Birthday Sale: Biography & Memoir

Bestselling author Nigel Latta's simple psychological toolkit for life's ups and downs. Over thirty years working as a clinical psychologist, Nigel Latta assembled a personal toolkit based on three simple principles. These principles helped him to be more resilient, joyful, and attuned to what matters most. The same principles have helped him through some difficult times as well, such as...

Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...

From Muldoon to Luxon, untold stories from the House of Parliament Barry Soper has spent close to five decades questioning New Zealand's prime ministers.From the imposing, larger-than-life characters of Rob Muldoon and David Lange, to the golden age of Helen Clark and John Key, and the post-Covid era of Jacinda Ardern and the 'Chrises', Soper's insight and nose for a...

A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...

The only official biography of fashion and film icon and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn, with the actress’s personal history, insights from her family about her philosophy of life, and an intimate picture of how she lived outside of the public eye. There are few celebrities of yesterday or today as iconic as Audrey Hepburn. From humble beginnings, growing up in the...

What drives success? It started with wide-open roads and a barefoot Kiwi childhood, and has taken him to the top of New Zealand business. Grant Baker has done it all, driven by ambition, resilience, and a love of all things fast. In No Pit Stops, Grant recounts his highs and lows – from teenage exploits and early career lessons, to...

The extraordinary story of Atlassian - how two university friends with a billion-dollar idea created a global tech company. In a cramped share house in inner-city Sydney, university classmates Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar started working together to create a $160 billion company from scratch and revolutionise the way the world works. They couldn't have been more different - Cannon-Brookes...

THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO WILD SWANS, THE MULTI-MILLION COPY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING SENSATION Jung Chang’s Wild Swans was a book that defined a generation, an epic personal history of Jung, her mother and grandmother – ‘three daughters of China’. The book opens with her grandmother’s birth – and foot binding – in 1909, when China was under the last emperor, through...

The Farm is a lyrical and entertaining journey to the heart of rural life in New Zealand from one of our greatest living writers. When Bruce Ansley visited a friend on a sheep farm on Banks Peninsula, they pointed out a property for sale, down by the water. Down a drive curving through sycamores, oaks, and rhododendrons, there was a...

Just Kids by Patti Smith is a tender and beautifully written memoir that captures the essence of a time, place, and a unique bond formed between two young artists in the pulsating heart of New York City. The narrative follows Smith’s intimate relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, beginning with their burgeoning romance and evolving into a profound, lifelong friendship. Set...

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami is an enchanting blend of memoir, travelogue, and philosophical contemplation, offering readers a rare glimpse into the mind of this internationally acclaimed novelist. This captivating narrative delves into Murakami's journey as a runner and how it intertwines with his life as a writer, exploring the profound impact running...

Marching Powder, by Rusty Young, is a gripping narrative that plunges you into the heart of Bolivia's notorious San Pedro prison through the eyes of Thomas McFadden, a convicted English drug trafficker. The story begins when Rusty Young, an Australian backpacker and law graduate, hears whispers of a curious and forbidden activity: prison tours led by inmates themselves. Intrigued by...

The outrageous, riotous memoir from the cult actor and star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, and IT. Actor, rock 'n' roll singer, the prince of Halloween, confusing sex symbol. Many labels have been given to the inimitable Tim Curry over the years. All are true, and yet none are quite right. Here, for the first time, Curry reveals...

Lisa Wilkinson's The Titanic Story of Evelyn is the never-before-told true tale of the only Australian-born survivor of the sinking of the Titanic. It is the story of a brave young Australian nurse who wanted to see the world, fell in love, then almost lost it all in one of the greatest maritime tragedies the world has ever known. And...

In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his...

The blockbuster biography of the greatest Briton, by one of Britain's bestselling historians. Winston Churchill towers over every other figure in twentieth-century British history. By the time of his death at the age of 90 in 1965, many thought him to be the greatest man in the world. There have been over a thousand previous biographies of Churchill. Andrew Roberts...

From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...

This is the voice of a writer with a keen sense of life’s mundane weirdness, and a poet’s knack for startling imagery. One Year Out is a valuable addition to the personal essay genre. - Airini Beautrais One Year Out traces one terrible, beautiful year through addiction, public rehab, and mental unravelling - then an unexpected move to Bali, where...

