Film, Television & Music
-
Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words
“Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words” is the nearest thing to Freddie’s autobiography as it is possible to achieve. A moving, witty, often irreverent collection of quotes (or interview transcript) from the man himself, covering an extraordinary life, meticulously edited together by Queen’s long time archivists, with a Foreword by Freddie’s mum. An essential read not just for fans of Queen and their iconic frontman, but anyone intrigued to know more about one of music’s most endearing and enduring performers.Freddie rarely talked about himself to others, and so the relatively few interviews he did agree to—carefully compiled for this book, and some of them unpublished until now—provide an intriguing insight into a man who outwardly exuded confidence and arrogance, but behind the public perception, spent periods alone and searching for happiness. The truth was that Freddie was painfully shy and uncomfortable in the company of anyone who might intrude upon his famous ‘royal family’ of close friends and invited guests. The book covers Freddie’s origins and history, many and various subjects in between, and of course covers the fascinating journey of Queen, all from his unique perspective. Spurred on by their almost uncontrollable ambitious and forthright front man, Queen succeeded in becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet. The story describes how on many occasions the group almost broke up, but was always kept together by their shared love of breaching musical boundaries. Freddie’s own personal story is one of pursuing a dream, dealing with wealth and fame, looking back and having no regrets, reflecting on getting old, his legacy, and death. A man determined to succeed to the point of willing to be “frivolous and preposterous” to win over an audience—“I love the feeling of it. It’s greater than sex!” But as the pages turn, we see a Freddie Mercury gradually changing the priorities in his life to one more sedate and necessarily changed by the cloud of the HIV/AIDS virus beginning to shadow the gay community.
For a man who seldom spoke, in “A Life, In His Own Words”, Freddie says it all: “There are times when I wake up and I think, “My God! I wish I wasn’t Freddie Mercury today.” In 20 chapters, 194 pages and nearly 73,000 words—and 45 years in the making—Freddie covers it all, and then some! And he does it, of course, in his own inimitable, unpredictable, invariably funny, often poignant, and always entertaining way. “I love the fact that I make people happy, in any form. Even if it’s just half an hour of their lives, if I can make them feel lucky or make them feel good, or bring a smile to a sour face, that to me is worthwhile.”
Read more
£9.40 -
Can You Make This Thing Go Faster? (The World According to Clarkson, 8)
The hilarious new collection of stories and observations from Jeremy Clarkson – setting our off-kilter world to rights with thigh-slapping wit once again.
Who is that tractor-driving Gentleman Farmer?
Has Jeremy turned into a horny-handed son of the soil?These and other perplexing questions may or may not be answered in the latest volume of Clarkson’s utterly unbiased musings on life, the universe and everything in between (except cars – this isn’t one of his four-wheel drive books).
Inside you’ll also discover why:
· Bathing in crude oil isn’t for everyone
· People who go fishing hate their kids
· Noise-cancelling headphones will never silence James May
· The rambler who stole his marrow is in for itFull of fact-checked opinions and ideas so good they’re no longer following the science but chasing it up a tree, Can You Make This Thing Go Faster? is one hundred per cent guaranteed Clarkson . . .
Praise for Clarkson:
‘Brilliant . . . laugh-out-loud’ Daily Telegraph
‘Outrageously funny . . . will have you in stitches’ Time Out
‘Very funny . . . I cracked up laughing on the tube’ Evening Standard
Read more
£4.30£10.40 -
I Feel Bad About My Neck: with a new introduction from Dolly Alderton
‘So bold and so vulnerable at the same time. I don’t know how she did it’ – Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Now with an introduction from Dolly Alderton, author of Everything I Know About Love, revealing how a new generation of women can take inspiration from Nora’s sharp wit and wisdom about life.
*Never marry a man you wouldn’t want to be divorced from.
* If the shoe doesn’t fit in the shoe store, it’s never going to fit.
* When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.
* If only one third of your clothes are mistakes, you’re ahead of the game.
* Anything you think is wrong with your body at the age of thirty-five you will be nostalgic for by the age of forty-five.
