True stories of survival of abuse and injustice Books
HarperCollins Publishers One Child
Book SynopsisThis beautiful and deeply moving tale recounts educational psychologist Torey Hayden''s battle to unlock the emotions of a troubled and sexually abused child who, with the help of Hayden, was finally able to overcome her dark past and realise her full potential.Six-year-old Sheila was abandoned by her mother on a highway when she was four. A survivor of horrific abuse, she never spoke, never cried, and was placed in a class for severely retarded children after committing an atrocious act of violence against another child. Everyone thought Sheila was beyond salvation except her teacher, Torey Hayden. With patience, skill, and abiding love, she fought long and hard to release a haunted little girl from her secret nightmare and nurture the spark of genius she recognised trapped within Sheila''s silence. This is the remarkable story of their journey together an odyssey of hope, courage, and inspiring devotion that opened the heart and mind of one lost child to a new world of discovery aTrade Review“Torey Hayden deserves the kind of respect I can’t give many people. She isn’t valuable, she’s incredible. The world needs more like Torey Hayden.” – Boston Globe It has been a long time since you have read a book with the sheer emotional impact of One Child.” – New York Times “Page after page proves again the power of love and the resiliency of life.” – Los Angeles Times
£8.99
Cornerstone 102 Minutes
Book SynopsisJim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn, native New Yorkers, veteran newspaper reporters, and winners of many awards together and separately, now work at the New York Times. Dwyer is the co-author of Two Seconds Under The World, an account of the 1993 effort to knock down the World Trade Centre, and of Actual Innocence: Five Days to Execution and Other Dispatches from the Wrongly Convicted. He is also the author of Subway Lives: 24 Hours in the Life of the New York City Subway. Flynn, a special projects officer at the Times, was the newspaper's police bureau chief on September 11th 2001. He previously worked as a reporter for the New York Daily News, New York Newsday and the Stamford Advocate.Trade ReviewA heart-stopping, meticulous account ... a fitting tribute to the people caught up in one of the great dramas of our time ... a cathartic release * New York Times *Heartbreaking and inspiring * Boston Herald *With its tragic and preordained conclusion, the book becomes a tearjerker in the most essential way * Entertainment Weekly *Writing in a way that confers dignity on each subject ... This is one book that will stay with readers for a long time * People *Insightful, compassionate and unrelievedley tense * Baltimore Sun *
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton My Heroes Extraordinary Courage Exceptional
Book SynopsisIn MY HEROES the ''world''s greatest living explorer'' (Guinness Book of Records), writes about the people who have inspired him - from explorers to policemen, families to freedom fighters. Wherever in the world Ranulph gives one of his lectures or motivational speeches, someone always asks: ''Who inspired you to do all the crazy things you''ve done?'' For the first time he explores this idea by revealing his own personal heroes and what lessons their actions may have taught him in his own often hazardous profession.This book describes the extraordinary and often horrific events that led to these ordinary individuals becoming Ranulph''s great heroes. From polar survivor to knifed-and-beaten policeman, from a woman missionary to a special forces soldier, these wonderful people will make you proud to be part of the human race.''Refreshingly different... this salute to mostly unsung heroes is an inspirational reminder of human goodness''. -DaTrade Review'Refreshingly different... this salute to mostly unsung heroes is an inspirational reminder of human goodness'. * Daily Mail *'A gripping salute to those whose determination in the face of fear leaves the rest of us awestruck... thoroughly researched and grippingly detailed... his stories of raw courage are timeless'. * Scotsman *'Fiennes is making the case for a closer examination of the example set by the men and women he considers heroes'. * The Times *(It's painfully) compelling. * Evening Standard *The sort of book that will suggest fascinating lines of research to find out more about some of the subjects. The author has given us a splendid read. * The Canberra Times *Acclaim for Ranulph's previous books: * . *'Rip-roaringly readable' * Guardian on MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN *Sir Ranulph has earned his place in the heroic roll call of Scott, Shackleton and the rest. * Daily Mail *'Ran epitomises British phlegm, and he puts all other glory-seekers to shame. Long may he continue to make us glad that we are not him, while we stand in awe.' * Country Life *His courage, determination, stamina - and madness - are truly awesome.' * Daily Express *
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton Sophie dog overboard
Book SynopsisThe story that became a global sensation, now sold for film, of Sophie, the amazing Australian cattle dog who fell off a yacht, was feared lost, yet swam six miles through shark-infested waters to a remote Whitsunday island where she survived for five months before being miraculously reunited with her amazed owners.Trade Review'It was amazing how this dog swam to a remote island and survived to be reunited with her family. All dog lovers should read this book.' * Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human *'Inspiring and heart-warming, Sophie tells many stories: of family and friendship, of survival and loyalty and, most of all, of the exclusive bond between man and his best friend.' * Bendigo Advertiser *'This is a story about survival, loyalty, family and what makes a dog tick.' * Hobart Mercury *'A tender, delightful story of how a cosseted pup turned into a hardy, intrepid - and very lucky - "supercanine", this book will endear itself to dog and adventure lovers everywhere.' * Publishers Weekly *'This story of canine loyalty and the power of human-animal relationships is as charming as its blue-furred heroine. A treat for dog lovers.' * Kirkus Reviews *'It's an amazing story. What a pity dogs can't talk. I am sure Sophie's own tale of her survival, courage and strength would be amazing.' * The Launceston Examiner *'Sophie's incredible story of survival is remarkable.' * Sunday Tasmanian *'Interwoven with images and filled with colourful details about her survival, Sophie's heart-warming, inspirational story is beautifully told in Emma Pearse's book.' * Dog's Life *
£8.54
The History Press Ltd Voices from the Carpathia Rescuing RMS Titanic
Book SynopsisThe author’s collection of these rare written accounts and interviews sheds new light on the tragic way the lives of so many were impacted by the loss of the largest passenger liner in the world.
£17.00
Reach plc Willows Story
Book SynopsisThe tenth instalment in the popular Thrown Away Children paperback series. A young girl's life is shadowed by secrets and lies...When Willow arrives in the Allen household, curious things begin to happen.Louise unravelsthe truth about Willow's family background and uncovers some distressingsecrets.
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Touching The Void
Book SynopsisJoe Simpson is the author of several best-selling books, of which the first,Touching the Void, won both the NCR award and the Boardman Tasker Award. His later books are This Game of Ghosts - the sequel to Touching the Void - Storms of Silence, Dark Shadows Falling, The Beckoning Silence and two novels, The Water People and The Sound of Gravity.Trade ReviewA brilliant, vivd, gripping, heart-stopping account of their terrifying adventure... Superbly written * Sunday Express *One of the absolute classics of mountaineering...a document of psychological, even philosophical witness of the rarest compulsion -- George Steiner * Sunday Times *On every level it is an outstanding literary achievement * Independent *A quite extraordinary and moving book...Touching the Void touches the Great Questions in an understated yet utterly compelling way * Guardian *A truly astonishing account of suffering and fortitude...the narrative acquires an irresistible force, carrying all before it * Sunday Times *
£10.44
Menasha Ridge Press Inc. Whitewater Rescues
Book SynopsisRead more than 80 of the most compelling true stories of canoeing, kayaking, and rafting rescues ever submitted to the American Whitewater Accident Database. Risk is a part of everyday life, but it takes a special person to grab a paddle and choose to navigate a canoe, kayak, or raft over whitewater. After all, when you mix people and moving water, accidents are bound to occur. Sometimes, inexperienced paddlers make terrible mistakes; other times, expert paddlers get caught in dangerous conditions. Regardless of the circumstances, these life-or-death moments can end in tragedy—or can become the setting for heroic rescues. Charlie Walbridge has been a river guide, a paddling-related business owner, and a member of the American Whitewater Board. That’s where he began some of his most important work: maintaining their accident database and producing biannual reports of US whitewater fatalities. Over the years, the lessons learned and the practic
£12.34
HarperCollins Publishers Angel Wings
Book SynopsisWonderful stories from around the world of those who have received signs that their angels are listening and helping them in their time of need.
