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…And What Do You Do?: What the royal family don’t want you to know
The royal family: the quintessential British institution or an antiquated, overindulged drain on the taxpayer?
For all their foibles and idiosyncrasies, the royal family wield considerable influence and yet rather than facing the scrutiny their position merits, they enjoy sickeningly obsequious coverage which reports their activities with breathless awe.
And What Do You Do? is a provocative and hard-hitting analysis, exposing the royals extravagant use of public money and the highly dubious behaviour of some among their number. Former Minister of State and current Privy Counsellor Norman Baker breaks ranks to explore the wider role the royals play in society, including the link with House of Lords reform and the constitutional position of the monarch.
Now fully updated to include new material on Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, this irreverent and uncompromising account asks urgent questions about the future of the world s most famous royal family.
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10 Scotland Street
This is a triumph. A love letter to the ghosts of Edinburgh. I feel its hand upon my shoulder. -Sara Sheridan
As a writer of fiction, I found myself itching to lift some of these characters from the page into the fertile fields of my own imagination. -Val McDermid
About the book
10 Scotland Street – the story of an Edinburgh home and its cast of booksellers, silk merchants, sailors, preachers, politicians, cholera and coincidence and its widespread connections over two centuries across the globe.
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£24.7910 Scotland Street
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2023 Planner 0815 “STOP”: “BLM” Productivity Journal with dozens of tools (Wheel of Life, 5-year plan, Eisenhower-Matrix, goal-setting quotes and scientific research)
We CARE about you!
.. and YOUR DREAMS MATTER TOO!
This special “BLM” edition is a 6×9 softcover bullet journal / 2023 productivity planner, with wheel of life, weekly overview, weekly check-ins, note pages, 250+ pages, everything you need to achieve your goals and dreams ins 2023, undated weekly views – start anytime of the year without losing pages.
Perfect gift for family and friends of your community to express your love & concern.
08/15 is a German expression for run-of-the-mill. Our planners, however, are everything but 0815. We put a lot of thought into our planners and notebooks and design them for all people, occasions, and interests.
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50 LGBTQI+ who changed the World
Marsha P. Johnson, Keith Haring, Harvey Milk, Audre Lorde, RuPaul… the names of pioneers and trailblazers who have advanced the LGBTQI+ cause and helped bring about new human rights. This book pays tribute in 50 portraits to the activists, personalities, writers and artists who have advanced the LGBTQI+ movement and celebrates those who have fought and are fighting every day to create a more inclusive and tolerant world.Read more
£14.20£17.1050 LGBTQI+ who changed the World
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A Brief History of the British Monarchy: From the Iron Age to King Charles III
The British monarchy is at a turning point. Concise and engaging, this book charts the very beginnings of British reign through to the longest serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – and looks forward to the reign of King Charles III.Much more than a linear history, this is the intertwined story of royalty and state, of divisions, invasions, rivalries, death and glory; the story of nation fates deeply tied with the personal endeavours of monarchs through the ages. Black expertly weaves together thematic chapters from the origins of monarchy, medieval times and sixteenth-century developments, to the crises of the seventeenth-century, settlement and imperialism, and the challenges of the modern age. Exploring the House of Wessex, the Norman Conquest, Henry VIII and the Tudors, Victorianism and key events such as abdication of Edward VIII, this book is a necessary and comprehensive guide to the British Monarchy and how it has shaped history – and our lives today.
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A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
‘It works extremely well. In large part because Bourdain is a very funny writer; sharp, honest and with a beguiling mix of belligerence and sensitivity’ Sunday Telegraph
‘Brilliantly written up in a raw, stylish gonzo prose, with pitch-black humour and a devilish turn of phrase’ Evening Standard
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Anthony Bourdain, life-long line cook and bestselling author of Kitchen Confidential, sets off to eat his way around the world.But being Anthony Bourdain, this was never going to be a conventional culinary tour. Bourdain heads out to Saigon where he eats the still-beating heart of a live cobra, and travels deep into landmined Khmer Rouge territory to find the rumoured Wild West of Cambodia (Pailin).
Other stops include dining with gangsters in Russia, a medieval pig slaughter and feast in northern Portugal, the Basque All Male Gastronomique Society in Saint Sebastian, rural Mexico with his Mexican sous-chef, a pilgrimage to the French Laundry in the Napa Valley and a return to his roots in the tiny fishing village of La Teste, where he first ate an oyster as a child.
Written with the inimitable machismo and humour that has made Tony Bourdain such a sensation, A Cook’s Tour is an adventure story sure to give you indigestion.
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£11.40£12.30A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal
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A Del of a Life: The hilarious #1 bestseller from the national treasure
THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER: a hilarious and heartfelt new autobiography from the national treasure Sir David Jason
‘There are British telly icons and then there is Sir David Jason. This book is such gold . . . an absolute delight’ ZOE BALL
___________________________‘During my life and career I have been given all sorts of advice and learned huge amounts from some great and enormously talented people. I’ve been blessed to play characters such as Derek Trotter, Granville, Pop Larkin and Frost, who have changed my life in all sorts of ways, and taught me lessons that go far beyond the television set. And I’ve worked a few things out for myself as well, about friendship, ambition, rejection, success, failure, adversity and fortune.
With any luck, some of these thoughts and observations will chime with episodes and challenges you have faced, or are facing, in your own life. And if they don’t. . . well, hopefully, at the very least you’ll get to have a good old laugh at my expense.
