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Scarred: She was a slave to her father. Pain was her only escape.
By Sophie Andrews. 2009
The shocking story of how exceptionally violent abuse turned one girl to desperate self-harm before turning her life around.Growing up,…
Sophie carried a terrible secret. She was her father's slave, in the most horrific ways imaginable. At just a few months old she was adopted by a couple that seemed comfortably well off and perfectly respectable to the outside world. But behind closed doors, Sophie's childhood was a living hell. Her father spent the next decade grooming her for abuse and when Sophie's mother left for good, that very night, he told Sophie that from now on she would sleep in his bed. Unable to cope, Sophie spiralled into suicidal misery. She began to self-harm to try and escape the agony. But one day she went too far and at 16, ended up in a psychiatric unit. It was here that she finally confronted the horrors of home and began the painful journey of rebuilding her life. A phenomenally courageous woman, Sophie now works for the Samaritans and helps other young people in need. Harrowing yet compelling, this is a searing and truly inspirational account of overcoming the worst abuse and self-harm.Great Bales of Fire: More Tales of a Country Fireman
By Malcolm Castle. 2013
More tales of a country fireman, from the author of ALL FIRED UP. Perfect for fans of Heartbeat or Last…
of the Summer Wine.It's the early 1980s and rookie fireman Malcolm Castle is set to take on the biggest challenge of his life. After three years bouncing around in the back of the country fire-engine, he's about to start driving it! At just 22-years-old - less than half the age of many of his colleagues - he's set to thunder through the narrow streets of one of England's most beautiful medieval towns and speed out across the glorious Shropshire countryside. But while his responsibilities are changing fast, almost everything else in Malcolm's life stays the same. Despite facing his fair share of car accidents, house and farm fires, he still seems to spend an awful lot of time answering a string of unlikely and unexpected emergency calls. He rescues shortsighted dogs from frozen lakes, newborn lambs from flooded golf-courses, a pair of angry cows from a busy dual carriageway - and even a hot-footed hamster from a burning cage. Backed up by a heartwarming cast of fellow firemen, Malcolm's enthusiasm for his job and his life are as infectious as ever. So whether it is cats up trees or trees on cars, follow Malcolm as he takes to the wheel for another crazy year in the country fire brigade.Told with the same gentle humour as his first book, ALL FIRED UP, and full of even more extraordinary real-life anecdotes, Shropshire's longest-serving fireman is back - a little older, a little wiser, and even more convinced he has the best job in the world.A Shirt Box Full of Songs: The Autobiography
By Barbara Dickson. 2009
From singing to the postman when she was two years old to her annual sell-out tours in the 2000s, Barbara…
Dickson has been captivating her fans for the best part of sixty years. In her autobiography she describes the joys of growing up in Fife with her talented brother and loving parents, of moving to Edinburgh to find her place in the world and the stresses and strains of trying to make a living on the Scottish folk scene. Not content to have just a successful singing career, she turned to another: acting. A regular on prime-time television, Barbara also took to musicals and was the original lead role in Spend, Spend, Spend. Her hugely successful time onstage earned her many acting accolades but her pursuit of perfection led to complete exhaustion from which she fought hard to recover. Barbara writes beautifully about the close relationships she cultivated over these years with people such as Willy Russell, Elaine Paige and Billy Connolly. The result is a warm, fascinating story encompassing the best of British music, stage and television.Medical Grade Music
By Steve Davis, Kavus Torabi. 2021
The story of two outsiders and obsessives whose collision prompted an evangelistic alliance on the furthest frontiers of underground music.Steve…
