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Imperial Vanities: The Adventures Of The Baker Brothers And Gordon Of Khartoum
by Brian ThompsonA true story of empire set in the Crimea, Sudan, Ceylon and Egypt – beautifully written and shot through with real psychological and historical insight.
Imperium: From the Sunday Times bestselling author (Cicero Trilogy #1)
by Robert HarrisPRE-ORDER PRECIPICE, THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS, NOW - PUBLISHING AUGUST 2024'Masterful' Sunday Times'Gripping and accomplished' Guardian'Truly gifted, razor-sharp' Daily TelegraphAncient Rome teems with ambitious and ruthless men. None is more brilliant than Marcus Cicero. A rising young lawyer, backed by a shrewd wife, he decides to gamble everything on one of the most dramatic courtroom battles of all time. Win it, and he could win control of Rome itself. Lose it, and he is finished forever.Imperium is an epic account of the timeless struggle for power and the sudden disintegration of a society.'In Harris' hands, the great game becomes a beautiful one' The Times'A further step forward by this brilliant man who excels in everything he writers' Sunday Telegraph
The Importance of Being Awkward: The Autobiography of Tam Dalyell
by Tam DalyellWhen veteran Labour MP Tam Dalyell retired as Father of the House in 2005, the Commons lost not only one of its most colourful and outspoken politicians, but also one of its most deeply principled members. In a parliamentary career that spanned 43 years and the administrations of eight Prime Ministers (from Macmillan to Blair), Dalyell was never a stranger to controversy. His vehemently independent and firmly-held views might have denied him a career on the front bench, but have ensured that his name has seldom been out of the headlines. An outspoken critic of both Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, he famously harried the former over the sinking of the Belgrano during the Falklands conflict, and argued fiercely against the Gulf War of 1990 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also spoke out against military action in Kosovo, and has been a leading figure in the attempt to uncover the truth about the Lockerbie bombing. In this memoir, based on personal papers as well as official documents - many of them only recently declassified - he looks back over a lifetime of dedicated service as MP for West Lothian and Linlithgow and talks of his family connections to the area: the Dalyells have lived at the historic House of the Binns, near Linlithgow, for almost 400 years. Insightful, witty and urbane, this is a fascinating book which offers a unique perspective on many of the key moments in Britain's political life over the last fifty years.
The Impossible Climb: Alex Honnold, El Capitan and the Climbing Life
by Mark SynnottIf you loved watching Free Solo, you'll be enthralled by Mark Synnott's deeply reported, insider perspective on Alex Honnold's impossible climb.One slip, one false move, one missed toehold and you're dead. On June 3rd 2017 Mark Synnott was in Yosemite to witness something that only a handful of people knew was about to occur: the most famous climber in the world, Alex Honnold, was going to attempt to summit one of the world's most challenging ascents, a route called Freerider on the notorious rock formation El Capitan. It is a climb extraordinarily dangerous and difficult, and yet Honnold was going to do it 'free solo'. Meaning no help. No climbing partner. No equipment. No rope. Where a single small mistake would mean certain death. Indeed, to summit El Cap free solo was a feat likened to Neil Armstrong first walking on the moon. In The Impossible Climb, Mark Synnott uses his own career as a professional climber to paint an insider portrait of the elite climbing community, exploring what motivates them, the paradoxical drive to keep the sport pure and at the same time to fund climbs, and the role that awareness of mortality plays in the endeavour. We watch through Mark's eyes as Alex plots, trains and attempts his heart-stopping free-solo ascent. Ultimately this is a story not only about climbing but about what makes us human, how we respond to fear and our drive to transcend the inevitability of death.
The Impossible Dream: The spectacular rise and fall of Steorn, one of the Celtic Tiger’s most audacious start-ups
by Barry J WhyteIn 2006, a previously unknown Irish technology company by the name of Steorn created headlines globally when it took out a full-page ad in The Economist, in which it claimed to have made the scientific breakthrough of this – or any other – century: perpetual motion, nothing less than a complete and immediate solution to the global energy crisis.The investment money poured in, with some of Ireland’s most respected entrepreneurs and institutions getting on board, but the demonstration of their perpetual-motion machine was a spectacular failure.So how did so many well-meaning and otherwise sensible people get things so desperately, absurdly wrong? The story begins with a malfunctioning CCTV system and ends with an exploding battery, and it drives home Ireland’s frenzied state of mind during the Celtic Tiger years.
