Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisAS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4A searingly honest depiction of raising a disabled child . . . Intimate, sometimes heartbreaking and often funny, this letter of love is essential reading.' Mail on SundayIt's so good a beautiful piece of writing that really did have me gripped from the first page. What an achievement.' Cathy Rentenbrink, bestselling author of The Last Act of LoveHeartbreaking . . . beautifully written . . . in equal measure, admirable, uplifting, terrifying.' Louise Doughty, ObserverThis is a memoir about hope hope in others, hope in systems, and hope for the future.I've never quite known where to begin when someone asks me what I've been up to. I've never quite known how to explain what our daily life is like. I wanted to write how it is in order to give others a greater understanding of disability and caring. And to be totally honest, I wanted to write something t

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Book SynopsisCompletely fascinating, revelatory . . . A classic of its kind.' WILLIAM BOYDCompelling . . . compulsive.' MARGARET DRABBLE, NEW STATESMANT.S. Eliot and Mary Trevelyan shared a close friendship twenty-five years in each others' company: playing records; going for drives with Mary at the wheel; sharing dinners Eliot cooked in his rolled-up shirtsleeves; and attending church together. While Mary hoped it might become something more, the poet's heart was elsewhere. Using a collection of diaries, letters and pictures Mary left behind, Erica Wagner brings together this story of an unusual friendship in this intimate portrait of T.S. Eliot and Mary, a formidable woman thus far sidelined by literary history.

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Book SynopsisA memorial collection of writings by the murdered young journalist Lyra McKee - from viral articles to unpublished material - that celebrates her life, work and creative legacy: one that will live on.

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Book Synopsis''Urgent, compelling and lyrically, luminously beautiful . . . a brilliant, heart-rending read.'' Psychologies MagazineBrown constellates the subjects that define her inside and out: a disabled and conspicuous body, a religious conversion, a missing twin, a life in poetry. As she does, she depicts vividly for us not only her own life but a striking array of sites and topics, among them Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the world's oldest anatomical theater, Eugenics, and Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Throughout, Brown offers us the gift of her exquisite sentences, woven together in consideration, always, of what it means to be human: flawed, potent, feeling.Trade Review'These remarkable essays invite us to look long and hard at our own interior landscapes, and to negotiate exterior ones with as much grace and gratitude as we can muster.' - Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize winning author of AMITY & PROSPERITY'Her writing is sensitive, intelligent, and above all, clear-eyed and curious about her own experience as a writer, a traveler, and a disabled person. This is an important and beautiful rethinking of how bodies move through the world.' - Claire Dederer

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Book Synopsis''The king of character comedy.'' Good Housekeeping''A lynchpin of British comedy.'' Alan MooreThe nation's favourite comedian opens up about two extraordinary decades at the heart of British comedy. Packed with inside stories and wisdom, this is a heartfelt, inspiring and always-hilarious memoir of a true comedy legend.Relayed with characteristic exuberance and self-deprecation.' Fiona Sturges, Book of the Day GuardianHighly enjoyable . . . Funny, pacy and sharp.' Mail on SundayMoving and honest.' ObserverThis paperback edition contains a new chapter in which Lenny Henry wrestles with Shakespeare as he searches for a new direction in his career.

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Book SynopsisOf the twenty chapters that make up these Memoirs, seventeen appear here in print for the first time, unearthed by the editors from the Harvard Archive. They include intense depictions of Lowell's mental illness and his efforts to recover, and conclude with reminiscences of other writers - T. S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, John Berryman, Anne Sexton, Hannah Arendt, and Sylvia Plath. Memoirs demonstrates Lowell's expansive gifts as a prose stylist and provide further evidence of the range and brilliance of his achievement.

