Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, George Michael was raised in a family of Greek Cypriot immigrants in North London, and dreamed of stardom when he was a little boy. At just twelve years old he met Andrew Ridgeley and the two of them went on to achieve stunning success in the early 1980s with Wham!, creating music that remains popular to this day. Yet despite the enormous success of Wham!, George wanted more, and so set about recreating himself as a serious solo artist, reaching heights of even greater success. Ironically, however, even from the early days he was plagued with insecurity about his sexuality, which, combined with the calamity of losing his first lover to AIDS and his mother to cancer, plunged him into a lifelong struggle with drug addiction. He died, at the tragically early age of just fifty-three, on Christmas Day 2016. George Michael's life and career brought him international fame, and his sudden and unexpected death shocked the world. His unrivalled popularity as an artist, however, and the music he made, have turned him into one of the immortal greats of pop music. As Emily Herbert shows in this new biography, his legacy is not just his music, but his many extraordinary, and often anonymous, acts of charity.

With his twinkling eyes, boundless energy and unrivalled natural wit, Robin Williams was the comedian who brought laughter to a generation. Through roles in cherished films such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin and Hook, he became the genial face of family comedy. His child-like enthusiasm was infectious, sweeping viewers away. Allied to his lightning-quick improvisation and ability to riff lewdly off any cue thrown at him, Robin was that rare thing - a true comic genius who appealed to adults and children equally. He could also play it straight, and empathetic depth came to him naturally. A poignant performance in Good Will Hunting won him an Academy Award whilst his masterfully chilling turn in psychological thriller Insomnia shocked audiences and hinted at a darker side. What truly caught the imagination, though, was his good-heartedness. Warmth radiated from him on-screen, but he was legendary for his off-screen acts of selfless generosity. Where most Hollywood A-listers demand outrageous pampering in their contract riders, he always insisted that the production company hire a full quota of homeless people to help make his movies. But behind the laughter lay a deeply troubled man, and tragedy would follow. At midday, on 11 August 2014, Robin Williams was pronounced dead at his California home. The verdict was suicide. He had battled depression and addiction for many years and was allegedly beset by financial difficulties. Emily Herbert's sensitive and thoughtful biography celebrates his genius and warmth, but also attempts to understand what could have driven such a gentle and gifted man to so tragic an end. This is Robin Williams, the life, the laughter, and the deep sorrow of the man who made the world smile.

Caroline Flack was the girl who had it all ... beauty, talent, money, fame and a hugely successful TV career. But away from the cameras and the fabulous parties, there hid a lonely, frightened young woman. Caroline was already a rising star when she shot to fame as the presenter of ITV's Love Island. With her beauty and her effervescent personality, she was perfect for the role and soon the show was drawing six million viewers. Yet, behind the scenes her private life was chaotic. She dated Prince Harry, Harry Styles and Russell Brand before finding love with former professional tennis player Lewis Burton. Her world came crashing down the night Lewis called 999 to report that Caroline was attacking him. Police found Caroline hysterical and the couple covered in blood. Just as it seemed life could not get any worse, Caroline was fired by ITV and barred by the courts from contacting Lewis. In this extraordinary and revealing book, Emily Herbert talks with friends and celebrities to reveal the heartbreaking true story of how this beautiful woman crashed from the pinnacle of fame and success to a lonely and tragic death. A donation from the sale of this book will be given to support the work of cyber bullying charities.

Title: Ione's Dream, and other poems.Publisher: British Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC.The POETRY & DRAMA collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. The books reflect the complex and changing role of literature in society, ranging from Bardic poetry to Victorian verse. Containing many classic works from important dramatists and poets, this collection has something for every lover of the stage and verse. ++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library Herbert, Jane Emily; 1853. 12 . 11646.g.16.

Lifting the lid on Lady Gaga aka Stefani Germanotta, find out all you ever wanted to know about the eccentric star. After being signed to and quickly dropped from Def Jam Records at age 19, Lady Gaga began performing in the rock music scene of New York City's Lower East Side. During this time, she was also working at Interscope Records as a songwriter. While at Interscope Records, Akon, after hearing Gaga sing, convinced Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine to sign her to a joint deal with the label and Akon's Kon Live Distribution label. Her debut album The Fame was released in August 2008 and was a huge success that went to number one in four countries. The album's first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", have become international number-one hits, and the former was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Grammy Awards. In 2009, after having opened for New Kids on the Block and the Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga embarked on her first headlining tour, The Fame Ball Tour, which has had countless rave reviews. Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rockers such as David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She is also inspired by fashion, which she has said is an essential component to her songwriting and performances. To date she has sold over 20 million digital singles and more than four million albums worldwide.