So lean back, pour yourself a glass, and try not to fall through the bar flap . . .’
___________________________‘An absolute delight . . . a romp with so much detail. Offers wisdom in difficult times . . . like being invited into his living room’ BBC BREAKFAST
‘It’s beautifully written . . . so conversational and chatty . . . it’s so lovely and warm’ CHRIS MOYLES
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A Doctor’s Path to Healing
A Doctor’s Path to Healing, is a poignant memoir chronicling a doctor’s extraordinary journey from loss and questioning to purpose and faith.
Raised on a farm in Northern Ireland, the author’s deep connection to nature and her father’s Christian influence shape her worldview. Despite battling chronic health issues and the death of her father, she embraces her faith and surrenders her life to Jesus, leading her to a career in medicine.
The doctor shares the challenges of living with multiple sclerosis and ankylosing spondylitis while remaining true to her calling. With unwavering faith and a wholehearted search for answers, she served as a general practitioner, finding strength despite her own physical pain. Miraculously, she experiences a divine healing, defying medical expectations.
Embracing Dr Audrey Gilchrist Johnston’s remarkable journey, you’ll be inspired to seek God’s healing touch, challenge false beliefs, and step into your own purpose. With profound insights as a former doctor, she navigates the complex relationship between medical treatments and divine intervention, offering wisdom and encouragement along the way.
Prepare to be uplifted and transformed by A Doctor’s Path to Healing, an extraordinary testament of faith, resilience, and the miraculous power of God’s healing touch. This doctor’s story serves as a beacon of hope, reminding us that with unwavering trust in the Lord, miracles can happen, and a life filled with purpose and divine restoration is within reach.
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A Gambling Man
Charles II was thirty when he crossed the Channel in fine May weather in 1660. His Restoration was greeted with maypoles and bonfires, like spring after long years of Cromwell’s rule. But there was no going back, no way he could ‘restore’ the old. Certainty had vanished. The divinity of kingship fled with his father’s beheading. ‘Honour’ was now a word tossed around in duels. ‘Providence’ could no longer be trusted. As the country was rocked by plague, fire and war, people searched for new ideas by which to live. Exactly ten years later Charles II would stand again on the shore at Dover, laying the greatest bet of his life in a secret deal with his cousin, Louis XIV.
The Restoration decade was one of experiment: from the science of the Royal Society to the startling role of credit and risk, from the shocking licence of the court to the failed attempts at toleration of different beliefs. Negotiating all these, Charles II, the ‘slippery sovereign’, played odds and took chances, dissembling and manipulating his followers. The theatres were restored, but the king was the supreme actor. Yet while his grandeur, his court and his colourful sex life were on display, his true intentions lay hidden.
A Gambling Man is a portrait of Charles II, exploring his elusive nature through the lens of these ten vital years – and a portrait of a vibrant, violent, pulsing world, racked with plague, fire and war, in which the risks the king took forged the fate of the nation, on the brink of the modern world.
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£12.20£14.20A Gambling Man
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A Heart That Works: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
In this memoir of loss, acclaimed writer and comedian Rob Delaney grapples with the fragile miracle of life, the mysteries of death, and the question of purpose for those left behind.When you’re a parent and your child gets hurt or sick, you not only try to help them get better but you also labour under the general belief that you can help them get better. That’s not always the case though. Sometimes the nurses and the doctors can’t fix what’s wrong. Sometimes children die.
Rob Delaney’s beautiful, bright, gloriously alive son Henry died. He was one when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. An experience beyond comprehension, but an experience Rob must share. Why does he feel compelled to talk about it, to write about it, to make people feel something like what he feels when he knows it will hurt them? Because, despite Henry’s death, Rob still loves people. For that reason, he wants them to understand.
A Heart That Works is an intimate, unflinching and fiercely funny exploration of loss – from the harrowing illness to the vivid, bodily impact of grief and the blind, furious rage that follows, through to the forceful, unstoppable love that remains.
This is the story of what happens when you lose a child, and everything you discover about life in the process.
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£9.00£10.40A Heart That Works: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
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A Ladybird Book About Donald Trump: Ladybirds for Grown-Ups
As we prepare to wave the President out of the White House, commemorate the past four years with this charming introduction to his very important life and his many, many friends – the perfect stocking filler this Christmas.
_________‘When Donald won the election, he did not believe it.
“This election was a bad, unfair election,” said Donald, about the election that he won.
One day, Donald might lose an election. He will not like that election at all.
And when Donald is told it is time to stop being the President, who knows what exciting things will happen next?’
_________‘Anyone can grow up to become the President.
Or they can become President first and think about growing up later.’
_________This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them.
Something the President himself could do with.
The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope.
Featuring original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text.
Praise for The Story of Brexit:
‘Hilarious’ Stylist
‘One of the Best Comedy Books of 2018’ The List
‘The latest offering in the hilarious Ladybird for Grown Ups series is a funny mickey-take of the Brexit debate (and boy, do we need some fun)’ Sunday Post
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A Love Letter to Football: From the Terraces to a Transplant and Back Again – The Perfect Stocking Filler for Football Fans this Christmas
“Profoundly moving, brilliantly written and beautifully observed, this is a Fever Pitch for our times, a wonderful antidote to the ills of modern football and a reminder of the power for good the game still wields.” — Oliver Holt, Chief Sports Writer, The Mail on SundayA Love Letter to Football is the story of how the beautiful game, from the litter-strewn pitches of the grassroots to packed stadiums at the top of the sport, can help carry us through our darkest days.
