Title: The Women Who Flew for Hitler
Genre: History / Biography
Format: Hardback (USA First Edition)
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Book Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvuxGtVkdCo

Website: https://claremulley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/claremulley

The Book;
Clare’s third book, The Women Who Flew for Hitler, tells the extraordinary story of the only two women to serve Nazi Germany as test pilots, both of whom received the Iron Cross, yet who ended their lives on opposite sides of history. Brilliant pilot Hanna Reitsch was the world’s first woman to fly a helicopter, and later tested rocket planes and even a manned version of a prototype cruise missile – the V1 flying bomb or doodlebug. A fanatical Nazi, in the last days of the war she begged Hitler to let her fly him to safety from his Berlin bunker. Her nemesis, Melitta von Stauffenberg, an exceptional aeronautical engineer and test pilot for the Stuka dive bombers that were synonymous with the Blitzkrieg, was secretly part Jewish. In July 1944 Melitta was at the heart of the most famous attempt on Hitler’s life, the Valkyrie bomb plot.

The Author:
Clare Mulley is an award-winning author and broadcaster. Her first book, The Woman Who Saved the Children, won the Daily Mail Biographers’ Club Prize, and The Spy Who Loved led to Clare being decorated with Poland’s national honour, the Bene Merito. Clare’s third book, The Women Who Flew for Hitler, tells the extraordinary story of two women at the heart of Nazi Germany, whose choices put them on opposite sides of history, and was long-listed for the Historic Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown. Clare reviews non-fiction for the Spectator and Telegraph. A popular public speaker, she has given a TEDx talk at Stormont, spoken at the Houses of Parliament, Royal Albert Hall, Imperial War Museum, National Army Museum and British Library, as well as many festivals. Recent TV includes the BBC’s Rise of the Nazis and D-Day 75 coverage, Newsnight, Sky News, David Jason’s Secret Service, and Adolf & Eva, Love & War. Radio includes BBC R4’s Today Programme, Woman’s Hour and PM.

Title: Remember Me?: Discovering My Mother as She Lost Her Memory
Genre: Biography
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/shobnagulati

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShobnaGulati

The Book:
Remember Me? is a memoir of losing a parent to dementia capturing memory at its most intimate, fragile and fallible. It also examines the role shame plays in trauma, why it forces us to bury our problematic pasts and be selective of what we remember.


In December 2019, soon after her mother's untimely death, Shobna Gulati discovered bags and bags stuffed with press clippings, spanning Shobna's life from childhood right up to the year before her mother died in her family home. As Shobna sat in the midst of a sea of clippings she began to think over her mother's life and the stories that had only begun to surface from her past as she lost her to dementia.

REMEMBER ME? captures the powerful emotions that these memories hold to both Shobna and her mother; secrets they had collectively buried and also the concealment of her mother's condition.

In this deeply moving yet humorous memoir, a daughter sets out to reclaim her mother's past after her death, and in turn, discovers a huge amount about herself and their relationship. What ensues is a story of cultural assimilation, identity and familial shame.

The Author:
Shobana was born in Oldham, Lancashire to Hindu Indian parents, she grew up in the Salcombe area of Openshaw, Manchester. She has a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern politics from the University of Manchester.
A British actress, presenter, writer and dancer. Shobani is best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinner ladies, Sunita Alahan in the soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009 and departed again in 2013, and Farah Khurana in River City from 2017 to 2018. From 13 March 2013 to 30 May 2014, Gulati appeared as a panellist on the lunchtime chatshow Loose Women.

Title: Ethel Rosenberg : A Cold War tragedy
Genre: History - Biography
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://annesebba.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annesebba

The Book;
Ethel Rosenberg's story has been called America's Dreyfus Affair: a catastrophic failure of humanity and justice that continues to haunt the national conscience, and is still being played out with different actors in the lead roles today.

On 19th June 1953 Ethel Rosenberg became the first woman in the US to be executed for a crime other than murder. She was thirty-seven years old and the mother of two small children. Yet even today, at a time when the Cold War seems all too resonant, Ethel's conviction for conspiracy to commit espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union makes her story still controversial. This is an important moment to recount not simply what FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called the 'trial of the century', but also a timeless human story of a supportive wife, loving mother and courageous idealist who grew up during the Depression with aspirations to become an opera singer. Instead, she found herself battling the social mores of the 1950s and had her life barbarically cut short on the basis of tainted evidence for a crime she almost certainly did not commit.

Anne Sebba's masterly biography makes full use of the dramatic prison letters Ethel exchanged with her husband, lawyer and psychotherapist over a three-year period. Sebba has also interviewed Ethel's two sons and others who knew her, including a fellow prisoner. Ethel's tragic story lays bare a nation deeply divided and reveals what happens when a government motivated by fear tramples on the rights of its citizens.

The Author:
ANNE SEBBA is a prize-winning biographer, lecturer, and former Reuters foreign correspondent who has written several books, including That Woman and Les Parisiennes. A former chair of Britain’s Society of Authors and now on the Council, Anne is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research. She lives in London.

Title: Bob Mortimer The Autobiography - And Away
Genre: Autobiography - Humour - T.V. & Film
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Bob Mortimer does his Robert Deniro for Paul Whitehouse on Gone Fishing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwostxAfxms

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealBobMortimer

The Book;
The long-awaited first autobiography by national treasure Bob Mortimer.

Bob Mortimer's life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The episode unnerved him, but forced him to reflect on his life so far. This is the framework for his hilarious and moving memoir, And Away...

Although his childhood in Middlesbrough was normal on the surface, it was tinged by the loss of his dad, and his own various misadventures (now infamous from his appearances on Would I Lie to You?), from burning down the family home to starting a short-lived punk band called Dog Dirt. As an adult, he trained as a solicitor and moved to London. Though he was doing pretty well (the South London Press once crowned him 'The Cockroach King' after a successful verdict), a chance encounter in a pub in the 1980s with a young comedian going by the name Vic Reeves set his life on a different track. And now, six years on, the heart condition that once threatened his career has instead led to new success on BBC2's Gone Fishing.

Warm, profound, and irrepressibly funny, And Away... is Bob's full life story (with a few lies thrown in for good measure).

The Author:

Title: SAS Great Escapes
Genre: Biography - History - Military
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://damienlewis.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authordlewis

The Book;
No food. No water. Out of ammo. Safety is south. But between there and here is 150 miles of barren desert – freezing at night, boiling in the day – populated solely by Ernst Rommel's fearsome and deadly Afrika Corps.

What would you do?

Give up? Or get on with it?

For the seven SAS supermen in Damien Lewis's explosive new audio exclusive, the answer was simple: Escape. Evade. Survive. From the mountains of Italy, to the deserts of Africa, these heroes epitomise the bravery, esprit de corps and daring do of Britain's finest elite fighting force.

Fans of Ant Middleton's First Man In and Ben MacIntyre's SAS: Rogue Heroes are in for a treat, as the SAS's master chronicler, Damien Lewis, has produced a gripping, heart-in-the-mouth, real-life thriller. A Sunday Times number one best-selling author, this fresh look at the most audacious escapes the SAS made in the Second World War is white-knuckle listening of the highest calibre.

Because if you put a fence in front of these men...they'll climb it.

The Author:
Damien Lewis became an author largely by accident, when a British publisher asked him if he'd be willing to turn a TV documentary he was working on into a book. That film was shot in the Sudan war zone, and told the story of how Arab tribes seized black African slaves in horrific slave raids. Lewis had been to the Sudan war zone dozens of times over the past decade, reporting on that conflict for the BBC, Channel 4 and US and European broadcasters.

His slavery documentary told the story of a young girl from the Nuba tribe, seized in a raid and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, and of her epic escape. The publisher asked Lewis if the Nuba girl would be willing to write her life story as a book, with his help as co-author. The book that they co-wrote was called 'Slave', and it was published to great acclaim, becoming a number one bestseller and being translated into some 30 languages worldwide. It won several awards and has been made into a feature film.

Title: The Prime Ministers
Genre: Biography - History - Politics
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

* Iain has added a book plate signed by Margaret Thatcher to his book*

Website: https://www.iaindale.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IainDale

The Book:
'Many of my predecessors were giants, some had feet of clay, all possessed human foibles.' - From the foreword by Boris Johnson

It has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain's 'First Among Equals' with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.

