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In the Shadow of the Sabertooth
by Doug Peacock"Doug Peacock, as ever, walks point for all of us. Not since Bill McKibben's The End of Nature has a book of such import been presented to readers. Peacock's intelligence defies measure. His is a beautiful, feral heart, always robust, relentless with its love and desire for the human race to survive, and be sculpted by the coming hard times: to learn a magnificent humility, even so late in the game. Doug Peacock's mind is a marvel-there could be no more generous act than the writing of this book. It is a crowning achievement in a long career sent in service of beauty and the dignity of life."-Rick Bass, author of Why I Came West and The Lives of RocksOur climate is changing fast. The future is uncertain, probably fiery, and likely terrifying. Yet shifting weather patterns have threatened humans before, right here in North America, when people first colonized this continent. About 15,000 years ago, the weather began to warm, melting the huge glaciers of the Late Pleistocene. In this brand new landscape, humans managed to adapt to unfamiliar habitats and dangerous creatures in the midst of a wildly fluctuating climate. What was it like to live with huge pack-hunting lions, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and gigantic short-faced bears, to hunt now extinct horses, camels, and mammoth? Are there lessons for modern people lingering along this ancient trail?The shifting weather patterns of today-what we call "global warming"-will far exceed anything our ancestors previously faced. Doug Peacock's latest narrative explores the full circle of climate change, from the death of the megafauna to the depletion of the ozone, in a deeply personal story that takes readers from Peacock's participation in an archeological dig for early Clovis remains in Livingston, MT, near his home, to the death of the local whitebark pine trees in the same region, as a result of changes in the migration pattern of pine beetles with the warming seasons.Writer and adventurer Doug Peacock has spent the past fifty years wandering the earth's wildest places, studying grizzly bears and advocating for the preservation of wilderness. He is the author of Grizzly Years; Baja; and Walking It Off and co-author of The Essential Grizzly. Peacock was named a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow, and a 2011 Lannan Fellow.
I Belong Only to Myself
by Andrea PakieserLeda Rafanelli was one of the most prolific propagandists in early twentieth-century Italy. A comrade of Benito Mussolini before he turned fascist, she converted to anarchism and Islam at the age of twenty, a combination characteristic of her iconoclastic approach to life and politics. Weaving excerpts from Rafanelli's novels, poems, and essays with extensive biographical research, this book tells the story of the insurrections accompanying the birth of the Italian nation, the evolution of the anarchist movement, struggles for alternatives to bourgeois feminism, and the dangers faced by those opposing global war and fascism.Andrea Pakieser is a writer and translator currently at the University of Paris.
Storm in My Heart
by Helene MinkinPartner of one of the most infamous anarchists of her time, Johann Most, Helene Minkin joined the anarchist movement after emigrating from Russia in 1888 with her father and sister. Framed as a reaction and corrective to Emma Goldman's Living My Life, Minkin's memoir provides a unique account of turn-of-the-century anarchism and immigrant life in the United States. Published in the Yiddish-language newspaper Forverts in 1932, this is its first English translation. Tom Goyens teaches American history at Salisbury University in Maryland. He is the author of Beer and Revolution: The German Anarchist Movement in New York City, 1880–1914.
