Biography Books

Book SynopsisThe fascinating true story of an Englishwoman who spent 12 years alone in a cave in the Himalayas and became a world-renowned spiritual leader

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Book Synopsis''Gardens are complex and messy and, as in life, there are few easy fixes.'' ''Planting trees is deeply satisfying and good for the soul, especially on a winter''s day. What else can a human do that leans so far into the future.''Monty Don, the face of British gardening, has written a weekly Observer column on his garden for the past ten years. Over time the columns have been a practical guide, a poetic record of the garden''s changing seasons, and also a personal account of how the garden has kept his feet firmly planted on the ground through bad times and good. This is a collection of fifty of Monty''s best columns, that will delight his readers and gardeners everywhere. ''Growing vegetables, herbs and fruit should be done in the same spirit as choosing your music or clothes: with a mix of precision and adventure.''''One swallow may not make a summer but it damn sure made my day.'' Trade ReviewPraise for THE JEWEL GARDEN:Truly inspiring ... told with compelling honesty * Mail on Sunday on THE JEWEL GARDEN *Overwhelmingly honest, passionate, inspiring, with prose to die for. Like everything else Don does, this purports to be about gardens and gardening but is actually a meditation on family and love * Julie Myerson, Books of the Year, Independent *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times BestsellerAll Michael Parkinson really wanted to do was play cricket for Yorkshire and England. However, he soon realised that to be paid to watch films, football and cricket would be the best way to spend life, so he became a journalist.Television beckoned and for three decades Parkinson interviewed the movers and shakers of the late twentieth century, making his television programme the must-see event of the week. In singing with Bing Crosby, dancing with Billy Connolly, flirting with Miss Piggy and sparring with Muhammad Ali, Parkinson proved himself one of the most engaging and durable hosts in both Britain and Australia.In Parky he recalls a full life with honesty, insight and humour.Praise for Parky:''Nothing less than riveting.'' Mirror''Joyous'' Telegraph''Wonderfully readable'' Daily Mail''One of the finest broadcasters of any Trade ReviewI recommend it heavily. It's a wonderful book * Melvyn Bragg *Parky's book is a joyous, breezy read, as much for the improbability of his early escapades as for his backstage anecdotes about the stars. It is also beautifully written * Daily Telegraph *The early chapters about his childhood and early career ... are disarmingly modest and offer a proper glimpse into another world * Independent *Crisp and detailed prose ... with an especially impressive account of a pre-second world war childhood in the north * Mark Lawson, Guardian *Funny and self-deprecating and just as laid-back as he is on camera * Boyd Tonkin, Independent *This autobiography is just like an extended edition of a brilliant Parkinson on television - engrossing and entertaining * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller, My Struggle: Book 1 introduces American readers to the audacious, addictive, and profoundly surprising international literary sensation that is the provocative and brilliant six-volume autobiographical novel by Karl Ove Knausgaard. It has already been anointed a Proustian masterpiece and is the rare work of dazzling literary originality that is intensely, irresistibly readable. Unafraid of the big issuesdeath, love, art, fearand yet committed to the intimate details of life as it is lived, My Struggle is an essential work of contemporary literature.

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Book SynopsisFifteen all-new stories by science fiction’s top talents, collected by bestselling author George R. R. Martin and multiple-award winning editor Gardner Dozois   Burroughs’s A Princess of Mars. Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Heinlein’s Red Planet. These and so many more inspired generations of readers with a sense that science fiction’s greatest wonders did not necessarily lie far in the future or light-years across the galaxy but were to be found right now on a nearby world tantalizingly similar to our own—a red planet that burned like an ember in our night sky . . . and in our imaginations.   This new anthology of fifteen all-original science fiction stories, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, celebrates the Golden Age of Science Fiction, an era filled with tales of interplanetary colonization and derring-do. Before the advent of powerful telescopes and space probes, our solar

