Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisFrom a rebellious teenager on the terraces to becoming Supporters Club Chairman, Club Director, Secretary and Head of Media Graham Brookland has seen it all supporting his local football club. The first Football League team to be liquidated mid season for 60 years was followed by him co-founding a new club five levels below the previous level. Five promotions to reach the Football League were achieved before near extinction again. Graham pens his unique experiences panning over 40 years confirming that there is always a story to tell about Aldershot Town Football Club.

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Book SynopsisBaron Goldfinger seemed to have stepped straight off the James Bond movie set, Tad the Pole caused the nurses to swoon, while Misty, the flirtatious American lady, suddenly vanished - probably murdered, said the police. These and dozens of other colourful characters walk across the pages of Barrie Lawrence's latest book. During nearly forty years of practice in dental surgery, a wealth of fascinating personalities passed through his surgery. Some were from heaven - and some were from other places! Laugh, smile, gasp, cry and simply be inspired as you read through these engaging stories from real life.

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Book SynopsisIn 1987, seven people embarked on a three month charity expedition to drive an old red Dennis fire engine from the northern tip of Europe to the southernmost point of Africa. After almost five months, 37,000km, 21 countries, and a journey through rainforest, bush veldt, deserts and urban developments, the author was one of five who completed their odyssey. The Cape Crusaders is his engaging account of the at times hazardous trip, including being mugged, arrested, having two near fatal accidents and a severe case of cerebral malaria. A must for any armchair adventure traveller.

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Book SynopsisTommy Porter, came into this world whilst the Second World War was in full flow. His home was the heavily bombed docks area of Liverpool called Bootle. Poverty was rife and times were hard for Tommy and his family; but life was good and his was full of love and fun. Until, that is, tragedy struck the family. This is the true story of how two brothers endured the cruel world of the children's homes and orphanages of the time. A inspiring story of love, sadness and the unbreakable bond between brothers which simply must be read.

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Book SynopsisThis is a book written by a birth mother about a daughter who is put up for adoption by her own parents without a thought for her own feelings. A family unit of a mother, father and two sisters wait to be re-united. It is a story spanning forty years of difficult relationships with a less than happy ending.

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Book SynopsisThe words came from his mouth,'Don't say anything about this to your mum. She won't believe you.' At the age of 11, a beautiful happy girl found herself thrust into a nightmare of abuse and violation that ripped her world apart. At the mercy of three men, she endured a four-year ordeal of sexual exploitation and degradation before eventually finding the strength to say 'no more'. Confusion and shame made her keep her secret for 16 years. This is her remarkable story. Sarah has endured what no child should. Subjected to extreme abuse from a family 'friend', she turned to her father only to experience the same treatment from him. Utterly devastated, Sarah even stared to wonder if she was somehow to blame for this most unforgivable of betrayals and was driven to attempted suicide - a life was nearly destroyed by the selfishness of three deeply troubled and wicked men.

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Book SynopsisThis merry memoir tells how the author has lurched through a life full of friendship, laughter and bad behaviour. He has bonded with some of the most famous names in show business; drinking with Lee Marvin, lunching with Richard Burton (and a couple of ferrets), fishing with Chris Tarrant and Eric Clapton, laughing with Ronnie Corbett. Here, too, is the story of his great love for a famous actress and the joy and pleasure they had together, as well as the sadness of their eventual parting. Somehow, the author also ran a highly successful fish and game business in London, employing a team of handsome public-school boys to deliver the goods to the dining rooms. Unsurprisingly, the core of the enterprise was entirely based on well-bred bonking. Here the reader will also learn why a live Smithfield prize bull arrived in the kitchens of a famous advertising agency. In the course of his extraordinary life the author has slept in the longhouses of Borneo with head hunters and guarded Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, in Berlin's Spandau Prison. He has caught salmon in Russia's bleak Kola Peninsula Russia, marlin off the coast of Kenya, bone fish in the Bahamas - and hunted rats with as amusing and bibulous a cast of reprobates as one could meet. By turns funny, outrageous, and poignant, the book is at once a picaresque rogue's memoir, a salute to the independent life well lived, and a celebration of a certain type of character who is nowadays all too rare.

