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Jo van Gogh-Bonger: The Woman Who Made Vincent Famous
by Hans LuijtenLittle known but no less influential, Jo van Gogh-Bonger (1862-1925) was the wife of Theo and sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh. When the brothers died soon after each other, she took charge of van Gogh's artistic legacy in 1891 and devoted the rest of her life to disseminating his work. She published his letters, organised exhibitions in the Netherlands and throughout the world, and made strategic sales to private individuals and influential dealers. Her efforts were crucial to the reputation of Van Gogh's art, but she also led an interesting life in other respects. Not only was she friends with eminent writers and artists, she was active within the Social Democratic Workers' Party and closely involved in emerging women's movements.Using rich source material, including unseen diaries, documents and letters, Hans Luijten charts the multi-faceted life of this driven woman who made a bold impact in a male-dominated world at the turn of the 20th century. His lovingly written biography also sheds new light on the complex history of public appreciation for Vincent van Gogh.
Jo van Gogh-Bonger: The Woman Who Made Vincent Famous
by Hans LuijtenLittle known but no less influential, Jo van Gogh-Bonger (1862-1925) was the wife of Theo and sister-in-law of Vincent van Gogh. When the brothers died soon after each other, she took charge of van Gogh's artistic legacy in 1891 and devoted the rest of her life to disseminating his work. She published his letters, organised exhibitions in the Netherlands and throughout the world, and made strategic sales to private individuals and influential dealers. Her efforts were crucial to the reputation of Van Gogh's art, but she also led an interesting life in other respects. Not only was she friends with eminent writers and artists, she was active within the Social Democratic Workers' Party and closely involved in emerging women's movements.Using rich source material, including unseen diaries, documents and letters, Hans Luijten charts the multi-faceted life of this driven woman who made a bold impact in a male-dominated world at the turn of the 20th century. His lovingly written biography also sheds new light on the complex history of public appreciation for Vincent van Gogh.
Joan: Beauty, Rebel, Muse: The Remarkable Life of Joan Leigh Fermor
by Simon FenwickVolumes have been written by and about Patrick Leigh Fermor, but his wife Joan is almost entirely absent from their pages. Now, Simon Fenwick, archivist of the Leigh Fermor papers, tells Joan's story in Joan: The Remarkable Life of Joan Leigh Fermor.A talented photographer, Joan defied the social conventions of her times and, though she came from a wealthy and well-connected family, earned her own living. Through her lover, and later editor of the TLS, Alan Pryce-Jones, she met and mingled with the leading lights of 1930s bohemia – John Betjeman, Cyril Connolly, Evelyn Waugh, Maurice Bowra (who adored her) and Osbert Lancaster, among others. She featured regularly in the gossip columns, not only for her affairs and her fashionable clothes, but for her intrepid travels to Russia and America.In 1936 she met and subsequently married the journalist John Rayner, but her belief in open marriage was not shared by her husband and their relationship foundered. Then, in 1944 in Cairo, where she was a cypher clerk, she met Paddy Leigh Fermor, lionized for his daring kidnap of the Nazi General Kreipe in Crete. They would remain together until her death in 2003.In this riveting biography, written with full access to Joan’s personal archive, Simon Fenwick reveals the extraordinary life of a woman who, until now, has been defined by the man she married and their famous friends. Here, at last, Joan is placed at the centre of her own story. It is also a riveting portrait of a marriage and a milieu, revealing the sexual and intellectual mores of that wartime generation who lived life at full tilt, no matter what the consequences.
