Contact Info.
Products List
 
Mind Your Language Please!: The Autobiography of Francoise Pascal.
  Pascal, Fran?oise/ 9781906358877
 
  Francoise Pascal has lead a fascinating life. In this book, she explains how a somewhat rebellious child from Mauritius went on to dance on Top of the Pops in London during the swinging sixties and later became a cult TV actress in the hit TV series Mind Your Language. Francoise then moved to the USA and received critical acclaim in Hollywood before returning to London to pursue an altogether different career path. Mind Your Language Please! is an honest account of a woman whose sense of adventure has meant that she has lived life to the full. Francoise is a fighter and has undertaken many jobs in order to survive the ups and downs of the unpredictable world of show business. Francoise¡¦ autobiography details her sometimes turbulent love life including her tempestuous 11 year relationship with legendary film actor Richard Johnson, with whom she had a son, Nicholas. Francoise was also engaged to Formula Ford designer Adrian Reynard of Reynard Racing Cars and later lived in the USA with Tim Hauser of The Manhattan Transfer. Fame never gave Francoise the happiness and security that she longed for and in 1987 she returned to London to seek a more fulfilling way of life. She eventually found comfort helping the elderly and under privileged as a Celebrity Liaison Co-ordinator for Elizabeth Finn Care charity. This is the intriguing story of how a beguiling young actress with the world at her feet became disillusioned with the world of show business and finally found solace in helping others.
Trouble.
  Paciaffi, Tom/ 9780984134205
 
 
Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson.
  Rosenthal, Elizabeth J./ 9781599219622
 
 
Seven Worlds of Theodore Roosevelt, The.
  Wagenknecht, Edward/ 9781599219615
 
 
Hunt for Justice, A.: The True Story of an Undercover Wildlife Agent.
  Schroeder, Lucinda Delaney/ 9781599218946
 
 
Another Day, Another Dollar: The Autobiography of David Van Day.
  Van Day, David/ 9781906358754
 
  David Van Day has led an extraordinary life. Both in and out of the public gaze, he has got up to some hair-raising antics and, love him or loathe him, his autobiography makes compelling reading. After an unpromising start to his school career, David earned a place at the Italia Conti Stage School and quickly found himself on the road to pop stardom. He took full advantage of his newly acquired sex symbol status but fate stepped in and David sunk into a cocaine driven nightmare, followed by a drastic change of fortune. David may have performed in front of thousands of adoring fans but he has also been bankrupt and flipped burgers for a living. Having being propelled back into the spotlight in the glare of reality TV he has now begun yet another chapter in his eventful life. Another Day, Another Dollar is an honest account of a man whose life has been an astonishing rollercoaster of highs and lows but has survived to tell the tale. This book is certain to hold your attention until the very end.
Just Jill: The Autobiography of Jill Allen-King MBE.
  Allen-King, Jill/ 9781906358761
 
  Just Jill is an inspirational and moving account of one woman's triumph over adversity and how she used her own experience of disability to benefit others. When she was growing up during the 1940s very few people were aware that Jill Allen-King had lost an eye as a baby. However, when tragedy struck for the second time and Jill went completely blind on, what should have been, one of the happiest occasions of her life - her wedding day, she was rendered housebound. For seven years, Jill barely left the house, too scared to go outside unless she was taken by her husband and family. The birth of her daughter, Jacqueline, gave her renewed purpose but could not give her back the thing she desperately needed - her independence. It was only when Jill got her first guide dog that she began to rediscover the world outside of her front door and take those first giant steps towards regaining her freedom. It was a journey that would lead to a life of campaigning for reform and helping others. Jill's autobiography charts her journey from partially sighted child to totally blind adult and beyond, culminating in her being awarded the MBE for her many achievements. Just Jill is an important book that raises questions about what it means to have a disability in our society and how we can all learn from the work of Jill Allen-King.
Chas and His Rock 'N' Roll Allotment.
  Hodges, Chas/ 9781906358778
 
  Chas and His Rock 'n' Roll Allotment is a gardening book like no other. Written by Chas Hodges, better known as half of musical duo Chas and Dave, the book is full of funny stories and anecdotes interspersed with the author's tips for 'growing your own'. The book is aimed at the novice gardener and aims to prove that hoeing and sowing can be an enjoyable way to while away an afternoon and that tending a garden should be fun, rather than a chore. Chas's pearls of wisdom are drawn from personal experience of getting his hands dirty, rather than text book gardening techniques, and his light hearted approach makes the book an easy read. So if the idea of Sunday roast accompanied by your own home grown vegetables appeals to you, this book tells you how. And if all that digging proves to be just too much, you can always settle down with a pint of beer and enjoy the tongue-in-cheek humour of a born raconteur.
A Touch From God.
  Newman, Del/ 9781906358792
 