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Book SynopsisIn her new top ten bestseller Jasvinder Sanghera tells the harrowing and moving stories of women trapped in forced marriages.Trade ReviewSanghera tells each terrible story, in an honest, compassionate way - making this book a must-read for all. * Sun *a gripping account...heartfelt and brave * Now *Gripping, and anger-fuelling . . . this is an important book, written with calm, steady intelligence * India Knight Sunday Times *In her simple, straightforward prose, Sanghera tells one heartbreaking story after another . . . DAUGHTERS OF SHAME is as gripping and moving as any work of fiction, yet surprisingly uplifting. A must read. * She *To say you will read it with your heart in your mouth is an understatement . . . plain-speaking, fearless book * Metro *'She tells her story with the pace and vivid turn of phrase of a true writer . . . SHAME is an inspiring book, not least because of its honesty.' * The Sunday Times on SHAME *Genuinely moving and uplifting. * Lorraine Kelly on SHAME *One of the most powerful things I have read. * David Cameron on SHAME *'A vivid, honest and deeply moving narrative of despair, courage and hope.' * Lord Lester speaking in Parliamentary debate on SHAME *'Unbeaten and eloquent' * Evening Standard on SHAME *'A success story to inspire anyone . . . recounted deftly and without apology.' * Time Magazine on SHAME *'Heart-wrenching' * Daily Mail on SHAME *'It will open your eyes to the horrors that are real for some women.' * Sydney Daily Telegraph on SHAME *

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Book SynopsisHere they are--some of the funniest tales and ruminations ever put into print, by one of the great comic minds of our time. From THE WHORE OF MENSA, to GOD (A Play), to NO KADDISH FOR WEINSTEIN, old and new Woody Allen fans will laugh themselves hysterical over these sparkling gems.

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Book SynopsisRadio 4 Today presenter and national treasure John Humphrys' funny and engaging memoir of building a home in Greece with his son Christopher.Trade Reviewa very funny tome * Daily Telegraph *hilarious * Daily Mail *a profoundly instructive course in the idiosyncrasies of Greek law, custom and culture...entertainingly chronicled * Saga *A sparky, funny, exasperated story that brings Humphrys and his family together in trying but also tender circumstances. * Iain Finlayson, Times *'John Humphrys was born to be combative... His cellist son Christopher acts as a gentle foil. Between them they amusingly blend the genres of misery memoir and Mediterranean escapist idyll * FT Weekend *Entertaining * The Lady *hilarious * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisGore Vidal''s reputation as America''s finest essayist is an enduring one. This collection, chosen by the author from 40 years of work, contains about two-thirds of what he published in various magazines and journals. He has divided the essays into three categories, or states. State of the art covers literature, including novelists and critics, bestsellers, pieces on Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Suetonius, Nabakov and Montaigne (a previosly uncollected essay from 1992). State of the union deals with politics and public life: sex, drugs, money, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, The Holy Family (his essay on the Kennedys), Nixon, and finally Monotheism and its Discontents , a scathing critique of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In state of being, we are given personal responses to people and events: recollections of his childhood, E. Nesbit, Tarzan, Tennessee Williams and Anais Nin.Trade ReviewMagnificent...irresistable from beginning to end. * THE TIMES *All the Vidals are on display in this glittering showcase... Long may he continue to nip and bite at the flanks of the corrupt, the powerful, the moronic and the self-serving. * GUARDIAN *The arc and span of Vidal's erudition and intelligence are prodigious... for forty years it has been Vidal's vocation to restore a witty and classically literate sense of memory and historical continuity to a country he calls "Amnesia" * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Vidal is the outstanding literary radical of America. * Melvyn Bragg *

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Book SynopsisWidely proclaimed a classic work of Christian faith, Life of Christ has been hailed as the most eloquent of Fulton J. Sheen''s many books. The fruit of many years of reflection, prayer, and research, it is a dramatic and moving recounting of the birth, life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ, and a passionate portrait of the God-Man, the teacher, the healer, and, most of all, the Savior, whose promise has sustained humanity for two millenia.With his customary insight and reverence, Sheen interprets the Scripture and describes Christ not only in historical perspective but also in exciting and contemporary terms -- seeing in Christ''s life both modern parallels and timeless lessons. His thoughtful, probing analysis provides new insight into well-known Gospel events.An appealing blend of philosophy, history, and biblical exegesis, from the best-known and most-loved American Catholic leader of the twentieth century, Life of Christ has long been a sour

