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Book SynopsisThe engaging, passionate, always-honest, and often-hilarious memoir of actor Ron Perlman--his triumphant story of perseverance and determination navigating the slippery slopes of Hollywood, with a foreword by Guillermo del Toro Ron Perlman was a kid who had a myriad of self-image issues, yet he triumphed in an industry that trades on image and self-confidence. He landed a leading role in Quest for Fire. He won a Golden Globe for Beauty and the Beast. And he played the title role in two Hellboy movies, becoming along the way an icon among sci-fi and comic book fans worldwide. Although his name may be unknown to some, most people know Ron Perlman''s face, despite the fact that for nearly half his career he''s been disguised under feature-altering foam-rubber prosthetics. On his offbeat path to success, Ron has amassed nearly 200 stage, TV, voiceover, and major motion picture credits, including roles in Drive, Pacific Rim, and a six-year gig as the badass biker boss Clay Morrow in Sons of Anarchy. In Easy Street (the Hard Way), Ron shares his life story, starting with his up-by-your-bootstraps background in New York''s Washington Heights. His father, a Swing Era drummer, gave up his dream in order to feed his sons while his mother worked as a municipal clerk. Ron''s hard-earned road to Easy Street included bouts of abject poverty, heartbreaking familial episodes, and a long, often uncomfortable struggle for self-acceptance. He sheds light on his life as a working actor and also offers behind-the-scenes insight into the working styles of internationally famous directors, including Jean-Jacques Annaud, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy and Academy Award-winning Pan''s Labyrinth). He provides his own peek into Hollywood, up close and personal, where he has encountered the likes of Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and others. Plus, he turns his eye on the trajectory of American culture--the good and the bad--as observed by a man who started out in a mom-and-pop world where the arts were disseminated by individuals rather than corporations.Easy Street (the Hard Way) will inspire anyone who has ever dared to dream and offers a roadmap to the next generation of dreamers.

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Book SynopsisThe candid and heartbreakingly honest memoir of Sylvia Kristel, the cinema icon of the 1970s who played the lead role in the worldwide sensation erotic Emmanuelle films.Trade Review'Far from being seedy, this is an elegantly written book. The prose is simple, evocative and highly readable. I found myself wishing that our home-grown celebrities would write books full of ideas and feelings, not glossy magazine therapy-speak. A few of her highly stylised sentences tell far more about the whys and wherefores of exposure and fame than all the trash clogging the bestseller lists of late.' Belle de Jour, The Times 'This is a poignant, semi-intentionally hilarious autobiography. Her story is gripping.' Sunday Times 'A remarkable memoir. A series of impressionistic snapshots, delivered in austere, melancholic prose, it is quite unlike other show-biz memoirs and its candour is raw. Sylvia is a cult icon, she loosened our inhibitions. But the price was high.' Bridget Hourican The Gloss Magazine

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Book SynopsisDouble acts don''t come any closer than the The Two Ronnies. Messrs Barker and Corbett kept a nation laughing for two decades, and yet despite the rigorous work that went into writing, rehearsing and broadcasting almost a hundred episodes to millions of viewers each week, the pair never shared a cross word. In this memoir, the late Ronnie Corbett tells the story of their rise from theatre, through The Frost Report and into their own legendary show, as well as how some of their greatest sketches, including Mastermind and Fork Handles, came into being. This is the story of one of the great British institutions of the last thirty years, and a hilarious and moving look inside the working lives of two of our most-beloved comedians.

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Book Synopsis'Well-researched ... I was fascinated' Roger Lewis, Daily MailFrom its debut in 1962, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a wild success and a cultural lightning rod. The play transpires over one long, boozy night, laying bare the lies, compromises, and scalding love that have sustained a middle-aged couple through decades of marriage. It scandalised critics but magnetised audiences. Then, Hollywood took a colossal gamble on Albee's sophisticated play and won. Co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the sensational 1966 film won five Oscars. How this scorching play became a movie classic-surviving censorship attempts, its creators' inexperience, and its stars' own tumultuous marriage, is one of the most riveting stories in all of cinema. Acclaimed author Philip Gefter traces Woolf from its hushed origins in Greenwich Village, through its tormented production process, to its explosion onto scree

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Book SynopsisIn this revised and updated biography, Maureen Paton encompasses the private, professional and political life of this most enigmatic, charismatic and intensely private of actors.Trade Review'An illuminating profile' Premiere

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Book SynopsisThe heroine of MARY POPPINS and THE SOUND OF MUSIC tells her life story from the music halls of London to Broadway stardom.Over the years Julie Andrews has been much interviewed in the press and on television, but she has never before revealed the true story of her childhood and upbringing. In HOME she vividly recreates the years before the movies. An idyllic early childhood in Surrey was cut short when her parents divorced and her mother remarried. The family moved to London, and there are vivid scenes of life during the Blitz. Her mother went into musical theatre with her stepfather, who encouraged Julie to have singing lessons which led to the discovery that her voice had phenomenal range and strength for someone her age. Before long she was appearing on stage with her parents. She soon realised how much she enjoyed looking out into the black auditorium with the spotlights on her. By the time she was a teenager, she was supporting her whole family with her Trade ReviewTold with candour and poignancy * CANDIS *revealing * MAIL ON SUNDAY *a modest but candid and frequently amusing self-portrait of the star before fans got to know her * DAILY MAIL *Candid and perceptive, providing a vivid portrait of her formative years, this memoir will delight her legions of admirers * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *

