Memoirs Books

Book SynopsisThe extraordinary untold story of Pippa Latour, who parachuted into occupied France in 1944 as an undercover agent and sent secret messages back to Britain.

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Book SynopsisFrom challenging expectations as a bright and restless child of the Windrush generation to making history as the first elected Black female MP in the UK, Diane Abbott has seen it all.A Woman Like Me takes readers through Diane's incredible journey, painting a vivid picture of growing up in 1960s North London with her working-class Jamaican parents, before entering the hallowed halls of Cambridge University to study history. Ever since the day she first walked through the House of Commons as the first Black woman MP, she has been a fearless and vocal champion for the causes that have made Britain what it is today, whether it's increasing access to education for Black children and speaking out against the Iraq war or advocating tirelessly for refugees and immigrants.A unique figure in British public life, Diane has often had nothing but the courage of her convictions to carry her through incredibly hostile environments, from torrential abuse in the mainstream media and on social media, to being shunned by the political establishment, including by her own party. Written with frankness and wry humour, A Woman Like Me is an inspirational account that celebrates how one woman succeeded against massive odds and built an extraordinary legacy.

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Book SynopsisBeautiful.' Daily Mail''True, unflinching, powerful, lyrical'' Kate Mosse''Wonderful, inviting, wholesome.'' Observer''Beautiful and very honest.'' CAITLIN MORAN''It''s quite an achievement to shine a light of truth on the often idealised, always understated, role of the farmer''s wife.'' RAYNOR WINNThis honest and heartwarming memoir offers a portrait of the labour and glory of keeping a home and raising a family. Weaving past and present, Helen Rebanks shares her highs and lows, from the emotional journey to the birth of her first child, and the endless improvisation of each night's dinner, to the dog gobbling up her daughter's freshly-made birthday cake. These are days that have shaped her, and the ways she finds the quiet strength to keep going. In its own quiet way, [The Farmer's Wife] is a manifesto: every woman has the right to choose the life they want.' Mail on Sunday

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Book SynopsisA deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John GreenThe Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.

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Book SynopsisXiaolu Guo was born in China. She published six books before moving to Britain in 2002. Her books include: Village of Stone, shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize; A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, shortlisted for the Orange Prize; and I Am China. Her recent memoir, Once Upon a Time in the East, won the National Book Critics Circle Award, was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award and the Rathbones Folio Prize 2018. It was a Sunday Times Book of the Year. Her most recent novel A Lover's Discourse was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize 2020. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a visiting professor at the Free University in Berlin.

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Book Synopsis“Gato’s head snapped back… We could make out the shots of several 9mms, a couple of 38s and one or two 45s. I hurled myself through the doorway and into the room. I didn’t look back.”Caught in an Ecuador hotel room with 8kg of cocaine, Pieter Tritton was no mule or dupe. He had planned and organised everything. The consequence: a 12-year sentence inside one of the world’s deadliest prison systems, where gun fights, executions and riots are a part of everyday life. As a Brit banged up abroad, Pieter had to learn how to survive – and fast – because one wrong move would mean death.This is the insider account of what it’s like to live in a place worse than hell and come out a changed man on the other side.

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Book SynopsisFredrik Sjöberg's Swedish bestseller about summer, islands, freedom and boundaries.'The light, the warmth, the smells, the mist, the birdsong - the moths. Who can sleep? Who wants to?'Fredrik Sjöberg finds happiness in the little things. Millions of them, in fact. This beguiling bestseller is his unique meditation on collecting hoverflies. It is also about living on a remote Swedish island, blissful long summer nights, lost loves, unexpected treasures, art, nature, slowness, and how freedom can come from the things we least expect.'Full of charm, a book about how to find meaning in life' Melissa Harrison, The Times, Books of the Year'I often return to The Fly Trap, it remains close to my heart. The minute observations from nature that reveal sudden insights into one's life. Sometimes I almost think that he wrote it for me' Tomas Tranströmer, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature'Charming, witty and original' Patrick Barkham, Guardian 'Nature writing that can laugh at itself, a real tonic' Gregory Day, Sydney Morning Herald'Delightful, at once informative and often humorously digressive . . . a humane man of wide-ranging curiosity, Sjöberg writes with infectious passion' Paul Binding IndependentFredrik Sjöberg collects hoverflies on the island Runmarö, in the archipelago east of Stockholm. He is also a literary critic, translator, cultural columnist and the author of several books including The Art of Flight and The Raisin King, which form a trilogy with The Fly Trap.Trade ReviewCharming, witty and original . . . a sly challenge to virtually every contemporary orthodoxy -- Patrick Barkham * Guardian *Its joy lies in Sjöberg's loose-limbed prose . . . at once whimsical and yet laden with erudition and a deep feeling for the natural world and our place in it * Financial Times *Delightful, at once informative and often humorously digressive . . . a humane man of wide-ranging curiosity, Sjöberg writes with infectious passion * Independent *Subtle, convincing . . . Sjöberg thrives in the indistinct boundary between science and literature * New Scientist *A quirky tapestry . . . an enjoyable if wayward tale * Ecologist *Entertaining . . .iconoclastic . . . the writing is whimsical, digressive and pleasingly devoid of anything too weighty or purposeful -- Richard Coniff * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisAn immediate sensation upon its publication in 1969, Papillon is a vivid memoir of brutal penal colonies, daring prison breaks and heroic adventure on shark-infested seas.Condemned for a murder he did not commit, Henri Charriere, nicknamed Papillon, was sent to the penal colony of French Guiana. Forty-two days after his arrival he made his first break for freedom, travelling a thousand gruelling miles in an open boat. He was recaptured and put into solitary confinement but his spirit remained untamed: over thirteen years he made nine incredible escapes, including from the notorious penal colony on Devil's Island.This edition of Papillon, one of the greatest adventure stories ever told, includes an exclusive new essay by Howard Marks.

