Biography & Memoir Sale

The Definitive Biography of the Most Successful Driver in F1 History After equalling Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles, and overtaking him as having the most race wins, pole positions, and podium finishes, Sir Lewis Hamilton became the most successful racing driver of all time—and the most dominant and successful Briton ever to drive in Formula 1. Hamilton's debut...

From the bestselling author of Phosphorescence comes a beautiful and timely exploration of that most mysterious but necessary of human qualities: grace.SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 INDIE BOOK AWARDSSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 ABIA GENERAL NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKPEOPLE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARLONGLISTED, 2024 WALKLEY BOOK AWARD 'Luminous ... A work to both devour and savour,...

This riveting book tells the story of a creative genius, from his early interest in industrial design to his meteoric rise, as well as the principles and practices that led Ive to become the designer of his generation. Steve Jobs discovered Ive in 1997, when he found the scruffy British designer toiling away in a studio surrounded by hundreds of...

A landmark reinterpretation of the life of William the Conqueror—a pivotal figure in British and European history "[The] definitive biography of the man who forever changed England with his invasion of 1066."—Tony Barber, “Best books of 2016," Financial Times In this magisterial addition to the Yale English Monarchs series, David Bates combines biography and a multidisciplinary approach to examine the...

An extensively researched, comprehensive biography of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, one of the twentieth century’s most powerful and controversial figures. Victorious in Defeat explores the life of Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975), who led the Republic of China for almost fifty years, starting in 1926. He was the architect of a new, republican China, a hero of the Second World War,...

Lloyd Geering is one of New Zealand's foremost thinkers, a man of clarity and vision who continues to present new and challenging ideas about the spiritual life of the culture he lives in. His life almost spans the twentieth century, and his stories of growing up in the Depression, cycling trips around the country, and a lively but impoverished student...

An award-winning journalist tells her haunting family story. Diana Wichtel was born in Vancouver. Her mother was a New Zealander, her father a Polish Jew who had jumped off a train to the Treblinka death camp and hidden from the Nazis until the end of the war. When Diana was 13, she moved to New Zealand with her mother, sister...

Shortlisted, 2024 NSW Premier's History Awards, Anzac Memorial Trustees Military History Prize On 9 August 1918, at Chipilly Spur overlooking the Somme River, an entire British Army Corps is held up by German machine gunners. The battle has raged for 30 hours and more than 2000 men have fallen. Then, two Australian sergeants, Jack Hayes and Harold Andrews, go absent...

Edward Victor Dick began life as a simple farm boy but was always attracted to music. Growing up amidst the cultural revolution of the 1960s was fertile ground for his exceptionally active imagination. A dramatic epiphany in his early 20s led him to pursue a career as a builder of musical instruments. This is the story of that journey, how...

A scintillating journey through the seventies and the extraordinary music it gave rise to - including the new concept of sound that defines music today. After the dense miasma of the sixties, the seventies hit like a hangover. Idealism took a pounding as cynicism began to pervade western culture. Stagflation became a thing. Watergate, environmental disasters, and an oil crisis...

Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson goes a long way to showing what investigative journalism could be in the right hands . . . this book is undeniably buzzworthy. -Portland Book Review An absorbing and unnerving read . . . this book demands to be finished in one sitting. -Booklist One of the must-read books of this century. -Gillian Flynn, #1...

A rollercoaster ride driven by the Palin hallmarks of humour, curiosity and a sense of adventure. Michael Palin was not the BBC's first choice for the travel series Around the World in 80 Days, but after its success, the public naturally wanted more. Palin, however, had other plans. There was his film American Friends, a role in Alan Bleasdale's award-winning...

In January 2003, Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah set off on a three-week trip around the world. An adventure by any measure, this trip was especially meaningful as it marked another milestone in the life journey of two brothers who, by their early thirties, were the only surviving members of their family. As Nicholas and Micah travel the globe,...

How does one young man survive the deaths of his entire family and manage to make something worthwhile of his life? In Things The Grandchildren Should Know, Mark Oliver Everett tells the story of what it's like to grow up the insecure son of a genius in a wacky Virginia Ice Storm-like family. Left to run wild with his sister,...

