Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Book of The YearA Mail on Sunday Book of The YearAn Independent Book of The YearA The Times Book of The YearDuring the US book tour for his memoir, Hitch-22, Christopher Hitchens collapsed in his New York hotel room to excoriating pain in his chest and thorax. As he would later write in the first of a series of deeply moving Vanity Fair pieces, he was being deported 'from the country of the well across the stark frontier that marks off the land of malady.' Over the next year he underwent the brutal gamut of modern cancer treatment, enduring catastrophic levels of suffering and eventually losing the ability to speak. Mortality is the most meditative collection of writing Hitchens has ever produced; at once an unsparingly honest account of the ravages of his disease, an examination of cancer etiquette, and the coda to a lifetime of fierce debate and peerless prose. In this eloquent confrontation with mortality, Hitchens returns a human face to a disease that has become a contemporary cipher of suffering.Trade ReviewCharacteristic of his elegant wit: philosophical, literary, ironic, sardonic, reflective and resentful * The Times *His unworldly fluency never deserted him, his commitment was passionate, and he never deserted his trade. He was the consummate writer, the brilliant friend. In Walter Pater's famous phrase, he burned 'with this hard gem-like flame.' Right to the end. -- Ian McEwanHitchens's voice remains civilised, searching and ready to vanquish all his enemies -- Colm TóbínA trenchant, learned, iconoclastic and splendidly witty commentator on public life and, as here, on his own private triumphs and travails... unremittingly elegant, a master of graceful prose -- John Banville

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Book SynopsisAn incisive and deeply candid account that explores autistic women in culture, myth, and society through the prism of the author’s own diagnosis. Until the 1980s, autism was regarded as a condition found mostly in boys. Even in our time, autistic girls and women have largely remained undiagnosed. When portrayed in popular culture, women on the spectrum often appear simply as copies of their male counterparts — talented and socially awkward. Yet autistic women exist, and always have. They are varied in their interests and in their experiences. Autism may be relatively new as a term and a diagnosis, but not as a way of being and functioning in the world. It has always been part of the human condition. So who are these women, and what does it mean to see the world through their eyes? In The Autists, Clara Törnvall reclaims the language to describe autism and explores the autistic experience in arts and culture throughout history. From popular culture, films, and photography to literature, opera, and ballet, she dares to ask what it might mean to re-read these works through an autistic lens — what we might discover if we allow perspectives beyond the neurotypical to take centre stage.Trade Review‘Törnvall has written an important, illuminating first book, one that deserves to sit alongside the best insider accounts of autism … [The Autists] should be required reading for all parents, partners, friends and colleagues of anyone on the autism spectrum, as well as a road map for autistic women navigating the neurotypical world.’ -- James Cook * Times Literary Supplement *‘Personal, entertaining, educational.’ * M Magasin *‘She writes with clarity, the style is characterised with rigour and clear pedagogics, making it easy for the reader to learn a subject that for many has only had a stereotypical “Rain Man”-connotations.’ * Svenska Dagbladet *‘Even if you ought to avoid hyping the autistic as superheroes, Törnvall shows that conformity to the norm is a ludicrous waste of the power in these beautiful brains.’ * Dagens Nyheter *‘[E]ven today, the adult autistic woman is a person who is difficult to grasp. She’s our civilisations’ elusive shadow. She’s the topic of of the thought-provoking book, The Autists.’ * Expressen *‘A carefully and intelligently composed book that fills a gaping hole … It is part of a big knowledge building that is ultimately about getting girls and women on the spectrum made visible and noticed.’ * Dagens ETC *‘The Autists is a medical, cultural, psychological history of autism research, diagnosis, and representation. It is framed as a memoir, but goes far beyond that … This will be an eye-opening and useful book for people with preconceptions about autism and autists … This is an excellent book to help you understand how autism works, full of clear and entertaining examples and anecdotes, beautifully written and translated (by Alice E. Olsson) so that it reads smoothly and swiftly. Whether you are neurodivergent, know someone who is, or are simply interested in seeing the world as it really is, there is a lot to be learned from this short entertaining book.’ -- Henry Oliver * The Common Reader *‘Journalist Törnvall seeks comfort in the stories of other autistic women throughout history in her illuminating debut … An insightful and involving narrator, Törnvall movingly explores how women with so-called “high-functioning autism” persisted in harnessing their abilities whether or not they lived in a time that recognised their neurotype. This winning combination of memoir and cultural history stimulates and entertains in equal measure.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Törnvall was diagnosed as autistic at the age of forty-two, and The Autists takes her own experience as a lens through which to explore the phenomena and experiences of autistic women more generally. Its research is wide-ranging … I was particularly delighted by Törnvall’s chapter on language, “Too Much Faith in Words”’ -- Caitlin McGregor * Sydney Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe life of the Man in Black is revealed through his lyrics and by rare photographs and ephemera, in this beautifully illustrated official hardback edition, fully authorised by the Cash estate and featuring 125 of his most iconic songs. Johnny Cash is one of the most beloved and influential country stars of all time, selling more than ninety million records, blending country, rock, blues, and gospel in his music and having been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, Cash''s fifty years of songwriting have been collected for the first time ever. An essential collectible that sheds new light on Cash''s life and work, this book includes rare visual material in addition to remembrances from Cash''s son, John Carter Cash, and family historian Mark Stielper. Released for the twentieth anniversary of the legendary musician''s passing, it is a landmark moment in music pu

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Book SynopsisUnder the Sickle and the Sledgehammer was originally published in 1942, as war still raged between Finland and Soviet Union. Its writer was a Finnish woman who emigrated to Russia in the 1930s, convinced the new egalitarian state and workers' paradise would be a better life for her and her young son, hopeful once settled she could send for him. What followed was very different to what was promised: a life in constant fear, under intense government scrutiny, of purges and Great Wraths, good people imprisoned and shot; and state-run propaganda that spun a web of lies around its people. The author eventually escaped, defying the odds when so many of her friends and loved ones did not, and recorded her memories under a pseudonym in what became the second most censored book from Finnish libraries after the war. This is the first English translation of this important memoir, whose original preface states: I simply want to provide an honest account of what my friends and I had to

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Book SynopsisA graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Karl Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. Matterhorn, his novel about the Vietnam War, took over three decades to complete and was an international bestseller. He and his wife Anne live on a small lake in western Washington state.Trade ReviewA searing account from within the guts of the war itself. * The Times *A novel of astonishing power and insight * OBSERVER *There has never been a more realistic portrait or eloquent tribute to the nobility of men under fire, and never a more damning portrait of a war that ground them cruelly underfoot for no good reason. * MARK BOWDEN *Karl Marlantes has written a staggeringly beautiful book on combat - what it feels like, what the consequences are and above all, what society must do to understand it. In my eyes he has become the preeminent literary voice on war of our generation. He is a natural storyteller and a deeply profound thinker who not only illuminates war for civilians, but also offers a kind of spiritual guidance to veterans themselves. As this generation of warriors comes home, they will be enormously helped by what Marlantes has written - I'm sure he will literally save lives. * Sebastian Junger *What It Is Like to Go to War is a well-crafted and forcefully argued work that contains fresh and important insights into what it's like to be in a war and what it does to the human psyche. * The Washington Post *brutally honest, clear-eyed and necessary. * Financial Times *You may not ever read a better book about war than this... There are some very gruesome things here, and some of the best philosophical thinking I've ever read in a memoir. * Evening Standard *the brave and illuminating work of a courageous and humane man. * The Times *Marlantes examines with lacerating frankness his experiences at the forefront of battle, in Vietnam more than 40 years ago. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisPreviously published as NujeenThe story that is inspiring the world.Read about Nujeen who escaped the hell of war in Aleppo and travelled to Europe in a wheelchair.She is our hero. Everyone must read her story. She will inspire you' MALALA YOUSAFZAINujeen Mustafa has cerebral palsy and cannot walk. This did not stop her braving inconceivable odds to travel in her wheelchair from Syria in search of a new life. Sharing her full story for the first time, Nujeen recounts the details of her childhood and disability, as well as the specifics of her harrowing journey across the Mediterranean to Greece and finally to Germany to seek an education and the medical treatment she needs.Nujeen''s story has already touched millions and in this book written with Christina Lamb, bestselling co-author of I Am Malala', she helps to put a human face on a global emergency.Trapped in a fifth floor apartment in Aleppo and unable to go to school, she taught herself to speak English by watching US television.Trade Review‘The story of Nujeen, amazing young woman and Syrian refugee, reminds the world that refugees, just like others, have aspirations and dreams for peace, education and a better society. Nujeen inspires me to dream without limits’MALALA YOUSAFZAI ‘Spirited and humbling, and is proof that a refugee is a person first, a statistic last’, Books of the Year, Sunday Times ‘Extraordinary. We have heard many accounts of refugees’ journeys in the past couple of years but none like this one. If it was Lamb who wrote the words, you sense it is Nujeen’s spirit she has caught. The is important chronicle of our strange and terrible times seems likely, in fact, to make her a star’ The Times ‘THE GIRL FROM ALEPPO is a book about a truly remarkable disabled young girl refugee from Syria. I read it in 24 hours – without a dry eye. Not tears of sadness – tears of joy about the glory of a triumphant human spirit. Go on. I challenge you. I bet you cannot read this, dry eyed, to the end’ PADDY ASHDOWN

