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Books > Fiction > True stories > General
Ian Shipley has now been traditionally hand-digging graves for 40
years. He was taught to dig the old-fashioned way and four decades
on, averaging 114 graves per year, Ian can still be found
habitually toiling away in one of any number of locations across
Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. In Tales of a Gravedigger, the
author's first book, he recalls true tales from his early years
whilst working at Newark's London Road Cemetery in Nottinghamshire.
It is a light-hearted and occasionally amusing look into the life
of a gravedigger. From coffins getting stuck to stomach-churning
exhumations. From unexpected cave-ins to practical jokes and
various other ghostly goings-on. It's an interesting glimpse into a
profession that most of us know very little about. Ian has always
believed that a grave should be hand-dug. It's more personal that
way. For years he has declined to use mechanical digging,
preferring instead to keep alive the old ways. In Newark-on-Trent
and throughout the surrounding villages of Nottinghamshire and
Lincolnshire, Ian will possibly be the last of the traditional
gravediggers.
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.
'The unexpected comic masterpiece of the year' Daily Mail In 1967,
retired army major and self-made millionaire Paddy Roy Bates
inaugurated himself ruler of the Principality of Sealand on a World
War II Maunsell Sea Fort near Felixstowe - and began the peculiar
story of the world's most stubborn micronation. Having fought off
attacks from UK government officials and armed mercenaries for half
a century - and thwarted an attempted coup that saw the Prince
Regent taken hostage - the self-proclaimed independent nation still
stands. It has its own constitution, national flag and anthem,
currency, and passports - and offers the esteemed titles of 'Lord'
or 'Lady' to its loyal patrons. Incorporating original interviews
with surviving members of the principality's royal family, and many
rare, vintage photographs, Dylan Taylor-Lehman recounts the
outrageous attempt to build a sovereign kingdom by a family of
rogue, larger-than-life adventurers on an isolated platform in the
freezing waters of the North Sea.
Women around the globe are buying and consuming alcohol at alarming
rates never seen before. But is it doing us any favours? Is it
really that treat or reward that we deserve? Lotta Dann thinks not.
In The Wine O'Clock Myth, Lotta takes an in-depth and eye-opening
look at women's drinking habits. Written through the lens of her
own story and her work in the field of addiction and recovery,
Lotta explores the privileged position alcohol holds in our
society, the way the liquor industry targets women and the damaging
'Wine Mum' social media culture. She reveals the damage alcohol is
causing to women: physically, emotionally and socially; and the
potential reasons why so many women are drinking at harmful levels.
And she talks to a number of brave women who share detailed,
intimate stories about their personal relationships with alcohol.
Stories that are at times brutal and heartbreaking, but also
inspiring and heart lifting. The Wine O'Clock Myth is a powerful,
important book that may well change the way you think about alcohol
forever.
In Remarkable People, Dan Walker, the host of BBC1's Breakfast,
recounts inspiring stories of the courage and selflessness of
people he has met throughout his career. An uplifting tonic for the
darkness and negativity of recent times. We live in an age of
anxiety, besieged by bad news and uncertainty. But Dan Walker, the
host of BBC1's Breakfast and Football Focus, is determined to shine
a light onto stories of selflessness and compassion that seldom
make the headlines. In the course of his professional life, Dan has
encountered many inspiring stories of bravery and kindness. In
Remarkable People, he recounts tales of incredible humanity,
empathy, compassion, and a steely determination to transform lives,
restore trust, renew hope. Remarkable People is the perfect book
for these challenging times; an escape from the negativity of our
everyday news cycle, and a tribute to courage and positivity.
You think you know her story. You ve read the Brothers Grimm, you
ve watched the Disney cartoons, and you cheered as these virtuous
women lived happily ever after. But real princesses didn t always
get happy endings. Sure, plenty were graceful and benevolent
leaders, but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power
and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets.
Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elisabeth
of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal.
Princess Olga of Kiev slaughtered her way to sainthood while
Princess Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into
combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses
Behaving Badly offers true tales of all these princesses and dozens
more in a fascinating read that s perfect for history buffs,
feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story.
