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John Adams: Volume I - 1735-1784
by Page SmithThis is the first volume of the biography of an American politician and the second President of the United States, after being the first Vice President for two terms who is regarded as one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. The period covered in the first volume being 1735-1784.
John Adams: Volume II - 1784-1826
by Page SmithThis is the second volume of the biography of an American politician and the second President of the United States, after being the first Vice President for two terms who is regarded as one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States. The period covered in the first volume being 1784-1826.
Stalin's Nose: Across the Face of Europe
by Rory MacleanThis surreal and darkly comic tale is based on the author's journey from Berlin to Moscow, through Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania, only weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Santa Speaks: The Wit And Wisdom Of Santas Across The Nation
by Dawn Sheggeby Michael Patrick CollinsSanta Claus is real. In stores and schools and street corners all across the country each December, the jolly old elf exists. Santa Speaks is a celebration of all the real-life Santas who carry on the tradition of Saint Nicholas. What is it like, after all, to be the jolliest, most generous, and best loved man in the world? Santa Speaks takes a merry look at the red-clad few who step outside their usual lives each year to listen to our wishes. Thirty different Santas from around the United States, including a cowboy Santa in Texas, a Cajun Papa Noel in New Orleans, a showgirl Santa in Las Vegas, and a pro-wrestler-turned-Santa in New York share heartfelt and often hilarious true-life tales that evoke all the warmth, joy, laughter, and frustrations of the holiday season. This unique collection of photographs and first-hand stories will put a twinkle in the eye of gift-givers and recipients alike.
Chronicles Of Wasted Time: Part I: The Green Stick
by Malcolm MuggeridgeChronicles of Wasted Time Part I The Green Stick
Liverpool Miss
by Helen ForresterHelen Forrester grew up poor, as the eldest of seven children, there was never enough to eat. But her severe malnutrition wasn't her only challenge, her parents' wanted her to stay home and mind her siblings, instead of getting a job and earning her keep.
Great Girls: Profiles of Awesome Canadian Athletes
by Laura Robinson Maija RobinsonProfiles of Canadian women athletes.
INDIRA The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi
by Katherine Frank Stephen RileyLife of Indira Nehru Gandhi, from her childhood to her Assassination in 1984. The book illustrates Indira as a Person, taking the reader into areas, which were never known.
From Stone Orchard: A Collection of Memories
by Timothy FindleyThis collection illustrates some of Findley's popular columns from Harrowsmith Magazine and a few new reflections on his feelings about Stone Orchard and his imminent departure from it.
Memories, Dreams, Reflections: An Autobiography
by Carl JungFour years before his death, Carl Gustav Jung, psychiatrist and psychologist, began writing his life story. But what started as an exercise in autobiography soon morphed into an altogether more profound undertaking. The result is an absorbing piece of self-analysis; a frank statement of faith, philosophy and principles from one of the great explorers of the human mind. Covering everything from Sigmund Freud, analytical psychology and Jungian dream interpretation to a forthright discussion of world myths and religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, and other faiths, Memories, Dreams, Reflections is a remarkable book showing a man of great depth, humility and perspicacity. Once read it is never forgotten.
Billy
by Pamela StephensonBilly Connolly has worked his way to the top from his working class roots. Billy has proved beyond doubt his versatility and sheer determination. Pamela writes about him - a highly talented musician, actor and comedian.
Wellington: The Iron Duke
by Richard HolmesIn this compelling biography, Richard Holmes charts the life of the Duke of Wellington, Britain's greatest soldier. He follows Wellington's remarkable career, from the ruins of his family seat in Ireland and the plains of India where he first gained his reputation as a brilliant commander, to the horrors of the Peninsular War and Waterloo. Holmes sees Wellington as a brilliant figure, idealistic in politics, War and Waterloo. Holmes sees Wellington as a brilliant figure, idealistic in politics, cynical in love, a man of enormous courage and iron duty often sickened by the horrors of war.
Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front, 1914-1918
by Richard Holmes"Tommy" tells the story of the First World War through the experiences of those who fought it. Using previously unseen letters, diaries, memoirs, and poetry from the years 1914-1918, Richard Holmes paints a moving picture of the generation that fought and died in the mud of Flanders. He follows men whose mental health was forever destroyed by shell shock, women who lost husbands and brothers in the same afternoon, and those who wrote at lunchtime and died before tea. Groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed, this book tells the real story of trench warfare, the strength and fallibility of the human spirit, the individuals behind an epic event, and their legacy.
