Biography Books

Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionLonglisted for the Orwell Prize for Political WritingThe Ministry of Truth charts the life of George Orwell's 1984, one of the most influential books of the twentieth century and a work that is ever more relevant in this tumultuous era of 'fake news' and 'alternative facts'. 'Fascinating . . . If you have even the slightest interest in Orwell or in the development of our culture, you should not miss this engrossing, enlightening book.' - John Carey, The Sunday TimesGeorge Orwell's 1984 has become a defining narrative of the modern world. Its cultural influence can be observed in some of the most notable creations of the past seventy years, from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale to the reality TV landmark Big Brother, while ideas such as 'thought police', 'doublethink', and 'Newspeak' are ingrained in our language.In the first book to fully examine the origin and legacy of Orwell's final masterpiece, Dorian Lynskey investigates the influences that came together in the writing of 1984 from Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War and in wartime London to his fascination with utopian and dystopian fiction. Lynskey explores the phenomenon the novel became when it was first published in 1949 and the changing ways in which it has been read over the decades since, revealing how history can inform fiction and how fiction can influence history.'Everything you wanted to know about 1984 but were too busy misusing the word "Orwellian" to ask.' - Caitlin MoranTrade ReviewFascinating . . . Freshly and powerfully argued . . . If you have even the slightest interest in Orwell or in the development of our culture, you should not miss this engrossing, enlightening book. -- John Carey, The Sunday TimesThe Ministry of Truth is the best book I have read in a long time. Fizzing with ideas yet superbly readable . . . [this] is both a warning and an exhortation for us all to be stubborn as Orwell was with facts, and like Winston Smith to cling to the belief that 2+2=4. -- C. J. SansomEverything you wanted to know about 1984 but were too busy misusing the word -Orwellian- to ask. -- Caitlin Moran

Read more less

Book SynopsisBorn in the tough East End of Glasgow and married into one of the city’s most notorious criminal families, Janey Godley’s young life was far from ordinary. From the grim and far-from-swinging 60s, to the discos of the 70s, to the tidal wave of heroin addiction which engulfed Glasgow's East End during the 1980s, Janey was witness to an extraordinary underworld - as well as religious sectarianism, abject poverty and a frightening family of in-laws. Throughout it all, her indomitable spirit – and her vivid sense of humour – kept her alive.A vivid, intimate and darkly funny account of a life less ordinary, Handstands in the Dark tells the story of how one girl escaped a chaotic family and became one of the UK’s most popular comedic talents.Trade ReviewAn inspirational book * Daily Mail *A remarkably engaging and fluently written memoir -- Stephanie Merritt * The Observer *Genuinely compelling and very brave * Glasgow Herald *If the school of hard knocks handed out degrees, Janey Godley would have a PH by now... a harrowing memoir... Godley finds the irony and absurdity in the most godforsaken situations, yet unlike a lot of comics she's brave and honest enough to reveal her innermost emotions, and it's this sincerity that gives her streetwise revelations such bite * The Guardian *Powerful... passionate... poignant... a rising star of stand-up * The Scotsman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERA Divorced Woman. A Dangerous Man. A Devastating Affair.You're right. It is totally extraordinary. My life is like a film; you couldn't make it up But there's something I have to tell you,' he confided, as he leaned across the table towards me. I'm not normal.'Carolyn Woods was living happily in a quiet Cotswolds village when an attractive stranger abruptly arrived in her life.Introducing himself as Mark Conway, he exuded confidence and to her surprise Carolyn quickly became captivated by this mysterious man. A rich Swiss banker (who later confessed to being a spy), he offered Carolyn companionship and introduced her to an exciting, glamorous world.In fact, some things were so astonishing she began to question her new lover. Was all as it seemed?The truth was even harder to believe. For a start, his real name was Mark Acklom, he was wanted by Interpol, and he was rich but for one reason onlyA true-crime story that reads like a thriller, Sleeping with

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn his latest book, bestselling author Cass Pennant takes an engaging and unparalleled look at some of the most volatile and violent scenes of fans following their football clubs to have unfolded over the past five decades, and examines the lengths to which many will go to put one over their local rivals.Here is history that also examines everything from the changing face of football violence, to who gets involved - and why. It looks, too, at how the' firms' operate, both home and away, and at the effects of the football establishment's often counter-productive attempts to contain hooliganism on the psychology of supporters. Has the war on hooliganism been successfully stamped out? Can it ever be won? This remarkable and informative book gives a frank examination of football violence to show how different inter-club and inter-regional rivalries have evolved - and features many first-hand accounts of incidents that make chilling reading. It builds up to provide the most comprehensive look behind the match-day madness and the activities of some of British football's most notorious hooligans, to give answers as to why these games are so important to supporters. The history of such infamous 'firms' as the ICF, the Bushwackers, the Headhunters, and the Red Army has never been fully documented . . . until now.You're Going Home in a F*cking Ambulance is an eye-opening study of a problem that refuses to go away, by a writer who knows his subject inside-out.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPaperback edition of Amberley's bestselling title of 2012. Collects together unabridged, all the major substantial first-hand accounts of the sinking of the Titanic.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Highly engaging . . . The creeping escalation of oppression and rebellion is often thrillingly told . . . A powerful story of a history that remains far from settled’ Daily Telegraph In the darkest days of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Anna-Maria van der Vaart sheltered Allied pilots, gave refuge to persecuted Jews and participated in audacious acts of sabotage. She survived when others did not, a witness to their courage and to the terrible treachery that betrayed so many of them to the Nazis. Tens of thousands of Dutchmen elected to fight with the Germans, while many civilians turned over their Jewish neighbours to an almost certain death. Holland’s Jewish leaders prevaricated, hoping to save their people and their own skins. But the exploits of the Dutch Resistance produced unimaginable heroism and unparalleled self-sacrifice. A chance meeting with Martin Sixsmith in 2019 led to Anna-Maria telling him her story

Read more less

Book Synopsis A Sunday Times Book of the Year'This magnificent, highly readable double biography...brings these two driven, complicated women vividly to life' The Financial Times'A gripping saga of a double-biography' Daily Mail'A masterful portrait' The Times'Vastly enjoyable' Literary Review'Deeply absorbing and meticulously researched' The Oldie In 1815, the clever, courted and cherished Annabella Milbanke married the notorious and brilliant Lord Byron. Just one year later, she fled, taking with her their baby daughter, the future Ada Lovelace. Byron himself escaped into exile and died as a revolutionary hero in 1824, aged 36. The one thing he had asked his wife to do was to make sure that their daughter never became a poet. Ada didn't. Brought up by aTrade Review‘A masterful portrait…Miranda Seymour is a marvellous storyteller…it is composed to a considerable extent of scandal, gossip and bad blood, Seymour’s book is hugely entertaining as well as formidably researched, and should not be missed’ -- John Carey * The Sunday Times *‘It was…her brilliance as a scientific and mathematical pioneer that defined Ada…Struggling against her mother’s domineering influence and the sexism of 19th Century England…she also found herself in competition for Annabella’s attention with Medora, Augusta’s daughter and rumoured Byronic bastard.’ -- Alexander Larman * The Times *‘Vastly enjoyable…it is one of the many pleasures of this book that Seymour makes the reader warm to their inconsistencies, to all the inexplicable oppositions of character and action that make them so familiar and human…Brilliant, ebullient, eccentric, vivacious, egocentric and oddly dressed, Ada had her mother’s discipline and her father’s volatility.’ -- Lucy Lethbridge * Literary Review *'As Miranda Seymour writes in this gripping saga of a double-biography…the pretty 20-year-old Annabella Milbanke… [who] fell head over heels in love with mad, bad and dangerous Lord Byron…a serial womaniser who referred to sexual encounters as "hot luncheons"…"her heart was obstinately set upon the reformation of a rake".' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, Book of the Week *'Miranda Seymour is…subtle, astute and experienced an historian…and her zestful prose keeps the reader engaged throughout…in this deeply absorbing and meticulously researched biography of Byron’s wife and daughter.' -- Rupert Christiansen * The Oldie *'It’s more than 160 years since the death of the computer pioneer Ada Lovelace…credited with everything from the invention of the CD to the foundation of Silicon Valley. Miranda Seymour agrees that it is not Ada Lovelace’s skills as a mathematician that matter, but rather her visionary words, 100 years before the birth of electronic computers, about "a new, a vast and a powerful language". In her ambitious...dual biography of Ada and her mother Lady Byron, the power of Lovelace’s imagination and her belief in a "poetry of mathematics" is seen as a direct inheritance from Ada’s father Lord Byron.' -- Mark Bostridge * The Spectator *'There are difficult men, and then there is Lord Byron…the aim of Miranda Seymour’s new book is to put Byron’s wife, Annabella Milbanke, and their increasingly famous daughter, Ada Lovelace, centre stage… Not only were his wife and child still dealing with the rumours of cruelty, incest and sodomy – a then illegal activity which, Seymour…a wonderful writer… speculates, his young wife may have enjoyed – long after his death in 1824; they remained, in emotionally complex ways, in his thrall all their lives.' -- Rachel Cooke * The Observer, Book of the Day *'On BBC4 she was celebrated as "Calculating Ada, the Countess of Computing"…writing about Babbage’s Analytical Engine, whose potential she was the only one to realise…in her extraordinarily prophetic "Notes"…As for Ada’s mother… Annabella Milbanke was married only a year before she left Byron, and he left the country…Miranda Seymour puts everything straight in this magnificent, highly readable double biography, which brings these two driven, complicated women vividly to life…In Seymour’s hands, Annabella’s pioneering work…at last assumes the status it deserves. Her humanity shines through…Ada’s own short life was colourful, chaotic and bedevilled by illness…This is a very fine book. Written with warmth, panache and conviction, its formidable research is lightly worn.' -- Sue Gaisford * The Financial Times *‘The story of this unhappy trio has been told before, but seldom with as much brio as it is here. Miranda Seymour’s particular aim is to rescue Annabella from over a century’s worth of bad press… Only now, in Seymour’s careful hands, is she finally allowed to emerge as a figure who was neither saint nor sinner but somewhere in between.’ -- Kathryn Hughes * The Guardian *‘A seasoned biographer, [Miranda Seymour] brings her considerable powers to the lives of the human jetsam…left to sink or swim in Byron’s wake.' * Weekend Australian *‘A nuanced account, attuned to contemporary preoccupations...Goethe thought the spectacle of the Byrons’ marriage "so poetical that if Lord Byron had invented it, he would hardly have had a more fortunate subject for his genius." Seymour’s account...shows that it has lost none of its power to enthrall.’ * Daily Telegraph *‘Deft and compelling… The late Georgians invented the cult of celebrity and Byron was its first and finest creation. His wife and daughter could not escape fame, they could hope only to avoid notoriety. Annabella’s attempts to preserve her reputation and other people’s attempts to salvage Byron’s have left a pall of smoke from burning letters and diaries, further obscuring the facts that remain. Seymour carries off a delicate balancing act, combining the historian’s proper caution with acute judgements and a dashing narrative pace.’ -- Rosemary Hill * London Review of Books *‘Seymour manages to offer a supremely even-handed and well-evidenced account of the relationship without losing any of the juicier details (Byron’s affair and possible daughter with his half-sister; his predilection for sodomy; his seeming derangement in the face of wedlock)…one of the many strengths of Seymour’s study is its illustration of these accomplished women’s lives apart from the man who deserted them. Seymour is a master of character, and here she gives us two ferociously intelligent women who were deeply ambivalent about motherhood and their place in the male-dominated fields they inhabited.’ -- Corin Throsby * TLS *‘Meticulously researched…A skilled and experienced biographer, Seymour weaves her way through cobwebby curtains of rumor and gossip…The combination of pure mathematics and agonized personal passions gives Seymour’s book an arresting power’ -- Jenny Uglow * New York Review of Books *‘Miranda Seymour joins the dots with a wonderful account of the life of Ada’s mother, Annabella Milbanke, a society heiress and education reformer who outlived both husband and daughter. This double biography…is a scholarly treatment of sensational material, and it’s often as gripping as a soap opera’ * Sunday Times Books of the Year *‘A skilful account of Lord Byron’s disastrous marriage to the heiress Annabella Milbanke…and then on their daughter, Ada, Countess of Lovelace, computing pioneer, who descended into drugs and debt’ * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBorn in 1948 into a family of ministers in Kingston, Jamaica, the statuesque and strikingly beautiful Grace Jones lived with her family in Syracuse, NY, before launching a career as a model in New York City. Gaining fame as the cover girl for such publications as Vogue and Elle, Jones''s flamboyant look proved to be a hit on the New York City nightclub circuit and she became a darling of the disco scene, which led to a recording contract and a substantial following among gay men. With her sexually charged, outrageous live shows, Grace soon earned the title of ''Queen of the Gay Discos.'' When she moved to Paris in 1970, the French fashion scene embraced her unusual, androgynous looks and, in addition to cover work, she dominated the runways of designers like Yves St. Laurent and befriended the likes of Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld. While there, she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange and became artist Jean-Paul Goude''s muse - he also fathered her son Pau