The Remarkable Story of How One Man Defied the Odds At 18, Paul Wood thought he had lost everything. He had committed an act he knew would send him to prison for many years. To a young man like Paul, it might as well have been for the rest of his life. Plunged into a nightmarish world of extreme violence,...

President Donald J. Trump lays out his professional and personal worldview in this classic work, a first-hand account of the rise of America's foremost deal-maker. The Art of the Deal is the number one bestseller from the 45th President of the United States. "I like thinking big. I always have. To me, it's very simple - if you're going to...

The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is a monumental work that provides a harrowing account of the Soviet Union's labour camp system. Set against a vast canvas of camps, prisons, transit centres, and secret police, the narrative unfolds the grim realities of informers, spies, and interrogators while simultaneously celebrating instances of everyday heroism. This literary masterpiece, based on the testimony...

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight is a riveting memoir that unveils the remarkable journey behind the creation of Nike, one of the world's most iconic and successful brands. Phil Knight's story begins in 1962, when fresh out of business school, he embarks on a daring entrepreneurial adventure with a radical premise: to import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Armed...

The high-wire true story of the millionaire trader, who won the finance game and then blew it wide open. 'If you were gonna rob a bank, and you saw the vault door there, left open, what would you do? Would you wait around?' Ever since he was a kid, kicking broken footballs on the streets of East London in the...

Another Day Like Yesterday is a collection of rollicking tales – some tall, most true – from Guy Clapshaw’s early days flying for Air New Zealand. Back in the mid-1960s, the airline had just begun to expand from Tasman Empire Airways, a tiny three-aeroplane regional airline into Air New Zealand, the international giant it is today.Much like the airline itself, this book flits...

Northern Irish-born, Kiwi by choice, Nic's lived through cancer, the death of her three-year-old daughter Kenzie, Parkinson's, and a heart transplant—yet, somehow, she still gets up swinging. Out of that chaos came Kenzie's Gift, the charity she founded to help children and young people whose parent or sibling has died or is seriously ill. Two decades on, it's supported thousands...

Mike Munro spent nearly 22 years working inside the political domain in Wellington. He reported on politics from the parliamentary press gallery for 10 years and then switched to the dark side, becoming the only person to serve as chief press secretary to one Labour prime minister, and later as chief of staff to another. His days as a political...

A moving, riveting and immersive story of six Iranians who, together, lived the entire arc of modern Iranian history—the promise of the 1979 revolution, its betrayal by the Islamic mafia state and a people's undying spirit of resistance. Fuelled by Iranians' dreams of social justice and political freedom, the 1979 revolution swept aside the shah's ailing, repressive monarchy. But in...

From the front bench to rock bottom: Go Hard or Go Home is Kiri Allan's fearless memoir of ambition, disruption and survival in NZ politics and beyond. Kiri Allan's six-year political career spanned some of the most challenging times in recent history. Events a government might encounter once in a generation stacked up: a terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, destructive and deadly...

This is the gripping, often surprising story of one of New Zealand's toughest and most resilient fighters. Shane Cameron rose from humble beginnings to become a dominant force in the Australasian heavyweight division. Known for his explosive power and fearless fighting style, Cameron captured multiple national titles and fought 'The Fight of the Century' against David Tua in the biggest...

A love letter to dogs and the world they help us see more clearly. For almost a decade, Craig Turner-Bullock has wandered the globe with camera in hand and dogs in his heart, capturing the spirit of nearly 70 breeds within the landscapes that helped shape them and which, to this day, reflect their origins and histories. Ranging over continents,...

When we crashed over the line two and a half minutes later, there was a short, disbelieving silence and I could feel my knee trembling behind its sarcastic 'Disco' patch. A song I'd written had just been played to the finish, and what's more, it hadn't sounded weak, or delusional—it had, in fact, kicked. I backed down from the mic....

The first joint biography of the women who have shaped - and shaken - the modern Royal Family. Diana. Camilla. Catherine. Meghan. Outsiders by birth, insiders by marriage. Four women united by their decision to enter the most famous family in the world, and by their place in the centre of its greatest upheavals. From Diana's emotional revolution to Camilla's...

A new edition of the bestselling 2024 memoir by a former NZSAS commander, on serving in Afghanistan over four deployments and operating at the edge of his limits. 'Frighteningly, devastatingly real.' - The Post In 2011, following the Taliban siege on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, an SAS soldier identified only as Serviceman J was awarded New Zealand's second highest military honour...