Joan: The true story of how I became Britain’s most notorious diamond thief
by Joan HanningtonDiamonds are a girl's best friendJoan Hannington was the most notorious female figure in London's criminal underworld during the 80s, earning her the nickname 'The Godmother'. With her stunning looks and glamorous wardrobe, Joan was constantly underestimated, but she used this to her advantage and became an undetected mastermind in high-stakes jewellery theft. Often transforming herself into different characters, Joan seamlessly got away with millions of pounds in diamonds.Coming from a violent, loveless childhood, Joan learnt to trust no one but herself. At seventeen, she becomes a mother, but is trapped in a disastrous marriage with a brutal thug. When he goes on the run, Joan seizes the moment to leave her old life. Motivated by her desire to care for her daughter, Joan gets swept up in the exhilarating world of a life of crime and makes some heartbreaking decisions as she sets her sights on a better life.Joan is the true story of her meteoric rise from petty offender to one of Britain's most accomplished diamond thieves, making a success of life by not playing by the rules when the odds seemed stacked against her.
Joan Littlewood: The Official Biography
by Peter Rankin‘Theatre Workshop was not just about doing plays. It was a design for living.’ Joan Littlewood ‘My only gift is to grow a show,’ said Joan Littlewood, annoyed by what she had not achieved. Even so, her ability to do just that put her and her company, Theatre Workshop, head and shoulders above mid twentieth-century theatre. In the year when she would have been a hundred, which includes three revivals and a commemorative stamp, Peter Rankin, who worked with Joan for 38 years and in whose flat she died, takes the papers she left him and goes back to the beginning. As she told him: ‘You know me better than I know myself.’ Drawing on Littlewood’s personal archive, Joan Littlewood: Dreams and Realities> observes at close hand one of the most influential theatre-makers of the twentieth century.
Joanna: The Notorious Reign Of Joanna I, Queen Of Naples, Jerusalem And Sicily And Countess Of Provence
by Nancy GoldstoneAn exceptionally dramatic and previously unchronicled life of the medieval queen Joanna I. On 15 March 1348, Joanna I, Queen of Naples, stood trial for her life before the pope and his court in Avignon. She was 22 years old. Her cousin and husband, Prince Andrew of Hungary, had recently been murdered, and Joanna was the chief suspect. Determined to defend herself, Joanna won her acquittal against enormous odds. Returning to Naples, she ruled over one of Europe’s most prestigious and enlightened courts for more than thirty years - until she was herself murdered. As courageous as Eleanor of Aquitaine, as astute and determined as Elizabeth I, Joanna was the only female monarch in her time to rule in her own right. The taint of her husband’s death never quite left her, but she was also widely admired. Dedicated to the welfare of her subjects and her realm, she reduce crime, built hospitals and churches, and encouraged the licensing of women physicians. While a procession of the most important artists and writers of her day found patronage at her glittering court, the turmoil of her times swirled around her: war, plague, intrigue and the treachery that would ultimately bring her down. Nancy Goldstone brings one of history’s most remarkable women to life in this impeccably researched and captivating portrait of medieval royalty.
The Job: Interviews with William S. Burroughs (Penguin Modern Classics #983)
by William S. BurroughsWilliam Burroughs’ work was dedicated to an assault upon language, traditional values and all agents of control. Produced at a time when he was at his most extreme and messianic, The Job lays out his abrasive, incisive, paranoiac, maddened and maddening worldview in interviews interspersed with stories and other writing. On the Beat movement, the importance of the cut-up technique, the press, Scientology, capital punishment, drugs, good and evil, the destruction of nations, Deadly Orgone Radiation and whether violence just in words is violence enough – Burroughs’ insights show why he was one of the most influential writers and one of the sharpest, most startling and strangest minds of his generation.
A Job for All Seasons: My Small Country Living
by Phyllida BarstowMany smallholders have plunged in at the deep end and learnt the hard way, through experience. But Phyllida Barstow, author of the childhood autobiography My Animals and Other Family, was already involved in animal husbandry when, as a young woman, she embarked on her own smallholding enterprise. Here is her lively, informative and witty account of her first-hand experience throughout her lifetime in Gloucestershire, with chickens, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, peacocks, alpacas and even honey bees. As she points out, smallholding is not a summer idyll but, truly, a job for all seasons, all hours, all weathers. She also has to deal with fallen stock, pest control, disease outbreaks and slaughter. Her tips include those on animal handling, training, breeding and delivery. Her wry and practical attitude towards her animals is imbued with respect and often affection for her charges. This account of the realities of modern smallholding is both entertaining and informative.