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Book SynopsisHis book is a joy to read, full of homespun wisdom and hilarious asides' Independent____________________Where do comedians come from? Why is it that one person is a funny bloke down the pub while another actually makes a living by standing up in front of an audience telling jokes? And where does all that material come from? Well, young Lee McKillop used to wonder that too.___________________ Growing up in his parents' pub, small and wiry in a world of bigger and chunkier specimens, Lee quickly learned that cracking jokes was a way to get attention. After a somewhat random series of jobs, which included being Red Rum's stableboy and a bingo hall barman, it was as a Great Yarmouth holiday camp entertainer that he had his first crack at telling jokes on stage. It got him some laughs, the sack and a punch in the face.*Now, as Lee Mack, he's one of our best loved and most successful comedians, both Trade ReviewA first-class comic. His autobiography, Mack the Life, has all the cheerful candour of one of his barnstorming shows. Mack has polished this narrative until it shines, and his book is a joy to read, full of homespun wisdom and hilarious asides. * Independent *A cracking read. Jokes liberally dot the narrative … a frank picture of a man who can’t believe his luck, but still manages to keep his feet on the ground * Chortle *a truly fascinating read, genuinely funny throughout * British Comedy Guide *

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Book SynopsisSarah Silverman''s father taught her to curse-at the age of three. She was a chronic bedwetter-until she was old enough to drive. She lost her virginity at age 19-but didn''t really know it. These are just a few of the outrageous true tales that Silverman shares in her alternately hilarious and moving collection of autobiographical essays. With her signature taboo-breaking humour, Silverman writes on everything from her epic struggle with hairy arms (there wasn''t enough wax in the world) to the death of her infant brother (It was Nana''s fault) and always leaves the reader with a smile. Mixed in among the essays are scores of embarrassing photos, mortifying childhood diary entries, and truly humiliating e-mails to and from her comedian friends.

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Book SynopsisCandice Bergen shares her marriage to a famous French director, the birth of her daughter, Murphy Brown, widowhood, and falling in love again.Trade Review"Candice Bergen shows how to do a memoir right. . . . The self-possessed, witty, and down-to-earth voice that made Bergen's first memoir a hit when it was published in 1984 has only been deepened by life's surprises. . . . As a fictional newswoman, Murphy Brown was iconically brassy. As a memoirist, Candice Bergen is flesh-and-blood classy." * The New York Times Book Review *“Bergen is . . . daring in her smart, self-mocking memoir A Fine Romance. . . . She’s awfully good company.” * The Wall Street Journal *“Bergen may not have had Murphy’s sharp elbows or unswerving career focus, but she reveals herself to be just as complicated and sophisticated as her television counterpart—and infinitely more introspective. . . . [A Fine Romance] succeeds in the way a good memoir should. It presents a human life in full—with great glories and heartaches and watercolored memories. Bergen tells her story with humor, confidence and candor. Perhaps she’s not so different from Murphy after all." * The Washington Post *“A Fine Romance is just that. Candice tells her own story with honesty and humor—a story of loves lost and found, of marriages, joys and heartaches. I am not sure Candice ever realized her own beauty or how well she writes. Well, she is, and she does.” -- Barbara Walters“Candice Bergen's memoir is moving with the wisdom that only age can bring. The woman you thought had everything has been through more than most of us could bear. Revelatory, anguished, and utterly inspirational.” -- Bette Midler, author of A View from a Broad"You'll fall for Bergen's A Fine Romance. . . . Her writing and storytelling are superb throughout. . . . With this memoir, we're all likely to be wishing Bergen herself—funny, insightful, self-deprecating, flawed (and not especially concerned about that), and slugging her way through her older years with bemused determination—was living next door.” * USA Today *“Candice’s book is candid, honest, interesting, and reading it, you love her more than ever.” -- Diane von Furstenberg, author of The Woman I Wanted to Be“Bergen is a talented and graceful writer—something she first demonstrated in Knock Wood, which chronicled her Hollywood youth and coming of age as the daughter of famed comedian and ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. Her literary voice is enormously engaging, capable of infusing considerable wit and poignancy. . . . She has something real to say here, and one hopes that her journey will continue for many years to come—and that eventually she'll write about that too.” * Chicago Tribune *“Candy's memoir is intimate and surprisingly candid. We learn, we laugh, we marvel because her voice is as honest, funny, and rapier-smart as Murphy’s. Add in self-reflection and self-deprecation and you have one heck of a great read.” -- Lesley Stahl, 60 Minutes correspondent“Candy gives us a glimpse into the fascinating world of fame and shares with us the ordinary in the extraordinary.” -- Carrie Fisher, author of Postcards from the Edge and Wishful Drinking"Three decades after writing her memoir Knock Wood, Candice Bergen has penned a follow-up, A Fine Romance . . . with candor, humor and poignancy." * LA Times *"A surprisingly frank and even bawdy mélange of celebrity fairy tale, marriage confessional and accounting of the mundane." * The New York Times *"Candice Bergen’s follow-up to her Knock Wood is among the more commendable celebrity memoirs you’ll encounter. . . . Along with writing skill . . . you’ll be impressed with [her] candor and wisdom." * The Buffalo News (Editor's Choice) *"A Fine Romance is full of heart. Even though Bergen is surrounded by celebrity friends at the turn of every page, it's evident she is about as down-to-earth as they come. There is an honesty in her writing that is both refreshing and encouraging.” * Associated Press *“Bergen has a way of making readers think they are friends who understand her life and know her dreams and frustrations. The book is forthcoming and refreshingly human.” * The Examiner *“Bergen’s rapier wit, warm personality and unflinching honesty make these stories of life and love all the more appealing.” * Bookpage *"With her trademark wit, Bergen leads readers through the highs and lows of her professional and personal life in this entertaining and poignant memoir chock-full of Hollywood cameos. . . . Never afraid to poke fun at herself or celebrity culture, Bergen is as fresh, funny, and biting as Murphy Brown was nearly 30 years ago." * Publishers Weekly *“A glamorously bittersweet showbiz memoir.” * Kirkus *“Honest, self-deprecating and well-written.” * St. Louis Post-Dispatch *

