Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisNovember 1944 in war-torn Germany, 17-year-old Christa-Maria begins her compulsory service at a work camp in Wahrenbruck. Hundreds of miles from her home in Gleiwitz, unaware the Russian Army has invaded and occupied the town, she is cut off from her family. When the camp is closed in April 1945, Christa-Maria is left to fend for herself, not knowing what has happened to her family since the Russian invasion. Now a refugee, her journey through the chaos of war begins; surviving long enough to find her family is all that matters. Faced with an impossible decision, she begins her life-changing journey of uncertainty, hardship and endurance through the aftermath of WW2. Meanwhile, her older sister, Ursula, and their parents are in Gleiwitz. Now occupied by Russians, they live with the daily terror of bombings, rampaging Russian soldiers and utter devastation. Whilst trying to hold onto what remains of their previous life, their father strikes a black market deal to escape, in the desperate hope of finding Christa-Maria and avoiding imposed Polish citizenship. This compelling true story weaves together the sisters' individual journeys, fleeing as refugees, through the turmoil of their defeated homeland.Trade ReviewAn important piece of social history, two stories that had to be told and the telling is exceptionally well done.Angela Wren; This isn't Hollywood, this is real history and I found it gripping.Debbie Harvey; Engaging and heartfelt, transports you back to the aftermath of WW2, an enthralling read. Amelie Alop; An eye-opening account, revealing childhood delight, war time horrors, family separation and a nomadic existence through post war Europe. Charmaine Host; Deeply fascinating to read about WW2 from a German,female,civilian perspective. Celia CavanaghTable of ContentsFamily tree; Prologue; Chapters 1-24; Epilogue; Appendices; Maps and Photographs; References and Further Reading; Acknowledgments; About the Author

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 Selfies Book Awards UK - Memoir/Autobiography categoryMeet the Ziegel family! A true story of strength and hope spanning two decades written by the mum of four autistic boys.Sarah''s twin boys were diagnosed with non verbal autism at age two. It was sink or swim time. Unable to communicate with them, she had to learn to swim with them against the tide. Her youngest two sons were also diagnosed autistic at age two.She tells you how, with a great deal of support, she changed her four children''s futures.The boys progressed beyond all expectations of them. No longer non-verbal, they have blossomed into happy, talented young people capable of going to university!   ____________________________________________________________________________________''Sarah writes lovingly and honestly. This book is refreshingly devoid of sensationalism, from accounts of near despair to tales of fun and adventure. It demonstrates why so many parents of disabled children feel continually embattled in their struggle to achieve the right kind of support. I am very grateful to have been invited into their lives through this book, and glad that their journey can now be shared among a wider readership.'' Dr Virginia Bovell OBE Vice President Ambitious about AutismMy little boy boy was diagnosed last year aged 3. This book gives a brilliant insight into the hardships and emotional struggle of having a child with ASD. In reading it, I felt I had found a true friend. Most importantly, this book has given me hope. Thank you for writing this - you will probably never appreciate the difference you have made to parents like me. Charlotte Bennett - Amazon review''This book is a superb read - sad, hopeful, inspirational, funny and - most of all - real. Yet she always saw ''yes'' not ''no'' for them, helped in the early years hugely by ABA teaching.'' Jane McCready Director, ABA Access4All. UK-SBA Advisory Board member. ''It is FANTASTIC. This is a fabulously joyous and uplifting book which tells the story of how with a great deal of love and determination these four autistic boys are able to fulfil their potential.'' Victoria Prentis MP for Banbury''A gorgeously written gem of a book. Each page glistens with truth, laughter and beauty as Sarah bravely weaves the honest story of her family. More than a slice of life, it''s the whole Ziegel cake, messy plate , crumbs and all, leaving you with nothing but admiration and celebration for a wonderful, unique family.'' Alex Oates Playwright''I am delighted to find a book which I can recommend to the families I work with as an example of parenting autistic children; the highs and lows, the joys and struggles but most importantly, the emphasis on how therapy and the right support can change a child''s future.'' Baruch Spiegel Consultant Behaviour Analyst and Director of Hopetree Clinic.

