Biography

Born and raised in the South Yorkshire mining village of Hoyland Common, Richard Hines remembers heaps of coal dust, listening out (read more)

Born and raised in the South Yorkshire mining village of Hoyland Common, Richard Hines remembers heaps of coal dust, listening out for the colliery siren at the end of shifts and praying for his father's safe return. When he failed his eleven-plus it seemed all too likely that he would follow in his father's footsteps and end up working in the pits - unlike his older brother Barry, who had passed the exam to grammar school and seemed to be heading for great things. Crushed by this, Richard spent his time in the fields and meadows beyond the slag heap.

One morning, walking in the grounds of a ruined medieval manor, he came across a nest of kestrels. Instantly captivated, he sought out ancient falconry texts from the local library and pored over the strange and beautiful language there. With just these books, some ingenuity and his profound respect for the hawk's indomitable wildness, Richard learned to 'man', or train, his kestrel, Kes, and in the process found the passion that would shape his future. (hide)

Lena Dunham, acclaimed writer-director-star of HBO and Sky Atlantic's 'Girls' and the award-winning movie 'Tiny Furniture', displays (read more)

Lena Dunham, acclaimed writer-director-star of HBO and Sky Atlantic's 'Girls' and the award-winning movie 'Tiny Furniture', displays her unique powers of observation, wisdom and humour in this exceptional collection of essays. "If I could take what I've learned and make one menial job easier for you, or prevent you from having the kind of sex where you feel you must keep your sneakers on in case you want to run away during the act, then every misstep of mine was worthwhile. I'm already predicting my future shame at thinking I had anything to offer you, but also my future glory in having stopped you from trying an expensive juice cleanse or thinking that it was your fault when the person you are dating suddenly backs away, intimidated by the clarity of your personal mission here on earth.

No, I am not a sexpert, a psychologist, or a dietician. I am not a mother of three or the owner of a successful hosiery franchise. But I am a girl with a keen interest in having it all, and what follows are hopeful dispatches from the frontlines of that struggle." (hide)

In his New York Times bestselling memoir, A Work in Progress, Connor Franta shared his journey from small-town Midwestern boy to (read more)

In his New York Times bestselling memoir, A Work in Progress, Connor Franta shared his journey from small-town Midwestern boy to full-fledged Internet sensation. Exploring his past with humor and astounding insight, Connor reminded his fans of why they first fell in love with him on YouTube-and revealed to newcomers how he relates to his millions of dedicated followers. Now, two years later, Connor is ready to bring to light a side of himself he's rarely shown on or off camera.

In this diary-like look at his life since A Work In Progress, Connor talks about his battles with clinical depression, social anxiety, self-love, and acceptance; his desire to maintain an authentic self in a world that values shares and likes over true connections; his struggles with love and loss; and his renewed efforts to be in the moment-with others and himself. Told through short essays, letters to his past and future selves, poetry, and original photography, Note to Self is a raw, in-the-moment look at the fascinating interior life of a young creator turning inward in order to move forward.
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'A deeply honest and brave portrait of of an individual sensibility reckoning with her country's violent role in the world.' Hisham (read more)

'A deeply honest and brave portrait of of an individual sensibility reckoning with her country's violent role in the world.' Hisham Matar, New York Times Book ReviewIn the wake of the 11th September attacks and the US-led invasion of Iraq, Suzy Hansen, who grew up in an insular conservative town in New Jersey, was enjoying early success as a journalist for a high-profile New York newspaper. Increasingly, though, the disconnect between the chaos of world events and the response at home took on pressing urgency for her. Seeking to understand the Muslim world that had been reduced to scaremongering headlines, she moved to Istanbul.Hansen arrived in Istanbul with romantic ideas about a mythical city perched between East and West, and with a naive sense of the Islamic world beyond.

Over the course of her many years of living in Turkey and traveling in Greece, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Iran, she learned a great deal about these countries and their cultures and histories and politics. But the greatest, most unsettling surprise would be what she learned about her own country?and herself, an American abroad in the era of American decline. It would take leaving her home to discover what she came to think of as the two Americas: the country and its people, and the experience of American power around the world. (hide)

Wilbur Smith has lived an incredible life of adventure, and now he shares the extraordinary true stories that have inspired his fiction. (read more)

Wilbur Smith has lived an incredible life of adventure, and now he shares the extraordinary true stories that have inspired his fiction. I've been writing novels for over fifty years. I was lucky enough to miss the big wars and not get shot, but lucky enough to grow up among the heroes who had served in them and learn from their example.

