Biographies

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Whether you're interested in celebrities, sports stars or royals, we've got you covered with our massive range of Biographies. You can read some of the stories behind the stars with our selection below. Just use the filters below to find the perfect biography book for you or a loved one.

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Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. At the end of Jeremy's first year in the tractor's driving seat, Diddly Squat farm rewarded him with a profit of just £144. So, while he's the first to admit that he's still only a 'trainee farmer'*, there is clearly still work to be done. Because while he's mastered the art of moaning about nearly everything, some of the other attributes required of a successful farmer prove more of a challenge. Did you know that loading a grain trailer was more demanding than flying an Apache gunship? Or that cows were more dangerous than motor-racing? Or whether would have been easier to get planning permission to build a nuclear power station than to turn an old barn into a farm restaurant? But if the council planning department and the local red trouser brigade seem determined to frustrate his schemes at every turn, at least he's got Lisa, Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Gerald, his dry-stone-walling Head of Security to see him through.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780241695791 • Author:  Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher:  Michael Joseph • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  240 • Dimensions:  15.24 x 1.3 x 23.5 cm

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£5.00 RRP £20.00 Save £15.00 (75% Off RRP)

Pull on your wellies, grab your flat cap and join Jeremy Clarkson in this hilarious and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the farm we're all obsessed with . . . An idyllic spot offering picturesque views across the Cotswolds, bustling hedgerows and natural springs. Until one day, Jeremy decided he would do the farming itself. After all, how hard could it be? . . . Faced with suffocating red tape, biblical weather, local objections, a global pandemic and his own frankly staggering ignorance of how to 'do farming', Jeremy soon realises that turning the farm around is going to take more than splashing out on a massive tractor. Fortunately, there's help at hand from a large and (mostly) willing team, including girlfriend Lisa, Kaleb the Tractor Driver, Cheerful Charlie, Ellen the Shepherd and Gerald, his Head of Security and Dry Stone Waller. And yet while the farm may be called Diddly Squat for good reason, Jeremy soon begins to understand that it's worth a whole lot more to him than pounds, shillings and pence . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241464502 • Author: Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher: Michael Joseph • Format: Hardback • Pages: 224 • Dimensions: 24 x 16.2 x 2.6 cm

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£5.00 Was £7.00 RRP £16.99 Save £11.99 (71% Off RRP)

The heart-warming tale of a life-saving friendship. In 2006, a traumatic car accident changed Kerry Irving’s life forever. Suffering from severe neck and back injuries, Kerry was unemployed and housebound, struggling with depression and even thoughts of suicide. He went from cycling over 600 miles a month to becoming a prisoner in his own home. With hope all but lost, Kerry’s wife encouraged him to go on a short walk to the local shop. In the face of unbearable pain and overwhelming panic, he persevered and along the way, met an adorable yard dog named Max. As the Spaniel peered up through the railings, Kerry found comfort and encouragement in his soulful brown eyes. This chance encounter marked a turning point in both their lives. In Max, Kerry found comfort and motivation and in Kerry, Max found someone to care for him. This is their remarkable, inspiring story. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008353520 • Author: Kerry Irving • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Paperback • Pages: 272 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.8 cm

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Think of this memoir as a Christmas special in book form, from someone who has been involved in a few of those and understands a bit about the concept. But a Christmas special very much like Only Fools and Horses, in the sense that the stories will be always heading outwards, ranging far and wide and well beyond the traditional festive gags involving giblets left in turkeys. As I sift through various festive-related episodes in my career, loosening the ribbons, parting the wrapping paper, I'll be doing my best to reach any relevant conclusions about life, work and the meaning of it all that I can usefully pass on to you - baubles of wisdom if you like. Or certainly baubles. You'll learn why I have the perfect face to play Scrooge. And if you're lucky I'll also share what it's like to fly in a helicopter with my old mucker Tom Cruise. Merry Christmas, you plonkers. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781804955550 • Author: David Jason • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.1cm

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£2.50 RRP £258.00 Save £255.50 (99% Off RRP)