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Book Synopsis‘There are moments in life that are pure, and which seem to hang in the air, unhitched from the everyday world as we know it. Suspended for a few seconds, they float in their own space and time with their own hidden prospects. For want of a better term, we call these moments “magical” and when we remember them they are cloaked in a halo of special meaning.’For 14-year-old Johnny Clegg, hearing Zulu street music as plucked on the strings of a guitar by Charlie Mzila one evening outside a corner café in Bellevue, Johannesburg, was one such ‘magical’ moment.The success story of Juluka and later Savuka, and the cross-cultural celebration of music, language, story, dance and song that stirred the hearts of millions across the world, is well documented. Their music was the soundtrack to many South Africans’ lives during the turbulent 70s and 80s as the country moved from legislated oppression to democratic freedom. It crossed borders, boundaries and generations, resonating around the world and back again.Less known is the story of how it all began and developed.Scatterling of Africa is that origin story, as Johnny Clegg wrote it and wanted it told. It is the story of how the son of an unconventional mother, grandson of Jewish immigrants, came to realise that identity can be a choice, and home is a place you leave and return to as surely as the seasons change.

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Book SynopsisA Mathematician''s Apology is the famous essay by British mathematician G. H. Hardy. It concerns the aesthetics of mathematics with some personal content, and gives the layman an insight into the mind of a working mathematician. Indeed, this book is often considered one of the best insights into the mind of a working mathematician written for the layman.?A Mathematician''s Apology is the famous essay by British mathematician G. H. Hardy. It concerns the aesthetics of mathematics with some personal content, and gives the layman an insight into the mind of a working mathematician. Indeed, this book is often considered one of the best insights into the mind of a working mathematician written for the layman.

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Book SynopsisWilderness guide Sicelo Mbatha shares lessons learnt from a lifetime’s intimate association with Africa’s wildest nature. Black Lion begins in rural South Africa where a deeply traumatic childhood experience – he witnessed his cousin being dragged away by a crocodile – should have turned Sicelo against the surrounding wilderness. Instead, he was irresistibly drawn to it. As a volunteer at Imfolozi Nature Reserve, close encounters with buffalo, lion, elephant and other animals taught him to ‘see’ with his heart and thus began a spiritual awakening. Drawing from his Zulu culture and his own yearning to better understand human’s relationship to nature, Sicelo has forged a new path, disrupting the conventional approach to nature with an immersive, respectful and transformative way of being in the wilderness. Both memoir and philosophical reflection, Black Lion - co-written with environmentalist Bridget Pitt - is his brilliant and profound account of life as a wilderness spiritual guide. As humanity hurtles into the anthropogenic 21st century, Black Lion is an urgent reminder of just how much we need wilderness for our emotional and spiritual survival. A brave account of a natural disaster, and of achieving reconciliation with the predatoriness of life.’ Richard Mabey on Sicelo Mbatha's essay, Letting Go, commended for the Irish Moth Nature Writing Prize.

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Book SynopsisIn this sequel to the hugely-popular This Man’s Wee Boy, young Tony Doherty struggles to come to terms with the murder of his father, Paddy, on Bloody Sunday and the impact it has on his mother, Eileen, and his brothers and sisters. At nine years old, he knows a terrible wrong has been committed against his family but lacks the understanding or the means to do anything about it – yet. For his fractured family, life goes on, with Tony determined to preserve the memory of his father and the bond they shared, even as he becomes increasingly immersed in the violent conflict raging on Derry’s streets. As the 1970s unfold his father’s absence remains the backdrop to the teenage Tony’s newfound friendships and relationships, an ever-present ache amidst the craic and excitement of Sunday dances, first kisses and a trip to Butlins. Then, at seventeen, Tony decides it’s time to join the fight.

