Biography & Memoir Sale

G. M. ‘Tom’ Bunning helped to drive the ascent of Bunnings as one of the great successes of Western Australian private enterprise and a household name nationwide. The youngest son of the company’s founder, and one half of a successful executive partnership with elder brother Charles, Tom joined Bunnings on the eve of the Great Depression and remained with it...

From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edmund Morris comes a revelatory new biography of Thomas Alva Edison, the most prolific genius in American history. New York Times bestseller. From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edmund Morris comes a revelatory new biography of Thomas Alva Edison, the most prolific genius in American history. Named one of the best books of the year by Time, Publishers...

A fresh, meticulous, and entertaining account of Henry Ford, the Model-T, and the invention of the American car industry in the early twentieth century that “will make you rethink the man whose legacy sits in your garage” (Parade). From the acclaimed popular historian Richard Snow, who “writes with verve and a keen eye” (The New York Times Book Review), comes...

Self-made real estate billionaire Sam Zell reveals the story behind his success and lays out a road map for entrepreneurs seeking to follow in his footsteps. The traits that make Sam Zell one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs also make him one of the most surprising, enigmatic, and entertaining mavericks in American business. Self-made billionaire Sam Zell consistently sees...

René Stauffer has been closely covering Roger Federer's career for nearly 25 years. In this comprehensive biography, Stauffer talks at length to the man himself, his family, friends, coaches, and rivals to paint an unrivalled picture of the greatest male tennis player of all time. From his early life in Basel, Switzerland, where he first picked up a tennis racquet,...

The prize-winning autobiography of the late, great Martin Amis. Now with an introduction from Zadie Smith. Before we face experience, that miserable enemy, let us have some more innocence, just for a while.... Introduced by Zadie Smith In this masterwork of literary memoir, Martin Amis tells the stories of his life, both the ordinary and the outlandish. From his bohemian...

Grace Kelly: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is a stunning illustrated biography of style and screen legend Grace Kelly, from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. Oscar-winning actress, muse to one of the greatest directors of all time, global fashion icon and European princess – Grace Kelly was a truly remarkable figure. In just six short years in...

A special enlarged edition of the international bestseller Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon, celebrating 50 years since Coco's death, 100 years of Chanel No.5, and five years since the original release of this beautiful illustrated biography from globally renowned illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the story of Coco's amazing early life, the iconic fashion empire that she...

Christian Dior: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Master is a stunning illustrated biography of legendary designer Christian Dior from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the key moments of Dior's fascinating life and iconic items from the fashion world that he created. Dior's love of flowers, creativity, femininity, and good-luck charms were woven into everything he designed, and...

The Ultimate Celebration of the Midwest Princess From hometown Missouri girl to the Midwest Princess and global FEMININOMENON we stan today, Chappell Roan is on an extraordinary journey. Dive into the stories, fun facts, and defining moments that shot this shining star into orbit. Packed with dazzling inspiration and empowering wisdom, this book is your guide to living boldly, flourishing...

'Almost nothing in life is only what it seems.' Soldier, journalist, historian, author of forty books, Jan Morris led an extraordinary life, witnessing such seminal moments as the first ascent of Everest, the Suez Canal Crisis, the Eichmann Trial, The Cuban Revolution, and so much more. Now, in Allegorizings, published posthumously as was her wish, Morris looks back over some...

A stunning, full-colour special edition of the #1 bestselling memoir from the much-loved Australian legend, featuring never-before-seen photographs and a brand-new chapter. Growing up in London and Melbourne, music was always part of John Farnham's world. But the young John never dreamed of what was to come: pop stardom in the 1960s, the release of Whispering Jack - the critically...

Michael Sheridan is one of the best informed and wisest writers on China - Chris Patten, last governor of Hong Kong The Red Emperor presents an eye-opening portrait of Xi Jinping, the man who presides over 1.4 billion people and the second largest economy on earth. Born a 'princeling' to one of Communist China's ruling families, the young Xi was...

"A devastating work, but proof that a novelist of Naipaul's stature can often define problems quicker and more effectively than a team of economists and other experts" - The Times In 1964, V. S. Naipaul published An Area of Darkness, his semi-autobiographical account of a year in India. Two visits later, prompted by the Emergency of 1975, he came to...

Fans of Patti Smith's Just Kids and Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends will love this beautifully written, entertaining, and bracingly honest memoir by an actor, director, and author who found his start as a 1980s Hollywood Brat Pack member. Most people know Andrew McCarthy from his roles in movies like Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo's Fire,...

A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 A century ago, a Labour government took power for the first time. Meet the "Wild Men" who led the way... 'Superb' -- New Statesman 'Fascinating' -- The Sunday Times. In 1923, the passing of the Act which gave all men the vote opened the door for a radically different sort of government: men...

