Bout and sent him home to Moscow, in a prisoner exchange to rescue basketball superstar Brittney Griner, jailed in Russia on drugs charges. Soon enough, Bout cosied up with doomed Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov and the Russian governors Putin had installed in occupied Ukraine. Has America's extraordinary decision to swap Bout undermined Western interests? Has Putin put him back to work in his old business? Through candid interviews with US investigators and Viktor Bout himself, this book reveals the true story of the Merchant of Death'.
£23.75
Transworld Publishers Ltd We Were Soldiers Once...And Young
Book Synopsis''If you want to know what is was like to go to Vietnam as a young American... and find yourself caught in ferocious, remorseless combat with an enemy as courageous and idealistic as you were, then you must read this book. Moore and Galloway have captured the terror and exhilaration, the comradeship and self-sacrifice, the brutality and compassion that are the dark heart of war'' THE TIMESTHE MUST READ CLASSIC OF THE VIETNAM WARIn November 1965, 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt.Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War. How these men persevered - how they sacrificed themTrade ReviewBetween experiencing combat and reading about it lies a vast chasm. This book makes you almost smell it * Wall Street Journal *A stunning achievement... I read it and thought of The Red Badge of Courage, the highest compliment I can think of -- David HalberstamThe best account of infantry combat I have ever read, and the most significant book to come out of the Vietnam War -- Colonel David HackworthThere are stories here that freeze the blood... The men who fought at Ia Drang could have no finer memorial * The New York Times Book Review *If you want to know what is was like to go to Vietnam as a young American... and find yourself caught in ferocious, remorseless combat with an enemy as courageous and idealistic as you were, then you must read this book. Moore and Galloway have captured the terror and exhilaration, the comradeship and self-sacrifice, the brutality and compassion that are the dark heart of war * The Times *
£10.44
WW Norton & Co Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings
Book SynopsisFerdowsi’s classic poem Shahnameh is part myth, part history–beginning with the legend of the birth of the Persian nation and its tumultuous history, it contains magical birds and superhuman heroes and centuries-long battles. Written over 1,000 years ago, it was meant to protect Persian collective memory amidst a turbulent sea of cultural storms. Originally written in couplets, the translation and adaptation by Ahmad Sadri retells the mythological tales in prose format. The spectacular illustrations in this edition were created from elements culled from thousands of manuscripts, lithographs, and miniatures dating from the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and each panel becomes a new work of art, an exquisite collage of traditional forms.
£75.04
Faber & Faber Wrong About Japan
Book SynopsisIn a stunning memoir-cum-travelogue Peter Carey charts this journey, inspired by Charley''s passion for Japanese Manga and anime, and explores his own resulting re-evaluation of Japan. Although graphically violent and disturbing, the two mediums are both inherently concerned with Japan''s rich history and heritage, and hold a huge popular appeal that crosses the generations.Led by their adolescent guide Takashi, an uncanny mix of generosity and derision, father and son look for the hidden puzzles and meanings, searching, often with comic results, for a greater understanding of these art forms, and for what they come to refer to as their own ''real Japan''. From Manhattan to Tokyo, Commodore Perry to Godzilla, kabuki theatre to the post-war robot craze, Wrong about Japan is a fascinatingly personal, witty and moving exploration of two very different cultures.Trade Review"'The mysteries of Japan and father-son relationships prove to be rich subjects, especially for a writer at the peak of his powers, and they make for an entertaining and uplifting book.' Sunday Times 'Fast-paced, readable and highly entertaining.' Sunday Express"
£10.44
Faber & Faber Who the Hells In It Conversations with Legendary
Book SynopsisFrom Peter Bogdanovich - director, screenwriter, actor, and cinema scholar - 25 fascinating portraits of Hollywood''s most acclaimed movie actors and actresses: stars whom he has known, admired, and occasionally worked with. Bogdanovich captures brilliantly - in their own words and his - the personality, the work, the style and the enduring iconic appeal of America''s movie greats.Trade Review'An affectionate collection of pieces on 25 of Tinseltown's biggest stars that is so full of insight it makes you appreciate all the more the subtleties of Bogdanovich's front - of - camera work in The Sopranos.' Sunday Times 'A dazzling album of movie-star portraits... this book brings them to life through a mix of informal conversations, profiles and beautiful black and white photographs.' Sunday Express 'Bogdanovich's engaging assemblage of interviews and pen-portraits clings heroically to the notion that they don't make 'em like that anymore. And he's right.' Empire 'Full of fresh and entertaining details.' Sunday Telegraph
£13.49
Faber & Faber No Angel
Book Synopsis''I''m no angel.'' Bernie Ecclestone Born into poverty, Bernie Ecclestone has made himself a billionaire by developing the world''s second most popular sport - Formula One racing. Private, mysterious and some say sinister, the eighty-year-old criss-crosses the globe in his private jet, mixing with celebrities, statesmen and sporting heroes. His success is not just in creating a multibillion-pound global business but in resisting repeated attempts to snatch the glittering prize from his control. Ecclestone has never before revealed how he graduated from selling second-hand cars in London''s notorious Warren Street to become the major player he is today. He has finally decided to reveal his secrets: the deals, the marriages, the disasters and the successes in Formula One racing, in Downing Street, in casinos, on yachts and in the air. Surprisingly, he has granted access to his inner circle to Tom Bower, described by Ecclestone as ''The Undertaker'' - the man w
£11.69