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Book Synopsis''A great book for anyone who wants to vicariously travel like an old-fashioned adventurer and seeks to understand how far we have come in developing a protective attitude to wildlife'' New York Times''A marvellous book . . . unputdownable . . . utterly engaging'' Daily TelegraphIn 1954, a young television presenter named David Attenborough was offered the opportunity of a lifetime - to travel the world finding rare and elusive animals for London Zoo''s collection, and to film the expeditions for the BBC. Now ''the greatest living advocate of the global ecosystem'' this is the story of the voyages that started it all. Staying with local tribes while trekking in search of giant anteaters in Guyana, Komodo dragons in Indonesia and armadillos in Paraguay, he and the rest of the team battled with cannibal fish, aggressive tree porcupines and escape-artist wild pigs, as well as treacherous terrain and Trade ReviewA marvellous book ... unputdownable ... utterly engaging. * Telegraph *An elegant and gently funny writer. -- Damian Whitworth * The Times *This is a great book for anyone who wants to vicariously travel like an old-fashioned adventurer and seeks to understand how far we have come in developing a protective attitude to wildlife * New York Times *Utterly engaging . . . immensely colourful and dramatic -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *A beautiful new edition ... of our favourite naturalist's account of his travels for the BBC * Mail on Sunday *Full of Attenborough's trademark enthusiasm, wit and intelligence, it's a natural history fan's treat. * Sunday Express *His writing is as impressive and as enjoyable as his TV programmes and there can be no higher praise. * Daily Express *A great educator as well as a great naturalist. * Barack Obama *Sir David is a wizard of television, and, like Gandalf or Dumbledore, he has a near-magical gift for combining warmth and gravitas . . . the man who, for me, exemplifies the best in British broadcasting. * Louis Theroux *A charming period piece -- Damian Whitworth * Times *

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Book SynopsisAlistair Urquhart was a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders captured by the Japanese in Singapore. He not only survived working on the notorious Bridge on the River Kwai , but he was subsequently taken on one of the Japanese ''hellships'' which was torpedoed. Nearly everyone else on board died and Urquhart spent 5 days alone on a raft in the South China Sea before being rescued by a whaling ship. He was taken to Japan and then forced to work in a mine near Nagasaki. Two months later a nuclear bomb dropped just ten miles away . . .This is the extraordinary story of a young men, conscripted at nineteen and whose father was a Somme Veteran, survived not just one, but three close encounters with death - encounters which killed nearly all his comrades.Trade ReviewA book you must read * DAILY MAIL *Riveting, powerful, moving * OBSERVER *A remarkable memoir * FINANCIAL TIMES *

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Book Synopsis'An incredible human being with an extraordinary story to share' Dr Rangan Chatterjee'A beautiful, life-changing manifesto' Brené Brown'I will be forever changed by Dr Eger's story' Oprah'Her story is a testament to our true human potential. She's a gift' Nicole LePeraEach moment in Auschwitz was hell on earth. It was also my best classroom. Subjected to loss, torture, starvation and the constant threat of death, I discovered tools for survival and freedom that I continue to use every day.In her darkest moments, Edith Eger discovered that the most damaging prison was the one in her mind. Drawing on her incredible story and experience as a celebrated therapist, she shares valuable life lessons to heal and inspire so that we too can break free from whatever's holding us back.Trade ReviewI'll be forever changed by Dr. Eger's story * Oprah *This woman will change your life ... The Gift should be required reading for all humans * Marie Forleo *

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times and Observer best summer readWith its union of practicality and magic, a kitchen is a portal, offering extended range and providing unlikely paths out of the ordinary longed-for places are suddenly not so far away. Not unreachable, but present. Held again in the hand and heart.'In her Edinburgh basement kitchen, Caroline Eden recounts travels across Central Asia, Turkey, the Baltics and beyond using recipes, souvenirs, ingredients and imagination to provide routes back to distant lands and past adventures. From late-night baking as a way to Ukraine, to the magic of Uzbekistan's wintertime melons, once gifts fit for emperors and tsars, this is a hauntingly honest memoir with the smell, taste and preparation of food at its heart. Cold Kitchen is an ode to the kitchen's extraordinary ability to tell human stories and transport us to faraway places and different times.

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Book SynopsisHome is Where tells of the journeys - across continents, over time, and through the challenges of family love, loss and letting go - of Margaret Beetham, whose parents were Helen and Lesslie Newbigin, missionaries in India between the 1930s and the 1970sTrade Review‘Margaret Beetham has done a wonderful thing – making the ordinary extraordinary and the extraordinary ordinary, both at once. The word “autobiography” does not feel right: this is literature and theology and feminism (among other things). It recounts a way of growing up which is too nearly forgotten, or lost in either swagger or guilt. Above all she captures that elusive seductive distorted precision of childhood memory and weaves it into a story which is both honourable and beautiful.’ -- Sara Maitland * author of A Book of Silence *‘I found this book both enchanting and illuminating, providing as it does a rare insight into the lives of the children of those spreading the Gospel to foreign lands. Despite the years of separation from her parents in the cause of an English education, Margaret grows into a warm-hearted sister and mother that one can only admire.’ -- Sheila Cassidy, author of Audacity to Believe

