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Fabre, Poet of Science
by Bernard Miall Georges Victor LegrosFabre studied insects, taught about insects, and wrote prolifically about insects. His writing is beautiful and descriptive. He is author of "The Life of the Spider."
A Fabulous Creation: How the LP Saved Our Lives
by David Hepworth_________‘Hepworth’s knowledge and understanding of rock history is prodigious … [a] hugely entertaining study of the LP’s golden age’ The Times_________The era of the LP began in 1967, with ‘Sgt Pepper’; The Beatles didn’t just collect together a bunch of songs, they Made An Album. Henceforth, everybody else wanted to Make An Album. The end came only fifteen years later, coinciding with the release of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’. By then the Walkman had taken music out of the home and into the streets and the record business had begun trying to reverse-engineer the creative process in order to make big money. Nobody would play music or listen to it in quite the same way ever again.It was a short but transformative time. Musicians became ‘artists’ and we, the people, patrons of the arts. The LP itself had been a mark of sophistication, a measure of wealth, an instrument of education, a poster saying things you dare not say yourself, a means of attracting the opposite sex, and, for many, the single most desirable object in their lives.This is the story of that time; it takes us from recording studios where musicians were doing things that had never been done before to the sparsely furnished apartments where their efforts would be received like visitations from a higher power. This is the story of how LPs saved our lives.
Fabulous Finn: The Brave Police Dog Who Came Back from the Brink
by Dave WardellTHE TOP TEN BESTSELLER: The Inspirational Life of Finn, Britain's Bravest Dog, Winner of the 2017 Daily Mirror Animal Hero of the Year Award and Star of Britain's Got Talent 2019Hertfordshire, October 5th 2016. At around 2 a.m., PC Dave Wardell and his dog, PD Finn, were trying to apprehend a robbery suspect when he turned around and attacked them. Finn was stabbed with a ten-inch-bladed knife, both through his chest, via his armpit and then - the knife bound for Dave - through the top of his head. Finn no doubt saved Dave's life, but the race was on to try and save Finn's.Dave Wardell's heartfelt memoir charts an incredible journey of friendship and loyalty. It is a celebration of the bond between one man and his dog, from when Dave collected Finn from his kennels at just nine months old, all the way through to Finn's recent and hard-earned retirement. The book charts the career of a highly trained, highly decorated dog. In his time on the job Finn tracked offenders of all kinds; found missing children; tackled armed offenders; saved lives. But Finn isn't just a police dog - he's also a cherished family pet and this is his remarkable, life-affirming story.
Facades: Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell
by John PearsonFirst published in 1978 Façades details the lives of three of the twentieth century's most intriguing literary figures: Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell. Aristocrats emanating from a privileged but loveless youth, they moulded the scene of the English avant-garde throughout the 1920s and in Cyril Connolly's words, 'had they not been there a whole area of life would have been missing.' Picking up protégés and starting feuds with equal alacrity they were never far from controversy and were often slighted for being better known for the façades which they put up around their work rather than their artistic out-put in itself. Whether these façades were set up to hide their art or their deeply conflicted personal lives is one of the most compelling problems brought up by Pearson. With as much attention paid to both the private and public aspects of their lives, this biography captures the manifest intrigue of one of England's strangest and most flamboyant families, and the whole host of fascinating characters from T.S Eliot to Gertrude Stein, with whom their paths intersect.
Face It: A Memoir
by Debbie Harry‘I was saying things in songs that female singers didn’t really say back then. I wasn’t submissive or begging him to come back, I was kicking his ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character was an inflatable doll but with a dark, provocative, aggressive side. I was playing it up, yet I was very serious.’