__________________________________________________________________‘I give this as a present more than other book. I buy it for people so often that I’ve been known to give girlfriends two copies, one birthday after another’ – Dolly Alderton
__________________________________________________________________‘I am only one of millions of women who will miss Nora’s voice’ Lena Dunham
‘Oh how I loved Nora Ephron’ Nigella Lawson
‘Funny, knowing and smart’ India Knight
‘The book that most influenced me’ Lily Allen
‘Nora’s exacting, precise, didactic, tried-and-tested, sophisticated-woman-wearing-all-black wisdom is a comfort and a relief’ Dolly Alderton
Read more
£6.60£9.50 -
Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
In his signature larger-than-life style, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall is a revealing self-portrait of his illustrious, controversial and truly unique life.Born in a small Austrian town in 1947, a year of famine, he was the son of an austere police chief. He dreamed of moving to America to become a bodybuilding champion and a movie star. By the age of 21, he was living in Los Angeles and had been crowned Mr Universe. Within five years, he had learned English and become the greatest bodybuilder in the world. Within ten years, he had earned his college degree and was a millionaire from his business enterprises in real estate, landscaping and bodybuilding. He was also the winner of a Golden Globe Award for his debut as a dramatic actor in Stay Hungry.
But that was only the beginning. The Terminator spawned numerous sequels and made him one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, as he had a series of hit films including Predator, Total Recall, True Lies and Twins. He married Maria Shriver, becoming part of the Kennedy clan, while going on to become the Republican governor of California, where he led the state through a budget crisis, natural disasters and political turmoil.
It is the greatest immigrant success story of our time. His story is unique, and uniquely entertaining, and he tells it brilliantly in these pages. Until now, he has never told the full story of his life, in his own voice. Here is Arnold, with total recall.
Read more
£9.60£10.40Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
£9.60£10.40 -
Bigger than Hitler – Better than Christ
In this electrifying autobiography, Rik stands naked in front of his vast legions of fans and disciples and invites them to take communion with the blood he has spilled for them during his thirty year war on show business.
He invented alternative comedy with The Young Ones, he brought down the Thatcher administration with The New Statesman and he changed the face of global culture with his masterpiece Bottom. Not only was his number one single ‘Living Doll’ the saviour of rock ‘n’ roll but he also rescued the British film industry with the vast revenues created by his legendary movie Drop Dead Fred. In 1998, he survived an assassination attempt and spent five days in a coma before he literally came back from the dead. Having completed countless phenomenal feature films, TV series, live extravaganzas and radio voice-overs since then, Rik Mayall is now poised on the brink of a whole new epoch-shattering revolution.
For the first time ever, Rik reveals in print the deep inner truth behind his gargantuan ascent to the pinnacle of international light entertainment – the mental hospitals he has broken out of, the television executives he has assaulted, the drugs he has definitely not taken, the charities he has bankrupted, the countless pregnancies he has engendered, and so much more.
Read more
£9.60£10.40Bigger than Hitler – Better than Christ
£9.60£10.40 -
The Last Word: The Sunday Times bestseller telling the true and honest story of Katie Price from a mother’s perspective revealing untold and new facts
Raw and unflinching
This is a mother’s account of her daughter’s life
And of Katie Price and her turbulent rise to fame
The Sunday Times bestselling memoir from Amy Price.
Katie Price’s life has long been lived in the public eye, documented both by her own books, reality tv, and the tabloids. But what does this story look like from the inside?
While battling a terminal illness, Katie’s mother, Amy Price, has the last word in this honest and insightful memoir, where she reveals how her family’s past has shaped her daughter’s future.
The Last Word is the definitive story of how Katrina Amy Alexandria Alexis Infield became Katie Price. It documents how her life has been shaped by a tradition of strong women, by cycles of abuse which have been repeated through generations, and by the impact of fame and trauma on a close family unit.
The Last Word was Number 2 in the Sunday Times Hardback Non-Fiction bestseller list on Sunday 16th July.
Read more
£9.50£19.00 -
Straight from the Heart: BONNIE TYLER’S LONG-AWAITED AUTOBIOGRAPHY
You know the name and you can’t mistake the voice. Now you can read the incredible story of how a shy, music-loving teenager called Gaynor Hopkins morphed into legendary international superstar Bonnie Tyler and carved out an extraordinary career that is still going strong to this day.
After five decades in the business – during which time she has recorded some of the most iconic songs of all time, travelled the world and performed for royalty and the Pope – Bonnie is sharing her fascinating journey for the first time. And she’s not holding back.
