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C'mere and I Tell Ya: The 2 Johnnies Guide to Irish Life
by Johnny McMahon Johnny O'BrienThe 2 Johnnies' massive success has taken them as far afield as Sydney, Compton and Abu Dhabi. But for them nothing compares to living in Ireland. And in C'Mere and I Tell Ya they dig into the tastes, habits and rites of passage that have made them who they are.Whether it's ... - dressing for the debs ('I'd say my cravat was the talk of Templemore for weeks') - succeeding in a band ('I did backing vocals for six months and it turned out I was singing the wrong lyrics') - doing a Strictly fundraiser for your GAA club ('Remember you're not Julia Roberts and the local butcher isn't Richard Gere, so keep it in the pants') - recognizing the no-go moves at a stag ('Nobody wants to see a sixteen-stone man in a pink thong. Nobody')... Johnny B and Johnny Smacks capture it perfectly. And they have down-to-earth advice for every conceivable situation - and a few inconceivable ones.C'Mere and I Tell Ya is a one-stop celebration of Irishness, chicken goujons and being sound.'It's funny but there is always truth in the humour ... A hell of a Christmas present!' Oliver Callan, RTÉ
Coen Brothers - Virgin Film (Virgin Film Ser.)
by Eddie RobsonJoel and Ethan Coen make up one of the most original and unconventional movie-making partnerships to come out of America at the end of the 20th century. From their debut tour de force Blood Simple to the hugely acclaimed The Man Who Wasn't There, the brothers' films have attracted critical kudos and commercial success in equal measure due to their irreverent, individual and technically virtuoso nature. Each of their films defies categorisation, yet you're never in any doubt you're watching a Coen brothers movie. This exploration of the movie career of Hollywood's best-loved outsiders charts their rise from cult favourites to box-office contenders, whilst combining indispensable reference material and critical analysis of their films.
Comic Book Movies - Virgin Film
by David HughesThe superheroes are back! Since the 1970s, the film world has found inspiration in comic books and graphic novels. These days no summer is complete without a major blockbuster movie based on a comic: Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men, Men in Black, Daredevil, and The Hulk. Modern special effects have made large-scale superhero epics possible, but the diversity of the comics being published has made for a wide variety of subjects, as evidenced by Ghost World, From Hell, Akira and Road to Perdition. This book looks in detail at twenty key titles, covering every step of the development from comic book panel to feature film frame. Includes interviews with key creative artists about the evolution of the films from the original comics, and speculates about future films.
Cider With Roadies
by Stuart MaconieCider with Roadies is the true story of a boy's obsessive relationship with pop. A life lived through music from Stuart's audience with the Beatles (aged 3); his confessions as a pubescent prog rocker; a youthful gymnastic dalliance with northern soul; the radical effects of punk on his politics, homework and trouser dimensions; playing in crap bands and failing to impress girls; writing for the NME by accident; living the sex, drugs (chiefly lager in a plastic glass) and rock and roll lifestyle; discovering the tawdry truth behind the glamour and knowing when to ditch it all for what really matters.From Stuart's four minutes in a leisure centre with MC Hammer to four days in a small van with Napalm Death it's a life-affirming journey through the land where ordinary life and pop come together to make music.
The Complete Kubrick
by David HughesWith just thirteen feature films in half a century, Stanley Kubrick established himself as one of the most accomplished directors in motion picture history. Kubrick created a landmark and a benchmark with every film; working in almost every genre imaginable, including film noir, war movie, SF, horror, period drama, historical epic, love story and satire - yet transcended traditional genre boundaries with every shot. Examining every feature film, from the early shorts through to classics such as Paths of Glory, Dr Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and finally, Eyes Wide Shut, The Complete Kubrick provides a unique insight into understanding the work of cinema's most enigmatic, iconoclastic and gifted auteur.
The Complete Lynch
by David HughesAfter working with David on his previous work for the series, The Complete Kubrick, we knew we were on to a winner for this book. Not only is David Lynch a master of modern film-making but David Hughes is well-qualified to write this 'complete' book. The book covers all Lynch's films including Mulholland Drive, TV and other projects, as well as the unrealised ventures such as Revenge of the Jedi (later directed by Richard Marquand as Return of the Jedi). It also includes a foreword by Barry Gifford - the novelist behind Wild at Heart and co-writer with Lynch of the screenplay for Lost Highway - and excerpts from a new interview David Hughes carried out with David Lynch himself. The Complete Lynch is the only comprehensive study of this great director.
