An inspiring story of courage and strength in the face of adversity. As a young, dedicated medical student, Antoinette Anthony-Pillai's future was mapped out. But when a routine operation for a tonsillectomy went horribly wrong, Antoinette's brain was starved of oxygen and her life took a dramatically different turn. She and her family came face to face with the harsh realities of living with brain injury. The Never Ending Journey is a moving account of Antoinette's daily struggle to cope with her condition and her fight to regain control of her life. It is an honest, captivating account of the difficulties that Antoinette and her family have faced as they have come to terms with the accident and its consequences. Yet this is not a plea for sympathy. Antoinette has a charming, matter-of-fact style of writing and speaks openly and honestly about the ups and downs of her day-to-day life. As she draws you into her world, you will understand just a little of what it is like to live in her shoes. As she tells her remarkable story, you will see how her faith in the God of miracles and the love and support of her family have seen her through. This is a story of courage, determination and unconditional love. It will be an inspiration for any who are going through difficult times. 'Antoinette tells her story] eloquently and with such a light and humorous touch.' Professor Michael Oddy Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust 'Antoinette's story is a brave and dignified portrayal of life with brain injury and is a testament to her strength in overcoming adversity by helping others. It is heart warming and inspirational.' Dr. Sherrie Baehr Clinical Neuropsychologist / Founder of the Silverlining Charity

Three thousand feet above the Zambian bush, the DHC2 Beaver had only ten minutes' fuel remaining. Night was drawing in; ground features were indiscernible. I could not raise anyone on the radio. Would this be the end? John Flexman knew he wanted to be a pilot from the moment he saw an RAF flypast as a boy of eight. At sixteen he joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, getting his 'wings' in 1961 at the age of 18. From there on he never looked back. His flying career took him around the world, from the Far East to Africa and back again. John came within seconds of disaster on several occasions and often encountered tragedy, losing several friends and colleagues in flying accidents. During his years in Africa he flew the dictator Idi Amin several times, while on the ground he was able to witness the barbaric results of Amin's regime. He went on to fly an assortment of prominent businessmen, politicians and pop stars, from Norman Tebbitt and Rupert Murdoch to Phil Collins and Paul McCartney. John finally retired at 60, having narrowly survived a 42-year career spanning 17,800 flying hours. Aviation at the Edge is his story.

Ruth Parry relates the true story of her adventures in China before Mao Tse-Tung's Communists took over. As a single woman she had unforgettable experiences, including caring for lepers discovered in an indescribable state. With her husband Idris she moved to the India/China border, where she continued to work as a nurse missionary, living through unimaginable storms, including landslides. She believes that she and her husband were protected, kept safe through their faith in God. Further miraculous protection was given them during their subsequent adventures in Congo.

"Finding out I had cancer was like going to sleep in my own bed and suddenly waking up in the middle of a boxing ring. Out of the clear blue I am standing toe-to-toe with the Heavyweight Champion of the World, the crowd is looking on, and I am in my pajamas and don't even know how to throw a punch."

"Stepping into the Ring" is the 2002 Women of Faith(R) drama sketch by Nicole Johnson, possibly her most powerful piece of writing to date.

"Women have always had a unique fellowship of suffering," Nicole says. Where is the woman old or young who will not shed a tear and silently scream in her heart as she walks in these pages through the diagnosis of breast cancer and the devastation that ensues?

While she focuses on the specific soul-chilling crisis, Nicole offers her readers broader insights for dealing with major losses of all kinds. She extends genuine hope and much-needed rays of light to those who are mired in hopelessness and despair. A "must" read for breast cancer patients and their loved ones.

In 2004, Maggie Lane fell to her death from the cliffs at Beachy Head. While trying to come to terms with his wife's tragic death, Keith Lane sought solace by going back to the spot from which she had jumped. It was then that he spotted a woman about to take her own life and persuaded her not to go through with it. From this point on, Keith made it his mission to patrol the area in the hope of saving more lives. For nearly four years, Keith dedicated his life to helping those who felt that they had reached the point of no return. Dedicated and determined, he would be on his watch come rain or shine, whatever the circumstances - nothing fazed this remarkable man. In total, Keith has prevented a remarkable 29 people from going over the edge. In this dramatic and heart-rending book, Keith tells of his own personal despair at the loss of Maggie and how, in his darkest hour, his only wish was to join her in ending his own life; he tells of how his own existence was given meaning once more when he realised that he could help those in desperate need; he recalls with clarity and emotion those he has assisted and he tells of finding love and hope in the form of new wife Val.

Reuben Kandler was a prisoner of the Japanese for three and a half years after the fall of Singapore during the second World War during which time he worked on the Burma Railway and witnessed the suffering and death of many of his comrades. He had rarely talked about this period of his life until persuaded to do so by his son to whom he gave the series of taped interviews which form the basis of this book.

