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The Abode of Love: The Remarkable Tale of Growing Up in a Religious Cult
by Kate BarlowThe Abode of Love is Kate Barlow's remarkable account of growing up within the remnants of a religious cult.Protected from the truth about her family's past by a wall of secrecy, it was years before Kate unearthed her grandfather's controversial claim to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and learned of the rumours that had circulated within the local Somerset community of sexual scandals, 'spiritual brides' and peculiar rituals.This is the gripping story of how one woman pieced together a hidden family history and uncovered a more shocking truth than she ever imagined.
Centre of Excellence: The Jim Renwick Story
by David BarnesOn 15 January 1972, James Menzies Renwick made his international rugby debut for Scotland against France at Murrayfield. He was 19 years old. In the years that followed he became, arguably, the most talented rugby player ever to pull on a Scotland jersey - running in some of Scotland's most celebrated and spectacular tries. During a 24- year playing career he was a member of the Hawick RFC team which won the last ever unofficial Championship and thereafter eight official Scottish Championships. He was capped 52 times for Scotland (a record at that time), scoring a hatful of tries (several of which appear on 'Best of ...' videos and are still shown regularly on television), penalties and drop-goals. He played for the British Lions in the first Test against South Africa in 1980 and is widely considered to have been unfortunate not to have played in more Tests at that level. A serial tourist in the amateur age, Renwick has witnessed and been part of many exciting and hilarious escapades. He has a naturally mischievous character and some of the high jinx in which he has been involved are the stuff of rugby legend. He has also met and made friends with a huge number of the great and good of rugby football across the globe in addition to many well-known characters from outside the game. Now as revered for his repartee and after dinner speaking as he was for his incisive breaks on the park, Renwick's actions - both on and off the field - have made him one of the best known and popular figures in the rugby world. This intimate and revealing biography is sure to be one of the most entertaining sports biographies of recent years.
Seller Beware: How not to sell your business
by Denise BarnesDenise Barnes was seven years old when she first realised she had a gift for selling. After a stellar career building her own business from the ground up Denise finally decided the time was ripe to enjoy her success and made plans to hand on her prospering company. But instead of settling her comfortably into an early retirement the decision to sell up plunged her into a nightmare spanning three years. Enter two charming gentlemen who sweet-talked Denise into signing everything over before miring her in legal battles ignoring financial obligations and causing her tens of thousands of pounds of unforeseen costs. Seller Beware tells with unsparing honesty Denise's horrifying yet often humorous story illustrating the myriad pitfalls involved in selling a business. With the gift of hindsight Denise reflects on how she would have handled things differently had she known the risks - and offers advice to others worried about being taken for a ride in commercial transactions. This illuminating and accessible book is not only a layman's guide on how not to sell your business but also a truly gripping tale of one woman's road to ruin.
The Story I Tell Myself: A Venture in Existentialist Autobiography
by Hazel E. BarnesBest known as the writer who introduced French existentialism to English-speaking readers through her translation of Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Hazel E. Barnes has written an autobiography that is both the success story of a professional woman as well as a profoundly moving reflection on growing older. Transcending the personal details of her life, Barnes' memoir stands as an important contribution to the intellectual history of our century. "An intimate record of our times and of the ongoing issues that challenge us to define ourselves over and over again."—Kirkus Reviews "An engaging autobiography that spans not only [Barnes'] self-identified period of 'flourishing' but virtually all the twentieth century."—Library Journal "Thoughtful, gracefully written reflections. . . . Readers will be glad they pursued an unusual woman's intellectual and personal journey."—Booklist "An accessible, wonderfully written book packed with wisdom and insight."—Denver Post "Absorbing and satisfying."—Gertrude Reif Hughes, Women's Review of Books
The Story I Tell Myself: A Venture in Existentialist Autobiography
by Hazel E. BarnesBest known as the writer who introduced French existentialism to English-speaking readers through her translation of Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Hazel E. Barnes has written an autobiography that is both the success story of a professional woman as well as a profoundly moving reflection on growing older. Transcending the personal details of her life, Barnes' memoir stands as an important contribution to the intellectual history of our century. "An intimate record of our times and of the ongoing issues that challenge us to define ourselves over and over again."—Kirkus Reviews "An engaging autobiography that spans not only [Barnes'] self-identified period of 'flourishing' but virtually all the twentieth century."—Library Journal "Thoughtful, gracefully written reflections. . . . Readers will be glad they pursued an unusual woman's intellectual and personal journey."—Booklist "An accessible, wonderfully written book packed with wisdom and insight."—Denver Post "Absorbing and satisfying."—Gertrude Reif Hughes, Women's Review of Books
The Story I Tell Myself: A Venture in Existentialist Autobiography
by Hazel E. BarnesBest known as the writer who introduced French existentialism to English-speaking readers through her translation of Sartre's Being and Nothingness, Hazel E. Barnes has written an autobiography that is both the success story of a professional woman as well as a profoundly moving reflection on growing older. Transcending the personal details of her life, Barnes' memoir stands as an important contribution to the intellectual history of our century. "An intimate record of our times and of the ongoing issues that challenge us to define ourselves over and over again."—Kirkus Reviews "An engaging autobiography that spans not only [Barnes'] self-identified period of 'flourishing' but virtually all the twentieth century."—Library Journal "Thoughtful, gracefully written reflections. . . . Readers will be glad they pursued an unusual woman's intellectual and personal journey."—Booklist "An accessible, wonderfully written book packed with wisdom and insight."—Denver Post "Absorbing and satisfying."—Gertrude Reif Hughes, Women's Review of Books
The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism
by John BarnesAn eloquent and thought-provoking book on racism and prejudice by the Liverpool and England football legend John Barnes.John Barnes spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent black player.Barnes is now an articulate and captivating social commentator on a broad range of issues, and in The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism he tackles head-on the issues surrounding prejudice with his trademark intelligence and authority.By vividly evoking his personal experiences, and holding a mirror to this country's past, present and future, Barnes provides a powerful and moving testimony. The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism will help to inform and advance the global conversation around society's ongoing battle with the awful stain of prejudice.