'What a story - never heard a story like that before' - Chris Evans 'Uplifting and brave' - Stylist 'Claire Nelson relives a life-changing four days' - The Times 'A riveting account of loneliness, anxiety and survival' - Cosmopolitan 'An astonishing feat of physical and emotional endurance' - Mail on Sunday YOU Magazine 'A gripping account of her determination to...

Perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and The Librarian of Auschwitz - this is the international bestselling and life-affirming true story of female bravery and surviving the horrors of Auschwitz. NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller and WINNER of the Opzij Literature Prize 2019 They knew their survival depended on each other.They had to live for each other....

For fans of One Born Every Minute. The Secret Midwife is a heart-breaking, engrossing and important read. At once joyful and profoundly shocking, this is the story of birth, straight from the delivery room. Strongest supporter, best friend, expert, cheerleader and chief photographer... Before, during and after labour the role of a midwife is second to none. The Secret Midwife...

The funny, warm and moving diaries of a man at the centre of one of the world's most influential comedy troupes. Michael Palin's diaries begin when he was newly married and struggling to make a name for himself in the world of television comedy. But Monty Python was just around the corner... The Python Years is an engaging volume that...

John O'Halloran was a country boy from Tamworth, NSW, who was called up for national service not long after the start of the Vietnam War. As a tough and determined 21-year-old, he guided 6 RAR's B Company 5 Platoon through some of the biggest conflicts of the war, including Operation Hobart and the Battle of Long Tan. But he faced...

Before Pep Guardiola and before José Mourinho, there was Béla Guttmann: the first superstar football coach, and the man who paved the way for the celebrated coaches of the modern age. He was also a Holocaust survivor. In 1944, much of Europe had wanted Guttmann dead. He hid for months in an attic near Budapest as thousands of fellow Jews...

At once a heart-wrenching personal narrative and a unique historical document, The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt is the ultimate example of the personal as political. Eleanor Roosevelt stands as one of the world’s greatest humanitarians, having dedicated her remarkable life to the liberty and equality of all people. In this sincere and frank self-portrait, she recounts her childhood—marked by the...

One of Britain's most distinguished biographers turns her focus on one of the most vilified women of the twentieth century. Historian Anne Sebba has written the first full biography by a woman of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. That Woman, as she was referred to by the Queen Mother, became a hate figure for ensnaring a British king and destabilising...

Featuring fresh insights from all eleven studio albums—from Taylor Swift to The Tortured Poets Department—Taylor Swift: Album by Album mines her life, lyrics, and music like nothing else before it. This book also features several chapters on all the Taylor's Version albums released to date, with panel discussions from noted Swift scholars accompanied by vibrant photography that captures Swift in...

From the star of SAS AUSTRALIA Dean's journey from the Special Boat Service to intrepid adventurer is truly inspirational. - Sir Ranulph Fiennes An extraordinary tale of courage and adventure. Dean's story is inspirational. - Levison Wood Dean's relentless determination to help those who face many mental health battles is incredible and admirable - he's a hero to many. -...

Those who know Jane Goodall through her many books, speeches, and National Geographic television specials, know she is obviously no ordinary scientist. She is a genuinely spiritual woman who cares passionately about the preservation and enhancement of life in all its forms. Based upon the many spiritual experiences that have graced and shaped her outlook on life, Dr. Goodall is...

2013 Gold Winner IBPA Ben Franklin Awards In a memoir remarkable for its quiet confidence and acute natural observation, the author of Paddling Hawaii and Paddling My Own Canoe begins with her decision, at age 60, to undertake a solo, summer-long voyage along the southeast coast of Alaska in an inflatable kayak. Paddling North is a compilation of Sutherland's first...

This book is about the beginning of Sir Alex's football career, until the year 2000. 1999 was an outstanding year for Alex Ferguson—not only did he lead Manchester United, the most glamorous club in the world, to a unique and outstanding treble triumph, but he was awarded the highest honour for his sporting achievements; a Knighthood from the Queen. Universally...