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Book SynopsisAs Rob Hersov writes in his Foreword, My Joburg Family brought back a flood of memories, a feeling of déjà vu, which would surely be shared by members of this generation when reading the book.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A joy, start to finish." * Philadelphia Inquirer *"The book comes alive when Smith connects his own moral and intellectual growth to his appreciation of the poet. . . . Anyone interested in the intellectual underpinnings of Smith's warm and humane novels should read this book."---Regina Marler, New York Times Book Review"Alexander McCall Smith plumbs the British poet's modern resonance in this charming, quirky, slim volume, a deft weave of biography, textual analysis and memoir. It's a must-read for Auden fans—even more for those who know his work only from a British rom-com. . . . That there's only kindness in the telling marks the moral generosity McCall Smith says the great poet has taught him. He's learned a bunch of other stuff as well. And if you read his quietly wise book, you'll learn it, too."---Anne Kingston, Maclean's"Poets need readers who aren't poets, and it is delightful to see an established novelist answer the call."---Lachlan MacKinnon, Times Literary Supplement"What W. H. Auden Can Do for You is a graceful and personal response of gratitude for Auden, celebrating the resonance, reverence, and rebellion of the man who believed 'truth is catholic, but the search for it is protestant.'"---Mark Oakley, Church Times"McCall Smith restores the link between poetry and life."---Anthony Daniels, New Criterion"Charming."---Fiona Sampson, New Humanist"An appreciation of the poet that should appeal even to those only familiar with his work via Four Weddings and a Funeral."---Eugenia Williamson, Boston Globe"Maybe the name of this book is the most radical, insightful thing about it: the notion that Auden is, as McCall Smith writes, 'a healer,' and that this is healing is collective. It's not just what Auden can do for you alone, but for all of us."---Alex Nazaryan, Newsweek"A wonderful work."---Vinton Rafe McCabe, New York Journal of Books"Of all the volumes I've read about [Auden], and all the tributes paid, the most remarkable and in a sense the most lovable is a highly personal, 137-page book by Alexander McCall Smith, What W. H. Auden Can Do For You."---Robert Fulford, National Post"[A] charming, insightful, personal look at one of the 20th century's great poets."---Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times"Not only does What W. H. Auden Can Do for You express Smith's deep admiration of Auden's poetry, but his paean to the messy maestro also makes for a charming, honest look at Auden's failings. . . . Still, Smith's passion for the poet cannot help but inspire us. . . . [He] wisely counsels us to turn to the poems themselves to assess how much light they shed on our lives and loves. We won't be disappointed. For as Isabel Dalhousie knows so well, reading poetry may put us on the right track, after all."---Arlice Davenport, Wichita Eagle"Novelist Alexander McCall Smith has written a short, personal book about another abiding poet: Wystan Hugh Auden, dead these 40 years. . . . McCall Smith feels enormous gratitude to Auden, and he is a keen proselytiser for poetry: its unique force and moral necessity. . . . With poems like Lullaby and Musée des Beaux Arts, Auden transcended his obscure vocabulary and arcane interests to become that rarest of creatures, a necessary poet--the creator of works that people chant to themselves on beaches and read to the bereaved or the newly married. Again and again we return to this strange, weathered scholar poet because he helps us to live."---Peter Rose, Sydney Morning Herald"For some people The Art of War is a touchstone. A guide to living and to life. For others it is Tao Te Ching or even The Tao of Pooh. In his latest book, number one detective Alexander McCall Smith has an admission to make: his own personal touchstone is Anglo-American poet W.H. Auden. . . . If you are a fan of Auden's work, this is a must-read."---Jones Atwater, January Magazine"[A] thoughtful and generous guide to more than the selected poems of W. H. Auden. An uplifting, pocket-sized vade mecum it made me rethink how I read, why poetry can be relevant both to everyday life and great events and it was refreshingly illuminating on the ways we age."---Caroline Jackson, Tablet"[A] charming little book."---Robert Fulford, National Post"McCall Smith makes an excellent case for a young generation to get acquainted with the life trajectory of Auden as poet and as struggling human."---Barbara Berman, TheRumpus.net"For those of us who have waded through a morass of arduous criticism on Auden, it is nice to be reminded why this poet means so much for so many. For those who have not, McCall Smith's book is a great place to start."---Neilson MacKay, NewCriterion.com"Sheer delight in the written and spoken word beams forth from Alexander McCall Smith's overview of the life of the one of the greatest 20th century poets, the Anglo-American poet, W. H. Auden, and his work in What W. H. Auden Can Do for You. The fluency and vigor of McCall Smith's writing gives a strength and momentum to the text that encourages one to read the whole book through without pause. The accessible way in which the author introduces even some of the most complex topics that are covered in Auden's poetry makes this a gem for non-academics and scholars alike."---Lois Henderson, Bookpleasures.com

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Book Synopsis Shape of a Boy is a hilarious and eye-opening travel memoir by the mother of three boys as she documents her travels with her family around the world.‘Have kids, will travel’ is veteran travel journalist Kate’s mantra. Her intrepid spirit is infectious in this warm, engaging account of her family’s adventures and misadventures. She shares the life lessons learnt on their travels, from overcoming disappointment in Thailand to saying sorry in Japan, discovering perseverance in Borneo and learning about conservation in Malaysia. From the jungles of southeast Asia to the waterfront in Havana and the blazing heat of Egypt, Shape of a Boy captures the essence of being a parent in the thick of it and learning on the hoof. Inspirational for anyone who has dreaded travelling with a baby, toTrade Review‘highly entertaining, often hilarious' and 'inspiring to all parents' -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *Table of ContentsIntroduction 11 Israel & Jordan: A Lesson in Parenthood2 Mallorca: A Lesson in Family Travel3 Thailand: A Lesson in Recovering from Disappointment4 Cambodia: A Lesson in Sensitivity5 Borneo: A Lesson in Perseverance6 Egypt: A Lesson in Moral High Ground7 Mauritius: A Lesson in Flexibility8 Sri Lanka: A Lesson in Karma9 Malaysia: A Lesson in Conservation10 Mexico: A Lesson in Mortality11 Morocco: A Lesson in Not Judging a Book by its Cover12 Tanzania: A Lesson in the Birds, the Bees, the Monkeys & the Zebras13 Japan: A Lesson in Social Etiquette14 Laos: A Lesson in Slowing Down & Letting Go15 Cuba: A Lesson in FreedomEpilogueAcknowledgements

