Lines from New Zealand

On a dull Tuesday morning in early October 2008, I lost my battle to save our business and property—a French provincial styled restaurant and homestead on a vineyard estate—and with it my job, my reputation, my balance, my clout, my life’s savings, my mind—my life as I knew it. Afterwards, I began writing like a madwoman, and in time a book took shape describing a myriad of experiences and the long journey back to just being me.

After our epic loss, we lived for a year in one of the highest houses in Christchurch with an unparalleled view of the Pacific Ocean and the curved coastline. That house of Up Above Down Under and those mercurial skies saved my life. We now live in The House of Cluck-Cluck where I still spend endless hours in our rambling country garden as I dig in the soil tenaciously for answers about my life.

More in Hope Than Glory

Football is a game that is loved throughout the world at every level. It’s a game that is all-encompassing whether it be the enjoyment of a kick about in the local park or the magnificent spectacle of a World Cup final. Well, this is a football story that lies somewhere between those two extremes, and to be honest more towards the bottom end of the spectrum.

This is a light-hearted true story of a young lad who used to walk four miles to the ground of the team he loved for every home game, and then grew up to become its chairman. It tells of the many highs and even more lows of running a lower league football club. It recounts the hopes and aspirations of every football supporter, followed by the inevitable kick-in-the-stomach feeling when it all falls down. It’s about love and passion for football in a proud northern town.

More in Hope Than Glory is the story of how what was once regarded as one of the most unsuccessful league football teams suddenly and dramatically became a little less unsuccessful.

My Career and Times in the London Boroughs, the Soviet Union and Ceausescu's Romania

It is strange how events happen in one’s life, almost as ordained. From perfectly respectable and responsible positions in local government; then, by fate, facing a 3-month trial at the Old Bailey; afterwards, a short time back in local government; then, almost out of the blue, living and working in the then Soviet Union and, afterwards, in communist Romania. Unique and fascinating experiences only possible to happen for a short time, as countries change and develop as time goes by.

This book tells how Brian Edwards survived all of the above, having experienced events outside the imagination of most people, which, at the same time, were both extremely pleasurable and also very difficult.

Otto Papesch

Otto Papesch was my father. I was four years old when he died. I asked myself for years what kind of a human being he was. I have attempted to paint a picture of that handsome, charismatic, cultivated, professional chemical engineer, enthusiastic sportsman, photographer and family man by basing myself on the vast correspondence that still exists, his diary of 1917, stories about him from my mother and grandparents and the innumerable photos he took over the years. This has been an attempt to describe his prominent characteristics but also shed light on his dilemmas and the contradictions in his personality and thereby to describe the important events of his short life. Would his destiny have been different had he been born a year later?

Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE LIFE STORY OF ONE OF THE GREAT TELEVISION AND STYLE ICONS Peter Wyngarde: the name elicits memories of an actor with worldwide renown and instantly adhesive star quality, who was to hit his professional zenith via his starring roles in the smash hit TV series, Department S, and its equally successful spin-off, Jason King. However, when this imperial phase of his career took a downturn during the mid-1970s, he stoically dusted himself off and returned to the theatre--the scene of so many of his earliest triumphs. There he enjoyed continued success until a late-period revival came with the role of General Klytus in the 1980 blockbuster, Flash Gordon. Ordinarily, this book would end there. The fact that it doesn't reveals an unusual dichotomy: it splits Wyngarde's life into two, almost equal, parts. From the late 1980s, the author came into his orbit as the long yearned-for, missing piece of the puzzle: namely a strong, dependable sounding board and, increasingly, his soulmate. To those who have been content to view Wyngarde as a two-dimensional figure on a TV screen, or merely as the subject of media gossip, this book will come as a revelation--and no doubt a startling one, as it will shatter many long-held myths and preconceptions. And yet in spite of her closeness to the subject, the author has refused to place him on a pedestal: her exploration of his life and career is as honest as it is eye-opening. While she does not shy away from Wyngarde's more difficult characteristics and painful life experiences, the thread running through the book is a story of love and devotion that is deeply touching and ultimately heart-wrenching. "This is an intimate biography that is elegantly crafted, intensively researched, and presented with the utmost honour." Steven Berkoff

Rebels 79: The Iconoclast, the Prophet, the Commando and the Bleeding Heart

Some people just own it. What is it? Transcendent charisma and the ability to articulate the unsung. In the 1970s, four musicians blurred the lines between the sacred and the profane. Come journey from Lagos and Kingston to New York City and London to live inside the raw imagination of that decade.