Confessions
by Simon MayoSimon Mayo first opened his confessional in 1988 on BBC Radio 1's Breakfast Show. Every day, one shamefaced listener would share their deepest, darkest secret while millions tuned in to find out whether or not Simon would grant his forgiveness.Over twenty years later, Simon presents the daily Drivetime show on BBC Radio 2, and the confessions segment is back. Now those guilty listeners who missed their chance first time round have joined a whole new generation of sinners to beg for clemency from Father Mayo and his flock. From supermarket-wrecking games of 'aisle catch' to kidnapped pensioners and clandestine pet vasectomies, this is a brand-new collection of hilarious letters and emails from Simon's ever-popular show.Join the discussion on Twitter: #drivetimeconfessions
The Confessions Of Robin Askwith
by Robin AskwithOf all the actors and personalities thrown up by that strangest of periods. The 1970s, surely Robin Askwith was one of the most 'of his time'? As star of the infamous CONFESSIONS films, as well as over 25 other movies, Askwith was huge. His cheeky, innocent face, his Mick Jagger lips and more often than not his bare arse -- he, possibly more than anyone else sums up a bygone era remembered fondly by millions. Today, Askwith is a cult figure. The CONFESSIONS films are still regular staples on British TV and around the world, especially in the Commonwealth countries. They are just as funny as they ever were -- classic camp British humour in the same language as the Carry On films. In this brilliant autobiography, the self-deprecating Askwith cuts straight to the chase, starting in the `70s as he auditions for CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER, moving on to CONFESSIONS OF A POP STAR and DRIVING INSTRUCTOR. His career was truly amazing and varied beyond belief. From IF. . . to NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDEF From CONFESSIONS to Zefferelli`s BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON and Pasolini CANTERBURY TALES. He was also great friends with the late Lindsay Anderson. In the end, Robin is most famous for his sex comedies and isn't embarrassed about it one jot. It`s a rollicking ride. Hold On Tight!
Cross My Heart
by Ferne McCannFerne McCann is a TV personality, style icon and influencer and for the first time she's telling her story.In Cross My Heart, Ferne tells her own story in her own words. She lifts the lid on love and heartbreak, the ups and downs behind the scenes of ITV''s much loved reality TV show, TOWIE and what really went on in the I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! jungle, the show that was the best thing that ever happened to her. It promises to be candid, moving and, above all, a story told with Ferne's characteristic wit and honesty.
Diamond (Hetty Feather #4)
by Jacqueline WilsonDiamond wasn't always a star. Born to penniless parents who longed for a strong, healthy son, she was a dainty, delicate daughter - and a bitter disappointment.Discovering an extraordinary gift for acrobatics, Diamond uses her talent to earn a few pennies, but brings shame on her family. When a mysterious, cruel-eyed stranger spots her performing, Diamond is sold - and is taken to become an acrobat at Tanglefield's Travelling Circus.The crowds adore Diamond, but life behind the velvet curtains is far from glamorous. Her wicked master forces Diamond to attempt ever more daring tricks, until she is terrified to step into the ring. But there are true friends to be found, too: the gentle Mister Marvel; the kindly Madame Adeline; and the glorious Emerald Star, Tanglefield's brand-new ringmaster, and Diamond's heroine.When life at the circus becomes too dangerous to bear any longer, what will the future hold for Diamond? And will her beloved Emerald be a part of it?Enter the amazing world of Hetty Feather and follow her adventures throughout the series:1. Hetty Feather2. Sapphire Battersea3. Emerald Star4. Diamond
Dear Fatty: The hilarious and heartwarming memoir from one of Britain's best-loved comedians
by Dawn FrenchA SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER___________________________The hilarious and heartwarming memoir from one of Britain's best-loved comedians and Women's Prize longlisted author, Dawn French.Dawn French is one of the greatest comedians of our time with a career that has spanned nearly four decades. Loved for her irreverent humour, Dawn has achieved massive mainstream success while continuing to push boundaries and challenge stereotypes. Here, she describes the journey that would eventually establish her as a perhaps unlikely, but nevertheless genuine, national treasure. As part of the much loved duo French and Saunders, Dawn helped create a repertoire of brilliantly observed characters, impersonating everything from Madonna and Harry Potter to The Exorcist. Dawn's iconic role in the Vicar of Dibley showcased not only her talent but also her ability to take a controversial and topical issue and make it mainstream - and very funny.From her early years as an RAF child and her flat-sharing antics with Jennifer Saunders, to her outspoken views on sizism and her marriage to Lenny Henry, Dear Fatty chronicles the extraordinary and hilarious rise of a complex, dynamic and unstoppable woman.