'A Face Like a Chicken’s Backside': An Unconventional Soldier in South East Asia, 1948-71
by J P CrossThe jungle can be seen as the environment closest to mankind’s primaeval origins and the setting in which he, or most of his kind, is least at home. Conflicts in jungle regions pose unique problems and demand special soldiering skills. J.P. Cross was an officer with the Gurkhas for 38 years in Asia, 10 of them spent ‘under the jungle canopy’. There, he accrued a wealth of knowledge and experience, particularly in fighting against Communist revolutionaries, and went on to train other soldiers in the art of guerrilla warfare. From first-hand experience of company operations in the jungle, intertwined with fascinating elements from his own life story, J.P. Cross uses his unrivalled breadth of knowledge to impart a very personal account of armed conflict in the jungle. This volume offers the perfect blend of factual military history and the empathetic, subjective recollection of a skilled and internationally admired practitioner. Peppered with lucid and humorous comment, it will provide every reader with a new understanding of this very special military discipline.
The Face Pressed Against a Window: A Memoir
by Sir Tim WaterstoneChosen as one of the Daily Mail's Memoirs of the YearTim Waterstone is one of Britain's most successful businessmen, having built the Waterstone's empire that started with one small bookshop in 1982. In this charming and evocative memoir, he recalls the childhood experiences that led him to become an entrepreneur and outlines the business philosophy that allowed Waterstone's to dominate the bookselling business throughout the country.Tim explores his formative years in a small town in rural England at the end of the Second World War, and the troubled relationship he had with his father, before moving on to the epiphany he had while studying at Cambridge, which set him on the road to Waterstone's and gave birth to the creative strategy that made him a high street name.Candid and moving, The Face Pressed Against a Window charts the life of one of our most celebrated business leaders.
Face the Music: My Story
by Alfie BoeThe intimate and uplifting memoir from one of Britain's most loved singers - this is Alfie, off stage.Bringing his characteristic sense of cheeky humour to the page, in this heartfelt book Alfie describes for the first time the highs and lows of over a decade singing and performing across the world. From personal dinners with Queen Elizabeth II and following in the steps of King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis in Vegas to mischievous antics with Michael Ball, Alfie's book takes us backstage to witness his brilliant career memories.But this book is also a heartfelt insight to Alfie's unmasked truth for the first time ever. His unflinching honesty reveals not only the success stories, but also the pressures and how, through challenging times, he learned more about himself than he ever thought possible.Laying bare the events that have shaped Alfie into the performer he is today, Face the Music demonstrates to us all that it's not our mistakes that define us - but instead, how we choose to come back from them.
A Face to the World: On Self-portraits
by Laura CummingFocusing on the art of self-portraiture, this effortlessly engaging exploration of the lives of artists sheds fascinating light on some of the most extraordinary portraits in art history.
Facebook: The Inside Story
by Steven Levy'A penetrating account of the momentous consequences of a reckless young company with the power to change the world'Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store and The UpstartsHow much power and influence does Facebook have over our lives? How has it changed how we interact with one another? And what is next for the company - and us?As the biggest social media network in the world, there's no denying the power and omnipresence of Facebook in our daily life. And in light of recent controversies surrounding election-influencing "fake news" accounts, the handling of its users' personal data, and growing discontent with the actions of its founder and CEO, never has the company been more central to the national conversation.In this fascinating narrative, crammed with insider interviews, never-before-reported reveals and exclusive details about the company's culture and leadership, award winning tech reporter Steven Levy tells the story of how Facebook has changed our world and asks what the consequences will be for us all.
Facing Ali: 15 Stories 15 Fighters
by Stephen BruntMuhammed Ali cast a blinding light onto his sport, on the tumultuous times he in part initiated and on all of those who surrounded him. That includes the fighters brave enough to stand alone, across the ring from the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Ali's own story has been told again and again, but the stories of those who faced him have, by and large, been ignored. For each, the moments alone with Ali changed their careers, changed their lives, and affected them for ever. Facing Ali tells the story of fifteen men from around the world, from famous names like Joe Frazier, Joe Bugner, George Foreman and Henry Cooper to lesser lights like Tunney Hunsaker and Jurgen Blin. Each man, many for the first time, tell their stories in their own words. With an updated introduction from author Stephen Brunt following Ali's death, the resulting book offers a unique perspective on what it was really like to fight him, and gives insights into the character of the most famous man on the planet.
