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It's the smile, it's the struggle, Britney is a teen sensation.
Over 20 years in the bright lights of fame, the harsh glare of
public adoration and the ever-present danger of sliding into the
mocking pens of jealous critics but still she carries on. Somehow
she has survived the Michael Jackson effect of early success and
now commands the respect of a new generation of teens. Since 2004,
she has released numerous fragrances, adding up to over 1.5 billion
(yes, billion) in perfume sales and the director's cut version of
her 'Womanizer' video is her most-watched video on YouTube, with
330 million views and counting. From Glee to X-factor, Britney is a
fabulous, popular and enduring star with everyday qualities that
make her fans love her and her music more and more as the years go
by.
VERY few authors can ever dream of coming close to the legacy left
by AA Milne. He remains a household name in almost every corner of
the globe thanks to a phenomenally popular collection of whimsical
children s stories about a boy named Christopher Robin and his
beloved teddy bear. Generations of children have grown up loving
the tales of Winnie The Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre
Wood, which are still among the most popular and profitable -
fictional characters in the world. But while the adorable poems and
stories have brought unparalleled joy to millions, Alan Alexander
Milne, himself was never able to enjoy the fame and fortune they
brought him. He died deeply resenting Pooh s success, as far as he
was concerned those stories were just such a tiny fraction of his
literary work, but nothing else he produced came close in terms of
public appreciation. Milne died still unable to reconcile the fact
that no matter what else he wrote, regardless of all the plays and
stories for adults he had published, he would always be remembered
as a children s storyteller. And his son, widely hailed as the
inspiration for the adorable character of Christopher Robin, could
never accept his unique place in literary history either. He had
barely reached his teens before he grew to loathe his famous
father, who he bitterly accused of exploiting his early years. _The
Extraordinary Life of AA Milne_ delves deep into the life of Milne
and sheds light on new places, and tells stories untold.
The Real Beatrix Potter is a fascinating and revealing biography of
one of the world's most cherished children's authors. Beatrix
Potter's famous little white books have enchanted generations of
young readers who adored the characters she created and of course
her own distinctive illustrations. Born into a typically repressed
Victorian family it was assumed that Beatrix would achieve little
more than finding herself a rich husband, and so there was no point
in bothering to educate her. But the Potters underestimated their
daughter. Stifled by the lack of stimulation, she educated herself
in art, science, and of course a great love of the natural world.
The success of Peter Rabbit proved her to be creative genius who
could have become the toast of the London literary scene, but when
her fianc tragically died Beatrix retreated to the Lake District
where she reinvented herself as a successful farmer, a canny
businesswoman and an early environmental pioneer. Passionately
campaigning to save the area from development she helped establish
the National Trust, and despite her great wealth Beatrix lived out
her days in humble anonymity.
Jennifer Lawrence is the reigning queen of lots of things:
Hollywood, the awkward award-ceremony-stumble, and hundreds of
priceless Buzzfeed pages - to name a few. She announced herself to
the world at a young age in The Burning Plain and Winter's Bone,
gripping dramas set in America's deprived heartland. Ironic, then,
that such a gifted character actress become a household name
through two of the biggest fantasy roles in the business: the
deadly shapeshifting assassin Mystique from Marvel's X-Men series
and the gutsy, warlike heroine of Suzanne Collin's bestselling
Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss Everdeen - the Girl on Fire. As
Katniss and Mystique, she owns the screen, oozing grace, attitude
and menace, re-defining the roles of women in action films as more
than ragdolls to be saved by muscle-bound men; this girl doesn't
need saving by anyone. But Jennifer couldn't be more different
off-screen. Always ready with a smile or a quip about embarrassing
everyday struggles, she is loved by millions for being a genuinely
relatable personality in an industry of preening posers. And make
no mistake: she has had every reason to lose her sunny
disposition.She struggled early on in her career with a hurtful
'fat actress' label in spite of her healthy body type, and suffered
public heartbreak with the likes of Coldplay's Chris Martin. In
2014, she was to suffer the ultimate indignity of having private
photos leaked onto the internet for all to see. A lesser girl might
have become spiteful, but Jennifer has always emerged with her head
held high. This is the first biography of an Academy Award winner,
a star of our screens for years to come and a role model for girls
and young women everywhere. In every sense, this really is the
story of a Girl on Fire.
She is the most prolific children's author in history, but Enid
Blyton is also the most controversial. A remarkable woman who wrote
hundreds of books in a career spanning forty years, even her razor
sharp mind could never have predicted her enormous global audience.
