Selvbiografier

The bold and brilliant biography of maverick British scientist J.B.S. Haldane, one of the twentieth-century's greatest thinkers, by an award-winning author.

'It's a preposterous plan. Still, if you do get up it, I think it'll be the hardest thing that's been done in the Himalayas.' So spoke Chris Bonington when Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker presented him with their plan to tackle the unclimbed West Wall of Changabang - the Shining Mountain - in 1976. Bonington's was one of the more positive responses; most felt the climb impossibly hard, especially for a two-man, lightweight expedition. This was, after all, perhaps the most fearsome and technically challenging granite wall in the Garhwal Himalaya and an ascent - particularly one in a lightweight style - would be more significant than anything done on Everest at the time. The idea had been Joe Tasker's. He had photographed the sheer, shining, white granite sweep of Changabang's West Wall on a previous expedition and asked Pete to return with him the following year. Tasker contributes a second voice throughout Boardman's story, which starts with acclimatisation, sleeping in a Salford frozen food store, and progresses through three nights of hell, marooned in hammocks during a storm, to moments of exultation at the variety and intricacy of the superb, if punishingly difficult, climbing. It is a story of how climbing a mountain can become an all-consuming goal, of the tensions inevitable in forty days of isolation on a two-man expedition; as well as a record of the moment of joy upon reaching the summit ridge against all odds. First published in 1978, The Shining Mountain is Peter Boardman's first book. It is a very personal and honest story that is also amusing, lucidly descriptive, very exciting, and never anything but immensely readable. It was awarded the John Llewelyn Rhys Prize for literature in 1979, winning wide acclaim. His second book, Sacred Summits, was published shortly after his death in 1982. Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker died on Everest in 1982, whilst attempting a new and unclimbed line. Both men were superb mountaineers and talented writers. Their literary legacy lives on through the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature, established by family and friends in 1983 and presented annually to the author or co-authors of an original work which has made an outstanding contribution to mountain literature. For more information about the Boardman Tasker Prize, visit: www.boardmantasker.com

This memoir offers a unique insight into troubled times in Northern Ireland in the period leading up to partition. Prompted by a sectarian attack on pilgrims processing to a boat in Larne which would take them to the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, a retired RIC Head Constable looks back on his 31 years service. For McKenna the attack in the summer of 1932 represents the culmination of years of injustice perpetrated by a unionist hierarchy within the pre-partition RIC in Ulster and in post-partition northern society in general. He believed the RIC hierarchys supine attitude towards Ulster loyalism was characterised, around the time of partition, by the B Specials being given an apparently free hand in Co. Tyrone committing injustices without fear of being brought to account. The memoir provides a contrast between relatively idyllic service in Galway and the harshness of northern political realities. This is reinforced by the personal happiness McKenna enjoyed in the west where he met his wife, contrasted with the tragedy of the untimely deaths of three of his young children while serving in Ulster. A man of his time, Head Constable McKennas voice deserves to be heard today and his story is relevant to understanding Northern Irelands political and policing problems in the present. Cross-community support for a local police force was lacking in 192021 and the events in the memoir point up how essential consensus is in any divided society, past or present.

Scottish actor Bill Paterson narrates the funny, sad and enlightening Hurricane Hutch's Top 10 Ships of the Clyde. Captain Robin Hutchison's unique personal perspective on a fast fading era.

A stunning illustrated journey through one young woman’s year of feelings—from the saturated highs of early summer to the gray isolation of late winter. “Feelings is a visual and emotional treat, full of gorgeous artwork and soothing insight.”—Mari Andrew, New York Times bestselling author of Am I There Yet? Enter Manjit Thapp’s Feelings, where you’ll find moods that change as quickly as the weather; the different shades of anxiety and hope that each new season brings; and the stages of joy and pain that fuel our growth. From the spark of possibility and jolt of creativity in High Summer, to the need for release from anxiety and pressure during Monsoon, to the desolation and numbness of Winter, Feelings implores us to consider the seasons of our own emotional journeys.Articulating and validating the range of feelings we all experience, this is a book that allows us to feel connected and comforted by the experiences that make us human.

A celebration of Prince Philip's unforgettable life and a compilation of his famous and funny one-liners and put-downs.

In There and Black Again, Don Letts looks back on his exceptional life, which has seen him befriend Bob Marley after sneaking into his hotel, join The Clash's White Riot tour as manager of The Slits and become one of the UK's most highly regarded video directors just as the MTV boom hit.