Facing Down the Furies: Suicide, the Ancient Greeks, and Me
by Edith HallAn award-winning classicist turns to Greek tragedies for the wisdom to understand the damage caused by suicide and help those who are contemplating suicide themselves In Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus the Tyrant, a messenger arrives to report that Jocasta, queen of Thebes, has killed herself. To prepare listeners for this terrible news, he announces, “The tragedies that hurt the most are those that sufferers have chosen for themselves.” Edith Hall, whose own life and psyche have been shaped by such loss—her mother’s grandfather, mother, and first cousin all took their own lives—traces the philosophical arguments on suicide, from Plato and Aristotle to David Hume and Albert Camus. In this deeply personal story, Hall explores the psychological damage that suicide inflicts across generations, relating it to the ancient Greek idea of a family curse. She draws parallels between characters from Greek tragedy and her own relatives, including her great-grandfather, whose life and death bore similar motivations to Sophocles’ Ajax: both men were overwhelmed by shame and humiliation. Hall, haunted by her own periodic suicidal urges, shows how plays by Sophocles and other Greek dramatists helped her work through the loss of her grandmother and namesake Edith and understand her relationship with her own mother. The wisdom and solace found in the ancient tragedies, she argues, can help one choose survival over painful adversity and offer comfort to those who are tragically bereaved.
Facing the Frozen Ocean: One Man's Dream to Lead a Team Across the Treacherous North Atlantic
by Bear Grylls'An epic story of hardship, friendship and faith.' Daily Telegraph Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, this is the compelling account of the most recent adventure of the bestselling author of Facing Up. It started out as a carefully calculated attempt to complete the first unassisted crossing of the frozen north Atlantic in an open rigid inflatable boat, but it became a terrifying battle against storm-force winds, crashing waves and icebergs as large as cathedrals. Starting from the remote north Canadian coastline, Bear Grylls and his crew crossed the infamous Labrador Sea, pushed on through ice-strewn waters to Greenland and then found themselves isolated in a perfect storm 400 miles from Iceland. Compelling, vivid and inspirational, Facing the Frozen Ocean will appeal to all Bear Grylls' many readers and win him many more.
Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai On The African Savanna (Biography)
by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton Herman J. Viola National Geographic KidsJoseph Lemasolai Lekuton gives American kids a firsthand look at growing up in Kenya as a member of a tribe of nomads whose livelihood centers on the raising and grazing of cattle. Readers share Lekuton's first encounter with a lion, the epitome of bravery in the warrior tradition. They follow his mischievous antics as a young Maasai cattle herder, coming-of-age initiation, boarding school escapades, soccer success, and journey to America for college. Lekuton's riveting text combines exotic details of nomadic life with the universal experience and emotions of a growing boy.
Facing the Music: A searingly candid memoir from S Club 7 star, Hannah Spearritt
by Hannah Spearritt'There has been a lot of fun and adventure in my five decades on earth. There are also things from my past that I've needed to deal with. This is my story, my truth, with no holds barred - and I deserve to be able to tell it the way that I choose.'It's time to face the music - the experiences that defined me, the mistakes that shaped me and the loves that changed my life.From S Club 7 pop star to Hollywood starlet, Hannah Spearritt has been on the stage, screen and airwaves since her teens. As one seventh of an iconic pop band, providing the soundtrack to so many childhoods, she has spent most of her life in the limelight. Now, for the first time ever, she's ready to open up in this deeply candid memoir.This is Hannah's true story. The lessons she has learned, the loves of her life, the dangerous health struggles, the friendships and the fallouts, the joy of being a mother and the heartbreak she has overcome - Hannah holds absolutely nothing back.Facing the Music is Hannah on her own terms - brave, unfiltered and hugely inspirational. Hannah can't wait for the world to get to know the real her.