Death: Vintage Minis (Vintage Minis)
by Julian BarnesWhen it comes to death, is there ever a best case scenario? In this disarmingly witty book, Julian Barnes confronts our unending obsession with the end. He reflects on what it means to miss God, whether death can be good for our careers and why we eventually turn into our parents. Barnes is the perfect guide to the weirdness of the only thing that binds us all.Selected from the book Nothing to be Frightened Of by Julian BarnesVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us humanAlso in the Vintage Minis series:Calm by Tim ParksDrinking by John CheeverBabies by Anne EnrightPsychedelics by Aldous Huxley
Levels of Life (Vintage International Series)
by Julian BarnesYou put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed… In Levels of Life Julian Barnes gives us Nadar, the pioneer balloonist and aerial photographer; he gives us Colonel Fred Burnaby, reluctant adorer of the extravagant Sarah Bernhardt; then, finally, he gives us the story of his own grief, unflinchingly observed. This is a book of intense honesty and insight; it is at once a celebration of love and a profound examination of sorrow.
The Man in the Red Coat
by Julian BarnesThe Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sense of an Ending takes us on a rich, witty tour of Belle Epoque Paris, via the life story of the pioneering surgeon Samuel PozziIn the summer of 1885, three Frenchmen arrived in London for a few days’ shopping. One was a Prince, one was a Count, and the third was a commoner with an Italian name, who four years earlier had been the subject of one of John Singer Sargent’s greatest portraits. The commoner was Samuel Pozzi, society doctor, pioneer gynaecologist and free-thinker – a rational and scientific man with a famously complicated private life.Pozzi's life played out against the backdrop of the Parisian Belle Epoque. The beautiful age of glamour and pleasure more often showed its ugly side: hysterical, narcissistic, decadent and violent, a time of rampant prejudice and blood-and-soil nativism, with more parallels to our own age than we might imagine. The Man in the Red Coat is at once a fresh and original portrait of the Belle Epoque – its heroes and villains, its writers, artists and thinkers – and a life of a man ahead of his time. Witty, surprising and deeply researched, the new book from Julian Barnes illuminates the fruitful and longstanding exchange of ideas between Britain and France, and makes a compelling case for keeping that exchange alive.
Nothing To Be Frightened Of
by Julian Barnes'I don't believe in God, but I miss Him.' Julian Barnes' new book is, among many things, a family memoir, an exchange with his philosopher brother, a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God, and a homage to the French writer Jules Renard. Though he warns us that 'this is not my autobiography', the result is a tour of the mind of one of our most brilliant writers.
The Pedant In The Kitchen
by Julian BarnesThe Pedant's ambition is simple. He wants to cook tasty, nutritious food; he wants not to poison his friends; and he wants to expand, slowly and with pleasure, his culinary repertoire. A stern critic of himself and others, he knows he is never going to invent his own recipes (although he might, in a burst of enthusiasm, increase the quantity of a favourite ingredient). Rather, he is a recipe-bound follower of the instructions of others.It is in his interrogations of these recipes, and of those who create them, that the Pedant's true pedantry emerges. How big, exactly, is a 'lump'? Is a 'slug' larger than a 'gout'? When does a 'drizzle' become a downpour? And what is the difference between slicing and chopping?This book is a witty and practical account of Julian Barnes' search for gastronomic precision. It is a quest that leaves him seduced by Jane Grigson, infuriated by Nigel Slater, and reassured by Mrs Beeton's Victorian virtues. The Pedant in the Kitchen is perfect comfort for anyone who has ever been defeated by a cookbook and is something that none of Julian Barnes' legion of admirers will want to miss.