The Impossible Life of Mary Benson: The Extraordinary Story of a Victorian Wife
by Rodney BoltYoung Minnie Sidgwick was just twelve years old when her cousin, twenty-three-year old Edward Benson, proposed to her in 1853. Edward went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury and little Minnie - as Mary Benson - to preside over Lambeth Palace, and a social world that ranged from Tennyson and Browning to foreign royalty and Queen Victoria herself. Prime Minister William Gladstone called her 'the cleverest woman in Europe'. Yet Mrs Benson's most intense relationships were not with her husband and his associates, but with other women. When the Archbishop died, Mary - 'Ben' to her intimates - turned down an offer from the Queen to live at Windsor, and set up home in a Jacobean manor house with her friend Lucy Tait. She remained at the heart of her family of fiercely eccentric and 'unpermissably gifted' children, each as individual as herself. They knew Henry James, Oscar Wilde and Gertrude Bell. Arthur wrote the words for 'Land of Hope and Glory'; Fred became a hugely successful author (his Mapp and Lucia novels still have a cult following); and Maggie a renowned Egyptologist. But none of them was 'the marrying sort' and such a rackety family seemed destined for disruption: Maggie tried to kill her mother and was institutionalized, Arthur suffered numerous breakdowns and young Hugh became a Catholic priest, embroiled in scandal.Drawing on the diaries and novels of the Bensons themselves, as well as writings of contemporaries ranging from George Eliot to Charles Dickens, Rodney Bolt creates a rich and intimate family history of Victorian and Edwardian England. But, most of all, he tells the sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious, story of one lovable, brilliant woman and her trajectory through the often surprising opportunities and the remarkable limitations of a Victorian woman's life.Previously published under the title As Good As God, As Clever As the Devil.
Impossible People
by Julia WertzIn her keenly observed graphic memoir, Impossible People, celebrated cartoonist Julia Wertz chronicles her haphazard attempts at sobriety and the relentlessly challenging, surprisingly funny, and occasionally absurd cycle of addiction and recovery.Opening at the culmination of a disastrous trip to Puerto Rico, the first page of Impossible People finds Julia standing stupefied in the middle of the jungle beside a rental jeep she's just crashed. From this moment, the story flashes back to the beginning of her five-year journey towards sobriety that includes group therapy sessions, relapses, an ill-fated relationship, terrible dates, and an unceremonious eviction from her New York City apartment. Far from the typical addiction narrative that follows an upward trajectory from rock bottom to rehab to recovery, Impossible People portrays the lesser told but more common story: That the road to recover is not always linear. With unflinching honesty and a healthy dose of humor, Wertz details the arduous, frustrating, and hilarious story of trying and failing and trying again.
The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office
by Jeremi SuriA bold new history of the American presidency, arguing that the successful presidents of the past created unrealistic expectations for every president since JFK, with enormously problematic implications for American politicsIn The Impossible Presidency, celebrated historian Jeremi Suri charts the rise and fall of the American presidency, from the limited role envisaged by the Founding Fathers to its current status as the most powerful job in the world. He argues that the presidency is a victim of its own success-the vastness of the job makes it almost impossible to fulfill the expectations placed upon it. As managers of the world's largest economy and military, contemporary presidents must react to a truly globalized world in a twenty-four-hour news cycle. There is little room left for bold vision.Suri traces America's disenchantment with our recent presidents to the inevitable mismatch between presidential promises and the structural limitations of the office. A masterful reassessment of presidential history, this book is essential reading for anyone trying to understand America's fraught political climate.
Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Adventures in the Ordinary
by Rebecca Front'Hilarious' Daily Mail'I was completely captivated' David SedarisPeople are odd. Even the most predictable of us sometimes defy expectations. Add to that the tricks that life plays on us and the world suddenly seems full of impossible things.As an award-winning actor and writer, Rebecca Front has always been fascinated by life's little quirks. Impossible Things Before Breakfast is a collection of true stories about surprising turns of events, bizarre misunderstandings and improbable life lessons. We learn, among other things, how gazing at the stars can help you communicate with teenagers, how a mushroom can undermine an ancient ritual, and why everyone should wear a cape.Combining elegant writing, wry humour and genuine insight, this brilliant collection prises open the lid on ordinary life and feasts on the impossible.
The Imposters
by Tom RachmanThe Imposters is the first novel in stories that Tom Rachman has written since his international bestseller The Imperfectionists.'An astonishing achievement - brutally funny, humane, dizzying - will win Rachman the readership he deserves' Patrick Gale'Clever and full of tricks from start to finish' SpectatorIt's set during a crisis in democracy, a society in lockdown linked digitally but convulsed by a social media frenzy, and is told by a little-known, little-read Dutch novelist named Dora Frenhofer who has decided that her life as an old woman in this post-truth pandemic world has become too much.But like a twenty-first century Scheherazade Dora spins stories to fend off the evil day, conjuring connections from her past to give meaning to the present. She imagines the fate of her missing brother, lost on the hippie trail in India in the sixties; the loneliness of her estranged daughter Beck, whose career writing stand-up shows for Netflix dramatizes the culture wars; Danny, an almost equally unfashionable writer she meets at a festival; the tortured history of the van driver who takes her unwanted books away; the nonchalant courier who nearly ran her over in the rain; her former lover, the sophisticated food critic; her last remaining friend. And finally, Dora's own last chapter.The Imposters is Rachman at his inimitable best, a writer whose formal ingenuity and flamboyant technique is matched by his humanity and generosity.
The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir
by Laurie SandellLaurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job: interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is -- not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them: herself.
Impostress: The Dishonest Adventures of Sarah Wilson
by R.J. Clarke"Her story is adapted to move the compassion of those she visits. She has bad nerves, and seems in great disorder of mind, which she pretends to be owing to the ill usage of her father […] She attempts to borrow money of [sic] waiters, servants, and chaise boys, and offers to leave something in pawn with them to the value. Her name is supposed to be Sarah Wilson." London Evening-Post, 30 October 1766 Beginning in her late teens, Sarah Wilson travelled alone all over England, living on her wits, inventing new identities, and embroidering stories to fool her victims into providing money and fine clothes. When her crimes eventually caught up with her, she was transported to America – where she reinvented herself in the guise of the Queen’s sister and began a new set of adventures at the onset of the American War of Independence. Using original research, newspaper reports and court records, this is the story of ‘the greatest Impostress of the present Age’: a real-life Moll Flanders who created a remarkable series of lives for herself on both sides of the Atlantic.
Imprisoned in India: Corruption and Extortion in the World’s Largest Democracy
by James TooleyJames Tooley has been described as a 21st-century Indiana Jones, travelling to remote parts of the developing world to track something that many regarded as mythical: private schools serving the poor. It was in the Indian city of Hyderabad that Tooley first discovered these schools, and wrote about them in his award-winning book The Beautiful Tree, which also documented state corruption and the attempts to shut the schools down. But the state was to exact revenge: upon returning to Hyderabad, Tooley was unjustly arrested and thrown into prison.Conditions in the prison were dire, and the jailers typically cruel and violent, but the other prisoners were extraordinarily kind. Chillingly, many had been in prison for years, never charged with anything, often victims of police corruption, too poor to go to court and secure bail.Imprisoned in India tells the story of Tooley's incarceration and subsequent battles with maddeningly corrupt Indian bureaucracy, which made him realise how fundamental the rule of law is to the workings of a good society. It's something we take for granted, but without which all human flourishing is threatened, especially for the poor. Tooley discovered, too, how the human spirit, even amongst those wrongfully imprisoned, can soar above the brutality and tyranny of those in power.