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Book SynopsisA story about the author's 3,000-mile solo walk across an entire continent, from Namibia's Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar.Trade Review'A fresh and hugely amusing perspective... a heartwarming reflection of Africa's people and places' Metro'A likeable and self-deprecating narrator... I found myself increasingly gripped' Observer'An honest and hugely amusing account... Sandham's love for Africa is contagious' South African Magazine'Classical account of one man's struggle to test himself against Nature... Hope we shall hear more of his travels' The Daily Telegraph'Frank and uplifting, a well-written account' Wanderlust'This is real old school adventure... Great stuff' Adventure Travel'Writes with down-to-earth glee of the personalities, hardships, pleasures and idiocy of a solo walk' Longitude Longitude'Warm and entertaining... It is his enthusiasm for adventure and the variety of human life that makes Traversa so memorable' New Statesman

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Book SynopsisThrough the prisms of memory and art, award-winning author John Spurling reimagines the tumultuous period of the Glorious Revolution and brings to life historical figures Dryden, Vanbrugh, Swift, Pope and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu as never before.Trade Review'Elegant and playful, a tonic for these trouble times' Andrew Taylor, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ashes of London‘A heartfelt memorial to the extraordinary William Congreve and to those who loved him. Spurling provides an imaginative way into a wonderful period for readers who prefer their historical tea mixed with the milk of fiction’ Ophelia Field, Author of The Kit-Cat Club, and The Favourite‘This cleverly constructed portrait of a great playwright and good man starts with the turbulent politics of the Restoration period and ends with a timeless love. As erudite and entertaining as Congreve himself’ Carole Angier, biographer of Jean Rhys and Primo Levi

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Book SynopsisCritically acclaimed, this unique and compelling personal biography uncovers the hidden love triangle between novelist Elizabeth Bowen and the author's grandparents.Trade Review‘It’s very epistolary and very beautiful, particularly with Bowen’s letters which are astonishingly beautiful, complex and intense. It’s like reading one of Elizabeth Bowen’s great novels' RSL Christopher Bland Prize'A fascinating and moving portrait of love, loyalty and infidelity’ Sarah Waters'Marvellous, gently elegiac, beautifully written, and fascinating' John Banville, New York Review of Books'Bowen fans will be in her debt' Peter J. Conradi'As literary discoveries go, it’s a big one' Sunday Times'An essay of rare sensitivity and intelligent reflection' Telegraph'Fascinating and poetic' Irish Times‘A judicious moment-by-moment account of these complicated characters' Spectator

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Book SynopsisBGE Irish Sports Book of the Year and eir Sports Book of the YearIn The Choice Dubs star Philly McMahon shares the deeply personal story of his brother, John, a heroin addict who died at the age of 31. Structured as a series of choices in sport, in education and in life the book delves into the contrasting lives of the brothers and how the opportunities presented to Philly through sport and education opened up a world of choice that protected him from the dangers of growing up in Ballymun at the height of the heroin epidemic.As well as offering sports fans fresh insights into one of GAA's most fascinating characters, The Choice is an inspiration for anyone struggling with addiction. Raw, vivid and intensely moving, it is an epic story of triumph in the face of adversity and loss, and a tribute to the redemptive power of sport.Should be on the curriculum for all transition year student boys it's a book about life phenomenal.' DAMIEN O'MEARA, RTÉ SPORTPhilly McMahon should be placed on a pedestal and be a beacon of inspiration to all young sports stars in the country.' THE IRISH INDEPENDENT

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Book SynopsisA beautiful and hopeful book for when life isn't what you expect it to be.In March 2017, Niamh Fitzpatrick's life fell apart overnight. Her beloved sister Dara was killed in a helicopter crash. Soon afterwards, Niamh's marriage disintegrated, and she feared she would lose her house, beside her remaining family. Life as she knew it had ended and the cumulative loss, in terms of impact, was staggering.A psychologist for many years, Niamh guides clients on their journey to overcome the worst of times in their lives. She had to draw on this skillset herself, first to survive and then, in time, begin to thrive after such significant loss. Tell Me the Truth About Loss documents a psychologist's journey through loss, grief and the hardest of times, finding hope along the way.Niamh's words will resonate with anyone who has suffered loss but ultimately she offers hope.' Anne Dunne, Irish Independent ReviewTell Me the T

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Book SynopsisNobody thought Rory O'Connor would make it written off as thick' at school he struggled to find a career he felt he could succeed in. When a hot tip led to a win on the horses it was the beginning of a dangerous spiral into a gambling addiction that gnawed away at his self-esteem even further.How did the man who thought he had nothing to live for go on to become a stand-up comedian selling out venues around Ireland and reaching 800,000 people through his social media platforms? This is Rory's Story.Told with his trademark humour, this straight-talking memoir is a book for anyone who wants to be inspired by an ordinary man's mental health journey.''A witty and moving look behind one of the biggest comedy success stories of recent years.'' Donal Lynch, Sunday Independent''Great Read'' Kieran Cuddihy, The Hard Shoulder''''Brilliant'' Dermot and Dave

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Book SynopsisRichard Nairn has spent a lifetime studying and learning from nature. When an opportunity arose for him to buy a small woodland filled with mature native trees beside a fast-flowing river, he set about understanding all its moods and seasons, discovering its wildlife secrets and learning how to manage it properly.Wildwoods is a fascinating account of his journey over a typical year. Along the way, he uncovers the ancient roles of trees in Irish life, he examines lost skills such as coppicing and he explores new uses of woodlands for forest schools, foraging and rewilding. Ultimately, Wildwoods inspires all of us to pay attention to what nature can teach us.A book to inspire anyone who wants Ireland to grow more Irish trees.' Michael VineyA welcome portal into a nearly lost habitat' Catherine Cleary, Irish Times Weekend ReviewFascinating' Paddy Kehoe, RTÉNairn has a good style of writing that comfortably combines the conversational with the educational. Within a few pages, I felt myself drawn into the natural world he describes.' Tony Canavan, Books Ireland