Davis first met Kavus Torabi - guitarist with Gong, Guapo, Cardiacs and Knifeworld - in the mid-2000's at a gig by French underground rock legends Magma. Over the next few years, this unlikely duo's shared affinity for visionary psychedelic music would become the foundation of not only a firm friendship, but also the most infectiously inclusive broadcasting style since the much-mourned death of John Peel. In their weekly radio shows and a one-of-a-kind live DJ roadshow which included a legendary appearance at Glastonbury, Steve and Kavus mapped out a musical landscape of rare enchantment, where the only passport needed was a pair of open ears. No-one, least of all Davis and Torabi themselves, was expecting the 6-time former World Snooker champion and a British-Iranian underground rock musician to become one of the most trusted brands in British alternative music.As Steve and Kavus were starting to get to grips with the challenge of their newfound status, events took a further unexpected turn. Suddenly they found themselves in a band together. And not just any band ... as two thirds of Britain's (if not the world's) leading harmonium, guitar and analogue synth power-trio (with Michael J.York of Coil)The Utopia Strong, the two friends found themselves plunging into a vortex of spontaneous compositional excitement. How Steve and Kavus pulled this off is just one of the many questions MEDICAL GRADE MUSIC will try to answer. Part sonic memoir, part Socratic dialogue, part gonzo mission to the heart of what makes music truly psychedelic this book is the first work of joint autobiography to ever trace the evolution of a life-changing friendship through the discographies of Gentle Giant and Voivod. From the chip-shops of Plumstead to the the wildest shores of Plymouth's nineties thrash scene. it's a funny and fearless buddy movie of the soul, with a soundtrack that will make your eyes bleed.Monty: The Autobiography
By Colin Montgomerie. 2012
The autobiography of Colin Montgomerie, the triumphant Ryder Cup captain and one of Britain's most successful golfers.Colin Montgomerie is a…
golfing legend. Ranked Europe's No. 1 for an unparalleled seven years in a row, he is equally renowned as a player of great passion. The son of a keen Scottish golfing family, Colin was already showing his prodigious talent as a young boy. After completing his education in America, where he benefited from a golf scholarship, Colin turned professional in 1987, beginning a truly remarkable career.Even with more than 40 international tournament victories and eight European Order of Merit titles to his name, Monty is perhaps best known for his amazing contributions to the European Ryder Cup team, eight times as a player, winning five times and undefeated in singles, and most recently as a victorious European Ryder Cup captain, amid unforgettable scenes at Celtic Manor in October 2010.Montgomerie's autobiography is the story of both a fantastic talent and a complex personality, and of a golfer who remains determined to add to his already impressive achievements. It is a book about one of the greatest golfing characters in the world trying to achieve a personal and professional balance. And it is about a true hero of the Ryder Cup.Our East End: Memories of Life in Disappearing Britain
By Piers Dudgeon. 2008
This ebook edition contains the full text version as per the book. Doesn't include original photographic and illustrated material. This…
oral history of London's East End spans the period after the First World War to the upsurge of prosperity at the beginning of the 60s - a time which saw fresh waves of immigrants in the area, the Fascist marches of the 30s and its spirited recovery after virtual obliteration during the Blitz. Piers Dudgeon has listened to dozens of people who remember this fiercely proud quarter to record their real-life experiences of what it was like before it was fashionable to buy a home in the Docklands. They talk of childhood and education, of work and entertainment, of family, community values, health, politics, religion and music. Their stories will make you laugh and cry. It is people's own memories that make history real and this engrossing book captures them vividly.They Can't Take That Away from Me: Musical Memories That Colour Our Lives
By Jackie McGregor. 2011
Does a particular song take you back to a certain time and place? More than 100 A-list celebrities were asked…
what songs bring back special memories. Film star Joan Collins The Way You Look Tonight reminds her of the first dance at her wedding to Percy Gibson. TV presenter Richard Madeley remembers playing guitar at the local folk club when he hears American Pie by Don McLean. Pavarotti's rendition of Nessun Dorma sets off memories of the 1990 World Cup for Gary Lineker Joanna Lumley thinks of her childhood in the Far East whenever she hears Nat King Cole singing Stardust. Music is one of the most evocative forces on earth. A whole cascade of memories can be brought on by a single tune. They Can't Take That Away From Me is a musical memory tour with the stars to a place where it is yesterday once more.Celebrities include Kim Catrall, Denise Welch, Cliff Richard, Dame Judi Dench, Graham Norton, Joanna Lumley, Joan Collins, Chris Tarrant, David Soul, Jane McDonald, Michael Aspel, Lorraine Kelly, Alan Titchmarsh,Neil Sedaka, Daniel O'Donnell, Gary Lineker, Noel Edmonds, Paul O Grady, Richard Madeley, Angela Griffin, Michael Palin, Rula Lenska, Adele Parks, Joanna Trollope and Lynda BellinghamAll of Me: My Extraordinary Life - The Most Recent Autobiography by Barbara Windsor
