Biography

With a foreword by Eddy Merckx The world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring (read more)

With a foreword by Eddy Merckx The world of professional cycling is fraught with fierce competition, fervent dedication and unerring ambition, and only a handful of competitors reach iconic status. Among them is Sir Bradley Wiggins - a man uniquely placed to reflect on the history of this remarkable sport and its unforgettable titans. In Icons, Wiggins takes the reader on an extraordinarily intimate journey through the sport, presenting key pieces from his never-before-seen collection of memorabilia.

Over the course of his illustrious career, he amassed hundreds of items - often gifts from its greatest and most controversial figures. Each reflects an icon, a race or a moment that fundamentally influenced Wiggins on both a personal and professional level. By exploring the lives and achievements of 21 of the sport's key figures - among them Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Indurain and Tom Simpson - Wiggins sheds new light on what professional cycling demands of its best competitors. (hide)

From starring as the ruthlessly ingenious drug lord 'Stringer' Bell in the iconic HBO series The Wire, to playing Madiba himself (read more)

From starring as the ruthlessly ingenious drug lord 'Stringer' Bell in the iconic HBO series The Wire, to playing Madiba himself in the long-awaited biopic of Nelson Mandela, it has been some journey for Idris Elba. From humble beginnings, a second generation immigrant born in Hackney, London, Elba set up his own wedding DJ business at the age of 14 but, encouraged by his drama teacher to pursue his natural talent, won a place at the National Youth Music Theatre. Although possessed of a brooding screen presence which served him so well as DCI John Luther in the BBC's terrifying crime drama series Luther, 2016 will show a whole new side to Idris as he forays into the voice acting world as villainous tiger Shere Khan in The Jungle Book remake and even a role in Pixar centrepiece Finding Dory.

He inhabits each role as if he were born to play it. But what of the man himself? In this, the only biography of the onscreen legend, Nadia Cohen reveals Elba's life behind the lens, exploring what makes him so ambitious, adaptable and endlessly watchable. His charisma has won him admirers on both sides of the Atlantic, and the role of Bond may yet beckon.

Pub Date:07/07/2016 (hide)

The gripping life story of the great war correspondent Marie Colvin told by one of her closest friendsMarie Colvin was glamorous, (read more)

The gripping life story of the great war correspondent Marie Colvin told by one of her closest friendsMarie Colvin was glamorous, hard-drinking, braver than the boys, with a troubled and rackety personal life. She reported from the most dangerous places in the world and her anecdotes about encounters with figures like Colonel Gaddafi and Yasser Arafat were incomparable. She was much admired, and as famous for her wild parties as for the extraordinary lengths to which she went to tell the story. (hide)

Christopher Lloyd has been writing a weekly column in "Country Life" since 1963 and, until now, this wealth of garden literature (read more)

Christopher Lloyd has been writing a weekly column in "Country Life" since 1963 and, until now, this wealth of garden literature has been denied to a wider public. There are many garden writers, but few whose work can be considered to have the status of literature. There is only one who has achieved this at the same time as delivering horticultural information which enlightens even the most erudite of plantsmen, and that is Christopher Lloyd.

His prose is exciting; his knowledge is vast; his ideas are provocative, and what is the true test of a writer who has transcended his medium, he makes you laugh out loud. In this selection from the storehouse of Christopher Lloyd's prose it will be apparent to what a high degree he has influenced gardening in our times. The book will capture the essence of Christopher Lloyd and of his garden at Great Dixter. (hide)

This is my life, not the stuff you've seen, but the things you haven't. This is my childhood growing up in the West Country, my struggles, (read more)

This is my life, not the stuff you've seen, but the things you haven't. This is my childhood growing up in the West Country, my struggles, my doubts and my hopes. It's the people I've met in my seventeen years in Formula One, many of whom I've loved, some of whom I definitely haven't.

It's the laughs I've shared, the battles I've fought, some on the track with rivals and friends like Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. It's the pressure I struggled with as I closed in on my World Championship in 2009, it's the calm I felt every time I settled into the cockpit. It's my dad - the many times he saved me, the one moment he doubted me, the hole in my life he left me. (hide)

Once upon a time, the London theatre was a charming mirror held up to cosiness. Then came Joan Littlewood, smashing the glass, blasting (read more)

Once upon a time, the London theatre was a charming mirror held up to cosiness. Then came Joan Littlewood, smashing the glass, blasting the walls, letting the wind of life blow in a rough, but ready, world. Today, we remember this irresistible force with love and gratitude.' (Peter Brook) Along with Peter Brook, Joan Littlewood, affectionately termed 'The Mother of Modern Theatre', has come to be known as the most galvanising director of mid-twentieth-century Britain, as well as a founder of so many of the practices of contemporary theatre.

