Biografier

To this day, Beatrix Potter's tales delight children and grown-ups around the world. But few people realise how extraordinary her own story is. Respected biographer Sarah Gristwood discovers a life crisscrossed with contradictions and marked by tragedy, yet one that left a remarkable literary - and environmental - legacy.

A charming and heartfelt story about war, art, and the lengths a woman will go to to find the truth about her family.'As devourable as a thriller... Incredibly moving' Elle'Pauline Baer de Perignon is a natural storyteller - refreshingly honest, curious and open' Menachem KaiserIt all started with a list of paintings. There, scribbled by a cousin she hadn't seen for years, were the names of the masters whose works once belonged to her great-grandfather, Jules Strauss: Renoir, Monet, Degas, Tiepolo and more. Pauline Baer de Perignon knew little to nothing about Strauss, or about his vanished, precious art collection.But the list drove her on a frenzied trail of research in the archives of the Louvre and the Dresden museums, through Gestapo records, and to consult with Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano. What happened in 1942? And what became of the collection after Nazis seized her great-grandparents' elegant Parisian apartment?The quest takes Pauline Baer de Perignon from the Occupation of France to the present day as she breaks the silence around the wrenching experiences her family never fully transmitted, and asks what art itself is capable of conveying over time.

Psyche Unbound: Essays in Honor of Stanislav Grof is an extraordinary compilation of 22 essays that honor the path-breaking lifework of Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D., the world's leading researcher in psychedelic-assisted therapy, breathwork, and the exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness. Psyche Unbound features contributions from thought leaders of the last five decades, including a piece from Joseph Campbell's 1971 lecture in the Great Hall at Cooper Union and Huston Smith's 1976 summary of Grof's work as it relates to the study of religion and mysticism. More recent writing includes reflections by renowned psychiatrists and researchers that discuss the importance of Grof's contributions on the current wave of interest and research into psychedelic-assisted therapies and alternative states of consciousness.Psyche Unbound, considered a festschrift for Stanislav Grof, includes essays that explore Grof's work on numerous fronts including transpersonal sexual experiences, implications for social and cultural change, comparative studies with Asianreligious systems, the perinatal dimensions of Jean-Paul Sartre's transformational 1935 mescaline experience, and parallel findings from quantum and relativistic physics.Edited by Richard Tarnas, Ph.D., and Sean Kelly, Ph.D., Psyche Unbound also features contributions from renowned academics, scientists and researchers including Charles Grob, Michael Mithoefer, Jenny Wade, William Keepin, Thomas Purton, Thomas Riedlinger, Fritjof Capra and more.

Sir Thomas Swymmer Mostyn-Champneys was born in Frome, Somerset in 1769 the last in a line of aristocrats who claimed origins back to William of Normandy. A series of bad judgements resulted in Thomas being born into a third generation of bankruptcy and despite marrying a very rich widow he was never able to extricate himself from this. Regardless of an ever-decreasing amount of funds he spent lavishly on masquerade balls, pageants and building projects - but most of all on litigation.He became involved in a serious legal dispute over the right to appoint the sexton of the local church, he won the case at great expense and published a long and a surreal poem ridiculing his opponents. A segment of this poem contains a description of some original manuscripts that he believed to have been written by William Shakespeare and describes a night Shakespeare spent in Frome where he was ''tricked by the natives.''The book details numerous and often humorous court cases as well as his imprisonment for debt, extravagant building projects and his time as a popular magistrate At one point he was kidnapped from an inn at knifepoint by bailiffs and thrown into the debtor''s prison spending many years imprisoned in London and Ilchester.When not entertaining lavishly he spent much of his time in dispute with local worthies one of whom, a local solicitor, spread rumours about him engaging in homosexual relations which involved a court case for slander which Champneys won - and produced another book as a result.In 1832 he stood in the local election which resulted in three days of rioting and the local militia firing on the crowd. He lost despite being popular with the working people who were not enfranchised. His debts became so large that his mansion, at Orchardleigh was raided by bailiffs on many occasions and the contents sent off to auction until eventually the estate was purchased by a relative and he was allowed to stay there with his wife until his death in 1839.