From her early days growing up in a tiny mining village in South Wales, to her career as a club singer that led to her accidental discovery by a talent scout, the Top of the Pops devotee had no idea she would one day grace the infamous illuminated stage alongside some of her biggest idols. Her rise to fame would sound like a fairy tale if it wasn’t all true.
Bonnie has always determinedly followed her own path, even when sceptical music execs told her she would fail. Her bravery led to her working with the legendary producer and songwriter Jim Steinman, going on to record the classic power ballads ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, as well as duetting with some of the best-known names in the business.
She is undoubtedly one of the biggest vocal powerhouses of her generation, but her roots remain firmly in her beloved Wales. She is resolutely down to earth, funny and endlessly charming. Whether she’s talking about the family she adores or sharing hilarious anecdotes from her many years in the spotlight, Bonnie never fails to entertain.
Finally, we get to hear the amazing tale of a woman who has led the way for so many other female artists – and has had a bloody great time doing it. Bonnie’s much-anticipated memoir is inspirational, moving and straight from the heart.
Read more
£19.00£20.90 -
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.
—
Waterstones Best Books of 2022 – Sport
Read more
£6.70£12.30 -
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.
Read more
£8.50£10.40Becoming Molly-Mae
£8.50£10.40 -
MATTHEW PERRY BIOGRAPHY: From Laughter to Legacy – A Journey Worth Remembering.
“Matthew Perry: From Laughter to Legacy” is a compelling biography that delves into the life and career of beloved actor Matthew Perry.
From his early efforts and rise to stardom as Chandler Bing on “Friends” to his battle with addiction and successful recovery, this book offers a comprehensive exploration of Perry’s multifaceted journey.
It showcases his impact on entertainment, his commitment to philanthropy and mental health advocacy, and the lasting lessons learned from his remarkable story.
Celebrating humor, resilience, and the power of innovation, this book is a must-read for fans and anyone inspired by the indomitable spirit of a Hollywood icon.Read more
£7.80 -
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
Read more
£7.30£10.40 -
Fly Away Paul: The extraordinary story of how Paul McCartney survived the Beatles and found his Wings
‘No other book has come close to capturing so well what Paul McCartney is about, nor described so vividly his mental breakdown when the Beatles separated, nor his need for Linda to nurse him back to good health…the book is packed with trivia, not for the sake of it but because it throws light onto the way Paul developed. And it’s fascinating; every word of it. It’s an extraordinarily brilliant book.’ SIMON NAPIER-BELL
‘…another amazing book. Your meticulous research is second to none.’ JOHNNIE WALKER
The first definitive account of Paul McCartney’s time in Wings, publishing on the fiftieth anniversary of the bestselling album Band on the Run
No comprehensive biography of the time Paul McCartney spent with Wings has ever been published. A period often dismissed as McCartney’s ‘missing’ years, in fact the band lasted for a decade: two years longer than the Beatles, and wielded such impact and influence that they at one point achieved the status as the biggest live band in the world. Band on the Run sold over 6 million copies worldwide and became EMI’s biggest selling album of the 1970s in the UK.
Music biographer Lesley-Ann Jones has met McCartney many times and knew his late wife Linda. Here she shows how crucial Linda was to the evolution of Wings – at great cost to herself given the ridicule she was to encounter. But Linda saw that McCartney needed the band in the wake of the break up of the Beatles.
Drawing on extensive interviews and her trademark meticulous research, the author shows how this period in Paul McCartney’s career was to become crucial not only to his development as an artist, but to his very survival.
Read more
£19.10£23.80 -
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.
Read more
£9.00£10.40A Heart That Works: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
£9.00£10.40 -
Fletchers on the Farm: Mud, Mayhem and Marriage. The new memoir of our life, love and family farm.
‘We jumped in at the deep end and bought a farm! A reluctant wife, a couple of crazy kids and a husband whose knowledge of farming you could write on the back of a stamp… What could go wrong?!’ – Kelvin
‘Exactly! And the journey has only just begun…’ – Liz
Join the Fletchers as they navigate the peaks and troughs of life on a lively farm.