Little Girl Blue is an intimate profile of Karen Carpenter, a girl from a modest Connecticut upbringing who became a Southern California superstar. Karen was the instantly recognizable lead singer of the Carpenters. The top-selling American musical act of the 1970s, they delivered the love songs that defined a generation. Little Girl Blue reveals Karen's heartbreaking struggles with her mother,...

As one of Australia's most celebrated athletes, Michael Klim's impact extends far beyond the pool. Klim's journey to greatness began behind the Iron Curtain, in communist-era Poland. His family made a bid for freedom in the 1980s and immigrated to Australia, where swimming became his passport into a new culture and eventually led him to become one of his adopted...

Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore based out of his garage. Since then, the ever-expanding enterprise has revolutionised shopping and, in many important ways, invented e-commerce as we know it. Today, Amazon is the third-most valuable company in the world, and Bezos's vast customer-oriented empire has mushroomed to include everything from cloud computing and fresh food...

In the Shadow of the Empress is the sweeping family saga of beautiful Maria Theresa, the only woman to inherit and rule the vast Habsburg empire in her own name, and three of her remarkable daughters: lovely, talented Maria Christina, governor general of the Austrian Netherlands; spirited Maria Carolina, the resolute queen of Naples; and the youngest, Marie Antoinette, the...

Shortlisted for the Society of Women Writers NSW Book Awards Esther only just escaped the hangman in London. Aged 16, she stood trial at the Old Bailey for stealing 24 yards of black silk lace. Her sentence was transportation to the other side of the world. She embarked on the perilous journey on the First Fleet as a convict, with...

A beautiful and moving testament to the enduring life of Kobe Bryant and the Mamba Mentality. When Kobe and Gianna Bryant died, tragically and unexpectedly, in 2020, the world mourned with a wholehearted ferocity. In perhaps the largest and most intense outpouring of public art the world has ever seen, murals went up on seemingly every available wall in Los...

ONE OF The New Yorker's BEST BOOKS OF 2023 SO FAR CHOSEN BY Financial Times' READERS FOR BEST BOOKS OF 2023 A New York Times BOOKS EDITOR'S CHOICE "Has the makings of a classic." - The TLS "Chilling and vital... sensitive and thought-provoking." - The Times "Exhumation can divide brothers and restore fathers, open old wounds and open the possibility...

Willie G. Davidson likes to say that he was born with gasoline in his veins and a crayon in each hand. A designer at heart, Davidson combined his passions for art and motorcycles to extend a multi-generational unbroken thread from Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company's birth in a wooden shed in the early twentieth century to today. The grandson of one of...

Few filmmakers, if any, make the kind of impact that Martin Scorsese has made on American cinema. The winner of every prestigious film award, including the Oscar, Scorsese is a living legend. Bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker Mary Pat Kelly's groundbreaking biography reveals how this working-class boy from Manhattan's Little Italy became one of our most acclaimed, celebrated, and influential...

In 1600, English helmsman William Adams washed ashore in Japan and was interrogated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japan's most powerful warlord and soon-to-be shogun. Far from executing Adams as a pirate, Ieyasu made him one of his most trusted advisers. This biography traces Adams's rise from humble pilot to a position of immense influence in Japan's foreign relations. It unravels the...

The definitive biography of Arne Slot, covering Liverpool's triumphant 2024/25 season. Featuring exclusive interviews with Arne Slot, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and more, this is the definitive biography of Liverpool's new manager. As Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool in June 2024, he proclaimed Arne Slot his successor with a chant that rang around Anfield. The expectations were raised for the...

Glory, scandal, downfall, fame, and rebirth—discover the dramatic story of the rebel auto industry titan behind the stainless-steel-bodied, gull-winged sports car we all know and love from Back to the Future. The tale you thought you knew: DeLorean recounts the life and career of John Z. DeLorean, from his successful career with General Motors, where he was instrumental in launching...

