Lizzie McGlynn tells the story about of how her father was a violent and depraved monster. Her mother was a alcoholic who would stand by and let the father rape and beat their child. She knew she had to keep strong for her two little brothers and protect them. As time went on her rather lay dying, she summoned the strength to forgive the man who caused her so much pain. The size of the book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9cm in width.
This is not Antonia Fraser's complete life, and certainly not that of the universally renowned dramatist. In essence, it is a love story and as with many love stories, the beginning and the end are dealt with more fully than the high noon in between. The result is a marvellously insightful testimony to modern literature's most celebrated marriage, between the greatest playwright of our age and a beautiful and famous prize-winning biographer.
Anna Lowe spent much of her childhood on the doorsteps of pubs, waiting for her mum to finish. Giving her bedroom to her mother's drunken friends. Regularly calling out the ambulance after finding her mother covered in vomit and unconscious. But life took the ugliest turn after they moved in with her mother's boyfriend Carl. Anna was sexually abused from the age of six - destroying any semblance of a normal childhood she had left.
Ellen's long buried memories from her own childhood surfaced after discovering that her two young daughters: Carolina and Amy were being sexually abused by their father. Ellen writes with unflinching honesty about the heartbreak of finding her daughters were being abused, her fears of losing custody and her battle against sceptical doctors and social workers. A harrowing true story of sexual abuse from a mother's point of view, No More Hurt is a deeply affecting chronicle of Ellen's hard-won battle to create a place of safety and love for herself and her daughters.
Irene Spencer grew up in a fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon village in Arizona. The thirteenth of thirty-one children, she grew up in abject poverty and isolation, and was taught that she should never question the church leaders. Her mother, unable to cope, left her children and three 'sister-wives' with her abusive husband. Desperate to escape her violent home, and believing she had no choice but to live by 'the Principle', at sixteen Irene found herself in a plural marriage, sharing her husband with her half sister. When the government raided her village, she fled with Verlan, numerous other wives and countless children to a ranch in Mexico where Verlan's brother, a self-proclaimed prophet, was attempting to found a new Mormon colony. The strains of husband-sharing with -- ultimately -- nine other wives were unbelievably hard. Irene's story provides a fascinating insight into polygamous marriage -- the squabbles and the jealousy, and the agony of watching your husband choose other wives over you. They lived with divided loyalties in unremitting deprivation -- struggling to maintain so many households and to bring up 56 children. Irene eventually escaped with her children and made the bold step into the outside world and into a freedom she never knew existed. Irene has led a truly extraordinary life and her harrowing story will appal and astonish, but in the end her courage and determination to find a better life for her 13 children is incredibly inspiring. The size of this book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9cm wide with 385 pages.
Irish travellers live in a closed community. What we think we know about them is based on hearsay, rumour and stereotype. But not any more. Knuckle is the true story of James Quinn McDonagh - clan head and champion bare-knuckle fighter. It's a journey from his grandfather's horse-drawn caravan at the side of the road to the country lanes of Ireland where he stood, fists bloodied and bandaged, fighting a clan war that he never asked for. Two men, two neutral referees, a country lane. No gloves, no biting, no rests. The last man standing wins, takes home the money, and more importantly, the bragging rights. Caught in a brutal cycle of violence that has left men dead, houses burned and lives destroyed, James tells a story that opens up a hidden world - revealing why history repeats itself, and why he can never go home... This book has 294 pages and is 23.2cm x 15.3cm x 2.2cm
Casper became a national celebrity when newspapers ran the story of the amazing cat that regularly took the No. 3 bus on 11-mile journeys around his home town, Plymouth, in Devon. While his devoted owner, Susan Finden, had wondered where her elusive pet was disappearing to each day, Casper was brightening the lives of countless commuters as they went about their business. Bus drivers, too, were getting well-acquainted with Casper, and notices went up in their depot alerting staff that a very special passenger might board their vehicle. In fact, he became a mascot for the bus company, and pictures of him and Susan adorned No. 3 buses. When Casper was sadly killed by a car in early 2010 messages of sympathy flooded in from places as far a field as Australia and Argentina. It quickly became clear that Casper and his remarkable story had touched the lives of so many people around the world. Movingly told by the owner who loved him dearly, Casper the Commuting Cat is the touching story of a very special black-and-white cat who rode the bus and stole our hearts.
