Title search results
Showing 1 - 20 of 3333 items
SAS: Sea King Down
By Mark Aston, Stuart Tootal. 2021
The thrilling, edge-of-your-seat true story of one soldier's Special Forces operations in the Falklands War'BRILLIANT. A ROLLERCOASTER OF BLISTERING ACTION,…
SURVIVAL AND BEHIND-THE-LINES DARING' DAMIEN LEWIS________THE BIGGEST SINGLE LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE SAS SINCE WORLD WAR TWO . . .1982, the British task force sails to liberate the Falkland Islands. Aboard: SAS D Squadron, determined to make their mark.No one more so than Mark 'Splash' Aston.But they have barely seen action when their Sea King helicopter crashes in freezing South Atlantic waters, killing 22 of Mark's comrades.The last out of the sinking wreck, he suffers a broken neck. But defying medical evacuation orders, Mark sneaks off ship, re-joins his SAS comrades to land on a mountain near Port Stanley - to defend it against days of attacks by Argentine special forces . . .SAS Sea King Down is a pulse-pounding account of D-Squadron's tragic loss and subsequent heroic stand in one of the most hostile places on Earth.A story told by a man who barely survived to tell it.________'A gripping untold story of heroism, hardship and sacrifice within the SAS' BEAR GRYLLS 'Gripping, fast moving and completely authentic. A brilliant piece of work. Better than Bravo Two Zero' - Mike Rose, former Commanding Officer of the SASSarah's Diary: An unflinchingly honest account of one family's struggle with depression
By Sarah Griffin. 2007
'I was fourteen when I found my Dad trying to commit suicide in the garage. Sounds shocking doesn't it? But…
that was part of me, part of living with my Dad'Sarah's Diary is the very personal diary of Sarah Griffin - an ordinary teenage girl learning to deal with the ups and downs of family life. On the outside hers was like any other family, but behind closed doors lay a sad and lonely secret. Sarah's Dad had depression -- a condition we've all heard of but seldom discuss. Beautifully written, brutally honest, Sarah's story is compelling reading.Sad Men
By Dave Roberts. 2014
All Dave Roberts ever wanted to do (apart from collect football programmes) was to work in advertising. More specifically, to…
work for the world's best advertising agency, Saatchi and Saatchi. There was just one problem. Even when he managed to persuade someone to employ him, Dave's copywriting assignments were mainly for second hand car dealers and double glazing companies. And Leeds, Manchester and, bizarrely, New Zealand were a long way from Charlotte Street and Madison Avenue. This was the world of the Sad Men.In his sparkling new memoir, Dave tells the story of a life shaped by his love of adverts, from seeing the PG Tips chimps at the age of three to writing infamous ads such as the Westpac Rap and having David Jason plug a family restaurant. Bursting with brilliant ideas - and some pretty daft ones - it is the cautionary tale of a quest for advertising glory... and not quite ever getting there.Running with the Krays: My Life in London's Gangland
By Billy Webb. 1993
Running with the Krays lifts the liid off London's underworld, from street gangs and race-course con games to protection rackets,…
beatings, maimings, intimidation and even murders. It reveals elements of police corruption and provides insights into the interdependence of both sides of the underworld scene - a compelling and gruesome account of how the other half of London lives.Born in wartime London's east end, Billy Webb grew up in the violence of air-raids and street warfare. His first weapon was a knuckleduster which he had made to measure for the price of five cigarettes when he was 11. When he first met the Krays they were scraping a living by doorknocking for old clothes to be sold in street markets. For three years he and the twins were on the run together as army deserters, and over the course of time, he was a friend, ally and foe of the Krays in their violent rise to fame.Rudolph Walker Biography (Black Star Series #3)
By Verna Allette Wilkins. 2003
The life story of Rudolph Walker, an actor whose career on stage and television in the UK spans 42 years.…
Includes photographs, illustrations and exclusive interviews. Rudolph was born in Trinidad in the Caribbean. When he was only 20 years old he left the island for London, to embark on a career in theatre. He is best known for his role as Patrick in EastEnders but worked on many popular TV series including Love Thy Neighbour, The Thin Blue Line, Black Silk and The Crouches. He has appeared on stage at the Old Vic, the Young Vic, the Tricycle, the Royal Court and the Theatre Royal among others.Rogue Warrior of the SAS: The Blair Mayne Legend
By Martin Dillon, Roy Bradford. 1987
More than half a century after his death, Lt Col. Robert Blair Mayne is still regarded as one of the…
