Biography Books

Book SynopsisFinding Margaret is the moving story of journalist and broadcaster Andrew Pierce's search for his birth mother.

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Book SynopsisNew essays by the Women''s Prize and Pulitzer Prize winning author of Gilead, Home and Lila. In this collection, Marilynne Robinson impels us to action and offers us hope.''Grace and intelligence ...[her work] defines universal truths about what it means to be human'' BARACK OBAMAMarilynne Robinson has plumbed the human spirit in her renowned novels, including Lila, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award; Home, winner of the Orange Prize; and Gilead, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this new essay collection she trains her incisive mind on our modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers about America like Emerson and Tocqueville inform our political consciousness or discussing the way that beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson''s peerless prose and boundless humanity areTrade ReviewRobinson urges her audience to stand by what makes us human - "creative, knowing, efficacious, deeply capable of loyalty". The argument is sophisticated and persuasive * Guardian *A bracing, stringent book that continually challenges the reader * Telegraph *There is much rich matter in these essays. They are simultaneously challenging, disturbing and rewarding * Catholic Herald *

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Book Synopsis''A lively and dramatic account of greed, corruption, and scandal that will captivate you from start to finish.'' FRANK W. ABAGNALE, subject of Catch Me If You Can''Everything you feared was true about crypto and much worse are laid bare in this gripping and infuriating insider account... Funny, illuminating and beautifully written.'' LIAM VAUGHAN, author of Flash Crash: A Trading Savant, a Global Manhunt and the Most Mysterious Market Crash in HistoryCrypto Confidential tells the salacious story of the industry everyone is talking about right now. In doing so, it sheds light on some of the most scandalous financial crimes of the twenty-first century. From billion-dollar fraud cases to international money laundering cartels, political bribery and even faked deaths, it lifts the lid on the intricate and immense web of malpractice that crypto founders spin to trap ordinary investors.Wr

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Book SynopsisIn the tradition of Agent Zigzag' comes a breathtaking biography of WWII's Scarlet Pimpernel' as fast-paced and emotionally intuitive as the best spy thrillers. This celebrates unsung hero Robert de La Rochefoucauld, an aristocrat turned anti-Nazi saboteur, and his exploits as a British Special Operations Executive-trained resistantWhen the Nazis invaded France during the Second World War and imprisoned his father, Robert de La Rochefoucauld a scion of one of the oldest aristocratic families in France escaped to England and trained in the dark arts of anarchy and combat. Under the guidance of SOE spies, he learned to crack safes, plant bombs and kill enemies with his bare hands.Then, back in France, he organised Resistance cells, killed Nazi officers and interfered with German missions. He survived unbearable torture and escaped Nazi confinement on not one but two occasions, to live well into his eighties. The adventures of de La Rochefoucauld offer rare insight into a unique moment Trade Review‘Kix has produced a narrative that is both chilling and powerful … This is first-class adventure writing, which, coupled with a true-life narrative of danger and intrigue, adds up to all-night reading’ New York Times ‘’The Saboteur’ is completely engrossing and elegantly told, which means any reader of this work will inevitably want more and more’ Washington Post ‘A mesmerizing book that builds up propulsive momentum until its final twists. It was a joy to disappear into this story. Like only the very best historical biographers, Paul Kix has turned years of deep reporting into a tightly coiled narrative that you never want to put down’ Eli Saslow, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President ‘Kix had to do first-class detective work using primary sources to create this riveting story. Fans of World War II history will eagerly read this story, which is almost as exciting as a James Bond novel’ Library Journal ‘Set in motion by a steamed-open letter and a burning hatred of Hitler, a dashing young aristocrat embarks on a campaign of clandestine warfare. The Saboteur sounds like a World War II spy thriller, but in fact it is a rip-roaring true story, wonderfully told’ Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Hours and Lost in Shangri-La ‘A winner: the stories are fascinating, the pages nearly turn themselves, and La Rochefoucauld is a true hero’ Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ‘Kix’s sharp, well-paced writing is perfect for telling La Rochefoucauld’s story. But this is more than a gripping yarn of daring-do. La Rochefoucauld was a complex character, and Kix’s portrait is nuanced and moving… [posing] the big questions: What is duty? What is courage? What is loyalty?’ BookPage

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Book SynopsisIn The Critic as Artist, arguably the most complete exploration of his aesthetic thinking, and certainly the most entertaining, Oscar Wilde harnesses his famous wit to demolish the supposed boundary between art and criticism. Subtitled Upon the Importance of Doing Nothing and Discussing Everything, the essay takes the form of a leisurely dialogue between two characters: Ernest, who insists upon Wilde’s own belief in art’s freedom from societal mandates and values, and a quizzical Gilbert. With his playwright’s ear for dialogue, Wilde champions idleness and contemplation as prerequisites to artistic cultivation. Beyond the well-known dictum of art for art’s sake, Wilde’s originality lays argument for the equality of criticism and art. For him, criticism is not subject to the work of art, but can in fact precede it: the artist cannot create without engaging his or her critical faculties first. And, as Wilde writes, “To the critic the work of art is simply a suggestion for a new work of his own.” The field of art and criticism should be open to the free play of the mind, but Wilde plays seriously, even prophetically. Writing in 1891, he foresaw that criticism would have an increasingly important role as the need to make sense of what we see increases with the complexities of modern life. It is only the fine perception and explication of beauty, Wilde suggests, that will allow us to create meaning, joy, empathy, and peace out of the chaos of facts and reality.

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES POP BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY TELEGRAPH MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY MAIL MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR (''Of the many Led Zeppelin biographies marking the band''s 50th anniversary, this is the most illuminating'')OBSERVER BEST BOOKS OF 2018''An enthralling and rigorously researched book'' Sunday Times ''Blake has talked to everyone, and the stories are both lurid and melancholy'' Mail on Sunday ''A juicy saga of excess all areas, Mark Blake''s biography of Led Zeppelin''s notoriously combative manager, Peter Grant, reads at times like an all-you-can-eat buffet of guilty pleasures . . . a riotous roller coaster'' The Times ''A tale as expansive and complex as the man himself'' Mojo''To say Bring It On Home is a rambunctious page-turnerTrade ReviewIt's tempting to dismiss Grant as a supremely unappetising figure, so it is a credit to this enthralling and rigorously researched book that we get a sufficiently three-dimensional portrait to be able to understand what drove him * Sunday Times *A juicy saga of excess all areas, Mark Blake's biography of Led Zeppelin's notoriously combative manager, Peter Grant, reads at times like an all-you-can-eat buffet of guilty pleasures . . . a riotous rollercoaster ride full of larger-than-life characters . . . the first authorised in-depth portrait . . . an entertaining journey into a lost epoch of unchecked superstar excess * The Times *Exhaustive and detailed resume . . . the detail is priceless . . . Blake has talked to everyone, and the stories are both lurid and melancholy * Mail on Sunday *Meticulous always entertaining . . . never shies away from its subject's belligerent reputation . . . Naturally, this is a book about Zeppelin as well as Grant, but their story, as told through a Peter Grant-shaped lens, is magnified and augmented . . . A tale as expansive and complex as the man himself -- James McNair * Mojo *The incredible inside story of Led Zeppelin's fabled hardman manager . . . forensically-researched . . . the volume of other new stories unearthed here is impressive . . . To say Bring It On Home is a rambunctious page-turner is an understatement; but despite all the violence and weirdness, you can't help liking the 'real' Peter Grant who emerges here * Planet Rock *Grimly entertaining . . . richly anecdotal . . . insight into a thankfully lost world * Q magazine *Glimpses of this former wrestler and doorman's life have made him a legend, but this is the first time it has been revealed in depth. With a wealth of unseen pics and detail, Bring It On Home is like Grant himself - awesome * Weekend Sport *In this entertaining, sympathetic biography, music journalist Mark Blake . . . provides a fresh perspective on the Zeppelin story * Observer *Of the many Led Zeppelin biographies marking the band's 50th anniversary, this is the most illuminating -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *[Grant] is captured vividly by Mark Blake, who paints a compelling, warts-and-all portrait of a figure who was as much a gangster as a Svengali, equal parts visionary and monster -- Dan Cairns * Sunday Times *Well-researched . . . at once amusing, candid, guarded, vague, clever and occasionally contradictory . . . Blake has written a pleasantly humane portrayal of a much-mythologised man -- John Perry * Record Collector *Shed[s] new light on how excess and tragedy tore this amazing band apart * The Sun *