The day Monica learns that her loveable, brilliant three-year-old son, Wills, has Autism, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It's the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills's diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family. Like all dynamic duos, Cowboy and Wills complement each other perfectly. Wills is cautious, fastidious, and irresistibly tender-hearted. Cowboy, a rambunctious golden retriever, is over-eager, affectionate, and impulsive. And from the moment Cowboy enters their lives, Monica sees her son step a little further into the world. Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his classmates in kindergarten is sharing stories during morning circle. With Cowboy, he finds the courage to invite kids over for play dates, overcomes his debilitating fear of water to swim alongside her in the family pool, and, after years of gentle coaxing, Wills finally sleeps in his own bed with Cowboy's paws draped across his small chest. And when Cowboy turns out to need her new family as much as they need her, they discover just how much she has taught them -- about devotion, about loyalty, and about never giving up. This book has 279 pages and is 19.7cm x 12.8cm x 2cm
This is a story about life, death, healing and cancer. It is a story about a doctor diagnosed with a brain tumour in his early 30s who started a crusade to inform people about the disease and inspire them to take responsibility for their health. It is a story about a man who bravely overcame cancer against the odds. It is a story about the cancer returning and being told you only have 18 months to live. It is a story about saying goodbye. But most of all, it is a story about living. In this unsentimental and humbling memoir celebrated neuroscientist and psychiatrist David Servan-Schreiber discusses his diagnosis, his emotions, his fears, his hopes and his legacy. He recounts stories from his life and takes us with him on this extraordinary journey as he shows us not only how to live, how to take care of ourselves and how to fight for survival, but ultimately, how to die gracefully. This inspiring and heartbreaking book will change the way you look at yourself, your life and the world around you.
In 2006, Dave and Christie Nasser welcomed a Great Dane puppy into their lives - the runt of a litter of thirteen who won over the hearts of his new owners with his soulful blue eyes. They named him George and he swiftly changed their lives. In February 2010 George was officially crowned tallest dog ever by the Guinness Book of World Records. Standing at almost five feet tall and seven feet long, George has come to dominate the Nassers' home. He has grown from a quivering misfit into a goofy giant - eager to play with everyone and boisterous to the point of causing chaos. Yet George is a big softie - a gentle giant frightened of water, of dogs a fraction of his size, and of being left alone. This is the full heart-warming story of Dave and Christie's life with George - his likes and dislikes, his diet, habits and quirks. It's also the story of their love for each other, of their struggle to start a family and of how they've had to adapt their home to accommodate their extraordinary pet. With appearances on Oprah, and George gaining worldwide attention, it's now time to tell the full story of what it's like to be the owners of the biggest dog in the world.
On 3rd December 2005, 13-year-old Charlotte Thompson and her school friend were killed by a train at Elsenham station in Essex. They were crossing the tracks to catch a train to Cambridge to go Christmas shopping. There was no footbridge at the station. Following her death, Charlie's father began writing a series of remarkable letters to his lost daughter. The letters were his way of continuing to talk to Charlie, of keeping her close to him after death. In them, he writes of his terrible grief, and of family life in the wake of disaster. Through his letters he creates a powerful portrait of his beautiful, vivid and unpredictable daughter. He also describes a family struggling to survive tragedy and the challenges and triumphs of daily domestic life in a world that will never be the same again. Dear Charlie is a moving family memoir, an account of mourning, and a biography of a lost girl. Above all, it is a powerful love letter from a father to his daughter. The size of this book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9cm wide with 332 pages
Life was tough at times, living in a cramped one-roomed trailer, but, unbound by strict routines, Violet spent her days learning to keep home, playing and roaming the fields with a sense of freedom long lost to the rest of modern society.
Immersed in the Gypsy way of life, her childhood set her apart from other children. Bullied by classmates and segregated from
Mikey was born into a Romany Gypsy family. They live in a closeted community and little is known about their way of life. After centuries of persecution Gypsies are wary of outsiders and if you choose to leave you can never come back.
This is something Mikey knows only too well.
