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Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers, the American Heiress Who Taught the World About Style
by Cherie BurnsA fascinating portrait of the Standard Oil heiress and legendary American trendsetter Millicent Rogers.“A page-turning tale of a society rebel.” —Meryl Gordon, author of Mrs. Astor RegretsNobody knew how to live the high life like Standard Oil heiress Millicent Rogers. Born into luxury, she lived in a whirl of beautiful homes, European vacations, exquisite clothing, and handsome men.In Searching for Beauty, Cherie Burns chronicles Rogers’s glittering life from her days as a young girl afflicted with rheumatic fever to her moment as a glittering debutante, through her years as an American aristocrat abroad, and ending with her final days as one of the legendary chatelaines of Taos, New Mexico.A rebellious icon of the age, she eloped with a penniless baron; danced tangos in European nightclubs; divorced, remarried, and romanced, among other, the writer Roald Dahl, Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, and Hollywood icon Clark Gable. Her romantic conquests, though, paled in comparison to her triumph in the world of fashion where her unerring sense of style and her ability to mix the high with the low brought her to the attention of the fashionistas of the day. She became the muse to legendary American designer Charles James, appeared in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and popularized Southwestern style by adopting turquoise jewelry, squaw skirts, and short-waist jackets as her signature look.With Searching for Beauty, Millicent Rogers enters the pantheon of great American women who, like Diana Vreeland and Babe Paley, put their distinctive stamp on American style.“A glittering tale of . . . one of the most glamorous women of the twentieth century. Anyone who is interested in the annals of high society will be fascinated with this book. . . . An intimate and deeply personal view of Millicent Rogers, her family and her unending search for love and beauty.” —Adam Lewis, author of The Great Lady Decorators, Billy Baldwin, Albert Hadley,and Van Day Truex
Searching for Bobby Fischer: A Father's Story of Love and Ambition
by Fred WaitzkinThe inspiration for the iconic film, this memoir by the father of a prodigy reflects on chess, competition, and childhood. Fred Waitzkin fell in love with chess during the Cold War–era showdown between Russian champion Boris Spassky and young American superstar Bobby Fischer. Twelve years later, Waitzkin&’s own son, Joshua, discovered chess in Washington Square Park and began displaying the telltale signs of a prodigy. Soon, crowds gathered to watch the six-year-old, calling him a &“Young Fischer.&” An unstoppable player, little Josh was suddenly catapulted into the intense world of competitive chess. When Josh first sat down at a chessboard, he was a charming, rambunctious, rough-and-tumble child. Within weeks, he was playing the game with poise and constrained violence, as if there were a wise old man plotting moves inside him. Then, renowned coach Bruce Pandolfini discovered Josh in the park and began to refine the child&’s game. In Searching for Bobby Fischer, Waitzkin recounts his journey with his son into the world of chess, from the colorful milieu of street hustlers to the international network of grandmasters. Looming large over their story is the elusive Bobby Fischer, whose mysterious disappearance from the chess world created a vacuum that would profoundly affect young Josh and his dad. Josh went on to win eight national championships before he turned twenty—but his achievements did not come without cost. In this memoir, Waitzkin explores his love and ambition for Josh, who faces pressures far beyond his years. Even as father and son travel to Moscow to watch Kasparov challenge Karpov, Waitzkin doubts his own motives: Is he pushing his son too hard? Is the game a joy to Josh, or is he just fulfilling his father&’s wishes? Searching for Bobby Fischer is about more than chess. &“A little gem of a book,&” it is ultimately about the struggle we all face to love our families and do right by them while also setting our own paths as individuals (The New York Times).