'I was twenty-six years old and an associate beauty editor at
Lucky, one of the top fashion magazines in America. That's all that
most people knew about me. But beneath the surface, I was full of
secrets: I was a drug addict, for one. A pillhead. I was also an
alcoholic-in-training who guzzled warm Veuve Clicquot after work
alone in my boss's office with the door closed; a conniving and
manipulative uptown doctor-shopper; a salami-and-provolone-puking
bulimic who spent a hundred dollars a day on binge foods when
things got bad (and they got bad often); a weepy, wobbly, wildly
hallucination-prone insomniac; a tweaky self-mutilator; a slutty
and self-loathing downtown party girl; and - perhaps most of all -
a lonely weirdo. But, you know, I had access to some really
fantastic self-tanner.' By the age of 15, Cat Marnell longed to
work in the glamorous world of women's magazines - but was also
addicted to the ADHD meds prescribed by her father. Within 10 years
she was living it up in New York as a beauty editor at Conde Nast,
with a talent for 'doctor-shopping' that secured her a never-ending
supply of prescribed amphetamines. Her life had become a twisted
merry-go-round of parties and pills at night, while she struggled
to hold down her high-profile job during the day. Witty, magnetic
and penetrating - prompting comparisons to Bret Easton Ellis and
Charles Bukowski - Cat Marnell reveals essential truths about her
generation, brilliantly uncovering the many aspects of being an
addict with pin-sharp humour and beguiling style. 'New York's
enfant terrible...Her talent has resided in her uncanny ability to
write about addiction from the untidy, unsafe, unhappy epicentre of
the disease, rather than from some writerly remove.' Telegraph 'I
LOVE this book' Catriona Innes, Cosmopolitan Magazine UK 'An
unputdownable, brilliantly written rollercoaster' Shappi Khorsandi
'Brilliantly written and harrowing and funny and honest' Louise
France, The Times Magazine 'Easily one of the most anticipated
memoirs of the year...[Marnell's] got an inimitable style (and oh
my god, so many have tried) and a level of talent so high, it's
impossible not to be rooting for her.' NYLON
"Wasting Libby" chronicles decades of neglect by state and
federal agencies, which allowed the Grace corporation to reap
millions in profits from the largest vermiculite mine in the world,
while knowingly exposing generations of Montana residents to fatal
levels of asbestos-contaminated dust. Libby's story, which
culminates in the 2009 criminal trial of the corporation's
executives, is ultimately the tale of the families who fought Grace
for justice, who refused to sacrifice their dignity even as they
lost their lives.
With an introduction by actor and environmentalist Jeff
Bridges.
Andrea Peacock is the co-author, with Doug Peacock, of "The
Essential Grizzly."
The captivating account of how Clint Lorance, a soldier who became
a scapegoat for a corrupt military hierarchy, was falsely charged
with war crimes, imprisoned, and eventually pardoned by President
Trump. While out on patrol in Afghanistan, Clint Lorance learned
that two men, both suspected suicide bombers, were speeding toward
a crowded city on motorcycles. Lorance couldn't see them, but his
men on the ground had clear shots. After a split second, he gave
the order to shoot, killing both men. In the months that followed,
Lorance was arrested by the military and put on trial for war
crimes. Prosecutors claimed that the order he gave constituted an
act of premeditated murder, and they sentenced him to twenty years
in prison. In Stolen Honor, Lorance finally tells the story of this
event and the trial it led to -- how the prosecutors declined to
admit clear-cut evidence that would have exonerated him, how the
men in his unit turned on him, and why he still believes he was
right to give the order to shoot. It is a story that stretches from
small-town America to the deserts of Afghanistan, from the White
House to the tiny jail cell where Lorance spent six years waiting
on his exoneration, which finally came when President Trump
pardoned him in 2019. The book also discusses Lorance's plans to
attend law school and help reform the broken military justice
system.