When Kelvin and Liz Fletcher left their happy home in Oldham for a 120-acre farm in the Peak District, they were totally unaware of the surprises that lay in store. Come along for the ride as they navigate the Mishaps, like shearing sheep in a way that costs more than the price for the wool; the Lessons, such as never turn your back on a flock of sheep – or, put simply, ‘always close the gate!’ – and the Adventures, going from self-professed ‘townies’ to farmhands overnight.
In Fletchers on the Farm, childhood sweethearts Kelvin and Liz reflect on their history, their future and their daily balancing act of juggling acting careers, four young children and a farmyard full of animals. With wise words on building and nurturing a happy farm and family, this uplifting, heartwarming book is about following your dreams – even if you have no clue how to do it!
Time to pull on those wellies and get stuck into a farming adventure like no other.
‘Like any farm, determination and perseverance are vital. We took a huge step into the unknown and, together, we haven’t looked back. The adventure continues!’
Read more
£4.10£19.00 -
Me vs Brain: An Overthinker’s Guide to Life – the instant Sunday Times bestseller!
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER. ORDER THE HILARIOUS BOOK FROM TIKTOK AND INSTA SENSATION HAYLEY MORRIS, NOW!
_____‘An insightful, intimate account of modern life that is a joy to read, with shades of Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love.’ – Scarlett Sangster, iNews
Brain: We left the oven on!
Me: No don’t say that, I’ve not got time for this!
Brain: The house is probably on fire!
Me: Stop it, I need to write this book description.
Brain: But the blazing fire.
Me: We didn’t even use the oven today.
Brain: But what if –
Me: No. We’re not doing this, I’m finishing this description.Hello there! Hayley Morris here. Or you might know me as the Brain Girl, and don’t be fooled…it’s not because I’m outrageously smart. Just an avid overthinker. I’m on a mission to prove once and for all that You. Are. Normal. Running through imaginary arguments whilst showering, hiding your knickers in the nurse’s office before they look directly into your vagina, or not knowing how to be a normal human when you have the plumber over. I’ve spent the majority of my life saying and doing embarrassing things that wake me up in a cold sweat at 3am as my Brain reminds me of every minor detail.
In this book, I’ve overthought absolutely everything so you don’t have to. I’ll be talking about everything from dating to discharge, mental health to menstrual cups. I might not be able to banish your anxiety or make you feel 100% comfortable in your skin, but I hope I can at least give you a break from the constant brain chatter and we can rejoice and laugh at how similar we actually all are.
DON’T OVERTHINK IT. ORDER NOW.
‘Hilarious…I absolutely loved this book! I almost wet myself from laughing!’ Dr Amir Khan
Read more
£16.60£18.00 -
Kelsey Parker: With And Without You
“They say the first year is the hardest.”
Kelsey Parker’s world was turned upside down in the summer of 2020 when her husband Tom, singer in boyband The Wanted, was cruelly diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
Heavily pregnant with their second child and coping with her own heartache at losing her partner of 13 years, Kelsey remained a tower of strength and positivity for Tom during his darkest days. When traditional treatments stopped working, she spent hours researching alternative therapies to give her husband extra time with his young children Aurelia and Bodhi.
Hope came late in 2021 when Tom’s tumour became stable, but sadly his condition quickly deteriorated and on March 30, 2022, aged just 33, he died surrounded by his loyal wife, family and friends.
With And Without You is her moving, deeply personal story of the first 12 months since Tom’s tragic passing. An intimate diary of how she coped with a year of unwanted firsts – first birthdays, first Christmas, first Valentine’s Day – all without the love of her life. It is the story of how she rebuilt her life, and bravely found a way to face the future. Since Tom’s death, Kelsey has been an inspiration to many and a rock to the couple’s children. She has sought to raise awareness of glioblastoma and has bravely campaigned for vital funds for more research into the disease. She has also found spirituality – following Tom’s long held belief there is something greater than just one life.
With And Without You is not only a story of coping with unimaginable heartbreak and grief, but how your love for someone you’ve lost can be turned into something positive and bring hope and light into your life as you carry on your journey without them.
Read more
£16.10£19.00Kelsey Parker: With And Without You
£16.10£19.00 -
Still a Bit of Snap in the Celery: or K.B.O. *Keep Buggering On
From the bestselling author of A Shed of One’s Own, a very funny memoir about being 60.
Marcus Berkmann’s funny, instantly recognisable description of middle-age in A Shed of One’s Own struck a chord and turned it into a bestseller. Now he realises he has entered a new age category: the Young-Old.