Searching for Charmian
by Suzanne ChickThirty years ago, Gina Chick&’s mother Suzanne wrote a bestselling memoir after discovering that her birth mother was none other than iconic Australian writer Charmian Clift. That book, Searching for Charmian, is now being rereleased for Mothers&’ Day 2025 with a new foreword by Gina and an afterword by Suzanne. When forty-eight-year-old Suzanne Chick discovers the identity of her birth mother, suddenly nothing will satisfy her but knowing everything. Charmian was nineteen when she gave birth to her baby girl and had to give her up for adoption. By the time Suzanne unearthed her birth mother&’s name, Charmian was dead, having taken her own life in 1969 at the age of forty-five. By then she was a beloved columnist, novelist and essayist whose name was known to thousands of readers. But for all her talent, intelligence and extraordinary beauty, Charmian's life was marked by deep unhappiness. As Suzanne learns about the mother she will never meet, she finds herself re-examining the course her own life has taken, gaining insight into the life of the woman who brought her up – her adoptive mother, Marjorie Shaw. More than just a fascinating piece of literary history, this is a moving account of the consequences of adoption and Suzanne's search for identity. &‘My mother&’s life changed forever the day she discovered her birth mother was Charmian Clift. In the tsunami of self-discovery that followed this surprising revelation, Mum went on to write her own book, Searching For Charmian, as she turned her life and identity upside down discovering the mother she never knew … Ma, growing up, I never realised what an extraordinary woman you were, because you were just there being amazing in an effortless dance of being yourself. But now I know, and I wonder at my luck, having you as my mother. Every time I look at your face I see a postcard from my future and I&’m glad of it. I love that face more than the sun.&’ – Gina Chick, bestselling author, inaugural winner of Alone Australia, daughter of Suzanne and granddaughter of Charmian
Searching for Dad: Nine Side-Effects of Growing Up Fatherless and How to Overcome Them (Searching For Dad Ser.)
by Byron RicksOne man shares his story of growing up fatherless, the lessons it taught him, and how sons and parents can combat its side effects.Searching for Dad steps inside the mind, heart, and soul of a boy without a father. Recognizing the power of the emotional and psychological side effects of growing up fatherless will help absentee fathers, single mothers, and sons who survived a fatherless childhood understand and cope. Byron Ricks shares his story about the challenges he faced, the lessons he learned, and the man he became. He writes for fathers who do not realize the full impact their absence can have, for mothers wanting to do the best for their sons but are not sure what that is, and for men who feel empty and unattached and are not sure why. Ultimately, Searching for Dad is a book of hope, filled with illustrations about nine side effects and how fathers, mothers, and sons can forestall, minimize and even reverse them. Growing up fatherless may be the condition; healing is the possibility.
Searching for Daddy
by Christine HartA horrifying story of a girl scarred by religious mania and childhood abuse, who is driven to believe one of Britain's most infamous criminals was her father. Christine's childhood was utterly desolate. Starved of all love, she was so consumed with loneliness and fear that she was drawn in to the world of a dangerous serial killer. Christine was abandoned as a baby by her mother on the doorstep of a convent. She was adopted, but this only turned out to be the start of a new nightmare. When she was 13, she was sent her back to the orphanage. It was this act of betrayal that pushed her to breaking point. Christine began a desperate quest for her real father but a twisted path of events finally took her face to face with Ian Brady, the notorious Moors Murderer. It was this extraordinary encounter that forced Christine to confront reality and allowed her to reclaim her life. Searching For Daddy is a shocking true story of desperate loneliness and phenomenal courage that will move and inspire anyone who reads it.
Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, Book One: Savoring the Olde Ways Series: Book One (The Savoring the Olde Ways Series)
by Carole BumpusPart culinary memoir and part travelogue, Carole Bumpus gathered this compilation of intimate interviews, conversations, stories, and traditional family recipes (cuisine pauvre) in the kitchens of French families as she traveled throughout the countryside. Travel with her through Champagne caves/wineries and historic cathedrals, local farmers&’ markets, ancient potters&’ guilds, and restaurant kitchens with wood-fire ovens. Learn how to make homemade Spinach-stuffed Tortellini with Bolognaise Sauce from the Champagne region, Crêpes and Watercress-stuffed Ravioli from the Lorraine, and Baekeofe and Kugelhopf from the Alsace. &“Go blind&” from the family stock of Eau de Vie liqueur and be treated to tales of foraging for snails for the infamous and now extinct Escargots Festival. And, on a somber note, listen to accounts of families forced from their communities during the German occupation of WWII in the Alsace and Lorraine, only to continue to struggle for survival after finally making their way home. This book is a compilation of stories about making ends meet; about people being grateful for all they had, even when they had almost nothing; about the sharing of family jokes and laughter; and about family trials and triumphs. This book is about people savoring the life they have been given.
Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table: Savoring the Olde Ways: Book Two
by Carole BumpusJoin Carole Bumpus as she continues the culinary journey of Book One in Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, with her incomparable guide, Josiane, as they head north from Paris to Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Normandy, and Brittany, then drop into the Loire Valley before ending in the Auvergne.Sample family favorites and regional delights such as Flemish Potjevlesh, Algerian-influenced chicken tagine, moules (mussels) in cider and cream, salt-encrusted Lamb Grevin, Far Brêton, and Pâté de Pomme de Terre. Enjoy the music and antics of local festivals like La Bande de Pecheur (Gang of Fisherman), Feast of St. John, and the Blessing of the Fleet. Discover the wonder of troglodyte caves, wineries, and truffle farms in the Loire Valley. Then travel to Josiane&’s family home, where you, too, can discover why food and family time are considered sacred in the Auvergne. And, all along the route, witness the impact WWI and WWII on the families profiled. Even seventy-five years later, the legacy of war remains—and yet, incredibly, the gift that each generation has handed down has been gratitude and a deep understanding of the importance of family.A compilation of personal stories, memorable moments, family secrets, and mouth-watering recipes, this French culinary travelogue is sure to find a prized place on the bookshelf of readers who love France—its food, its people, and its history.
Searching for George Gordon Meade: The Forgotten Victor of Gettysburg
by Tom HuntingtonA historian chronicles the life of the Union Civil War general while recounting his own unusual journey during his investigation into the past. Who was George Gordon Meade? He should be remembered as one of the Civil War&’s most important generals. Instead, history has pushed him aside. The hot-tempered Meade received command of the Union&’s dysfunctional Army of the Potomac only three days before he defeated Robert E. Lee&’s Confederates at Gettysburg. After that, Meade watched his reputation decline, thanks in part to the escape of Lee&’s army, hostility from politicians and the press, the machinations of Gen. Daniel Sickles, and the rise of Ulysses S. Grant. &“I suppose after a while,&” Meade once grumbled, &“it will be discovered I was not at Gettysburg at all.&” The Rodney Dangerfield of Civil War generals, Meade gets no respect—and author Tom Huntington wanted to find out why. In Searching for George Gordon Meade, he tells the story of the general&’s life and his participation in the Civil War&’s great engagements, from George McClellan&’s Richmond Campaign to Appomattox. Huntington also provides accounts of his own investigations of Meade&’s legacy. Along the way he hikes across battlefields, recites the names of fallen soldiers at a candlelit ceremony at Gettysburg, drinks a champagne toast at Meade&’s grave on New Year&’s Eve, and visits a severed leg, a buried arm, and a horse&’s head. The result is a quirky and compelling mash-up of history, biography, travel, and journalism that casts new light on an overlooked figure from the past. Praise for Searching for George Gordon Meade&“Unique and irresistible.&” —Harold Holzer, chairman of Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation&“Huntington&’s wry, boisterous biography-within-a-travel journal . . . strives to remake the reputation of Meade and offers a compelling new way to approach biography.&” —John G. Shelby, Meade: The Price of Command, 1863–1865 &“It&’s the rare reader who will not enjoy accompanying Huntington on his search for Meade.&” —America&’s Civil War "A refreshingly readable and well-researched book. . . . Searching for George Gordon Meade should be required reading for all those interested in Civil War history.&” —Civil War News
Searching for God Knows What
by Donald MillerIn Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller's provocative and funny book, he shows readers that the greatest desire of every person is the desire for redemption. Every person is constantly seeking redemption (or at least the feeling of it) in his or her life, believing countless gospels that promise to fix the brokenness. Typically their pursuits include the desire for fulfilling relationships, successful careers, satisfying religious systems, status, and escape. Miller reveals how the inability to find redemption leads to chaotic relationships, self-hatred, the accumulation of meaningless material possessions, and a lack of inner peace. Readers will learn to identify in themselves and within others the universal desire for redemption. They will discover that the gospel of Jesus is the only way to find meaning in life and true redemption. Mature