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Book SynopsisJoe Sacco, one of the world's foremost cartoonists, is widely hailed as the creator of war-reportage comics. He is the author of Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde, The Fixer, Notes from a Defeatist , Footnotes in Gaza and Journalism, all published by Jonathan Cape.Trade ReviewSacco is formidably talented. A meticulous reporter... and a gifted artist whose richly nuanced drawings tread a delicate path between cartoonishness and naturalism * Independent *Sacco's greatest achievement is to have so poignantly depicted oppression and horror in a form that manages to be both disarming and disquieting * Observer *One of the most original cartoonists of the past two decades * Guardian *It is clear that Sacco is one of the masters of his craft * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisAn incredible memoir of North Korea by a woman who defied the government to keep her family alive.Trade Review"Have the courage to read this book and listen to a clear, honest voice from the shadows and darkness that dissolve humanity." -- Ha Jin, National Book Award winner of Waiting "Not just a story of one woman's escape from North Korea, Lucia Jang's work has painted a vivid portrait of daily life in a country that few of us truly know. Stars between the Sun and Moon is a welcome addition to the growing oeuvre of memoirs by North Korean refugees and should be read widely by those interested in North Korea and the enduring tenacity of humanity." -- Billy Davis, campaigns & strategy officer, European Alliance for Human Rights in North Korea (EAHRNK)

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Book SynopsisPoignant and witty essays on the beautiful complexity of marriage.Trade Review"... short, sharp and sensitive volume... Her [Ada Calhoun's] witty, enthusiastic, cautionary, emotional and hard-headed reflections ought to be required reading for anyone entering, experiencing, leaving or avoiding marriage." -- The Guardian"Calhoun is at her strongest when she probes into the unrealistic expectations people hold about the institution..." -- Times Literary Supplement"This is a fascinating meditation on monogamy, and when we focus so much on beginnings and endings when we talk about relationships, it's refreshing to read a book that focuses on what many of us are familiar with - just trying to make it work." -- Daisy Buchanan - The Pool"Hopeful, sensible and grounded in reality, it serves as guidance to those in long-term relationships and those embarking on them." -- Sunday Post"Whatever your status or views on the institution, Ada’s book offers invaluable insight into marriage: the good parts, the bad parts, and the ugly parts." -- Refinery29"What’s the last book that made you laugh? Ada Calhoun’s “Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give.” I mean, underlining and yellow marker bust-out laughs." -- Tom Hanks interview - The New York Times

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Book SynopsisIn just a decade and half Jack Ma, a man who rose from humble beginnings and started his career as an English teacher, founded and built Alibaba into the second largest Internet company in the world. The company’s $25 billion IPO in 2014 was the world’s largest, valuing the company more than Facebook or Coca Cola. Alibaba today runs the e-commerce services that hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers depend on every day, providing employment and income for tens of millions more. A Rockefeller of his age, Jack has become an icon for the country’s booming private sector, and as the face of the new, consumerist China is courted by heads of state and CEOs from around the world.Granted unprecedented access to a wealth of new material including exclusive interviews, Clark draws on his own first-hand experience of key figures integral to Alibaba’s rise to create an authoritative, compelling narrative account of how Alibaba and its charismatic creator have transformed the way that Chinese exercise their new found economic freedom, inspiring entrepreneurs around the world and infuriating others, turning the tables on the Silicon Valley giants who have tried to stand in his way. Duncan explores vital questions about the company’s past, present, and future: How, from such unremarkable origins, did Jack Ma build Alibaba? What explains his relentless drive and his ability to outsmart his competitors? With over 80% of China’s e-commerce market, how long can the company hope to maintain its dominance? As the company sets its sights on the country’s financial and media markets, are there limits to Alibaba’s ambitions, or will the Chinese government act to curtail them? And as it set up shop from LA and San Francisco to Seattle, how will Alibaba grow its presence and investments in the US and other international markets?Clark tells Alibaba’s tale within the wider story of China’s economic explosion—the rise of the private sector and the expansion of Internet usage—that haver powered the country’s rise to become the world’s second largest economy and largest Internet population, twice the size of the United States. He also explores the political and social context for these momentous changes. An expert insider with unrivaled connections, Clark has a deep understanding of Chinese business mindset. He illuminates an unlikely corporate titan as never before, and examines the key role his company has played in transforming China while increasing its power and presence worldwide.Trade Review"Anybody who thinks the Chinese just copy or steal technology from the West should read this book and think again. Jack Ma is part Bill Gates, part Steve Jobs, part Larry Page, part Sergei Brin, and part Mark Zuckerberg all rolled into one." -- Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP "Useful, business-minded reporting on an unconventional corporate magnate, containing both corporate and human-interest perspectives." -- Kirkus "This absorbing and well-written portrayal of Ma's character, and his role in Alibaba's development will appeal to a wide range of readers." -- Library Journal "A clean and compelling narrative...[Clark] tells the story with flair." -- Wall Street Journal "A fascinating new book." -- The Economist "A must-read for anyone hoping to navigate China's new economy". -- Financial Times