''There''s an entire generation of South African women who ought to read this book.'' - Sara-Jayne King, author of Killing Karoline''Ougat is masterfully written - raw, unpretentious, unsettling. Shana Fife captures all the darkness from her body, psyche and life with fearless honesty and transparency.'' - Frazer Barry, award-winning theatre practitioner, writer and musician"A bold, unapologetic memoir about abuse, coming-of-age, a woman owning her sexuality and seizing her power. Shana Fife has a unique and compelling voice, which she uses with great effect to break with gender and sexuality taboos." - Dr Barbara Boswell, author of GraceBy the time Shana Fife is 25 she has two kids from different fathers. To the Coloured people she grew up around, she is a jintoe, a jezebel, jas, a woman with mileage on the pussy. She is alone, she has no job and, as she is constantly reminded by her community, she is pretty much worthless and unloveable. How did she become this woman, the epitome of everything she was conditioned to strive not to be?Unsettlingly honest and brutally blunt, Ougat is Shana Fife''s story of survival: of surviving the social conditioning of her Cape Flats upbringing, of surviving sexual violence and depression and of ultimately escaping a cycle of abuse.A powerful, fresh and disarming new voice - Shana''s writing is like nothing you''ve read before.

A sparkling celebration of our much-loved Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee including special writings and illuminating insights around key moments in her 70-year reign, introduced and edited by her biggest fan Joanna Lumley.

A collection of folk stories about art, money, drugs and love told first hand by the songwriter and storyteller Beans on Toast. "Beans is a legend and I love him"Kae Tempest"One of England's most loved troubadours"Blaine Harrison"A voice I'll always pay attention to, and you should too"Frank Turner

A deeply human memoir by the actress, model, mother and Multiple Sclerosis survivorThe first story Selma Blair ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. She spent years living up to her reputation: biting, lying, getting drunk on Passover wine and stealing the limelight.Mean Baby recounts a childhood spent in worship of her mother, an adolescence of love and pain, her destructive ways of coping with an unidentified illness, her struggles and successes in Hollywood, the birth of her son and the devastating, surprising salvation of her MS diagnosis in a voice that is powerfully original, fiercely intelligent, and full of hard-won wisdom.

IT WAS THE EARLY 1960s. The place, a far-off corner of the Himalayas long fabled in Tibetan tradition to be hiding a valley of immortality among its peaks and glaciers-a real-life Shangri-La. They waited generations for the prophesied lama to come, the one with the secret knowledge of how to 'open' the Hidden Land. Then, one day, he came. His name was Tulshuk Lingpa.THIS BOOK TELLS THE TRUE STORY of this charismatic visionary lama and his remarkable expedition. Against the wishes of the kings of both Sikkim and Nepal, he and over three hundred followers ventured up the snowy slopes of the third highest mountain of the planet. Their aim: to open a crack in the very fabric of reality and go to a land we would all wish to inhabit if it were only there-a land of peace and concord.FORTY YEARS LATER, the author spends over five years tracking down the surviving members of this extraordinary expedition. He deftly weaves their stories together with humor, wisdom, and scholarly research into Tibetan traditions of Hidden Lands, all the while reflecting on what this means for the rest of us."Like no other book I have ever read...a riveting tale of adventure...honest to the real spirit of Tibet...both unique and intriguing...an engrossing read. Highly recommended."Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, from the ForewordFrom Tulshuk Lingpa's Guidebook to the Hidden Land:"Don't listen to anybody. Decide by yourself and practice madness. Develop courage for the benefit of all sentient beings. Then you will automatically be free from the knot of attachment. Then you will continually have the confidence of fearlessness and you can then try to open the Great Door of the Hidden Place."WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED...If Lewis Carroll had proclaimed the Reality of Alice's Wonderland?What if he had gathered a Following & launched an Expedition?Available in Paperback, eBook, and Audio Book formats!FIRST PUBLISHED BY PENGUIN 201CITY LION PRESS EDITION 2017THIS EDITION IS NOT FOR SALE IN SOUTH ASIA, MALAYSIA, OR SINGAPORE

In February 2019, award-winning writer Alex Roddie left his online life behind to walk 300 miles through the Scottish Highlands. The Farthest Shore is the story of his solo trek along the remote Cape Wrath Trail. Journeying through a vanishing winter, Alex learnt about solitude, nature and the threats faced by Scotland's mountain landscape.