believers as well as seekers and new Christians will find themselves identifying with the narrative journey unfolded in the book, which is simply the pursuit of redemption. "Miller ... writes on faith with candor and passion reminiscent of Frederick Buechner and Anne Lamott. "The Oregonian" Like a shaken snow globe, Donald Miller's newest collection of essays creates a swirl of ideas about the Christian life that eventually crystallize into a lovely landscape . . . [He] is one of the evangelical book market's most creative writers. " -Christianity Today"For fans of Blue Like Jazz, I doubt you will be disappointed. Donald Miller writes with the wit and vulnerability that you expect. Sharing stories of his upbringing and his journey in more recent years, he perfectly illustrates important themes in a genuine and humorous manner . . . For those who would be reading Miller for the first time, this would be a great start. -Relevant"Whenever people ask me about Donald Miller, I notice the first thing I say is, 'That guy can write. ' Having met Don, I also know he seeks to live what he writes, or better said, he writes what he lives. That, I think, is the top credential for a person who writes about ultimate concerns-spirituality, meaning, purpose, life, God, and joy. In Searching for God Knows What, you'll find more of his great writing, honest feeling, and spiritual insight to help you on your journey. -Brian McLaren Pastor, Author-www. anewkindofchristian. com
Searching for God, Finding Love
by Teresa Lesher&“Searching for God not only offers an inspiring, emotional insight to the author's journey to and through Islam, it beautifully maps out Islamic principles in an understandable and relatable way. Truly a five-star read!&”- Ameena Blake, Muslim scholar, UK&“A story of a Christian who always carried Islam – unknowingly – in her heart until she finally discovered it, then artistically crafted her experience with a feather. Rarely does a book touch my heart and inspire me like that.&”- Fadel SolimanBridges' Translation of the Ten Qira'at of the Noble Quran &“One of my earliest memories is of contemplating God. I was a freckle-faced girl of five, sitting quietly in catechism class when the teacher casually said, &‘God is bigger than everything.' The words hit me like a blast force. The classroom disappeared, the teacher's voice muted, and I gasped at the revelation. Bigger than the tallest tree in the yard? Bigger than a mountain? Bigger than the world? The enormity of God impressed me, but I couldn't help wondering, &‘If He is bigger than anything, where is He?'&”In this inspirational memoir, Teresa Lesher shares her search for God. She explores factors that have made her who she is as well as influencers who shape who she aspires to be and who lead her in her quest for the Divine. She dissects basic concepts that have been essential for her understanding of God as well as paradigms that shape her experience of Him. She shares her journey along the Divine Path and closer to Divine Presence through expressions of submission to Him. This quest for God takes her to her innermost self and ends with a discovery of life, an understanding of love, and a commitment to truth.
Searching for Hassan: A Journey to the Heart of Iran
by Terence WardThis &“astonishing and deeply poignant&” (The Washington Post) memoir of one man&’s search for a beloved family friend explores the depth of Iranian culture and the sweep of its history, and transcends today&’s news headlines to remind us of the humanity that connects us all.Growing up in Tehran in the 1960s, Terence Ward and his brothers were watched over by Hassan, the family&’s cook, housekeeper, and cultural guide. After an absence of thirty years and much turmoil in Iran, Ward embarks on a quixotic pilgrimage with his family in search of their lost friend. However, as they set out on this improbable quest with no address or phone number, their only hope lies in their mother&’s small black and white photograph taken decades before. Crossing the vast landscape of ancient Persia, Ward interweaves its incredibly rich past, while exploring modern Iran&’s deep conflicts with its Arab neighbors and our current administration. Searching for Hassan puts a human face on the long-suffering people of the Middle East with this inspirational story of an American family who came to love and admire Iran and its culture through their deep affection for its people. The journey answers the question, &“How far would you go for a friend?&” Including a revised preface and epilogue, this new and updated edition continues to demonstrate that Searching for Hassan is as relevant and timely as ever in shaping conversations and ways of thinking about different cultures both in the US and around the world.