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Book SynopsisA gorgeously crafted memoir about resilience, family, and forging your own way, by a woman born without legs.Trade Review"Extraordinarily courageous; [Cronin] chronicles her journey to fit in and thrive with bravery and wit." -- O, The Oprah Magazine"Compelling... [Cronin’s] grit, grace, and optimism are a lesson to anyone confronted by a severe challenge..." -- The Washington Post"Mermaid is studded with searing moments…" -- The Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisA half-century of Wall Street history as seen through the lives of its most illustrious family This compelling new narrative from bestselling author John Rothchild tells the story of three generations of the legendary Davis family, who rank among the most successful investors in the history of the Street. With a novelist''s wit and eye for telling detail, Rothchild chronicles the financial escapades of this eccentric, pioneering clan, providing a vivid portrait of fifty years of Wall Street history along the way. Rothchild shadows the Davis family''s holdings through two lengthy bull markets, two savage and seven mild bear markets, one crash, and twenty-five corrections and, in the process, reveals the strategies behind the family''s uncanny ability to consistently beat the markets. The Davis Dynasty begins in 1947, the year Shelby Davis quit his job as a state bureaucrat and, armed with $50,000 of his wife''s money, took the plunge into stock investing. By the time he died in Table of ContentsIntroduction. Chapter 1. Davis Meets His Bankroll. Chapter 2. From the Great Depression To the Hitler Crisis. Chapter 3. Beyond the Rear-View Mirror. Chapter 4. A Last Hurrah for Bonds. Chapter 5. A Crib Course in Coverage. Chapter 6. From Bureaucrat to Investor. Chapter 7. The Bullish 1950s. Chapter 8. Davis Shops Abroad. Chapter 9. Wall Street a Go-Go. Chapter 10. Shelby Gets Funded. Chapter 11. The Inheritance Flap. Chapter 12. Cool Trio Runs Hot Fund. Chapter 13. The Worst Decline Since 1929. Chapter 14. Davis on the Rebound. Chapter 15. Shelby Buys Banks—Davis Buys Everything. Chapter 16. The Grandsons Get in the Game. Chapter 17. The Family Joins Forces. Chapter 18. Chris Inherits Venture. Chapter 19. Investing à la Davis. Source Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The finest book on France in recent years.”—Alain de Botton, The New York Times Book Review In 1995, Adam Gopnik, his wife, and their infant son left the familiar comforts and hassles of New York City for the urbane glamour of Paris. In the grand tradition of Stein, Hemingway, Baldwin, and Liebling, Gopnik set out to enjoy the storied existence of an American in Paris—walks down the paths of the Tuileries, philosophical discussions in cafés, and afternoon jaunts to the Musée d’Orsay.  But as readers of Gopnik’s beloved and award-winning “Paris Journal” in The New Yorker know, there was also the matter of raising a child and carrying on with la vie quotidienne—the daily, slightly less fabled life. As Gopnik discovers in this tender account, the dual processes of navigating a foreign city and becoming a parent are not comp

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Book SynopsisContents 1. A A country boy 2. A Pins and string 3. A Philosophy 4. A Learning to juggle 5. A Blue and yellow make pink 6. A Saturn and statistics 7. A Cast of characters 8. A Spinning cells 9. A The beautiful equations 10. A The Laird at home 11. A The Cavendish 12. A Last days 13. A Maxwella s legacy 14.Trade Review"This is a wonderful, short biography that gives a vivid account of James Clerk Maxwell's life and work." (Materials Today, June 2004) "...an absorbing account of Maxwell's life and work" (Sunday Telegraph Review, 19th September 2004) "...provides the reader with the opportunity to understand Maxwell's contributions to modern science and technology." (The Mathematical Gazette, March 2005) "...a fascinating book about an inspiring man..." (Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, Vol.36, No.3, March 2005)Table of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. Chronology: principal events in Maxwell’s life. Cast of characters: Maxwell’s relations and close friends. Introduction. 1. A country boy: Glenlair 1831-1841. 2. Pins and string: Edinburgh Academy 1841-1847. 3. Philosophy: Edinburgh University 1847-1850 4. Learning to juggle: Cambridge 1850-1854. 5. Blue and yellow make pink: Cambridge 1854-1856. 6. Saturn and statistics: Aberdeen 1856-1860. 7. Spinning cells: London 1860-1862. 8. The beautiful equations: London 1862-1865. 9. The Laird at home: Glenlair 1865-1870. 10. The Cavendish: Cambridge 1870-1879. 11. Last days. 12. Maxwell’s legacy. Notes. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisHilarious and poignant, a glimpse into the mind of someone who is both a sufferer from and an investigator of clutter.Trade Review"... excellent, eccentric book..." -- Paul Levy - The Spectator"All shared in an artfully constructed, self-deprecating, humorous yet moving memoir." -- Human Givens

