Search results for ""John Blake Publishing""

Leading crime expert Christopher Berry-Dee gained the trust of some of the most infamous convicted killers, having corresponded with them and even entered their prison lairs to discuss their horrific crimes in detail. In this book, he presents six unforgettable prisoners and allows them to tell their stories, as well as giving the details and background of their terrifying cases - making this a must-read for aficionados of the genre and anyone fascinated by the extremes of human behaviour. Beyond the headlines, once the drama of the courtroom has subsided and the prison gates have been locked behind these killers for good, Talking With Serial Killers: Dead Men Talking allows the reader to get up close and personal with torturers, sexual psychopaths and mass murderers, to read the stories that are rarely heard and get the last word from some of the world's most pitiless killers.

Read more less

By the time he was six years old, Stephen Matthews had been bombarded by the Luftwaffe and deported from occupied Guernsey, along with his family, to a prison camp in the heart of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. He had seen men die in front of him and walked with Jews straight off the cattle-trucks from Bergen-Belsen. He had nearly drowned, menaced by Alsatian guard dogs, been beaten by a member of the SS, stranded in a minefield and had his hand broken by a German guard for attempting to feed Russian prisoners.The family kept going through over three of imprisonment, held together by their will to survival and their love for each other. But the island home they eventually returned to had been scarred and stricken by Nazi occupation.The Day the Nazis Came Here is an utterly unique memoir, depicting the world of Nazi prison camps through the eyes of a child - a world in which the real dangers often seemed trivial and every day was a new adventure. Above all, it pays tribute to the preciousness of hope, and shows that human kindness may flower in the unlikeliest of places.

Read more less

'"I am a British soldier," I told my reflection. "I am a British soldier and I'm saving lives. I'm saving lives. I'm a British soldier and I'm saving lives..."'Kevin Fulton was one of the British Army's most successful intelligence agents. Having been recruited to infiltrate the Provisional IRA at the height of The Troubles, he rose its ranks to an unprecedented level. Living and working undercover, he had no option other than to take part in heinous criminal activities, including the production of bombs which he knew would later kill. So highly was he valued by IRA leaders that he was promoted to serve in its infamous internal police - ironically, his job was now to root out and kill informers.Until one day in 1994, when it all went wrong. . . Fleeing Northern Ireland, Kevin was abandoned by the security services he had served so courageously and left to live as a fugitive. The life of a double agent requires constant vigilance, for danger is always just a heartbeat away. For a double agent within the highest ranks of the IRA, that danger was doubled. In this remarkable account, Kevin Fulton - former intelligence agent, ex-member of the IRA - tells a truth that is as uncomfortable as it is gripping.

Read more less

The No.1 football series - over 1 million copies sold! Pace, power, precision - Auba is the striker who has it all. The Gabonese striker's athleticism, skills and clinical finishing have made defenders in the Bundesliga and the Premier League fear him every time he steps onto the pitch. But his journey through Europe's top leagues to the bright lights of London has been a long one. This is the exciting story of one of the world's deadliest goalscorers. Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.

Read more less

Christopher Berry-Dee is back. In Talking With Serial Killers: World's Most Evil, the bestselling author delves deeper still into the gloomy underworld of killers and their crimes. He examines, with shocking detail and clarity, the lives and lies of people who have killed, and shines a light on the motives behind their horrific crimes. Through interviews with the killers, the police and key members of the prosecution, alongside careful analysis of the cases themselves, the reader is given unprecedented insight into the most diabolical minds that humanity has to offer. Extending its sweep from lonesome outsiders to upstanding members of the community, Talking With Serial Killers: World's Most Evil shows that the world's most monstrous killers may be far closer than you think. . .

Read more less

Complete your collection with these limited Ultimate Football Heroes International editions - now with a bonus World Cup chapter!When Harry Kane was released by Arsenal at nine years old for being too small, he had to use all his self-belief to prove that he could make it as a footballer. Now a superstar striker for Tottenham Hotspur and England, his hard work and determination have paid off. Kane is the amazing story of how the boy from North London became the Premier League's most lethal goalscorer.