The Improbable Adventures of Miss Emily Soldene: Actress, Writer, and Rebel Victorian
by Helen Batten'I rode on the stage in such style, that the men in front forgot I was a girl, and also forgot to laugh.'From humble beginnings as the daughter of a Clerkenwell milliner, Emily Soldene rose to become a leading lady of the London stage and a formidable impresario with her own opera company. The darling of London's theatreland, she later reinvented herself as a journalist and writer who scandalised the capital with her backstage revelations.Weaving through the spurious glamour of Victorian music halls and theatres, taking encounters with the Pre-Raphaelites and legal disputes involving Charles Dickens in her stride, Emily became the toast of New York and ventured far off the beaten track to tour in Australia and New Zealand. In The Improbable Adventures of Miss Emily Soldene, a life filled with performance, travel and incident returns to centre stage.
An Improbable Life: The Autobiography
by Trevor McDonaldSir Trevor McDonald is an extraordinary man - and he has led an improbable life. Now in his 80th year, he is known and loved by people the world over for his humility, charm and natural ease. As a natural storyteller and communicator, he has few equals. In An Improbable Life, Sir Trevor recounts his personal experience of world events and interviews with globally famous - or notorious - figures. He has witnessed war and death and risked his own life to meet and talk with despots and liberators. We read about his first trip to South Africa, and obtaining the first British television interview with Nelson Mandela; his reflections on the Windrush generation; and experiencing Barack Obama's momentous inauguration as President of the USA. We are also present at his dramatic meetings with Saddam Hussein (the first and only one by a British television correspondent) and Muammar Gaddafi.Engaging, intimate and moving, this is the life story of an exceptional journalist and broadcaster who over decades has expertly revealed to us history in the making.
An Improvised Life: A Memoir
by Alan ArkinAlan Arkin knew he was going to be an actor from the age of five: "Every film I saw, every play, every piece of music fed an unquenchable need to turn myself into something other than what I was." An Improvised Life is the Oscar winner's wise and unpretentious recollection of the process--artistic and personal--of becoming an actor, and a revealing look into the creative mind of one of the best practitioners on stage or screen. In a manner that is direct, down-to-earth, accessible, and articulate, Arkin reveals insights not only about himself (and his audience and students), but also truths for the rest of us about work, relationships, and sense of self.
Imprudent King: A New Life of Philip II
by Geoffrey ParkerPhilip II is not only the most famous king in Spanish history, but one of the most famous monarchs in English history: the man who married Mary Tudor and later launched the Spanish Armada against her sister Elizabeth I. This compelling biography of the most powerful European monarch of his day begins with his conception (1526) and ends with his ascent to Paradise (1603), two occurrences surprisingly well documented by contemporaries. Eminent historian Geoffrey Parker draws on four decades of research on Philip as well as a recent, extraordinary archival discovery—a trove of 3,000 documents in the vaults of the Hispanic Society of America in New York City, unread since crossing Philip’s own desk more than four centuries ago. Many of them change significantly what we know about the king. The book examines Philip’s long apprenticeship; his three principal interests (work, play, and religion); and the major political, military, and personal challenges he faced during his long reign. Parker offers fresh insights into the causes of Philip’s leadership failures: was his empire simply too big to manage, or would a monarch with different talents and temperament have fared better?
Imre Nagy: A Biography (Communist Lives)
by Janos RainerAfter nearly three decades of dutiful service to the Communist Party, Imre Nagy led the popular uprising against the Soviet authorities during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Two years later he was disgraced and executed. How did the formerly loyal Party servant become one of its most ardent critics? How did he reconcile his own beliefs with the demands of the Party for so long - and what finally drove him to take a stand? And how should we understand his legacy for the modern democracy of Hungary?This definitive biography of the Communist leader traces his life from his conventional, petty bourgeois childhood in south-west Hungary, through his tremendous political achievements and ultimate dramatic failure. In this first complete portrait of this complex and contradictory figure,. János Rainer examines the decisions that shaped Nagy's life and determined the evolution of his unique political philosophy, focussing on the key episodes that defined his life: his decision to join the Communist Party while he was a prisoner during the First World War; his return to Hungary from Moscow as a minister in 1944; and his promotion to Prime Minister following Stalin's death, in 1953. Despite his political successes Nagy was never an uncritical or passive Communist and throughout his life he wrestled with the fundamental problem of how to reconcile Marxism-Leninism, as interpreted by the Soviet Union and supported by their huge resources, with a sense of national identity and his own reforming instincts. Imre Nagy is vividly brought to life as an enigmatic figure whose actions shaped Hungary's destiny in 1956 and ever since.