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Book SynopsisGeorgia 2001. "Your mission, Jo, should you choose to accept it, is to find out what young Georgians want," said the man from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, or words to that effect. "We're keen to know what will happen when President Shevardnadze moves on." Jo Seaman went to the South Caucasus as director of the British Council in Georgia at a time of political uncertainty and turmoil. In attempting to fulfill her mission of cultural diplomacy she rubs shoulders with ballerinas and border guards, ambassadors and activists, ministers and musicians, despots and dodgy officials. Jo's intimate descriptions of a culture only relatively recently emerged from the shadow of the Iron Curtain are underpinned with a genuine warmth and compassion for the Georgian people. A consummate diplomat, Jo needs all her skills as she ventures out into the fraught and often amusing sphere of international relations, and is drawn into the heady events of the Rose Revolution. And life at home is far from uneventful...Trade Review"Wow, what a story!; Roses down the Barrel of a Gun is an incredible memoir of one British woman’s experience working and living in a tumultuous Georgia. In addition to not knowing much about Georgia, I’m also unfamiliar with the work carried out by foreign embassies and initiatives like the British Council. I enjoyed finding out about the exhibitions and performances and I think that this book highlights the vital importance of the arts to society. The book is a fascinating insight into a country that I knew little about and I highly recommend this book." LoveReading (the UK’s leading book recommendation website); “Are you looking for a masterclass in running an office in a foreign country with 18 hour-per-day power cuts and random gunfire in the street; or a love story with tears and laughter; or tales of a Revolution which might have ended in a bloodbath – but didn’t? If so, read this book! It’s not fiction. It all happened!!!” Chris Lakeman Fraser;“A beautifully crafted tale that intertwines the true story of a little reported revolution, the workings of British diplomacy, and a good old-fashioned love story. A great read.” Adrian Paul;

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Book SynopsisLook Wot I Dun is the story of Slade told through the eyes of drummer Don Powell whose life was shattered when, in 1973 at the height of the group's fame, he was involved in a horrific car crash. Unflinching in his honesty, Powell deals frankly with the aftermath of the accident that took the life of his girlfriend and left him with injuries that affect him to this day. Leader of the glam rock movement, Slade was the UK's biggest singles band from 1971 to 1974. Their many hits have become rock standards, not least of which was Merry Christmas Everybody, arguably Britain's all-time favorite Christmas song. This previously published book is now brought up to date in paperback format with an additional chapter from Don, detailing his touring activity over the last seven years, since the original release of his book in hardback.

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Book SynopsisAfter working as a barristers' clerk, man and boy, for over thirty years Stephen Ward wrote a collection of reminiscences of his working life to date. He describes some of the characters he's met together with some of the more amusing and repeatable anecdotes from his life in the legal profession. During preparation of the manuscript he was contacted unexpectedly by Claire Long, the daughter of Frank Parsliffe who had written about his 50-year career as a barristers' clerk from before the Second World War. As a young clerk in London, Stephen had worked with Frank Parsliffe (known as Tom) and it was agreed his unfinished memoirs would be combined with Stephen's book. The result is a fascinating account of how the work of a barristers' clerk has changed over the best part of a century. Part One of the book is Stephen Ward's story of his own career from the 1980s until the present day and the technological changes that have taken place during that time. Frank Parsliffe's career spanned a very different time from the 1930s to the 1980s and his memoirs in Part Two reflect that. Frank also recounts his experiences as a young man in the wartime RAF. After four years away in the forces he returned to a very different chambers.Table of ContentsPart One - Tales from the Temple 1; Chapter One Starting out 3; Chapter Two Who's who in the law? 24; Chapter Three How it works 39; Chapter Four Life in chambers 45; Chapter Five You have to laugh 67 Part Two - Propping up the bar 95; Chapter One It all started with Adam 97; Chapter Two Tom, Dick or Harry 109; Chapter Three The balloon goes up 124; Chapter Four Clerks room capers 133; Chapter Five I become a minder 139; Chapter Six Tom goes to war 149; Chapter Seven They also serve who only stand and wait 158; Chapter Eight A rude awakening 169; Chapter Nine Now you see it - Now you don't 177

