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Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned
by Alan AldaHe's one of America's most recognisable and acclaimed actors-a star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and the only person to ever win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing during his eleven years on M*A*S*H. Now Alan Alda has written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances. 'My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six,' begins Alan Alda's irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving, but mentally ill mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on after early struggles to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.Yet Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of show business ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only begun to grow. It is the story of turning points in his life, events that would make him what he is - if only he could survive them.From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist's shop with a hideous expression on his face, and he learns that death can't be undone, to the decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father in him, personally and professionally, he learns the hard way that change, uncertainty and transformation are what life is made of, and the good life is made of welcoming them.Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with curiosity about Nature, good humour and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director, but surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any he's ever played on the stage or screen.
Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself
by Alan Alda'The message is consistent: it's not what you do in life, but how you do it. Notice everything. Always be open to new ideas, new experiences. Alda is chatty, easygoing and humble ... His words of inspiration would be a perfect gift.' Publishers Weekly Acclaimed actor and internationally bestselling author Alan Alda has written a shrewd and funny account of some impossible questions he's asked himself over the years: what do I value? What, exactly, is the good life? (And what does that even mean?) Here, Alda listens in on things he's heard himself saying at critical points in his life - from the turbulence of the 60s, to his first Broadway show, to the birth of his children, and to the ache of September 11. He notices that 'doorways are where the truth is told', and wonders what one thing - art, activism, family, money, fame - could lead to a 'life of meaning'. In a book that is candid, wise and as questioning as it is incisive, Alda amuses and moves us with his uniquely witty meditations on questions great and small.
Encounters with Fate and Destiny: A Life in International Politics
by Shukri Z. Al-DajaniShukri Z. Al-Dajani has led a most extraordinary life. His book depicts the realities of the endless torment of a refugee in search of security and a sense of belonging. It is a story of flight - at the age of twelve - from the Holy Land to Egypt, through Wales, East Africa and the Middle East, to a career at the International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, where he rose to the post of Assistant Director-General, responsible for the Arab States. He was the key player for the ILO in the Arab world at a time when the politics of the Middle East played a dominant role in the life of that organization.In this memoir, Al-Dajani recounts his interactions with a range of individuals including royalty, nation-builders and others in political power as well as adventurers, journalists and diplomats. His book presents a fine mosaic of the post-colonial world and the modern Middle East, and reveals the workings of politics at the highest of international diplomatic levels.The memoir includes a fascinating and intriguing analysis of the security and social problems that Europe, America and the Middle East are facing at present. It serves as an eye opener to the root causes of the current crises and presents a clear vision of the future ahead.
Encounters with Fate and Destiny: A Life in International Politics
by Shukri Z. Al-DajaniShukri Z. Al-Dajani has led a most extraordinary life. His book depicts the realities of the endless torment of a refugee in search of security and a sense of belonging. It is a story of flight – at the age of twelve – from the Holy Land to Egypt, through Wales, East Africa and the Middle East, to a career at the International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, where he rose to the post of Assistant Director-General, responsible for the Arab States. He was the key player for the ILO in the Arab world at a time when the politics of the Middle East played a dominant role in the life of that organization. In this memoir, Al-Dajani recounts his interactions with a range of individuals including royalty, nation-builders and others in political power as well as adventurers, journalists and diplomats. His book presents a fine mosaic of the post-colonial world and the modern Middle East, and reveals the workings of politics at the highest of international diplomatic levels. The memoir includes a fascinating and intriguing analysis of the security and social problems that Europe, America and the Middle East are facing at present. It serves as an eye opener to the root causes of the current crises and presents a clear vision of the future ahead.
Full Out: Leadership lessons from America's favourite coach
by Monica AldamaFrom the breakout star of Netflix's Cheer, a motivational and inspiring guide to becoming a champion in all areas of life.In Full Out, Coach Monica Aldama shares how she built one of the most successful and beloved cheerleading programs in America. Her uncompromising brand of discipline and consistency goes far beyond the mat - showing how the principles of building a winning team apply to personal goals, the corporate world, parenting and all aspects of life.There's a lot of talk these days about short cuts and life hacks, but what really counts is commitment and integrity, helping your friends, and improving with your teammates. Coach Monica shares deeply personal stories of triumph and tragedy from divorce and remarriage to her husband, her challenges as a young mother working more than full time, and her strenuous weeks on Dancing with the Stars. She shares surprising behind-the-scenes moments from the Cheer docuseries, and insights gleaned from more than two decades of pushing students to succeed. A true force and inspiration who has captured hearts around the world, Coach Monica will show you how to take command of your talent, make the most of your potential, and find your drive to win.
