Collected biographies Books

Book SynopsisThe untold stories of troops serving miles away from front lines.For decades, the dramatic stories of World War II soldiers have been the stuff of memoirs, interviews, novels, documentaries, and feature films. Yet the men and women who served in less visible roles, never engaging in physical combat, have received scant attention.Convinced that their depiction as pencil pushers, grease monkeys, or cowards was far from the truth, Rona Simmons embarked on a quest to discover the real story from the noncombat veterans themselves. She sat across from 19 veterans or their children, read their letters and journals, looked at photos, and touched their mementos: pieces of shrapnel, a Japanese sword, a porcelain tea set, a pair of wooden shoes, a marquisette wedding gown.Compiling these veterans' stories, Simmons follows them as they report for service, complete their training, and often ship out to stations thousands of miles from home. She shares their dreams to see combat and disappointment at receiving noncombat positions, as well as their selflessness and yearning for home. Ultimately, Simmons finds the noncombat veterans had far more in common with the front line soldiers than differences.Simmons's extensive research gives us a more complete picture of the war effort, bringing long-overdue appreciation for the men and women whose everyday tasks, unexpected acts of sacrifice, and faith and humor contributed mightily to the ultimate outcome of World War II.Trade Review"The daughter of a World War II fighter pilot, Simmons spent years locating and interviewing veterans and their children, supplementing their personal experiences with additional research to present a wider view of the war and the people who fought it. Mechanics kept planes aloft, nurses tended to the wounded, and engineers with the Graves Registration Service honored the fallen. Regardless of their eventual assignments, Simmons points out that all the 'other veterans' stood in harm's way while serving. . . . 'All nineteen [individuals featured in the book] did their part and served as proudly as any combat soldier or sailor,' Simmons writes. She has done a great service by bringing their stories to the public in this book."- ARMY Magazine;"In writing The Other Veterans of World War II, Rona Simmons has achieved with insight and emotion her goal of shedding light on the noncombat veterans of World War II. In addition to giving the reader a better sense of the mind-boggling organizational and logistical challenges of waging a far-flung war, the author furnishes an intensely personal portrayal of each of the book's 19 noncombat veterans — their motivations to serve, the coping with being away from home, and their experiences in some cases with being in harm's way. The Other Veterans of World War II is a masterful accomplishment of weaving seemingly disparate elements into a compelling narrative that leaves the reader with a profound appreciation for the myriad contributions of these veterans in ridding the world of tyranny."- Scott W. Loehr, President/CEO, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force;"Over half the Americans who served in World War II served in noncombat roles, yet few among us know anything about these men and women. Their stories have not been told, their praises have not been sung. Rona Simmons brings a fresh eye to the war, drawing back the curtain on these unheralded service members, bringing their war experience to light. Through their own words and recollections, we learn of their not so different hopes, fears, determination, and pride. Painstakingly researched and compellingly told, The Other Veterans of World War II is a fine addition to the World War II bookshelf."- Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump, 1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls, The Aviators, and The Allies;"The Other Veterans of World War II is an essential addition to the library of every student of that defining twentieth-century event. Beautifully written, the book weaves firsthand accounts, critical contextual information, and 'the rest of the story' postscripts to tell the stories of Americans who served in non-combat roles during the war. Simmons highlights the often overlooked contributions of the millions of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Merchant Mariners who made combat possible. For those of us who collect, preserve, and share the stories of our nation's veterans, the most common refrain we hear from these men and women is, 'I didn't do anything important.' Simmons's book proves that statement false."- Sue VerHoef, Director of Oral History and Genealogy, Atlanta History Center

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Book Synopsis“Monsignor Franco is known as an engaging storyteller of his impactful time in the Church. Read this book and you will see why.” — Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archdiocese of New YorkSix Popes: A Son of the Church Remembers is Monsignor Hilary C. Franco’s engaging memoir and a story only a son can tell, a son not only of the Catholic Church, but also of Italian immigrants.From Belmont, his Bronx neighborhood, Franco rose to work with the highest and most influential figures of the Roman Catholic Church.As a young man he attended Rome’s premier seminary, soon after becoming the special assistant to Archbishop Fulton Sheen. As a priest he would travel the world, and he recounts a harrowing experience in the Deep South in the early 1960s, his work at the Vatican Councils that redefined the Church, and his time posted at the Church’s diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C., and the United Nations. This most formidable churchman reveals his tales of intellectual, pastoral, and diplomatic service to the Catholic Church, enlivened by recollections of the fascinating people he came to know from U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state, to religious leaders like Padre Pio and Saint Mother Teresa.The title of his current role, Advisor at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, gives little hint of the drama of the times he recollects.Stories of this book’s six pontiffs that Franco served under — John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis — offer landmarks along Franco’s trek through the corridors of spiritual power in New York, Washington, D.C., and Rome.Six Popes: A Son of the Church Remembers is written from a unique eyewitness vantage on many of the events and movements that shaped our world and the Catholic Church. There is really no other book like it.Trade ReviewPraise for SIX POPES: A SON OF THE CHURCH REMEMBERS by Monsignor Hilary C. Franco “Monsignor Franco is known as an engaging storyteller of his impactful time in the Church. Read this book and you will see why.” — Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archdiocese of New York“With a life spanning 6 pontificates, Monsignor Hilary Franco's new book offers insights into current crises within the Church and society, highlighting his work with Venerable Fulton Sheen, and even helping Mother Angelica during EWTN's first days… Now in his eighties, the Bronx-born priest has just completed Six Popes: A Son of the Church Remembers, a fascinating and colorful memoir of a life that has included attending the Second Vatican Council as an expert adviser, working as an official at the Congregation for Clergy for 24 years and, most recently, serving as an adviser at the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations in New York.” — Edward Pentin, Rome correspondent for National Catholic Register and author of The Next PopeTable of ContentsIntroduction to SIX POPES: A Son of the Church Remembers by MSGR. HILARY C. FRANCO Bronx Kid Roman Formation Angelo Roncalli: Fellow Alumnus, Pope, and Saint Cheating Death, and My Southern Adventure Meeting Fulton J. Sheen and Assisting Him at the Council Updating the Church: The Council’s Mission Movers and Shakers The Sixties: Upheaval in the World and the Church Working in the Vatican John Paul II: Council Father, Cardinal, Pope, Saint Back in New York: From Ossining to Turtle Bay The Church Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisIn this tribute to today’s vibrant quilting community, prize-winning quilter and teacher Thomas Knauer showcases a stunning collection of quilts from a wide range of contemporary makers, accompanied by their testimonials about what inspires and imbues their craft with meaning. From temperance quilts to the AIDS quilt, there’s a rich history of individuals and communities using fabric and thread to connect with others and express themselves, both personally and politically. Why We Quilt blends bits of this history with the stories and work of today’s leading quilters, highlighting themes of tradition, community, consumerism, change, and creativity. With a unique die-cut cover and a richly layered design, this book will enthrall designers, quilters, and all types of handcraft enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisFind inspiration to affect global change with stories and perspectives from people the planet needs now: 25 Black and Brown scientists and activists.From climate change and industrial waste to social injustice and poverty, the challenges that our world faces are daunting. To make matters worse, many people are turning away from scientific fact in favor of their own beliefs and biases. Yet there is reason for hope. Heroes among us are fighting for a better world?and many of them are Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC). Acclaimed author and photographer Dudley Edmondson has interviewed 25 Black and Brown scientists, environmental justice activists, and social justice activists to inspire change on a global scale.People the Planet Needs Now is a compilation of personal stories and perspectives from across the United States (and one from the Philippines), as scientists and activists talk about the work they do and their life experiences. The 25 viewpoints are shared conversationally, as if the reader is having a one-on-one dialogue with each storyteller. You?ll learn deeply personal details about their childhood, physical- and mental-health struggles, and racist encounters?which influence everything, from science and what is considered knowledge to where one might live in a particular city and even one?s quality of healthcare and education.Complete with Dudley?s full-color photography, the book offers a rare opportunity to see and hear from BIPOC scientists and activists about problems with ?traditional? science and the current methods of addressing everything from climate change to city design. Black and Brown people are often most directly affected by these problems, so their unique insights offer the possibility for new solutions. These interviews spark conversations about innovative ways to address social, environmental, and related issues.?It is an honor and privilege to share this collection of personal stories from Black and Brown storytellers with global origins and perspectives,? says Dudley.Black and Brown people around the globe have an interdependent relationship with nature, and their perspectives can help us push for positive change. People the Planet Needs Now strives to inspire current and future difference-makers to create a better world together.