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Book SynopsisIn 1971, Sally Arnold takes a nannying job in Paris that will transform her life. Her charge is Mick Jagger’s daughter Jade and she is soon running more than bath-time… She is working for the giants of rock as the first woman tour manager in the business. What’s it like to prepare Christmas lunch with Mick Jagger? To go clubbing at Tramp with The Who’s crazy drummer Keith Moon? To deal with the WAGs in a band’s entourage? When Sally moves on to organising charity events, she has to manage other larger-than-life personalities such as Billy Connolly and Rowan Atkinson. Sally also handles famous names from Princess Diana and the Duke of Edinburgh, to Mikhail Gorbachev and Poet Laureate Ted Hughes. How did Sally survive in this world of rock and roll? “She is tough and well experienced in dealing with show business egos.” Pete Townshend, The WhoTable of ContentsAuthor Biography List of Photographs A Note from Sally Introduction Prologue Part One: Becoming Chapter 1: My Family – and Other Animals Chapter 2: The 1960s – London and Freedom Chapter 3: Adventures Abroad Chapter 4: Life with the Jaggers Chapter 5: To Los Angeles Chapter 6: New Horizons Part Two: Rock n Roll Nanny Chapter 7: The Who Chapter 8: Duties of a Tour Manager Chapter 9: The Who as People Chapter 10: Lynyrd Skynyrd Chapter 11: The Love of my Life Chapter 12: The Rolling Stones Chapter 13: Lynyrd Skynyrd Again Chapter 14: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Chapter 15: Crawler Chapter 16: The Rossington Collins Band Part Three: Giving Back Chapter 17: Festivals and Charities Chapter 18: The Double O Charity Chapter 19: Down to Earth Chapter 20: Around the World Chapter 21: Friends and Unsung Heroes Chapter 22: Sally Arnold Events Management Chapter 23: I am one of the Women of the Year 1997 Chapter 24: Wonderful World Travel Chapter 25: Cancer, and Recovery Chapter 26: Life’s Lessons Epilogue Final Word Appendix 1: From Professional Builder 24th May 2019 Appendix 2: Brian Croft’s history of the technical information in the early days of rock and roll Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisBroken people are everywhere in the sphere of society. Some become broken early on, while others get broken along the way. Taken from over twenty-four years of the author’s experience in leading ‘broken’ people into real life fulfilment, Leading Broken People provides workable techniques, tools and tips that will help you to not only lead people from experiences of brokenness, but also help to develop those same people into becoming everything they were created to be. This is not just a handbook on how to survive misfortune, but a roadmap on how to thrive as a transformed and much more valued individual. The journey may be challenging, but the results make it all worth it, as the author himself can attest.

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Book SynopsisWith over four decades supporting Carlisle United, travelling to more than 100 grounds to cheer them on in close to 1,000 games, author Tim Pocock has written this memoir to celebrate his sporting life with the Blues. He uses his personal match reports to bring a contemporary feel to his memories, from being abused by the Paddock, pulled over on the motorway by a United legend and nearly assisting a United goal. A former Carlisle fanzine publisher, Tim has written the book as a labour of love. It isn't a balanced, objective history - it is for those who, like him, see the football world through Blue tinted glasses. Expect the follow-up in five years to celebrate United winning the Champions League.

