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A Broken Childhood
When you have been abused, you do not know what love really means. All you know is abuse and terror.
When people do eventually show love, it is difficult to understand why.
Love does not make sense to an abused child. Did you know that?
Trust is another challenge; it is so hard to trust anybody. Having been abused myself, I found it very difficult to trust anybody, even my parents.
Not being believed was another concern – I was afraid that I would never be believed. This fear grew even more when I had to give evidence in court. Even the lawyers did not believe me until I exposed all the injuries on my head, having to remove my wig. There were over eight of them. It was shocking.
But there is hope for an abused victim. You can live again…£13.99 -
A Glimpse of North Sudan
North Sudan is a largely unknown, thought-to-be-unsafe land. A Glimpse of North Sudan aims to correct that. This book is far more than a travelogue. From diaries and photographs of a safe, non-alcoholic, wonderful holiday, it tells of a short tour of a smiling poor people with an ancient, frequently violent history, pyramids and tombs in royal cemeteries with wonderful paintings and reliefs to behold. It is a largely desert country but where the Blue and White Niles combine to form a majestic life-giving river on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, there are descriptions of black Sudanese pharaohs of Egypt, the lifestyle of a Bedouin family along with British involvement in ruling the country (a section on the Battle of Omdurman led by Kitchener with a young, ambitious Winston Churchill in the ranks) and of the civil wars since independence in 1956. Finally, it suggests a way out of the cul-de-sac of poverty and deprivation. This book is a must-read for the general-interest reader of a forgotten, though fascinating, land.
£14.99 -
A Journey of Choice
‘My father had one career his entire life; I have a wonderful life divided over a variety of interesting careers. Life, I would argue, is indeed a journey of choice.’
The author of A Journey of Choice, Hein Scheffer, was born in South Africa in the 1960s and lived there for over forty years before emigrating to the UK with his wife. The story of his personal life is intermingled with depictions of the memorable events from that period, as well as a wide-ranging and well-researched description of his native country’s tortuous, 350-plus-year history.
Hein was witness to many seismic changes to South Africa, including the perpetuation of an Apartheid regime in the face of sustained international condemnation and the rise of anti-Apartheid resistance movements, some of which pursued violent methods. Perhaps most significant has been the country’s emergence as ‘the rainbow nation’, which arguably began in 1990 with the release of Nelson Mandela from his long imprisonment on Robben Island.
There have been many books written about South Africa’s recent history. What you get in A Journey of Choice is the unusual perspective of a middle-class Afrikaner born into a well-respected, God-fearing and conservative family, whose personal relationships gradually led him to question the foundations on which the entire life and culture of his family were based. Hein Scheffer shows us how he grew to understand that the only way South Africa could achieve its full potential would be for all South Africans, irrespective of the colour of their skin, to be treated equally before the law, with mutual respect, dignity and opportunity for all in even measure.
Candid and self-reflective, A Journey of Choice depicts the struggles and successes of an ordinary man in extraordinary times.
£17.99 -
An American Comedian Lost In Bavaria
Travelling is one of the great pleasures in life. You are completely anonymous which means you can act like an idiot, say stupid things, wear a big ugly T-shirt, then go home and brag about how savvy you are. But when you live in a foreign country, you’re an idiot 24 hours a day. The language is the first hurdle, good luck with that. The few things you get right celebrate them, post them on FB for your friends to see. So they think you’re doing well in your new life living abroad. After a few years, your friends will say things like “I could never live in a foreign country” and you will become defensive. “Good, then don’t move here.” But don’t give up on acclimating, over time things will get better. You will start to learn new words in another language, then use them inappropriately which will make people laugh. You’ll make new friends who you can’t talk to because a simple sentence takes forever, and no one has an hour to listen to you. People will start to wave to avoid talking to you. If you’re lucky some will speak your language and you’ll stick to them like glue. You’ll know you’re beginning to fit in when you stop asking for ketchup. But no matter what you do or how long you stay, you’ll always be a fish out of water.
£10.99 -
An Armchair of Dissent
I should say how proud I am of myself, my origins, my existence as a White, Anglo-Saxon, English, British, Christian, Anglican middle-class male of a certain age… but I cannot.
This book is a journey into my past, Britain’s past, by someone—me—who is profoundly uncomfortable with it and with the present in which it has resulted. It is selective, quirky and ordinary, using information openly available to anyone via the internet. It reveals a story of the triumph of arrogant superiority and brutal expediency in defence of a morally indefensible regime of minority domination. Its realities have been fictionalised into a tale of institutionalised glory and civilised advance of human society that denies the frailty of the human psyche and the deadly savagery, self-seeking greed and single-minded pursuit of power that is my inheritance.
£22.99 -
An Old Contemptible and An Irish Pasha
This is a true story of the adventurous times and heroism of Lt Colonel T W Fitzpatrick, a latter-day hero of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a mixture of Lawrence of Arabia, Sharpe and Hornblower but with much, much more! There are numerous different facets to his adventures, including his army experiences, police exploits, handling of riots, assassinations, terrorism and murder, along with his interactions with kings, popes, prime ministers and parliaments.
This biography takes the reader on a thrilling journey, packed with adventure, from rural Ireland to India, back to Ireland, to England, to France during World War I, and then onto the Middle East: Palestine, Transjordan and Egypt in World War II. He has blood-curdling adventures in Alexandria, Cairo and Eritrea. Finally it's back to Britain and ministerial shenanigans in the corridors of power.