I thought of life's many bounties, to have known the extremities of joy and sorrow, love, crossed love and unrequited love, success and failure, fame and slaughter, to have read in the newspapers that as a writer I was past my sell-by date, yet regardless, to go on writing and reading, to be lucky enough to live in these two...

The first-ever biography of an overlooked PGA star and one of the best Black golfers in history. His story is unprecedented in the world of golf. Born to a family of migrant labourers, Calvin Peete dropped out of school in the eighth grade, went to work picking crops, first swung a golf club at the age of 23—and rose to...

In this vivid account, Ana Debenedetti examines the life and work of Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli, through the lens of the organisation of his workshop and the commercial strategies he devised to make his way in the very competitive art market in Florence at that time. She looks at the remarkable career of this pivotal artist and his production with...

Ever wondered what it's REALLY like to be a Premier League footballer? My name is James Milner and I'm not a Ribena-holic. Let me share insights into what it's like being a professional footballer, across my different experiences with Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and now Liverpool (not forgetting a six-match loan spell at Swindon). Plus my highs—and a few...

Stephen "Steve-O" Glover—social media icon, comedy-touring stalwart, and star of Jackass—delivers a hilarious and practical guide to recovery, relationships, career, and how to keep thriving long after you should be dead. Steve-O is best known for his wildly dangerous, foolish, painful, embarrassing, and sometimes death-defying stunts. At age 48, however, he faces his greatest challenge yet: getting older. A Hard...

WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY MERLIN SHELDRAKE WINNER OF THE 2015 COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2016 'A thrilling adventure story' Bill Bryson 'Dazzling' Literary Review 'Brilliant' Sunday Express 'Extraordinary and gripping' New Scientist 'A superb biography' The Economist 'An exhilarating armchair voyage' GILES MILTON, Mail on Sunday Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) is the...

Water Mirror Echo is a remarkable story of a man, the traditions and communities that created him, and the new worlds he made possible. Like Bruce Lee himself, Jeff Chang is blessed with the vision to see things we do not yet see, thinking and writing with a restless, chasm-crossing, almost prophetic ambition. — Hua Hsu, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of...

A TELEGRAPH MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR A ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR A RESIDENT MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR In Never Understood, William and Jim Reid tell the story of The Jesus and Mary Chain - one of Britain's greatest guitar bands - for the very first time. A wildly funny and...

Vital reading STYLIST ...hooting with laughter - what a swashbuckler that Hannah Jewell is MARINA HYDE Because 100 Nasty Women is so easy to read and witty, I didn't expect it to be the life changing, important book that I'm discovering it to be PHILIPPA PERRY A fantastic addition to your feminist library and historical knowledge. ANN SHEN, author of...

They chose not to speak and now they are gone… What’s left to fill the silence is no longer theirs. This is my story, woven from the threads of rumour and legend. Jakub Rand flees his village for Prague, only to find himself trapped by the Nazi occupation. Deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, he is forced to sort through...

The filthy back streets of London's East End in the Victorian era were home to every imaginable crime, vice, and horror. Many thousands lived there without Christ and without hope, and no one seemed to care. But William Booth did care. In 1865, Booth began a mission that took the Gospel to these people. It became The Salvation Army and...

The icon and legend at last tells his story his way—without the boring bits. Paul Hogan first appeared on Australia's screens in 1971 as a 'tap-dancing knife thrower' on the TV talent show New Faces. The then father of four and Sydney Harbour Bridge rigger from Granville did it as a dare, but when the network's switchboard lit up, he...

A tale of great enterprise and great fortitude, and of wonderful female solidarity and nobility of spirit, in the bleakest of circumstances. For decades after World War II, histories of the French Resistance were written almost exclusively by men and largely ignored the contributions of women. Many current overviews of the subject continue to underplay the extent and importance of...

‘On Skellig Michael, thousands of birds appear and disappear, erecting towers, coming together in wings of movement which build and unravel over the empty sea. Often, no one else is there to stand beside me on the island. The mind wanders; links with the past are easily made; ancient ways of viewing things come alive.’ In 1987, Robert Harris happened...

