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Forgotten: The Heartrending Story of Life in a Children's Home
by Les CummingsLes Cummings was three when he was sent to the Children's Cottage Homes in Portsmouth. A traumatised little boy, he dreamed his mother would come back for him. She never did. Instead he fell victim to the worst abusers and a system that didn't care. Conditions at the home were harsh, the children poorly fed and hungry, dressed in stained second-hand clothes. But worse than that was the violence from some of the staff - Les was frequently punched, kicked and locked in the cellar as punishment. Children were dragged out of bed at night to be abused. Some simply disappeared. At the age of seven Les was sent to live with foster parents where for over two years he was beaten, starved and sexually abused. He stole food from dustbins to survive and became so disturbed he was sent back to the harsh regime of the children's home. He was fostered again as a teen, to another abuser. Writing with complete honesty, Les describes how he came to terms with the terrible legacy of his childhood and how, today, he is fighting for justice for all victims of the Children's Cottage Homes.
Forgotten Soldiers
by Brian MoynahanForgotten Soldiers is an enthralling work of military history that shows how the courage, intelligence or simple good fortune of the individual can exert a decisive influence on the outcome of a battle or campaign. It tells the stories of fifteen unsung heroes, none of a rank higher than major, whose deeds changed the course of important battles and - arguably - the course of history. These vivid and gripping accounts - largely drawn from the Second World War, but with tales too from other conflicts - have each been selected to illustrate one of the dictums of the great Prussian theorist of war, Carl von Clausewitz, about the importance of having the right man in the right place at the right time. From the Roman standard bearer who plunged into the waves off Deal in 55 BC, saving Julius Caesar's military honour and political career, to the young Israeli tank lieutenant who almost single-handedly stalled the advancing Syrian armour in 1973, these are above all tales of courage. But it is not just courage that wins wars, as these stories demonstrate: such elements as surprise, determination, good intelligence, chance, insight, inventiveness and clear thinking all play their parts in eventual victory. And it may only take one man, often of lowly rank, his name largely forgotten, to embody such qualities for the effect to be felt around the world.
Founded on Fear
by Diarmuid Whelan Peter TyrrellI warn society against the child who has been hurt Peter Tyrrell A tormented childhood in Letterfrack industrial school with the Christian Brothers left an enduring mark on Peter Tyrrell. Ignored by the authorities and distressed by his memories, he later burned himself to death on Hampstead Heath in London. His story of horrific abuse is told with childlike simplicity, penned in a series of letters to Senator Owen Sheehy Skeffington. Bringing to life, with touching sincerity, a shocking reality where beatings of children as young as five were commonplace, this startling account may have gone unpublished if not for its chance discovery amongst Skeffington's papers. At last, Peter Tyrrell has been given a voice. Tyrrell never recovered from the abuse that he suffered, yet was determined that his story should be heard. His memoir makes for harrowing yet extraordinarily compelling reading. It is impossible not to be touched.
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia And The Biggest Funeral In The History Of The World
by Anthony DoerrOn the same day that his wife gave birth to twins, Anthony Doerr received the Rome Prize, an award that gave him a year-long stipend and studio in Rome…
The Fox and the Flies: The Criminal World of the Whitechapel Murderer
by Charles Van OnselenAt the end of the nineteenth century European pimps and 'white slavers' established a hugely successful global market for commercial sex and for three turbulent decades before the First World War, Joseph Silver was central to this hidden world of betrayal, intrigue, lust and sexual slavery. Burglar, gun-runner and trafficker in women on four continents, Silver was a disturbed adolescent, youthful predator and adult misogynist whose notoriety was captured in the most confidential correspondence of a dozen countries in the western world. But what those in charge of law-enforcement agencies kept to themselves was how their officers had attempted to use Silver as an informer to infiltrate syndicates, only to have him outwit them as he moved in the dangerous space between police and prostitutes. In this brilliant study, Charles van Onselen situates the private life of one man amidst the demi-monde of the Atlantic world and casts a brilliant light on the most infamous serial killer of all time - Jack the Ripper.