Now, fifty years after her death, Enid remains a phenomenon, with
sales outstripping every rival. Parents and teachers lobbied
against Enid's books, complaining they were simplistic, repetitive
and littered with sexist and snobbish undertones. Blatant racist
slurs were particularly shockingly; foreign and working class
characters were treated with a distain that horrifies modern
readers. But regardless of the criticism, Enid worked until she
could not physically write another word, famously producing
thousands of words a day hunched over her manual typewriter. She
imaged a more innocent world, where children roamed unsupervised,
and problems were solved with midnight feasts or glorious picnics
with lashings of ginger beer. Smugglers, thieves, spies and
kidnappers were thwarted by fearless gangs who easily outwitted the
police, while popular schoolgirls scored winning goals in
nail-biting lacrosse matches. Enid carefully crafted her public
image to ensure her fans only knew of this sunny persona, but
behind the scenes, she weaved elaborate stories to conceal
infidelities, betrayals and unconventional friendships, lied about
her childhood and never fully recovered from her parent's marriage
collapsing. She grew up convinced that her beloved father abandoned
her for someone he loved more, and few could ever measure up to her
impossible standards. A complex and immature woman, Enid was
plagued by insecurities and haunted by a dark past. She was prone
to bursts of furious temper, yet was a shrewd businesswoman years
ahead of her time. She may not have been particularly likeable, and
her stories infuriatingly unimaginative, but she left a vast
literary legacy to generations of children.
From starring as the ruthlessly ingenious drug lord 'Stringer' Bell
in the iconic HBO series The Wire, to playing Madiba himself in the
long-awaited biopic of Nelson Mandela, it has been some journey for
Idris Elba. From humble beginnings, a second generation immigrant
born in Hackney, London, Elba set up his own wedding DJ business at
the age of 14 but, encouraged by his drama teacher to pursue his
natural talent, won a place at the National Youth Music Theatre.
Although possessed of a brooding screen presence which served him
so well as DCI John Luther in the BBC's terrifying crime drama
series Luther, 2016 will show a whole new side to Idris as he
forays into the voice acting world as villainous tiger Shere Khan
in The Jungle Book remake and even a role in Pixar centrepiece
Finding Dory. He inhabits each role as if he were born to play it.
But what of the man himself? In this, the only biography of the
onscreen legend, Nadia Cohen reveals Elba's life behind the lens,
exploring what makes him so ambitious, adaptable and endlessly
watchable. His charisma has won him admirers on both sides of the
Atlantic, and the role of Bond may yet beckon.
They have become known around the world as the ultimate pop-culture
power couple. Favourites of the paparazzi, Kim Kardashian and Kanye
West are both worth millions in their own right. She is the queen
of reality TV and an all-around business mogul, he's a rapper,
fashion designer and outspoken award show favourite. Together they
are Kimye - glitzy, globetrotting icons and parents of one very
stylish kid, North West. Without question they are the biggest news
in entertainment today, making headlines around the world on a
daily basis. America's 'other' first couple were friends before
they hooked up, although Kanye admitted to holding a torch for Kim
for years. They may have their share of haters, and Kim came under
fire when she filed for divorce from Humphries less than three
months after their wedding. But in a recent lavish Italian ceremony
fit for royalty, she and Kanye tied the knot, cementing their
superstar status once and for all. Nadia Cohen's brilliant,
unauthorised biography traces the rise of Kimye, the world's most
glamorous couple.
Although his hilariously entertaining stories have touched the
hearts of generations of children, there was much more to beloved
author Roald Dahl than met the eye. His fascinating life began in
Norway in 1916, and he became a highly rebellious teenager who
delighted in defying authority before joining the RAF as a fighter
pilot. But after his plane crashed in the African desert he was
left with agonising injuries and unable to fly. He was dispatched
to New York where, as a dashing young air attache, he enraptured
societies greatest beauties and became friends with President
Roosevelt. Roald soon found himself entangled with a highly complex
network of British undercover operations. Eventually he grew tired
of the secrecy of spying and retreated to the English countryside.
He married twice and had five children, but his life was also
affected by serious illness, tragedy and loss. He wrote a number of
stories for adults, many of which were televised as the hugely
popular Tales of the Unexpected, but it was as a children's author
that he found greatest fame and satisfaction, saying I have a
passion for teaching kids to become readers Books shouldn't be
daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful. From 1945
until his death in 1990, he lived in Buckinghamshire, where he
wrote his most celebrated children's books including _Matilda,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ and _Fantastic Mr Fox. _
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Paperback
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R398
R330
Discovery Miles 3 300
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