In 2016, Mark Davies was diagnosed with a rare and incurable blood cancer. A lifelong supporter of Middlesbrough Football Club, his devotion to the club and passion for a game so cherished by billions of people has been essential in helping him navigate the uncertainty of diagnosis and treatment. It’s been a fundamental part of his life in other ways too, from dealing with depression to fatherhood, not to mention some of the trials and tribulations of life’s broader challenges.
This honest, funny and entertaining account of a life-changing experience, love for a football club and the way the game has been a bedrock throughout his life underlines that football may not be more important than life and death, but the joy and ecstasy it can bring – even for a Middlesbrough fan – really can help when times are hard.
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A Teenager’s War: The true story of an 18 year old lad from Huddersfield fighting during WW2 in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the 5th … the Liberation of Europe…
This book is a tribute to my Uncle Jim, Private James Watson 14428202 5th Black Watch, 51st Highland Division. All the stories are true as they are based on War Records, Soldiers Diaries, conversations with Veterans of 51st Highland Division and family and friends. You can learn more about the Black Watch at www.theblackwatch.co.uk. The Black Watch Museum is housed in the dramatic and historic Balhousie Castle. The Castle is set in its own beautiful gardens and grounds. A visit to this ancestral home of The Black Watch brings this glorious Regiment’s past vibrantly to life.Read more
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A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition: 1926-2022 The Life and Reign of Her Majesty (Fox Chapel Publishing) Articles, Stunning Photos, Family Tree, Timelines,…
The most complete collection of in-depth content regarding Queen Elizabeth II.
- A commemorative keepsake and tribute to the childhood, life, royal family, and reign of Queen Elizabeth II
- Fascinating articles detailing historical events, major milestones, the royal family tree and timeline, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, her legacy, the modern monarchy, and more
- Never-before-seen photographs, stunning illustrations, timelines, family trees, and other insightful visuals
- Profiles of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Prince Philip, and other members of the royal family and line of succession
With these pages, we remember a queen who devoted herself to her country and the people within it.
In 1926, a princess was born in Mayfair, London. Named Elizabeth after her mother, she was third in line to the throne, but expected to be pushed further down the line of succession when her uncle had his own children. From the meeting and wedding of her parents in 1923 to her birth in 1926 and details of her childhood, upbringing, and education, read about the young princess who was originally third in line to the throne.
Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 at 25 years old after the death of her adored father. This tribute carefully details the monumental events that followed, including her coronation that took 18 months to plan, the birth of the Commonwealth, her influential role as one of the most experienced heads of state in the world, pivotal moments such as her iconic state visit to China in 1986 that improved relations between the two countries, and more.
In this touching tribute to one of Britain’s most loved monarchs, we explore the woman who has ruled over generations, her legacy, the history of her royal family, and more, with expertly written articles by the most knowledgeable historians and royal family experts, including Scott Reeves, June Woolerton, Jon Wright, and others.
A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition is the ultimate, jam-packed resource for history lovers and admirers of Queen Elizabeth II.
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A TROUBLED MIND: A journey through trauma and resilience
Originally published in 2016 as a Battle Within, A soldiers story. A troubled mind is a fully revised and updated version.
Synopsis. Born and raised in Newport, South Wales. A troubled mind follows Neil’s journey through some of life’s most stressful and traumatic events whilst living with OCD and anxiety. During some of his lowest times, he would also get a glimpse into the paranormal world that would give him hope and strength.
This is an inspiring true story of overcoming physical and mental endurance against the odds.Read more
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A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Life
In this delightful and engagingly eccentric treasury of life lessons, redoubtable Victorian Elspeth Marr (1871-1947) reflects on the fundamental topics of life as well as the nuts and bolts of everyday living.
Part journal, part commonplace book, among many gems you will find enlightenment and advice on everything from Dreams to Garlic; Patriotism to Wrinkles.
Written throughout her life but only discovered after her death, by her great-great nephew, Christopher Rush, Elspeth’s (known as Aunt Epp) journal was never intended for publication but her style of writing and the subject matter she covers nonetheless reaches a universal audience. Not afraid to put forth views on the big topics – religion, evolution, and ethical issues – she also tackles the nuts and bolts of living – food, sex and health.
Vital, refreshingly frank and always amusing, A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Life provides a wealth of sound advice.
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A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible: A heartwarming tale of love amid war
A moving novel of love and war by the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and Songbirds.
It is July 1974 and on a bright, sunny morning, the Turkish army has invaded the town of Kyrenia in Cyprus. For many people, this means an end to life as they know it. But for some, it is a chance to begin living again.
Everyone has always talked about Koki. They never believed she was her father’s daughter and her mother died too soon to quiet their wagging tongues. And when she became pregnant and there was no sign of a husband, her fate was sealed.
So she lives outside the town and hides from her neighbours’ eyes. But, held captive with the very women who have made her life so lonely, Koki is finally able to tell them the truth. To talk of the Turkish shoe-maker who came to the town and took her heart away with him when he left. And how she has longed for him all these years.