£19.99 -
Cheers, Tears and Jeers - A History of England and the World Cup
Winning the World Cup in 1966 was the high watermark in the history of the England national football team. Both before and after The Day, however, the Three Lions have a chequered history in the world’s biggest footballing event. This book seeks to chart a path through that history, stopping for contemplation at various points on the way. It’s a journey full of highs and lows, with memories both golden and tarnished, and an occasional dip into some iconic games and events where England weren’t involved.
Completed ahead of the World Cup Finals of 2018, the book offers an account of the story up until that event. How will England fare in Russia? Only time will tell, but perhaps a review of the history up until that time may give an indication as to why it ended up as it did.
It’s a tale of smiles and frowns, of joys and sorrow, and indeed of Cheers, Tears and Jeers. It’s the history of England and the World Cup.
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Writing any book can be a fearsome venture. This particular tome took almost three years to complete before it even reached the hands of the publishers.
Research into hundreds of games covering many, many decades was a test of commitment and dedication. Sourcing information, searching old newspapers, countless delving into YouTube videos and any number of reference books, writing, rewriting, double-checking, amending, rewrites—and then repeat. Still with the possibility of occasional errors creeping through. With such a plethora of facts and stats, please forgive any that may have stealthily escaped the critical eyes of umpteen checks and reviews ahead of publication.
It’s difficult to look back now and consider the opportunity cost for the time spent in getting to this stage, but that moment of joy when the job was completed, pays for all.
My aim was to write a history as a neutral observer. As a fan, teasing away the partisan emotion wasn’t easy. I hope I’ve broadly achieved that though. I also hope that you find this book both interesting and enjoyable to read.
£21.99 -
Edward Jenner – the Original Vaccinator
Dr. Edward Jenner was a man who has saved millions of lives due to his discovery of cowpox as the most effective treatment for the killer disease of smallpox.
Born in 1749, he was orphaned at the age of five years, his parents both dying within two months of each other in 1754. He was sent away to boarding school at the age of eight years, and whilst there was subjected to be inoculated with a small amount of smallpox which was the standard treatment of the day, although it was a matter of luck as to whether the patient survived or not. He suffered side effects that haunted him to his dying day.
Luckily for us, he survived his ordeal, and as an adult, he dedicated his life to finding a more effective and much safer cure for smallpox and despite a great deal of opposition from some of his medical colleagues, found the cure and in 1980, the World Health Organisation officially announced that smallpox had finally been eliminated.
There is a statue of him in Gloucester Cathedral and sadly visitors to the cathedral know little or nothing about him. As the 200th anniversary of his death in 1823 approaches, this book attempts to show the reader how much we owe him.
£16.99 -
Elephant on Main Street
This is this story of Eamon, a little boy growing up in Northern Ireland in the sixties, before he succumbed to Leukaemia, a few months short of his seventh birthday. The book describes specific aspects of his short but remarkable life, all written from his perspective. Each chapter has a footnote which charts the history of the conquest of childhood leukaemia which commenced during his lifetime. The book is based around actual events and things which Eamon said and did which have been passed down. Eamon has the benefit of perspective, so he can describe events that have yet to happen which have a bearing on the life of his family.
£12.99 -
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was born on January 8th, 1935, in a shack in Tupelo, Mississippi. Though he was born a twin, his brother – who had been named Jess Garon – was tragically stillborn. Elvis died on August 16th, 1977, at the age of just 42, in his Graceland mansion. His death marked something significant in the collective mind, like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, or Martin Luther King.
Conspiracy theories took off about the circumstances surrounding his death: Was Elvis murdered by the mob? Was his death faked? Did Elvis commit suicide? Is he still alive? This book sheds new light on many of these questions, while also celebrating his music and legacy.
Elvis Presley played a central and vital role in the development of Rockabilly music, drawing as he did on a vast range of styles, from the Gospel music of his southern youth to the country music of the Midwest. This book is dedicated to Elvis: the artist, the human being, and The King.
£19.99 -
Every Second Counts
We are all familiar with names such as Roger Federer, Victoria Pendleton, Mo Farah, Donald Bradman, Lionel Messi, Mohammed Ali and Venus Williams, to name just a few, who have reached the pinnacle of success.
Every Second Counts explores the stories of those whose names are not as well known, who have made huge sacrifices in pursuit of their goals but who have achieved little or nothing. Not for them a gold medal, entry in the record books, knighthood or best-selling biographies, but whose contribution to their sport should nevertheless be recognised.
And since no one is perfect, there are accounts of famous sportsmen and sportswomen who have had extremely successful careers but who may have fallen short in one respect or another.
£12.99 -
Flowers for the Duchess
The lives and times of a large family in service over the turn of the last century. James Pogson was one of the youngest children. His working life started at thirteen years of age when he entered the gardeners’ bothy on the Welbeck Abbey Estate in the Dukeries, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Portland. As James progressed, gaining knowledge and experience, his love and artistry of flowers became apparent. By his mid-twenties, he was doing floristry in the Abbey and had graduated to become an ‘indoor’ servant with his own small apartment at the Abbey. His work diary for 1911, on which this book is based, gives an insight to the flowers he worked with and to the events of that year.
£11.99
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