A Malaysian cargo ship on its way from Seattle, Washington to China ran aground off the coast of western Alaska's Aleutian Islands on December 8, 2004 during a brutal storm, leading to one of the most incredible Coast Guard rescue missions of all time. Two Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopters lifted off immediately from Air Station Kodiak during the driving storm in an effort to rescue the ship's eighteen crewmembers before it broke apart and sank in the freezing waters. Nine of the crew were lifted from the ship and dropped aboard a nearby Coast Guard cutter. But during attempts to save the last eight-crew members, one of the Jayhawks was engulfed by a rogue wave that broke over the bow of the ship. When its engines flamed out from ingesting water, the Jayhawk crashed into the sea. The seven-crew members from the ship who had been hoisted into the aircraft, along with the chopper's three-man crew, plunged into the bitterly cold ocean where hypothermia began to set in immediately. Interviewing all the surviving participants of the disaster and given access to documents and photos, acclaimed author Spike Walker has once again crafted a white-knuckle read of survival and death in the unforgiving Alaskan waters.

On November 18, 1958, a 623-foot limestone carrier caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history broke in two and sank in less than five minutes. Four of the 35-person crew escaped to a small raft, to which they clung in total darkness, braving 30-foot waves and frigid temperatures. As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, Michigan, the hardscrabble town that was home to 26 members of the Carl D. Bradley's crew, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates. In Wreck of the Carl D., Michael Schumacher reconstructs the terrible accident, perilous search, and chilling aftermath for the small Michigan town so intimately affected by the tragedy."

For the first time in one volume: the bestsellers GREAT PIONEER WOMEN OF THE OUTBACK and HEROIC AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. Providing inspiration for today's women, in this book of profiles, Susanna de Vries examines what it takes to be a truly heroic Australian. Women of grit and courage, women of integrity, resilience and resourcefulness: the 21 individuals whose stories make up tHE COMPLEtE BOOK OF HEROIC AUStRALIAN WOMEN were a rare breed. they faced different tests - harshness as pioneers in outback Australia; the turmoil of war - but when encountering adversity, even death, each proved her mettle. From Olive King, who saved countless lives in the war-ravaged Balkans, to Vivian Bullwinkel, who survived the Bangka Island Massacre only to endure three tragedy-filled years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, to Jeannie Gunn, who turned her experiences of hostile outback conditions into a classic book, We of the Never-Never, these are women who displayed extraordinary determination in often terrible circumstances. the 21 women are: Georgiana Molloy, Frances ('Fanny') Bussell, Elizabeth ('Bessie') Bussell, Charlotte Cookworthy Bussell, Emma Mary Withnell, Atlanta Hope Bradshaw, Jeannie Gunn OBE, Evelyn Maunsell, Catherine Langloh Parker, Myrtle Rose White, Olive May Kelso King, Dr Agnes Elizabeth Lloyd Bennett, Dr Lilian Violet Cooper, Sister Alice Elizabeth Kitchen, Joice NanKivell Loch, Sister Sylvia Muir, Sister Vivian Bullwinkel, Sister Joyce tweddell, Sister Betty Jeffrey, Mavis Parkinson, and Sister Frances May Hayman.

As a village child in the German Palatinate, Alfred Moritz could never imagine the odyssey that was about to overtake him in the European turmoil of the mid-twentieth century. Living through Kristallnacht, the mass exodus into France, and the German occupation, he escaped the fate of a million and a half Jewish children who did not survive the Holocaust. The author seeks to understand and document the persecution of those whose only crime was to be "different." The book is illustrated throughout with the author's sketches and paintings of the locations and events that marked his fugitive childhood.

On January 15, 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport in New York, when a flock of Canada geese collided with it, destroying both of its engines. Over the next three minutes, the plane's pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, managed to glide to a safe landing in the Hudson River. It was an instant media sensation, the "The Miracle on the Hudson", and Captain Sully was the hero. But, how much of the success of this dramatic landing can actually be credited to the genius of the pilot? To what extent is the "Miracle on the Hudson" the result of extraordinary - but not widely known, and in some cases quite controversial - advances in aviation and computer technology over the last twenty years? From the testing laboratories where engineers struggle to build a jet engine that can systematically resist bird attacks, through the creation of the A320 in France, to the political and social forces that have sought to minimize the impact of the revolutionary fly-by-wire technology, William Langewiesche assembles the untold stories necessary to truly understand "The Miracle on the Hudson", and makes us question our assumptions about human beings in modern aviation.