Searching for Home: Stories of Indians Living Abroad
by Simran ChawlaA compelling chronicle of what it means to be Indian in a foreign land. In an age when India is one of the strongest emerging markets and a developing superpower, tens of thousands of Indians leave the country each year to seek new lives on distant shores. What are they looking for and what do they really find? In a first-of-its-kind narrative, journalist and American expat Simran Chawla documents the contemporary Indian immigrant experience in various corners of the world ? from Alaska to the UK, Europe to Africa, the Americas to the Middle East. In this book, she tells the story of families like the Singhs who farm in the heartland of Italy just south of Verona; discovers the lucrative Indian wedding industry in the Gulf or United Arab Emirates; learns about the community of ?aunties? in Orlando who have found meaning in their lives once again by organizing sewing get-togethers; watches a cricket match between diamond traders in Antwerp; and explores the heartbreaking price of living illegally in London. In lucid, affecting prose, Searching for Home tells the stories of people who, though separated by thousands of kilometres, share experiences that continue to bind them to their homeland. THE AMAZING RACIST`Outrageously funny and deeply moving. In this cracker of a debut novel, Tenduf-La writes on Sri Lanka from the intriguing perspective of the outsider inside.? ? Ashok Ferrey, author of The ProfessionalEddie Trusted, an English school teacher in Colombo, wants to spend his life with Menaka Rupasinghe, a vibrant Sri Lankan beauty, but as with all matters of the heart, there?s an obstacle. If Eddie wants to wed Menaka, it is Thilak Rupasinghe, her orthodox terror of a father, whom he must woo and whose farts he must kiss ? Thilak wants his daughter to marry someone of the same race, religion and caste, and if possible from the same locality.In a desperate bid to make his dream a reality, Eddie tries to connect with Thilak in other ways ? eating curries that make him bleed spice and breathe fire, driving drunk through red lights, threatening co-workers with violence, and sleeping with snakes. But will Eddie ever be good enough for a man who hates the colour of his skin?Sparkling with wit and featuring an endearing cast of characters, The Amazing Racist is the story of a man who finds a home among strangers, of a father-in-law whose bark is worse than his bite, and of bonds that grow to be stronger than family ties.end
Searching for Jimmie Strother: A Tale of Music, Murder, and Memory
by Gregg D. KimballThe incredible true story of a blind musician, a brutal crime, and the making of an American folk legend In June 1936 James Lee Strother performed thirteen songs at the Virginia State Prison Farm for famed folklorist John Lomax and the Library of Congress. Rooted in the rich soil of the Piedmont region, Strother&’s repertoire epitomized the Black songsters who defy easy classification. Blinded in a steel mill explosion, which only intensified his drive to connect to the world through song, Strother drew on old spirituals and country breakdowns as readily as he explored emerging genres like blues and ragtime. Biographer Gregg Kimball revives this elusive but singular talent and the creative and historical worlds in which his dramatic life unfolded. Myths surround Strother but, as Kimball reveals, the facts of Strother&’s life are just as compelling as the fanciful embellishments proffered by early folklorists. Musician, murderer, and beloved family member—Strother somehow played each of these roles, and more. And while the songster&’s comedic ditties, spirituals, and blues tunes reached a wide range of listeners (and were later covered by musicians like Pete Seeger and Jefferson Airplane), they carried a dark undercurrent that spoke directly to the experiences of Black Americans: sundown towns, Jim Crow segregation, and labor exploitation. As Kimball shows, Strother&’s powerful songs and remarkable, tumultuous life continue to influence and remain deeply relevant to American culture to this day.
Searching for John Ford
by Joseph McBrideJohn Ford's classic films—such as Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley, The Quiet Man, and The Searchers—have earned him worldwide admiration as America's foremost filmmaker, a director whose rich visual imagination conjures up indelible, deeply moving images of our collective past. Joseph McBride's Searching for John Ford, described as definitive by both the New York Times and the Irish Times, surpasses all other biographies of the filmmaker in its depth, originality, and insight. Encompassing and illuminating Ford's myriad complexities and contradictions, McBride traces the trajectory of Ford's life from his beginnings as “Bull” Feeney, the nearsighted, football-playing son of Irish immigrants in Portland, Maine, to his recognition, after a long, controversial, and much-honored career, as America's national mythmaker. Blending lively and penetrating analyses of Ford's films with an impeccably documented narrative of the historical and psychological contexts in which those films were created, McBride has at long last given John Ford the biography his stature demands.
Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I Thought I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from '80s Movies
by Jason DiamondSearching for John Hughes is Jason Diamond’s hilarious memoir of growing up obsessed with the iconic filmmaker’s movies.From the outrageous, raunchy antics in National Lampoon’s Vacation to the teenage angst in The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink to the insanely clever and unforgettable Home Alone, Jason Diamond could not get enough of John Hughes’ films. So, he set off on a years-long delusional, earnest, and assiduous quest to write a biography of his favorite filmmaker, despite having no qualifications, training, background, platform, or direction. In Searching for John Hughes, Jason tells how a Jewish kid from a broken home in a Chicago suburb—sometimes homeless, always restless—found comfort and connection in the likewise broken lives in the suburban Chicago of John Hughes’ oeuvre. He moved to New York to become a writer of a book he had no business writing. In the meantime, he brewed coffee and guarded cupcake cafes. All the while, he watched John Hughes movies religiously.Though his original biography of Hughes has long since been abandoned, Jason has discovered he is a writer through and through. And the adversity of going for broke has now been transformed into wisdom. Or, at least, a really, really good story.In other words, this is a memoir of growing up. One part big dream, one part big failure, one part John Hughes movies, one part Chicago, and one part New York. It’s a story of what comes after the “Go for it!” part of the command to young creatives to pursue their dreams—no matter how absurd they might seem at first.
