In this entertaining and insightful biography, award-winning writer Andrew Morton, author of Diana, Her True Story and Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, takes you behind the scenes to uncover the woman and her world.

For years she prayed for her mother to give birth to a son. She longed to be spared her destiny as Britain's future Queen. Her dream was to live in the country surrounded by children, dogs and horses.

But Elizabeth did her duty, the young princess pledging before her people that she would dedicate her whole life to the service of Britain and the Commonwealth. She hoped that that day would be a long way off. It was not to be. Only twenty-five when she became Queen after the premature death of her father, King George Vl, Elizabeth has become the stuff of superlatives: the longest reigning, most travelled and, for a shy woman, the Queen who has shaken more hands and made more small talk than any other monarch in history. She has been seen and believed by millions, either in person, on television or film.

Elizabeth was set firmly on the road to becoming sovereign because of the D word - divorce. In 1936, her uncle David, King Edward VIII, wanted to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. When he couldn't, he abdicated. Since that national trauma, divorce and the fall-out from divorce has shaped her reign. She has witnessed her sister Margaret, three of her children and several grandchildren divorce. And she has lived long enough to see the wheel turn full circle, watching as another American divorcee, Meghan Markle, walked down the aisle with her grandson Prince Harry.

While her reign has been defined by divorce, her private life has been moulded by an irascible husband, an extravagant mother and a querulous eldest son. In the winter of her reign she refereed a war between two of her grandsons, brothers William and Harry who were once inseparable friends. As she celebrates her platinum anniversary, the first monarch to reign for seventy years, she has, during a once in a lifetime pandemic, become the reassuring face of hope and optimism, the grandmother to the nation.

Few figures in British history have been so deeply and so consequentially involved with the British royal family as Winston Spencer Churchill. While numerous men of stature have advised kings and queens during their reigns, Churchill is unique in his role: helping to shape not only a reign, but an entire royal dynasty. However, it was by no means a seamless relationship. At times, the royal family treated him with suspicion and contempt; at others, their relations were avuncular, competitive and cheering. Yet whether he was playing the role of antagonist to the royal family or that of trusted confidante, Churchill's influence was central to the twentieth-century history of the British monarchy.

The attitudes of the royal family towards him, whether warm or icy, were also crucial in creating the legend of Winston Churchill. The House of Windsor helped shape his career and his legacy: from his young days receiving paternal advice from Edward VII; his middle years of diehard loyalty to King Edward VIII during the abdication crisis; his initially grudging but ultimately fruitful partnership with George VI during World War II; to his enduring fondness for young Elizabeth, the last sovereign he served.

While there have been many biographies of Winston Churchill on the one hand, and many volumes on members of the royal family on the other, none of these has yet charted the relationship between Churchill and the royal family itself, even though these partnerships shaped and defined the House of Windsor and modern Britain. In short, the history of the monarchy in the twentieth century cannot be fully understood without reference to Winston Churchill, and Churchill's life and legacy cannot be adequately appreciated without accounting for his relationship with the royal family.

Having unearthed much under-appreciated material relating to Churchill held in the Churchill Archives at Cambridge University - including diary entries, postcards, and letters to and from kings, queens and princes - Andrew Morton presents a meticulously researched dual biography of Winston Churchill and the House of Windsor. It is a drama of the first order. At times thrilling and always compelling: this is the saga of a man, a family, a beloved institution, and a regal dynasty.

Following her death in September 2022, the outpouring of affection and admiration for the Queen was as touching as it was remarkable. She had been a matriarch to the nation for over seven decades, and tens of millions of people - in Britain and across the world - poured forth their heartfelt respect for this extraordinary woman in the ten days of mourning that followed. Including a queue of up to twenty-four hours' wait, momentous ceremonial processions across two countries and emotional coffin-side vigils from the monarch's closest family members - these were events the scale of which are unlikely to be repeated. In this insightful biography, veteran royal biographer Andrew Morton charts Elizabeth's life, from her ascent to the throne at twenty-five, through fifteen Prime Ministers; the turmoil and tragedies of family life that dogged her until the end; a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, during which she became the reassuring face of hope and optimism, solidifying her status as grandmother to the nation; and on to her record-breaking Platinum Jubilee, the first UK monarch to reign for over seventy years. Now updated with a compelling new epilogue bringing the Queen's story to its close, this definitive account offers revelatory insights into the life of an inimitable woman, the likes of whom we will never see again.

