Selvbiografier

The definitive biography on Meriwether Lewis by Thomas C. Danisi and John C. Jackson now in paperback for the first time.October 11, 2009 marks the bicentennial of Meriwether Lewis's death. As the leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition, an epic exploration of uncharted territory west of the Mississippi, Lewis has been the subject of several biographies, yet much of the published information is unreliable. A number of myths surrounding his life and death persist. Now independent scholars Thomas C. Danisi and John C. Jackson have written this definitive biography based on twelve years of meticulous research. They have re-examined the original Lewis and Clark documents and searched through obscure and overlooked sources to reveal a wealth of fascinating new information on the enigmatic character and life of Meriwether Lewis. Instead of focusing on the Lewis and Clark expedition, the authors concentrate on what Lewis was doing immediately before and after the journey through Western territory. They assess his role as a natural scientist and as governor of the Louisiana Territory. His lifelong mentor, Thomas Jefferson, thrust the latter role upon Lewis during a time of crisis. As Danisi and Jackson reveal, he would much rather have devoted this time compiling his notes and scientific findings into a vivid narrative of the expedition's adventures. Finally, using medical documentation, the book reveals the actual cause of Lewis's untimely death. The authors address both the conspiracy theories regarding murder as the cause of Lewis's death and the longstanding belief that he committed suicide. The Meriwether Lewis that emerges from this thoroughly researched biography is a man of honorable intentions who met severe challenges and handled difficult confrontations with patience and diplomacy. Both professional historians and armchair devotees of American history will want to add this important new work to their libraries.

Explore the true story of a real-life Jane Austen heroine in this intimate portrait of a Regency family.

Secrets of the Royal Palaces tells the history of Britain's royal homes and the tales of what went on inside them.

The controversial Jewish thinker whose tortured path led him into the heart of twentieth-century intellectual lifeScion of a distinguished line of Talmudic scholars, Jacob Taubes (1923-1987) was an intellectual impresario whose inner restlessness led him from prewar Vienna to Zurich, Israel, and Cold War Berlin. Regarded by some as a genius, by others as a charlatan, Taubes moved among yeshivas, monasteries, and leading academic institutions on three continents. He wandered between Judaism and Christianity, left and right, piety and transgression. Along the way, he interacted with many of the leading minds of the age, from Leo Strauss and Gershom Scholem to Herbert Marcuse, Susan Sontag, and Carl Schmitt. Professor of Apocalypse is the definitive biography of this enigmatic figure and a vibrant mosaic of twentieth-century intellectual life.Jerry Muller shows how Taubes's personal tensions mirrored broader conflicts between religious belief and scholarship, allegiance to Jewish origins and the urge to escape them, tradition and radicalism, and religion and politics. He traces Taubes's emergence as a prominent interpreter of the Apostle Paul, influencing generations of scholars, and how his journey led him from crisis theology to the Frankfurt School, and from a radical Hasidic sect in Jerusalem to the center of academic debates over Gnosticism, secularization, and the revolutionary potential of apocalypticism.Professor of Apocalypse offers an unforgettable account of an electrifying world of ideas, focused on a charismatic personality who thrived on controversy and conflict.

'Deeply researched and engagingly written' The Times'Has the pace and style of a well-crafted thriller' Mail on Sunday'Chock full of memorable characters and written with all the drama and pace of a Robert Harris thriller' Rowland White, author of MosquitoSummer 1939. War is coming. The British believe that, through ingenuity and scientific prowess, they alone have a war-winning weapon: radar. They are wrong. The Germans have it too.They believe that their unique maritime history means their pilots have no need of navigational aids. They are wrong. Most of the bombs the RAF will drop in the first years of the war land miles from their target.They also believe that the Germans, without the same naval tradition, will never be able to find targets at night. They are, again, wrong.In 1939 the Germans don't just have radar to spot planes entering their airspace, they have radio beams to guide their own planes into enemy airspace.This war will be fought on land and sea and in the air, but it will also be fought on the airwaves. It will be fought between scientists on both sides at the forefront of knowledge, and the agents and commandos they relied on to bolster that knowledge. Thanks to one young engineer, Reginald Jones, the British develop radar technology that went on to help the Allies win the war.Relying on first-hand accounts from Reginald Jones as well as papers recently released by the Admiralty, The Battle of the Beams fills a huge missing piece in the canon of World War II literature. It is a tale that combines history, science, derring do and dogged determination and will appeal as much to fans of World War II history as to those fascinated by the science behind the beams that changed our lives.The radio war of 1939-45 is one of the great scientific battles in history. This is the story of that war.