Through the Window: Seventeen Essays (and one short story) (Vintage International Series)
by Julian BarnesIn these seventeen essays (and one short story) the 2011 Man Booker Prize winner examines British, French and American writers who have meant most to him, as well as the cross-currents and overlappings of their different cultures. From the deceptiveness of Penelope Fitzgerald to the directness of Hemingway, from Kipling's view of France to the French view of Kipling, from the many translations of Madame Bovary to the fabulations of Ford Madox Ford, from the National Treasure Status of George Orwell to the despair of Michel Houellebecq, Julian Barnes considers what fiction is, and what it can do. As he writes in his preface, 'Novels tell us the most truth about life: what it is, how we live it, what it might be for, how we enjoy and value it, and how we lose it.'When his Letters from London came out in 1995, the Financial Times called him 'our best essayist'. This wise and deft collection confirms that judgment.
The Cold Fix: Drawing strength from cold water swimming and immersion
by Sara Barnes‘The cold water has given me the key to unlock myself within a place I didn’t know existed: the community of cold water swimmers right around the world. What binds us all together is the cold and how it makes us feel: brave enough to tackle even the toughest of life’s issues.’Having been a keen runner and cyclist all her life, in 2017 Sara Barnes was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis and found herself facing major surgery and a future of limited mobility. Rather than obsessing about what she could no longer do, she decided to focus on what she could do and took to the water of the tarns, river pools and lakes in her home county of Cumbria. A new appreciation of being in nature and love of cold water swimming and immersion was born.In The Cold Fix, Sara takes the reader on an enthralling journey, from her first tentative steps into the water, to meeting other swimmers from around the world who share her passion and who can help her answer the question: what is it about cold water that proves irresistible to an increasing number of people?
Sketches from Memory: A Rugby Memoir
by Stuart BarnesStuart Barnes has spent over forty years of his life immersed in rugby union, remembered as one of the most controversial playing names during the dying days of the English amateur era and now regarded as a controversial observer in the media - on both television and in print - with over two decades of broadcasting and journalistic experience to draw upon.Sketches from Memory combines autobiography with an objective and off-beat study of the sport from the author’s childhood in the 1970s, through the revolution of the transition to professionalism in the 1980s and 1990s, right up until the present day.Eschewing the more traditional form of the sports book, Barnes abandons chronology to allow past and present to mingle, presenting his memoir as an alphabetical soup with the letters of the alphabet and not the numbers, dates and years of his life leading the narrative. It is a refreshing, beguiling and absorbing approach that allows the dedicated reader to complete the book in sequence, or the bed-side reader to flick from one letter to the next without losing the thread.
Dead Doubles: The Extraordinary Worldwide Hunt for One of the Cold War’s Most Notorious Spy Rings
by Trevor BarnesTHE PORTLAND SPY RING was one of the most infamous espionage cases from the Cold War. People the world over were shocked when its exposure revealed the shadowy world of deep cover KGB 'illegals' - spies operating under false identities stolen from the dead.The CIA's revelation to MI5 in 1960 that a KGB agent was stealing crucial secrets from the world-leading submarine research base at Portland in Dorset looked initially like a dangerous but contained lapse of security by a British man and his mistress. But the couple were tailed by MI5 'watchers' to a covert meeting with a Canadian businessman, Gordon Lonsdale. The unsuspecting Lonsdale in turn led MI5's spycatchers to an innocent-looking couple in suburban Ruislip called the Krogers.But within weeks the CIA rang the alarm - their critical source of intelligence was to defect within hours - and MI5 was forced to act immediately. The Krogers were exposed as two of the most important Russian 'illegals' ever, whom the Americans had been hunting for years. And Lonsdale was no Canadian, but a senior KGB controller.This astonishing but true story of MI5's spyhunt is straight from the world of John le Carré and is told here for the first time using hitherto secret MI5 and FBI files, private family archives and original interviews. Its tentacles stretch around the world - from America, to the USSR, Canada, New Zealand, Europe and the UK. DEAD DOUBLES is a gripping episode of Cold War history, and a case that fully justified the West's paranoia about infiltration and treachery.
Period
by Emma Barnett‘I wish this book had been written before I stopped having them. I might have enjoyed them more! It’s brilliant, informative and funny. Period.’ Jennifer Saunders ‘I want to hear what Emma Barnett says about everything, and this terrific and timely book proves to be no exception.’ Elizabeth Day
The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius
by Kristine BarnettThe Spark is Kristine Barnett's remarkable memoir about being mother to a genius.Kristine Barnett's son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein's, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At nine he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine's journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age two, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes. Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us.'The Spark is about the transformative power of unconditional love. If you have a child who's 'different' - and who doesn't? - you won't be able to put it down' Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind'The Spark describes in glowing terms the profound intensity with which a mother can love her child' Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree'Every parent and teacher should read this fabulous book!' Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and co-author of The Autistic BrainKristine Barnett lives in Indiana with her husband, Michael, and their children. In 1996 she founded Acorn Hill Academy, a daycare serving local families. She and Michael currently run a charitable community centre for autistic and special-needs children and their families called Jacob's Place.