I Don't Want to Talk About Home: A migrant’s search for belonging
by Suad AldarraPowerful, fascinating and deeply moving - this book pushes aside our lazy images of human migration and refugees. I loved it. RODDY DOYLE, author of Love'I carry my troubled homeland within me; I hide it like a crime.'Growing up in conservative Saudi Arabia, Suad Aldarra felt stifled by the strictures placed on women. She yearned for the vibrant Syrian streets of her family's origin. When the opportunity arose to study at Damascus University, she jumped at the chance to move to a city she loved and to experience a degree of freedom she'd never known. But when the war started, everything changed. Suddenly Suad was thrown into a world of relentless pressure desperately looking for a way out. Her degree in software engineering was the saving grace that allowed her to travel to Ireland on a working visa. Yet reaching safety came at a price ... I Don't Want to Talk About Home is not a memoir about war and destruction. It's not about camps or boats. It's about the enduring love for a home that ceased to exist, building a life out of the rubble, and the parts of yourself you lose and find when integrating into a new world.Illuminating, vivid, and insightful, this is such a timely book. LOUISE O'NEILL, author of IdolFull of heart, honesty and hard-learnt wisdom... a captivating journey across continents, history and culture. I literally couldn't put this book down.JAN CARSON author of The Raptures
Everything I Know About Love: The Sunday Times Top 5 Bestseller
by Dolly Alderton'A wonderful writer, who will surely inspire a generation the way that Caitlin Moran did before her' Julie Burchill'If Nora Ephron is the cool aunt you wish you'd had, Dolly Alderton is your favourite cousin. I loved it and I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't; it's a genuine delight' Kristen Roupenian, author of Cat Person'I can say with absolute certainty that you have to add it to your 2018 book list' The PoolWhen it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming a grown up, journalist and former Sunday Times dating columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, wrestling with self-sabotage, finding a job, throwing a socially disastrous Rod-Stewart themed house party, getting drunk, getting dumped, realising that Ivan from the corner shop is the only man you've ever been able to rely on, and finding that that your mates are always there at the end of every messy night out. It's a book about bad dates, good friends and - above all else - about recognising that you and you alone are enough.'With courageous honesty, Alderton documents her life up to now, the highs and the lows - the sex, the drugs, the nightmare landlords, the heartaches and the humiliations. Deeply funny, sometimes shocking, and admirably open-hearted and optimistic. A brilliant debut.' Daily Telegraph'This is the book we will thrust into our friends' hands, the book that will help heal a broken heart. She feels like a best friend and your older sister all rolled into one and her pages wrap around you like a warm hug' Evening Standard'It's so full of life and laughs - I gobbled up this book. Alderton has built something beautiful and true out of many fragments of daftness' Amy Liptrot
Michael Jackson – Legend, Hero, Icon: Legend, Hero, Icon: A Tribute To The King Of Pop
by James AldisA lavishly illustrated tribute to the greatest entertainer of a generation.
The Twinkling of an Eye: My Life As An Englishman (The Brian Aldiss Collection)
by Brian AldissWriter, soldier, bookseller, father: Brian Aldiss has earned many titles in his life. In the Twinkling of an Eye is a candid, vivid and charming look at the stories behind this distinctive writer of fiction.
When the Feast is Finished (The Brian Aldiss Collection)
by Brian AldissA moving account of the death of Brian Aldiss’ wife Margaret.