greatest soldiers in the history of military special operations. He was the most decorated British soldier of the Second World War, receiving four DSOs, the Croix de Guerre and the Légion d'honneur, and he pioneered tactics used today by the SAS and other special operations units worldwide. Rogue Warrior of the SAS tells the remarkable life story of 'Colonel Paddy', whose exceptional physical strength and uniquely swift reflexes made him a fearsome opponent. But his unorthodox rules of war and his resentment of authority would deny him the ultimate accolade of the Victoria Cross. Drawing on personal letters and family papers, declassified SAS files and records, together with the Official SAS Diary compiled in wartime and eyewitness accounts from many who served with him, the picture emerges of a soldier who, although a flawed hero, was unquestionably one of the most distinctive combatants of the campaigns in the Western Desert and Europe.Rescue Me: My Life with the Battersea Dogs
By Melissa Wareham. 2013
Melissa Wareham always wanted to work with dogs. After failing her biology O-level she realised she'd have to start at…
the bottom, cleaning out kennels at Battersea Dogs Home. From frail old men looking for a four-legged companion to famous folk who've lost their favourite hound, it seemed that at some point everyone passes through Battersea's doors. Amongst the clamour of thousands of lost pets crying 'Rescue Me!' and the noise of the railway lines above, Melissa found she had come home.The first dog Melissa fell for was Tulip, a sweet, elderly and somewhat dotty mongrel who decided a solo bus ride into the West End might be fun. Next up was Roscoe: found by the ambulance team with his dead owner, he is rehabilitated with a little help from his master's hat. And then - many, many dogs later - there is Gus. With his owner in jail, Melissa finally finds the dog she is to take home as her own.Heart-warming and compulsively readable, Rescue Me is Melissa's memoir of her fifteen years at Britain's most-loved dogs' home.Relations
By Jane Miller. 2003
In this remarkable book, Jane Miller writes about the experience of being a daughter and a sister, about the intensities…
of family life and the illuminations that come from the last days of parents. Relations describes a record-keeping kinship and offers portraits of her parents' long marriage, its mysteries and incompatibilities, of her grandfather, the scientist Redcliffe Salaman, and of her great-aunt Clara Collet, one of the first women civil servants. It is a story in which Karl Marx and George Gissing have parts to play.Here are the tensions of belonging and yet not belonging to an English middle-class at once hospitable to difference and internally divided. More than two hundred years of English history are present in these portraits, which show the dawning emancipation of women and the effects of empire on family life. It is the story of an evolution, of a move out of trade towards public service and the professions, and towards the dramas and family romance of recent times.Reinvented Lives: Women at Sixty: A Celebration
By Charles Handy, Elizabeth Handy. 2002
Twenty-eight women, ranging from Anita Roddick and Prue Leith to less well-known names, write their own personal stories which are…
accompanied by Elizabeth Handy's black and white photographs and an introductory essay by Charles Handy. This generation of women is entering the sixties more healthy, more educated and more energetic than most of their mothers. The subjects in this book provide the models for what has become, for the first time, a new age for many women. Released from most of the cares and responsibilities that accompany midlife for women, they are free to reinvent themselves, to give more time to their career or calling, or to luxuriate in the serenity and friendships that few had time for in the past. Some enter new relationships, some start new careers or go back to study, some find that their work is only now reaching its peak. Many have survived traumas and tragedies, but 'the past is just the prologue' as one of them explains.Reflections On A Summer Sea
By Trevor Norton. 2001
This is the funny and touching story of a menagerie of eccentric and talented ecologists who, mainly as a hobby,…
spent forty summers at Lough Ine, a stunning marine lough in a corner of Ireland, where myths seep from the ground like will o' the wisps and, in one of the most unlikely projects in the history of science, were responsible for the reinvention of marine biology. Among the stars of the book are the marine creatures that occupy the lake: sea urchins that won't dine unless they wear a hat, otters that steal experiments, and worms that will only mate by order of the moon. The creatures' eccentric behaviour is matched only by that of the ecologists themselves, whose antics and interactions with their Irish neighbours are all lovingly described with Norton's keen eye for both the wonderful and the absurd. But for all its humour, the book is also a moving account of two ecologists who collaborated for forty years until their friendship came to a tragic end. The book brings together all the rich flavours of Ireland, the wonders of natural history and the magic of being a marine biologist just for the fun of it.The Red Arrows: The Sunday Times Bestseller
By David Montenegro. 2022
SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERDAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE WEEKTHE FIRST OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE RED ARROWS'Heart-pounding, exhilarating . .…