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Book SynopsisA Wood of One's Own is a lyrical, beguiling and inspiring story; a potent reminder of nature's delicate balance, and its comforting and abiding presence.Trade Review'So beguiling... Pavey's writing is everywhere amiable' Times Literary Supplement'[In planting her wood] the satisfactions are many... her book is a gentle, generous extension of that... one all her readers can share in' The Lady'Pavey's love for her small patch of land shimmers off the page [in this] narrative of warmth, honesty and great spirit made all the more beautiful by Pavey's own lively and accomplished drawings... this lovely book is itself a gift encouraging country-dweller and townie alike to marvel at the infinite possibilities at the heart of a single tree' Daily Mail, Book of the Week'Captivating... If this book was not as much a pleasure to write as it is to read, I'll eat my hat and gardening glove... Pavey's unassuming memoir celebrates the imperfections of rural life and the virtues of spontaneity... the non-bravura style attractively illustrated with Pavey's black-and-white sketches makes this book a winner' Kate Kellaway, Observer‘A delightful account… with intriguing digressions into local history and culture. [Pavey] writes with warmth and spirit, and brings this space to life in all its detail of plants, trees and wildlife’ Penelope Lively‘A lovely story – a super book’ Steve Yabsley, BBC Radio Bristol and Somerset‘Draws together childhood memories, local history… and literary penumbra’ Sunday Telegraph‘A lyrical story of desire and determination, soft and gentle, warm and wise in a wicked world’ Camden New Journal‘Practical and full of helpful advice which has been artfully baked-in throughout. If someone asks you what you'd like for Christmas or a birthday don't hesitate to reply, A Wood of One's Own' Woodlands.co.uk

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 2025FROM BRITAIN''S TOP-SELLING TRUE CRIME WRITER AND THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: The Times/Sunday Times, Financial Times, Spectator, Independent, Tablet and New Statesman Once more, Kate Summerscale shatters our preconceptions of a classic crime' Val McDermid ''I really, really loved it. It''s written so beautifully and it really makes you feel like you''re in the 1950s'' Richard Osman Every bit the gripping, page-turning treat' Mark Bostridge, Spectator London, 1953. Police discover the bodies of three young women hidden in a wall at 10 Rillington Place, a dingy terrace house in Notting Hill. On searching the building, they find another body beneath the floorboards, then an array of human bones in the garden. But they have already investigated a double murder at 10 Rillington Place, three years ago, and the killer was hanged. Did they get the wrong man? A nationwide manhunt is launched for the tenant of the ground-floor flat, a softly spoken former policeman named Reg Christie. Star reporter Harry Procter chases after the scoop. Celebrated crime writer Fryn Tennyson Jesse begs to be assigned to the case. The story becomes an instant sensation, and with the relentless rise of the tabloid press the public watches on like never before. Who is Christie? Why did he choose to kill women, and to keep their bodies near him? As Harry and Fryn start to learn the full horror of what went on at Rillington Place, they realise that Christie might also have engineered a terrible miscarriage of justice in plain sight. In this riveting true story, Kate Summerscale mines the archives to uncover the lives of Christie's victims, the tabloid frenzy that their deaths inspired, and the truth about what happened inside the house.

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Book SynopsisThe subject of a BBC TV series on Charles I The prize-winning biography of Charles I * Winner of the HWA Crown for Best Work of Historical Non-Fiction 2018 ** Times Book of the Year ** Shortlisted for the Catholic Herald Biography Award 2019 *Less than forty years after the golden age of Elizabeth I, England was at war with itself. At the head of this disintegrating kingdom was Charles I, who would change the face of the monarchy for ever. His reign is one of the most dramatic in history, yet Charles the man remains elusive. To his enemies he was the ''white tyrant of prophecy: to his supporters a murdered innocent. Today many myths still remain.It is an epic story of glamour and strong women, of populist politicians and religious terror, of mass movements and a revolutionary new media: one that speaks to our own divided and dangerous times.''This is the most gripping piece of revisionisTrade ReviewA revelation... White King is that rare thing, a page-turning history that gently but insistently also asks provocative questions about a period on which our opinions have been all too fixed. Charles does not emerge with his reputation restored, but he emerges whole -- Mathew Lyons * Financial Times *Fascinating -- Andrew Marr * Evening Standard *Humane and scholarly... De Lisle's deeply and originally researched book brings Charles alive not in kingly isolation but as a father and a husband. Both biography and subject deserve our fullest attention -- Dan Jones * Mail on Sunday *Engaging, well-researched and beautifully written... Emphatically not another book about the civil wars, this instead offers a nuanced and detailed examination of one of our most complex monarchs. It is probably the definitive modern work about Charles I -- Alexander Larman * Observer *De Lisle, who has long been an original voice in popular Tudor studies, is generous to Charles, but too sharp a reader of evidence to ignore his flaws... Pellucid, compelling and enriched by fresh evidence... Sympathetic but scrupulous to the last -- Jessie Childs * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis‘A beautiful book’ Zoë Ball ‘My father was an “ordinary man”, which of course means he was extraordinary.' Be it as Nicky Hutchinson in Our Friends In The North, Maurice in The A Word, or his reinvention of Doctor Who, One man, in life and death, has accompanied Christopher Eccleston every step of the way – his father, Ronnie. In I Love the Bones of You, Eccleston unveils a vivid portrait of a relationship that has shaped his entire career trajectory – mirroring and defining his own highs and lows, from stage and screen triumph to breakdown, anorexia and self-doubt. Eccleston describes how the tightening grip of  dementia on his father slowly blinded him to his son’s existence, forcing a new and final chapter in their connection. Told with trademark honesty and openness, I Love the Bones of You is a celeTrade Review‘We know what to expect from the autobiographies of most actors, I think: anecdotes, charm, more than mild self-satisfaction and faux-modesty by the bucketload. But Christopher Eccleston is not most actors, and his autobiography is not most autobiographies. This is a superb book, full of revelations, as intense and tortured as its writer and not an easy ride at all.’ -- Marcus Berkmann * Daily Mail *‘The book I’d most like to find under my tree is Christopher Eccleston’s memoir I Love the Bones of You, which talks about his beloved dad and Christopher’s history of anorexia and depression. He was a guest on my show and made such an impact.’ -- Lorraine Kelly * Woman & Home *‘The actors book prompted headlines because he writes of his struggle with anorexia but it is about so much more, particularly his relationship with his father, which has shaped his entire career. A million miles from the usual celebrity memoir.’ -- Books of the Year * Mail On Sunday *

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Book Synopsis''I found my power when I realized it was within me, within my skin and within my soul. It just needed to be set free.'' Leigh-Anne Pinnock''s life changed overnight when she became part of the first ever girl band to win the X-Factor. The multi-platinum selling supergroup Little Mix, went on to become one of the biggest girl bands of all time.Launched into chart-topping global fame, Leigh-Anne was living her childhood dream of becoming a popstar. But behind the scenes, as a Black woman within an industry and team with little diversity, Leigh-Anne was struggling with her identity and felt completely lost. In her highly anticipated memoir, Leigh-Anne shares her journey from growing up in a mixed-race family in Britain to taking the pop world by storm. Honest and direct, she reveals the challenges and prejudices that stood in her path and how she overcame them by embracing her own power. Sharing the experiences and lessons that have shaped Leigh-Anne, this book will empower us all to challenge the status quo, stand up for what we believe in and go after our dreams.