For over 150 years, Broadmoor has contained the UK's most violent, notoriously psychopathic criminals known. Since 1863, Broadmoor opened as an asylum and has housed perpetrators of some of the most dangerous and outrageous crimes in history - from Jack the Ripper suspect James Kelly , armed robber Charles Bronson, gangster Ronnie Kray and cannibal Peter Bryan. The mysterious happenings behind these walls has been unknown until now. Jonathon Levi and cultural historian Emma French paint the scene at Broadmoor after spending nearly a decade speaking and observing those inside. With various exclusive interviews, Inside Broadmoor is the full story into the minds of Britain's most violent and how they are treated. Product Information: ISBN: 9781788700948 Author: Jonathon Levi & Emma French Publisher: Blink Publishing Format: Blink Publishing Pages: 294 Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 2cm

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Why are Scotland Yard murder detectives considered among the finest in the world? And why is so little known about how they truly work? Take a look at what lies behind that success with someone who knows. DI Steven Keogh spent over half of his 30-year police career as a Scotland Yard detective, helping to hunt down terrorists and some of the worst murderers in London. Step inside the mind of an investigator in a never-before-seen look into what it takes to catch killers and bring them to justice. In a journey from crime scene to trial, you will witness the emotional highs and lows of cracking real-life murder cases and discover why people kill, while debunking the myths that surround this detective work. Are you ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about the world of murder investigations? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789466423 • Author: Steven Keogh • Publisher: John Blake • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2cm

5 ({1})
£2.50 Was £3.00 RRP £9.99 Save £7.49 (75% Off RRP)

SAS Great Escapes Two recounts the hitherto untold stories of six of the most dramatic and daring escapes executed by the world's most famous fighting force during WWII. From the very earliest SAS missions to the push into Nazi-occupied Europe, they cover some of the key figures in the Regiment, including its founder, David Stirling, plus other lesser-known heroes. With each story comes an edge-of-the-seat, rollercoaster ride in classic Damien Lewis fashion, as readers are plunged into the escapees' experiences - sharing their most terrifying yet inspiring moments. These stunning accounts of survival beggar belief, revealing nerve-racking bluff and deception, knife-edge encounters with enemy hunter forces hellbent on wreaking vengeance and murder, but also incredible acts of mercy and kindness from those who risk all to help the escapees on their way. Each tale of breath-taking derring-do reveals how necessity really is the mother of all invention, as with every step and at every juncture these fugitives defied fate, snatching survival and freedom from the jaws of the enemy, and all the horrors that would have followed capture. Damien Lewis has worked closely with the families of those portrayed, accessing wartime diaries, letters, mission reports, interrogation transcripts and more, to relate how the men of the SAS crossed blazing deserts, evaded enemy hunter forces and escaped through hostile lands, battling against seemingly insurmountable odds. But most of all, these uplifting tales of endurance beyond measure showcase the triumph of the human spirit and the will to survive. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781529429428 • Author: Damien Lewis • Publisher: Quercus Publishing • Format:  Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.8 x 3.6 cm

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The mystery has haunted generations since the Second World War: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why? Now, thanks to radical new technology and the obsession of a retired FBI agent, this book offers an answer. Rosemary Sullivan unfolds the story in a gripping, moving narrative. Over thirty million people have read The Diary of a Young Girl, the journal teenaged Anne Frank kept while living in an attic with her family and four other people in Amsterdam during World War II, until the Nazis arrested them and sent them to a concentration camp. But despite the many works – journalism, books, plays and novels – devoted to Anne’s story, none has ever conclusively explained how these eight people managed to live in hiding undetected for over two years – and who or what finally brought the Nazis to their door. With painstaking care, retired FBI agent Vincent Pankoke and a team of indefatigable investigators pored over tens of thousands of pages of documents – some never before seen – and interviewed scores of descendants of people familiar with the Franks. Utilising methods developed by the FBI, the Cold Case Team painstakingly pieced together the months leading to the infamous arrest – and came to a shocking conclusion. The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation is the riveting story of their mission. Rosemary Sullivan introduces us to the investigators, explains the behaviour of both the captives and their captors and profiles a group of suspects. All the while, she vividly brings to life wartime Amsterdam: a place where no matter how wealthy, educated, or careful you were, you never knew whom you could trust. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008353872 • Author: Rosemary Sullivan • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.6 cm