The Author:
Iain Dale is an award-winning broadcaster and presenter of the Evening Show on LBC Radio He is the author/editor of more than 30 books and co-host of the For the Many podcast and the Iain Dale Book Club podcast. He was named Radio Presenter of the Year for 2013 and 2016 and is the former Managing Director of Biteback Publishing. He hosts the theatre show Iain Dale All Talk. Iain lives in Tunbridge Wells.

Title: Wrong Place Wrong Time
Genre: Biography, History, Crime
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Blog: https://davidpperlmutter.blogspot.com/2020/08/read-first-three-chapters-of-write-to.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/davepperlmutter

The Book;
After a reckless night out and losing everything I had worked so hard for, I leave memories of a London police cell behind me and head for Marbella with its promise of adventure and fun. Little do I know that I’m about to be thrust into the most terrifying time of my life. Wrong Place Wrong Time is a gripping true-life story of an unimaginable nightmare and how my ticket to a new life turns out to be a one way ticket to hell.

The Author:
David's first book, WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME, #1 BESTSELLER across the globe, with over ONE THOUSAND 5* reviews, has been the foundation stone for his writing career, and continues to be talked about all around the world.

This story is based on true events in 1991 when David, after leaving London, because of an unfortunate police incident, visited Marbella and ended up wrongly arrested for arson and manslaughter.
Next year, 2021 is set to be an extremely exciting year for David, as WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME is being made in to a movie, backed by a powerful production team in the shape of Golden Mile Productions and No Reservations Entertainment, and including Bafta award-winning executive producer Mark Foligno, from films such as The Kings Speech and Moon.

David's other true stories are FIVE WEEKS, a trip he made to Pennsylvania, on a training course for a new job. Having had a gun to his back in London, he leaves the country, only to end up left for dead in a Pennsylvanian wood. The producers of WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME are also very keen to turn this book into a movie.

Title: Diary of an MP's Wife (Inside and Outside Power)
Genre: Biography - Memoir
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: http://www.katelordbrown.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPWife_

The Book;
What is it like to be a wife of a politician in modern-day Britain? Sasha Swire finally lifts the lid.

For more than twenty years she has kept a secret diary detailing the trials and tribulations of being a political plus-one, and gives us a ringside seat at the seismic political events of the last decade. A professional partner and loyal spouse, Swire has strong political opinions herself - sometimes more 'No, Minister' than 'Yes'. She detonates the stereotype of the dutiful wife.

From shenanigans in Budleigh Salterton to state banquets at Buckingham Palace, gun-toting terrorist busters in pizza restaurants to dinners in Downing Street sitting next to Boris Johnson, Devon hedges to partying with City hedgies, she observes the great and the not-so-great at the closest of quarters. The results are painfully revealing and often hilariously funny. Here are the friendships and the fall-outs, the general elections and the leadership contests, the scandals and the rivalries. Swire showed up, shored up and rarely shut up. She also wrote it all down.

Diary of an MP's Wife is a searingly honest, wildly indiscreet and often uproarious account of what life is like in the thick of it.

The Author:
Alexandra Patrusha Mina Swire, Lady Swire, commonly known as Sasha, is an English author and journalist, and the wife of the former Conservative Party Minister of State Sir Hugo Swire. She is the writer of the 2020 memoir Diary of an MP's Wife.

Title: Hogarth - Life in Progress
Genre: History, Biography, Art
Format: Hardback (With 90 Images)
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://www.jacquelineriding.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JacRiding

The Book;
One of Christie's Best Art Books of the Year

'Deft and richly detailed ... rescues the artist from John Bull caricature' - Michael Prodger, Sunday Times

'Marvellous ... a vivid and compelling reconstruction of the settings of Hogarth's life and artistic achievements, and of the nature of the man' - Professor Linda Colley, author of The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen

'Full of richness, originality and considered humour, unafraid to shock with thrilling new insight ...terrific' - Dr Gus Casey-Hayford, Director of V&A Stratford & Sky Arts

On a late spring night in 1732, a boisterous group of friends set out from their local pub. They are beginning a journey, a 'peregrination' that will take them through the gritty streets of Georgian London and along the River Thames as far as the Isle of Sheppey. And among them is an up-and-coming engraver and painter, just beginning to make a name for himself: William Hogarth.

Hogarth's vision, to a vast degree, still defines the eighteenth century. In this, the first biography for over twenty years, Jacqueline Riding brings him to vivid life, immersing us in the world he inhabited and from which he drew inspiration. At the same time, she introduces us to an artist who was far bolder and more various than we give him credit for: an ambitious self-made man, a devoted husband, a sensitive portraitist, an unmatched storyteller, philanthropist, technical innovator and author of a seminal work of art theory.

Following in his own footsteps from humble beginnings to professional triumph (and occasional disaster), Hogarth illuminates the work and life of a great artist who embraced the highest principles even while charting humanity's lowest vices.

The Author:
Jacqueline studied History at the University of Leicester specialising in the Wars of the Roses. She has a Masters Degree in Art History from Birkbeck College, University of London specialising in eighteenth-century British Art and Architecture (Dissertation: Susanna Highmore Duncombe, 1725-1812) and a PhD in Art History from the University of York. The subject is the British painter Joseph Highmore (1692-1780).

Jacqueline began her career as a junior curator at the V&A’s Theatre Museum in Covent Garden, then as a volunteer curator at the Guard’s Museum, Wellington Barracks, followed by two years at the Tate as the registrar managing the annual rehang at Millbank (now Tate Britain). After this she spent 5 years as Assistant Curator of the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), advising the House of Commons and Lords Art Committees and the Speaker, organising exhibitions including “From Walpole to Pitt” and managing a collection that is dispersed throughout the palace and parliamentary estate.

From 1999 to 2004 Jacqueline was Director of the Handel House Museum, leading a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid, the restoration of the Grade I&II listed buildings, setting up the museum’s operating systems, programming, loans, displays and exhibitions. It opened in November 2001 and Jacqueline led the new museum for three years. In September 2004 she left to join the first cohort on the Clore Leadership Programme. She is a fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Windsor Leadership Trust, The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; Honorary Research Fellow, History of Art, Birkbeck College; trustee of Turner’s House in Twickenham and the Jacobites Studies Trust; Committee Member of the Society for Court Studies, and formerly an independent member of the Audit and Compliance Board Subcommittee of the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Jacqueline have been a consultant since 2005 and has been represented by Bill Hamilton (A M Heath Literary Agency) since 2008. Her current project is a biography of William Hogarth (Profile, 2021).

Book Series: Isabella Trilogy

Book1: Isabella of Angoulême: The Tangled Queen Part 1
Genre: Biography
Paperback

Book2: Isabella of Angoulême: The Tangled Queen Part 2
Genre: Biography
Paperback

Book3: Isabella of Angoulême: The Tangled Queen Part 3
Genre: Biography
Paperback

All three books are signed. Dedications are available

Website: https://ericalainewriter.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaineEleslaine

The Book: Isabella of Angoulême
Set in the thirteenth century, the kingdoms of England and France are struggling over territory as the powerful Angevins threaten the French king. In regions far from Paris local fiefdoms disregard all authority.

The Tangled Queen is the story of the little known and very young Isabella of Angoulême who was abducted by King John in 1200. She became his second wife and queen consort, aged 12. He was the most reviled king in English history and his lust for her led to the loss of Normandy and the destruction of the Plantagenet Empire, which then brought about the Magna Carta.

Isabella came of age in England, but was denied her place in court. Her story is full of thwarted ambition, passion, pride and cruelty. She longed for power of her own and returned to France after the death of John to live a life of treachery and intrigue…

The Book: Isabella of Angoulême: The Tangled Queen Part 2
Set in the thirteenth century, the kingdoms of England and France continue to struggle over territory. King John’s widow, Isabella of Angoulême, Queen of England is ignored and unwanted by the English court. She moves back to France to claim her inheritance. The English councillors expect her to be biddable to them and to guard these lands for King Henry III, her nine-year-old son.

But in the Poitou, a region far from Paris and London, local fiefdoms ignore all forms of authority.

The Tangled Queen is the story of Isabella’s determination to forge her own powerful domain. She has to face forceful men who would stop her at every turn. She intrigues and plots to make her dream a reality and she learns to play all sides against each other. Isabella’s second controversial marriage is one full of passion, pride and politics. Treachery becomes second nature as her ambitions soar. She must be unassailable.

The Book: Isabella of Angoulême: The Tangled Queen Part 3
The thirteenth century is a chaotic time of struggle for the mastery of France and England. A very young king on each throne. Precarious power for each one.