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Book SynopsisRivers and lakes are the arteries and beating heart of Ireland. To our ancestors these wetlands were their highways, providing valuable sources of food including fish and wildfowl as well as vital materials such as reeds for thatching and willows for basket-making. Today they supply us with drinking water and cleanse our waste, their energy is harnessed to provide power, they are vital habitats for many freshwater species, and they are treasured places for tranquillity and recreation.Here, in a unique mix of nature, history and personal experience, ecologist Richard Nairn explores and celebrates the rivers and lakes of Ireland. Beginning with the Avonmore River system which flows through some of the most picturesque parts of Co. Wicklow, Wild Waters reveals the magic of Ireland's rivers and lakes and contemplates the consequences for them as the rapid deterioration of our natural environment continues.Praise for previous books in this trilogy, Wild Woods and Wild Shores: His description moves me. An engaging and ambitious new book,' Michael Viney, The Irish Times.This new book exploring our coastline can take us into places we would never have the time (or sea legs) to reach,' Catherine Cleary, The Irish Times.''A brilliant and timely odyssey around our precious, precarious shores,'' Professor John Brannigan, College of Arts and Humanities, University College Dublin.A great read - whatever part of the coast you visit,' Éanna ní Lamhna, environmentalist and author.Well-researched and beautifully written. An absolute gem,' Zoe Devlin, Botanist and author of The Wildflowers of Ireland.An exhilarating journey right around our coastline, melding a lifetime's conservation research with rich personal experience, enriched by a broad repertoire of historical and literary references, especially the work of Robert Lloyd Praeger, ' Paddy Woodworth, Journalist and author.

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Book SynopsisThe number one bestseller in France and Italy, from Françoise Héritier, The Sweetness of Life is a beautiful and poetic list of the everyday reasons that make life worth livingIf you assume an average life expectancy of 85 years, and deduct the hours we spend daily on sleeping, shopping, eating, working, tending to our relationships and on everything else that is obligatory, then how much time is left for the average person to enjoy those activities that are the sweetness of life? For Françoise Héritier, it is those activities, those moments that make up pure sensuality, the actual experience of humanity. These are the moments we all cherish: wild laughter, coffee in the sun, the bliss of fresh autumn evenings, running in warm rain, long conversations at twilight, kisses on the back of the neck, the moment when all nature falls silent, those times when you know that someone likes you, is looking at you and listening to you, cooking a complicated dish, feeling agile anTrade ReviewA series of perceptions, sensations, eddies, and happiness of writing that gives a real intensity to the existence . . . a true wonder -- Laure Adler

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Book Synopsis''An unpretentious Aussie''s experiences in one of the most ramshackle and soul-destroying military organisations on Earth.'' COURIER-MAILA real-life boy''s own adventure, MARCHING WITH THE DEVIL is a hell-raising account of five years in the infamous French Foreign Legion.''In 1894 a French Foreign Legion General said, Legionnaires, vous etes faits pour mourir, je vous envoie la ou on meurt. Legionnaires, you are made for dying, I will send you where you can die. When I was in my mid-teens and first read those words they were powerful and confronting. I read them as a challenge and an invitation. The words, and the feelings they evoked, remained with me until I was ready. On 20 May 1988, I enlisted in the French Foreign Legion.''Searching for something he wasn''t finding in his life in Australia, David Mason joined the French Foreign Legion. This is a frank account of how Mason came first in basic training, trained other Legionnaires, went to Africa, did sniper, commando and medic training and took part in two operations, both in the Republic of Djibouti where a civil war nearly crippled the nation. It tells of his daily life in the Legion, in the training regiment, in Africa and with the Legion''s Parachute Regiment. But more than this: it reveals his disillusionment, frustration and disappointment with the much mythologised Legion, and how the Legion today is not what it seems - or could be. Now part of the HACHETTE MILITARY COLLECTION.''Remarkable'' THE AGETrade Review‘Since its creation in 1831, the French Foreign Legion has become the stuff of myth, fiction and dreams... Anyone thinking of joining up would be well advised to read this book first.’ * The Sun Herald *‘Remarkable... It's hard not to think it a shame that a man of such obvious gifts should have wasted them on the legion, just so as not to have to feel like a quitter, even if this book was the result.’ * The Age *‘Marching with the Devil quickly turns into an insightful and honest account of an unpretentious Aussie's experiences in one of the most ramshackle and soul-destroying military organisations on Earth.’ * Courier Mail *‘A strangely compulsive read about one man’s quest for self knowledge.’ * Men's Health Magazine *‘Mason left a comfortable life in Australia to test himself in the crucible of the legion, and he writes about it 20 years after his service time necessary to give himself the distance and context he needed to write about an extraordinary and painful experience.’ * Sunday Mail Brisbane *‘It’s a rollicking, readable memoir of extreme adventures.’ * Burnie Advocate *