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£2.50 RRP £9.99 Save £7.49 (75% Off RRP)

Another year on the Diddly Squat Farm and Jeremy is still knee-deep in mud and endless challenges. Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. Since taking the wheel three years ago Jeremy's had his work cut out. And it's now clear from hard-won experience that, when it comes to farming, there's only one golden rule: Whatever you hope will happen, won't. Enthusiastic schemes to diversify have met with stubborn opposition from the red trouser brigade, defeat at the hands of Council Planning department, and predictable derision from Kaleb - although, to be fair, even Lisa had doubts about Jeremy's brilliant plan to build a business empire founded on rewilding and nettle soup. And only Cheerful Charlie is still smiling about the stifling amount of red tape that's incoming... But he charges by the hour. Then there are the animals: the sheep are gone; the cows have been joined by a rented bull called Break-Heart Maestro;. the pigs are making piglets; and the goats have turned out to be psychopaths. But despite the naysayers and (sometimes self-inflicted) setbacks, Jeremy remains irrepressibly optimistic about life at Diddly Squat. Because It's hard not to be when you get to harvest blackberries with a vacuum cleaner. And, after all, it shouldn't just be Break-heart Maestro who gets to enjoy a happy ending...  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780241674895 • Author:  Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher:  Michael Joseph • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  192 • Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.6 x 23.6 cm

4.5 ({1})
£11.00 RRP £22.00 Save £11.00 (50% Off RRP)

One of the most remarkable stories in the history of Special Forces' operations - Daily Express In the bleak moments after defeat on mainland Europe in winter 1939, wartime leader Winston Churchill knew that Britain had to strike back hard. He recruited a band of eccentric free-thinking warriors to become the first 'deniable' secret operatives behind enemy lines, offering these volunteers nothing but the potential for glory and all-but-certain death. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tells of the daring victories for this small force of 'freelance pirates' in their many missions against the Nazis, often dressed in enemy uniforms and breaking all previously held rules of warfare. Master storyteller and military historian Damien Lewis brings the true adventures of the secret unit to life, from their earliest missions to the death of the group's leader just weeks before the end of World War Two. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781529439526 • Author: Damien Lewis • Publisher: Quercus • Format:  Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.8 x 19.6 cm

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HMP Wakefield. ‘Monster Mansion’. Hell to be inside. Almost impossible to escape. This prison has seen some of the most infamous prisoners of all time pass through its cells – from Levi Bellfield to Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Charles Bronson. Jonathan Levi and Emma French are the perfect authors to give chilling insight into all the terrible men who have served time there. After detailing the shocking truth of life in Britain’s most high-profile psychiatric hospital in their bestselling book Inside Broadmoor, now they will take readers behind bars in this the UK’s most notorious prison. Inside Wakefield Prison will trace its long and intriguing history, from when it was first built in 1594 all the way up to the present day. Today, just over 750 of the country’s most dangerous offenders are kept there, including ‘Hannibal the Cannibal’ Robert Maudsley, notorious killer Jeremy Bamber and former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins. Featuring all the sinister and truly horrifying stories that have emerged from the prison, as well as new unheard tales, this book will fascinate and shock readers on every page. Told with the help of interviews with staff, experts – and even in the words of the prisoners themselves – this is a no-holds-barred journey into the dark. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789467536 • Author: Jonathan Levi & Emma French • Publisher: Bonnier Books UK Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2cm

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Britain’s first-ever wartime fighter plane, the Hawker Hurricane, shot down more enemy planes than any other fighter. It was the true aviation hero of the Battle of Britain. Often eclipsed by the legend and aerial heroics of the Spitfire, the Hurricane was the authentic warhorse of aviation history. Stable, rugged, less expensive to build – and far more easily repaired and maintained than the Spitfire – the ‘Hurri’ as it was affectionately known, proved to be the most fearsome fighter plane in aerial combat – at a time when Britain’s survival was at stake like never before. In 1940 the Hurricane made its mark: more than half of the 1,200 German aircraft that were shot down in the war were taken down by Hurricanes. At the time, the RAF could call on 32 squadrons of Hurricanes and 19 Spitfires: the Hurricane was, in fact, the dominant British fighter plane, developing a reputation as a plane that could take more than a few hits from the enemy – and continue to fly. The Spit was the aviation thoroughbred, superb until damaged. The Hurri was much stronger. The skilled airmen came from all over the world; one of them from RAF 80 Squadron would later become a very famous author – Roald Dahl. Using documents, letters and first-hand accounts, this is the historic untold story of the Hawker Hurricane and the lives of the men and women who flew, helped design and construct, fit and worked behind the scenes of the ‘Hurri’, all contributing in ways big and small, to its outstanding success as a legend of the Second World War. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789296846 • Author: Jacky Hyams • Publisher: Michael O'Mara • Format: Paperback • Pages: 256 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.9 cm