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Book SynopsisThe No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller.At just eight years old, Jodie is violent, aggressive and extremely challenging. Five carers in four months have been unable to cope, but there is one last hope: Cathy GlassAs Jodie begins to trust Cathy and make progress, shocking details about her past come to light. No one had noticed the glaring signs of abuse by those who were supposed to love her most.One of Cathy's earliest and bestselling memoirs, Damaged is a heartbreaking story that proves just how valuable foster carers are for society's most vulnerable children.*Damaged was originally published in 2007*Trade Review'Cannot fail to move those who read it.' Adoption-net ‘Heartbreaking.' The Mirror ‘A truly harrowing read that made me cry.’ The Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.' OK! ‘Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass’s book should change all that.****’ First Magazine ‘A hugely touching and emotional true tale.’ Star Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of Damaged tells the true story of Donna, who came into foster care aged ten, having been abused, victimised and rejected by her family.Donna had been in foster care with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy's. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down. Donna is clearly a very haunted child and refuses to interact with Cathy's children Adrian and Paula.After patience and encouragement from Cathy, Donna slowly starts to talk and tells Cathy that she blames herself for her and her brothers being placed in care. The social services were aware that Donna and her brothers had been neglected by their alcoholic mother, but no one realised the extent of the abuse they were forced to suffer. The truth of the physical torment she was put through slowly emerges, and as Donna grows to trust Cathy she tells her how her mother used to make her

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Book SynopsisNamed a Best Book of the Century by The New York Times Book Review and New York MagazineThe two-time National Book Award winner and author of Salvage the Bones and Let Us Descend, contends with the deaths of five young men dear to her, and the risk of being a Black man in the rural South.We saw the lightning and that was the guns; and then we heard the thunder and that was the big guns; and then we heard the rain falling and that was the blood falling; and when we came to get in the crops, it was dead men that we reaped. Harriet TubmanIn five years, Jesmyn Ward lost five young men in her lifeto drugs, accidents, suicide, and the bad luck that can follow people who live in poverty, particularly black men. Dealing with these losses, one after another, made Jesmyn ask the question: Why? And as she began to write about the experience of living through all the dying, she realized the truthand it took her breath away. Her brother and her friends all died because of who they were and where they were from, because they lived with a history of racism and economic struggle that fostered drug addiction and the dissolution of family and relationships. Jesmyn says the answer was so obvious she felt stupid for not seeing it. But it nagged at her until she knew she had to write about her community, to write their stories and her own. Jesmyn grew up in poverty in rural Mississippi. She writes powerfully about the pressures this brings, on the men who can do no right and the women who stand in for family in a society where the men are often absent. She bravely tells her story, revisiting the agonizing losses of her only brother and her friends. As the sole member of her family to leave home and pursue higher education, she writes about this parallel American universe with the objectivity distance provides and the intimacy of utter familiarity. A brutal world rendered beautifully, Jesmyn Ward's memoir will sit comfortably alongside Edwidge Danticat's Brother, I''m Dying, Tobias Wolff''s This Boy's Life, and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

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Book SynopsisHonest, first-hand advice from the beloved TV personality, entrepreneur, wife and mother. Since finding love on Married at First Sight, Jules Robinson has had a whirlwind five years – she got married (for real), had a baby, and became a purpose-driven entrepreneur. Though there have been setbacks and challenges, Jules has stayed true to herself throughout. Jules is beloved for her unshakeable optimism, vulnerability, and sense of fun. But what is the real secret to her confidence? How does she juggle motherhood with multiple businesses, while remaining her most glamorous self? In Ask Jules, Jules Robinson puts it all out on the page. She shares her personal experiences, expert tips, and empowering lessons on style, family, motherhood, self-love, wellbeing, manifesting and practising gratitude. Jules’s mission is to give you the tools you need to go after the life you’ve always dreamed of, and to feel g

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Book SynopsisSkinny's Book of the Year, 2018In 1990, Myles chose Rosie from a litter on the street, and their connection instantly made an indelible impact on the writer's way of being. Over the course of sixteen years together, Myles was devoted to the pit bull and their linked quality of life. And starting from the emptiness following Rosie's death, Afterglow launches a playful and incisive investigation into the mostly mutually beneficial, sometimes reprehensible power dynamics between pet and pet-owner. At the same time, it reimagines Myles's experiences with alcoholism and recovery, intimacy and mourning, celebrity and politics, spirituality and family history, while joyously transcending the parameters of memoir.Moving from an imaginary talk show where Rosie is interviewed by Myles's childhood puppet, to a critical reenactment of the night Rosie mated with another pit bull; from shimmering poetic transcriptions of video footage taken during their walks, to Rosie's final enlightened narration from the afterlife, this totally singular text combines elements of science fiction, screenplay, monologue, and lucid memory to get to the heart of how and why we dedicate our existence to our dogs.Trade ReviewA ravishingly strange and gorgeous book about a dog that's really about life and everything there is, Eileen Myles's Afterglow is a truly astonishing creation. -- Helen Macdonald, author of H IS FOR HAWKReading Afterglow is like entering the company of a sensibility that is rich, original, witty, and tonally brilliant. It is the darting asides, the phrasing and the subplots that matter most in this book, that give pure, sheer constant pleasure. -- Colm TóibínOnly Eileen Myles could reinvent the memoir again so stunningly; Afterglow is the sort of multidimensional love story you could only expect from one of our greatest experimental writers living today! -- Porochista Khakpour, author of THE LAST ILLUSIONMyles is often referred to as an 'institution' - the way one speaks of a terrific restaurant that's endured the waves of gentrification as a 'New York institution.' But the word bounces off her: there is nothing official about her, nothing staid or still. -- Ben Lerner * Paris Review *Eileen Myles is a New York poet, maybe the New York poet, a swaggering troubadour of casually roving brilliance...a work of surpassing strangeness that takes the form of an elegy for a lost pet and converts it into a weird and agitated philosophical inquiry. -- Olivia Laing * Guardian *Part of Myles's enduring appeal is that she's experimental in the true sense of the word; every time you turn around, she's up to something different . . . People have started using the word legend when talking about her life and work. * New York Magazine *What is a dog if not god? In Afterglow, Eileen Myles steps up to the challenge for writers to function as prophets. Ghostwritten in part by deceased pit bull Rosie, this 'dog memoir' explores - among other things - geometry, gender, mortality, evil, ageing, and plaids. Myles makes new rules for what prose writing can be. Afterglow is Myles's funniest, profoundest work yet. -- Chris Kraus, author of I LOVE DICKMyles forces a cultural and a literary reckoning with her life on her own terms, demanding understanding, the text held to the reader's throat. * Los Angeles Review of Books *Wildly inventive and just plain wild, feral, even, Eileen Myles's dazzling Afterglow is about a dog, and her owner, and everything else in life, and also death, too. -- Jami Attenberg, author of ALL GROWN UPChelsea Girls offers poetry, sex, Catholicism, drugs, class and sexuality. This new reprint... is the missing data for anyone who has read only the male American beat writers. -- Deborah Levy * New Statesman *Everything Eileen Myles touches turns to poetry. Whether called a dog or a cat, it's always poetry. Emily Dickinson famously decided that poetry was anything that made her 'feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off.' I can imagine Emily Dickinson writing an ecstatic blurb for Myles's tender, trippy, deep, yet humanely silly new gift to the world: Afterglow. In this age of fake news and even fake poetry, trust this voice! -- Brad Gooch, author of SMASH CUT...offers a wide and empathetic embrace. [...] It is, unexpectedly, a book for the times. * Frieze *

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Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe world is messing with our minds.Rates of stress and anxiety are rising. A fast, nervous planet is creating fast and nervous lives. We are more connected, yet feel more alone. And we are encouraged to worry about everything from world politics to our body mass index.- How can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad? - How do we stay human in a technological world?- How do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious? After experiencing years of anxiety and panic attacks, these questions became urgent matters of life and death for Matt Haig. And he began to look for the link between what he felt and the world around him. Notes on a Nervous Planet is a personal and vital look at how to feel happy, human and whole in the twenty-first century.Trade ReviewWitty, honest and engaging . . . A worthy successor to Reasons to Stay Alive * * Sunday Times * *An honest and human guide to coping with the modern world . . . Notes on a Nervous Planet is generous, sensible and timely. Reading it will probably be good for your mental health. Especially if you leave your smartphone in another room . . . Thought-provoking * * Guardian * *Thought-provoking . . . [Haig's] hard-won wisdom asks us to think about how we can live in the present - and in so doing, he creates a wonderfully perceptive chronicle of life in the always-on social media age. A real-world guide to mindfulness * * Observer * *Beautiful, honest and wise -- FEARNE COTTONNotes on a Nervous Planet is a fascinating look at the link between anxiety and the world we live in . . . [Haig is] one of our warmest, wittiest and wisest writers * * Mail on Sunday * *Genius -- RUBY WAXHaig's bestseller Reasons to Stay Alive was an engaging self-help memoir which mined personal trauma for valuable life lessons. This follow-up is a rag-bag of personal experience, thoughts and feelings . . . some thought-provoking, some pertinent and important . . . He's a smart operator who knows his readership and genuinely wants to help them . . . I reached the last page admiring the author's inventive energy and insight -- Bel Mooney * * Daily Mail * *Take Notes on a Nervous Planet twice daily, with or without food. The book is crammed with wisdom, insight, love and wit -- STEPHEN FRYA primer for how to live in the present moment. This book will find grateful readers everywhere -- NIGELLA LAWSONMatt Haig has written really something rather special here - the definitive user manual for your own head. It's a self-help book that - unusually for the genre - talks in sensible, practical terms not in vague aphorisms and allegories. Recommended for anyone who's ever wobbled, and that's all of us -- ADAM KAY