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Book SynopsisFebruary 2022. David Mackinnon fell down a flight of stairs and the injuries he sustained almost cost him his life. During his recovery, David reflected on his life and reconciled some of the episodes from his football career that still weighed heavy on his mind. The result is Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles, the incredible story of Glasgow-born David Donaldson Mackinnon. Beginning his career with Arsenal, David spent four years at Highbury where he was taken under the wing of the legendary Alan Ball. After spells at Dundee and Partick Thistle, Mackinnon eventually fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing for his boyhood heroes Glasgow Rangers for four years, making almost two hundred appearances, before a knee injury forced him to revert to part-time football. But David’s story doesn’t end there. He netted the decisive penalty kick when Kilmarnock won promotion to the First Division in 1990 and, after hanging up his boots Mackinnon embarked on a successful business career before returning to football, taking on executive roles with Clyde, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Hamilton Academical, and Greenock Morton. In the latter role, Mackinnon was a key protagonist in the voting fiasco that controversially ended the Scottish football season during the COVID 19 pandemic. Open, honest, and insightful, Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles reveals the challenges Mackinnon has faced during his eventful career in football and business and the often-brutal impact these have had on his physical and mental health and well-being. Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles isn’t simply a football book. It’s a memoir that will raise awareness of the trials and tribulations footballers face, while also giving a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the business side of the game. Mackinnon’s story, told with refreshing sincerity, is a must-read for all fans of the beautiful game.Trade Review"A tender memoir that is so much more than the normal footballer's autobiography. Revelations concerning Mackinnon's own on-going health battles are woven into memories of a career at the cutting edge of the game, both on the park and off it." Alan Pattullo The Scotsman

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Book Synopsis**A Sunday Times Book of the Year**The closest you’ll ever get to the most infamous drug kingpin in modern history, told by the person who stood by his sideThe story of Pablo Escobar, one of the wealthiest, powerful and violent criminals of all time has fascinated the world. Yet the one person closest to him has never spoken out – until now. Maria Victoria Henao met Pablo when she was 13, eloped with him at 15, and despite his numerous infidelities and violence, stayed by his side for the following 16 years until his death. At the same time, she urged him to make peace with his enemies and managed to negotiate her and her children’s freedom after Pablo’s demise. The most intriguing character in the Escobar narrative is ready to share her story and reveal the real man behind the legend.Trade ReviewThis engaging book will not have arrived soon enough for Netflix Narcos addicts craving more. It will also stand out as an invaluable text for any student of Colombia’s blood-drenched, modern history. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisAnita's debut novel Baby Does a Runner is available to pre-order now - coming July 2023!Fizzing with energy, hilarity and charm, The Right Sort of Girl is the Sunday Times bestseller from Countryfile's Anita Rani.'Warm, honest and funny, filled with hope and inspiration' Nikesh Shukla'Funny, touching, occasionally veering into beautifully controlled, quiet rage... a must-read' Viv Groskop'Like a bloody good natter with your down-to-earth friend' Shappi Khorsandi'A joy from start to finish' Emma Kennedy'Empowering... I will be recommending to everyone I know' Nikita Gill'I'm a girl and northern and brown, didn't you know? A triple threat!' Trying to navigate her Indian world at home and the British world outside her front door, Anita Rani was a girl who didn't ­fit in anywhere. She was always destined to stand out: from playing Mary in her otherwise all white nursery nativity to growing up in eighties Yorkshire with her Punjabi family, spending evenings in the factory her parents owned whilst trying to ­figure out how best to get rid of hair that seemed to be growing EVERYWHERE.Anita shares the lessons she wishes her younger self could have known: 'Freedom is Complicated', 'You Will Fall in Love and Be Loved' and, most importantly, 'Your Anger is Legitimate'. How did she manage to become the powerhouse she is, whilst battling against being too white inside her home and too brown outside of it?This story of a second-generation British Indian woman up north is also a tale of tenacity and a life lived with positivity and humour. If you have ever felt alone, different, or just not the right sort of girl, this is the book for you.Trade ReviewWarm, honest and funny, filled with hope and inspiration... A must-read for every young person with big dreams -- Nikesh ShuklaFunny, touching, nostalgic and occasionally veering into beautifully controlled, quiet rage, Anita's story is a must-read. If she's not exactly "the right sort of girl", then who is? -- Viv GroskopLike a bloody good natter with your down-to-earth friend who never sugars the pill -- Shappi Khorsandi'Warm and wonderful, Anita's book is a joy from start to finish' -- Emma KennedyAnita Rani's empowering, brilliant memoir is bursting full of insight and resilience. Her words are elegant and powerful - they will resonate with women everywhere for generations to come. Truly a splendid read in every way, I will be recommending this book to everyone I know. * Nikita Gill *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Bestseller “I was born and broken in Birkenhead, abused from infancy by a network of every kind of pervert from ‘thinks it’s love’ to ‘show it hurts’. I was unwanted, beaten, sold, swapped, photographed, filmed, left for dead, corrupted, blamed, betrayed, ignored and orphaned. But I was also born with a fire inside me. I call it my Phoenix Fire. I am no victim – that word only describes what happened to me. Nor am I a survivor because that implies I am over it. I am a Phoenix – a work in progress. This is my story…”Trade Review"Beaten, left for dead and raped from the age of four, but now a national campaigner - Shy Keenan, we salute you." * Eve magazine *"I found Broken very painful (in fact, I remain haunted by its contents). Shy is trying hard to make the world a safer place for my children." * Observer *