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Book SynopsisPeter Sallis is known to millions as Norman Clegg in the classic BBC series Last of the Summer Wine, and to millions more - whether they realise it or not - as the voice of Wallace in the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit. Peter was to raise the curtain on richly diverse in the most unlikely of circumstances; as an amateur actor whilst serving on the RAF groundcrew during World War 2. A scholarship to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts followed, and it was from these humble beginnings that Peter would go on to become one of Britain's best loved actors.

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Book SynopsisThe first full biography for more than forty years of Hollywood legend, Carole Lombard

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Book SynopsisEvan Cabnet is an NYC-based theater director specializing in new plays. He has directed new works by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Gloria, Pulitzer Finalist, 2015), Helen Edmundson (Therese Raquin on Broadway for the Roundabout Theater Company), Christopher Shinn (Teddy Ferrara), Steven Sater & Burt Bacharach (Some Lovers), Bekah Brunstetter (Oohrah!), Liz Meriwether (The Mistakes Madeline Made and Oliver Parker!), Kenneth Lin (Warrior Class), David West Read (The Dream of the Burning Boy and The Performers on Broadway), Zayd Dohrn (Outside People), Daniel Pearle (A Kid Like Jake) Julia Brownell (All-American) and has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim, Edward Albee, John Guare, Donald Margulies, and Theresa Rebeck. As an Artistic Director, he has developed and produced plays by Jackie Sibblies Drury (Marys Seacole, Obie Award, 2019), Martyna Majok (queens), Aya Ogawa (The Noseb

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Book Synopsis''Enlightening Funny, smart, original and provocative ... It is hard to imagine the stalwarts of Mock the Week recognising the Druze militia leader Walid Jumblatt in a London cinema'' NEW STATESMAN''Few standups have come close to capturing a fraction of this creative energy in a book Alexei Sayle is an exception'' GUARDIANWhat I brought to comedy was an authentic working-class voice plus a threat of genuine violence - nobody in Monty Python looked like a hard case who'd kick your head in.In 1971, comedians on the working men''s club circuit imagined that they would be free to continue telling their tired, racist, misogynistic gags forever. But their nemesis, a nineteen-year-old Marxist art student, was slowly coming to meet themThatcher Stole My Trousers chronicles a time when comedy and politics united in electrifying ways. Recounting the founding of the Comedy Store, the Comic Strip and the Young OTrade ReviewEnlightening … Funny, smart, original and provocative ... It is hard to imagine the stalwarts of Mock the Week recognising the Druze militia leader Walid Jumblatt in a London cinema … Compared to today’s comics and the unctuous 1970s Variety Club of Great Britain golf club elite, Sayle – baleful, menacing, intelligent – comes over as a bloke whose company one might seek out, whether he cared or not. He is a master of the flashing en passant insult. I laughed out loud * New Statesman *Few standups have come close to capturing a fraction of this creative energy in a book … Alexei Sayle is an exception … The reader is left with a lesson so often imparted in the standup’s foray into memoir: comedy is no laughing matter * Guardian, Book of the Day *I devoured the first chapters of Sayle’s terrific second volume of memoirs … Thatcher Stole My Trousers, but he changed my life **** * Mail on Sunday *Thatcher Stole My Trousers deals with the birth of stand-up as we understand it in the UK … I really, really enjoyed this, I thought it was brilliant ... Laugh-out-loud * Stewart Lee *The inventor of alternative comedy * David Baddiel *Comedy underwent seismic change in the 1980s, and Alexei Sayle was at the forefront of it … Thatcher Stole My Trousers, is full of self-accusation, pratfalls, memories of idiocy and delusion, all built up for comic effect. But about his debut he is deadly serious: he knows he helped change the tone of British comedy. He blazed a trail for a new generation of punkish comic violence (such as The Young Ones) and politically engaged stand-up, that consigned to oblivion the old gag-merchants; he effectively silenced the humour of mothers-in-law, tits, arses, Pakis, micks and poofs * Independent *An unexpected delight. All those lefty stand-up comedians who monopolise the funny stuff now: their style started with Alexei Sayle and his comrades of the 1980s ... It is not packed with one-liners. It is much funnier than that ... Observant and wry * Independent *Sayle relates an endless stream of entertaining anecdotes ... An affectionate account of a group of performers who transformed British comedy * Sunday Times *An interesting social history here as comedy and politics come together in the late 1970s and his work with The Comic Strip and The Young Ones takes centre stage. It’s fascinating to watch Sayle battle with his principles * Observer *Alternative comedy’s erstwhile ranter-in-chief has mellowed with age but expect a few residual flecks of spleen * Daily Telegraph *The granddaddy of alternative comedy… Takes potshots at the establishment and his comrades. Laced with his trademark corrosive wit * Shortlist *This century he has reinvented himself as a writer. A good one too. Thatcher Stole My Trousers is a pleasure to read * Herald *Brilliantly funny * Waitrose Weekend *A combative return for a pioneer of alternative comedy … Anarchic * Yorkshire Post *