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Book SynopsisThe fifteenth fostering memoir by Cathy Glass.Danny was petrified and clung to me in desperation as I carried him to my car. Trapped in his own dark world, he couldn''t understand why his parents no longer loved or wanted him, and were sending him away.While Danny's parents have everything they could wish for in material terms, they are unable to care for their only child. This is where Cathy comes in. On a cold dark evening Danny finds a place in her home where he can be himself; away from his parents' impatience and frustration. Often in his own little world, six-year-old Danny finds it difficult to communicate, finding solace in his best friend and confidant George his rabbit.Cathy quickly becomes aware of his obsessively meticulous behaviour in addition to his love of patterns, he sees them everywhere and creates them at any opportunity in his play and also with his food. She realises that patience is the key to looking after Danny as well as her well-tried strategies for managin

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Book SynopsisMeghan O'Rourke was thirty-two when her mother died of cancer on Christmas Day, 2008. As a writer, even in the depths of her grief, she was fascinated by what she observed of herself in the aftermath: the rage she felt, not only at what had happened to her mother, but also at the inability of people to acknowledge her pain; her sense that the meaning of her life had changed fundamentally with the loss of a parent; the way that the reassuringly familiar often became somehow completely new and strange. The Long Goodbye interleaves personal recollections of her much-loved mother with an examination of what it means to grieve in a society which no longer has the rituals - or even, most of the time, the desire - to engage with grief, to understand it, and to let it do both its worst - and its best.Trade ReviewEmotionally acute, strikingly empathetic, thorough and unstinting intellectually, and of course elegantly wrought. But it's above all a useful book, for life -- the good bits and the sad ones, too. Richard Ford 'A beautiful memoir about ...loss of a truly irreplaceable mother--yes, it is sad, it is in fact heartrending, but it is many things more: courageous, inspiring, wonderfully intelligent and informed, and an intimate portrait of an American family as well Joyce Carol Oates In her blazingly honest, relentlessly brave memoir Meghan O'Rourke takes on the strange, impossible time after a parent's death. I couldn't recommend this elegant and fearless book more highly to anyone who has, or has had, a mother. Katie Roiphe, author of Uncommon Arrangements

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Book Synopsis'I will be forever changed by Dr Eger's story' OPRAHThis practical and inspirational guide to healing from the bestselling author of The Choice shows us how to release your self-limiting beliefs and embrace your potential.The prison is in your mind. The key is in your pocket.In the end, it's not what happens to us that matters most - it's what we choose to do with it. We all face suffering - sadness, loss, despair, fear, anxiety, failure. But we also have a choice; to give in and give up in the face of trauma or difficulties, or to live every moment as a gift.Celebrated therapist and Holocaust survivor, Dr Edith Eger, provides a hands-on guide that gently encourages us to change the imprisoning thoughts and destructive behaviours that may be holding us back. Accompanied by stories from Eger's own life and the lives of her patients her empowering lessons help you to see your darkest moments as your greatest teachers and find freedom through the strength that lies within.'An essential read for tough times' RANGAN CHATTERJEE'Wise and provocative' THE DAILY MAILTrade ReviewEdith Eva Eger is my kind of hero… rather than let her painful past destroy her, she chose to transform it into a powerful gift – one she uses to help others heal -- Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass CastleDr Eger’s life reveals our capacity to transcend even the greatest of horrors and to use that suffering for the benefit of others. She has found true freedom and forgiveness and shows us how we can as well -- Desmond TutuI’ll be forever changed by Dr. Eger’s story… we all have the ability to pay attention to what we’ve lost, or to pay attention to what we still have -- OprahWise and provocative * The Daily Mail *Dr Edith Eger knows better than most how trauma and sadness can affect us all. This hopeful and helpful book explains how rather than limiting us they can transform our lives. An essential read for tough times -- Rangan Chatterjee

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Book Synopsis'Where are you from?' was the question hounding Hazel Carby as a girl in post-World War II London. One of the so-called brown babies of the Windrush generation, born to a Jamaican father and Welsh mother, Carby's place in her home, her neighbourhood, and her country of birth was always in doubt. Emerging from this setting, Carby untangles the threads connecting members of her family to each other in a web woven by the British Empire across the Atlantic. We meet Carby's working-class grandmother Beatrice, a seamstress challenged by poverty and disease. In England, she was thrilled by the cosmopolitan fantasies of empire, by cities built with slave-trade profits, and by street peddlers selling fashionable Jamaican delicacies. In Jamaica, we follow the lives of both the 'white Carbys' and the 'black Carbys', as Mary Ivey, a free woman of colour, whose children are fathered by Lilly Carby, a British soldier who arrived in Jamaica in 1789 to be absorbed into the plantation aristocracy. And we discover the hidden stories of Bridget and Nancy, two women owned by Lilly who survived the Middle Passage from Africa to the Caribbean.Moving between the Jamaican plantations, the hills of Devon, the port cities of Bristol, Cardiff, and Kingston, and the working-class estates of South London, Carby's family story is at once an intimate personal history and a sweeping summation of the violent entanglement of two islands. In charting British empire's interweaving of capital and bodies, public language and private feeling, Carby will find herself reckoning with what she can tell, what she can remember, and what she can bear to know.Trade ReviewAn elegant memoir which pivots beautifully around those twin imposters, 'belonging' and 'home'. Richly suffused with a love of people and place, Carby's familiar intellectual rigor never lets us drift off course towards nostalgia. -- Caryl Phillips, author of A View of the Empire at SunsetA heartbreaking and beautiful account of growing-up in the impossible space between mutually exclusive terms-Black and British. The history of empire, slavery and colonialism unfolds in the exquisite and painful details of this unflinching auto-portrait. Carby deftly captures the ways that relations of power are lived, intimately, quietly, destructively, and profoundly. What an achievement. -- Saidiya Hartman, author of Wayward Lives, Beautiful ExperimentsThis beautifully written book raises the bar for political life-writing. Hazel Carby invites readers to follow a reconstructive quest propelled by memory, archive and imagination. It is a journey of discovery that forcefully contextualises the injustice dished out by British governments to the 'Windrush generation' and their rebel offspring. Carby disrupts fixed notions of racial identity that contort our understanding of Britain's colonial and postcolonial history. -- Paul Gilroy, author of Darker Than Blue and The Black AtlanticHazel Carby is a foundational scholar of race, class, and empire as critical lenses for understanding culture. In Imperial Intimacies she shares the way that stories-often difficult to mine and face-are at the core of how her indispensable world view was formed. Imperial Intimacies is an epic, generous book that illuminates black Britain as never before and shows us how a great thinker and educator was formed. It is beautifully told, a treasured look into how a girl came to believe that reading and critical thinking could help mend a broken world and give us tools not only for living in it, but for understanding it. I'll treasure this book forever. * Elizabeth Alexander, author of The Light of the World and American Sublime *Hazel Carby assembles a sprawling account of how imperialism--a web of social relations, labor markets, and trade networks-conditions private feeling. The resulting narrative is something like an affective history of the British Empire. -- Maya Binyam * New Yorker *Carby's book lies somewhere between what is recorded in official archives, what is remembered in family lore, and what is considered an affective draw to intellectual questions. The spiny precision of the historical...allows the reader to feel erudite, but Carby's most captivating writing is when she feels on the page. -- Tiana Reid * Bookforum *Captivating. . . offers interesting perspectives on the personal impact of capitalism and colonialism. -- Bernardine Evaristo * TLS Books of the Year, 2019 *Exceptional...By using examples from her own background, she brilliantly demonstrates that 'the personal' is indeed political. -- LSE Review of Books * Manuela Latchoumaya *At every turn, Carby refuses to tell a tidy or convenient story and instead produces an account of empire that is as expansive as it is heartbreaking. -- Saidiya Hartman * Paris Review *While the minotaur of the British imperial past is very far from dead and buried, Carby's memoir offers a course, a set of clues; it brings us a bit closer to the mouth of the maze. -- Phoebe Braithwaite * Dissent *An arresting, courageous, and urgently needed memoir that doubles as social, cultural, and political history. -- Gaiutra Bahadur * The Nation *The poignancy in this moving and patient memoir-Carby writes with equal eloquence about work on the Great Western Railway, lichen and the neglected materiality of black British life-centres on her dedication to discovering (to paraphrase James Baldwin) from whence she came. -- Paul Mendez * Times Literary Supplement *Imperial Intimacies is part of a well-established and growing body of literature that explores the margins and gaps in the historical record. ... For those interested in imperialism, postcolonialism, black studies, black British history, and archival studies, this is an essential book to consider. -- Gabriella Rodriguez * Ethnic and Third World Literatures *In Imperial Intimacies, Carby delicately balances the critical distance of the scholar with the profound subjectivity of the memoirist. ... By exploring the relations between working class Welsh life and the Jamaican colony, Bristol's industrial center and the transatlantic slave economy, and the racial transgressions in the intimacies between her own parents, Carby's critical project illuminates the histories of the British empire that are embedded in the spaces of our everyday lives. -- Sabrina Alli * Guernica *[Carby] poignantly portrays how her father, a man of great dignity, had believed in the promises and ideals proclaimed by the British. Carby moves the reader through every possible response to the complex patterns of family lineage under empire. -- Madeleine Bunting * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA major new look at how Africa's geological history, climate, geography and biology resulted in the wonderful diversity of life found there. It is also the story of how it was the crucible for the evolution most extraordinary species on Earth Homo sapiens.Africa has properties that ensure that most of human evolution could have occurred nowhere else. A greater diversity of mammal, bird and many other forms of life has forced more and more species to squeeze into narrower and narrower niches. Human complexity has evolved directly in response to this, the most complex of continents. On offer here is an intensely personal portrait of a continent bolstered by Jonathan Kingdon''s own animal senses, the same excited set of senses he was born in Africa with. Senses that look, listen, scent and grasp at the mother-continent. Not just his personal motherland but the birthplace of all humanity.Trade Review‘Magnificent. So rich, moving with ease through deep time and biological place, using a lifetime of thought’ Redmond O’Hanlon ‘Africa from the inside … Extremely good stuff’ Paul Theroux ‘Lovely … and the pictures are magnificent’ Richard Dawkins Praise for Jonathan Kingdon 'Jonathan Kingdon's work is one of the things that make the present day such an exciting time for anyone with the slightest intellectual curiosity. His subject matter is our profound and thrilling human origins, and his stance toward it makes his work unique and priceless' Philip Pullman 'Jonathan Kingdon is a subtle amalgam of artist and scientist. He has a deep and up-to-date knowledge of human prehistory, and of the topology and geography of Africa, the continent where most of human prehistory happened. But he is also our leading zoological artist, and I think it must be his artist's eye that gives his writing style its vividness' Richard Dawkins, Times Literary Supplement