£5.90
Penguin Books Ltd Challenger
Book Synopsis''Gripping'' ED CAESAR ''Masterly'' GEOFF DYER ''Incredible'' TIM HARFORD ''A universal story that transcends time'' NEW YORK TIMES ''Superb'' DAILY TELEGRAPH ''We know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless'' THE TIMES** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **** WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD 2024 **** WINNER OF THE KIRKUS BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 **The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.On the freezing-cold morning of 28 January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Yet the full story of what happened that day and the ominous warning signs recognized but then ignored in the years before has never been told.Following a handful of central protagonists from the astronauts and their families to the rocket engineers who tried to stop the fateful launch Challenger is a gripping tale of human over-reach; of cynicism and cost-cutting; of hubristic go fever'; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light. Blending human drama with fascinating science and political infighting, Challenger is a masterpiece of non-fiction storytelling. The result is a story even more extraordinary and terrifying than any of us remembered or thought possible.Finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024A Daily Mail Best Science Books of 2024A New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2024A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year 2024One of the New Yorker's dozen Essential Reads of 2024One of the Atlantic''s Ten Best Books of 2024An Amazon Best Book of the Year 2024An Apple Best book and Best Audiobook of 2024A Spotify Best Audiobook of 2024Goodreads' nominee for Readers'' Favourite History and Biography 2024
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers BORN INTO THE CHILDREN OF GOD My life in a
Book SynopsisNatacha Tormey was born into the infamous religious cult known as The Children of God. Abused, exploited, and brainwashed by `The Family', Natacha's childhood was stolen.
£8.54
Canbury Press Because We Are Bad
Book SynopsisAs a child, Lily knew she was bad. By the age of 13, she had killed someone with a thought, spread untold disease, and spied on her friends. Only by performing a series of secret routines could she correct her wrongdoing. But it was never enough. She had a severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and it ruled her life. A startling true story.Trade Review'Often as chilling as Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, but also full of so much inner and external turbulence that it reminded me at times of The Bourne Identity and Memento. Readers will root for Lily, even when she is attempting to run away from the realities - and sometimes authorities - chasing her ... an intense heart-rending roller coaster of a book ... Because We Are Bad is the most engaging and well-written account of mental health experiences I have read and should be on the reading lists of courses for mental health professionals.' – WILL BLACK, HUFFINGTON POST 'It's a fascinating read... Buy the book! Buy the book!' – JO GOOD, BBC RADIO LONDON'Remarkable... She writes with literary poise and a gift for mordant observation and self-deprecating humor that belie her youth. I hope this book finds a wide readership. It will offer solace to OCD sufferers who will understand that they are not alone and who might gain hope of remission; for other readers, it will provide a harrowing sense of what many OCD sufferers have to endure just to get through the day.' – SCOTT STOSSEL, WASHINGTON POST'A harrowingly honest memoir of profound psychological struggle. In her courageous book, the author offers compelling insight into the pain and destructive power of OCD as well as the resilience of a young woman determined to beat the odds.' – KIRKUS REVIEWS'London-based model and journalist Bailey offers an authentic and stunning account of her struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder in this beautifully-rendered memoir.' – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'Because We Are Bad is an emotional, challenging read. Lily takes us deep into the heart of the illness but she is also a deft writer, and even the darkest moments are peppered with wit and wry observations.' – JAMES LLOYD, OCD-UK'A fascinating read. It's brilliantly written; I felt inside your head.' – RAY D'ARCY SHOW, RTE RADIO 1'I laughed, I cried. I could not put this book down. Intensely moving with flashes of black humour, Because We Are Bad is the compelling account of one young woman's experience of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.' – ROSANNA GREENSTREET, FREELANCE JOURNALISTTable of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CHESBURY HOSPITAL. Lily Bailey is in Chesbury Hospital, a private facility in London for patients with mental and physical illnesses. Lily is 19. 'The observation room is next to the nurses’ station; they keep you there until you are no longer a risk to yourself.' 2. MY FRIEND. Lily is in the playground, but her imaginary friend is not the others. She lives in her head all the time. 'Two of us sat side by side in my head, woven together, inseparable. She didn’t even have a name; she was just She. Really, it was hard to say where She ended and I began.' 3. THE LETTER. Lily gets a letter from school, which must contain terrible news. Lily hides the letter from her grandmother because this terrible news must not reach her father and mother. Lily is bad. Very bad. Her cousin has died: Lily killed him with a thought. 4. NEW SCHOOL. It is Lily's first day at Buxton House. The other children laugh at Lily. She repeats the words: 'Fresh start. Fresh start. Fresh start.' Lily creeps into her sister's room because Ella could stop breathing at any moment. It is important to check that Ella is alive. 5. MUM AND DAD. Lily is told to be concerned with hygiene when visiting the swimming pool. Lily resolves to take this very seriously. Her routines intensify. Intrusive thoughts pop into her head. Mum and Dad's arguing worsens. 6. SWEARING IN CHURCH. 'Church is not the place for these words, but we can’t make them go away. Fucking boring ass church. Crap, fuck, shit, wanker, cunt.' Lily is one of the best at maths, but when Lily makes a mistake her friend in her head says: 'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid'. 7. MOST APOLOGETIC GIRL. At the Buxton House Leavers’ Awards, Lily receives an unusual award. ‘I’m sorry I was laughing when you walked past me in the corridor yesterday. I want you to know it was about something Mia said. I wasn’t laughing at you.’ 8. HAMBLEDON. When she moves to boarding school, Lily's routines intensify. 'Recording our mistakes has become our full-time occupation. Most words are generated when interacting with other people, like at mealtimes or when everyone is hanging out in the dorm.' She lists her errors for 4 hours a day. 9. RUNNING FROM WORDS. Lily takes up athletics to flee from the lists that form in her heads. If she can run fast enough, the exertion - the sheer breathlessness - will silence her mind. 10. STUMBLING. Unable to keep up with her routines and overwhelmed with her lists, Lily's world finally collapses. She rushed to the bathroom. 'We curl up in a ball and rock back and forward. Normally the cold tiles make us feel better, but today they don't' 11. SPECIAL NEEDS DEPARTMENT. Lily has to take GCSEs and is awarded 'extra time' because she is a 'slow processor'. Her friend in her head takes issue with the extra time Lily has been given. She scolds her: 'Lying scummy cheat. Lying scummy cheat. Lying scummy cheat.' 12. COMING HOME. Lily feigns an illness so that she is discharged from school. Her mother picks her up and takes her to a homeopathic doctor who prescribes some pills. Her mother also takes Lily to a GP, who finds her iron is low. She is referred to a specialist 13. DOCTOR, DOCTOR. At a psychiatric hospital, Lily meets Dr Finch for the first time. Her friend insists there is no need to see this doctor. Has she ever let her down? Dr Finch says Lily has OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Her friend is unhappy. 'OCD is a mental disorder. What we do is good' 14. PILLS, PILLS, PILLS. Having an invisible friend is unusual in OCD, Dr Finch explains. She says that Lily is not a bad person, but is worried about being a bad person. Lily must do CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. She tells Lily to rest from her routines. Lily's friend is unhappy and mocks her. 15. DRIVING. Lily goes on a car journey with Dr Finch. Lily's friend is protesting, whining. Dr Funch says: ‘You know who your “friend” reminds me of? A wife beater. She beats you up in your head and calls you names when you don’t do what she says, and you follow her instructions because you’re scared' 16. THOSE WHO LOVE ME. Dr Finch sets Lily homework of graded exposure. To help cure her OCD, she has to resist recording lists of people she cares the least about. Lily decides she must do everything to make Dr Finch happy. But Lily wants to stop taking the anti-depressants she has been prescribed 17. THAILAND. Working in a nursery in London, Lily fears she has abused the children or that their food is unhygienic. During a gap year at a Thai orphanage, Lily's intrusive thoughts mock her. Her friend cackles about the basic washing up: 'Are you going to get sick?' 18. DUBLIN. Lily starts an English degree at Trinity College, lodging at university halls in Rathmines. The voice in her head grows frantic during Freshers Week, and she writes to Dr Finch about managing her OCD. Dr Finch says: 'Tackling OCD involves taking risks to find out what actually happens' 19. IT IS MY FAULT. Things reach a crisis point in Lily's life and she decides to give up her battle against the voice in her head, her OCD, the endless list-making and routines. She is found by her university friends and an ambulance is called 20. MENTAL WARD. Lily is transferred from intensive care in an Irish hospital to the psychiatric unit. She tells the psychiatrist: ‘I’m a bad person. I spend my life trying to be good and it’s never enough.’ ‘Is there anything else?’ ‘I love my doctor. I’m obsessed by her. It’s not an OCD thing.' 21. HARLEY STREET. Back in London after returning from Ireland, Lily is festering, writing endless lists. She is taken to a private consultation in Harley Street. Dr Dax says she will admit Lily to a private hospital in London, Chesbury. Lily escapes from her parents and ends up in a high-rise flat. 22. URINE TEST. Worried that she will contract HIV and die, Lily is forced to give blood - and a urine sample is demanded. Lily recites the Old list: I am preoccupied with four categories: BITCH LIAR, BODILY FUNCTIONS and PERVERT. 23. LOSER, FRIEND. Lily's list-making continues apace as her obsessive compulsions continue even during treatment, but she finds a friend and soulmate in Frankie and they have adventures together, breaking into an old part of the Victorian hospital building. 24. SKATING. Lily complains that Dr Dax at Chesbury Hospital is not giving her CBT for her OCD. 'I scream at her and ask her why she keeps changing my medication without explanation. My SPOILT category is going into overdrive, but for once, I don’t care.' 25. ASHLEAVES. Lily is transferred to a rural hospital. She still goes through her OCD routines, including the list-making, but her medication is stablised – and she is given CBT to combat her obsessive behaviour 26. NURSERY. Discharged from the hospital, Lily starts work at a local nursery in London. 'I picture the 0.01% of germs that couldn’t be washed off by the antibacterial soap crawling from my naked fingers deep into an apple segment, ready to be delivered into the innocent mouth of an unsuspecting child' 27. JOURNALISM. Still suffering from OCD, Lily gets an internship at a local magazine and meets an attractive surfer dude, Doug. Lily wonders if she is introducing obscene terms into the articles she writes. Lily gets a dog, Rocky, and finds that she does not worry about him being unhygienic 28. ROCKY. Lily is encouraged to an OCD support class, where she finds talking to fellow sufferers helps. 'I remember what Dr Finch said: ‘Your routines feed off isolation'.' 29. THE TRUTH. Lily meets an older man and slowly comes to terms with her OCD. I have existed for 21 years. I didn’t live them all, but from now on I am hoping to. Sometimes... grey thoughts saunter in like unwanted dinner guests; the trick is not to invite them to sit at the table.'
£7.59
Faber & Faber The Caliban Shore
Book SynopsisThe enthralling true story of a famous eighteenth-century shipwreck off the coast of Africa.Trade Review"'A wonderful book, hugely satisfying on many levels - as a survival-and-ordeal chronicle, as social history, as anthropology, and an early foray into the exotic, but most of all as an adventure' Paul Theroux"
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Consequences of Love
Book SynopsisThe must-read memoir about the dazzling days and dark nights of a Chelsea childhood . . .''Brilliant and moving'' The Times''Dazzling'' Evening Standard''Beautifully written'' Marian Keyes''Unflinchingly honest Sunday Times''Superbly written'' Guardian''A triumph'' i_______Her father was a hairdresser to the rich and famous - he was also their drug dealer.Her mother was an alcoholic fashion model. Her days and nights were non-stop parties - she spent them taking care of her little sister and putting out naked flames.And when her sister dies aged nine, Gavanndra is left alone with her grief. Growing up in the dazzling days and dark nights of her parents'' social lives, surviving means fitting into their dysfunctional world, while stopping the family from falling apart . . ._________''A redemptive tale of an emotionalTrade ReviewUnflinchingly honestly. A beautiful book . . . everyone should read it * The Sunday Times *There are scenes that will reduce you to tears, but there's also humour, forgiveness and uplifting optimism [...] by the end of this dazzling debut you just want to give her a huge cheer for coming through * Evening Standard *Wise and moving . . . this memoir is an acknowledgment that love demands a price * Guardian *By turns painful and joyful, this beautiful book has plenty of poignant lessons to teach us about grief and love * Cosmopolitan *Gavanndra writes beautifully, her words are unsentimental but very lyrical [...] I loved this book and my tears fell into the bath as I read it -- Clover Stroud * author of The Sunday Times Bestselling memoir My Wild and Sleepless Nights *A devastating, heart-breaking and magnificent meditation on the function of memory. It will stay with me forever, so beautifully written * Daisy Buchanan, author of The Sisterhood *A completely unforgettable and unique family memoir. A total cliché but I honestly couldn't put it down * Hadley Freeman *A real tear-jerker * i *'Beautifully-written, calm-but-utterly-compelling life-story of trauma and healing... the author seems lovely and I want to be her pal!' * Marian Keyes *At a time when so many families are losing loved ones, and are denied even the scant comfort funerals provide, there is no more poignant moment for this book to appear -- Emily Hill * The Spectator *This is one of the best books I've read about grief - and the catastrophic consequences of addiction. Exquisitely written. Profoundly moving -- Robert PestonGavanndra Hodge's moving memoir recounts the consequences of an early life framed by beauty, glamour and tragedy * The Observer *A heartbreaking and compelling memoir * Red *Looks at the power of love and loss in shaping one's life. Moving and beautifully written * Grazia *The must-read of the summer * The Times *So brilliantly written . . . ultimately joyful and uplifting * Daily Mirror *Brave and beautifully written * Elle *There are books - and then there are books that you'll never forget reading. A quite extraordinary memoir -- Becky Barrow * News Editor of The Sunday Times *I read it in one sitting without pause. It is an astonishing book. I haven't stopped thinking about it -- Charlotte Edwardes * columnist for Sunday Times Style Magazine *A wonderful and transformative memoir about the impact of loss and the power of love; and one that illustrates how it is never too late to tackle suppressed grief -- Julia Samuel * author of the Sunday Times Bestseller This Too Shall Pass *I read this in one sitting, tears splashing onto its pages. A beautiful book about grief, losing a sibling, trauma, drugs, parenting & memory in the most exquisite way. Please everyone read it -- Emma Gannon * podcaster, author of Olive and founder of The Hyphen Book Club *This book is genuinely extraordinary -- Eleanor WoodLife affirming [...] an enrapturing journey through darkness, destructive behaviour and an urgency for light and happiness now * Magic Radio Book Club, May's Book of the Month *A powerful memoir -- Laura Whitmore * BBC Radio 5 *Timely and highly original * Evening Standard *Brilliant and moving * The Times *The Consequences of Love is undoubtedly one of this year's most hotly-anticipated books, and with good reason * The Sunday Salon podcast with Alice-Azania Jarvis *Brilliantly written and heartbreaking but also joyful and uplifting * Psychologies *Extraordinary . . . profoundly moving * Sunday Mirror *A brave, lyrical, painful tale of bereavement, addiction, and the building of a new life -- Joanna Briscoe * Evening Standard *Superbly written. Beautifully written and utterly heartbreaking. Courageous, inspired, bleakly comic, extreme candour * Guardian *Searing * Daily Mail *Hodge's beautiful memoir is both a devastating, grief-fuelled account of her sister's death and a redemptive tale of an emotional reckoning * i *It's a vivid and oddly entertaining memoir, a hand plunged into the dark hole of grief . . . uncovers surprising treasures - most importantly, strength, resilience and love * Mail on Sunday *Searing. A masterful writer with a gift for storytelling. Her prose is rich with detail, combining a sharp sense of place with escalating drama. A triumph * i *The most moving, most exquisitely written book about addiction, grief, loss and coming to terms with trauma even decades on. One that you will be thinking about, and remember long after finishing * Quintessentially *One of the most beautiful memoirs I've ever read. This story will say with you long after you put the book down * Emma Gannon *I just turned the last page (reluctantly!). A bold, often brutal exploration of memory, grief and love. Full of hope and heart. I can't recommend it enough * Terri White, author of Coming Undone *A brave, brilliant book that is both beautiful and important. Read it then buy it for all your friends * Hello! *Gavanndra's memoir The Consequences of Love is absolutely beautiful. It's compelling, heartbreaking, sweet, honest, fascination. I recommend it HIGHLY. I absolutely LOVED it. * Marian Keyes *This stunning exploration of grief is so well written and profoundly moving * Good Housekeeping *An elegant study of grief and memory * Guardian *Hodge pours heartbreak and love into the pages of a book that never pretends to know the answers, and is all the better for it * Sunday Times *An elegant study of grief and memory * Guardian Weekly *An eye-opening snapshot of the fashion world in '90s London * Vogue UK *
£10.44
John Blake Publishing Ltd Abandoned Child: From the No.1 bestselling
Book SynopsisFrom the million-copy bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of neglect, abuse and survival. Amy had a happy childhood until the sudden death of her mother when she was ten years old. Eventually abandoned by her father, she found herself falling prey to the evil that lurked in her school and on the streets. Addicted to heroin by the age of twelve, Amy attempted to get clean in the hopes of reconciling with her father and his new wife. But unable to rid herself of her addiction, she fell into a world of hard drug use, homelessness, imprisonment and abusive relationships. At Amy's lowest ebb, she found the strength to turn her life around. Abandoned Child is her incredible story of survival, and how finding self-worth and love from the right person changed her future.