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Book SynopsisA Gravedigger's Churchyard Tales is the third and final installment in Ian's Grave-tales series. From comical graveyard antics to a close encounter with death, this book tells stories from Ian's 41-year career as a gravedigger, including the intriguing exhumation of three Polish airmen, the preparation of his father's grave, and the three-decade-long mystery of a missing antique.Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Lincoln Edge 1 Chapter 2 Three Polish Airmen 5 Chapter 3 Our Ever-Changing World 9 Chapter 4 Bleak House Murder 14 Chapter 5 Back-Breaking Day 17 Chapter 6 Farewell Newark Cemetery 20 Chapter 7 You’ve Dug It Wrong 24 Chapter 8 Stone on the Hill 26 Chapter 9 Always Expect the Unexpected 28 Chapter 10 One Grumpy Vicar 31 Chapter 11 I Won’t Get Fooled Again 34 Chapter 12 All Saints Churchyard, Eagle 37 Chapter 13 Plot 15H 40 Chapter 14 Is Everything Alright? 44 Chapter 15 Stuck in the Mud 48 Chapter 16 My Close Encounter with Death 51 Chapter 17 Grafting in a Downpour 55 Chapter 18 Beware the Rare Tall Thrift Plant 58 Chapter 19 The Old Rectory Courtyard 61 Chapter 20 When Death Comes to Call 63 Chapter 21 One of Those Days 66 Chapter 22 An Open-Cast Mine 68 Chapter 23 Never Be Complacent 71 Chapter 24 Eight Days a Week 73 Chapter 25 Hill Top Cemetery, Gonerby 76 Chapter 26 You Got Deeper than the Last Gravedigger 79 Chapter 27 Whoops, I Pegged Out the Wrong Grave 82 Chapter 28 Graveside Catastrophe 84 Chapter 29 Newark Castle Ghost Hunt 87 Chapter 30 Postponed Until Further Notice 90 Chapter 31 Thank You, Mr Jackson 92 Chapter 32 It’s Time to Share the Workload 95 Chapter 33 Don’t Go to Syerston 98 Chapter 34 Who Put That There? 100 Chapter 35 The Covid Pandemic 103 Chapter 36 Graveyard Antics 105 Chapter 37 A 34-Year Secret 113

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Book SynopsisTigers, Mountains and Pagodas the story of a special and adventurous life At the end of 1923 Stanley Robins passed out of Sandhurst as a prize-winning cadet. He was commissioned into the North Staffordshire regiment, at the time based in British India. Stanley was "thrilled" at this posting as he saw army service in India as the gateway to a "special and adventurous life"; and so it turned out to be. In India Stanley became an expert and highly knowledgeable big game hunter, especially of tigers, including man-eaters and gained a deep affinity with the Indian Jungle and its wildlife. He became a lifelong friend of Jim Corbett; the greatest of the big game hunters. Like Jim he was to be an advocate for wildlife conservation and condemned post World War II hunting methods, especially in Africa. Army postings sent Stanley to the dangerous and volatile North-West Frontier, where "no man's life was safe". He was decorated for gallantry in one of the hardest fought operations on the Frontier. Despite the dangers of nearly constant action against the war-like border tribes he gained a deep knowledge of its people, the country and the culture. Whenever military postings allowed he was keen to visit and learn about the India that had put a "spell" on him; its varied peoples, culture and history and to visit the areas of India rarely seen by most Europeans. As international tensions grew in the late 1930s Stanley was transferred to what became the 14h Army in Burma, playing a vital part in the Allied fighting withdrawal from the "Land of Pagodas" and was decorated for his distinguished service. He was the last man out of Rangoon and the first through the Taukkyan Roadblock, by which the Japanese army hoped to trap Allied forces in Burma, in their lightning campaign. During the Allied liberation of Burma Stanley was personally selected by General Slim, commander of the 14th Army, to ensure effective, critical and growing logistical support for Allied forces, US, Chinese and British, in their advance against the Japanese At Indian independence Stanley's actions and decisions on that day prevented what might have been a massacre of Europeans and loyal Indian Army soldiers at Nagpur.

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Book SynopsisOur intrepid traveller sets off from London with next to no riding experience since gaining his biker's license, in the general direction of Greece, with Fiji, in the South Pacific, the ultimate aim and destination. Later he finds himself once again on a bike riding through the unfamiliar, this time sub-Saharan Africa. Bluestone Biker relates tales of these and other misadventures, and of a world both surprising and with not a little hope. The author tries to remember, within the pages of this book, that "No-one is interested in what you had for breakfast". Bluestone Biker can be read any day of the year - in the heat of a baking summer's day, or on a rainy day in February at the Laurel Inn at Robin Hood's Bay.

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