In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, And The Mysteries Of Love
by Joseph LuzziA story of love and grief. ‘I became a widower and a father on the same day’ says Joseph Luzzi. His book tells how Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’ helped him to endure his grief, raise their infant daughter, and rediscover love.
In a Flight of Starlings: The Wonder of Complex Systems
by Giorgio ParisiFrom the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, a remarkable journey into the practice of groundbreaking science 'Giorgio Parisi is renowned for his scientific creativity, originality, and power. In this exhilarating little book, he shows his human side, too. By its end, readers will feel they've made a charming, witty new friend' Frank WilczekThe world is shaped by complexity. In this enlightening book, Nobel Prize winner Giorgio Parisi guides us through his unorthodox yet exhilarating work to show us how. It all starts with investigating the principles of physics by observing the sophisticated flight patterns of starlings. Studying the movements of these birds, he has realized, proves an illuminating way into understanding complex systems of all kinds - collections of everything from atoms to planets to other animals like ourselves. Along the way, Parisi reflects on the lessons he's taken from a life in pursuit of scientific truth: the importance of serendipity to the discovery of new ideas, the surprising kinship between physics and other fields of study and the value of science to a thriving society. In so doing, he removes the practice of science from the confines of the laboratory and into the real world. Complexity is all around us - from climate to finance to biology, it offers a unique way of finding order in chaos. Part elegant scientific treatise, part thrilling intellectual journey, In a Flight of Starlings is an invitation to find wonder in the world around us.
In America: Tales from Trump Country
by Caitríona PerryAs RTÉ’s Washington correspondent, Caitríona Perry has earned a reputation as a reliable source of truth as the world tries to make sense of the maelstrom of shocking headlines emanating from Donald Trump’s America. In her first book, she goes beyond the news reports and delves into the American heartland where she witnessed his rise at first hand, while others were blindsided by his victory.Bringing to the table the voices of those who voted for President Trump, the ones whose opinions didn’t coalesce with acceptable mainstream discourse – Hillary Clinton’s so-called ‘basket of deplorables’ – Caitríona Perry reveals just what is really happening in America right nowThis is the story of the American people who were angry and disillusioned by traditional politics. It is the story of the workers of the industrial heartland, of the women of America, of immigrant communities, of the people who viewed a wealthy businessman from the city of New York as ‘one of us’. This is the story of the people who shook the world.‘Spellbindingly good. Journeying across America, Caitríona Perry masterfully takes us into the hearts and minds of those who voted for Donald Trump. A triumph of a book.’ Prof. Gary Murphy, Head of the School of Law and Government, DCU‘From the Mexico border to the Oval Office, Caitríona Perry brings us to the coalface of one of the most tempestuous and extraordinary opening periods of any presidency in modern memory.’ Ryan Tubridy ‘In my visits to Ireland since the 2016 election, the most frequent question I get is “How could that happen?” Caitríona Perry answers it honestly and candidly as only someone who takes the time to understand could.’ Cody Keenan, Chief Speechwriter to President Barack Obama‘Bringing us vivid voices from Trump country, and exploring the emotional landscape in which his campaign took root, this book deepens our understanding of the Trump phenomenon.’ Anne Anderson, Former Irish Ambassador to the US.‘The hopes, contradictions and beliefs of Trump voters brilliantly told – a necessary and insightful book!’ Joe Duffy ‘This entertaining and insightful travelogue, through its attention to detail of both place and people, lays bare both the death and residual power of the American Dream.’ Prof. Liam Kennedy, Clinton Institute for American Studies, UCD‘A genuinely fascinating chance to meet the most and least likely Trump voters and find out why his election was ultimately bound to happen.’ Rick O’Shea
In at the Deep End (Quick Reads)
by David DaviesAs he was carried off on a stretcher at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Welsh swimmer David Davies was celebrating his success. His exhausting performance in the first ever 10 km open water race earned him a silver medal and, more importantly, a place in British swimming history. But what was running though his head as he collapsed from the physical exhaustion of completing the Olympics' most gruelling swimming race?This is David's own story. The tale of how an ordinary schoolboy from Barry made the swimming world sit up and take notice. He talks about his determination and drive and his life both in and out of the water.