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Book Synopsis THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Otto Rosenberg is 9 and living in Berlin, poor but happy, when his family are first detained. All around them, Sinti and Roma families are being torn from their homes by Nazis , leaving behind schools, jobs, friends, and businesses to live in forced encampments outside the city. One by one, families are broken up, adults and children disappear or are 'sent East'.Otto arrives in Auschwitz aged 15 and is later transferred to Buechenwald and Bergen-Belsen. He works, scrounges food whenever he can, witnesses and suffers horrific violence and is driven close to death by illness more than once. Unbelievably, he also joins an armed revolt of prisoners who, facing the SS and certain death, refuse to back down. Somehow, through luck, sheer human will to live, or both, he survives.The stories of Sinti and Roma suffering in Nazi Germany are all too often lost or untold. In this haunting account, Otto shares his story with a remarkable simplicity. Deeply moving, A Gypsy in Auschwitz is the incredible story of how a young Sinti boy miraculously survived the unimaginable darkness of the Holocaust.

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER'Tony is a champion who knows the hardest battle is always with yourself. Everyone who reads this book will find a change to make in their own life ' ANT MIDDLETON**THE PULL-NO-PUNCHES GUIDE TO LIFE**"When your job is to stand in front of a very big man who wants to knock you unconscious, you learn what's important in life. In the ring there's nowhere to hide. I was never the biggest or the strongest but I made the most of what I had - I had heart and I had grit and I always put time into the mental game. Now I want to take readers into the ring and help them understand that even though it's an extreme environment and somewhere they're unlikely to ever be, there's plenty they can learn there"Over 12 rounds (chapters), former world champion boxer Tony Bellew will take the reader inside the world of elite boxing to reveal what we can all learn about performance. From what the boxing gym can teach us all about being honest about our strengths and weaknesses to how to hit the canvas and get back up again, this is the closest thing to having a world champion boxer in your corner.Trade ReviewTony worked incredibly hard to get to the top. He has tremendous self-belief and in his new book he tells it how it is. A must read * Ricky Hatton *A great read * Dan Walker *The story of an aggressive kid who, though boxing, found the best version of himself * The Times *A great read for anyone: hard-won advice given by a truly hard bloke. Tony's story shares both the blood, sweat and years that went into becoming world champion AND how you can apply his philosophy to your everyday battles * John Hudson, The UK Military's Chief Survival Instructor *

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Book SynopsisJoin award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.“What was it like to grow up on TV?” Ron Howard has been asked this question throughout his adult life.Trade Review“A Tinseltown childhood free of malice, regret or self-pity. It’s like a Ron Howard movie between two covers… a picture of a family unencumbered by major neuroses, hang-ups or rivalries… links to an earlier, simpler age… refreshing [and] homespun.” — Wall Street Journal “…kind, imperturbable and appreciative… the lulling rhythms of harmonious boomer sibs clearing out the old family house. See, they seem to say, brotherly love is possible in Hollywood.” — New York Times “[A] nostalgic coming-of-age story that examines life in showbiz, fun adventures and, perhaps above all, the importance of family.” — CNN.com “Who would have thought Ron Howard could be exciting? And yet, he and his brother Clint have written a saga of talent, ambition, serendipity, and lust. Well, forget about the lust. It’s just not there. But Ron and Clint’s story of their remarkable coming-of-age in show business will thrill any reader.” — Steve Martin “I’ve known and loved the Howard family for forty-eight years, and there are stories here that surprised even me. The Boys is an emotional journey that goes well beyond your typical Hollywood memoir.” — Henry Winkler "I have read dozens of Hollywood memoirs. But The Boys stands alone. A delightful, warm and fascinating story of a good life in show business.” — Malcolm Gladwell “This extraordinary book is not only a chronicle of Ron’s and Clint’s early careers and their wild adventures, but also a primer on so many topics—how an actor prepares, how to survive as a kid working in Hollywood, and how to be the best parents in the world! THE BOYS will surprise every reader with its humanity.” — Tom Hanks “How can the complexities of husband and wives, parents and children, brother to brother be contained between the pages of one book? It’s impossible and yet The Boys touched me in such a way that the Howards’ story---Rance, Jean, Ron and Clint—will continue, for a long time, to settle on my heart like soft rain. It is about life and show business and how one, famous family connected both--with passion, loyalty, respect and, most of all, love.” — Glenn Close “Actors and brothers Ron and Clint Howard reflect on growing up in Hollywood in this fascinating dual autobiography… Candid, humorous, and entertaining, this intimate account will be a hit with the brothers’ fans.” — Publishers Weekly "Filled with delightful stories from the sets of The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben, The Music Man, and Happy Days, this memoir will be treasured by television and movie history buffs alike; fans of the Howards will greatly enjoy their teasing, loving banter, and evocation of a gentler era." — Library Journal (starred review) “It’s wholesome, earnest and contains just enough tidbits about Mayberry and “Happy Days” to satisfy ardent fans… In the end, it’s the remarkable story of a family that chose a very public line of work but managed to live by their own private values in an America that gave them the space to do just that.” — Associated Press "A treat for movie and TV buffs, this dual memoir is wholesome and satisfying…Fans of the Howards will revel in the details of their young ascents into the Hollywood spotlight.” — Kirkus Reviews

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Book Synopsis_______________''One of the most inventive, original and disturbing writers of her generation'' - Daily Telegraph''Diski does not do linear, or normal, or boring In Gratitude amounts to the inner monologue of a highly intelligent, furiously funny, traumatised woman'' - Helen Davies, Sunday Times''She deserves our unfeigned admiration, not for her bravery or her struggle, or any irrelevant tosh like that, but for writing so well'' - Guardian_______________In August 2014, Jenny Diski was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and given two or three years' to live. Being a writer, she decided to write about her experience and to tell a story she had not yet told: that of being taken in, aged fifteen, by the author Doris Lessing, and the subsequent fifty years of their complex relationship. Splicing childhood memories with present-day realities, Diski paints an unflinching portrait of two extraordinary writers Lessing Trade ReviewJenny’s pain and fury are still hot in this fascinating but uncomfortable read … Clear-sighted, defiant and written with Diski’s customary furious elegance, it is a remarkable last word from a writer who survived to live and love, almost despite herself * Jane Shilling, Daily Mail *Nothing about Jenny Diski is conventional. Diski does not do linear, or normal, or boring … In Gratitude amounts to the inner monologue of a highly intelligent, furiously funny, traumatised woman, “trembling at the prospect of extinction” … She cannot be subsumed into the wider narrative or by Lessing. In Gratitude assures Diski the last word * Helen Davies, Sunday Times *One of the most inventive, original and disturbing writers of her generation * Daily Telegraph *Remarkable … Honest and spirited … As the scenes of her traumatic and chaotic childhood pass she reminds us, sentence by sentence, not only that she emerged to become every bit the writer she always dreamed of being, but also that, despite everything, along the way she learned a great deal about love * Tim Adams, Observer *A different kind of cancer memoir, and an almost entirely platitude-free one … plain-spoken, harrowing and invariably moving … The details are incisive, and she stacks them carefully … There’s a raw, almost feral quality to Ms. Diski’s writing about cowering in Lessing’s long shadow. It’s a trait she brought to so much of her writing. It’s just like her to leave us a title, In Gratitude, that slowly sheds its softness and sends up a mischievous flare * Dwight Garner, New York Times *As a study of influence and the monstrous egos of writers, In Gratitude is up there with Thomas de Quincey’s account of Wordsworth and Paul Theroux’s tale of befriending V S Naipaul … But Diski has always been a badass … The tone of In Gratitude is, accordingly, cocky and belligerent … It is the combination of entitlement and indifference to opinion that gives Diski’s voice its serrated edge and makes her such a savagely good recorder of herself. Read me if you like, she implies in In Gratitude, but you don’t have to like what you read * Frances Wilson, Daily Telegraph *Diski’s line is simple: ‘I want to die easily.’ This deeply human wish bears no resemblance to the rich messiness of Diski’s life, nor the challenging delight of her writing * Kate Wormersley, Spectator *My favourite reading this year -- Blake MorrisonShe deserves our unfeigned admiration, not for her bravery or her struggle, or any irrelevant tosh like that, but for writing so well * Guardian *A marvel of steady and dispassionate self-revelation ... Bracingly devoid of sententiousness, sentimentality or any kind of spiritual urge or twitch * New York Times *A suberb, original and unsentimental writer * Guardian Summer Reading *In Gratitude reminds us what pleasure, what company and nourishment there is in just thinking, especially if you do it well, as she does here -- Anne Enright * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisArguably the greatest of all published memoirs of the Great War, Old Soldiers Never Die is Private Frank Richards' classic account of the war from the standpoint of the regular soldier, and a moving tribute to the army that died on the Western Front in 1914.Trade Review'...the greatest account of trench warfare...' --Phil Carradice, BBC