Len, A Lawyer in History: A Graphic Biography of Radical Attorney Leonard Weinglass
by Paul Buhle Seth Tobocman Michael Steven SmithFor half a century, criminal defense lawyer Leonard Weinglass defended a who's who of the twentieth-century left in some of America's most spectacular trials. "The typical call I get is one that starts by saying, 'You're the fifth attorney we've called,'" he once said. "Then I get interested." Those calls came from the likes of the SDS, the Chicago Seven, Daniel Ellsberg, Abbie Hoffman, and Mumia Abu-Jamal, among many others.In a field dominated by egomaniacs, Weinglass was known for his humility, his common touch, his ability to work collectively, his kindness, and his attention to detail. This long-overdue biography captures the vibrant life and inspiring legacy of an American iconoclast.Praise for Len, A Lawyer in History"For decades Seth Tobocman has been working within the comics vernacular to create a unique language, and with Len he's at the top of his game...brilliantly applying himself not only with pencil and ink on paper, but as an active participant in the same political struggles that Len Weinglass valiantly dedicated his life to solving." -Peter Kuper, author of Ruins"Tobocman has conjoined past and present to create singular, beautiful, volatile images of struggle.... At the center of this explosion-as example and harbinger, but most of all as an incendiary intimate portrait-stands Len himself. Our coalitions will forever be enriched by his presence, and by the demands his legacy bequeaths." -AK Thompson, author of Black Bloc, White Riot"I met Len Weinglass in 1964.... He was learned, funny, and the best damned trial lawyer I ever saw in a courtroom.... The chapters on Newark, Chicago, and the Pentagon Papers case will help a new generation understand the substance behind all the blurry labels about the time." -Tom Hayden, author of The Port Huron Statement "The book is dramatic in its reach and speechless in its words. It's not just about Len, but who we were as people during his journey. Remarkable." -Stanley L. Cohen, attorney and political activist"Len said: 'I would classify myself as radical American. I want to spend my time defending people who have committed their time to progressive social change.' This exemplifies how, along with Michael Ratner, William Kunstler, and other US lawyers around the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, he was an incredibly important role model for radical human rights lawyers in Europe such as myself." -Wolfgang Kaleck, Secretary General, European Center for Constitutional and Human RightsPAUL BUHLE is the editor of a dozen comic art books along with many scholarly works, including the authorized biography of C.L.R. James.MICHAEL STEVEN SMITH is executor of Leonard Weinglass's estate and co-editor of Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA.SETH TOBOCMAN is an author/illustrator and one of the founding editors of World War 3 Illustrated.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist
by Barry Pateman Alexander Berkman Jessica Moran"A book of rare power and beauty, majestic in its structure, filled with the truth of imagination and the truth of actuality, emphatic in its declarations and noble in its reach."-Bayard Boyesen, Mother Earth. "No other book discusses so frankly the criminal ways of the closed prison society."- Kenneth RexrothIn 1892, Alexander Berkman tried to assassinate Henry Clay Frick for the latter's role in violently suppressing the Homestead Steel Strike. Berkman's attempt was unsuccessful. Berkman spent the next fourteen years in Pennsylvania's Western Penitentiary. Upon release, he wrote what was to become a classic of prison literature, and a profound testament to human courage in the face of oppression.This new edition of his account of those years is introduced and fully annotated by Barry Pateman and Jessica Moran, both former associate editors of the Emma Goldman Papers at the University of California Berkeley. Their efforts make this the definitive version of Berkman's tale of his transformation within prison, his growing sympathy for those he'd considered social parasites, and the intimate relationships he developed with them. Also includes never-before-published facsimile reprints and transcriptions of the diary Berkman kept while he wrote this book, conveying the difficulties he had reliving his experiences.Alexander Berkman (1870-1936) was a leading writer and militant in the anarchist movement and author of the classic primer What is Anarchism?Barry Pateman was associate editor of Emma Goldman: A Documentary History, and editor of Chomsky on Anarchism. He is a historian and member of the Kate Sharpley Library collective.Jessica Moran, was an assistant editor of Emma Goldman: A Documentary History. She is a member of the Kate Sharpley Library collective and is an archivist currently living and working in New Zealand.
Raining Cats and Donkeys
by Doreen ToveyLife is never a bed of roses for the Toveys and their beloved Siamese cats Solomon and Sheba. For one thing they've got Annabel the donkey to contend with! Filled with amusing anecdotes, 'Raining Cats and Donkeys' recalls the adventures and misadventures of the family and their adorable animals.
Kevin Keegan
by Ian RidleyOn 16 January 2008, just three months after declaring that he was unlikely to ever manage again, Kevin Keegan ended weeks of feverish speculation from press and football fans alike by announcing his decision to once more become the manager of Newcastle United F. C. -- it was, without doubt, the news story of the season. There can be few managers who have divided public opinion throughout their career as Keegan has. A legendary player, Keegan never intended to make the transition from pitch to dugout and defied his own and others expectations when he first took the managerial reins at St James' Park, in 1992. Keegan quickly became a hero in the North East -- first taking the club to the Premiership, and then narrowly missing out on winning it. It was in the heat of that now infamous duel with Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United side, though, that the cracks first began to show. For all his optimism and energy as a leader there were signs of tactical and psychological weakness in Keegan; frailties that would come to haunt him later in his career -- most evidently during his disastrous spell in charge of England. A revered sports journalist with unparalleled access to insider exclusives, Ian Ridley is the perfect man for the task of understanding what it is that makes Keegan tick. Training his brilliantly incisive and penetrating gaze on Keegan, Ridley offers an unprecedented insight into the mind of this most enigmatic of men.