Well, the body continues to provide challenges (every group meeting seems to begin the dreaded ‘organ recital’), and the bank balance may not be doing too well either – but it’s certainly not all doom and gloom. You have come to terms with your deficiencies and eccentricities (although your partner may not); your Fear of Missing Out has become Joy at Staying In; you have embraced the notion of the Power Nap – and though you’re not going to embark on a course of ‘mindfulness’ you nevertheless recognise if living in the moment also includes walking to the local for a pint with an old friend then you’ll sign up for it after all…
You could call it ‘beerfulness’.
‘Berkmann is a fine observer of decline. He says what other men would rather not think about, let alone discuss. Another ten years pottering around in his shed and he’ll have cracked it’ Sunday Times
Read more
£14.20£16.10 -
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man
A fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers.
Ian Fleming’s greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote.
Ian’s childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be ‘the complete man’, and he would strive for the means to achieve this ‘completeness’ all his life. Only a thriller writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction.
Nicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering new material that casts fresh light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful, definitive biography.
‘This is a marvellous book about Ian Fleming, but it’s also one of the most engaging portraits of a particular period of British history that I have read in a long time.’ Antonia Fraser
‘A book so buoyant and delicious that you feel it will be a friend for life.’ Telegraph
The perfect Christmas gift for fans of James Bond and British history.
*A Financial Times and Spectator Book of the Year*
Read more
£23.70£28.50Ian Fleming: The Complete Man
£23.70£28.50 -
Life Lessons: Wisdom and Wit from Life’s Ups and Downs
Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.
Let Jay Blades’ words of wisdom – gleaned from his own triumphs over adversity – help you to find your best path through life. Filled with characteristic warmth and humour, Jay talks about the life lessons that have helped him to find positivity and growth, no matter what he’s found himself facing.
Jay shares not only his adventures and escapades but also the way they have shaped his outlook and helped him to live life to the fullest. His insight and advice give you everything you need to be able to reframe your own circumstances and make the best of them.
It’s very easy to be passive in life and just do what you know. But, believe me, you’ll be a lot more excited every day if you shape your own future.
Read more
£11.40£14.20 -
Dieric Bouts: Creator of Images
This radical new examination of one of the most important Flemish Masters presents Bouts as a maker of images―and considers his oeuvre alongside the work of current-day filmmakers, game creators, and sports photographers.One of the foremost painters of the 15th century, Dieric Bouts was a master of composition, technical precision, and spiritual messaging. But, as this innovative exhibition catalog suggests, he was also a shrewd commercial artist, successfully procuring important commissions, and expertly conveying religious devotion. Filled with new perspectives informed by the latest research, this volume explores how Bouts’ career was influenced by the cultural and political environment of his hometown of Leuven. Filled with luminous reproductions and photographs of Bouts’ most important paintings and altarpieces, it focuses on several in depth, including The Last Supper, The Triptych of the Descent from the Cross, The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus with Saints Jerome and Bernard, and Christ Crowned with Thorns. Refreshing and authoritative, this unconventional perspective on a painter who lived half a millennium ago is certain to surprise and satisfy scholars and fans of Bouts and of Renaissance artists in general.
Read more
£42.80 -
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
£13.90£17.10 -
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.
Read more
£19.70£23.80Antiques Roadshow: 40 Years of Great Finds
£19.70£23.80 -
Freddie Mercury (94) (Little People, BIG DREAMS)
In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Freddie Mercury, the trailblazing musician who rocked the world!Born on the tiny island on Zanzibar off the coast of modern-day Tanzania, young Farrokh dreamt of having a fabulous life. When his parents sent him to boarding school in India, he discovered his true talent for singing, as well as a love of playing rock’n’roll songs on the piano.
After school, Farrokh knew he wanted to be a musician. After moving to London, he became the singer of a rock band called Queen… and the rest is history! Freddie became the biggest glam-rock star ever, touring the world and charming the world with his exuberant zest for life.
This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the musician’s life.
Little People, BIG DREAMSis a bestselling biography series for kids that explores the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.
This empowering series of books offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardback and paperback versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. With rewritten text for older children, the treasuries each bring together a multitude of dreamers in a single volume. You can also collect a selection of the books by theme in boxed gift sets. Activity books and a journal provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.
Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!
Read more
£8.70£9.50 -
The Tourist: What happens on tour stays on tour … until now!
What Goes on Tour, Stays on Tour…Until Now!
As a cricketer, broadcaster and celebrity jungle-dweller, Phil Tufnell has travelled the world far and wide. From the great cricket tours of Australia and South Africa to his equally memorable jaunts to Benidorm and Blackpool, Phil has spent much of his life living out of a suitcase, meeting a host of colourful and memorable characters along the way.
The Tourist takes you out on the road, into the dressing room and behind the scenes of the commentary box to reveal just what really happens on Tour. Did Phil once push a baby grand piano down the stairs of a plush hotel? Did he accidentally eat a rat? Was he blamed for England being bowled out for 46 against the West Indies without even being in the team?
There’s only one way to find out…
It’s time to take a hilarious trip across the world with one of our most treasured sports personalities.
Read more
£10.50£20.90 -
The Institute: Stephen King
‘It does everything you’d expect of a masterpiece – and it is one’ Sunday Express
‘Hums and crackles with delicious unease’ Independent
‘Captivating’ The Sunday Times
‘An absorbing thriller’ Mail on Sunday
NO ONE HAS EVER ESCAPED FROM THE INSTITUTE.
Luke Ellis, a super-smart twelve-year-old with an exceptional gift, is the latest in a long line of kids abducted and taken to a secret government facility, hidden deep in the forest in Maine.
Here, kids with special talents – telekinesis and telepathy – like Luke’s new friends Kalisha, Nick and Iris, are subjected to a series of experiments.
There seems to be no hope of escape. Until Luke teams up with an even younger boy whose powers of telepathy are off the scale.
Meanwhile, far away in a small town in South Carolina, former cop Tim Jamieson, looking for the quiet life, has taken a job working for the local sheriff. He doesn’t know he’s about to take on the biggest case of his career . . .
THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY OUT.
‘An epic tale of childhood betrayal and hope regained… an immersive tale full of suspense and thrills that will keep readers up late at night racing towards a heartbreaking yet glorious finale… a dazzling achievement’ – Daily Express
Read more
£9.60£10.40The Institute: Stephen King
£9.60£10.40 -
When Fury Takes Over: Life, the Furys and Me
Get up close and personal with Big John Fury, Gypsy Warrior and the inspiration and driving force behind boxing champion Tyson Fury.
If you’re six foot three like me, twenty stone, and you like to stand up for yourself, you’re gonna get into trouble, aren’t ya? If you’ve got Fury DNA, you’re not shy of a fight. I’ll have a fight with anybody. Win, lose or draw. I’m out there, shirt off, done and dusted. I’m a traveller, a bare knuckle boxer and my life has been anything but ordinary. Now I’m setting the record straight.
From Netflix’s At Home With The Furys this is the Gypsy Warrior, unfiltered and in his own words. When Fury Takes Over is the insider story of the Fury family, from Tyson and Paris to Tommy and Molly-Mae, and an honest and unforgettable look at the Gyspy way of life.
‘MY DAD IS TRULY A MAN AMONGST MEN’ – TYSON FURY
Read more
£9.50£20.90When Fury Takes Over: Life, the Furys and Me
£9.50£20.90 -
The Strength of Love: Embracing an Uncertain Future with Resilience and Optimism
*** The Sunday Times Bestseller ***
‘Intimate, tender and brutally honest … a remarkable book.’ Decca Aitkenhead, The Sunday Times‘These are probably the toughest times we have faced in many decades, and we all have to find within us the strength and resilience to get through and to find happiness and love in our futures, whatever life throws at us.’
Kate Garraway has had to learn how to adapt ever since her husband Derek began his fight against the devastating impact of Covid, a condition that has left him needing 24-hour care at home and long spells in hospital. Every day brings uncertainty and new challenges to test Kate and her family’s resolve.
In The Strength of Love, Kate explores issues that resonate with so many of us. She looks at the impact of trauma as well as the importance of resilience, adaptability, curiosity and positivity when recovering from it. She talks about identity, purpose, how to embrace uncertainty and take back control of our lives. Through her and Derek’s story, she provides comfort and wisdom that will help anyone who has ever felt desperate, lonely or experienced profound loss, or who is fearful about what the future holds.