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Book SynopsisConspiracy theories are legion. Conspiracies are rare. And of the few that do exist, fewer are ever discovered, let alone explained. This story is the exception. In 2016, media giant Gawker was forced to declare bankruptcy after a $140 million dollar judgment in court over an illegally recorded sex tape of Hulk Hogan. The case was no accident: it was the result of a nearly decade-long plot masterminded by Facebook and Paypal billionaire Peter Thiel. With exclusive access to all the key players, Ryan Holiday takes us behind the scenes of this extraordinary and at times surreal story, and transforms the events into both a dissection of that controversial methodology - conspiracy - and an eye-opening cautionary tale on the use, abuse and consequences of power and secrecy in the modern age.Trade ReviewThis book is the Art of War for any 21st century conspirator... a brilliant meditation on strategy, with numerous lessons -- Robert Greene, author * The 48 Laws of Power *This is a fantastic read about two thoroughly dislikeable men. * Sunday Times *Gripping narrative - Holiday has written one helluva page-turner. -- William D Cohan * New York Times *Riveting...an astonishing modern media conspiracy...that is a fantastic read. Holiday is a fine writer. He brilliantly elucidates... [with] a reporter's eye for detail. * The Sunday Times *Brilliant and terrifying -- Rich Cohen, author of The Fish that Ate the Whale and contributing editor of Vanity FairAn artful examination of how true power really works and how it affects all of us. -- Michael Lombardi, host of GM Street on The Ringer and former CLeveland Browns general managerEvery one of Ryan Holiday's books is appointment reading for me. If he writes it, I make the time to read it. -- Brian Koppelman, producer and creator * Billions *Praise for Ryan Holiday: 'Holiday is part Machiavelli, part Ogilvy, and all results -- Tim Ferriss * The 4-Hour Workweek *Holiday is one of his generation's finest thinkers -- Steven Pressfield, author * The War of Art *When playing for high stakes, Ryan Holiday is my secret weapon. His unique stealth manner makes him essential for winning. -- Aaron Ray, partner of the management company The CollectiveI don't have many rules in life, but one I never break is: If Ryan Holiday writes a book, I read it as soon as I can get my hands on it. -- Brian Koppelman, screenwriter and director, Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen and Billions

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Book Synopsis''Wonderfully intense and honest - a poignant manual of how to grow hope against the odds.'' - Chris Packham, TV presenter and author of Fingers in the Sparkle Jar.Finding herself in a new home in Brighton, Kate Bradbury sets about transforming her decked, barren backyard into a beautiful wildlife garden. She documents the unbuttoning of the earth and the rebirth of the garden, the rewilding of a tiny urban space. On her own she unscrews, saws and hammers the decking away, she clears the builders'' rubble and rubbish beneath it, and she digs and enriches the soil, gradually planting it up with plants she knows will attract wildlife. She erects bird boxes and bee hotels, hangs feeders and grows nectar- and pollen-rich plants, and slowly brings life back to the garden.But while she's doing this Kate''s neighbours continue to pave and deck their gardens locking them away, the wildlife she tries to save is further threatened, and she feels she's fighting an uphill battle. Is Trade ReviewShines a light on the simple brilliance of life. -- Chris PackhamA moving, unpretentious account of starting again. -- Patrick Barkham * Guardian, Books of the Year *A truly inspiring account of transformation, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway made me simultaneously want to read on to the final page, and rush out to my garden. -- Melissa Harrison * author of All Among the Barley *Bradbury makes a passionate plea for us all to follow her example - to ditch the decking and fill our own outside spaces, however small, with plants. -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *Reading this book made me itch to get out into my own garden and peer under piles of dead leaves to look for beetles. A moving tribute to the space Kate Bradbury creates and her skill as a gardener. -- Alys Fowler * The Garden *A glorious thing that is part autobiography, part gardening book and part fierce invective against the sterilisation of our urban landscapes when they are an increasingly important haven for wildlife. * Amateur Gardening *Quirky, passionate and endearing, an inspiring account of bringing a tiny garden back to life. -- Dave Goulson, author of A Sting in the Tale and Bee QuestA beautiful story of a garden brought back from the dead. -- Eleanor Morton * Countryman *A very personal story of love, loss and rebirth. -- Fionnuala Fallon * Irish Times *It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me mourn the loss of our green spaces but have hope for the wild places that remain. There is no louder, fresher voice for the value of urban wildlife. -- Jules Howard * zoologist and author of Sex on Earth *Bradbury 'unbuttons the earth' and lets the bumblebees, foxgloves and sparrows return at their own pace. A rallying cry for the wildlife garden. -- Louise Gray * author of The Ethical Carnivore *This is an important and timely book. I defy anyone who reads it not to want to do more to help their local wildlife. -- Brigit Strawbridge, wildlife gardener and bee campaignerA gorgeous - and informative - read. -- Penny McCormick * The Gloss *A wonderful and moving book about how a slice of nature at the backdoor offers refuge not only to the city wildlife but to the garden too. -- Alys Fowler * author of Hidden Nature and The Edible Garden *This is a beautiful, heartfelt book of hopeful wildlife gardening in the face of declining habitats and life's tendency to trip us up when we least need it. * Amateur Gardening *Table of ContentsPrologue: A garden Part One: The Bones, A Skeleton Autumn Winter Spring Summer Autumn Winter Spring Part Two: A Phoenix Spring Summer Species list Author acknowledgements If you want to learn more... Index

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Book Synopsis'From the first page to the last, I could not put down this book. I am a Girl from Africa is a story that can uplift and inspire every girl and boy from every part of the world. Beautifully told, and beautifully lived.' Angela Duckworth, author of GritA powerful memoir about a girl from Africa whose near-death experience sparked a dream that changed the world.  She squeezes my hand and smiles. “I am here to feed hungry children in the village, because as Africans we must uplift each other.”I don’t understand what it means to uplift others, but I nod.I know that I can finally stand up. I will search for food. I will live. When severe draught hit her village in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth, then eight, had no idea that this moment of utter devastation would come to define her life purpose. Unable to move from hunger, she encountered a United Nations aid worker who gTrade Review'Elizabeth Nyamayaro has written a wonderfully accessible and moving memoir that masterfully weaves her own story into the contemporary fight for global gender equity. Traveling with Nyamayaro - from Tblisi to Montevideo - is both inspiring and maddening, seeing all that has been accomplished and all that’s left to do. Somehow, through it all, she manages to maintain an unwavering optimism - and a belief in the power of NGOs, education, collaboration, and even (gasp) globalism - that buoys the soul and reminds us that there’s no progress without progressives, no light without the torch-bearers.' -- Dave Eggers'From the first page to the last, I could not put down this book. I Am a Girl from Africa is a story that can uplift and inspire every girl and boy from every part of the world. Beautifully told, and beautifully lived.' -- Angela Duckworth, author of Grit'More than a heartwarming and uplifting memoir, I Am a Girl from Africa is a story of millions of girls around the world – and a true testament of what is possible when girls are given an equal right to quality education. Through Elizabeth’s remarkable story, we are reminded that education remains a closest thing to a silver bullet when it comes to gender equality.' -- Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, UN Women'This book tells the story of how its title becomes a declaration, not just for the author’s tale of remarkable challenges and achievements, but also for a continent suffering from ills ranging from misogyny and masculinism to pessimism about its ability to heal its own wounds... [Nyamayaro] is ... adamantly committed to inspiration, and in that, the memoir is victorious.' * The New York Times Book Review *'Nyamayaro’s heartwarming and inspirational story is symbolic of the faith, community uplift, and interdependence a girl from anywhere needs to soar.' * Oprah Daily *

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Book Synopsis''I read the first chapters at such a pace that I almost had to remind myself to breathe.'' Sunday Times''Tense, powerful and gripping... her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional.'' Adam Kay, ObserverAt seven months pregnant, intensive care doctor Rana Awdish suffered a catastrophic medical event, haemorrhaging nearly all of her blood volume and losing her unborn first child. She spent months fighting for her life in her own hospital, enduring a series of organ failures and multiple major surgeries.Every step of the way, Awdish was faced with something even more unexpected and shocking than her battle to survive: her fellow doctors' inability to see and acknowledge the pain of loss and human suffering, the result of a self-protective barrier hard-wired in medical training.In Shock is Rana Awdish''s searing account of her extraordinary journey from doctor to patient, during whichTrade ReviewOutstanding... What marks it out is not the scale or urgency of the trauma, although I read the first chapters at such a pace that I almost had to remind myself to breathe. It is the writing. It sparks and crackles with a dark energy... The writing is not just intense, but intelligent... In Shock stands above other patient memoirs. -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *Tense, powerful and gripping... her writing style is often nothing short of beautiful - evocative and emotional. -- Adam Kay * The Observer *In Shock is both an enthralling page-turner and a haunting call to arms for the medical profession to practice with greater kindness, compassion and humility. Awdish captures beautifully how and why doctors, against our best selves, can lose sight of our patients in furious pursuit of the diagnosis, the save, the cure. Anyone – doctor or otherwise – whose life has been touched by illness will be transfixed by this deeply moving tale of catastrophic illness and everything it teaches us. -- Rachel Clarke, author of Your Life in My Hands: A Junior Doctor's StoryAwdish looks at the way we practice medicine with a combination of love and outrage. She writes beautifully about the secret, shameful feelings many doctors feel they have to hide and she shows us how we might do better. After reading this book, I feel like a different doctor. -- Gabriel Weston, author of Direct Red: A Surgeon's StoryA brave, powerful memoir about what it is like to be both a doctor and a patient... There is a widsom that literally comes from suffering. * The Times *There are few recent books to compare it to. Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, another physician’s account of illness, ended with his death. Awdish lives to tell the tale, but her cascade of medical problems is appallingly severe. Like [Adam] Kay’s, her writing is motivated by trauma, both her own and that of her medical colleagues…The dramatic story of her illness and recovery alone would make the book compelling, but in the growing genre of medical non-fiction, it is her reflections on medical practice that really stand out. -- Dr Alexander Van Tulleken * TLS *Compelling and insightful, this story of what a doctor learns through coming close to death is packed with both action and reflection. * Cathy Rentzenbrink, bestselling author of The Last Act of Love *Urgent and supremely eloquent... In Shock is a book to set alongside the likes of Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, Direct Red by Gabriel Weston and, of course, Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *An extraordinary memoir. * Daily Mail *Awdish describes her experiences powerfully... In Shock is a reminder that the sick are not subhuman, doctors are not superhuman, and that medicine needs to be human in order to truly heal. -- Sarah Ditum * Mail on Sunday *In Shock is a notable, ambitious and welcome contribution to an emerging dialogue concerning the quality and orientation of acute hospital care. -- Paul D'Alton * Irish Times *Awdish's book is the one I wished we were given as assigned reading our first year of medical school, alongside our white coats and stethoscopes ... dramatic, engaging and instructive. * New York Times *Harrowing and enlightening... This is a story of darkness and light, horror and hope. It's not an easy read, but it is a fascinating one, and highly recommended. * The Sunday Business Post *Had me hooked right from the start. Incredible story, and even more incredible story-telling... has had an unexpected impact on me and will change the way I practice medicine from here on. * Dr Ranj Singh *