. A fascinating testimony of jeopardy, cool heads and the sheer exultant addiction of flying.' SINCLAIR MCKAY'Fantastic . . . It was wonderful to read about so many old chums and truly legendary aviators. Highly recommended.' JOHN NICHOL (Twitter)'An exhilarating read! The next-best thing to taking the controls of a Hawk fast-jet. And you're much less likely to throw up.' BEN MILLER'Inspirational . . . Precision, style and dedication. The Red Arrows are the ultimate in teamwork.' TIM PEAKE'Perfectly enjoyable . . . As the Red Arrows head towards their 60th anniversary, it's clear the team's place in our hearts is secure.' DAILY MAIL'A wild ride . . . The ultimate insider guide, relating with great enthusiasm and insight what it means to be inside the cockpit as you scream through the skies at 350 to 450 miles per hour, within what feels like touching distance of your wingman, making continual nanosecond decisions that will result in certain death if you get them wrong.' TELEGRAPH, Patrick Bishop_________________________________________"Occasionally, you and the team come within read of perfection, up there in the rarefied air of the skies. You never know when those moments will come, but it's what you yearn for as a pilot."The Red Arrows represent the very best speed, agility and precision aerobatic flying in the Royal Air Force, and the people who wear those iconic red flight suits are rigorously selected not just for their flying skills, lightning-fast reflexes and nerves of steel, but for their mental resilience, courage and humility.Written by the Officer Commanding and former Red 1 Team Leader, Wing Commander David Montenegro, and full of never-before-shared tales from pilots past and present, this thrilling history is both a faithful record and a fascinating account of not only what it takes, but what it means, to be a Red Arrow._________________________________________Praise for the Red Arrows:'A lifetime's ambition . . . I still can't believe I've been in a fighter jet. It was fantastic - just to feel the G-force was spectacular.' LEWIS HAMILTON'So tight, crisp and professional' CHRIS HADFIELD'I can never quite believe that anyone can fly and aircraft with such precision' PROF. BRIAN COX'The skill level they have is just off the scale. The Red Arrows is an amazing display of quality' DAVID COULTHARDRecipe for Life: The Autobiography
By Mary Berry. 2013
As well as starring on The Great British Bake Off, Mary Berry is returning to our TVs with her brand…
new series, Britain's Best Home Cook . . . so indulge, and discover her autobiography.From the moment she came into the world - two weeks early, throwing her parents' lives into disarray - Mary has gracefully but firmly done things her own way. Born in 1935, in the city of Bath, Mary's childhood was a curious mix of idyllic picnics and ramblings, and alarming air raids; of a spirited and outdoorsy home life and a dreaded school existence. All nearly cut horribly short by an almost fatal bout of polio when she was thirteen, which isolated Mary in hospital, away from beloved family and friends for months. Recovery saw her turn to her one true passion - cookery. And so began a love affair that has spanned six remarkable decades; from demonstrating ovens in the early 1950s to producing glossy food magazines in the 60s and 70s, gradually becoming the country's most prolific and - many would say - best loved cookery writer. Until her emergence in the 21st century as a TV sensation and style icon on the Great British Bake Off. In this touching, evocative and fascinating memoir, we accompany Mary on her journey of nearly eighty years; a life lived to the full, with a wicked sense of fun and an eye for the absurd, it is the life of a delightfully traditional but thoroughly modern woman.The Rainbow Comes and Goes
By Diana Cooper. 1958
Lady Diana Cooper was a star of the early twentieth stage, screen and social scene. This first instalment of her…
sparkling autobiography tells of her upbringing, her beautiful artistic mother and aristocratic father, her debut into high society and the glittering parties - 'dancing and extravagance and lashing of wine, and charades and moonlit balconies and kisses' - which were interrupted with the outbreak of the First World War. This volume ends with Diana's marriage to the 'love of her life', diplomat and politician Duff Cooper.Queen of the Ploughing
By Anna May McHugh. 2017
'The embodiment of the spirit of rural Ireland'Anna May McHugh's name is synonymous with 'the Ploughing' - the annual Championships…