Read more less

Complete your collection with these limited Classic Football Heroes International editions - now with a bonus World Cup chapter!Diego Maradona is a true footballing legend, and arguably the greatest player ever. The Argentinian playmaker was renowned for his unbelievable skills and agility, as he effortlessly weaved his way up the pitch and through the opposition defence. Nicknamed 'The Golden Boy', Maradona earned ninety-one caps and scored thirty-one goals for his country, including in the 1986 World Cup where he captained his team to victory - scoring the two most famous goals of all time, against England, along the way!

Read more less

Complete your collection with these limited Classic Football Heroes International editions - now with a bonus World Cup chapter!In 2002, during the final moments of injury time, David Beckham scored an incredible free-kick, securing England a place in the World Cup. It was this moment that ensured that Beckham would become one of the most loved English footballers, as well as a Manchester United and Real Madrid hero. During a career which spanned twenty years, Beckham won an impressive nineteen major trophies. This is the story of a true sportsman, who earned respect and loyalty from his fans around the world.

Read more less

If you have been told that you must take statins or risk a devastating heart attack or stroke, you need to read this book. Dr Kendrick, a well-known statin sceptic and author of the bestselling The Great Cholesterol Con, has returned to the diet-heart-cholesterol battlefield to warn that people are being conned.In relaxed and humorous style, he lifts the rock to allow the reader to peer underneath. He points out that statins, even in high-risk individuals, increase life expectancy by a mere four days after five years of treatment. Yet adverse effects have been swept under the carpet by researchers who are closely tied to the industry.The way to avoid heart disease, and strokes, is simple - but, as this riveting book shows, it has nothing to do with lowering cholesterol levels.

Read more less

Throughout the 1960s, Tony Lambrianou was a trusted member of the Kray Gang and had a unique insight into the workings of a criminal organisation whose reputation in the underworld remains to this day. Tony not just an observer and his role in the Kray story ultimately led to him serving 15 years in prison. Inside The Firm tells, with searing honesty, his violent history with the Krays - and the horrors of his subsequent imprisonment in top security institutions.In exorcising his ghosts, he reveals an account that is more impartial and more terrifying than Ronnie and Reggie ever could have written. From the murder of Jack 'The Hat' McVitie - and the mystery of his undiscovered body - to the role of the Kray legacy in Britain's prisons today, Inside The Firm is the last confession of a gangster determined to turn his back on his brutal past.

Read more less

The Number 1 football series - over 1 million copies sold. Now includes the incredible return to Manchester United as an Old Trafford legend! 'As he walked up to take his spot-kick, Cristiano knew that Real would win the trophy if he scored. He had the chance to be the hero yet again.'Cristiano Ronaldo overcame poverty and childhood illness to become one of the best football players ever. Escaping the hot streets of Madeira, Ronaldo first proved himself as a wonder-kid at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, before becoming a legend for Real Madrid and Portugal. This is the story of how the gifted boy became a man, a team-player and a legend. Have you read them all?

Read more less

In 2007, Adam, then a toaster salesman, was inspired by a film about a man attempting to change his life by swimming the English Channel to try to emulate the feat. After a year of rigorous training without a coach, Adam achieved his goal in 11 hours 35 minutes, despite a ruptured bicep tendon leading to medical advice to give up long-distance swimming. In 2011, after two operations and a change to his swimming style to take pressure off his injured shoulder, he became the first Briton to achieve a two-way crossing from Spain to Morocco and back. In the process, he broke the British record one way. Shortly afterwards, the Ocean's Seven challenge was born, a gruelling equivalent to the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge. At first it seemed that injury would prevent Adam from participating but, ignoring medical advice, he developed an innovative technique - the Ocean Walker stroke - that would enable him to continue with the ultimate aim of completing this seemingly impossible feat. Whether man would triumph over ocean, or fail in the attempt, forms the core of this extraordinary autobiography. Always intriguing, sometimes terrifying, and occasionally very funny, Adam's story is about sport in its truest form: rather than competitions between teams and individuals, it is about man against nature - and against his own failings and demons. In that, it is truly inspirational.