A brilliant new cultural history of the Queen of Hearts For more than forty years, Diana, Princess of Wales, has been mythologised to the most extraordinary degree. Adored and lionised by some, ridiculed and traduced by others, Diana has always commanded a cultural presence unmatched by any other member of the royal family. In Dianaworld, Edward White offers both a...

A sweeping, dramatic history of capitalism as seen through the eyes of its fiercest critics. At a time when we are faced with fundamental questions about the sustainability and morality of the economic system, Capitalism and Its Critics provides a kaleidoscopic history of global capitalism, from colonialism and the Industrial Revolution to the ecological crisis and artificial intelligence. John Cassidy...

If Penguin Bloom was Cameron's love letter to his wife Sam, Sam Bloom: Heartache and Birdsong is Sam's unflinching and inspirational reply. This family's remarkable story never ceases to both move and motivate me.' - Andrew Lincoln The heart-warming Australian story Penguin Bloom - the miraculous tale of a baby magpie that helped save a young mother and her family...

A harrowing, heart-rending first-hand account of one of the most infamous events in history—the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. A book that everyone should read The Times A harrowing, heart-rending first-hand account of the bombing of Nagasaki—and the acts of human kindness left in its wake. On 9th August 1945, the Japanese city of Nagasaki is hit by an atomic bomb....

The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope. In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice – her truth – was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others....

INSTANT BESTSELLER! Funny, conversational, and relatable, Try Hard is for anyone looking to make sense of their own creative pursuit or bring more creativity into their life, offering a framework for how to do it and where to begin. Let's say you see a familiar musician from a globe-trotting, touring band hanging out at your local coffee shop, reading the...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Spellbinding adventure from Canada's most beloved modern-day explorer. Traverspine is not a place you will find on most maps. A century ago, it stood near the foothills of the remote Mealy Mountains in central Labrador. Today it is an abandoned ghost town, almost all trace of it swallowed up by dark spruce woods that cloak millions of acres....

‘Fearsome wit’ Elle ‘Charming’ Buzzfeed ‘Ridiculously entertaining’ Associated Press ‘Endearingly honest’ Guardian A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Pitch Perfect, Twilight, Up in the Air, Into the Woods, and Trolls. Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, defiant, and ‘10 per...

Peake himself comes alive in this touching memoir... Written in love and pain, this book reaches back beyond years of terrible illness...a love story as strangely haunting as the talent of the man himself. Evening Standard These profound and moving accounts of life with Mervyn Peake provide poignant and revealing insights into the art, personality and friendships of the author...

The biography of remarkable SAS Original Reg Seekings, from his humble beginnings in the Cambridgeshire Fens to his instrumental role in the success of the SAS during the Second World War. Starting at the very bottom of the ranks, Seekings was a farm labourer's son who climbed from private to squadron sergeant-major and became one of the British Army’s most...

A thrilling biography, filled with the imperial ambitions and merciless intrigues SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE The Cleopatras: lover, seductress, and Egypt's greatest queen. A woman more myth than history, immortalized in poetry, drama, music, art, and film. She captivated Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, the two greatest Romans of the day, and died in a blaze of glory, with an asp...

From twice Booker-shortlisted author Deborah Levy, a moving and revelatory collection exploring the muses that have shaped her life and work as a writer. In The Position of Spoons, Deborah Levy invites the reader into the interiors of her world, sharing her most intimate thoughts and experiences, as she traces and measures her life against the backdrop of the literary...

An astonishing memoir of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child, and an exquisite meditation on memory and trauma. The Story of a Life by Aharon Appelfeld chronicles his experiences as the beloved only child of middle-class Jewish parents living in what is now Ukraine at the outbreak of World War Two. Their peaceful life is upended when soldiers...

The Letters of the Younger Pliny provide a series of fascinating views on imperial Rome. A prominent lawyer and administrator, Pliny (c. AD 61-113) was also a prolific letter-writer, who numbered among his correspondents such eminent figures as Tacitus, Suetonius, and the Emperor Trajan, as well as a wide circle of friends and family. His lively and very personal letters...

The Diary recorded by Lady Murasaki (c. 973 – c. 1020), author of The Tale of Genji, is an intimate picture of her life as tutor and companion to the young Empress Shoshi. Told in a series of vignettes, it offers revealing glimpses of the Japanese imperial palace: the auspicious birth of a prince, rivalries between the Emperor's consorts, with...

Lives of the Artists made Vasari one of the most influential art historians of all time, fusing literary and artistic ability. In his Lives of the Artists of the Italian Renaissance, Vasari demonstrated a literary talent that outshone even his outstanding abilities as a painter and architect. Through character sketches and anecdotes, he depicts Piero di Cosimo shut away in...

A major writer and a leading figure in the public life of Rome, Seneca (c. 4 BC - AD 65) ranks among the most eloquent and influential masters of Latin prose. This selection explores his thoughts on philosophy and the trials of life. In the Consolation to Helvia, he strives to offer solace to his mother following his exile in...

