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George VI: The Dutiful King (Penguin Monarchs)
by Philip ZieglerWritten by Philip Ziegler, one of Britain's most celebrated biographers, George VI is part of the Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers in a collectible formatIf Ethelred was notoriously 'Unready' and Alfred 'Great', King George VI should bear the title of 'George the Dutiful'. Throughout his life, George dedicated himself to the pursuit of what he thought he ought to be doing rather than what he wanted to do. Inarticulate and loathing any sort of public appearances, he accepted that it was his destiny to figure conspicuously in the public eye, gritted his teeth, battled his crippling stammer and got on with it. He was not born to be king, but he made an admirable one, and was the figurehead of the nation at the time of its greatest trial, the Second World War. This is a brilliant, touching and sometimes funny book about this reluctant public figure, and the private man.Philip Ziegler is the author of the authorised biographies of Mountbatten, Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. His other books include The Duchess of Dino, William IV, The Black Death and most recently Olivier. Initially a diplomat, he worked for many years in book publishing before becoming a full-time writer.
Grow your Own Fruit and Veg
by Alan TitchmarshIn these turbulent times, Britain is rediscovering a passion for gardening and home produce - and the nation's favourite gardener is here to provide the definitive book on the subject. Alan Titchmarsh's comprehensive guide will tell you everything you need to know about fruit and veg and how to grow it, from herbs, baby veg, salads, and every-day fruits to gourmet and unusual varieties. As well as providing the key facts needed to yield good results and what to do when things go wrong, the text is sprinkled with Alan's personal observations, anecdotes, culinary tips and quirky historical uses. Alan's practical approach starts from scratch for those who've never grown their own before, but is also ideal for those with some experience who might be growing edibles in a new way - perhaps in a small space that needs to look attractive, or on a new allotment. Lavishly illustrated throughout, Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg offers inspiration, in-depth knowledge and practical advice, whether you are looking to be self-sufficient or just to grow a few items on your patio or window box.Originally published as The Kitchen Gardener: Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg
Growing Old Disgracefully: How to upset and perplex your children with increasingly erratic and unreasonable behaviour
by Rohan CandappaDoes your mother think it's really charming to talk to every rose bush on the street? Has your father taken up obsessive fundraising for a donkey sanctuary on retirement? Does he collect elastic bands because 'you never know when you'll need one'? Do your parents make jokes about sheltered housing? Have they guessed that you've already sent off for the brochures? Do they seem to be having too much fun for a couple with two fake hips, a pacemaker and three steel pins between them? Then you need Rohan Candappa. The man who bought you The Little Book of Stress, The Little Book of Wrong Shui and The Autobiography of a One Year Old has hit the nail on the head once more. Full of wit and wisdom, Rohan will give you a much needed laugh in the face of your parents' increasingly barmy behaviour. Just one thing, you'll probably find your parents have bought it too. And they'll probably think its really funny.
Georges Perec: A Life in Words
by David Bellos"It's hard to see how anyone is ever going to better this User's Manual to the life of Georges Perec" - Gilbert Adair, Sunday TimesWinner of the Prix Goncourt for Biography, 1994George Perec (1936-82) was one of the most significant European writers of the twentieth century and undoubtedly the most versatile and innovative writer of his generation.David Bellos's comprehensive biography - which also provides the first full survey of Perec's irreverent, polymathic oeuvre - explores the life of an anguished, comical and endearingly modest man, who worked quietly as an archivist in a medical research library. The French son of Jewish immigrants from Poland, he remained haunted all of his life by his father's death in the war, fighting to defend France, and his mother's in Auschwitz-Birkenau. His acclaimed novel A Void (1969) - written without using the letter "e" - has been seen as an attempt to escape from the words "père", "mere", and even "George Perec".His career made an auspicious start with Things: A Story of the Sixties (1965), which won the Prix Renaudot. He then pursued an idiosyncratic and ambitious literary itinerary through the intellectual ferment of Paris in the 1960s and 1970s.He belonged to the Ouvrior de Littérature Potentielle (OuLiPo), a radically inventive group of writers whose members included Raymond Queneau and Italo Calvino. Perec achieved international celebrity with Life A User's Manual (1978), which won the Prix Medicis and was voted Novel of the Decade by the Salon du Livre. He died in his mid-forties after a short illness, leaving a truly puzzling detective novel, 53 Days, incomplete."Professor Bellos's book enables us at once to relish the most wilfully bizarre aspects of Perec's oeuvre and to understand the whys and wherefores of his protean nature" - Jonathan Romney, Literary Review