£8.54
Pan Macmillan The Girl and the Ghosts: The True Story of a
Book SynopsisThe Girl and the Ghosts is the third book from well-loved foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author Angela Hart.‘So, is it a girl or a boy, and how old?’ Jonathan asked as soon as we were alone in the shop.My husband knew from the animated look on my face, and the way I was itching to talk to him, that our social worker had been asking us to look after another child. Seven-year-old Maria holds lots of secrets. Why won’t she tell how she got the bruises on her body? Why does she run and hide? And why does she so want to please her sinister stepfather?It takes years for devoted foster carer Angela Hart to uncover the truth as she helps Maria leave the ghosts of her past behind.Trade ReviewPraise for Angela Hart:A true tear-jerking tale of love and compassion * Sunday Mirror *
£7.59
Hodder & Stoughton Grey is the Colour of Hope
Book SynopsisThe searing and unforgettable account of Ukrainian-born poet Irina Ratushinskaya's experiences in a brutal labour camp.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Dont Tell Mummy
Book SynopsisToni Maguire''s memoirtells the deeply moving story of an idyllic childhood that masked a terrible truth. Underneath her mother''s gentility and her father''s roguish charm lay horrifying secrets, which eventually led to their only child''s near destruction. The first time her father made an improper advance on Toni, she was six years old. Her father warned her not to tell her mother, or anyone else, because they would blame her and wouldn''t love her any more. It had to remain our secret. When she finally built up the courage to tell her mother what had happened, she was told never to speak of the matter again. With no one to turn to, isolated and alone in rural Ireland, the abuse continued unhindered. At14 Toni fell pregnant by her father, and when her state was discovered she was made to have a late abortion which almost killed her. The truth of her childhood could no longer be kept hidden but, just as her father predicted, Toni found herself judged and rejected by her family, teachers, and friends. The blame and anger she was treated with only worsened when her father was sent to prison as a result of his actions. This is the compelling story of her struggle to put the ghost of her childhood to rest, and emerge ultimately triumphant.Trade Review‘Hard to put down …. I truly felt I was living her life alongside her, being taken back in time. I could almost smell the honeysuckle and soda bread but also feel the dread and fear.’ Jane Elliott, author of the No.1 bestseller ‘The Little Prisoner’ 'This memoir is testament to [Toni Maguire's] amazing courage'. Closer magazine. ‘Amazing'. The Mirror.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers FOR THE LOVE OF JULIE A nightmare come true A mothers courage A desperate fight for justice
Book SynopsisIn this incredible and moving memoir, a mother tells of her fight for justice to convict her daughter’s murderer for a crime that he thought could never be punished.Trade Review'It is one of those tales about how life can turn on a sixpence: one minute everything is dandy, the next all is darkness.' - Joe Joseph, The Times
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Finding Gobi Main edition The true story of a
Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NO.2 BESTSELLERLike A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwideIn 2016, Dion Leonard, a seasoned ultramarathon runner, unexpectedly stumbled across a little stray dog while competing in a gruelling 155 mile race across the Gobi Desert. The lovable pup, who earned the name Gobi', proved that what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in heart, as she went step for step with Dion over the treacherous Tian Shan Mountains, managing to keep pace with him for nearly 80 miles.As Dion witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something change within himself. In the past he had always focused on winning and being the best, but his goal now was simply to make sure that his new friend was safe, nourished and hydrated. Although Dion did not finish first, he felt he had won something far greater and promised to bring Gobi back to the UK for good to become a new addition to his family. Thi
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers SOMEONE TO LOVE US The shocking true story of two brothers fostered into brutality and neglect
Book SynopsisThe harrowing true story of the young boy who captured the heart of the nation when he testified in court, to find justice against those responsible for his brother's death.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers ISAACS STORM The Drowning of Galveston The Drowning of Galveston 8 September 1900
Book SynopsisGalveston, Texas, 8 September 1900. It’s another fine day in the Gulf according to Isaac Cline, chief observer of the new US Weather Bureau, but one day later, 6-10,000 people were dead, wiped out by the biggest storm the coast of America had ever witnessed.Trade ReviewGripping, informative and imaginative’New Statesman ‘Roof slates became spinning blades… a timely and chillingly detailed reminder of what nature can do.’Mail on Sunday ‘Mixing individual narratives of the townsfolk and a history of the Weather Bureau with terrific descriptions the evolving storm, Larson cooks up an awesome tale.‘Daily Telegraph ‘Dickensian… A scholarly and factual book that reads like fiction.’Independent
£11.39
Hodder & Stoughton Apollo 13
Book SynopsisApril 13, 1970. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert are hurtling towards the moon in the Apollo 13 spacecraft, when an explosion rocks the ship. The cockpit grows dim, the air grows thin, and the instrument lights wink out. Moments later, the astronauts are forced to abandon the main ship for the tiny lunar module, designed to keep two men alive for just two days. But there are three men aboard and they are four days from home. As the action shifts from the disabled ship to the frantic engineers at Mission Control to Lovell''s anxious family, APOLLO 13 brilliantly recreates the harrowing, heroic mission in all its drama and glory.This gripping story of human endurance is the basis for Ron Howard''s classic film starring Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon.
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Facing Up
Book SynopsisBear Grylls spent three years with the British Special Forces. During this time he had a horrendous parachuting accident in southern Africa, breaking his back in three places. Two years later he overcame the odds to become one of the youngest British climbers ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and this story forms the basis for his bestselling memoir, Facing Up. Looking for another adventure, Bear tackled the treacherous North Atlantic seas in Facing the Frozen Ocean. Bear Grylls is one of the most recognized faces of survival and outdoor adventure and one of the most successful motivational speakers on the world circuit.Trade ReviewNo one could fail to be gripped by his heartfelt excitement and emotion over what was the adventure of a lifetime. * Independent *Bear's tale is by turns hilarious and horrific. * Daily Telegraph *Written with refreshing humility, this is a briskly told account, not of conquering Everest, but of realizing its power. * Daily Mail *A remarkable tale. * Daily Express *
£11.69
John Murray Press The Longest Winter Scotts Other Heroes
Book SynopsisThe untold story of Scott's Northern Party and their incredible survival of an Antarctic winterTrade ReviewA cracking story * Mail on Sunday *This book relives their fears and squalid surroundings from day to day. Even as you lie in the sun on holiday, you will be chilled, gripped and amazed by the human resilience displayed in such awesome conditions * Daily Mail *Authoritative and insightful . . . [an] enjoyable, vivid study of the English in extremis * Sunday Times *
£12.34
Little, Brown & Company The Man Who Walked Backward
Book SynopsisSet against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the story of a Texas man who, in 1931, set out to walk backwards around the world.