Daddy's Prisoner
by Alice Lawrence Megan Lloyd DaviesIn April 2008, the world watched in horror as the news of Josef Fritzl made worldwide headlines. But for one British woman the story was not the stuff of unimaginable nightmares. Alice Lawrence knew all too well the torture suffered at the hands of a father whose depravity knew no bounds. She too was kept prisoner and repeatedly made pregnant - and it was only after the death of one of her babies that she finally found the courage to escape. Born in 1970, Alice grew up in the impoverished backstreets of an industrial Northern town with her parents and seven brothers and sisters. She was first raped by her father when she was 11. From the age of 15, she was made pregnant six times by him in an effort to secure additional state benefits. All bar one of her pregnancies failed, but her daughter never made it through her first year. The death of her baby was the spur to Alice bringing her father and abuser to justice. Finally, Alice can tell her deeply moving story of recovery from abuse.
Daddy's Prisoner
by Alice Lawrence Megan Lloyd DaviesIn April 2008, the world watched in horror as the news of Josef Fritzl made worldwide headlines. But for one British woman the story was not the stuff of unimaginable nightmares. Alice Lawrence knew all too well the torture suffered at the hands of a father whose depravity knew no bounds. She too was kept prisoner and repeatedly made pregnant - and it was only after the death of one of her babies that she finally found the courage to escape. Born in 1970, Alice grew up in the impoverished backstreets of an industrial Northern town with her parents and seven brothers and sisters. She was first raped by her father when she was 11. From the age of 15, she was made pregnant six times by him in an effort to secure additional state benefits. All bar one of her pregnancies failed, but her daughter never made it through her first year. The death of her baby was the spur to Alice bringing her father and abuser to justice. Finally, Alice can tell her deeply moving story of recovery from abuse.
Pet Whisperer
by Catharine ArnoldSarah-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.
I Won't Forgive What You Did: A little girl's suffering. A mother who let it happen
by Faith Scott Lynne Barrett-LeeBorn the third of eight children into a life of rural squalor in a farming community in the south of England, Faith Scott's infant world is already more challenging than most. Bewildered by the bizarre andcruel behaviour of her mother and terrified by the violent outbursts of her perpetually angry father, the only certainty in life is that there is none. So when Granddad 'Pop' gives her sweets and does the horrid things he does to her, how is she to know that isn't what all Granddads do? And if it isn't, why does her mother find it funny? Told with honesty and courage, this is the story of a little girl who never stood a chance - who was regularly abused in the most shocking ways by her family and preyed upon by the worst kind of men. Faith went on to have two children in her teens and endured appalling domestic violence but now, after all the suffering, she has turned her life around. Her decades-long journey out of the darkness tells the truth about what happens to abused children when they grow up, in a story that's horrifying and compelling in equal measure.
Baby X: Britain’s Child Abusers Brought to Justice
by Harry Keeble Kris HollingtonWhen super-tough cop Sergeant Harry Keeble announced he was joining Hackney's ailing Child Protection Team in 2000, his colleagues were astounded. Known as the 'Cardigan Squad', its officers were seen as glorified social workers dealing with domestics. The reality was very different. Within a few months he'd fought machete-wielding thugs, rescued kids who had pit bulls chained to their cots and confronted the horrors of African witchcraft, exposing a network of abuse in the process - all in his unrelenting war against child cruelty. Harry rescued dozens of kids - kids in crack houses, kids living in unimaginable filth and kids who had burned their houses down. Then there were the hostage situations, the lynch mobs, and the almost impossible process of interviewing paedophiles to get a confession. Without wading in sentimentality, Harry describes how his team - working alongside dedicated but chronically underfunded social workers - operated at the sharp end of child protection. This is a shocking and unforgettable story of how some of the UK's most disadvantaged children escaped their tormentors - and explains why some cases, similar to that of Baby P's, ended in tragedy.
