Biography Books

Book SynopsisA heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.Trade Review“[A] layered account of a woman reckoning with love and violence at once…[Not] a flippant exposé of childhood stardom, nor an angry diatribe directed at an abuser. This complexity is what makes I’m Glad My Mom Died feel real…Some supposed literary types will think the immense popularity of I’m Glad My Mom Died—the hardcover initially sold out at many major bookstores—is merely the result of McCurdy’s former stardom and modern culture’s thirst for a sensational take. With its bold headline and bright cover featuring a smirking McCurdy holding a pink urn, the book feels deliberately marketed for virality, perfect for sharing on the internet and catching the eye of bookstore browsers. I’ve mentioned the title of this memoir to some people who have dismissed it out of hand, remarking that being glad one’s parent is dead is crude and a sentiment that should be kept to oneself. But those people haven’t read the book. McCurdy takes her time to remember difficult and complex moments of her life, staying true to her younger self while ultimately trying to come to terms with who she is as an independent adult. It’s a triumph of the confessional genre.”—Nina Li Coomes, The Atlantic “Not many people rise to her level of fame or are so deeply abused, but McCurdy’s narrative will feel familiar to anyone who has navigated poverty and trauma. Taking advantage of the store discount at your dad’s retail job, tuning out screaming matches between parents, avoiding calls from debt collectors … this is what childhood is like for millions of Americans. Like many, I recognized myself in her words.”—Sabrina Cartan, Slate “Unflinching…This year’s most candid book…I'm Glad My Mom Died made me laugh; it made me cry. It's such a funny, dark, moving, honest, real, uncensored book, and it's unlike anything I've ever read.”—Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon “[The] number-one New York Times-bestselling memoir that has also achieved pop-cultural phenomenon status…I'm Glad My Mom Died is more than source material for a deluge of headlines about Grande and the slimy advances of a Nickelodeon svengali McCurdy calls simply ‘The Creator.’ McCurdy distinguishes herself from standard-issue celebrity memoir fare with a vivid, biting, darkly comic tone and an immersive present tense.”—Michelle Ruiz, Vogue “For McCurdy, this book isn't just her writing debut. It's a reckoning with guilt and grief after her mother's premature death. It's healing from multiple eating disorders and processing decades of trauma. It's finally doing what she wants for the first time: not acting. Writing…Healing from trauma looks different for everyone: For McCurdy, writing this memoir symbolized empowerment over her narrative. And understanding that it's OK not to forgive her late mother provided her peace.”—Jenna Ryu, USA Today “Judging simply by the shocking title of Jennette McCurdy’s debut memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, you may think the book is a no-holds-barred, scathing takedown of her mother and everyone else who perpetuated the horrifying upbringing that the former iCarly star endured, but you’d be wrong. McCurdy’s book is certainly revealing, describing the abuse she endured from her mother, who pushed her into acting at age 6, then guided her directly into an eating disorder and much worse until her death in 2013. But beyond that, it’s a measured, heartbreakingly poignant, and often laugh-out-loud-funny memoir with McCurdy showing more sympathy for her complicated mother than most people could even imagine mustering. However, what is perhaps most important about her memoir, which is smart, well-written, and powerful, is just how much hope and help it will surely provide to those suffering similar abuses right now.”—Scott Neumyer, Shondaland “The new memoir from former child star Jennette McCurdy has an attention-grabbing title: I’m Glad My Mom Died. Over the course of the book, McCurdy, who built her name on Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Sam and Cat, more than makes her case, detailing years of her mother’s mental and physical abuse. The result is a detailed look at a very specific and individual childhood of horrors, but it also points to a major systemic problem. I’m Glad My Mom Died doubles as a damning indictment of the child star system…She paints a vivid picture of child stardom as a system in which children find themselves turned into walking piles of other people’s cash, and summarily dismantled when they lose their value. It’s damning both for the horrors she experienced as an individual and the systemic failures to which her story points.”—Constance Grady, Vox “McCurdy’s book must be written by someone. Why? It must be done because there is someone out there right now who truly believes that life will never be any different. They truly believe that they will live under their parent’s thumb, never have the life they wanted, not trust their own agency, their own minds, and people like Jennette exist to tell them: You are not wrong, you can trust yourself. You can do this too.”—Erin Taylor, Observer “A stunning memoir…[McCurdy] reveals herself to be a stingingly funny and insightful writer, capable of great empathy and a brutal punchline. It’s a document not just of all she’s endured, but also of the wisdom she accrued along the way.”—Sam Lansky, Time “A coming-of-age story that is alternately harrowing and mordantly funny.”—Dave Itzkoff, The New York Times “[A] magnum opus…sharply funny and empathetic.”—Ashley Spencer, The Washington Post “McCurdy strips away the candy-coated facade of her sitcom experiences.”—Vanity Fair “[The] US summer publishing sensation that—in short, punchy sentences delivered with a high level of self-perception—could transform the trauma memoir business…[T]he book, and the reception it has received, could return the focus of the trauma narratives to the mother and create new demand for mother-daughter accounts.”—Edward Helmore, The Guardian “[An] explosive debut…insightful and incisive, heartbreaking and raw, McCurdy’s narrative reveals a strong woman who triumphs over unimaginable pressure to emerge whole on the other side. Fans will be rapt.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “McCurdy asks readers a question: When and how does one rid oneself of the cage created by others and walk freely? Her stunning debut offers fierce honesty, empathy for those that contributed to her grief, and insights into the hard-fought attachments and detachments of growing older.”—Booklist (starred review) “Delivered with captivating candor and grace.”—Kirkus (starred review) “Jennette McCurdy is the queen of lemonade from lemons, using her trauma to weave a painfully funny story that also illuminates the commodification of teenage girls in America. An important cultural document just as much as a searingly personal one.”—Lena Dunham “Jennette’s road to finding herself—removed from the expectations of her mother—is impressively funny. She fuses nuanced relationships, complex grief, religious whiplash and Hollywood trauma into a bold story with a specific comedic voice.”—Jerrod Carmichael “How can a book be so sad and also so funny? It's an art, and Jennette McCurdy has mastered it here. I’m Glad My Mom Died is hysterical and heartbreaking and fascinating all at the same time.”—Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things and Broken (in the Best Possible Way) “I'm Glad My Mom Died is furious, sad, brave, knowing, honest, heart-wrenching, and utterly compelling. McCurdy writes with a keen insight and startling compassion. Whether showing how dysfunction can seem normal to those most affected, the torture of eating disorders, or the mindfuck that is child stardom, McCurdy brings readers deep into the milieu so often hidden from outsiders. This is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story as fearless as its author.” —Lauren Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing “Jennette McCurdy’s book is a coruscating picture of her life as a child actor, devastatingly honest and with great understanding of the psychology and emotions operating at a deep level. It’s a riveting read, entertaining and very touching.”—Hayley Mills, New York Times bestselling author of Forever Young “Jennette’s career as an actor was simply a character in a much more important story. She is a natural writer with a wonderful sense of humor. Her story is heartbreaking with a nice balance of hopeful. I could not put this book down.”—Laraine Newman, original cast member of Saturday Night Live and author of May You Live in Interesting Times