Read more less

With his twinkling eyes, boundless energy and unrivalled natural wit, Robin Williams was the comedian who brought laughter to a generation. Through roles in cherished films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin and Hook, he became the genial face of family comedy. His child-like enthusiasm was infectious, sweeping viewers away. Allied to his lightning-quick improvisation and ability to riff lewdly off any cue thrown at him, Robin was that rare thing - a true comic genius who appealed to adults and children equally. He could also play it straight, and empathetic depth came to him naturally. A poignant performance in Good Will Hunting won him an Academy Award whilst his masterfully chilling turn in psychological thriller Insomnia shocked audiences and hinted at a darker side. What truly caught the imagination, though, was his good-heartedness. Warmth radiated from him on-screen, but he was legendary for his off-screen acts of selfless generosity. Where most Hollywood A-listers demand outrageous pampering in their contract riders, he always insisted that the production company hire a full quota of homeless people to help make his movies. But behind the laughter lay a deeply troubled man, and tragedy would follow. At midday, on 11 August 2014, Robin Williams was pronounced dead at his California home. The verdict was suicide. He had battled depression and addiction for many years and was allegedly beset by financial difficulties. Emily Herbert's sensitive and thoughtful biography celebrates his genius and warmth, but also attempts to understand what could have driven such a gentle and gifted man to so tragic an end. This is Robin Williams, the life, the laughter, and the deep sorrow of the man who made the world smile.

Read more less

Hugh Jackman is a true Hollywood juggernaut. The magnetic Australian has joined countrymen Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe as an international superstar thanks to his role as Wolverine in the X-Men series, and is loved by fans worldwide thanks to his extremely varied career in film and theatre. When a young Jackman turned down a role in Neighbours to study at the prestigious WAAPA in Perth, his gamble would pay off handsomely. After a string of successful Australian musicals, Jackman's Hollywood break came as he was cast as Wolverine in 2000, catapulting him to heavyweight stardom. He has since reprised the role in box office hits The Last Stand, Origins and The Wolverine. Premium offers including 2006 animation Happy Feet, Baz Lurhmann's epic Australia - and even a rumoured shortlist spot for James Bond - soon followed. With a 2013 Academy Award nomination for his tour de force performance as Jean Valjean in the epic Les Miserables, and a star turn as Wolverine in X-Men: Days of Future Past on the horizon, Hugh is set to dominate the silver screen for the foreseeable future.

Read more less

Shock, tears, anger, loss - X Factor 2012 had it all and much, much more! Fans all over the country were divided like never before, as they fought to defend their favorite acts with every tool at their disposal. Twitter, Facebook, blogs and phone lines were all clogged with opposing opinions from everyone from teens to grandmothers; politicians to well-known celebs. With name changes, shock exits and a few phoenix-like rises from the flames of elimination, our hearts were tugged in every way imaginable. And at the center of the show was the fiercest battle of all - the battle of the boy bands. Who could have known that this year would see one of the closest and tensest X Factor wars in history. Not since Boyzone took on Take That in the nineties had such a fierce battle been fought. The prize? A rare recording contract, yes, but most importantly the chance to follow in the footsteps of Alexandra Burke, JLS, One Direction and Little Mix - and become international stars. With so much at stake, each band ad to prove their worth over the other - in spite of their blossoming friendships. And when the battle was won, would fame and fortune come to either group? The ninth series of the X Factor began airing on ITV on August 18th, 2012. It was then that the world met Union J and District 3 - although neither band were called by those names when they first auditioned. It would be the start f some very big life changes for Josh, JJ, Jaymi, George, Greg, Dan and Mickey.

Read more less

Blood on the Thistle is an examination of the life and times of a remarkable Scottish family, the Cranstons of Haddington, East Lothian. It focuses on a period from about 1880, when the young, hard-working parents, Alec and Lizzie Cranston, arrived in Haddington, through to 1920, when the family they had produced, torn apart by the Great War, broke up as its surviving members pursued separate lives around the globe. Of seven sons who served in the First World War, four died and two more were horrifically wounded; only one, the youngest, returned home physically unscathed. This book explores the effects of this extreme sacrifi ce on the sons themselves as well as the loved ones they left behind, particularly their mother, Lizzie, who mourned them for the rest of her days. This is the tale of how a once proud and aspirational Scottish family was devastated by war, and how the effects continued to ripple through time and generations. Until, a century later, the threads of this remarkable family are finally drawn together again, in a book that is at once a superb documentary account and a moving tribute to a generation.