Little Victim: The real story of Britain’s vulnerable children and the people who rescue them
by Harry Keeble Kris HollingtonIn Baby Xwe 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've 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 falsely accused of paedophila. Little Victim 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.
Cheryl
by Sean SmithCheryl is the definitive biography of the nation's favourite star. From her Newcastle childhood to her stellar success with Girls Aloud, as a number one solo artist and on TV with The X Factor, Sean Smith tells the true, roller-coaster story of how a cheeky and feisty girl from a grim, working class area became the iconic figure for modern women in Britain today. Cheryl's path to fame and fortune has often been difficult, facing the problems drugs and unemployment have brought to those she loves. Now, her turbulent marriage to footballer Ashley Cole is sadly under the spotlight, but, with insight and understanding, Sean Smith reveals the real woman behind the beautiful public face. 'Sean Smith gives a remarkable account of Cheryl's struggle to the top. . . A first-rate biography' Sunday Express Sean Smith is the UK's leading celebrity biographer whose best-selling books have been translated throughout the world.
Little Gypsy
by Roxy FreemanBorn in 1979, Roxy Freeman grew up travelling around Ireland and England in a traditional horse-drawn wagon with her mother and father and six siblings. Life was harsh but it was a childhood of freedom spent in harmony with nature. Roxy didn't know her times-tables but she could milk a goat, ride a horse and cook dinner for the whole family on an open fire before she was ten. Early life was idyllic but when her father brought the family to England, they faced prejudice and hostility and Roxy found herself receiving the very unwelcome attentions of a family friend - which she endured in secret. Despite all of the difficulties she faced, she developed a passion for flamenco and traditional music and developed a career as a dancer, which took her around the world. Her beautifully written story is a frank portrait of what life is really like for women and girls of traveller communities.
Beware of the Dog: Rugby's Hard Man Reveals All
by Brian MooreBrian Moore, or 'Pitbull' as he came to be known during nearly a decade at the heart of the England rugby team's pack, established himself as one of the game's original hard men at a time when rugby was still an amateur sport. Since his retirement, he has earned a reputation as an equally uncompromising commentator, never afraid to tell it as he sees it and lash out at the money men and professionals that have made rugby into such a different beast. Yet, for all his bullishness on and off the pitch, there also appears a more unconventional, complicated side to the man. A solicitor by trade, Moore's love of fine wine, career experience as a manicurist and preference for reading Shakespeare in the dressing room before games, mark him out as anything but the stereotypical rugby player and in Beware of the Dog Moore lays open with astounding frankness the shocking events, both personal and professional, that have gone towards shaping him over the years. Presenting an unparalleled insight into the mind of one of British rugby's greatest players and characters, Beware of the Dog is a uniquely engaging and upfront sporting memoir.
Beware of the Dog: Rugby's Hard Man Reveals All
by Brian MooreWINNER OF THE 2010 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE. Brian Moore, or 'Pitbull' as he came to be known during nearly a decade at the heart of the England rugby team's pack, established himself as one of the game's original hard men at a time when rugby was still an amateur sport. Since his retirement, he has earned a reputation as an equally uncompromising commentator, never afraid to tell it as he sees it and lash out at the money men and professionals that have made rugby into such a different beast. Yet, for all his bullishness on and off the pitch, there also appears a more unconventional, complicated side to the man. A solicitor by trade, Moore's love of fine wine, career experience as a manicurist and preference for reading Shakespeare in the dressing room before games, mark him out as anything but the stereotypical rugby player and in Beware of the Dog Moore lays open with astounding frankness the shocking events, both personal and professional, that have gone towards shaping him over the years. Presenting an unparalleled insight into the mind of one of British rugby's greatest players and characters, Beware of the Dog is a uniquely engaging and upfront sporting memoir, and a deserved winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year prize.