Tony Ryan: Ireland's Aviator
by Richard AldousIn this authorised biography of one of the most remarkable Irishmen of the twentieth century, Richard Aldous is independent in his judgements and frank in his examination of his subject’s shortcomings and eccentricities. But most of all, he writes with verve and pace.Tony Ryan was born in a railwayman’s cottage and rose to enormous success, overseeing the spectacular making of two business fortunes and the dramatic loss of one.After an early spell in Aer Lingus, he set up an airline leasing company, Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), which had its headquarters in Shannon and quickly became the largest such enterprise in the world. Ryan was a hard taskmaster and the company reflected his ferocious work ethic. Yet, despite a stellar board of directors, a botched and poorly timed Initial Public Offering in the 1990s saw GPA crash and burn.Ryan lost almost everything. All that remained was a little airline running massive deficits. Ryan set about turning Ryanair around, putting in one of his assistants, Michael O’Leary, to help knock it into shape. The rest is history.Ryan remade his fortune, lived lavishly and elegantly, was a generous patron of the arts, and in every respect larger than life. His spirit is one that Ireland needs more than ever today. As the nation strives for its own recovery, it can find inspiration in the story of how one of its most famous sons rose and fell, and then rose again. Not one to stand still or lament mistakes, Tony Ryan’s determination never to give up is the real lesson of this story. He was in so many ways Ireland’s Aviator.
Tunes Of Glory: The Life of Malcolm Sargent
by Richard AldousA worldwide television audience of millions saw England's most famous maestro take his poignant farewell at the 1967 Last Night of the Proms just weeks before his death. The brush-haired boy from the gasworks of Stamford had become Sir Malcolm Sargent, the nation's 'ambassador with a baton' and friend to royalty. Sleek and debonair, a carnation ever-present in his lapel, Sargent was despised by the musicalestablishment for his populism and showmanship. Yet ordinary music-lovers had been devoted to him, not least for his heroics during the Blitz. 'Flash Harry' is as much an exploration of celebrity and the English psyche as the story of one man. It is the defining work on an extraordinary life drawn from the author's exclusive and unlimited access to Sargent's private letters, photographs and diaries.
The Man Who Climbs Trees
by James Aldred'A book of heart-stopping bravery and endurance' -- Helen Macdonald'A great read – incredible adventures and a dramatic new perspective' -- Chris Packham'[A] delightful, endlessly fascinating book' -- Daily Mail BOOK OF THE WEEKThis is the story of a professional British tree climber, cameraman and adventurer, who has made a career out of travelling the world, filming wildlife for the BBC and climbing trees with people like David Attenborough, Chris Packham and Helen Macdonald.James's climbs take him to breathtaking locations as he scales the most incredible and majestic trees on the planet. On the way he meets native tribes, gets attacked by African bees, climbs alongside gorillas, chased by elephants, and spends his nights in a hammock pitched high in the branches with only the stars above him.This book blends incredible stories of scrapes and bruises in the branches with a new way of looking at life high above the daily grind, up into the canopy of the forest.
A Hilltop on the Marne: Being Letters Written June 3-september 8 1914
by Mildred AldrichAn unique civilian eye-view of the First World War, depicting, through letters, a fascinating before and after picture of a French community in disarray. What looked impossible is evidently coming to pass... …I silently returned to my garden and sat down. War again! This time war close by - not war about which one can read, as one reads it in the newspapers, as you will read it in the States, far away from it, but war right here - if the Germans can cross the frontier. A Hilltop on the Marne is a collection of letters written by Mildred Aldrich, an American expatriate who had bought a country farmhouse near Paris in the spring of 1914. Writing to her friends back home, she describes her idyllic life in Huiry, the minutiae of her farmhouse and her daily life. Ignoring the panicked pleadings of friends that she return to the United States as the political situation in Europe darkens, Aldrich stands firm in her decision to stay in France and her village, come what may. As war breaks out she looks out over Marne valley at the armies moving, hears the cannonade in the distance and watches as soldiers of all nations march down the lanes in turn. Aldrich's narrative goes on to describe the subsequent events of the war until America's entry into the fray and, returning to her narrative after the war, she described the process of rebuilding local life.
GCHQ: The Uncensored Story Of Britain's Most Secret Intelligence Agency
by Richard AldrichAs we become ever-more aware of how our governments “eavesdrop” on our conversations, here is a gripping exploration of this unknown realm of the British secret service: Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ).