Asser's Life of King Alfred, written in 893, is a revealing account of one of the greatest of medieval kings. This work is composed by a monk of St David's in Wales, who later became Bishop of Sherborne in King Alfred's service. Asser worked closely with the king in his efforts to revive religion and learning across the kingdom. This...

Cold Crematorium, a lost classic of Holocaust literature, has been translated into English for the first time, 70 years after its original publication. József Debreczeni, the author, was not only a journalist and poet but also a survivor of the Holocaust. His work stands as a crystal-clear eyewitness account, chronicling the horrors he endured. 'A literary diamond... A Holocaust memoir...

New to Penguin Modern Classics, a captivating exploration of the work of one of Italy's most influential - and least understood - painters. Throughout his masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time, Proust repeatedly refers to colours as Tiepolo Pink or Tiepolo Red. Who exactly was the artist that he so memorably transformed into colour? The eighteenth-century Venetian painter Giambattista Tiepolo...

A literary memoir of what it means to have a truly special dog in your life. Published for International Dog Day, this will be a perfect gift for all dog lovers. Why do dogs speak so profoundly to our inner lives? When Mark Doty decides to adopt a dog as a companion for his dying partner, he finds himself bringing...

'I remember, too, the light on the slopes, long shadows in tufts and hollows, with cattle, brilliant as painted china, treading their echoing shapes.' Cider With Rosie is a wonderfully vivid memoir of Laurie Lee's childhood and youth in a remote Cotswold village. From the moment he is set down in the long grass, 'thick as a forest and alive...

From a pioneering Black feminist and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, an urgent and exhilarating memoir-manifesto-handbook about how to rein in the excesses of cancel culture so we can truly communicate and solve problems together. In 1979, Loretta Ross was a single mother who had to drop out of Howard University. She was working at Washington, DC’s Rape Crisis Center when she...

A portrait of one of the greatest artists of the nineteenth century, from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth. Rossetti, Evelyn Waugh's first book, is an intimate account of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's tragic and mysterious life—the story behind some of the greatest poetry and painting of the nineteenth century. Shot through with Waugh's charm and dry wit, and...

From the author of Cider With Rosie, this is a moving, lyrical portrait of the landscape of Laurie Lee's world. 'Living in our valley was like broad beans in a pod, so snug and enclosed and protective.' Laurie Lee walked out of his childhood village one summer morning to travel the world, but he was always drawn back to his...

The incredible memoir of Elaine Brown - the first female leader of the Black Panthers. "I have all the guns and all the money. I can withstand challenge from without and from within. Am I right, Comrade?" So said Elaine Brown on becoming the first female leader of the Black Panther Party in 1974. By that time, the group had...

Go beyond the music with the most comprehensive exploration of the life and career of international megastar Taylor Swift. The Taylor Book is the ultimate guide to a generation-defining pop sensation, packed with stunning images and all the context you need to fully immerse yourself in the Swiftiverse. From her humble beginnings as a teen country artist to her record-obliterating...

FINANCIAL TIMES ECONOMICS BOOK OF THE YEAR 'An excellent book' Vince Cable | 'A must read' Jo Johnson | 'A fascinating read' Bill Dudley A timely manifesto on how digital currencies will win the New Cold War and the struggle for geopolitical supremacy in the twenty-first century. A New Cold War is underway. Whereas the first Cold War was dominated...

Studios of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits, and rituals of over 50 famous artists. From Picasso to Hockney to Caravaggio, discover the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations. Crossing centuries, continents, and genres, Alex Johnson explores these artists' workspaces and habits. How do they practise their craft?...

A raucous, behind-the-scenes account of the year Blur got back together, told in hilarious and heartfelt stories by their ever-cheerful, epicurean bassist. There is nothing that can touch the sound made by a close-knit group of people who have been playing together for years and years and years, playing as though their lives depended on it. For many years, all...

The incredible true story of how a street-fighting petty criminal, who was kicked out of school at fourteen, became one of Australia's most celebrated and successful portrait artists. Raised amid poverty and violence on the poor streets of Melbourne, Vincent Fantauzzo was just a boy when he accepted he would either die very young, become a gangster, or end up...

In Gad We Trust is a heartfelt and hilarious collection of essays, pairing scenes from Josh’s life and career in the entertainment industry with “pontifications” on evergreen yet topical issues (putting his master’s degree from his The Daily Show days to good use), delivering a wholly original take on the genre of the comedic essay. For the first time, Josh...

The compelling, laugh-out-loud memoir from Kari Ferrell, formerly known as the 'Hipster Grifter', perfect for fans of Inventing Anna, Tinder Swindler and Cat Marnell's How to Murder Your Life Emphatically audacious, hysterical and compelling. Read this memoir! CAT MARNELL Before Anna Delvey, before the Tinder Swindler, there was Kari Ferrell. Adopted at a young age by a Mormon family in...