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Book SynopsisWritten by a mamber of the French resistance who became an important literary figure in postwar France, this memoir of life and death in Auschwitz and the post-war experiences of women survivors has become a key text for Holocaust studies classes.Trade Review"I find Rosette C. Lamont’s remarkable translation of Charlotte Delbo’s work perceptive, delicate, and poignant—in short: exceptional."—Elie Wiesel"For 75 years, Nazism’s victims have told their affliction. This will carry on. Meanwhile, no other “Auschwitz” writer than Charlotte Delbo has so clearly shown human detail and human depth."—John Felstiner, author of Can Poetry Save the Earth?: A Field Guide to Nature Poems"Delbo's exquisite and unflinching account of life and death under Nazi atrocity grows fiercer and richer with time. The superb new introduction by Lawrence L. Langer illuminates the subtlety and complexity of Delbo's meditation on memory, time, culpability, and survival, in the context of what Langer calls the 'afterdeath' of the Holocaust. Delbo's powerful trilogy belongs on every bookshelf."—Sara R. Horowitz, York University

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Book Synopsis'Success is a state of mind... Success isn't about conquering something; it's being happy with who you are.' - Stylist Magazine, 2011.Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning pop icon Britney Spears is one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers in pop history selling nearly 150 million records worldwide. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Britney started out as a dancer and gymnast, before landing a role at twelve years old in 'The All New Mickey Mouse Club'. She became a household name as a teenager when she released her first single '...Baby One More Time'.This collection of Britney's relatable, inspiring and hugely optimistic quotes reveals a caring, generous personality who champions following your dreams. Despite a very public and at times troubling life, this is a book which sparkles with positivity and happiness; the 'Princess of Pop' offers you the best advice and lifts you up when you're down.Sample Quotes:'Performing is my therapy, to become different people onstage.' USA Today, 2013 'I have my relationship with God and myself, and that's what matters to me. I really don't care what most people think.' - V Magazine, 2016Table of ContentsEarly Years • Baby One More TIme • Princess of Pop • Femme Fatale • Circus • Glory.

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Book SynopsisThere are five races of tiger on our planet and all but one live in tropical regions: the Siberian Tiger Panthera tigris altaica is the exception. Mysterious and elusive, and with only 350 remaining in the wild, the Siberian tiger remains a complete enigma. One man has set out to change this.Sooyong Park has spent twenty years tracking and observing these elusive tigers. Each year he spends six months braving sub-zero temperatures, buried in grave-like underground bunkers, fearlessly immersing himself in the lives of Siberian tigers. As he watches the brutal, day-to-day struggle to survive the harsh landscape, threatened by poachers and the disappearance of the pristine habitat, Park becomes emotionally and spiritually attached to these beautiful and deadly predators. No one has ever been this close: as he comes face-to-face with one tiger, Bloody Mary, her fierce determination to protect her cubs nearly results in his own bloody demise.Poignant, poetic and fiercely compassionate, The Trade ReviewPraise for The Great Soul of Siberia: ‘If you read one nature book this year, make it this one.’ Mark Cocker, Spectator ‘Wonderful … deserves to become a classic of wildlife literature.’ The Times ‘A wonderful evocation of the land and the habits of the desperately endangered Siberian tiger.’ Independent ‘The year's best wildlife book could already have arrived’ Wanderlust ‘Subtly intense … Park has a deep sense of oneness with the world around him. His close engagement with the forest ecology is the most extraordinary element of this remarkable book.’ New Statesman ‘It’s a masterpiece. One of the most moving outdoor texts I’ve read in years. This is a book about love – one exceptional human being’s love for the wild, beautiful and persecuted creatures to which his life is dedicated. It also comprehends a fortitude and hardihood so far beyond the everyday I was left shaking my head in astonished admiration.’ The Great Outdoors ‘Sooyong’s magical prose led me into little-known and breathtakingly beautiful forests, exposed me to the bitter cold of long winter months, and revealed the secret life of that most mysterious of cats, the Siberian tiger.’ Jane Goodall ‘A triumph of nature writing; an original and authentic voice from the wilderness.’ Jonathan and Angela Scott ‘The book is a love letter … To read it is to hear the voice of a remarkable man.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Spellbinding … Park’s book burns an indelible memory.’ Country Life

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Book SynopsisSynonymous with fine craftsmanship and understated elegance, the House of Bottega Veneta is the go-to brand for those who love effortless chic.Since 1966, Bottega Veneta has stood out from the crowd, unique in its blend of timeless sophistication and contemporary edge. Known for the distinctive Intrecciato woven design and statement green, this Milan-based luxury brand is renowned for beautifully crafted leather goods such as the Cabat, Veneta, and iconic clutch Knot bags and increasingly famous footwear and jewellery collections.Cultural relevance remains at the heart of this ultra-cool brand with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz and Rihanna seen in exquisite hand-finished dresses, oversized clutches and quilted shoes. Under Creative Director, Matthiew Blazy, there's no denying that Bottega Veneta is one of the most exciting brands in the fashion world.

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Book SynopsisONE OF TIME 100''S MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2024 ? A DEBUTIFUL BEST BOOK OF 2024 ? FEATURED IN NYLON ? W MAGAZINE ? GLAMOUR ? BOOK RIOT ? HEYALMA ? BUSTLE ? ELECTRIC LITERATURE ? ROMPER ? AND MORE!Tender, funny, angry, and sharp as hell. This is an essential book for anyone with a body, anyone with a heart. ?Helen Rosner, James Beard Award-winning food journalist and New Yorker staff writerAn unflinching and deeply reported look at the realities of binge-eating disorder from a rising culture commentator and writer for Vogue.Millions of us use restrictive diets, intermittent fasting, IV therapies, and Ozempic abuse to shrink until we are sample-size acceptable. But for the 30 million Americans who live with eating disorders, it isn?t just about less. More, Please is a chronicle of a lifelong fixation with food?its power to soothe, to comfort, to offer a fleeting escape from the outside world?as well as an examination of the ways in which compulsory thinness, diet culture, and the seductive promise of ?wellness? have resulted in warping countless Americans? relationship with healthy eating.Melding memoir, reportage, and in-depth interviews with some of the most prominent and knowledgeable commentators currently writing about food, fatness, and disordered eating?Virginia Sole-Smith, Virgie Tovar, Aiyana Ishmael, Leslie Jamison, and others?Emma Specter explores binge-eating disorder as both a personal problem and a societal one. In More, Please, she provides a context, a history, and a language for what it means to always want more than you?ll allow yourself to have.

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the star of Netflix's The Duchess, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Your Face or Mine and host of All That Glitters'A fearless origin story' Caitlin Moran'Brilliant!' Aisling Bea'Outrageously brilliant! I'm buying this for all my friends' Laura Whitmore'Witty as hell' Tom AllenWildly readable... tremendous' The Times*****Hi, I'm TV's Katherine Ryan. I'm known to live my life embracing the reality that you just can't please everyone, so you might as well put yourself out there and have a laugh. As my mother always said, 'Katherine, if we all liked the same thing, we'd all be married to your father.' Being audacious led me to becoming the calm, contented woman I am today - who doesn't care what strangers think of her and can always take a joke.I'm often asked how I developed my lurid level of courage and assurance and for tips on how others can match. This is my blueprint for just that, a collection of my most relatable advice.How To Attract Toxic Men AND Keep Them Interested!How To Have A BabyHow To Impress Famous Celebritiesand so much more...No matter what I do, there will always be something about me that reads as simply, outrageously audacious. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times BestsellerSeasoned Whitehall watchers often remark: It wouldn't have been like this if Jeremy Heywood were still around. How could it be that the effectiveness of the once-revered civil service had become reliant on a single man?' GuardianThis book should be read in a similar spirit to Mantel's masterpieces as a portrait of an exceptional man who was always at the centre of events Invaluable' GuardianAs a young civil servant, Jeremy Heywood's insightful questioning of the status quo pushed him to the centre of political power in this country for more than 25 years.He directly served four Prime Ministers in various roles including as the first and only Permanent Secretary of 10 Downing Street, the Cabinet Secretary and the Head of the Home Civil Service. He was at the centre of every crisis from the early 1990s until 2018 and most of the key meetings. Invariably, when faced with a new policy initiative a Prime Minister's first response would be: but what does Jeremy Trade Review THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER (February 2021) ‘I just couldn’t put it down. A fabulous book’Iain Dale, LBC ‘This book should be read in a similar spirit to Mantel’s masterpieces – as a portrait of an exceptional man who was always at the centre of events … It will be invaluable as a source for scholars and historians both as to how, when, why and by whom certain decisions were taken, and to what the decision-making process within government looks like up close’ Guardian ‘This is an astonishing book … She captures a remarkable sweep of recent UK political history and the central part that her late husband – a brilliant product and architect of the UK civil service and arguably the most influential cabinet secretary of modern times – played in making it work better’Financial Times ‘An intimate personal memoir that is in places very moving and a fascinating political history that is at times revelatory … The book brilliantly captures the way in which the personal and political are inextricably entwined’The Times ‘A superbly detailed account of how the internal organs of British power function … It is as fair-minded as the man at its centre … An invaluable contribution to the historical record…Amid the relentless politics, there is a very touching story here of the highs and lows of balancing careers, a relationship and domestic life. The basic humanity that shines through from both author and her husband, is perhaps the book’s most important and enduring tribute’TLS ‘A fitting tribute to an important public servant and a valuable insider account for political junkies … She has succeeded hands down in justifying her belief that her husband was a worthy subject’Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisIn this explosive memoir, a political consultant and technology whistleblower reveals the disturbing truth about the multi-billion-dollar data industry, revealing to the public how companies are getting richer using our personal information and exposing how Cambridge Analytica exploited weaknesses in privacy laws to help elect Donald Trump.When Brittany Kaiser joined Cambridge Analytica the UK-based political consulting firm funded by conservative billionaire and Donald Trump patron Robert Mercer she was an idealistic young professional working on her fourth degree in human rights law and international relations. A veteran of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, Kaiser's goal was to utilize data for humanitarian purposes, most notably to prevent genocide and human rights abuses. But her experience inside Cambridge Analytica opened her eyes to the tremendous risks that this unregulated industry poses to privacy and democracy.Targeted is Kaiser's eyewitness chronicle of the dramatic and distu