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Book SynopsisThe new Lean In, from the multi-award-winning Founder and CEO of national non-profit Girls Who Code and New York Times bestselling author Reshma Saujani.We are raising our boys to be brave, but our girls to be perfect. And this is holding us back.'Imagine if you lived without the fear of failure, without the fear of not measuring up. If you no longer felt the need to stifle your thoughts and swallow what you really want to say in order to please and appease others. If you could stop berating yourself mercilessly for human mistakes, let go of the guilt and the strangling pressure to be perfect, and just breathe. What if, in every decision you faced, you made the brave choice or took the bolder path. Would you be happier? Would you impact the world in the ways you dream you can?I believe the answer to both is yes.Trade Review‘This book is liberating – it unpicks perfection culture and will inspire you to live bigger and bolder.’ Annie Auerbach ‘Reshma is like your fearless friend throughout, encouraging you to take a leap of faith…If you fear failure and need a bravery boost, this one’s for you.’ Marie Claire *** Reviews for Women Who Don’t Wait in Line ‘Part pep talk, part battle cry… [Women Who Don’t Wait in Line is] a passionate call for women to rise above the expected norms in order to live productive, authentic lives.’ Kirkus ‘A beguiling blend of audacity and humility, the book proves most engaging when Saujani shares her experiences and accomplishments.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Clearly committed to effecting positive change for women in the political arena, Saujani shares invaluable information and ideas.’ Booklist

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Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR FILM, STARRING STEVE CARELL AND BAFTA AND GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATED TIMOTHEE CHALAMET ‘What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong?’ Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets.With haunting candour, David Sheff traces the first subtle warning signs: the denial, the 3am phone calls (is it Nic? the police? the hospital?), the attempts at rehab. His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself, and tTrade Review'Both takes on this story are riveting, brilliantly written, thoughtful, searingly honest and equally essential. They should be mandatory reading for every teenager and every parent of one.' * Daily Mail *'My generation experimented with drugs and, now that we are parents, we're caught off guard: we never contemplated having to face what David Sheff has faced. He writes with candour, courage and grace of his family's harrowing – and sadly not atypical – story. Beautiful Boy is an important book. It is moving, timely and startlingly beautiful.' -- Sir Richard Branson, chairman, Virgin Group'Those of us who love an addict – or are addicts ourselves – will find Beautiful Boy a revelation. David Sheff knows all too well what must be endured with faith, and his extraordinary book describes it better than anything else I've read. While painfully candid, Beautiful Boy is equally optimistic and powerful.' -- Martin Sheen, actor'An honest, hopeful book, coming at a propitious moment in the meth epidemic.' * Publishers Weekly *'An excellent book that all parents can relate to whatever their children's situation.' * Library Journal *'Moving, painfully honest, very revealing, it tells a story which just never gets told and which is extraordinarily important.' -- Rosie Boycott'A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts.' -- Anne Lamott'Beautiful Boy is so beautifully written that it will come as a welcome balm to millions of parents and loved ones who thought they were making this journey alone.' -- Armistead Maupin

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''It will do your soul good to read this.'' NIGELLA LAWSONA balm for our times from the internationally bestselling author of Wintering.Our sense of enchantment is not only sparked by grand things. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. The magic is of our own conjuring.''A total joy . . . Thoughtful, patient and beautifully written, like walking with a friend as dusk settles, this is the book your soul needs right now.''CARIAD LLOYD''Beautifully written.''PHILIPPA PERRYFeeling bone-tired, anxious and overwhelmed by the rolling news cycle and the pandemic age, Katherine May seeks to unravel the threads of a life wound too tightly. Could there be another way to live - one that feels more meaningful, more grounded in the places beneath our feet? One that would allow us to feel more connected, more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet?Craving a different path, May explores the restorative properties of the natural world and begins to rekindle her sense of wonder. It is a journey that takes her from sacred wells to wild moors, from cradling seas to starfalls. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she finds nourishment and a more hopeful relationship to the world around her.Enchantment is an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.Katherine May''s book Enchantment was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 10-03-2023