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Book SynopsisJeoffry was a real cat who lived 250 years ago, confined to an asylum with Christopher Smart, one of the most visionary poets of the age. In exchange for love and companionship, Smart rewarded Jeoffry with the greatest tribute to a feline ever written. Prize-winning biographer Oliver Soden combines meticulous research with passages of dazzling invention to recount the life of the cat praised as a mixture of gravity and waggery'. The narrative roams from the theatres and bordellos of Covent Garden to the cell where Smart was imprisoned for mania. At once whimsical and profound, witty and deeply moving, Soden's biography plays with the genre like a cat with a toy. It tells the story of a poet and a poem, while setting Jeoffry's life and adventures against the roaring backdrop of eighteenth-century London.Trade Review‘Jeoffry is the greatest cat in the English language, and here are his life and times, wittily and deftly imagined, entwined with a memoir of Kit Smart, lunatic and poet, and the London he shared with Samuel Johnson and his cat Hodge. An inspired and original tale’ – Hilary Mantel, author of The Mirror and the Light ‘Simply unforgettable ... Oliver Soden has written a little masterpiece ... The life and times of Jeoffry, the cat described in Smart’s famous poem, are imagined here by Soden in one of the most beautiful and haunting books of recent times. This is a book to savour, reflect upon, and give to friends ... It is beautifully written. It is gentle. It is full of historical detail and whimsy, in more or less equal measure. It is a complete treat ... a lovely, enchanting piece of work’ – Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency ‘A heart-lifting delight; I absolutely loved it. A triumph’ – Alexander Harris, author of Weatherland ‘An absolute classic … Oliver Soden combines the originality of wit and concept found in Virginia Woolf’s Flush with an intimate portrayal of the humanity of a cat that T.S. Eliot understood so well. I found myself so gloriously moved and entertained by Jeoffry who has leapt purring and stretching, hunting and curling his way into my heart’ – Juliet Nicolson, author of A House Full of Daughters ‘Mr Soden’s delightful, insinuating book curls around your thoughts and tickles you with its whiskers ... Soden jokes that if Jubilate Agno is a magnificat (a song of praise to God), the Jeoffry verses are a magnifi-cat. His own magnifi-cat recreation, bound in cloth-covers and sporting a Gainsborough kitty, would make a fine stocking filler – silk, buckled or gartered' – Economist ‘Oliver Soden has done for Christopher Smart’s cat Jeoffry what Virginia Woolf did for the Brownings’ dog, Flush. Except he’s made a much better job of it. This is a beautifully written, wise and wonderfully entertaining account of loyalty and the meaning of biography. Smart’s cat was indeed a magical being, and Oliver Soden has plucked a wealth of literary art from the cat’s life and from Smart’s unforgettable vision. I intend to give a copy to everybody I like’ – Andrew O’Hagan, author of Mayflies ‘In Jeoffry: The Poet's Cat, Oliver Soden has pulled off a difficult feat. His book about the life and adventures of Christopher Smart's considerable cat is charming without being twee, light but not lightweight, inventive within the bounds of respect for history ... Beautifully conceived and done with wit and tenderness. A book to cherish in times when Smart's madhouse seems close to home’ – Daniel Karlin, Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year ‘Protagonist of the most anthologised section of the mad poet Christopher Smart’s Jubilate Agno, the eccentrically spelled ginger tom now takes a fresh lease of fictionalised life in this jeu d’esprit … It’s at once a sly introduction to Christopher Smart and the literary milieu of 18th-century London … and a cat’s-eye view of 18th-century social history – from the brothels and theatres of central London to the treatment of mental illness … It has a good deal, too, to tell the reader about cats … But it also poses the implicit question of how fictional biographies are in any case … All biographies adopt points of view, make suppositions, put fictional flesh on the bones of the facts the record gives us; and their test is how persuasively they do so. This one does so with great panache and not a little of the writerly flourish’ – Sam Leith, Spectator ‘An intensely poignant portrait of a celebrated cat … told with vibrant pace and energy … As we follow the irresistible subject towards and through his interaction with the poet who would give him his immortality, we smell the streets and the confined spaces, we suffer the blows, we weep the tears. This beautifully written and highly affecting book is a must-read for lovers of poetry, of the eighteenth century, and of cats’ – Jane Glover, author of Handel in London ‘Although Jeoffry has become famous through Smart’s much-anthologised poem "My Cat Jeoffry", he has left no other pawprint on the historical record ... It is this gap that Oliver Soden proceeds to plug in his delightful "biography" of Jeoffry ... In a particularly fine evocation of a cat’s-eye view, Soden has Jeoffry distinguish Smart’s asylum visitors from each other by the shape of their lower legs: he is able to tell apart the bulging calves and hobbled feet of Dr Johnson and the more springy limbs of Charles Burney. When David Garrick arrives, Jeoffry recognises him from the way the actor’s theatrical vibrato moves the air in the little cell. It is, after all, what whiskers are for’ – Kathryn Hughes, Literary Review ‘A bracing and heartfelt scamper through Georgian London, and the life of a much-loved cat – like Jeoffry himself, this delightful book is an irresistible mixture of 'gravity and waggery'. With its supporting cast of eighteenth-century luminaries such as Handel, Dr Johnson and the bloated brothel-keeper Mother Douglas, this is a carefully researched and beautifully imagined feline biography’ – Emily Brand, author of The Fall of the House of Byron ‘Inspired by Flush, Virginia Woolf’s “biography” of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s dog, Soden’s book is a witty, charming, semi-fictional biography of the cat that kept Smart company in the madhouse’ – Tristram Fane Saunders, Daily Telegraph ‘Jeoffry: The Poet’s Cat is an engrossing recreation of eighteenth-century London at its grittiest, from brothels to insane asylums, as seen through the eyes of a famous cat. The blend of scrupulous scholarship with imaginative invention is wonderfully effective’ – Leo Damrosch, author of The Club ‘I greatly enjoyed this book ... Oliver Soden has found a really vivid "ground-level" way to capture Georgian London, and as soon as Smart comes on the scene a most moving chemistry develops between the cat who has no words and the poet who is adrift in them’ – Ann Wroe, author of Francis 'Ravishing ... Jeoffry’s life is envisioned here with ingenuity and tact … Soden can write, and knows feline liquidity and transformation: Jeoffry “tipping himself off the wall” is matched when he is a “thrumming loaf of warmth” at the bed’s foot … Soden doesn’t duck cruelty and pain, and Jeoffry ends movingly, back with Smart’s poem, “for nothing is sweeter than his peace when at rest” … A lovely little book' – Min Wild, TLS

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Book SynopsisFor more than forty years, Diana, Princess of Wales, has been mythologized to the most extraordinary degree. Adored and lionized by some, ridiculed and traduced by others, Diana has always commanded a cultural presence unmatched by any other member of the royal family.In Dianaworld, Edward White offers both a portrait of the princess and a group portrait of those who existed in her orbitfrom her royal in-laws, her servants, and the dilapidated ranks of the British aristocracy from which she rose, to drag performers, artists, Britain's ethnic minorities, and the Gen Z superfans who maintain her status as a cultural icon.Drawing on a wide array of sources and perspectives, many never used in books about Diana or the royal family, White vividly recreates the world Diana lived in, explores the growth of her global reputation, and illuminates her lasting impact on the world she left behind.