Read more less

Book SynopsisFollowing in his late father's footsteps, Tai Woffinden made his name as Britain's most successful speedway rider ever. Known for his speed on the tracks and his quirky tattoos, he is a popular figure within the sport and beyond it.With a vast array of titles to his name, including youngest ever Grand Prix World Champion, achieved at the age of twenty-three, Tai has come a long way from his Scunthorpe roots. His love affair with speedway began when his family emigrated to Australia while he was a child, where he became a local champion while still at school. He has not been without his share of struggles, however. In 2010, he lost his father, the popular speedway rider Rob Woffinden, to cancer, which, combined with issues within his team, resulted in a difficult season. Then, in 2019, during his defence of his World Championship, he crashed heavily during a race in Poland and was badly injured, breaking his back.Such setbacks do not keep true champions down for long, however - Tai will be back, to dazzle his thousands of fans with his unique combination of flamboyant skill and raw courage. Told with his trademark honesty and directness, his autobiography provides an eye-opening insight into the life of one of speedway's greatest talents and most beloved stars.© images; not to be copied or reproduced without permission.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA contemporary critic described Ignatius Sancho as “what is very uncommon for men of his complexion, A man of letters.” A London shopkeeper, former butler, and descendant of slaves, Sancho was the first author of African descent to have his correspondence published. He was also a critic of literature, music, and art; a composer; and an advocate for the abolition of slavery. Sancho’s letters reveal an avid reader and prolific author, and his epistolary style shows a sophisticated understanding of both private and public audiences. Even after the abolition of the slave trade, proponents of equal rights on both sides of the Atlantic continued to use Sancho as an exemplar of the intellectual and moral capacity of people of African descent.In addition to the annotated letters by Sancho, this edition includes Laurence Sterne's letters to Sancho, Sancho's surviving autograph writings, and a selection of the many eighteenth-century responses to Sancho and his letters.Trade Review“Vincent Carretta’s Broadview edition of Ignatius Sancho’s letters revises and expands his earlier editions of this important eighteenth-century Black British text. Bringing together both the published and the recently discovered unpublished letters, along with meticulous footnotes, a wealth of scholarly and contextual material, and an illuminating introduction, Carretta allows us to see Sancho more vividly than ever before. But at the heart of this edition are the letters themselves: sparkling, witty, and endlessly readable, they remain a fascinating insight into the life of an African at the heart of eighteenth-century literary London.” — Brycchan Carey, Kingston University“The first man of African descent to publish a book in English, and to vote in a parliamentary election, Ignatius Sancho enjoyed considerable fame in eighteenth-century society. His letters were praised, quite rightly, for their wit, charm, and sensibility—though he was, equally, a trenchant critic of slavery and empire. Vincent Carretta’s edition for Broadview will become the new authoritative text, providing attentive and erudite annotation and a full biographical introduction, alongside all Sancho’s known letters, both in print and manuscript—including those only discovered in the last decade. Sancho is justly served in this excellent edition, which is a full and fitting memorial to his life and writing.” — Markman Ellis, Queen Mary University of LondonTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionIgnatius Sancho: A Brief ChronologyA Note on the TextA Note on MoneyLetters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African. In Two Volumes. To which are prefixed, Memoirs of his Life.Volume IVolume IIAppendix A: Ignatius Sancho’s FamilyAppendix B: Ignatius Sancho’s Principal CorrespondentsAppendix C: List of LettersAppendix D: Laurence Sterne’s Correspondence with Ignatius Sancho Sancho to Sterne [21 July 1766] Sterne to Sancho [27 July 1766] Sterne to Sancho [16 May 1767] Sterne to Sancho [30 June 1767] Appendix E: Ignatius Sancho’s Autograph Letters Sancho to William Stevenson (26 November 1776) Sancho to William Stevenson (24 October 1777) Sancho to William Stevenson (22 October 1778) Sancho to William Stevenson (14 November 1778) Sancho to Reverend Seth Ellis Stevenson (5 December 1778) Sancho to William Stevenson (5 December 1778) Sancho to William Stevenson (14 December 1778) Sancho to (presumably) William Stevenson (19 December 1778) Sancho to Reverend Seth Ellis Stevenson (4 January 1779) Sancho to Reverend Seth Ellis Stevenson (14 January 1779) Sancho to William Stevenson (11 March 1779) Sancho to (presumably) William Stevenson (1 April 1779) Sancho to William Stevenson (16 November 1779) Sancho to William Stevenson (4 January 1780) Sancho to (presumably) William Stevenson (18 August 1780) Appendix F: Eighteenth-Century References to Ignatius Sancho, and Responses to Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African The Monthly Review, or, Literary Journal (November 1775) The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (January 1776) The Public Advertiser (4 June 1778) Edmund Rack (20 April 1779) A Manuscript Letter Dated 17 September 1779 from the Aspiring Author George Cumberland to His Brother Richard Dennison Cumberland, Vicar of Driffield in Gloucester County, Attests to Sancho’s Reputation as a Literary Critic (17 September 1779) Ewan Clark, Miscellaneous Poems, By Mr. Ewan Clark (1779) John Thomas Smith, Nollekens and His Times (1829) The Gazeteer, and New Daily Advertiser (15 December 1780) Anthony Highmore, Jr., “Epistle to Mr. J. H—, on the Death of his justly Lamented Friend, Ignatius Sancho” (1780-82) The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (April 1781) The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (May 1781) The Public Advertiser (9 August 1782) William Whitehead, British Poet Laureate Since 1757, in an August 1782 Letter to George Simon Harcourt, second Earl Harcourt (August 1782) A New Review; with Literary Curiosities, and Literary Intelligence (1782) The Gentleman’s Magazine (September 1782) The European Magazine and London Review (September 1782) The New Annual Register, or General Repository of History, Politics, and Literature, for the Year 1782 (1783) John Williams, Thoughts on the Origin, and on the Most Rational and Natural Method of Teaching Languages: with Some Observations on the Necessity of One Universal Language for All Works of Science (1783) The Monthly Review: or, Literary Journal (December 1783) The Critical Review: or, Annals of Literature (January 1784) Town and Country Magazine, or Universal Repository of Knowledge, Instruction, and Entertainment (February 1784) Elkanah Watson, Men and Times of the Revolution; or, Memoirs of Elkanah Watson. Including Journals of Travels in Europe and America, from 1777 to 1842 (1856) George Gregory, Essays Historical and Moral (1785) Joseph Woods, Thoughts on the Slavery of the Negroes (1784) James Tobin, Cursory Remarks upon the Reverend Mr. Ramsay’s Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the Sugar Colonies. By a Friend of the West India Colonies, and their Inhabitants (1785) Thomas Clarkson, An Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species, Particularly the African, Translated from a Latin Dissertation, which was honoured with the first Prize in the University of Cambridge, for the Year 1785 (1786) Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1787) Thomas Cooper, Letters on the Slave Trade: First Published in Wheeler’s Manchester Chronicle; and since Re-printed with Additions and Alterations (1787) “Civis,” The Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser (5 February 1788) “Civis,” The Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser (19 August 1788) The Massachusetts Spy: Or, The Worcester Gazette (4 December 1788) William Mason, An Occasional Discourse, Preached in the Cathedral of St. Peter in York, January 27, 1788, on the Subject of the African Slave-Trade (1788) Peter Peckard, Am I not a Man and a Brother? (1788) Jacques-Pierre Brissot de Warville, A Critical Examination of the Marquis de Chatellux’s Travels in North America ... Principally Intended as a Refutation of his Opinions Concerning the Quakers, the Negroes, the People, and Mankind (1788) The County Magazine, for the Years 1786 and 1787 (1788) “Clericus,” The Country Curate; or, Letters from Clericus to Benevolus (1788) William Dickson, Letters on Slavery (1789) Richard Nisbet, The Capacity of Negroes for Religious and Moral Improvement Considered (1789) Thomas Burgess, Considerations on the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade, upon Grounds of Natural, Religious, and Political Duty (1789) Fortescue; or, The Soldier’s Reward: A Characteristic Novel (1789) Elizabeth Bentley, from “On the Abolition of the African Slave-Trade. July, 1789,” in Genuine Poetical Compositions, on Various Subjects (1791) Clara Reeve, Plans of Education; with Remarks on the Systems of Other Writers. In a Series of Letters between Mrs. Darnford and Her Friends (1792) Alexander Chalmers, A New and General Biographical Dictionary: Containing an Historical, Critical, and Impartial Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most Eminent Persons in Every Nation of the World (1795) John Gabriel Stedman, Narrative of a Five Years Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam (1796) William Stevenson in John Nichols, Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century (1815) Select Bibliography