Despite all that she and her family have had to endure, Kate shows us that love truly is the most powerful and resilient emotion of all.
Read more
£9.50£20.90 -
Ewen and Cat’s Wee Book of Aye or Naw?: 500 quiz questions to test your knowledge on EVERYTHING!
500 quiz questions to test your knowledge on EVERYTHING! Packed full of hilarious behind-the-scenes moments and puzzling brain busters from their award-winning radio show Ewen and Cat at Breakfast. It’s bound to bemuse and amuse in equal measure!Are these statements true? Aye or Naw?
Usain Bolt would beat a cat over 100m.
A jiffy is a real unit of time.
Volkswagen sell more sausages than cars.
All will be revealed.Will Ewen and Cat’s Wee Book of Aye or Naw? change your life? NAW.
But will it make you instantly more interesting to other humans? OH AYE!!Read more
£8.60£9.50 -
Believe: An empowering and honest memoir from Leigh-Anne Pinnock, member of one of the world’s biggest girl bands, Little Mix.
‘I found my power when I realized it was within me, within my skin and within my soul.
It just needed to be set free.’Leigh-Anne Pinnock’s life changed overnight when she became part of the first ever girl band to win the X-Factor. The multi-platinum selling supergroup Little Mix, went on to become one of the biggest girl bands of all time.
Launched into chart-topping global fame, Leigh-Anne was living her childhood dream of becoming a popstar. But behind the scenes, as a Black woman within an industry and team with little diversity, Leigh-Anne was struggling with her identity and felt completely lost.
In her highly anticipated memoir, Leigh-Anne shares her journey from growing up in a mixed-race family in Britain to taking the pop world by storm. Honest and direct, she reveals the challenges and prejudices that stood in her path and how she overcame them by embracing her own power. Sharing the experiences and lessons that have shaped Leigh-Anne, this book will empower us all to challenge the status quo, stand up for what we believe in and go after our dreams.Read more
£11.00£22.00 -
George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle
From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle.Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.
Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun’, and his solo debut album ‘All Things Must Pass’ achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page.
Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison’s wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her.
Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous colour photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar-player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.
Read more
£19.16£25.00George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle
£19.16£25.00 -
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.
Read more
£16.88£20.00 -
Cliff Richard 2024 Calendar, Month To View A3 Wall Calendar, Official Product: Original Danilo-Kalender [Mehrsprachig] [Kalender]
2024 Cliff Richard A3 Calendar. A firm favourite, this official wall calendar features recent imagery of music icon Sir Cliff Richard. This wall calendar also includes monthly date panels that have plenty of room for all of your 2024 plans.
Product Dimensions: 420 X 297 MM
Danilo is the leading publisher of officially licensed calendars, diaries, greeting cards, gift wrap and gift bags in the UK. We are a family run company that’s been operating for more than 40 years. Our licenses range from baby to adult. All the paper we use is responsibly sourced and we only work with suppliers and manufacturers that meet our stringent ethical requirements.
Read more
£10.99 -
Face the Music: My Story
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
The intimate and uplifting memoir from one of Britain’s most loved singers – this is Alfie, off stage.
Bringing his characteristic sense of cheeky humour to the page, in this heartfelt book Alfie describes for the first time the highs and lows of over a decade singing and performing across the world. From personal dinners with Queen Elizabeth II and following in the steps of King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Elvis in Vegas to mischievous antics with Michael Ball, Alfie’s book takes us backstage to witness his brilliant career memories.
But this book is also a heartfelt insight to Alfie’s unmasked truth for the first time ever. His unflinching honesty reveals not only the success stories, but also the pressures and how, through challenging times, he learned more about himself than he ever thought possible.
Laying bare the events that have shaped Alfie into the performer he is today, Face the Music demonstrates to us all that it’s not our mistakes that define us – but instead, how we choose to come back from them.
Read more
£8.00£20.00Face the Music: My Story
£8.00£20.00 -
The Chateau – Forever Home: The instant Sunday Times Bestseller, as seen on the hit Channel 4 TV Series Escape to the Chateau
Take a journey to Château-de-la-Motte Husson in the spellbinding memoir from Sunday Times bestselling authors, Dick and Angel Strawbridge.