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Book SynopsisArden Performance Editions are ideal for anyone engaging with a Shakespeare play in performance. With clear facing-page notes giving definitions of words, easily accessible information about key textual variants, lineation, metrical ambiguities and pronunciation, each edition has been developed to open the play's possibilities and meanings to actors and students.Designed to be used and to be useful, each edition has plenty of space for personal annotations and the well-spaced text is easy to read and to navigate.Trade ReviewPerformance Editions provide the basis for fascinating discussions about where different communities locate the quintessence of Shakespeare and early modern drama. * Studies in English Literature 1500 - 1900 *These editions are likely to help not only actors and drama students but also all amateur Shakespeareans including schools and colleges which stage the plays … What genius to have Simon Russell Beale as a series editor along with two Shakespeare Institute academics, Michael Dobson and Abigail Rokison-Woodall. * Ink Pellet *Table of ContentsIntroduction; Much Ado About Nothing; Longer Notes

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Book SynopsisMarlene Dietrich and Leni Riefenstahl, born less than a year apart, lived so close to each other that Riefenstahl could see into Dietrich’s Berlin flat. Coming of age in the Weimar Republic, both sought fame in Germany’s silent film industry. While Dietrich’s depiction of Lola Lola in The Blue Angel catapulted her to Hollywood stardom, Riefenstahl—who missed out on the part—insinuated herself into Hitler’s inner circle and directed Nazi propaganda films, most famously, Triumph of the Will. Dietrich could never truly go home again, while Riefenstahl was contaminated by her political associations. Moving deftly between two stories never before told together, Karin Wieland contextualises these lives, chronicling revolutions in politics, fame and sexuality on a grand stage.Trade Review"Newly translated dual biography by German historian provides an illuminating look at two famous, ambitious women who reacted very differently to the Nazis...Via a fluent, often witty translation by Shelley Frisch, Wieland draws the portrait of women who were ambitious to a degree stunning in their day." -- The Guardian"In telling their stories, Karin Wieland has decided to juxtapose their lives without making the comparisons explicit. This can be very effective: she is an evocative scene setter and so it is easy to grasp the implication that both women were created by their time and place." -- Literary Review"Wieland offers abundant – and now and then overwhelming – material and produces a captivating chronological narrative that is rich in sources... The emerging story is fascinating…" -- Times Higher Education"... epic, enthralling tome about two of the 20th century's most compelling artists…" -- The Independent"...classical in scope and style. It [Dietrich & Riefenstahl] puts together cradle-to-grave biographies of two women who hardly met, offering admirably researched accounts that leave barely a telegram or plot summary unturned." -- The Telegraph

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Book SynopsisSpanning 1979-1987, The Fry Chronicles charts Stephen Fry''s arrival at Cambridge up to his thirtieth birthday. ''Heartbreaking, a delight, a lovely, comfy book'' The Times ''Perfect prose and excruciating honesty. A grand reminiscence of college and theatre and comedyland in the 1980s, with tone-perfect anecdotes and genuine readerly excitement. What Fry does, essentially, is tell us who he really is. Above all else, a thoughtful book. And namedroppy too, and funny, and marbled with melancholy'' Observer ''Arguably the greatest living Englishman'' Independent on Sunday ''Extremely enjoyable'' Sunday Times ''Fry''s linguistic facility remains one of the Wildean wonders of the new media age. The patron saint of British intelligence'' Daily TelegraphWelcome to Stephen Fry''s The Fry Chronicles, one of the boldest, bravest, most revealing and heartfelt accounts of a man''s formativ

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Book SynopsisColin Baker's career as an actor spans six decades of television and theatre. Millions know him best as the colourfully-dressed Sixth Doctor in Doctor Who, a character that has endured - and will continue to endure - through generations. This is Colin's own story, in conversation with interviewer Nicholas Briggs.

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Book SynopsisMartin Clunes has been a familiar face on British television for almost two decades. During that period he has starred in some of the best-loved shows of modern times, including Doc Martin, William and Mary, and of course he phenomenally successful Men Behaving Badly. He was introduced to acting at a young age. His father, a successful actor and theatre manager who gave Peter Ustinov his first break, tragically died of cancer in 1970, leaving his wife Daphne, their daughter Amanda, and 8-year-old Martin. Years later, it was Daphne's cousin, Jeremy Brett - the actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes - who encouraged Martin to take up acting professionally. Martin worked regularly through the 1980s, but when he was spotted by comedian Harry Enfield and subsequently made regular appearances in his popular sketch shows, he was catapulted into the big time. After landing the role of Gary in Men Behabving Badly, he has gone from strengh to strength. Never one to be pigeonholed, Martin has played a broad range of roles, including a serial killer in A is for Acid anb Burbage n the Oscar winning film Shakespeare in Love. More recently, he has also presented two of the most popular documentaries on television: Islands of Britain and Martin Clunes: A Man and His Dogs.