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Book SynopsisIn his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life. Me is the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.The Sunday Times bestseller with a new chapter bringing the story up to date. 'The rock memoir of the decade' – Daily Mail'The rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader' – Sunday Times______________Christened Reginald Dwight was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was performing his first gig in America, facing an astonished audience in his bright yellow dungarees, a star-spangled T-shirt and boots with wings. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.In Me Elton also writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you, by a living legend.______________'Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all' – The Times'Racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes - what more could you ask from the rocket man' – Guardian (Book of the Week)'Chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid' – TelegraphTrade ReviewBlazingly honest . . . From sex and drugs and dancing with the Queen to sobriety and finally fatherhood, the rock star's gloriously entertaining and candid memoir is a gift to the reader * Sunday Times *The rock memoir of the decade * Daily Mail *Self-deprecating, funny . . . You cannot help but enjoy his company throughout, temper tantrums and all * The Times *All the sex, drugs and showbiz gossip you could want . . . A chatty, gossipy, amusing and at times brutally candid account * Telegraph *Outrageously enjoyable . . . racy, pacy and crammed with scurrilous anecdotes – what more could you ask from the rocket man? * Guardian *Bracingly open and spectacularly funny . . . practically everyone who is anyone in rock jumps briefly but revealingly into view * New Statesman *Full of warmth and candour . . . John's enthusiasm for music continues to shine through, as does the rebellious streak that made him the groundbreaking artist he continues to be today * Independent *A fitting testament to Elton’s life . . . unrelentingly enjoyable * GQ *Me is a riveting, laugh-til-you-cry, heartfelt page-turner . . . it is the earnest, sweet, damaged “music mad” kid at the heart of Me that will stick with you. * EW *The perfect pop memoir . . . the world's most successful singer-songwriter is thin-skinned, opinionated, mischievous a, prone to excess - and funny * The I *

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Book SynopsisBOB WOODWARD’S NEW BOOK, RAGE, IS AN UNPRECEDENTED AND INTIMATE TOUR DE FORCE OF NEW REPORTING ON THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY FACING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC DISASTER AND RACIAL UNREST.   Woodward, the No 1 international bestselling author of Fear: Trump in the White House, has uncovered the precise moment the president was warned that the Covid-19 epidemic would be the biggest national security threat to his presidency. In dramatic detail, Woodward takes readers into the Oval Office as Trump’s head pops up when he is told in January 2020 that the pandemic could reach the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed 675,000 Americans. In 17 on-the-record interviews with Woodward over seven volatile months - an utterly vivid window into Trump’s mind - the president provides a self-portrait that is part denial and part combative interchange mixed with surprising moments of doubt as

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Book SynopsisBillion-Dollar Visionary to Heartbroken Survivor: Loren Ridinger's Untold Story of Love, Loss, and Finding Strength to Thrive Again

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Book SynopsisThe outsider who transformed our justice systemNazir Afzal knows a thing or two about justice. As a Chief Prosecutor, it was his job to make sure the most complex, violent and harrowing crimes made it to court, and that their perpetrators were convicted. From the Rochdale sex ring to the earliest prosecutions for honour killing and modern slavery, Nazir was at the forefront of the British legal system for decades.But his story begins in Birmingham, in the sixties, as a young boy facing racist violence and the tragic death of a young family member - and it's this that sets him on the path to his groundbreaking career, and which enables him to help communities that the conventional justice system ignores, giving a voice to the voiceless.A memoir of struggle and survival as well as crime and punishment, The Prosecutor is both a searing insight into the justice system and a powerful story of one man's pursuit of the truth.Trade ReviewCompelling... his great triumph is in helping to change our justice system so that it can deliver for those who were once overlooked * Sunday Times *Forensically intelligent * The Times *The true face of British justice * New York Times *Afzal is not one to shy away from the failures of the state * New Statesman *Nazir has devoted his life to helping the underdog, the downtrodden victims of crime, and securing justice against all the odds. * The Sun *

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Book SynopsisVauhini Vara has been a reporter and editor for The Atlantic, The New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine, and is the prize-winning author of The Immortal King Rao (finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction) and This is Salvaged. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Book Synopsis'Haunting, brave, breathtakingly beautiful' Isabella Tree'Magnificent' Boston TranscriptHenry Beston planned to spend only two weeks in his newly built cottage on the outer beach of Cape Cod. As summer drifted into autumn, however, he found himself so entranced by the landscape's rhythms and beauty that he could not bear to leave.Settled in his isolated house facing the North Atlantic, Beston spent a year immersed in the raw, elemental life of the great beach around him. Observing the migrations of seabirds, savage winter storms and the constantly shifting interactions between sea and shore, he wrote of the passing seasons in ecstatic, riveting detail.A highly influential classic of American nature writing, The Outermost House is a vital precursor to today's masters of the genre. Impassioned and richly layered, it is a matchless evocation of the spirit of a place and the enduring appeal of the wild.Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe.Introduced by Philip Hoare.Henry Beston (1888-1968) was born in Quincy, Massachusetts and educated at Harvard. He wrote many books in his lifetime, including a memoir of his years in the volunteer ambulance corps in the First World War, an account of life in the US Navy and a book of fairy tales. The Outermost House, widely considered his masterpiece, was published in 1928. His Cape Cod house was named a National Literary Landmark in 1964, and it was destroyed by a huge winter storm in 1978.Philip Hoare is the author of eleven works of non-fiction. His book Leviathan or, The Whale won the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. He has since published many sea-themed works, including The Sea Inside, RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR and, most recently, William Blake and the Sea Monsters of Love.

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Book Synopsis''An engrossing history of the deep connection between humans and clay'' KATHERINE MAY, author of Enchantment''Fascinating and powerful'' BRIAN ENOClay is baked into our culture: we have been taking handfuls of earth and forming them into their own image since our history began. In Clay: A Human History, Jennifer Lucy Allan navigates the story of humankind and our relationship to making and creativity through our relationship with this enigmatic, ancient material. Born out of a desire to know and understand the spiritual and practical applications of clay in both its micro and macro histories, Clay: A Human History is a hybrid of archaeology, history and lived experience as an amateur potter.''I have loved learning from every chapter in this beautiful and affecting book'' VASHTI BUNYAN

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Book SynopsisHow the founders of Beekman 1802 turned a dream into a multimillion-dollar business—and how you can, too.After growing up in rural, middle-class families in North Carolina and Wisconsin and moving to New York to scale the heights of the corporate ladders in advertising, healthcare, and media, Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell returned to their roots and launched Beekman 1802 in one of New York State''s poorest counties, with no funding in the middle of a punishing recession. They didn''t have much of a business plan. But they did know a few things: they wanted to build a truly good company. They wanted to sell high-quality beauty and skincare products made from goat''s milk that would enrich their customers'' lives. They wanted to make the world a better place by spreading kindness. And they wanted to build a business that would last.Beekman 1802 is recognized as one of America''s most esteemed beauty and lifestyle brands. But it wasn''t built on current management fads; it was built on timeless proverbs that Brent''s and Josh''s parents and grandparents had taught them—the "greatest of all time" principles for good living that also can be applied to any business.For the first time, the authors present the twelve principles that made the greatest difference in the growth of Beekman 1802 and show how they are relevant for anyone seeking to run an enduring business of their own or harness the entrepreneurial spirit to rise within a big corporation.Packed with anecdotes from Brent''s and Josh''s own experiences, insights from other successful entrepreneurs, compelling social science research, and a lot of practical advice, GOAT Wisdom is more than a business guide—it''s a source of inspiration.Part All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and part Chicken Soup for the Soul, everyone from dreamers and humble hustlers to entrepreneurs and corporate intrapreneurs will find this wisdom to be insightful and refreshing.