The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers
by Lynne Barrett-Lee Angela PatrickIn 1963, London was on the brink of becoming one of the world's most vibrant cities. Angela Patrick was 19 years old, enjoying her first job working in the City when her life turned upside down. A brief fling with a charismatic charmer left her pregnant, unmarried and facing a stark future. Being under 21, she was still under the governance of her parents, strict Catholics who insisted she have the baby in secret and then put it up for adoption. Shunned by her family and forced to leave her job, Angela was sent to an imposing-looking convent for unmarried mothers in north-east London. Run like a Victorian workhouse, conditions in the convent were decidedly Spartan. Vilified and degraded by the nuns for her 'wickedness', her only comfort came from the other pregnant girls, all knowing they too would have to give up their babies. After a terrifying labour with no pain relief, Angela gave birth to a beautiful son, Paul, with whom she fell instantly in love. At eight weeks he was taken from her and forcibly put up for adoption, leaving Angela bereft and heartbroken. Not a day went by without Angela thinking about him. Then, thirty years later, she received a letter. It was from Paul, and a reunion was arranged. This vital slice of social history is a shocking reminder of how cultural mores have changed around the issue of single motherhood since the early 1960s. It is also an honest, heartfelt memoir that explores the closest of human bonds.
The Baby Laundry for Unmarried Mothers
by Lynne Barrett-Lee Angela PatrickIn 1963, London was on the brink of becoming one of the world's most vibrant cities. Angela Patrick was 19 years old, enjoying her first job working in the City when her life turned upside down. A brief fling with a charismatic charmer left her pregnant, unmarried and facing a stark future. Being under 21, she was still under the governance of her parents, strict Catholics who insisted she have the baby in secret and then put it up for adoption.Shunned by her family and forced to leave her job, Angela was sent to an imposing-looking convent for unmarried mothers in north-east London. Run like a Victorian workhouse, conditions in the convent were decidedly Spartan. Vilified and degraded by the nuns for her 'wickedness', her only comfort came from the other pregnant girls, all knowing they too would have to give up their babies. After a terrifying labour with no pain relief, Angela gave birth to a beautiful son, Paul, with whom she fell instantly in love. At eight weeks he was taken from her and forcibly put up for adoption, leaving Angela bereft and heartbroken. Not a day went by without Angela thinking about him. Then, thirty years later, she received a letter. It was from Paul, and a reunion was arranged.This vital slice of social history is a shocking reminder of how cultural mores have changed around the issue of single motherhood since the early 1960s. It is also an honest, heartfelt memoir that explores the closest of human bonds.
127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Aron RalstonOn Sunday April 27, 2003, 27-year old Aron Ralston set off for a day's hiking in the Utah canyons. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, Ralston, a seasoned climber, figured he'd hike for a few hours and then head off to work. 40 miles from the nearest paved road, he found himself on top of an 800-pound boulder. As he slid down and off of the boulder it shifted, trapping his right hand against the canyon wall. No one knew where he was; he had little water; he wasn't dressed correctly; and the boulder wasn't going anywhere. He remained trapped for five days in the canyon: hypothermic at night, de-hydrated and hallucinating by day. Finally, he faced the most terrible decision of his life: braking the bones in his wrist by snapping them against the boulder, he hacked through the skin, and finally succeeded in amputating his right hand and wrist. The ordeal, however, was only beginning. He still faced a 60-foot rappell to freedom, and a walk of several hours back to his car - along the way, he miraculously met a family of hikers, and with his arms tourniqued, and blood-loss almost critical, they heard above them the whir of helicopter blades; just in time, Aron was rescued and rushed to hospital. Since that day, Aron has had a remarkable recovery. He is back out on the mountains, with an artificial limb; he speaks to select groups on his ordeal and rescue; and amazingly, he is upbeat, positive, and an inspiration to all who meet him. This is the account of those five days, of the years that led up to them, and where he goes from here. It is narrative non-fiction at its most compelling.
127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Aron RalstonOn Sunday April 27, 2003, 27-year old Aron Ralston set off for a day's hiking in the Utah canyons. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, Ralston, a seasoned climber, figured he'd hike for a few hours and then head off to work. 40 miles from the nearest paved road, he found himself on top of an 800-pound boulder. As he slid down and off of the boulder it shifted, trapping his right hand against the canyon wall. No one knew where he was; he had little water; he wasn't dressed correctly; and the boulder wasn't going anywhere. He remained trapped for five days in the canyon: hypothermic at night, de-hydrated and hallucinating by day. Finally, he faced the most terrible decision of his life: braking the bones in his wrist by snapping them against the boulder, he hacked through the skin, and finally succeeded in amputating his right hand and wrist. The ordeal, however, was only beginning. He still faced a 60-foot rappell to freedom, and a walk of several hours back to his car - along the way, he miraculously met a family of hikers, and with his arms tourniqued, and blood-loss almost critical, they heard above them the whir of helicopter blades; just in time, Aron was rescued and rushed to hospital. Since that day, Aron has had a remarkable recovery. He is back out on the mountains, with an artificial limb; he speaks to select groups on his ordeal and rescue; and amazingly, he is upbeat, positive, and an inspiration to all who meet him. This is the account of those five days, of the years that led up to them, and where he goes from here. It is narrative non-fiction at its most compelling.
