|
Books > Fiction > True stories > General
After over twenty-five years, BROS reunited to give a breathtaking
reunion gig at the O2 arena in Summer 2017. This photographic book
documents the hard work and determination, trials and tribulations
that goes into pulling off a spectacle of this magnitude. The
images are interspersed with written word by the author, expressing
his reactions to this very difficult process of retraining their
minds, body and talent, to say thank you to their extreemly loyal
fans and to show the world that they truely know how to put on a
show.
Is there such a thing as a miracle? Have you ever seen a 'sign'
that was too personal to be acoincidence? Do you believe in angels
but wonder why some of your prayers go unanswered? In this book,
much-loved angel author Jenny Smedley brings together a collection
of her most moving and powerful stories about the angels. Filled
with astonishing personal accounts from her readers and fans who
have seen, heard or been helped by angels, this book will convince
even sceptics of the presence of angels in our lives. Inside the
pages of this book you will read incredible stories of: * Angels
disguised as humans * Angels appearing in dreams to give messages *
Angels physically intervening to save a person from an accident or
an attack * Angels sending signs in answer to questions or prayers
* The astounding stories in this book will renew anyone's faith in
angels and show that they really are all around us. We are guided
and protected, and never alone.
March 2016: boxer Chris Eubank Jr stops his opponent Nick Blackwell
in round ten of a British title fight. Blackwell, having collapsed
in the ring, then dies momentarily in the back of an ambulance,
before being brought back to life. He remains in a coma for seven
days. The boxing world is thrown into turmoil. The lives of the
protagonists and the witnesses are changed forever. Journalist and
lifelong boxing fan Elliot Worsell was ringside that night and in
the dressing rooms in the immediate aftermath. What he saw and
heard would transform his view of the sport he loves and force him
to question his own complicity. In Dog Rounds, Worsell goes in
search of boxers who have killed in the ring. Spending time with
these pariahs and returning to the venues in which tragedies
occurred, Worsell reveals the extent of the devastation left
behind. In doing so he uncovers an incredible story of guilt,
forgiveness, obsession and violence. A powerful look at the past,
present and future of one of the world's most dangerous sports, Dog
Rounds is a modern classic.
After leaving the Merchant Navy Kevin Cooney started out on his own
with a humble back-garden engineering shop. A chance encounter led
him to specialise in manufacturing stainless steel components for
yachts, and it wasn't long before he caught the sailing bug
himself. Thanks to ingenuity, determination and a great deal of
hard work, Kevin managed to pilot Cooney Marine successfully
through the difficult decades of British industrial strife and
build it into the largest independent supplier of stainless steel
rails and fittings in the UK. Now semi-retired and with his son at
the helm, Kevin is free to indulge his passion by sailing the
oceans and even crossing the Atlantic several times. This book is
based on the diary he has been keeping for more than 40 years.
In her acclaimed 1993 book Denying the Holocaust, Deborah Lipstadt
called David Irving, a prolific writer of books on World War II,
"one of the most dangerous spokespersons for Holocaust denial." The
following year, after Lipstadt's book was published in the United
Kingdom, Irving filed a libel suit against Lipstadt and her
publisher. She prepared her defense with the help of a first-rate
team of solicitors, historians, and experts, and a dramatic trial
unfolded. Denial, previously published as History on Trial, is
Lipstadt's riveting, blow-by-blow account of this singular legal
battle, which resulted in a formal denunciation of a Holocaust
denier that crippled the movement for years to come. Lipstadt's
victory was proclaimed on the front page of major news- papers
around the world, such as The Times (UK), which declared that
'history has had its day in court and scored a crushing victory.'"
Running a railway is a complex business beset with drama. The
operation of heavy equipment at speed, twenty-four hours a day,
across the full length of the country and using extremely technical
signaling, track and mechanical engineering is no mean feat and
throws up a constant stream of challenges. Fortunately, the highly
professional railway staff are ready to deal with these daily
obstacles using their expertise, dedication and, as is so often
required, a sense of humour. Here Geoff Body and his son Ian have
collated a selection of entertaining and revealing anecdotes that
illustrate just how unexpected working on the railways can be.