Meanwhile, Adem Berker finds himself back in Kyrenia, his former home, now as a member of the invading force. Here he left everything he ever wanted and, by cover of darkness, risking his life, he is searching every house, every cafe, every old pathway, for just a glimpse of the only woman he has ever loved.
For readers of The Island, The Book Thief and The Kite Runner.
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A Year in Art: A Painting A Day
As functional as it is beautiful, this substantial book presents some of the world’s greatest art in an elegant package that will look good at home or in the office. Every day offers a different, exquisitely reproduced artwork from a variety of eras, genres, and media; quotations to ponder, surprise, and delight; and ample space to record birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates as well as personal notes and reflections. There’s art for every taste and from every period: prehistory and ancient Egypt; Medieval and Renaissance; Impressionist, Abstract, and Modern. Featured artists include, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer, Caravaggio, Titian, Hiroshige, El Greco, Vermeer, Turner, Monet, van Gogh, Cassatt, Kandinsky, Klee, Picasso, and others. This book’s global and historical collection of images makes it the perfect gift for lovers of art and will offer inspiration every day of the year.Read more
£13.90£17.10A Year in Art: A Painting A Day
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A Young Englishman in Victorian Hong Kong: The Diaries of Chaloner Alabaster, 1855-1856
In August 1855, 16-year-old Chaloner Alabaster left England for Hong Kong, to take up a position as a student interpreter in the China Consular Service. He would stay for almost 40 years, climbing the rungs of the service and eventually becoming consul-general of Canton. When he retired he returned to England and received a knighthood. He died in 1898. Throughout his adult life, Alabaster kept diaries.
In the first four volumes of these diaries, collected here by Benjamin Penny, the teenage Alabaster recorded his thoughts and observations, told himself anecdotes, and exploded in outbursts of anger and frustration. He was young and enthusiastic, and the everyday sights, sounds and smells of Hong Kong were novel to him. He describes how the Chinese people around him ironed clothes, dried flour and threshed rice; how they gambled, prepared their food and made bean curd; and what opera, new year festivities and the birthday of the Heavenly Empress were like. Like many a young Victorian, he was also a keen observer of natural history, fascinated by fireflies and ants, corals and sea slugs, and the volcanic origins of the landscape.
Alabaster’s diaries are a unique, vibrant and riveting record of life in the young British colony on the cusp of the Second Opium War. With A Young Englishman in Victorian Hong Kong, Penny sheds new light on the history of the region.
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Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
Having spent 10 years scaling the lower echelons of the sport, the time has come for one of Britain’s least successful athletes to reveal all about how he got involved in all this nonsense in the first place. Marvel as he reveals: His sporting history – how being last pick at school football in the 1970s set him on course for a lifetime of being rubbish at team games.How he took up triathlons in the first place (for a bet, and the cow who made it with him never paid up).How he overcame a crippling lack of talent and a chorus of complete indifference from his family to complete 10 Ironmans, all outside the top 500 finishers.The many triathlon adventures he has experienced over the past 10 years (cow pats, Ironmans, incontinence, driving bans, broken bones, public nudity, spending entire redundancy payments on a new bike, Belgian portaloos, German knocking shops, sunburnt bum cheeks, channel swimming, fights with chavs, obsessions with weather and the nutritional value of jaffa cakes, 3 hour marathons, chronic dehydration and so on).The many and varied idiots he’s got to know as a result of taking up the sport (aka his mates).The typical training (hell) he goes through to take part in a race given he has absolutely no ability whatsoever.How triathlons ultimately caused him to sell his Mercedes, give away his expensive suit, chuck in his job in the City and become, as his father put it, a “god-damned hippy” (A cycle path designer who owns a camper van).Read more
£6.80£10.40Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
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Admiral of the Narrow Seas: The Life of Bertram Ramsay
Bertram Ramsay has acquired almost mythical status in the history of the Second World War, firstly as the principal organizer of the Dunkirk evacuation and then as naval commander of the Allied invasion of Normandy – in the eyes of many, ‘the organizer of victory’. But because Ramsay was killed in January 1945 and never wrote his own memoirs, his life has until now been difficult to pin down.
Andrew Gordon, prize-winning author of The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command, writing with the help of Ramsay’s descendants, now describes the career of this intense and territorial man in full, for the first time establishing his true role in the two great tests of his life and conveying his very particular personality. This is a superb biography of a naval officer, which also illuminated afresh British history in the first half of the twentieth century.
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Aisha: The Wife, The Companion, The Scholar
This book portrays one of the most significant personalities in the history of Islam. Taking the misunderstandings and defamation about her into consideration, Aisha needs to be understood correctly. This study by Dr Resit Haylamaz, an expert on the life of the Prophet and his leading Companions, reflects her life in various aspects based on reliable reports. The book clarifies her critical role at establishing the Islamic teaching, with particular reference to her role in the transmission of private matters concerning women and marital relations, as well as recording the authentic sayings of the Prophet. As her sensitivity at practising religion is related in a rich variety of examples, much disputed issues like her marriage age and her stance about Ali ibn Abi Talib are covered as separate topics.Read more
£9.50£10.40Aisha: The Wife, The Companion, The Scholar
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Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World
Do you think you know who first thought of the theory of evolution?
Have you ever wondered who created the oldest university in the world?
Is Joan of Arc is the only rebel girl who led an army that you’ve heard of?If so, then you need this stunningly illustrated treasure trove of iconic and hidden amazing Muslim heroes!