Growing up, he didn't go to school, he seldom mixed with non-Gypsies and the caravan became his world. But although Mikey inherited a vibrant and loyal culture, his family's legacy was bittersweet with a hidden history of grief and abuse.
Eventually Mikey was forced to make an agonising decision - to stay and keep secrets, or escape and find somewhere to belong.
From the moment the six-year-old Paul Arnott sampled the contents of Tate & Lyle's magnificent green and gold tin of Golden Syrup, it was love. As he looks back over his life as a constant enthusiast, an occasional connoisseur and a relentless collector of sweet sensations, he remembers the Great Royal Icing Disaster of '72, High Tea at Buckingham Palace, Seb Coe and Treacle Tart, and discusses the legal implications of cake-naming in Vienna. Inevitably, such dedication to sweet stuff has taken its toll - which is how Paul found himself dressed as Father Christmas, no padding required. But this is not a man who believes that eating cake is a sin. It's an indulgence. And the experiences that cause every extra pound should be revered and celebrated. The size of this book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9cm wide with 233 pages
Why We Run reveals the beating heart of the brutal and profoundly intoxicating experience of running. Robin Harvie ventured 6, 000 miles in the extreme world of ultra-distance running to the start line of the oldest and toughest footrace on earth. The size of this book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9 wide with 294 pages.
As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams cuts a complex and controversial figure. Widely revered for his personal qualities, he is also an intellectual giant who towers over almost all his predecessors. Yet he is also one of the most reviled church leaders in modern times. Long before facing calls to step down after his lecture on sharia law in 2008. He had been accused of heresy on account of his pro-gay views, and begged to resign by conservative members of his own flock. So has high office changed Rowan Williams? Has he been bullied and manipulated? Or is he playing a long game, obliged to rate church unity above the pursuit of his own vision at a time when the Anglican Communion has looked ever more unstable?. This book has 466 pages and is 24cm x 15.7cm x 3.8cm.
When Jan and Dave Griffith's beloved cattle dog, Sophie, fell overboard from the family yacht during rough weather, she feared the worst. But Sophie, a true Aussie battler, wasn't going to give up that easily. She 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. Sophie, a highly domesticated dog, had been living ferally - and surviving. Yet one glimpse of her owners when they were reunited was enough for the old Sophie to re-emerge.
This is an amazing, inspirational story of survival, loyalty and what binds animals and humans together. This book has 303 pages and is 19.7cm x 12.8cm x 2cm
Muriel Newmarch was born in North London in 1903. She died in 2009, aged 106. Judith Bruce is her daughter, and Funny How Things Turn Out - part biography, part memoir - tells the story of both women, which in turn traces the unprecedented changes to female lives during the 20th Century. The first half of the book chronicles Muriel's world through the Zeppelin raids of WW1, a painfully stilted class system, and marriage and motherhood in the 1930s - then her daughter, Judith, picks up the first-person narrative as a mischievous child in the 1940s and we stay with her until the end of the book. Woven artfully through the episodic chapters are the loves, aspirations and disappointments of two 'ordinary' women. Written with an understated elegance, Judith Bruce brings to life a barely remembered England of satin dresses at Swan & Edgar's, liberty bodices at grammar school, and English summer days where silent fathers mowed the lawn in polished shoes and unsuitable boyfriends smoked Player's Navy Cut. As we move through the post-war years from austerity and to prosperity, and Judith's working life at the BBC, the voice could almost be that of Alan Bennett. Even more so when charting the poignancy of Muriel's fading days, failing body and disappearing memory. A remarkable and accomplished portrait of life, love and changing fortunes.