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Book SynopsisThe outsider who transformed our justice systemNazir Afzal knows a thing or two about justice. As a Chief Prosecutor, it was his job to make sure the most complex, violent and harrowing crimes made it to court, and that their perpetrators were convicted. From the Rochdale sex ring to the earliest prosecutions for honour killing and modern slavery, Nazir was at the forefront of the British legal system for decades.But his story begins in Birmingham, in the sixties, as a young boy facing racist violence and the tragic death of a young family member - and it's this that sets him on the path to his groundbreaking career, and which enables him to help communities that the conventional justice system ignores, giving a voice to the voiceless.A memoir of struggle and survival as well as crime and punishment, The Prosecutor is both a searing insight into the justice system and a powerful story of one man's pursuit of the truth.Trade ReviewCompelling... his great triumph is in helping to change our justice system so that it can deliver for those who were once overlooked * Sunday Times *Forensically intelligent * The Times *The true face of British justice * New York Times *Afzal is not one to shy away from the failures of the state * New Statesman *Nazir has devoted his life to helping the underdog, the downtrodden victims of crime, and securing justice against all the odds. * The Sun *

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Book SynopsisJohn Hopkins brings back to life all the decadence and flamboyance of Tangier in the 1960s and 1970s. Tangier in the 1960s and â70s was a fabled place. This edge city, the 'Interzone', became muse and escapist's dream for artists, writers, millionaires and socialites, who wrote, painted, partied and experienced life with an intensity and freedom that they never could back home. Into this louche and cosmopolitan world came John Hopkins, a young writer who became a part of the bohemian Tangier crowd with its core of Beats that included William Burroughs, Paul and Jane Bowles and Brion Gysin, as well as Tennessee Williams, Jean Genet, Yves Saint Laurent, Barbara Hutton and Malcolm Forbes. Those intoxicating decades â Tangier's 'Golden Years' â are long gone. Grand old houses that once sparkled with life are shuttered and dark and most of the eccentrics who once lived and loved in the city have died. But here, in the pages of John Hopkins' cult classic, all the decadence and flamboyaTrade ReviewAn incomparable diarist. * Elle *[Hopkins] draws the reader into the daily life of what he describes as the “Saigon of the Sahara”, with tales of his encounters with the likes of William Burroughs, Malcolm Forbes, Wilfred Thesiger, Timothy Leary and Rudolf Nureyev [...] a chronicle of an era that has disappeared forever. * Independent on Sunday *All lovers of The Sheltering Sky will be grateful for this intimate record of Paul Bowles’s methods and opinions. -- Michael Arditti * Daily Mail *The Sixties are vividly described and we are plunged into the exotic world centred on writers Paul and Jane Bowles. A hit. -- Judy Cooke * Mail on Sunday *A grand read. -- Ephraim Hardcastle * Daily Mail *Morocco (especially Tangiers) was one of the places to be in the early ’60s. [...] Now it seems almost mythic, a great, outlandish American Bloomsbury. Hopkins delivers all the expected goodies and more: the requisite desert meditations, the kif-censed evenings in the kasbah, the celebrity sightings [...] a graceful, laconic stylist. * Kirkus Reviews *His diaries are crammed full of fine writing, warmly drawn recollections, and source material which will be used by historians so long as people want to read about the powerful confluence of cultures in collision which was Beat Tangier. -- Joe Ambrose * Outside Left *His beautiful diary is full of wonderful pen portraits of the many and various characters on display, vivid little street scenes and evocations of landscape [...] and personal stories. -- Jon May * The Generalist *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction The Tangier Diaries, 1962–1979 Epilogue

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Book SynopsisIn this uproariously funny memoir, Ludwig Bemelmans uncovers the fabulous world of the Hotel Splendide, the luxury New York hotel where he worked as a waiter. With equal parts affection and barbed wit, he records the everyday chaos that reigns behind the smooth facades of the gilded dining room and banquet halls. In hilarious detail, Bemelmans sketches the hierarchy of hotel life and its strange and fascinating inhabitants: from the ruthlessly authoritarian maître d'hôtel Monsieur Victor to the kindly waiter Mespoulets to Frizl the homesick busboy. Illustrated with his own charming line drawings, Bemelmans' tales of a bygone era of extravagance are as charming as they are riotously entertaining.Trade Review“An uproarious account of his life as a waiter at the thinly disguised Ritz-Carlton in the 1920s . . . He is a canny observer with a wry sense of humor, an innocent bystander who simply looks on. He’s like P.G. Wodehouse, with a touch of the Marx Brothers. . . . a delight from beginning to end.” --The Wall Street Journal"Hotel Splendide, Bemelmans’s 1941, out-of-print memoir, which is being reissued by Pushkin Press this month, is a delightful passport to a long-lost era"--Air Mail“The original bad boy of the New York restaurant/hotel underbelly. Bemelmans is always funny, insightful and dead on target.” --Anthony Bourdain “Freshness and vitality…wit, humor, pathos, and the inimitable Bemelmans’ touch.” --Kirkus Reviews “The kitchen memoir to end them all.” --Slightly Foxed“A seemingly light-hearted yet deceptively dark memoir of [Bemelmans'] time working in a luxury hotel in 1920s New York. A gently flowing, delightfully gossipy read, I could easily picture the entirety shot in black-and-white vignettes, Woody Allen style.” --Irish Times “A charming memoir.” --Independent “Immensely fun and an absolutely charming book... a beautiful classic” --WAMC North East Public Radio Book Picks. Table of ContentsCONTENTS 1. The Animal Waiter 7 2. Art at the Hotel Splendide 14 3. The Lost Mandolin 23 4. Easy Money 35 5. Kalakobe 43 6. A Night in Granada 51 7. The Hispano 56 8. The Homesick Bus Boy 62 9. The New Suit 70 10. The Ballet Visits the Magician 82 11. The Magician Does a New Trick 89 12. The Dreams of the Magician 96 13. My Valet Lustgarten 105 14. The Banquet 116 15. The Murderer of the Splendide 129

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Book SynopsisBrotherhood of the Screaming Abyss: My Life with Terence McKenna, is an autobiographical account of renowned ethnobotanist Dennis McKenna’s childhood, his relationship with his brother, and the author’s experiences with and reflections on psychedelics, philosophy, and scientific innovation.Chronicling the McKenna brothers’ childhood in western Colorado during the 1950s and 1960s, Dennis writes of his adolescent adventures including his first encounters with alcohol and drugs (many of which were facilitated by Terence), and the people and ideas that shaped them both. Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss weaves personal narrative through philosophical ideas and tales of psychedelic experimentation. In this book, Dennis describes these inquiries with the wisdom of perspective. In his account of what has become known as “The Experiment at La Chorrera”— which Terence documented in his own 1989 book, True Hallucinations — Dennis describes how he had visions of merging mushroom and human DNA, the brothers’ predictions for the future, and their evolving ideas about society and consciousness. He also offers an intellectual understanding of the hallucinogenic effects of high-dose psychedelic mushrooms and other psychedelic substances. Dennis, now world-renowned for this ethnobotanical work, describes in Brotherhood his early interests in cosmology and astrology, his sometimes rocky relationship with his older brother and how their paths diverged later in their lives. Dennis describes his academic career in between touching accounts of both his mother’s and Terence’s battles with cancer. In the 10th Anniversary edition of Brotherhood, Dennis reflects on scientific revelations, climate change, and the social and political crises of our time. The new edition also features both the original foreword by Luis Eduardo Luna and a new foreword by Dr. Bruce Damer. Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss is a story about brotherhood, psychedelic experimentation, and the intertwining nature of science and myth. Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTSForeword to the 2023 EditionForeword to the First EditionPreface to the 2023 EditionPreface to the First Edition Part One: Beginnings1 Beginnings2 Three Sisters3 Roots and Wars4 Terry and Denny5 Happy Day Rides6 The Nobody People7 The Collector8 Flying, Fishing, and Hunting9 Goodbye to All That10 The Big Picture11 First Loves: 196212 The California Crusade13 The Experimental College: 196514 Cannabis: 196615 The Tutor16 A Psychedelic Education17 Mapping Inner Space: Carl Jung18 The Ladders of Ecstasy: Mircea Eliade19 Summer of Love: 196720 The Secret Encountered21 The Stoners’ Revenge22 My Datura Misadventure23 Escape from Mordor: 196824 The Church Lawn Bunch25 Busted Again: 196926 Girl with a Gun: 1970Part Two: Into the Abyss27 The Brotherhood Forms28 Our Mother’s Death29 A Narrow Passage: 197130 On the Edge of the Abyss31 The Experiment at La Chorrera32 Waiting for the Stone33 The Bell Tower and a UFO34 Reflections on La ChorreraPart Three: Invisible Landscapes35 Invisible Landscapes36 The Timewave37 To See the Great Man38 Fun with Fungi: 197539 A Lab in Paradise40 In the Trenches41 An Encounter with Ayahuasca42 The River of Poisons43 Adulthood and Its Victims44 The Plant Teachers: 198545 The Perpetual Postdoc46 Climbing the Vine: 199147 New in Town48 The Bard in Light and Shadow49 A Desperate Situation50 Into the FireEpilogueThe Rearview MirrorAcknowledgmentsBibliographyAppendixIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom influential and iconic star Constance Wu, a powerful and poignant memoir-in-essays full of funny and intimate observations that will resonate with readers everywhere.Growing up in the friendly suburbs of Richmond, Virginia, Constance Wu thought that girls were supposed to be reserved, graceful, and polite.  Everyone around her praised ladylike behaviour while seeming to disapprove of the louder, rougher girls – the kind of girls who made scenes. And while she spent most of her childhood suppressing her bold, emotional nature, Constance found an early outlet in local community theatre.  The stage was the one place where big feelings were okay – were good, even.  As she continued to reconcile her personality with the expectations of daily life, acting became more than a hobby. It was her refuge, her touchstone, and eventually her vocation.  She went to New York to study classical theatre and pursue an acting career while wait

