Biography

From 1942 until 1944, Anne Frank and her family lived secretly in a few small rooms at the back of her father's office in Amsterdam, never leaving the building. Like many other Jewish families at that time, they were hiding from Hitler's Nazis. While she was in hiding, Anne wrote diaries which de...

This personal collection of memories covers the period from William Newby's early life in the late 1920's and early 30's, working on farms with horses and dogs in the North Yorkshire Dales, and through to his moves to North Lancashire and to Cumbria. It also captures the life and often harsh envi...

A child of the Blitz, Rose's youngest days are shaped by iconic experiences of wartime and post-war Britain - evacuation, grinding poverty and seemingly endless years of rationing. But she also faces other, more unconventional challenges in the form of her eccentric and unpredictable family. As R...

On October 17, 2002, David MacLean 'woke up' on a train platform in India with no idea who he was or why he was there. No money. No passport. No identity. Taken to a mental hospital by the police, MacLean then started to hallucinate so severely he had to be tied down. Soon he could remember song ...

Ronnie Lane's story is that of a working-class kid who started his musical career busking a ukulele at the age of eight. As a young man he signed with legendary manager Don Arden, who paid him in paisley shirts. He then enjoyed a phenomenal 17 consecutive Top 40 singles, womanising and LSD, and f...

The autobiography of one of the most significant and beloved of songwriters of the 20th century. Throughout his 60-year career, Burt Bacharach has worked with artists from Dionne Warwick to Dr Dre, Marlene Dietrich to Elvis Costello. 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' traces his life and times in his own w...

From innocent child to charismatic world-famous scientist, Richard Dawkins paints a colourful, richly textured canvas of his early life. Honest self-reflection and witty anecdotes are interspersed with touching reminiscences of his family and friends, literature, poetry and songs. We are finally ...

When young Mollie became a 'skivvy' in a stately London townhouse aged just 14, she quickly learned that a large amount of elbow grease and a sense of humour would be tantamount to surviving there. Through Mollie's eyes we are offered a fascinating glimpse into London's invisible 'downstairs', a ...

This title explores Welby's: apparent dependence on Roman Catholic social thought; his economic and social theory; his model of leadership and authority; his interactions with liberal campaigners such as Peter Tatchell; his relations with, and comparison to, Pope Francis; his handling of major An...

'An Armful of Babies and a Cup of Tea' is a vivid portrait of rural England in the post-war years, and a testament to an NHS in its own infancy and to what hasn't changed: the bond between parents and their children, and the importance of protecting that.