Frank Skinner on the Road: Love, Stand-up Comedy and The Queen Of The Night
by Frank SkinnerIn this new volume of memoirs, Frank Skinner describes his experience of going back on the road doing stand-up again, after many years spent working mainly on television. His adventures on tour are by turns funny and moving as he meditates on growing older, the terrors and joys of trying to make a live audience laugh night after night and on the nature of comedy itself.For the first time we read a comedian's account, in his own words, of how his act is put together; his return to a world of dark little clubs and the strange encounters he has there. But what is perhaps most startling and original about Frank Skinner's writing is his honesty nbout not only the highs and lows of his career, but more intimate and personal issues - male sexuality and matters of the heart.
Friends Like These: Wm Format
by Danny WallaceDanny Wallace is about to turn thirty and his life has become a cliché. Recently married and living in a smart new area of town, he's swapped pints down the pub for lattes and brunch. For the first time in his life, he's feeling, well ... grown-up. But something's not right. Something's missing. Until he finds an old address book containing just twelve names. His best mates as a kid. Where are they now? Who are they now? And how are they coping with being grown-up too?And so begins a journey from A-Z, tracking down and meeting his old gang. He travels from Berlin to Tokyo, from Sydney to LA. He even goes to Loughborough. He meets Fijian chiefs. German rappers. Some ninjas. And a carvery manager who's managed to solve time travel. But how will they respond to a man they haven't seen in twenty years, turning up and asking if they're coming out to play?Part-comedy, part-travelogue, part-memoir, Friends Like These is the story of what can happen when you track down your past, and of where the friendships you thought you'd outgrown can take you today...
The Further Adventures of a London Call Girl
by Belle de Jour''She lists like Hornby. She talks dirty like Amis. She has the misanthropy of Larkin and examines the finer points of sexual technique as she is adjusting the torque on a beloved but temperamental old E-type...It's hard to believe that this clever and candid new voice has no more to say. Whoever the author is, she should give up the day job. Only then will we find out what the real Belle de Jour is made of.' IndependentThis follow-up to the hugely successful 'Intimate Adventures' will be just as bold, funny and brilliant. Peppered with agony-aunt letters and advice, and stories from her 'working' life, it's also the story of a young woman making her way in the world - told in Belle's inimitable voice.
Galen and the Rhetoric of Healing
by Susan P. MatternGalen is the most important physician of the Roman imperial era. Many of his theories and practices were the basis for medical knowledge for centuries after his death and some practices—like checking a patient’s pulse—are still used today. He also left a vast corpus of writings which makes up a full one-eighth of all surviving ancient Greek literature. Through her readings of hundreds of Galen’s case histories, Susan P. Mattern presents the first systematic investigation of Galen’s clinical practice. Galen’s patient narratives illuminate fascinating interplay among the craft of healing, social class, professional competition, ethnicity, and gender. Mattern describes the public, competitive, and masculine nature of medicine among the urban elite and analyzes the relationship between clinical practice and power in the Roman household. She also finds that although Galen is usually perceived as self-absorbed and self-promoting, his writings reveal him as sensitive to the patient’s history, symptoms, perceptions, and even words. Examining his professional interactions in the context of the world in which he lived and practiced, Galen and the Rhetoric of Healing provides a fresh perspective on a foundational figure in medicine and valuable insight into how doctors thought about their patients and their practice in the ancient world.
Garibaldi: Citizen of the World: A Biography
by Alfonso SciroccoWhat adventure novelist could have invented the life of Giuseppe Garibaldi? The revolutionary, soldier, politician, and greatest figure in the fight for Italian unification, Garibaldi (1807-1882) brought off almost as many dramatic exploits in the Americas as he did in Europe, becoming an international freedom fighter, earning the title of the "hero of two worlds," and making himself perhaps the most famous and beloved man of his century. Alfonso Scirocco's Garibaldi is the most up-to-date, authoritative, comprehensive, and convincing biography of Garibaldi yet written. In vivid narrative style and unprecedented detail, and drawing on many new sources that shed fresh light on important events, Scirocco tells the full story of Garibaldi's fascinating public and private life, separating its myth-like reality from the outright myths that have surrounded Garibaldi since his own day. Scirocco tells how Garibaldi devoted his energies to the liberation of Italians and other oppressed peoples. Sentenced to death for his role in an abortive Genoese insurrection in 1834, Garibaldi fled to South America, where he joined two successive fights for independence--Rio Grande do Sul's against Brazil and Uruguay's against Argentina. He returned to Italy in 1848 to again fight for Italian independence, leading seven more campaigns, including the spectacular capture of Sicily. During the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln even offered to make him a general in the Union army. Presenting Garibaldi as a complex and even contradictory figure, Scirocco shows us the pacifist who spent much of his life fighting; the nationalist who advocated European unification; the republican who served a king; and the man who, although compared by contemporaries to Aeneas and Odysseus, refused honors and wealth and spent his last years as a farmer.