You’ll find people you might know, like Malala Yousafzai, Sir Mo Farah and Muhammad Ali, as well as some you might not, such as:
Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham: the first scientist to prove theories about how light travels, hundreds of years before Isaac Newton.
Sultan Razia: a fearsome female ruler.
G. Willow Wilson: the comic book artist who created the first ever Muslim Marvel character.
Ibtihaj Muhammad: the Olympic and World Champion fencer and the first American to compete in the games wearing a hijab.
Noor Inayat Khan: the Indian Princess who became a British spy during WWII.
There are so many more amazing Muslim men and women who have changed our world, from pirate queens to athletes, to warriors and mathematicians. Who will your next hero be?
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£13.60£16.10Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World
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Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy
Hong Kong was an experiment in governance. Handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule, it was meant to be a carve-out between hostile systems: a bridge between communism and capitalism, authoritarianism and liberal democracy. “One country, two systems” kept its media free, its courts independent and its protests boisterous, designed also to convince Taiwan of a peaceful solution to Beijing’s desire for reunification.
Yet this formulation excluded Hong Kong’s own people, their future negotiated by political titans in faraway capitals. In 2019, an ill-conceived law spear-headed by a sycophantic leader pushed a third of the city to take to the streets in one of the most enduring protest movements the world has ever seen. Xi Jinping responded with a draconian national security law that sought not only to end the demonstrations but quash the “problem” of Hong Kongers’ identity and desire for freedom.
Reverend Chu, who believed Hong Kong had to carry the spirit of students at Tiananmen Square, saw his silver-haired comrades who birthed the city’s modern pro-democracy movement handcuffed and taken from their homes. Tommy, an art student radicalized into throwing Molotov cocktails, watched “braves” like him brutalized by police before his own arrest prompted him to flee. Finn epitomized the decentralized nature of the movement and its internet-fuelled victories, but online anonymity couldn’t stop his life from unravelling. Gwyneth could predict her eventual fate when she chose to give up her career as a journalist to stand for election as an opposition candidate, and did it anyway.
In Among the Braves, Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin tell the story of Hong Kong’s past, and what the sacrifices of its people mean for global democracy’s shaky foundation.
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And Away…
The number one bestseller and Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year by national treasure Bob Mortimer.‘The most life-affirming, joyful read of the year’ – Sunday Times
‘Winningly heartfelt’ – The Guardian
‘A triumph’ – Daily Mail
Bob Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away…
Although his childhood in Middlesbrough was normal on the surface, it was tinged by the loss of his dad, and his own various misadventures (now infamous from his appearances on Would I Lie to You?), from burning down the family home to starting a short-lived punk band called Dog Dirt. As an adult, he trained as a solicitor and moved to London. Though he was doing pretty well (the South London Press once crowned him ‘The Cockroach King’ after a successful verdict), a chance encounter in a pub in the 1980s with a young comedian going by the name Vic Reeves set his life on a different track. And now, six years on, the heart condition that once threatened his career has instead led to new success on BBC2’s Gone Fishing.
Warm, profound, and irrepressibly funny, And Away… is Bob’s full life story (with a few lies thrown in for good measure.)
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£5.70£9.50And Away…
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Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
The First Graphic Adaptation of the Multi-Million Bestseller
’12th June, 1942: I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.’
In the summer of 1942, fleeing the horrors of the Nazi occupation, Anne Frank and her family were forced into hiding in the back of an Amsterdam warehouse.
Aged thirteen when she went into the secret annexe, Anne Frank kept a diary in which she confided her innermost thoughts and feelings, movingly revealing how the eight people living under these extraordinary conditions coped with the daily threat of discovery and death.
Adapted by Ari Folman, illustrated by David Polonsky, and authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, this is the first graphic edition of the beloved diary of Anne Frank.
‘Faithful to the spirit and often the language of the diary… Mr Polonsky’s beautiful artwork offers a charming and convincing view of Anne on the page’ THE ECONOMIST
‘Folman and Polonsky have reclaimed Anne Frank in all of her humanity, and they allow us to witness for ourselves her beauty, courage, vision and imagination. And, in doing so, they have elevated the tools of the comic book to create an astonishing work of art.’ JEWISH JOURNAL
‘The illustrations [. . .] retell Anne’s diary with great compassion, wit and ebullience’ StANDPOINT
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£12.00£14.20Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation
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Antiques Roadshow: 40 Years of Great Finds
A collection of the timeless, the priceless and the unforgettable, this beautiful compendium accompanies the beloved BBC One TV series.
Antiques Roadshow has graced our screens for forty years and has become one of the nation’s most beloved television programmes and a national institution. It has featured thousands of unique stories over the years, and introduced many incredible characters and unforgettable moments. In this anniversary celebration, Paul Atterbury and Marc Allum look back at the quintessential moments from the show’s illustrious history, providing a look at the history behind the very best and most intriguing objects that have appeared on the show.
Antiques Roadshow: 40 Years of Great Finds reveals the astonishing stories behind findings such as the discovery of the Lalique vase which had been bought for a pound at a car boot sale and left in the loft, only to be valued and sold for £25,000; the twenty-three original Beatrix Potter drawings; a brooch designed by the great Victorian architect William Burges; a poignant letter written by a doomed passenger on the Titanic, and legendary 1970s glam rocker Marc Bolan’s distinctive Gibson Flying V guitar.