£22.50
Orion Publishing Co Sold To Be A Wife
Book SynopsisFourteen-year-old Shazia has been taken into care after a conversation at school leads her teacher to suspect that the teenager''s family are planning to send her to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. To her family''s fury, Shazia is sent to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley whilst social services investigate. But with Shazia denying everything and social services unable to find any evidence to support the teacher''s fears, Shazia is allowed to return home. But a few weeks later, Maggie is woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call from a terrified Shazia, who has managed to escape the family home through a window. Sobbing, she confesses to Maggie that her parents are planning to send her to Pakistan to be married in a few days, and have threatened to kill her if she speaks out again. Returned to Maggie''s care, Shazia is petrified that her parents will track her down and kill her, and Maggie must be on constant alert. But the worst is yet to come when
£8.54
Hodder & Stoughton Sweating the Metal
Book SynopsisWith bullets flying, wounded soldiers scream out in pain as the Chinook comes in to land in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan. At the machine''s controls is one man and if he doesn''t stay calm then everyone could die. That man is Flt Lt Alex ''Frenchie'' Duncan and he''s been involved in some of the most daring and dangerous missions undertaken by the Chinook force in Afghanistan. In this book he recounts his experiences of life under fire in the dust, heat and bullets of an active war zone.At 99ft long, the Chinook is a big and valuable target to the Taliban, who will stop at nothing to bring one down. And yet Frenchie and his crew risk everything because they know that the troops on the front line are relying on them. Sweating the Metal is the true story of the raw determination and courage of men on the front line - and it''s time for their story to be told.Trade Reviewwith action so real your Dad will be spitting sand out of his mouth, this gripping account of a Chinook pilot's bravery under enemy fire in Afghanistan will transport him right to the frontline. * News of the World *'Sweating the Metal is a description of the Afghan war from the cockpit, the highs and lows of combat-flying at its most dramatic'. * Daily Telegraph *
£10.44
Transworld Publishers Ltd Phillips R Captains Duty
Book SynopsisBorn in 1955, Richard Phillips is a graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He became captain of the MV Maersk Alabama in 2009 and is still a serving officer in the United States' merchant marine. His account of the seizure of the Maersk Alabama and his experiences as a hostage of Somali pirates - A Captain's Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea - was first published in the USA in 2010. He and his wife have two children and live on a farm in Vermont.Trade ReviewI share the country's admiration for the bravery of Captain Phillips and his selfless concern for his crew. His courage is a model for all Americans. * BARACK OBAMA, President of the USA *For once, the good guys won. * BOOKLIST *This riveting account spares none of the detail and paints fascinating portraits of the desperate young pirates. The film, starring Tom Hanks, opens this month and if it is half as tense as the book, it'll be unmissable. * DAILY MAIL *We think this is shaping up to be something really quite special * DEN OF GEEK *
£10.44
Ebury Publishing The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom
Book Synopsis**WINNER OF THE 2019 MOORE PRIZE ****THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**‘A riveting account of the multiple outrages of the criminal justice system of Alabama. A harrowing masterpiece’ Guardian‘Hinton somehow navigates through his rage and despair to a state of forgiveness and grace’ IndependentAt age 29, Anthony Ray Hinton was wrongfully charged with robbery and murder, and sentenced to death by electrocution for crimes he didn’t commit. The only thing he had in common with the perpetrator was the colour of his skin.Anthony spent the next 28 years of his life on death row, watching fellow inmates march to their deaths, knowing he would follow soon. Hinton’s incredible story reveals the injustices and inherent racism of the American legal system, but it is also testament to the hope and humanity in us all.‘You will be swept away in this unbelievable, dramatic true story’ Oprah WinfreyTrade Review[Hinton] is a remarkable storyteller. You will be swept away in this unbelievable, dramatic true story * Oprah Winfrey *Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for opposing a racist system in South Africa. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row because a racist system still exists in America. Both emerged from their incarceration with a profound capacity to forgive. They are stunning examples of how the most horrendous cruelty can lead to the most transcendent compassion. -- Archbishop Desmond TutuAnthony Ray Hinton's memoir of his wrongful imprisonment...is a riveting account of the multiple outrages of the criminal justice system of Alabama. But that isn't what makes this a genuine spiritual experience: that comes from the nearly biblical capacity of the author to endure, to forgive, and finally to triumph...his book is a harrowing masterpiece. * Guardian *A wonderful memoir...A story of forgiveness and struggle - and a story of friendship and imagination * Book of the Day, Observer *This incredibly moving chronicle...is one staggering revelation after another, but also a lovely portrait of kindness, warmth and how faith is its own reward...On death row he somehow navigates through his rage and despair to a state of forgiveness and grace. * Independent *
£12.34
University of Texas Press Life in Oil
Book SynopsisRevealing how the key fuel of the global era affects the communities where petroleum is extracted, this beautifully written ethnography describes how the Cofán people are surviving at the center of the Ecuadorian oil industry.Trade ReviewCepek's account of the Cofàn people's experiences, their lives literally rooted in some of Amazonia's most contentious and contaminated oil fields, is an extraordinary new testament…an essential addition to our collective library. * American Ethnologist *The book makes for a fascinating read and is refreshing in its writing style . . . it raises important questions of autonomy and self-determination of a people and speaks to critical debates raging at present within the academia. * Conservation and Society *For scholars and students interested in questions of oil, the environment, and indigeneity—or simply curious about what counts as great ethnography and how it might be done—the book is a must-read. * Environment and Society *This book will help lay audiences and introductory students learn about the hydrocarbon industry's impacts on the Ecuadorian Amazon from a heavily Cofán perspective. Scholars of Indigenous Amazonia will appreciate the ethnographic detail regarding the lives of Cofán people and communities. * Journal of Latin American Geography *Cepek's book records the experience of the Cofan People in Ecuador's Aguarico River region for over 25 years, before they knew what this black sticky stuff was, and puts hard fact to the decades long legal battle between Chevron (Texaco) and the locals. It's quite a compelling informative and an unbiased read. * Intentional Paradigms *[P]owerful, moving, and accessible…This book is highly recommended for students learning about indigenous peoples and resource extraction, the ethics of energy, and contemporary life in the Amazon, and should be at the top of everyone's list of ethnographies written for a broader, public audience. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *Profoundly nuanced and empathetic…Cepek produces one of the more realistic accounts of the effects of oil on everyday life in a community on the frontlines of oil extraction. * Anthropological Quarterly *Life in Oil is an extraordinarily insightful ethnography that stakes out new ground in understanding indigenous life in Amazonia and survival beyond all odds. * HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory *[Life in Oil] is a compelling complication of popular anthropological and environmental narratives about the Amazon. It is without doubt a direct refutation of any claim that petroleum operations in Ecuador have caused no harm to the Cofán…This book needs to be read widely, especially outside of anthropology, and outside the classroom...This book pushes open a clearing, and makes a place where outsiders can stop to consider what is happening in the Ecuadorian Amazon. * Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology *Based on my own research in the region, Cepek’s work is extremely credible. It is rare to have a view of local culture that is so respectful of the importance of individual agency, and so understanding of the diversity of perspectives and practices within an indigenous society. Only with this understanding is it possible to understand ongoing change as the product of adaptive choices...[Life in Oil] is a highly readable book that can be recommended for classroom use. * Bulletin of Latin American Research *Table of Contents A Note on the Photographs A Note on Corporate Actors List of Important Individuals Chapter 1. Black Water Chapter 2. Dureno Chapter 3. The Death of Yori’ye Chapter 4. The Cocama Arrive Chapter 5. Damaged World Chapter 6. Prohibition and Protest Chapter 7. The Possibility of Coexistence Chapter 8. Life in Oil Acknowledgments Notes Glossary Works Cited Index
£23.39
Little, Brown Book Group No Such Thing As Failure
Book Synopsis'I admire David hugely. He is a true adventurer and this book shows the breadth and depth of his achievements. No Such Thing As Failure is an astonishing book, depicting an awe-inspiring life.' Sir Ranulph Fiennes
£15.00
HarperCollins Publishers A Family Torn Apart Three sisters and a dark
Book SynopsisAngie, 6, and sister Polly, 4, are utterly distraught when they arrive to stay with foster carer Cathy Glass. Their older half-sister Ashleigh has accused their father of something horrible, and the two young sisters have been removed from home to keep them safe.Cathy tries to comfort the girls, but they are inconsolable. They just want their mummy and daddy, whom they love dearly.The girls appear to have been well looked after, but as they settle and start to talk of life at home, it becomes clear something is badly wrong. Then a chance remark sets in motion a chain of events that eventually changes everything.