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THE UNMISSABLE, UNVARNISHED MEMOIRS OF BORIS JOHNSON Boris Johnson has always been larger than life. Controversial, untrammelled by the normal rules of politics, his route to becoming Britain’s prime minister included a landmark career as a journalist, two terms as London’s mayor, leading the Vote Leave Brexit campaign and acting as foreign secretary. He won the largest Tory majority since 1987 when he went to the polls in December 2019 for a mandate to ‘Get Brexit Done’ – only to have his administration hit by the global Covid pandemic and toppled in a Tory putsch. Unleashed is his account of his time in politics, and a book that shatters the mould of the modern prime ministerial memoir. Written in his inimitable style, it is honest, unrestrained and deeply revealing about the politician who has dominated our times. This is his story of the fifteen years since he trounced Ken Livingstone at the polls to become mayor of London. Riots, tackling knife crime, bikes, buses, the London Olympics, and so much more. He writes about his role in Brexit, takes readers through all the big decisions and his reasons for taking them, and describes how he nearly died from Covid. Underlying everything in the book is his view that the UK is an extraordinary country and should have an exceptional future. These are the reflections of a political leader who believes fundamentally in levelling up – that there are millions of people in Britain who do not have the present they need or the future they deserve, and that it is the first job of politicians to put this right. It is all here. From soup to nuts, warts and all. As a journalist he was famed as a blurter of unsayable truths, and he has drawn again on this quality for the book. About people, policies, mistakes and triumphs. This is it – the reality as he saw it: unvarnished, unlocked, unleashed. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008618209 • Author: Boris Johnson • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Hardback • Pages: 784 • Dimensions: 24 x 15.9cm

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£15.00 RRP £30.00 Save £15.00 (50% Off RRP)

Calling all Swifties! This brand new, fully up to date book has everything that fans need to know about Taylor Swift. Follow her journey from country music sensation to global megastar. Discover the hidden meanings behind her greatest songs, find out about her life as a performer and movie star, and read all kinds of quotes and TayTay trivia. Take a quiz to see how well you know Taylor, and even work out how to adopt all her different styles. You'll even join her on her current Eras world tour, and discover the story behind this amazing international event – including best songs and most momentous moments. This is an unmissable book for anyone who loves Taylor Swift! Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781839352867 • Author: Mortimer Children's Books • Publisher: Welbeck Children's Books • Format:  Hardcover • Pages: 64 • Dimensions: 21.8 x 1.2 x 28.6 cm

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'A lot of those old sayings, 'Red sky at night...' and so on, are based on real knowledge. Not that red sky at night really does mean shepherd's delight - the only thing that's ever going to delight a shepherd is changing their job and not having to work with sheep any more.' Kaleb Cooper - star of hit TV show Clarkson's Farm and Sunday Times bestselling author - has been catapulted into the limelight and his new book, Life According to Kaleb, he shares the highs, lows and unexpected adventures of life at Diddly Squat from wrestling with temperamental tractors to dodging the wrath of cantankerous cows and after all that why he still believes he has the best job in the world. Kaleb reveals his true, loveable, funny and down-to-earth self, with deadpan gags and unique observations that will have you crying with laughter. Utterly hilarious, this is Kaleb as you know and love him, telling the story of how he has become one of the biggest names in farming today. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781529437881 • Author: Kaleb Cooper • Publisher: Quercus • Format:  Hardback • Pages: 224  • Dimensions: 15.4 x 2.4 x 21 cm