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain
by Portia De Rossi"I didn't decide to become anorexic. It snuck up on me disguised as a healthy diet, a professional attitude. Although there was a certain glamour to anorexics, I didn't want to be one. I just wanted to excel in dieting. And weighing in at 80 pounds on 300 calories a day, I was the best little dieter there ever was. " In scalding prose, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades. She alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and lying to herself and everyone around her about the depth of her illness. From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to health and happiness, ultimately falling head over heels in love with Ellen DeGeneres. In this remarkable and landmark book, she tells a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain
by Portia De Rossi"I didn't decide to become anorexic. It snuck up on me disguised as a healthy diet, a professional attitude. Although there was a certain glamour to anorexics, I didn't want to be one. I just wanted to excel in dieting. And weighing in at 80 pounds on 300 calories a day, I was the best little dieter there ever was." In scalding prose, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades. She alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and lying to herself and everyone around her about the depth of her illness. From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to health and happiness, ultimately falling head over heels in love with Ellen DeGeneres. In this remarkable and landmark book, she tells a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.
Mixed Fancies
by Brenda BlethynBorn in Ramsgate during the 1940s, Brenda Bottle was the youngest of nine in a poor but close family. She left school to work as a secretary for British Rail, where she met her husband. But by the age of twenty-seven, the marriage was over. Brenda left her job and with the little she had saved, enrolled at Guildford Drama School. And so her life as an actress began. One of Britain's best-loved actresses, Brenda Blethyn has dazzled in a vast number of roles, including her performances as downtrodden Cynthia in Mike Leigh's SECRETS AND LIES and as the man-eating Mari Hoff in LITTLE VOICE, for which she received Oscar nominations. On stage, television and film she has worked with our greatest writers and directors -- Alan Bennett, Tom Stoppard, Sam Mendes, Peter Hall -- and actors -- including Michael Caine, Jude Law, Julie Walters, Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor and John Hurt. Brenda is one of Britain's finest character actresses, famous for playing her roles with social realism and warmth, wit and humour -- characters her audience empathise with. She has the same warmth and humour off screen too; a wonderfully down-to-earth person with a fascinating history. Told with sparkling wit and engaging honesty, MIXED FANCIES is the compelling story of her journey from the Plains of Waterloo to the National Theatre and on to television, Hollywood and stardom.
Mixed Fancies
by Brenda BlethynBorn in Ramsgate during the 1940s, Brenda Bottle was the youngest of nine in a poor but close family. She left school to work as a secretary for British Rail, where she met her husband. But by the age of twenty-seven, the marriage was over. Brenda left her job and with the little she had saved, enrolled at Guildford Drama School. And so her life as an actress began. One of Britain's best-loved actresses, Brenda Blethyn has dazzled in a vast number of roles, including her performances as downtrodden Cynthia in Mike Leigh's SECRETS AND LIES and as the man-eating Mari Hoff in LITTLE VOICE, for which she received Oscar nominations. On stage, television and film she has worked with our greatest writers and directors -- Alan Bennett, Tom Stoppard, Sam Mendes, Peter Hall -- and actors -- including Michael Caine, Jude Law, Julie Walters, Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor and John Hurt. Brenda is one of Britain's finest character actresses, famous for playing her roles with social realism and warmth, wit and humour -- characters her audience empathise with. She has the same warmth and humour off screen too; a wonderfully down-to-earth person with a fascinating history. Told with sparkling wit and engaging honesty, MIXED FANCIES is the compelling story of her journey from the Plains of Waterloo to the National Theatre and on to television, Hollywood and stardom.