Dear Me
by Peter UstinovSir Peter Ustinov's beautifully crafted autobiography is told with exquisite wit and insight. From his birth in April 1921, it spans his extraordinary career as actor, playwright, film star and director, confirming his early belief that he is 'irrevocably betrothed to laughter'. Ustinov's renowned gift for mimicry is exploited to the full in Dear Me. Eccentric relatives, school masters, sergeant majors and manic Hollywood moguls are all brought unforgettably to life.
Cream: How Eric Clapton Took the World by Storm
by Dave ThompsonDave Thompson, author of Virgin's acclaimed Red Hot Chili Peppers biography, takes a new and very detailed look at the creation of one of the world's most influential bands. After all the streets of London had been covered in 'Clapton Is God' tributes, the three top rock instrumentalists of their time, all stars in their own right, came together to form Cream. Cream went on to become the first band to break openthe lucrative US market by dint of their live shows alone. Updated to include details of their recent tour, this definitive account goes on the road with them then and now, day by relentlessly hedonistic day.
The Creative Economy: How People Make Money from Ideas
by John HowkinsCreativity is the fastest growing business in the world.Companies are hungry for people with ideas - and more and more of us want to make, buy, sell and share creative products. But how do you turn creativity into money? In this newly rewritten edition of his acclaimed book, leading creative expert John Howkins shows what creativity is, how it thrives and how it is changing in the digital age. His key rules for success include:Invent yourself. Be unique.Own your ideas. Understand copyright, patents and IP laws. Treat the virtual as real, and vice versa.Learn endlessly: borrow, reinvent and recycle.Know when to break the rules.Whether in film or fashion, software or stories, by turning ideas into assets anyone can make creativity pay.
A Dance
by Alexander BarabanovAlexander Barabanov, a key figure in the Russian dance world, has sifted through many thousands of photographs of dance to accumulate an extraordinary collection of pictures, ranging from historical ballet photographs to shocking avant-garde imagery.This work has been collected and edited to form an astonishing sequence. Rather than being assembled as an anthology, the sequence has in fact been 'choreographed' so the book is constructed to form a dance in ten movements. It begins with creation myths, follows erotic engagements and leads to a series of mass movements in the modern age. It includes such gems as the young Nureyev's first performance with the Kirov and Baryshinikov's debut as well as images with brutal reference to Abu Ghraib or the march of fascism.
Dance Dreams
by Malaika Rose StanleyWhen she receives a call-back from the amazing Birchwood School for Dance, thirteen-year-old Keisha is over the moon. She’s one pirouette closer to becoming a superstar ballerina!But getting a place at Birchwood would mean moving schools and leaving behind her BFFs – and the swoon-worthy Joel Daley-Clarke. Until she knows the outcome, Keisha must keep the biggest news of her life a secret from her best friends.Can she hold it together, or will her dance dreams turn into a nightmare?
The Definitive Desert Island Discs: 80 Years of Castaways
by Ian GittinsEight tracks. Endless stories.Allow yourself to be cast away in eight glorious decades of the most iconic show on radio. To mark this momentous occasion, The Definitive Desert Island Discs focuses on 80 of the most powerful and unforgettable interviews, revisiting every era of Desert Island Disc's storied history.Reflecting on how times have changed, the book will feature brand new material as castaways are interviewed about their experiences - did the conversation go how they expected? Would Sir Patrick Stewart still take his beloved billiards table (and a shed to keep it in, of course)? And does Hilary Devey stick by her endless supply of Cointreau?Get lost in lists of the weirdest and most wonderful luxury items, most popular tracks and books throughout the years, and more. Introduced by Lauren Laverne, The Definitive Desert Island Discs is a must-have gem, celebrating an incredible institution that has captured the hearts of a nation for 80 years.