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Book SynopsisA thoughtful and deeply personal book by a master theatre-maker. In Tip of the Tongue, Peter Brook takes a charming, playful and wise look at topics such as the subtle, telling differences between French and English, and the many levels on which we can appreciate the works of Shakespeare. Brook also revisits his seminal concept of the 'empty space', considering how theatre – and the world – have changed over the span of his long and distinguished career. Threaded throughout with intimate and revealing stories from Brook's own life, Tip of the Tongue is a short but sparkling gift from one of the greatest artists of recent times.Trade Review'Engaging and thought-provoking… Brook is constantly enthralled but never daunted by contemplation of the art he serves, as this short work shows with grace and eloquence' * Shakespeare Survey *'A gem… like sitting down with Brook after a meal… this simple and accessible book contains insights and lessons from someone who has lived and breathed theatre for over seventy years' * Drama Magazine *'Full of aphoristic wisdom' * Guardian *'Short, sweet and brimming with wise saws and modern instances' * The Stage *'Peter Brook's exploration of words, theatre and everything attached is loving and heartfelt, taking his readers on a journey through his experiences and giving meaning to what he's seen and done' * Broadway World *'Filled with wisdom… devotees will be enchanted by the great director’s latest ruminations on language and the theatre' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book SynopsisIn 1996 Jacques Derrida gave a lecture at the Museum of Modern Art on Antonin Artaud. Artaud the Moma reveals the challenge that Artaud posed to Derrida—and to art and its institutional history. It is a powerful interjection into the museum halls, a crucial moment in Derrida’s thought, and an insightful reading of a challenging writer and artist.Trade ReviewOne of Derrida's most extraordinarily deep and and virtuosic texts and one of the best ever written about Artaud. -- Denis Hollier, New York UniversityTable of ContentsPrefaceArtaud the MomaAfterword, by Kaira M. CabañasNotesAcknowledgments, by Kaira M. Cabañas

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Book SynopsisThe amazing true story of Charlotte Cibber, a child of the theatre who scandalized proper society - whenever possibleTrade Review'Precocious, gifted, charismatic, and eccentric, Charlotte Charke illuminated the eighteenth century with the fleeting brightness of a shooting star. Kathryn Shevelow has written a remarkable book which admirably captures this most elusive of social rebels' Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana 'Shevelow writes well and wittily, and captures the gamut of the eighteenth-century theatrical world, from its heights in Drury Lane - which went to Charlotte's bewigged head - to its depths among rural travelling players, where she ended up as a result' Sunday Times 'Charlotte is a remarkably learned and even more remarkably entertaining history - not only of a truly fascinating and startlingly-original woman, but also of her times and culture. Kathryn Shevelow brings to life the madness, absurdity and baseness of 18th-century Britain, and the recreates for modern readers the fascinating peculiarities of its theater world. This is a brilliant piece of popular history' David Liss, author of A Conspiracy of Paper 'Quite the spectacle was Charlotte: actress, cross-dresser and general hell-raiser' Washington Post

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Book SynopsisHer performing days numbered, Josephine Baker did something outrageous: she transformed her chateau into a theme park whose main attraction was her Rainbow Tribe—12 children from around the globe, adopted as the family of the future. Matthew Pratt Guterl concludes that Baker was a serious activist, determined to make a positive difference.Trade ReviewThis book shimmers. The prose is spun gold, the ideas sparkle with intelligence, and the fun’s as high as Josephine Baker—topless in a banana skirt, her caramel skin gleaming —can take it. But in the end, it’s a tragedy… Baker bought a French castle, adopted a dozen children, and made them stand for every race and nation in the world. It went about as well as any other supersized celebrity adoption with a political agenda. But instead of reducing it to farce, Guterl shows us what it all meant… He weaves in new ways to think about identity, success, family, race, celebrity, and Baker herself. -- Jeannette Cooperman * St. Louis Magazine *Guterl is astute about the contradictions in Baker’s experiment and her celebrity, both of which rested on her capacity for reinvention. * New Yorker *Astute and readable… In many ways, this is cultural studies at its best. -- Steven Carroll * Sydney Morning Herald *A few pages into the finely worded, deeply evocative prologue, Guterl asks readers to set aside everything they know about Josephine Baker—but it’s too late, for Guterl has already begun what almost seems a fabulous fairy tale, one commandingly, colorfully told by a masterful contemporary storyteller. Rarely does an author’s voice come across as audibly as Guterl’s, in cadence and sometimes in directives to the reader, and the effect is enchanting—Baker’s story, even more so. Years after chanteuse-dancer Baker’s soaring star fell, she rose once more, this time as a relentless civil rights advocate and the adoptive mother of 12 multiracial children, the ‘Rainbow Tribe,’ whom she then raised and paraded in a theme-park-type castle, Les Milandes, in the French countryside. Here, Guterl winnows out a truth from the many fragments (in biographies, in the press, from the children themselves), positing that ‘it was an inspirational, exaggerated symbol of what was possible at the extreme end of wealth and fame, globally speaking, for anyone and everyone, no matter their skin tone or racial classification.’ A fascinating book about a magnificent woman. -- Eloise Kinney * Booklist *The persona with which Baker (1906–75) captivated the world had already been retooled once by her manager Giuseppe Pepito Abatino. Following World War II, Baker transformed herself again, this time into a universal mother presiding over a dozen children of every race on permanent display at her castle in France’s Dordogne… This work will be enjoyed by all readers. -- Jenny Brewer * Library Journal *Matthew Guterl’s astonishing Josephine Baker and the Rainbow Tribe tells the wholly unsuspected life-story of one of the twentieth-century’s most amazing visionaries. It is an engrossing biography of an extraordinary woman. -- David Levering Lewis, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning W. E. B. Du Bois, 1868–1919 and W. E. B. Du Bois, 1919–1963