of the National Ploughing Association. The event is the biggest outdoor agricultural show in Europe and Anna May is the driving force behind its spectacular growth.Anna May now tells her story. Her description of growing up as part of a large family in rural County Laois is an evocative and affectionate account of an Ireland that is now gone. But in her account of how she went from being a secretary of the Ploughing Association, her first job, to becoming - to her own amazement - its managing director twenty years later is a story of leadership and people skills that are very much of the twenty-first century. Anna May was truly ahead of her time.Still living in County Laois, close to where she grew up, and now in her eighties, Anna May still runs the multi-million euro operation from her home, alongside her daughter, Anna Marie. Queen of the Ploughing is a captivating read, full of warmth, lively stories and Anna May's sharp observations. And it's not just about Anna May's life, but is also a celebration of the best of Irish life over eight decades.Princess Spider: True Experiences of a Dominatrix
By Princess Spider. 2006
Princess Spider is the best known Female Dominatrix on the UK fetish scene, and a Sky TV television personality. In…
her book she will be offering unrestricted and unprecedented access to her fascinating, shocking, and very bizarre world:Extraordinary true stories from her private and public domination of both men and womenExpert detailed knowledge on every aspect of female domination: role-playing, imagery, dress-codes, rituals, equipment, playrooms anddungeonsAccess to slaves and their slave diaries: the slave-mistress relationship revealed in fullReportage on femdom rituals and sessions as they happenPride of Britain: A Little Girl's Bravery. A Family's Strength.
By Jeff Hudson, Martin Lupton. 2008
Kirsteen Lupton seems like any other teenage girl. But Kirsteen was born with a rare medical condition: her bladder was…
on the outside of her body. By the age of seven she had endured numerous agonising, failed operations. After medical complications left her weighing just 1½ stone and battling for her life, surgery by the team at Great Ormond Street Hospital finally gave her a chance at a normal life. What makes Kirsteen so exceptional is that she has since helped to raise over £750,000 for the hospital. In 2006 she was named 'Fundraiser of the Year' at the Pride of Britain awards.This is the story of Kirsteen's extraordinary life and her work to raise funds for the hospital that helped her so much. But it is also the story of her family, who have always supported her - her mum, who battled with feelings of guilt over Kirsteen's condition, her dad, who sacrificed career advancement and earning capacity to look after his family, and her brothers, who have watched as their parents struggled to support their sister.Poor: Grit, courage, and the life-changing value of self-belief
By Katriona O'Sullivan. 2023
The No. 1 BestsellerBiography of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023The Last Word Listeners' Choice Award, Irish Book Awards 2023'One…
of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet' GuardianLike young girls everywhere Katriona O’Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos, and after she became pregnant and homeless at 15, what followed was five years of barely surviving. Yet today Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her.What set Katriona on this unexpected path were the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. The teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or turned up at her door to convince her to sit at least one GCSE. The community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. The friend who introduced Katriona to Trinity College’s access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that would help her turn her life around.Told with warmth, clarity and compassion – compassion for her parents, for her younger self, for others – Poor is both an astonishing personal testimony and an impassioned plea for the future of our children. ‘Powerful – Katriona is a legend’ Barry Keoghan‘Raw, passionate and resolutely honest – I’ll never forget it’ Annie Mac'Full of insight . . . so important' Fi Glover, Times Radio 'I read poor in one sitting I found it so compelling . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic' Nuala McGovern, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio Four'Moving, funny, brave and original - just like the author . . . absolutely incredible' Roísín Ingle, Irish Times Women's Podcast‘One of the books of the year’ Patrick Kielty, Late Late Show, RTÉ One'One of the most important books I have ever read … a beautiful telling of determination despite the odds' Lynn Ruane, Irish Times 'Fearless, funny and searingly honest' Adil Ray OBE'Raw and remarkable' Irish Independent 'A book of empowerment and hope' Patricia Scanlan ‘Remarkable . . . a vivid retelling of Katriona flourishing, despite her beginnings’ BBC News West MidlandsThe Lone Brit on 13: A Prisoner's Hell in Spain's Toughest Jail
By Christopher Chance. 2005
The Lone Brit on 13 is a gripping true story of violence, degradation and adventure penned in the confines of…