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Book Synopsis'A thoughtful, funny memoir on the realities of immigration' Guardian'Ebullient and sharply humorous about the conflicts and confusions of growing up and adapting to a country (and family) in a constant state of political flux and, often, social fantasy' The TimesMr Hai arrived in London in 1964. But, while becoming British via a passport had been relatively easy, becoming English was something to be studied - and then passed on, first to his wife, newly arrived from Pakistan, and then to his children. No more speaking Urdu, no more long plaits, no shalwar kameezes, and - even though they were Muslim - no more religion. Mr Hai put his family firmly on the road to assimilation, and his first-born daughter Yasmin was his star pupil. However, being second-generation British Asian was not quite so simple... especially as their Muslim community was about to go through some very profound changes and challenges.Brilliantly told, with intelligence and humour and passion, this is a fascinating story about immigration and identity, about religion and roots, and about a daughter's understanding of her father.Trade Review[Yasmin Hai] is ebullient and sharply humorous about the conflicts and confusions of growing up and adapting to a country (and a family) in a constant state of political flux and, often, social fantasy. Her personality is as engaging as her insights are illuminating * The Times *A very personal story filled with family tales, social history and politics, and making an important contribution to the debate about life in modern multicultural Britain * Waterstones Books Quarterly *Had Mr Hai succeeded in turning his daughter into an Englishwoman? I'm not sure it really matters anymore, but his kindly influence obviously enabled his little Yasmin to write this unbelievably funny, passionate autobiography * Spectator *[Yasmin Hai] is ebullient and sharply humorous about the conflicts and confusions of growing up and adapting to a country (and a family) in a constant state of political flux and, often, social fantasy. Her personality is as engaging as her insights are illuminating. * The Times *Had Mr Hai succeeded in turning his daughter into an Englishwoman? I'm not sure it really matters any more, but his kindly influence obviously enabled his little Yasmin to write this unbelievably funny, passionate autobiography. * Spectator *A thoughtful, funny memoir on the realities of immigration * Guardian (Guide - for the Radio 4 Book of the Week) *A very personal story filled with family tales, social history and politics, and making an important contribution to the debate about life in modern multicultural Britain. * Waterstones Books Quarterly *

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Book Synopsis'Her life and her death remain a beacon to all who love liberty' NELSON MANDELAAn unforgettable account of defiance against political terror by one of South Africa's pioneering anti-apartheid activists.'In prison you see only the moves of the enemy. Prison is the hardest place to fight a battle.'117 Days is Ruth First's personal account of her detention under the iniquitous '90-day' law of 1963. There was no warrant, no charge and no trial - only suspicion.This sparsely written and unique record tells of her experiences of solitary confinement, constant interrogation and instantaneous re-arrest on release - lightened by humorous portraits of governors, matrons, wardresses and interrogators, seen as the tools of the police state. This is the story of the war of nerves that ensued between First and her Special Branch captors-a work that remains a classic portrait of oppression and the dignity of the human spirit.Trade Review[Ruth First's] life, and her death, remains a beacon to all who love liberty -- Nelson Mandela

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Book SynopsisThe Dundee Utility stands apart from other football firms. Its members are drawn not from the supporters of one team, but from two - Dundee United and Dundee FC - all of whom share the same passion: their city. The two bands of fans stand united, except on derby day, of course! In this compelling book, authors Kenny McCall and John Robb present the complete inside story of the Utility from their unique positions, each supporting Dundee United and Dundee respectively.

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Book SynopsisCaerlaverock Castle - in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland - is the ancestral home of the Maxwell family. Reproduced here in facsimile, with half-tone lithographs and black-and-white illustrations, this first volume of 'The Book of Caerlaverock2 includes the Memoirs - short biographies - of family members, together with Pedigrees of Cadet branches and Armorial Seals. The Index is in the second volume.