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Book SynopsisIn his distinguished career as a Hollywood photographer, Bob Willoughby captured Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda, but remains unequivocal about his favorite subject: Audrey Kathleen Ruston, later Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston, best known as Audrey Hepburn. Willoughby was called in to shoot the new starlet one morning shortly after she arrived in Hollywood in 1953. It was a humdrum commission for the portraitist often credited with having perfected the photojournalistic movie still, but when he met the Belgian-born beauty, Willoughby was enraptured. “She took my hand like… well a princess, and dazzled me with that smile that God designed to melt mortal men’s hearts,” he recalled. As Hepburn’s career soared following her Oscar-winning US debut in Roman Holiday, Willoughby became a trusted friend, framing her working and home life. His historic, perfectionist, tender photographs seek out the many facets of Hepburn’s beauty and elegance, as she progresses from her debut to her career high of My Fair Lady in 1963. Willoughby’s studies, showing her on set, preparing for a scene, interacting with actors and directors, and returning to her private life, comprise one of photography’s great platonic love affairs and an unrivalled record of one of the 20th century’s touchstone beauties.Trade ReviewWith one of Hollywood's greatest studio photographers behind the camera-and its most beautiful actress in front of it-Bob Willoughby's picture-perfect Audrey Hepburn book is a real collector's item. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisWidely respected as a stage actor, he became a leading light in Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop until his life was changed by the television comedy Steptoe and Son. Overnight he became a household name as the series drew unparalleled viewing figures of over 28 million, with fans ranging from the working classes to the Royal Family.

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Book SynopsisAlastair Sim was an enigmatic character both on and off the screen. His idiosyncratic style of acting in films such as The Belles of St Trinian''s endeared him to a cinema-going audience desperate to escape the day-to-day dreariness of an invasive, bureaucratic post-war Britain. In private, he was a curiously contradictory character, prejudiced and yet tolerant, thoughtful but sometimes inconsiderate. To examine the life of this extraordinary man, this biography contains original contributions from around thirty actors and actresses, including Sir Ian McKellen and Ronnie Corbett.It is supported by extensive research, including interviews with the playwright Christopher Fry, the television producer John Howard Davies and actors who appeared on stage with Alastair as far back as the 1940s. This book also explores Alastair''s life outside of films, including his marriage to Naomi Sim (whom he first met when she was twelve), his career as an elocution teacher, his extensive work on stage (including his theatrical endeavours with James Bridie), his championship of youth and his stalwart refusal to sign autographs.Alastair Sim offers a rare and fascinating insight into the life of one of Britain''s most respected and best-loved actors.

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Book SynopsisOnce in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her.Before 30 Rock, Mean Girls and ''Sarah Palin'', Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher.She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true.At last, Tina Fey''s story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately half-hearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon - from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.Tina Fey reveals all in this hilarious memoir, and proves what we''ve all suspected: you''re no one until someone callsTrade ReviewA masterpiece in comedy writing...I was hooked from the first word * Sunday Telegraph *Mightily enjoyable ... Bossypants shows that 30 Rock's voice is very much Fey's voice: pithy, smart and as ironic as being run over by an ambulance ... if she has a point to make, if she feels something deeply, she can make it funny. That's why she is a great comedian * The Times *My love for the divine Tina Fey is river deep, mountain high ... Bossypants is as hilarious, candid and self-deprecating as fangirls like me would expect -- Lauren Laverne * Grazia *Wry, clever, biting and brilliant * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisStephen Fry invites readers to take a glimpse at his life story in the unputdownable More Fool Me.''Oh dear I am an arse. I expect there''ll be what I believe is called an intervention soon. I keep picturing it. All my friends bearing down on me and me denying everything until my pockets are emptied. Oh the shame''In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, ''made it''. Much loved in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, author of a critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel, The Liar, with a glamorous and glittering cast of friends, he had more work than was perhaps good for him. What could possibly go wrong?Then, as the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celeb

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Book SynopsisNow a major motion picture, The Disaster Artist, starring James Franco, Alison Brie, Zoey Deutch, Lizzy Caplan, Zac Efron, Bryan Cranston, Dave Franco, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen, Sharon Stone, and Judd Apatow.In 2003, an independent film called The Room - starring and written, produced, and directed by a mysteriously wealthy social misfit named Tommy Wiseau - made its disastrous debut in Los Angeles. Described by one reviewer as ''like getting stabbed in the head'', the $6 million film earned a grand total of $1,800 at the box office and closed after two weeks. Over a decade later, The Room is an international cult phenomenon, whose legions of fans attend screenings featuring costumes, audience rituals, merchandising and thousands of plastic spoons. In The Disaster Artist, Greg Sestero, Tommy''s costar, recounts the film''s bizarre journey to infamy, explaining how the movie''s many nonsensical scenes and bits of dialogue came to be Trade ReviewFinally, a hilarious, delusional, and weirdly inspirational explanation for the most deliciously awful movie ever madeA great portrayal of hopefuls coming to Los Angeles to pursue their ambitions, and an even greater examination of what it means to be a creative person with a dream and trying to make it come true....In so many ways. Tommy c'est moiThe Disaster Artist is not only the terrifically engaging tale of a bad Hollywood movie, it's one of the most honest books about friendship I've read in years - Los Angeles TimesA book about a cinematic comedy of errors . . . sharply detailed . . . funny - New York TimesPossibly the most important piece of literature ever printed - The Huffington PostI laughed so hard reading The Disaster Artist that I cried - Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisA definitive biography of film legend Gary CooperTrade ReviewA fascinating biography of Cooper, really interesting and a great book. -- Former President Bill Clinton, Appearing on "Roger Ebert at the Movies"[This] new biography, the first substantial work on Cooper in close to twenty years, brings his life and career into focus. The author bucks the current biography trend by admiring his subject. * The Instrumentalist *