Growing Out: Black Hair and Black Pride in the Swinging 60s (Black Britain: Writing Back #9)
by Barbara Blake Hannah'A gorgeously exuberant account. . . writing that is natural and vivacious . . . a fascinating and hugely enjoyable read.' Bernardine Evaristo, from the IntroductionTravelling over from Jamaica as a teenager, Barbara's journey is remarkable. She finds her footing in TV, and blossoms. Covering incredible celebrity stories, travelling around the world and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Germaine Greer and Michael Caine - her life sparkles. But with the responsibility of being the first black woman reporting on TV comes an enormous amount of pressure, and a flood of hateful letters and complaints from viewers that eventually costs her the job.In the aftermath of this fallout, she goes through a period of self-discovery that allows her to carve out a new space for herself first in the UK and then back home in Jamaica - one that allows her to embrace and celebrate her black identity, rather than feeling suffocated in her attempts to emulate whiteness and conform to the culture around her.Growing Out provides a dazzling, revelatory depiction of race and womanhood in the 1960s from an entirely unique perspective.A title in the Black Britain: Writing Back series - selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books depicting black Britain that remap the nation.
Georgian London: Into the Streets
by Lucy InglisIn Georgian London: Into the Streets, Lucy Inglis takes readers on a tour of London's most formative age - the age of love, sex, intellect, art, great ambition and fantastic ruin. Travel back to the Georgian years, a time that changed expectations of what life could be. Peek into the gilded drawing rooms of the aristocracy, walk down the quiet avenues of the new middle class, and crouch in the damp doorways of the poor. But watch your wallet - tourists make perfect prey for the thriving community of hawkers, prostitutes and scavengers. Visit the madhouses of Hackney, the workshops of Soho and the mean streets of Cheapside. Have a coffee in the city, check the stock exchange, and pop into St Paul's to see progress on the new dome.This book is about the Georgians who called London their home, from dukes and artists to rent boys and hot air balloonists meeting dog-nappers and life-models along the way. It investigates the legacies they left us in architecture and art, science and society, and shows the making of the capital millions know and love today.'Read and be amazed by a city you thought you knew' Jonathan Foyle, World Monuments Fund'Jam-packed with unusual insights and facts. A great read from a talented new historian' Independent'Pacy, superbly researched. The real sparkle lies in its relentless cavalcade of insightful anecdotes . . . There's much to treasure here' Londonist'Inglis has a good ear for the outlandish, the farcical, the bizarre and the macabre. A wonderful popular history of Hanoverian London' London Historians
The Georgics: The Georgics
by VirgilOne of the greatest poems of the classical world, Virgil's Georgics is a glorious celebration of the eternal beauty of the natural world, now brought vividly to life in a powerful new translation.'Georgic' means 'to work the earth', and this poetic guide to country living combines practical wisdom on tending the land with exuberant fantasy and eulogies to the rhythms of nature. It describes hills strewn with wild berries in 'vine-spread autumn'; recommends watching the stars to determine the right time to plant seeds; and gives guidance on making wine and keeping bees. Yet the Georgics also tells of angry gods, bloody battles and a natural world fraught with danger from storms, pests and plagues. Expansive in its scope, lush in its language, this extraordinary work is at once a reflection on the cycles of life, death and rebirth, an argument for the nobility of labour and an impassioned reflection on the Roman Empire of Virgil's times. Kimberly Johnson's lyrical verse translation captures all the rich beauty and abundant imagery of the original, re-creating this ancient masterpiece for our times.