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£10.00 RRP £20.00 Save £10.00 (50% Off RRP)

THE UK'S NO.1 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING TRUE CRIME AUTHOR - A PETRIFYING GLIMPSE INTO THE MOST EVIL MINDS OF OUR TIME... Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes. The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons. Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book, which, since its first publication, has gone on to become a True Crime classic. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible- to mercilessly take the life of another human being. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789468045 • Author: Christopher Berry-Dee • Publisher: Bonnier Books UK Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368

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£2.50 RRP £8.99 Save £6.49 (72% Off RRP)

Are you a dedicated Swiftie? Look no further for your fandom fix than this Era by Era biography. Celebrate the incredible career of pop music’s biggest star in this sparkling biography. We’re all living in the Taylor Swift Era. Since her 2006 debut album she’s sold more than 200 million records, sold out countless arenas and become one of the most influential artists of her generation. Her Eras Tour is on track to gross more than $1 billion by the time it concludes in December 2024, and her most recent studio album hit No. 1 in more than 25 countries. In this revealing and entertaining biography, author and music journalist Caroline Sullivan charts Taylor’s journey from budding country starlet to pop music phenomenon, encompassing her evolution as an artist, her high-profile relationships and the stories behind her songs. Each of Taylor’s Eras is explored in depth, detailing her influences, her collaborators and the aesthetics that have become such a crucial part of her performance. Featuring a stunning photographic section with pictures spanning her entire career, this is the most complete portrait yet of one of the most popular artists on the planet! Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781789296860 • Author: Caroline Sullivan • Publisher: Michael O’Mara • Format: Paperback • Pages: 256 • Dimensions: 15.2 x 3.2 x 23.2cm

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£6.00 RRP £16.99 Save £10.99 (65% Off RRP)

US President John F. Kennedy's killing in Dallas, Texas, in November 1963, sent a shockwave around the world. The charismatic young Democrat was seen as a beacon of hope in the West, but his liberal reforming policies had made him many powerful enemies at home. For sixty years, numerous theories have swirled around this key event in American - and world - history. Yet whatever the conclusions of the official Warren Report - that the President had been assassinated by a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald - many people doubt that to be true. Indeed, President Nixon later admitted on tape that the report was 'a hoax committed on the American people.' John Hughes-Wilson, a former colonel in British Intelligence, has sifted through the millions of words and thousands of pieces of evidence, to put together an intelligence assessment of what really happened that dreadful high noon in Dallas in 1963. Reading this astounding book, no one can be in any doubt that JFK's death was not at the hands of a lone deranged gunman, but a deadly plot to remove a President who threatened vested interests at home and abroad.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781789467376 • Author:  John Hughes-Wilson • Publisher:  John Blake • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  368 • Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.1 x 19.8 cm   

4.7 ({1})
£2.50 Was £4.00 RRP £10.99 Save £8.49 (77% Off RRP)

From the hit TV series come two true-crime stories where the bonds of matrimony and love can tear you brutally apart. TILL MURDER DO US PART  (with Andrew Bourelle)  Kathi Spiars can't believe she's found such a good man to marry as Steven Marcum. Twelve years later, she starts to suspect that he isn't who he says he is. As she digs into his past, she doesn't realise that learning the truth will lead to a lifetime of fear and hiding.  RAMP UP TO MURDER  (with Max DiLallo)  Brandi McClain, a young, beautiful teenager, moves to California from Arizona, to model and live with her new boyfriend, a professional skateboarder. But her perfect life is about to turn on its head. In San Diego, investigators hunt for a missing girl. It's a case that seems to be plagued by dead ends. But once the truth emerges, it's more haunting than they could have imagined. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529953671 • Author: James Patterson • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2cm

3.7 ({1})
£2.50 RRP £7.99 Save £5.49 (69% Off RRP)

Adam Kay returns and will once again have you in stitches in his painfully funny and startlingly powerful follow-up to his first book. In his most honest and incisive book yet, he reflects on what's happened since hanging up his scrubs and examines a life inextricably bound up with medicine. Battered and bruised from his time on the NHS frontline, Kay looks back, moves forwards and opens up some old wounds. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781398700390 • Author: Adam Kay • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3cm

4.9 ({1})
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