Garibaldi: Citizen of the World: A Biography
by Alfonso SciroccoWhat adventure novelist could have invented the life of Giuseppe Garibaldi? The revolutionary, soldier, politician, and greatest figure in the fight for Italian unification, Garibaldi (1807-1882) brought off almost as many dramatic exploits in the Americas as he did in Europe, becoming an international freedom fighter, earning the title of the "hero of two worlds," and making himself perhaps the most famous and beloved man of his century. Alfonso Scirocco's Garibaldi is the most up-to-date, authoritative, comprehensive, and convincing biography of Garibaldi yet written. In vivid narrative style and unprecedented detail, and drawing on many new sources that shed fresh light on important events, Scirocco tells the full story of Garibaldi's fascinating public and private life, separating its myth-like reality from the outright myths that have surrounded Garibaldi since his own day. Scirocco tells how Garibaldi devoted his energies to the liberation of Italians and other oppressed peoples. Sentenced to death for his role in an abortive Genoese insurrection in 1834, Garibaldi fled to South America, where he joined two successive fights for independence--Rio Grande do Sul's against Brazil and Uruguay's against Argentina. He returned to Italy in 1848 to again fight for Italian independence, leading seven more campaigns, including the spectacular capture of Sicily. During the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln even offered to make him a general in the Union army. Presenting Garibaldi as a complex and even contradictory figure, Scirocco shows us the pacifist who spent much of his life fighting; the nationalist who advocated European unification; the republican who served a king; and the man who, although compared by contemporaries to Aeneas and Odysseus, refused honors and wealth and spent his last years as a farmer.
Gather Together In My Name
by Dr Maya AngelouNow a major Radio 4 drama.'A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman' Barack ObamaMaya Angelou's volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. 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 the sequel to her best-selling I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou is a young mother in California, unemployed, embarking on brief affairs and transient jobs in shops and night-clubs, turning to prostitution and the world of narcotics.
Gazala 1942: Rommel's greatest victory (Campaign #196)
by John White Ken FordFollowing a lull in the desert war which saw the Germans and British reinforce their armies, Rommel suddenly attacked British fortifications with an assault on the northern sector of the British line near Gazala. Pinning down the British in the north and outflanking the 1st Free French Brigade, Rommel succeeded in encircling the main British positions, trapping them in what became known as 'The Cauldron'. With thousands of British soldiers killed or taken prisoner, this was a devastating defeat for the Allies. Accompanied by contemporary photographs and maps depicting the movement of both armies, Ken Ford provides a masterful study of Rommel, the 'Desert Fox', at the height of his powers as he swept the British army back to the site of their final stand at El Alamein.
Gerald Ratner: The Rise and Fall...and Rise Again
by Gerald RatnerIn 1991 Gerald Ratner was booked to make what should have been an everyday speech at the Institute of Directors. Should have been. When the words "total crap" come out of his mouth in connection with a decanter and glasses set sold by his company, H. Samuel, it all turned out slightly different. The Rise and Fall...And Rise Again tells the full story, in Gerald Ratner's own words, of what lead him to that point at the IoD, the horror of what happened in the immediate aftermath, the fallout and the comeback. This is the fi rst time Gerald Ratner has given his side of the story. And what a story it is. You'll fi nd out: * How he wiped £500m off the value of his own company virtually overnight * All the details about the initial gaffe and how he compounded it by remarking that some of the earrings were "cheaper than an M&S prawn sandwich but probably wouldn't last as long" * How "doing a Ratner" has entered into the vocabulary of British business * The wilderness years sitting glued to the sofa in front of Countdown * How he has bounced back, rediscovering his entrepreneurial spark by building up a health club business and, more recently, the immensely successful online jewellery retailer Geraldonline.com * The story's not over yet...