From a pioneering Black feminist and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, an urgent and exhilarating memoir-manifesto-handbook about how to rein in the excesses of cancel culture so we can truly communicate and solve problems together. In 1979, Loretta Ross was a single mother who had to drop out of Howard University. She was working at Washington, DC’s Rape Crisis Center when she...

The Starship and the Canoe is neither a wilderness survival manual nor a book of blueprints. It is another of those rare books impossible to define: the kind that seeks you in time. And you will know it, live it, and consult it thereafter simply by name." --Chicago Sun-Times "In the tradition of Carl Sagan and John McPhee, a bracing...

This is the story of Messalina - third wife of Emperor Claudius and one of the most notorious women to have inhabited the Roman world. According to the Roman historians Tacitus and Suetonius, the Empress Messalina was a sexually insatiable schemer. The tales they told about her – including a twenty-four-hour sex competition with a prostitute – have taken deep...

"A formidable free-style book that isn't straight biography but a mix of history, street-level investigative reporting, hagiography, Deep South sociology, music criticism, memoir and some fiery preaching," Rolling Stone magazine A Guardian best music book of 2016 The music of James Brown was almost a genre in its own right, and he was one of the biggest and most influential...

How did a shy Polish immigrant kid - Karl Sven Woytek Sas Konkovitch Matthew Kruszelnicki - evolve into the fabulously eccentric Dr Karl? The only child of Holocaust survivors who fled to Australia in 1950, Karl has always forged his own destiny in an idiosyncratic way. Before he became one of the world's favourite scientific storytellers, he ambled through a...

From the Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle, the dramatic, untold story inside Apple after the passing of Steve Jobs by following his top lieutenants—Jony Ive, the Chief Design Officer, and Tim Cook, the COO-turned-CEO—and how the fading of the former and the rise of the latter led to Apple losing its soul. Steve Jobs called Jony Ive his “spiritual partner...

“Riveting . . . Character Limit offers a telling lesson in the cost of getting everything you want.” —The Washington Post “You couldn’t hope for a better ringside seat on the unfolding drama . . . Character Limit is a triumph.” —The Guardian “Masterful in how it paints a picture and puts you in the room with the famous entrepreneur...

From America's "Historian-in-Chief" (New York magazine), The Presidential Biographies boxed set—featuring the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's beloved and bestselling biographies No Ordinary Time, Team of Rivals, and The Bully Pulpit. After five decades of acclaimed studies of the presidency, Doris Kearns Goodwin stands as America's premier presidential historian. Now, for the first time, her three most esteemed books are collected in...

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and a Sunday Independent Book of the Year A deeply researched, superbly crafted biography of America’s most complex president. In Richard Nixon, acclaimed biographer John A. Farrell delves into the life of one of America's most enigmatic political figures. From his modest beginnings in Yorba Linda, California, to his rise through the ranks of American...

From international drag superstar and pop culture icon RuPaul, comes his most revealing and personal work to date—a brutally honest, surprisingly poignant, and deeply intimate memoir of growing up Black, poor, and queer in a broken home to discovering the power of performance, found family, and self-acceptance. A profound introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden...

Stranger in the Shogun's City by Amy Stanley is a captivating narrative that explores the vibrant and dynamic world of Edo, now known as Tokyo, during the early 19th century. Through the life of an unconventional woman named Tsuneno, the book offers a unique and refreshing perspective on Japanese history, placing women's lives at the forefront of the historical narrative....

Sultan is the official biography of Wasim Akram, the "sultan of swing", one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. For two decades, Wasim Akram let his cricket do the talking – his electrifying left-arm pace, explosive left-handed striking, inspirational leadership and magnetic presence on the field made him a cricketing legend. Yet, for another twenty years,...

‘Highly engaging . . . The creeping escalation of oppression and rebellion is often thrillingly told . . . A powerful story of a history that remains far from settled’ Daily Telegraph In the darkest days of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Anna-Maria van der Vaart sheltered Allied pilots, gave refuge to persecuted Jews and participated in audacious acts...

The First Tycoon by T.J. Stiles is a masterful and detailed biography that chronicles the extraordinary life of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt. This compelling narrative takes readers on a vivid journey through Vanderbilt’s incredible rise from his modest beginnings to becoming one of the wealthiest and most influential figures in American history. Born during the presidency of George Washington, Vanderbilt's ascent...

From Michael Dell, the renowned founder and chief executive of one of America's largest technology companies, comes a compelling inside story of the battles that shaped him as a leader. Play Nice but Win is a riveting account of the three critical battles waged for Dell Technologies—one to launch it, one to keep it, and one to transform it. This...