The Speckled People
by Hugo Hamilton"The childhood world of Hugo Hamilton, born and brought up in Dublin, is a confused place. His father, a sometimes brutal Irish nationalist, demands his children speak Irish, while his mother, a softly spoken German emigrant who has been marked by the Nazi past, talks to them in German. He himself wants to speak English. English is, after all, what the other children in Dublin speak. English is what they use when they hunt him down in the streets and dub him Eichmann, as they bring him to trial and sentence him to death at a mock seaside court. Out of this fear and guilt and often comical cultural entanglements, he tries to understand the differences between Irish history and German history and turn the twisted logic of what he is told into truth. It is a journey that ends in liberation, but not before he uncovers the long-buried secrets that lie at the bottom of his parents' wardrobe."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth
by Andrew SmithThe Apollo Moon landings have been called the last optimistic act of the twentieth century. Twelve astronauts made this greatest of all journeys, and all were indelibly marked by it. In "Moondust", journalist Andrew Smith reveals the stories of the nine still living men caught between the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Earth's collective dreaming: Here, we relive the flashbulbs, the first shocking glimpse of Earth from space, the sense of euphoria and awe. This was the first global media event, after all, and the astronauts were its superstars. They had been schooled by NASA for every eventuality in deep space but were completely unprepared for fame. On their return, they struggled to balance notoriety with a spaceman's frugal paycheck. These perfect specimens of mind and body were, ultimately, only human beings thrust into an impossibly intense spotlight. Possibilities bloomed, and marriages crumbled under the strain. And it wasn't just the astronauts who'd changed; the world was changing, too. As the Apollo program wound down, the wild and happy experimentation's of the sixties gave way to the cynicism and self-doubt of the seventies, and the Moon-walkers faced what was, in some ways, their greatest challenge: how to find meaning in life when the biggest adventure you could possibly have was a memory. Some traded on past glories; others tried to move on. Some found God; some sought oblivion; some reinvented themselves and discovered a measure of happiness in a completely unexpected place. Andrew Smith sees them through the eyes of the boy who flung down his bike on a summer evening to hear Neil Armstrong utter his fateful words -- and through the eyes of a grown man balancing myth against reality and finding the truth infinitely richer and more moving.
Evening in the Palace of Reason
by James R. GainesFrederick The Great had a conflicted youth. His mother taught him to love art, luxury and intrigue. His father beat him mercilessly and often as he trained his son to be a dedicated leader and warrior. Bach knew and was fulfilled by his lifelong career as a brilliant composer and performer, though he often felt that he was underpaid and that the work he so loved wasn't appreciated. This historic novel illuminates the motives and goals of these major figures in the age of enlightenment. Fascinating and challenging facts about music and history abound. The novel is followed by a discography guiding the reader to J. S. Bach's recordings.
A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler
by Jason RobertsA biography of James Holman (1786-1857). James Holman was a 19th-century British naval officer who became blind at 25, but nevertheless became the greatest traveler of his time. With little money, and long before motorized conveyances made travel easy or popular, James Holman independently traveled over a quarter of a million miles, visiting more than 200 distinct cultures. Be forewarned, this book also contains some rather graphic and disturbing descriptions of the treatment of the Blind in the 19th century.
Humble Pie
by Gordon RamsayEveryone thinks they know the real Gordon Ramsay: rude, loud, pathologically driven, stubborn as hell. But this is his real story... This is Gordon Ramsay's autobiography - the first time he has told the full story of how he became the world's most famous and infamous chef: his difficult childhood, his brother's heroin addiction and his failed first career as a footballer: all of these things have made him the celebrated culinary talent and media powerhouse that he is today. Gordon talks frankly about: * his tough childhood: his father's alcoholism and violence and the effects on his relationships with his mother and siblings * his first career as a footballer: how the whole family moved to Scotland when he was signed by Glasgow Rangers at the age of fifteen, and how he coped when his career was over due to injury just three years later * his brother's heroin addiction. * Gordon's early career: learning his trade in Paris and London; how his career developed from there: his time in Paris under Albert Roux and his seven Michelin-starred restaurants. * kitchen life: Gordon spills the beans about life behind the kitchen door, and how a restaurant kitchen is run in Anthony Bourdain-style. * and how he copes with the impact of fame on himself and his family: his television career, the rapacious tabloids, and his own drive for success.