The best-known work of Littlewood's company, Theatre Workshop, included the development and premieres of Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey, Brendan Behan's The Hostage and The Quare Fellow, and the seminal Oh What A Lovely War. This autobiography, originally published in 1994, offers an unparalleled first-hand account of Littlewood's extraordinary life and career, from illegitimate child in south-east London to one of the most influential directors and practitioners of our times. It is published along with an introduction by Philip Hedley CBE, previously Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East and Assistant Director to Joan Littlewood. (hide)

John Muir is regarded as the 'father of America's national parks' and is a towering figure in the history of that country's involvement (read more)

John Muir is regarded as the 'father of America's national parks' and is a towering figure in the history of that country's involvement with ecology. Born into a harsh home in Dunbar, Scotland he would often escape to revel in the birds and wildlife of the area. When his father suddenly uprooted the family and moved to the United States, the oppression he associated with his childhood continued - and so did his involvement with the natural world.

Despite the difficulty of his formative years Muir grew up to be a man of great joy - first an inventor and then an explorer, he found his haven in the mountains of Sierra Nevada. He was a fascinating character: on the one hand a recluse, who sought solitude, and on the other a passionate activist, determined to save the places he loved. A strong believer in both God and the essential goodness of humanity, he was the founder and first president of the Sierra Club.
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Get your backstage pass at the ready as you go behind the scenes with Justin Bieber, in his brand new book - 100% official - and (read more)

Get your backstage pass at the ready as you go behind the scenes with Justin Bieber, in his brand new book - 100% official - and discover what life is really like as the world's hottest pop star! Justin Bieber has come a long way from being your average school kid, busking on the streets of the small town of Stratford, Ontario, in Canada. And he wouldn't be where he is today without his legion of loyal Beliebers - who have been with him every step of the way on this incredible journey. Now Justin wants to give something back to you, his very special fan - a VIP backstage peek at life behind the scenes, in his incredible new book.

Starting from the first night of his debut world tour, Justin invites you to follow him on his rollercoaster ride to superstardom - as he visits the far corners of the globe, makes his very own movie, records his new album, wins numerous awards and pens a bestselling book, to name just a few of the amazing feats he's achieved over the past few years. Justin Bieber: Just Getting Started is an exclusive peek inside Justin's phenomenal world. You'll share in the highs and lows of life on the road, reading Justin's innermost thoughts and feelings as he navigates life in the limelight. (hide)

The fascinating life story of professional cricketer Kevin Pietersen, MBE, from his childhood in South Africa to his recent experiences (read more)

The fascinating life story of professional cricketer Kevin Pietersen, MBE, from his childhood in South Africa to his recent experiences as one of the leading lights in the world of international cricket. Kevin was dropped from the England squad in February 2014, seemingly calling time on an international career that began nearly ten years earlier. The decision puzzled many observers - although the England team had failed miserably in the Ashes tour of 2013-14, Kevin was the tourists' leading run scorer across the series, and he remains the country's highest run scorer of all time across all formats of the game.

Kevin reveals all in his autobiography, telling the stories behind the many other highs and lows of his incredible career. Giving readers the full story of his life, from his childhood in South Africa to his experiences as one of the leading lights in the world of international cricket, KP is an autobiography that entertains and fascinates readers in equal measure. (hide)

Admitting you're a bell-end is the first step to salvation...KSI is one of the biggest and baddest YouTube stars on the planet. With (read more)

Admitting you're a bell-end is the first step to salvation...KSI is one of the biggest and baddest YouTube stars on the planet. With over a billion views and millions of subscribers to his name, he is the undisputed king of social media. But despite this success he is a self-confessed bell-end.

Excessively posting selfies, oversharing about his dead nan, spending all day scouring Tinder and suffering from red-hot Fifa rage, are just some of his undesirable online habits. However, with acceptance comes salvation and now KSI is blowing the doors off the internet to find the cure. No one is spared, as KSI takes down fellow YouTubers, trolls, paedos, Tinder catfishers and Nigerian scammers in an all-out assault on the online universe. (hide)