A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure
by David JasonTHE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: a hilarious and heartfelt new autobiography from the national treasure Sir David Jason'There are British telly icons and then there is Sir David Jason. This book is such gold . . . an absolute delight' ZOE BALL___________________________'During my life and career I have been given all sorts of advice and learned huge amounts from some great and enormously talented people. I've been blessed to play characters such as Derek Trotter, Granville, Pop Larkin and Frost, who have changed my life in all sorts of ways, and taught me lessons that go far beyond the television set. And I've worked a few things out for myself as well, about friendship, ambition, rejection, success, failure, adversity and fortune.With any luck, some of these thoughts and observations will chime with episodes and challenges you have faced, or are facing, in your own life. And if they don't. . . well, hopefully, at the very least you'll get to have a good old laugh at my expense.So lean back, pour yourself a glass, and try not to fall through the bar flap . . .'___________________________'An absolute delight . . . a romp with so much detail. Offers wisdom in difficult times . . . like being invited into his living room' BBC BREAKFAST'It's beautifully written . . . so conversational and chatty . . . it's so lovely and warm' CHRIS MOYLES
Desert Island Discs: Fascinating facts, figures and miscellany from one of BBC Radio 4’s best-loved programmes
by Mitchell SymonsFlotsam & Jetsam is the ultimate trivia book for fans of the popular BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, and a fascinating introduction for all those who have yet to discover its delights.Taking the reader through seven decades of wonderful entertainment, here is an absorbing range of facts, figures and miscellany – including who chose what, and why. It also reveals much about the castaways' drives and motivations, their influences and, of course, their lives.Spanning the early years with the original presenter, Roy Plomley, and the present day, the Desert Island Discs programme has brought its own unique surprises to listeners, some very personal, some humorous, such as Eric Morecambe's choice of a deckchair as his luxury and Ernie Wise's of a deckchair ticket machine.From Beethoven to the Beatles, from chessboards and chocolate to Jane Austen and Zola, Flotsam & Jetsam is the perfect companion guide to the national treasure that is Desert Island Discs.
Desert Island Discs: 70 Years of Castaways
by Sean Magee‘For seventy years now Desert Island Discs has managed that rare feat – to be both enduring and relevant. By casting away the biggest names of the day in science, business, politics, showbiz, sport and the arts, it presents a cross-sectional snapshot of the times in which we live. As the decades have passed, the programme has kept pace; never frozen in time yet always, somehow, comfortingly the same.’ Kirsty YoungBBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs celebrates its seventieth birthday in 2012. Since the programme’s deviser Roy Plomley interviewed comedian Vic Oliver in January 1942, nearly 3,000 distinguished people from all walks of life have been stranded on the mythical island, accompanied by only eight records, one book and a luxury.Here the story of one of BBC Radio 4’s favourite programmes is chronicled through a special selection of castaways.Roy Plomley, inventor of the programme as well as its presenter for over forty years, quizzes the young Cliff Richard about ‘these rather frenzied movements’ the 1960s pop sensation makes on the stage. Robert Maxwell tells Plomley’s successor Michael Parkinson that ‘I will have left the world a slightly better place by having lived in it.’ Diana Mosley assures Sue Lawley that Adolf Hitler was ‘extraordinarily fascinating’ and had mesmeric blue eyes. And Johnny Vegas tugs Kirsty Young’s heart-strings with his account of a childhood so impoverished that family pets were fair game: ‘My dad had always claimed that rabbits were livestock, but we’d never eaten one before.’Desert Island Discs is much more than a radio programme. It is a unique and enduringly popular take on our lives and times – and this extensively illustrated book tells in rich detail the colourful and absorbing story of an extraordinary institution.
Dad's War
by Chris TarrantThe Sunday Times Top Ten BestsellerChris Tarrant and his father Basil were very close, they played sport together, watched sport together and shared the same sense of humour. Chris loved and admired his father but it was only after his death he realised that he hardly knew him at all … Basil Avery Tarrant grew up in 1920s Reading, where the smell of beer and biscuits from the local factories filled the air. He worked as an administrator in a local factory and spent his Saturday nights down at the music halls. But what happened to Basil during the war, and how he came to be awarded the Military Cross, remained a mystery to Chris and his family for nearly sixty years. In this emotional journey, Chris discovers that Basil was involved in some of WWII’s most significant campaigns, including the Dunkirk evacuation and the D-Day landings, and also took part in some of the most brutal, close-range fighting in Cleve. Dad's War is a profoundly moving and heartfelt tribute to a much-loved father, but it’s also a sincere and humble commemoration of the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers of WWII.