On Friday 13th September 2019 I embarked on an Elementary Pilot
Training Course. 4 days later I would awake to be told most of the
left hand side of my body & back were broken along with other
serious injuries. I was told I'd sustained life changing injuries.
Determined that I was not going to give my life up. I focused
solely on what needed to be done to get me through. What had
happened to me? 6 months into rehabilitation the COVID lockdown
hit, physiotherapy, complimentary therapies & all types of
training stopped. Completely isolated the only thing I could do now
was to keep working on my walking until it became better & I
grew stronger. With a body full of metalwork & the NHS
completely at a standstill due to the pandemic would I be able to
get the operations I need to release myself from the metal prison
that is holding me captive? Would I be able to get myself out of
the biggest challenge I was yet to face? Would I ever be able to
get myself back to some semblance of a life I recognise?
In March 2020 Covid struck and the world changed - much of the
world locked down - will it ever be the same again? The author woke
up one morning at the end of June 2021 and decided that she wanted
to put a book together of "lives during these times". She had been
watching families and friends becoming increasingly divided by
their opposing views on what was going on in the world. People were
becoming angry and frustrated with each other for not sharing the
same view on what was going on. Fear, blame, anxiety, were on the
increase. People were suffering and if there was one thing we
didn't need more of it was suffering. We all have our own unique
circumstances, views, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears
and her aim for this book is to create more understanding, respect
and love. She has gathered individual heartfelt stories from
friends, ordinary people, of where they were in their lives when
Covid struck and how they have navigated the past 2 and a half
years. The world is in crisis and we need unity, trust and love,
not division, hopelessness and fear. This book tells the unique
stories of people living in different circumstances, in different
countries with some very different opinions. Each story is the
truth of the person who wrote it even if it is not your truth. The
author hopes you will enjoy reading the wonderful stories that have
been shared with her.
During the frenzied Klondike Gold Rush, many daring women ventured
north to seek riches and adventure or to escape a troubled past.
These unforgettable, strong-willed women defied the social
conventions of the time and endured heartbreak and horrific
conditions to build a life in the wild North. At the height of the
gold rush, Martha Purdy, Nellie Cashman, Ethel Berry and a few
hundred other women were conquering what came to be called the
Trail of '98--a route that proved to be an impossible ordeal for
many men. From renowned reporter Faith Fenton and successful
entrepreneur Belinda Mulrooney to Mae Field, "The Doll of Dawson,"
and other "citizens of the demimonde," the Klondike's rebel women
bring an intriguing new perspective to gold-rush history.
QUEEN GIVEN THE MARVEL COMICS TREATMENT! Former Marvel Comics
editor and writer Tim Quinn has created a unique Platinum Jubilee
souvenir with a brand new comic book telling the life story of
Queen Elizabeth II. Quinn has used his colleagues from the
publishing giant to illustrate the book. "As I researched the
Queen's life story, I was struck by how visual the tale was," says
Quinn. "It proved to be a perfect story to approach in exactly the
same way we produced the super-hero titles at Marvel Comics." The
book captures the Queen's story from childhood to the present day.
It has been put together to raise funds for the Merseyside
children's charity Liverpool Heartbeat who create literacy projects
for schools. "There's nothing quite like the Marvel method of
storytelling to capture the imagination of even the most ardent
non-reader," says Quinn. "The combination of the Marvel approach
and the Queen's amazing story has proved to be a visual treat." The
book was presented to the Queen at Windsor Castle and received a
very positive response which is featured in this new printing.
This pack contains a book and an audio CD. Porter has been touring
her stories about victims and bullies for over seven years. These
stories are first person accounts by both victims and bullies. The
victims try to change the situation and usually, but not always,
succeed. The stories are descriptive narratives of what happens to
real people. They are based on Porter's observations, countless
interviews, personal experience, and imagination. The book explores
the idea that victims and bullies are two sides of the same coin
and that the healing of both lies in dealing with this paradox.