A scholar of American Christianity presents a seventy-five-year history of evangelicalism that identifies the forces that have turned Donald Trump into a hero of the Religious Right.

A chilling, eye-opening story of marriage and attempted murder, revealing the truth about a case that made headlines around the world.On Easter Sunday 2015, experienced skydiver Victoria Cilliers undertook a parachute jump, a gift from her husband, British army sergeant Emile Cilliers. Her parachutes failed to open and she plummeted 4,000 feet to the ground, sustaining life-threatening injuries. Miraculously, she survived. Then the police arrived at her door. Someone had tampered with her parachute and they suspected Emile.In I Survived Victoria describes how she fell for Emile, and how the charming man she thought she knew gradually revealed a darker side, chipping away at her self-worth until she found it impossible to sift truth from lies. Can she really believe that her husband - the father of their two young children - tried to kill her? As more shocking revelations come to light, and she has to face his trial and relentless media scrutiny, she struggles to come to terms with the past. Even a guilty verdict does not free her because Emile is not ready to let her go . . .Powerful and honest, I Survived is the story of a woman who was put through hell and yet found the strength to forge a new life for herself and her children.

From humble beginnings in a small village in Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger has come to symbolise the opportunities that exist for anyone willing to work hard. Fiaz Rafiq uses in-depth interviews with Schwarzenegger's peers to tell the life story of the one-time Governator, featuring exclusive interviews.

What does it mean to be a part of-rather than apart from-nature? This book is about how we interact with wildlife and the ways in which this can make our lives richer and more fulfilling. But it also explores the conflicts and contradictions inevitable in a world that is now so completely dominated by our own species.Interest in wildlife and wild places, and their profound effects on human wellbeing, have increased sharply as we face up to the ongoing biodiversity extinction crisis and reassess our priorities following a global pandemic. Ian Carter, lifelong naturalist and a former bird specialist at Natural England, sets out to uncover the intricacies of the relationship between humans and nature. In a direct, down-to-earth style he explains some of the key practical, ethical and philosophical problems we must navigate as we seek to reconnect with nature.This wide-ranging and infectiously personal account does not shy away from controversial subjects-such as how we handle invasive species, reintroductions, culling or dog ownership-and reveals in stark terms that properly addressing our connection to the natural world is an imperative, not a luxury.Short, pithy chapters make this book ideal for dipping into. Meanwhile, it builds into a compelling whole as the story moves from considering the wildlife close to home through to conflicts and, finally, the joy and sense of escape that can be had in the wildest corners of our landscapes, where there is still so much to discover.

The brilliant and combative autobiography from the most capped rugby player in history, Alun Wyn Jones.

Over 50 empowering speeches celebrating women in their own words through extracts and commissioned illustrations, spanning throughout history up to the modern day.

"Kein Grund zur Eile. Kein Grund zu gla¿nzen. Kein Grund, ein anderer zu sein als man selbst." Über 100 weise Worte der unnachahmlichen Virginia Woolf über Liebe, Literatur, Feminismus, Essen, Arbeit, Älterwerden, Authentizität, Natur, Wahrheit, Glück und alles dazwischen. Sorgfältig ausgewählt und kuratiert aus Woolfs zeitlosen Romanen, Essays und Reden. Eine Hommage an eine der beliebtesten Schriftstellerinnen der Welt und eine wahre Ikone des Feminismus, in einem hübschen, kleinformatigen Geschenkbuch.

James Watson and Francis Crick's 1953 discovery of the double helix structure of DNA is the foundation of virtually every advance in our modern understanding of genetics and molecular biology. But how did Watson and Crick do it-and why were they the ones who succeeded?In truth, the discovery of DNA's structure is the story of five towering minds in pursuit of the advancement of science, and for almost all of them, the prospect of fame and immortality: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling. Each was fascinating and brilliant, with strong personalities that often clashed. Howard Markel skillfully re-creates the intense intellectual journey, and fraught personal relationships, that ultimately led to a spectacular breakthrough. But it is Rosalind Franklin-fiercely determined, relentless, and an outsider at Cambridge and the University of London in the 1950s, as the lone Jewish woman among young male scientists-who becomes a focal point for Markel.The Secret of Life is a story of genius and perseverance, but also a saga of cronyism, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and misconduct. Drawing on voluminous archival research, including interviews with James Watson and with Franklin's sister, Jenifer Glynn, Markel provides a fascinating look at how science is done, how reputations are undone, and how history is written, and revised.A vibrant evocation of Cambridge in the 1950s, Markel also provides colorful depictions of Watson and Crick-their competitiveness, idiosyncrasies, and youthful immaturity-and compelling portraits of Wilkins, Pauling, and most cogently, Rosalind Franklin. The Secret of Life is a lively and sweeping narrative of this landmark discovery, one that finally gives the woman at the center of this drama her due.