In this entertaining and insightful biography, award-winning writer Andrew Morton, author of Diana, Her True Story and Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, takes you behind the scenes to uncover the woman and her world.

For years she prayed for her mother to give birth to a son. She longed to be spared her destiny as Britain's future Queen. Her dream was to live in the country surrounded by children, dogs and horses.

But Elizabeth did her duty, the young princess pledging before her people that she would dedicate her whole life to the service of Britain and the Commonwealth. She hoped that that day would be a long way off. It was not to be. Only twenty-five when she became Queen after the premature death of her father, King George Vl, Elizabeth has become the stuff of superlatives: the longest reigning, most travelled and, for a shy woman, the Queen who has shaken more hands and made more small talk than any other monarch in history. She has been seen and believed by millions, either in person, on television or film.

Elizabeth was set firmly on the road to becoming sovereign because of the D word - divorce. In 1936, her uncle David, King Edward VIII, wanted to marry a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson. When he couldn't, he abdicated. Since that national trauma, divorce and the fall-out from divorce has shaped her reign. She has witnessed her sister Margaret, three of her children and several grandchildren divorce. And she has lived long enough to see the wheel turn full circle, watching as another American divorcee, Meghan Markle, walked down the aisle with her grandson Prince Harry.

While her reign has been defined by divorce, her private life has been moulded by an irascible husband, an extravagant mother and a querulous eldest son. In the winter of her reign she refereed a war between two of her grandsons, brothers William and Harry who were once inseparable friends. As she celebrates her platinum anniversary, the first monarch to reign for seventy years, she has, during a once in a lifetime pandemic, become the reassuring face of hope and optimism, the grandmother to the nation.

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER-ONE BESTSELLER.

A reissue of this classic title brought up to date with never-before-published material from the original taped interviews and a new introduction by Andrew Morton.

This edition reflects on the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the original publication, and on the long-term legacy of Diana, the woman who helped reinvigorate the royal family, giving it a more emotional, human face, and thus helping it move forward into the 21st century.

Building Flickr Applications with PHP teaches you how to use today's most popular online photo management system. You'll learn to work with both your own photos and Flickr's enormous cache, and create new and compelling extensions to the Flickr platform. This book is a great pick because It's written by experienced developer Rob Kunkle and Phlickr developer Andrew Morton. You'll learn how to use the PHP API Phlickr to write and retrieve photos. Flicker is growing quickly in popularity in the online photo management world. Using the popular PHP-driven Phlickr API in conjunction with MySQL, you'll discover how to take advantage of open source tools like PHP, Apache, and MySQL, as well as the Flickr architecture, to manage, retrieve, and format photos in imaginative ways. You'll also learn how to build upon Flickr's photo collaboration features to create interfaces for working with others on photo album projects. And you'll learn how to format Flickr tags--taking advantage of RSS to distribute photo updates.

The first in-depth dual-biography of Elizabeth & Margaret, written by the bestselling royal biographer, Andrew Morton.

They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends.

But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward VIII decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more, Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet'. And bow to her wishes.

Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister's antics with a kind of stoical amusement but Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system - and her fraught relationship with its expectations - was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.

From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden wartime lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father's death and Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton, renowned bestselling author of Diana: Her True Story, offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters - one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it - and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family and the way it has adapted to the changing mores of the twentieth century.

From the internationally renowned bestselling author of Diana: Her True Story and Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, comes the sensational and captivating biography of Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret.

They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward VIII decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more, Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet'. And bow to her wishes.

Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister's antics with a kind of stoical amusement but Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system - and her fraught relationship with its expectations - was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.

From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden wartime lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father's death and Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton's latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters - one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it - and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family and the way it has adapted to the changing mores of the twentieth century.

The first in-depth dual-biography of Elizabeth & Margaret, written by the bestselling royal biographer, Andrew Morton. They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward VIII decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more, Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet'. And bow to her wishes. Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister's antics with a kind of stoical amusement but Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system - and her fraught relationship with its expectations - was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover. From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden wartime lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father's death and Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton, renowned bestselling author of Diana: Her True Story, offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters - one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it - and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family and the way it has adapted to the changing mores of the twentieth century.