Gigolo
by Mr GoldenMeet Golden. He's gorgeous, charming, and very serious about his work. A jazz musician by day, by night he's an exclusive escort for glamorous modern women, paid in expensive dinners and fabulous clothes to service their every desire. These ladies work hard and play even harder. Take Miss Alpha, who thinks nothing of flying him over to New York at a moment's notice for an evening of fun in a bath full of champagne, or Ms Antoinette, who uses her bonuses to fund her Golden habit.But although Golden loves his life, working at the frontline of the female sexual revolution and hanging out with his fellow gigolos at the monthly boys only Dandy Trade Union meetings, there's also a bit of him that wonders whether he'll ever find Miss Right.Gigolo is the sexiest account yet of life as a high class escort, and a wonderfully warm and witty tribute to the joys of Noughties hedonism.Meet Golden. He's gorgeous, charming, and very serious about his work. A jazz musician by day, by night he's an exclusive escort for glamorous modern women, paid in expensive dinners and fabulous clothes to service their every desire. These ladies work hard and play even harder. Take Miss Alpha, who thinks nothing of flying him over to New York at a moment's notice for an evening of fun in a bath full of champagne, or Ms Antoinette, who uses her bonuses to fund her Golden habit. But although Golden loves his life, working at the frontline of the female sexual revolution and hanging out with his fellow gigolos at the monthly boys only Dandy Trade Union meetings, there's also a bit of him that wonders whether he'll ever find Miss Right.Gigolo is the sexiest account yet of life as a high class escort, and a wonderfully warm and witty tribute to the joys of Noughties hedonism.
Gilbert Imlay: Citizen of the World
by Wil VerhoevenA biography of the American Gilbert Imlay (c 1754 - c 1828), revolutionary war veteran - and infamous lover of Mary Wollstonecraft. It also highlights how Imlay unwittingly acted as an intermediary between figures of greater significance, whose ideas, ambitions and schemes he frequently borrowed and disseminated across the Atlantic and continents.
Gilbert Imlay: Citizen of the World
by Wil VerhoevenA biography of the American Gilbert Imlay (c 1754 - c 1828), revolutionary war veteran - and infamous lover of Mary Wollstonecraft. It also highlights how Imlay unwittingly acted as an intermediary between figures of greater significance, whose ideas, ambitions and schemes he frequently borrowed and disseminated across the Atlantic and continents.
Girl in Blue: How One Woman Survived Fourteen Years in the Police
by Anne RamsayWhen she made the decision to join the police force, Anne Ramsay had imagined what she would look like in a police uniform. She hadn't for one moment envisaged herself dressed as a prostitute, walking the streets of Glasgow at night, retracing the steps of a young girl recently murdered . . . Girl in Blue is Anne's riveting story of fourteen years in the police, first as a WPC and then as a detective. She vividly describes the reality of police work, from analysing crime scenes to her first frightening trip to the mortuary, from knocking on someone's door to deliver tragic news to being used as a honey trap, from questioning child abusers to watching a post mortem. Anne joined the police believing she could help people and make a difference, an optimism eventually destroyed by the darkness she witnessed daily on the streets of Glasgow, and within the force itself. She left after being diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Often moving, always gripping, liberally spiked with black humour, Girl in Blue is one woman's unforgettable journey.
A Global Life: My Journey Among Rich and Poor, from Sydney to Wall Street to the World Bank
by James D. WolfensohnAs president of the World Bank for a decade, James Wolfensohn tackled world poverty with a passion and energy that made him a uniquely important figure in a fundamental arena of change. Using a lifetime of experience in the banking sector, he carved a distinct path in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe for the institution that serves as the major lender to the world's poor.In A Global Life, Wolfensohn tells his astonishing life story in his own words. A man of surpassing imagination and drive, he became an Olympic fencer and a prominent banker in London and New York. An Australian, he navigated Wall Street with uncommon skill. Chairman of Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for many years, he is also an amateur cellist. But it was his tenure at the World Bank that made him an international force. While at the helm of this controversial institution, Wolfensohn motivated, schemed, charmed, and bullied all the constituencies at his command to broaden the distribution of the world's wealth. Now he bluntly assesses his successes and failures, reflecting on the causes of continuing poverty.Much more than a business story, this is a deeply reflective account of a fascinating career and personality.