A revelatory portrait of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chronicling his battles with addiction and his astonishing journey from entitled scion to environmental activist to a prominent member of the president's cabinet, based on RFK Jr.’s secret journals and the author’s interviews with dozens of sources close to him. Born into one of the most storied families in American history, Robert...

Where kids ran wild and resilience developed…Behind The Hill is a social history, recording people’s lives from interviews, from one end of Golden Bay to the other. Each and every portrayal has something to say about the values and norms of the time.The book follows the revolutionary changes that affected one of New Zealand’s most isolated areas over succeeding decades...

The explosive inside account of the Beckham family saga by acclaimed journalist Alison Boshoff. The first and definitive book about the Beckham family saga since the seismic revelations made by Brooklyn about his parents Sir David and Victoria Beckham. Written by acclaimed Daily Mail journalist Alison Boshoff, who has been following the family’s story for decades and has unrivalled sources...

Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel … An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyer’s brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...

Sunday Times bestselling author with insider F1 paddock access reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Sir Lewis Hamilton's sensational move to Ferrari and his onward journey with the team Hamilton's move to Ferrari was the F1 story of the decade. And now his progress is coming under the intense scrutiny of his 40+ million social media followers, the passionate tifosi and...

Start with Yourself is a game-changing, no-BS guide for anyone seeking meaningful success on their own terms. It’s an essential framework that will give you the tools and mindset to unlock your full potential in life and business—straight from a woman who defied all the odds to become a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of culture-defining global businesses, a non-profit champion, and...

Be Brave

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER MORE THAN 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD! A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old...

A ground-breaking and essential work of history – the first of its kind to closely examine the British Royal Family’s connection with the transatlantic slave trade. The Crown's Silence is the untold story of the British royal family’s relationship to slavery from the reign of Elizabeth I to the present. It will be the first history of the British monarchy...

Mana. It's a big word. But what is it? Are you born with it, can you earn it, can it be taken away? For more than five decades, Tāme Iti has stood at the heart of Aotearoa's struggle for indigenous rights. From land marches to performance art, police raids to prison cells, his voice has challenged New Zealand to reckon...

‘It’s the screaming that cuts you deepest, on your first night in prison. Screaming like someone is hurt. Like they need help. Like someone is dying.’ Wimbledon champion at 17, six-time Grand Slam winner and former world number one – Boris Becker achieved unparalleled success, fame and wealth throughout his tennis career. But in April 2022, everything changed when he...

Discover the man behind the magic as rugby league sensation Shaun Johnson tells the story of his life on and off the field for the very first time in his own words. ‘For 14 years I was judged on 80 minutes of my life, once a week. That’s it . . . it’s how I judged myself. Eighty damn minutes...

Woman in the Wilderness is an intriguing and mesmerizing book. - Ben Fogle This book tells how one woman learned to dig deep and push the boundaries in order to discover what really matters in life. Miriam is a young Dutch woman living in the heart of the mountains with her New Zealand husband. She lives simply in a tent...

A Journey for the Ages The Pilgrimage paved the way to Paulo Coelho’s international bestselling novel The Alchemist. In many ways, these two volumes are companions— to truly comprehend one, you must read the other. Step inside this captivating account of Coelho’s pilgrimage along the road to Santiago. This fascinating parable explores the need to find one’s own path. In...

Not Without My Daughter is the true story of one woman's struggle to keep her child and win freedom for them both. 'You are here for the rest of your life. Do you understand? You are not leaving Iran. You are here until you die.' Betty Mahmoody and her husband, Dr Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody ('Moody'), came to Iran from the...

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 NAMED AS HAY FESTIVAL'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 A TIMES and SPECTATOR BEST BOOK OF 2024 A WATERSTONES BEST NATURE WRITING BOOK OF 2024 A BOOKSHOP.ORG NATURAL HISTORY GIFT BOOK 2024 AN iNEWS PICK FOR BEST BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'A...

'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona FULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH & MESSI'S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi's final peak conquered; his final dream achieved....

Packed with hard-won wisdoms and gentle truths, this is Miranda's honest exploration of the lessons she has learned on her journey from illness to recovery. Hello to you, I am with news. I have a new book. Basically, I have had an unexpectedly difficult decade - there have been surprising joys, but also challenging lows. I shall be honest about...

From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter. Australian Financial Review Top 20 Read for 2023​ Elon...