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Book SynopsisAt 10.30 p.m. on 12 January 2016 Acting Sergeant Luke Warburton thought he was taking his last breath. A decorated New South Wales Police Officer, the father of three was looking death in the face after a bullet pierced his femoral vein. If it wasn''t for the fact that it happened in the Emergency Ward of Sydney''s Nepean Hospital, Warburton would probably have been dead already. An hour earlier, he''d walked to his police van with his ever-faithful German shepherd, Chuck, trotting alongside. Later, Luke would be awarded the Commissioner''s Valour Award for conspicuous merit and exceptional bravery in the line of duty. He would maintain he was just a copper doing his job. So, too, was Chuck, who was nationally recognised for bringing down Australia''s most wanted man, Malcolm Naden, after a manhunt lasting more than seven years.MAN''S BEST FRIEND is Luke and Chuck''s story. It''s the story of a boy who dreamed of one day being a policeman, of his love

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Book SynopsisA powerful, moving memoir about love, loss and this one precious life   'If not with you, then for you.'   It was a perfect Wednesday morning when Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin kissed his partner, Ellidy, goodbye to go spearfishing. Most days Ellidy would go to the beach too, but that day she didn't. Later, there was a knock at the door. A man had been found unconscious on the ocean floor. It was Chumpy.   From that moment, Ellidy's world stopped. There was deep grief, disbelief and then the gradual realisation that this was real. Life was forever changed. Ellidy's partner of eight years, a World Champion snowboarder, a man of energy and music, was gone. And so was the life they had built together and the dream of the child they had been trying for. In the hours that followed a suggestion was made, did Ellidy want to harvest Chumpy's sperm and try for the baby they both wanted so deeply? There was a ticking clock and the need to speak to family and friends. They had thirty-six hours before it would be too late. Family, friends, lawyers and doctors helped to give Ellidy the chance to keep a small part of Chumpy alive.   Sorrow meant it took Ellidy a number of months to be strong enough to start IVF. The first round didn't work. But the second did.   This powerful memoir will share Chumpy, Ellidy and their daughter, Minnie's, story. Heartstrong is an unforgettable book about love, joy, loss, grief, hope and finding a way to keep going in the darkest of times.

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Book SynopsisThe disappearance of Lyn Dawson captured the world''s attention. But she was far more than just the teacher''s wife. Now, in this brave, emotionally powerful memoir, Lyn''s daughter reclaims their story.Imagine living with the knowledge that your father had murdered your mother and lied to you your whole life, telling you she left because she didn''t love you anymore.How could a father do this to his children? How could a husband do this to a woman he at one time loved?When she was four years old, Shanelle Dawson''s mother, Lynette, disappeared. On 8 January 1982, the woman who had been a loving, constant presence vanished without a trace. Four year old''s might not be able to articulate questions or understand a lot, but the ache of absence is very real. Year after year that ache persisted.Shanelle''s father, Chris Dawson, claimed that his wife just needed to get away. This is what he told Lyn''s parents and siblings. This is what he told his daughters. But Lyn never returned home. Her side of the bed was immediately filled by Shanelle''s teenage babysitter, a former student of her father''s.After thirty-six years of her father''s lies, a podcast called The Teacher''s Pet investigated her mother''s case. Sordid details about the father she loved became public. Whispers that he had murdered Lynette grew louder. The police refocused on the cold case. Then, Chris Dawson faced court. Forty years after she went missing, he was sentenced to twenty-four years in prison for the murder of Lynette.Now, in this brave, emotionally powerful memoir, Shanelle reclaims her mother''s story and finds a channel for her own voice. It is an unforgettable insight into the ripples of trauma and loss that family violence brings and shows how Shanelle found the strength to confront her father and can now create a new life after unimaginable deception.This is Shanelle''s story.

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Book SynopsisA bold, funny memoir about what it's like to grow up not sure if you're (a) a boy, (b) a girl, (c) something in between.