Jock Stein: The Celtic Years (Mainstream Sport Ser. (PDF))
by David Potter Tom Campbell'I am proud to say that I knew Jock Stein as a football manager, as a colleague and as a friend . . . he was the greatest manager in British football . . . men like Jock will live forever in the memory' - Sir Alex FergusonDuring his long reign at Celtic, Jock Stein was a legendary figure in the world of football. He led a youthful Celtic side to a memorable European Cup triumph in Lisbon in 1967 and was in charge of the home-grown Celtic teams which won nine Scottish league championships in a row as well as numerous domestic trophies.Tom Campbell and David Potter have produced an affectionate and in-depth portrait of Stein but are not afraid to delve below the surface of the legend to examine the manager's mistakes and failings as well as his triumphs and strengths. Calling upon such expert witnesses as Bobby Murdoch, Ronnie Simpson and Charlie Gallagher, and on a host of other important figures in the game, this book presents a detailed and fully rounded picture of a man who, at the height of his powers at Celtic Park, revolutionised the game of football in Scotland.
Joe Biden: American Dreamer
by Evan OsnosThe new biography of President Joe Biden by National Book Award winner and New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos - A Financial Times, Guardian and Daily Express Book of the Year'A thoroughly readable primer' Guardian'Biden has overcome unimaginable tribulation, multiple presidential primary humiliations, a potentially crippling speech impediment and his own mediocrity. Now he carries the hopes of billions upon his shoulders' Sunday TimesPresident Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been called both the luckiest man and the unluckiest – fortunate to have sustained a fifty-year political career that reached the White House, but also marked by deep personal losses that he has suffered. Yet even as Biden's life has been shaped by drama, it has also been powered by a willingness, rare at the top ranks of politics, to confront his shortcomings, errors and reversals of fortune. His trials have forged in him a deep empathy for others in hardship – an essential quality as he addresses a nation at its most dire hour in decades.Blending up-close journalism and broader context, Evan Osnos illuminates Biden's life and captures the characters and meaning of an extraordinary presidential election. He draws on lengthy interviews with Biden and on revealing conversations with more than a hundred others, including President Barack Obama, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and a range of progressive activists, advisers, opponents, and Biden family members. In this nuanced portrait, Biden emerges as flawed, yet resolute, and tempered by the flame of tragedy – a man who just may be uncannily suited for his moment in history.
Joe Biden: American Dreamer
by Evan OsnosA concise, brilliant and trenchant examination of Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his lifelong quest for the presidency Former vice president Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been called both the luckiest man and the unluckiest – fortunate to have sustained a fifty-year political career that reached the White House, but also marked by deep personal losses that he has suffered. Yet even as Biden's life has been shaped by drama, it has also been powered by a willingness, rare at the top ranks of politics, to confront his shortcomings, errors and reversals of fortune. His trials have forged in him a deep empathy for others in hardship – an essential quality as he addresses a nation at its most dire hour in decades.Blending up-close journalism and broader context, Evan Osnos illuminates Biden's life and captures the characters and meaning of an extraordinary presidential election. He draws on lengthy interviews with Biden and on revealing conversations with more than a hundred others, including President Barack Obama, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and a range of progressive activists, advisers, opponents, and Biden family members. In this nuanced portrait, Biden emerges as flawed, yet resolute, and tempered by the flame of tragedy – a man who just may be uncannily suited for his moment in history.