Searching for Lottie
by Susan RossLottie, a talented violinist, disappeared during the Holocaust. Can her grand-niece, Charlie, discover what happened?A long-lost cousin, a mysterious locket, a visit to Nana Rose in Florida, a diary written in German, and a very special violin all lead twelve-year-old Charlie to the truth about her great-aunt Lottie in this intriguing, intergenerational mystery. Charlie, a budding violinist, decides to research the life of her great-aunt and namesake for her middle school ancestry project. Everyone in Charlie's family believes Great-Aunt Charlotte (called Lottie), a violin prodigy, died at the hands of the Nazis, but the more Charlie uncovers about her long-lost relative, the more muddied Great-Aunt Lottie's story becomes. Could it be that Lottie somehow survived the war by hiding in Hungary? Could she even still be alive today? In Searching for Lottie, Susan Ross has written a highly personal work of historical fiction that is closely inspired by her own family history, exploring the ongoing effects of the Holocaust on families today. Includes a letter from the author describing the research that shaped this story.
Searching for Mercy Street: My Journey Back to My Mother, Anne Sexton (American Poets Continuum Ser. #86.00)
by Linda Gray SextonLinda Gray Sexton's critically acclaimed memoir is an honest, unsparing account of the anguish and fierce love that bound a brilliant, difficult mother and the daughter she left behind. Linda Sexton was twenty-one when her mother killed herself, and now she looks back, remembers, and tries to come to terms with her mother's life.Life with Anne was a wild mixture of suicidal depression and manic happiness, inappropriate behavior, and midnight trips to the psychiatric ward. Anne taught Linda how to write, how to see, how to imagine-and only Linda could have written a book that captures so vividly the intimate details and lingering emotions of their life together. Searching for Mercy Street speaks to everyone who admires Anne Sexton and to every daughter or son who knows the pain of an imperfect childhood. This beautiful new trade paperback edition includes a new introduction by the author.
Searching for Normal: The Story of a Girl Gone Too Soon
by Karen MeadowsKaren Meadows had a normal, happy family until depression consumed her daughter, Sadie—a struggle that ended with Sadie&’s suicide at age eighteen. In Searching for Normal, Meadows shares her family&’s journey as she tries to help her daughter Sadie cope with her mental illness, expertly intertwining her own storyline with excerpts from her daughter&’s diaries. The years Meadows chronicles are characterized by Sadie&’s heartbreaking bouts of running away, cutting, and living with Portland street families while Karen and her husband desperately search for solutions—trying medication, hospitals, therapy, wilderness and residential treatment programs, and more. Ultimately, however, they find themselves confronted with the devastating shortcomings of the US&’s mental health system. Including hindsight advice from Meadows, along with an extensive list of resources that she wishes someone had provided her when she was trying to help Sadie, this book will help parents of struggling teens feel less isolated and better equipped to navigate their teenager&’s mental illness. : Meadows also describes recent developments that are paving the way for better diagnoses and treatment options.
Searching for Novak: The man behind the enigma
by Mark Hodgkinson'A fantastic and fascinating exploration of the life of a great champion... Full of compelling insight.' - Tom Hiddleston'This book captures the deep complexities in Novak's mind and his life and how he's dealt with them in a thoughtful, soul-searching way.' - Chris Evert'A fascinating insight into the greatest tennis player of all time.' - Evening Standard tennis correspondent, Matt Majendie'An absorbing insight into the story behind the greatest player of all time.' - The Times tennis correspondent, Stuart Fraser'Mark Hodgkinson goes memorably deep on Novak Djokovic - from his hard-luck beginnings to his gluten-free diet to his unorthodox mind - helping us better understand one of the most fascinating figures in sports.' - Christopher Clarey, author of The Master'Meticulously-researched, this is a go-to book for anyone who wants to get a real insight into what has made Novak Djokovic such a champion.' - Simon Cambers, author of The Federer EffectNo man or woman has won more Grand Slam singles titles than Novak Djokovic, who took his 24th major at the 2023 US Open. Based on fresh interviews with people close to Djokovic - including his friends and mentors, along with his former coaches and his rivals - this is an in-depth exploration of the psyche of one of the most fascinating and controversial sporting characters ever. From a bomb shelter in Belgrade to an immigration detention centre in Melbourne, and everywhere in between, this book uncovers his relentless pursuit of perfection and the unconventional beliefs that have propelled him to greatness. Rage. Forgiveness. Shame. Pride. Love. Searching for Novak examines the psychological and emotional side of rewriting tennis history.
