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Books > Fiction > True stories > General
This book commemorates the enduring legacy of the world's most
famous ship - TITANIC. Her story is one of all those bound together
on that fateful voyage. On board were: writers, artists,
honeymooners, sportsmen, priests, reverends, fashion designers,
aristocrats, millionaires, children, crew and emigrants looking for
a better life. This book tells of their lives, and shines the
spotlight on: Some of the great ship's surprising treasures Her
feted voyage from Belfast's Harland & Wolff shipyard The
fascinating museums devoted to her memory, including Titanic
Belfast The iconic music and movies Her winged and four-legged
passengers The sister ships of Olympic and Britannic Tales of
heroism Theories surrounding Titanic's fatal collision The
lifeboats and just how close the SS Californian was on that tragic
night How Arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton and the inquiries
viewed events These stories and much more lie inside.
Since August 2020, the intimidation of witnesses and journalists
has surged in Sri Lanka. Twelve Cries from Home navigates the
memories and stories of twelve war survivors, mostly women and
relatives of the disappeared, who wished to have their stories
retold so that a permanent record might be made, and so that those
outside the country might understand their experiences. The outcome
of a journey across the island in late 2018 by writer and Professor
of Literature Minoli Salgado, who was revisiting her ancestral
home, Twelve Cries from Home is deeply-layered and localised work
of travelling witness. It returns to the concept of home as a place
of belonging and security, which is a lost ideal for most, and uses
a Sri Lankan measure of distance - the call, or hoowa - to ask how
we might attend to stories that are difficult to tell and to hear.
Exploring the bitter complexity of war by presenting stories from
four regions of Sri Lanka, it reveals the complex network of
relationships between the agents of conflict and their victims, as
well as the blurred boundary between victims and perpetrators, the
role of informers and the process of ethical repair after traumatic
experience. Twelve Cries from Home offers a rare glimpse into a
country subject to enforced self-censorship, allowing us to take
stock of social and political developments in Sri Lanka and what
has and has not been achieved in light of the transitional justice
mechanisms promised to the UN.
This journal of the invasion, a collection of Andrey Kurkov's
writings and broadcasts from Kyiv, is a remarkable record of a
brilliant writer at the forefront of a 21st-century war. Andrey
Kurkov has been a consistent satirical commentator on his adopted
country of Ukraine. His most recent work, Grey Bees, is a dark
foreshadowing of the devastation in the eastern part of Ukraine in
which only two villagers remain in a village bombed to smithereens.
The author has lived in Kyiv and in the remote countryside of
Ukraine throughout the Russian invasion. He has also been able to
fly to European capitals where he has been working to raise money
for charities and to address crowded halls. Kurkov has been asked
to write for every English newspaper, as also to be interviewed all
over Europe. He has become an important voice for his people.
Kurkov sees every video and every posted message, and he spends the
sleepless nights of continuous bombardment of his city delivering
the truth about this invasion to the world.
In 1973 Sophie Neville was cast as Titty alongside Virginia
McKenna, Ronald Fraser and Suzanna Hamilton in the film Swallows
& Amazons. Made before the advent of digital technology, the
child stars lived out Arthur Ransome's epic adventure in the great
outdoors without ever seeing a script. Encouraged by her mother,
Sophie Neville kept a diary about her time filming on location in
the lakes and mountains of Cumbria. Bouncy and effervescent,
extracts from her childhood diary are interspersed among her
memories of the cast and crew as well as photographs, maps and
newspaper articles, offering a child's eye view of the making of
the film from development to premiere - and the aftermath.
