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21 Miles
by Jessica HepburnAfter a decade of trying to become a mother – eleven rounds of unsuccessful IVF, multiple miscarriages and a pregnancy which proved almost fatal – Jessica Hepburn knew it was time to do something different.So she decided to swim the twenty-one miles across the English Channel – no easy feat, especially for someone with an aversion to exercise who couldn't swim very well. As the punishing training commenced, Jessica learned you need to put on weight to stave off the cold. This then led to another idea: what if she wrote to a collection of inspiring women, asking if they would meet and eat with her to answer the question: does motherhood make you happy?The response was overwhelming. From baronesses and professors to award-winners and record-breakers, amazing women from different walks of life – some mothers, some not – all with compelling truths to tell about female fulfilment and the meaning of motherhood. On 2 September 2015, Jessica set out from Dover beach in the dark, taking the words that each of the women had given to sea in her bid to answer the question.
The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram: A compelling story of courage and endurance in the Second World War
by David M. Guss'Endlessly fascinating. Cram's story sizzles with adventure.' Giles Milton, Sunday TimesA genuinely new Second World War story, The 21 Escapes of Lt Alastair Cram is a riveting account of the wartime exploits of Alastair Cram, brilliantly told by the American author, David Guss. Cram was taken prisoner in North Africa in November 1941, which began a long odyssey through twelve different POW camps, three Gestapo prisons and one asylum. He became a serial escapee – fleeing his captors no fewer than twenty-one times, including his final, and finally successful, escape from a POW column in April 1945. Perhaps the most dramatic of his attempts was from Gavi, the ‘Italian Colditz’. Gavi was a maximum-security prison near Genoa for the pericolosi, the ‘most dangerous’ inmates because of their perpetual hunger to escape. It was here that Alastair met David Stirling, the legendary founder of the SAS, and cooked up the plan for what would become the ‘Cistern Tunnel’ escape, one of the most audacious but hitherto little-known mass escape attempts of the entire war. A story of courage in the face of extraordinary odds, it is a testament to one man's dogged determination never to give up.
21: How Six Students Took Vegas for Millions
by Ben MezrichReal-life all too rarely offers stories that are quite as satisfying as fiction. Bringing Down the House is one of the exceptions. Cheating in casinos is illegal; card-counting - making a record of what cards have so far been dealt to enable the player to make some prediction of what cards remain in the deck - is not. But casinos understandably dislike the practice and make every effort to keep card-counters out of their premises. Bringing Down the House tells the true story of the most successful scam ever, in which teams of brilliant young mathematicians and physicists won millions of dollars from the casinos of Las Vegas, being drawn in the process into the high-life of drugs, high-spending and sex. Bringing Down the House is as readable and as fascinating as Liar's Poker or Barbarians At the Gate, an insight into a closed, excessive and utterly corrupt world.
20th Century-Fox: Darryl F. Zanuck and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio (Turner Classic Movies)
by Scott EymanFrom New York Times bestselling author Scott Eyman, this is the story one of the most influential studios in film history, from its glory days under the leadership of legendary movie mogul Darryl F. Zanuck up to its 2019 buyout by Disney.March 20, 2019 marked the end of an era -- Disney took ownership of the movie empire that was Fox. For almost a century before that historic date, Twentieth Century-Fox was one of the preeminent producers of films, stars, and filmmakers. Its unique identity in the industry and place in movie history is unparalleled -- and one of the greatest stories to come out of Hollywood. One man, a legendary producer named Darryl F. Zanuck, is the heart of the story. This narrative tells the complete tale of Zanuck and the films, stars, intrigue, and innovations of the iconic studio that was.
20,000 Miles: The Cambridge Indo-african Expedition
by Christopher FenwickIf in 2017, a group of young men had decided to emulate this odyssey, they would probably only have managed a part of the journey. Conflict and bureaucracy would have barred their entry to many of the countries they tried to cross. However, in 1960, three young Cambridge graduates bought themselves an Austin A40 and set off on a marathon trip via Colombo to attend a friend s wedding in Cape Town. They took the long way there. Christopher Fenwick, along with his friends Robin Gaunt and John Maclay, set off across continents on the motoring adventure of their lives through Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Their staple diet was Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie, usually eaten at the roadside. They even meet old schoolfriends along the way in Iran and had tea with Mr. Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister, with his daughter Indira Gandhi and grandson Rajiv who were to follow in his footsteps. Their loyal saloon car suffered the ravages of potholed roads and mountains but friendly mechanics always came to their rescue, while the men soon became quite adept themselves at repairing and cannibalising the vehicle as it suffered various breakdowns en route. Eventually they made it to Ceylon from where they embarked for the last leg of their trip by boat via the Yemen, flying from there to Ethiopia and onwards through Africa to raise a glass of champagne in Cape Town.