USA TODAY Bestseller YouTube sensation Andrew Huang offers practical tips and hard-won advice for creatives seeking financial stability while staying authentic. How does a musician with acute hearing loss, a refusal to perform live, and no industry connections carve a path to millions of followers and lucrative royalty checks? In Make Your Own Rules, Andrew Huang shares stories from his...

Find inspiration and empowerment as you explore the life, career, and influences of Greta Gerwig. The actor, writer, and director probably best known (at the moment) for the ground-breaking blockbuster film Barbie, Greta Gerwig is an icon to young women who hope to follow in her footsteps and pursue their own creative passions. But what has driven her to create...

A poignant, urgent memoir about insomnia; the non-fiction debut by one of our finest novelists. FROM THE AUTHOR OF 2024 BOOKER PRIZE WINNING ORBITAL 'Easily one of the truest and best books I've read about what it's like to be alive now, in this country' – Max Porter Sleep. Sleep. Like money, you only think about it when you have...

Italian Journey 1786-1788 is Goethe's famous account of his time and travels in Italy. In 1786, already recognised as the leader of the Sturm und Drang literary movement, Goethe embarked on a journey to Italy. This journey was both a personal and artistic quest, aiming to provide relief from his responsibilities and the pains of unrequited love. As he visited...

The 2024 Elizabeth Longford prizewinning biography of the founder of Impressionism Based on thousands of never-before-translated letters and unpublished sources, Jackie Wullschläger's enthralling biography is the first account of Monet's turbulent private life and how it determined his expressive, sensuous, sensational painting. Deeply moving, it immerses us in that passionate experience, transforming our understanding of the man, his art, and...

The untold story of Robert Cecil, the ultimate Tudor spy-master. Robert Cecil, statesman and spymaster, lived through an astonishingly threatening period in English history. Queen Elizabeth had no clear successor, and enemies both external and internal threatened to destroy England as a Protestant state, most spectacularly with the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder Plot. Cecil stood at the heart of...

From the National Book Award-winning biographer, the first complete life of legendary gangster Al Capone to be written with the cooperation of his family, who provided the author with exclusive access to personal testimony and archives. At the height of Prohibition, Al Capone loomed large as Public Enemy Number One — his multimillion-dollar Chicago Outfit dominated organized crime, and law...

The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller It’s time we get back to common sense. It’s time to cancel the cancel culture. It’s time to Wake Up. If, like me, you’re sick and tired of being told how to think, speak, eat and behave, then this book is for you. If, like me, you think the world’s going absolutely nuts, then...

Life Without Limits is the story of gutsy Nick Vujicic, an amazing 28-year-old Aussie born without arms or legs who is now an internationally successful inspirational speaker. Packed full of wisdom, testimonials of his faith, and laugh-out-loud humour, Nick tells of life in his 'Chesty Bond' body, his visit to Africa at the age of 20 where he gave away...

The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell is a cherished account of his childhood in Corfu, now available in Penguin Modern Classics for the first time. "My collection of animals swelled to a point where even Mother occasionally grew alarmed." The island of Corfu, where the Durrell family live in agreeable chaos, is paradise for aspiring naturalist Gerald. His...

Finding freedom behind the walls of San Quentin. That Bird Has My Wings by Jarvis Jay Masters is a poignant exploration of the human spirit's ability to find freedom even in the most confining circumstances. Written from death row in San Quentin State Prison, Masters eloquently reflects on his journey towards redemption and understanding. In this deeply moving autobiography, Masters...

SHORTLISTED for the Baillie Gifford Prize’s 25th Anniversary Winner of Winners award WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020 A Spectator Book of the Year • A Times Book of the Year • A Telegraph Book of the Year • A Sunday Times Book of the Year From the award-winning author of Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret comes...

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * One of Esquire's Best Celebrity Memoirs of All Time An intimate, behind-the-scenes, richly illustrated celebration of beloved The Office co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s friendship, and an insiders' view of Pam Beesly, Angela Martin, and the iconic TV show. Featuring many of their never-before-seen photos. Receptionist Pam Beesly and accountant Angela Martin...