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Book Synopsis"At 3am I was startled awake by the opening of the stairgate. Leaping out of bed I found Mum, clothes on over her pyjamas, grumbling she was fed up of being moved from pillar to post and was going home."When her mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Marianne Talbot decided she couldn't put her into a care home. Instead, for five years, she looked after her mum in her own home. For nearly three of those years she chronicled for the readers of Saga Magazine Online the fears and frustrations, the love and the laughter, and the tears and the traumas of caring. Now, in this heart warming book, you too can meet Marianne, Mum, and the appalling Fatcat. You will also find plenty of practical tips for caring for someone with dementia and on staying sane whilst doing so, a resources and useful contacts section and Marianne's reflections on caring from a distance, and on when caring comes to an end. Written for anyone, anywhere, who has anything to do with dementia or with caring; in reading it you will know you are not alone.Trade ReviewThis book has all the warmth, humanity and insight that made her Saga blogs such a moving and unmissable read. -- Saga Magazine health editor In this extraordinarily moving diary, one woman tells how the experience of having to care for someone with dementia almost drove her mad, yet made her life richer. Daily Mail This heartwarming, incredibly honest account of dealing with dementia is one to read. The Sun From the moment I read Marianne's first blog, I knew we had something special. Each week I laughed and cried along with her thousands of fans and marvelled at her resilience and wisdom. -- Melody Rousseau, Online Editor Saga Magazine A deeply moving story of their laughter and their pain. Daily Mail The Blog 'Keeping Mum' on the SAGA website is truly wonderful. As I read, I found myself moved to tears by the beautiful articulation and reflection evident in the author's thoughts and feelings. One can really begin to 'feel' the emotional journey and empathise with Marianne and her mother as they face numerous daily challenges. There is currently a paucity of 'real - life stories' in health literature surrounding issues of unpaid caring in the community. A book based on the Blog would make a highly valuable contribution to this topic and help raise awareness. A book would be especially beneficial to healthcare professionals and enabling them to better understand and appreciate the challenging situations encountered by many unpaid carers. -- Andy Richardson Lecturer - Faculty of Health Sciences University of Southampton Valuable suggestions on how to cope with frustrating circumstances and is peppered with useful tips on dealing with a wide variety of situations from incontinence to living wills. Nursing Standard