By Barbara Windsor. 2000
THE HEART-WARMING AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY BARBARA WINDSOR CHRONICLING HER EARLY CHILDHOOD IN LONDON'S EAST END TO RECEIVING A DBE IN 2000'A…
whopping, no-holds-barred rollercoaster of a book' Mail on Sunday`Barbara Windsor emerges from these pages as a personality both strong and sunny' Sunday TelegraphBorn in the East End of London just before the war, Barbara Windsor made her first stage appearance at the age of 13. From her early roles as the original Carry On dolly bird to her longest role as Peggy Mitchell in the award-winning BBC drama EastEnders, her spectacular success in theatre, film and TV has made her a British icon - the Cockney kid with a dazzling smile and talent to match.Here, for the first time, she talks in depth about the people and events that have shaped her career: her lonely childhood, her doomed marriage to Ronnie Knight, her legendary affairs, how she never let her fans down whatever her personal anguish. This is the heart-warming story of a courageous woman and consummate performer who has always made sure the show goes on.'By living up to its title alone it makes a nonsense of every other showbiz bleat 'n' brag ever put to paper' Julie Burchill'Infinitely more interesting than the sentimental schmaltz we have read about her before' Lynn Barber, Daily TelegraphTodo in Tuscany: the dog at the villa
By Louise Badger, Lawrence Kershaw. 2012
A dream house in Tuscany . . . and a dog named Todo.Todo had been waiting at Poggiolino since his mistress…
died over two years before. The house lay empty and neglected and yet he wouldn't leave. He seemed to know that someday the right people would come along and make it a home again.Louise and Lawrence weren't thinking of buying the very first house they looked at in Tuscany. In fact, their plans to move from London were barely formed . . . but there was something enchanting about the dog waiting at the gates. If they were honest, they wanted Todo - the scruffy dog with the huge grin - as much as they wanted the house. With Todo as their faithful companion they began to restore Poggiolino to life, unlocking her secrets and giving Todo, their beloved dog, a second chance.A heart-warming memoir of moving country, making a new life and coming home.A Swim-on Part in the Goldfish Bowl
By Carol Thatcher. 2008
Carol Thatcher has one of the most famous surnames in the world. The daughter of former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher,…
Carol is a national treasure with a unique story to tell. Her remarkable mixture of bravery, honesty and humour won her a place in the nation's hearts on ITV's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here...! when millions of viewers voted her the second 'Queen of the Jungle'. In this candid memoir, she tells us about what it was like to grow up as the 'Milk Snatcher's' daughter, sister of the infamous Mark, living a life she describes as a 'swim-on part in the goldfish bowl'. Her tales of behind-the-scenes at Number 10, her extraordinary travels, and dinners with world leaders, are both rivetingly funny and refreshingly revealing. This Ebook does not contain pictures.The Honour and the Shame
By John Kenneally Vc. 2008
Many years after becoming the youngest person ever to be awarded the VC for attacking a company of Panzer Grenadiers…
on his own - an action that proved a turning point in one of the major battles of the Second World War - John Kenneally made an extraordinary confession. The courageous hero of the Irish Guards, who had taken on a whole company single-handed was not, in fact, John Kenneally at all, but Leslie Jackson, the illegitimate son of Neville Blond and Gertrude Robinson (a 'high-class whore'), who had deserted his former regiment, the Honourable Artillery Company. In THE HONOUR AND THE SHAME, he tells his story with great verve and frankness - a story of riotous living, great courage on the front line, and intense loyalties. Full of the escapades of battle - from the triumphant Tunisian campaign to the bloodbath of Anzio - and the many adventures of a freewheeling youth, THE HONOUR AND THE SHAME is a vivid portrait of a fascinating man.The End of Your Life Book Club