In January 1988, Martin Pistorius, aged 12, inexplicably fell sick. Doctors were mystified and within 18 months he was mute and wheelchair bound. His parents were told he had an unknown degenerative disorder that left him with the mind of a baby but what nobody knew was that while Martin's body remained unresponsive, his mind slowly woke up but no one could tell. 10 years later, an aromatherapist sensed some part of him was alert. Experts were dismissive but his parent persevered and soon realised their son was as intelligent as he'd always been. With no memory of the time before his illness and still mute and wheelchair bound he was brilliantly adept at computer technology. Since then, he has fallen in love, married and set up a web design business in Essex. This is a deeply moving account of recovery and the power of love. This book has 288 pages and is 22.2cm x 14.2cm x 2.6cm
The extraordinary events that followed PC Rathband's shooting, as police tracked Moat through towns and countryside, dominated the headlines and became one of the biggest and most controversial news stories of recent times. It ended with a stand-off between Moat and armed police on the banks of the River Coquet in Rothbury. In the middle of it all was PC David Rathband, a dignified presence throughout. This book is the personal account of the attack and the events surrounding it. It is also the story of his physical recuperation and the gradual and courageous rebuilding of his life, with the help of his family, in the wake of terrible injuries sustained in the line of duty.
As a traveller, born in 1979, Roxy freeman grew up travelling around Ireland and England in a horse-drawn wagon with her parents and 5 siblings. Life was tough but it was a childhood of freedom spent in harmony and nature. Roxy didn't know her times tables but by the time she was 10, she cook ride a horse, milk a goat and cook a dinner on a open fire. But when she arrived in England, she encountered prejudice and hostility, as well as the unwelcome attentions of a family friend called 'Uncle Tony'. She endured in secret for many years and then one day told the police about Tony and a manhunt ensued for the man the newspapers dubbed 'Britain's most-wanted paedophile'. Despite her difficulties, Roxy developed a passion for music and her dancing skills took her all over the world. This beautifully written story is a frank portrait of an extraordinary life, and a unique insight into the lives of girls born into the traveller communities.
What happens when a man wonders aloud if a pig would make a good pet? A great deal - once his wife discovers a kind the size of a handbag. Matt Whyman is a writer and house husband. He enjoys the quiet life. His career wife, Emma, prefers the chaos a big brood can bring. On top of four challenging children, one freaked-out feline, a wolf-like dog and a wild bunch of ex-battery chickens, she brings minipigs Butch and Roxi into the fold. But can the new arrivals really cuddle up on the sofa, or will their growing presence spark a battle of hearts, snouts and minds? Funny, touching and entertaining, Oink! charts the trials and errors of one man and his menagerie. With help and advice from a seasoned local smallholder, Matt sets out to master the art of managing minipigs - inside the house and out. Then someone suggests breeding minipiglets, and Matt's understanding of marriage is tested in the most unexpected ways.... The size of this book is 22.4cm in height and 14.2cm wide with 357 pages
The bond between a mother and her child is the closest there is. A mother would do anything to protect her child. But what happens when the child is suffering beyond imagination? Should a mother allow her child to die to save them from pain?
Frances Inglis and Kay Gilderdale were faced with this appalling dilemma, and, after intense private torment, acted to end the lives of their children. In dramatic cases, which gripped the hearts of everyone who followed them, both mothers were prosecuted for their actions: Frances was found guilty and went to prison, Kay was set free.
A Mother's Love is the story of these two women and the decisions they had to make. A majority of the British people now believes that the law needs to be changed in such right-to-die cases. If you were caught in such a nightmarish situation, what would you do?
Matt Lowe grew up as part of a large, loving family, living on the Norfolk coast. But, unnoticed by his parents and peers, he was being abused by a young man who had been welcomed into his life in the guise of the perfect family friend. Jeremy was intelligent, artistic and fantastic with children. A real-life Peter Pan, he was loved by children and trusted by adults. But form the start his relationship with Matt had a sinister side - one that Matt instinctively felt must remain hidden. Written with heart-wrenching candour, Matt's story is a moving and insightful account of how one small boy endured many years of sexual and psychological abuse and how, without realising those closest to him allowed it to happen.
An inspiring collection of first-hand personal accounts of people whose lives have changed dramatically, sometimes suddenly, as the result of particular incidents or events. Carmel Reilly brings together the moving testimonies of ordinary people from all over the world who have triumphed over adversity and succeeded in taking the paths - not necessarily the easiest ones - which lead to real joy.