In 1993, JosE MedellIn, an eighteen-year-old Mexican national who
lived most of his life in the United States, was arrested for his
participation in the gang rape and murder of two girls in Houston,
Texas. Despite telling police that he was born in Mexico, he was
never informed of his rights to contact the Mexican Consulate, a
right guaranteed to him by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on
Consular Relations. The Mexican government filed suit against the
United States in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which
ruled that the United States had violated the rights of both Mexico
and MedellIn, along with fifty-one other Mexican nationals in other
cases. The ICJ instructed the United States to provide "review and
reconsideration" of the convictions and sentences of the fifty-two
Mexican nationals.Armed with this new decision, MedellIn sought a
writ of habeas corpus, which was denied by the lower courts. He
petitioned for a writ of certiorari, which the Supreme Court
granted, twice. While President George W. Bush sided with the ICJ,
the State of Texas, under Solicitor General Ted Cruz, argued
against the president. Despite a nearly universal belief among
court watchers and legal scholars that Texas would lose, the Court
in a 6-3 decision ruled in favor of Texas and against MedellIn in
June 2008. MedellIn was executed just two months later. In this
volume Alan Mygatt-Tauber tells the story of MedellIn v. Texas,
showing how the Court's 2008 ruling grappled with the complex
question of how a united republic that respects the dual
sovereignty of its constituent parts struggles to comply with its
international obligations. But this is also a story of
international human rights and the anomalous position of the United
States regarding the death penalty compared to other nations. In
the closing chapters, the author explores the aftermath of the
execution, including the continued effort of Mexico to seek justice
for its nationals. Mygatt-Tauber offers a detailed examination of
the case at every stage of proceedings-trial, appeal, at the
International Court of Justice, and in both trips to the Supreme
Court. He provides never-before-revealed information about the
thinking of the Bush White House in the decision to comply with the
ICJ's judgment and to withdraw from the Optional Protocol to the
Vienna Convention which granted the ICJ jurisdiction.
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.'"
'There's a lot of stigma attached to sex. Particularly with women,
you have a big dichotomy between: Do you have sex? Do you not? Do
you be a slut? Do you be a virgin? Do you be a prude? Do you be a
man-whore? You can't really win.' Women are always being told how
to be sexy, but are rarely asked what actually turns them on. Wendy
Jones wanted to find out, so she interviewed twenty-four women from
all walks of life, including a burlesque dancer, a girl guide
leader, a shop assistant, a ninety-four year old who remembers the
sexual freedom of the war, a transexual, a nun, a feminist into
BDSM, a covered Muslim, a mother, a student, a polyamorist, and a
sexual healer. The women talked about their lives, bodies, sexual
fantasies and relationships, about what they've learned, how they
have been hurt, what they enjoy and what they long for. The
interviews are frank, engaging, and surprising. Each woman is
unique but together they speak for a majority, and it's time we
listened. This honest and inspiring exploration of female desire
will change the way we think and talk about sex forever. 'English
women have a reputation for being reserved and uptight; actually
behind closed doors we're outrageous.'
Charmain Bynoe, a council housing officer for the London borough of
Southwark, inspired the nation when she appeared on the TV series
Council House Britain. Now, in The Estate, she shines a light on
the challenges faced by so many of our citizens and provides
heartwarming and inspirational stories of how they have been helped
to help themselves. The role of our council housing officers is
often overlooked and forgotten about. But their work is vital and,
for some, the officers are their best hope for a better quality of
life. Sometimes, Charmain works with those who are struggling to
cope, finding it hard to keep a roof over their heads or to deal
with day-to-day challenges. All they may need is some hope, and she
is there to suggest a way forward. In Charmain's powerful new book,
she looks back at some of the people she's worked with, from the
old man who lives in squalor because he can no longer keep his flat
tidy and needs support, to the young Ghanaian woman in a coercive
relationship who fears that if she speaks out she will be deported.
Britain's housing crisis remains an enormous issue for the country,
which was only further highlighted by the Grenfell Tower disaster.
But, as Charmain shows, with humanity and consideration for others,
we can make things better in ways that don't have to cost a fortune
but can deliver results that are truly priceless.
At the end of the Gulf War, the White House was confident that Saddam Hussein's days as Iraq's dictator were numbered. His army had been routed, his country had been bombed back into a pre-industrial age, his subjects were in bloody revolt, and his borders were sealed. World leaders waited confidently for the downfall of the pariah of Baghdad. Almost a decade later, they are still waiting. This is the first in-depth account of what went wrong. Drawing on the authors' firsthand experiences on the ground inside Iraq (often under fire) and their interviews with key players--ranging from members of Saddam's own family to senior officials of the CIA--Out of the Ashes tells what happened when the smoke cleared from the battlefields of the Gulf War. This tale of high drama, labyrinthine intrigue, and fatal blunders has been played out amid one of the greatest man-made tragedies of our times-one where, so long as Saddam Hussein remains in power, the Iraqi people will pay the price. Out of the Ashes makes chillingly clear just how terrible that price has been.
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Want to know the truth about what life
is like as a mum and step-mum with a chaotic patchwork family? This
book is everything I've been through that's made me who I am, plus
the lessons I've learned from many mistakes. I hope that it will
make you laugh as well as give you strength to keep going when
times get tough. After all, we are all in this together...