  A Touch From God gives a fascinating insight into the working life of one of the great orchestral arrangers, Del Newman. During his 35-year career as a back-room boy, Del has worked on albums by Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Elton John, 10cc, Cat Stevens, Neil Sedaka, Art Garfunkel and many more artists representing wide-ranging musical genres, who have been gifted with "The Touch", from the truly humble to the egomaniacs. Del gives the reader a bird's eye view of every aspect of his work as both as an orchestral arranger and conductor, sharing his personal observations about the popular music industry and its highs and lows, from musicians' touring schedules, different cultural influences, studio sessions, stage shows, television advertising and technological advances to dubious management practices, stars' insecurities, and dealing with confrontation and relationship difficulties. This book is a great read for anyone with an interest in the music business and the characters that populate it, from classical musicians and singer-songwriters to the people behind the scenes, all working together and using their unique talents to weave the rich tapestry of their musical endeavours.
Bushell on The Rampage: The Autobiography of Gary Bushell.
  Bushell, Garry/ 9781906358808
 
  Most people will have heard of Garry Bushell; music journalist, controversial columnist, TV critic, author, singer and friend to the stars, but very few know much about the private man behind his outspoken public image. This book provides a fascinating insight into the life of someone who is equally at home in the company of celebrities and villains and is not afraid to ¡¥dish the dirt¡¦ on either, but it is also an honest and moving account of the personal tragedy and pain that has made Garry who he is. Perhaps best known for his award-winning column Bushell on the Box, during his long and colourful career Garry has been hailed as "the Godfather of Oi", toured America with his punk band, appeared on over 2,000 television shows, penned a novel and even appeared in a gangster film. On a personal note he has dated page 3 girls, been fed heroin by Hanoi Rocks, befriended Benny Hill and Barbara Windsor, been investigated by M15, stalked by an obsessive fan, had knives thrown at him by Freddie Star and his eye-brows shaved off by Ozzy Osborne. He has also fathered six children and found happiness with country singer Leah McCaffrey. Garry¡¦s autobiography tells it as it is including all the highs and lows that have shaped his life to date. The book, which is full of anecdotes and humour, also provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the world of print and television media ¡V you simply won¡¦t be able to put it down.
Respect and Reputation.
  Barratt, Robin/ 9781906358815
 
  In this increasingly violent and troubled world, people demand to be respected. But what is exactly is respect? Is it learned or earned? How do you go from being a 'nobody' to a 'somebody'? How do you respect others and equally how can you get other people to respect you? Can you only be truly respected if you have a reputation? There is probably no one more qualified to talk about respect and reputation in prison than Charles Bronson. Tagged one of the most violent prisoners in the UK, Charlie has spent over thirty years in solitary confinement, is respected by both prisoners and wardens alike and has a fearsome and frightening reputation. In complete contrast, although he has spent much of his life surrounded by violence, former bouncer and bodyguard Robin Barratt would now prefer to take a passive path away from any conflict. In this fascinating book, Barratt and Bronson examine in detail respect and reputation including how to behave in prison, how to treat other prisoners, how to be a great door supervisor, when to show respect, how to gain the respect of others and ultimately how to develop an awesome reputation both in prison, on the doors and in life generally. With lots of real life anecdotes as well as contributions from many other hard men (and a few women), this gripping book takes its reader into the psychology of a world rarely explored.
SA41-385 Simone de Beauvoir.
  Tidd, Ursula/ 9781861894342
 
  Simone de Beauvoir (1908¡V86) lived through some of the most dramatic and harrowing events of the twentieth century, a time of huge change for women across the world, and her life was marked by many opposing tensions: living and writing, the Self and the Other, the individual and the collective, the person and the myth. Ursula Tidd illuminates these and many other facets of a complex personality: her relentless autobiographical drive, living life as a continuously unfolding narrative; her personal and intellectual relationships, essentially lived as a series of dialogues with a variety of interlocutors, including Jean-Paul Sartre; her active involvement in political struggles; and how Beauvoir the woman become Beauvoir the myth. Simone de Beauvoir will benefit students interested in a condensed critical account of Beauvoir¡¦s life and works, and will also appeal to general readers due to the high level of interest in Beauvoir, fuelled by the centenary, in 2008, of her birth.
SA41-382 Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks.
  Currie, Tel/ 9781906358587
 
  Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks is an explosive book that takes the reader on a thrilling journey from the birth of bare knuckle and unlicensed boxing to the present day and blows the whistle on the many myths and misrepresentations about the sport that have existed in the past. As the criminal underworld has well known connections with the world of unlicensed boxing, the book also documents the close relationship between boxing and the hidden world of the gangland 'faces' and draws you into their violent, frightening and blood thirsty heart. Author Tel Currie started out as fighter himself and has worked as a boxing promoter. He also moves amongst, and associates with, well known gangland names. Having so many villains and infamous characters as trusted friends means that he has first hand information available at his fingertips and is able to really tell it as it is. No one understands the dark side of boxing better than Tel Currie as this gritty account proves. In this world, not only is fact stranger than fiction, it is often a lot more brutal!
SA41-382 Ronnie Biggs: The Inside Story.
  Gray, Mike/ 9781906358594
 
  Ronnie Biggs: The Inside Story, written by two of Ronnie Biggs's closest friends and most ardent supporters, delivers exactly what it says on the label, giving a very personal, unique and yet disturbing insight into the mind and subsequent treatment by the judicial and penal systems of the man that became a legendary household name for his role in one of Britain's most notorious crimes, the Great Train Robbery of 1963, and his subsequent life on the run upon his escape from prison in 1965. Raising pointed questions and dispelling many myths, the story makes one wonder who is the greater criminal: the carpenter that played a bit part in an unarmed robbery 45 years ago, who has remained incarcerated since his return to the UK in 2001 despite the fact that he is now a frail, wheelchair-bound 79-year-old grandfather who is no threat to society, is fed via a tube to his stomach and can only communicate by pointing to letters on a laminated sheet; or the justice and prison systems that have allowed him to rot in jail for so long. One thing's for sure, although Ronnie Biggs's body is letting him down after a series of strokes and other illnesses, his legal team, campaign supporters, underworld friends and devoted family certainly aren't, and neither is his own fighting spirit or his humanity in the face of inhumanity. All he wants now is to be able to die a free man rather than suffer "a slow crucifixion on the Home Office cross", and once all the facts have been digested one can only be moved to ask: "How could anyone deny him that?"
SA41-382 Life as a Chelsea Headhunter: It's Only a Game.
  Marriner, Jason/ 9781906358624
 
  Optical illusions are the stuff of magic - harmless entertainment conjured up to both enthral and amaze, aren't they? Well, maybe not, as it's not quite so amusing if the 'stunt' takes the form of an episode of the BBC's 'groundbreaking' documentary series MacIntyre Undercover on organised football hooliganism, the wizardry is conducted by unscrupulous investigative journalists posing as big-time drug dealers, and as a result the unwitting participant in the trick, avid Chelsea supporter Jason Marriner, is charged with conspiracy to commit violent disorder and affray, together with his friend Andy Frain, and Jason ends up with a six-year jail sentence for a crime he didn't commit. This is Jason's chance to put the record straight, present the facts from his own perspective and challenge the reader, who may well have been one of the 7.4 million documentary viewers, to decide whether the programme actually revealed the 'ugly face of football violence', or indeed showed him plotting or committing any violence whatsoever, or whether the original 344 hours' worth of footage, secretly filmed over a period of 18 months, were distorted beyond recognition by cutting, editing and stitching together clips from the original sequences to achieve the programme's aim at any cost. Jason would be the first to admit that in the past he had been a 'nuisance' on the terraces, but this was the late 1990s and, with a wife, children and his own business, he had done a lot of growing up and moving on. Fortunately, he had also developed the strength of character needed to survive in prison with humour, dignity and determination, and he shares his insights of life behind bars as he tried to work with the system, despite the knock-backs, in order to make it work for him in return. 'Good will always follow bad' is Jason's admirable philosophy about his experiences, but this shocking real-life story serves as a warning to all: this could so easily happen to you.
SA03-372 Private Yokoi's War and Life on Guam, 1944-1972: The Story of the Japanese Imperial Army's longest WWII Survivor in the Field and Later Life.
  Hatashin, Omi/ 9781905246694
 
 
BROKEN FRAME: Memoirs of a Turkish Immigrant.
  Andic, Fuat M/ 9780982386767
 
 
Tales from a Dog Catcher.
  Duffy-Korpics, Lisa/ 9781599214986
 
 
Morning Sun: A Story of Hope, Purpose, and the Power of Family.
  Alpert, Merrick/ 9781599219295
 
 
Favorite Wife: Escape from Polygamy.
  Schmidt, Susan Ray/ 9781599214948
 
 
Matthew A. Henson's Historic Arctic Journey: The Classic Account of One of the World's Greatest Black Explorers.
  Henson, Matthew A./ 9781599213088
 