1D - The One Direction Story: An Unauthorized Biography
by Danny WhiteThe biography of the hugely successful British band One Direction, who shot to fame after taking the seventh series of The X-Factor by storm. 1D: The One Direction Story explores the backgrounds, early lives and motivations of Niall, Liam, Zayn, Harry and Louis from obscurity all the way to international stardom. Covering how the boys coped with the exposure of The X-Factor, their new celebrity status and the experiences around hugely successful, chart-topping singles, a BRIT award and a number one album in America, this is the definitive book for all One Direction fans.
A 1990s Childhood: From Bum Bags to Tamagotchis
by Michael A JohnsonDo you remember getting up on a Saturday morning to watch Going Live? A time when scrunchies and curtains were the height of cool? Playing Sonic the Hedgehog on your Sega Mega Drive? Then the chances are you were a child in the nineties. This trip down memory lane will jog the memory of even the coolest 30-year-old, and make you long for the days when Gladiators was on the telly on Saturday night and the Spice Girls spiced up your life.
1989 the Berlin Wall: My Part in Its Downfall
by Peter MillarFollow Peter Millar on a journey in the heart of Cold War Europe, from the carousing bars of 1970s Fleet Street to the East Berlin corner pub with its eclectic cast of characters who embodied the reality of living on the wrong side of the wall.
1984-George Orwell - Novel: १९८४-जॉर्ज ऑरवेलने - कादंबरी
by George Orwell‘१९८४’ हे पुस्तक अशाचपैकी एक आहे. जॉर्ज ऑरवेलने १९४८ साली हे पुस्तक लिहिले. भविष्यकाळातील सर्वंकष हुकूमशाहीचे चित्रण त्यात केले आहे. या पुस्तकाचा बोलबाला सर्व जगात जसा झाला, तसाच तो महाराष्ट्रातही झाला. ३६ सालात जगातील सुमारे ६२ भाषांत या पुस्तकाची भाषांतरे झाली. मराठीत मात्र मी या पुस्तकाचे केलेले भाषांतर प्रसिद्ध होण्यासाठी ३१ डिसेंबर १९८४ ही तारीख उजाडावी लागली. तेव्हा कुठे मराठी भाषा ही भाषांतराच्या यादीत ६३वी भाषा ठरली. त्या वेळी प्रकाशन समारंभाला श्री. ग. प्र. प्रधान (समाजवादी), श्री. ना. ग. गोरे (समाजवादी), श्री. प्रभाकर उर्ध्वरेषे (कम्युनिस्ट) इत्यादी राजकीय नेते उपस्थित होते. त्यांनी या पुस्तकाची मुक्त कंठाने स्तुती केली. १९८४ सालानंतर २७ वर्षांनी या पुस्तकाची दुसरी आवृत्ती बाजारात येत आहे. जॉर्ज ऑरवेलने म्हणतात की, आणीबाणीत अनेक प्रकाशकांना मी विचारले असता या पुस्तकाचे भाषांतर प्रसिद्ध करण्यास ते कचरले. त्यामागे भीती होती अन् ही भीती हीच हुकूमशहाची शक्ती असते. हुकूमशाही म्हणजे नेमके काय, हे ऑरवेलने यात दाखवले आहे. भीतीचा वापर केल्यावरही हुकूमशहाचे समाधान होत नाही. त्याला जनतेने स्वेच्छेने त्याच्यावर प्रेम करावे, त्याची भक्ती करावी असे वाटत असते. कोणतेही राजकीय तत्त्वज्ञान हा केवळ हुकूमशहा बनण्यासाठी घेतलेला आधार असतो. ‘खरी हुकूमशाही माणसाच्या रक्तातच असते काय?’ असा प्रश्न हे पुस्तक वाचल्यावर वाचकाला नक्की पडेल. तसेच हूकूमशाही अगदी टोकाला गेल्यावर काय काय घडू शकते, हे या पुस्तकात फार चांगले दर्शवले आहे.