Isabella of Angoulême, Queen of England, Countess of Angoulême, Countess of la Marche, the widow of King John and the new wife of the powerful Hugh Lusignan, is as ambitious, proud and as wilful as ever. In England her son Henry III, looks longingly to the lands in France that his father lost. Can he reclaim them? Will his mother help him? Her plans and schemes never cease as she builds alliances to bring her new family power and territory. 'The Tangled Queen Part 3' is the final story of her determination to claim her place in France at last, to be seen as a queen at all times. Who will stop her? Who can stop her? She will not be thwarted.

The Author:
Erica Lainé was born in Southampton and originally studied for the theatre at the Arts Educational School in Tring. After working in London and training as a speech and drama teacher she moved to Hong Kong with her family. Here she worked for the British Council for 20 years as a teacher and educational projects manager. Since 1997 she has lived in south west France where she became interested in all sorts of historical research and writing as President of the Aquitaine Historical Society. This led to a focus on Isabella of Angoulême and her life and times. The Aquitaine region is rich in English and French history and Isabella was woven into both. Author of the trilogy 'Isabella of Angoulême: The Tangled Queen', Erica continues to be fascinated by and to write about 13th century France and England.

Title: Poison Panic
Genre: Crime
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7W1ptVcpg4

Website:https://helenbarrell.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenbarrell

The Book;
For a few years in the 1840s, Essex was notorious in the minds of Victorians as a place where women stalked the winding country lanes looking for their next victim to poison with arsenic. It s a terrible image and also one that doesn t seem to have much basis in truth but this was a time of great anxiety. The 1840s were also known as the hungry 40s, when crop failures pushed up food prices and there was popular unrest across Europe. The decade culminated in a cholera epidemic in which tens of thousands of people in the British Isles died. It is perhaps no surprise that people living through that troubled decade were captivated by the stories of the poisoners: that death was down to white powder and the evil intentions of the human heart. Sarah Chesham, Mary May and Hannah Southgate are the protagonists of this tale of how rural Essex, in a country saturated with arsenic, was touched by the tumultuous 1840s."

The Author:
Helen Barrell has appeared on BBC1's Murder, Mystery and My Family and Radio 4’s Punt PI.

Fatal Evidence, her biography of Victorian forensic scientist Professor Alfred Swaine Taylor, was published in 2017 and was one of the Guardian's Best Summer Books 2018.

Poison Panic, the true story of women accused of a string of arsenic murders in the 1840s, was published in 2016.

She has written for magazines such as Fortean Times and Family Tree, and has blogged for Findmypast. She has given talks at Highgate Cemetery and Who Do You Think You Are? Live, and also at literature festivals and for local and family history groups.

Title: Joan of Arc
Genre: History - T.V. & Films
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available

Title: She-Wolves
Genre: History - T.V. & Films
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available

Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://www.faber.co.uk/tutors/helen-castor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hrcastor

Book 1: Joan of Arc
We all know the story of Joan of Arc. A peasant girl who hears voices from God. A warrior leading an army to victory, in an age that believes women cannot fight. The Maid of Orleans, and the saviour of France. Burned at the stake as a heretic at the age of just nineteen. Five hundred years later, a saint. Her case was heard in court twice over. One trial, in 1431, condemned her; the other, twenty-five years after her death, cleared her name. In the transcripts, we hear first-hand testimony from Joan, her family and her friends: a rare survival from the medieval world. What could be more revealing?

Book 2: She-Wolves
When Edward VI - Henry VIII’s longed-for son - died in 1553, extraordinarily, there was no one left to claim the title King of England. For the first time, all the contenders for the crown were female.

In 1553, England was about to experience the ‘monstrous regiment’ - the unnatural rule - of a woman. But female rule in England also had a past. Four hundred years before Edward’s death, Matilda, daughter of Henry I and granddaughter of William the Conquerer, came tantalisingly close to securing her hold on the power of the crown. And between the 12th and the 15th centuries three more exceptional women - Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, and Margaret of Anjou - discovered, as queens consort and dowager, how much was possible if the presumptions of male rule were not confronted so explicitly.

The stories of these women - told here in all their vivid humanity - illustrate the paradox which the female heirs to the Tudor throne had no choice but to negotiate. Man was the head of woman; and the king was the head of all. How, then, could a woman be king, how could royal power lie in female hands?

The Author:
Helen Castor is a historian of medieval England and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. She directed studies in History at Sidney for eight years before deciding to concentrate on writing history for a wider readership.

Her book Blood & Roses (Faber, 2004, published in revised form in the US by HarperCollins, 2006) is a biography of the fifteenth-century Paston family, whose letters are the earliest great collection of private correspondence surviving in the English language. Blood & Roses was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2005, and was awarded the Beatrice White Prize (for outstandingly scholarly work in the field of English Literature before 1590) by the English Association in 2006.

Her next book, She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth, will be published in the UK by Faber and in the US by HarperCollins.

She lives in London with her husband and son.

Title: Men of Letters
Genre: History
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://historicalwriters.org/writer/duncan-barrett/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarrettsBooks

The Book:
Stories of the lives and losses of the Post Office Rifles in World War I—men who came from all ranks and walks of life, brought together by their common pre-war employment as Post Office workers

When World War I broke out, the post office was the biggest employer in the world. Spanning many ranks and walks of life, 12,000 men fought bravely with the Post Office Rifles. By the war’s end, 1,800 of them had been killed. Those same men who not long before had been sorting and delivering mail, found themselves hoping their own letters would get through to their loved ones at home, and relying on the letters and parcels sent to them for their own much needed morale-boosts. Using the personal stories and letters of the men who joined the Post Office Rifles, this is a moving account of how the war touched the lives of ordinary men—how it changed communities, how women took up men’s working roles, and, of course, the vital role the mail played in the war. Love letters, letters from the front line, much-welcomed parcels of food and cigarettes, and sad letters of condolence—together these tell the story of the fallen heroes.

The Author:
Duncan Barrett is a writer and editor, specialising in biography and memoir. He grew up in London and studied English at Jesus College, Cambridge. In 2010 he edited the First World War memoirs of pacifist saboteur Ronald Skirth, published as The Reluctant Tommy. He is co-author, with Nuala Calvi, of a trio of Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers: The Sugar Girls, which was ranked second in the history bestsellers of 2012, GI Brides, which was also a New York Times bestseller in America, and The Girls Who Went to War. His first solo title, Men of Letters: The Post Office Heroes Who Fought the Great War, was nominated for the People's Book Prize. His most recent book is Hitler's British Isles: The Real Story of the Occupied Channel Islands

Title: The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)
Genre: TV & Film Biography
Format: Paperback (First Edition)
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chXkQ8m8tKM

Website: https://sophieneville.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sophie_Neville

The Book;
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.

The Author:
Award-winning author Sophie Neville became inadvertently well known as a child when she starred as Titty in the 1974 feature film of Arthur Ransome's book Swallows and Amazons.

After that sunshiny time she went on to work for the BBC behind the camera on television programmes such as Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals, Doctor Who and Eastenders. Having produced her own Inset series for BBC2 she was busy directing her second drama serial for children when disaster struck in the form of a mystery illness.

Fully recovered, Sophie now lives on the south coast of England with her husband. Every year she disappears for a while to ride in different parts of the world and has also been known to go sailing, but only when the sun shines.

Title: The Life and Loves of E. Nesbit
Genre: Biography
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://eafitzsimons.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EleanorFitz

The Book;
The first major biography of the trailblazing and controversial children’s author E. Nesbit

Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) is considered the first modern writer for children and the inventor of the children’s adventure story. In The Life and Loves of E. Nesbit, award-winning biographer Eleanor Fitzsimons uncovers the little-known details of her life, introducing readers to the Fabian Society cofounder and fabulous socialite who hosted legendary parties and had admirers by the dozen, including George Bernard Shaw. Through Nesbit’s letters and archival research, Fitzsimons reveals “E.” to have been a prolific lecturer and writer on socialism and shows how Nesbit incorporated these ideas into her writing, thereby influencing a generation of children—an aspect of her literary legacy never before examined. Fitzsimons’s riveting biography brings new light to the life and works of this famed literary icon, a remarkable writer and woman.