This book weaves glimpses of some of the author's experiences; intertwined with the experiences of friends, family and acquaintances; in his half-century journey to understand the impact of oppression and trauma on his life and the country. The author explores how the murder of his young friend Matthew Shepard, and being briefly thrust into the national spotlight, affected the direction and focus of that journey. The book chronicles his movement from the deafening silence of growing up in the "don't ask don't tell" environment of Wyoming; through that horrific murder; and into decades of painstakingly slow, positive, change toward social justice; accompanied by a growing negative backlash culminating in "don't say gay" and other hate-based legislation.

How she managed a husband and two children is a mystery, although she acknowledges various helpers, always bringing them to life in fascinating detail. Many vignettes of people have been described in a manner not to be forgotten.

It offers a deeply personal insight into the thoughts, struggles, momentous events and emotions that have shaped India''s history, as seen through his life and his incarceration in the forbidding Cellular Jail in the Andamans.

Still very much at the top of her game after nearly four decades in the fashion industry, Naomi Campbell’s trailblazing work, both on and off the catwalk, continues to hit the front pages as she pushes the boundaries of the fashion world. This book grants an exclusive look into the world of one of fashion’s most talented and enduring personalities.

From Red to Read tells the story of Dr Alan Tonge, who holds the unique distinction of being Sir Alex Ferguson's first signing at Manchester United and played in the Football League for Exeter City. After a serious back injury ended his football career at age 22, Alan rebuilt his life through education and acquired a PhD.

'Give this book to everyone you know - NOW!' Miriam Margolyes'The wonderful Barry Cryer' Stephen Fry'He was so funny and such fun and here he is again in all his rib-tickling glory' Gyles Brandreth'I'm insanely happy that the life of jokester Barry Cryer is to be lovingly detailed by his son' Emma Thompson'I don't know how long I've got left . I don't even buy green bananas anymore' When the legendary comedian Barry Cryer died in January 2022, there was a vast outpouring of grief, appreciation and anecdotes - from the general public and fellow comics alike. Now, his son, Bob, is doing what Barry's humility did not allow: revealing the story of the man behind the jokes.This book is an ode to both Barry's incredible life and to the lessons he so generously imparted on the art of comedy during his sixty-year career. Stretching from the music halls of the fifties, via working alongside everyone from Morecambe and Wise to Kenny Everett and David Frost, and into more recent times as a stalwart of Radio 4's long-running I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, this book is a hugely entertaining insight into the life of a true comedy legend. Bob also shares a range of exclusive material unique to the Cryer family - including family photos, memorabilia, oral recordings, interviews with friends and colleagues (among them Michael Palin and Eric Idle) - as well as Bob's own personal reflections on living and working with a comedy icon. Laced with candour, warmth and filled with his trademark humour, Barry Cryer: Same Time Tomorrow? is not just a wonderfully witty and affectionate biography of a father by a son, but a heartwarming insight into a vanishing era of comedy.

Broken and living without boundaries, he functioned off of power and control. Through many struggles in poverty, what could be worse than the abandoned house he'd return to? This musician's life was a mess, purposely, but for a bigger purpose.

Alan Strachan¿s fascinating biography shares the adventures of Bernard Miles and the creation of London's Mermaid Theatre.

The human story of mountains, long before modern mountaineers battled to be 'first' upon their summits