I have lucked into things continuously. I have done things which have seemed appalling at the time, disastrous even, but out of them has come another story or a deeper knowledge of human character and the ability to express myself better on paper and write books which people enjoy reading. Along the way, I have lived a life that I could never have imagined. (hide)

'Axel Linden is a shepherd-philosopher with James Herriot's knack for mishap and an almost Chekhovian deadpan humour.' Observer'Endearing (read more)

'Axel Linden is a shepherd-philosopher with James Herriot's knack for mishap and an almost Chekhovian deadpan humour.' Observer'Endearing and liberating.' Idler Magazine'A sublime little book.' Cotswold LifeWhy do we keep sheep? Alex Linden ruminates as he watches his sheep ruminating. Naive and inexperienced, he has ditched his doctoral studies in order to move to a fully working farm in the country with his family, where he is tasked with the responsibility of caring for a herd of sheep. Linden records his new life in his diary, as he tries to manage life on the farm, the ever-escaping sheep and the trials and tribulations that come with being a shepherd - shearing, lambing and confronting the slaughterhouse. (hide)

Want to know what really goes on during an Olly Murs UK tour? Then get the lowdown in my new book, On The Road - the official, uncensored, (read more)

Want to know what really goes on during an Olly Murs UK tour? Then get the lowdown in my new book, On The Road - the official, uncensored, up close and personal story of 2015's Never Been Better UK adventure. Packed with 200 exclusive pictures, this fly-on-the-wall release captures all the excitement and drama of a 27-gig trip around the country, including the jokes, arguments, heartbreaks and giggles, with some parties thrown in along the way. You could say it's an exclusive insight into all the hard work that goes into putting on a nationwide tour for the best fans in the world.

That's not all, though. Keep your eyes peeled for several special guest appearances from the likes of Robbie Williams, Jonathan Ross and the comedians, Russell Brand and John Bishop. One or two Premier League footballers rock up in the story, and I fall victim to a few terrible practical jokes. (hide)

ON THE ROAD: GROWING UP IN EIGHT JOURNEYS - MY EARLY YEARS is a new form of autobiography, in which TOP GEAR presenter Richard Hammond (read more)

ON THE ROAD: GROWING UP IN EIGHT JOURNEYS - MY EARLY YEARS is a new form of autobiography, in which TOP GEAR presenter Richard Hammond tells the story of his early life through a series of significant driving episodes. He's a child in the back seat of Dad's car on the way to the seaside in Weston-Super-Mare. He's on his first bike, a red one, in Solihull, then on his first motorcycle, a Honda MTX50.

He's at the wheel of his first car (and in the back with his first girlfriend). He is driving a furniture delivery van as part of his first job in and around Ripon. Now he is showing off with a friend, risking everything.

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ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE, Channel 4's Bafta-winning documentary series has been a critical and popular smash-hit. And in January 2012, (read more)

ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE, Channel 4's Bafta-winning documentary series has been a critical and popular smash-hit. And in January 2012, we'll be back on the maternity ward for fourteen brand-new, thrilling episodes. In this wonderful book, midwives Maria Dore and Ros Bradbury look back over their careers and reveal the extraordinary experiences that fill every their working day - from first-time mums with unusual birth plans to overwhelmed dads who end up on the delivery room floor.

And, of course, the beautiful babies who make it all worthwhile. Maria explains, 'To be part of anyone's birth experience is just the best. You never quite get over that miracle.

Now updated to include the latest news of babies born during Series 2. (hide)

4o years with the krays is the untold, intimate history of the twins and the woman who raised them. Told with humour and insight, (read more)

4o years with the krays is the untold, intimate history of the twins and the woman who raised them. Told with humour and insight, it looks back across the decades at the life of this close knit, notorious East End family. Maureen Flanagan, a then 20 year old hairdresser started visiting the Kray family home in Vallance Road each week to give the twins' mother, Violet, her weekly shampoo and set.

Over the cups of tea and the rollers and hairpins, Violet began to confide in 'Flan' about her life, her incredible pride in her twins, the celebrities who visited her at their humble East End home - and her troubled relationship with her husband. (hide)