Read more less

Would you like to earn millions by talking about your favourite subject? A new generation of vloggers have become millionaires by sharing make-up tutorials, comedy sketches and gaming videos. These people didn't start off with fancy equipment, expert technical knowledge or huge audiences. They are self-made. This book examines how they achieved success and provides a step by step guide to the process of finding fame and fortune online. Featuring advice from vloggers including Jim Chapman, Fleur De Force and KSI alongside business tips from YouTube CBO Robert Kyncl and Gleam Futures founder Dominic Smales, this book contains insider information about the mechanics of making money by vlogging. Subjects covered include brand-building, filming and editing equipment techniques, social media, working with talent managers, dealing with digital marketing agencies, making merchandise and negotiating with brands. Author Zoe Griffin is an established blogger, who set up her blog Live Like a VIP in 2009. She's worked with several vloggers and has noticed that the most popular ones have things in common. This book explains what these things are - so you can adopt similar tactics andget rich vlogging!

Read more less

From Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley-Ann JonesOn 12 July 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first-ever gig at London's Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a 'g' was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back.These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex and drugs. Denounced as 'corruptors of youth' and 'messengers of the devil', they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now, their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones's new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock's ongoing reckoning . . . where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never before.

Read more less

Tulisa Contostavlos has one of the most fascinating and shocking life-stories in showbusiness. Her childhood included harrowing episodes of self-harm, bullying, witchcraft, drug abuse and suicide attempts. Then there has been the ever-present challenge of her mother's mental disorder which Tulisa - as the only child in a single-parent family - had to face alone. How did she rise from such a troubled and dangerous childhood to become first an edgy urban artist and then the much-loved people's princess of Saturday night television? This book, written by leading celebrity biographer Chas Newkey-Burden, tells her eventful and inspirational story for the first time. It uncovers the rich showbusiness heritage of her ancestors and then follows her through her childhood, unflinchingly examining the horrors she faced. It then traces how music became her salvation, thanks to the loving mentorship of Uncle B - the man who formed N-Dubz. The book then follows this never satisfied, always ambitious young woman as she moved into the mainstream and became the nation's sweetheart on The X Factor. The reader is taken behind the scenes to discover the reality of her successful first series on the show, as she guided Little Mix to victory.

Read more less

Born in 1989, Bale first attracted the attention of Southampton FC at the age of just nine. At secondary school, he was such a prodigious talent that his PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to impose special restrictions on him to make it fair for the other pupils. After completing his GCSE exams, Bale became the second-youngest player ever to sign for Southampton on 17 April 2006. The Premier League soon came calling and in 2007 Bale signed a four-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur. His career at White Hart Lane didn't get off to the best start, but in late 2009 he seized his chance to secure a regular place in the first team and had since proved to be a top-class footballer with a stunning hat-trick in Tottenham's Europa League tie against Inter Milan at the San Siro and a man-of-the-match performance in the return leg. Bale has unsurprisingly also made several appearances for Wales, and his talent has been compared to that of the legendary Ryan Giggs. He's fast, he's strong, he's an excellent an he scores goals. This is the fascinating biography of Totteham's latest superstar player.

Read more less

This much is true: Hitler was obsessed with his young niece, Geli Raubal. On 19th September, 1931, two years before he came to power, Geli was found dead of a gunshot wound in Hitler's apartment in an exclusive area of Munich. Her death was ruled a suicide, but the suspicion of murder remained long after she had been laid to rest. In 1971, Annie Pohlmann, a young American student, arrives in Germany to interview retired detective Fritz Stecher, who headed the original investigation. She gets more than she bargained for when Stecher reveals the whole story of a case that not only nearly kills him, but almost changed the course of history.

Read more less

These hardened killers opened up to her in a way that they would never do to psychiatrists, prosecutors and other authority figures...revealing terrifying chapters of their lives that might otherwise have stayed hidden forever. In this chilling book, you will meet Wayne Adam Ford, who walked into a California police station in 1998 with a severed woman's breat in his pocket; Bobby Joe Long, who assaulted and murdered at least ten women; Gary Ray Bowles, killer of six; truck driver Keith Hunter Jespersen, who travelled from state leaving a trail of bodies in his wake; and Robin Gecht, one of the members of the terrifying Ripper Crew. Redstall has spoken about her experiences on programmes like The Montel Williams Show, in documentaries and in the national press. In this, her first book, she shares every detail and insight, bringing the reader up close and very personal with some of the most dangerous and disturbed serial killers that the world has ever seen.

