Biografier

An essay collection from actress and stand-up comedian, Jenny Slate

The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages.

A memoir from the break-out star of Netflix hit show Queer Eye, Jonathan Van Ness.

#1NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL,ANDBOSTON GLOBEBESTSELLER*;NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BYTHE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW*;ONE OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR*; BILL GATES'S HOLIDAY READING LIST*; FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE'S AWARD IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY *; FINALIST FORTHENATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE'S JOHN LEONARD PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOK*; FINALIST FOR THE PEN/JEAN STEIN BOOK AWARD*; FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES BOOK PRIZENAMED ONE OF PASTE'S BEST MEMOIRS OF THE DECADE *; NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post *; O: The Oprah Magazine *; Time *; NPR *; Good Morning America *; San Francisco Chronicle *; The Guardian *; The Economist *; Financial Times *; Newsday *; New York Post *; theSkimm *; Refinery29 *; Bloomberg *; Self *; Real Simple *; Town & Country *; Bustle *; Paste *; Publishers Weekly *; Library Journal *; LibraryReads *; BookRiot *; Pamela Paul, KQED *; New York Public LibraryAn unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge UniversityBorn to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.';Beautiful and propulsive . . . Despite the singularity of [Tara Westover's] childhood, the questions her book poses are universal: How much of ourselves should we give to those we love? And how much must we betray them to grow up?'Vogue';Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others.'The New York Times Book Review

It is said that the Hell's Angels could paralyse whole towns with fear. This book explores the questions such as: How much of that reputation was myth and how much was brutal reality?

'Pink is my favourite colour. I used to say my favourite colour was black to be cool, but it is pink all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I m not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue.'In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of colour (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny and sincere look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better.

Now the basis of a major Radio 4 drama, Maya Angelou's debut memoir paints a portrait of 'a brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman' (Barack Obama)Maya Angelou's debut memoir has become an classic beloved worldwide. Her six volumes of autobiography are a testament to the her talents and resilience.. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. In this first volume of her six books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. She learns the power of the white folks at the other end of town and suffers the terrible trauma of rape by her mother's lover. However, far from being dispiriting, James Baldwin writes, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.''I write about being a Black American woman, however, I am always talking about what it's like to be a human being. This is how we are, what makes us laugh, and this is how we fall and how we somehow, amazingly, stand up again' Maya Angelou

'Mightily entertaining' - Heat People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the 'age of sixty, with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and California, I wouldn't have put money on me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time. A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time.

The original bestseller and heartwarming story of the life-saving friendship between a man and his streetwise cat'[Bob] has entranced London like no feline since the days of Dick Whittington.' (Evening Standard)'A heartwarming tale with a message of hope' (Daily Mail)'Reminded me how amazing having a cat can be' (Glamour)* * * * * * * *The uplifting true story of an unlikely friendship between a man on the streets of Covent Garden and the ginger cat who adopts him and helps him heal his life. Now a major motion picture starring Luke Treadaway.When James Bowen found an injured, ginger street cat curled up in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London and the last thing he needed was a pet.Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent tom cat, whom he quickly christened Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas.Soon the two were inseparable and their diverse, comic and occasionally dangerous adventures would transform both their lives, slowly healing the scars of each other's troubled pasts.A Street Cat Named Bob is a moving and uplifting story that will touch the heart of anyone who reads it.IF you love A Street Cat Named Bob, don't miss The Little Book of Bob, the new book from James and Bob.

The Power Broker is a compelling masterpiece by Robert A. Caro, published by Random House USA Inc in 1975. This riveting narrative is a unique blend of biography and urban history, shedding light on the life and times of Robert Moses, the 'power broker' who shaped the city of New York. Caro's remarkable storytelling prowess brings to life a man who not only influenced urban development but also transformed the very way we perceive power and democracy. A must-read for those intrigued by the interplay of power, politics, and urban development. Dive deep into the pages of this book to understand the complexities of power and how it shapes our world. Published by Random House USA Inc, this book is a testament to Caro's meticulous research and narrative skills.

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow and horror. As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling, and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last. With its raw, unflinching honesty, Prince Harry shares a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.-- From jacket flap.