The Author:
I am a researcher and writer who specialises in writing about historical and current feminist issues. I have an MA in Women, Gender and Society from University College Dublin. My work has been published in a range of newspapers and journals including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, History Today and The Irish Times, and I am a regular radio and television contributor. My book Wilde’s Women was published by Duckworth Overlook in October 2015. My new biography, The Life and Loves of E. Nesbit, was published in October 2019.

Title: The Red Apprentice
Genre: Biography - Sport
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jamiejackson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamieJackson___

The Book;
When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returned to Old Trafford as caretaker manager midway through the 2018-19 season, he breathed new life into a team that was drifting. In this new and definitive biography, Jamie Jackson investigates why he was the perfect man for the job to bring back the glory days.

After the confusion under David Moyes, the stagnation of Louis van Gaal and the growing trauma under Jose Mourinho, Manchester United were a club increasingly struggling to challenge for major honours, something the fans had been accustomed to during the reign of Sir Alex Ferguson. So when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a match-winning hero of the Reds' great Treble-winning side returned to Old Trafford on 19 December 2018 as caretaker manager, he was welcomed with open arms. Here was a man who understood what it was that the fans demanded, and he had a plan to give it to them. They went on a record-breaking run of victories that secured him the position on a permanent basis, before old frailties re-emerged, showing the scale of the job he had always dreamed of taking on. During the summer transfer window, he began a dramatic reshaping of the team's personnel to set them up for the 2019-20 season.

The Red Apprentice, Jamie Jackson's fascinating biography of Solskjaer, takes the reader back to the Norwegian's early days to discover the making of the man, relives the highlights of a stunning playing career - and that Champions League-clinching goal in 1999 - and explains why he is the natural choice for United in the future.

The Author:
JAMIE JACKSON is the Guardian and Observer's Manchester football correspondent, and has been reporting for the papers since 2002. Jamie has a BA in Film and Theatre and an MA in Journalism, he lives in Manchester.

Title: Emily's Noble Disgrace
Genre: Historical Fiction - Crime Thriller
Format: Hardback (First Edition)
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://www.marypaulsonellis.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mspaulsonellis

The Book;
When extreme cleaner Essie Pound makes a gruesome discovery in a derelict Edinburgh boarding house, her path crosses with a young police officer, Emily Noble who has her own reasons to solve the case.

As the two women embark on a journey into the heart of a forgotten family, the investigation prompts fragmented memories of their own traumatic histories – something Emily has spent a lifetime attempting to bury, and Essie a lifetime trying to lay bare.

The third novel in my series exploring the world in Edinburgh of those who die with no next of kin, Emily Noble’s Disgrace digs into the the question of who cleans up once the worst has happened, and what that process might reveal.

The Author:

I live in Edinburgh, Scotland where I write dual-timeline detective novels about the world of those who die with no next of kin.

My debut, The Other Mrs Walker was a Times bestseller and Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year. My second, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing was long-listed for the McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish crime novel and a Historical Writers Association Gold Crown. Emily Noble’s Disgrace is my third novel.

My short stories and non-fiction have featured on BBC Radio 4 and in the Guardian Weekend Magazine, as well as various anthologies. In 2019 I was selected by Val McDermid as one of the UK’s ten most compelling LGBTQI+ writers working today.

I have an MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow where, on graduating, I was awarded the inaugural Curtis Brown Prize for Fiction in 2009.

In 2017 I was Highly Commended as a Rising Star in the DIVA Literary Awards and shortlisted as a Breakthrough Author in the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards. In 2016 I was named an Amazon Rising Star. I am a Hawthornden and Brownsbank Fellow.

In the past I have worked as a script-editor, arts administrator and tour guide. From 2010-2014 I was Writer in Residence at the Royal High School in Edinburgh, on behalf of the Edinburgh International Festival, and I have taught creative writing for other organisations including the National Galleries of Scotland.

I am represented by Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander Associates. For press enquiries please contact Rosie Wilson at Pan Macmillan. Author biog and photos available from the Press Kit.

Title: An Extra Pair of Hands: A story of Caring, Ageing and Everyday Acts of Love
Genre: non-fiction
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Kate Mosse on An Extra Pair of Hands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlZqgjcFqUE

Website: https://www.katemosse.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/katemosse

The Book;
As our population ages, more and more of us find ourselves caring for parents and loved ones - some 8.8 million people in the UK. An invisible army of carers holding families together.

Here, Kate Mosse tells her own personal story of finding herself a carer in middle age: first, helping her heroic mother care for her beloved father through Parkinson's, then supporting her mother in widowhood, and finally as 'an extra pair of hands' for her 90-year-old mother-in-law.

This is a story about the gentle heroism of our carers, about small everyday acts of tenderness, and finding joy in times of crisis. It's about juggling priorities, mind-numbing repetition, about guilt and powerlessness, about grief, and the solace of nature when we're exhausted or at a loss. It is also about celebrating older people, about learning to live differently - and think differently about ageing.

But most of all, it's a story about love.


The Author:
Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). Kate’s new novel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter is out now.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.

Title: Putin's People:- How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West
Genre: Politics
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Catherine discusses Putin's People:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wklLEp8-XU

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatherineBelton

The Book;
Interference in American elections. The sponsorship of extremist politics in Europe. War in Ukraine. In recent years, Vladimir Putin’s Russia has waged a concerted campaign to expand its influence and undermine Western institutions. But how and why did all this come about, and who has orchestrated it?

In Putin’s People, the investigative journalist and former Moscow correspondent Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and the small group of KGB men surrounding him rose to power and looted their country. Delving deep into the workings of Putin’s Kremlin, Belton accesses key inside players to reveal how Putin replaced the freewheeling tycoons of the Yeltsin era with a new generation of loyal oligarchs, who in turn subverted Russia’s economy and legal system and extended the Kremlin's reach into the United States and Europe. The result is a chilling and revelatory exposé of the KGB’s revanche―a story that begins in the murk of the Soviet collapse, when networks of operatives were able to siphon billions of dollars out of state enterprises and move their spoils into the West. Putin and his allies subsequently completed the agenda, reasserting Russian power while taking control of the economy for themselves, suppressing independent voices, and launching covert influence operations abroad.

Ranging from Moscow and London to Switzerland and Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach―and assembling a colorful cast of characters to match―Putin’s People is the definitive account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray, with stark consequences for its inhabitants and, increasingly, the world.


The Author:
Catherine Belton is the former long-serving Moscow Correspondent for the Financial Times. She has previously reported on Russia for Moscow Times and Business Week. In 2008, she was shortlisted for Business Journalist of the year at the British Press Awards. She lives in London.

Title: The Autobiography of Mr Spock
Genre: Sci-Fi
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available

Postage: Free UK only.

Website: https://unamccormack.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/unamccormack

The Book:
Fictional autobiography of the iconic Star Trek character, told in his own words and telling the story of his life, including his difficult childhood, his adventures on the Enterprise, and his death and resurrection on the Genesis Planet.

"The Autobiography of Mr. Spock" tells the story of one of Starfleet's finest officers, and one the Federations most celebrated citizens. Half human and half Vulcan, the book, written in Spock's own words, follows his difficult childhood on the planet Vulcan; his controversial enrollment at Starfleet Academy; his adventures with Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise; his diplomatic triumphs with the Klingons and Romulans; and his death and amazing resurrection on the Genesis Planet. We meet the friends he's made, the women he loved, and experience the triumphs and tragedies of a life and career that spanned a century. Despite his alien blood, his struggle to find his place in the universe is one we can all relate to.

The Author:
Una McCormack is a British writer and the author of several Star Trek novels and stories.

She has also written a number of Doctor Who novels and short stories.

Title: From the Mill to Monte Carlo
Genre: History Biography
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Annecfletcher

The Book;
This is the story of a man who went from Yorkshire mill worker to Monte Carlo millionaire. Joseph Hobson Jagger was not a gentleman or an aristocrat; he was a working class Victorian man who entered the textile mills to work when he was a child. What led a man like this to travel to the entirely alien world of the south of France at a time when most people still lived and died within a few miles of where they were born? The trains that took him to Monte Carlo were relatively new and still dangerous, he did not speak French and he had never before left the north of England. His motivation was strong and desperate. Jagger, his wife and four children, the youngest of whom was only two, faced debtors’ prison, an institution which was brutal and harsh and from which many were never released. His business had failed and the only escape seemed to be a desperate gamble on the roulette tables. Jagger’s legacy is felt in casinos worldwide. The spirit levels on tables and moveable partitions in the wheels that were introduced after he broke the bank make it nearly impossible to win with his methods now, although many still try.