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Book SynopsisIn search of something to believe in once more, Signe Pike left behind a career in Manhattan to undertake a magical journey - literally. In a sweeping tour of Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland and beyond, she takes readers to dark glens and abandoned forests, ancient sacred sites and local pubs, seeking people who might still believe in the elusive beings we call faeries. As Pike attempts to connect with the spirit world - and reconnect with her sense of wonder and purpose - she comes to view both herself and the world around her in a profoundly new light. Captivating, full of heart and unabashedly whimsical, Faery Tale is more than a memoir - it's the story of rekindling that spark of belief that makes even the most sceptical among us feel like a child again.Trade ReviewHer discoveries are heartwarming and spellbinding. With a distinctive voice and elegant prose, Faery Tale captures the hopefulness of childhood and the magic of believing. Harper's Bazaar Pike went looking for enchantment; well, she found it, and she left its light and gracious footprints across every page of this delightful book. Jeanine Cummins, bestselling author of A Rip in Heaven Pike's enchanting journey into the land of the faeries is more than a memoir; it's an earnest search for what is real in a world that is filled with illusion, and what is true in a world that is filled with falsehood. It makes you smile, and it makes you think... Marianne Williamson Pike writes of her various encounters with faery-believers and faery lands... in a winning voice that roams freely from melancholy to mirth, incredulity to bright surprise. Kirkus Reviews Faery Tale is more than just a refreshing romp among waterfalls, searching for that shining, hidden race of spirit-people. It's Signe Pike's answer to a grief-sick heart. Whether you use the words faith or faeries, God or magic, Pike's thirst for belief is both moving and inspiring. She has a wild willingness to reach through her grief and abandon herself to life's adventures, and I felt so lucky to be along on her journey. Reading this book is like remembering that elusive magic of childhood. Pike went looking for enchantment; well she found it, and she left its light and gracious footprints across every page of this delightful book. -- Jeanine Cummins, bestselling author of A Rip in Heaven and The Outside Boy Finding happiness is an adventure that everyone should take, and Faery Tale inspires you to go on that journey. -- Lucy Danziger, Editor-in-Chief of SELF Magazine and author of New York Times bestseller The Nine Rooms of Happiness It's hard to decide what's more enchanting, Signe Pike's writing or the magical world she uncovers. This is a book for hopeful skeptics and believers alike. Proceed with caution, because Faery Tale may cast a spell that transforms the way you see the world forever -- Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem I really didn't want to be entranced. I didn't want to be enticed into yet another world of strange fantasy beings. But with Signe Pike's Faery Tale-I was. Honestly. Thank you, Signe, for making us all more aware of the hidden dimensions of our earthly existence-for 'helping people believe in magic again'-and for showing us how such spirit-world magic can transform the perceptions of our own lives. -- David Yeadon, author of At the Edge of Ireland A beautiful book, wide open and shimmering, full of enchantment, pain, and sweetness. And Signe Pike is warm, open, funny, thoughtful, vulnerable, wise- reading her is like sitting over tea or around a fire with your best girlfriend, listening to her wildest tales. -- Carolyn Turgeon, author of Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story There's passion, excitement, and playfulness in Signe Pike's adventures as she plays with time and space and people ... and words. If you allow yourself to hear what she hears and see what she sees, some of that magic will seep into your today. -- Rita Golden Gelman, author of Tales of a Female Nomad and Female Nomad and Friends Anyone who's ever seen something curious out of the corner of their eye, heard the million whispers of trees, or checked under their bed looking for more than dust bunnies will thrill to Signe Pike's Faery Tale. -- Cathy Alter, author of Up for Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me about Love, Loss, and Starting Over Magical and beguiling, tender and heartbreaking, Faery Tale is the work of a fiercely talented new writer. -- Michael Taeckens, author of Love is a Four-Letter Word Sweet, unsettling, and wise, Faery Tale tells the enchanting story of one woman's quest to make peace with the unseen. Signe Pike is searching for faeries, of course, but along the way she comes to terms with the ghost of her father, the steadfastness of her patient, adoring husband, and her own enormous heart. Faery Tale is a book for anyone who yearns to understand the invisible, by which I mean everything that turns out to be right in front of our noses. -- Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There and Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror Do fairies exist? There is a certain innocence in the belief that they do, and a certain magic in that innocence. With considerable humor and flair, Signe Pike asks us to return to the awe and innocence we knew as children. It's a worthwhile journey. -- Sharman Apt Russell, author of Standing in the Light: My Life as a Pantheist

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Book SynopsisThe healing modality ThetaHealing has become known all over the world for its incredible power to help and heal people from all walks of life. While ThetaHealing has touched the lives of many, few people know the beautiful love story that led to its creation. Now, for the first time, this tale of devotion and commitment can be read by all, in Vianna and Guy Stibal's beautiful book, On the Wings of Prayer.This is the true-life story of a sacred union of souls. The formation of a healing modality has its own considerable challenges, many of which are beyond the spectrum of common experience. On the Wings of Prayer is a journey through the joys and heartaches that Vianna and Guy encountered, that led them to create modes of healing for their personal growth on many levels of existence. It is a story dedicated to all those romantics out there that still have the courage to believe that love can last the ages.

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Book Synopsis"Manila Memories" contains four narratives of life in Manila under Japanese occupation in World War 2. The interlaced narratives come from four classmates who attended the American School in Manila and survived the war. Some of their family members and friends were not so lucky.

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Book Synopsis1st Sergeant Arthur "Bud" Locke was based at Clark Field in the Philippines, as part of the USAAF's Far East Air Service Command, in 1941. He was taken prisoner with many others in the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, experienced the Bataan Death March, and was transported to a POW work-camp in Kobe, Japan, from which he was liberated at the end of the war. This is the story of his war.