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Book Synopsis'Hard to put down - it's so personal and raw.' Sunday Times MagazineTrade ReviewSometimes shocking, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes very funny, Reva Mann's story is a fascinating glimpse into a hidden world, * Elle Magazine *Fascinating and harrowing in equal measure... * Daily Express *An incredible journey of rediscovery. * This Morning, ITV *There are moments of profound insight . . . read this book and then hide it from the kids! * Jewish Telegraph *The mantra of sex'n'drugs'n'rock'n'roll might have been coined for Reva Mann . . . the book at times makes one gasp aloud, she has done a service by opening a window on the strictly Orthodox world. * Jewish Chronicle *Gripping, harrowing and devastatingly honest. * Naomi Alderman *A fascinating journey . . . This is a searingly honest account of one woman's struggle with her faith and her health. * The Good Book Guide *Makes for riveting, compulsive reading. * Elle Magazine USA *For all her industrious bad behaviour, it is the quieter episodes of this candid memoir that are the most interesting; illuminating a quest of universal interest and fascinating local detail * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisI WAS BORN, SEPTEMBER 1985, IN THE VORTEX OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE OF NEW YORK: THERE WERE FEW RULES OF LIFE AND ZERO CONTRAINTS ON BEHAVIOUR. IF YOU WERE NOT ECCENTRIC, YOU WERE WEIRD.It was a tenement building at the centre of the drug-addled, punk-edged, permanent riot that was iO''s corner of the Lower East Side of New York City in the ''80s and 90''s. There iO grew up - or rather scrabbled up - under the broken wing of a fiercely protective, yet wildly negligent mother.Rhonna was a showgirl, actress, dancer, poet. A widow by police murder, she was also an addict. She doted and obsessed over iO, yet lacked an understanding that a child needs food and sleep and safety.Unfolding in animated, crystalline prose, an emotionally raw, devastatingly powerful memoir of one young person''s extraordinary coming of age - a tale of gender and identity, freedom and addiction, rebellion and survival in the 1980s and 1990s, when punk poverty, heroin and art collided

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Book SynopsisFrom the guitarist of the pioneering band Sleater-Kinney, a candid, funny, and deeply personal look at making a life-and finding yourself-in music.Trade ReviewThe author writes focused and uncluttered prose, choosing the best, most telling details, as she recounts stories that show what it means to perform for the first time and what it means for a woman to be both a fan and a star in a staunchly male-dominated world. Unlike many rock star memoirs, there's no sense that this book is a chore or a marketing effort. It's revealing and riveting. On the page as in her songs, Brownstein finds the right words to give shape to experience * Kirkus *Carrie Brownstein writes the way she plays guitar, with raw honesty, passion, and great humor * Vanity Fair *She can play, but man, can Carrie Brownstein write . . . Her blazing memoir is lit by the same flair for adventure, fearless inquiry, and honesty that mark her gritty licks and trenchant vocals * Elle *[A] glorious, grungy paean to losing yourself in music -- Sarra Manning * Red *In the vast library of recent rock memoirs - just listing their authors would take up most of this review's space - Ms Brownstein's may be the one that most nakedly exposes its author's personality * New York Times *[Brownstein's] honesty is disarming, and buoyed by the same dry wit that makes her scenester-lacerating IFC series Portlandia so good. That's how she artfully manages to transcend the backstage tropes of the rock-bio genre, and why Hunger should become the new handbook for every modern girl (and yes, boys, too) looking for the courage to pursue a life less ordinary * Entertainment Weekly *Heartfelt and disarmingly honest . . . her greatest achievement here is in opening up about her most enduring adversary: herself * Independent *Heartfelt and disarmingly honest, Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl is far from a regular tale of rock'n'roll dissolution. It is, instead, a tale of a young woman with a complex interior life struggling to grow up and find her identity . . . It is the story of her struggle to belong * Independent on Sunday *Revelatory, poignant and genuinely funny . . . this memoir reads like a rich and rewarding coming-of-age novel . . . Disarmingly honest and self-deprecating, it's inspirational reading for aspiring musicians, outsiders and anyone trying to make sense of their life * List *Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl succeeds on enough levels to make familiarity with Brownstein's career largely unnecessary . . . Brownstein's candid, poetic and ideas-strewn narrative supports a gripping tale * The Skinny *The best memoir to come out of the '90s grunge scene * Vogue *Enormously compelling, especially because Brownstein writes honestly -- Books of the year * AV Club *A complex and moving portrait of one riot grrl's coming of age in America * Guardian *Fans of Sleater Kinney and Brownstein the musician are in for a real treat * Hot Press *