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Book SynopsisThe Road to Wigan Pier is Orwell's 1937 study of poverty and working-class life in northern England.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Chronology The Road to Wigan Pier Appendix: Photographs Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisThe 'Wild West', or American Frontier as it is also known, developed in the years following the American Civil War. However, this period of myth-making cowboys, infamous gunslingers, not always law-abiding lawmen, and saloon madams, is as much the product of fiction writers and film makers as reality. The outlaw came into his, or indeed her, own in the mid to late 19th century. Some of these individuals, men such as Billy the Kid, William Clarke Quantrill, Butch Cassidy or Harry Longabaugh, better known as the Sundance Kid, became household names. Many of those who roamed America's West in the period between 1850 and 1900 often appear as colourful, romanticised, legendary characters. This includes the likes of Frank and Jesse James, who had stepped outside the law due to the harshness of life after the Civil War or under circumstances beyond their control. The majority of outlaws, though, were anonymous common criminals. In 1877, for example, the State Adjutant General of Texas, published 'wanted posters' for some 5,000 outlaws and bandits in the Rio Grande district alone, almost all of whom have since vanished into the mists of time. When it comes to the Wild West, it is important to separate fact from fiction. Of the known recorded killings by the various outlaws and gunfighters, Billy the Kid killed four men, not the twenty that some writers attributed to him. A notorious gunslinger, John Wesley Hardin was said to have killed twenty-seven men, but was only charged with one murder. Wild Bill Hickok killed three men, two of them in Abilene whilst he was City Marshal, and one in Springfield, Missouri, for which he was tried and found not guilty. Clay Allison, however, was thought to have killed at least fifteen men in his time as a gunfighter, whilst some of the outlaw gangs, such as the Rufus Buck Gang and the Evans Gang, were particularly violent and ruthless. The days of the outlaws of the Wild West gradually came to an end at the turn of the nineteenth into the twentieth century. The legends, however, live on.

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Book Synopsis300 years ago, in April 1721, a smallpox epidemic was raging in England. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew that she could save her 3-year-old daughter using the process of inoculation. She had witnessed this at first hand in Turkey, while she was living there as the wife of the British ambassador. She also knew that by inoculating - making her daughter the first person protected in the West - she would face opposition from doctors, politicians and clerics. Her courageous action eventually led to the eradication of smallpox and the prevention of millions of deaths. But Mary was more than a scientific campaigner. She mixed with the greatest politicians, writers, artists and thinkers of her day. She was also an important early feminist, writing powerfully and provocatively about the position of women. She was best friends with the poet Alexander Pope. They collaborated on a series of poems, which made her into a household name, an 'It Girl'. But their friendship turned sour and he used his pen to vilify her publicly. Aristocratic by birth, Mary chose to elope with Edward Wortley Montagu, whom she knew she did not love, so as to avoid being forced into marrying someone else. In middle age, her marriage stale, she fell for someone young enough to be her son - and, unknown to her, bisexual. She set off on a new life with him abroad. When this relationship failed, she stayed on in Europe, narrowly escaping the coercive control of an Italian conman. After twenty-two years abroad, she returned home to London to die. The son-in-law she had dismissed as a young man had meanwhile become Prime Minister.

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Book SynopsisA collection of meditations, essays and practical tips on creativity and the craft of writing, by the New York Times bestselling writer

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Book Synopsis'The powerful new voice of her generation' The Times 'Funny, nuanced and wonderful' Jon Ronson ‘A book that had me hollering, nodding and questioning at the same time' Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie ------- A candid exploration of the state of outrage in our culture, and how we can channel it back into the fights that matter, from presenter and DJ Ashley 'Dotty' Charles. In this wise and very funny journey into the outrage industry, Ashley 'Dotty' Charles explores how by shouting about everything, we have lost sight of the fights that actually matter - and created a world where our outrage feels with consequence. Here's how we can get it back on track. ------- 'Funny, educational, enlightening . . . Way ahead of its time' Chris Evans 'A smart and timely manifesto for surviving the age of rage' i 'Everyone with a social media account should read this book' Bella Mackie 'A swipe at the empty rhetoric of activism' ObserverTrade ReviewA great read . . . Charles is very funny, but the irreverent and chatty tone leads you to important ponderings . . . Outraged is a study of flash activism and why it doesn’t last, and its message is rendered all the more relevant for it being published in the midst of a flash of activism that simply must * The Times *A swipe at the empty rhetoric of activism that only exists with a hashtag online * Observer *As Charles puts it, plenty of people are playing the “sport of outrage” but who is keeping score? . . . Makes many worthwhile points . . . If her plea for people to turn down the heat, except when it matters most, is heeded, then Charles will have given valuable service in helping to improve public discourse * Evening Standard *A radio host explores how reflexive outrage weakens the social discourse and, counterintuitively, makes it harder to effect real change regarding the issues that outrage us in the first place * New York Times Book Review *DJ and presenter Charles tackles cancel culture head on with this vigorous polemic * i, Summer Reads *A timely new release, Outraged reminds us how to keep some perspective in a social and political landscape where many cause offence without thought to the consequences * Radio Times *A refreshing rallying call for the return of real activism and a guide to living through the age of outrage. Sharply funny too * Psychologies *Cackled my way through this . . . A bold and hilarious exploration of how we use our energy online, and whether we’re wasting our rage on the wrong things when we could use it collectively to make actual change. It definitely made me re-evaluate my online priorities -- Megan Jayne Crabbe * Stylist *Books about wokeness are typically written by a very specific type of conservative figure. Dotty rips up the rulebook in order to write a thought-provoking but never provocative book about the Outrage Era: how did we get here? Where have we gone wrong? And how can we find our way back? Deep dives into clicktivism, tribalism and ‘the Choir Effect’ of public shame jostle alongside interviews with controversial figures like Rachel Dolezal and arch provocateur Katie Hopkins, in order to create a witty, thoughtful and ever-so-thoughtful guide to getting our outrage back on track -- Pandora SykesOutraged is a timely reminder to keep perspective. To question who we actually help when we rush to yell online. Dotty writes with humour and measure, always keen to explore rather than condemn. Everyone with a social media account should read this book -- Bella MackieThis superb polemic is a penetrating exploration of the sorry state of outrage in our culture. Through interviews with Rachel Dolezal, Katie Hopkins and others, Charles shows that by so quickly leaping on the outrage bandwagon, we are actually debasing the quality of our civil discourse . . . I underlined something on almost every page * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisRamachandra Guha's book, The Commonwealth of Cricket, traces India's journey to cricket dominance in 50 years. It delves into the sport's impact at various levels in India, combining personal stories, journalism, and political analysis to offer a comprehensive view of cricket's importance in the nation's social and historical fabric.

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Book Synopsis''Over 20 films. Over 40 years. What collaboration in any medium has lasted so long, been so successful, so personal, so happy? Read this wonderfully entertaining book: a unique story of a unique life in the world of world cinema'' WES ANDERSON ''Jim is as eloquent and elegant with words as with the camera; here are almost a series of short stories of his life, vivid snapshots, told with an exacting eye. Every sentence is filled with his wry cadence, guided by his appreciation of things beautiful, amusing and unusual. We take the tour of his life which has as fascinating a cast and is set in locations as far flung and exotic as his films - except with way more sex. Read it and drink it in!'' HELENA BONHAM CARTER''Ivory is full of candour and randiness...[this] book will open the eyes, often very wide'' The Times---------------In Solid Ivory, a carefully crafted mosaic of memories, portraits, and reflecTrade ReviewOver 20 films. Over 40 years. What collaboration in any medium has lasted so long, been so successful, so personal, so happy? James Ivory met Ismail Merchant (in 1961) and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (in 1962), and one of the earliest, most durable, most independent of independent film families came to life. The widest varieties of stories (neorealist memoirs, literary adaptations, avant garde experiments) and settings (England, France, Italy, India, the Americas North and South); the broadest collection of superb actors and artists (Vanessa Redgrave, Paul Newman, Anthony Hopkins, Shashi Kapoor, Maggie Smith, Subrata Mitra!). Read this wonderfully entertaining book: a unique story of a unique life in the world of world cinema. * Wes Anderson *I met Jim when I was 18 . He was an introvert to Ismail's extrovert. I always wondered what was going on in his head. Now I know, and I'm so glad he's shared it.Jim is as eloquent and elegant with words as with the camera; here are almost a series of short stories of his life, vivid snapshots, told with an exacting eye. Every sentence is filled with his wry cadence, guided by his appreciation of things beautiful, amusing and unusual. We take the tour of his life which has as fascinating a cast and is set in locations as far flung and exotic as his films - except with way more sex. And I thank God I'm not in it. Jim is now in his ninth decade and I believe his secret elixir is a delight in life - read it and drink it in! -- Helena Bonham Carter'James Ivory write[s] with perfect elegance...there's nothing starchy or uptight about these scenes from his fascinating life' * The Sunday Times *'Full of humour, warmth and crystal-clear reminiscences from his personal and professional life, Ivory's narrative is witty, informative, gossipy and at times eye-poppingly frank' * The Lady *'There's something rather brilliant about a man heading towards his hundredth birthday demanding more explicit sex. Ivory is full of candour and randiness...[this] book will open the eyes, often very wide' * Times *'Consistently entertaining' * Guardian *'A languid, enjoyably gossipy memoir from one half of Merchant Ivory that after a fascinating exploration of well-off, small-town American life in the Thirties and Forties, quickly gets eye-opening' * Evening Standard *Ivory writes beautifully and delicately, and emerges as a true cinematic rarity; the auteur who wants everyone to have a nice time while they make their best work * TLS *Over 20 films. Over 40 years. What collaboration in any medium has lasted so long, been so successful, so personal, so happy?...Read this wonderfully entertaining book: a unique story of a unique life in the world of world cinema. -- Wes AndersonJim is as eloquent and elegant with words as with the camera; here are almost a series of short stories of his life, vivid snapshots, told with an exacting eye. Every sentence is filled with his wry cadence, guided by his appreciation of things beautiful, amusing and unusual. We take the tour of his life which has as fascinating a cast and is set in locations as far flung and exotic as his films - except with way more sex...read it and drink it in! -- Helena Bonham CarterA memoir as eloquent and gracious as his films, Ivory's page-turner brims over with the boldness, candor, and modesty which only great minds can claim. Places, objects, bodies, people, and so many names, all have a place in his unassailably brilliant life. -- André Aciman - writer of CALL ME BY YOUR NAMEThe producer-director's memoirs are as stately and intimate as his indelible films, chronicling his childhood in Klamath Falls, Oregon during the Great Depression; his clandestine boyhood crushes; and the tribulations and triumphs of making movie magic. * Oprah Daily *