Banished potentates: Dethroning and exiling indigenous monarchs under British and French colonial rule, 1815–1955 (Studies In Imperialism Ser.)
by Robert AldrichAn examination of British and French deposition and exile of indigenous monarchs in Asia and Africa from 1815 until the 1950s.
Banished potentates: Dethroning and exiling indigenous monarchs under British and French colonial rule, 1815–1955 (Studies in Imperialism #154)
by Robert AldrichThough the overthrow and exile of Napoleon in 1815 is a familiar episode in modern history, it is not well known that just a few months later, British colonisers toppled and banished the last king in Ceylon. Beginning with that case, this volume examines the deposition and exile of indigenous monarchs by the British and French – with examples in India, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Tunisia and Morocco – from the early nineteenth century down to the eve of decolonisation. It argues that removal of native sovereigns, and sometimes abolition of dynasties, provided a powerful strategy used by colonisers, though European overlords were seldom capable of quelling resistance in the conquered countries, or of effacing the memory of local monarchies and the legacies they left behind.
Banished potentates: Dethroning and exiling indigenous monarchs under British and French colonial rule, 1815–1955 (Studies In Imperialism Ser. #154)
by Robert AldrichThough the overthrow and exile of Napoleon in 1815 is a familiar episode in modern history, it is not well known that just a few months later, British colonisers toppled and banished the last king in Ceylon. Beginning with that case, this volume examines the deposition and exile of indigenous monarchs by the British and French – with examples in India, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Tunisia and Morocco – from the early nineteenth century down to the eve of decolonisation. It argues that removal of native sovereigns, and sometimes abolition of dynasties, provided a powerful strategy used by colonisers, though European overlords were seldom capable of quelling resistance in the conquered countries, or of effacing the memory of local monarchies and the legacies they left behind.
Voltaire and the Century of Light
by Alfred Owen AldridgeTaking an approach different from (hat of earlier biographers, A. Owen Aldridge examines Voltaire's literary and intellectual career chronologically, using the methods both of comparative literature and of the history of ideas. The resulting biography portrays a fascinating personality as well as a great writer and thinker. Voltaire is revealed not only through his correspondence, here extensively quoted, but through the statements others made about him in anecdotes, memoirs, and other contemporary documents. New information is introduced regarding Voltaire's sojourn in England, his later relations with English men of letters, his domestic turmoils at the court of Frederick the Great, and his contact with French contemporaries such as Montesquieu and Diderot. For the first time in any biography, attention is given to Voltaire's extensive knowledge of Spanish literature and its influence on his own work, particularly Candide. Voltaire is portrayed as a conscious participant in the Enlightenment. In his early years he was interested primarily in aesthetics and abstract philosophy; later, he passionately dedicated himself to humanitarian causes with ideological implications. Professor Aldridge brings forward evidence pointing to the contrast between these two periods in Voltaire's life.Originally published in 1975.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
A Speck in the Sea: A Story of Survival and Rescue
by John Aldridge Anthony SosinskiThe harrowing adventure-at-sea memoir recounting the heroic search-and-rescue mission for lost Montauk fisherman John Aldridge, which Daniel James Brown calls "A terrific read."I am floating in the middle of the night, and nobody in the world even knows I am missing. Nobody is looking for me. You can't get more alone than that. You can't be more lost. I've got too many people who love me. There's no way I'm dying like this.In the dead of night on July 24, 2013, John Aldridge was thrown off the back of the Anna Mary while his fishing partner, Anthony Sosinski, slept below. As desperate hours ticked by, Sosinski, the families, the local fishing community, and the U.S. Coast Guard in three states mobilized in an unprecedented search effort that culminated in a rare and exhilarating success.A tale of survival, perseverance, and community, A Speck in the Sea tells of one man's struggle to survive as friends and strangers work to bring him home. Aldridge's wrenching first-person account intertwines with the narrative of the massive, constantly evolving rescue operation designed to save him.