Facing Up: A Remarkable Journey to the Summit of Mount Everest
by Bear Grylls'No one could fail to be gripped by his heartfelt excitement and emotion over what was the adventure of a lifetime' IndependentAt the age of twenty-three, Bear Grylls became one of the youngest Britons to reach the summit of Mount Everest. At extreme altitude youth holds no advantage over experience, and it is generally acknowledged that younger climbers have more difficulty coping with the adverse effects of mountaineering. Nevertheless, only two years after breaking his back in a freefall parachuting accident, Bear Grylls overcame severe weather conditions, fatigue, dehydration and a last-minute illness to stand on top of the world's highest mountain. Facing Up is the story of his adventure, his courage and humour, his friendship and faith.
Fact and Fiction
by Bertrand RussellFirst published in 1961, Fact and Fiction is a collection of Bertrand Russell’s essays that reflect on the books and writings that influenced his life, including fiction, essays on politics and education, divertissements and parables. Also broaching on the highly controversial issues of war and peace, it is in this classic collection that Russell states some of his most famous pronouncements on nuclear warfare and international relations. It is a remarkable book that provides valuable insight into the range of interests and depth of convictions of one of the world’s greatest philosophers.
Fact and Fiction
by Bertrand RussellFirst published in 1961, Fact and Fiction is a collection of Bertrand Russell’s essays that reflect on the books and writings that influenced his life, including fiction, essays on politics and education, divertissements and parables. Also broaching on the highly controversial issues of war and peace, it is in this classic collection that Russell states some of his most famous pronouncements on nuclear warfare and international relations. It is a remarkable book that provides valuable insight into the range of interests and depth of convictions of one of the world’s greatest philosophers.
The Fact of a Body: A Gripping True Crime Murder Investigation
by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich'Part memoir, part true crime, wholly brilliant.' – Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the TrainWhen law student Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich is asked to work on a death-row hearing for convicted murderer and child molester Ricky Langley, she finds herself thrust into the tangled story of his childhood. As she digs deeper and deeper into the case she realizes that, despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar.The Fact of a Body is both an enthralling memoir and a groundbreaking, heart-stopping investigation into how the law is personal, composed of individual stories, and proof that arriving at the truth is more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine.
The Fact or Fiction Behind Shakespeare: The Fact Or Fiction Behind Shakespeare (Truth or Busted #15)
by Kay BarnhamTruth or Busted's Shakespeare title explores popular myths and legends about the world's greatest playwright in a tongue-in-cheek, humorous way that kids will find unputdownable! Alongside features such as 'The Bard's Best Bits' in which we learn that Shakespearean quotes and phrases are still part of our everyday language, Truth or Busted statements such as 'The Queen Loved Shakespeare's Bottom' or 'Shakespeare Burned Down the Globe Theatre' are explored. We look at where the idea came from, whether it has any basis in truth, or whether they can be consigned to folklore. Finally, each statement is given a TRUTH or BUSTED evaluation! A must for anyone studying Shakespeare at school!