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Book SynopsisClaus von Rosen was born into one of the Baltic Ritterschaften, the German-speaking landed nobility of the Baltic countries, then part of the Russian Empire. He prospered as an executive in family-owned businesses, and adapted to the new order of independent Estonia, learning the language and doing national service in the Estonian army. With the arrival of the Second World War, and the invasion of Estonia by Soviet forces, all German Balts were declared enemy aliens, and Claus's family moved west and he himself was drafted into the German army, seeing service on the Eastern front. There, together with thousands of other German soldiers, he was taken captive by the Soviets and imprisoned in Siberia. He was to remain in the Gulag until 1955, when all German prisoners-of-war in the USSR were released, following negotiations between Moscow and Bonn. Claus returned to the Federal Republic (West Germany), for him a new country born from the ruins of the old. This volume is his memoir, offering the modern reader a glimpse of an almost-forgotten, indeed almost-unknown, world.

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Book SynopsisIn 2014, Toby Olson's wife Miriam died at the age 80, and after nearly 50 years of marriage. She had suffered from Alzheimer's for some years before her death and Toby became her principal carer. This is a memoir of that period, a story of love and frustration, remembering and forgetting. Miriam is The Other Woman of the title - a woman other than the one she once was. "With each seemingly tiny insignificant detail (his wife's chant "little little little little little little") Olson lets us in to the unfathomable reverberations of his feeling, and I will not soon forget the constellations he has unfolded." - Meredith Quartermain

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Book SynopsisShortly before her death, philosopher Gillian Rose began work on a new book-her Paradiso-thus fulfilling her promise at the end of Love's Work to 'stay in the fray, in the revel of ideas and risk'. Confident even only a week before her death that she could complete the work, all that remains are these fragments. In them, Rose combines the detached insight of one who is taking leave, or who has almost left, with a desire to participate in the joys of life until the last. Exceeding the injunction to 'keep your mind in hell and despair not', Paradiso sketches a movement through the hell and despair of terminal illness to an affirmation of the joys of companionship and memory. Paradiso contains some of Rose's most serene and affirmatory writing, and in that light completes one of the most remarkable philosophical oeuvres of the late twentieth century.

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Book SynopsisFarewell to Prague is a memoir set against the turbulent events of the Nazi era in Germany and World War II England. It is the story of a girl who, at the age of six, witnesses a murder being committed by German Storm Troopers. From that moment, the happy life she has known disintegrates. Her family escapes to Prague, where they create a new life. Six years later, the Germans march into Prague. Now she has to escape to England alone and on foot. She walks across the snow-covered Beskydy Mountains. By train, fishing boat, and ship, she finally manages to get to England. She comes of age there during the bombing of London. When the war ends, she immediately returns to the Continent to discover the fate of her family. Farewell to Prague is a gripping true story that will fascinate and inspire readers of all ages

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Book SynopsisWhen Cy Flood applied for work as a holiday rep, his reasons were simple. He wanted to party like crazy, booze like there was no tomorrow and pull like it was going out of fashion! In his ten years working for holiday companies as a rep, Cy has seen it all. From Lanzarote to Ibiza, from Palma to the Greek Islands, there have been flying cockroaches, flying televisions, drunken pub crawls, angry clients, wild sex and a TV crew on the scene. There are tales so tall that they defy belief. As well as the sun, sea, sand and shameless excess, a shockingly true picture of life as a travel rep is exposed; a world of violent crime, corruption and drug dealing. Cy's confessions allow us to peep into a world we all see from the outside but wish we knew more about.

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Book SynopsisGarth Owen-Smith has spent almost his entire working life fighting -- not against a conventional enemy but against official ignorance, harsh climatic conditions, poachers and other enemies of Africa's fast-diminishing wildlife. In the process he has lived and worked in a number of countries but his chosen battlefield has always been the most challenging place of all: the harsh, beautiful and almost unknown Kaokoveld in north-western Namibia, his 'Arid Eden'. He chose sides early on, when he spent two youthful years in the Kaokoveld and not only developed a deep affinity with the indigenous Himba, Herero and Damara pastoralists but realised that they had developed the ideal form of nature conservation, a situation in which humans and their livestock could live in equilibrium with wild game, so that there was room for all. In 1970 he was thrown out of the Kaokoveld as an alleged security risk, then spent a year looking into conservation and the treatment of indigenous peoples in Australia, farmed for two years in Rhodesia, and did pioneering work in conservation education for black youths in South Africa. He finally managed to get back to South West Africa in 1978, and from there embarked on his life's work, to save the remnants of the Kaokoveld's rich wildlife, devastated by a variety of illegal hunters. And he succeeded, although it took him and his partner, Dr Margaret Jacobsohn, 27 years. They have won some of the world's major conservation awards, north-western Namibia is a popular tourism destination and the Kaokoveld's wildlife has come back from the brink of virtual extinction, and thousands of people have benefited from the links they have forged between community development and natural resource management.