A Speck in the Sea: A Story of Survival and Rescue
by John Aldridge Anthony SosinskiThe harrowing adventure-at-sea memoir recounting the heroic search-and-rescue mission for lost Montauk fisherman John Aldridge, which Daniel James Brown calls "A terrific read." I am floating in the middle of the night, and nobody in the world even knows I am missing. Nobody is looking for me. You can't get more alone than that. You can't be more lost. I've got too many people who love me. There's no way I'm dying like this. In the dead of night on July 24, 2013, John Aldridge was thrown off the back of the Anna Mary while his fishing partner, Anthony Sosinski, slept below. As desperate hours ticked by, Sosinski, the families, the local fishing community, and the U.S. Coast Guard in three states mobilized in an unprecedented search effort that culminated in a rare and exhilarating success. A tale of survival, perseverance, and community, A Speck in the Sea tells of one man's struggle to survive as friends and strangers work to bring him home. Aldridge's wrenching first-person account intertwines with the narrative of the massive, constantly evolving rescue operation designed to save him.
Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective In The World
by Mark AldridgeFrom the very first book publication in 1920 to the film release of Death on the Nile in December 2020, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favourite fictional detective.
Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon
by Buzz AldrinForty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human - minutes after Neil Armstrong - to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. The event remains one of mankind's greatest achievements and was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. In the years since, millions more have had their earth-centric perspective changed forever by gazing at the iconic photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the Moon with the blackness of space behind him. He described what he saw as 'magnificent desolation'. The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous people on the planet, yet few people know the rest of the story. In Magnificent Desolation, Aldrin not only gives us a harrowing first-person account of the lunar landing that came within seconds of failure, as well as the ultimate insider's view of life as one of the superstars of America's space program, he also opens up with remarkable candor about his more personal trials - and eventual triumphs - back on Earth. From the glory of being part of the mission that fulfilled President Kennedy's challenge to reach the Moon before the decade was out, Aldrin returned home to an Air Force career stripped of purpose or direction, other than as a public relations tool that NASA put to relentless use in a seemingly nonstop world tour. The twin demons of depression and alcoholism emerged - the first of which Aldrin confronted early and publicly and the second of which he met with denial until it nearly killed him. As an adventure story, a searing memoir of self-destruction and self-renewal, and as a visionary rallying cry to once again set our course for Mars and beyond, Magnificent Desolation is the thoroughly human story of a genuine hero.
Before the War, and After the Union: An Autobiography by Sam Aleckson (Samuel Williams) (Clemson University Press: African American Literature)
by Samuel "Aleckson" WilliamsSam Aleckson was the pen name for Samuel Williams, a man born into slavery in Charleston, South Carolina, who wrote a memoir about his life and the world around him during and after his bondage. Published privately by his family, Before the War and After the Union Williams’s life from his earliest memories of being enslaved and forced to serve Confederate soldiers in army camps, through the post-Civil War years as his family struggled to re-connect and build a new life during Reconstruction. It the ends with tales about his life as the head of a Southern Black family newly relocated to Vermont at the turn-of-the-century. When he wrote his memoir nearly sixty years after emancipation, Williams was an elderly man, far from the site of his childhood in South Carolina, but his memories and analysis were keen and veer from occasional fraught nostalgia to sharply bitter analysis, creating a fascinating American story of suffering and transcendence. Ultimately, his narrative weaves together a moving story of survival, community, and courageous perseverance. As Williams’s title reveals, while slavery was “Before the War,” carving out a life “After the Union” also demands recognition. His memoir is a rare account of the Civil War and its Reconstruction aftermath from the perspective of a man who was raised as property but survived to proclaim his own life story as testament to his humanity.
A Woman: Una Donna (classic Reprint) (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Sibilla Aleramo'The first Italian feminist writer' La Repubblica 'To love, to sacrifice oneself, and to submit! Was this what all women were destined for?'When her carefree, aspirational childhood in a seaside town is brought brutally to an end, the nameless narrator of Sibilla Aleramo's blazing autobiographical novel discovers the shocking reality of life for a woman in Italy at the dawn of the twentieth century. As she begins to recognize the similarities between her own predicament and the plight of her mother and the women around her, she becomes convinced that she must escape her fate. Unashamed and remarkably ahead of its time, A Woman is a landmark in European feminist writing.'Powerful' Luigi Pirandello