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Book SynopsisPublished on the 35th anniversary of Sands' death, this powerful biography illuminates his life and political impact.Trade Review'An excellent book. It tells not just the story of Bobby, the prison protest and hunger strikes, but accurately captures the atmosphere of the prison. Friends of Bobby tell of the person they knew. He is alive and vibrant on every page' -- Dr Laurence McKeown, former IRA Hunger-Striker'The life of Bobby Sands shows development, growth, maturation, and a profoundly humanistic internationalist flavour, in the midst of a bitter, ugly struggle that can purge the humanity out of anyone' -- Mumia Abu-Jamal, American activist and journalist'A gripping, heart-stopping, exhilarating sometimes sad book - a story of life, love and noble death' -- Malachy McCourt, actor, writer and politician'Bobby Sands, as this magnificent biography reminds us, was a hero for the whole world. We cried when he died, but he laughed in the face of tyranny and taught us the deepest meaning of comradeship' -- Mike Davis, political activist and historian'This book has been, in my view, a primary tool for our collective, peaceful efforts, and helped us to achieve victories in our struggle - Bobby's spirit lives on' -- Todd Ashker, representative of the Short Corridor Collective Human Rights Movement, Pelican Bay State Prison, CaliforniaTable of ContentsForeword to the New Edition by Mumia Abu-Jamal Preface to the New Edition Prelude 1. Growing Up in Utopia 2. Violence and Anger 3. Into the IRA 4. A Change of Scene 5. A Trip to the South 6. Prison 7. Things Get Hot 8. Learning to Rebel 9. Leaving Long Kesh 10. Putting It into Practice 11. A Bad Day in Dunmurry 12. Castlereagh 13. Back to Prison 14. Solitary Confinement 15. On the Blanket 16. Escalating the Protest 17. H6: Building Solidarity Within 18. H6: Extending the Protest 19. Toward the Inevitable 20. Hunger Strike 21. Step by Step 22. The End 23. The Beginning Notes Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisBeautifully illustrated, intimately personal and politically trenchant account of Beirut's catastrophic 2020 port explosionTrade Review'A personal, impassioned account of a crime committed against the Lebanese people’ -- Ursula Lindsey, ‘New York Review of Books’'Magical ... Lamia Ziadé works as an alchemist. My Port of Beirut tells the story of the explosion as she experienced it: from afar but in the heart. She draws the faces of the victims, collects the stories, reproduces the graffiti against the corrupt leaders, and explains these destroyed buildings which to us are only buildings for us but for her are symbols, memories, her life... A book of love, mourning and anger' -- 'Elle''A very moving tribute... the Franco-Lebanese illustrator and writer has been developing a very personal literary genre for several years, made up of very colourful texts and drawings, reproductions of photos taken from private archives or press articles... Here, she erects a mausoleum to the victims of the disaster, and over the pages, the simple succession of their faces and their names creates intense emotion' -- Les Inrockuptibles'Lamia Ziadé tells here in the first person the contemporary history of her native country, its violence, the very year of her birth in 1968, which is also that of the first stone laid for the port silos, for which she has had a passion since childhood... Through this emblematic place that she makes her own, her port of Beirut, she writes a Lebanese autobiography of words and images that will speak to every reader' -- Le Point (April 2021)'Lamia Ziadé tells not only her personal trauma but also the story of the familiar and common violence that crossed her country (and all her life since her birth in 1968) and to which the explosion of the 2,750 tons of nitrate from ammonium from hangar 12 gives an overwhelming sense of endless curse... She mixes narrative and drawings, entangling her biography in the collective destiny to honour here, first and foremost, the memory of victims she did not know.' -- Livres Hebdo (30 March 2021)'Brutal, touching... ' -- Politis'To re-see the Port of Beirut explosion through the softened lens of Lamia Ziade’s watercolors, paired with her personal and family memories of the port, is to re-live it with a raw tenderness that remains full of rage-struck grief' -- M. Lynx Qualey, Founding editor, ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly'Haunted by the city’s violent history, this polyphonic diary of the Beirut Port apocalypse is as poignant as it is meticulous. With the tender rage of a broken heart, Lamia Ziadé turns helplessness into a dazzling act of bearing witness.' -- Omar Berrada, writer and curator‘Extraordinary’ -- 'Ms. Magazine'Table of ContentsPrologue: August 4, 2020 1: The Sirens of the Port of Beirut 2: The Heroes 3: “A steamer enters the haze of the port of Beirut” 4: The Enchantment of Objects 5: The Saint George Hospital 6: Lady Cochrane 7: The Third Basin 8: My Sister’s Friends 9: Guilt 10: Sacy and Noun 11: The Criminals 12: Report on the Port, 1956 13: My Father’s Stubbornness 14: A Peaceful and Gentle People 15: My Sister on the Telephone 16: Who? 17: Beirut, Nest of Spies 18: The Port, Like the Country 19: Thawra, Birth of a Nation 20: October 17th 21: A Turn for the Worse

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Book SynopsisA moving memoir chronicling the friendship of two gay men coming of age in 1950s BritainTrade Review'Part eulogy, part memoir, this is a wonderfully clear-eyed piece of writing. And for anyone who has ever dreamt of leaving a small-town childhood behind them, this is going to really wring your heart. It certainly did mine' -- Neil Bartlett, author of 'The Disappearance Boy'