In thirty years on the front line of British policing, there is very little that Iain Donnelly didn't do: from being a uniformed constable on the beat in London to running counter-terrorism and surveillance operations, combatting child sexual exploitation and overseeing the investigation of the most serious crimes. During that time, he saw the job change irrevocably, to the point where the public no longer knows what to expect from the police and the police service no longer knows what to expect of itself.Tango Juliet Foxtrot - police code for 'the job's fucked' - reveals how constant political meddling and a hostile media narrative have had a devastating impact on the morale of police officers and their ability to protect the public. With the organisation cut by 20,000 officers and 23,000 police staff, only 7 per cent of reported crime now results in a charge - compared with around 20 per cent ten years ago.By turns fascinating and funny, poignant and uplifting, this compelling account paints a vivid picture of what life is really like for those tasked with keeping us safe - and, crucially, explores what needs to change to secure the future of British policing.

'Twisty and suspenseful' Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author of I Made a Mistake 'Absolutely gripping' Catherine Cooper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalet Every marriage has its secrets...

The account of one radically new school year for a Teacher of the Year and for his nonbinary, art-obsessed, brilliant child  Seven-year-old Ollie was researching local advanced school programs—because every second grader does that, right? Ollie, who used to hate weekends because they meant no school, was crying on the way to school almost every day. Sure, there were the slings and arrows of bullies and bad teachers, but, maybe worse, Ollie, a funny, anxious, smart kid with a thing for choir and an eye for graphic art, was gravely underchallenged and also struggling with identity and how to live totally as themselves. Ollie begged to switch to a new school with “kids like me,” where they wouldn’t feel so alone, or so bored, and so they made the change. Raising Ollie is dad Tom Rademacher’s story (really, many stories) of that eventful and sometimes painful school year, parenting Ollie and relearning every day what it means to be a father and teacher. As Ollie—who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, and prefers art to athletics, vegetables to cake, and animals to most humans—flourishes in their new school, Rademacher is making an eye-opening adjustment to a new school of his own, one that’s whiter and more suburban than anywhere he has previously taught, with a history of racial tension that he tries to address and navigate. While Ollie is learning to code, 3D model, animate, speak Japanese, and finally feel comfortable at school, Rademacher increasingly sees how his own educational struggles, anxieties, and childhood upbringing are reflected in his teaching, writing, and parenting, as well as in Ollie’s experience. And with this story of one anything-but-academic year of inquiry and wonder, doubt and revelation, he shows us how raising a kid changes everything—and how much raising a kid like Ollie can teach us about who we are and what we’re doing in the world.

Think of growing your money in the modern world, and the first person you think of is Warren Buffett-legendary investor, the oracle of Omaha, stock-market wizard, philanthropist, business magnate, the most frugal mega-billionaire, and a man who could beat the market repeatedly. More important than these superlatives, Buffett has earned unparalleled respect and admiration the world over.How did this man, who was rejected from Harvard Business School, become this surreal financial superman? How could he make astoundingly successful decisions about the stock market, while sitting hundreds of miles away from the bustle of the New York Stock Exchange, without compromising on his ethics ever? What were the qualities that enabled him to reach this pinnacle?Read about the curious legend and his life-his continuing love for junk food, his struggle with public speaking, the paradox of his frugality and the donation of almost all his wealth to charity, his beautiful love story, and an unusual marriage.

A vibrant account of both the sensuous cultural scene of postwar Paris and the life of an alluring icon of modern art. Isidore Isou was a young Jew in wartime Bucharest who barely survived the Romanian Holocaust. He made his way to Paris, where, in 1945, he founded the avant-garde movement Lettrism, described as the missing link between Dada, Surrealism, Situationism, and May '68. In Speaking East, Andrew Hussey presents a colorful picture of the postwar Left Bank, where Lettrist fists flew in avantgarde punch-ups in Jazz clubs and cafés, and where Isou--as sexy and as charismatic as the young Elvis--gathered around him a group of hooligan disciples who argued, drank, and had sex with the Parisian intellectual élite. This is a vibrant account of the life and times of a pivotal figure in the history of modern art.