Read more less

Gareth Bale is the new man-to-watch of the footballing world. Success both nationally and internationally have ensured his place amongst the footballing greats.Bale began his professional football career at Tottenham Hotspurs and soon became one of their most valued players. During his last season with the Club, Bale won PFA Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Joining Real Madrid for a record breaking transfer fee in 2013 broadened his horizons and his already loyal following multiplied. The Spanish press named him as `The Canon’ as he secured Real Madrid’s recent win in the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League. Bale`s recent success as a member of the Welsh international team has added yet again to his popularity as a professional footballer. Wales reached the semifinal of the UEFA European Championship for the first time in the country’s history, attracting the attention of the world as it took on some of the great footballing nations.Written by acclaimed sports biographer Frank Worrall, this book will relate Bale’s journey through his football career so far; from humble beginnings to becoming a sporting hero. Worrall is the author of numerous best-selling sports biographies, including Jamie Vardy, Luis Suarez and Lewis Hamilton.

Read more less

Most etiquette guides will tell you the proper way to eat asparagus, how to exit a sports car without showing your knickers and the correct way to address an Archbishop - but they fail abysmally when it comes to offering advice on any number of awkward social situations. Containing guidance and tips for dealing with over 60 such scenarios, How to Chat Someone Up at a Funeral is completely objective and non-judgemental. How (and why) you might find yourself in any of these circumstances is immaterial; the book is concerned with presenting the best way to conduct yourself so you leave the situation with your dignity (and sometimes your life) intact. Modern dilemmas covered include: inadvertently farting in the presence of the Queen; disarming an axe-wielding maniac; challenging a co-worker to a duel; disposing of a dead body; assuming someone's pregnant when they're not.

Read more less

Cats are, without question, our favourite pets. Over the thousands of years that they have been domestic pets, a very real understanding has evolved between them and their human counterparts. Written by the country's leading veterinary journalist and cat expert, this book is a comprehensive guide to forging a more meaningful bond with your pet, to make life happier for both of you. The book explains how cats function as cats - what they like, what they dislike, how they behave - and uses that knowledge to help you build a real relationship with your pet on a day-to-day basis. When problems occur, you will learn why they exist and what you can do to solve them. By finding out more about your cat, you will appreciate it even more, not only for its natural behaviour and abilities, but for the fact that it can share its life with us in such a smooth and rewarding manner.

Read more less

This is the autobiography of Carlton Leach, a man to be reckoned with. He has earned himself respect throughout the deadly underworld he occupies. Make a friend of Carlton and you have an ally for life; cross him at your peril. For 20 years he has ranked among the toughest of Britain's brawn brigade. He was a key member of the dreaded Essex Boys gang which ran riot in the eighties and the nineties, sparking a savage drugs war which saw three of his pals wiped out in the 1995 Range Rover massacre. Even now, he knows that a bullet still has his name on it as a result of that simmering feud. Carlton was minder to boxer Nigel Benn throughout his glory years in the ring and tells of the blood, sweat and tears of their special relationship. He also tells how he saved four of his firm from being tortured to death and their wives and daughters raped in front of them after a #10 million heroin consignment went missing.

Read more less

Throughout his time as a murder squad detective, Trevor Marriott has seen first-hand the wanton slayings and butcheries that have been committed by both men and women who have warped, depraved and sadistic minds. In this fascinating and chilling book, he examines the world's most notorious serial killers and the despicable crimes they committed. From William McDonald, the 'Sydney Mutilator', to 'Dusseldorf Vampire' Peter Kurten, Steve Wright, the 'Suffolk Strangler', and the USA's satanic Ripper Crew, these are the horrifying true stories of serial murder from across the globe.