The charming, inspiring and remarkable full story of Dick and Angel Strawbridge's first year at the Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson.

For the first time, in her own words, international superstar Mariah Carey tells her story.

The second volume of beloved actress Julie Andrews' memoirs: Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and her enduring career in Hollywood. 'An intimate and heart-warming memoir' WOMAN & HOME

A classic memoir of prison breaks and adventure - a bestselling phenomenon of the 1960sCondemned for a murder he had not committed, Henri Charriere (nicknamed Papillon) was sent to the penal colony of French Guiana. Forty-two days after his arrival he made his first break, travelling a thousand gruelling miles in an open boat. Recaptured, he went into solitary confinement and was sent eventually to Devil's Island, a hell-hole of disease and brutality. No one had ever escaped from this notorious prison - no one until Papillon took to the shark-infested sea supported only by a makeshift coconut-sack raft. In thirteen years he made nine daring escapes, living through many fantastic adventures while on the run - including a sojourn with South American Indians whose women Papillon found welcomely free of European restraints...Papillon is filled with tension, adventure and high excitement. It is also one of the most vivid stories of human endurance ever written.Henri Charriere died in 1973 at the age of 66.

An account of the last seven years of Freddie Mercury's life by his lover Jim Hutton. A former barber at the Savoy Hotel, Jim never fully assimilated into Mercury's jet-setting lifestyle, but was closer to him than anyone else, and knew all his friends, including Elton John and Phil Collins.

Includes a new foreword by the author and a preface by Douglas Hofstadter. Alan Turing was the extraordinary Cambridge mathematician who masterminded the cracking of the German Enigma ciphers and transformed the Second World War.

The first full biography of Albert Einstein since all of his papers have become available -- a fully realised portrait of this extraordinary human being, and great genius.

It seems excessive...but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.The mass of black curls. The top hat. The cigarette dangling from pouty lips. These are the trademarks of one of the world's greatest and most revered guitarists, a celebrity musician known by one name: Slash.Saul "e;Slash"e; Hudson was born in Hampstead to a Jewish father and a black American mother who created David Bowie's look in The Man Who Fell to Earth. He was raised in Stoke until he was 11, when he and his mother moved to LA. Frequent visitors to the house were David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Ronnie Wood and Iggy Pop.At this time Slash got into BMX bikes and would eventually turn professional, winning major awards and money, but at 15 his grandmother gave him his first guitar. Sessions with numerous local LA rock bands followed until a fateful meeting with singer W Axl Rose...and the rest was rock history. Guns N' Roses spent two years builiding their reputation before Appetite for Destruction was unleashed on an unsuspecting world.Chart success and global domination followed but with it came the inevitable fall - addicted to heroin, booze and cigarettes the band imploded in a rift between Axl and Slash that is as deep today as ever. But with a new wife, kids and new band Velvet Revolver, Slash is back on track. As raucous and edgy as his music, Slash sets the record straight and tells the real story as only Slash can.

An inspiring and radical celebration of 70 women, girls, and gender nonbinary people who have changed--and are still changing--the world, from the Civil Rights Movement and Stonewall riots through Black Lives Matter and beyond.With a radical and inclusive approach to history, Modern HERstory profiles and celebrates seventy women and nonbinary champions of progressive social change in a bold, colorful, illustrated format for all ages. Despite making huge contributions to the liberation movements of the last century and today, all of these trailblazers come from backgrounds and communities that are traditionally overlooked and under-celebrated: not just women, but people of color, queer people, trans people, disabled people, young people, and people of faith. Authored by rising star activist Blair Imani, Modern HERstory tells the important stories of the leaders and movements that are changing the world right here and right now--and will inspire you to do the same.

Joan Didion's savage masterpiece, which, since first publication in 1968, has been acknowledged as an unparalleled report on the state of America during the upheaval of the Sixties Revolution.

Looking back not only at his own much younger self, but also at the other writers who shared Paris with him - James Joyce, Wyndham Lewis, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald - he recalls the time when, poor, happy and writing in cafes, he discovered his vocation.