Growing Up With Bach Flower Remedies: A Guide to the Use of the Remedies During Childhood and Adolescence
by Judy HowardBach Flower Remedies is a system of natural healing for the relief of negative attitudes and moods which not only hinder one's enjoyment of life, but are regarded as contributory factors in the cause of physical and emotional suffering.They were discovered during the 1930s by the late Dr. Edward Bach, an eminent physician who devoted his life to the cause and cure of disease.The result of his life's work were 38 harmless remedies made from nonpoisonous plants and herbs of the countryside, each pertaining to aspects of human nature, personality and states of mind. The Bach Flower Remedies have deservedly earned themselves a reputation of excellence and are now used extensively throughout the world.Growing Up with Bach Flower Remedies shows how the system of healing can help babies, children and adolescents during the turbulent years of youth. The book takes the reader through all the stages of childhood, including developmental progress, illness, schooling, behavior, puberty, examinations and the various other milestones when emotional support is needed.Growing Up with Bach Flower Remedies is a book designed for parents, but also makes an excellent source of reference for therapists, teachers, nursery nurses, grand-parents and guardians - anyone who has an active interest in caring for children of all ages.
The German Boy
by Tricia WastvedtA moving, inter-war family saga The German Boy from Patricia Wastvedt, the Orange Prize Longlisted author of The River.In 1947, Elisabeth Mander's German nephew comes to stay: Stefan Landau, her dead sister's teenage son, whom she hates and loves before she's even set eyes on him.Orphaned by the war and traumatised by the last, vicious battles of the Hitler Youth, Stefan brings with him to England only a few meagre possessions. Among them a portrait of a girl with long copper hair by a young painter called Michael Ross - and with it the memory, both painfuland precious, of her life and that time between the wars.Spanning decades and generations, The German Boy tells the moving story of two families entangled by love and friendship, divided by prejudice and war, and of a brief encounter between a woman and a man that touched each of their lives forever.'An absorbing literary saga ... a sophisticated and subtly woven story' Daily Mail'Hypnotic, atmospheric and exquisitely written. A novel I won't forget' Lucinda Riley, author of Hothouse Flower'A love story at its centre which will make your heart ache' Julia Green, author of Blue Moon'A heart-rending story of epic proportions, thrilling and utterly captivating. I am haunted by it still' Suzannah Dunn, author of The Confession of Katherine HowardBorn in 1954, Patricia Wastvedt grew up in Blackheath, south London, and spent her summers in Kent. She has a degree in Creative Arts and an MA in Creative Writing, and her first novel, The River, written in her late forties, was long-listed for the Orange Prize. She teaches at Bath Spa University, and is also a manuscript editor. She lives and writes in a cottage in Somerset.
The Grudge: Scotland vs. England, 1990
by Tom EnglishShortlised for the 2022 SBA Best Sports Book of the 21st Century prizeThe gripping inside story of when an England-Scotland rugby match become more than a gameMurrayfield, the Calcutta Cup, March 1990. England vs. Scotland - winner-takes-all for the Five Nations Grand Slam, the biggest prize in northern hemisphere rugby.Will Carling's England are the very embodiment of Margaret Thatcher's Britain - snarling, brutish and all-conquering. Scotland are the underdogs - second-class citizens from a land that's become the testing ground for the most unpopular tax in living memory: Thatcher's Poll Tax. In Edinburgh, nationalism is rising high - what happens in the stadium will resound far beyond the pitch.Told with unprecedented access to key players, coaches and supporters on both sides (Will Carling, Ian McGeechan, Brian Moore and the rest), Tom English has produced a gripping account of a titanic struggle that thrusts the reader right into the heart of the action. Game on.'A priceless read' Guardian'Absolutely outstanding' The Times'An epic tale' Daily Telegraph'Gripping' Scottish Review of Books
Germinal
by Émile ZolaConsidered by André Gide to be one of the ten greatest novels in the French language, Émile Zola's Germinal is a brutal depiction of the poverty of a mining community in northern FranceÉtienne Lantier, an unemployed railway worker, is a clever but uneducated young man with a dangerous temper. Compelled to take a back-breakin job at Le Voreux mine when he cannot get other work, he discovers that his fellow miners are ill, hungry and in debt, unable to feed and clothe their families. When conditions in the mining community deteriorate even further, Lantier finds himself leading a strike that could mean starvation or salvation for all. The thirteenth novel in Zola's great Rougon-Macquart sequence, Germinal expresses outrage at the exploitation of the many by the few, but also shows humanity's capacity for compassion and hope.Translated with an introduction by Roger Pearson in Penguin Classics If you enjoyed Germinal, you might like Zola's Thérèse Raquin, also available in Penguin Classics.