Read more less

Roy Snell has been in what he calls 'Close Protection' for over 16 years, guarding international royalty and celebrities including Madonna, George Michael, Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra. A former SAS sniper and heavyweight boxing champion, Roy is Britain's ultimate bodyguard. Roy was trained at the Regency College in Herefordshire, where the royal protection squad is drilled. A 'Category A' bodyguard - a level that takes two years of training to reach - Roy is qualified to look after top level celebrity clients, for film stars to footballers, singers to royalty. Roy is also a skilled marksman trained in the use of the 9mm Bereta sub-machine gun and the 38 Snubnose - the standard issue weapon for the FBI.

Read more less

Bullied at school, and growing up dreaming of revenge, Mark 'Chopper' Read determined to be the toughest in any company. He became a crime commando who terrorised drug dealers, pimps, thieves and armed robbers on the streets and in jail - but boasts never to have hurt an innocent member of the public. Streetfighter, gunman and underworld executioner, he has been earmarked for death a dozen times, but has lived to tell the tale. This is his story.

Read more less

This is not just another diet book. This is a way of life. Forget the high-protein and the faddy single-food diets. Here is a simple eating plan that will become a way of life, helping dieters to lose weight and feel healthier at the same time. The GL (Glycaemic Load) Diet is the next step on from the GI Diet. Unlike the GI Diet, however, it is not complicated and full of tables and calculations. It also takes into consideration portion size, helping to establish how much you can really eat of a particular food without gaining weight. Written by acclaimed nutritionist and dietician Nigel Denby, this revolutionary book is ideal for all those who want to stop yo-yo dieting and lose weight permanently while still enjoying their food.

Read more less

Mark Ward enjoyed all the trappings of success as one of the most popular and highly-rated right wingers in football. 'Wardy' proved an overnight sensation at Oldham and continued to be a star at West Han, Man City and Everton before inspiring Birmingham City to Wembley glory. But when his career on the pitch ended, his life swiftly unravelled. After failed business ventures and the collapse of his marriage to his childhood sweetheart he ended up unemployed - and desperate. Ward put his name to a rental agreement on a house near Liverpool that was used by others to stash drugs. When the police raided they found a drugs factory. He pleaded guilty to dealing and was sent to Liverpool's notorious Walton Prison. His life would never be the same. During the years he spent inside he has been able to reflect on an extraordianry playing career and an equally eventful life off the picth. He recounts in heart-wrenching detail his highs and lows and tells it like it is with honesty that epitomised his playing career.

Read more less

The autobiography of Cass Pennant is packed with amazing stories of a life lived on the edge of the law. In this thrilling book, he tells of how he saved World Boxing Champion Frank Bruno from a potentially vicious attack; how he was shot three times in the chest and still kept on fighting, and how he was alleged to be the leader of the notorious West Ham 'InterCity Firm'.This is the astonishing account of a boy abandoned by his mother and brought up by adoptive parents (who were white) - a boy who triumphed against all the odds.A bestseller on its publication, Cass is also a major film directed by Jon S. Baird, starring Nonso Anozie in the title role, and Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya as Young Cass.

Read more less

Which Christmas film do you love the most? Which Christmas film do you hate the most? What even counts as a Christmas film? Argue out all these questions and more before you even open the ultimate Christmas Day family game book. Because from Love Actually to Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life and beyond, every family has its favourites. But how much can we really remember about those films we watch every single year? Packed full of tricky, fun and entertaining quiz questions, Quiz Actually will test you and your loved ones this Christmas on the movies we love to watch every year. Get ready to find out who really knows their Christmas crackers from their Christmas turkeys, and their Miracle on 34th Street from their Nightmare On Elm Street. It's time to separate the Die Hards from the try-hards with the ultimate festive family film trivia book. Over 750 questions and featured films include:Love, ActuallyHome AloneIt's a Wonderful LifeElfThe GrinchThe Nightmare Before ChristmasScroogedBridget Jones's DiaryHarry PotterThe HolidayDie Hard (yes)and many, many more!