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Book SynopsisThe untold stories of some of the men and women of Co. Kerry who gave their all in Ireland’s fight for independence.In Fighting for the Cause well-known Kerry historian Dr Tim Horgan tells the stories of some of the Kingdom’s extraordinary men and women who fought for an Irish Republic. They include the Fenian Jerry O’Sullivan, who blew up a wall of Clerkenwell prison in 1867 in an attempt to free two prisoners; Bridget Gleeson and Nora Brosnan, who were both incarcerated for their Republican activities; John Cronin, whose attacks on the British forces in 1920 were so audacious that he was considered a maverick by his own brigade commanders; Pat Allman, who was hidden above the Gap of Dunloe to recover from bullet wounds sustained in a fight with Free State forces; Paddy Landers, who spent nine months in Limerick Gaol, from where he would attempt to broker peace during the Civil War; and David Fleming, whose sustained hunger strikes in the 1940s would destroy his health and lead to long-term psychological trauma. Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 11 List of Abbreviations 14 Preface 15 Introduction 17 Jerry O’Sullivan 22 Dan O’Mahony 30 Marguerite Fleming 43 Frank Morgan 58 Tadhg Brosnan 67 Peter Brady 97 Neil O’Leary 108 Jim Sugrue 117 Denis O’Driscoll 137 John ‘Gilpin’ Griffin 144 Fr Joe Breen 157 Nora Brosnan 175 Con O’Leary 185 Nance Scully 199 Pat O’Connor 205 Paddy Landers 218 Bridget Gleeson 233 Pat Allman 249 Tom Daly 261 John Cronin 285 ‘Small’ Neilus McCarthy 311 David Fleming 322 Endnotes 337

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Book Synopsis*A NEW STATESMAN AND THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR**WINNER OF THE TONY LOTHIAN PRIZE*'Interesting women have secrets. They also ought to have sisters.'From the beginning of their lives, the Olivier sisters stood out: surprisingly emancipated, strikingly beautiful, markedly determined, and alarmingly 'wild'. Rupert Brooke was said to be in love with all four of them; D. H. Lawrence thought they were frankly 'wrong'; Virginia Woolf found them curiously difficult to read. In this intimate, sweeping biography, Sarah Watling brings the sisters in from the margins, tracing lives that span colonial Jamaica, the bucolic life of Victorian progressives, the frantic optimism of Edwardian Cambridge, the bleakness of two world wars, and a host of evolving philosophies for life over the course of the twentieth century.Noble Savages is a compelling portrait of sisterhood in all its complexities, which rediscovers the lives of four extraordinary women within the varied fortunes of the feminism of their times, while illuminating the battles and ethics of biography itself.Trade ReviewThe best group biography of the year – of many years, in fact – is Sarah Watling’s Noble Savages, the story of the four Olivier sisters... Their mother was the model for Tess of the D’Urbevilles, their joint best friend was Rupert Brooke, and they had, said Virginia Woolf, strange glass eyes which they took out at night. But this is not why they are interesting. After feral childhoods in Surrey, where their parents lived in a Fabian utopia, each woman struggled with postwar realities: insanity, grief, poverty, catastrophic marriages. Elegantly structured in “seven fragments”, Watling’s book gives us a riveting drama that begins as pastoral comedy and ends as tragedy. -- Frances Wilson * New Statesman, Books of the Year *This is the first time [the Olivier sisters] have had a biography to themselves, and a very fine job Sarah Watling makes of it… thoroughly fascinating... This book is interesting on a dozen levels. * Daily Telegraph *Four remarkable sisters born at the end of the 19th century, and I didn’t know about any of them before reading this utterly absorbing book in which their whole lives are laid before us. Their story has opened my eyes to whole new areas of early 20th-century British life. * Daily Mail *In this compelling biography Sarah Watling tells [the Olivier sisters’] tale for the first time. It is the story of the end of Victorianism and the birth of the modern age. It is also, grippingly, the story of the early feminist movement, and a vital contribution to the construction of an alternative women’s history… [Watling] is quite brilliant. * Guardian *A story of four girls rebelling against Edwardian stuffiness is vividly told… in this thoughtful, compassionate biography… I found much to celebrate and admire here. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisIncredible stories of the great Scots who changed the world we live in. Let the lives of these artists, explorers, poets, philosophers and engineers inspire YOU! DID YOU KNOW THAT... WILLIAMINA FLEMING was an astronomer who discovered hundreds of stars? ALEXANDER FLEMING won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of penicillin? ELSIE INGLIS set up hospitals all across Europe to treat over 200,000 soldiers? (Have you seen her on a £50 note?) ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON'S family of engineers built more than 100 lighthouses? PRAISE for STRONG BRAVE TRUE: “A wonderfully colourful, fun-packed, characterful introduction to the famous and not-so-famous Scots who made their mark on history . . . A must-have for any young historian or true Scot! Loved it!” – PHILIP ARDAGH, Roald Dahl Funny Prize-winning author “Who wouldn’t want to be Scottish after reading this splendid book?” – ROSS COLLINS, Prize-winning author of The ElephantomTrade ReviewWho wouldnt want to be Scottish after reading this splendid book? * Ross Collins *

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Book SynopsisBooked! The Gospel According to our Football Heroes is a funny, fascinating digest of over 120 footballer autobiographies. Authors John Smith and Dan Trelfer have forensically examined the life stories of legends, hard-cases, cult heroes and one or two players they vaguely remember playing for Portsmouth - so you don't have to. Along the way, they discovered answers to questions they never knew they needed to know. Which coach has a tattoo inked by Mickey Rourke? Which maverick witnessed his gaffer murder an animal in a team talk? Yes, the revelations from this Pandora's Box may melt the reader's face, like at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. But they also offer an insight into the strange world that footballers inhabit, using their very own words. What drives star players apart? And what binds them together, beyond an almost universal love of Rod Stewart? Booked! investigates a unique world full of sex, booze, cash, fights, glory, bitterness, fame - and incessant, relentless banter.

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Book SynopsisFOREWORD BY PRIME MINISTER THERESA MAY When Constance Markievicz stood for election as MP for Dublin St Patrick's in 1918, few people believed she could win the seat - yet she did. A breakthrough in the bitter struggle for female enfranchisement had come earlier that year, followed by a second landmark piece of legislation allowing women to be elected to Parliament - and Markievicz duly became the first female MP. A member of Sinn Fein, she refused to take her seat. She did, however, pave the way for future generations, and only eleven months later, Nancy Astor entered the Commons. A century on from that historic event, 491 women have now passed through the hallowed doors of Parliament. Each one of these pioneers has fought tenaciously to introduce enduring reform, and in doing so has helped revolutionise Britain's political landscape, ensuring that women's contributions are not consigned to the history books. Containing profiles of every woman MP from 1918 to 1996, and with female contributors from Mary Beard to Caroline Lucas, Ruth Davidson to Yvette Cooper and Margaret Beckett to Ann Widdecombe, The Honourable Ladies is an indispensable and illuminating testament to the stories and achievements of these remarkable women.

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Book SynopsisIn Letters of Note: Cats, Shaun Usher collects together the most engaging missives that celebrate, eulogise, rail against and analyse the idiosyncratic ways of our feline companions.Nikola Tesla, Elizabeth Taylor,Charles Dickens, Anne Frank,T.S. Eliot, Raymond Chandler,John Cheever, Florence Nightingale,Rachel Carson, Jack Lemmon& many moreTrade ReviewA wonderful collection of magical missives . . . It'll have you reaching for pen and paper * * Evening Standard * *Praise for Letters of Note: It is hard to see how Letters Of Note could ever be surpassed * * Mail on Sunday * *The volume is so well-produced it could become an heirloom, passed down through generations * * Huffington Post * *Quite literally the most enjoyable volume it is possible to imagine. Every page is a marvel * * Spectator * *Addictive, like dipping into a bag of variously tempting assorted candies, knowing that the next one will always bring surprise and pleasure * * New Yorker * *A gloriously presented compilation * * Financial Times * *The literary equivalent of a box of chocolates - bite-sized and pure addictive pleasure . . . The result is beautifully produced, with photographs and colour facsimiles of much of the correspondence. A gorgeous Christmas present * * The Sunday Times * *

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Book SynopsisGreat explorers are known for their hard-earned skills and meticulously honed character traits which have made their astonishing endeavours possible. Valuable lessons are waiting to be learned from the feats attained by the most revered names in exploration – from legendary adventurers such as Ernest Shackleton to lesser-known figures such as Junko Tabei.Life Lessons from Explorers collects 15 of the most highly prized traits shared by those who have scaled mountains and traversed tundras, proposing how these could be applied to your own life, whether you are crossing Antarctica or battling a mental obstacle. Compelling accounts of the life and times of celebrated explorers, highlighting when they have displayed these traits are accompanied by remarkable images of the people who have travelled to the ends of the Earth, and the places they discovered.Table of ContentsAdaptability (Roald Amundsen) • Humanity (Neil Armstrong) • Risk (Amelia Earhart) • Leadership (Ernest Shackleton) • Self-discipline (Nain Singh Rawat) • Courage (Piccard) • Diplomacy (Gertrude Bell) • Creativity (Agatha Christie) • Determination (Junko Tabei) • Independence (Gudrun the Far Traveller) • Patience (Charles Darwin) • Curiosity (Abu Al Hasan Al Masudi) • Resilience (David Livingstone) • Innovation (Sylvia Earle) • Purpose (Olaudah Equiano).