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Book SynopsisAn amazing story of a hidden untold past and the adventures of a difficult mother.Trade ReviewThis book is as much about a parent's extraordinary back story as it is about a daughter who has tenderly pieced it together. -- Jane Christmas Author of Incontinent on the Continent Eleanor Stewart introduces us to the adventures of her intrepid mother in a way that is sympathetic without being sentimental. Coming to understand our parents simply as human beings, as flawed and fragile as we know ourselves to be, is often the gateway to inner maturity, and even peace, which Eleanor demonstrates. As this humorous and personal tale unfolds, we not only voyage across the world, we also travel into the hearts of a feisty woman and her dedicated daughter. -- Sharon Grenham-Thompson Author of Jail Bird This book is a terrific reminder that no life is ordinary. Starting with the frailty of her mother's old age, the author tells a story of adventure, tragedy and immense courage. Once started, you won't want to put it down. -- Gethin Russell-Jones author of My Secret Life in Hut 6 'While taking us on a voyage through hostile waters in wartime with her mother, Eleanor Stewart plunges us into one of the many forgotten episodes in a long and cruel conflict at sea. So many so-called ordinary people endured extraordinary events that would test even the bravest of us to the limit and beyond. Too often it is the big episodes of war that are remembered and written about. In bringing so vividly to life the sinking of the liner S.S. Britannia by the notorious Nazi disguised raider Thor, Eleanor Stewart reveals not only her own incredible family history - and the amazing courage of her mum - but also makes us all wonder what we would do adrift in that lifeboat for days, surviving only on biscuits and condensed milk.' -- Iain Ballantyne author of Killing the Bismarck "This is a vivid account of a relationship between a daughter (Eleanor) and her elderly and frail mother (Mary). Their uncomfortable relationship nonetheless reveals a remarkable story of one woman's experience of life and notably of the Second World War. Particularly vivid is Mary's description, powerfully recounted by her daughter, of alarming experiences in the Atlantic ocean at the height of the battles in which the German U-boats sought to throttle the lifeline between the United States and Britain. It is a fine account of a remarkable phase in a not to be forgotten period." -- Jonathan DimblebyTable of ContentsContentsAcknowledgments 9Author’s Note 10Prologue 111 Portsmouth: Mother’s Arrival (1993) 132 Govan (1920s) via Buffalo (1930) to Dunoon (1932) 183 Dunoon: Love and Sad ness (1936) 244 T he Compa ny, May & Baker (1937) 305 M &B and “the Wonder Drug” (1938) 376 Gathering Clouds and War (1938–39) 447 M arriag e, August 1940 498 T he Depa rture, February 1941 579 T he Ship, 16 March 1941 6210 S hip Life, March 1941 6711 S hip Life Continues, 23 March 7412 Attac k, 25 March 7713 T he Boat, Day 1, 25 March 8514 T he Boat, Day 2, 26 March 9215 T he Boat, Day 3, 27 March 9716 R escue, Day 4, 28 March 10117 SS Raranga, 29 March 10918 M ontevideo, 10 April 1941 11519 Buenos Aires: The Mysterious Monsieur Gué, 15 April 12520 Flight: A Cheerful New Zealander with a Novel Way of Paying Her Air Fare, 24 April 13121 L os Angeles: Unpleasantness with Immigration, 3 May 1941 13622 A Chance Encounter with the “Great Dictator” and the “Dook”, 5 May 14123 T he Angelus Temple: An Odd Experience, 6 May 14524 S an Francisco: Bag els and “Twittering”, 8 May 14925 Another Ship, Another Ocean, 9 May 15426 K ing Neptune’s Court and Trag ic News, 17 May 16327 Arrival in Kobe: America n Unease and the Sinking of the Bismarck, 25–27 May 16728 S tolen Chopsticks and Love Games, 28 May 17229 H ong Kong: “Land of the Frag rant Streams”, 1 June 1941 18330 Jai Alai and a Medica l Emergency, 4 June 19031 R affles and a Not-So-Sweet Parting, 11 June 19932 T emples and Snakes, 16 June 20833 Colombo: The End in Sight, 19 June 21634 Bomba y: Stopover, 24 June 22435 Calcutta: Safely Arrived, 27 June 230Epilogue 236Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisPam Rhodes shares an endearing collection of gloriously green stories and poems that are bound to appeal to green-fingered readers.Trade Review'A timely reminder of the humour and solace of the garden in a frantic world.' -- Alan Titchmarsh