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Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of the lives and writings of the Brontë sisters, drawn from the objects they possessed.Trade Review"The Brontë Cabinet is full of illuminating and original insights, bringing aspects of the Brontës' lives into sharp focus for the first time." -- Literary Review"The Brontë Cabinet does not fail to deliver, offering vivid interpretations of the lives and the works of these strange and fascinating sisters…" -- The Times"Deborah Lutz’s engaging new study proves that there is indeed room for fresh perspectives...All lovers of the Brontës should read this book." -- The Guardian"Full of interest…" -- The Sunday Telegraph"This is a fine book, rich, immersive and illuminating, glowing with the life of the Brontës and their wild genius." -- Shahidha Bari - Times Higher Education"In looking at the Brontës through their most precious possessions, Lutz lets us sneak a peek at their inner lives as well as their outer ones, in a sympathetic and informative way." -- The Independent"...Lutz has found a way of teasing out some genuinely fresh insights into a subject that might otherwise feel as though it has been done to death." -- Mail on Sunday"It [The Brontë Cabinet] is a dynamic, powerful and very accessible book, which abandons womb-to-tomb biography to look at the Brontës "through the 'eyes' of thread, paper, wood, jet, hair, bone, brass, fur, frond, leather, velvet, and ash"." -- The Times Literary Supplement"Her [Lutz's] book is most fascinating not when it looks at the relics, the walking sticks and tiny shoes, but at the great mass of writerly and literary paraphernalia associated with the Brontës; the paperiness of their lives." -- The London Review of Books