'I've always been wilful...I've always been stubborn and always determined' One of our best-loved actresses, Celia Imrie would rather have been a dancer. As a child she planned to join the Royal Ballet and marry Rudolf Nureyev. Now she has become one of our finest and funniest performers, on stage, TV and screen - adored for her roles in Acorn Antiques and dinnerladies, as well as films including Calendar Girls and Nanny McPhee. In her hugely entertaining autobiography Celia Imrie recounts a life hurtling (not always intentionally) into adventures both on stage and off. Whether it's finding herself on stage with half the scenery stuck to her cardigan, or being kidnapped on her way to location. Somehow she emerges from the chaos that can lie in her wake almost unscathed. Acting, she admits, is a mad, chaotic profession and it is her refreshing honesty, sense of mischief, fun and almost unruffled determination in the face of it all that makes this autobiography a never-ending delight. The size of this book is 24cm in height and 16cm wide with 312 pages
Elizabeth Gilbert is in her thirties, settled in a large house with a husband who wants to start a family. But she doesn't want any of it. A bitter divorce and a rebound fling later, Elizabeth emerges battered yet determined to find what she's been missing.
So begins her quest. In Rome, she indulges herself and gains nearly two stone. In India, she finds enlightenment through scrubbing temple floors. Finally, in Bali, a toothless medicine man reveals a new path to peace, leaving her to love again.
This book is a heart-stopping true story of an innocence stolen and a family torn apart. It is told by a lady called Jayne who's relative repeatedly raped, beat, abused and battered her which turned Jayne's life into a living hell. There was only one thing that kept Jayne sane and that was her older brother Stuart. But Stuart had demons of his own, Jayne watched in despair as the boy who had always protected her turned into an adult consumed by rage. Stuart committed the 'Barbecue Murders', one of the most terrible crimes of recent years. This book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9cm wide with 306 pages.
Gypsie Bride is the heartwarming true story of how an ordinary girl finds herself discovering an extraordinary world. A place where 'grabbing' is a sign a boy fancies you, six-year-olds get spray tans, and christenings, weddings, and funerals are jaw-droppingly flamboyant.
This love story is more than boy meets girl. It's about a girl who falls in love with a whole race of people and their wonderful ways.
Jeanette Walls enjoyed a life living on Park Avenue, covering the Academy Awards and attending black-tie parties at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, while her parents squatted in an abandoned building on the Lower East side. Rex Walls, her father, was an ingenious adventurer but a hopeless alcoholic. Her mother was an artist who abhorred the chores of motherhood and domestic routine. Funny, sad, quirky and loving, The Glass Castle is an almost incredible story of a nomadic, impoverished childhood. This book has 341 pages and is 19.7cm x 12.6cm x 2.3cm
In his debut bestseller Marley & Me, John Grogan showed how a dog can become an extraordinary presence in the life of one family. Now in his highly anticipated follow-up, Grogan again works his magic, bringing us the true story of what came first. Before there was Marley, there was a gleefully mischievous boy growing up in a devout Catholic home outside Detroit in the 1960s and 70s. Despite his loving parents
On a cold February day, 2 months after his 20th birthday, Henry Cockburn waded into the freezing water of Newhaven estuary outside Brighton and tried to swim across, almost drowning in the process. Voices, he said, had told him to do it. Nearly halfway around the world in Afghanistan, journalist Patrick Cockburn learned that his son has been admitted to a hospital mental ward and eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Thus begins Patrick and Henry's extraordinary account of Henry's rapid descent into mental illness and of Patrick's journey towards understanding the changes in his son. This book has 238 pages and is 22.3cm x 14.2cm x 2.3cm
On the August bank holiday weekend in 1979, 14-year-old Timothy Knatchbull went out on a boat trip off the shore of Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland. It was a trip that would cost four lives - and change his own for ever.
The IRA bomb that exploded in their boat killed Knatchbull's grandfather Lord Mountbatten, his grandmother Lady Brabourne, his twin brother Nicholas, and local teenager Paul Maxwell. In telling this story for the first time, Knatchbull is not only revisiting the terrible events he and his family lived through, but also writing an intensely personal account of human triumph over tragedy.
For thirty years, Knatchbull has lived with the echoes of that day: the death of the twin from whom he had been inseparable; the loss of his adored grandparents, whose funerals along with his twin's he and his parents were too injured to attend; the recovery from physical wounds; and the emotional legacy that proved harder to endure.
