Biography

Once hailed by John Osborne as `the greatest actor since Brando', latterly known as a ruined genius whose unpredictable, hellraising (read more)

Once hailed by John Osborne as `the greatest actor since Brando', latterly known as a ruined genius whose unpredictable, hellraising behaviour was legendary, Nicol Williamson always went his own way. Openly dismissive of `technical' actors, or others who played The Bard as if `their finger was up their arse', Williamson tore up the rule book to deliver a fast-talking canon of Shakespearean heroes, with portrayals marked by gut-wrenching passion. According to one co-star, Williamson was like a tornado on stage - `he felt he was paddling for his life'. (hide)

Hollywood legend and British national treasure Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills that life has taught (read more)

Hollywood legend and British national treasure Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills that life has taught him in his remarkable career - and now his 85th year. One of our best-loved actors Michael Caine has starred in a huge range of films - including all-time favourites - from the classic British movies Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job to the Hollywood blockbusting Dark Knight trilogy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hannah and Her Sisters and Cider House Rules. Caine has excelled in every kind of role - with a skill that's made it look easy.
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Jennifer Saunders' comic creations have brought joy to millions. From Comic Strip to Comic Relief, from Bolly-swilling Edina in Ab (read more)

Jennifer Saunders' comic creations have brought joy to millions. From Comic Strip to Comic Relief, from Bolly-swilling Edina in Ab Fab to her takes on Madonna or Mamma Mia, her characters are household names. But it's Jennifer herself who has a place in all our hearts.

This is her funny, moving and frankly bonkers memoir, filled with laughter, friends and occasional heartache - but never misery. Bonkers is full of riotous adventures: accidentally enrolling on a teacher training course with a young Dawn French, bluffing her way to each BBC series, shooting Lulu, trading wild faxes with Joanna Lumley, touring India with Ruby Wax and Goldie Hawn. There's cancer, too, when she becomes 'Brave Jen'.
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When football legend Sir Stanley Matthews described England's 4-1 defeat of the Netherlands in Euro 96 as 'the best England performance (read more)

When football legend Sir Stanley Matthews described England's 4-1 defeat of the Netherlands in Euro 96 as 'the best England performance I have seen in years', coach Terry Venables knew he had achieved what he had set out to do. It was his most thrilling experience in football, and a moment that brought the nation together. Football had truly come home, and Venables had plotted the route.

After more than 50 years at the top of the game, Venables has developed an unparalleled reputation as one of the most innovative coaches this country has ever produced. He recalls his early days as a player making his way in the Swinging Sixties of London, when showbiz and football first began to mix. But he was always destined for a career in management, and there soon followed a golden period of success. (hide)

The international Number One bestseller. Over a million copies sold in the English language. Published in 23 foreign languages. `A (read more)

The international Number One bestseller. Over a million copies sold in the English language. Published in 23 foreign languages.

`A heartfelt memoir . . .

there is a fearlessness to his prose, a willingness to engage with his past, that chimes with his songwriter's desire to give voice to the people around him' Sunday Times "Writing about yourself is a funny business...But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I've tried to do this." -Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of Born to Run In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl's halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. (hide)

In 2015, Iain Hollis embarked on a 4,000 mile solo cycling adventure around Europe. Medically retired with a broken ankle, after (read more)

In 2015, Iain Hollis embarked on a 4,000 mile solo cycling adventure around Europe. Medically retired with a broken ankle, after spending 23 years in the police, the 46-year-old former Royal Marine Commando spent 95 days on the road. Towing a trailer loaded with kit, his travels took him from France, over the Austrian Alps and right down to the Black Sea in Bulgaria.

Camping each night in any available cover and cooking on a portable stove, he witnessed all kinds of things. The return route through Ukraine, Poland and Estonia culminated with a ferry crossing to Sweden before he flew home after an epic journey spanning 26 countries. The ride was a kind of self-help therapy to a troubled individual.

Rejected by his mum after his parents' divorce and cruelly abused by his stepmother, Iain was placed in a children's home at the age of 7. From a long-term foster home, he joined the Marines at 16 and recalls his experiences in the desert, jungle and Arctic. He even shared a landing craft with Prince Philip and got a part as a movie extra, playing a German in Indiana Jones. (hide)

Meet Tim. For nearly a decade Tim kept his depression secret. It made him feel so weak and shameful he thought it would destroy his (read more)

Meet Tim. For nearly a decade Tim kept his depression secret. It made him feel so weak and shameful he thought it would destroy his whole life if anyone found out.

But an unexpected discovery by a loved one forced him to confront his illness and realise there was strength to be found in sharing his story with others. When he finally opened up to the world about what he was going through he discovered he was not alone. Boys Don't Cry is a book that speaks against the stigma that makes men feel like they are less-than for struggling, making sense of depression and anxiety for people who might not recognise those feelings in themselves or others. (hide)

For fans of ME ME ME, this is the next chapter in Charlotte Crosby's life - Celebrity Big Brother winner, MTV presenter, fitness (read more)

For fans of ME ME ME, this is the next chapter in Charlotte Crosby's life - Celebrity Big Brother winner, MTV presenter, fitness DVD and book bestseller and one of the UK's best loved and funniest reality stars.In the two years since ME ME ME, national sweetheart Charlotte Crosby could not have been busier. Her jam-packed TV schedule has included appearances on some of the nation's favourite shows such as Celebrity Juice and This Morning, she is the presenter of MTV's new hit show Just Tattoo of Us and is now the face of her very own make-up range, Flique. Here in BRAND NEW ME Charlotte talks us through an incredibly busy year, making us laugh as ever with her funny moments (like when her mum woke up on Christmas morning to find her passed out naked by her new swimming pool) but also opening up about the difficult months surrounding her shock departure from Geordie Shore, betrayal and her heartbreaking ectopic pregnancy.
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Where is your break point?Is it here? Facing the gruelling SAS selection process on one leg, with a busted ankle and the finish line (read more)

Where is your break point?Is it here? Facing the gruelling SAS selection process on one leg, with a busted ankle and the finish line nowhere in sight?Or here? Under heavy fire from armed kidnappers while protecting journalists en route to Baghdad. Or is it here? At the bottom of a bottle, with a family in pieces, unable to adapt to a civilian lifestyle, yearning for a warzone? Ex-Special Forces soldier and star of TV's SAS: Who Dares Wins, Ollie Ollerton has faced many break points in his life and now he tells us the vital lessons he has learnt.
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Cardinals, directors, dissidents, dons, judges, novelists, philosophers, prime ministers, scientists, world statesmen. . . Throughout (read more)

Cardinals, directors, dissidents, dons, judges, novelists, philosophers, prime ministers, scientists, world statesmen. . .

Throughout his long and distinguished career, Sir Anthony Kenny has encountered some of the most notable and influential leaders of the post-war world. In these brilliantly vivid vignettes Kenny offers telling and often unexpected insights into the achievements, flaws and foibles of sixty public figures--past and present--each of whom has contributed in decisive ways to British political, spiritual, and cultural heritage.
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