a grim Malaga prison cell. Imprisoned for drug-smuggling, the lone Brit on Wing 13, Chance, reveals the horrors he experienced among cut-throat villains and screws in the netherworld of the Spanish prison system.Chance takes to writing in his dank prison cell in an attempt to escape his surroundings and recalls various episodes in his life: his time serving as a soldier in Thailand and Malaysia; his involvement with the 3 Para snatch-squad in the 1970s Belfast; and his subsequent descent into drug dealing and trafficking, which culminated in a high-speed boat chase and his imprisonment in a top-security Spanish prison. While inside, Chance fought his way to the surface of a cesspool of iniquitous scumbags using his fists: the only effective means of being understood in an environment of desecrated morality and non-existent integrity. With predators lurking everywhere, Chance had to be constantly on guard and in order to survive he had to be mentally prepared to inflict the necessary violent retribution on any would-be attacker or racist thug. As the sole British inmate, Chance was a prime target for the intimidating Spanish hardmen who thrived on cruelty and treachery. But his martial arts skills and Samurai philosophy proved to be more than a match for the aggressors. Once a respected and successful businessman admired by his peers - he had operated his own martial arts business in Spain before being jailed - Chance took one wrong turn in life and lost everything except the love and support of his loyal wife.This &“revealing dual biography . . . succeeds in lifting up two underappreciated figures of the antislavery movement" (Publishers Weekly).…
In the 1820s, few Americans could imagine a viable future for black children. In Educated for Freedom, Anna Mae Duane tells the story of James McCune Smith and Henry Highland Garnet, two black children who came of age and into freedom as their country struggled to grow from a slave nation into a free country. Smith and Garnet met as schoolboys at the Mulberry Street New York African Free School, an educational experiment created by founding fathers who believed in freedom&’s power to transform the country. Smith became the first African American to run a pharmacy and used his medical expertise to refute notions of black inferiority. Garnet became a minister whose oratory reputation surpassed even that of Frederick Douglass. The sons of enslaved mothers, these schoolboy friends would go on to travel the world, address Congress, and speak before cheering crowds of thousands. The lessons they took from their days at the New York African Free School #2 shed light on how antebellum Americans viewed black children as symbols of America&’s possible future. The story of their lives, their work, and their friendship testifies to the imagination and activism of the free black community that shaped the national journey toward freedom.Matchbook: The Diary of a Modern-Day Matchmaker
By Samantha Daniels. 2005
Fans of Sex and the City and Bridget Jones's Diary, and anyone who loves to date vicariously, will fall in…
love with Matchbook. In this irresistible read, America's hippest Matchmaker borrows from her real-life experiences to create an urban love story about searching for "The One." When people learn what Samantha Daniels does for a living, they have to know more: How did she become a Match-maker? How many matches have led to marriage? How does it work? Who's her craziest client? And most of all, how can a Matchmaker be single? Samantha Daniels is unlike any Matchmaker you've ever heard of. Young, ambitious, and, yes, single, she's the founder of Samantha's Table, an introduction service that caters to singles in New York and Los Angeles who are ready to invest seriously in the task of finding The One. After handpicking their matches, Daniels works with her clients as their cheerleader, part-time therapist, dating coach, voice of reason, and closest confidante as she helps them down the road to happily ever after. Readers learn how Daniels started her Matchmaking business (How much do you charge for finding the love of someone's life? How do you screen out the Undatables?) and get to know the colorful cast of characters whom she fondly refers to as her "Desperados." There's Mr. Cheapskate, Miss Manhunt, and Looks Good from Afar Guy. There's the 39-year-old female corporate exec who wants a husband yesterday; there's the guy who will only date women worthy of Brad Pitt; there's the gazillionaire who offers a $60,000 bonus if Samantha can find him a supermodel wife; there's the very well endowed woman who's having trouble finding men attracted to her mind; and a host of others. Will Samantha be able to make them a match? And more importantly, will this Matchmaker find herself a match? You would think that meeting hundreds of single men would make dating a snap, but not even a Matchmaker can avoid the pitfalls of single life. Readers are introduced to another lively cast of characters -- the men that Daniels herself dates. Readers meet the many Not for Me Guys and a few Maybe for Me Guys, to see that even a celebrated Matchmaker can be a Desperado herself. Throughout the book, Daniels also offers real dating advice (such as the most common first-date mistakes and tried-and-true conversation topics) and secrets of the trade (why September is the best month for Matchmaking). Like a real-life episode of The Bachelor, Matchbook is a wild ride through the flirty, unpredictable world of urban dating, with a wise and witty guide at the helm. For those who love romance and anyone looking for love, Matchbook is a perfect match.