£8.54
Bonnier Books Ltd Master Slave Husband Wife
Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR, WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHYA New York Times bestseller, the incredible true story of a couple that escaped slavery in the South and eventually made their way to the UK, Africa and beyond.The remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as 'his' slave.In 1848, a year of international democratic revolt, a young, enslaved couple, Ellen and William Craft, achieved one of the boldest feats of self-emancipation in history. Posing as master and slave, while sustained by their love as husband and wife, they made their escape together across more than 1,000 miles, riding steamboats, carriages, and trains that took them from bondage in Georgia to the free states of the North.Along the way, they dodged slave traders, military officers, and eve
£9.89
HarperCollins Publishers Unwanted The care system failed Lara. Will she
Book SynopsisLara was seven when her birth mother died from a drug overdose. With no extended family to look after her, she was put into foster care. The care system failed Lara and now she is failing her son.Lara and her one-year-old son, Arthur, are brought to experienced foster carer, Cathy Glass, by their social worker. Lara has fled an abusive relationship and Arthur has suspected non-accidental injuries. Cathy must monitor Lara whenever she is with her son, day and night. She cannot let them out of her sight for a minute.Lara loves her son, but she puts her own needs first. Cathy must teach Lara how to care for Arthur, but will it be enough to allow her to keep him?
£8.54
Mirror Books Groomed By A Gang
Book Synopsis"He had raped me, had me beaten up, drained me of every last shred of self-respect. Surely he would leave me alone now? But that evening, as I was eating with my parents, the phone rang. My blood ran cold…" Christina O’Connor is the main prosecution witness from the Huddersfield Grooming scandal which saw 11 men convicted of a staggering 43 offences against her, including 22 counts of rape. Christina will describe how, from being an innocent child in a normal family, she fell into the clutches of a grooming gang whose abuse of children earned them a total of 257 years in prison. Christina’s helpless parents tried desperately to save their 13 year old daughter as she began playing truant, and was lured into sexual activities with complete strangers, in exchange for pizza, vodka and cannabis. After five years of almost daily rape, Christina committed robberies under duress from the grooming gang and was jailed. She made a complaint to police about the abuse, but no action was taken. She sees the prison term as her salvation; from this moment she turned her life around. Two years after her release, her police statement was found at the back of a filing cabinet, and Operation Tendersea, the investigation into the grooming gang was launched. This is the first time Christina has spoken out. She has waived her right to anonymity and wants the world to hear her voice.
£9.49
Ad Lib Publishers Ltd Unspoken: The Silent Truth Behind My Lifelong
Book Synopsis“I was two when the woman I called Mummy told me, ‘You came out of another mummy’s tummy.’ I grew up thinking that my birth mother didn’t want me. I assumed there must’ve been something inherently wrong with me – why else would a mother give up her baby?” In 1974, Liz Harvie – born Claire Elaine Watts – was given up for adoption by her birth mother Yvonne. Claire was just eight weeks old when her adoptive parents took her in – and renamed her Elizabeth. Although brought up in a ‘perfect’ household, the emotional – and physical – trauma of being taken from her biological mother would never leave Liz. She constantly wondered: what does my real mum look like? Will she come back for me? Why did she abandon me? But whenever Liz voiced such questions, she invariably received the same response: “Your birth parents were not married. They couldn’t look after you.” Years later, aged twenty-eight, Liz reconnected with her birth mother – and finally learned the shocking truth surrounding her adoption. Yvonne had not abandoned her daughter. A social worker had snatched her ten-day-old baby from her arms. “I didn’t even get a final cuddle. She just took her away from me,” says Yvonne. Liz became one of 185,000 victims of forced adoption between 1949 and 1976 in England and Wales. As a young unmarried mum, Yvonne was deemed unfit as a parent by the government, churches, adoption agencies and her father – and made to give up her child against her will. Although reunited, Liz and Yvonne are still struggling to cope with the agony resulting from their devastating separation. As Liz says, “We can’t just skip hand in hand into the sunset. The trauma of being a forced adoptee is lifelong.”Trade Review'Unspoken is a deeply personal journey of failed, harmful social engineering. In 1974 both society and the state thought Liz's adoptive parents could provide a better home, a better future, than her young, unmarried birth mother. Despite being told she was “chosen”, Liz still wrestled with issues of longing and belonging. She felt out of place and at times unloved in what, from the outside, seemed an otherwise idyllic Middle England family. The secrets and pretences upon which this idyllic family was built went unseen and unspoken. Recounting the unresolved trauma which returned at different stages in her life, Liz offers a heartfelt, harrowing and heroic story of finding her family. The book provides an opportunity for this injustice, which impacts so many adoptees and mothers, to be felt and above all spoken.' -- Dr Michael Lambert, Research Fellow'Liz’s book left me feeling numb at first, but then humbled and angry to learn that adoption does not, as birth mothers were told back then as part of the coercion to relinquish our babies, always lead to a ‘better life’. Liz weaves the emotional consequences of adoption throughout her book… her desire to be heard and her quest for justice and reparation is strongly evident.' -- Ann Lloyd Keen RN, former Labour Health Minister 2007–2010, birth mother and campaigner for an adoption apology‘All those feelings, the injustices, the pain. Brava, Liz, for your hard work to help others and well done for allowing yourself to travel through such a challenging journey. Thank you from a fellow adoptee.’ -- Louise Allen, author of Thrown Away Child and the Thrown Away Children series
£9.49
Birlinn General When I Heard the Bell
Book SynopsisOn 31 December 1918, His Majesty''s Yacht Iolaire sailed from Kyle of Lochalsh for Stornoway, bearing home to the Hebrides nearly 300 naval veterans of the Great War.She never made it. At two in the morning, the ship ran aground by the mouth of Stornoway harbour, and over 200 men drowned in what remains Britain''s biggest peacetime disaster at sea since the loss of the Titanic - devastating the Isle of Lewis and scarring a generation.Acclaimed journalist John MacLeod examines the events of that dreadful night and uncovers a story not only of official incompetence, error and neglect but also of individual heroism, and the resilience and faith of a remarkable people.