In From A Clear Blue Sky Timothy Knatchbull delves into his past, present and future, and reveals a story of courage and fortitude as he, his family, and their English and Irish friends dealt with the shocking assassinations and their aftermath. Taking place in Ireland at the height of the Troubles, it gives a compelling insight into that period of Irish history. But more importantly it brings home that although tragedy can strike at any moment, the human spirit is able to recover and evolve over time.
This book about truth and reconciliation, unflinching in its detail, asks searching questions about why human beings inflict misery on others, and holds lessons about how we can learn to forgive, to heal and to move on. It will resonate with readers the world over.
In Baby X we learned how super-tough cop Harry Keeble and his colleagues in Hackney's Child Protection Unit rescued dozens of kids, faced lynch mobs and undertook the impossible job of interviewing paedophiles. Now, in Little Victim, Harry takes us through an extraordinary year in the life of the unit, as the team investigates some of the worst cases of child abuse they have ever encountered. These include a middle-class mother who shook her baby to death, the children kept in a cage, the rape of a three year old boy and an innocent grandfather accused of paedophilia. This book provides a unique insight into the complex issue of child abuse in the UK. Continuing his battle to bring Britain's child abusers to justice, Harry is pushed right to the edge as he confronts horrors past and present.
Written with grace and candour, My Bonnie is an account of a life and love torn apart by dementia. It is raw, honest and, at times, heartbreaking. A portrait of a passionate marriage replaced by loneliness and despair, it is a story of pain, anger and guilt. But it is also a story of love; a tale of devotion and dedication, and an insight into the pleasure that those little glimmers of joy, those moments of recognition, can give
A tormented childhood in Letterfrack industrial school with the Christian Brothers left an enduring mark on Peter Tyrrell. Ignored by the authorities and distressed by his memories, he later burned himself to death on Hampstead Heath in London. His story of horrific abuse is told with childlike simplicity, penned in a series of letters to Senator Owen Sheehy Skeffington. Bringing to life, with touching sincerity, a shocking reality where beatings of children as young as five were commonplace, this startling account might have gone unpublished if not for its chance discovery amongst Skeffington
Tracy Black was only five years old when her mother was hospitalised for the first of many occasions, leaving Tracy in the care of her father. His behaviour, seemingly overnight, changed from indifferent to violently abusive and, for the next seven years, Tracy was sexually and physically abused by her father, his friends and her own brother. All of the men were in the British Armed Forces. Tracy's father compounded the abuse by sending her to baby-sit for his paedophile friends - whilst their own children slept in other rooms, these men would find excuses to leave later or return earlier than their wives in order to abuse her, with her own father's blessing. When she sought help and safety the doors were closed as the authorities closed ranks. In this shocking and compelling book, Tracy Black pieces together the jigsaw of a story that has haunted her for the past forty years. She reveals the horrific betrayal of trust perpetrated by men who were considered upstanding citizens and heroes. Tracy's tale reminds us all of the terrible ways in which paedophiles work and the secrets too many children are forced to carry alone. It is only now that she can tell her full story of recovery. This book has 271 pages and is 19.7cm x 13cm x 2cm
Lorenzo, Michael, John and Tommy shared everything - the laughter and the bruises of an impoverished childhood on New York's violent West Side. Until one of their pranks misfired and they were sent to a reformatory school. Twelve months of systematic mental, physical and sexual abuse left the boys transformed for ever. Eleven years later, one of them had become a journalist, one a lawyer - and the other two killers fro the mob. In a chance encounter they came face to face with one of their torturers and shot him dead in front of several witnesses. The trial that followed brought the four friends together again in one last, audacious stand - and a courtroom climax as gripping as any John Grisham novel.
This book is about Julia's family and how her mother didn't love her enough but her father loved her too much. Between the ages of eight and thirteen, Julia's father sexually abused her. She kept it as a secret to the rest of her family to keep her family intact. The size of the book is 19.7cm in height and 12.9cm wide.