Damaged: The Heartbreaking True Story Of A Forgotten Child
by Cathy GlassAt the Social Services office, Cathy (an experienced foster carer) is pressured into taking Jodie as a new placement. Jodie's challenging behaviour has seen off five carers in four months. Despite her reservations, Cathy decides to accept Jodie to protect her from being put in an institution. Jodie arrives, and her first act is to soil herself, and then wipe it on her face, grinning wickedly. Jodie meets Cathy's teenage children, and greets them with a sharp kick to the shins. That night, Cathy finds Jodie covered in blood, having cut her own wrist, and smeared the blood over her face. As Jodie begins to trust Cathy her behaviour improves. Over time, with childish honesty, she reveals details of her abuse at the hands of her parents and other relatives. It becomes clear that Jodie's parents were involved in a sickening paedophile ring, with neighbours and Social Services ignoring the obvious signs. Jodie becomes increasingly withdrawn, and it's clear she needs psychiatric therapy. Cathy urges the Social Services to provide funding, but instead they decide to take Jodie away from her, and place her in a residential unit. Although the paedophile ring is investigated and brought to justice, Jodie¿s future is still up in the air. Cathy promises that she will stand by her no matter what. Her love for the abandoned Jodie is unbreakable.
I Miss Mummy
by Cathy GlassIn her new book, Cathy Glass, the no. 1 bestselling author of Damaged, tells the story of Alice, a young and vulnerable girl who is desperate to return home to her mother. Alice, aged four, is snatched by her mother the day she is due to arrive at Cathy's house. Drug-dependent and mentally ill, but desperate to keep hold of her daughter, Alice's mother snatches her from her parents' house and disappears. Cathy spends three anxious days worrying about her whereabouts before Alice is found safe, but traumatised. Alice is like a little doll, so young and vulnerable, and she immediately finds her place in the heart of Cathy's family. She talks openly about her mummy, who she dearly loves, and how happy she was living with her maternal grandparents before she was put into care. Alice has clearly been very well looked after and Cathy can't understand why she couldn't stay with her grandparents. It emerges that Alice's grandparents are considered too old (they are in their early sixties) and that the plan is that Alice will stay with Cathy for a month before moving to live with her father and his new wife. The grandparents are distraught Alice has never known her father, and her grandparents claim he is a violent drug dealer. Desperate to help Alice find the happy home she deserves, Cathy's parenting skills are tested in many new ways. Finally questions are asked about Alice's father suitability, and his true colours begin to emerge.
Cut: The True Story of an Abandoned, Abused Little Girl Who Was Desperate to Be Part of a Family
by Cathy GlassDawn was the first girl Cathy Glass ever fostered. A sweet and seemingly well balanced girl, Dawn's outward appearance masked a traumatic childhood so awful, that even she could not remember it. During the first night, Cathy awoke to see Dawn looming above Cathy's baby's cot, her eyes staring and blank. She sleepwalks--which Cathy learns is often a manifestation in disturbed children. It becomes a regular and frightening occurrence, and Cathy is horrified to find Dawn lighting a match whilst mumbling "It's not my fault" in her sleep one night. Cathy discovers Dawn is playing truant from school, and struggling to make friends. More worryingly she finds her room empty one night, and her pillow covered in blood. Dawn has been self-harming in order to release the pain of her past. When Dawn attempts suicide, Cathy realises that she needs more help than she can give. Dawn's mother eventually confides in her that Dawn was sent away to relatives in Ireland between the ages of 5 and 9, and came back very disturbed. She also sheds light on the reason for Dawn's fascination with matches and Cathy's baby. *SPOILER ALERT*SPOILER INFO FOLLOWS* Eventually Dawn is placed in a psychiatric home for children, and five years later she gets in touch with Cathy. She has been reconciled with her mother and is now training to become a teacher.