The Joe Biden Way: How to Become a Bold and Empathic Leader
by Jeffrey A. KramesDiscover what sets leaders like President Biden apart from the rest In The Joe Biden Way: How to Become a Bold and Empathic Leader, bestselling author and leadership expert Jeffrey Krames provides readers with leadership secrets gleaned from one of the most transformative and successful presidents in modern times: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. In this book, the author sets out 7 lessons in inspiring leadership that have helped the 46th President of the United States carry his powerful message to the White House and deliver it to hundreds of millions of people. You’ll learn how to: Lead with empathy and demonstrate you understand what your followers are experiencing Set a single priority and focus on it with laser precision Learn to execute on your goals and back your words with meaningful action Build on and cultivate your strengths and values Lead diverse groups of people and inspire them to share a common goal Perfect for executives, managers, and other business leaders, The Joe Biden Way is a must-read resource for anyone who strives to unlock the best in their followers and colleagues and discover what sets great leaders apart from the rest of the pack.
The Joe Biden Way: How to Become a Bold and Empathic Leader
by Jeffrey A. KramesDiscover what sets leaders like President Biden apart from the rest In The Joe Biden Way: How to Become a Bold and Empathic Leader, bestselling author and leadership expert Jeffrey Krames provides readers with leadership secrets gleaned from one of the most transformative and successful presidents in modern times: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. In this book, the author sets out 7 lessons in inspiring leadership that have helped the 46th President of the United States carry his powerful message to the White House and deliver it to hundreds of millions of people. You’ll learn how to: Lead with empathy and demonstrate you understand what your followers are experiencing Set a single priority and focus on it with laser precision Learn to execute on your goals and back your words with meaningful action Build on and cultivate your strengths and values Lead diverse groups of people and inspire them to share a common goal Perfect for executives, managers, and other business leaders, The Joe Biden Way is a must-read resource for anyone who strives to unlock the best in their followers and colleagues and discover what sets great leaders apart from the rest of the pack.
Joe Cahill: A Life in the IRA
by Brendan Anderson Joe Cahill'I was born in a united Ireland, I want to die in a united Ireland.' Born in Belfast in 1920, Joe Cahill has been an IRA man motivated by this ambition all his life. IRA activists rarely speak about their lives or their organisation, but here Cahill gives his full and frank story, his viewpoint, his experiences -- from Northern Irish prison cells of the 1940s, on a death sentence, to Washington when the Good Friday Agreement was being negotiated. He tells of the visit he made to Colonel Gaddafi to arrange for arms and ammunition, and the fateful voyage of the Claudia; Bloody Sunday and the burning of the British Embassy in Dublin; the high-drama helicopter escape of IRA prisoners from Portlaoise Jail. This is the story of an extraordinary journey, Cahill's own life mirroring the growth, changes and development of the republican movement as a whole through more than sixty years of intense involvement.
Joe Dolan: The Official Biography
by Ronan CaseyGrowing up in poor circumstances in the midlands town of Mullingar might seem an unlikely start for a musical superstar, but that's exactly the journey Joe Dolan travelled in his amazing life. Not only that, Joe never forgot his roots and loved Mullingar to the day he died.From losing his father at a tragically young age, to his bold decision while still a teenager to throw in a good job and pursue his dream of playing music for a living, to early stardom with The Drifters and conquering the USSR, to his later re-emergence for a new generation of fans as the iconic Man in the White Suit - the amazing, mad, bad and funny stories behind the legendary career will be told for the first time.It is a colourful, life-affirming, revealing and hugely entertaining biography that is a fitting tribute to such a beloved performer.
Joe Gould's Secret (Modern Library)
by Joseph Mitchell‘It's a masterpiece, of course, but more than that it shows that there is some such thing as being a simple observer’ Nicci French, IndependentIt was 1932 when Joseph Mitchell first came across Joe Gould, a Harvard-educated vagrant of Greenwich Village. Penniless, filthy, scurrilous, charming, thieving, Joe Gould was widely considered a genius. He was working on a book he called an Oral History – the longest book ever written he claimed, formed of recorded conversations set down in exercise books. Of course, when Gould died the great epic was nowhere to be found.This compelling portrait of a true New York eccentric, a man who embodied the disconnected, delusional nature of real life, was Mitchell’s personal enquiry into the agony of writer’s block.Joe Gould's Secret can be found in the longer collection of Mitchell's writing Up in the Old Hotel.