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Book Synopsis**SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** **RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK** **WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE MONTH**''An astonishing feat''Christina Patterson, Sunday Times''An inspiring and moving sideways look at history''Eithne Farry, Sunday Express An eloquent blend of history and memoir, Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we all have to tell our story.From political propaganda in medieval France to secret treason in Tudor England, from the mothers of the desaparecidos in Argentina to First World War soldiers with PTSD, from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland, Threads of Life is a global chronicle of identity, protest, memory and politics. Banner-maker, community textile artist and textile curator Clare Hunter chronicles the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voiTrade ReviewIt's an astonishing feat, this patchwork quilt of history, culture and politics, which takes us from Saxon England to colonised African tribes, Palestinian villages, rural China and the cramped homes of American slaves . . . Her highly impressive debut is a richly textured and moving record of a history that has largely being lost. -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *Triumphant . . . an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought of picking up a needle and thread. -- Jane Shilling * Mail on Sunday *Astonishing . . . Hunter studied creative writing and cleverly uses personal narrative to create a persona one will instantly like . . . so well written. * TLS *Fascinating * Daily Telegraph *A blend of history and memoir, the book roves across centuries and continents to reveal how sewing has played a crucial part in our lives - from courts and battlefields to prisons and drawing rooms... Many of the stories in Threads of Life are heart-breaking...This beautiful, moving book makes you want to rush out and grab a needle. -- Liz Hoggard * Radio Times *Enchanting * S Magazine *Enthralling... By unpicking the seams of the clothes on our backs, Clare Hunter has brought to light elements of history that have languished in our collective attic for far too long. Threadsof Life is a terrific book. -- Susan Flockhart * The Herald *Enthralling...beautiful... An inspiring and moving sideways look at history. -- Eithne Farry * Sunday Express *Threads of Life is a beautifully considered book that reminds us of how much sewing plays a crucial part in expressing the many facets of our lives. Clare Hunter has managed to mix the personal with the political with moving results. Reading it made me pick up my needle with a new perspective. -- Tracy ChevalierHunter's non-fiction debut reframes needlework as a powerful and political medium . . . Threads of Life is a compelling and beautifully written account of how marginalised peoples throughout history have used the language of sewing, embroidery and textiles to tell their neglected stories. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *A rich and moving history of sewing and embroidery * Sunday Times (Culture) *A compelling account of how needlework has given a voice to the voiceless * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis One of the most remarkable memoirs ever written. The diary of Jean-Dominique Bauby who, with his left eyelid (the only surviving muscle after a massive stroke) dictated a remarkable book about his experiences locked inside his body. A masterpiece and a bestseller in France.Trade Review‘The most remarkable memoir of our time.’ Cynthia Ozick ‘Read this book and fall back in love with life.’ Edmund White ‘A staggering piece of work. It represents an almost inconceivable act of generosity, the gift of the mind and the spirit for which writing was designed.’ A. L. Kennedy ‘One of the great books of the century.’ Financial Times ‘Everyone in the country should own at least one copy.’ Guardian ‘We listen, because what he has to say goes to the core of what it means to be human.’ Robert McCrum, Observer ‘The most extraordinary book of the year.’ Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisOne of bell hooks'' foundational works introduced to the UK for the first time.''With the emotion of poetry, the narrative of a novel, and the truth of experience, bell hooks weaves a girlhood memoir you won''t be able to put down?or forget. Bone Black takes us into the cave of self-creation'' Gloria SteinemStitching together the threads of her girlhood memories, bell hooks shows us one strong-spirited child''s journey toward becoming the pioneering writer we know. Along the way, hooks sheds light on the vulnerability of children, the special unfurling of female creativity and the imbalance of a society that confers marriage''s joys upon men and its silences on women.In a world where daughters and fathers are strangers under the same roof, and crying children are often given something to cry about, hooks uncovers the solace to be found in solitude, the comfort to be had in the good company of books.Bone Black allows us to bear witness to the awakening of a legendary author''s awareness that writing is her most vital breath.

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Book Synopsis'Painfully honest on what it means to be a woman who puts art first, no matter what' Olivia LaingI'm not a portrait painter. If I'm anything, I have always been an autobiographer.In Self-Portrait, Celia Paul reveals a life truly lived through art. She moves effortlessly through time, in words and images, from her arrival at the Slade School of Fine Art at sixteen, through a profound and intense affair with the older and better-known artist Lucian Freud, to the practices of her present-day studio. This intimate memoir is, at its heart, about a young woman navigating the path to artistic freedom, with all the sacrifices and complications that entails.'Powerful' Zadie Smith'Engrossing' Vogue'Captivating... Mesmerising' New York Times**Shortlisted for the Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize **Trade ReviewCaptivating... Mesmerizing... Paul's powers of observation are keen and often ruthless. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *A poetic, sometimes painfully honest memoir. -- Tim Adams * Observer *I loved the painter Celia Paul’s memoir Self-Portrait. It’s fascinating for its account of her long-term lover Lucian Freud (he emerges as the ultimate man-baby, by turns charismatic, needy and breathtakingly selfish), but it’s also painfully honest on what it means to be a woman who puts art first, no matter what. -- Olivia Laing * New Statesman *The publication of this, her first book, is of great significance... Having recently returned to writing again, she has found a new confidence, in words, in herself and in her painting... No longer wanting to remain simply a part of Freud’s story, she wanted to make him part of her story, a narrative about her life as a painter. ... Paul’s memoir therefore seems fresh, and comes as a surprise. -- Frances Spalding * Guardian, *Book of the Week* *A story of obsession and manipulation that sends our feelings on a rollercoaster... [Self-Portrait] turns into a sort of myth about the misuse of fame and the male ego, about the struggles faced by creative women, about the body in all its guises. Like a myth, it unfolds with confusions and contradictions, a terrible inevitability and many, many discomfiting truths. -- Jan Dalley * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksIn one of the great English war memoirs, we learn what it is to cross the Pyrenees through freezing snow to fight fascism in Spain; to narrowly escape execution by your own side; to kill a man with a borrowed rifle and feel nothing but shame. Moving and shrapnel-sharp, A Moment of War recalls the defeat of idealism; that flush of youth which never doubts self-survival, that idiot belief in luck'.