'Highly readable and compelling' Daily Telegraph _______________ What an extraordinary journey it has been for Meghan Markle. In this fully revised and updated biography, Andrew Morton navigates the at times baffling twists and turns of a royal saga that has both engaged and enraged those inside and outside the palace walls. It has taken just three short years for Meghan and Harry to be transformed from golden couple to royal outsiders living in a sprawling mansion in Montecito in California and cutting multi-million-dollar deals with media moguls. From the frothy fun and laughter of her wedding day to darker days and the isolation, loneliness and prejudice she experienced, amplified by what the couple considered to be the sexism and racism of the mass media. Add to that the high and lows of motherhood -the joy of the births of her two beautiful children and the sadness of a miscarriage late into her second pregnancy - it has been nothing less than an emotional rollercoaster. Morton draws on exclusive interviews with those closest to Meghan to uncover the story of her life, from her fractious childhood growing up in the Valley in LA, through her previous marriage and divorce, her struggles in Hollywood, her work as a humanitarian ambassador, her life as the Duchess of Sussex - and the seemingly bottomless rift that has developed between the Sussexes and the House of Windsor.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. Sunday Times bestselling author Andrew Morton reveals new information and sources that totally transform our perception of Wallis Simpson. Wallis in Love brings a fascinating new perspective on the 20th century's most controversial royal scandal. Andrew Morton's impeccable research and unerring skill for riveting storytelling combine to present a strong case for a new and startling reveal: that the woman who rocked the world with her uncompromising passion for the Prince of Wales may have fooled everyone by keeping the object of her true passion hidden away... From her relatively lowly beginnings in America - where young Wallis and her mother were dependent on her domineering and powerful Uncle Sol, to her rise through the social ranks and her determination to one day beat men at their own game - to the ultimate conquest of the Prince of Wales, Morton paints a vivid and multi-faceted picture of a compelling, ambitious and often hard-hearted woman, who may have won the jewel in the British crown but very possibly at the expense of her true happiness. Wallis in Love reveals the men Wallis truly loved, the men who broke her heart - and the hearts she broke in turn. In this vivid, fresh and frankly amazing portrait of the Duchess of Windsor, Morton draws on interviews, secret letters, diaries and never before seen or heard primary sources. From the day she was born in a ramshackle cottage in the hills to revealing what really happened the night her husband died, Morton paints a fresh and enticing portrait of the Duchess of Windsor.

This is the first book that shows how to take advantage of both your photos and Flickr's enormous cache, to create new and compelling extensions to the Flickr platform. You'll discover how to take advantage of open source tools (like PHP, Apache, and MySQL) and the Flickr architecture to manage, retrieve, and format photos in imaginative ways. You'll also learn how to build upon Flickr's photo collaboration features to create interfaces for working with others on photo album projects. And you will learn how to take advantage of RSS to distribute photo updates with ease.

Perfect for fans of The Crown, this captivating biography from a New York Times bestselling author follows Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret as they navigate life in the royal spotlight.

They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes.

Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister's antics with a kind of stoical amusement, but Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.

From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden war-time lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father's death and Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton's latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters—one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it—and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family, and the ways it adapted to the changing mores of the 20th century.

'The best account so far of the most notorious woman... Andrew Morton presents a convincing picture of Wallis Simpson's rip-roaring sexual and social adventures and her curious marriage to the Duke of Windsor... His new research adds to our knowledge of her whole career.' Sarah Bradford, historical biographer 'Remarkable. Supersedes and surpasses all previous Wallis biographies... Andrew Morton's crowning achievement.' - Christopher Wilson, author of Dancing with the Devil: The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue '[a] groundbreaking biography of Wallis Simpson... Morton has finally given her the biography she deserves.' - The Lady ____________________________________________ Sunday Times bestselling author Andrew Morton reveals new information and sources that totally transform our perception of Wallis Simpson. Wallis in Love brings a fascinating new perspective on the 20th century's most controversial royal scandal. Andrew Morton's impeccable research and unerring skill for riveting storytelling combine to present a strong case for a startling reveal: that the woman who rocked the world with her uncompromising passion for the Prince of Wales may have fooled everyone by keeping the true object of her passion hidden away... From her relatively lowly beginnings in America, to her rise through the social ranks and her determination to one day beat men at their own game and the ultimate conquest of the Prince of Wales, Morton paints a vivid and multi-faceted picture of a woman, who may have won the jewel in the British crown but very possibly at the expense of her true happiness. Wallis in Love reveals the men Wallis truly loved, the men who broke her heart - and the hearts she broke in turn. In this vivid and fresh portrait of the Duchess of Windsor, Morton draws on interviews, secret letters, diaries and never before seen or heard primary sources.