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Book SynopsisThe hotly anticipated book from one of the all-time pop-culture greats' (New York magazine) that chronicles her shocking life and unyielding determination to not only survive but achieve her dreams.Intense and compelling' SUNDAY TIMES''A gripping and powerful coming-of-age story'' TELEGRAPHA masterpiece' GREG JAMES, BBC RADIO 1Julia Fox is famous for many things: her captivating acting, such as her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems; her trendsetting style, including bleached eyebrows, exaggerated eyeshadow and cutout dresses; her mastery of social media. But all these share the trait for which she is most famous: unabashedly and unapologetically being herself.This commitment to authenticity has never been more on display than in Down the Drain. Fox recounts her turbulent path to cultural supremacy: her parents' volatile relationship that divided her childhood between Italy and New York City and left her largely raising herself; a possessive and abusive drug-dealing boyfriend whose torment continued even from within Rikers Island; her own trips to jail as well as to a psychiatric hospital; her work as a dominatrix that led to a complicated entanglement with a sugar daddy; a heroin habit that led to New Orleans trap houses and that she would kick only after the fatal overdose of her best friend; her own near-lethal overdoses and the deaths of still more friends from drugs and suicide; an emotionally explosive, tabloid-dominating romance with a figure she dubs The Artist; a whirlwind, short-lived marriage and her trials as a single parent striving to support her young son.Yet as extraordinary as her story is, its universality is what makes it so powerful. Fox doesn't just capture her evolution from grade-school outcast to fashion-world icon, she captures her transition from girlhood to womanhood to motherhood. Family and friendship, sex and death, violence and love, money and power, innocence and experienceit's all here, in raw, remarkable and riveting detail.More than a year before the book''s publication, Fox''s description of it as a masterpiece in a red carpet interview went viral. As always, she was just being honest. Down the Drain is a true literary achievement, as one-of-a-kind as its author.

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Book SynopsisThe former head of Lockheed''s SKUNK WORKS reveals the amazing story of the secret aircraft that changed the course of history - from the U-2 to the Stealth Fighter. A must-read for anyone interested in aviation, advanced technologies, Cold War history, and thrilling true stories.SKUNK WORKS is the true story, told for the first time, of America''s most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation''s brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the story of Lockheed''s legendary Skunk Works is a high-stakes drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering and human achievement against fantastic odds.SKUNK WORKS is dramatic and immediate. Direct from the cockpits of these astonishing aircraft - U-2 spy-plane, SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Stealth Fighter. It is a tribute to genius in the unrelenting contest for mastery of the skies.Trade ReviewDynamite - the true story of one of America's crown jewels! * Tom Clancy *

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Book SynopsisA biography of one of the most remarkable women of the Tudor era - next to Queen Elizabeth the most powerful woman in EnglandBess of Hardwick, born into the most brutal and turbulent period of England''s history, did not have an auspicious start in life. Widowed for the first time at sixteen, she nonetheless outlived four monarchs, married three more times, and died one of the wealthiest and most powerful women the country has ever seen. The Tudor age was a hazardous time for an ambitious woman: by the time Frances, Bess''s first child, was six, three of her illustrious godparents had been beheaded. Plague regularly wiped out entire families, conspiracies and feuds were rife. But through all this Bess Hardwick bore eight children and built an empire of her own: the great houses of Chatsworth and Hardwick. ''The best account yet of this shrewd, enigmatic and remarkable woman'' Sunday Times''Lovell has excelled at bringing the Tudor age to exuberant life. A phenomenal story'' Mail on Sunday''Utterly absorbing... one of those biographies in which the reader really doesn''t want the subject to die'' Independent on SundayTrade ReviewLovell rehabilitates Bess's reputation, showing that she was shrewd rather than shrewish, kind rather than cold THE TIMES This wonderfully researched book is an intimate portrait of [Bess's] life and a vivid insight into life in Tudor society SUNDAY EXPRESS Lovell has excelled at bringing the Tudor Age to exuberant life... altogether this is a rattling good read Hugh Massingberd, MAIL ON SUNDAY The best account yet available of this shrewd, enigmatic and remarkable woman SUNDAY TIMES