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Book of the YearAll royalties from sales of this book go to The Big IssueIf you could write a letter to your younger self, what would it say?Over 10 years ago, The Big Issue began to ask some of the best-known, most interesting and most successful figures in entertainment, politics, food, sport and business to give advice, offer hope and share a few jokes with their younger selves. They opened up, in ways they never had, to interviewer Jane Graham, reflecting on their lives and themselves with affection, sympathy and sometimes disbelief. This collection of 100 of the most incredible letters includes Paul McCartney on how he found inspiration, Olivia Colman on overcoming confidence problems, Mo Farah on the importance of losing, Arianna Huffington on knowing your motivations, Jamie Oliver on trusting your instinct and many, many more, including Rod Stewart, Margaret Atwood, Buzz Aldrin, David Cameron, Eddie Izzard, Desmond Tutu, Neil Gaiman, Ruby Wax, Ranulph Fiennes, Tracey Emin, Ian McEwan, Michael Palin, Melanie C, Tim Peake, Dionne Warwick and Ewan McGregor.Letter to My Younger Self is a revelatory and profound exploration into the wit and wisdom that age brings, and of the unique insights that looking back can reveal.Proceeds from the sales of this book go to The Big Issue to continue their work dismantling poverty and promoting social justice."A truly wonderful book ... a gateway to intelligent, learned and genuinely inspiring stories, moments and people ... We would highly recommend it ... It's a fab cause and put together seamlessly." Magic Radio - October Book Club Pick'The answers make for great reading.' Sunday Mirror'This collection is full of insightful stories that will make you think about how you live your own life, and how you want to live it in the future.' Woman's Weekly Trade ReviewA thoughtful, funny and moving book. -- Alastair Mabbott * The National Scot *Like all the best ideas, it's simple. A hundred famous people, from Hollywood stars to sporting heroes, were asked [...] what they'd say to the younger version of themselves. The answers make for great reading. -- Book review * Sunday Mirror *This collection is full of insightful stories that will make you think about how you live your own life, and how you want to live it in the future. And the best bit is that all the royalties from the sale of the book will go to The Big Issue. -- Book of the month review * Woman's Weekly *

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Book SynopsisA new edition of the bestselling Every Picture Tells a Story from one of the greatest photographers of the last 60 years, Terry O’Neill. This updated edition includes 32 additional pages of new stories behind some of the O’Neill’s most iconic images. From the morning he spent with Faye Dunaway at the pool in Beverly Hills, to walking around Vegas with Sean Connery dressed as James Bond, a chance encounter with Bruce Springsteen on the Sunset Strip, to taking Jean Shrimpton to a doll hospital - these are the stories behind the images as only Terry O'Neill can reveal. "I was walking up the Miami Beach boardwalk to the Fontainebleau Hotel where Sinatra was staying... I just reached out with the letter in my hand and he took it. He opened it, read it... turned to his security men and said, "this kid's with me." I never found out what Ava said to him in that letter. From that moment on, I was part of his inner circle." - Terry O'Neill From The Beatles to the Rolling Stones, Terry O'Neill fast became the photographer of the 1960s. Having an eye - and ear - for music and musicians, he instinctively knew what bands to focus on. And they in turn trusted him. "I remember sitting in a pub with the Beatles and the Stones. We were just hanging-out and talking about what we'd do next, after all of this was over. By this, we meant the fame, being the 'new kids of the moment'. Usually, this sort of celebrity doesn't last. Little did we know that 60 years later, we'd still be at it." Music led O'Neill to Hollywood and working with stars resulted not only in to memorable moments but long-lasting friendships. He travelled with Frank Sinatra. Took Raquel Welch to the beach. Went in the ring with Ali. Put The Who in a cage. O'Neill captured many of the most unforgettable faces from the frontline of fame, and his photographs exude his own brand of serene simplicity, intimate behind-the-scene moments and the rare quality of trust between photographer and subject. The list of people Terry O'Neill has worked with over the past 60 years is a Who's Who in celebrity; from film to music, sports to politics. Terry O'Neill: Every Picture Tells a Story is like going through a walking tour of memory by a man who has seen, met and photographed them all.Trade Review"Photographer Terry O’Neill knew people better than he knew cameras… Here are [several] O’Neill shots that withstand time..." - Michael Kaplan, New York Post"Someone once said about Terry O'Neill that his photographs were so cool because he was." - Ramp

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Book SynopsisNepali women are among the most dispossessed and downtrodden in the world. Thanks to traditional customs and religious rituals, many face ordeals unimaginable to those living in the developed world. Anna Townsend invites you to meet twelve women and discover their astounding stories. Among them is Kopisha, whose infant daughter died due to the neglect of her own family, Suki, the mother of a human trafficking victim, and Maria, forced to marry her rapist. Poignant, shocking, but ultimately inspirational, you will be encouraged to see how God is at work in these women, changing their lives and giving them a more hopeful future. Content Benefits: These poignant stories will open your eyes to the plight of women in Nepal, but also encourage you to see that God is moving around the world and that his church is growing. • Includes 12 personal stories of Nepali women, interviewed by Anna • Offers an understanding of the cultural context of these stories • Includes anecdotes of Anna’s own experience of living in Kathmandu • Will help you see what life is like for women living in Nepal • Has the power to change hearts and minds towards the injustices still facing women in the world today • Vividly evokes the sights and sounds of modern-day Kathmandu • An insight into how God is still at work in the world • Perfect for anyone who loves to hear stories of God at work • Suitable for readers who love testimonies and faith-inspiring stories • An inspirational gift idea for any occasion

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Book SynopsisChildren of Mercury is a bold new account of the lives of pre-modern painters, viewed through the lens of The Seven Ages of Man, a widespread belief made famous in the ‘All the world’s a stage’ speech in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Spike Bucklow follows artists’ lives from infancy, through childhood, adolescence and adulthood, to maturity, old age and death. He tracks how lives unfolded for both male and female painters, from the famous, like Michelangelo, through Artemisia Gentileschi and Mary Beale to those who are now forgotten, like Jehan Gillemer. The book draws on historic biographies, artists’ own writings and, uniquely, the physical evidence offered by their paintings.Trade Review'Bucklow offers a deeply humane poetics of the life-cycle and artistic creativity that is enchanting and original. This beautifully written book is an enormously rewarding read for anyone interested in art history.' – Ulinka Rublack, FBA, Professor of Early Modern European History, University of Cambridge 'While there have been studies of prodigies and of aging artists, Spike Bucklow's book is distinctive in looking systematically at the periods in between. It also stands out within this literature for devoting real attention to women as well as men.' – Michael Cole, Howard McP. Davis Professor and Chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology, Columbia University

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Book SynopsisIn the early 1970s, the athletes of the German Democratic Republic started to achieve incredible sports results, winning medals and setting new world records with astonishing frequency. For many years, their sporting supremacy was hailed as a triumph of the socialist government's commitment to scientific research and innovative training methods. But after the Cold War ended, the Stasi archives revealed a sinister secret behind the successes: a perverse doping system imposed by the government itself. Drugs were administered to young athletes, often without their consent, and the price their bodies are now paying is very high, both physically and mentally. Through the athletes' personal stories, Synthetic Medals reveals the events that led to the discovery of the state-doping system and the subsequent trial. It also explores the state's motives for this crime against its own people - people who were sacrificed on the altar of a distorted ideology, for the simple purpose of achieving glory on the international chessboard.