Joe Wilkinson: My (Illustrated) Autobiography
by Joe Wilkinson‘Joyfully absurd and hilarious.’ ADAM KAYHere before you is Joe Wilkinson's brilliantly absurd account of his time on - and briefly off - planet Earth.Through cartoon stories (illustrated by Henry Paker) Joe recounts the defining moments and bizarre encounters of his life – from his schoolboy misfortunes to his formative years on the dating scene, to his money-making schemes and globetrotting adventures.With tall stories including…-Winning ‘most nits’ at school-That time I threw a turd into a tornado-Becoming the bad boy of fly tipping-The disastrous double date-My car airbag addiction-The time I tunnelled too far out of prison and ended up in the prison next door-The real reason Bigfoot went into hiding…this book is a delightfully absurd journey into the mind of a comic maverick.Hilarious, heart-warming and utterly unique, Joe Wilkinson: My Autobiography is the off-the-wall life story of one of our most beloved and unorthodox comedians.
Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox
by Charles D. Ellis"Charley Ellis has written a magnificent portrait, capturing the indomitable spirit of Joe Wilson and his instinctive understanding of the need for and commercial usefulness of a transforming imaging technology. Joe Wilson and his extraordinary team, which I had the good fortune to first meet in 1960, epitomized the wonderful observation of George Bernard Shaw who said, 'Some look at things that are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?' Xerox and xerography are not only a part of our vocabulary, but part of our everyday life. Charley Ellis gives the reader a poignant understanding of just how this happened through the life, adventures, critical business decisions, and dreams of Joseph Wilson and a cadre of remarkable individuals. This book will surely join the library of memorable biographies that capture the building of America into a risk-tolerant, technologically sophisticated, idea-oriented society that thrives by understanding what Charles Darwin really said: 'Survival will be neither to the strongest of the species, nor to the most intelligent, but to those most adaptable to change.'" —Frederick Frank, Vice Chairman, Lehman Brothers Inc.
Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox
by Charles D. Ellis"Charley Ellis has written a magnificent portrait, capturing the indomitable spirit of Joe Wilson and his instinctive understanding of the need for and commercial usefulness of a transforming imaging technology. Joe Wilson and his extraordinary team, which I had the good fortune to first meet in 1960, epitomized the wonderful observation of George Bernard Shaw who said, 'Some look at things that are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were and ask why not?' Xerox and xerography are not only a part of our vocabulary, but part of our everyday life. Charley Ellis gives the reader a poignant understanding of just how this happened through the life, adventures, critical business decisions, and dreams of Joseph Wilson and a cadre of remarkable individuals. This book will surely join the library of memorable biographies that capture the building of America into a risk-tolerant, technologically sophisticated, idea-oriented society that thrives by understanding what Charles Darwin really said: 'Survival will be neither to the strongest of the species, nor to the most intelligent, but to those most adaptable to change.'" —Frederick Frank, Vice Chairman, Lehman Brothers Inc.
Joel Barlow: American Citizen in a Revolutionary World
by Richard Buel Jr.Poet, republican, diplomat, and entrepreneur, Joel Barlow filled many roles and registered impressive accomplishments. In the first biography of this fascinating figure in decades, Richard Buel Jr. recounts the life of a man more intimately connected to the Age of Revolution than perhaps any other American.Barlow was a citizen of the revolutionary world, and his adventures throughout the United States and Europe during both the American and French Revolutions are numerous and notorious. From writing his epic poem, The Vision of Columbus, to plotting a republican revolution in Britain to negotiating the release of American sailors taken captive by Barbary pirates, Joel Barlow personified the true spirit of the tumultuous times in which he lived.No one witnessed more climactic events or interacted with more significant people than Joel Barlow. It was his unique vision, his unfailing belief in republicanism, and his entrepreneurial spirit that drove Barlow to pursue the revolutionary ideal in a way more emblematic of the age than the lives of many of its prominent heroes.Buel is a knowledgeable guide, and in telling Barlow’s story he explores the cultural landscape of the early American republic and engages the broader themes of the Age of Revolution. Few books explore in such a comprehensive fashion the political, economic, ideological, diplomatic, and technological dimensions of this defining moment in world history.