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Book SynopsisRoald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in 1916 in Wales of Norwegian parents. He was educated in England before starting work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa, and began writing after a 'monumental bash on the head' sustained as an RAF fighter pilot during the Second World War. He worked in a tiny hut in the apple orchard of his house in Buckinghamshire until his death in 1990 at the age of 74. Roald Dahl's many books continue to be read by children the world over who delight in the magic of his marvellous storytelling. His books continue to be bestsellers, despite his death in 1990, and total sales are 100 million worldwide!Trade ReviewA shimmering fabric of his yesterdays, the magic and the hurt * Observer *Brilliantly coloured, sometimes grotesque and sometimes magical * Sunday Times *As frightening and funny as his fiction * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisWith revealing, never-before-told stories, Fred C. Trump III, nephew of President Donald Trump, breaks his decades-long silence in this revealing memoir and sheds a whole new light on the family name. For the record…Fred Trump never asked for any of this. The divisive politics. The endless headlines. A hijacked last name. The heat-seeking uncle, rising from real estate scion to gossip column fixture to TheApprentice host to President of the United States. Fred just wanted a happy life and a satisfying career. But a fight for his son’s health and safety forced him onto a center stage that he had never wanted. And now, at a crucial point for our nation, he is stepping forward again. In All in the Family, Fred delves into his journey to become a “different kind of Trump,” detailing his passionate battle to protect his wife and children from forces inside and outside the family. From the Trump house to the White H

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Book SynopsisFrom Paris to Prague, from the past to the present, authors and artists explore what Europe means to them - and us. Through moving personal letters, hilarious anecdotes, brilliant new fiction, and original illustrations, Postcards to Europe paints a picture of a nation and a continent, and how they define each other. Featuring some of the biggest, best and brightest names from the world of fiction, current affairs, politics, art, film, history and food. There is nothing like this out there and every reader will find something to cherish and share in this stunning collection. Contributed to by: Richard Herring, Alain de Botton, Sarah Perry, Matt Haig, Bee Wilson, Andrew Roberts, Oliver Kamm, Hari Kunzru, Colonel Tim Collins, Jessie Burton, Kate Eberlen, Will Self, Adam Dant, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jennifer Higgie, Simon Garfield, Ian Rankin, Mark Kermode, Amy Liptrot, Nicci French, Rob Temple, Afua Hirsch, Sarah Winman, Sunny Singh, Owen Jones, David Shrigley, Ben Collins, Henry Marsh,

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Book SynopsisWITH A FOREWORD FROM SIR ALAN BATES'Jo is an inspiration', Monica Dolan, who played Jo in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office'My first big discrepancy came in the shape of a £2,000 shortfall that just made no sense at all. Of all the things that kept me awake once in the thick of the nightmare that unfolded, it was being stuck in that truly incomprehensible moment where the mere touch of a button suddenly turned £2,000 into £4,000 within three minutes on that cold December night in 2003.'Jo Hamilton was one of more than 700 sub-postmasters prosecuted between 2000 and 2014 based on information from the Post Office's faulty Horizon accounting system. She was told to put right a wrong she hadn't committed and pushed to the very brink of her existence - remortgaging her house, borrowing from anyone she could in order to repay money that she hadn't taken, and questioning her own sanity.Immortalised in ITV smash hit drama, Mr Bates v The Post Office, this is Jo Hamilton's extraordinary first-hand account of how she built a Post Office that was at the very heart of her community and lost it all through no fault of her own. For the first time, beyond the headlines and the corridors of the High Court and the UK's political institutions, we will finally hear Jo's full story and the human side of this scandal as well as the untold struggle she faced during the biggest miscarriages of justice in modern history. Ultimately, this is a story of hope and the strength of community and the ability of a few to fight back against the odds.

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Book Synopsis'Generous, moving and alive. A gift' - Tim Dee, author of Greenery'Intelligent, thought-provoking and always, always interesting' - Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment'Smyth writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding of the natural world on our doorsteps' - Jon Dunn, author of The Glitter in the Green'Fresh and tender and playful' - Patrick Galbraith, author of In Search of One Last SongWeren't they richer, rock pools, wasn't the seashore busier, when I was a kid?Richard Smyth had always been drawn to the natural world, but when he became a father he found a new joy and a new urgency in showing his kids the everyday wild things around them. As he and his children explore rockpools in Whitley Bay, or the woods and moors near his Yorkshire home, he imagines the world they might inhabit as they grow up. Through different objects discovered on their wanderings - a beech leaf, a jay feather, a limpetshell - Smyth examines his own past as well as that of the early natural historians, weaving together history, memoir, and environmentalism to form a new kind of nature writing: one that asks both what we have lost, and what we have yet to find.Trade ReviewAll children are born naturalists and wedded to the living world. One of the tragedies of modern human life is that adulthood demands that we forget or suppress or deny this first love. By watching human nature: seeing his children become themselves, reporting on curious naturalists of old, reflecting on his own evolution as a nature-lover, Richard Smyth has been able to take steps towards rewilding himself and doing so he offers us all the chance to recover our inner animal selves. This is a touching book in all senses of the word, it is his tenderest book yet, and his truest. Generous, moving and alive. A gift. -- Tim Dee, author of GREENERYIntelligent, thought-provoking and always, always interesting. Children are full of wonder but they are also full of questions, forcing us to look afresh at the world around us. What I love about Richard Smyth's writing is his willingness to engage with moral grey areas - the uncomfortable and the unexpected. He also makes me laugh. Dark and light: that's what I want from a book -- Cal Flyn, author of ISLANDS OF ABANDONMENTA searching study of the nature of curiosity, and the curiosity of nature, Smyth writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding of the natural world on our doorsteps -- Jon Dunn, author of THE GLITTER IN THE GREENFresh and tender and playful. In truth, a book about sharing the wonders of nature with your kids could be the ickiest thing going, but it isn't that at all. It's about society and love and identity but it's also a raw exploration of the way that children experience the world and the way that those experiences challenge adult self-delusion. Nature writing can be earnest and handwringing but this book isn't: I laughed and laughed. I imagine it wasn't Smyth's intention to write a call to breed but it's hard to read The Jay, the Beech and the Limpetshell without thinking that really we should all have some children, to avoid missing out on the joy of showing them finches in the park -- Patrick Galbraith, author of IN SEARCH OF ONE LAST SONGA delightfully irreverent, charming and hilarious guide on how to engage young children with nature, written with a real understanding of the way they experience the world -- Stephen Moss, author of TEN BIRDS THAT CHANGED THE WORLDRichard Smyth mixes up a rollicking and compulsively readable cocktail of memoir, environmental history, and tips for the nature-minded parent. Irreverent and earnest in perfect measure, The Jay, The Beech and the Limpetshell is, at heart, an ode to wonder -- Thor Hanson, author of BUZZ and HURRICANE LIZARDS AND PLASTIC SQUIDThe Jay, The Beech and the Limpetshell is a marvellous book, in that it is full of marvels. Richard's prose is one such marvel: fast-paced, musical, and frequently very funny. So too his erudition and seemingly effortless range of reference. Most marvellous of all, though, is his loving, achingly honest commitment to bequeathing his children a world at which to marvel -- Nick Acheson, author of THE MEANING OF GEESEDazzling and moving. -- The Times Literary Supplement