The Devil Rides Out: Wickedly funny and painfully honest stories from Paul O’Grady
by Paul O'GradyTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER'Far and away the best writer of the lot . . . his turn of phrase is a joy.' The Sunday TimesBirkenhead, 1973. The eighteen-year-old Paul O'Grady gets ready for a big Saturday night out on the town. New white T-shirt, freshly ironed jeans, looking good. As he bids farewell to his mum, who's on the phone to his auntie, and wanders off down the street in a cloud of aftershave, he hears her familiar cry: 'Oh, the devil rides out tonight, Annie. The devil rides out!'The further adventures of Paul O'Grady - following on from the million-copy-selling At My Mother's Knee - are, if anything, even more hilarious and outrageous than what has come before. To say that The Devil Rides Out is action-packed is an understatement. Its extraordinary cast of characters includes lords and ladies, the legendary Vera, a serial killer, more prostitutes than you can shake a stick at and drag queens of every shape and size. Wickedly funny, often moving, and searingly honest, Paul's tales of the unexpected will make your jaw drop and your hair stand on end. And you'll laugh like a drain. The Devil Rides Out is one hell of a read!Readers love The Devil Rides Out:'At times heart-breaking but . . . incredibly funny.' *****'A powerful story of the man behind the persona . . . the most fabulous and modest tart with a heart of gold.' *****'Very down to earth, heart-breaking at times but Paul always comes back making you laugh.' *****
Did You Like That? Fred Dibnah, In His Own Words
by Don HaworthWhen Fred Dibnah debuted on television in 1979, British audiences immediately embraced a new cultural icon: a steeplejack from Bolton who fell in love with England's decaying industrial landscape and an exhaustive storyteller whose charm and wit was matched only by his down-to-earth manner. The Producer of that first film, Don Haworth, would go on to make nineteen films about this unlikely celebrity and true British eccentric.Did You Like That? collects the best stories from these films: colourful tales told by Fred himself, recounting key moments in his life, his experiences as a steeplejack, his fascination with machinery, his work as an engineer, craftsman, artist, inventor and steam enthusiast, and his forthright views on life in general.Told with true Northern grit, Did You Like That? is the story of a man who never shied away from a hair-raising challenge, and the closest thing to Fred's autobiography we're likely to get. In paperback for the first time, this is Fred's story, in his own words.
Diddly Squat: The No 1 Sunday Times Bestseller
by Jeremy ClarksonPull on your wellies, grab your flat cap and join Jeremy Clarkson in this hilarious and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the infamous Diddly Squat FarmTHE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud' Daily Telegraph'Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches' Time Out_________Welcome to Clarkson's farm.It's always had a nice ring to it. Jeremy just never thought that one day his actual job would be 'a farmer'.And, sadly, it doesn't mean he's any good at it.From buying the wrong tractor (Lamborghini, since you ask . . .) to formation combine harvesting, getting tied-up in knots of red tape to chasing viciously athletic cows, our hero soon learns that enthusiasm alone might not be enough.Jeremy may never succeed in becoming master of his land, but, as he's discovering, the fun lies in the trying . . ._________'Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube' Evening StandardPraise for Clarkson's Farm:'The best thing Clarkson's done . . . it pains me to say this' GUARDIAN'Shockingly hopeful' INDEPENDENT'Even the most committed Clarkson haters will find him likeable here' TELEGRAPH'Quite lovely' THE TIMES
Diddly Squat: The No 1 Sunday Times Bestseller 2022
by Jeremy ClarksonTHE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERHead back down to Clarkson Farm with the latest bestseller from our favourite welly-wearing wannabe farmer, Jeremy Clarkson___________Enthusiastic trainee farmer Jeremy Clarkson made just £144 in his first year at Diddly Squat Farm. This year he's determined to do better. Not because he now knows what he's doing. But because he's fed up of getting stick from Kaleb.Yet farming continues to be a challenge.For instance . . .· Loading a grain trailer was more demanding than flying an Apache gunship?· Cows were more dangerous than motor-racing?· It's easier to get planning permission to build a nuclear plant than to turn a barn into a restaurant?Jeremy's always got a plan. Loads of them. Often cunning.Not always greeted with wild enthusiasm by Kaleb and Cheerful Charlie, however . . .___________PRAISE FOR DIDDLY SQUAT'Clarkson has done more for farmers in one series than Countryfile achieved in 30 years' James Rebanks, author of A Shepherd's Life'Clarkson has showcased the passion, humour and personalities of the people who work throughout the year to grow the nation's food . . . and brought an understanding of many of the issues faced by farmers to the British public' National Farmers Union'A deserving Farming Champion of the Year' Farmers Weekly 'I don't know anything about farming. It's like David Attenborough doing jet-skiing, or Nicholas Witchell saying, "I'm going to be a cage fighter'" Jeremy Clarkson