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author, a dazzling, globe-spanning history of humankind's greatest invention: the city.'Brilliant...enchanting' Evening Standard 'Exhilarating' New York TimesThe story of the city is the story of civilisation. From Uruk and Babylon to Baghdad and Venice, and on to London, New York, Shanghai and Lagos, Ben Wilson takes us through millennia on a thrilling global tour of the key urban centres of history.Rich with individual characters, scenes and snapshots of daily life, Metropolis is at once the story of these extraordinary places and of the vital role they have played in making us who we are.'Panoramic...entertaining and rich in wondrous detail' Tom Holland'A towering achievement... Reading this book is like visiting an exhilarating city for the first time' Wall Street JournalTrade ReviewBrilliant... Enchanting... This is a history of the world told through its most buccaneering units... And it is full of quirky facts about London. -- Arjun Neil Alim * Evening Standard *Compendious and fascinating... Metropolis is crammed with local colour; and what gives the historical schema its real flavour is the deviations it allows... It makes you understand why we opted for cities in the first place, and why, despite the doom and gloom, I doubt we will be quitting them any time soon. -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *Wilson [is] an erudite, creative guide to the history of civilization through its great urban areas... He broadens the book's focus beyond the usual Western suspects... An excellent account. -- Eben Shapiro * Time Magazine *Wilson sets out to match Mumford's sweep in Metropolis, and he brilliantly synthesises the forces that make cities hum. -- John Gapper * Financial Times *Capacious, entertaining and rich in wondrous detail, this is a work of history that pulls off the startling feat of measuring up to the immensity of its subject matter. -- Tom Holland * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisThe outrageous sequel to Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs (She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse) brings more great stories from the far side of civilization - hilarious, full of humour, colourful characters and dramatic action! Just another glorious day in the oilfield for Paul Carter! He's stuck in the middle of the Russian sea on a rig staffed by a crew from Azerbaijan. The choppers are older than him and can only fly by line of sight, turning back regularly due to the weather which gets particuarly interesting when they are past the point of no return with half there fuel gone and they are committed to finding the rig in a fog that's thicker than a Big Brother housemate. The closest thing to a hotel for miles around is the Asylum, a former soviet mental institution that now houses offshore personnel en-route to the rig, where his room mates are Vodka Bob - who drinks Guinness for breakfast when he's not on the rig - Sick Boy, who snores like a pit bull being hot-waxed and Sealbasher. In his inimitable style Paul Carter regales us with his colourful adventures from the front line of thee oil industry and the far side of civilization!Trade ReviewIf you're looking for a rip-roaring, rollicking roster of drunken antics, tropical diseases and bad behaviour, you won't go far wrong. * Amazon reviews *Get ready for loosely connected, bawdy stories about the author and his outrageous friends. Some tales come from the oil rigs Carter worked on, but most take place in bars, where misogynistic alpha males drown themselves in a sea of liquor. How about the one where a bloke with a glass eye pops it into someone's beer, and the crowd waits until the victim quaffs the last ounce to see it staring at him from the bottom of his glass? Carter narrates the audiobook in his working-class Australian accent, loaded with the national vocabulary of 'mates', 'queuing', 'boiled sweets', and 'rubbing one out' (think gas). His rapid narrative style leaves the listener little time to ponder the novel metaphors, similes, and analogies. * Audiofile Magazine *

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Book SynopsisImprove your chess by studying the greatest games of all time, from Adolf Anderssen''s ''Immortal Game'' to Magnus Carlsen''s world championship victories, and featuring a foreword by five-times World Champion Vishy Anand.This book is written by an all-star team of authors. Wesley So is the reigning Fischer Random World Champion, the 2017 US Champion and the winner of the 2016 Grand Chess Tour. Michael Adams has been the top British player for the last quarter of a century and was a finalist in the 2004 FIDE World Championship. Graham Burgess is the author of thirty books, a former champion of the Danish region of Funen, and holds the world record for marathon blitz chess playing. John Nunn is a three-time winner of both the World Solving Championship and the British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award. John Emms is an experienced chess coach and writer, who finished equal first in the 1997 British Championship and was chess columnist of the YoungTrade ReviewFor the famous games which appear in other books and anthologies, the authors have provided the most thorough and careful annotations you will find. They also include some extremely brilliant games which haven't received much attention elsewhere . . . Of the various 'Greatest Games' collections, The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games is the most up to date with the highest-quality annotations. You will want a copy on your shelf. -- John Watson

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Illuminating ... Modern specialists dismiss [Banks] as a jack of all trades, but Musgrave's claim that he changed our world is not an exaggeration.”—John Carey, Sunday Times“Multifarious he [Mr. Banks] was indeed, and Mr. Musgrave treats us to an extensive, admiring account of his subject’s circuitous route to fame and power.”—Wall Street Journal"Charismatic Sir Joseph Banks discovered hundreds of new plants, but was much more than just an explorer.”—Peter Sheridan, Daily Express“[An] enthusiastic admiration of its subject and commitment to repairing a calumny-damaged reputation”—Steven Shapin, London Review of Books“Readers will get a good idea of the range of Banks' scientific and administrative activities in this book, handled with a light touch and tinctured with wit.”—Brent Elliott, The Garden“It is evident that the author knows a great deal about all aspects of Banks’ life and about contemporaneous affairs...One is left with a clear, rounded picture of Banks as a person...I have no doubt the author will achieve his aim to return Banks to his rightful place in our history.”—Patrick Kaye, Sir Joseph Banks Society Magazine “Musgrave’s book is an engaging picture of how a love of plants can lead to many things, even ‘shaping the world’.”—Sandra Knapp, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland“An enjoyable and informative text to read, it gives a clear picture of the many-sided interests of [Banks], his networks of power and communication and their outcomes. The author addresses issues such as Banks’s character faults, for example, his egotism, his informal relationships with women, or his colonial aspirations.”—Gina Douglas, Archives of Natural History“In this entertaining biography, Musgrave presents a massive amount of information, as well as drawing widely on Banks’s writings, to illustrate the long-held passion for natural history which Banks pursued from a very young age.”—WSG Bulletin CHOICE 2021 Outstanding Academic Title“Sir Joseph Banks was perhaps the greatest scientist of his age and this book is an inspiration to all as we start to re-examine our relationship with nature.”—Robin Hanbury-Tenison OBE, author of The Great Explorers“Combines depth of research with concise exposition of Banks’s remarkable career.”—John Gascoigne, author of Joseph Banks and the English Enlightenment“At long last - a book that shines new light on such a key figure in history! From botanical gardens to Botany Bay, Joseph Banks’s brilliance radiates throughout this important and highly-readable new biography.”—Vanessa Collingridge, author of Captain Cook"In the inimitable prose of garden historian Toby Musgrave, Banks is brought alive as a key figure in facilitating, among many other things, scientific - particularly botanical - endeavour, as part of the global positioning of Georgian England.”—David Mabberly, author of Botanical Revelation“This well-researched and even-handed biography of Banks confirms his importance as a pioneering scientist, philanthropist and explorer.”—Graham Seal, author of The Savage Shore