£12.34
The History Press Ltd Silent Village
Book Synopsis''Based on eye-witness accounts, Robert Pike's moving book vividly depicts the lives of the villagers who were caught up in the tragedy of Oradour-sur-Glane and brings their experiences to our attention for the first time.'' - Hanna Diamond, author of Fleeing HitlerOn 10 June 1944, four days after Allied forces landed in Normandy, the picturesque village of Oradour-sur-Glane in the rural heart of France was destroyed by an armoured SS Panzer division. Six hundred and forty-three men, women and children were murdered in the nation's worst wartime atrocity.Today, Oradour is remembered as a martyred village' and its ruins are preserved, but the stories of its inhabitants lie buried under the rubble of the intervening decades.Silent Village gathers the powerful testimonies of survivors in the first account of Oradour as it was both before the tragedy and in its aftermath. A lost way of life is vividly recollected i
£15.29
Scholastic US World War II Close Up They Saved the Stallions
Book SynopsisAward-winning author Deborah Hopkinson deftly brings to life the thrilling true story of the desperate fight to save the world-famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna and its beloved Lipizzaner horses during World War II, perfect for fans of I Survived!Scholastic Focus is the premier home of thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and thoughtfully designed works of narrative nonfiction aimed at middle grade and young adult readers. These books help readers learn about the world in which they live and develop their critical thinking skills so that they may become dynamic citizens who are able to analyze and understand our past, participate in essential discussions about our present, and work to grow and build our future.In the closing months of World War II, American bombs rained down on Nazi Germany and its territories, including Austria.As glass shattered around them in Vienna, an ordinary-looking horse named Nero and his stable mates, the dancing whi
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler
Book SynopsisThe gripping and shocking story of three generations of the Sackler family and their roles in the stories of Valium, OxyContin and the opioid crisis. The inspiration behind the Netflix series Painkiller, starring Uzo Aduba and Matthew Broderick.The Sunday Times BestsellerWinner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-FictionA BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week'Shortlisted for the 2021 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year AwardOne of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2021Shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction'I gobbled up Empire of Pain . . . a masterclass in compelling narrative nonfiction.' – Elizabeth Day, The Guardian '30 Best Summer Reads'‘You feel almost guilty for enjoying it so much’ – The TimesThe Sackler name adorns the walls of many storied institutions – Harvard; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Oxford; the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people.In this masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, award-winning journalist and host of the Wind of Change podcast Patrick Radden Keefe exhaustively documents the jaw-dropping and ferociously compelling reality. Empire of Pain is the story of a dynasty: a parable of twenty-first-century greed.'There are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page' – Sunday TimesTrade ReviewThere are so many "they did what?" moments in this book, when your jaw practically hits the page * Sunday Times *This is no dense medical tome, but a page-turner with a villainous family to rival the Roys in Succession, and one where every chapter ends with the perfect bombshell. * Esquire *The story of the Sacklers and OxyContin is a parable of the modern era of philanthropy being deployed to burnish the reputations of financiers and entrepreneurs . . . [A] tour-de-force * Financial Times *Put simply, this book will make your blood boil . . . a devastating portrait of a family consumed by greed and unwilling to take the slightest responsibility or show the least sympathy for what it wrought . . . a highly readable and disturbing narrative. -- John Carreyrou, author of Bad Blood * New York Times Book Review *An engrossing (and frequently enraging) tale of striving, secrecy and self-delusion . . . Even when detailing the most sordid episodes, Keefe’s narrative voice is calm and admirably restrained, allowing his prodigious reporting to speak for itself. His portrait of the family is all the more damning for its stark lucidity. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *A true tragedy in multiple acts. It is the story of a family that lost its moorings and its morals . . . Written with novelistic family-dynasty and family-dynamic sweep, Empire of Pain is a pharmaceutical Forsythe Saga, a book that in its way is addictive, with a page-turning forward momentum. -- David M. Shribman * Boston Globe *Explosive . . . Keefe marshals a large pile of evidence and deploys it with prosecutorial precision . . . Keefe is a gifted storyteller who excels at capturing personalities. * Washington Post *An air-tight indictment of the family behind the opioid crisis . . . [an] impressive exposé -- Harriet Ryan * Los Angeles Times *A damning portrait of the Sacklers, the billionaire clan behind the OxyContin epidemic . . . [Keefe] has a knack for crafting lucid, readable descriptions of the sort of arcane business arrangements the Sacklers favored. -- Laura Miller * Slate *Keefe has a way of making the inaccessible incredibly digestible, of morphing complex stories into page-turning thrillers, and he's done it again with Empire of Pain . . . equal parts juicy society gossip and historical record. -- Seija Rankin * Entertainment Weekly *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Six Years a Hostage
Book SynopsisTHE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE LONGEST-HELD AL QAEDA CAPTIVE IN THE WORLDStephen McGown was en route from London to South Africa, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip by motorbike, returning home to Johannesburg. He had reached Timbuktu, in Mali, when he was captured, along with a Dutch and a Swedish national, by Al Qaeda Islamist militants. Steve was taken because he held a British passport. He was subsequently held hostage at various camps in the Sahara Desert in the north-west of Africa for nearly six years before eventually being released.Life as Steve had known it changed in that instant that he was taken at gunpoint. He had nothing to bargain with, and everything to lose. For the next six years, he reluctantly engaged in what he came to call the greatest chess game of his life. Thousands of kilometres to the south, in Johannesburg, the shock of Stephen''s capture struck the McGown family and his wife, Cath, with whom he had, until recently, been living Trade ReviewProvides a compelling look at McGown's strength, fortitude and adaptability along with his instincts that guided his survival during his six-year ordeal. -- Vanessa Banton * news24 *McGown's struggle includes expanding his vast capacity for forgiveness . . . His exceptional conquest is renouncing implacable enmity and embracing the most exemplary in human nature. This is the Saharan Oasis he brought home. -- Mahmood Sanglay * Muslim Views *It was the first kidnapping in Timbuktu, in Mali . . . I had my passport in my pocket and I didn't realise. When I realised, it literally felt like the world was coming down around me. I went icy cold and numb. -- Stephen McGown, interviewed on CapeTalkA book so unlike any other that it keeps you awake at night with a head full of "what ifs" and "if onlys" . . . an excellent read, part adventure story, part psychological drama. -- Lesley StonesNot just an incredible story of mental strength, physical endurance and the resilience of the human spirit, but also a unique, nuanced perspective on one of the world's most feared terrorist organisations. Not only did Steve survive his ordeal, but in many respects he came out of the desert both a changed man and a stronger, more positive human. * Goodreads *
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers The Dive The untold story of the worlds deepest
Book SynopsisThe Dive is a thrilling narrative nonfiction in the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Apollo 13.They were out of their depth, out of breath, and out of time. It was 1973. Two men were trapped in a crippled submarine 1,700 feet below sea. They only had enough air to survive for two days. On the ocean's surface there was a hastily assembled flotilla of rescue ships from both sides of the Atlantic. The world held its breath to await word of a rescue.In a routine dive to fix the telecommunication cable that snakes along the Atlantic sea bed, their mission had gone badly wrong. There was a catastrophic fault on board the Pisces III, and Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson's mini-submarine went tumbling to the ocean bed almost half a mile below.The crippled sub and its crew were trapped far beyond the depth of any previous sub-sea rescue. They had just two days' worth of oxygen. However, on the surface the best estimates for a rescue of these men was a minimum of three days' time.The Dive is Trade Review‘An unbelievable, completely true story that is so taut and brilliantly told I defy anyone not to cherish every breath they take’ Denise Mina
£9.49
Cooper Square Publishers Inc.,U.S. The South Pole
Book SynopsisRoald Amundsen records his race to be the first man to reach the South Pole. Amundsen''s expertise enabled him to succeed where his predecessors, and competitors, did not. His rival Captain Robert F. Scott not only failed to reach the Pole first, butdue to poor preparation and miscalculationdied with the rest of his party on their return trip. The South Pole remains one of the greatest and most important books on polar exploration.
£22.50
Orion Publishing Co Love as Always, Mum xxx: The true and terrible
Book Synopsis'A CHILLING new memoir by the daughter of mass murderer Fred West and his wife Rose describes the savage cruelty of her upbringing in 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester' DAILY MAIL'Mae, I mean this ... I'm not a good person and I let all you children down ...' Rose West, HM PRISON DURHAM It has taken over 20 years for Mae West to find the perspective and strength to tell her remarkable story: one of an abusive, violent childhood, of her serial killer parents and how she has rebuilt her life in the shadow of their terrible crimes. Through her own memories, research and the letters her mother wrote to her from prison, Mae shares her emotionally powerful account of her life as a West. From a toddler locked in the deathly basement to a teen fighting off the sexual advances of her father, Mae's story is one of survival. It also answers the questions: how do you come to terms with knowing your childhood bedroom was a graveyard? How do you accept the fact your parents sexually tortured, murdered and dismembered young women? How do you become a mother yourself when you're haunted by the knowledge that your own mother was a monster? Why were you spared and how do you escape the nightmare?