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Blanc set about the most thorough apple-tasting and cooking project I have heard of . . . [The Lost Orchard] condenses the highlights, his love letters to the forgotten apple breeds.'' The Times''I began to dream about an orchard filled with thousands of fruit trees... Today we have an orchard with over 150 ancient varieties of apple. Each one has its heritage in a village or a county that used to thrive on that particular variety. They tell the story not only of what we have lost in Britain but also what we could regain.''Over the past seven years, Raymond Blanc has planted an orchard of 2,500 trees in the grounds of his hotel-restaurant in Oxfordshire. Yielding about 30 tonnes of fruit for his kitchen each year, it is full of ancient and forgotten varieties of British apples and pears, along with walnut trees, quince, medlars, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, damsons and cherries. A further 600 heritage fruit trees have been aTrade ReviewThe recipes are lovely. . . [The Lost Orchard] is about Blanc's love of orchards and how he established one in England . . . It's also a guide to the varieties of apple, pear, fig, quince and stone fruit he has planted . . . offering tasting notes and history for each. As useful for gardeners as for cooks. * The Telegraph - One of their Top 20 cookbooks of the year 2019 *The recipes are lovely. . . [The Lost Orchard] is about Blanc's love of orchards and how he established one in England . . . It's also a guide to the varieties of apple, pear, fig, quince and stone fruit he has planted . . . offering tasting notes and history for each. As useful for gardeners as for cooks. * The Telegraph - One of their Top 20 cookbooks of the year 2019 *Raymond Blanc has created a garden haven at his Le Manoir restaurant in Oxfordshire . . . keenly aware of the perilous state of heritage apples, pears, cherries, medlars and quinces, he was determined to add an orchard of forgotten fruits to his ensemble. This magical book describes his quest and the hard work needed. * Simple Things *Raymond Blanc has created a garden haven at his Le Manoir restaurant in Oxfordshire . . . keenly aware of the perilous state of heritage apples, pears, cherries, medlars and quinces, he was determined to add an orchard of forgotten fruits to his ensemble. This magical book describes his quest and the hard work needed. * Simple Things *The legendary chef opens the door to a living library of lost varieties of heritage English fruit in a treasury of recipe and reflection. * Waterstones Weekly *The legendary chef opens the door to a living library of lost varieties of heritage English fruit in a treasury of recipe and reflection. * Waterstones Weekly *Blanc says [apples are] . . . the root of everything. A kind of symbol for Britain to move forward by reconnecting with the past. * The Times *Blanc says [apples are] . . . the root of everything. A kind of symbol for Britain to move forward by reconnecting with the past. * The Times *Blanc set about the most thorough apple-tasting and cooking project I have heard of . . . [The Lost Orchard] condenses the highlights, his love letters to the forgotten apple breeds. * The Times *Blanc set about the most thorough apple-tasting and cooking project I have heard of . . . [The Lost Orchard] condenses the highlights, his love letters to the forgotten apple breeds. * The Times *Beautifully written by our favourite French chef, these recipes are inspired by Raymond Blanc's love of the British orchard. It's a love affair with apples and a bit of history, too. * Closer *Beautifully written by our favourite French chef, these recipes are inspired by Raymond Blanc's love of the British orchard. It's a love affair with apples and a bit of history, too. * Closer *A beautifully presented recipe guide that doubles as a nostalgic paean to the heritage and provenance of forgotten varieties of British fruit, Blanc's latest volume is much, much more than just a cookbook. Adorned with evocative black and white drawings and a treasury of anecdote, The Lost Orchard is a sumptuous feast for the senses. * Waterstones *A beautifully presented recipe guide that doubles as a nostalgic paean to the heritage and provenance of forgotten varieties of British fruit, Blanc's latest volume is much, much more than just a cookbook. Adorned with evocative black and white drawings and a treasury of anecdote, The Lost Orchard is a sumptuous feast for the senses. * Waterstones *More than a cookbook, this is a love letter to the English orchard, [Raymond Blanc] writes tenderly about the hundreds of varieties he has planted in his orchard at Le Manoir, each as precious to him as a much-loved child. * Sunday Times – Best Food and Drink Books 2019 *More than a cookbook, this is a love letter to the English orchard, [Raymond Blanc] writes tenderly about the hundreds of varieties he has planted in his orchard at Le Manoir, each as precious to him as a much-loved child. * Sunday Times – Best Food and Drink Books 2019 *This is a reference book that you can turn to if you want to know anything about apples. It will fly off the shelves for hundreds of years. * Tim Hayward *This is a reference book that you can turn to if you want to know anything about apples. It will fly off the shelves for hundreds of years. * Tim Hayward *The Lost Orchard is a paean to the orchard behind the chef's restaurant in Oxfordshire. Each variety is described in terms of growing and cooking; the very names are evocative. The last chapter provides excellent fruit recipes. * Evening Standard - Best Cookbooks of 2019 *The Lost Orchard is a paean to the orchard behind the chef's restaurant in Oxfordshire. Each variety is described in terms of growing and cooking; the very names are evocative. The last chapter provides excellent fruit recipes. * Evening Standard - Best Cookbooks of 2019 *Raymond Blanc has spent the past seven years creating a 2,500-tree orchard at his Oxfordshire restaurant, Le Manoir. Here, he describes the experience with passion, introducing us to many 'forgotten' varieties, and revealing how best to use them in the kitchen. * The Week - Nine of the best food books from 2019 *Raymond Blanc has spent the past seven years creating a 2,500-tree orchard at his Oxfordshire restaurant, Le Manoir. Here, he describes the experience with passion, introducing us to many 'forgotten' varieties, and revealing how best to use them in the kitchen. * The Week - Nine of the best food books from 2019 *Must read! French chef Raymond Blanc has written a new book dedicated to the impressive orchard he has planted in the grounds of his hotel-restaurant in Oxfordshire, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, which is full of trees producing ancient and forgotten varieties of British and French fruit. * Living France *Must read! French chef Raymond Blanc has written a new book dedicated to the impressive orchard he has planted in the grounds of his hotel-restaurant in Oxfordshire, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, which is full of trees producing ancient and forgotten varieties of British and French fruit. * Living France *A true delight * The Caterer *A true delight * The Caterer *Blanc's enthusiasm fills this story with not only of what we have nearly lost in Britain and France, but what we could regain. * Love England *Blanc's enthusiasm fills this story with not only of what we have nearly lost in Britain and France, but what we could regain. * Love England *Raymond celebrates the gentler pleasure of home. He chronicles the 2,500-tree orchard he has planted in the grounds of his Oxfordshire hotel-restaurant, Le Manoir. He salutes the orchard's ancient and forgotten varieties . . . along with tempting recipes . . . - Waitrose WeekendRaymond celebrates the gentler pleasure of home. He chronicles the 2,500-tree orchard he has planted in the grounds of his Oxfordshire hotel-restaurant, Le Manoir. He salutes the orchard's ancient and forgotten varieties . . . along with tempting recipes . . . - Waitrose WeekendIn his book The Lost Orchard, Blanc writes with typical romance about the bountiful breadth of fruit varieties that England produced in the days before the supermarket era. * The Telegraph *In his book The Lost Orchard, Blanc writes with typical romance about the bountiful breadth of fruit varieties that England produced in the days before the supermarket era. * The Telegraph *You can't go wrong with the French chef's recipes, perfected over many years at his mother's side and in his Michelin-starred kitchen, but this is also a love letter to the English orchard, whose slow destruction he dates to the arrival of the Golden Delicious in the 1970s. He writes tenderly about the hundreds of varieties he has planted at Le Manoir. * The Saturday Review, THE TIMES *You can't go wrong with the French chef's recipes, perfected over many years at his mother's side and in his Michelin-starred kitchen, but this is also a love letter to the English orchard, whose slow destruction he dates to the arrival of the Golden Delicious in the 1970s. He writes tenderly about the hundreds of varieties he has planted at Le Manoir. * The Saturday Review, THE TIMES *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor many fans, David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era remains the most extraordinarily creative period in his career. As a member of Bowie's legendary band at the time - The Spiders From Mars - Woody Woodmansey played drums on four seminal albums: The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane. Woody's memoir, which he started work on in 2014, focuses on this key period and brings it to glorious life. With the confidence of youth, Woody always thought he'd be in a famous band but the nineteen-year-old rocker from Hull never expected to be thrust into London's burgeoning glam rock scene, and also into a bottle-green velvet suit and girl's shoes. Playing with Bowie took him on an eye-opening and transformative journey. In Spider From Mars he writes candidly about the characters who surrounded Bowie, recalling the album sessions as well as behind-the-scenes moments with one of the world's most iconic singers. The result is an insightful, funny, poignant memoir that lovingly evokes a seminal moment in music history and pays tribute to one of the most outstanding and innovative talents of our time.

Read more less

This second volume begins 60 years ago when Elvis Presley returns from the army, wondering if he still has a career and massive fan base after being away for two years.He needn’t have worried himself, the fans lapped up his new and more ambitious recordings. Songs like It’s Now or Never, Return to Sender and many more sold in their millions proving the King was back! Although many of Elvis’ countless solid gold hits feature in the book, the author is also keen to explore the lesser-known album tracks including the hugely underrated album “Elvis is Back” which came out 60 years ago this year (2020).It is hoped that the reader will look at each song in a different light – maybe they will go and play the lesser heard songs and appreciate them in a whole different way after reading the story behind that particular track. If it further builds on the fans’ knowledge about Elvis and brings around a bigger appreciation of Presley’s music then the book will have achieved its purpose.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1969, an eruption of armed violence traumatized Northern Ireland and transformed a period of street protest over civil rights into decades of paramilitary warfare by republicans and loyalists. In this evocative memoir, Malachi O'Doherty not only recounts his experiences of living through the Troubles, but also recalls a revolution in his lifetime. However, it wasn't the bloody revolution that was shown on TV but rather the slow reshaping of the culture of Northern Ireland - a real revolution that was entirely overshadowed by the conflict.Incorporating interviews with political, professional and paramilitary figures, O'Doherty draws a profile of an era that produced real social change, comparing and contrasting it with today, and asks how frail is the current peace as Brexit approaches, protest is back on the streets and violence is simmering in both republican and loyalist camps.Trade ReviewTimely and hugely absorbing... A beautifully layered and engaging profile of Northern Ireland as it reels into the 21st century. * The Herald *A personal, humane and very readable reflection on the profound changes that have occurred in the North during the half-century since the emergence of conflict in 1969. * TLS *An essential and fascinating memoir which also doubles as an important historical and social reference, shining a light into aspects of life here that sometimes are overshadowed by conflict. * Máiría Cahill, journalist and political activist *A superbly written and thought-provoking book, replete with Malachi O'Doherty's expert observations on how the past can be a catalyst for both change and continuity. * Aaron Edwards, author of UVF: Behind the Mask *Fifty Years On explores changes wrought in Northern Ireland by a half century of political and social ferment, not only the Troubles and their aftermath but also the growing secularisation of society... In this highly readable and up-to-date book, the author proves himself an astute and tireless chronicler of his times. * Linda Anderson, co-editor of Female Lines: New Writing by Women from Northern Ireland *Malachi O'Doherty's fascinating and intimate account of the outbreak of the Troubles is compelling. He skilfully weaves his personal family history through the layers of turmoil engulfing his city. * Yvette Shapiro, journalist, commentator and TV producer *In this widely diverse book, O'Doherty's subject matter includes: the tensions within the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, the split within republicanism, the slide into armed conflict, the IRA, the Loyalists, sexism, abortion, gay rights and Brexit... What does shine is the lucidity and persuasiveness of his arguments. He made me stop and think. I like that. * Richard O’Rawe, biographer and novelist *Fifty Years On is a compellingly personal alternative history of a turbulent half century... This thoughtful personal chronicle of how a society has changed in the adult lifetime of one man is witty, poignant and beautifully written. * Sam McBride, political editor, Belfast News Letter *Table of Contents1: The Sixties and Me 2: Trouble in the Background 3: Remembering Civil Rights 4: Revolution in the Air 5: The Tilt towards War 6: Revolutionary and Moderate 7: The Troubles Tour 8: The Past in the Present 9: Women's Rights Movement 10: Boys Will Be Boys 11: Whose Body Is It Anyway? 12: Fighting for Life 13: Pride 14: A Fair Cop 15: Loyal Rebels 16: Sick Society or Bad Men?