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Book SynopsisLove, Poverty and War: Journeys and Essays showcases the Hitchens' rejection of consensus and cliché, whether he's reporting from abroad in Indonesia, Kurdistan, Iraq, North Korea, or Cuba, or when his pen is targeted mercilessly at the likes of William Clinton, Mother Theresa ("a fanatic, a fundamentalist and a fraud"), the Dalai Lama, Noam Chomsky, Mel Gibson and Michael Bloomberg. Hitchens began the nineties as a "darling of the left" but has become more of an "unaffiliated radical" whose targets include those on the "left," who he accuses of "fudging" the issue of military intervention in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet, as Hitchens shows in his reportage, cultural and literary criticism, and opinion essays from the last decade, he has not jumped ship and joined the right but is faithful to the internationalist, contrarian and democratic ideals that have always informed his work.Trade ReviewDazzling, and often very moving, writing from the 1990s by one of the most prolific, as well as brilliant, journalists of our time * Observer *An exceptional political polemicist * Prospect *Hitchens is just too damn good. * New Statesman *Table of Contents1: The Medals Of His Defeats 2: A Man Of Permanent Contradictions 3: The Old Man 4: Huxley And Brave New World 5: Greeneland 6: Scoop 7: The Man Of Feeling 8: The Misfortune Of Poetry 9: The Acutest Ear In Paris 10: Joyce In Bloom 11: The Immortal 12: It Happened On Sunset 13: The Ballad Of Route 66 14: The Adventures Of Augie March 15: Rebel Ghosts 16: America's Poet? Bob Dylan's Achievement 17: I Fought The Law In Bloomberg's New York 18: For Patriot Dreams 19: Martha Inc. 20: Scenes From An Execution 21: In Sickness And By Stealth 22: The Strange Case Of David Irving 23: Why Americans Are Not Taught History 24: A Hundred Years Of Muggery 25: Unfairenheit 9/11: The Lies Of Michael Moore 26: Virginity Regained 27: The Divine One 28: The Devil And Mother Teresa 29: Blessed Are The Phrasemakers 30: Jewish Power, Jewish Peril 31: The Future Of An Illusion 32: The Gospel According To Mel 33: The Struggle Of The Kurds 34: Thunder In The Black Mountains 35: Visit To A Small Planet 36: Havana Canwait 37: The Clinton-Douglas Debates 38: We're Still Standing 39: The Morning After 40: Against Rationalization 41: Of Sin, The Left, & Islamic Fascism 42: A Rejoinder To Noam Chomsky 43: Blaming Bin Laden First 44: The Ends Ofwar 45: Pakistan: On The Frontier Of Apocalypse 46: Saddam's Long Good-Bye 47: A Liberating Experience

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Book SynopsisThe global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events - or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P. G. Woodhouse and C. L. R. James, and his rogues' gallery gives us portraits of Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa and P. J. O'Rouke. The addition of pieces on political assassination in America, as well as a devastating indictment of the evisceration of politics by pollsters and spin doctors, and an entertaining celebration of booze and fags, complete this outstanding collection from a writer of unequalled talent.Trade ReviewDisplays the intelligence, invective and stubborn common sense Mr Hitchens brings to his commentaries, be they about the political scene in Washington, the soap-opera travail of the British Royal family or a novel by George Eliot. * New York Times *Hitchens rejoices without inhibition in the pleasure of hating and knows that satire is murder by other means... A pen like this is more lethal than most swords. * The Observer *The fiercely independent-minded Hitchens provides reams of fuel for intellectual conflagration, couched in the luxurious excess of humour... progressive journalism as it was meant to be. * The Nation *The test of this kind of book is for the reader to be able to open it anywhere and be drawn into the argument; it's a test that Hitchens passes time and time again... He can be devilishly funny, but he is also capable of writing with acid seriousness. * Independent on Sunday *Table of Contents1: Where Were You Standing? 2: On the Imagination of Conspiracy 3: Contempt for the Little Colony 4: The State Within the State 5: Voting in the Passive Voice 6: The Hate that Dare Not Speak Its Name 7: A Pundit Who Need Never Dine Alone 8: Hard on the Houseboy 9: New Orleans in a Brown Shirt 10: Rioting in Mount Pleasant 11: Billionaire Populism 12: The Clemency of Clinton 13: Clinton as Rhodesian 14: Bill's Bills in Miami 15: Realpolitik in the Gulf: A Game Gone Tilt 16: Churchillian Delusions 17: No End of a Lesson 18: Befriending the Kurds 19: Arise, Sir Norman 20: Jewish in Damascus 21: Songs Fit For Heroes 22: Hating Sweden 23: Squeezing Costa Rica 24: The Saviour 25: Tio Sam 26: The Autumn of Patriarch 27: Third Thoughts 28: Cretinismo Eroico 29: The Twilight of Panzerkommunismus 30: Police Mentality 31: On the Road to Timsoara 32: Bricks in the Wall 33: The Free Market Cargo Cult 34: Now Neo-conservatives Perish 35: Appointment in Sarajevo 36: 'Society' and Its Enemies 37: Credibility Politics: Sado-Monetarist Economics 38: Union Jackshirt: Ingham's Conservative Chic 39: Neil Kinnock: Defeat Without Honour 40: Bribing and Twisting 41: How's the Vampire? 42: Charlie's Angel 43: Unhappy Families 44: Princess of Dysfunction 45: New York Intellectuals and the Prophet Outcast 46: Clubland Intellectuals 47: The 'We' Fallacy 48: Shouting Anarchy 49: Politically Correct 50: Friend of Promise 51: Booze and Fags 52: Nixon: Maestro of Resentment 53: Kissinger: A Touch of Evil 54: Berlin's Mandate for Palestine 55: Ghoul of Calcutta 56: The Life of Johnson 57: A Grave Disappointment All Round 58: Too Big For His Boot 59: P.J. O'Rourke: Not Funny Enough 60: Not Funny Enough (2) 61: Warhol in One Dimension 62: Siding with Rushdie 63: Goya's Radical Pessimism 64: Degenerate Art 65: James Baldwin: Humanity First 66: Updike on the Make 67: P.G. Wodehouse in Love, Poverty and War 68: Greene: Where the Shadow Falls 69: Kazuo Ishiguro 70: Victor Serge 71: C.L.R James 72: In Defence of Daniel Deronda

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE FORTNUM & MASON DEBUT FOOD BOOK AWARD 2021WINNER OF 2021 LAKELAND BOOK OF THE YEARExtraordinary. Vivid, irreverent, heartbreaking.' NIGEL SLATERSo funny and so delicious. I could eat it.' DAWN O'PORTERDelicious.' THE OBSERVERFrom an early age, Grace Dent was hungry. As a little girl growing up in Currock, Carlisle, she yearned to be something bigger, to go somewhere better.Hungrytraces her story from growing up eating beige food to becoming one of Britain's best-loved food writers. It's also everyone's story from cheese and pineapple hedgehogs and treats with your nan, to the exquisite joy of a chip butty covered in vinegar and too much salt in the school canteen on a grey day. And the Cadbury's Fruit & Nut from a hospital vending machine that tells a loved one you really care.Grace's snapshot of how we have lived, laughed and eaten over the past 40 years reveals the central role food plays in either bringing us together or driving us apart from toasting a large glass oTrade Review‘Extraordinary. Vivid, irreverent, heartbreaking.’ NIGEL SLATER ‘So funny and so delicious. I could eat it.’ DAWN O’PORTER ‘… absolutely loved it. Add to your reading list now!’ NIGELLA LAWSON ‘I stayed awake LATE to finish and honest-to-god it’s WONDERFUL! Deliciously honest about ambition, family secrets, loneliness, success, it’s all here! It’s a HUGELY engaging and satisfying read.’ MARIAN KEYES ‘Charming, readable and resonating … this is British comfort food in book form’ STYLIST ‘A moving account of family and ambition’ VOGUE ‘Full of audacious, vodka-dry humour, Hungry is also tender and touching, she writes about her father’s dementia with heartbreaking honesty.’ RED ‘Funny and poignant account of life with her father and how it shaped her relationship with food…Dent is a fine comic writer, but she is also superb on grief and the small moments of connection that offer a way through.' THE OBSERVER ‘Tender and witty, the book is both a love letter to George, whose eventual decline from dementia she recounts, and the food that brought them together.’ THE GUARDIAN

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