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewRaynor Winn has done it again. She's achieved a miracle, defying all odds and walking 1,000 miles with her beloved husband Moth. But she has also given her vast army of fans - both armchair hikers and the real thing - another wondrous book, full of compassion, humour, insights, closeness to nature and true, bloody-minded grit. An inspiration. -- Isabella Tree, author of WildingAs well as a portrait of a telepathic marriage of true minds, and a snapshot of a fretful island, this is a soaring lament and a tub-thumping tirade - for all that is being lost, for all that may yet be saved * Telegraph *An inspiring and beautifully written story of hope and healing . . . We, her readers, are privileged to walk alongside her * Countryfile *An inspirational story of love and endurance; of trails offering links to ancient times. But it's clear-eyed, too, on the future we're shaping * Telegraph, 'Best travel books to buy for Christmas 2022' *Another heartwarming odyssey, this time on one of the wildest walks in Britain . . . Winn seems to have a bird's-eye view of Britain - a map at her feet, a keen eye for detail, particularly for social injustice. Hers is a voice of empathy and integrity * GUARDIAN *Fans of The Salt Path will love this moving continuation of Raynor and her husband Moth's journey . . . Alongside beautiful nature writing, there are thought-provoking observations on our countryside and the threat it is under * Good Housekeeping *A tale of remarkable resilience and nature writing at its best * i *Their journey from remote Scotland to the South West coast Path makes for inspiring reading * Boundless *Each step is recorded in luminous prose * Wanderlust *A captivating reflection on nature and the lines that divide and shape countries and people * Sainsbury's Magazine *If you enjoyed The Salt Path . . . you'll love Raynor Winn's latest book, Landlines * Yours Magazine *The reader . . . may struggle to keep a dry eye * Geographical *Winn has a gift for making her account profoundly human . . . In exploring what it means to be seeing a landscape possibly for the last time, it achieves moments of rare vision and compassion * Spectator *If you followed Raynor and husband Moth on The Salt Path, you will thrill to join them on this epic walk, from Scotland's wild and beautiful Cape Wrath Trail. Miracles might just happen when you put your best foot forward * Saga Magazine *I like the realism of her writing, about all the practicalities and discomforts, the midge bites, the blisters and the endless comforting cups of tea. All of this is underpinned by the deep love of a long marriage. Winn writes with a personal and passionate appreciation of nature * Perceptive Travel *

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Book SynopsisWinston & the Windsors is a rich and vivid story not only of how Churchill befriended and advised kings, queens, princes and princesses, but of how Churchill's splendid and glorious association with the crown shaped modern Britain.

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Book Synopsis'A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like ... It's an amazing tale' Bill Gates'The best book I read last year was Shoe Dog, by Nike's Phil Knight. Phil is a very wise, intelligent and competitive fellow who is also a gifted storyteller' Warren Buffett In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of start-ups, Nike is the ne plus ultra of all start-ups, and the swoosh has become a revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable symbols in the world today.   But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, he tells his story. Candid, humble, wry and gutsy, he begins with his crossroads moment when at 24 he decided to start his own business. He details the many risks and daunting setbacks that stood between him and his dream - along with his early triumphs. Above all, he recalls how his first band of partners and employees soon became a tight-knit band of brothers. Together, harnessing the transcendent power of a shared mission, and a deep belief in the spirit of sport, they built a brand that changed everything.  A memoir rich with insight, humour and hard-won wisdom, this book is also studded with lessons - about building something from scratch, overcoming adversity, and ultimately leaving your mark on the world. 

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Book SynopsisDiscover the truth about ENDURANCE in this superb true story of adventure, shipwreck, storms and survival on the high seas.''Superb ... the greatest survival story of all time'' Sir Chris Bonington''One of the most remarkable tales of human courage and determination. The story is gripping and the book is a classic'' Sir Ranulph FiennesENDURANCE is the story of one of the most astonishing feats of exploration and human courage ever recorded. In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men set sail for the South Atlantic on board a ship called the Endurance. The object of the expedition was to cross the Antarctic overland. In October 1915, still half a continent away from their intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in ice. For five months Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways on one of the most savage regions of the world. This utterly gripping book, based on first-hand accounts of crew members and inTrade ReviewOne of the most remarkable tales of human courage and determination. The story is gripping and the book is a classic of its kind -- Sir Ranulph FiennesA superb and very readable account of the greatest survival story of all time -- Sir Chris BoningtonOne of the most harrowing survival stories of all time -- Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm

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Book SynopsisFriedrich Nietzsche''s most accessible and influential philosophical work, misquoted, misrepresented, brilliantly original and enormously influentialNietzsche was one of the most revolutionary and subversive thinkers in Western philosophy, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra remains his most famous and influential work. It describes how the ancient Persian prophet Zarathustra descends from his solitude in the mountains to tell the world that God is dead and that the Superman, the human embodiment of divinity, is his successor. Nietzsche''s utterance ''God is dead'', his insistence that the meaning of life is to be found in purely human terms, and his doctrine of the Superman and the will to power were all later seized upon and unrecognisably twisted by, among others, Nazi intellectuals. With blazing intensity and poetic brilliance, Nietzsche argues that the meaning of existence is not to be found in religious pieties or meek submission to authority, but in an all-powerful life force: passionate, chaotic and free.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsPart 1 Zarathustra's discourses: of the three metamorphoses; of the chairs of virtue; of the afterworldsmen; of the despisers of the body; of joys and passions; of the pale criminal; of reading and writing; of the tree on the mountainside; of the preachers of death; of war and warriors; of the new idol; of the flies of the market-place; of chastity; of the friend; of the thousand and one goals; of love of one's neighbour; of the way of the creator; of old and young women; of the Adder's bite; of marriage and children; of voluntary death; of the bestowing virtue. Part 2: the child with the mirror; on the blissful islands; of the compassionate; of the priests; of the virtuous; of the rabble; of the tarantulas; of the famous philosophers; of the night song; the dance song; the funeral song; of self-overcoming; of the sublime men; of the land of culture; of immaculate perception; of scholars; of poets; of great events; the prophet; of redemption; of manly prudence; the stillest hour. Part 3: the wanderer; of the vision and the riddle; of involuntary bliss; before sunrise; of the virtue that makes small; on the mount of olives; of passing by; of the apostates; the home-coming; of the three evil things; of the spirit of gravity; of old and new law-tables; the convalescent; of the great longing; the second dance song; the seven seals (or - the song of Yes and Amen). Part 4: the honey offering; the cry of distress; conversation with the kings; the leech; the sorcerer; retired from service; the ugliest man; the voluntary beggar; the shadow; at noontide; the greeting; the last supper; of the higher man; the song of melancholy; of science; among the daughters of the desert; the awakening; the ass festival; the intoxicated song; the sign.