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Book SynopsisEarly in the 2020 pandemic, author Steven E. Mason began to look at the lives of some of the great personalities from history, seeking inspiration to help him deal with the Covid-19 crisis. He discovered that many of these people had experienced significant adversity on their path to success. After sharing these stories with friends and colleagues, positive feedback led to the writing of this book. The Adversity Formula: Inspiring Stories of Hope from History looks at the lives of thirty remarkable characters from history and how they dealt with adversity. The book goes on to provides a formula which readers can apply to their own lives when faced with major challenges. The text focuses on the lives of a group of inspiring individuals mainly from the 20th Century: fifteen men and fifteen women, across a range of categories, including scientists, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, politicians, entertainers, sports stars and war heroes. The book looks at the adversity these greats faced and what they achieved despite it. More importantly, the book looks at how they dealt with the adversity they faced, often using it to their advantage. The book then identifies five characteristics that each individual used which were key to how they dealt with the challenges facing them. The traits are then packaged into a general formula for tackling those challenges, emphasising that it's not just the experience of adversity but the way people respond to it which determine a successful outcome. The Adversity Formula: Inspiring Stories of Hope from History will be of interest to those who enjoy history and those who are interested in self-development, especially during difficult times. The book offers us all hope in the face of life's major challenges.Trade Review'What a great idea for a book and superbly executed. There's so much to learn from and so much to be inspired by, packed into this volume'. Daniel Finkelstein, Award-winning Journalist, Associate Editor and Political Columnist - The Times; 'This is a spirited case for the role of great men and women in shaping the world. Whether in politics or golf or on the stage, Steven Mason seeks to draw out the common threads: the attitudes, habits and qualities that allow inspirational figures not just to survive misfortune but to profit from it ...' Sir Graham Brady, MP, Chairman - 1922 Committee; 'The Adversity Formula: Inspirational Lessons from History is motivational. Steven Mason has shared the personal challenges that many icons from the world of politics, sports and entertainment have faced along with the resilience they demonstrated in ways for all of us to relate to, learn and live by'. Janet Fanaki, Host - The RESILIENT PEOPLE podcast, resilientpeople.ca; Steven Mason has managed to capture every nuance of Muhammad Ali's remarkable life in a single chapter and it's a fascinating read. I was privileged to have spent ten years - from 1971 to 1981 - going around the world with Ali, covering all his major fights. His name will always be prominent in any history of the twentieth century. Mason must have had difficulty in deciding where to place him in his book. Ali could also have fitted comfortably among 'The Humanists', 'The Entrepreneurs', 'The Politicians' and 'The Entertainers', such was his mesmerising influence on mankind'. Colin Hart, Boxing Columnist - The Sun; 'Delighted that Steven Mason has chosen Ella Fitzgerald to figure among his subjects as an inspirational lesson from history in overcoming adversity. In her own quiet and understated way, Ella epitomised the American Dream, literally starting with nothing as a homeless waif, she ended her life in Beverley Hills luxury in an America riven with racial prejudice - it's an object lesson we can all learn from'. Professor Stuart Nicholson. Author - Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography Of The First Lady Of Jazz; 'Steven Mason has compiled some fascinating portraits of some of the most inspirational figures of the past century, who overcame adversity despite overwhelming odds. We all have limiting beliefs and this book will help you to shed yours, by witnessing the limits of the human resolve.' Rabbi Chaim Miller, Author - Turning Judaism Outward: A Biography of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson; 'Like never before, we would be wise to listen to the figures talking to us through Steven Mason. They remind us that adversity is not only nothing new, it's a requisite of the human experience'. Julie Des Jardins, Historian of American women and gender. Author - The Madame Curie Complex: The Hidden History of Women in Science; 'Mason's emphasis on adversity as a catalyst for positive change is a good addition to the literature on self-improvement'. Robin Gerber, Best-Selling Author, Speaker and Historian. Author - Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way; 'An essential resource for anyone looking to improve their own performance. This book demonstrates that looking back at our role models' reaction to adversity, helps prepare us for any challenges that lie ahead'. Tania Friedlander, Certified Leadership & Development Coach for Fortune 500 employees; 'Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." In order to get through contemporary trying times, I highly recommend Steve Mason's 'The Adversity Formula' that delivers the message of fortitude, persistence, and enlightenment'. Marlene Wagman-Geller, Author - Women of Means: Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls; 'In these trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic, most of us need reassurance that brighter days lie ahead. Steven Mason shows us the way forward in this remarkable work that focuses on the biographies of thirty notable figures. Coming from diverse backgrounds and fields, these individuals overcame almost unbelievable adversity to both triumph in their own pursuits - whether in business, sports, entertainment, politics, or war - and make the world a better place for others. Drawing on the life experiences of figures as different as Eleanor Roosevelt, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Katharine Graham, Margaret Thatcher and Ella Fitzgerald, Mason provides an inspiring message that adversity can serve as a challenge rather than a defeat. The book provides much-needed inspiration during a period of global uncertainty on many fronts - medical, political, and cultural - leaving the reader with a renewed appreciation of the human potential'. Maurine H. Beasley, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, University of Maryland, College Park, US. Author - Eleanor Roosevelt, Transformative First Lady; 'A thought-provoking read, particularly in these most challenging times, of how to cope with and ultimately triumph over adversity'. Jim White, Columnist - Telegraph Media Group. Author - Manchester United: The Biography

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Book Synopsis'Beautifully woven' Sunday Times'Extraordinary city stories ... ambitious and entertaining ... [Taylor] does a fine job of telling the New York story' GuardianA symphony of contemporary New York told through the magnificent words of its people - from the best-selling author of Londoners.In the first twenty years of the twenty-first century, New York City has been convulsed by terrorist attack, blackout, hurricane, recession, social injustice, and pandemic. New Yorkers weaves the voices of some of the city's best talkers into an indelible portrait of New York in our time - and a powerful hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people. Vibrant and bursting with life, New Yorkers explores the nonstop hustle to make it; the pressures on new immigrants, people of colour, and the poor. It captures the strength of an irrepressible city that - no matter what it goes through - dares call itself the greatest in the world. Drawn from millions of words, hundreds of interviews, and six years in the making, New Yorkers is a grand portrait of an irrepressible city and a hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people.Trade ReviewBeautifully woven * Sunday Times *One of Craig Taylor's many skills as an interviewer lies in his eye for the vivid detail that captures a larger abstraction ... Remarkable -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Extraordinary city stories ... ambitious and entertaining ... [Taylor] does a fine job of telling the New York story -- Hari Kunzru * Guardian *As gorgeous, cacophonous and shocking as New York itself. Like those great oral historians Studs Terkel and Ronald Blythe, Craig Taylor has the gift of drawing out the most idiosyncratic confidences, creating a magical, uproarious and sometimes terrifying portrait of life in the ultimate city - Olivia Laing, author of The Lonely CityA symphonic choir of voices rising from the five boroughs ... the city is hopping, punching, reeling, dancing, thrumming, honking, thriving ... Taylor is as skilled a writer of literary nonfiction as I have ever read * The TLS *An incredible achievement. Insightful, funny, surprising, profound, moving and honest. This could be the great American novel - and it isn't even a novel - Joe Dunthorne, author of SubmarineThis is a stunning piece of work. New Yorkers is rich with the voices and stories of the city; voices that Craig Taylor has listened to with attentive generosity and that he offers us here with something close to love - Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir-13Jaw-dropping ... Enthralling ... Start spreading the news: Taylor's book is a stunning work of modern social history * Independent *A monumental and beautiful testimony to a city and to life itself ... This is what Craig Taylor has done: not just reveal a city, but the human spirit that lights the city; that spirit, which despite its flaws and madness, seems in the end to always wish to transform chaos and hatred into meaning and love - Jonathan Ames, author of The Extra ManEvery decade or so, a book comes along to define an epoch in New York life . . . Craig Taylor's New Yorkers is one of those. It is a monumental document of our age of precarity, catastrophe, and scrolling anomie. Just as importantly, though, it is an antidote, the opposite of a lockdown: a welcoming into the apartments of our neighbors and out into the living street. For those newly arrived to the city or long in love with it, New Yorkers belongs on the short shelf of required reading - Garth Risk Hallberg, author of City on FireCraig Taylor gets us. His sojourn in New York has resulted in a wonderful portrait of the city and its people, in good times and in bad, living, persevering, triumphant - Kevin Baker, author of DreamlandAn engrossing, multihued 'oral portrait' of New York City as told by the people who live there .... Admirers of the Big Apple will be enthralled * Publishers Weekly *One of the most enjoyable trips to New York I've ever taken: fascinating, exciting and weird. Like the very best kind of guide, Craig Taylor showed me parts of the city I would never have found on my own - Chris Power, author of Mothers: StoriesIn New Yorkers he has both perfected the method and found new range in his own voice. I lived in the city for six of the years covered here, but though Taylor does capture a tone I remember, I feel more that I've come to know the place better through the lens of his curiosity - John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of PulpheadCraig Taylor has conducted Gotham's voices into a gorgeous score. He has such a gift for getting cities to pause for their solos and close ups. With Londoners and now New Yorkers a decade later, he's like a Carson, a Winfrey, a Letterman of the vox populi: generous with each human he sits down with, making them look good without any makeup and giving them all the best lines. I've never heard New York sound this good, this in tune, despite its seas of trouble - Leanne Shapton, author of Swimming Studies[Taylor's] love of New York is plain, his ability to listen extraordinary -- Erica Wagner * New Statesman *The subjects are loquacious and often richly self-aware, leading to some memorable, blackly comic vignettes * Observer *Not even Craig Taylor's delightful cacophony of voices, dozens and dozens of them spilling their New York stories, can compass its vastness and variety. But what a tasty slice Taylor serves up! Until you can fly into JFK and see, hear, and smell for yourself, savour the grit, sweat in the choking humidity and shiver in the canyoned midtown winds - until then, his New Yorkers is just the ticket . . . Taylor deserves the keys to the city * Spectator *His achievement here is to accurately recreate the kinetic rhythms of New Yorkers' speech and, despite the disparity of choices, present us with a cohesive, intimate and vivacious kaleidoscope of New York in pages that crackle with the braggadocio, intensity and daring with which the city is synonymous. * Sunday Business Post *Taylor's bravest act in writing this book - subtitled, A City and Its People In Our Time - is to keep out of the way; preface and Coda apart there is no Taylor here. In an age of author's "Me! Me! Me!" complexes his schtick is "Them! Them! Them!" Let the people speak * Reaction *