Beautifully illustrated, and featuring a wealth of artifacts from the show, this is a truly revealing book, unearthing moments from history through each of the extraordinary objects discovered on the programme.
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£19.70£23.80Antiques Roadshow: 40 Years of Great Finds
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Are You Really OK?: Understanding Britain’s Mental Health Emergency
We are not OK…
I’ve been fortunate enough to meet many remarkable people over the last decade of making documentaries – sometimes in incredibly hostile environments, where they’ve been really up against it – and I’ve seen the devastating effect that poverty, trauma, violence, abuse, stigma, stress, prejudice and discrimination can have on people’s mental health. It has always been the common thread.
Every week, 1 in 10 young people in the UK experiences symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, and 1 in 5 have considered taking their own life at some point. In this book, Stacey Dooley opens up the conversation about mental health in young people, to challenge the stigma and stereotypes around it.
Working in collaboration with mental health experts and charities, Stacey talks to young people across the UK directly affected by mental health issues, and helps tell their stories responsibly, in order to shine a light on life on the mental health frontline and give a voice to young people throughout the UK who are living with mental health conditions across the spectrum.
As well as hearing about their experiences directly, Stacey speaks to medical experts, counsellors, campaigners and health practitioners who can give detailed insights into the conditions profiled and explore the environmental factors that play a part – including poverty, addiction, identity, pressures of social media and the impact of Covid-19.
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Around the World in 80 Minutes: In Search of Rugby Greatness
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 – SPORT
‘A mesmerising, unforgettable journey around world rugby. ‘
Donald McRae – Twice Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year‘Magnificent. a hugely intelligent and entertaining.’
Stuart Barnes, Sunday Times‘Really enjoyed it.’
Will Carling‘An absolutely marvellous book. Recommended heartily.’
Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning HeraldCONTRASTING CHARACTERS, COLLIDING CULTURES, THE SAME OVAL-SHAPED BALL. A JOURNEY TO FIND THE RUGBY’S MOST REMARKABLE PEOPLE, TEAMS AND PLACES.
What makes rugby special? Which individuals and teams have defined the modern game? Around the World in 80 Minutes charts the ‘golden era’ of global rugby union between 1973 and 2023 and goes in search of the sport’s most influential trailblazers.
Robert Kitson, the Guardian’s long-time rugby union correspondent, assesses the game’s current health, tracks down the battered gladiators of yesteryear and asks some pertinent questions. Does rugby retain its old rugged charm? What does its future look like? And what, ultimately, constitutes rugby ‘greatness’?
Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the journey takes in some of the game’s more prominent names – including David Campese, Brian O’Driscoll, Maggie Alphonsi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jones and Sir Clive Woodward – to reflect on rugby’s intangible shared joy.
Millions of fans continue to find rugby maddeningly irresistible and endlessly compelling. This book is for them, and for anyone else wondering where the appeal lies.
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Arthur Gould: Rugby’s First Superstar
Arthur Gould is the definitive biography of the record-breaking Welsh international player who is widely acknowledged as the first superstar of rugby. Such was his fame and renown, that upon his tragic, early death in 1919, aged just 54, Gould’s funeral in Newport was reported as the biggest Wales had ever seen. Nicknamed ‘Monkey’ due to his childhood fondness for climbing trees, Gould played the majority of his club rugby for Newport RFC and won a then-record 27 Welsh caps; 25 of which were at centre (a record only bettered by Steve Fenwick in 1980); and captained his country 18 times (a record only beaten in 1994 by Ieuan Evans). A true sporting sensation, when he retired in 1899 Gould had played more first-class matches and scored more tries and drop goals than any other player. Gould’s superstar status was illustrated late in his career when a testimonial appeal received widespread public support and resulted in the Scottish and Irish unions cancelling their fixtures with Wales in protest at the apparent breach of the game’s strict amateur ethos. The controversy deepened when the Welsh Football Union (now the WRU) stood firmly behind their iconic player and withdrew from the International Rugby Board. Fearing that lucrative fixtures with Welsh clubs might be lost and that Wales might join forces with the newly established Northern Union of professional rugby, England’s Rugby Football Union brokered a ‘one-off’ dispensation which enabled Gould to benefit from the testimonial while retaining his amateur status, and ensured that international fixtures were resumed. Comprehensively researched and written by acclaimed rugby historian, Gwyn Prescott, with the full support and encouragement of the Gould family, Arthur Gould – Rugby’s First Superstar includes over 100 illustrations and will be enjoyed by all who love rugby and treasure its sporting and cultural heritage.Read more
£14.80£17.10Arthur Gould: Rugby’s First Superstar
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At Home with the Queen: Life Through the Keyhole of the Royal Household
Behind the scenes of the private world at the heart of royalty, as revealed by a distinguished royal commentator.
This is the real story of what goes on inside the royal palaces, as witnessed by members of the royal staff and household past and present. Buckingham Palace is effectively an independent kingdom with its own rules and customs, now explained by Brian Hoey. Hundreds of anecdotes reveal the conditions in which the staff live and work and also their relationship with the Royals they serve.
How does one get a job as personal footman to the Queen? Why does Prince Charles still have to send a note to her Page of the Backstairs requesting a meeting with his mother? How much do members of the household earn? Why does the Queen hate men in three-piece suits? Why are the Queen’s bedsheets six inches longer than Prince Philip’s? Why do her maids have to vacuum walking backwards? Why doesn’t the Queen allow square ice-cubes to be put in her drinks?