The Author:
Anne Fletcher is an historian and writer. She has a successful career in heritage and has worked at some of the most exciting historic sites in the country including Hampton Court Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Bletchley Park and Tower Bridge. She is the great-great-great niece of Joseph Hobson Jagger, ‘the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo’ and he is the subject of her book From the Mill to Monte Carlo published on 15 July by Amberley Publishing. Her search for his story started with only a photograph, a newspaper article and the lyrics of the famous song.

Title: Rebel Women Between the Wars:Fearless Writers and Adventurers
Genre: History (Feminist)
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Book Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8uj0khy_p0
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahJLonsdale

The Book;
What did it mean to be a 'rebel woman' in the interwar years? Taking the form of a multiple biography, this book traces the struggles, passions and achievements of a set of 'fearlessly determined' women who stopped at nothing to make their mark in the traditionally masculine environments of mountaineering, politics, engineering and journalism. From the motorist Claudia Parsons to the 'star' reporter Margaret Lane, the mountaineer Dorothy Pilley and the journalist Shiela Grant Duff, the women charted in this book challenged the status quo in all walks of life, alongside writing vivid, eye-witness accounts of their adventures. Recovering their voices across a range of texts including novels, poems, journalism and diaries, Rebel women between the wars reveals their inch by inch gains won through courageous and sometimes controversial and dangerous actions .

The Author:
Sarah Lonsdale is a journalist and writer, living in Whitstable, by the sea, and working at City University, London. She was a reporter on the Observer newspaper, and freelanced for most major newspapers and magazines before studying for her PhD on journalists in fiction in 2009 - 2013. She now teaches journalism at City University and contributes to newspapers and websites.

Two Books: A Hardback Copy & A Paperback Copy
Title: The Reacher Guy
Genre: Biography
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

* Signed and dedicated by both Heather and Lee*

Website: https://www.heathermartin.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drheathermartin

The Book;
An exquisitely written and nuanced biography of an exceptional individual and writer who has created the # 1 international bestselling hero Jack Reacher, revered by dedicated and loyal readers worldwide.

Lee Child has a great public persona: he is gracious and generous with readers and fans. But Jim Grant is a reticent and very private man.

This rags-to-riches literary and social biography is based principally on disarmingly frank personal conversations and correspondence with the author since 2016 and privileged access to archival materials. It consists almost entirely of original material, and is the nearest thing the world is likely to get to the autobiography he does not intend to write.

There are a handful of great Lee Child/Reacher stories that have been recycled over and over again. They are so good that no one has bothered to look beyond them. This book revisits (and sometimes revises) those irresistible stories, but goes back further and digs deeper. The emphasis on chronology, accuracy and specificity is unprecedented.

The Lee Child origin myth is much loved. But mostly it sees him springing fully formed from the brow of Granada Television. There are glancing references to Aston Villa and the schoolyard, but no one has examined the social and historical detail or looked closely at where Lee really came from: the people, places and period.

The Author: Heather Martin
Heather Martin was born in West Australia. She grew up in Aix-en-Provence, Paris, and Perth, where she would fall asleep to the sound of the Indian Ocean. She left Australia for England to become a classical guitarist but found herself singing with a Venezuelan folk group and learning to speak Spanish instead. She read Languages at Cambridge, where she also did a PhD in comparative literature, and has held teaching and research positions at Cambridge, Hull, King's College London, and most recently, the Graduate Center, City University New York. Heather is a long-time Reacher fan. While waiting to get her hands on the next in the series, she once read a Lee Child book in Spanish and wound up writing to the author about the fate of his character in translation. 'The Reacher Guy' is her first biography.

The Author: Lee Child
Lee Child is #1 New York Times bestsellling author of the Jack Reacher thrillers and the complete Jack Reacher story collection, No Middle Name. All his novels have been optioned for major motion pictures—including Jack Reacher (based on One Shot) and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. A native of England and a former television director, Child lives in New York City.

Title: Robbie Fowler: My Life In Football: Goals, Glory & The Lessons I've Learnt
Genre: Autobiography Sport
Format: Hardback


Website: https://www.lfchistory.net/Players/Player/Profile/301
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Robbie9Fowler


The Book:
To Liverpool fans, Robbie Fowler was 'God'. He is the sixth-highest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League and notched 183 goals for Liverpool alone.

But before all of that, he was a Liverpool lad who loved the game, the Kop and everything that came with it. My Life In Football is the story of a boy who became a legend.


Born in Liverpool in 1975, Robbie Fowler became a club icon by the time he was 18. Now, he takes us through the games that have shaped his life and football philosophy, over 25 years after he first signed as a professional for Liverpool.

Engaging, personal and revealing, Robbie opens up about his astounding achievements, the price of fame and the regrets and struggles of being a professional footballer. From Hillsborough to Madrid, via the cup treble, that goal line celebration, hundreds of goals, Houllier, Benítez, Klopp and more, Robbie explains his thinking about the modern game. Inviting readers inside the dressing room, he shares stories of legendary teammates like Rush, Owen and Gerrard, as well as his rise to football's top table. How did he get back up so many times after the injuries that blighted his career? What gave him the drive to keep going and pursue his dreams?

Robbie's My Life In Football harks back to a simpler time when fans and players shared the same story, and when the local boy really could dream of scoring a hat-trick for his home club when Saturday came.

The Author:
Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English former professional footballer, who played as a striker. In a playing career which spanned between 1993 and 2012, Fowler was known for being a natural scorer with an instinctive goal-poaching ability.

Fowler is best remembered for his tenure at Liverpool and is the seventh-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. He scored 183 goals in total for Liverpool, 120 of which were scored in the top tier. He earned the nickname "God" from the Anfield crowd, becoming a club legend due to his finishing. He subsequently played for Leeds United and Manchester City, before returning to Liverpool in January 2006. He relocated to Cardiff City eighteen months later. He played there for a year before transferring to Blackburn Rovers on a short-term deal. In December 2008, he departed Blackburn and forged a career in Australia with North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory. In 2011, he joined Thai side Muangthong United as a player, but later was appointed player-manager which he remained until his retirement in 2012.

He was capped for England 26 times, scoring 7 goals. Fowler was included in England's squads for Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.

Title: Ghost Town, A Liverpool Shadowplay
Genre: Memoir - Biography
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Website: jeffyoung26.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffyoungwriter

The Book:
Liverpool is a city of ghosts. Through the centuries, millions have lived here or come to find a new life, and found safe harbour. More than any other city in Britain its history resonates in the buildings, landscapes and stories that have seeped into the lives of its inhabitants. In Ghost Town, Jeff Young takes us on a journey through the Liverpool of his childhood - down back alleys and through arcades, into vanished tenements and oyster bars, strip tease pubs and theatres. We watch as he turns from schoolboy truant into an artist obsessed with Kafka, Terence Davies and The Fall. Along the way he conjures ghosts and puts hexes on the developers who've ruined the city of his dreams. Layering memoir, history, photography and more this is a highly original approach to this great city.

The Author:
Jeff Young is a Liverpool based scriptwriter, poet and lecturer who has written many scripts for theatre, radio and TV. He also works as a writer and performer in collaboration with other artists and musicians to make installations, site specific events and sound art. Recent work includes ‘Bright Phoenix’ for the Liverpool Everyman; City of Lights’, a large-scale sound and light installation for Liverpool Lantern Company; ‘Kaleidoscope of Muses’ for BBC Radio 3. His memoir, ‘Ghost Town, a Liverpool Shadowplay’ was published in March 2020 by Little Toller.

Title: Becoming Johnny Vegas
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: Free UK only.

Michael Pennington interviews Johnny Vegas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y9BNXydeNw

Website: http://www.johnnyvegas.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnnyvegasreal

The Book:
‘My name is Michael Pennington, and I am not a comic character. I’m often mistaken for one though. You might know him by another name. Johnny Vegas.’

From BBC Dickens adaptations to Benidorm and Ideal to the PG Tips ads, Johnny Vegas has become one of Britain's best-loved comic actors.

But before he'd ever drunk tea with a knitted monkey or made himself the exception that proves the rule in terms of the predictability of TV panel game regulars, Johnny Vegas was perhaps the most fearlessly confessional stand-up comedian this country has ever produced.

How did an eleven-year-old Catholic trainee priest from St Helens grow up to become the North West of England’s answer to Lenny Bruce? That’s just one of the many questions answered by this eye-poppingly frank memoir.