Dick and Angel recount the newest and biggest challenges they faced on the journey to transforming their once derelict and abandoned château in France’s Pays de la Loire into a thriving family home and sustainable business.
When the Covid-19 pandemic engulfs the world, the château faces a new challenge and the Strawbridges must find ways to adapt in order to keep their dream life in France alive. From the cancellation of the wedding season to finding new ways to complete renovations, living in an isolated bubble whilst continuing to film their TV series through to life after the pandemic, this is Dick and Angel at their most honest and heartfelt, revealing many details never seen on TV.
As entertaining, warm and irresistible as ever, Join Dick and Angel on their remarkable journey to find their family’s forever home.
Read more
£11.00£22.00 -
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.”
Read more
£12.79£18.00Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir
£12.79£18.00 -
Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: ‘Funny, fascinating and compelling’ The Times
‘There’s never been a more honest or raw memoir … and it may just save lives’ Daily Mail
‘Funny, fascinating, compelling … also a wonderful read for fans of Friends’ The Times
The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence.
This is the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, who takes us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell – and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it – Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening – as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.
‘An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans’ Guardian
‘Written with Chandler’s trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation’ Telegraph
‘A hopeful read … I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz’ Independent
Read more
£8.70£9.50 -
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.)
Read more
£5.70£9.50And Away…
£5.70£9.50 -
The Tourist: What happens on tour stays on tour … until now!
What Goes on Tour, Stays on Tour…Until Now!
As a cricketer, broadcaster and celebrity jungle-dweller, Phil Tufnell has travelled the world far and wide. From the great cricket tours of Australia and South Africa to his equally memorable jaunts to Benidorm and Blackpool, Phil has spent much of his life living out of a suitcase, meeting a host of colourful and memorable characters along the way.
The Tourist takes you out on the road, into the dressing room and behind the scenes of the commentary box to reveal just what really happens on Tour. Did Phil once push a baby grand piano down the stairs of a plush hotel? Did he accidentally eat a rat? Was he blamed for England being bowled out for 46 against the West Indies without even being in the team?
There’s only one way to find out…
It’s time to take a hilarious trip across the world with one of our most treasured sports personalities.
Read more
£4.70£20.90 -
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing: The Comedy Classic
The Sunday Times bestsellerTwo comedy greats talk life, friendship and the joys of fishing…
Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have been friends for 30 years, but when life intervened, what was once a joyous and spontaneous friendship dwindled to the odd phone call or occasional catch up. Then, Glory Be! They were both diagnosed with heart disease and realised that time is short. They’d better spend it fishing…
So they dusted off their kits, chucked on their waders and ventured into the achingly beautiful British countryside to fish, rediscover the joys of their friendship and ruminate on some of life’s most profound questions, such as: How did we get so old? Where are all the fish? What are your favourite pocket meats? What should we do if we find a corpse?
Following the success of the BBC’s Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series, this wonderful book by two lifelong friends is a love letter to the joys of angling, the thrill of the catch and the virtue of having a right daft laff with your mates. On the fish, the equipment, the food, and the locations, Gone Fishing is the perfect book for fans of Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and for anyone who wants to read a brilliantly written and endlessly funny joint memoir on life, friendship and joys of fishing.
Read more
£7.40£10.40 -
Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story: A Non-Memoir
This book is inspired by true events but is not a biography.
The truth is My Truth is not The Truth, and that’s as honest as I can be. It’s partially true, rather than painfully true, and I have possibly been economical with the truth, Your Honour.
Basically, I made this sh*t up . . .
While James Blunt’s crimes against music are well-documented, he also has some stories that are not. In Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story, James reveals his most riotous anecdotes to date for your amusement – and his parents’ horror – in this highly anticipated non-memoir.
From his questionable Norfolk roots, eccentric family, boarding school antics, misjudged military service, rise to music stardom and tour escapades, James delves into his (surprisingly) fascinating life to date. What do you do when your mother writes irate emails to the future prime minister defending your honour? What does it take to run a male escort agency? And why exactly should you refrain from crowd-surfing? Find out here, folks . . .
Were the stories in this book grossly exaggerated in an attempt to impress? Maybe. But one thing is for certain: you won’t want to miss it.
Read more
£15.80£19.00Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story: A Non-Memoir
£15.80£19.00