By Will Schwalbe. 2012
'A wonderful book about wonderful books and mothers and sons and the enduring braid between them.' - Mitch Albom, author…
of Tuesdays With Morrie'a true meditation on what books can do.' - Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber EyesMary Anne Schwalbe is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when Will casually asks her what she's reading. The conversation they have grows into tradition: soon they are reading the same books so they can have something to talk about in the hospital waiting room. Their choices range from classic (Howards End) to popular (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), from fantastic (The Hobbit) to spiritual (Jon Kabat-Zinn), with many more in between. We hear their passion for reading and their love for each other in their intimate and searching discussions. The End of Your Life Book Club is a profoundly moving testament to the unconditional love between a child and parent, and the power of reading in our lives.A Lot of Hard Yakka
By Simon Hughes. 1997
Between 1980 and 1993, Simon Hughes was a regular on the county circuit, playing for Middlesex until 1991 before moving…
on to Durham at the end of his career. In that time, he played alongside some of the great characters in cricket: Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting, Phil Edmonds and Ian Botham. This is not an autobiography of a good county pro, but a look at the ups and downs, the lifestyle, the practical jokes and sheer hard yakka that make such a poorly paid, insecure job appeal to so many. Now a respected journalist and broadcaster, Simon Hughes has written a brilliant, amusing and wrily self-depracating book, packed with hilarious and embarrassing anecdotes about some of the greatest cricketers of the last 20 years.Staring at Lakes: A Memoir Of Love, Melancholy And Magical Thinking
By Michael Harding. 2013
Throughout his life, Michael Harding has lived with a sense of emptiness - through faith, marriage, fatherhood and his career…
as a writer, a pervading sense of darkness and unease remained.When he was fifty-eight, he became physically ill and found himself in the grip of a deep melancholy. Here, in this beautifully written memoir, he talks with openness and honesty about his journey: leaving the priesthood when he was in his thirties, settling in Leitrim with his artist wife, the depression that eventually overwhelmed him, and how, ultimately, he found a way out of the dark, by accepting the fragility of love and the importance of now.Staring at Lakes started out as a book about depression. And then became a story about growing old, the essence of love and marriage - and sitting in cars, staring at lakes.Our Glasgow: Memories of Life in Disappearing Britain
By Piers Dudgeon. 2009
This ebook edition contains the full text version as per the book. Doesn't include original photographic and illustrated material. This…
oral history of Glasgow spans most of the last century - a time of economic downturn and eventual renewal, in which the many communities making up the city experienced upheavals that tore some apart and brought others closer together. It tells of the beating heart of no mean city in the words of the people who made it what it is. Piers Dudgeon has listened to dozens of people who remember the city as it was, and who have lived through its many changes. They talk of childhood and education, of work and entertainment, of family, community values, health, politics, religion and music. Their stories will make you laugh and cry. It is people's own memories that make history real and this engrossing book captures them vividly.We Have a Good Time ... Don't We?: A Regular Human Girl Decides
By Maeve Higgins. 2012
In her hilarious debut, Maeve Higgins smashes the brittle veneer on the creme brulée of life and hands around spoons,…
so we can all taste the delicious absurdity that lies beneath. She then promises to stop making terrible food analogies about everything.From terrifying hen nights, malevolent dolphins and angry bakers, to runaway cats, a stalker who won't commit and the curse of over-politeness, Maeve writes with warmth and wit about what it's like to be a regular human girl. We Have a Good Time...Don't We? introduces a strikingly original voice that celebrates the truth of what we really feel about ourselves through these hilarious and perceptive snapshots of life.Walking with Sausage Dogs
By Matt Whyman. 2012
Keeping pets is a lovely idea. When building a family, they complement the kids. But what happens when things get…