Searching for Novak: The man behind the enigma
by Mark Hodgkinson'A fantastic and fascinating exploration of the life of a great champion... Full of compelling insight.' - Tom Hiddleston'This book captures the deep complexities in Novak's mind and his life and how he's dealt with them in a thoughtful, soul-searching way.' - Chris Evert'A fascinating insight into the greatest tennis player of all time.' - Evening Standard tennis correspondent, Matt Majendie'An absorbing insight into the story behind the greatest player of all time.' - The Times tennis correspondent, Stuart Fraser'Mark Hodgkinson goes memorably deep on Novak Djokovic - from his hard-luck beginnings to his gluten-free diet to his unorthodox mind - helping us better understand one of the most fascinating figures in sports.' - Christopher Clarey, author of The Master'Meticulously-researched, this is a go-to book for anyone who wants to get a real insight into what has made Novak Djokovic such a champion.' - Simon Cambers, author of The Federer EffectNo man or woman has won more Grand Slam singles titles than Novak Djokovic, who took his 24th major at the 2023 US Open. Based on fresh interviews with people close to Djokovic - including his friends and mentors, along with his former coaches and his rivals - this is an in-depth exploration of the psyche of one of the most fascinating and controversial sporting characters ever. From a bomb shelter in Belgrade to an immigration detention centre in Melbourne, and everywhere in between, this book uncovers his relentless pursuit of perfection and the unconventional beliefs that have propelled him to greatness. Rage. Forgiveness. Shame. Pride. Love. Searching for Novak examines the psychological and emotional side of rewriting tennis history.
Searching for Robert Johnson: The Life and Legend of the "King of the Delta Blues Singers"
by Peter GuralnickThis highly acclaimed biography from the author of Last Train to Memphis illuminates the extraordinary life of one of the most influential blues singers of all time, the legendary guitarist and songwriter whose music inspired generations of musicians, from Muddy Waters to the Rolling Stones and beyond. The myth of Robert Johnson&’s short life has often overshadowed his music. When he died in 1938 at the age of just twenty-seven, poisoned by the jealous husband of a woman he&’d been flirting with at a dance, Johnson had recorded only twenty-nine songs. But those songs would endure as musical touchstones for generations of blues performers. With fresh insights and new information gleaned since its original publication, this brief biographical exploration brilliantly examines both the myth and the music. Much in the manner of his masterful biographies of Elvis Presley, Sam Phillips, and Sam Cooke, Peter Guralnick here gives readers an insightful, thought-provoking, and deeply felt picture, removing much of the obscurity that once surrounded Johnson without forfeiting any of the mystery. &“I finished the book," declared the New York Times Book Review, "feeling that, if only for a brief moment, Robert Johnson had stepped out of the mists.&”
Searching for Sappho: The Lost Songs and World of the First Woman Poet
by Philip FreemanAn exploration of the fascinating poetry, life, and world of Sappho, including a complete translation of all her poems. For more than twenty-five centuries, all that the world knew of the poems of Sappho—the first woman writer in literary history—were a few brief quotations preserved by ancient male authors. Yet those meager remains showed such power and genius that they captured the imagination of readers through the ages. But within the last century, dozens of new pieces of her poetry have been found written on crumbling papyrus or carved on broken pottery buried in the sands of Egypt. As recently as 2014, yet another discovery of a missing poem created a media stir around the world. The poems of Sappho reveal a remarkable woman who lived on the Greek island of Lesbos during the vibrant age of the birth of western science, art, and philosophy. Sappho was the daughter of an aristocratic family, a wife, a devoted mother, a lover of women, and one of the greatest writers of her own or any age. Nonetheless, although most people have heard of Sappho, the story of her lost poems and the lives of the ancient women they celebrate has never been told for a general audience. Searching for Sappho is the exciting tale of the rediscovery of Sappho’s poetry and of the woman and world they reveal.