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Book SynopsisOver the last 20 years, New York City has been convulsed by enormous challenges: terrorist attack, blackout, hurricane, recession, pandemic. New Yorkers is a grand portrait of the irrepressible city and a hymn to the vitality and resilience of its people. Craig Taylor spent years meeting New Yorkers - rich and poor, old and young, native and immigrant - and getting them to share indelible true tales. Here are the voices of those who propel the city each day - subway conductor, nurse, bodega cashier, electrician who keeps the lights on at the top of the Empire State Building - as well as unforgettable glimpses of the city, from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by a balloon handler to the Statue of Liberty by one of its security guards. New Yorkers captures the strength of the city that - no matter what it goes through - dares call itself the greatest in the world.Trade ReviewBeautifully woven * Sunday Times *One of Craig Taylor's many skills as an interviewer lies in his eye for the vivid detail that captures a larger abstraction ... Remarkable -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Extraordinary city stories ... ambitious and entertaining ... [Taylor] does a fine job of telling the New York story -- Hari Kunzru * Guardian *As gorgeous, cacophonous and shocking as New York itself. Like those great oral historians Studs Terkel and Ronald Blythe, Craig Taylor has the gift of drawing out the most idiosyncratic confidences, creating a magical, uproarious and sometimes terrifying portrait of life in the ultimate city - Olivia Laing, author of The Lonely CityA symphonic choir of voices rising from the five boroughs ... the city is hopping, punching, reeling, dancing, thrumming, honking, thriving ... Taylor is as skilled a writer of literary nonfiction as I have ever read * The TLS *An incredible achievement. Insightful, funny, surprising, profound, moving and honest. This could be the great American novel - and it isn't even a novel - Joe Dunthorne, author of SubmarineThis is a stunning piece of work. New Yorkers is rich with the voices and stories of the city; voices that Craig Taylor has listened to with attentive generosity and that he offers us here with something close to love - Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir-13Jaw-dropping ... Enthralling ... Start spreading the news: Taylor's book is a stunning work of modern social history * Independent *A monumental and beautiful testimony to a city and to life itself ... This is what Craig Taylor has done: not just reveal a city, but the human spirit that lights the city; that spirit, which despite its flaws and madness, seems in the end to always wish to transform chaos and hatred into meaning and love - Jonathan Ames, author of The Extra ManEvery decade or so, a book comes along to define an epoch in New York life . . . Craig Taylor's New Yorkers is one of those. It is a monumental document of our age of precarity, catastrophe, and scrolling anomie. Just as importantly, though, it is an antidote, the opposite of a lockdown: a welcoming into the apartments of our neighbors and out into the living street. For those newly arrived to the city or long in love with it, New Yorkers belongs on the short shelf of required reading - Garth Risk Hallberg, author of City on FireCraig Taylor gets us. His sojourn in New York has resulted in a wonderful portrait of the city and its people, in good times and in bad, living, persevering, triumphant - Kevin Baker, author of DreamlandAn engrossing, multihued 'oral portrait' of New York City as told by the people who live there .... Admirers of the Big Apple will be enthralled * Publishers Weekly *One of the most enjoyable trips to New York I've ever taken: fascinating, exciting and weird. Like the very best kind of guide, Craig Taylor showed me parts of the city I would never have found on my own - Chris Power, author of Mothers: StoriesIn New Yorkers he has both perfected the method and found new range in his own voice. I lived in the city for six of the years covered here, but though Taylor does capture a tone I remember, I feel more that I've come to know the place better through the lens of his curiosity - John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of PulpheadCraig Taylor has conducted Gotham's voices into a gorgeous score. He has such a gift for getting cities to pause for their solos and close ups. With Londoners and now New Yorkers a decade later, he's like a Carson, a Winfrey, a Letterman of the vox populi: generous with each human he sits down with, making them look good without any makeup and giving them all the best lines. I've never heard New York sound this good, this in tune, despite its seas of trouble - Leanne Shapton, author of Swimming Studies

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisEverybody knows about Charles Darwin, and many know about others in his family, from Erasmus Darwin and Tom Wedgwood, the first photographer, to composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and poet and radical John Cornford, the first Briton to be killed in the Spanish Civil War. But when Charles and Emma Darwin's great-great-granddaughter, another Emma Darwin, tried to root her new novel in that history, the conflict between her complex heritage, and her own identity as a writer, became a battle that nearly killed her. This is Not a Book About Charles Darwin takes the reader on a writer's journey through the Darwin-Wedgwood-Galton clan, as seen through the lens of Emma's struggle. Along the way, her wry, witty and honest memoir becomes a brave book about failure - and, above all, a book about writing and how stories are told. Richly illustrated with over 40 black and white images.Trade Review'A masterclass in how writers have to learn to fail and fail again before they have a hope of producing something like this book' Kathryn Hughes, The Mail on Sunday; 'Wise, witty, and informative' The Literary Review; 'Charming' The Spectator; 'Refreshingly frank, witty, eloquent memoir-cum-biography-cum-rumination.' Saga Magazine; `Here is the humility, naked courage and fiercely intelligent understanding of what writing a novel takes, and costs, no matter what happens to the finished product. The prize is the dangerous, painful, unwanted knowledge that Emma won at the end of the journey.' Jenn Ashworth, author of The Friday Gospels, Fell, etc, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Lancaster.

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Book SynopsisMichael Coveney has been writing theatrical obituaries alongside reviews for several decades and makes a telling, sometimes surprising, selection of the best performers of our time, from Laurence Olivier to Alan Rickman, Peggy Ashcroft to Helen McCrory, Richard Briers to Ken Dodd. Most of these obits appeared in the Guardian, several in the Observer, the Financial Times and the Evening Standard. The fifty articles are arranged in chronological order of each actor’s demise and constitute a vivid history of postwar theatre through the lives of the actors, ‘the abstract and brief chronicles of the time’ as Hamlet called them. There are happy/sad juxtapositions of shooting stars Robert Stephens and Alan Bates; tragic niece and aunt, Natasha Richardson and Lynn Redgrave; classical queens Diana Rigg and Barbara Jefford; and versatile showtime hoofers Una Stubbs and Lionel Blair.Trade Review'Great idea, great cover, great writing. The Final Curtain is a book we need.' Simon Callow

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Book SynopsisThe gruesome stories of the hardest, most ruthless rugby players from around the world since World War I. As talented as they were fiery, many were just as lively off the pitch as on it. In our era of citing commissioners, super slow-motion replays and trial by social media, some of their actions are quite hard to believe! Foreword by Nigel Owens.Trade ReviewThe true stories behind 20 of the toughest players to ever play the game, from pre-WWI firebrands to modern-day YouTube sensations. They are shocking, gruesome, often very funny and sometimes tragic, but what unites these men is their total commitment to the sport. Irrespective of size, reputation or opposition, they never took a step back, and many were as lively off the pitch as they were fi ery on it. In our era of citing commissioners, slow-motion replays and trial by social media, some of their actions are hard to believe. Featuring exclusive interviews with some of the players themselves, insights from former teammates and a foreword from refereeing legend Nigel Owens, if you love the characters that make rugby great, then this is the book for you. -- Publisher: Y LolfaWinston Churchill described rugby as a hooligans' game played by gentlemen. And in saying so, he added to the eternal debate. Where does toughness end and thuggery begin on the rugby field? Nigel Owens in his foreword to this fascinating book goes a long way in answering that question. ‘A dirty player,’ he opines, ‘might deck someone from behind – something that in no way proves their hardness.’ And ‘Amen’, say I. Author Luke Upton has whittled down his choice of the hardest men of rugby over the past 110 years to just twenty. They represent twelve different rugby nationalities, including three stalwarts from Wales: Bobby Windsor, Scott Gibbs and Brian Thomas. Upton’s final choice is a mixture of the famous and the lesser known. The former include Shelford and Meads of New Zealand, Hadley of Canada, Chabal of France and Dooley of England. Less known to me are Bedell-Sivright of Scotland, who died in Gallipoli in 1915, Paddy Maine of Ireland, Weary Dunlop of Australia and Jacques Berger of Namibia. Upton has garnered dozens of anecdotes, some of them hilarious. He avoids the pitfall of glorifying brutality, although Bobby Windsor does admit to attempting to beat bigger packs by skullduggery. But that is typical of Windsor – hard but utterly honest with it. Just as honest is Irishman Trevor Brennan’s comment following an incident in a game against Australia after flooring an opponent with his elbow: ‘He was alright,’ he said. ‘If I was going to do it deliberately, I’d have done it right.’ Upton emphasises that his final twenty do not form an exhaustive or definitive list. They rather form snapshots from across the eras of rugby. Nor is the degree of hardness a factor. In fact, says Upton, as well as being hard men these were also very good players. Were I asked to choose my all-time hardest from among the twenty, Brian Thomas of Neath would be my choice. This is how the legendary Phil Bennett describes his first encounter with the bear-like lock nicknamed ‘The Ayatollah’: ‘He came over to toss the coin before kick-off and stood there almost blocking off the light, with a huge black eye – somehow sustained in his own dressing room.’ So, does hardness equal thuggery? Jacques Berger sums it up perfectly: ‘Rugby is a brutal game but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love it.’ -- Lyn Ebenezer @ www.gwales.comTable of ContentsForeword by Nigel Owens Introduction Paddy Mayne Brian Lima Wayne Shelford Bobby Windsor Colin Meads Jerry Collins Norm Hadley David Bedell-Sivright Scott Gibbs Gérard Cholley Trevor Brennan Wade Dooley Bakkies Botha Tomás Lavanini Jacques Burger Armand Vaquerin Martin Johnson Brian Thomas Sébastien Chabal Weary Dunlop Author acknowledgements Bibliography Notes