Rachaele, aka Part-Time Working Mummy Hundreds of thousands of fans
flock to the Part-Time Working Mummy page for its heartfelt posts,
honest accounts of complicated family life and its appeal to 'bring
parents together to support each other through all the sh*t that
life throws at us!'. This book channels the amazing spirit of the
page, with Rachaele sharing behind-the-scenes experiences that have
shaped her own views on parenting and life; packed with personal
stories and lessons learned, it's about the best, the worst and the
ok times in a 'normal' family. As well as tackling subjects like
single parenthood, patchwork families, unexpected pregnancy,
domestic violence and bullying, the book ultimately spreads a
message of kindness amidst the chaos and inspires you to change the
world for the better - and, of course, a good laugh to see you
through the tough times!
This epic saga of brotherhood and rivalry, of loyalty and
treachery, of victory and death, forms part of the indelible core
of classical Chinese culture and continues to fascinate modern-day
readers. In 220 EC, the 400-year-old rule of the mighty Han dynasty
came to an end and three kingdoms contested for control of China.
Liu Pei, the legitimate heir to the Han throne, elects to fight for
his birthright and enlists the aid of his sworn brothers, the
impulsive giant Chang Fei and the invincible knight Kuan Yu. The
brave band faces a formidable array of enemies, foremost among them
the treacherous and bloodthirsty Ts'ao Ts'ao. The bold struggle of
the three heroes seems doomed until the reclusive wizard Chuko
Liang offers his counsel, and the tide begins to turn. Romance of
the Three Kingdoms is China's oldest novel and the first of a great
tradition of historical fiction. Believed to have been compiled by
the play-wright Lo Kuan-chung in the late fourteenth century, it is
indebted to the great San-kuo chi (Chronicles of the Three
Kingdoms) completed by the historian Ch'en Shou just before his
death in 297 CE. The novel first appeared in print in 1522. This
edition, translated in the mid-1920s by C. H. Brewitt-Taylor, is
based on a shortened and simplified version which appeared in the
1670s. An Introduction to this reprint by Robert E. Hegel,
Professor of Chinese and Comparative Literature at Washington
University, provides an insightful commentary on the historical
background to the novel, its literary origins and its main
characters.
This is a collection of compelling, true stories of after-death
communication from the experiences of psychic medium Carole J.
Obley. These inspiring examples open our hearts and minds by
convincingly demonstrating how contact with the spirit world can be
a catalyst in healing grief. We are uplifted and comforted by
realizing that the challenges we face in life can be positively
transformed by the magnificent strength of undying love.
A shockingly intimate look at the world of honor killings, as seen
through the eyes of both the perpetrators and the victims. What
drives a person to murder their sister, mother, or daughter? What
is life like in a society in which women are imprisoned for their
own "protection," while their potential killers walk free? In this
powerful and affecting book, writer and journalist Lene Wold offers
a rare window into the world of "honor killings"--the controversial
practice that sees more than five thousand women murdered at the
hands of close relatives each year, all to restore their family's
reputation. Wold spent more than five years in Jordan, visiting
prisons and mosques, reviewing newspapers and judicial archives,
and interviewing imams, village elders, and other locals to
understand these violent acts. But she also spoke with the killers
themselves, including a man who murdered his mother and daughter
and attempted to kill his other daughter. In Inside an Honor
Killing, Wold shares what she learned, weaving a shocking tale of
honor killing told from the perpetrators' perspective as well as
the victims'.
Many women expect to become mothers but are childless through
social rather than biological reasons - perhaps they haven't met
the right person or they prioritised career or education earlier in
life. Featuring international interviews by grief counsellor and
researcher Lois Tonkin, this collection of first-person stories
provides insight into the under-discussed situation of being
childless by circumstance. Each story highlights the different
aspects of being childless by circumstance, as women move through
their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and beyond their ages of fertility. The
book explores feelings of grief and loss, and also how women adapt
positively to their changed life expectations, finding excitement
in the alternative, rich and complex shapes their lives have taken.
Meet the inspirational dogs who went from being rescued to becoming
rescuer, in these incredible true stories. You'll read all about...
Toby, the golden retriever who performed the Heimlich manoeuvre to
save his owner's life Liam, the Lhaso Apso-Poodle mix who helped
his owner battle an eating disorder Hercules, the St Bernard who
saved his owners from burglars on the first day he moved in Alfie,
the terrier who gave a bullied girl a new lease of life ... as well
as many other canine heroes who came to their owner's aid - whether
it was saving them from physical threats, or helping them to
recover from mental illness, PTSD and bereavement. These remarkable
dogs all repaid the love and appreciation that their owners
displayed in rescuing them. Let these uplifting stories warm your
heart, and show you that adopted dogs truly are man's best friend.