There is not a lot of real violence in these stories; there is
some, and much of it is implied in threats, taunts, gossip,
e-mails, gestures, and language. Most of the bullying is teasing
and it is always designed to torment and ridicule. "The Bully and
Me" also refers to biblical and folk tales in the comments showing
how bullying is not a new problem. This is not a self-help book; it
is about listening to and thinking about the stories of bullying
that happen everyday in our homes, our schools, and our
communities.
Paul Baker has experienced many ups and downs in his life, but it's
how he dealt with these moments and learned from them that really
sets his story apart. He is accustomed to failure, having learned
how to turn negative experiences into positive outcomes, and he
continues to remain focused on his ambitions by continually setting
himself new goals. Covering themes such as ambition, determination,
and the importance of mindset and exercise when it comes to
personal growth, Finding Fame illustrates Paul's drive to
constantly improve both himself and his life. Paul has enjoyed many
major milestones over the years, from being awarded the
Kyokushinkai Karate black belt at just age 16 to serving with the
British Army, a career that led him all over the world to places
like Belize and the Falkland Islands. This book showcases how
important it is to fail in life - to get knocked down but then to
rise up again, stronger and wiser and ready for the next obstacle.
His martial arts background and army training taught Paul the
importance of discipline and resilience, traits he took with him
and used in all other areas of his life. Underlining everything he
does is his knowledge of how your mindset can set you up for
success, and the understanding that bad experiences aren't
ultimately bad, as they can teach you the tools and techniques you
need to navigate through the challenges of life. Paul also
understands the power of setting goals in life, and in being
ambitious with those goals. Without a clear, set plan, you won't
know which direction to go in - which path to take - and, even if
you end up going down a path you hadn't previously considered, you
simply have to take that first step. What you learn along the way
is often far more important than the destination you initially had
in mind. Paul acknowledges the impact his environment had on him
when he was younger, from his home life to his schooldays and his
extracurricular activities. He attributes his positive growth
mindset to several people from his youth: his parents, his middle
school teacher, and his martial arts instructors. These individuals
moulded who he was as a person and encouraged him to view
circumstances and obstacles from a different perspective; by
shifting his mindset, he opened himself up to all the wonderful
opportunities this world has to offer. Exercise is another key
theme in the book; Paul looks at how it's helped him physically and
mentally. As he says, the earlier you start physical activity, the
faster the payback - in all areas of your life. Not only does
exercise improve your health and help with weight loss, but it also
encourages a happier, more positive mindset, increases your energy
levels, and gives you the confidence required to go after what you
really want. Without exercise, Paul simply would not have
accomplished everything he's achieved in his life so far. Finding
Fame also looks at the music and world events that shaped Paul's
adolescence as he grew up in the '80s, as well as his fitness
victories - including the time he climbed Mont Blanc, a personal
challenge he set himself to celebrate his 40th birthday. This book
is an excellent example of how mindset is everything, how failure
is a learning experience, and that - in order to keep growing as a
person - you simply must carry on, no matter what. Finding Fame
will give you the knowledge, motivation, and inspiration you need
to identify your goals and go after what you really want in life.
'Comfort Food for Breakups' is a beautifully written food memoir
with a queer bent in which the author comes to terms with her
Ukranian heritage and her lesbian identity by way of their
connections to food: as sustenance, as coping mechanisms, as
reminders of family history, and as objects of desire.
'A grisly treat' Financial Times on the podcast Based on the
'world's spookiest podcast' of the same name comes Unexplained: a
book of ten real-life mysteries which might be best left
unexplained. . . ******************************* What can a case of
demonic possession in 1970's Germany teach us about free will? What
might we learn about how we construct reality from the case of a
poltergeist in the Fens? And what can a supposed instance of
reincarnation in Middlesbrough tell us about how we develop a
concept of the self? Taking incidents once thought of as
supernatural or paranormal and questioning whether radical ideas in
science might provide a new but equally extraordinary explanation,
Unexplained asks what real-life unexplained events can reveal of
our unique human experience. 'These mysteries are all the creepier
for being true' Tatler
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