Becoming Johnny Vegas establishes its author as the poet laureate of the Pimblett's pie.

Once you've finished this darkly hilarious tale of family, faith and the creative application of alcohol dependency, you'll never look at a copy of the Catholic men's society newsletter the same way again

The Author:
Comedian and TV star Johnny Vegas started life by the name of Michael Pennington and lived in St Helen's, Lancashire. Growing up he entered (and dropped out of) seminary school, trained as a potter and worked as a barman.

In 1996, Pennington made his TV debut as a contestant on Win, Lose or Draw. On air he stated that he wanted to be a comedian with the stage name ‘Johnny Vegas’. A year later, in 1997, he was nominated for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s prestigious Perrier Award – and the rest is history. Johnny has appeared on panel shows, one-off movies, the hugely popular TV sitcoms Benidorm and Ideal – and crowned these achievements with several non-comedic acting roles, to great critical acclaim.

Title: Ranger 22: Lessons From The Front
Genre: Biography - Education
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://coreskilltraining.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/goggins_ray

The Book:
'The path I have travelled, the things I have done and the people I have met in crisis situations have given me a window into those qualities that make us perform. My military training created a mindset, an outlook and skills that can be channelled into any situation.'

From the hills of south Lebanon to the monsoon jungles of Southern Asia, Ray Goggins has operated in a life-and-death world. In the suffocating humidity of Liberia, the mountains of Afghanistan and the snow-covered Balkans, Ray has seen the best and worst qualities in himself and others. From conflict zones to terrorist attacks and hostage rescues, Ray has learned the greatest life lessons: how to control fear, how to react calmly and positively, and how to create a strong baseline from which to take action.

In this remarkable book he takes us on an exhilarating journey through his incredible career and draws on the valuable lessons to help all of us deal better with life, whatever the situation.

The Author:
Ray Goggins served in the Irish Army for 26 years, including 17 years in the Army Ranger Wing as an operator and leader in a Tier 1 Special Operations Unit. He is currently chief instructor on RTÉ’s Ultimate Hell Week and director of a training and leadership company, Coreskill, working with various corporate organisations and teams.

Title: The Wild Science
Genre: Biographical
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Twitter: https://twitter.com/raynor_winn

The Book:
Following the hugely successful Sunday Times Bestseller, Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize nominee and Costa shortlisted, The Salt Path, Raynor Winn returns with her second brilliant book.

This time the narrative explores the difficulties surrounding the return to mainstream life after a period of homelessness.

Recovering self-esteem and trust, in herself and in others, is harder than she expected. Raynor and her husband Moth continue to face his debilitating illness, until an incredible gesture by someone who read The Salt Path changes everything.

This book is about readjusting to life after homelessness, but also about recovering trust and self-belief after a traumatic event - feelings that can translate to many episodes in the life of any of us.

The Author:
Raynor Winn is a British writer and long-distance walker, who has written on nature, homelessness and wild camping.

Her debut book, The Salt Path (2018), tells the story of how Winn and her husband decided to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path, after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness and the couple lost their home as the result of a bad investment. Earning wide critical acclaim as well as becoming an instant bestseller, The Salt Path was shortlisted for both the Wainwright Prize and the Costa Books Awards in 2018 and was chosen as the Waterstones Non-fiction Book of the Month for February 2019.

Winn’s second book The Wild Silence (2020) explores readjusting to life after homelessness.

Title: The Breath of Sadness: On love, grief and cricket
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IanRidley1

The Book:
When Ian Ridley's wife, the trailblazing sports reporter Vikki Orvice, died of cancer at the age of 56, he found himself plunged deep into a sadness that he expected and a world of madness that he did not. In an attempt to make sense of it all and seek some solace from the brutality of his grief and anxiety, he embarks on a summer of watching county cricket.

Reliving bitter-sweet memories in places he and Vikki had visited together, he is alternately unnerved and consoled by the ebbs and flows of his mourning. But gradually, against a backdrop of the County Championship's peace and solitude - with the sun on his back and tea, cake and crossword at his side - he finds a way to survive the rhythms and cadences of his grief.

The Breath of Sadness is an unflinching account of how we carry on when we are left behind, and a poignant, tender and candid exploration of love and loss.

The Author:

Title: Homesick: Why I Live in a Shed
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://catrinadavies.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatrinaWriter

The Book:



The Author:

Title: '91: The inside story of Sheffield Wednesday's historic 1990/91 season
Genre: Sport
Format: Paperback
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://www.verticaleditions.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerticalEds

The Book:
In May 1990 the unthinkable happened and Sheffield Wednesday were relegated to the second division of English football for the first time in six seasons.

Ron Atkinson's talented squad - blessed with the likes of David Hirst, Carlton Palmer, Roland Nilsson and John Sheridan - could go one of two ways; stick together or fall apart. A year later they were back in the big time and holders of the League Cup having beaten Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United at Wembley.

The collection of huge characters formed one of the most iconic sides in the club's rich history. For the very first time, '91 tells the inside story of that incredible season from those that were there; from training ground crisis talks to terrific goals, laughs, tears and beers on the open-top bus.

The Author:
I’m Alex Miller and I’ve been a Sheffield Wednesday writer at the Sheffield Star for well over 18 months now. Working alongside Joe Crann I cover all things Owls, following them around the country. It’s a dream job.. I’m a lucky bloke!

Title: Breck: My Life in Football
Genre: Autobiography - Sport
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only


Website: https://www.verticaleditions.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnbreckin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerticalEds

The Book:
To some, he is Mr Rotherham United. To Millers fans, he's a club legend. To everyone, simply - 'Breck'. From toddler fan to Life President, John Breckin's association with the club tops 50 years - starting as an apprentice professional at only 14. Third on the club's appearances list, no one knows The Millers better. Who was the household name throttling him and which two teammates rescued him? The local manager who arranged a clandestine meeting in a darkened car park to try and sign him. The chairman seeking to pick the team and the hardest journey of his life. The abuse from his own supporters and the mental health issues that arose. Breck shows his serious side in two personal, emotional chapters sure to resonate with so many people who will identify with his pain. Typically, it's all in a great cause with profits to Rotherham Hospice, a place close to John's heart.

The Author:

Title: Imperfect 10: The Man Behind the Magic
Genre: Autobiography - Sport
Format: Hardback
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://www.verticaleditions.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerticalEds

The Book:
Imperfect 10 is a searingly honest account of the life of a footballing genius, whose character and personality are worlds apart from the on-field extrovert who thrilled the crowds. Tony Currie, the former Watford, Sheffield United, Leeds United and QPR player with outrageous skills and the confidence to sit on the ball during a game or blow kisses to his adoring fans, was so shy that the avoidance of any kind of conflict or facing up to challenging decisions became his natural modus operandi. Sometimes it is almost impossible to believe that the two sides of the man lovingly known as TC belong to the same person.

His private life fell apart, there was a damning relationship at international level and the team trophies he craved eluded him. But he had the crowd on his side throughout. In his autobiography, Currie remembers the magic moments but also the crippling self-doubt and dwindling self-esteem that brought him to his knees as he drifted towards an inevitable retirement and life after football.

If there is a happy ending, it is in the acclaim he still commands from fans at Sheffield United, the club he spent most time with. They initially rescued him, and attracted him back up north for an eventual re-connection with the Blades. Tony Currie is a living legend who almost didn’t have the will to hang around to see it.

The Author:
An instantly recognisable figure on the pitches of the best clubs in the land, largely during the 1970s, Tony Currie often led from centre-stage for Watford, Sheffield United, Leeds United and QPR.

He also won 17 England caps, although to many his swaggering midfield play was criminally underused by the national team - despite being praised by no less an expert than the manager of Brazil.

Currie’s route into the game was equally mystifying as he was rejected on numerous occasions as a youth, but he more than made up for it when he finally got his chance.

A Londoner, he swiftly moved north to become the star turn at Bramall Lane and Elland Road.
Lauded by Sheffield United fans as their club’s greatest ever player, Currie briefly became a director and is now club ambassador.