1966: My World Cup Story
by Bobby CharltonFifty years on, the ultimate football and World Cup legend Sir Bobby Charlton looks back on England’s greatest sporting triumph Wembley, 1966. England wins the World Cup to roars of a euphoric home crowd.Sir Bobby Charlton, England’s greatest ever player, was there on the pitch. Now, half a century on, he looks back on the most glorious moment of his life and England's greatest sporting achievement. In 1966, he takes us through the build-up to the tournament and to the final itself - what he saw, what he heard, what he felt. He tells us what it was like to be part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s team, his memories of his teammates, the matches, the atmosphere; the emotion of being carried on the wave of a nation’s euphoria and how it felt to go toe-to-toe with some of the foremost footballers to ever play the game. His life has been forever defined by a single moment: one day when a man stood side-by-side with his best friends, united in a single aim in front of a watching nation. This is his story.‘It’s gripping stuff… This is a mellow book, the product of many years’ contemplation, and emotional in a way that may surprise you…He has a wonderful story to tell’ Daily Mail
A 1950s Childhood: From Tin Baths to Bread and Dripping
by Paul FeeneyDo you remember Pathé News? Taking the train to the seaside? The purple stains of iodine on the knees of boys in short trousers? Knitted bathing costumes? Then the chances are you were born in or around 1950. To the young people of today, the 1950s seem like another age. But for those born around then, this era of childhood feels like yesterday. This delightful collection of photographic memories will appeal to all who grew up in this post-war decade; they include pictures of children enjoying life out on the streets and bombsites, at home and at school, on holiday and at events. These wonderful period pictures and descriptive captions will bring back this decade of childhood, and jog memories about all aspects of life as it was in post-war Britain. Paul Feeney is the author of several bestselling nostalgia books including A 1950s Childhood and A 1960s Childhood (The History Press). He has also written the bestselling From Ration Book to Ebook (The History Press), which takes a nostalgic look back over the life and times of the post-war baby boomer generation.
1920: The Year of the Six Presidents
by David PietruszaThe presidential election of 1920 was among history's most dramatic. Six once-and-future presidents-Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt-jockeyed for the White House. With voters choosing between Wilson's League of Nations and Harding's front-porch isolationism, the 1920 election shaped modern America. Women won the vote. Republicans outspent Democrats by 4 to 1, as voters witnessed the first extensive newsreel coverage, modern campaign advertising, and results broadcast on radio. America had become an urban nation: Automobiles, mass production, chain stores, and easy credit transformed the economy. 1920 paints a vivid portrait of America, beset by the Red Scare, jailed dissidents, Prohibition, smoke-filled rooms, bomb-throwing terrorists, and the Klan, gingerly crossing modernity's threshold.
1920: The Year of the Six Presidents
by David PietruszaThe presidential election of 1920 was one of the most dramatic ever. For the only time in the nation's history, six once-and-future presidents hoped to end up in the White House: Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and Theodore Roosevelt. It was an election that saw unprecedented levels of publicity -- the Republicans outspent the Democrats by 4 to 1 -- and it was the first to garner extensive newspaper and newsreel coverage. It was also the first election in which women could vote. Meanwhile, the 1920 census showed that America had become an urban nation -- automobiles, mass production, chain stores, and easy credit were transforming the economy and America was limbering up for the most spectacular decade of its history, the roaring '20s. Award-winning historian David Pietrusza's riveting new work presents a dazzling panorama of presidential personalities, ambitions, plots, and counterplots -- a picture of modern America at the crossroads.
17 Carnations: The Windsors, The Nazis and The Cover-Up
by Andrew MortonThe true story of Edward Windsor and Wallis Simpson’s involvement with the Nazi regime, and the post-war cover-up.The story of the love affair between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, and his abdication, has provoked endless fascination. However, the full story of their links with the German aristocracy and Hitler has remained untold.* 17 Carnations chronicles Hitler’s attempts to matchmake between Edward and a German noblewoman, and Wallis’s affair with the German foreign minister, who sent her a carnation for every night they had spent together. *Pro-German sympathizers, the couple became embroiled in a conspiracy to install Edward as a puppet king after the Allies’ defeat.* The Duke’s letters were hidden for years as the British establishment attempted to cover up the connection between the House of Windsor and Hitler.Thoroughly researched, 17 Carnations reveals the whole fascinating story, throwing sharp new light on this dark chapter of history.
1665 – Diary of a Plague Year
by Samuel PepysWelcome to London in lockdown – in 1665 This timely release of a year in the life of London’s greatest diarist comes with an introduction by bestselling author, Max Hastings.
1599: A Year In The Life Of William Shakespeare (P. S. Ser.)
by James ShapiroHow did Shakespeare go from being a talented poet and playwright to become one of the greatest writers who ever lived? In this one exhilarating year we follow what he reads and writes, what he saw and who he worked with as he invests in the new Globe theatre and creates four of his most famous plays - Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and, most remarkably, Hamlet.This book brings the news, intrigue and flavour of the times together with wonderful detail about how Shakespeare worked as an actor, businessman and playwright, to create an exceptionally immediate and gripping account of an inspiring moment in history.