How does it feel to live and work in the world's most beautiful and
luxurious tropical island resort, surrounded by white sandy beaches
and aquamarine seas? How does it feel to be in the lap of luxury
when you're thousands of miles from anywhere else? And when the
guests are some of the richest and most demanding people in the
world, where do you find the energy every day to smile, smile and
smile again? Beach Babylon takes you behind the scenes at a
five-star tropical island resort. Do all the stories which take
place behind the closed doors of the exclusive spa have happy
endings? What do the world's richest people expect from room
service during their fortnight in paradise? What does the
windsurfing instructor do to keep sane after hours? In the
bestselling tradition of her previous Babylon books, Imogen
Edwards-Jones investigates the rivalries and alliances between the
staff at a resort where pandering to the guests' most extravagant
whims is de rigueur. With a cast of millionaires, celebrities,
hangers-on and prostitutes, Beach Babylon takes you to a world
where extreme luxury is the norm and where excess somehow isn't
always enough...
A fat boy with a passion for sweets and a loathing for games, the
young Michael Simkins finds in cricket a sport where size doesn't
necessarily matter and a full-blown obsession is born. Now in
middle-age, he still harbours the somewhat deluded belief that the
England middle-order might usefully benefit from his hard-earned
skills. From impromptu Test series played with his dad in the
family sweetshop through to his years running a team of
dysfunctional inadequates, Fatty Batter is the bestselling and
hilarious story of one man's life lived through cricket.
Terry Waite's personal account of his harrowing experiences as a
hostage in Beirut. This book gives a fascinating insight into human
life on the edge - the things people are willing to do to each
other, and what it feels like to be treated in that way. Terry's
endurance in the face of unimaginable suffering and long days spent
in solitary confinement makes for a compelling tale. This new
edition includes an updated foreword and new final chapter
conveying just a few of the many and varied experiences that came
Terry's way post-release, and conveying his passionate engagement
in Middle East issues since his release 25 years ago, an issue of
just as much relevance today as ever.
From an early age, Vincent Roth kept a detailed account of his
experiences, often illustrated with sketches and later by
watercolors. It was from these handwritten journals that his
son-in-law edited this book. The first volume covers his early
years as a child abandoned to relatives in France, Scotland, and
London. It also covers his reuniting at the age of 12 with his
father and stepmother in Australia, his arrival in British Guyana,
and the first 15 years of his work in the interior.
Ranson skillfully recreates his northern experience in strong
crisp stories that are humorous quirky and unique Working North
makes it clear why Ranson was moved to "pity the southerner
who has never seen an arctic sun skipping along the earth gathering
all the colours of the prism and turning the land a warm purple "
"Working North" is an engaging and entertaining read for
inexperienced southerners and northern travellers alike
Powerful, dramatic, heartwarming, this is the true story of Sarbi,
the scruffy black Labrador-cross trained by the Australian Army as
an explosives detection dog for the most dangerous combat mission
imaginable.Thirteen months after Australia's most famous canine
warrior went missing in action following an historic battle between
the elite SAS and the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2008, she was found
by an American Special Forces officer patrolling a village in a
region known to be a Taliban stronghold. Against all odds, Sarbi
had survived her injuries, the enemy's weapons, a bitter winter,
one brutal summer and the harsh unforgiving landscape on her own.
She was the miracle dog of Tarin Kot.Sarbi's story, and those of
the other brave Australian Army dogs in Afghanistan, will resonate
with anyone who has known the unconditional love of man's best
friend, and understands the rewards of unbidden loyalty, trust and
devotion. It will appeal to all those who appreciate the
selflessness of serving your country and the inherent dangers of
putting your life on the line for others in a war zone. And it will
strike a chord with anyone who has experienced the magical
connection with a dog.
On 16 August 2012 the most shocking carnage in South Africa’s
recent history occurred in the platinum mining town of Rustenburg:
the Marikana shooting that left 34 striking miners dead. This book
tells the story behind the newspaper headlines. Who was involved?
Where did the miners, mostly migrant workers, come from and what
were their personal circumstances? The authors explore the
realities of their lives and also tells the story of “the man in
the green blanket”, who became a symbol of the strike. The broader
context is investigated: what was the role of the mines – Lonmin in
particular – and the competing unions, NUM and Amcu? What role did
traditional beliefs play – did a witch doctor aggravate the
situation? A striking photo section of mostly unpublished photos
also chronicles the events from a different angle. Through incisive
investigative journalism the events and parties involved are
identified and their role analysed. The findings of the Marikana
commission will also be included.