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe No.1 football series - over 1 million copies sold! Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool FC's superstar centre-back and he's going from strength to strength. From washing dishes to pay his way during his early career to becoming one of the best defenders in the world, this is the story of how Virgil became a true Liverpool legend. Follow his journey as he fights adversity and works his way up to become an ultimate football hero. Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life-stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to super-star professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.

Read more less

Book Synopsis As a leader in teaching, training, and transforming boys in Detroit, Jason Wilson shares his own story of discovering what it means to ?be a man? in this life-changing memoir. His grandfather?s lynching in the deep South, the murders of his two older brothers, and his verbally harsh and absent father all worked together to form Jason Wilson?s childhood. But it was his decision to acknowledge his emotions and yield to God?s call on his life that made Wilson the man and leader he is today. As the founder of one of the country?s most esteemed youth organizations, Wilson has decades of experience in strengthening the physical, mental, and emotional spirit of boys and men. In Cry Like a Man, Wilson explains the dangers men face in our culture?s definition of ?masculinity? and gives readers hope that healing is possible. As Wilson writes, ?My passion is to help boys and men find strength to become courageously transparent about their own brokenness as I shed light on the symptoms and causes of childhood trauma and ?father wounds.? I long to see men free themselves from emotional incarceration?to see their minds renewed, souls weaned, and relationships restored.?

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBass player extraordinaire Charles Mingus, who died in 1979, is one of the essential composers in the history of jazz, and Beneath the Underdog, his celebrated, wild, funny, demonic, anguished, shocking and profoundly moving memoir, is the greatest autobiography ever written by a jazz musician. It tells of his God-haunted childhood in Watts during the 1920s and 1930s; his outcast adolescent years; his apprenticeship, not only with jazzmen but also with pimps, hookers, junkies, and hoodlums; and his golden years in New York City with such legendary figures as Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Here is Mingus in his own words, from shabby roadhouses to fabulous estates, from the psychiatric wards of Bellevue to worlds of mysticism and solitude, but for all his travels never straying too far, always returning to music.Trade ReviewA pure genius -- MILES DAVISA fascinating insight into Mingus' mind - unforgettable * * The Times * *The purest of dynamite * * Rolling Stone * *There has never been an autobiography like Beneath the Underdog. A riveting work of highly subjective reminiscences and tortured self-analysis -- RICHARD WILLIAMSA shocking and brilliant book * * Q Magazine * *An outlandish, brilliant autobiography * * Newsweek * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“Alberto Manguel is a kind of global Reader Laureate: he is reading’s champion, its keenest student and the most zealous proselytiser. . . if you value these particular pleasures already, you may find yourself the ideal reader for Alberto Manguel.”—Daniel Hahn, Spectator“Packing My Library [alternates] intimate chapters that make up an ‘elegy’ for his library with 10 masterly digressions on his life as a reader and lover of books. . . . Manguel’s intellect and enthusiasm are on full display as he cites a dazzling number of books in many languages, dilating on an astounding number of topics.”—Ernest Hilbert, Wall Street Journal“The enviably multilingual Alberto Manguel . . . reflects on his peripatetic life in Packing My Library, . . . an excellent [book] about books.”—Michael Dirda, Washington PostBBC BOOK OF THE WEEK, SPRING 2018“Slight but poignant. . . In its exploration of the symbiotic relationship between life and literature, the biblio-memoir would appear to be a rallying cry in the affirmative.”—Lucy Scholes, Financial Times“One of the world’s greatest readers, whose finest work has often been about the writing of others. . . has produced a book —a slim, fragmentary meditation on the power of reading and the importance of libraries.”—Claire Armitstead, The Guardian“Books jump out of their jackets when Manguel opens them and dance in delight as they make contact with his ingenious, voluminous brain. He is not the keeper of a silent cemetery, but a master of bibliographical revels.”—Peter Conrad, The Observer“A labyrinth of intellectual thought intermittently dispersed amid 144 pages of pure literary appreciation – the likes of which, one really doesn’t come across every day”—David Marx Book Reviews"The area which Alberto Manguel has mapped for himself is that of the eros of reading. . . . He is a Don Juan of libraries."—George Steiner, The Guardian"Manguel vaults over the traditional fences of genre, literary history, and discipline with breathtaking virtuosity. He is the Montaigne de nos jours and, as regards this latest effort, if they put another rover on Mars they should call it 'Manguel.'"—John Sutherland, University College London"Alberto Manguel is a wanderer among books, immensely curious in such an intriguing way that he lets his readers easily discover the fruits of his curiosity."—Roberto CalassoAlberto Manguel is a great reader. His entire oeuvre testifies to this. In Packing My Library, Manguel continues his celebration of the book as object, conduit, and talisman. This elegy for his library, including digressions on citizenship, dictionaries, god’s speech, and creativity, shows a profound appreciation for the shibboleths and affinities of the bibliophile. A joyful testament!—Jeff Deutsch, Seminary Co-op

Read more less

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionShortlisted for the Wellcome Book PrizeIn this groundbreaking new book, Thomas Page McBee, a trans man, trains to fight in a charity match at Madison Square Garden while struggling to untangle the vexed relationship between masculinity and violence.Through his experience of boxing - learning to get hit, and to hit back; wrestling with the camaraderie of the gym; confronting the betrayals and strength of his own body - McBee examines the weight of male violence, the pervasiveness of gender stereotypes and the limitations of conventional masculinity. A wide-ranging exploration of gender in our society, Amateur is ultimately a story of hope, as McBee traces a way forward: a new masculinity, inside the ring and out of it.A graceful and uncompromising exploration of living, fighting and healing, in Amateur we gain insight into the stereotypes and shifting realities of masculinity today through the eyes of a new man.Trade ReviewAmateur is a beautiful and powerful book written by the superbly talented Thomas Page McBee. This memoir is such an important piece of trans literature to support and one that spoke to me deeply * * Elliot Page * *A visceral, sparky read . . . Beautifully written [and] deep and affecting . . . Absolutely fascinating -- BBC Radio 4 A Good ReadA blazingly wise and beautiful book -- A.L. KENNEDYMcBee's writing bristles with an elegant swagger . . . Amateur is as much a reconciliation as an emancipation . . . Punchy, thought-provoking stuff * * Sunday Times * *In an age when identity feels so splintered and fractional, McBee's empathy with men feels refreshing, but it's his determination to be accountable that is radical. He resolves his own masculinity crisis by doing the things men often think they're doing, but so often are not: listening, asking questions, seeking help, being vulnerable * * Observer * *Brave, honest and touchingly human . . . This is a beautiful book that will resonate . . . with anyone anywhere in the world who is determined to become a better, kinder human being -- ELIF SHAFAK * * Guardian * *Amateur is a heck of a tale, and McBee is a gifted memoirist * * Financial Times * *Amateur provocatively describes the ways in which an increasingly fragile patriarchal culture needs to keep men in their place. A quest for self-liberation, this loving and deeply intelligent exploration of contemporary masculinities is essential reading -- DEBORAH LEVYOne of my favourite books of 2018 . . . A memoir about boxing, masculinity and transitioning. It is exceptional -- NIKESH SHUKLAAn eye-opening story about gender and courage, and confirmation that there are many different fights to being a man * * Guardian * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinston Churchill was one of the most extraordinary leaders of the twentieth century. What was it that enabled him to stand so steadfastly when all those around him seemed to turn back in fear? What was it that enabled him to inspire whole nations to endure the unendurable and to achieve the unachievable when all those around him had already surrendered all hope? This remarkable new study of Churchill's leadership skill answers these questions and more. The result is an account that is as inspiring today as it was more than half a century ago when the great man' shadow fell large across the world stage. According to Henry Kissinger, "Our age finds it difficult to come to grips with Churchill. The political leaders with whom we are familiar generally aspire to be superstars rather than heroes. The distinction is crucial. Superstars strive for approbation; heroes walk alone. Superstars crave consensus; heroes define themselves by the...future they see it as their risk to bring about. Superstars seek success in a technique for eliciting support; heroes pursue success as the outgrowth of their inner values." Winston Churchill was a hero.Trade Review“Stephen Mansfield possesses a God-given mantle of leadership—historically and Biblically. I feel these strengths are expressed in his book Never Give In, which details the life of England’s brave knight who possessed and practiced the virtues that embody a truly great leader.” —John S. Wilder, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate, State of Tennessee