Kevin Lewis never had a chance. Growing up on a poverty-stricken London council estate, beaten and starved by his parents, bullied at school and abandoned by social services, his life was never his own. Even after he was put into care, he found himself out on the streets caught up in a criminal underworld that knew him as
This is the story of how the boat came in for Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends. It tells you what it's like to grow up in a seafaring community that lives as much by its wits as by the bounty of the sea. Each member of the group tells his part of this unique story. For two decades ten burly Cornishmen met on the quay at Port Isaac for the simple joy of sharing friendship, beer and a song. But, in March 2010 everything changed when a music producer heard their passionate voices and signed them to a major record label. This book is 23.9cm in height and 15.7cm wide with 290 pages.
Somewhere on the bottom of the world, six teams of elite adventurers and explorers are gathering to race one another, on foot, to the South Pole. The stakes are high, as competitors must contend with punishing 16-hour shifts, deadly hidden crevasses, frostbite and 800 kilometres of unforgiving, icy wilderness. Race To The Pole is rip-roaring adventure at its best: a story packed with humour, excitement and extreme endurance that in the end takes James and Ben to the very edge. After six months of punishing training and setbacks
The inspirational story of life as a midwife.
From her very first day as a nervous student nurse in Blackburn to the dedicated completion of her nursing qualifications and her training as a midwife in Burnley, Sheena Byrom has never once looked back, enjoying a thirty-five year career with the NHS.
Catching Babies is a moving account of an extraordinary career. It reveals the unique experiences that filled Sheena's days as she looked after overwhelmed mums and dads and helped to bring their precious babies into the world.
Peter was a confirmed cat hater and loner, until he was given a small, grey and impeccably handsome kitten with folded ears by his then girlfriend. The girlfriend eventually left but Norton stayed - in fact, the pair became inseparable. Norton made his presence felt and Peter was a loner no more but after learning how to love his cat, would Peter learn to love another human too?Web Exclusive
Jo Hill had a alcoholic mother and a volatile father and she was a very unhappy ten-year old child. She didn't think life could get any worse with miserable at home and friendless at school, but it did. Her father became obsessed with making her go to nudist camps, she was forced to show her bare body in front of total strangers, Jo suffered at the hands of men who were at the camps to prey on young, naked girls. These men were there to befriend, groom and sexually abuse. The size of the book is 19.6cm in height and 13cm wide.
With an afterword by David Crystal and contributions from Philip Pullman, Jilly Cooper, Jeremy Vine and Meera Syal, all life is here. Become part of the Kitchen Table Lingo community and write your words in now!
'Seen the bloke with the bedooftey bum?'
'More testiculating on Newsnight......'
Does it sometimes seem like your family speaks its own language?
Families up and down the UK have their own special vocabularies. Discover tinsellitis sufferers in Tunbridge Wells, elephant users in Edinburgh and chobblers in Cardiff. Whether it's a slip of the tongue that becomes a permanent part of the family vernacular or a word invented when all others fail, Kitchen Table Lingo is part of what makes our language so rich and creative. This collection of hundreds of words from English speakers around the world - complete with space and an invitation to add your own - is a wonderfully entertaining celebration of the spoken word and the people who take pleasure in it.
After all, what other language has fifty-seven words for the TV remote control?
From Aristotle's pioneering research into animal biology to Harvey's theory of the circulation of the blood; from Copernicus's theory of the heliocentric universe to Carl Sagan's speculations on extraterrestrial life; and from Einstein's theory of Relativity to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, Eureka! condenses the essential biographies and principal discoveries of the world's most important scientists into 300 bite-sized entries. Spanning the full spectrum of scientific disciplines - including physics, biology, earth science, cosmology, chemistry, archaeology and behavioural science - this book is the perfect introduction to the pioneering work of scientists throughout the ages.
Written with grace and candour, My Bonnie is an account of a life and love torn apart by dementia. It is raw, honest and at times, heartbreaking. A portrait of a passionate marriage replaced by loneliness and despair, it is a story of pain, anger and guilt. But it is also a story of love; a tale of devotion and dedication, and an insight into the pleasure that those little glimmers of joy, those moments of recognition, can give - even in the bleakest of times.