Title: Old School: A Proper Football Education
Genre: Autobiography - Sport
Format: Paperback
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://www.verticaleditions.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerticalEds

The Book:
Mark Patterson played almost 500 league games in an 18-year career and, as documented in his funny, down-to-earth and thought-provoking autobiography Old School, his time as a professional footballer straddled two eras. At 18, he played for his hometown team Blackburn Rovers against Kevin Keegan and Newcastle United at a century-old St James' Park. He later battled with Paul Gascoigne at Middlesbrough's shiny new Riverside Stadium, a month before Gazza was sensationally omitted from England's World Cup squad. He played in dilapidated stadiums, with and against proper 'old school' footballers, and later had a taste of the promised land of the 'new school' after helping Bolton Wanderers rise from the third tier and into the Premiership. Patterson played for some of English football's proudest football clubs, including Blackburn, Preston North End, Bolton and Sheffield United, and had two spells at now-defunct Bury. As his career fizzled out, so did his bank balance and marriage. Divorce and bankruptcy followed. But his old school spirit got him through...

The Author:
Mark Patterson is a former professional footballer who made almost 500 league appearances in the 1980s and 90s. He then had a stint in coaching and management, before taking a break to focus on setting up his landscape gardening business. Mark is married with a football-loving step-daughter, and a grown-up son and daughter.

Title: It’s All In The Mind: The Life and Legacy of Larry Stephens
Genre: Biography
Hardback
Signed and dedicated

*** Julie will also include a pre-owned 2000 edition of It Had to be Tough: The Origins and Training of the Commandos in World War II by James Dunning for the winning bidder. The book has James Dunning's signed bookplate attached to the title page.***

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VathenaUK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsggbg

The Book:
British popular culture would probably be very different had Larry Stephens not been born. We could now be living in a world without the Carry On films or Monty Python and we may never have heard of Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers or Spike Milligan.

For the first time, the life and work of this unsung hero of British comedy has been thoroughly explored. Using unrivalled access to Larry Stephens’ personal archive of letters, photographs and artwork, plus interviews with Stephens’ many notable friends, family members, comrades and colleagues, ‘It's All In The Mind: The Life And Legacy Of Larry Stephens’ tells the story of a boy from the Black Country whose short life had such an enduring impact.

Stephens’ promising career as a jazz pianist was interrupted by the war, and after serving as an officer with the Commandos he moved to London and struck up a friendship with Tony Hancock, becoming the sole writer of Hancock’s stage material. Hancock introduced him to Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan and Michael Bentine and together they created the Goon Show, arguably the world’s most influential comedy programme. As one of the main writers throughout the Goon Show’s nine-year run, Stephens’ experiences and acquaintances became themes and characters within the show.

He was the first person Peter Sellers attempted to contact beyond the grave; the Best Man at Tony Hancock’s first wedding; a regular writer for one of the most popular television comedies of the 1950s; and wrote for many leading actors and comedians, including supplying one-liners for Ealing Comedy, The Ladykillers.

His marriage to a catwalk model made him the focus of malicious jealousy from those he thought were his friends and that, combined with the pressure of having to come up with funny material week after week, is likely to have contributed to his death from a brain haemorrhage caused by hypertension at the age of just 35.

‘It's All In The Mind: The Life And Legacy Of Larry Stephens’ also includes the ‘lost’ script for Vacant Lot, a proposed Hancock sitcom, and a ‘Goonopedia’ detailing who was responsible for writing each of the Goon Show’s episodes – often different from those who were credited with having done so.

The Author:
Julie Warren is a virtual assistant specialising in research. Her first job was as a turkey-plucker. She lasted approximately 10 minutes in this role and earned 2½ pence. After realising a career removing feathers from poultry wasn’t her thing, she became the communications and community manager for a high street bank where she produced the staff magazine and won a Chairman’s Award for Community and Diversity. After realising a career in banking wasn’t her thing, she spent a number of years living in Greece and this means she is now able to both cook and pronounce kolokythokeftedes. She currently lives in Essex and pretends to channel Larry Stephens on Twitter.

Title: The Real Leonardo Da Vinci
Genre: Biography
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Rose-Sgueglia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseSgueglia

The Book:
Leonardo Da Vinci was left-handed. That's probably why he wrote backwards from right to left to avoid smudging ink on his hand as he made notes on his latest works and visionary discoveries. Words could only be read with the help of a mirror making it taxing for anyone but himself to quickly decode his handwriting. There are many theories exploring the reason why he kept using "mirror writing" in all his manuscripts. Some historians say that he was trying to make it more challenging for people to steal his ideas while others claim that it was a clever attempt to hide scientific findings from the intolerant Roman Catholic Church of the Renaissance. Whatever the logic behind this, the constant association with mirror writing and studies on the human body anatomy, made him one of the most enigmatic figures of his and then of our century. This biography investigates Leonardo and his different roles from anatomist to inventor, architect, painter, rumoured to be templar and scientific pioneer. Despite leaving several of his works incomplete, Leonardo managed to influence generations of artists and still today remains a highly regarded figure in both the artistic and scientific sector.

The Author:
Rose Sgueglia is a writer, journalist and marketing consultant based in Cardiff. She is the founder of Miss Squiggles, a digital magazine and content agency. Her work has been published in different publications including GQ, La Repubblica, Yahoo and WI Life (a magazine for members of The Women’s Institute). She holds a BA in Journalism, Film and Media and a Post Graduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. She is currently working on her PhD in Media Studies with a research project on the impact material culture and audio-visual material has had on Chanel.

Title: Becoming Forrest
Genre: Adventure
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: http://goingthedistancerun.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/runroblarun

The Book:
The remarkable true story of an unrivalled journey to recreate the greatest run in film history: 15,600 miles, five-times across the United States.

Becoming Forrest is the incredible story of Englishman Rob Pope, a veterinarian who left his job in pursuit of a dream - to become the first person ever to complete the epic run undertaken by one of Hollywood's most beloved characters, Forrest Gump. After his momma urged him "to do one thing in life that made a difference", he flew to Alabama, put on his running shoes, and sped off into the wilderness.

To follow in Forrest's footsteps, he undertook a journey of over 15,000 miles, the distance from the North to the South Pole and a third of the way back. Over a gruelling 18 months, braving injuries, blizzards, forest fires and deadly wildlife, he crossed the United States five times. During one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history, witnessing the election of President Trump, the climate emergency and the country's widening societal divide, Rob immersed himself in American life as he struggled across the country step by step.

His time on the open road saw him forever changed, trying to make that difference, in the process of Becoming Forrest.

The Author:
Robert Pope is a British veterinarian, athlete and charity fundraiser. He is an elite distance runner, with a number of successes at the marathon and ultramarathon distances. In 2016 he began a 422-day, 15,700-mile run comprising more than 4 complete crossings of the United States, and became the first person to trace the route run by Tom Hanks' fictional character in the film Forrest Gump. He raised approximately £38,000 for the charities Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund.

Title: A Year on Our Farm : How the Countryside Made Me
Genre: Memoir - Nature
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattbakerofficial

The Book:
Matt Baker is at his happiest on the farm.

Away from the bright lights of hosting our favourite television programmes, Countryfile, The One Show, Blue Peter and many more, he is often in the company of his family, dogs, array of sheep, Mediterranean miniature donkeys and a whole host of wildlife in the farm's ancient woodland.

Now, following the ever-changing seasons, Matt takes us on a journey with his family on the farm.

We see woodland animals emerge after a long winter of hibernation, hear the dawn chorus in the height of summer and see the preparations unfold for the harsh and wild winter months.

Peppered with hand drawn sketches, unforgettable moments from his TV career and stories of a landscape you'll fall in love with, Matt offers readers a touching insight into life on the farm, and how the power and beauty of the countryside can be an inspiration and source of joy for all of us.

A celebration of the natural year, Matt Baker takes us on a journey through the seasons, his life on the farm and how the power and beauty of the countryside has made him who he is.

The Author:
Matt Baker was a Blue Peter presenter from 1999 until 2006, presenting more than 700 programmes.
Whilst on the children's show he broke the world record for the highest altitude-towed hang gliding launch; and in 2003 and 2004 he won Baftas for being the best children's presenter.

Since Blue Peter, Matt Baker has amassed numerous presenting and reporting credits including Countryfile, City Hospital, Animal Rescue Squad, One Man And His Dog, and Secret Britain.
He also took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 finishing as runner-up.

Matt Baker also became one of the regular presenters of Radio 4's Open Country.
and was co-presenter of The One Show from 2011 to 2020

A Year on Our Farm: How the Countryside Made Me is Matt's first book.

Title: Uncrowned Queen
Genre: History - Biography
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://nicolatallis.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicolaTallis

The Book:
The first comprehensive biography in three decades of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the Tudor Dynasty.