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Book Synopsis'Not all Essex girls are party girls. They can be sages, martyrs, leaders. In her neat and provocative little book, Sarah Perry celebrates their courage and vivacity.' Hilary Mantel A defence and celebration of the Essex Girl by the best-selling author of The Essex Serpent Essex Girls are disreputable, disrespectful and disobedient. They speak out of turn, too loudly and too often, in an accent irritating to the ruling classes. Their bodies are hyper-sexualised and irredeemably vulgar. They are given to intricate and voluble squabbling. They do not apologise for any of this. And why should they? In this exhilarating feminist defence of the Essex girl, Sarah Perry re-examines her relationship with her much maligned home county. She summons its most unquiet spirits, from Protestant martyr Rose Allin to the indomitable Abolitionist Anne Knight, sitting them alongside Audre Lorde, Kim Kardashian and Harriet Martineau, and showing us that the Essex girl is not bound by geography. She is a type, representing a very particular kind of female agency, and a very particular kind of disdain: she contains a multitude of women, and it is time to celebrate them.Trade ReviewNot all Essex girls are party girls. They can be sages, martyrs, leaders. In her neat and provocative little book, Sarah Perry celebrates their courage and vivacity. -- Hilary MantelIn each account, as in her fiction, Perry displays her gift for peeling back the layers of our present day to exhume forgotten lives. The arguments are clear, the prose is stiletto sharp... The Essex Girl daringly holds up a mirror to the rest of Britain. * Daily Telegraph *Praise for Sarah Perry: 'A hugely talented author' -- Sarah WatersA polemic that makes room for both Kim Kardashian and Harriet Martineau * Guardian Biggest Books of Autumn 2020 *The always-enthralling Perry returns with a spiky and subversive look at the power of all things Essex - and a feminist defence of "Essex girls". * the i Paper *Perry is a wonderful descriptive writer with a remarkable talent for making the familiar strange ... She bleeds light into darkness and back again * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA FINALIST FOR THE US NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2023 FOR NONFICTION 'Profoundly personal as well as historically significant ... In his moral clarity and baring of the heart, Shehadeh recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi' Hisham Matar, New York Times Aziz Shehadeh was many things: lawyer, activist, and political detainee, he was also the father of bestselling author and activist Raja. In this new and searingly personal memoir, Raja Shehadeh unpicks the snags and complexities of their relationship. A vocal and fearless opponent, Aziz resists under the British mandatory period, then under Jordan, and, finally, under Israel. As a young man, Raja fails to recognise his father's courage and, in turn, his father does not appreciate Raja's own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights. When Aziz is murdered in 1985, it changes Raja irrevocably. This is not only the story of the battle against the various oppressors of the Palestinians, but a moving portrait of a particular father and son relationship.Trade ReviewPowerful ... It's a mark of Shehadeh's brilliance that this latest revisiting is full of surprises: it's even in tone, but jet-fuelled by implicit emotion; there's no conventional suspense, but it is absolutely gripping ... masterly -- Rachel Aspden * Guardian *A striking story of loss, heartbreak and political perfidy ... This is a tragedy within a tragedy, of a father and son who, despite their similarities, failed to understand one another, against the backdrop of dispossession of the Palestinian people -- Lara Marlowe * Irish Times *Highly readable ... thought-provoking * Observer *Slim but powerful - rich in recent historical detail with a poignant personal trauma threading in and out of it. This is a Palestinian memoir that will endure -- Gerald Butt * Church Times *Praise for the author: 'Palestine's greatest prose writer * Observer *Going Home cements the author's reputation as the best-known Palestinian writing in English * Guardian *Luminously clear-sighted ... By turns lyrical, witty and shrewd, Shehadeh is an excellent walking companion * Prospect *Shehadeh is a great inquiring spirit with a tone that is vivid, ironic, melancholy and wise -- Colm TóibínRaja Shehadeh is a buoy in a sea of bleakness -- Rachel Kushner

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Book SynopsisA NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR'Exquisite... a beautiful book, one of the finest meditations on animal companionship that I have ever read' Kathryn Hughes, Guardian An instant New York Times bestseller, this is an unforgettable story about love, loss and redemption from a highly acclaimed writerCaleb Carr lived with cats ever since he was a young boy. He grew up in a turbulent household where famous Beat poets, artists and addicts came and went and his steadiest companions were pets. Since then he had many feline companions, with relationships that have outlasted most of his human ones. But only after building a three-story home in rural, upstate New York did he encounter someone extraordinary: Masha, a Siberian Forest cat who had been abandoned as a kitten and was languishing in a shelter. She had hissed and fought off all previous carers and potential adopters, but somehow, she chose him. For the seventeen years that followed, Caleb and Masha were inseparable. Masha ruled the house and the dangerous wilderness surrounding it. When she was hurt, only Caleb could help her. When he suffered long-standing physical ailments, Masha knew what to do. Caleb learned to decode much of Masha's inner life but their bond went far beyond owner and pet. Inspiring, heart-breaking and life-affirming, this is a love story like no other.