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Book SynopsisThe real Molly-Mae, in her own wordsMolly-Mae Hague is no stranger to the limelight, having found fame on TV and online. But behind the polished exterior there is a young girl with a unique story. It's the Molly not everyone gets to see.In Becoming Molly-Mae she unravels herself completely for the first time to open up about how she nurtured her creativity from a young age, took ownership of her body image, battle self-doubt and built a happy life. Along the way she shares the moments, relationships and life lessons that have made her who she is. From the energetic child who loved Irish dancing and pageants, to the teenager holding down a job at Boots whilst building her dreams at fashion school, her journey to Love Island and how she copes with fame today.By sharing these parts of herself, Molly-Mae gives a fresh take on finding beauty and balance in a busy world.

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Book Synopsis'[An] immersive debut... with detailed accounts of his trips and vivid descriptions of the scents ... [Roques'] rich travelogue will transport readers' Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)In Search of Perfumes is a fragrant journey across the world, revealing the beauty and mysteries of the perfume trade.Fruits, flowers, spices, bark, leaves, and branches are just some of the natural ingredients from the plant world that are used in the creation of perfume. Dominique Roques, travelling from Andalusia to Somaliland by way of Bulgaria, Laos, El Salvador, Indonesia and Egypt, describes his search to find the best natural ingredients, precious to perfumers everywhere.In Search of Perfumes demonstrates how the prestigious multi-million-pound perfume industry may begin its life as a single plant harvested by producers surviving on ancestral traditions and techniques and often risking their lives in the process as they combat the rising threat of climate change. Roques reveals the beauty and mysteries of a familiar trade; a return to the source of the world's scents.Trade Review'A fresh and informative book of warmth and intelligence' -- Virginie Bloch-Lainé, Libération'Dominique Roques' passionate account of his journey in search of the world's unique and sometimes ancient scents inspires us to join him' -- Rosan Hollak, NRC Handelsblad'[An] immersive debut... with detailed accounts of his trips and vivid descriptions of the scents ... [Roques'] rich travelogue will transport readers' * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *'A joy to read... I would recommend it to everyone who wants an insight into perfumery and its ingredients' -- Marianne Martin, President of the British Society of Perfumers

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Book Synopsis'[Sumayya Usmani is] the go-to expert in Pakistani cuisine' - BBC Good Food Magazine'Sumayya Usmani is a brilliant storyteller. She transports us with her delicious descriptions of the smells and flavours of the kitchen.' - Jay Rayner, award-winning writer and food critic Award-winning food writer Sumayya Usmani's stunning memoir conjures a story of what it was like growing up in Pakistan and how the women in her life inspired her to trust her instincts in the kitchen. From a young age, food was Sumayya's portal to nurturing, love and self-expression. She spent the first eight years of her life at sea, with a father who captained merchant ships and a mother who preferred to cook for the family herself on a tiny electric stove in their cabin rather than eat in the officer's mess.When the family moved to Karachi, Sumayya grew up torn between the social expectations of life as a young girl in Pakistan, and the inspiration she felt in the kitchen, watching her mother, and her Nani Mummy (maternal grandmother) and Dadi's (paternal grandmother) confidence, intuition and effortless ability to build complex, layered flavours in their cooking.This evocative and moving food memoir - which includes the most meaningful recipes of Sumayya's childhood - tells the story of how Sumayya's self-belief grew throughout her young life, allowing her to trust her instincts and find her own path between the expectations of following in her father's footsteps as a lawyer and the pressures of a Pakistani woman's presumed place in the household. Gradually, through the warmth of her family life, the meaning of 'andaza' comes to her: that the flavour and meaning of a recipe is not a list of measured ingredients, but a feeling in your hands, as you let the elements of a meal come together through instinct and experience.Recipes include: Nani Mummy's prawn karahiPotatoes with curry leaves and turmericChicken boti tikka, Bundoo Khan styleMummy's wedding-style chicken kormaBitter lemon, mustard seed and garlic pullaoDadi's banana and fennel seed gulgulay doughnut'I can't decide whether I want to devour Sumayya's story or her recipes first, but this has left me hungry to travel, to explore... and, of course, to eat.' Felicity Cloake, Guardian food columnist and author of Perfect, The A-Z of Eating and One More Croissant for the RoadTrade ReviewWhat stood out for mewas the enchanting way you told your life story. I somehow cared less for the food in this book and more for you. I wanted to know more about you and what happened next. You, yourself, are such an exciting focus and you tell your story so well. Your story overpowers the food.- Madhur JaffreyThe title for Sumayya Usmani's memoir, Andaza, means sensory cooking, and it delivers on so many levels. Sumayya's words awakened my senses almost synaesthetically: I could taste the sounds, visualise the flavours, and hear the colours of Pakistani cooking.Her story felt new, exciting, but also familiar in a visceral kind of way. In places, it made me smile and laugh, and at times it triggered sadness. Throughout, Sumayya's voice and spirit are strong, prompting one to read on with an overwhelming sense of awe and solidarity.- Olia Hercules, author of Home Food, Summer Kitchens, Mamushka and KaukasisNot only a transporting and engaging memoir at a time when we could all do with being transported to the markets of Karachi or the Sea of Japan, but an important contribution to the culinary canon; an irresistible invitation to delve deeper into a food culture Britain has embraced on its plate, yet still knows so frustratingly little about otherwise. I can't decide whether I want to devour Sumayya's story or her recipes first, but this has left me hungry to travel, to explore... and, of course, to eat.- Felicity Cloake, Guardian food columnist and author of Perfect, The A-Z of Eating and One More Croissant for the RoadSumayya has a beautiful, personal and interesting story to share. Food stories like these (the best kind of stories) are the door-openers, harnessing diverse fragments together in a nourishing collective. The cooking of her Nani Mummy, Dadi and phuppos has me hungry to know more of this culture: these dishes, and the comfort, love and support that they bring.- Tessa Kiros, author of Falling Cloudberries, Provence to Pondicherry and Apples for JamTable of ContentsAbout AndazaYOU CAN'T COOK WITH WORDS THE HOPE AT HOSPITALITY'S HEART FAITH IN THE FLAVOUR OF YOUR HANDS FEED YOUR GUESTS, AND FEED THEM WELLCOOKING ON MEATLESS DAYS GREEN CHILLIES ON THE SIDE CHAAT ISN'T A STARTER PICKLED LEMONS AND PERFECT PHULKAS BENAZIR AND BUNDOO KHAN COOKING MUMMY'S PULLAO DADI'S FREE SPIRIT THE SECRET TO LAYERING SPICES IS SERENITY WEDDING KORMA IS NEVER MADE WITH CREAM MITHAI ISN'T DESSERT BITTER, DARK LEMONS COOKING FOR CONSOLATION ANDAZA IN MY KITCHEN Index

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Book SynopsisFrom a young marine biologist, sailor and artist, here is a beguiling and beautiful book about our human relationship with the sea and the creatures who inhabit it.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisBorn in 1948 into a family of ministers in Kingston, Jamaica, the statuesque and strikingly beautiful Grace Jones lived with her family in Syracuse, NY, before launching a career as a model in New York City. Gaining fame as the cover girl for such publications as Vogue and Elle, Jones''s flamboyant look proved to be a hit on the New York City nightclub circuit and she became a darling of the disco scene, which led to a recording contract and a substantial following among gay men. With her sexually charged, outrageous live shows, Grace soon earned the title of ''Queen of the Gay Discos.'' When she moved to Paris in 1970, the French fashion scene embraced her unusual, androgynous looks and, in addition to cover work, she dominated the runways of designers like Yves St. Laurent and befriended the likes of Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld. While there, she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange and became artist Jean-Paul Goude''s muse - he also fathered her son Pau