The Goalkeeper’s History of Britain (text only)
by Peter ChapmanThe beguiling story of one boy’s dream to play in goal, that most British of positions, culminating in the moment when he faces the mighty Zico …
Gonzo: The Life Of Hunter S. Thompson
by Corey Seymour Jann WennerFew American lives are stranger or wilder than that of Hunter S. Thompson. Born a rebel in Kentucky, Thompson spent a lifetime channelling his energy into such landmark works as FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS - and his provocative style revolutionised writing.Now, for the first time ever, Jann Wenner and Corey Seymour have interviewed Thompson's friends, family and colleagues and woven their memories into a brilliant oral biography. From Hell's Angels leader Sonny Barger, to Ralph Steadman, to Jack Nicholson, more than 100 members of Thompson's inner circle bring into vivid focus the life of a man who was more complicated and talented than any previous portrait has shown. It's all here: the creative frenzies, the love affairs, the drugs, booze and guns, and, ultimately, the tragic suicide. As Thompson was fond of saying, "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
The Good Soldier: The Biography of Douglas Haig
by Gary MeadPosterity has not been kind to Douglas Haig, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front for much of the First World War. Haig has frequently been presented as a commander who sent his troops to slaughter in vast numbers at the Somme in 1916 and at Passchendaele the following year.The Good Soldier re-examines Haig's record in these battles and presents his predicament with a fresh eye. More importantly, it re-evaluates Haig himself, exploring the nature of the man, turning to both his early life and army career before 1914, as well as his unstinting work on behalf of ex-servicemen's organizations after 1918. Finally, in this definitive biography, the man emerges from the myth.
Good Vibrations
by Ayn CarrilloIt all started when Ayn's boyfriend pronounced her pornophobic - in defence of his own eyebrow-raising reading material. In order to prove that she wasn't a prude (just enlightened), this self-confessed Good Girl found herself jumping headlong into the booming sex industry in order to understand what her boyfriend was so interested in. She was intrigued to hear that "Porn is not merely acceptable, it's hip" (New York Magazine) and that women were the fastest growing segment in the porn industry. Ayn's quest soon aroused the curiosity of her female friends: and it transpired that the girls - single or married, involved or not - were desperate for information. And so, (in the name of research!) Ayn created her own "porn-to-do list." The items on the list ranged from:· Reading erotica· Meeting a porn star· Going to a sex store· Testing vibrators· Visiting a strip clubAlong the way, Ayn ditched the porn-obsessed boyfriend, and learned that one should not try to take change from a stripper's G-string tips, nor is the Hustler store the best place to make a first impression on a hot guy. This is the result of one woman's attempt to pierce the veil that modestly covers something many women are actually fascinated by. Surprising, hilarious, informative, and ultimately non-judgmental, this is one book you won't put down - once you admit you're curious enough to pick it up!
Goodness Nose: The Passionate Revelations of a Scotch Whisky Master Blender
by Richard PatersonRichard Paterson has Scotch whisky running through his veins. His grandfather and father were both prominent in the Scotch whisky industry in Glasgow for decades before Richard joined a competing whisky brokerage firm to start his apprenticeship. But this is no dry textbook on blending. Far from it. Humour, insight, history, a love of people and an abiding and evangelical passion inform every page. For the first time one of the world's foremost whisky blenders reveals how he rose through the ranks to top of his profession. He also candidly reveals some of the secrets of his craft and gives his thoughts on where he feels the industry is heading today. Lavishly illustrated in colour and black and white with black and white line artwork, this is destined to become a whisky classic and an essential item on every whisky lover's bookshelf. CONTENTS 1. Raw Spirit - The Birth of a Blender 2. Maturation Begins 3. The Spirit of Campbeltown - Glen Scotia 4. A Blender in the Making 5. The Spirit of the Highlands - Dalmore & Fettercairn 6. The Master Blender 7. The Art of Whisky Blending 8. The Spirit of the Islands - Jura 9. Going for Gold - Fully Matured
Gory Tales: The Autobiography of John Gorman
by John GormanJohn Gorman's story is very much about a football man, but it is also much more than just that. After a lifetime in the game John thought he had seen and done it all. He had played, coached and managed at the top and experienced the harsh realities of survival at the lower end of the scale. There was little in professional football that he had not had to cope with. But on a cold February day in 2006 as he gazed lovingly into the weary eyes of his dying wife, Myra, he knew trying to maintain his ability to think clearly as a manager would be impossible. Football had always meant so much to him, but love for his wife meant so much more.