 
Pablo Neruda.
  Dominic Moran/ 9781861895141
 
  ablo Neruda (1904¡V73) is one of Latin America's best known poets, adored by readers for the sumptuous love lyrics written during his early years in his native Chile, and respected by critics for the dark, hypnotic verses he composed during his later, solitary years as a diplomat based in the Far East. As Dominic Moran shows in his concise biography, rarely have the life and works of a writer been so intimately and dramatically bound up as they are in Neruda. In Pablo Neruda, Moran takes a detailed and often critical look at this relationship, focusing as much on what the poetry sometimes strategically hides about Neruda the poet, the lover and the political proselytizer, as what it reveals. Moran examines a life that was marked by an increasingly militant communism, the seeds of which can be traced to Neruda¡¦s experiences in Spain during the early months of the Spanish Civil War. Throughout the 1950s and ¡¦60s, Neruda became a literary torchbearer for the International Left, and he spent his final years campaigning to bring socialism to his beloved Chile. He lived just long enough to see his hero Salvador Allende killed during Augusto Pinochet¡¦s bloody coup.
Edgar Allan Poe.
  Hayes, Kevin J./ 9781861895158
 
  he career of Edgar Allan Poe (1809¡V49) is the quintessential writer¡¦s biography ¡V great works arising from a life of despair, poverty, alcoholism, and a mysterious, solitary death. It may seem like a cliche' now, but it was Poe who helped shape this idea in the popular imagination. Despite, or inspired by, his many hardships, Poe wrote some of the most well-known poems and intricately crafted stories in American literature. In Edgar Allan Poe, Kevin J. Hayes argues that Poe¡¦s work anticipated many of the directions Western thought would take in the century to come, and he identifies links between Poe and writers and artists such as Walter Benjamin, Salvador Dali', Sergei Eisenstein and Jean Cocteau.
Gertrude Stein
  Daniel, Lucy/ 9781861895165
 
  With detailed reference to her works, to the many notable portraits and readings, and to Stein¡¦s own entertaining anecdotes, Lucy Daniel discusses how the legend of ¡¥Gertrude Stein¡¦ was created, both by herself and her admirers. The book tracks Stein's work, from early efforts in automatic writing to late experiments in the art of autobiography, via her combination of continual stylistic rejuvenation and extraordinary personal charisma. It also takes in her involvement with turn-of-the-century feminism and psychology, her 40-year relationship with Alice B. Toklas, the cultural impact of her salon in the Parisian ex-pat scene, her many famous friendships, and the controversy surrounding her life in occupied France during the Second World War. A fresh and readable presentation of one of the major Anglo-American Modernists, Gertrude Stein will appeal to readers of Gertrude Stein and her circle, as well as specialists in the fields of literature, art, gender studies, Modernism and cultural studies.
Samuel Beckett.
  Gibson, Andrew/ 9781861895172
 
  The life of Samuel Beckett (1906¡V1989) has been the subject of exhaustive scholarship, yet by contrast Beckett himself was a spare, minimalist writer who deeply distrusted the techniques of biography. In this new, concise, critical account of Beckett¡¦s life and work, Andrew Gibson seeks to remain faithful to the writer¡¦s artistic aims, staying close to Beckett¡¦s style of thought and work in his analysis of this supremely modern figure. Beckett¡¦s Rockaby ends with a resounding ¡¥fuck life¡¦: Samuel Beckett takes as its touchstone the formidable Beckettian drive to give up on the world. Gibson locates the logic of Beckett¡¦s drive through an analysis of his responses to modern history, showing how Beckett came to have an unusually profound feeling for the Zeitgeist, and a power of conveying it unrivalled by any other contemporary artist. This book tracks Beckett¡¦s painful progress through the historical situations that defined his experience: Ireland after independence, Paris and the E'cole Normale Supe'rieure in the late twenties, London in the thirties, Nazi Germany, Vichy France, the early years of the Fourth Republic, the Cold War and the triumph of Capital in the 1980s. It also analyses the (often muted and oblique) traces of and responses to these situations in a range of Beckett¡¦s works.
You Can Have Chips!: The Autobiography of Steve Wignall.
  Wignall, Steve/ 9781904444961
 