A stunning collection of essays and memoir from twice Booker Prize winner and international bestseller Hilary Mantel, author of The Mirror and the Light. In 1987, when Hilary Mantel was first published in the London Review of Books, she wrote to the editor, Karl Miller, ‘I have no critical training whatsoever, so I am forced to be more brisk and...

'Full of delightful stories...a wonderful insight into the British obsession with al fresco eating' - Travel Gourmet From the peaks of the Himalayas to the historic grounds of Hampton Court, there’s always a perfect spot for a picnic! Anne Glenconner invites both old friends and new acquaintances to join her in The Picnic Papers. Featuring contributions from Bryan Adams, Graham...

For the first time, Pope Francis tells the story of his life as he looks back on the momentous world events that have changed history—from his earliest years during the outbreak of World War II in 1939 to the turmoil of today. An extraordinary personal and historical journey, Life is the story of a man and a world in dramatic...

The finest book on Britain's most popular rock 'n' roll band Featuring an exclusive interview with Noel Gallagher ahead of the Oasis Live '25 Tour ‘It felt like the London music business had set the stage for Blur to be the centre of Britpop, and then we turned up and they never forgave us.’ Think Oasis was just Britpop and...

Emmah is young and beautiful, with the world at her feet. She is also a true survivor. Emmah Money's life story is a remarkable one. During a night out, an acquaintance noted Emmah's resemblance to some friends of his. This observation would prove to have a profound effect on Emmah's life. Emmah hoped for a reunion with her biological parents,...

The Spider by Barry Levine explores the enigma that was Jeffrey Epstein. A Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist reveals never-before-reported details in this comprehensive account of the disgraced financier’s life, death, and criminal web, including the role of Ghislaine Maxwell. An ID Book Club Selection and featured in the Peacock original documentary series Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell. By now, the basic contours...

The official biography of Darren Gauci, The Gauch tells the story of one of Australia's most famous, most liked, and most accomplished jockeys. From the first time he sat on a horse aged 12, Darren Gauci had what it took to be a high-class rider. A natural athlete with an innate affinity with horses, he smashed records as an apprentice...

Rousseau's autobiography provides a unique insight into the mind and life of one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment. Widely regarded as the first modern autobiography, The Confessions is an astonishing work of acute psychological insight. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) argued passionately against the inequality he believed to be intrinsic to civilised society. In his Confessions, he relives the first...

A true testament to one of Nepal's finest mountaineers Step by Step is the compelling and insightful biography of Pemba Gelje Sherpa, one of his generation's most accomplished Nepalese mountaineers. Having climbed twenty-one peaks over 8,000 metres, including eight ascents of Everest, Pemba reveals his remarkable journey from a humble village boy to a world-renowned guide and environmentalist. Through candid...

From firefighter to CrossFit superstar, Sam Briggs (aka The Engine) tells her inspirational story of battling her way to the top, facing injuries and setbacks head-on with the same unstoppable energy and grit that have made her an icon in the sport. Includes an updated chapter on the 2020 season. You don't get biceps like Briggs by giving up when...

The long overdue autobiography of Mark "Spudd" Carroll is one of the most fearsome players to ever lace on a boot. In the brutal world of rugby league, Mark "Spudd" Carroll is one of the most fearsome players to ever lace on a boot. An enforcer who would do everything in his power to ensure victory for his team -...

The next volume in Alison Weir's magisterial history of the queens of Medieval England includes the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the subject of Alison's most successful book. Stunning... Weir has brought those five queens to life like never before. I just raced through it - it has all the drama and suspense of a novel - Tracy Borman Crusading...

Watch Li Na winning at the Australian Open. Now read her life story. Li Na claimed an unprecedented victory at the 2011 French Open at age twenty-nine and became the first player from an Asian country to win a Grand Slam singles title. Outspoken and likeable, the 'late-blooming' Chinese tennis superstar is one of the world's top ten players and...