Jog On: How Running Saved My Life
by null Bella MackieTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Bella’s brilliant love letter to running turns into an extraordinarily brave and frank account of her battle with anxiety. A compassionate and important book’ Joe Lycett ‘Perfect for resetting a glum January mindset’ Alexandra Heminsley ‘My kind of role model’ Ben Fogle Divorced and struggling with deep-rooted mental health problems, Bella Mackie ended her twenties in tears. She could barely find the strength to get off the sofa, let alone piece her life back together. Until one day she did something she had never done of her own free will – she pulled on a pair of trainers and went for a run. That first attempt didn’t last very long. But to her surprise, she was back out there the next day. And the day after that. She began to set herself achievable goals – to run 5k in under 30 minutes, to walk to work every day for a week, to attempt 10 push-ups in a row. Before she knew it, her mood was lifting for the first time in years. In Jog On, Bella explains with hilarious and unfiltered honesty how she used running to battle crippling anxiety and depression, without having to sacrifice her main loves: booze, cigarettes and ice cream. With the help of a supporting cast of doctors, psychologists, sportspeople and friends, she shares a wealth of inspirational stories, research and tips that show how exercise often can be the best medicine. This funny, moving and motivational book will encourage you to say ‘jog on’ to your problems and get your life back on track – no matter how small those first steps may be.
Johann Jakob Moser and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation
by Mack WalkerAs the most learned and eminent public lawyer in Germany, a busy administrator, and a prolific writer, Moser (1701-85) lived and breathed the political order. His correspondence, memoranda, and manuscript autobiography reflect the intricate day-to-day operations of the empire, and his fascinating life is a microcosm of the life and style of the empire itself. The biography provided a comprehensive picture of the empire between the Thirty Years War and the revolutionary era.Originally published 1981.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
John: A Biography
by Cynthia LennonCynthia and John Lennon's relationship spanned ten crucial years of the Beatles phenomenon. But as well as new insight into the Beatles years, Cynthia has a compelling personal story of marriage, motherhood and the man who was to become the most idolised and admired of all the Beatles.Cynthia is candid about the cruel and the loving sides of John. She tells of the end of their marriage and the beginning of his relationship with Yoko Ono in more detail than ever before, and reveals the many difficulties estrangement from John - and then his death - brought for herself and Julian. Cynthia is a remarkable survivor and this is her extraordinary story and unique insight into a man loved and idolised all over the world.
John: An Evil King? (Penguin Monarchs)
by Nicholas VincentKing John ruled England for seventeen and a half years, yet his entire reign is usually reduced to one image: of the villainous monarch outmanoeuvred by rebellious barons into agreeing to Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215. Ever since, John has come to be seen as an archetypal tyrant. But how evil was he?In this perceptive short account, Nicholas Vincent unpicks John's life through his deeds and his personality. The youngest of four brothers, overlooked and given a distinctly unroyal name, John seemed doomed to failure. As king, he was reputedly cruel and treacherous, pursuing his own interests at the expense of his country, losing the continental empire bequeathed to him by his father Henry and his brother Richard and eventually plunging England into civil war. Only his lordship of Ireland showed some success. Yet, as this fascinating biography asks, were his crimes necessarily greater than those of his ancestors - or was he judged more harshly because, ultimately, he failed as a warlord?