Biographies & Memoirs

*A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * One of The East Hampton Star's 10 Best Books of the Year* From the New York Times bestselling author of The Most Dangerous Book, the true story behind the creation of another masterpiece of world literature, Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. The ...

How did the first forty years of H. G. Wells' life shape the father of science fiction?

From his impoverished childhood in a working-class English family, to his determination to educate himself at any cost, to the serious ill health that dominated his twenties and thirties, his complicated marriages, ...

A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

AN OBSERVER BEST ART BOOK OF 2021

SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2022


'This is a wonderful book. A lyrical journey into the natural and unnatural world' Patti Smith
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'The narrative is as suspenseful as any thriller. Truly, an excellent read' Lynn Barber, Sunday Times Married for almost seventy years to the most famous woman in the world, Prince Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. Yet his origins have remained curiously shrouded in obscurity.

One of the most anticipated books of 2017: Boston Globe, New York Times Book Review, New York's "Vulture", The Week, Bustle, BookRiot An NPR Best Book of 2017An AV Club Favorite Book of 2017A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2017A Goodreads Choice Awards nominee David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, ...

A compelling, outstandingly direct and genuine book about how a doctor is made

Drawing on several years of long, exploratory conversations with Stoppard himself, it tracks his Czech origins and childhood in India to every school and home he's ever lived in, every piece of writing he's ever done, and every play and film he's ever worked on;

Steve Irwin, AKA 'the Crocodile Hunter', was only 44 when his untimely death robbed the world of one of its greatest and most popular naturalists. This book traces the extraordinary story of the boy who was catching crocodiles in rivers by the age of nine, and who grew up to become, in the words of RSPCA Queensland's CEO, 'a modern-day Noah'.

From the acclaimed broadcaster, a story of moving on, a tale of downsizing and the essentials of a good old age.

he Compact Guide: Nelson Mandela is the definitive short chronicle of perhaps the most recognised and best-loved statesman and activist in history. Starting from the very beginning of Mandela's life in the tribal Thembu clan, read how this unassuming young man became a figure that led the people of South ...

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.

Freud examines how he developed the theories for which he became famous, as well as revealing his struggles, neuroses and his attempts to use his own techniques to understand himself. Includes diary extracts and personal notes.

The warm and winning story of opening a modern bookstore where there were none, Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller recounts Nadia Wassef's troubles and triumphs as a founder and manager of Cairo-based Diwan.

An account of a life lived between our world and a shadowy underworld of criminals, a life lived under the radar of the law, a life lived in death. This is the true story of a hitman.

‘Hedley Derenzie writes with startling resonance about the rocky road to self-discovery after it dawns on her that she alone is the common denominator in her heartbreaks. A love story told with raw emotion, heart and great optimism.’ —Jacinta Tynan, journalist and author of Mother Zen

When you’ve ...

How do you get one of the world's most famous criminals out of his hiding place in Brazil? And once he was out, what would you do with him? And what if the mission provokes an international crisis? This book tells the story of the abduction of the notorious Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs from Brazil in 1981.

In this extraordinary account, Lefever explains how his successful 47-year career ended suddenly with betrayal and, ultimately, bankruptcy. Then, within a few months, he is faced with devastating bereavement. He uncovers the false beliefs that led to betrayal, as well as the facts that would have prevented ...

A disarmingly tender, funny and honest memoir of grief, illness and finding your way in life.