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Book SynopsisIn this short sequel to his acclaimed memoir, the legendary filmmaker and global cultural icon explores one of his favourite topics: the nature of truth. What if a lie is told to reveal some underlying truth? Are feelings that seem inappropriate, such as the hysteria following the death of a celebrity, any less real or true than the grief we feel over the death of a loved one? Even if the plot of an opera seems preposterous, can't it still express strong human emotions that ring true with the audience?At the heart of the book lies Werner Herzog's concept of ecstatic truth' a truth that is often hidden behind the facts and our conceptions of reality but can be gleaned through the poetic imagination, in art, literature and cinema, when we open ourselves up to an aesthetic experience. Written in Herzog's inimitable tyle, the stories, anecdotes and reflections take us from present-day deep fakes and the opportunities and perils of AI to Ancient Egyptian and Rome, where rulers resorted to lies and propaganda in the same way as governments do today; from Scott's and Amundson's race to the South Pole to alien abduction stories and the making of Herzog's own films. With its singular vision and unique voice, The Future of Truth is a compelling meditation on the relationship between fact and fiction, evidence and the imagination, by one of the most fascinating and idiosyncratic thinkers in the world today.

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Book SynopsisHow do you lead a fulfilling life? That profound question animates this book of inspiration and insight from world-class business strategist and bestselling author of The Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christensen.After beating a heart attack, advanced-stage cancer and a stroke in three successive years, the world-renowned innovation expert and author of one of the best selling and most influential business books of all time The Innovator's Dilemma Clayton M. Christensen delivered a short but powerful speech to the Harvard Business School graduating class. He presented a set of personal guidelines that have helped him find meaning and happiness in his life a challenge even the brightest and most motivated of students find daunting.Akin to The Last Lecture in its revelatory perspective following life-altering events, that speech subsequently became a hugely popular article in the Harvard Business Review and is now a groundbreaking book, putting forth a series of questions and models for success that have long been applied in the world of business, but also can be used to find cogent answers to pressing life questions: How can I be sure that I'll find satisfaction in my career? How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse, my family and my close friends become enduring sources of happiness? How can I avoid compromising my integrity (and stay out of jail)?How Will You Measure Your Life? is a highly original, surprising book from a singular business figure. It's a book sure to inspire and educate readers companies and individuals, students of business, mid-career professionals, and even parents the world over.Trade Review“If you're ready to get deep, real quick, you need to read Clay Christensen's new book, How Will You Measure Your Life?, co-written with James Allworth, a consultant and Harvard MBA, and Karen Dillon, former editor of the Harvard Business Review. It mixes tested business theories and a heap of common sense. It's one of the more surprisingly powerful books of personal philosophy of the 21st century.”Forbes “How Will You Measure Your Life? is an intriguing paradox. A self-help book that is not a self-help book, based on rigorous research but enlivened by anecdotes about the experiences of a man who is hailed as a model by his students. It neatly reverses the technique of those business bestsellers that use the lives and careers of great leaders – from Attila the Hun to General George Patton – to lay down timeless rules for corporate executives.”Financial Times “[A] highly engaging and intensely revealing work….Spiritual without being preachy, this work is especially relevant for young people embarking on their career, but also useful for anyone who wants to live a more meaningful life in accordance with their values.”Publishers Weekly “The book encapsulates Christensen’s best advice to keep high achievers from being disrupted in their own lives….[P]rovocative but reassuring: Peter Drucker meets Mitch Albom.” Bloomberg Businessweek Praise for The Innovator’s Dilemma: "Addresses a tough problem that most successful companies will face eventually. It's lucid, analytical-and scary."Dr. Andrew S. Grove, Chairman, Intel Corporation "The Innovator's Dilemma is absolutely brilliant. Clayton Christensen provides an insightful analysis of changing technology and its importance to a company's future success. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in business or entrepreneurship."Michael R. Bloomberg, CEO and Founder, Bloomberg Financial Markets

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Book SynopsisHannah Kent's first novel, the multi-award-winning international bestseller Burial Rites, was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, has been translated into over thirty languages, and is being adapted for film. Her second novel, The Good People, was translated into ten languages nominated for numerous awards and is also being adapted for film. Devotion, her third novel, won Booktopia's Favourite Australian Book, and was shortlisted for multiple industry awards.Her original feature film, Run Rabbit Run, was directed by Daina Reid and starred Sarah Snook. Hannah is also the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings, and has written for The New York Times, The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Meanjin, Qantas Magazine and LitHub. She lives and works on Peramangk and Kaurna country.