Gerrard: My Autobiography
by Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard is a hero to millions, not only as the inspirational captain of Liverpool FC, but as a key member of the England team. Here, for the first time, he tells the story of his lifelong obsession with football, in an honest and revealing book which captures the extraordinary camaraderie, the soul-destroying tensions and the high-octane thrills of the modern game as never before.Born in the Liverpool suburb of Huyton in 1980, Steven first joined Liverpool as a YTS trainee and played his first game for the first team aged just 18. His career has gone from strength to strength ever since and he is now the team's captain and its lynchpin. Liverpool's incredible comeback in the Champions' League final in Istanbul in May 2005, recovering from a 3-goal deficit against AC Milan to win on penalties, is testament to the amazing power Gerrard has over his team. His presence on the pitch is a force to be reckoned with and places him amongst the very first rank of players in the world.A relatively private figure, Steven has rarely spoken out in public. Now, his legions of fans will be allowed an intimate glimpse of what makes their hero tick. He speaks for the first time about the torturous will-he-won't-he Chelsea rumours and his undying passion for Liverpool. We experience first-hand the highs of winning in Istanbul and elsewhere, as well as the occasional lows of being parted from his much-loved family and friends. And of course, the book contains a full blow-by-blow account of England's world cup campaign in Germany 2006.Steven Gerrard's book is the definitive football autobiography. Like its subject, it's honest, passionate and exhilarating. If Steven Gerrard isn't your hero yet, by the time you've read this he will be...
Grumpy Old Men: The Official Handbook
by Stuart PrebbleDo you know someone who is incensed by compulsory tipping? Who is infuriated if kept on hold for more than a minute? Who is positively apoplectic if someone answers their phone during dinner? If so, youve probably encountered the phenomenon of the grumpy old man. Following their first massively successful BBC1 series, this autumn will see the grumpy old men will return to our screens, and this time theyre grumpier than ever. Packed with funny and informative chapters such as Who are we, What are we grumpy about and How can you spot the signs of grumpiness coming on, this book will leave even the grumpiest of men with a grin on his face.
Get Divorced, Be Happy: How becoming single turned out to be my happily ever after
by Helen ThornTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Helen is the woman I want in my life when the shit hits the fan' - Bryony GordonWhat do you do when your relationship suddenly ends? How do you cope when the cosy 'coupley' future you had planned disappears?Join comedian Helen Thorn from The Scummy Mummies as she haphazardly takes the plunge into single life for the first time in twenty-two years. Helen shares her own roller coaster journey from the initial shock of a surprise separation, the messy months hanging out in her PJs through to the highs of rediscovering online dating, tiny pants, rock-solid female friendships and the glorious joy of just being by herself.With the help of relationship experts and an army of women "who know", Get Divorced, Be Happy will show you that going it alone isn't the end, it is just the beginning, and you will come out the other side, stronger, happier and goddamn sassier than ever before.
Grumpy Old Men: The Secret Diary
by Stuart PrebbleTo everything there is a season. A time to be born, a time to die ... and a time to have a bloody good moan. Following the huge success of Grumpy Old Men, Stuart Prebble, writer of the highly acclaimed TV series, gives us a more in-depth look at what it's really like to be a pissed-off man of a certain age. In painstaking detail, he takes us through a year in the constantly irritated life of a Grumpy Old Man, recounting the manifold vexations and absurdities he has to put up with in the perpetual torment that we call modern living. Drinks parties, holidays, hospital visits, his children's misdemeanours, buying presents for the wife, watching television, attempts to visit the gym, trips to the shops, the trials and tribulations of everyday life - each event has something to tip him over the edge. Stuart's diary proves that grumpiness is not just an occasional mood or a temporary feeling, but a way of looking at the world, and will strike a chord with all those who are proud to call themselves Grumpy Old Men.