Casper became a national celebrity when newspapers ran the story of the amazing cat that regularly took the No. 3 bus on journeys around his home town, Plymouth, in Devon. While his devoted owner Sue Finden had wondered where her elusive pet was disappearing to each day, Casper was brightening the lives of countless commuters. Bus drivers, too, were getting well-acquainted with Casper, and notices went up in their depot alerting staff that a very special passenger might board their vehicle. In fact, he became a mascot for the bus company, and pictures of him and Susan adorned No. 3 buses. When Casper was sadly killed by a car in early 2010 messages of sympathy flooded in from places as far a field as Australia and Argentina. It quickly became clear that Casper and his remarkable story had touched the lives of many people around the world. Movingly told by the owner who loved him dearly, Casper the Commuting Cat is the touching story of a very special black-and-white cat who rode the bus and stole our hearts. This book has 288 pages and is 19.7cm x 13cm x 1.8cm
John grew up in poverty in Limerick, Ireland, in the 1960s. Fatherless, and with a family in chaos, John fell prey to the predatory clutches of a neighbour, setting off a cycle of sexual abuse that eventually led to being sold as a teenage prostitute. Against all odds, John put himself through college and became a lawyer. But there was no escaping his past. One day, a man arrived in desperate need of representation and failed to recognise John as the boy he'd once abused. Now John had a choice to make...Nobody Heard Me Cry is both a devastating expos
From one of America's greatest and most iconic writers: an honest and courageous portrait of age and motherhood. Several days before Christmas 2003, Joan Didion's only daughter, Quintana, fell seriously ill. In 2010, Didion marked the sixth anniversary of her daughter's death. 'Blue Nights' is a shatteringly honest examination of Joan Didion's life as a mother, a woman and a writer. Recently widowed, and becoming increasingly frail, 'Blue Nights' is Didion's attempt to understand our deepest fears, our inadequate adjustments to aging and to put a name to what we refuse to see and as a consequence fail to face up to, 'this refusal even to engage in such contemplation, this failure to confront the certainties of aging, illness and death. This fear.' This fear is tied to what we cherish most and fight to conserve, protect, and refuse to let go, for, 'when we are talking about mortality we are talking about our children.' To face death is to let go of memory, to be bereft once more, 'I know what it is I am now experiencing. I know what the frailty is, I know what the fear is.' The fear is not for what is lost. The fear is for what is still to be lost. You may see nothing still to be lost. Yet there is no day in her life on which I do not see her. A profound, poetic and powerful book about motherhood and the fierce way in which we continue to exalt and nurture our children, even if they only live on in memory. 'Blue Nights' is an intensely personal, and yet, strangely universal account of how we love. It is both groundbreaking and a culmination of a stunning career. This book has 188 pages and is 21.5cm x 13.5cm x 1.5cm.
Sarah-Jane Le Blanc grew up with no particular interest in animals. A down-to-earth mother of two with a job working with disadvantaged children, other people's pets didn't feature very highly in her thoughts - until an event in 2005 which changed the direction of her life. Over the course of several evenings, just before going to sleep, Sarah Jane kept getting a clear image in her mind of a dog called Dan, who had a sad story and was trying to contact someone. This experience led her to investigate animal/human communication. From taking on her first 'client' - a claustrophobic horse - Sarah-Jane's skills went from strength to strength. She soon realised she had a rare gift for animal 'clairsentience', being able to detect the emotions and past traumas of those who cannot speak, and to heal them with her thoughts.
Sarah-Jane tells her amazing story of how she became a real-life Doctor Dolittle. She uses what she calls 'soul-to-soul' therapy, which has helped countless pets and their owners resolve problems. Sarah-Jane's message is that animals suffer emotional pain and anxiety, just like we do. Her work proves that we can reach out across the species to communicate with the creatures that share our lives, as they too, can help us to heal ourselves. This book has 277 pages and is 19.7cm x 12.9cm x 1.8cm
Jerry Robinson was a kid at a summer camp in 1937 when he caught the eye of a comics professional who offered him a job on the spot. Jerry Robinson is one of Americas living legends and is a member of the original Batman team. This is a fully illustrated collection from Jerry Robinson's lengthy career. Inside includes original sketches, ink drawings and photographs, many of them shown in this book for the first time. The size of this book is 28.7cm in height and 21.2cm wide with 223 pages.