Not by the Sword tells the inspiring true story of how a Jewish
cantor and his family changed the life of a virulent white
supremacist leader. This riveting account begins in 1991, when
Cantor Michael Weisser received his first threatening phone call
from Larry Trapp, Grand Dragon of the White Knights of the Ku Klux
Klan of Nebraska. But Cantor Weisser and his wife, Julie, refused
to be intimidated by Trapp's escalating threats. Instead, they made
a stunning offer of friendship. After an emotional confrontation
with the Weissers, Trapp shocked everyone-including himself-by
resigning from the KKK and breaking his ties with other neo-Nazi
leaders. Not by the Sword recounts Larry Trapp's life as a racist,
his startling transformation in response to the Weissers' kindness,
and his subsequent crusade to redeem his past. Kathryn Watterson
movingly describes how one family feared, fought, and then forgave
a man who had tried to destroy them. This gripping tale gives the
reader an inside view of hate mongering and offers a powerful
testament to the triumph of the human spirit and the transforming
power of love and tolerance.
Since first learning to handle a Winchester .22 as a kid, Dan
Aadland has exulted in hunting-not as a sport but as a calling. In
this book he takes readers to Montana's prairies and mountains in
search of antelope, whitetail deer, moose, and the occasional
upland bird as he vividly describes the rituals and camaraderie of
hunting culture. In fifteen essays recounting a lifetime of
adventures, Aadland spins tales of a hunter whose years have been
enriched by pursuing game under Montana's big sky. He conveys the
drama of stalking elk in deep snow, when sometimes just the chance
at a shot is enough, and describes the tricks of bowhunting. He
tells how hunting with horses was "the real deal" planting one's
foot in the stirrup and sensing an affinity with great hunters of
the past. Underlying his memoir is a deep respect for wildlife and
appreciation for the West. Sometimes nostalgic, often humorous,
Aadland's book recounts the highs and lows of the hunt while
revealing why the pursuit of game remains so important to so many
people. The Best of All Seasons depicts hunting as an essential
part of the good life, suggesting that in our civilized age it yet
remains a fundamentally natural act. In allowing readers a glimpse
into that life, this book simultaneously shows that for Dan
Aadland, fine writing comes just as naturally. Dan Aadland's
writings about hunting have appeared in such publications as
Montana Outdoors and Rifle. A former teacher who now breeds horses
in Absarokee, Montana, he is the author of six other books,
including Sketches from the Ranch: A Montana Memoir.
Hospital Babylon is an in-depth, amusing and highly insightful
expose of the extraordinary world of modern medicine. It will take
the reader on a journey through the various departments and wards
where babies are made, thighs are reduced, noses straightened and
spare kidneys are flown in from the Indian subcontinent. We will
meet doctors who sleep with nurses. Doctors who sleep with
patients. Doctors who fiddle their insurance forms. Doctors who
suck fat, pump up breasts, plump lips and lengthen penises. The
doctor who specialises in flatulence. The doctor who shoots up
before he operates. Doctor Feelgood who will give you anything and
everything you need. As well as the doctor who makes a fortune
doing buttock enlargements in the Caribbean. En route, we will
discover what touches them, what amuses them and quite how
obsessively insane you have to be to make it to the top. Why does a
private room cost over GBP1000 a night? Who are the people changing
your bedpan? Holding your hand as you go to sleep? What do they do
to you while you're out cold? Why are drugs so expensive? How easy
is it for the pharmaceutical companies to grease the good doctor's
palm? Who exactly is profiting from your illness, embarrassing
affliction or brand new nose? And, of course, what happens when it
all goes wrong? Packed with true stories, anecdotes and
revelations, Hospital Babylon is a riveting, entertaining and
shocking look at 24 hours in the life of a hospital. Both amusing
and appalling, it will make you question whether you should sign
that consent form after all...
Dogs are truly one of God's finest creatures, a marvelous gift for
us humans. In the perfect follow-up to "A Prince among Dogs,"
Callie Smith Grant compiles a delightful collection of true stories
that celebrate the dogs in our lives. These stories will touch our
hearts, renew our spirits, and show us how God made these wonderful
creatures for unique purposes.