Get in the Sea!: An Apoplectic Guide to Modern Life
by Andy DawsonThe Sea - cold, wet, and unforgiving. The perfect place to dump shit products, moronic people, and crap pop culture. Man buns? Get in the sea.Glitter beards? In you go. Cereal cafes? SEA. And how about manspreading, ant gin, water sommeliers, real people playing Quidditch, dating apps, Bluetooth gloves, and Shoreditch? Then there's waterproof suits, juicing, early Christmas, dog yoga, Nando's, drones, and Gregg Wallace? Fuck. It's never ending. Something must be done. Buy this book. Or you know what you can do. . .
Grumpy Old Rock Star: and Other Wondrous Stories
by Rick WakemanAround about August 1948, Mr and Mrs Cyril Wakeman had an early night and some time later, at Perivale in Middlesex, Mrs Wakeman produced a bonny baby son. They named him Richard, but he quickly became known as Rick. Rick was a likeable little fellow who had a talent for the piano and for making trouble. Music became Rick's life - he joined a popular music group called Yes and became a legend. Much later he became a Grumpy Old Man who appears on Countdown, hosts a hugely popular radio show on Planet Rock and performs a one-man show telling stories about his rather extraordinary life.Which is where this book you are holding comes in. Mr Wakeman is simply one of the great storytellers of our age - let's face it, he has some fabulous material. It seemed a shame that some of the funniest yarns should not be more widely known. So he accepted some cash and here we are.Curl up by the fire with a Grumpy Old Rock Star and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh.
Get The Job You Really Want
by James Caan"It is possible to have the job of your dreams. Together we are going to set about getting you there.Before I joined the BBC's Dragons' Den, I spent thirty years setting up and running recruitment companies, placing hundreds of thousands of candidates in the jobs they really wanted.I will take you through the process step by step. How to stay positive in a difficult economic climate and find the right opportunities. How to package yourself to make sure you secure an interview. The vital importance of preparation, so that you are relaxed and give a great performance at interview. How to show your passion, and ask the perfect questions. And finally, how to use your power by closing the best deal on a job offer.At every stage I will help you rethink the traditional, formulaic approach to job hunting. It's the detail that makes the difference.This book is not about hoping you get lucky. It is about creating your own luck."James Caan
Grumpy Old Women
by Judith HolderWe all know what it means these days to be a grumpy old man, because part of that role is to be outspoken. Well, we've heard just about enough out of the men, thank you very much! Grumpy Old Women gives us the other perspective: the female take on the million irritations of today's world. So whats the difference? Surely what is irritating to the mature members of one sex is equally annoying to the other? Not necessarily, and this is precisely what Grumpy Old Women seeks to address. Body image, visitors, children, animals, shopping, careers, parties, holidays and, yes, grumpy old men themselves all are very much on the list of what today's mature woman finds a source of concern. From the series producer and stand-up comic Judith Holder, the book incorporates material from the television series Grumpy Old Women, which features a diverse, colourful and very grumpy group of celebrities, including Janet Street Porter, Jenny Eclair, Ann Widdecombe, Germaine Greer, Kathryn Flett and Jilly Cooper. Written with wit, style and sympathy, the book is a source of both amusement and comfort to women everywhere - grumpy, old or otherwise.
Get Lucky: Rituals, Habits and Superstitions of the Rich and Famous
by Chas Newkey-BurdenHave you ever wondered how Simon Cowell developed the Midas touch? Or how Mo Farah won two Olympic golds? Curious to know how Barack Obama focusses before an election? How Marilyn Monroe always looked so glamorous? Or how Dan Brown pens his latest bestseller?Packed full of entertaining trivia and hilarious anecdotes, Get Lucky chronicles the luck rituals of the great and the good. From sports stars and celebrities to writers, tastemakers and multi-millionaires, this book exposes the unusual habits and superstitions behind their success. Read on and be inspired. You never know, some of their luck might just rub off on you…
Grundrisse: Foundations of the Critique of Political Economy
by Karl MarxWritten during the winter of 1857-8, the Grundrisse was considered by Marx to be the first scientific elaboration of communist theory. A collection of seven notebooks on capital and money, it both develops the arguments outlined in the Communist Manifesto (1848) and explores the themes and theses that were to dominate his great later work Capital. Here, for the first time, Marx set out his own version of Hegel's dialectics and developed his mature views on labour, surplus value and profit, offering many fresh insights into alienation, automation and the dangers of capitalist society. Yet while the theories in Grundrisse make it a vital precursor to Capital, it also provides invaluable descriptions of Marx's wider-ranging philosophy, making it a unique insight into his beliefs and hopes for the foundation of a communist state.