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Book SynopsisPowerful, humane and wise' JULIA SAMUELEveryone should read it' NIGELLA LAWSONBeautiful This is a book for everyone. You feel held by it' PHILIPPA PERRYMost of us have a conversation we're avoiding.From the bestselling author of With the End in Mind, this is a book about the conversations that matter and how to have them better more honestly, more confidently and without regret.A child coming out to their parent. A family losing someone to terminal illness. A friend noticing the first signs of someone's dementia. A careers advisor and a teenager with radically different perspectives.There are moments when we must talk, listen and be there for one another. Why do we so often come away from those times feeling like we could have done more, or should have been braver in the face of discomfort? Why do we skirt the conversations that might matter most?By bringing together stories with a lifetime's experience working in medicine and the newest psychology, Mannix offers lessons for how we can better speak our mind and help when others need to.Kathryn Mannix's With the End in Mind' was a Sunday Times bestseller the weeks ending 6 January 2018, 13 January 2018 and 3 February 2018.Trade Review‘This gentle-hearted, engaging and intimately readable book is so full of wisdom and compassion. Everyone should read it’Nigella Lawson ‘Kathryn Mannix has a gift for cutting through the noise and helping us realise what is most important. In a world that never stops talking, this book celebrates and demonstrates the curative power of listening. It is powerful, humane and wise’Julia Samuel ‘This is a beautiful book … Too often people want their friends and relations to take all the difficult talk to a therapist, there has to be more than the professional listeners who know how to have a mutually impactful beautiful, tender conversation. This is a book for everyone … I actually feel listened to by reading it’Philippa Perry ‘Kathryn Mannix is our modern-day prophet … This is an essential book for anyone interested in themselves and their fellow humans’Greg Wise ‘I adore Kathryn's writing. Always sensitive, always thoughtful, an essential read for those looking to connect’Cariad Lloyd ‘Kathryn Mannix is a natural born storyteller, and there is so much wisdom, tenderness and love packed into this profoundly beautiful book … Her words brim with grace. I loved this book so very much.’Rachel Clarke ‘It’s amazing that a book like this has not been written before – such is the need for it … Intensely humane and reassuring … Full of wisdom and compassion’Sue Stuart-Smith ‘This is a beautiful book and I found almost every page taught me something in a gentle, but powerful way’Annalisa Barbieri ‘The book’s greatest strength is not just the information it shares, but the pure humanity it shows; the halting, fearful, imperfect conversations between people who are all doing their best and sometimes not getting it right. The gems of wisdom apply to all situations, whether someone is at the end of their life or has had a bad day at work … Compassionate, warm and wise’The Times

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Book SynopsisThe true story of the greatest battle of World War II and the basis of the film of the same name, directed by Richard Attenborough. The true story of the greatest battle of World War II and the basis of the 1977 film of the same name, directed by Richard Attenborough.Trade Review'The most brilliant reporter now alive' * Malcolm Muggeridge, 1973 *'I know of no other work of literature of World War II as moving, as awesome and as accurate in its portrayal of human courage.' * General James A Gavin *

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Book SynopsisThe Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings is a collection that displays the full force of Edgar Allan Poe's mastery of both Gothic horror and the short story form. Now published in the Penguin Clothbound Classics series, this selection of Poe's critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates his intense interest in aesthetic issues, and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. 'The Fall of the House of Usher' is a slow-burning Gothic horror, describing the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In 'The Tell-Tale Heart', a murderer's insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as 'The Pit and the Pendulum', 'The Raven' and 'The Cask of Amontillado' explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate. As well as his remarkable literary output, Boston-born Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) had a variety of occupations - he served in the US army and was a magazine editor.

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Book SynopsisAfter the publication ofFassbinder Thousands of Mirrors, his long awaited first original book, cult critic Ian Penman returns withI Am Called Erik Satie I Like Everyone Else, a three-part study of the composer and pianist.

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Book SynopsisDeliver me from the Watchers who bear slaughtering knives, and who have cruel fingers. This deluxe gift edition presents The Egyptian Book of the Dead, an ancient collection of spells, prayers and incantations designed to guide the departed through the perils of the underworld. Written as part of funeral rites to ensure eternal life, these scrolls were often left in the sarcophagus of the deceased and now offer fascinating insight into Egyptian culture. This beautifully illustrated edition contains images from the exquisite Papyrus of Ani, an ancient Egyptian scroll narrating the journey of Theban scribe Ani through the underworld. Its accompanying hieroglyphic text has been translated by acclaimed Egyptologist E.A Wallis Budge, and includes spells addressed to ferryman, gods and kings to aid Ani on his way to the afterlife.ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Ornate Classics are beautifully bound editions of iconic literary works

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Book SynopsisWhen Covid-19 swept the world, governments scrambled to protect their citizens and chart a course back to normality. As Health Secretary, Matt Hancock was at the forefront of Britain's battle against the virus, trying to steer the country through the crisis in a world where information was scarce, judgements huge and the roadmap non-existent. Drawing on a wealth of never-before-seen material, including official records, his notes at the time and communications with all the key players in Britain's Covid-19 story, this candid account reveals the inner workings of government during a time of national crisis, reflecting on both the successes and the failures. Recounting the most important decisions in the race to develop a vaccine in record time and to build a nationwide testing capacity from the ground up, Pandemic Diaries provides the definitive account of Britain's battle to turn the tide against Covid-19. Crucially, it also offers an honest assessment of the lessons we need to learn to be prepared for next time - because there will be a next time.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him.Cats have long been considered creatures of mystery and magic. Worshipped as deities in some cultures, feared as harbingers of bad fortune in others, it''s little surprise that their enigmatic charm continues to capture our imaginations today.This classic collection of the most beloved cat tales includes Saki''s Tobermory', in which a straight-talking cat leaves dinner guests aghast yet entranced; a Norse fairy tale involving a spectacular feline rescue; The Dragon Tamers' by E. Nesbit; and H. P. Lovecraft''s strange story The Cats of Ulthar'; amongst many others to enjoy for years to come.