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BACK STREET KID: Growing up in Royal Leamington Spa
Part memoir and part local history, this book tells the story of a little girl who was born and raised in one of Leamington’s back-street slums during the middle years of the twentieth century.Most of the books written about the Spa tend to be of a more serious nature, concentrating on its history, its buildings, and the lives of the great & the good who provided the wealth that built the town; but little is written about the lives of the hard-working folk who lived in poverty behind the elegant facades.
Those who lived in the back-streets, or former pupils of St. Peter’s School, Leamington Girls College or Clapham Terrace Senior School may find the book of particular interest.
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Barry Cryer: Same Time Tomorrow?: The Life and Laughs of a Comedy Legend
Foreword by Sandy Toksvig | WATERSTONES’ BEST BOOKS OF 2023: ENTERTAINMENT
‘Give this book to everyone you know – NOW!’ Miriam Margolyes
‘This is a joyous, uplifting book’ Observer
‘He was so funny and such fun and here he is again in all his rib-tickling glory’ Gyles Brandreth‘I don’t know how long I’ve got left . I don’t even buy green bananas anymore’
When the legendary comedian Barry Cryer died in January 2022, there was a vast outpouring of grief, appreciation and anecdotes – from the general public and fellow comics alike. Now, his son, Bob, is doing what Barry’s humility did not allow: revealing the story of the man behind the jokes.
This book is an ode both to Barry’s incredible life and to the lessons he so generously imparted on the art of comedy during his sixty-year career. Stretching from the music halls of the fifties, via working alongside everyone from Morecambe and Wise to Kenny Everett and David Frost, and into more recent times as a stalwart of Radio 4’s long-running I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, where he worked with Rob Brydon and David Mitchell among many others, this book is a hugely entertaining insight into the life of a true comedy legend. Bob also shares a range of exclusive material unique to the Cryer family – including family photos, memorabilia, oral recordings, interviews with friends and colleagues (among them Michael Palin and Eric Idle) – as well as Bob’s own personal reflections on living and working with a comedy icon.
Laced with candour, warmth and filled with his trademark humour, Barry Cryer: Same Time Tomorrow? is not just a wonderfully witty and affectionate biography of a father by a son, but a heartwarming insight into a vanishing era of comedy.
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Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – “Driving, wild and hilarious” (The Washington Post), here is the incredible “memoir” of the legendary actor, gambler, raconteur, and Saturday Night Live veteran.When Norm Macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre “one step below instruction manuals.” Norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern Canada. When he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. When asked if this was the celebrity memoir, Norm replied, “Call it anything you damn like.”
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£12.79£18.00Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir
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Battle of Brothers: You’ve heard from one side – now read the full, true story of the royal family in crisis
The Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller
‘THE ROYAL BOOK OF THE YEAR … You’ve read their side of the story, now read the real story’ Daily Mail
THIS CRISIS IS AS BIG AS THE ABDICATION – SAYS LACEY, HISTORICAL ADVISOR TO THE CROWN.
The world has watched Prince William and Prince Harry since they were born. Raised by Princess Diana to be the closest of brothers, how have the boy princes grown into very different, now distanced men?
From royal expert and bestselling author Robert Lacey, this book is an unparalleled insider account of tumult and secrecy revealing the untold details of William and Harry’s early closeness then estrangement. It asks what happens when two sons are raised for vastly different futures – one burdened with the responsibility of one day becoming king, the other with the knowledge that he will always remain spare.
How have William and Harry each formed their idea of a modern royal’s duty and how they should behave? Were the seeds of damage sowed as Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage painfully unraveled for all the world to see? In the previous generation, how have Prince Charles and Prince Andrew’s lives unfolded in the shadow of the Crown? What choices has Queen Elizabeth II made in marshalling her feuding heirs? What parts have Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle played in helping their husbands to choose their differing paths? And what is the real, unvarnished story behind Harry and Meghan’s dramatic departure?
In the most intimate vision yet of life behind closed doors, with the family’s highs, lows and hardest decisions all laid out, this is a journey into royal life as never offered before.
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£5.70£19.00 -
Bazball: The inside story of a Test cricket revolution
WATERSTONES’ BEST BOOKS OF 2023: SPORT
‘Gripping’ Roger Alton, Sunday Times
The inside story of how England transformed the way Test cricket is played.After one win in 17 by the start of the summer of 2022, England needed something new. For 145 years, Test cricket was played mainly in one way: batters laid a foundation before daring to attack – and, even then, only if circumstances were favourable. Bowlers tried to bowl maidens, calculating that they would eventually force an error. But the old ways weren’t working.
Then came ‘Bazball’, driven by new head coach in Brendon (‘Baz’) McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. What followed was one of the most thrilling revolutions in any sport, as a rudderless and ridiculed England Test team became – almost overnight – cricket’s most talked-about phenomenon. They embarked on a brand of Test cricket that breathed life into an ailing format, breaking records as they went on to win 11 out 13 Tests before taking on world champions Australia in a dramatic Ashes contest that ended 2-2.
Lawrence Booth and Nick Hoult, two of the game’s most respected writers, had a ringside seat for all the action. Their book will reveal how Bazball swept the England dressing room and transformed the team’s fortunes. Told via a mixture of interviews with the protagonists and insights gathered by the authors during their own close-up reporting, Bazball is an unmissable read. As Rob Key said after he appointed McCullum: ‘Buckle up and get ready for the ride.’