The Fact or Fiction Behind Shakespeare: The Fact Or Fiction Behind Shakespeare (Truth or Busted #15)
by Kay BarnhamTruth or Busted's Shakespeare title explores popular myths and legends about the world's greatest playwright in a tongue-in-cheek, humorous way that kids will find unputdownable! Alongside features such as 'The Bard's Best Bits' in which we learn that Shakespearean quotes and phrases are still part of our everyday language, Truth or Busted statements such as 'The Queen Loved Shakespeare's Bottom' or 'Shakespeare Burned Down the Globe Theatre' are explored. We look at where the idea came from, whether it has any basis in truth, or whether they can be consigned to folklore. Finally, each statement is given a TRUTH or BUSTED evaluation! A must for anyone studying Shakespeare at school!
Nelson Mandela (Inspirational Lives #23)
by Kay BarnhamThe series focuses on the people who inspire children today. Each book looks at the background, life and achievements of a personality, their impact on popular culture as well as detailing the everyday facets of their job and how they have gained such success. This title explores how Nelson Mandela became one of the most influential political leaders in the world, from his origins in a South African herding village, through to his arrest for political activism, his imprisonment at Robben Island and his eventual release and presidency.
At Home in the Land of Oz: Autism, My Sister, and Me Second Edition
by Anne BarnhillAnne's sister Becky was born in 1958, long before most people had even heard of autism. Diagnosed with 'emotional disturbance,' Becky was subjected for much of her childhood to well-meaning but futile efforts at 'rehabilitation' or 'cure,' as well as prolonged spells in institutions away from her family. Painting a vivid picture of growing up in small-town America during the Sixties, Anne describes her sister's and her own painful childhood experiences with compassion and honesty. Struggling with the separation from her sister and the emotional and financial hardships the family experienced as a result of Becky's condition, Anne nevertheless found that her sister had something that 'normal' people were unable to offer. Today she is accepting of her sister's autism and the impact, both painful and positive, it has had on both their lives. This bittersweet memoir will resonate with families affected by autism and other developmental disorders and will appeal to everyone interested in the condition.
At Home in the Land of Oz: Autism, My Sister, and Me Second Edition (PDF)
by Anne BarnhillAnne's sister Becky was born in 1958, long before most people had even heard of autism. Diagnosed with 'emotional disturbance,' Becky was subjected for much of her childhood to well-meaning but futile efforts at 'rehabilitation' or 'cure,' as well as prolonged spells in institutions away from her family. Painting a vivid picture of growing up in small-town America during the Sixties, Anne describes her sister's and her own painful childhood experiences with compassion and honesty. Struggling with the separation from her sister and the emotional and financial hardships the family experienced as a result of Becky's condition, Anne nevertheless found that her sister had something that 'normal' people were unable to offer. Today she is accepting of her sister's autism and the impact, both painful and positive, it has had on both their lives. This bittersweet memoir will resonate with families affected by autism and other developmental disorders and will appeal to everyone interested in the condition.
Kangaroo Dundee
by Chris BarnsBrolga (aka Chris Barns) is the 6ft 7in strong but sensitive Aussie star of the extraordinary BBC series Kangaroo Dundee. Brolga lives in a simple tin shed in the outback where he raises orphaned baby kangaroos. It is a sad fact of life that kangaroo mothers are at the mercy of speeding cars in this part of the world - killed on the road, their young still tucked up in their pouches. These young joeys holding on to life, have been given a second chance thanks to the kindness and dedication of Brolga, who carefully retrieves them and nurses them back to health. Brolga has been rescuing these special creatures for years, slowly and painstakingly creating a kangaroo sanctuary for the many kangaroos he has saved, reared and loved. He has dedicated his life to observing how kangaroo mums care for their babies and does everything he can to replicate this. The baby kangaroos, traumatised by losing their mother so early, are tucked up into pillow cases and kept warm and comforted next to Brolga at night. We see him getting up at 4am to bottle feed them, washing them in a little tub, taking them to the supermarket and generally mothering them with heart breaking tenderness. Charting Brolga's life with the joeys and honing in on his relationship with one or two in particular, Kangaroo Dundee tells the heart-warming, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant story of one man's unique relationship with a group of extraordinary animals.
The Life of P.T. Barnum: Written By Himself, Including His Golden Rules For Money-making. Brought Up To 1888 (Collins Classics)
by P. T. BarnumHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.