Sled Dog Gun: Aviemore Dreaming

Jim Bryde, sled dog racer, always had the ambition to place first in the pinnacle of Britain's sled dog racing, the competition ‘Aviemore'. This is the story of his life shared with Siberian Huskies; the trouble, love and tragedy that can come with a passion for racing and indeed for the dogs themselves.
Jim's beloved dogs include the loveable Joker, stubborn Dansa, the placid and friendly Bandit, but could it be Gun, son of Fly and Maji, and Gun's subsequent bloodline, who can finally lead Jim's team to victory, after many years of placing second?
While Jim's personal life sometimes overlaps into the world of racing, the passion for his hobby can be felt in every word of this endearing account of sled dog racing. To those interested in owning Siberian Huskies and racing sled dogs, his own individual accounts of his experiences are full of valuable tips.

Strange But True

Written clearly, the aim of the book “Strange but True” is to highlight some points.
There are many incidences that occurred in the hospitals which are of general interest to the general readers. The author is conscious that some points may be sensitive so he made it clear that the book is not meant to insult, degrade, defame or anything like this to anyone. The author believes that this world and this country (U.K.) have given him so much, which he wants to give back to the world/country for the benefit of other people.
As a Muslim, the author has questioned many beliefs common among Asian Muslims, which are frequently addressed in the mosques, written in so-called Islamic literature and believed by many Muslims.
In addition to his professional knowledge as a medical doctor, the author’s overall general knowledge and knowledge in sciences is of high standard. He was selected to be trained as a magistrate, went through two stages of interviews, but because of his heavy workload as a consultant in the NHS, could not complete his training.
His consultant colleagues from his last hospital, the manager of that hospital and the consultants from his previous jobs in NHS, where he worked as a junior doctor, speak very highly about him.
 

The Bule Diaries

The Bule Diaries.

This is a brutally honest account of expectations of living in Jakarta—an over-populated, buzzing hub of brilliantness, and it’s just sitting there waiting for you to explore it!

In case you wondered, ‘bule’ is a term to describe a white person in Indonesia. At first, I thought it meant foreigner, but it doesn’t, because I called an Indian guy ‘bule’ once and he laughed at me and promptly corrected me, “Noooo, it’s just white people, like you!”

This book has two main purposes: to tell you about my experiences and exploration throughout Indonesia thus far and to inform you of how I do what I do, what to do and what items you should bring whether you’re travelling or working here. Enjoy!

The Force of Art - A Life For Painting

In the early 1960s, Van Den reached the pinnacle of his career and was regarded as South Vietnam’s premier artist. His path to success had been long and tortuous. He was born in 1919 in the French colonial time and left his humble village home in the Mekong Delta at an early age to attend a boarding school. Eking out a living as a physical education teacher, with a devouring passion for painting and confident about his talent, he ventured to go to Paris and show his works to the examination board of the city’s world-famous École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. He was admitted, at the age of 30, to pursue his only formal art studies. After his highly acclaimed debut exhibition in Paris in 1952, he returned to Saigon and struggled hard before gaining recognition for his novel aesthetic. His success came in the shadow of the Vietnam War, which started massively escalating, shattering his world.

The Gift of Biography

The Great Survivor: The Amazing Escapes of James VI of Scotland and I of England

The Great Survivor: The Amazing Escapes of James VI of Scotland and I of England was written largely because of the little known story of the Laird of Drumquhassle found in a family history published privately in 1875.

Mary McGrigor reveals the story of how a lonely little boy, deprived of all natural affection, became the sagacious genius who steered the countries of his kingdom safely through European conflicts to years of prosperity hitherto unknown. James I and VI, even before his birth, became a prime target for assassins and somehow, miraculously, defied them all to become the 'wisest fool in Christendom', successfully playing off his enemies to achieve his aims. Despite his eccentricity and some of his uncouth ways, he emerges as a man of clear perspective, succeeding against all odds.

McGrigor chronicles the life and times of this remarkable, strange yet at times lovable king through a tumultuous era.