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Book SynopsisMichael R. Payneâs remarkable autobiography takes readers inside the transformation of global sport from a gentlemanâs pastime into a trillion-dollar industry. One of the last true insiders, Payne delivers a fast-paced, razor-sharp dissection of the deals, scandals, and innovations that defined the past fifty years.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Price and William Hill Sports Book of the Year: Barbarian Days is a deeply rendered self-portrait of a lifelong surfer looking for transcendence ''that recalls early James Salter'' (Geoff Dyer, Observer)Surfing only looks like a sport. To devotees, it is something else entirely: a beautiful addiction, a mental and physical study, a passionate way of life.New Yorker writer William Finnegan first started surfing as a young boy in California and Hawaii. Barbarian Days is his immersive memoir of a life spent travelling the world chasing waves through the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Africa and beyond. Finnegan describes the edgy yet enduring brotherhood forged among the swell of the surf; and recalling his own apprenticeship to the world''s most famous and challenging waves, he considers the intense relationship formed between man, board and water.Barbarian Days is an old-school adventure story, Trade ReviewA surfer's tale of his quest for self-transcendence is a masterpiece that recalls early James Salter * Geoff Dyer, the Observer *I don't know anything about surfing, but I was gripped by the intensity of his language, never mind the thrilling recklessness of his behaviour in the waves * Olivia Laing, Guardian Best Holiday Reads 2015 *There are too many breathtaking, original things in Barbarian Days to do more than mention here - observations about surfing that have simply never been made before, or certainly never so well. But a particularly remarkable feature of Barbarian Days is the generous yet unsparing portraits of competitive surf friendships that make up a major share of the narrative * New York Times *Nothing I've read so accurately describes the feeling of being stoked or the despair of being held under. But also because while it is a book about 'A Surfing Life' - as the subtitle states - it's also about a writer's life and, even more generally, a quester's life, more carefully observed and precisely rendered than any I've read in a long time * LA Times *Surfing is Topic A here, but it inevitably connects with politics (when Mr. Finnegan taught in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1981, students boycotted his classes to protest apartheid), environmental issues (he sees great surf spots both created and destroyed by human enterprise) and much more. * New York Times, Cool Beach Books for Hot Summer Days *Reading this guy on the subject of waves and water is like reading Hemingway on bullfighting; William Burroughs on controlled substances; Updike on adultery. . . . a coming-of-age story, seen through the gloss resin coat of a surfboard * Sports Illustrated *For pure sensation, pick up New Yorker writer William Finnegan's memories of the beach, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life. Just try and keep the sand out of your book . . . and out of your sandwich. * Publishers Weekly, Best Summer Books 2015 *Luscious * Ed Caesar, Guardian *A far-ranging, unique and bewitching memoir ... You don't need to have surfed to enjoy this book. * Literary Review *How many ways can you describe a wave? You'll never get tired of watching Finnegan do it. A staff writer at The New Yorker, he leads a counterlife as an obsessive surfer, traveling around the world, throwing his vulnerable, merely human body into line after line of waves in search of transient moments of grace . . . It's an occupation that has never before been described with this tenderness and deftness * TIME Magazine, Top 10 Nonfiction Books of 2015 *The kind of book that makes you squirm in your seat on the subway, gaze out the window at work, and Google Map the quickest route to the beach. In other words, it is, like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a semi-dangerous book, one that persuades young men . . . to trade in their office jobs in order to roam the world, to feel the ocean's power, and chase the waves * The Paris Review *Terrific . . . Elegantly written and structured, it's a riveting adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, and a restless, searching meditation on love, friendship and family . . . A writer of rare subtlety and observational gifts, Finnegan explores every aspect of the sport - its mechanics and intoxicating thrills, its culture and arcane tribal codes - in a way that should resonate with surfers and non-surfers alike. His descriptions of some of the world's most powerful and unforgiving waves are hauntingly beautiful . . .Finnegan displays an honesty that is evident throughout the book, parts of which have a searing, unvarnished intensity * Washington Post *Overflowing with vivid descriptions of waves caught and waves missed, of disappointments and ecstasies and gargantuan curling tubes that encircle riders like cathedrals of pure stained glass . . . These paragraphs, with their mix of personal remembrance and subcultural taxonomies, tend to be as elegant and pellucid as the breakers they immortalize . . . This memoir is one you can ride all the way to shore * Entertainment Weekly *Without a doubt, the finest surf book I've ever read . . . All this technical mastery and precise description goes hand in hand with an unabashed, infectious earnestness. Finnegan has certainly written a surfing book for surfers, but on a more fundamental level, Barbarian Days offers a clear eyed vision of American boyhood. Like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, it is a sympathetic examination of what happens when literary ideas of freedom and purity take hold of a young mind and fling his body out into the far reaches of the world * New York Times Magazine *Which is precisely what makes the propulsive precision of Finnegan's writing so surprising and revelatory . . . Finnegan's treatment of surfing never feels like performance. Through the sheer intensity of his descriptive powers and the undeniable ways in which surfing has shaped his life, Barbarian Days is an utterly convincing study in the joy of treating seriously an unserious thing . . . As Finnegan demonstrates, surfing, like good writing, is an act of vigilant noticing * The New York Review of Books *Gorgeously written and intensely felt . . . With Mr Finnegan's bravura memoir, the surfing bookshelf is dramatically enriched. It's not only a volume for followers of the sport. Non-surfers, too, will be treated to a travelogue head-scratchingly rich in obscure, sharply observed destinations . . . Dare I say that we all need MrFinnegan...as a role model for a life fully, thrillingly, lived * Wall Street Journal *Irresistible * O, The Oprah Magazine *It's always fabulous when an incredible writer happens to also have a memoir-worthy life; Barbarian Days bodes well * GQ.com *A dream of a book by a masterful writer long immersed in surfing culture. Finnegan recaptures the waves lost and found, the euphoria, the danger . . . the allure * BBC.com *A skillful, masterful memoir . . . it's a book about surfing, of course, but it's not just for surfers. Finnegan's skill sees him trace memories and emotions with honesty. * The Skinny *Barbarian Days is one of the few surfing books for a wider audience. * Guardian *William Finnegan's absorbing surfing memoir, Barbarian Days will have you studying the ocean with new eyes * Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See *An astounding book. * Matt Haig *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE 2017 PEN ACKERLEY PRIZEWINNER OF THE 2016 WAINWRIGHT PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 ONDAATJE PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 WELLCOME PRIZEAt the age of thirty, Amy Liptrot finds herself washed up back home on Orkney. Standing unstable on the island, she tries to come to terms with the addiction that has swallowed the last decade of her life. As she spends her mornings swimming in the bracingly cold sea, her days tracking Orkney's wildlife, and her nights searching the sky for the Merry Dancers, Amy discovers how the wild can restore life and renew hope.Trade ReviewA lyrical, brave memoir. It's Liptrot's aptitude for marrying her inner-space with wild outer-spaces that makes her such a compelling writer . . . I enjoyed this book enormously -- WILL SELF * * Guardian * *The sheer sensuality of Liptrot's prose and her steely resolve immediately put her right up there with the best of the best. Liptrot is an Orcadian warrior with the breeze in her blood and poetry in her fingers, and The Outrun may even be a future classic. Wherever she journeys next, you will want to go with her * * New Statesman * *An exhilarating memoir . . . Anyone who has ever been unhappy or unwise will find much that resonates in this powerful, beautiful writing -- CATHY RENTZENBRINK * * Stylist * *An uncompromising account of addiction and recovery played out against the blasted fields of Orkney. Liptrot's writing is strong and sure. The Outrun is a bright addition to the exploding genre of writing about place and our place in the natural world * * Observer * *Remarkable . . . a meditative interior journey which Liptrot elevates to an art * * Spectator * *An unflinching examination of trauma, addiction and the restorative power of the natural world . . . It is a wild, wind-lashed book, and you come away from reading with the taste of salt spray on your lips -- Evie Wyld * * New York Times * *Brilliant . . . one of the most scabrously honest, sassy and moving books about addiction and recovery that I have read * * Scotsman * *An astonishingly beautiful book. Amy makes most nature writing seem flat and pedestrian. Her account of her addiction and recovery is electric, sexy, immediate and raw, leaving the reader reeling in her wake . . . This is a luminous, life-affirming book, and I have no doubt that I'll be pressing it into people's hands for years to come -- OLIVIA LAINGThere is a great deal of frank, flinch-making writing in this book, but it is always balanced by a sublimity and graciousness that is rare. This is a bold-hearted and brave-minded book. It is both terribly sad and awfully affecting. I look forward to its presence on some prize lists * * Scotland on Sunday * *Clean, clear and impressive . . . a sensuous book, full of summer nights and winter water. Liptrot swims, walks, lives alone on uninhabited islands and observes. And from that comes a portrait of the natural world she is absorbed into * * Herald * *