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Book SynopsisA Book of the Year in the FT, Guardian, Observer and on BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme'I couldn't love this more' Nigella Lawson'Enchanting, fascinating and humorous' Claudia RodenIs there really such a thing as an authentic dish? In a mouth-watering journey stretching from Paris to Tokyo, join award-winning food writer Anya von Bremzen as she chews over the legend of Margherita pizza, indulges in the craze for high-end noodles and digs into the postcolonial paradoxes of Mexico's mole.Full of eye-opening tales and sparkling wit, National Dish explores the politics of national pride that tie food to place, untangling the myths and misunderstandings around some of the world's most famous cuisines.________________PRAISE FOR NATIONAL DISH:'Sparklingly intelligent' SPECTATOR'A delightfully engaged and engaging writer' OBSERVER'So enli

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Book Synopsis Afterword by Alzheimer's Research UK. 'Shobna Gulati is the Northern heroine of a nation' - Lemn Sissay'Lucid and probing' - Guardian'Wonderful and emotional, a masterpiece of resilience.' - Emma Kennedy Remember Me? is a memoir about caring for a parent with dementia and the memories that resurface in the process. In her first book, Shobna Gulati sets out to reclaim her mother's past after her death, and in turn, discovers a huge amount about herself and their relationship. Remember Me? captures the powerful emotions that these memories hold to both Shobna and her mother; secrets they had collectively buried and also the concealment of her mother's condition. What ensues is a story of cultural assimilation, identity and familial shame.'A raw, honest, moving and wry account of the complexity of a mother daughter relationship convoluted by the torment of dementia.' - Sanjeev Bhaskar'Gulati's book not only describes the complexities of caring (we must not forget its joys, she says, alongside its difficulties) and her mother's dementia, it is also an exploration of identity.' - Guardian'You'll find yourself not wanting to leave her trusted embrace.' - Desiree Burch'Beautifully written. Heartfelt.' - Kate Robbins 'I laughed, I cried ... a relationship like no other.' - Ferne Mccann

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Book SynopsisIn 1953, in the presence of an investigator, Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gramme of mescalin, sat down and waited to see what would happen. When he opened his eyes everything, from the flowers in a vase to the creases in his trousers, was transformed.Trade ReviewConcise, evocative, wise and, above all, humane, The Doors of Perception is a masterpiece * Sunday Times *There is nothing the pen of Huxley touches which it does not illuminate, and as the record of a highly civilised, brilliantly articulate man under the influence of an astonishing drug, The Doors of Perception is a tour de force * Daily Telegraph *You can look at Aldous Huxley and draw parallels with the Beatles: Crome Yellow and Those Barren Leaves were his breakthrough Merseybeat books, Point Counter Point was his 'Revolver', with The Doors of Perception his full-blown Sergeant Pepper trip. Like the Beatles, Huxley had so many ideas in his head that it was natural he would want to expand and experiment. What drugs provided for them both was not escape, but reevaluation * The Times *The Doors of Perception is a poignant book, partly because it reveals the human frailties and yearnings of a very cerebral writer * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA Daily Mail Book of the Year. A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year.Famed American actress Demi Moore at last tells her own story in a surprisingly intimate and emotionally charged memoir.For decades, Demi Moore has been synonymous with celebrity. From iconic film roles to high-profile relationships, Moore has never been far from the spotlight or the headlines.Even as Demi was becoming the highest paid actress in Hollywood, however, she was always outrunning her past, just one step ahead of the doubts and insecurities that defined her childhood. Throughout her rise to fame and during some of the most pivotal moments of her life, Demi battled addiction, body image issues, and childhood trauma that would follow her for years all while juggling a skyrocketing career and at times negative public perception. As her success grew, Demi found herself questioning if she belonged in Hollywood, if she was a good mother, a good actress and, always, if she was simply good enough.As much as her story is about adversity, it is also about tremendous resilience. In this deeply candid and reflective memoir, Demi pulls back the curtain and opens up about her career and personal life laying bare her tumultuous relationship with her mother, her marriages, her struggles balancing stardom with raising a family, and her journey toward open heartedness. Inside Out is a story of survival, success, and surrender a wrenchingly honest portrayal of one woman's at once ordinary and iconic life.

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Book SynopsisPaul Sinton-Hewitt has been recognised for his contributions to fitness and public health, receiving awards such as the CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to grassroots sports participation in 2014 and the Albert Medal from the RSA. One Small Step is his first book.

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Book SynopsisHailed as Newby''s ''masterpiece'', Love and War in the Apennines is the gripping real-life story of Newby''s imprisonment and escape from an Italian prison camp during World War II.After the Italian Armistice of 1943, Eric Newby escaped from the prison camp in which he''d been held for a year. He evaded the German army by hiding in the caves and forests of Fontanellato, in Italy''s Po Valley. Against this picturesque backdrop, he was sheltered for three months by an informal network of Italian peasants, who fed, supported and nursed him, before his eventual recapture.Love and War in the Apennines' is Newby''s tribute to the selfless and courageous people who were to be his saviours and companions during this troubled time and of their bleak and unchanging way of life. Of the cast of idiosyncratic characters, most notable was the beautiful local girl on a bike who would teach him the language, and eventually help him escape; two years later they were married and would spend the rest ofTrade Review'His masterpiece' Spectator 'Superbly funny … as civilizing, generous and affecting as “Vivere in Pace”, and the men, women and children, weather and woodsmoke are as fresh as yesterday' Observer 'A vivid description of Italian village life, full of notable characters … and the reactions of one sensitive man to being out of the war in the middle of one' Daily Telegraph 'It is necessary to state with emphasis that this is a very good book indeed' Times Literary Supplement 'An exciting story, superbly told. And wisdom, courage and generosity illuminate it' Punch