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn 9th August 2001, twenty-two days after Jeffrey Archer was sentenced to four years in prison for perjury, he was transferred from HMP Belmarsh, a double-A Category high-security prison in south London, to HMP Wayland, a Category C establishment in Norfolk.He served sixty-seven days in Wayland and during that time, as this account testifies, encountered not only the daily degradations of a dangerously over-stretched prison service, but the spirit and courage of his fellow inmates . . .Prison Diary Volume II: Purgatory is an extraordinary work of non-fiction, where Archer reveals what life is like inside the walls of Britain's prisons.Trade ReviewThe finest thing that Jeffrey Archer has ever written * Independent on Sunday *Compelling reportage . . . Jeffrey Archer raises these diaries to the standards of a prison Pepys by being such an assiduous recorder of fellow inmates’ secrets -- Jonathan Aitken * Mail on Sunday *Archer paints a bleak but true picture of life in prison . . . It is vivid and disturbing, and will reach a vastly wider audience than any academic treatise or political pamphlet on the subject -- Ann Widdecombe * New Statesman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWilfred Owen is the poet of pity, the voice of the soldier maimed, blinded, traumatised and killed, not just in the Great War, but in all wars since, so resonant has his message become. Although he saw only five of his poems published in his lifetime, he left behind a portfolio of poetry and letters that created a powerful legacy. This generously illustrated book tells the story of Wilfred Owen’s life and work anew, from his birth in 1893 until his death one week before the Armistice on 4 November 1918. It chronicles Owen’s journey from a romantic youth, steeped in the poetry of Keats, to mature soldier awakened to the horrors of the Western Front. Drawing on rich archival material such as personal books, artefacts, family photographs and numerous manuscripts, the volume takes a fresh look at Owen’s apprenticeship and eventual mastery of poetry, giving a comprehensive view of the relationship between his lived experience and his writing. Those already familiar with or well-versed in Owen's work will find new material in this book, and those coming to Owen for the first time will enjoy a well researched, yet accessible, illustrated introduction to one of the twentieth century's greatest poets.Table of ContentsForeword Preface 1. 1893-1910 Childhood and young adulthood: Oswestry, Birkenhead, Shrewsbury 2. 1911-1915 The search for a profession: Dunsden, Bordeaux, The Pyrenees, Mérignac 3. 1915-1916 Enlistment and training: London, Romford, Aldershot 4. 1917 Active Service and shell shock: The Somme and Craiglockhart 5. 1918 The last year: Ripon and France 6. Owen’s Afterlife: Publication, critical reception, canonization Notes Bibliography List of poems Picture Credits Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis*The Sunday Times bestseller*''Wise and witty... The evolution of Higashida''s insights is at times almost unbearably moving'' Financial Times''The invitation to step inside Higashida''s mind is irresistible'' Evening StandardNaoki Higashida met international success with The Reason I Jump, a revelatory account of life as a thirteen-year-old with non-verbal autism. Now he offers an equally illuminating insight into autism from his perspective as a young adult. In concise, engaging pieces, he shares his thoughts and feelings on a broad menu of topics ranging from school experiences to family relationships, the exhilaration of travel to the difficulties of speech. Aware of how mystifying his behaviour can appear to others, Higashida describes the effect on him of such commonplace things as a sudden change of plan, or the mental steps he has to take simply to register that it''s raining. Throughout, his aiTrade ReviewEssential reading for parents and teachers who work with individuals with autism who remain non-verbal * Temple Grandin *There is much to be learned from it about this mysterious condition that Higashida regards as both a blessing and a curse. The book's single most important function is to drum into the sometimes thick heads of us neurotypical readers that people with autism experience a genuine and usually insuperable disconnection between what they want to say or do and what their brain allows them . . . Higashida's writing opens my mind to all sorts of possibilities for interpreting the behaviour of both my sons . . . a defining characteristic of autism is held to be lack of empathy, yet Higashida shows a delicate regard for the difficulties his condition creates and is adept at explaining his experiences in language that makes sense to neurotypicals . . . we should look with gratitude through the porthole he has cleared on to a submerged world. -- Charlotte Moore * Observer *Wise and witty, it offers a second insider's insight into the mysteries of non-verbal autism . . . The evolution of Higashida's insights is at times almost unbearably moving . . . Ultimately, though, his self-awareness is uplifting, reminding us to take joy in life's simple pleasures . . . sage and subtle . . . [a work] of illuminating beauty. -- Emma Claire Sweeney * Financial Times *Once again, the invitation to step inside Higashida's mind is irresistible . . . Higashida challenges the common belief that people with severe autism are exclusively literal-minded. Time and again he uses metaphor to help readers understand his world . . . if any author can help us get a grip, it's Higashida. -- William Moore * Evening Standard *Higashida's books belong in the small but intense canon of "locked-in" memoirs, such as Awakenings or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly . . . Higashida reveals himself to be far more conflicted than before. The titles show how much the years have changed him. The Reason I Jump had joy shimmering through it. Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight - the title is taken from a Japanese proverb - is about persistence. -- Helen Rumbelow * The Times *Readers are invited to observe the world from Higashida's perspective - and what a startling perspective that is . . . Higashida is wise beyond his years and constantly expressing his gratitude towards his family, above all his resilient mother. His pronouncements often ring with Yoda-like depth. He sounds like a village elder and it is impossible not to listen . . . challenges, even ones as seemingly insurmountable as those presented by severe disability, are negotiable. Hope - Higashida's favourite word - prevails. -- Leaf Arbuthnot * Sunday Times *The Reason I Jump was a game-changer, not only for those with a special interest in autism, but for anyone interested in the sheer diversity of human brains. In short essays using crystalline prose, Higashida made a gentle but devastating case that autism had been entirely misunderstood: it was not a cognitive disability at all, but a communicative and sensory one . . . This follow-up may not have the same surprise value, but it does something just as inspiring: it shows us how, with a little luck, plenty of support and a huge amount of determination, a "neuro-atypical" person can forge a happy and fulfilled path into adulthood . . . Higashida's observations across a whole range of topics are moving and thought-provoking - all the more so for coming from the perspective of a social outsider. -- Alice O'Keefe * Guardian *The book rightly challenges the methods and attitudes that prevail in supporting people with autism. It is rich in metaphor . . . Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight should be read by many beyond the circle of parents seeking to understand their child. It places Mr Higashida among the first rank of gifted writers, not just writers with autism. * Economist *Higashida's words are surely a vital message for all those who love and care for autistic family members or friends . . . his writing is poetic, with an inspirational tone that reveals wisdom beyond his years and an acceptance of diversity that we should all aspire to . . . Higashida holds up a mirror to conventional assumptions about autism, including those of health professionals, and challenges us to do better . . . The extraordinary impact that he is making on families across the world continues. -- Anna Remington * The Lancet *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Every deep feeling a human is capable of will be shaken loose by this short, but profound book'' David Sedaris''I wanted what we all want: everything. We want a mate who feels like family and a lover who is exotic, surprising. We want to be youthful adventurers and middle-aged mothers. We want intimacy and autonomy, safety and stimulation, reassurance and novelty, coziness and thrills. But we can''t have it all.''Ariel Levy picks you up and hurls you through the story of how she lived believing that conventional rules no longer applied - that marriage doesn''t have to mean monogamy, that aging doesn''t have to mean infertility, that she could be ''the kind of woman who is free to do whatever she chooses''. But all of her assumptions about what she can control are undone after a string of overwhelming losses.''I thought I had harnessed the power of my own strength and greed and love in a life that could contain it. But iTrade ReviewEvery deep feeling a human is capable of will be shaken loose by this short, but profound book. Ariel Levy has taken grief, and made art out of it -- David SedarisLevy is a fantastic writer and reporter, cool-headed, witty and without self-pity -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *By chapter three of The Rules Do Not Apply I was ordering copies for every woman I love . . . Levy's honesty and grief are dazzling * Sunday Times *Levy is a fearless, original journalist, now on the New Yorker, and she uses these same qualities to scrutinise her own life . . . Levy's prose is dynamic, molten with verbs and with images of light, movement and change . . . breathtakingly good . . . -- Nicci Gerrard * Observer *Her narrative rattles along at the breakneck pace of a gripping thriller, yet her writing is never anythingshort of crystal clear. She's particularly good at describing love and loss . . . a brilliant memoirist * Independent *Brutally honest yet ultimately uplifting * Vogue *In this heartwrenching memoir, the journalist reveals how her desire to have it all - the partner, the lover, the adventurous career and the happy family - was painfully blown apart * Stylist *A memoir that will change the way you think about monogamy and motherhood . . . we defy you not to read it in a single sitting * Elle *It's become a truism that feminists are living out our mothers' unlived lives. But Ariel Levy seems to be living out the unlived lives of an entire generation of women, simultaneously. Free to do whatever she chooses, she chooses everything. But this is no mindless primer on having or not having it all. While reinventing work, marriage, family, pregnancy, sex, and divorce for herself from the ground up, Levy experiences devastating loss. And she recounts it all here with searing intimacy and an unsentimental yet openhearted rigor -- Alison Bechdel, author of Fun HomeI read The Rules Do Not Apply in one long, rapt sitting. Unflinching and intimate, wrenching and revelatory, Ariel Levy's powerful memoir about love, loss, and finding one's way shimmers with truth and heart on every page -- Cheryl StrayedThis is more than simply a tale of a life undone . . . Levy's articulation of grief is also beautifully, frighteningly real * i *A great memoir is not a trip through someone else's life, but a series of long looks into your own life. Ariel Levy's book - grieving, hopeful, painful, funny - is that -- Amy BloomA talented journalist - a staff writer at the New Yorker - she knows how to tell a story and keep it brief . . . gripping * Tablet *A searing and poignantly honest memoir . . . Her story of resilience becomes an unforgettable portrait of the shifting forces in our culture * Sunday Post *Think heightened senses and heady in-the-moment intensity. She's crisscrossed the globe in search of theseunique experiences as a staff writer for The New Yorker since 2008, and now turns her interrogative eye on herself. What results isprofound, and lasting * Esquire *The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy is simultaneously the personal story of a dramatic miscarriage, a frank, powerful look at shifting gender roles and how we make a life for ourselves, and an inside glimpse into Levy's work as a journalist for the New Yorker -- Curtis Sittenfeld * Observer *A gut punch of a book as she explores the dilemmas of professional women who work hard then find they want children -- Jessie Burton, author of The MiniaturistA dazzling insight into the mind of one of the New Yorker's most prolific writers, Ariel Levy's memoir will seem relatable to all those who have at one time or another felt a startling sense of dissociation from their life * Independent *Ariel Levy is a writer of uncompromising honesty, remarkable clarity and surprising humor, gathered from the wreckage of tragedy. Her account of life doing its darnedest to topple her, and her refusal to be knocked down, will leave you shaken and inspired. Her ersatz brand of zen wisdom is one we all need in our lives. I am the better for having read this book -- Lena DunhamA great memoir is not just a trip through someone else's life, but a series of long looks into your own life. Ariel Levy's book - grieving, hopeful, painful, funny - is that -- Amy Bloom