Read more less

DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND THE HEADLINES, THE REVELATORY ROYAL BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEARFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author and Royal correspondent, Robert Jobson - with his extensive connections within the royal household - this revelatory new biography tells the full story of how Catherine, the Princess of Wales, became the woman she is today.Kate Middleton's life's story seems like a modern-day fairy-tale.An attractive, clever, and ambitious girl from unexceptional beginnings meets and falls in love with a wealthy prince destined to be King when they are both university undergraduates. Now, with the British monarchy in transition, Catherine is Princess of Wales and is set to become Queen.Since her wedding on 29 April 2011, Catherine has endeared herself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth and worldwide on her extensive travels, with her infectious smile, sense of style and down-to-earth nature. Her s

Read more less

'The man with all the answers in Albert Jack' Daily Express'Square meal' 'Load of old codswallop' 'Egg on your face' 'In the limelight'. . .The English language is littered with everyday expressions like these, but have you ever stopped to wonder what they really mean and where they come from? Red Herrings and White Elephants delves deep into the fabric of English phraseology and in doing so explores the wide-ranging factors and fascinating linguistic history which continues to inform the way we speak to this day.So whether you want to impress whilst hobnobbing with clever folk, lick your pub quiz knowledge into shape, or simply add a feather to your linguistic cap, you'll soon be full of incredible facts that leave you feeling as bright as a button.

Read more less

The No.1 football series - over 1 million copies sold!Born and raised in Sheffield, Vardy brightens football matches with his versatility, precision and energy. His 2012 move to Leicester City allowed the striker to prove his thrilling goalscoring and hard-working personality, where he helped the team to win the Championship. Follow the exciting journey of this award-winning striker from Stocksbridge Park Steels to winning the Premier League in 2016 and shining on the international stage. Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.

Read more less

A natural subject for the UK's bestselling true-crime author: a study of people who randomly kill large numbers of others (spree killers), or who set out to do so in specific places or situations (mass killers). Because of the ease of obtaining firearms in the USA, many of these, inevitably, are American, but there have been other recent examples in New Zealand and Norway, while three major mass shootings took place in the UK at Hungerford in 1987 (17 dead, including the killer), Dunblane in 1996 (18, including the killer), and in Cumbria in 2010 (13, including the killer).As such killings become more frequent, it is easy to blame them on the ready availability of firearms and weak or non-existent background checks, even though many countries, including the UK, have extremely robust firearms legislation. What is more difficult to establish, however, is the motivation behind such killings: some are occasioned by grievance, real or imagined, while others have their origins in a sense of failure or feelings of inadequacy. Other killers, however, seem to be driven by a desire for power over their fellow humans, often coupled with an overriding contempt for the lives of others. In search of answers to the questions raised, Christopher Berry-Dee offers case studies in some of the most infamous mass killings of the past fifty years, from school massacres to workplace killings, hate crimes to familicides. In doing so he demonstrates, chillingly, that such murders are almost impossible to predict, and therefore almost impossible to prevent.

Read more less

Professor Dick Hobbs is a leading commentator on the culture of crime and criminality. East End born and bred, he is a fascinating dichotomy of the criminal and the intellectual world, allowing him a unique insight into a subject that holds fascination for so many. When he was growing up, the East End was rocking with dock strikes, thievery and the kind of family values practiced by the Krays the Tibbs and a few dozen other outlaw clans. Violence was everywhere Crime was an unavoidable fact of life. However, his real education in Plaistow taught him that the real essence of illegal capitalism is to be found amongst the poor bloody infantry of the crime world; the jump up merchants, lorry highjackers, warehouse thieves, and middle-market drug dealers. These are the people with whom he has spent most of his professional life, and along with more exalted villains such as Mad Frankie Frazer and Charlie Richardson, these are the characters who will feature in the book, weaving the stories of these fearsome gangsters with the history and evolution of the UK underworld.

Read more less

'I'm interested in one thing and one thing only, and that's catching bent coppers.'Line of Duty: The Real Story is an astonishing exposé from inside the secret world of police corruption, starring a cast of twisted cops more chilling than all four H's put together. These characters operate well outside the letter of the law, inhabiting a murky, amoral world, leaving chaos in their wake.Who are the real-life Kates and Steves, tasked with hunting these corrupt cops? How has corruption invaded today's UK police forces? Who are the masterminds behind it all? In Line of Duty: The Real Story, bestselling author Wensley Clarkson goes behind the headlines and the hit show to look back at the history of corruption, and the AC-12 units which sniff out and expose the crooked coppers among the good.Referencing real-life historic and notable cases and people, from a range of sources and first-person interviews, this book tells the shocking truth behind the fiction, and its hard-hitting impact on real-life modern policing.Get ready to go undercover, infiltrate the criminal underworld - and uncover the secretive lives of these corrupt guardians of the law.