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Book Synopsis''Mesmerising . . . an extraordinary piece of writing.'' - The i paper''A book that has the rare quality of being both poetic and accessible . . . missing Delicacy would be a huge mistake.'' - Guardian''A book that gets wiser, darker, and more brutally truthful every time you turn the page. Word of mouth is slowly turning it into a passionately recommended cult hit. A book you give a friend in trouble.'' - Caitlin Moran''Hilarious . . . heartbreaking.'' - The Observer''A layer cake of truth, pain and wisdom iced with charm. I loved it.'' - Sue PerkinsFrom award-winning comedian and writer Katy Wix comes Delicacy - a different kind of memoir from an astonishing new voice. Twenty-one snapshots of a life - some staccato, raw and shocking, some expansive, meditative, and profound, underpinned with moments of startling humour that shatter the darkness - alTrade ReviewA book that gets wiser, darker, and more brutally truthful every time you turn the page. Word of mouth is slowly turning it into a passionately recommended cult hit. A book you give a friend in trouble - like a shot of whisky, or a life raft. Or, like the book suggests, cake. * Caitlin Moran *A layer cake of truth, pain and wisdom iced with charm. I loved it. * Sue Perkins *Mesmerising . . . an extraordinary piece of writing. * The i Paper *Raw, profound and relatable. * Stylist *Painfully raw and incredibly funny * Simon Amstell *A book that offers many pleasures . . . hectically funny, eloquently angry. * TLS *Heartbreaking, ridiculously clever and laugh out loud funny. One of the best books on trauma I've ever read. * Scarlett Curtis *Gentle, heartbreaking, laugh out loud funny and poetically told - an intimate memoir that stays with you * Rose Matafeo *Katy sees the world like no one else and deciphers it with extraordinary beauty. Delicacy took my breath away * Lolly Adefope *Honest, raw, profound, deeply moving and funny * Bridget Christie *Wix is such an astonishingly good writer that she makes this into an unlikely page-turner. She turns her pain into poetry: intimate, candid, exquisitely described, deftly using words rich with grace, pain and power. * Chortle *Fabulous story-telling and completely delicious writing * Cariad Lloyd *A stunning book in which darkness and light, tragedy and humour, pain and hope are all masterfully, affectingly balanced. * Liam Williams *Brilliantly original, funny and insightful. Dry and comic, but also very moving. I absolute loved Delicacy * Katy Brand *Painfully vivid . . . insightful. * Sunday Express *Deeply comforting in how relatable it is, hilarious, and moving. I felt like this book was my best friend as soon as I started reading it * Mae Martin *Brimming with graceful, charming writing - this book perfectly encapsulates so many moments we face as girls and women and I only wish I'd read it sooner * Kiri Pritchard-McLean *An exquisite and important book. Delicacy is funny and sad and beautiful * Maeve Higgins *Katy has one of the most singular and enviable minds working today (and tomorrow) * Jamie Demetriou *Wix is showing a different side to herself, not only demonstrating her talents as a gifted writer but laying bare traumatic parts of her life with an honesty and openness that might surprise fans of her TV work. * The Sunday Post *It is mesmerisingly good. * The i paper *Hilarious, heartbreaking...She's a writer with impressive range, and Delicacy is entertaining and affecting. * Observer *Mesmerising . . . an extraordinary piece of writing * The i paper *

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Book SynopsisUsing Chow's transnational and trans-regional star persona as a case study, Lin Feng investigates stardom as an agent for mediating the sociocultural construction of Hong Kong and Chinese identities.

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of little me, from pudgy, awkward child to pudgy, slightly less awkward adult - via school musicals, adolescent angst, stand-up, Shooting Stars, Little Britain, Doctor Who, love, loss, wigs and giant pink babygros. And, in case your attention span is as short as mine, it comes in a handy A to Z format. So B is for Baldy! (yes, people did shout this at me in the playground), G is for Gay (because I'm an actual real life gay) and I is for Idiot (I was born a berk. I probably even stubbed my toe on the way out).It will warm your heart, make you snort out loud in public and there's even a catchy song in the middle. What I'm saying is, please buy this book. It is VERY good. I know I'm biased because I wrote it but it is.Trade ReviewTo be truly unique in this world is almost impossible to achieve; this book is about someone who achieved it. Raw, honest, funny and moving -- JAMES CORDENA great read . . . it contains a wit and an emotional acuity far above the norm -- DOMINIC MAXWELL * * The Times * *Classy [and] elegant * * Guardian * *Grief isn't the point here. Rather, the book is warmth and joy * * Sunday Times * *If you are looking for a celebrity biography that's honest, funny, cheeky and a really good read, I can recommend Little Me from A-Z * * Sunday Post * *Standing out can be tough, but Matt Lucas is used to that. Being slightly different is just one of the many topics he chats about in this book . . . all handily arranged in A-Z format. Oh, and it's hilarious, too * * Heat * *As you'd expect from the Little Britain creator, it's full of laughs, but it's also an honest, moving read about Matt's experiences of love and loss * * OK! * *Matt is not only hilarious and kind, he's probably the most generous person I know. All of which is wonderfully evident in this book -- REBEL WILSONBrutally honest and brilliantly funny, this book is as brave and warm as the man who wrote it -- GRAHAM NORTONFunny, surprising, sad, authentic, inspirational, honest, stupid -- BOB MORTIMER