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen all else fails, when our compass is broken, there is one thing some of us have come to rely on: music really can give us a sense of something like home. With It Gets Me Home, This Curving Track, legendary music critic Ian Penman reaches for a vanished moment in musical history when cultures collided and a certain kind of cross-generational and cross-colour' awareness was born. His cast of characters includes the Mods, James Brown, Charlie Parker, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, John Fahey, Steely Dan and Prince black artists who were innovators, and white musicians who copied them for the mainstream. In prose that glides and shimmies and pivots on risky metaphors, low puns and highbrow reference points' (Brian Dillon, frieze), Ian Penman's first book in twenty years is cause for celebration.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis revealing new biography opens Anne’s most private life to a new audience and shows the true nature of her relationships with her siblings, in particular with her sister Charlotte.Trade ReviewHolland's book is beautifully written, a devoted labor of love. It is a fine introductory volume for readers just becoming acquainted with the Brontes, and there is much analysis to interest students and expert scholars. -- Ellen Moody * The Victorian Web *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A fascinating and poignant story. . . . Revealing, humorous, and provocative."--Library Journal "A searing tale of the traumas and rewards of gender change. . . . A powerful indictment of legal, medical, and institutional obstruction."--Foreword Reviews "A tautly crafted memoir of her transition from Don McCloskey, conservative Chicago school economist, to Deirdre McCloskey, power shopper, domestic superachiever, and campy doyenne of difference feminism." --Ruth Shalit "Lingua Franca " "The very courageous story of someone trying to live an honest life, whatever the consequences."--Jeannie Marshall "National Post " "That an affluent, upper-middle-class person should be so powerless against a mental-health bureaucracy still subscribing to its offical pronouncement that transsexualism is a 'gender identity disorder' makes for gripping reading."--Booklist "This is a woman worth knowing. She has given us a highly readable, dramatic account of her crossing."--Maxine Kumin "New York Times Book Review " "A testimony to her struggles and courage, Crossing invites the reader to enter Deirdre (formerly Donald) McCloskey's mind as she decides to become a woman after a lifetime as a man, husband, and father." --Kirkus Reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnflinchingly honest about his family, his failures, his already broken health at the age of sixty?three and the loss of the hopes he once had for himself, Thomsen is also sickened by the corruption and rapacity of our societies, the inequality and the economic destitution. What starts as an almost reluctant concatenation of memory and poignant, limpid descriptions of Brazil, grows into a shattering romantic symphony on human misery and life s small but exquisite transcendent pleasures. He spares the reader nothing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPublished shortly before the author''s death in 1919, The Journal of a Disappointed Man presents a remarkable memoir that addresses struggles with poverty, inadequate education, and the creeping paralysis of multiple sclerosis. Yet author W. N. P. Barbellion manages to write with uplifting eloquence and passion of his love for family, natural history, music, and literature. Told with a thoroughly modern voice, the unjustly overlooked Journal is reprinted here with its posthumous successor, A Last Diary. This edition features a thoughtful Introduction by H. G. Wells, who writes of the book''s exquisite beauty. W.N. P. Barbellion (1889?1919), whose real name was Bruce Frederick Cummings, was anaturalist who worked in the Entomology Department of London''s Natural History Museum. Upon attempting to enlist in the British Army during World War I, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The discovery of his disease intensified the tenor of his journal-keeping, and his frank and articulate reflections on coping with a fatal illness remain a powerful testament to his life and struggles.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on the acclaimed RTE documentary, 'Shooting the Darkness', this landmark book presents the stories of leading photographers - Alan Lewis, Paul Faith, Martin Nangle, Stanley Matchett, Trevor Dickson, Hugh Russell and Crispin Rodwell - whose images captured some of the most important events of the Troubles. They talk, many of them for the first time, about the photographs they took - how they got the shot; what it cost them to take the photograph; and reflect on whether it was worth it. More broadly, they talk about what it was like to be a photographer during the Troubles: how the paramilitary groups dealt with them, the ethical dilemmas they faced, and the emotional fallout they experienced. The book includes the stories behind iconic images such as Bishop Edward Daly waving a blood-stained handkerchief on Bloody Sunday, Sean Downes being shot and killed by an RUC plastic bullet in Andersonstown in 1984, and the brutal attack of corporals Derek Wood and David Howes in March 1988.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPraise for The Curse of Oak Island: “Sullivan writes with open-minded balance, rendering the Oak Island story into a weirdly fascinating mystery.” —Booklist “The Curse of Oak Island is a definitive read for fans of the History Channel television show. Sullivan delves deeper into the history, personalities, and theories presented only briefly on the show. His approach is mostly unbiased, though he does tell the reader his thoughts on some of the theories and the theorists that he thoroughly researches and debunks. The book is incredibly well researched and the presentation . . . is very readable. If you’ve watched The Curse of Oak Island and were frustrated that snippets and possibilities were left tantalizingly unexplored, this is the book for you.” —Heather Cover, Homewood Library (Birmingham, Alabama) “Sullivan isn’t writing about Oak Island the TV show; his subject is Oak Island the place, largely as seen and imagined by the show’s viewers. So, if you’ve ever been more entranced by the show’s long trips into history and theoretical island encounters across history, Sullivan’s book probably needs to be on your Christmas list.” —Starcasm Praise for Randall Sullivan: “Compelling . . . No single source presents so complete or damning a record as LAbyrinth.” —Entertainment Weekly on LAbyrinth “As a forceful author, Sullivan does a masterly job of juggling the dense thicket of facts and navigating the crowded chronology of the case.” —Salon.com on LAbryinth “Sullivan’s reportage is extraordinary, his narrative enthralling.” —Rolling Stone on The Price of Experience “Sullivan’s riveting tale is amazingly detailed and artfully presented. . . You can hardly turn the page fast enough . . . Contiporary history, brilliantly written.” —Playboy on The Price of Experience “[An] engrossing, damning tale . . . Exhaustively researched, the book methodically weaves a disturbing story of corruption, intimidation, and murder.” —Boston Globe on LAbyrinth “Worthy of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sullivan captures the essence of the world in which Hunt and the BBC operated.” —Chicago Tribune on The Price of Experience “A stunning mix of the personal and the historic, interviews and experiences, with Sullivan incredibly nimble at making the worlds overlap.” —Booklist (starred review) on The Miracle Detective “Well-told and expertly researched.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Miracle Detective

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Honey Bus: A Girl Raised by Bees is a memoir about a girl's journey into the heart of a beehive to find herself.When she was five years old, Meredith May was abandoned by both parents. Her father left for the other side of the country. Her mother disappeared into herself.But when Meredith discovered the rusted old bus where her grandpa kept bees, her world changed forever.Family duty. Compassion and sacrifice. Unconditional love. The life of a honeybee displays it all. As her grandpa showed her the sacrifices bees make for their colony and the bonds they form with their keeper, Meredith discovered what family really means.A rich and lyrical coming-of-age story, combined with spellbinding nature writing, The Honey Bus is the extraordinary story of a girl who journeyed into the hive and found herself.Trade Review‘Sweet, tender, and with the kind of clear-eyed honesty that comes from a compassionate soul.’ Sunday Express ‘The wounded feminine, the missing masculine, healed by a relationship with honeybees. An innocent child’s hard won journey to adulthood – clear eyed, often very funny, and agonisingly compassionate. The Honey Bus is all these things and more – so if you’ve ever been a lonely child, or want the world to become a kinder place, here is your book.’ Laline Paull, author of The Bees ‘A book of revelations, clear-eyed, eloquent and so touching… a wise, touching, beautiful reminiscence – and a cry for help for nature’s wonder workers.’ SAGA Magazine ‘Filled with hope, grace, beauty, and wisdom, this book is like warm honey in the sunshine. It beautifully illustrates how nature – even honeybees – can teach and heal us, if only we open our minds and hearts. It's the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished it – a rare treasure – and you don't have to be a bee lover to be deeply moved by May’s wonderful story. I'm recommending it to everyone I know.’ Stacey O’Brien, New York Times bestselling author of Wesley the Owl ‘Captivating and surprising… If you've ever been stung by a bee you will instantly forget the venom and remember forever the sweetness and redemption bees offer in this extraordinary book.’ Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author of How To Be A Good Creature and The Soul of an Octopus ‘If Meredith May's book was simply an ethology of bees I would devour every word; her prose is tender, thoughtful and transporting. But The Honey Bus is so much more – a memoir of aching loneliness, reckoning and redemption. Beautiful and brave.’ Domenica Ruta, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You: A Memoir