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BBC Sports Report: A Celebration of the World’s Longest-Running Sports Radio Programme: Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023 – SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR
THE OFFICIAL DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF BBC SPORTS REPORT
‘Opens the doors to one of the great radio institutions.’ – Dan Walker
‘An absolute joy to read.’ – John Inverdale
‘That opening tune always quickens the pulse.’ – Henry Winter
Sports Report is as much a 75-year history of sport as a BBC radio institution and Pat Murphy pays handsome tribute to a programme that is still followed affectionately by millions.
For nearly 75 years, one BBC programme has been a constant factor in chronicling the way sport is covered, in all its many facets. It has been a window on the sporting world all over the globe – packed tightly into every Saturday evening for the bulk of the year.
First broadcast in 1948, Sports Report is the longest-running radio sporting programme in the world and one of the BBC’s hardy perennials. Pat Murphy has been a reporter on the programme since 1981 and here he sifts comprehensively through the experiences of his contemporaries and those who made their mark on Sports Report in earlier decades. He hears from commentators, reporters, producers, presenters and the production teams who regularly achieved the broadcasting miracle of getting a live programme on air, without a script, adapting as the hour of news, reaction and comment unfolded.
Drawing on unique access from the BBC Archives Unit, he highlights memorable moments from Sports Report, details the challenges faced in getting live interviews on air from draughty, noisy dressing-room areas and celebrates the feat of just a small production team in the studio who, somehow, get the show up and running every Saturday, with the clock ticking implacably on.
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Waterstones Best Books of 2022 – Sport
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Becoming Molly-Mae
The real Molly-Mae, in her own words
Molly-Mae Hague is no stranger to the limelight, having found fame on TV and online. But behind the polished exterior there is a young girl with a unique story. It’s the Molly not everyone gets to see.
In Becoming Molly-Mae she unravels herself completely for the first time to open up about how she nurtured her creativity from a young age, took ownership of her body image, battle self-doubt and built a happy life. Along the way she shares the moments, relationships and life lessons that have made her who she is. From the energetic child who loved Irish dancing and pageants, to the teenager holding down a job at Boots whilst building her dreams at fashion school, her journey to Love Island and how she copes with fame today.
By sharing these parts of herself, Molly-Mae gives a fresh take on finding beauty and balance in a busy world.
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£8.50£10.40Becoming Molly-Mae
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Becoming the 0.1%: Thirty-four lessons from the diary of a Royal Marines Commando Recruit
‘A practical and no-nonsense guide on dealing with the toughest situations, from someone who has been there and done it.’ — Levison Wood
‘It will help you to navigate life.’ — The Times
***
Historical recruitment campaigns to become a Royal Marines Commando drew on a harrowing but intriguing narrative: 99.9% Need Not Apply. In 2005, only one in a thousand applications for the Royal Marines were successful in reaching the end of training, earning the Coveted Green Beret – a world renowned symbol of excellence.
Becoming the 0.1% is the first-ever diary account of this training regime, charting the odds-stacked journey of Gareth Timmins, a 20-year-old recruit at the time, and providing a psychological framework for understanding how he was able to cultivate the mental strength and resilience needed to push through to success.
Each week of training is accompanied by lessons on his short-comings and growth to peak performance. It uses real-life and often terrifying experiences to describe to the reader the edge you need to cultivate a 0.1% mindset and succeed in life and work, by learning how to:
- Visualise achievements
- Combat fatigue and burnout
- Stay motivated by not losing sight of the end goal
- Eradicate complacency and achieve mastery
- Redefine expectation and regulate disappointment
- Live without convenience
- Thrive under pressure
- Break down self-imposed limitations
- Be held accountable to others
- Break down self-imposed limitations
- Thrive under pressure
- Live without convenience
- Redefine expectation and regulate disappointment
- Eradicate complacency and achieve mastery
- Stay motivated by not losing sight of the end goal
- Combat fatigue and burnout
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£7.00£12.30 - Visualise achievements
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Before and After: The incredible and heartbreaking true stories of victims of a notorious adoption scandal
‘Captivating and emotional’ 5* reader review
‘A riveting and heart wrenching read’ 5* reader review
From the 1920s to 1950, Georgia Tann ran a corrupt baby business at the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis. She offered up more than 5,000 orphans tailored to the wish lists of eager parents – hiding the fact that many weren’t orphans at all, but stolen sons and daughters of poor families, desperate single mothers, and women told in maternity wards that their babies had died.
In Before and After, many survivors set out to trace their roots and find their birth families. Before and AFter includes moving and shocking accounts of the ways in which adoptees were separated from their first families. Often raised as only children, many have joyfully reunited with siblings in the final decades of their lives. There are stories of first meetings that are all the sweeter and more intense for time missed, and of families from very different social backgrounds reaching out to embrace brothers, sisters, and cousins.
*Inspired by the No.1 bestselling novel Before We Were Yours*
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BEFORE AND AFTER
‘What a truly amazing book’ 5* reader review
‘Riveting’ 5* reader review
‘A real tear-jerker’ 5* reader review
‘Powerful’ 5* reader review
‘Beautifully written and so absorbing’ 5* reader review
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£4.70