Factory Girls: Voices from the Heart of Modern China
by Leslie T. Chang‘Head and shoulders above almost all other new books about China, this unflinching and yearningly compassionate portrait of the lives and loves of ordinary Chinese workers is quite unforgettable’ Simon Winchester Every year in China millions of migrant workers leave their rural towns to find jobs in the cities. These people are the driving forces behind China’s economic boom: they work very hard and for little money to make the trainers, ornaments, designer handbags and toys which we buy. Through the lives of two young women, Chang vividly portrays a world where you can lose your boyfriend and your friends with the loss of a cell phone; where lying about your age, your education, and your work experience is often a requisite for getting ahead; where a few computer or English lessons can catapult you into a completely different social class. This is a powerful and humane portrait of the forces which are shaping China. ‘Astonishing . . . Heartbreaking . . . As one tool in trying to understand today’s China, this is a most valuable, if troubling read’ Irish Times ‘Engrossing . . . An exceptionally vivid and compassionate depiction of the day-to-day dramas, and the fears and aspirations, of the real people who are powering China’s economic boom’ Scotsman ‘Chang’s elegant book is evidence that the best trips home often require a circuitous approach’ Nell Freudenberger, Financial Times
Factory Man: How One Furniture Maker Battled Offshoring, Stayed Local – and Helped Save an American Town
by Beth MacyThe Bassett Furniture Company was once the world's biggest wood furniture manufacturer. Run by the same powerful Virginia family for generations, it was also the center of life in Bassett, Virginia. But beginning in the 1980s, the first waves of Asian competition hit, and ultimately Bassett was forced to send its production overseas.One man fought back: John Bassett III, a shrewd and determined third-generation factory man, now chairman of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co, which employs more than 700 Virginians and has sales of more than $90 million. In Factory Man, Beth Macy brings to life Bassett's deeply personal furniture and family story, along with a host of characters from an industry that was as cutthroat as it was colorful. As she shows how he uses legal maneuvers, factory efficiencies, and sheer grit and cunning to save hundreds of jobs, she also reveals the truth about modern industry in America.
The Facts: A Novelist's Autobiography (Vintage International Series)
by Philip RothHow does a novelist write about the facts of his life after spending years fictionalising those facts with irrepressible daring and originality?What becomes of 'the facts' after they have been smelted down for art's sake? In The Facts - Philip Roth's idiosyncratic autobiography - we find out. Focusing on five episodes in his life, Roth gives a portrait of his secure city childhood in Newark, through to his first marriage, clashes with the Jewish establishment over Goodbye, Columbus and his writing of Portnoy's Complaint. In true Rothian style, his fictional self Nathan Zuckerman is allowed the final, coruscating word of reply.
The Facts of Life
by Paula Knight'In her moving and sympathetic book, Paula Knight charts the emotional cost of the pursuit of motherhood and thoughtfully challenges the societal notion that to live a life without children is to live a lesser life.'—Aminatta FornaA clarion call to recognise that parenting isn’t the be-all and end-all of family life, Paula Knight’s extraordinarily powerful graphic memoir is a beautifully drawn, funny and sometimes painful exploration of what it takes to be a woman, and a mother—or not.In 1970s Northeast England, best friends Polly and April are sitting up a tree, whispering about periods and swapping their hazy knowledge of the facts of life. They both expect to have families one day—it’s the normal script to follow, isn’t it? But, as Polly grows up, education and career become important too, and she believes that she can have it all.When, some years later, Polly settles with Jack, her career has taken off and she feels torn over whether or not to try for a baby. Has she left it too late? Did she have any control over that choice? They go ahead, but, after repeated miscarriage and chronic illness take their toll, Polly and Jack have to face a very tough decision.As Polly looks back to discover the origins of her own expectations, she has to confront what family means in a society where ‘family’ usually means ‘children’.
Fading Into The Limelight: The Autobiography
by Peter SallisThe autobiography of Peter Sallis, the brilliant actor best known for his roles as the voice of Wallace and as Clegg in Last of the Summer WineFor more than 30 years, Peter Sallis has played Clegg in 'Last of the Summer Wine', the world's longest-running sitcom. With his dry, cynical wit and cautious nature, Clegg has been taken to the hearts of the nation. Now the man behind this creation, and the voice of Wallace in Wallace & Gromit, is telling his story. From his early days in the RAF in the Second World War, through an extraordinary theatrical career that saw him perform alongside the likes of Joan Collins, John Gielgud and Orson Welles, to the fame that came to him late in his career, Peter Sallis has a wonderful, heartwarming story to tell.Packed with brilliant stories and amusing anecdotes, this is a memoir that will appeal to Peter Sallis's millions of fans, as he looks back over his career with a warm glow of nostalgia.