In Bad Faith: Inside a secret ultra-Orthodox sect and the brutal betrayal it tried to hide
by Dassi ErlichThis powerful memoir gives extraordinary insight into a secretive sect, and the horror Dassi Erlich had to survive. Dassi's resilience and fight for justice is inspiring. As a young girl growing up in a strict ultra-Orthodox family, Dassi's life was preordained - marry young, live a devout life and raise children within the Adass community's religious rules. This righteous path would keep her safe from the immodest, secular world just a few blocks away in suburban Melbourne.But the Adass community was not safe for Dassi.She was fifteen when her revered school principal, Malka Leifer, started to single her out. Dassi's cloistered and harsh upbringing meant she didn't have the words for what was happening to her, but she knew it was very, very wrong. It would take her years to break free of the secrecy which pervaded the community and tell the police of her betrayal. And only then would she find out others, including two of her sisters, had also been abused, and would learn some in the Adass community had helped Leifer flee to Israel. With the only world she knew crumbling around her, Dassi found the strength to fight, leading a brave fifteen-year campaign to bring Leifer back to face Australian courts.This is Dassi's story.'I am a sexual abuse survivor, but I am also more than a survivor. I will continue fighting for justice for all victims.'
In Bed with the Blueshirts
by Shane RossThe definitive inside account of the 2016-20 coalition government.Cabinet minister Shane Ross reveals the bitter internal battles fought with the old Blueshirts, the crises when the coalition came close to collapse and the sometimes fraught personal relationships between the fifteen figures who made up the last government.He recounts how a group of Independents risked everything to form a government that was expected to last for only months but which ran for more than four years, under two Taoisigh with utterly different styles. With great humour and charm, Ross unveils the skulduggery, the secret deals, the drama of how Irish football was rescued and Olympic chief Pat Hickey toppled, showing us what really happens behind the closed doors of Ireland's government.
The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments – THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
by Hadley VlahosAS SEEN ON THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW - 'Heartfelt ... Gentle, refreshingly forthright' New York TimesHospice nurse and TikTok star Hadley Vlahos shares moving stories, life lessons and wisdom from her patients in this heart-warming memoir about how end-of-life care can teach us just as much about how to live as it does about how we die.'The combined beauty, faith, and compassion found in each patient's death is meaningful and sublime' Theresa Brown, author of The Shift'Vlahos's compassionate, beautifully written book contains profound wisdom' Katy Butler, author of The Art of Dying Well***We don't often talk about dying, even in the medical field, but death is a universal part of life. An ardent advocate for compassionate end-of-life care, Hadley Vlahos shows us that the end of our lives can be rich, beautiful and transformative by sharing moving stories about how her patients' final days have changed her life.Full of insights from real people, from the woman who never once questioned her faith until she was close to death, to the older man seeing visions of his late daughter, to the young patient who laments that she spent too much of her short life worrying about what others thought of her - each story raises vital questions about living, dying and the afterlife, inspiring us to live our lives to the fullest.***'Extraordinary ... helps dispel fear around death and dying - revealing it to be a natural part of our soul's evolution' Laura Lynne Jackson, author of The Signs'Tender and transformative . . . it makes dying feel like a peaceful, dynamic, and nourishing event' Christie Tate, author of Group