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Book SynopsisI was written off is an insight into the lives of six talented women: their dreams and aspirations, achievements and constant struggles and the challenges they faced in Pakistan. Through their real-life stories, author Dr Talat Azad presents a snapshot of how these inspirational women, against all odds, overcame their disabilities and today are an example of the resourcefulness of the human spirit and what can be achieved with resolve and determination. “I am passionate that these real-life stories be heard”, says Dr Talat, “for they turn the spotlight on to the rights of the disabled within Pakistan and the world.” “These women are an example to anyone, telling them that despite their circumstances, not to give up but to take hope and push through.”

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Book SynopsisLessons Life Has Taught Me is a collection of stories and experiences from different parts of the globe exploring life’s complexities – its highs and lows. Each of the eighteen contributors shares their golden thread stories as they head down a path of deep reflection, to inspire others and start conversations on taking control of the present and looking forward to a brighter future. The contributors are: Adesola Orimalade, Fatima Alimohamed, Kevin Tong, Aysha Iqbal, Lara Rogers, Idowu Adebayo Thompson, Adaeze Oreh, Junjuan He, Nina Bressler, Amelia Samai-Nicome, Shervonne Johnson, Susana Ecclestone, Natasha Preville, Minal Srivastava, Natalie Heilling, Geri Maroney, Christopher Weguelin, and Gabrielle Botelho.Trade Review“Fascinating stories of adaptation and resilience. A window into our complex, rich world. ... Rewarding reading.” - Ian Gregory Strachan, Associate Professor of English at The College of The Bahamas; Playwright; Poet; Novelist

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Book SynopsisDuring a long Fleet Street career Tim Walker met and interviewed many of the world’s most famous actors and entertainers but, it isn’t just the names of his subjects that glitter — although they are impressive enough — it is the insights, the humour, and the exquisite style of these pieces that makes them jump off the page. Walker does more than sprinkle a little star dust into our lives. Time and again he crystallizes what others might have sensed but not articulated, casting light into previously unseen corners of the lives we thought we knew. Here you have 71 of the world’s most celebrated people captured by a master craftsman who analyses and defines, but is never overawed. You will, at turns, be entertained, enlightened, surprised and occasionally shocked but, best of all, repeatedly made to laugh aloud at the wit, passion, talent and foibles of those who have entertained us for most of our lives.Trade ReviewSangita Myska, BBC A brilliant book… a brilliant set of pen profiles from Charlton Heston to Greta Scacchi and Ronnie Corbett. When you read Tim Walker’s Star Turns, you feel as though you’re sitting down, having a glass of wine with them, and having a good old gossip. Fay Weldon, Mail on Sunday 'Tim Walker writes such a good, readable book.' Kevin Maguire, the New Statesman 'He may have escaped the Greensill inquiry with the official equivalent of a slap on the wrist from a wet lettuce leaf, but David Cameron didn’t emerge so lightly from a brush with Ronnie Corbett. The 5ft 1in comedian never looked up to Dodgy Dave after an encounter in No 10. 'In a forthcoming book Star Turns, the author and former Telegraph journalist Tim Walker recalls how Corbett disapprovingly regarded Cameron as unimpressive and “too eager to please” at a Downing Street reception that was given in order to enlist opponents of Scottish independence. 'The final half of the Two Ronnies died in 2016, a year that Walker, who was briefly a Liberal Democrat candidate in Canterbury at the last general election, describes as the loss of innocence and the start of a harsher, less humorous era with Brexit.' Richard Eden, the Daily Mail 'Waspish theatre critic Tim Walker has optimistically invited national treasure Stephen Fry to the launch party for Star Turns, his forthcoming book about his encounters with the rich and famous. 'Walker has included a chapter on Fry, who was upset by something he'd written about him. 'He even quotes the multi-talented comedian and author on the back-cover blurb of the book, saying: 'Tim Walker is a creep from the inner ring of Satan's rectum.' 'I look forward to the party, Tim, but I don't expect to see Fry there.'

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Book SynopsisA documentary-style collection of stories, poems, essays, and interviews by Southeastern Native American women.Upon Her Shoulders is a collection of stories, poems, and prose by Southeastern Native American women whose narratives attest to the hard work and activism required to keep their communities well and safe. This collection highlights Native female voices in the Southeast, a region and its peoples rarely covered in other publications.The editors have deep roots in the scholarship and culture of Native women. Featured prominently is the Lumbee community, where two of the editors (members of the Lumbee tribe themselves) teach at the nearby University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a center for scholarship about the Lumbee people.This volume honors the Native American tradition of passing on knowledge through stories and oral histories. With contributions by both professional and everyday writers, the collection spotlights these societies that have raised girls from an early age to be independent and competent leaders, to access traditional Native spirituality despite religious oppression, and to fight for justice for themselves and other Native people across the nation in the face of legal and societal oppression.Trade Review"Upon Her Shoulders is a book for everyone; the wisdom located within the pages, from American Indian women elders and from younger women, offers guideposts for living and learning that reinforce the power of story, of kin and community, and of place. The personal journeys detailed here are truly comprehensive as they use their gifts to challenge stereotypes, renew themselves through ceremony and medicine, and create just communities for all. Upon Her Shoulders is as much a manual for living as a priceless record of our journeys as American Indian women."—Malinda Maynor Lowery, The Lumbee Indians: An American StruggleTable of ContentsTable of Contents PART ONE: MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL, CHILD Introduction, Cherry Beasley My Question for Creator, Madison York Native American, Olivia Brown You Can Help Others Do More Than You Did, Ruth Revels A Firm Foundation to Withstand the Storm of Life, Mary Ann Elliott Mary Alice, Play for Us, Mary Alice Teets To Be a Part of It, Barbara Locklear Our People Are Moving in a Positive Direction, Mardella Sunshine Constanzo Richardson Reflection Questions for the Reader In Closing: Contemplating Words of Wisdom by Women Elders PART TWO: SPIRIT MEDICINE Introduction, Ulrike Wiethaus Some Indian Women, Marijo Moore Spirit Medicine, Kim Pevia What It Takes to Believe in Physical Health and Community, Lisa Huggins Oxendine Clan Mother, Daphine L. Strickland Bruises of a Battered Woman, Christine Hewlin Not Anymore, Nora Dial-Stanley Farming Always Brings Us Home, Charlene Hunt Reflection Questions for the Reader In Closing: Contemplating Words of Wisdom by Women Elders PART THREE: GETTING JUSTICE WHEN THERE WAS NONE Introduction, Mary Ann Jacobs Patchwork Images, Gayle Simmons Cushing The Alcatraz Occupation and the Advent of Civil Rights and American Indian Nationalism, Ruth Dial Woods The Black Lives Matter March in Pembroke: Women’s Perspectives, Mary Ann Jacobs and Flora Jacobs I Always Knew I Was Indian, Kay Oxendine Uncle R. Never Killed Nobody That Didn’t Deserve It, Mary Ann Jacobs Knowledge is Power, Rosa Winfree Reflection Questions for the Reader In Closing: Contemplating Words of Wisdom by Women Elders Contributor Biographies

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Book Synopsis30 Women in Power carries the inimitable voices of Indian women who have been pioneers andedarge organizations in banking,aw, the media, advertising, government services, health care, consulting, the fast-moving consumer goods sector and the not-for-profit space. In these narratives told up, close and personal thirty of India''s greatest women achievers speak of the guiding principles that have held them in good stead; The role models who have anchored them; The childhood influences that have shaped their values and the interests outside the world of work that have revitalized them. Coming from all walks ofife, these empowered women discuss their many successes and their dreams for the future. Yet, they also venture to disclose the setbacks that have preceded hard-won conquests; The barriers, psychological or otherwise, that may have held them back at certain points and the compromises they''ve had to make to reach the top. Through these honest and contemplative revelations, thirty women in power answer those questions that confront all working women from how best to balance the personal and the professional, to how to dismantle gender biases. Equally, the essayists consider seminal issues that concern every committed professional, man or woman: What are the qualities that define aeader? Where does one find a mentor? What are the ingredients in the recipe for success? Edited by businesseader extraordinaire Nainaal Kidwai, this topical and relevant book is a must-read, not only for theessons it provides, but also for the intimate accounts it offers ofives powerfullyived.