It is every person's--particularly every parent's--worst nightmare. For a loved one to walk out through the front door and never to return is one of the most heartbreaking, terrifying, and harrowing experiences someone can go through. Not to know the fate of a person close to you is simply agonizing--did they choose to disappear, were they involved in an accident, or did something even worse befall them? Every day, staggering numbers of people go missing. Most return within 72 hours but there many are never seen again. Some are students who take off to distant countries without telling their parents and then disappear; some are husbands who have left to come to terms with their own problems; some are runaways, others missing parents. In this compelling book, journalist Rose Rouse is granted exclusive access to the mothers, brothers, sons, wives, sisters, and daughters of those who have vanished without trace. Rouse shares in the turmoil that they have endured in their quest to be reunited with those who have disappeared from their lives. These are amazing stories of people who have moved heaven and earth to find their loved ones.

In April 1997-98 Camilla Carr and Jon James set off as volunteers in a GBP500 Lada stacked high with toys, games, footballs, paints and a parachute. Their destination was Chechnya and their aim was to work with children who had been traumatised by war. After working for two months setting up and teaching in a rehabilitation centre and watching the children begin to smile and play again, they were kidnapped by Chechen guerrillas. There followed fourteen months of incarceration in homes that varied from a concrete box with no natural light or fresh air, to a pink trompe la oeil bedroom via a sauna and various cellars. They experienced everything from rape and mental torture to moments of compassion and kindness. They survived by using tools such as tai chi, yoga, meditation and humour; and through creating a dialogue with their captors, looking beneath their masks of fear and anger to reach the small flame of love and laughter unquenched by the demonising nature of war.

Book Description

Susan Kennedy had a dream as a little girl. She wanted to become a teacher. Sadly, because of a combination of nurture and nature, that dream was never to be. This heartrending and captivating story, tells of one woman's struggle through life, while suffering from a debilitating mental illness. It is a story of determination, courage, tenacity and humour. This moving, sometimes sad, often hilarious, journey through Susan's life will leave you enthralled. It is a story of hope and optimism, in a world that is far from perfect. From being abused on the counter of the benefit office, to life in a convent with some amorous nuns, to having a knife at her throat in a mental hospital, there is one thing you can say about Sue Kennedy's life; it is far from mundane.

A late summer climb to over 3,000 metres goes terribly wrong when unseasonally cold weather closes in on the pair as they ascend the sheer face of one of the world’s most testing climbs, the north face of Piz Badile in the Italian Alps. This is the first-hand account of the climb and subsequent high-altitude Alpine rescue of two South African climbers. At the time the incident was publicised as the first ever rescue where sms technology was used to attract attention to the plight of trapped climbers. While they waited for rescue, the author and her partner implemented various techniques to ensure that they survived with not only their lives intact, but their fingers and toes too!

How can you forget your past when it keeps coming back to haunt you? Judy Westwater, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Street Kid, was determined to turn her back on her cruel and violent childhood. She didn't stand a chance. All too soon hope turned to fear and she knew she'd have to run again. Judy was only 11 years old when she was forced to live on the streets. Beaten, half-starved and horrifically abused, she finally escaped to a life in the circus and fell in love with one of the circus hands. But the charming man who seemed so perfect had a dark and sinister side. If she wanted to survive she had to get away. Judy fled to South Africa, taking with her her two young children. But the streets of South Africa were just as cruel. One day a man took her five-year-old daughter and her violent past was replayed in front of her eyes. Judy's incredible story of courage and determination will inspire as it will amaze.

Martha is now in her thirties. Her daughter has left home and she is lonely and vulnerable. The hard knocks have taken their toll on her health, and as she looks into the years still lying ahead of her, she shakes her head, feeling she hasn't the heart or the strength to go on. As she teeters on the brink of a nervous breakdown, a phone call summons ghosts from the past. She discovers that one of the family is dead and the others need her help. Martha returns and when she comes face to face with the evil, psychotic Jackser, she can no longer suppress the nightmares of her childhood. A suicide attempt sees her admitted to the 'mad house', where a hunger strike takes her even nearer to death. But finally she sees a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. Could love in an unexpected form pull her back from the brink?

This is the incredible true story of Ferzanna Riley, a Pakistani Muslim who could not be broken, despite an abusive family and their brutal efforts to enslave her. Her violent childhood, during which she was beaten on an almost daily basis, transformed her into a desperate and suicidal teenager, and led her to question the faith and culture she had been born into. After starting a new life in London, a shocking turn of events led Ferzanna and her younger sister to be tricked by their family into going into Pakistan, where they were held captive. Inspiring and moving, this astonishing story paints a picture of an amazing woman who broke the cycle of abuse and survived against all the odds.