"HE'S A HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR . . .

A CONTROVERSIAL FILM DIRECTOR . . .

ONE OF THE SEXIEST MEN ALIVE (AT LEAST ACCORDING TO PEOPLE MAGAZINE) . . .

AND NOW MEL GIBSON WANTS TO HELP YOU BE ALL YOU CAN BE!"

When Mel Gibson wakes up in jail after being arrested for DUI, he doesn't quite remember what happened the night before, but he's not worried. After all, he's Mel Gibson! Whatever he might have said or done, he's confident it will all blow over. Because if there's one thing Mel knows for sure, it's how to live the charmed life he so richly deserves!

And since Mel has a couple of hours to kill before his lawyers show up, he's decided to share his secrets of happiness with you mere mortals. Here you'll find Mel's exclusive tips for career success, romance, keeping fit, facing your fears, money matters, and even surviving a nuclear apocalypse!

With a foreword by Jesus Christ Himself and an appendix of Mel's favorite cocktails (like the Tequila Sunrise: Take one bottle of tequila, drink 'til sunrise), this is the definitive guide to living the good life, Mel Gibson-style.

"(This book is not in any way affiliated with or authorized by the real Mel Gibson. Or Jesus Christ, for that matter.)"

1992: Andrew Morton showed a Princess in a light we had never seen before--"Diana: Her True Story" became a #1 "New York Times" bestseller.
1999: Andrew Morton revealed the young woman behind the blue dress--"Monica's Story" was a #1 "New York Times" bestseller.
January 15, 2008: Andrew Morton uncovers the true story of the biggest celebrity of our age.
Everyone knows Tom Cruise---or at least what he wants us to know. We know that he overcame a difficult childhood to star in astonishing array of blockbusters: "Top Gun, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, A Few Good Men, Interview with the Vampire, Jerry Maguire, "three "Mission: Impossible "movies, "War of the Worlds, "and more. We know he has taken artistic chances, too, and as a result has earned three Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globes, along with the respect of acting legends like Paul Newman and Dustin Hoffman.
After that, the picture becomes a little less clear. We know that Tom is a Scientologist, but not necessarily what that means in his life. We know that, despite persistent rumors about his sexuality, he has been married to Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes. But it was not until the spring of 2005, when he jumped on Oprah's couch to proclaim his love for Katie and denounced Brooke Shields for turning to the "Nazi science" of psychiatry, that we began to realize how much we "didn't "know about the charming, hardworking star.
For two years, award-winning biographer Andrew Morton has been tirelessly seeking out everyone from former teachers and girlfriends to Scientology insiders to friends who have watched a once-bullied, "nothing special" outsider transform himself into an icon "Forbes" has called the most powerful celebrity in the world Here, with never-seen photos and never-heard revelations, is a riveting, sometimes shocking portrait of the real Tom Cruise---his work, his love life, his marriages, his religion---from a master at uncovering the true story behind the public face of celebrity.

' ...a very significant moment in the history of public theology over the past fifty years or so, taking stock of and renewing a sense of social vision in theology ' Raymond Plant, King's College, London and the House of Lords This major book is a unique stocktaking of the issues facing public theology at the beginning of the 21st century, combining retrospect and prospect. The contributors are leading Christian theologians and social theorists from Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia. Part one surveys the legacy of the 20th century and asks what should be carried over into the third millennium. There are authoritative essays on political and public theology in Germany, Argentina, South Africa and Britain. In part two, the contested legacy of modernity itself is considered, revisiting such ideas as freedom, toleration, human rights, pluralism, environmental stewardship and God in history. Part three addresses globalization, offering a range of critical interpretations of this key concept for public theology in the 21st century. The final part offers theological and ethical insight into some of the most pressing public issues of the new century - medical ethics, punishment and forgiveness, inequality, social exclusion and political participation. Throughout, the authors engage with the public and theological concerns that have shaped the life and work of Duncan B. Forrester, to whom this book is dedicated. Public Theology for the 21st Century is a landmark publication for all those concerned about theology's contribution to public debate in the churches, the academy and society. William F. Storrar is Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology, and Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Edinburgh. Andrew R. Morton is an Honorary Fellow in the School of Divinity, and a former Associate Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Edinburgh.