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Book SynopsisIf Adrian Mole had a sister ....Hysterically funny, touching real-life teenage diary from 1989, now a major new E4 drama. .Trade Review'Funnier, sadder and ruder than Adrian Mole, this will delight teenagers past and present' * Financial Times *You wouldn't catch many people revealing their true teen thoughts. Hurray then for Rae Earl, who dug out her 1989 diary and published it in the raw. Hilarious and gut-wrenchingly familiar * In Style *Very funny * Elle *'Full of 80s nostalgia, this journal will make you laugh out loud' * Closer (four stars) *'Very funny - and sad' * Heat *'Full of teenage logic, bad poetry and 80s nostalgia, Rae's frank and hilarious trip down memory lane stands out from the current surge of memoirs' * The London Paper *This show actually is my mad fat diary. I have already pretty much lived this show, for real... Reminds you how rarely you see teenage girls on television doing anything other than looking sexy in short skirts, endlessly texting their friends about parties, or wailing "IT'S SO UNFAIR" when their parents won't buy them a car. * Caitlin Moran for The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller. An astonishing account of the sailors, scientists and inventors who sought to understand the weather.**Book of the Week on Radio 4**''Gripping'' The Times''Exhilarating'' Sunday TimesIn an age when a storm was evidence of God's wrath, pioneering meteorologists had to fight against convention and religious dogma to realise their ambitions. But buoyed by the achievements of the Enlightenment, a generation of mavericks set out to unlock the secrets of the atmosphere. Meet Luke Howard, the first to classify the clouds, Francis Beaufort, quantifier of the winds, James Glaisher, explorer of the upper atmosphere by way of a hot air balloon, Samuel Morse, whose electric telegraph gave scientists the means by which to transmit weather warnings, and at the centre of it all Admiral Robert FitzRoy: master sailor, scientific pioneer and founder of the Met Office. Peter MoTrade ReviewRichly researched, exciting... It is both scientific and cultural history, of prizewinning potential and as fresh and exhilarating throughout as a strong sea breeze. -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *Superbly researched and grippingly written... Moore is at least as interested in the personalities and their rivalries, and the sheer spendour and catastrophies of weather itself - storms and shipwrecks, heatwaves and floods (all vividly described) - as by the science. And he weaves it together, deftly picking up threads left dangling in earlier chapters, darting across continents, embracing swashbuckling sea captains and fastidious bureaucrats, penny-pinching politians and mad inventors, with as sharp an eye for eccentricity, absurdity and tragedy as for genius. The result is a panorama of the entire Victorian era. -- Richard Morrison * The Times *The Weather Experiment is a genuinely gripping read and demonstrates how scientific ideas can come ahead of the time -- Gavin Pretor, 4 stars * Mail on Sunday *Moore is the rare science writer who can describe dew point so poetically you feel you’re with him in a twinkling field of white clover on a cool summer morning… Evocative and full of wisdom for modern times. -- New York Times Book ReviewThe Weather Experiment is not the first book to have been written about FitzRoy…but Moore’s achievement is to imbue him and his work with palpable narrative life, while surrounding him with a large supporting cast of contemporaries * The Times Literary Supplement *A skilful, detailed account of a complex story, in which scientific advances are far from inevitable in a world of flawed humans and bad luck... Moore's engaging, often surprising work of storytelling, written with such care and pleasure, is a fine tribute -- Daniel Hahn * Spectator *Impressive -- Ben East * Guardian Weekly *Thought-provoking… Rich and informative … Arnold Toynbee once railed against the view that ‘History is just one damned thing after another’. Recording weather data day in, day out must feel like one damn temperature reading after another. Yet Moore has skilfully converted decades of routine monotony into a gripping tale of derring-do. -- Patricia Fara * Literary Review, Book of the Month *Elegantly constructed … The Weather Experiment surprises constantly, often by weaving together the famous and the obscure -- Mike Jay * Wall St Journal *Prepare for turbulence in this history of Britain’s seminal contribution to weather forecasting * Nature *This biography is an impressive achievement -- 4 stars * BBC Focus *Moore’s enthusiasm for his subject and the astonishing audacity of those long ago storm chasers make the book a deeply enjoyable read. * Daily Beast *Moore writes about this band of ad hoc scientists with brio, and it’s hard not to be awed and charmed by their united quest to prove that earth’s atmosphere was not chaotic beyond comprehension, that it could be studied, understood and, ultimately, predicted … Detailed and insightful, this book is as relevant as ever in this era of rapid climate change. * Kirkus Reviews *Rich and enlightening, I’ll never look at a dewy morning in the same way again. -- Sarah BakewellFor illuminating a byway of scientific history that many scarcely knew existed we must thank Peter Moore, whose superbly researched an grippingly written book is more than a dusty account of early meteorologists -- Richard Morrison * The Times *