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Book Synopsis''Much needed inspiration for those working hard to reach a position that matches their potential and their allies'' Ally Owen, Founder of Brixton Finishing SchoolYou might not think, right now, that you have what it takes to succeed. But incredible things do happen when you believe. We hope this book will stoke your sense of belief in what it is you can achieve and the gifts you have the potential to give to the world.Relentless in its inspiration, candour and warmth, A Colourful View From the Top is a vital anthology of twenty-one voices who are at the top of their game in business and beyond. Whether their specialism be advertising, tech, law or art, each luminary offers a unique and deeply meaningful collection of lessons and affirmations to draw upon time and time again.Discover how they became influential figures in culture and corporate life; how their achievements haven''t been defined or limited by their race, gender or agTrade ReviewMuch needed inspiration for those working hard to reach a position that matches their potential and their allies -- Ally Owen

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Book SynopsisEvery new parent knows just how special and precious the first year of baby’s life is. My Baby’s Journal is especially designed so you can hold on to every memorable moment: first tooth, first smile, first steps, first words, and many more. When completed, My Baby’s Journal is a unique memento full of happy, poignant and appealing memories of the first year of your child’s life.

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Book SynopsisThe Historia Augusta is a biographical collection written by a single author under six pseudonyms that covers the lives of the Roman emperors from Hadrian (r. 117–138) to Carinus (r. 283–285). While it is our most detailed surviving source for this period, it has more value as an enigmatic work of literary fiction than as history.Trade ReviewThe task of editing and revising the work of another scholar cannot be an easy task. Yet Rohrbacher has handled his endeavour with admirable skill and respect. The result is a welcome and, one might add, needed addition to the Loeb Classical Library, and will surely serve anglophone readers of this most beguiling of texts for years to come. -- Christopher Mallan * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *

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Book Synopsis This book describes the intense rivalry--and collaboration--of the four players who created the golden era when USSR chess players dominated the world. More than 200 annotated games are included, along with personal details--many for the first time in English. Mikhail Tal, the roguish, doomed Latvian who changed the way chess players think about attack and sacrifice; Tigran Petrosian, the brilliant, henpecked Armenian whose wife drove him to become the world''s best player; Boris Spassky, the prodigy who survived near-starvation and later bouts of melancholia to succeed Petrosian--but is best remembered for losing to Bobby Fischer; and Evil Viktor Korchnoi, whose mixture of genius and jealousy helped him eventually surpass his three rivals (but fate denied him the title they achieved: world champion).Trade ReviewSoltis doesn't just pick the most familiar games...but rather games that bring something extra to the overall narrative...[McFarland books are of excellent quality, the binding is great and they will last an eternity, no matter how many read-throughs." - American Chess Magazine"I have read many fine biographies of these players, but Soltis' approach brings out something extremely interesting that had not earlier become clear to me. ...by comparing the players so explicitly to each other and highlighting their interactions with each other, Soltis helps you understand much better the strain and struggles that even these great players faced in chess. ...Great stuff! ...another wonderful book, once again beautifully produced by McFarland! 5 stars." - New in Chess"Anyone interested in any of these players or chess in the Soviet era would do well to pick up Soltis' book." - Chess Life"Arguably the best book Grandmaster Andy Soltis has ever written and considering he is one of the most prolific authors in the history of the game, with close to fifty titles to his name, that is saying something. Soltis does a thorough job throughout, sifting through many sources as evidenced by the numerous footnotes and extensive biography...a wonderful read that will continually fascinate...highly recommended." - IM John Donaldson"An excellent narrative history of the trials and tirbulations for these four players...his collection of games is interesting and well annotated...heartily recommended." - Mind's Eye Press"The stories are humorous, enlightening, and entertaining, and brings forth the humanity of the players. This is the soert of biography I know many readers have been waiting for." - ChessCafe.comTable of Contents Preface 1 Introduction: The Soviet Team of Rivals 5  1. Four Boys 15  2. Growing Pains 43  3. Overkill 62  4. Culture War 79  5. Spassky, Spassky, Spassky! 93  6. Volshebnik 109  7. Three Directions 133  8. A Takeoff, an Apogee and a Crash 151  9. Why Not Me? 180 10. Private Lives, Public Games 197 11. Candidacy 222 12. Humors 247 13. Whose Risk Is Riskier? 276 14. The Fischer Factor 301 15. Countdown to Calamity 318 Epilogue: Four Aging Men 335 Appendix A: Chronology, 1929–2016 339 Appendix B: Ratings Comparison 353 Chapter Notes 355 Bibliography 373 Index of Opponents 377 Index of Openings—Traditional Names 379 Index of Openings—ECO Codes 381 General Index 382

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Book SynopsisYou're about to meet so many incredible humans. Are you ready hun? Celebrate some of the modern-day trailblazers, champions and icons who have shaped, or are shaping our world, from well-known public figures and allies to others you will wish you had heard of earlier.Covering topics including coming out, gender, mental health and activism, this book is packed full of empowering quotes, inspiring life lessons and helpful advice that will encourage you to embrace your story and find your power.Trade Review‘A joy-filled depiction of LGBTQ+ icons from star illustrator’ –Grazia

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Book SynopsisQueen Victoria's children

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Book SynopsisJacob Rees-Mogg is a Conservative and the MP for the constituency of North East Somerset. Jacob sits on the Brexit Select Committee and he chairs the European Research Group. After Eton, Jacob read History at Trinity College, Oxford, before moving into finance. He co-founded Somerset Capital Management, which specialises in emerging markets investment management.Trade ReviewA full-throated, clear-sighted, well-researched and extremely well written exposition of the Victorians and their values. Rees-Mogg’s choice of a dozen Victorian luminaries allows him to defend an era too often ignored or written off in British history, and to compare it to our modern day in a way that readers will find gripping but also chastening * Andrew Roberts, bestselling author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’ *A fine philosophical mind * Matthew Parris *One of the most important politicians in the country * Economist *Polite, eloquent, witty, well-informed, coherent, principled — Jacob Rees-Mogg is the antithesis of almost every-thing the Labour party stands for under its current populist leadership * James Delingpole *The best-dressed man in the House of Commons * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThis omnibus edition brings together concise and up-to-date biographies of Amílcar Cabral, Samora Machel, Robert Mugabe, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. African Leaders of the Twentieth Century, Volume 2 complements courses in history and political science and serves as a useful collection for general readers.

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Book SynopsisContributors come from all three services and many nations and span all ranks.

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Book SynopsisAn investigation into the lives of some of the more remarkable women in the history of scientific discovery.

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Book SynopsisWith fascinating lives on every page, the Dictionary offers concise entries that illustrate the lives of Scottish women from the distant past to the early twenty-first century, as well as the worldwide Scottish diaspora.

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Book Synopsis'She imagines the experiences of the sisters with empathy and patience ... and ably manages to coax the few sparks of evidence into flames of personality ... Whoop, whoop! If anyone can find me another clutch of rebel princesses, let's get crowd-funding.' Hermione Eyre, SpectatorVirginal, chaste, humble, patiently waiting for rescue by brave knights and handsome princes: this idealized – and largely mythical – notion of the medieval noblewoman still lingers. Yet the reality was very different, as Kelcey Wilson-Lee shows in this vibrant account of the five daughters of the great English king, Edward I. The lives of these sisters – Eleanora, Joanna, Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth – ran the full gamut of experiences open to royal women in the Middle Ages. Living as they did in a courtly culture founded on romantic longing and brilliant pageantry, they knew that a princess was to be chaste yet a mother to many children, preferably sons, meek yet able to influence a recalcitrant husband or even command a host of men-at-arms. Edward’s daughters were of course expected to cement alliances and secure lands and territory by making great dynastic marriages, or endow religious houses with royal favour. But they also skilfully managed enormous households, navigated choppy diplomatic waters and promoted their family’s cause throughout Europe – and had the courage to defy their royal father. They might never wear the crown in their own right, but they were utterly confident of their crucial role in the spectacle of medieval kingship. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary sources, Daughters of Chivalry offers a rich portrait of these spirited Plantagenet women. With their libraries of beautifully illustrated psalters and tales of romance, their rich silks and gleaming jewels, we follow these formidable women throughout their lives and see them – at long last – shine from out of the shadows, revealing what it was to be a princess in the Age of Chivalry.Trade ReviewA stunning and intricately researched portrayal of five extraordinary women whose stories have until now remained in the shadows. The author shatters many of the myths surrounding the lives of medieval princesses and brings them to life in all their startling modernity. -- Tracy BormanA much needed book - the first for over a century to turn the spotlight on the daughters of Eleanor of Castile and Edward I. Kelcey Wilson-Lee does a wonderful job of bringing these young women, whose lives have to be reconstructed largely from the small print of the account books, to vibrant life. What is even better, she manages to uncover their very different personalities - right down to their taste in clothes! The royal family of the late thirteenth century truly comes alive in her hands. -- Sara Cockerill, author of Eleanor of CastileWilson-Lee is a diligent historian, a dogged researcher and an engaging writer. -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *She imagines the experiences of the sisters with empathy and patience ... and able manages to coax the few sparks of evidence into flames of personality ... Whoop, whoop! If anyone can find me another clutch of rebel princesses, let's get crowd-funding. -- Hermione Eyre * The Spectator *Fascinating . . . this is an informative book, also a very enjoyable one. -- Allan Massie * Catholic Herald *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of Illustrations Section - ii: Family Tree Section - iii: Maps Introduction - vi: Introduction Chapter - 1: Coronation Chapter - 2: Betrothal Chapter - 3: Family Chapter - 4: Vows Chapter - 5: Growing Up Chapter - 6: Union Chapter - 7: Three Deaths Chapter - 8: Alliance Chapter - 9: Ladies of War Chapter - 10: Unconstrained Chapter - 11: Acquiescence and Insubordination Chapter - 12: Crisis Chapter - 13: Homecoming Chapter - 14: Companionship Chapter - 15: Opulence Chapter - 16: The Storm Approaches Chapter - 17: Death Returns Chapter - 18: Another Coronation Section - v: Epilogue Acknowledgements - vi: Acknowledgements Section - vii: Notes Section - viii: Select Bibliography Index - ix: Index