A contemporary guide to life inspired by the extraordinary artist Frida Kahlo

In this second edition of The Murder of Biggie Smalls, Cathy Scott delves behind the scenes to pore over police records, coroner reports, FBI files, and interviews Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, to reveal new facts surrounding the gangsta rapper's murder. The Notorious B.I.G. exploded onto the hip-hop scene in 1995 with his platinum-selling album Ready to Die. Biggie Smalls, born Christopher Wallace and performing as Notorious B.I.G., grew up in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where he dropped out of high school to pursue street culture and his rapping style. Biggie began emceeing his original raps, which were discovered by producer Sean "Puffy" Combs, who took Biggie's gangsta image to the next level. Fame followed two successful rap albums earning million of dollars, a 1996 Billboard Rapper of the Year Award, marriage to R&B singer Faith Evans, a public affair with rapper L'il Kim, and hanging out with Tupac Shakur. The high life for Biggie tragically ended March 9, 1997, after a Los Angeles post-awards party, where he was gunned down in a drive-by, much like friend-turned-enemy Shakur six months earlier. Twenty-four years later, L.A. police still have made no arrests, despite their early confidence that the case would be solved quickly, and after revealing identities of persons of interest who worked for the police department. They dropped the investigation before it ended, stalling the case. Bestselling True Crime author Cathy Scott shares it all in this second edition of The Murder of Biggie Smalls.

This is Mr. Podsobinski's second book. Like his first book about his first 40 years with schizophrenia, this book is also about his further encounters with his own mental health issues. What prompted the writing of this book is that Mr. Podsobinski inadvertently went into total Xanax withdrawal while trying to discontinue the Xanax he had been on for 15 years. He did not know this could be fatal. What ensued in the process was hallucinations he instinctively recollected from his 1970s young adult use of real LSD and fresh Psilocybin mushrooms as he compares the Xanax withdrawal hallucinations with these psychedelics, but shows how they are not the same as far as hallucinations for clear reasons. Then he examines the Xanax hallucinations with the hallucinations of full-blown psychosis as in his first book. His examination once again finds these are not alike forms of hallucinations. In this sense, the book is an examination of hallucinations. A more important serious aspect to this book is it shows why Xanax honestly earns its bad reputation. It is not an addictions thing as thought. Larry's digging and verifying with doctors finds it is only more recently known that Xanax causes brain damage, not addiction. It affects/damages a certain brain chemical described that then will never function the same unless Xanax is attached to this certain normal brain chemical. He describes the works and what it is like to know one is living with this in the one recurrent theme in the book. Other recurring themes include again aspects including aging with residual schizophrenia and keeping it benign since late 1994. In addition, brought to light is current state of art medical science that Psilocybin is being used to treat resistant depression and other ailments. A thoughtful look into modern thinking on substances that once only were considered "drugs of abuse" and are now being found to have medical benefit.The Author April 2021

Read this book as the ultimate Beatles' fantasy tour of their magickal mystery! This book (for those who do not already have these chapters of the Memoirs of Billy Shears) sets you on your journey through their alternate reality that runs parallel to traditional thinking. It is your initiation into the Beatles' magickal world, as told from Billy's perspective, bringing you into the circle of those who know the mystery of how he obtained McCartney's role and estate, and of how he took the creative control of John's world-famous band.

An essential biography of Queen Anne Boleyn! Perfect for readers on Alison Weir, Eric Ives and John Guy. 'A very readable account of all the strands in the complicated tapestry of politics, religion, and that very uncertain quality, the King's love' The Times Few queens of England are as famous as Anne Boleyn. Yet, who was this woman? What was her life like before Henry VIII became infatuated with her? And just how influential was she in reshaping English religious and political life during the early years of the Reformation? Marie Louise Bruce's engrossing account of Anne Boleyn charts the rise and fall of this remarkable young woman through the course of her short life, from her early days at Hever Castle to the luxurious courts of France and England to her terrifying last days in the Tower of London. By utilising a wealth of primary sources, including the love letters between Henry and Anne along with innumerable documents written by courtiers and ambassadors, Bruce brings to life the splendour of the Tudor court and its most famous king and queen. 'Traces sympathetically and in great detail the life of Henry VIII's second queen. What a woman, and what a terrible time to be her kind of woman! Beautiful, clever, talkative and strong-willed, in this book Anne Boleyn lives and dies vividly, leaving behind the proud and inescapable fact that her daughter became England's greatest queen' She Magazine 'A readable and balanced portrait.' Kirkus Reviews 'Eminently readable... Marie Louise Bruce is admirably fair (and) makes good use of Henry's letters to Anne during their courtship' The Sunday Telegraph

An autobiography emerges from this Covid diary by the celebrated novelist, short story writer, critic and playwright.

The first-ever, comprehensive and authorized showcase of legendary fashion designer Bob Mackie's fabulous life and work.

West with the Light biography - autobiography of Brian Jackman, one of the UK's best loved travel and wildlife writers, from childhood memories of the Blitz to Fleet Street journalism and a life-long love affair with Africa. George Adamson, Jonathan Scott and Saba Douglas-Hamilton all feature.