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Book SynopsisNancy Mitford was born in London on November 28 1904, daughter of the second Baron Redesdale, and the eldest of six girls. Her sisters included Lady Diana Mosley; Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire and Jessica, who immortalised the Mitford family in her autobiography Hons and Rebels. The Mitford sisters came of age during the Roaring Twenties and wartime in London, and were well known for their beauty, upper-class bohemianism or political allegiances. Nancy contributed columns to The Lady and the Sunday Times, as well as writing a series of popular novels including The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, which detailed the high-society affairs of the six Radlett sisters. While working in London during the Blitz, Nancy met and fell in love with Gaston Palewski, General de Gaulle's chief of staff, and eventually moved to Paris to be near him. In the 1950s she began writing historical biographies - her life of Louis XIV, The Sun King, became aTrade ReviewMy favourite biography is Nancy Mitford's Madame de Pompadour - a famous 18th-century French beauty who became Louis XV's mistress. The secret of a good biography is not just to tell the person's story but to create the world in which they lived. -- Julian Fellowes * Daily Express *Mitford brings warmth to everything she touches, and her biography of Madame de Pompadour is testimony to that -- Justine Picardie * Sunday Telegraph *Reads as if an enchantingly clever woman was pouring out the story to me on the telephone -- Raymond MortimerNancy Mitford excels in depicting both the brilliant romantic showcase and the recessed world of power... No historian writing in English has given a better pen-picture of Versailles in its heyday * Time *Incontestably her best book, Madame de Pompadour is beautifully written in a rapid, nervous, gay and enthusiastic manner which carries the reader through from first page to last -- Cyril Connolly * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisAn autobiography of a modern day mystic, an Irish woman with powers of the saints of old. It presents the testimony of a woman who sees things, beyond the range of our everyday experience.Trade ReviewThose who see angels are close to being angels. In this book, Lorna beautifully and graphically describes angels and how they workAngels in my Hair is more than just an autobiography. It is a revelation that will open your eyes and change your life. Angels in My Hair has a message that the world needs to hearLorna's wisdom and insights are breathtaking. This is a woman I have known for many years and admire enormously. She has made a big difference to my life and that of many othersIn times of universal deceit, never more so than now, the world needs guidance and hope. Angels in My Hair is an amazing book by an incredible woman, who shares her unique and fascinating experience of the guides at work with her in her own life and the messages they have for us allNobody is going to argue with her underlying message of love and compassion and forgiveness and her hopes for "peace among nations and peace in families". Spending time with her is both challenging and inspirational * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThis biography traces the dramatic life of William Tyndale, the first person to translate the Bible into English from the original Greek and Hebrew. It discusses the profound religious, literary, intellectual and social implications of his immense achievement.Trade Review"Daniell has given us the first substantial book on Tyndale in over fifty years."—Patrick Collinson, Times Literary Supplement"A massive contribution to the history of the Reformation in England. It is novel and important in its focus upon the language of the English scriptures in the formative period and in its long-range perspective."—J. Enoch Powell, Times Higher Education Supplement "An important work for all those interested in the history of Biblical translation."—International Review of Biblical Studies"If you read one biography in the next six months, read this one. It stresses not so much the individual as his times and the impact he had upon them and yet never lessens its grip upon the reader. In the end one comes to admire Daniell as well as Tyndale."—Chronique"Daniell's work is no mere biography; rather, it is a masterly edition of the scant details of Tyndale's life and an important critique of his numerous literary achievements. Enriched by appendices, chapter notes, an excellent bibliography, and a number of black-and-white illustrations, the book should occupy a very special place on the scholar's bookshelf for many years to come."—Larry W. Usilton, History"A valuable contribution to a forgotten episode of English radicalism."—New Statesman & Society"This book should be read by every student of the biblical text and every would-be translator."—Reverend Dr. Kenneth B. Wilson, Principal, Westminster College, Methodist Recorder"At the end of the book, it seems like a good idea to pick up one of Professor Daniell's modern-spelling editions of Tyndale's Scripture and savor Tyndale's marvelous language neat."—Marc M. Arkin, Wall Street Journal - Europe"This is a splendid life, to be read and to be enjoyed."—Manuela Cardosa, The Expository Times"Daniell demonstrates extraordinary patience in gathering evidence, good judgment in weighing evidence, and writes with clarity and wit. His book is a fundamental contribution to our knowledge of the Tudor period and a model for other biographers. I can think of no better introduction to the life and work of one of humanity's heroes and benefactors than this book."—Warren Hope, The Elizabethan Review"A gutsy, pioneering book; 'definitive' would not be an overstatement. . . . Sensitive and thorough, enthusiastic and readable—a spur as well as a foundation for many kinds of scholarship. Professor Daniell merits our congratulations and our gratitude."—Anne Richardson, Moreana"An excellent study which is both readable and scholarly—a fitting tribute to the scholar whom it honours."—Rudolph Heinze, Theology"A fitting tribute to a remarkable Englishman 500 years on!"—Peter Newman Brooks, Journal of Theological Studies"A superb book about this important and neglected figure. . . . What gives the book its special power is the passion with which Daniell writes about Tyndale the man and his cause. . . . Reformation scholars will welcome this book and learn from it, as will those interested in translation and the English language."—Stephanie Martin, Snell Library, Northeastern University

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Book SynopsisIn this study, the author reviews and reorganizes data about Freud's development and life circumstances to provide a psychodynamic interpretation of his rejection of God. She contends that Freud's early life made it impossible for him to believe in a provident and caring divine being.

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Book SynopsisThis authoritative edition was first published in the acclaimed Oxford Authors series under the general editorship of Frank Kermode. It brings together a unique combination of Pope's poetry and prose - the major poems in their entirety, together with translations, criticism, letters and other prose - to give the essence of his work and thinking.Trade ReviewThis edition covers Pope's most significant poems, and combines them with useful secondary material from key letters and essays. The edition is also good for making links to Pope's interest in the Classical world. * Dr Elizabeth Wright, Senior Lecturer in English, Bath Spa University *

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