Read more less

This is the story of one of the world's best heptathletes and her journey to greatness.Katarina Johnson-Thompson is a British heptathlete and won gold in the 2019 World Championships with a British record of 6,981 points. After making her Olympic debut in 2012, Katarina has suffered many disappointments, heartbreaks and frustrations, but she has never let it stop her. Now a World Champion, she is ready to take on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Read more less

Humans and the world around us have been governed by the waxing and waning of the moon since the planet came into being. Over the centuries different civilisations have embraced these natural cycles, and so lunar gardening has been around for as long as man has pulled food from the soil; once practised by the Incas and Native Americans, this tried and trusted method has been largely forgotten.John Harris, head gardener at Tresillian Estate in Cornwall, has been using Moon Gardening for over forty years. The methods he uses can be implemented anywhere, you do not need fancy tools, expensive seeds or substantial acreage, but instead, given time, patience and care, the results can be breath-taking. This is gardening at its most natural and organic.The Natural Gardener charts John's story from a rudderless young lad in a Cornish village to being charged with the salvation of the long-neglected gardens at Tresillian. As he shares how to follow these simple principles, he imparts his abundance of horticultural knowledge from years spent working in harmony with the soil, providing a timely link back to nature and the reassuring regularity of the seasons.

Read more less

Gangsters, hitmen, murderers and terrorists . . . Kate Kray has met them all. Using her unrivalled links to the criminal underworld, she has asked the questions many would be too terrified to utter.From seasoned hard man Roger Shaw to feared detainee Charles Bronson, Kate lifts the lid on the crimes they committed, and speaks to the men themselves to find out what exactly makes them tick. Infamous criminals, now seen as legends of British crime, open up to reveal their fated paths and the instrumental moments which caused them to turn to a life outside the law. These are the stories of the men behind the headlines, each one with a unique story to tell. But there is one thing they all have in common: they inhabit a world in which the rest of us fear to tread.

Read more less

The No.1 football series - over 1 million copies sold!Alexandre Lacazette has shown just what hard work and perseverance can do. He might not be the flashiest player on the pitch, but he's a firm favourite with the fans for his goals, as well as his strike partnership with Aubameyang that helped Arsenal reach the Europa League final in 2019. The superstar striker grew up in Lyon but he's now one of the most important players in the Arsenal squad.Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.

Read more less

The gritty prison memoir of Michaella McCollum, one half of the infamous 'Peru Two', imprisoned in a Peruvian jail for attempting to smuggle 11kg of cocaine from Peru to Madrid in August 2013. She was just a regular girl, spending the summer working at a bar in Ibiza, until she was approached by a man who asked her if she'd like to make some quick, easy money...and it would change her life forever. This is the truth of her time in prison, told through her own diaries and letters to her mother, family and friends, recounting tales of vicious guards, psychotic inmates and horrendous prison conditions.A brilliantly affecting tale of a naïve young girl who starts out in the Ibiza party scene and comes of age in the dark heart of Peru, before finally emerging into the sun a stronger, more confident, mature young woman.

Read more less

The Dartford Crossing: a vital transport hub connecting Kent and Essex, the busiest river crossing in Europe, and the site of some of the most vicious organised crime today...For the last decade, there has been a intense turf war in the south-east of England between two sets of criminal gangs:On one side, there's the 'Establishment' - the old-school firms that have operated for decades and weaved their way into all areas of their communities. On the other, 'The New Kids on the Bloc' - mainly Eastern European gangswho have muscled in, boasting they'll crush anyone in their way and dominate the British underworld.The Dartford Crossing, due to its location between London and the ports of the south-east, has become the epicentre of these battles.Since Brexit began, the war has become even bloodier as both gangs try to claim new territory before the borders close. In an already terrifying and volatile world of drug smuggling, people trafficking, prostitution and money laundering, all rules are out and the body count is rising...With research and interviews from both sides conducted by one of true crime's most established names, The Crossing is a ground-breaking and fascinating look inside the UK's newest crime phenomenon.

Read more less