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Book SynopsisWhat started as a vision about the Olifants River Game Reserve has become the story of a game ranger's life. With a naturalist's eye for detail as well as the bigger picture of managing a fragile ecosystem through years of drought and plenty, Mario Cesare brings a storyteller's delight - and a dash of Italian passion - to sharing his world. Life-and-death encounters with lion, elephant and buffalo are balanced by rescues and interventions as these giants of the lowveld suffer the effects of human interference in their ecosystem. There are problems with poachers and with rapacious neighbours; then the delights of success - and in the case of the elephant population, the conundrums of too much success. Mario Cesare's career has taken him from Timbavati and Mala Mala to Olifants River and beyond - and he delights in sharing his good fortune. His latest task: to develop and nurture the Olifants River Game Reserve as the fences of the Greater Kruger National Park area fall, undoing generations of damage. Man-eaters, Mambas and Marula Madness: A Game Ranger's Life in the Lowveld provides a wealth of lessons on conservation as well as stories of life in the bush as it is enjoyed only by those fortunate enough to live on a 'Big Five' reserve.Trade Review'Mario's reputation as the shrewdest and most observant of naturalists, his compassion for wildlife, his eye for the unusual, even the absurd, his keen sense of humour and deep understanding of so many of nature's revelations, make the book unforgettable.' - Tom Sutcliffe, South African Country Life

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Book SynopsisIt is shocking that although just one per cent of children are taken into care by local authori-ties, almost 30 per cent of prisoners have been in care. Ben Ashcroft's heart-rending account of abandonment, loneliness and rejection in family life, the care system and beyond begins at age nine and ends with him turning his life around after being moved from pillar to post, crime, drugs, 'going missing' and custody. Ten years on, he works to motivate young people from similar backgrounds to believe that they can do the same; that whatever life throws at them they should "Never, ever, give up". It is also a warning to parents, professionals and carers alike: to listen to what young people have to say, to make time for and reassure them and to recog-nise the often small but important things that make a difference in the bewildering world of growing-up.Trade Review`A powerful book that gives a hard-hitting account of the care system... and is vital reading for anyone wishing to learn about the true effects of multiple placement moves and the resilience it takes to "never, ever give up"'- Guardian; 'Perhaps this inspirational memoir will encourage psychologists and social workers to spend more time listening to children and finding ways to build on their strengths and interests'- The Psychologist; The book was described as inspirational, powerful, emotional, compelling and required reading for anyone interested in the care system when released on Kindle, e.g. 'An inspiring and moving account of the trauma and distress caused to a young boy by his family and our care system': Sarah 'How do you fix pieces that have been utterly shattered - as a parent, ex-care man and professional psychologist I wish I knew - I guess the resolution to do so has to be out there': Dr Peter MacParlin. 'A very raw book - but this only adds to the sense of passion and honesty with which it is written': Fiona Sorsby, Bingley, West Yorkshire. 'This motivational read is such a hard hitting tale - it's heartfelt and gives such a clear first-hand account of life living in a care home - A brilliant worthwhile read about a man who truly turned his life around': Stacey Spencer.Table of ContentsForeword; Life Before the Moves; Reading My Rights; Fishing For Freedom; Captain Ben!; Winning; Moving to Mixenden; Abandoned; Move #1; The First Cut is the Deepest; Heartbreak; Kicking-Off; Arrested; And So, the Moves Begin …; I Need Help, Not Moving; Meeting John; The Summer of ‘97; The Witch and Darren; Running Home; Back With Mom; Spiralling; Secured For Safety; One Last Chance; Medway; Rock Bottom; The Only Way Is Up; Never, Ever Give Up; Index.

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