  From childhood kick-abouts on knee-scraping surfaces to junior football in shirts that reached your ankles to greet your socks, like many youngsters Steve Wignall dreamed of wearing a hallowed red shirt and becoming a professional footballer. Following his apprenticeship at Doncaster Rovers that dream came true and he embarked on a 20-year playing career that took him from Donny to Colchester, Brentford and Aldershot. When age and injury held up the red card, he went into coaching, scouting and management, returning to both Colchester and Doncaster Rovers as manager. Giving a fascinating, behind the scenes insight into life as a player and as a manager, and peppered with wonderful anecdotes that reflect his cheeky Scouse humour, Steve gives an honest account of his long journey of highs and lows in both his professional and personal life, from back-stabbing, rivalries and budget juggling to family upheavals and traumas. Throughout his long career, Steve's high expectations of himself, his loyalty, his tenacity and his vision as a player were mirrored in his management ethic and team training, at whatever level of football, and his skills and determination are what enabled him to survive and succeed in the tough, demanding and ever-changing world of football.
From Sixpences to Dollars: The Life of Poker Player Jonny Texas.
  Texas, Jonny/ 9781906358419
 
  Jonny Texas came from an unconventional but close-knit Midlands family and developed a fascination with all forms of gambling from a young age. He grew up learning how to be a wheeler dealer and in his twenties, with a young family to support, the challenge of beating the odds to make large sums of money became even greater. As he grew older, his life was to become a rollercoaster of highs and lows as he moved from one wild money spinning venture to another, making huge amounts and then losing them, unable to resist any gambling opportunity. The two constants in his life have been his family and poker and, at times, they have made uneasy bedfellows. But somehow, Jonny has managed to pull off the unimaginable, repeatedly pulling himself back from the brink of disaster and turning himself into a winner, appearing on TV and in the public eye. From Sixpences to Dollars documents the extraordinary story of one man's obsession with gambling and how he has ultimately turned it to his advantage.
Medium Rare.
  Scott, Liam/ 9781906358495
 
  Liam Scott is one of today's best-known spiritual mediums, famed for his skill and no-nonsense approach. Following the death of his father, Liam Scott moved to North London with his family at the age of eight. The years that followed saw him become a streetwise thug in the north London underworld, living a dangerous and unpredictable life. After meeting his second wife his mediumistic abilities, first experienced as a child, began to assert themselves again. His life took a turn towards the spiritual as he honed his abilities in Spiritualist churches around the UK. Now a successful stage medium and actor, starring in many films and television productions, Liam's life continues to surprise and inspire those around him. He is, without a doubt, a Medium Rare.
As I Recall It: Living Beneath the Wings of Angels.
  Roberts, Billy/ 9781906358501
 
  After a somewhat lonely and inwardly focused childhood Billy Roberts entered adolescence finally understanding why he had always felt 'diffferent'. As a sickly child his life expectancy had been poor but he had always known that he wouldn't die young because he had an important gift that he needed to share with the world - he was psychic. As I Recall It is Billy's own account of his journey from 'odd' child to successful musician and beyond, documenting how he was to emerge as one of the UK's most successful, if unconventional, Stage Psychics. As a renowned authority on esoteric matters, Billy's career has led him to many strange and sometimes scary places investigating the paranormal. He appeared on television long before programmes about haunted buildings became fashionable and has won the respect of experts on the paranormal across the globe. These days, Billy tries to lead a quieter life but as this fascinating autobiography explains, he has learnt to always expect one or two surprises. This is the extraordinary story of one man's experience of a life spent unravelling the secrets of the dead.
SA41-382 Loose Screw, The: The Shocking Truth about Our Prison System.
  Dawkins, Jim/ 9781904444619
 
  Jim Dawkins left home at the age of sixteen to pursue his dream of joining the army, and subsequently served with the Royal Green Jackets, including tours of Canada and Northern Ireland. During that time he learnt many important lessons in the 'University of Life' that would serve him well in the future, such as discipline, respect, pride and honour, but which, at the same time, would lead to insufferable stress as he constantly battled with his conscience and struggled to swim against the tide. Once back in Civvy Street, and with a new house and a baby to support, Jim decided to join the Prison Service. But what faced him in this new career, which centred on Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs and Belmarsh prisons, shocked him to the core. For this ex-squaddie, who believed in establishing good working relationships with inmates, including notorious long-termer, Charles Bronson, the cancerous environment of staff bully-boy tactics and prisoner victimization was sickening. Jim tells his story, which, although peppered with humorous anecdotes of often lager-induced incidents from both his army and prison days, bears witness to the stark reality of what actually goes on behind prison doors, and exposes both the glaring flaws in the prison system and the atrocities perpetrated in the name of justice, which ultimately forced his decision to leave the Prison Service seven years later.
 

 

2009, Unifacmanu Company.