On 25th July, breaking news revealed that Michael Jackson, King of Pop, was dead. Fans and the media watched in shock as the story unfolded: doctors had lost the battle to save him after he had collapsed from a heart attack. In a cruel twist of fate, he had passed away before he got the chance to make his final curtain call in the form of 50 planned sell-out shows at London's O2 Arena. From a very young age, Michael's exceptional music talent was clear. He stood apart from his four brothers when they performed together as the Jackson 5 and, in 1974, he embarked upon what was to become a monumental solo career. A string of chart-busting albums and singles followed, with the Thriller album selling 47 million copies worldwide and yielding seven top-ten singles. It is belived that, in his lifetime, he sold around 750 million records, making him one of the most successful entertainers ever. This in-depth and affectionate biography traces the rise of the man, from child prodigy to tortured megastar. It is the definitive portrait of a pop legend whose strange and brilliant life will never be forgotten.

The definitive account of the love affair that has captured the nation - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. After much speculation in the national media, Prince Harry finally confirmed the rumours about his relationship with American actress Meghan Markle. Now, on the news of their much-anticipated engagement, prominent columnist Emily Herbert tells the exclusive story of how the American actress stole the heart of a much-loved British Prince. From how they met, their courtship and how they fell in love, as well as insight into Ms. Markle's upbringing in America, readers will learn exactly how the Prince's heart was finally won. Revealing the truth behind the headlines and the media speculation, Harry & Meghan: The Love Story lets readers into the heart of a thoroughly modern royal love affair.

Kerry Katona is one of Britain's most talked about celebrities. In recent years, her pictures have never been far from the front pages of newspapers and glossy magazines. Her celebrity lifestyle and tales of her turbulent romances have intrigued the nation and gained her a dedicated fan base. She was one of the original, founding members of Atomic Kitten. In 2001 though, she gave up her lifestyle of fame to start a family. After a spell away from the limelight, Kerry appeared on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, where she was crowned 'Queen of the Jungle'. But Kerry's route to fame hasn't always been so glamourous - her childhood was far from idylic - she never knew her father and her mother suffered from manic depression. Kerry was raised by several sets of foster parents and spent years apart from the mother she is now so close to. Just when it seemed that Kerry had her life firmly on track, news broke that her marriage to Westife's Bryan McFadden was over. This is an in-depth look at an extraordinary woman who has battled the odds to win the hearts of the public.

In little over a year Lady Gaga has rocketed from struggling as a performer in New York to the glamorous life of a worldwide phenomenon. From her outrageous outfits to elaborate live shows and out-spoken politics, her life is one grand performance. In "Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame," Emily Herbert goes behind the costumes and the gossip to find out how Stefani Germanotta, the self-confessed "weird-girl" in school transformed herself into the most talked about pop figure of the new decade.
Well- researched and filled with color photos documenting Gaga from her gogo dancer days to the release of her second album, "The Fame Monster," Lady Gaga is an essential source for anyone wanting to get the behind the scenes scoop on this fascinating performer. Both an inspiring story of self-actualization and a comment on today's celebrity obsessed culture, Gaga's tale, whether she's beloved or reviled, is one of pop history in the making.

Piers Morgan is one of the best-known faces in the British media, whose easy charm and boyish good looks have endeared him to the nation. His varied talents seem to know no bounds: he's interviewed scores of celebrities from Victoria Beckham to Gordon Brown; he turned around the fortunes of a leading tabloid newspaper; he's a judge on one of the most popular television talent shows and he's topped publishing's bestseller lists with several hit books. And now, to put the icing on the cake, he has secured one of the biggest gigs on American television: he is replacing Larry King as the anchor on his CNN show. But what is the real story behind the man who seems to have the ability to reinvent himself again and again? Piers' rise through the ranks of tabloid journalism was meteoric. He started his career in newspapers as a cub reporter for the South London News. It wasn't long before he was recruited to The Sun to work on the showbiz gossip column Bizarre. At just 28 years old, he was appointed Editor of News of the World, becoming the youngest national newspaper editor for more than half a century. It wasn't long before he took over the reins at The Mirror, where he stayed for nine successful years. Morgan himself became the subject of newspaper headlines when, in 2004, he was sacked by The Mirror after the newspaper ran fake photos of British soliders abusing Iraqi prisoners. Always one to bounce back from adversity, Morgan then penned a best-selling book about his days as a tabloid journalist. He went on to become the darling of prime-time TV with a series of Life Stories celebrity interviews, a position as a judge on Britain's Got Talent and his popular Piers Morgan On...series.