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Book SynopsisThe history of the United States is peppered with extraordinary military leaders. Fate has enshrined an exceptional few in the public’s collective consciousness while sometimes ignoring others often equally as deserving, relegating them to footnotes at best. Though the nation owes them considerable debts, there are many examples of men whose singular leadership is now little remembered or forgotten completely. This volume covers leaders “in the shadows” during the four major conflicts the United States engaged in from the end of the 19th century to the middle years of the 20th: the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, World War I, and World War II. It tells the stories of more than 20 individuals and chronicles their activities through conflagrations spanning five decades. To enable readers to put these exploits into proper context, each chapter traces the roots of the conflict covered and discusses the paths that led to America’s involvement. Throughout the book, examples are also noted of leaders whose major renown is associated with a specific war—John J. Pershing, America’s towering military figure during World War I, for example—who also rendered exemplary though largely forgotten service during a different conflict (in Pershing’s case, the Philippine Insurrection). Of special interest to many audiences may be the commentaries regarding the World War I services of officers such as Eisenhower, Marshall, Patton, and Bradley—an aspect of their long military careers overshadowed by their World War II renown and too often minimized in consequence. The book also features brief biographies of officers whose contributions, while less consequential on the world stage than those of colleagues chronicled elsewhere in these pages, are nonetheless deserving of far more recognition than has thus far been accorded them. Reviews for In the Shadows of Victory: America's Forgotten Military Leaders 1776-1876: "...a valuable addition to the history of American military leaders because of its viewpoint. I highly recommend this book to students of history and military history, especially American military history. It is a necessary addition to the libraries of all such students and the public at large." -Michael F. Dilley "...a welcome addition to popular writing on military history... both informative and a pleasure to read. The individual narratives are well structured, carefully researched and nicely written. ...I would recommend it to those who wish to get new perspectives on interesting chapters in American history. Also to those who simply like a good story well told...an excellent book, well worth reading – even for those who don’t particularly like military history. I had the privilege of serving with Tom Phillips while on active duty. I got to know him as a superb officer. And he may well turn out to be an even better writer. " - Raymond E. Franck Brig Gen, USAF Retired "...well written prose...being reminded of and reading about these officers' achievements is an enjoyable experience." -Journal of America's Military PastTrade ReviewThis is a wonderful book which is very clear about what it wants to do and succeeds in doing it superbly. * Army Rumour Service *

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Book SynopsisAll over the world women are working in bird conservation -- usually without the recognition they deserve, despite dedicating their lives to birds, often at considerable personal cost. They work in the field, campaign against the illegal wildlife trade and educate people in sensitive areas regarding the important role that birds play as part of the biodiversity of their locality and of the planet. This book is full of inspirational women including those who have played an important role in bird conservation and even in bird rescue centres. Their stories and those of the birds they saved will touch your heart. The book also covers social issues such as discrimination against women working in the field. This book shines a spotlight on more than 30 of these female heroes. It encourages women to be inspired by their stories and to make their own contributions to saving wonderful feathered creatures from extinction.

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Book SynopsisIn Letters of Note: Music, Shaun Usher brings together a riveting collection of letters by and about some of the musicians and music that enrich our lives. It is a wonderfully wide-ranging and illuminating book that will delight music lovers of all stripes.Includes letters by:Ludgwig van Beethoven, Nick Cave, Helen Keller, Keith Richards,Yo-Yo Ma, Tom Waits, Erik Satie, Angélique Kidjo, Leonard CohenJohn Coltrane, Kim Gordon & many moreTrade ReviewPraise for Shaun Usher: Another mailbag stuffed with funny, heartbreaking and passionate letters . . . engaging, eclectic, geekily and gleefully enthusiastic and laugh-out-loud funny * * The Times * *Shaun Usher's More Letters of Note mines the archives for more gems of the epistolary arts * * Guardian * *Funny, tragic, brilliantly incisive, historic, lyrical, romantic and studiedly offensive, this stupendous compendium of letters ancient and modern is my book of the year. You will never tire of it -- STEPHEN FRYFrom the genuinely funny: Marge Simpson duelling with First Lady Barbara Bush to the truly heart-breaking: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's last goodbye to their children before execution. Usher's book is unlike anything else you have read. After all, where else can you find out why Norman Mailer refused money to his father, or how Janis Joplin felt before breaking America? Exactly * * GQ * *Funny, shocking and poignant, More Letters of Note must be one of the most entertaining books of the year * * Financial Times * *Some of the letters will make you laugh, other heartbreaking examples will make you cry * * Independent * *Reading through them is addictive, like dipping into a bag of variously tempting assorted candies, knowing that the next one will always bring surprise and pleasure. Usher has an evident knack for selecting letters that land with the force of a good short story, with personalities and dramatic arcs emerging swiftly, from just a page or two. Many of the writers are famous people, caught in a moment of accessibility and rawness or off-the-cuff virtuosity * * New Yorker * *A gloriously presented compilation * * Financial Times * *The literary equivalent of a box of chocolates - bite-sized and pure addictive pleasure . . . The result is beautifully produced, with photographs and colour facsimiles of much of the correspondence. A gorgeous Christmas present * * Sunday Times * *Open the pages of the anthology and the appeal is immediately obvious * * Observer * *

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Book Synopsis'This book is an extremely important part of women's social history. Read it!' - Maxine PeakeRobin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays … All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised, even when they killed. But where are their female equivalents? Where are the street robbers, gang leaders, diamond thieves, gold smugglers and bank robbers?Queens of the Underworld reveals the incredible story of female crooks from the seventeenth century to the present. From Moll Cutpurse to the Black Boy Alley Ladies, from jewel thief Emily Lawrence to bandit leader Elsie Carey and burglar Zoe Progl, these were charismatic women at the top of their game. But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not ‘real women’ or not ‘real criminals’, and in the process their stories have been lost.Caitlin Davies unravels the myths, confronts the lies and tracks down modern-day descendants in order to tell the truth about their lives for the first time. Trade ReviewWhat a brilliant piece of research; pieced together with compassion, heart and understanding. Caitlin's book gives voice to women who have been forgotten or have only been seen through a male prism. She wrestles back their stories. This book is an extremely important part of women's social history. Read it! -- Maxine PeakeThis riveting book begins with the surprise of a different "ever after" and goes on to confound expectations, assumptions and stereotypes.In Queens of the Underworld, Caitlin Davies displays that rare talent for history and storytelling without judgment. "Female Crooks" in particular could do with more of this. -- Shami ChakrabartiNeither sentimental nor judgmental, Davies presents these characters as important examples of criminological history.

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Book SynopsisForget the adventure stories of James Bond, Kim Philby, Klaus Fuchs and co. – espionage is not just a boys’ game. As long as there has been conflict, there have been female agents behind the scenes. In Belgium and northern France in 1914–18 there were several thousand women actively working against the Kaiser’s forces occupying their homelands. In the Second World War, women of many nations opposed the Nazis, risking the firing squad or decapitation by axe or guillotine. Yet, many of those women did not have the right to vote for a government or even open a bank account. So why did they do it?Female Secret Agents explores the lives and the motivations of the women of many races and social classes who have risked their lives as secret agents, and celebrates their intelligence, strength and courage.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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