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE NEW MEMOIR FROM ALAN CUMMING. BAGGAGE: TALES FROM A FULLY PACKED LIFE PUBLISHES 28 OCT '21'One of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read' STEPHEN FRYWINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2015THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERATTITUDE MAGAZINE'S BOOK OF THE YEARA beloved star of stage and screen, Alan Cumming's life and career have been shaped by a complex and dark family past - full of troubled memories, kept buried away. But then an unexpected phone call from his long-estranged father brought the pain of the past hurtling back into the present, and unravelled everything he thought he knew about himself. Not My Father's Son is the story of his journey of discovery, both a memoir of his childhood in Scotland, and an investigation into his family history which would change him forever.'Equal parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living . . . beautifully written, honest . . . I was completely sucked in' NEIL GAIMANTrade ReviewEqual parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living, Not My Father's Son is a beautifully written, honest look at the forces of blood and bone that make us what we are, and how we make ourselves. I was completely sucked in -- NEIL GAIMANWhat a shattering, compelling and extraordinary story Alan Cumming has to tell. And he does so with such style and grace . . . Beautifully and cunningly structured, Not My Father's Son is one of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read -- STEPHEN FRYDo you know the old line "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me"? Alan Cumming's moving memoir Not My Father's Son is all that and more. This is a beautiful book-sad, funny, haunting, surprising, suspenseful, gut-wrenching, endearing. It will linger inside of you long after you turn the final page -- HARLAN COBEN * * author of New York Times bestsellers MISSING YOU and SIX YEARS * *In beautiful, honest, arresting prose, he offers a tale you'll never forget. A real diamond of a book. -- ANDREW O'HAGANIncredibly affecting -- DAMIAN BARR, Books of the Year * * Herald * *A poignant chronicle of damage sustained in youth and his recovery -- MARIELLA FROSTRUP * * Observer * *Powerful . . . the result is both heart-breaking and brave . . . A thoroughly gripping read, one that keeps its biggest revelation until the very end * * Sunday Times * *Moving * * Observer * *You'll like him a lot . . . Compelling * * Evening Standard * *A clear-eyed, often moving account of both his terrifying childhood and his recent attempts to come to terms with his past [. . .] Not My Father's Son moves elegantly and with an occasional dash of humour between Cumming's childhood and the revelations of the more recent past [. . .] memorable * * Chicago Tribune * *One of the most fun people in show business * * Time * *Cumming's eccentric style and assured voice shine brightly on every page, while escorting readers and fans on a memorable journey that is simultaneously insightful, brave, moving, and witty * * Book List * *Not My Father's Son shows Cumming to be a particularly skilled storyteller. His personal story is spun out in a thrillingly mysterious way . . . in this deeply touching memoir, Cumming has certainly marked himself out as one of our bravest and most perceptive writers, and an unexpected literary talent * * The List * *Powerful and shocking . . . That he can write isn't a surprise . . . He delves into his own history and leaves no stone unturned, no dark corner unprodded . . . What Cumming knows better than most is that you can never tell from the surface what's going on beneath * * Scotland on Sunday * *An open and honest memoir with some extraordinary twists * * Easyjet Traveller * *Powerful * * Big Issue * *Compelling . . . a frank, twisting book . . . a page-turner * * Metro * *A brave and thoughtful book * * Spectator * *Cumming's bravery is breathtaking . . . this is a brave book, airing fundamental agonies of the human condition with as light a touch as is possibly possible * * Sunday Express * *Best of all, [Not My Father's Son's] emotional intelligence is high * * Glasgow Sunday Herald * *Cumming is a good writer and keeps us guessing . . . the book grips like a neo-noir thriller . . . He knits together the various strands of his life with remarkable assurance. The occasional flashes of lightness in the dark, the few, very few, happy times with his father glow like embers, only to be extinguished by the overwhelming memory of the dark beast that kept him in a constant state of terror . . . What might have been a misery memoir is anything but. The bracing honesty and humour plus the fact that there is not a scintilla of self-pity makes this a tremendously encouraging book * * Daily Express * *This year's best memoir * * The List * *A haunting family history woven with empathy for his soldier grandfather but without a trace of self-pity about his abusive father * * Independent on Sunday, Best Memoirs of 2014 * *A brilliantly vivid and heartrending account of Cumming's early life, interspersed with some well-observed, comic and intriguing scenes from his more recent past * * Sunday Business Post * *A great read * * Connaught Telegraph * *Cumming's unsurprising gift for drama never overwhelms the realities of the damage done, nor his joyous determination to crush bad memories by living a good life * * Guardian * *With a completely captivating style, Cumming cleverly interfaces events from his past with the present * * Broadway World * *Gripping, well-composed and moving, this memoir is impossible to put down and remains with you well beyond the last page * * Pride Life * *This is such a great book: a memoir written with style and depth * * Sunday Business Post * *I very seldom cry but Alan Cumming's Not My Father's Son took me pretty close . . . Reads with the intensity of great fiction even though it's true -- IAN RANKIN * * Mail on Sunday * *Alan's powerful story is one which stays with the reader long after the final page has been read * * Attitude * *

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Book Synopsis''One of the funniest books I have ever read'' HADLEY FREEMANA masterpiece' SATHNAM SANGHERA''The read of the summer'' THE SUNDAY TIMES''Brilliant funny and moving'' ADAM KAYA searingly honest, funny and moving family memoir in which David Baddiel exposes his mother's idiosyncratic sex life, and his father's dementia, to the same affectionate scrutiny.On the surface, David Baddiel's childhood was fairly standard: a lower-middle-class Jewish family living in an ordinary house in Dollis Hill, north-west London. But David came to realise that his mother was in fact not ordinary at all. Having escaped extermination by fleeing Nazi Germany as a child, she was desperate to make her life count, which took the form of a passionate, decades-long affair with a golfing memorabilia salesman. David's detailing of the affair including a hilarious focus on how his mother turned their household over to golf memorabilia, and an eye-popping cache of her erotic writings leads to the inescapable conclu

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