The 150th Open: Celebrating Golf's Defining Championship
by Iain Carter The R&ACelebrating 150 years of The Open.
The 15: The True Story Of A Terrorist, A Train And Three American Heroes
by Anthony Sadler Alek Skarlatos Spencer StoneThe 15:17 to Paris is the amazing true story of friendship and bravery, and of near tragedy averted by three heroic young men who found the unity and strength inside themselves when they – and 500 other innocent travellers – needed it most.
147 Things: A hilariously brilliant guide to this thing called life
by Jim Chapman'It's Sapiens for teenagers.' The TimesLIFE IS WEIRD.Nothing gives you a sense of perspective like finding out just how weird.I'm an extremely curious chap and with this book I wanted to share the content of my noggin, because I think these are the 147 things that have helped me through this thing we call life. Sometimes because it shows how lucky we are to be here at all, but often because I’m a moron and learned whatever lesson it taught me the hard way, and I’d like to save you the pain of making the same mistakes (I refer here to the waxing of my pubic hair).Ever wondered if first times are over-rated (hint: they are), whether you’ll ever find the one (hint: there are 7 billion of us) or pondered the sheer unlikelihood of the you who is you being in the world right now? If so, then YouTube superstar and fact-obsessed, over-sharer Jim Chapman is here to explain it all – whether it’s why your heart actually aches after a break-up, what’s happening when you get hangry, or why people are just so plain RUDE online.Along the way, we’ll find out how much fun he has when Tanya’s sleep-talking and why he looked like a gangly T-rex with wonky teeth when he was a teenager. As with his videos, no subject is off-limits, as Jim lifts the lid on his life and his relationships, sharing embarrassing stories and things he’s learnt along the way (trust us, the thing about kangaroos will really freak you out).
1415: Henry V's Year Of Glory
by Ian MortimerHenry V is regarded as the great English hero. Lionised in his own day for his victory at Agincourt, his piety and his rigorous application of justice, he was elevated by Shakespeare into a champion of English nationalism for all future generations. But what was he really like? Does he deserve to be thought of as 'the greatest man who ever ruled England?'In Ian Mortimer's groundbreaking book, he portrays Henry in the pivotal year of his reign. Recording the dramatic events of 1415, he offers the fullest, most precise and least romanticised view we have of Henry and what he did. The result is not only a fascinating reappraisal of Henry; it brings to the fore many unpalatable truths which biographers and military historians have largely ignored. At the centre of the book is the campaign which culminated in the battle of Agincourt: a slaughter ground designed not to advance England's interests directly but to demonstrate God's approval of Henry's royal authority on both sides of the Channel.
The 13th Gift: Part Two (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
by Joanne Huist SmithA true Christmas story of a family suffering their darkest moments finding strength and love from a surprise Christmas miracle.
The 13th Gift: Part One (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
by Joanne Huist SmithA true Christmas story of a family suffering their darkest moments finding strength and love from a surprise Christmas miracle.
13 Hours: The explosive true story of how six men fought a terror attack and repelled enemy forces
by Mitchell Zuckoff13 HOURS is the true account of the events of 11 September 2012, when terrorists attacked a US State Compound and a nearby CIA station in Libya, one of the most dangerous corners of the globe. On that fateful day, a team of six American security operators stationed in Benghazi fought to repel mounting enemy forces and escalating firepower, to protect the Americans stationed there, including the US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. Going beyond the call of duty, the team ignored orders to stand down and instead choked back smoke, fought wave after wave of machine-gun fire and retook the Compound, averting tragedy on a much larger scale – although four Americans would not make it out alive. Recounting the 13 hours of the now infamous attack, this personal account is both blistering and compelling, and sets the story straight about what really happened on the ground, in the streets and on the rooftops.
12 Years a Slave: A True Story (PDF) (Collins Classics Ser.)
by Solomon NorthupThe shocking first-hand account of one man’s remarkable fight for freedom; now an award-winning motion picture. ‘Why had I not died in my young years – before God had given me children to love and live for? What unhappiness and suffering and sorrow it would have prevented. I sighed for liberty; but the bondsman's chain was round me, and could not be shaken off.’ 1841: Solomon Northup is a successful violinist when he is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Taken from his family in New York State – with no hope of ever seeing them again – and forced to work on the cotton plantations in the Deep South, he spends the next twelve years in captivity until his eventual escape in 1853. First published in 1853, this extraordinary true story proved to be a powerful voice in the debate over slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. It is a true-life testament of one man’s courage and conviction in the face of unfathomable injustice and brutality: its influence on the course of American history cannot be overstated.