What is forgiveness? Are some acts unforgivable? Can forgiveness
take the place of revenge? Powerful real-life stories from
survivors and perpetrators of crime and violence reveal the true
impact of forgiveness on ordinary people worldwide. Exploring
forgiveness as an alternative to resentment or retaliation, the
storytellers give an honest, moving account of their experiences
and what part forgiveness has played in their lives. Despite
extreme circumstances, their stories open the door to a society
without revenge. All royalties from the sale of this book go to The
Forgiveness Project charity.
'A beacon of hope in a dark world' Cathy Rentzenbrink, The Pool One
night in November 2015, when Antoine Leiris was at home looking
after his baby son, his wife Helene was killed, along with 88 other
people, at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris. Three days later, Antoine
wrote an open letter to his wife's killers on Facebook. He refused
to be cowed or to let his baby son's life be defined by their acts.
'For as long as he lives, this little boy will insult you with his
happiness and freedom,' he wrote. Instantly, that short post caught
fire and was shared thousands of times around the world. An
extraordinary and heartbreaking memoir, You Will Not Have My Hate
is a universal message of hope and resilience in our troubled
times.
The man with the gun pushed me down onto the carpet. I tried to
cower to make my body curl smaller, instinctively covering my head.
`Oh God, please don't kill me.' My words clung to my teeth and now
my whole body was so cold. All I had left were these words.
`Please. Please don't kill me. Jesus. God. Please.' I wanted to
live and I knew it with absolute certainty. I don't want to die.
Emma Slade was a high-flying debt analyst for a large investment
bank, when she was taken hostage in a hotel room on a business trip
to Jakarta. She thought she was lucky to come out of it unscathed,
but over the ensuing weeks and months, as the financial markets
crashed, Emma became her own distressed asset as the trauma
following the event took hold. Realising her view on life had
profoundly changed she embarked upon a journey, discovering the
healing power of yoga and, in Bhutan, opening her eyes to a kinder,
more peaceful way of living. From fast-paced City life to the
stillness of Bhutan's Himalayan mountains, Set Free is the
inspiring true story of Emma's astonishing life lived to extremes
and all that that entails: work, travel, spirituality, Buddhism,
relationships, and the underlying question of what makes a
meaningful life.
In the wake of Texas enacting a bill to deny abortions after 6
weeks, Loved and Wanted shines a light on motherhood and the right
to choose. 'Haunting, wild, and quiet at once. A shimmering look at
motherhood, in all gothic pain and glory. I could not stop
reading.' Lisa Taddeo, author of Three Women A harrowing account of
one woman's reckoning with life, death and choice in Trump's
America. For readers of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy. In 2017,
Christa Parravani had recently moved her family from California to
West Virginia. Surviving on a teacher's salary, she was already
raising two young children with her husband, screenwriter Anthony
Swofford. Another pregnancy, a year after giving birth to her
second child, came as a shock. Christa had a history of ectopic
pregnancies and was worried that she wouldn't be able to find
adequate medical care. She immediately requested a termination -
but her doctor refused to help. The only doctor who would perform
an abortion made it clear that this would be illicit, not condoned
by her colleagues or their community. In exploring her own choice,
or rather in discovering her lack of it, Christa reveals the
desperate state of female healthcare in contemporary America.
'Haunting, wild, and quiet at once. A shimmering look at
motherhood, in all gothic pain and glory. I could not stop
reading.' Lisa Taddeo, author of Three Women A harrowing account of
one woman's reckoning with life, death and choice in Trump's
America. For readers of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy. In 2017,
Christa Parravani had recently moved her family from California to
West Virginia. Surviving on a teacher's salary, she was already
raising two young children with her husband, screenwriter Anthony
Swofford. Another pregnancy, a year after giving birth to her
second child, came as a shock. Christa had a history of ectopic
pregnancies and was worried that she wouldn't be able to find
adequate medical care. She immediately requested a termination -
but her doctor refused to help. The only doctor who would perform
an abortion made it clear that this would be illicit, not condoned
by her colleagues or their community. In exploring her own choice,
or rather in discovering her lack of it, Christa reveals the
desperate state of female healthcare in contemporary America. 'A
brutally honest, rollercoaster of a journey that left me
championing her bravery.' Esther Freud 'I will never forget this
book. Read it. This is all I can say.' Rachel Louise Snyder
'Stunningly good' The Bookseller 'Everyone should read this book'
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