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Books > Biography
This is a special, updated edition in honour of the Queen's Diamond
Jubilee. HRH Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of the United
Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth, in Westminster Abbey on 2
June, 1953 at the age of 27 and in 2012 celebrates a 60 years on
the throne. "Queen Elizabeth II" is a special, updated edition that
records the major events of her reign. The Queen has been one of
the most photographed women in the world, with strong media
interest ever since the days of her childhood as a young princess.
Revealed here in almost 250 unique pictures, taken by photographers
of the Press Association over a period of more than 80 years, this
is a fascinating documentation of the life of an extraordinary
woman.
Welcome back to Clarkson’s Farm.
So, that went well . . .
The spring barley crop failed.
Just like the oil seed rape.
And the durum wheat.
Then the oats turned the colour of a hearing aid and the mushrooms went
mouldy.
Farming sheep, pigs and cows was hardly more lucrative. Jeremy would be
better off trying to breed ostriches.
But in the face of uncooperative weather, the relentless realities of
the agricultural economy, bureaucracy, a truculent local planning
department and the world’s persistent refusal to recognise his
ingenuity and genius, our hero’s not beaten yet. Not while the farm
shop’s still doing a roaring trade in candles that smell like his
knacker hammock, he isn’t.
On the face of it, the challenges of making a success of Diddly Squat
are enough to have you weeping into your (Hawkstone) beer, but misery
loves company and in girlfriend Lisa, Farm Manager Kaleb, Cheerful
Charlie and Gerald his Head of Security Jeremy knows he’s got the best.
And it’s hard for a chap to feel too gloomy about things when there’s a
JCB telehandler, a crop-spraying hovercraft and a digger in the barn.
Because as a wise man* once said, ‘there’s no man alive who wouldn’t
have fun with a digger . . .’
Few people have courted as much controversy or evoked such strong and divergent emotions as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Adored by some, abhorred by others, she bears a name famous throughout the world, yet not many people know the woman behind the headlines, myths and controversies, or the details of the fascinating story that is her life. This biography reveals the enigma that is Winnie Mandela, by exploring both her personal and political life.
The reader is given a rare glimpse into Winnie's strict yet happy rural upbringing, where the foundations were laid for her faith, compassion and indomitable resolve. As a young social worker in 1950s Johannesburg, her beauty, style and character captivated the political activist and Tembu prince, Nelson Mandela. Together, they
personified the rising aspirations and political awakening of their people, and, in so doing, inspired a nation. Through her fierce determination and dauntless courage, she survived her husband's imprisonment, continuous harassment by the security police, banishment to a small Free State town, betrayal by friends and allies, and more than a year in solitary confinement – all the while keeping the struggle flame alight and the name of Nelson Mandela alive.
A sensitive and balanced portrayal, the title nevertheless thoroughly investigates and honestly examines the controversies that have dogged Winnie Mandela in recent years - the allegations of kidnapping and murder, her divorce from Mandela, and the current charges of fraud.
Liza Minnelli is one of the most iconic and enduring figures in entertainment history. Now, in her first and only memoir, Liza tells her story in her own words - and what a story it is.
Born into Hollywood royalty, Liza was the daughter of legendary director Vincente Minnelli and the incomparable Judy Garland - and yet her beloved 'Mama's' brilliance was matched by searing personal battles, making her mother both an inspiration and, at times, a source of fear. In this deeply candid memoir, Liza pulls back the curtain on her extraordinary life, from her meteoric rise to Broadway and Hollywood stardom to the whirlwind of high-profile marriages and relationships, as well as the private heartbreaks of multiple miscarriages and lifelong struggle with Substance Use Disorder. As told her her most beloved confidant, music icon Michael Feinstein, Liza relives the liberated nights at Studio 54, the activism and friendships that shaped her - including the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Halston, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson and Princess Diana - and the fearless way she defied conventions, embracing sexual fluidity and battling bigotry at a time of limited public understanding.
But above all, as she turns 80 years old, Liza is reclaiming her truth, dispelling tabloid myths and setting the record straight with stories she's never shared before. Raw, strong, sexy, hilarious and unapologetically honest, this is a defiant celebration of self-belief, survival and humanity - proving once and for all why Liza remains one of the most captivating performers the world has ever known.
Jan Ullrich: The Best There Never Was is the first biography of Jan
Ullrich, arguably the most naturally talented cyclist of his
generation, and also one of the most controversial champions of the
Tour de France. In 1997, Jan Ullrich announced himself to the world
by obliterating his rivals in the first mountain stage of the Tour
de France. So awesome was his display that it sent shockwaves
throughout the world of cycling and invited headlines such as
L'Equipe's 'The New Giant'. He went on to become Germany's first
ever Tour winner, storming to victory in that edition by almost ten
minutes, a result that was greeted as an era-defining changing of
the guard. Everyone agreed: Jan Ullrich was the future of cycling.
He was soon also voted Germany's most popular sportsperson of all
time, and his rivalry with Lance Armstrong defined the most
controversial years of the Tour de France. Now, Daniel Friebe - who
has covered twenty-one editions of the Tour de France - has gone in
search of the man who was said in 1997 would go on to dominate his
sport for a generation, but never quite managed it. Just what did
happen to the best who never was? This is a gripping account of how
unbearable expectation, mental and physical fragility, the effects
of a complicated childhood, a morally corrupt sport and one
individual - Lance Armstrong - can conspire to reroute destiny.
Daniel Friebe takes us from the legacy of East Germany's drugs
programme to the pinnacle of pro cycling and asks: what price can
you give sporting immortality?
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