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Book SynopsisTHE TIMES #1 BESTSELLERTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLEROne of Vogue's Best Books to Read in 2021One of O Magazine's 55 Most Anticipated Books of 2021One of Marie Claire's 25 Best 2021 Memoirs to Pre-Order Now'Electrifying.' The Sunday Times'A glorious, rogue, raw account ... It is funny; it is shocking; it is good.' The Times'Dangerous, alluring and misunderstood: Sharon Stone remains one of our best ever movie stars ... Her new book serves as a spectacular reminder of the outrageous fun of her Nineties fame and why she is more than due for contemporary respect.' Independent'Brawler, hillbilly, misfit, thief - the actress's memoir of her hardscrabble life, The Beauty of Living Twice, is a feast of yarns and jokes.' Daily Telegraph'While [The Beauty of Living Twice] contains some startling personal revelations, equally affecting is Stone's warmth and grace, qualities that, by the end, feel quite miraculous . . . Writing with zeal and urgency, Stone argues for a stronger legal system, for rape kits on police shelves to be processed, for better training for teachers and paediatricians. Above all, she offers a hopeful glimpse of life beyond trauma . . . The Beauty of Living Twice promises the possibility of improvement or redemption, of compassion and understanding, of living honestly.' The Washington Post Sharon Stone, one of the most renowned actresses in the world, suffered a massive stroke that cost her not only her health, but her career, family, fortune, and global fame. In The Beauty of Living Twice, she chronicles her efforts to rebuild her life, and the slow road back to wholeness and health. In an industry that doesn't accept failure, in a world where too many voices are silenced, Stone found the power to return, the courage to speak up, and the will to make a difference in the lives of women and children around the globe. Over the course of these intimate pages, Stone talks about her pivotal roles, her life-changing friendships, her worst disappointments, and her greatest accomplishments. She reveals how she went from a childhood of trauma and violence to a business that in many ways echoed those same assaults, under cover of money and glamour. She describes the strength and meaning she found in her children, and in her humanitarian efforts. And ultimately, she shares how she fought her way back to find not only her truth, but her family's reconciliation and love. Stone made headlines not just for her talent and beauty, but for her candour and her refusal to "play nice," and it's those same qualities that make this memoir so powerful. The Beauty of Living Twice is a book for the wounded, and a book for the survivors; it's a celebration of women's strength and resilience, a reckoning, and a call to activism. It is proof that it's never too late to raise your voice, and speak out.Trade ReviewIn this courageous, daring and tender-hearted memoir, Sharon Stone interrogates her own trauma and a myriad of losses and discovers the gift of clear seeing. The Beauty of Living Twice is so much more than a celebrity tell-all. It is an act of reckoning, contrition, and above all, love. -- Dani Shapiro, author of INHERITANCEStone's memoir opens with a scene in a hospital bed, where the iconic actress is battling a brain bleed. That near-death experience and its aftermath is a jumping off point, an opportunity to reflect on the jagged, unlikely path that led her from a small town in Pennsylvania to becoming one of America's hottest stars. But this is not your typical Hollywood autobiography. Brutally honest, restless and questing, Stone bravely grapples with her own imperfections with courage and candor. * O Magazine, #33 of Top 55 Most Anticipated Books of 2021 *Elegantly written with her wicked sense of humour on full display, the memoir is catnip for fans who have never managed to crack the exterior of the elusive star. * US Vogue *Table of Contents1: Death Becomes Me 2: What Is Home 3: Style 4: Kitchen-Sink Irish 5: An Education 6: Work 7: Role Models 8: Basic 9: Invisible 10: Dreams 11: Dancing Lessons 12: Answered Prayers 13: Cages 14: Choices 15: Karma 16: Hope 17: The Bull 18: Me Too 19: The Beauty of Living Twice i: Acknowledgments ii: Resource Guide

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Book Synopsis''The book is great: moving but also properly funny.'' Hadley Freeman, The Guardian''A memoir with an unusual sense of purpose. . . pithy, highly readable'' The TimesThe entire world knows Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the teenage sidekick of Doc Brown in Back to the Future. His two previous bestselling memoirs, Lucky Man and Always Looking Up, dealt with how he came to terms with the illness, all the while exhibiting his iconic optimism. In No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, ageing, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox''s trademark sense of humour, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our losses.Running through the narrative is thTrade Reviewthe book is great: moving but also properly funny (only Fox would take up golf after developing Parkinson's), and now that he has, to varying degrees, jettisoned the fig leaf of determined optimism, it gives the clearest description of life with Parkinson's I've ever read * Hadley Freeman, The Guardian *A heartfelt, unselfish book about never giving up. . . * Kirkus Reviews *No Time Like the Future is a memoir with an unusual sense of purpose. . . pithy, highly readable. . . Fox tells his story vividly with plenty of quips and self-deprecation * The Times *Funny and readable * GQ *In this moving, often funny memoir Michael J Fox reveals how he regained his sense of optimism, and reflects on age, family and living with a disability. * The Guardian *Fox's writing reflects his funny and upbeat approach to life * GQ *

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Book Synopsis Bestselling author Shane Dawson returns with another highly entertaining and uproariously funny essay collection, chronicling a mix of real life moments both extraordinary and mortifying, yet always full of heart. Shane Dawson shared some of his best and worst experiences in I Hate Myselfie, the critically acclaimed book that secured his place as a gifted humorist and keen observer of millennial culture. In this new collection of original personal essays, Shane goes even deeper, sharing never-before-revealed stories from his life, giving readers a no-holds-barred look at moments both bizarre and relatable, from cult-like Christian after-school activities, dressing in drag, and losing his virginity, to hiring a psychic, clashes with celebrities, and coming to terms with his bisexuality. Every step of the way, Shane maintains his signature brand of humor, proving that even the toughest breaks can be funny when you learn to laugh at yourself. This is Let&

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