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn June 1972, the 43-foor schooner Lucette was attacked by killer whales and sank in 60 seconds. What happened next is almost incredible. In an inflatable rubber raft, with a 9 foot fiberglass dinghy to tow it, Dougal Robertson and his family were miles from any shipping lanes. They had emergency rations for only three days and no maps, compass, or instruments of any kind. After their raft sank under them, they crammed themselves into their tiny dinghy.For 37 daysusing every technique of survivalthey battled against 20-foot waves, marauding sharks, thirst, starvation, and exhaustion, adrift in the vast reaches of the Pacific before their ordeal was ended by a Japanese fishing boat. The Robertsons'' strong determination shines through the pages of this extraordinary book which describes movingly their daily hopes and fears, crises and triumphs, tensions and heartbreaks.Trade Review...[a] well-written account....an unexpectedly personal view of a man's physical and a woman's emotional courage that, when bonded, produced the strength to survive. * Sailing *For stark excitement, marine natural history, practical lessons, and human love and stresses, few records, if any, of hazard and survival have ever bettered it. * The Instrumentalist *[The Robertsons] survived and their tale is a triumph of human resource and determination against terrible odds. * Cruising World *What a brave man, what an eloquent writer! In case of shipwreck I would send for Dougal Robertson or, in absence of him, reread his book in order to find out what on earth to do next. -- Nicholas MonsarratTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Author's Acknowledgements Glossary of Sailing Terms Prologue Part One: the Attack Part Two: Castaways Part Three: Safety Part Four: Coincidence Part Five: The Last Analysis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the playgrounds of Glasgow to the villages of Bangladesh; from religious rites to ancient superstitions; from the world's richest people to its powerless and enslaved, Lorna Gibb's masterful Childless Voices paints a global portrait of people without children. Brilliantly grouped by thematic commonality (Those who long, Those who were denied, Those who Choose, etc) the book is a testament to the power of listening, and the power of sharing stories. It is an essential, moving and surprising book on a subject which touches everyone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE EXHILARATING TRUE STORY BEHIND THE ACTION-PACKED CLASSIC FILM''GOOSE AND MAVERICK MOVE OVER . . .'' Admiral James Stavridis________March 1969.American jets are getting shot down at an unprecedented rate over Vietnam. In an urgent effort to regain the advantage the Admirals turn to a young naval aviator called Dan Pedersen.Officially, the programme he set up was called the US Navy Fighter Weapons School. To everyone else it was known simply as TOPGUN.Pedersen''s hand-picked team of instructors - the Original Eight - were the best of the best. Together, they revolutionised aerial warfare and rediscovered the lost art of fighter combat.This is the extraordinary, thrilling story of how TOPGUN saw America reclaim the skies, by the man who created it.________''It''s hard to read Dan Pederson''s Topgun and not think of Tom Cruise. A pleasure to read'' Wall Street Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe rollicking memoir from the cardiologist turned legendary scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize that revels in the joy of science and discovery. Like Richard Feynman in the field of physics, Dr. Robert Lefkowitz is also known for being a larger-than-life character: a not-immodest, often self-deprecating, always entertaining raconteur. Indeed, when he received the Nobel Prize, the press corps in Sweden covered him intensively, describing him as “the happiest Laureate.” In addition to his time as a physician, from being a "yellow beret" in the public health corps with Dr. Anthony Fauci to his time as a cardiologist, and his extraordinary transition to biochemistry, which would lead to his Nobel Prize win, Dr. Lefkowitz has ignited passion and curiosity as a fabled mentor and teacher. But it's all in a day's work, as Lefkowitz reveals in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, which is filled to the brim with anecdotes and energy, and gives us a glimpse into the life of one of today's leading scientists. Trade Review"Cardiologist-turned-biochemist, Robert Lefkowitz won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for showing how adrenaline works through stimulation of specific receptors, with huge implications for drug discovery. Yet he calls himself 'an accidental scientist,' because he trained as a physician. Instead of being drafted to the Vietnam War, he served at the US National Institutes of Health. His autobiography is a vividly anecdotal account, influenced by a supervisor’s lesson that data do not tell a story: 'A story is something you impose on the data.'" -- Andrew Robinson * NATURE *“Lefkowitz unveils the teamwork, persistence, and labors of love that go into living a life of significance. By turns funny and moving, this book has the power to inspire.” -- Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Men’s Basketball, Duke University"This vivid tale shines with personality. Rarely has science been treated with such a winning blend of humor and humanity." * Publishers Weekly *"Lefkowitz is an avid and inveterate storyteller. Told with humor and humility, what shines through most is his love of stories. His passion for science and discovery, for helping people, and for celebrating stories is infectious." * Booklist *“An engaging Nobel Prize-winning journey of a life in medicine and science. Joyous, insightful, and irreverent, Lefkowitz describes the enormous impediments to challenging established dogma and legendary elders as well as the art and satisfaction of mentoring young scientists. For both lay readers and professional scientists, this book presents a narrative that will delight and that offers a goldmine of wisdom.” -- Robert Horvitz, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2002)“Lefkowitz’s life is testament to the joy of science. The book is a page-turner, a riveting account of a life well-lived. It is a story of stories, a tale of greatness.” -- Roger D. Kornberg, Ph.D., Stanford University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2006)“In this engaging and often rollicking tale, Bob Lefkowitz recounts how the Vietnam War transformed him from a dedicated young physician into an enthusiastic, ambitious, and highly successful scientist whose discoveries have altered our understanding of cell function and approaches to drug development. Arriving at a time when the need to convert physicians into scientists is greater than ever, this book can do more than just entertain and instruct: it can inspire young doctors to remake their careers.” -- Harold Varmus, M.D., Lewis Thomas University Professor, Weill Cornell Medicine; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1989); Author of The Art and Politics of Science“More than just a heartwarming and thrilling chronicle of a great physician-scientist, Lefkowitz has written a story-based leadership guide for any aspiring mentor. A testament to the power of building enduring excellence by believing in, championing, and developing others.” -- Sanyin Siang, Leadership Coach and author of The Launch Book“A spell-binding memoir, packed with deep insights and charged with the thrill of discovery. This is a tale told from the pinnacle of human achievement, that also serves as a master-class in humility and overcoming tragedy—all interwoven with laugh-out-loud anecdotes. Lefkowitz is a brilliant and charming storyteller, with an indomitable passion for living, and wisdom for the ages.” -- Karl Deisseroth, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University, Winner of the Kyoto Prize and the Heineken Prize; Author of Projections“In this entertaining book, Nobelist Bob Lefkowitz recounts how he became a passionate and renowned physician-scientist. He unveils the secret to his scientific stardom in a series of engrossing stories spanning his fifty-year career. No tale is left untold—many are amusing, some might raise a few eyebrows.” -- Joseph L. Goldstein, M.D., and Michael S. Brown, M.D., U.T. Southwestern Medical Center, Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine (1985)“Lefkowitz provides joyous remembrance of his amazing career as a physician-scientist. Interlaced with vignettes of personal sacrifice, growth, and friendship is the story of the seminal discoveries that culminated in science’s highest award. A beautiful story of family, hard work, and steadfast optimism.” -- Christine Seidman, M.D., Professor, Harvard Medical School, Director, CV Genetics Center Brigham and Women’s Hospital“How does a brilliant young physician accidentally get hooked on research? Bob Lefkowitz's life-altering shift changed not only his life but the lives of hundreds of his trainees. From the dazzling way adrenaline controls critical body functions to the thrill of his Nobel Prize win, this engaging book will help you better understand how physician scientists dedicate their careers to understanding human biology and enhancing human health." -- P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., Retired Chairman and CEO, Merck & Co.; Chairman of the Board, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals“Lighthearted, yet profoundly personal and moving, Lefkowitz’s memoir shares the secret recipe for winning a Nobel prize—two parts genius, one part audacity in challenging authority, one part insightful and supportive mentoring, a splash of good luck, and ten parts resilience and persistence. Bob Lefkowitz is at the top of the list of the extraordinary cadre of physicians turned scientists who ushered in the modern biotechnology revolution.” -- Barry S. Coller, M.D., David Rockefeller Professor of Medicine, Rockefeller University, Physician-in Chief, Rockefeller University Hospital"The odds of a scrappy kid growing up in the Bronx winning a Nobel Prize are overwhelmingly small. How Bob Lefkowitz managed to do this is revealed in this delightfully rich and moving book allowing the reader to understand Bob’s intelligence, warmth, and complexity. If you read one book this year, choose this one. It will fill you with joy, hope, and give you a new friend.” -- Ralph Snyderman, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Chancellor Emeritus, Duke University“A blend of comedy, history, and tragedy, this book is much more than a delightfully amusing tale of a bright kid from the Bronx who ultimately wins a Nobel Prize. Bob Lefkowitz’s message is of the utmost importance. U.S. taxpayer dollars funded a unique cadre of young physicians—'the Yellow Berets’—whose discoveries have led to revolutionary therapies for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, impotence, neurodegeneration, HIV, and coronavirus, all while training the next generation of medical scientists. Reading this book shows that investments in science will continue to save the world.” -- Peter Agre, M.D., Professor and Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health; Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2003)“Robert Lefkowitz’s memoir is a rollicking, absorbing read. It turns out many funny things happened on his way to Stockholm. Beautifully written, this book demonstrates the importance of humor, humility, and humanity in the pursuit of scientific discovery." -- Jerry Speyer, Chairman, Tishman-Speyer"A deeply personal perspective of events, people, thoughts, and actions that have created an era of major scientific breakthroughs. Full of insights and revelations about the milieu that underlies today’s biomedical revolution, from a key participant. Written with a candor and style that make Bob Lefkowitz’s life adventures as a physician-scientist a delight to read.” -- Stanley N. Cohen, M.D., Professor of Genetics and Medicine, Stanford University“Bob Lefkowitz is a legend in his own time. In addition to his clinical background as an MD and acknowledged scientific mettle resulting in a Nobel Prize, he is a renowned raconteur. Bob also has an excellent sense of humor, and these twin skills have made him a highly sought-after public speaker. They are both on vivid display in this highly readable and entertaining autobiography, which begins with his childhood in the Bronx and embraces his long and distinguished career.” -- Michael Rosbash, Ph.D., Peter Gruber Professor of Neuroscience, Brandeis University, Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute“Lefkowitz is not only a gifted scientist, but also a gifted story-teller. From the Yankees to Duke basketball to the game show Jeopardy through the upper echelons of science on his way to a Nobel Prize, he proves that science can be fun and rewarding for himself, the field, and his patients." -- Brian Druker, M.D., Director, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University“Lefkowitz appreciates the power of storytelling, both at the bedside in making diagnoses and at the bench in generating hypotheses. Full of vignettes that are sometimes embarrassingly honest, at other times laugh-out-loud humorous, but always infused with his own special brew of humility and hubris. An informative and entertaining read.” -- Helen H. Hobbs, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center“A tribute to teamwork that aims to inspire the young generation of scientists to take a similar journey. This book shows that making a breakthrough discovery, changing a paradigm, and using science as a tool to change people’s lives is possible, while also emphasizing that such achievements are not made by angels but by human beings like all of us.” -- Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., D.Sc., Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004)