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Book SynopsisAn international bestseller upon publication, MAXIMUM CITY was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and remains a classic study of the metropolis of Bombay. ''If there''s been a more striking snapshot of the changing face of Asia, I''ve never read it'' Sunday TimesBombay''s story is told through the lives, often desperately near the edge, of some of the people who live there. Hitmen, dancing girls, cops, movie stars, poets, beggars and politicians - Suketu looked at the city through their eyes.The complex texture of these extraordinary tales is threaded together by Suketu Mehta''s own history of growing up in Bombay and returning to live there after a 21-year absence, and in looking through the eyes of his found the city within himself.Part memoir, part journalism, part travelogue, and written with the relentless observation and patience of a novelist, Maximum City is a brilliantly illuminating portrait of Bombay and its people - a book as vTrade ReviewPick of the Week - 'If there's been a more striking snapshot of the changing face of Asia, I've never read it. With energy, wit and endless reserves of empathy, Maximum City leaves you desperate to see Bombay for yourself...' * Sunday Times *'... it is Mehta's enthusiastic and intrepid self at the centre of his narrative that lends his account its appeal and memorable poetic charge.' * Observer *'Mehta's extraordinary, and extraordinarily rich book, is both testimony and warning; a snapshot of a city full of vitality and hate.' * The Telegraph *'Combining an insider's knowledge with a visitor's detachment, he prises open the rotten underbelly of the city to expose an unforgettable picture of depravity, greed sectarian strife and corruption. This is a stupendous book' * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis''Hugely enjoyable'' - Observer''Spectacular'' - Aaron Brown, author of The Poker Face of Wall StreetSome people can make money. Other people can't. It's a thought that makes William Leith wake up in a cold sweat. He doesn't know why it makes him feel anxious. After all, money isn't real. We created it. Humans did. It's our masterpiece. But the desire for it is killing us. It is this dilemma that sets William Leith off on an adventure into the bizarre, morally dubious, yet highly desirable world of the mega-rich. He spends a day with the real-life Wolf of Wall Street who, not content with his hundreds of millions, devised a fraud so he could make hundreds of millions more. He visits a Baroque mansion where a Russian half-billionaire lives alone with his butler. He tours the estate of Felix Dennis, the maverick tycoon who commissioned an avenue of statues to tell the story of his life. He flies to private islands on private jets, meets private mTrade ReviewThe Trick takes all of Leith’s writing habits – his mazy streams of consciousness (few writers are quite so enamoured of, or good at, watching themselves think) and his love of axiom – and, if anything, ups the ante... Hugely enjoyable -- Tim Adams * Observer *Part Hunter S. Thompson, part Montaigne: a blend of gonzo journalism and rambling reflection interspersed with learned references * Spectator *Chummy, funny and genuinely interesting, The Trick has to be one of the best books about money around * Tatler *Spectacular ... The Trick takes us on a fevered thrill ride through the heads of the richest people in the world, plus some of the most accomplished risk-takers, to answer the eternal question, why does money stick to thee, and not to me? -- Aaron Brown, author of 'The Poker Face of Wall Street'Most books about the uber-wealthy portray them either as superheroes to be unquestioningly admired or as obsessive psychopathic idiots. The joy of this book is how beautifully it walks the narrow line between the two -- Rory Sutherland, author of Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make SenseA superb book ... Leith has always been one of our best non-fiction writers and this is his crowning achievement -- Praise for 'The Hungry Years', Jon RonsonAs a memoir and as comedy, it succeeds beautifully ... As a confessional, it is pretty much a masterclass – frank, tough-minded, funny, generous -- praise for 'The Hungry Years' * New Statesman *Resembles an expertly-paced stand-up routine ... Positively Izzard-esque -- Praise for 'Bits of Me Are Falling Apart' * Time Out *Leith offers a tour of his own frantic inner world, reflecting on a dizzying array of subjects ... These range from cowboys and gangsters to the feeding habits of chimpanzees. His metastasising anecdotes and revelations are deeply personal, often wilfully tangential and always thought-provoking * Economist *[Leith’s] passages about his multiple overlapping neuroses are touched by comic genius … Leith offers sharply comical observations about both the lure and absurdity of great wealth * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisKitty Baxter was born in 1930 in Camberwell, South London, the third of five children, and was evacuated three times during the Second World War. After the war, Kitty went on to live a happy life in London and worked in Mayfair for over 35 years. She is very well known locally in Westminster, and regularly volunteers at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth to share her story.

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Book SynopsisApproaching forty, Nigel Marsh''s life seems almost perfect: he has moved with his family from the UK to Sydney and runs the Australian office of a leading advertising agency. However, he is also stressed, overweight and struggling to balance a career, a marriage and the demands of four small children.But everything changes when he loses his job.After the initial shock of redundancy, Marsh decides to embrace life outside the office and reconnect with his family. FAT, FORTY AND FIRED is the hilarious, insightful and deeply moving account of his ''gap year'' at home, as he rediscovers fatherhood, loses twenty kilograms, kicks his drinking habit, trains for an ocean swim race and generally gets his house in order.FAT, FORTY AND FIRED is a story for anyone who has dreamed about leaving the rat race behind and living a more meaningful life.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BIG RED READ PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION IN 2013.Cathryn Kemp was a successful travel journalist who was struck down by a life-threatening illness, pancreatitis. After four years of operations and mis-diagnoses she left hospital with a repeat prescription for fentanyl, a painkiller 100 times stronger than heroin. Within two years she was taking more than ten times the NHS maximum, all on prescription. Her family struggled to understand; her boyfriend left her, she hit rock bottom. Discovering she had only six months to live if she didn''t give up the drugs she sold everything she owned and checked into rehab. In the addiction treatment centre she was told that she was unlikely to recover from ''the highest level of opiate-abuse in the clinic''s history''. To everyone''s amazement, she proved them wrong.This is an extraordinarily poignant, vivid and honest memoir. Based on the twenty-four diaries that the author kept during this period, we travel with Cathryn Trade ReviewSeeringly honest and courageous, an absolutely brilliantly written book about the descent into painkiller addiction that can so easily occur when someone is dealing with unbearable physical and emotional pain. This book should be read by every doctor and mental health practitioner for its unwavering insights into the psychology of addiction. A brave, heartfelt and extraordinary book * Corinne Sweet, author of Overcoming Addiction, psychologist and broadcaster *A brilliantly written book . . . It's not only an inspirational addiction recovery story but also a deeply moving book about recovering from loss on many levels - health, love, independence, career, dignity, trust, optimism . . . Cathryn's story gripped me at gut level from page one * Gael Lindenfield *Compelling and highly topical * Bookseller *Frankly written, Kemp's courageous memior will help those dealing with an addict, or with addiction itself. * Big Issue (North) *

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Book SynopsisFor children in Portsmouth, the 1950s was an exciting time. If you remember the docks, trips to Southsea and exploring bombed-out buildings, then you’ll enjoy this charming look back at an exciting era.

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Book SynopsisA hilarious and nostalgic trip down memory lane for children of the 1990s

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Book SynopsisValerie Storie, the survivor of the infamous A6 Murder, was victim shamed for over 50 years. This is her story, told for the very first time

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Book SynopsisOne man’s personal travelogue of his journeys throughout BR’s Western Region, Wales and the Welsh Marches during the final months of steam

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