Readers will love these uplifting glimpses into the lives of
ordinary and extraordinary dogs and the people who love them. The
stories are warm, captivating, and ideal for a good
curl-up-and-read or a perfect gift for any dog lover.
Memoirs of an Albanian emigrant in Australia.
From award-winning "Financial Times" journalist Gillian Tett, who
enraged Wall Street leaders with her newsbreaking warnings of a
crisis more than a year ahead of the curve, "Fool's Gold" tells the
astonishing unknown story at the heart of the 2008 meltdown.
Drawing on exclusive access to J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon and a
tightly bonded team of bankers known on Wall Street as the "Morgan
Mafia," as well as in-depth interviews with dozens of other key
players, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Tett brings
to life in gripping detail how the Morgan team's bold ideas for a
whole new kind of financial alchemy helped to ignite a revolution
in banking, and how that revolution escalated wildly out of
control.
The deeply reported and lively narrative takes readers behind the
scenes, to the inner sanctums of elite finance and to the secretive
reaches of what came to be known as the "shadow banking" world. The
story begins with the intense Morgan brainstorming session in 1994
beside a pool in Boca Raton, where the team cooked up a dazzling
new idea for the exotic financial product known as credit
derivatives. That idea would rip around the banking world, catapult
Morgan to the top of the turbocharged derivatives trade, and fuel
an extraordinary banking boom that seemed to have unleashed banks
from ages-old constraints of risk.
But when the Morgan team's derivatives dream collided with the
housing boom, and was perverted -- through hubris, delusion, and
sheer greed -- by titans of banking that included Citigroup, UBS,
Deutsche Bank, and the thundering herd at Merrill Lynch -- even as
J.P. Morgan itself stayed well away from the risky concoctions
others were peddling -- catastrophe followed. Tett's access to
Dimon and the J.P. Morgan leaders who so skillfully steered their
bank away from the wild excesses of others sheds invaluable light
not only on the untold story of how they engineered their bank's
escape from carnage but also on how possible it was for the larger
banking world, regulators, and rating agencies to have spotted, and
heeded, the terrible risks of a meltdown.
A tale of blistering brilliance and willfully blind ambition,
"Fool's Gold" is both a rare journey deep inside the arcane and
wildly competitive world of high finance and a vital contribution
to understanding how the worst economic crisis since the Great
Depression was perpetrated.
In This Common Secret Dr. Susan Wicklund chronicles her emotional
and dramatic twenty-year career on the front lines of the abortion
war. Growing up in working class, rural Wisconsin, Wicklund had her
own painful abortion at a young age. It was not until she became a
doctor that she realized how many women shared her ordeal of an
unwanted pregnancy,and how hidden this common experience remains.
This is the story of Susan's love for a profession that means
listening to women and helping them through one of the most pivotal
and controversial events in their lives. Hers is also a calling
that means sleeping on planes and commuting between clinics in
different states,and that requires her to wear a bulletproof vest
and to carry a .38 caliber revolver. This is also the story of the
women whom Susan serves, women whose options are increasingly
limited. Through these intimate, complicated, and inspiring
accounts, Wicklund reveals the truth about the women's clinics that
anti-abortion activists portray as little more than slaughterhouses
for the unborn. As we enter the most fevered political fight over
abortion America has ever seen, this raw and powerful memoir shows
us what is at stake.
I behave badly to set myself apart. To test myself. To push myself.
To prove something. To shock someone. ... I behave badly because I
can. That s how Ellen Sussman describes her mischievous endeavors.
In this anthology of personal essays, she s invited twenty-five
other bad girl writers to share their stories. Ann Hood lies; Mary
Roach confesses. Erica Jong, the original bad girl, challenges her
own claim to that fame. Caroline Leavitt marries and cheats. These
pages bristle with danger. The writers dig deep bad behavior lies
in their souls. And what they bring to the surface reveals telling
truths about our psyches and our society.
|
You may like...
Skye
Kate Ripley
Paperback
R202
Discovery Miles 2 020
My Way Back
Andy McLachlan
Paperback
R418
Discovery Miles 4 180
|