Get Out of Debt Forever: The ultimate guide if you want to take control of your finances, clear debts and increase your wealth
by Lorraine TurnerDebt problems can strike anyone: from students and working adults to business owners, pensioners, divorcees and the unemployed:- The average graduate leaves university more than £12,000 in debt. - The amount of money Britons owe on credit cards, loans and mortgages has topped 1,000 billion pounds - £1 trillion. This is equivalent to £17,000 of debt for every man, woman and child.Get Out of Debt Forever shows you not only how to tackle your debts and knock your finances into shape, but also shows you how to enjoy a high standard of living at the same time, offering:- Clear, practical advice on how to manage your money- Details of financial experts who will sort out your finances, liaise with creditors and even represent you in court - free of charge- Easy ways to increase your income and cut your spending- Information on where to get free days out, entertainment and holidays
Get Promoted (Penguin Business Experts Series)
by Niamh O'KeeffeAre you stuck in a career rut? Are your former peers progressing ahead of you? Are you doing all the hard work but getting none of the rewards? Are you wondering what everyone else seems to know that you don't?Asking for a promotion ranks high on the list of life's most anxiety-inducing activities. Putting yourself out there to higher-ups can be intimidating, and competition can be fierce, especially in the current economic climate. And, of course, what if they say no?But it's also one of the most important things you can do for your career. If you want to move forward in your company or field, promotions are part of the game and they won't just be handed to you - you have to work - and ask - for them. Ready to take that next step? Penguin Experts Series: Get Promoted will give you everything you need to know before the big conversation.
Guards! Guards!: The Play (Discworld Novels #8)
by Terry PratchettTerry Pratchett's infamous city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60-foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen.Defending Ank-Morpork against this threat is the entire, underpaid, undervalued City Night Watch - a drunken and world-weary Captain, a cowardly and overweight Sergeant, a small opportunistic Corporal of dubious parentage...and their newest recruit, Lance Constable Carrot, who is upright, literal, law-abiding and keen. Aiding them in their fight for truth, justice and the Ankh-Morporkian way are a small swamp dragon and the Librarian of Unseen University (who just happens to be an orang-utan).
Get Sh*t Done!: From spare room to boardroom in 1,000 days
by Niall HarbisonDo you start every day with a 'to do' list? Every year with new resolutions? Do you fantasise about winning the lottery, travelling the world or retiring at forty? Many of us dream big but we never truly believe we can achieve our life's ambitions.But it doesn't have to be like this. It is possible to make dreams come true as Niall Harbison has found out - aged just 33, and within 1000 days of starting a business in his bedroom, he sold it for millions. Before that he had already lived what seemed like a charmed life. As a private chef for billionaires (among other highlights, cooking for Bill Gate's fiftieth birthday) he got paid to travel all over the world while enjoying a lifestyle normally reserved for the rich and famous.But Niall Harbison achieved his dreams despite a serious drink problem and crippling bouts of depression. Now he shares his secrets. Get Sh*t Done! contains a unique set of principles and a new way of thinking. It includes life hacks that will help you escape the nine-to-five, overcome your limitations and make the things you dream about actually happen - and quicker than you could ever imagine.Let Niall Harbison be your inspiration. Learn how he got paid to snowboard all day and to surf in Hawaii, still gets paid to go on holiday and has never worked a day in his life. And learn how he doesn't let personal challenges get in the way of his goals. Stop dreaming and instead start getting sh*t done!