During the bloody and uncertain days of the Wars of the Roses, Margaret Beaufort was married to the half brother of the Lancastrian king Henry VI. A year later she endured a traumatic birth that brought her and her son close to death. She was just thirteen years old.

As the battle for royal supremacy raged between the houses of Lancaster and York, Margaret, who was descended from Edward III and thus a critical threat, was forced to give up her son – she would be separated from him for fourteen years. But few could match Margaret for her boundless determination and steely courage. Surrounded by enemies and conspiracies in the Yorkist court, Margaret remained steadfast, only just escaping the headman’s axes as she plotted to overthrow Richard III in her efforts to secure her son the throne.

Against all odds, in 1485 Henry Tudor was victorious on the battlefield at Bosworth. Through Margaret’s royal blood Henry was crowned Henry VII, King of England, and Margaret became the most powerful woman in England – Queen in all but name.

The Author:
I'm a British historian who has been interested in English history all of my life. When I was four, my mother made sure that my bedtime story revolved around the tales of Camelot and King Arthur. This progressed to Henry VIII, and I've been hooked on history ever since! For my 14th birthday, my mother even made me an Elizabeth I cake!

I absolutely love the Tudors - doesn't everybody?! But I also love learning about new people and periods. I graduated from Bath Spa University with a first class BA Hons. degree in History in 2011, and from Royal Holloway, University of London in 2013 with an MA in Public History. My dissertation was actually a Tudor mobile phone app, Tudor London Hotspots, which you can download for free on Android and I Phone devices. In 2019 I completed my PhD at the University of Winchester. My thesis, entitled 'All the Queen's Jewels, 1445-1548', examines the jewellery collections of the queens of England during this period - it's such an interesting topic!

I've been fortunate enough to enjoy a varied career as a curator, lecturer, and researcher, and historical research is my passion. I spent five years researching and writing about the Grey family for my first book, and you're most likely to find me delving into documents at the National Archives or the British Library. Although history is my primary interest, I also love musicals and the theatre, and enjoy the odd glass of bubbly!

Title: SAS Bravo Three Zero: The Explosive Untold Story
Genre: Biograph - History Military
Format: Hardback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://damienlewis.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authordlewis

The Book:
There were three patrols that fateful January 1991 morning: Bravo One Zero, Bravo Two Zero and Bravo Three Zero. It was the opening hours of the Gulf War and the SAS were flown deep behind enemy lines to hunt down Saddam's Scud missiles, the use of which threatened a Third World War.

The men of Bravo One Zero stepped off the chopper, took one look at the flat desert devoid of any cover and decided no way were they deploying into all of that. But Andy NcNab's famed Bravo Two Zero patrol did deploy, with fatal results - all bar one being captured or killed.

And then there was Bravo Three Zero. These men were different. Thought differently. Acted differently. Treating as gospel the SAS's saying 'any fool can be uncomfortable', they deployed with vehicles, and while there was nowhere to hide they could make a dash for the border if desperate.

Even as warnings came in that McNab's patrol was on the run, Bravo Three Zero remained undetected - the furthest Coalition forces behind Iraqi lines. Slipping through enemy positions, a string of targets were taken out. But with the desert turning bitter and snow starting to fall, they were forced to fight a running battle against the elements as much as the enemy.

Though overshadowed by the fate of Bravo Two Zero, the achievements of this highly-decorated patrol are the stuff of elite forces legend. Now, for the first time, SAS veteran Des Powell reveals their story in gritty, blow-by-blow detail. Written with acclaimed military author Damien Lewis, this is a tale of edge-of-the seat daring deep inside enemy lands. Brutal, savage, unrelenting - prepare to be blown away, in a tale that proves utterly the SAS motto - who dares wins.

The Author:
Damien Lewis is a former war reporter and one of the nation's "twenty favourite authors" as declared by World Book Day. He is an acclaimed and award-winning writer, topping bestseller lists worldwide. Many of his books are being made into movies or TV series, and he scripts his own work for films. His widely-acclaimed WWII elite forces series includes The Nazi Hunters, SAS Ghost Patrol, SAS Italian Job/Churchill's Hellraisers and Churchill’s Secret Warriors, which is being developed as a movie series by Paramount Pictures. His military books include the number one bestseller Zero Six Bravo, and his man-and-dog at war stories, including the phenomenally successful War Dog/The Dog Who Could Fly and Judy – A Dog In A Million, both of which are being developed as films. His co-authored war-victim memoirs Slave and Tears of the Desert, have won a string of awards and were top international bestsellers. He also writes thrillers, and his first, Cobra Gold, is being made into a movie by LA-based Safadi Entertainment. He is also an acclaimed public speaker, being hailed by one corporate executive as being “a brilliant natural storyteller.”

He is the patron of various charities connected to his work and has raised tens of thousands of pounds for causes related to his writing.

Title: Power of The Paddle
Genre: Sport - Biography
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAxlc79MuBM
Website: https://www.jordanwylie.org

The Book:
Djibouti, a tiny country on the Horn of Africa at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, has become a refuge for people fleeing from neighbouring war zones. It’s here that former soldier and extreme adventurer Jordan Wylie visited various refugee camps and orphanages and saw first-hand the grim lives of many of the children, deprived of so many of the basic things which most children in the U.K. simply take for granted.

Determined to raise funds and awareness to build a new school for some of these children, Jordan embarked on a series of extraordinary adventures, becoming the first person to row solo and unsupported across the pirate invested Bab-El-Mandeb Straits between Yemen and the Horn of Africa; running a series of extreme marathons in ice-cold climates around the world and by Stand Up Paddle boarding for longer and further than anyone ever had before at sea, in an attempt to circumnavigate mainland Great Britain, where he faced angry fisherman, busy shipping lanes, military firing ranges, crazy teenagers on jet-skis, psychotic jelly-fish and, finally, Covid-19.

This is the inspirational true story of the lengths one man took to fulfil a dream and keep his promise of making a positive contribution to the lives of the people, especially children, in the war-torn countries he’d come to know so well through his travels.

The Author:
Jordan Wylie is a bestselling author, extreme adventurer and charity fundraiser. He is one of the stars of Channel 4's award-winning and BAFTA-nominated Hunted and Celebrity Hunted, and he appears regularly on platforms such as Sky News, the BBC and ITV. He is the United Kingdom's national ambassador for the Army Cadet Force, in which capacity he is a frequent motivational speaker to young people in schools and colleges, as well as to businesses all over the world. Jordan is also a multiple Guinness World Record holder and the author of Citadel (Mirror Books, 2017), which details his life experiences from a council estate in Blackpool to the battlefield and beyond, and Running For My Life (Biteback, 2019), which illustrates how he ran through the most dangerous countries in the world to help inspire children.

Title: The Faith of a Child
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Paperback
Dedication: Available
Postage: UK Only

Website: https://www.pattiboulaye.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PattiBoulaye

The Book:
"The remarkable, moving and exciting autobiography of an African child through wealth, poverty, civil war, to Showbusiness Stardom. An inspiration for all those with faith."
"The Faith of a Child", before it's official launch, was guest featured in the Gibraltar International Literary Festival - Oxford Literary Festival and also in magazines and newpaper articles including; The Telegraph, The Guardian, Daily Mirror, Sunday Express Magazine and the Voice Newspaper.

The Author:
Patti is a singer, author, actress, public speaker, lecturer, painter, show producer, wife, proud mother of two children and grandmother to a cherished grandson and granddaughter.

In January 2016 Patti was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of The British Empire) in Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Honours List for her charity work in the UK & Sub-Saharan Africa.



2017 marked the 46th Anniversary of Patti’s West End debut in the musical “Hair”. 2017 also saw Patti awarded a Visiting Teaching Fellowship at Middlesex University Business School Faculty of Professional & Social Sciences.

Patti is famous for her singing and stage appearances, but little is known about her charitable work. For over 30 years she has supported many charities in the UK. Her philanthropic experience came in handy when she launched her charity Support For Africa (SFA) at the Royal Albert Hall with 3000 Gospel Singers and Stars of stage and screen. SFA has built 5 healthcare clinics and a school in Africa. Patti was on HM The Queen's Golden Jubilee Creative Committee, for which she organised and lead her 5000 Gospel Singers down The Mall.

In October 2018 Patti was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree for services to The Arts and Education by the Joint Council of Churches. In the same month, she appeared in the BBCTV series “Celebrity Master Chef”.