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Book SynopsisA journey through history of the women who built the world, but whom the world forgot. From No. 1 bestselling author, Kate Mosse.

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Book SynopsisHallie Rubenhold is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling and Baillie Gifford prize-winning author of The Five, the Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. A renowned social historian whose expertise lies in revealing stories of previously unknown women and episodes in history, she is the author of The Covent Garden Ladies which was the inspiration behind BBC TV's 'Harlots'. Her biographical work, Lady Worsley's Whim, was dramatized by the BBC as 'The Scandalous Lady W'. Her most recent work of non-fiction, Story of a Murder, the wives, the mistress and Dr Crippen, will be published in March 2025. She has also written two acclaimed novels Mistress of My Fate and The French Lesson which give voice to the women written out by eighteenth-century literature. She lives in London with her husband. Meet her @HallieRubenhold

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Book SynopsisMuch has been written about the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and - thirty-five years after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of thirteen women - scarcely a week goes by without some mention of him in the media. In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death.In Somebody’s Mother, Somebody’s Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe’s murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.Based on previously unpublished material and fresh, first-hand interviews the book examines the Yorkshire Ripper story from a new perspective: focusing on the women and putting the reader in a similar position to those w

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Book SynopsisLike many young people of his generation, Craig Weldon came of age on hills all around the British Isles, but especially the Munros in Scotland. With his friends he braved the high mountains of the Cuillin and the lower tops of Gloucestershire, wild Welsh farmers and even wilder midges in the Highlands. Usually funny, sometimes dangerous, more often wet, one thing was for sure: life was never boring!Trade Review‘…such a zest for living.’ ‘Beneath the descriptions of innumerable days on the hill there is a human story: an understated, poignant coming-of-age-tale.’

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