The authorised biography of Britain's most successful horse trainer.

A brilliant and soulful biography of one of today's most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Nick Cave.

Instant New York Times Bestseller Legendary actor Val Kilmer shares the stories behind his most beloved roles, reminisces about his star-studded career and love life, and reveals the truth behind his recent health struggles in a remarkably candid autobiography.Val Kilmer has played many iconic roles over his nearly four-decade film career. A table-dancing Cold War agent in Top Secret! A troublemaking science prodigy in Real Genius. A brash fighter pilot in Top Gun. A swashbuckling knight in Willow. A lovelorn bank robber in Heat. A charming master of disguise in The Saint. A wise-cracking detective in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Of course, Batman, Jim Morrison and the sharp-shooting Doc Holliday. But who is the real Val Kilmer? With I'm Your Huckleberrypublished ahead of next summer's highly anticipated sequel Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer returns to the big screen as Tom ';Iceman' Kazanskythe enigmatic actor at last steps out of character and reveals his true self. In this uniquely assembled memoirfeaturing vivid prose, snippets of poetry and rarely-seen photosKilmer reflects on his acclaimed career, including becoming the youngest actor ever admitted to the Juilliard School's famed drama department, determinedly campaigning to win the lead part in The Doors, and realizing a years-long dream of performing a one-man show as his hero Mark Twain. He shares candid stories of working with screen legends Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert De Niro, and recounts high-profile romances with Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, and former wife Joanne Whalley. He chronicles his spiritual journey and lifelong belief in Christian Science, and describes travels to far-flung locales such as a scarcely inhabited island in the Indian Ocean where he suffered from delirium and was cared for by the resident tribe. And he reveals details of his recent throat cancer diagnosis and recoveryabout which he has disclosed little until now. While containing plenty of tantalizing celebrity anecdotes, I'm Your Huckleberrytaken from the famous line Kilmer delivers as Holliday in Tombstoneis ultimately a singularly written and deeply moving reflection on mortality and the mysteries of life.

This commentary on Galatians was composed by St. John Chrysostom (347 - 407), the great preacher of Constantinople, who delivered them in the form of six homilies, providing a detailed verse by verse study of this important letter by the Apostle St. Paul.The Epistle is the ninth book in the New Testament and is addressed to the Christians in Galatia, a region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).In it, St. Paul addresses the controversy of the Mosaic law and how it applies to non-Jewish Christians.This work is a reproduction of the "Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, and homilies on the Epistle to the Ephesians, of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople" Oxford: JH. Parker, 1840. Translated by WJ. Copeland (1804-1885) and includes the original footnotes and Bible references. This version is also illustrated with artwork and icons of the figures mentioned in the Epistle.

An inspiring story of gaining new senses in adulthood

A gripping memoir and revelatory investigation into the history of the Foundling Hospital and one girl who grew up in its care - the author's own mother.

A biography of Thomas Sowell, one of America's most influential conservative thinkers

The story of the Savoy's founders, through three generations and a hundred years of luxury

From an acclaimed British author, a sharply focused, riveting account - told from inside the White House - of the crucial days, hours, and moments when the Watergate conspiracy consumed, and ultimately toppled, a president. In January 1973, Richard Nixon was inaugurated after winning re-election in a historic landslide. But by April his presidency had fallen apart as the Watergate scandal metastasised into what White House counsel John Dean called 'a full-blown cancer'. King Richard is the intimate, utterly absorbing narrative of the tension-packed hundred days when the Watergate burglars and their handlers in the administration turned on one another, revealing their direct connection to the White House. Drawing on thousands of hours of newly released taped recordings, Michael Dobbs takes us into the very heart of the conspiracy, recreating these dramatic events in unprecedentedly vivid detail. He captures the growing paranoia of the principal players, and their desperate attempts to deflect blame, as the noose tightened around them and the daily pressures became increasingly unbearable. At the centre of this spellbinding drama is Nixon himself, a man whose strengths - particularly his determination to win at all costs - were also his fatal flaws. Structured like a classical tragedy with a uniquely American twist, this is an epic and deeply human story of ambition, power, and betrayal.