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor at least 150 years, Thomas Chippendale has been synonymous with beautifully made eighteenth-century furniture in a variety of styles – Rococo, Chinese, Gothic and Neoclassical. Born in Otley, Yorkshire, in 1718, Chippendale rose to fame because of his revolutionary design book, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director, published in 1754. That same year he set up his famous workshops in St Martin’s Lane, creating some of the most magnificent furniture ever made in Britain. This beautifully illustrated history focuses on Britain’s most famous furniture maker and designer, including the worldwide phenomenon ‘Chippendale style’ that became popular in Europe, North America and Asia after his death in 1779. Today, his influence lives on with the ongoing production of ‘Chippendale’ furniture, while the eighteenth-century originals are selling for millions at auction.Table of ContentsThomas Chippendale's Life and Career The Chippendale Style Customers Legacy Further Reading Places to Visit Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis**LONGLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE**'You've never read a travel memoir like this before' The Sunday Times, 'Pride Culture Guide''Sweet and fun, with real emotional depth and a rousing, feisty spirit'Matt Cain***In the spring of 2012, Calum finds himself single again after his relationship of six years comes to an end. Heartbroken, unhappy and unsure of what to do next, he leaves the hometown he has been in all his life to embark on a journey that takes him all around the world, from teaching in a school on the outskirts of Rome to exploring the sex clubs of Berlin, to raising tigers in an animal sanctuary deep in the jungles of Thailand. Along the way, he meets LGBT+ people from all walks of life and every part of the rainbow - from an Italian teenager struggling with a homophobic father to a kathoey navigating life as a trans person in Thailand, to a young HIV-positive man living on the streets of London. Their individual stories, not only of hardship and sorrow but also of profound strength and hope, show the breadth and depth of queer life and experience, shedding light on themes such as homophobia, sexual violence, marriage equality and gender identity. Through these meetings and friendships, Calum not only finds the encouragement to embrace life after heartbreak, but also discovers a beautiful, loving global community who support and uplift him through the best and worst moments of his time on the road. A travel memoir with a difference, Eat, Gay, Love is a celebration of the power of community and a personal tribute to the extraordinary lives of LGBT+ people everywhere in the world.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR''The wickedest political diaries since Alan Clark''s'' Daily Mail''Riotously candid'' Decca Aitkenhead, Sunday Times''An acute political intelligence at work'' Guardian''Glorious, compelling, jaw-dropping'' Evening StandardWhat is it like to be a wife of a politician in modern-day Britain? Sasha Swire finally lifts the lid. For more than twenty years she has kept a secret diary detailing the trials and tribulations of being a political plus-one, and gives us a ringside seat at the seismic political events of the last decade. A professional partner and loyal spouse, Swire has strong political opinions herself - sometimes more ''No, Minister'' than ''Yes''. She detonates the stereotype of the dutiful wife. From shenanigans in Budleigh Salterton to state banquets at Buckingham Palace, gun-toting terTrade ReviewGloriously indiscreet * Daily Mail *A gossipy, amusing, opinionated account of what it's like to be married to an MP... Good fun and eye-opening * The Times *Riotously candid -- Decca Aitkenhead * Sunday Times *A glorious, compelling, jaw-dropping read * Evening Standard *They're the wickedest political diaries since Alan Clark's * Daily Mail *This gossipy, opinionated and frequently hilarious book could be the most entertaining political diary since Alan Clark's -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *Ten years ago, reviewing Alastair Campbell's diaries for the Spectator, I concluded as follows: "Who will be the chroniclers of the Cameron government? Somewhere, unknown to his or her colleagues, a secret scribbler will already be at work, documenting the rise and, in due course, no doubt, the fall of this administration" Well, here it is. The diary covers not only the rise and fall of the Cameroons, but also the shenanigans surrounding Brexit and the inexorable rise of Boris, concluding at the end of last year when Sir Hugo (as he was by then) left parliament. No holds are barred. Sasha is candid, irreverent, occasionally outrageous and sometimes hilarious -- Chris Mullin * Spectator *A funny, indiscreet and dangerously honest account of the Cameron-May years * The Times *Imagine the Alan Clark diaries, but written by his wife Jane instead: all the high-octane political gossip, set against a backdrop of country house shooting weekends and boozy dinners at Chequers, but seen through the sceptical eyes of a woman one step removed from all the head-butting stags. But there's far more to this book than reheated pillow talk. There is an acute political intelligence at work, of the sort that makes one wonder what might have been had Swire not settled for experiencing politics vicariously through her husband -- Gaby Hinsliff * Guardian *Westminster diaries are judged on three levels: the details they leak, the political era they re-create and the central character of the author. Swire scores highly on all three. She is funnier and ballsier than Chris Mullin and if she falls short of Alan Clark it is only because he was so devilish -- Quentin Letts * The Times *Diary of an MP's Wife is an irresistible, informal history and a rare tell-all about what it's really like to live behind the headlines of British political life. No one sees more than an observant wife and Sasha Swire's beady eye makes her a natural reporter! Her sharp vignettes and tart sense of humor make for compulsive reading. I do hope she keeps going! -- Tina BrownShe is not a high-society bird-brain but an acute and intelligent observer - and very funny. An invaluable source for future historians of Britain -- Margaret MacMillan * New Statesman *Swire has literary ability, a quality that manifests itself in the colour with which she describes the show and the freaks within it... there have been no political diaries to match the insightfulness and style of these since Alan Clark's and, like his, they will become an essential point of reference for those who wish to understand the politics of the age they describe -- Simon Heffer * Telegraph *Swire's uncharitable musings have demonstrated that the disloyalist's diary still has the power to inflict acute embarrassment, long after the events -- Ben MacIntyre * The Times *As tell-all diaries go, they don't get more riveting than Lady Swire's juicy tales -- Alice Fuller * Sun *Diary of an MP's Wife [is] both compelling and shrewd. The pesky MP's wife may have a better sense of public taste than all the players strutting on the political stage. I can't wait for the next swathe of Swire diaries and the film rights for these ones -- Sarah Sands * Oldie *Smirking at the juiciest revelations in the publishing sensation of the year. Relish these stories for they may be the last laughs we get in a while * Scotsman *Lady Swire has a keen eye for detail and a waspish turn of phrase, which makes this a real page-turner. Lady Swire deservedly takes her place alongside Alan Clark, Chips Channon and Julian Critchley -- Lord Vaizey of DidcotRight now, I'm reading a gossipy book; it's a diary of a British MP's wife, Sasha Swire. Normally when I'm buying a book like that I buy it on Kindle because then nobody can see what I'm reading! But it wasn't available, so I actually ordered it by mail and I'm happy I did that -- Kim Campbell, Prime Minister of CanadaThe most gossipy and mischievous diarist since Alan Clark begins her account in 2010 when her husband, Hugo, is appointed minister of state in the Northern Ireland office, and is so excited that he insists on being called "minister" at home * Sunday Times *The small clique of people at the top are also exposed with waspish irreverence by Sasha Swire in Diary of an MP's Wife. Lady Swire may be a social pariah in Notting Hill and Chipping Norton right now but will, I suspect, like Alan Clark before her, be remembered for her indiscretions long after most of the current cabinet * Telegraph *The wildly indiscreet tale of life inside David Cameron's inner circle... as much fun to pick through as a box of Quality Street, and beneath the gossipy surface lies a razor-sharp analysis of the Cameroons' descent from their gilded heyday to being eaten alive by Brexit * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“[A] rollicking narrative…[An] absorbing and original book…Superb”—Ben Wilson, Times“There is much in Taylor’s book. It is interesting to see how pragmatically humane the navy could be, particularly in peacetime.”—David Mills, Sunday Times“[A]n accessible, humanistic portrait of a life characterised by hardship and comradeship.”— History Revealed“Episodes [are] gripping to read and fascinating in their particulars”—Ian Garrick Mason, Spectator“Taylor's research, skilful exposition, and elegant integration of text, archive and image has produced a compelling account of the men who made modern Britain, one that supplants all those that has gone before. Essential reading for sailors of the open ocean and the armchair.”—Andrew Lambert, BBC History Magazine“If most of these men's names have seeped into oblivion like so much sea froth, Taylor has brought their experiences back to vivid and exhilarating life: he stitches together the brutality and wonder of their lives with intelligence, judgement and compassion.”—Mathew Lyons, Literary Review“Sons of the Waves is the heir apparent to [John] Masefield's book as the best introduction for the general reader to the lives of eighteenth-century British seamen…Using the full range of available sources, Taylor has brought out the authentic, rarely heard, voice of Jack Tar.”—John B. Hattendorf, Times Literary Supplement“A vivid and engaging 'history from below' which provides a rich and readable demonstration of the ways in which the skills and experiences of seafarers helped to shape our society”—Nautilus Telegraph ‘Book of the Month’“The best introduction for the general reader to the lives of 18th century British seamen … Taylor has brought out the authentic, rarely heard voice of Jack Tar.” —John B. Hattedorff, Times Literary Supplement“Engrossing … suffused with a dark Dickensian melancholy.” —Roger Lewis, Daily Mail,Book of the Week“Fascinating and satisfying … A kaleidoscope of individual personalities and adventures” — N.A.M. Rodger, London Review of Books “Taylor’s experience as a writer of maritime history is evident in his adroit crafting of narrative, vivid portrayal of his characters and clear familiarity with his archival sources.” —Global Maritime History Certificate of Merit, Mounbatten Book Prize awards, 2020"An excellent book, combining an original approach to the subject with original research. Jack Tar, the quintessential British hero, emerges from this collective biography as a self-confident fellow, part of the collective body that sustained national prosperity, security and power.”—Andrew Lambert, author of Nelson"This enthusiastic account gives a vivid picture of life below decks in the era of the sailing navy. It is a classic of its kind, brimful with riotous episodes and gripping anecdotes anchored in detailed research."—Margarette Lincoln, author of Trading in War"The Royal Navy had some great leaders but what made their achievements possible was the thousands of unknown and unheard-from seamen who manned these vessels. This book starts the exploration of those fascinating lives."—Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Raw, elemental and beautiful.' Telegraph'This is quite simply the best book about motherhood I have ever read.' - Eleanor Mills in the Sunday Times Mother to five children, Clover Stroud has navigated family life across two decades, both losing and finding herself. In her touching, provocative and profoundly insightful book, she captures a sense of what motherhood really feels like - how intense, sensuous, joyful, boring, profound and dark it can be.My Wild and Sleepless Nights examines what it means to be a mother, and reveals with unflinching honesty the many conflicting emotions that this entails: the joy and the wonder, the loneliness and despair. MORE PRAISE FOR CLOVER STROUD:'Clover's expertise is writing about family life in a way that feels both new and entirely familiar' - Pandora Sykes'As tender, blazing, funny and unflinching as the love it describes. I want to give this triumphant book to every mother I know' - Rachel Joyce'Stroud is always willing to rip open her very soul in order to reveal the truth about her life - and every time a woman tells the truth like this, it sets another woman free' - Elizabeth Gilbert'I read in one greedy gulp and am still slightly reeling. Extraordinary writing... For mothers and those even vaguely interested in family dynamics it is fascinating' - Alexandra HeminsleyCharting the course of one year, the first in her youngest child's life, Clover searches for answers to questions that many of us would be too afraid to admit to - not only about motherhood, but also about female sexuality and identity. Her story will speak to all mothers, and anyone about to embark on that journey.Trade ReviewA beautifully written, brutally honest dissection of motherhood by a woman who has five children, from pregnancy to teenagers, covering both the extreme highs and lows. Stroud's writing examines what it is to be a woman with the same sensitive skill fans of her first memoir, The Wild Other, will recall. * Independent *The best evocation of the all-consuming, self-eroding reality of motherhood, while also being luminous with love. * The Sunday Times *What does being a mother really feel like? Clover Stroud’s powerhouse of a memoir gets closer than anything else I have read to answering that question. The motherhood she describes is the very antithesis of the sanitised, smiling vision we are sold in washing powder ads... She excels in evoking the feral, instinctive forces that motherhood unleashes... This is a vision of motherhood for the (now middle-aged) MDMA generation... The reader is simply swept up in her painful, wonderful world. Buy it, read it, and enjoy it for the wild ride it is. * The Guardian *Clover Stroud's brilliantly unvarnished memoir finds the heroism and poetry in having kids ... Much of this book ..reads like a nature memoir, full of landscape both external and internal ... How brilliant for someone to write about the blankness as well as the beauty. -- Nell Frizzell * Telegraph *This is quite simply the best book about motherhood I have ever read: touching, tender, honest and true. Even as she’s bracingly direct about the frustrations of motherhood, Stroud also revels in the delights. Bliss and boredom coexist side by side — and the contradictions are at the core of it all. Stroud’s book will give anyone heading out on this fearsome journey a lantern to guide the way. The book is not always pretty, and sometimes its directness is shocking, but it is full of love and honesty. * The Sunday Times *

Read more less