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC She Said: The true story of the Weinstein scandal
Book Synopsis*NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING CAREY MULLIGAN AND ZOE KAZAN* 'Explosive' Margaret Atwood 'Seismic' Observer 'Brilliant' Nigella Lawson 'Gripping' Jon Ronson A FINANCIAL TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, DAILY TELEGRAPH, METRO AND ELLE BOOK OF THE YEAR On 5 October 2017, the New York Times published an article by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey that helped change the world. Hollywood was talking as never before. Kantor and Twohey outmanoeuvred Harvey Weinstein, his team of defenders and private investigators, convincing some of the most famous women in the world – and some unknown ones – to go on the record. Three years later, it helped lead to his conviction. This is how they did it.Trade ReviewSeismic. Examines what happens when a bully is cornered * Observer *A binge-read of a book, propelled by a clear, adrenaline-spiking tick-tock * Los Angeles Times *The narrative speeds towards the moment when the story that Weinstein can’t stop detonates with shattering force . . . Feels like a Hollywood film in the making * Daily Telegraph *She Said is a fascinating tale of investigative journalism in action, the ultimate story-behind-the-story filled with so many twists and obstacles that it often reads like a Hollywood screenplay * Evening Standard *Cinematic, remarkable . . . A much deeper story than the one that seized headlines * Guardian *She Said is not a lurid celebrity exposé, nor even a dark farce, but a cool, just-the-facts-ma’am account of how Kantor and Twohey uncovered the horror story that ignited the MeToo movement * The Times *Seamless and suspenseful . . . A gripping blow-by-blow * New York Times *Has the morally satisfying arc of a thriller, with all the suspense, a clear dynamic of right and wrong, and partial justice at the end * i *The groundbreaking new book that tells the true story of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. With plenty of unknown material and new discoveries, She Said serves as a testament to the importance of journalism and how facts can drive social change in an age of fake news * Stylist *Captivating. The cumulative effect is almost cinematic, a sort of All the President’s Men for the #MeToo era, except the men are women, and they don’t protect the boss, they take him down * Washington Post *She Said is first and foremost an account of incredible reporting. Kantor and Twohey show the background research they ran on sources, to protect both them and the paper, the careful way they documented and substantiated information, and their extraordinary precision in acquiring proof. We know how the story ends, but She Said is nonetheless deeply suspenseful, a kind of less swaggering All the President’s Men * NPR *Painstakingly researched, their account is less interested in Weinstein the monster than the structures that enabled him to flourish. A hymn to old-fashioned investigative reporting * Guardian *It reads like a thriller. It’s incredible the work they’ve done. It staggered me. I could talk all day about this book. It’s about so much more than Harvey Weinstein -- Pandora SykesFor decades Hollywood has whispered about Harvey Weinstein. Journalists sniffed around, but none ever could – or, perhaps, would – bring one of the industry’s darkest and longest-kept secrets to light. Until Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey delivered a chilling exposé ... It sent shockwaves * Marie Claire *It's not often that you can pinpoint the beginning of such a momentous cultural shift, but in this case you can draw a pretty clear line to the stories by Meghan Twohey and Jodi Kantor * Glamour *A compelling account of serious investigative journalism. Riveting -- Helena Kennedy QC, author of 'Eve Was Shamed'What an inspiring and gripping story. I could not put it down -- Jessica AshworthI hope this book will go a long way to exonerating me and the other victims who’ve dealt with slander and mental assault for years now -- Rose McGowanI can’t put it down. The ins and outs of how they broke this story are riveting and the respect they show for their sources is beautiful -- Shonda RimesSuperb reporting. Unputdownable non-fiction. A powerful book -- Reni Eddo-LodgeFor years, the showbiz world has asked why Gwyneth Paltrow stayed silent about the man who helped her win as Oscar – but once made advances to her. Now, a new book reveals the extraordinary truth. She Said sheds a revealing light on the closest and most successful producer-actor partnership for decades * Daily Mail *An explosive new book chronicling the downfall of Harvey Weinstein. Since the release of She Said, Weinstein’s lawyers have hit back, and he has denied all previous allegations. One thing is clear, though: thanks to a thorough investigation, Weinstein’s victims will no longer be silenced * Grazia *Can a book feel important AND be a page-turner? Yes! This one! What a read. Edge of my seat plus I feel smarter about investigative journalism at its finest -- Mindy Kaling
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Walnut Tree
Book SynopsisA Waterstones Best History Book 2024''Compulsively readable'' Times Literary Supplement''An outstanding work'' Philippa Gregory''A powerful narrative told with frankness and sensitivity'' Helen Fry, historian and author of Women In Intelligence''A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more they are beaten, the better they'll be.''So went the proverb quoted by a prominent MP in the Houses of Parliament in 1853. His words intended ironically in a debate about a rise in attacks on women summed up the prevailing attitude of the day, in which violence against women was waved away as a part and parcel of modern living a chilling seam of misogyny that had polluted both parliament and the law. But were things about to change?In this vivid and essential work of historical non-fiction, Kate Morgan explores the legal campaigns, test cases and individual injustices of the Victorian and Edwardian eras which fundamentally re-shaped the status of women under British law. These are seen through the untold stories of women whose cases became cornerstones of our modern legal system and shine a light on the historical inequalities of the law.We hear of the uniquely abusive marriage which culminated in the dramatic story of the Clitheroe wife abduction'; of the domestic tragedies which changed the law on domestic violence; the controversies surrounding the Contagious Diseases Act and the women who campaigned to abolish it; and the real courtroom stories behind notorious murder cases such as the Camden Town Murder'.Exploring the 19th- and early 20th Century legal history that influenced the modern-day stances on issues such as domestic abuse, sexual violence and divorce, The Walnut Treelifts the lid on the shocking history of women under British law and what it means for women today.
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers No Beast So Fierce
Book SynopsisThe deadliest animal of all time meets the world''s most legendary hunter in a classic battle between man and wild. But this pulse-pounding narrative is also a nuanced story of how colonialism and environmental destruction upset the natural order, placing man, tiger and nature on a collision course.In Champawat, India, circa 1900, a Bengal tigress was wounded by a poacher in the forests of the Himalayan foothills. Unable to hunt her usual prey, the tiger began stalking and eating an easier food source: human beings. Between 1900 and 1907, the Champawat Man-Eater, as she became known, emerged as the most prolific serial killer of human beings the world has ever known, claiming an astonishing 436 lives.Desperate for help, authorities appealed to renowned local hunter Jim Corbett, an Indian-born Brit of Irish descent, who was intimately familiar with the Champawat forest. Corbett, who would later earn fame and devote the latter part of his life to saving the Bengal tiger and its habitat, Trade ReviewPraise for No Beast So Fierce ‘Gripping … From 1900 to 1907, a female Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) killed hundreds of villagers in northern India and Nepal. This compelling account hinges on that grisly story, but digs deep into causation’ Nature ‘Thrilling … Fascinating … Exciting’ Wall Street Journal ‘Fascinating … Multilayered … A superb work of natural history’ Booklist, starred review ‘Riveting … A haunting tale’ Scientific American ‘A vivid portrait. … No Beast So Fierce excels as an intelligent social history and a gripping tale of life and death in the Himalayan foothills’ Minneapolis Star Tribune ‘A gripping page-turner that also conveys broader lessons about humanity's relationship with nature.’ Publisher’s Weekly ‘Huckelbridge details the surprisingly methodical and incredibly blood[y] machinations of … perhaps the most murderous non-human animal in recorded history’ Popular Science ‘[A] terrifying story. … [A] harrowing tale. … Takes readers on a fascinating journey through the natural history of a tiger’ Science News ‘A great tale and study of man versus beast, or rather, beast versus man. The seminal battle between Jim Corbett and the Champawat Tiger stands as an epic encounter of the ages. Dane Huckelbridge’s No Beast So Fierce will make you rethink your position in God’s universe—and on the food chain.’ Jim Defelice, #1 bestselling co-author of American Sniper ‘I had a feeling this book would hook me from the get-go. I was right. Dane Huckelbridge’s remarkable narrative … reveals the circumstances that cause tigers to stalk human prey as well as Corbett’s transformation into a conservationist and ardent champion for protecting the animals he once hunted.’ Michael Wallis, author of The Best Land Under Heaven
£9.49