Daoud Hari lost a way of life in Darfur. But amidst the carnage and turmoil he found a new calling... As a Zaghawa tribesman in the Darfur region of Sudan, Daoud Hari grew up racing camels across the desert, attending colourful weddings and, when his work was done, playing games under the moonlight. But in 2003 helicopter gunships swooped down on Darfur's villages and shattered that way of life for ever. Sudanese government-backed militias came to murder, rape and burn. To drive the tribesmen from their lands. When Hari's village was attacked and destroyed, his family was decimated. He escaped and roamed the battlefield deserts, helping the weak and vulnerable find food, water and safety. When international aid groups and reporters arrived, Hari gave his services as a translator and guide. To do so was to risk his life, for the Sudanese government had outlawed journalists, punishing aid to 'foreign spies' with death. Yet Hari did so time and again. Until eventually, his luck ran out... The Translator is a harrowing tale of selfless courage in terrifying conditions.

Bless me Father is the true story of an incredible South African Life. Born into a violent and brocken family, and growing up in a variety of institutions, Cape Town based poet and writer Mario d' Offizi tells his remarkable, often shocking and ultimately inspiring life adventure-one that spans several decades in a country undergoing radical change. From his tough days at Boys Town to wild years in the advertising world, a stint in the restaurant business and a sharp edged journalistic adventure in the DRC, d'Offizi tells his critically acclaimed story with the unfailing sensitivity and warmth of a true poet.

"The tale of Carl Wake and the hurricane that was waiting for him goes straight to the heart of the greatest sea stories: they are not about man against the sea, but man against himself. John Kretschmer's book is as perfectly shaped and flawlessly written as such a story can be. In addition to being the best depiction I have ever read of what it is like to be inside a hurricane at sea, At the Mercy of the Sea is as moving a story of a man's failure and redemption as can be found anywhere in the literature of the sea. This book is surely destined to become a classic."--Peter Nichols, author of "Sea Change" and "A Voyage for Madmen"

"John Kretschmer has transformed this story of three men on a collision course with a hurricane into a modern seafaring classic."--Peter Nielsen, editor of "SAIL" magazine

"John Kretschmer's account of three fellow captains whose lives converge in one of history's most erratic hurricanes builds like the storm itself. Detail after detail reveals the sailors' personal histories, their foibles, their goals, and finally their tragic miscalculations. With expert analysis and taut writing, he draws readers into that mad storm. You can't turn away. You keep reading until it breaks your heart."--Fred Grimm, columnist for the "Miami Herald"

"John Kretschmer is a first-class seaman who is also a fine writer. Once begun, his vivid and powerful narrative is impossible to put down."--Derek Lundy, author of "Godforsaken Sea" and "The Way of a Ship"

""At the Mercy of the Sea" kept me plunging ahead to the tragic end and left me feeling humbled and lucky to be alive. I felt I knew Carl Wake, because John Kretschmer found in him an archetype--an aging sailor with an age-old dream."--Jim Carrier, transatlantic sailor and author of "The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome"

"Gathering his tools as a loyal friend, a master mariner, and a natural storyteller, John Kretschmer has crafted an unforgettable tale of high-seas adventure, salvation, and loss. A remarkable book, impossible to put down."--Herb McCormick, sailing journalist

John Kretschmer, a professional sailor and writer, has logged more than 200,000 offshore sailing miles, including fifteen transatlantic and two transpacific passages. He is a longtime contributing editor to "Sailing" magazine and a sailing/travel columnist for the "Miami Herald". John lives aboard a 47-foot cutter in Florida. He and his student Carl Wake, the subject of this book, were close friends.

This is a true story about real people set in the 1960-70's, Alan Stuart Hutcheson, a millionaire before forty had everything; a successful business, an exciting social life; a top model wife amongst a litter of lovers and he lost it all in one calamitous moment.
After Military and Merchant Navy service, he became a champion, well-known top racing driver. Feeling a debt to society, he became a probation officer and learned a lot about police corruption, violence, and falsified evidence.
One evening he was driving through West End London when an accident occurred at the mouth of Hyde Park underpass. One of the girls involved died a week later as a result of shocking medical negligence. Alan was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and given a two year prison sentence. During his first night he attempted suicide but with intensive medical care he survived.
Constantly victimized by the authorities and kept on hard drugs, his time served was mentally and physically tortuous and he not only lost his wife but his thriving business too. Sometime after his release he was accused of murdering his ex-Managing Director and faced a prison sentence; by this time the police were hot on his tail and further falsified evidence was made against him, placing him in another prison sentence.
Through higher level police contacts, he managed to get and early appeal and due to a piece of excellent fortune, he once again became a free man. However, after this Alan felt it safer to live in Spain.
This book is imbued with humour and drama and includes people such as Oliver Reed, Peter Sellers, Stirling Moss, Barry Sheene, Prince of Hanover, Jilly Johnson, Mai Britt and many otherfamous and infamous people making this a compelling memoir well worth reading.