Searching for Schindler
by Thomas KeneallyIn 1980 Tom Keneally was in Beverley Hills returning from the Sorrento film festival where The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith had been showing. Looking for a new briefcase, Tom meets the Polish-Jewish Leopold Pfefferberg Page aka Poldek and his life for the next few years is taken over by this charismatic and driven man and the story he wants shared. "It's a story for you, I swear," he says to Tom. The story is of course that of â The all-drinking, all-screwing, all black-marketeering Nazi. But to me he was Jesus Christ, Oskar Schindler". And Poldek shared with Tom the story of SCHINDLER'S ARK which went on to win the Booker Prize and ultimately to become the Oscar award-winning film SCHINDLER'S LIST. Schindler, the ruined Catholic hedonist, had something ambiguous about him that appealled to the ex-seminarian Tom Keneally who still struggled with his own Catholicism and his humanist view of the world. Oskar showed that virtue, regardless of race, creed or religion, emerged where it would. Tom was a small child during WWII and these memories, along with the appeal of Schindler and Poldek's insistence, influenced him to write the book SCHINDLER'S ARK. Oskar and his Jews reduced the Holocaust - an almost untellable story in its scope and devastation - to an understandable human scale. SEARCHING FOR SCHINDLER is very much Tom's journey, he reflects on his early days as a writer with quite a bit of success - but no confidence - and how this book, the people he met, and the film it became, changed his life. From his Sydney home, he tracked down the main player's in Poldek and Schindler's story. Tom and Poldek travelled across the US, Germany, Israel, Austria and Poland interviewing survivors and discovering extraordinary stories. SCHINDLER'S ARK took a huge toll on Tom, and his family, he had never been so overwhelmed by the writing of a story. It forced him to think about Australians and their attitudes to the Holocaust, to think about the Israel / Palestine situation and about families. Not ready to give up the story of Schindler and his Jews after the enormous success of the book, Tom is there for the film adaptation and on set for the filming. Filled with stories of Steven Spielberg, Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes and many other well-known and strong characters SEARCHING FOR SCHINDLER gives Tom Keneally scope to show the wonderful, warm, thinking, compassionate and very funny man that he is.
Searching for Sofia: A Tale of Obsession, Murder and War
by John NadlerFrom journalist John Nadler comes a real-life Romeo and Juliet story set in war-torn Kosovo. Nadler has stumbled upon a bitter epic romance in the ashes of inter-ethnic strife in the former Yugoslavia. The cast: a pair of star-cross'd lovers, a young Kosovar man and a Serb woman; the girl's father, a local militiaman who is determined to crush the relationship; and a war correspondent in the role of Friar Lawrence, entrusted with the commission of reuniting the lovers. Gjorg escapes the slaughter of his village by feigning death and fleeing while Serb troops invade his town. His fiancée Sofia disappears -- whisked away to Serbia, Gjorg believes, by her father, who is later implicated in a massacre. Gjorg, languishing in nato-held Kosovo, despairs of ever seeing his Sofia again. Until Nadler agrees to help find her. Always just a step behind, Nadler follows Sofia's trail from her village through the flashpoints and tinderboxes of the Balkans: Mitrovica, the Presovo Valley, Macedonia, and, finally, Belgrade. He witnesses the sickening decay of Yugoslavia -- once a dynamic, cosmopolitan and prosperous nation -- manifested in the endemic suspicion, the burnt and shell-pocked buildings, the ravaged communities, and the broken lives. Searching for Sofia is a Balkan odyssey, a quest through dangerous terrain for an ever-elusive goal, a campaign for justice and, ultimately, an exploration, through the eyes of its victims, of the madness of internecine war. (From the Hardcover edition.)
Searching for Solid Ground: A Memoir
by Reggie HarrisAn inspiring narrative of bridge-building, hope, and resilience from a beloved folk musician.Before renowned musician Reggie Harris was a sought-after performer, educator, cultural ambassador, and civil rights advocate, he was a low-income Black kid in Philadelphia with a love of music. He was transported by the vibrant sound that filled the air in his church, the voices calling out with passion, the rhythm and the release, and the powerful sense of community.Searching for Solid Ground is a captivating and deeply personal chronicle of Harris’s extraordinary life, from his early years, when his love of music was fueled by singing everywhere he could—at home, at church, and in the school choir—to performing across the world for over forty years as one half of the folk duo Kim and Reggie Harris, to his current work blending his musical gifts with a commitment to promote justice and peace and heal the racial divide.Harris shares his triumphs and his struggles, his hard-won wisdom and insights, including the challenges he faced launching a career in folk music as a Black musician, his transformative experience hearing James Baldwin speak and the beginnings of his own justice work, and a harrowing journey back to health through the gift of a liver transplant, among many other remarkable moments.