out of hand? For writer and house husband, Matt Whyman, it's a case of catastrophe management in coping with four children and all the ill-advised animals amassed by his career wife, Emma. Just as Matt gets to grips with managing her two maxed out minipigs, she falls for a miniature Dachshund - the kind of dog he wouldn't be seen dead with. Hercules isn't big or clever, but Emma is determined. She'll do everything, she promises... From the author of Pig in the MiddleFrom the stars of A Christmas Gift from Bob, now a major motion picture with Luke Treadaway, the incredible and…
heartwarming sequel to the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob. 'Close proximity to animals does wonders for your mental health. Close proximity to this book will do wonders for it, too.' (Daily Mail)* * * * * * *'Since Bob has appeared, I've made huge strides in my life. For more than a decade I was a homeless drug addict. I was lost to the world and had forgotten what was important in life. Now I've got myself back on my two feet, but as I put the past behind me, I'm still stepping unsteadily into the future. I still need help in the right direction. Bob is always there to offer guidance and friendship.' (James, on Bob)James and his street cat Bob have been on a remarkable journey together. In the years since their story ended in the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, James, with Bob's help, has begun to find his way back to the real world.Almost every day, Bob provides moments of intelligence, bravery and humour, at the same time opening his human friend's eyes to important truths about friendship, loyalty, trust - and the meaning of happiness. In The World According to Bob, the continuing tale of their life together, James shows the many ways in which Bob has been his protector and guardian angel through times of illness, hardship, even life-threatening danger. As they high five together for their crowds of admirers, James knows that the tricks he's taught Bob are nothing compared to the lessons he's learnt from his street-wise cat.For more stories from James and Bob's adventures, don't miss The Little Book of Bob, a pocket-friendly compilation of wisdom from the world's favourite street-wise cat.Tuffers' Cricket Tales: Stories to get you excited for the Ashes
By Phil Tufnell. 1994
Get excited for the 2017-18 Ashes series with this wonderful collection of wacky and hilarious anecdotes from the man who…
is never stumped for a good cricketing story, Phil Tufnell. A deliciously eccentric series of anecdotes, Tuffers' Cricket Tales is a Sunday Times bestseller. Phil Tufnell, aka 'Tuffers', is the much-loved English cricketer from the 1990s who has now become one of this country's favourite broadcasters. Not cast from the same mould as other players of his generation, Tufnell became a cult figure for his unorthodox approach to the game ... and to life in general. Tuffers' Cricket Tales is a collection of the great man's favourite cricket stories that will amuse and inform in equal measure. Tufnell's unmistakably distinctive voice, as heard to such good effect on Test Match Special, steers fans through dozens and dozens of terrifically entertaining and insightful anecdotes, garnered from his 25-year playing and broadcasting career. He introduces a cast of genuinely colourful characters found in dressing-rooms and commentary boxes from around the world, and in the process offers a uniquely warm and quirky homage to his sport. A perfect gift for all cricket fans.Raves for Tuffers' Cricket Tales: 'Hilarious' (Daily Star Sunday); 'Amusing' (All Out Cricket); 'Deliciously eccentric' (Lytham St Anne's Express)Five star reader reviews for Tuffers' Cricket Tales:'Just like having Tuffers reading it to you. A well written book, a vivid imagination and lots of stories to make you laugh''This book proves once and for all that Tuffers is a national treasure. The beauty of this book is that even people who only like cricket a little, love Tuffers a lot. A winner''This book is an absolute hoot. There's a funny story pretty much on every single page, and the warmth of Tuffers' heart shines through. An absolute must for all cricket fans'The after life: a memoir
By Kathleen Stewart. 2008
Kathleen Stewart has published novels, short stories and poetry, yet nothing she has produced so far could have prepared readers…
for her memoir The After life. Centred on the author's experiences in her last year at school, which included drug addiction, a feverish love affair, a suicide attempt, and a mysteriously calm interlude in a psychiatric hospital, it also reaches both back and forward in an attempt to come to terms with her father's successful suicide and with the presence of her brilliant, charismatic and utterly self-absorbed mother.