The Saddest Girl in the World
by Cathy GlassThe bestselling author of Damaged tells the true story of Donna, who came into foster care aged ten, having been abused, victimised and rejected by her family. Donna had been in foster care with her two young brothers for three weeks when she is abruptly moved to Cathy's. When Donna arrives she is silent, withdrawn and walks with her shoulders hunched forward and her head down. Donna is clearly a very haunted child and refuses to interact with Cathy's children Adrian and Paula. After patience and encouragement from Cathy, Donna slowly starts to talk and tells Cathy that she blames herself for her and her brothers being placed in care. The social services were aware that Donna and her brothers had been neglected by their alcoholic mother, but no one realised the extent of the abuse they were forced to suffer. The truth of the physical torment she was put through slowly emerges, and as Donna grows to trust Cathy she tells her how her mother used to make her wash herself with wire wool so that she could get rid of her skin colour as her mother was so ashamed that Donna was mixed race. The psychological wounds caused by the bullying she received also start to resurface when Donna starts reenacting the ways she was treated at home by hitting and bullying Paula, so much so that Cathy can't let Donna out of her sight. As the pressure begins to mount on Cathy to help this child, things start to get worse and Donna begins behaving in erratic ways, trashing her bedroom and being regularly abusive towards Cathy's children. Cathy begins to wonder if she can find a way to help this child or if Donna's scars run too deep.
Andy Priaulx: The Autobiography of the Three-time World Touring Car Champion
by Andy PriaulxThe inspiring autobiography of a three-time World Touring Car champion, and almost certainly Great Britain's best-kept sporting secret . . . until now! For someone who grew up on a small island with a speed limit of just 35 mph, Andy Priaulx drives his car awfully fast. But then the man from Guernsey is a hugely determined figure who has been fighting against the odds and performing the role of underdog throughout his entire career. In this his first book, Priaulx tells of how he has fought--tooth and claw, with virtually no back-up--for every sponsor, every car, and every penny on his way to achieving his dream of one day becoming a world champion. With refreshing honesty, Priaulx reveals how he and his wife risked everything financially to get on the lower rungs of the motor racing ladder, even spending some time living in a borrowed caravan at the Silverstone circuit in an attempt to save money. "Pikey Priaulx" was his nickname at the time, but the story only goes to show how sacrifice and sheer bloody-mindedness can pay off. Priaulx's reserves of energy, enthusiasm, and dedication--not to mention his natural talent--served him well as he won the European Touring Car Championship in 2004. Motor sport's governing body, the FIA, recognizes only three world championships--Formula 1, World Rally, and World Touring Cars. Priaulx has won the WTC championship for the last three years, an unprecedented achievement. In fact, such has been Priaulx's success that he has been universally hailed as the greatest touring car driver of all time, and widely dubbed "Britain's Schumacher. " In 2007 Priaulx received the ultimate accolade when he was awarded the Gold Medal of the British Racing Drivers' Club "in recognition of outstanding contemporary racing success. " This was only the eighth time the Gold Medal has been awarded. Told in Andy's energetic and engaging style, this is the story of that most rare of sporting beasts--a true British world champion.
Daphne Du Maurier and Her Sisters: The Hidden Lives of Piffy, Bird, and Bing
by Jane DunnCelebrated novelist Daphne Du Maurier and her sisters, eclipsed by her fame, are revealed in all their surprising complexity in this riveting new biography. The middle sister in a famous artistic dynasty, Daphne du Maurier is one of the master storytellers of our time, author of 'Rebecca,' 'Jamaica Inn,' 'My Cousin Rachel,' and short stories, 'Don't Look Now' and the terrifying 'The Birds,' among many. Her stories were made memorable by the iconic films they inspired, three of them classic Hitchcock chillers. But her sisters Angela and Jeanne, a writer and an artist of talent, had creative and romantic lives even more bold and unconventional than Daphne's own. In this group biography they are considered side by side, as they were in life, three sisters who grew up during the 20th century in the glamorous hothouse of a theatrical family dominated by a charismatic and powerful father. This family dynamic reveals the hidden lives of Piffy, Bird & Bing, full of social non-conformity, love, rivalry and compulsive make-believe, their lives as psychologically complex as a Daphne du Maurier novel.
Mummy Told Me Not to Tell: The True Story of a Troubled Boy with a Dark Secret
by Cathy GlassReece is the last of six siblings to be fostered. Having been in care for four months his aggressive and disruptive behaviour has seen him passed from carer to carer. Although only 7, he has been excluded from school, and bites people so often that his mother calls him 'Sharky'. Cathy wants to find the answers for Reece's distressing behaviour, but he has been sworn to secrecy by his mother, and will not tell them anything. As the social worker prepares for the final hearing, he finds five different files on Reece's family, and is incredulous that he had not been removed from them as a baby. When the darkest of family secrets is revealed to Cathy, Reece's behaviour suddenly starts to make sense, and together they can begin to rebuild his life.