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Book SynopsisIn 1969, an eruption of armed violence traumatized Northern Ireland and transformed a period of street protest over civil rights into decades of paramilitary warfare by republicans and loyalists. In this evocative memoir, Malachi O'Doherty not only recounts his experiences of living through the Troubles, but also recalls a revolution in his lifetime. However, it wasn't the bloody revolution that was shown on TV but rather the slow reshaping of the culture of Northern Ireland - a real revolution that was entirely overshadowed by the conflict.Incorporating interviews with political, professional and paramilitary figures, O'Doherty draws a profile of an era that produced real social change, comparing and contrasting it with today, and asks how frail is the current peace as Brexit approaches, protest is back on the streets and violence is simmering in both republican and loyalist camps.Trade ReviewTimely and hugely absorbing... A beautifully layered and engaging profile of Northern Ireland as it reels into the 21st century. * The Herald *A personal, humane and very readable reflection on the profound changes that have occurred in the North during the half-century since the emergence of conflict in 1969. * TLS *An essential and fascinating memoir which also doubles as an important historical and social reference, shining a light into aspects of life here that sometimes are overshadowed by conflict. * Máiría Cahill, journalist and political activist *A superbly written and thought-provoking book, replete with Malachi O'Doherty's expert observations on how the past can be a catalyst for both change and continuity. * Aaron Edwards, author of UVF: Behind the Mask *Fifty Years On explores changes wrought in Northern Ireland by a half century of political and social ferment, not only the Troubles and their aftermath but also the growing secularisation of society... In this highly readable and up-to-date book, the author proves himself an astute and tireless chronicler of his times. * Linda Anderson, co-editor of Female Lines: New Writing by Women from Northern Ireland *Malachi O'Doherty's fascinating and intimate account of the outbreak of the Troubles is compelling. He skilfully weaves his personal family history through the layers of turmoil engulfing his city. * Yvette Shapiro, journalist, commentator and TV producer *In this widely diverse book, O'Doherty's subject matter includes: the tensions within the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, the split within republicanism, the slide into armed conflict, the IRA, the Loyalists, sexism, abortion, gay rights and Brexit... What does shine is the lucidity and persuasiveness of his arguments. He made me stop and think. I like that. * Richard O’Rawe, biographer and novelist *Fifty Years On is a compellingly personal alternative history of a turbulent half century... This thoughtful personal chronicle of how a society has changed in the adult lifetime of one man is witty, poignant and beautifully written. * Sam McBride, political editor, Belfast News Letter *Table of Contents1: The Sixties and Me 2: Trouble in the Background 3: Remembering Civil Rights 4: Revolution in the Air 5: The Tilt towards War 6: Revolutionary and Moderate 7: The Troubles Tour 8: The Past in the Present 9: Women's Rights Movement 10: Boys Will Be Boys 11: Whose Body Is It Anyway? 12: Fighting for Life 13: Pride 14: A Fair Cop 15: Loyal Rebels 16: Sick Society or Bad Men?

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Book SynopsisDiagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in his teenage years, Harry Thompson looks back with wit and humour at the ups and downs of family and romantic relationships, school, work and mental health, as well as his teenage struggle with drugs and alcohol.By embracing neurodiversity and emphasising that autistic people are not flawed human beings, Thompson demonstrates that some merely need to take the "scenic route" in order to flourish and reach their full potential. The memoir brings to life Harry's past experiences and feelings, from his torrid time at school to the peaceful and meaningful moments when he is alone with a book, writing or creating YouTube videos.Eloquent and insightful, The PDA Paradox will bring readers to shock, laughter and tears through its overwhelming honesty. It is a turbulent memoir, but it ends with hope and a positive outlook to the future.Trade ReviewBeing a mum to a teenage PDA son is life-changing, and at times, utterly heart-wrenching experience. Seeing Harry through his own candid, entertaining and diplomatic lens, fills me with hope, quiet optimism, and (most importantly) confidence for my own son's future. Thank you Harry for your insight. -- Natasha, PDA mumAs a clinician who has worked with complex young people and adults with Autism throughout my working life, I was delighted to be asked to review this book. I read it in one sitting. It is the most articulate, honest, entertaining (and sometimes funny) book about PDA I have read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to gain an insight into how this profile impacts upon individuals, their families and those who work with or are involved in their education. -- Dr Judy Eaton, Consultant Clinical PsychologistIn this book Harry has told the fascinating story of his interesting and inspiring life. With great use of humour, grace, and emotion he gives brilliant insight into his Pathological Demand Avoidance, which I'm sure reading it would be helpful to many people. -- Liam Ragless, Autism Support Advisor, Assert Brighton and HoveTable of Contents1. Gratitude? I Think Not! 2. So What the Devil is this PDA Malarkey Anyway? 3. Mother & The Beast. 4a. "School". 4b. A Brief, Yet Necessary, Digression. 4c. (Resumed). 5. "Pretending to be Something I'm Not in Pursuit of Green, Rectangular Pieces of Paper". 6. Coexisting with Other Living Things on a Blue and Green Speck of Dust Hurtling Through Space. 7. Inhale and Exhale. Denouement. End: A Final Note from the Author's Mother.

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Book Synopsis'A remarkable account of illness, loss and the power of sibling love' The Times'Wise's reflections on compassion fatigue are worth the price of this book alone, but what you take away is something splendid and unwearying: a sibling's devotion that feels remarkably like what we mean when we talk of a stage of grace.' Telegraph'Inspirational... profoundly uplifting' Daily Mail'Heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measure' Express'This is a fantastic book ... Remarkable' Lorraine Kelly_______A moving, thought-provoking and surprisingly humorous book which is both a description of a journey to death and a celebration of the act of living.Based on Clare Wise's blog, which she started when she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013, Not That Kind of Love charts the highs and lows of the last three years of Clare's life. The end result is not a book that fills you with despair and anguish. On the contrary, Not That Kind of Love should be read by everybody for its candour, and for its warmth and spirit. Clare is an astonishingly dynamic, witty and fun personality, and her positivity and energy exude from every page.As she becomes too weak to type, her brother - the actor Greg Wise - takes over, and the book morphs into a beautiful meditation on life, and the necessity of talking about death.As Greg Wise writes in the book: 'Celebrate the small things, the small moments. If you find yourself with matching socks as you leave the house in the morning, that is a cause for celebration. If the rest of the day is spent finding the cure for cancer, or brokering world peace, then that's a bonus.'Trade ReviewNot That Kind Of Love is a truly memorable read, it feels like a very special book about what was - is - clearly an amazing bond between a brother and sister ... Readers will be both moved and inspired by it. * The Times *Inspirational... Profoundly uplifting. * The Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisSylvain Tesson, found a radical solution to his need for freedom, one as ancient as the experiences of the hermits of old Russia: he decided to lock himself alone in a cabin in the middle taiga, on the shores of Baikal, for six months. Noting carefully his impressions of the silence, Sylvain Tesson shares with us an extraordinary experience.

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Book SynopsisThis is a celebration of running, and what lots of us think about when we run. Part escape, part self-discovery, part therapy, part fitness. Part simple childlike joy of running when you could be walking.Vassos Alexander shares the highs and lows of falling in love with running, from his first paltry efforts to reach the end of his street to completing ultra marathons and triathlons in the same weekend. Each of the 26.2 chapters also features a fascinating insight into how others first started, from Paula Radcliffe to Steve Cram, the Brownlees to Jenson Button, Nicky Campbell to Nell McAndrew.Funny, inspiring, honest - the perfect read for anyone with well-worn trainers by the door (or thinking of buying a pair...)Trade ReviewHe even inspired me to run a marathon! * Chris Evans *This entertaining story of a reluctant athlete might just inspire you to follow Vassos’s advice and ‘find some trainers and see where they take you’ * Daily Mail *Vassos shares the highs and lows of running, from his days as a novice to his journey of completing ultra-marathons and triathlons in the same weekend… it's a celebration of running that all runners will relate to… * Running Magazine *Celebrate running with sports broadcaster and presenter for BBC Radio 2's The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Vassos Alexander * Health & Fitness *Don’t Stop Me Now will appeal to everyone, from marathon runners to casual joggers and those just thinking about getting off the couch. * Sunday Post *Full of inspiration to kick you into gear * Women's Fitness *Celebrates the joy and obsession of running * Trail Running *This book is for all of us - whether we're tackling 26.2 miles or 2.6. it's a valuable reminder that there's something great about just putting one foot in front of the other, and running * Women's Fitness *Whether you're a regular gym bunny, a fan of pounding pavements or just have good intentions, you'll love this * Living North *Vassos Alexander’s Don’t Stop Me Now is ideal reading material * Bristol Post *Don’t Stop Me Now provides story after compelling story from every level of athletic prowess to reveal the enduring attraction and challenge of completing a 26.2 mile marathon with or without time to spare * Philosophy Football *Full of inspiration to kick you into gear * Women's Fitness *Vassos Alexander’s ode to running, offers up a highly entertaining, illuminating and inspiring read * Mumsnet *This light-hearted new book by Vassos Alexander, celebrates the highs and lows of running…Good fun! * Health & Fitness *Table of ContentsForeword 1. Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run 2. One Direction, Ready to Run 3. Kaiser Chiefs, On the Run 4. Spencer Davis Group, Keep on Running 5. Kanye West, Runaway 6. Pink Floyd, Run Like Hell 7. Paul McCartney, Band on the Run 8. Snow Patrol, Run 9. Lenny Kravitz, Always on the Run 10. Jackson Browne, Running on Empty 11. Iron Maiden, Running Free 12. Carly Simon, Let the River Run 13. Kate Bush, Running Up That Hill 14. Scissor Sisters, Running Out 15. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Runaway Daydreamer 16. OneRepublic, Love Runs Out 17. Tom Petty, Runnin' Down a Dream 18. Flo Rida, Run 19. The Doors, Runnin' Blue 20. Imelda May, Road Runner 21. Ed Sheehan, Runaway 22. Lionel Richie, Running with the Night 23. Jay-Z, Run This Town 24. Bryan Adams, Run To You 25. Beyonce, Run the World 26. The Beatles, Run for Your Life 26.2 Queen, Don't Stop Me Now Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisThe shrunken space of the pandemic. A broken relationship. Grief for a dying mother and the creeping shadow of illness.

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