This definitive biography sheds new light on the phenomenon that was Edith Piaf, enlarging on and, in some cases, correcting the half-truths provided by Piaf in her two autobiographies. Piaf's rise to international stardom, her lifelong addiction to alcohol and heroin, and her turbulent love affairs are documented, as are her friendships with such stars as Jean Cocteau, Marlene Dietrich, Maurice Chevalier, Yves Montand, and Charlie Chaplin. This detailed account concludes with a moving description of Piaf's early death at the age o... read more

Natasza Pelinski is a young Polish Jew taken to Auschwitz. Her childhood stolen from her, she quickly matures and in the process discovers she has psychic gifts. She develops a relationship with the ghost of a professor, who becomes her spirit guide. He in turn enlists her aid on a mission of salvation for the Jewish people. As well as helping her survive in the brutal conditions of the camp, he teaches Natasza the secret of healing and how to move past anger toward compassion. She forms the Sisters of Light, a group of young women... read more

Capturing the romance and risk of extreme big-mountain skiing, this non-fiction adventure follows 15-year-old Kye Peterson as he attempts to conquer the same mountain in Chamonix, France - known as 'the death sport capital of the world' - that claimed the life of his father more than a decade earlier. Aided by some of the greatest ski mountaineers of the day, and followed by a documentary filmmaker and ski enthusiast, this book tells a story of surviving against nature, overcoming mental and physical challenges, and coming of age i... read more

This is a thrilling biography of Francois Coty - the visionary who revolutionised the fragrance industry. Artist, financier, politician, industrialist, philanthropist, and above all, parfumeur - Francois Coty revolutionized the fragrance industry during the first part of the twentieth century and gave the world such legendary scents as Chypre and La Rose Jacqueminot. Born in 1874, in the same house as his relative and idol Napoleon Bonaparte, Coty was orphaned at the age of seven. He spent his childhood under the care of Jesuit pri... read more

'Monica Waitzfelder has dedicated herself to this David versus Goliath struggle represented by the attempt to recover the land where their fine family home once stood...It was resold in 1954 to a German subsidiary of L'Oreal in spite of the proven continued existence of its owners who had been dispossessed by the greed and violence of the Nazis. In 1961, L'Oreal became the direct owner of the land...L'Oreal's past should have led this giant company to develop greater understanding of (the family): Eugene Schueller, the creator of L... read more

This is a raw and powerful memoir not only of one woman's struggle to survive the streets but also of her ascent to the top ranks of the new Mafia, where the only people more dangerous than rival gangs were members of her own. At age five Sonia Rodriguez's stepfather began to abuse her; at 10 she was molested by her uncle and beaten by her mother when she told on him; and by 13 her home had become a hangout for the Latin Kings and Queens who were friends with her older sister.Threatened by rival gang members at school, Sonia turned... read more

Written as a unique firsthand account, this poignant memoir of John Wheeler, the last American journalist in Cuba in the late 1960s, reveals the untold story of Cuba's struggle to reform in the early days of the Cold war. For nearly three years, Wheeler was the only U.S. reporter in Cuba and one of the few Americans to directly witness Castro's attempts at economic, political, and social reform. The real-life stories of spies, counter spies, dissidents, defectors, revolutionary patriots, Soviet journalists, and, of course, Castro h... read more

Writer and activist Elsie Locke was a remarkable woman whose contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand went largely unrecognised during her lifetime. In a long and eventful life she campaigned for birth control, women's rights, nuclear disarmament, social justice and the environment before such causes were popular. She wrote almost 40 books, numerous articles and School Journal stories, and was a published poet. Forthright she might have been, but the diminutive Elsie Locke was a very private and modest person. In this insightful and co... read more

Looking for an escape from childhood abuse, Reymundo Sanchez turned away from school and baseball to drugs, alcohol, and then sex, and was left to fend for himself before age 14. The Latin Kings, one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in America, became his refuge and his world, but its violence cost him friends, freedom, self-respect, and nearly his life. This is a raw and powerful odyssey through the ranks of the new mafia, where the only people more dangerous than rival gangs are members of your own gang, who in one ... read more

This authorised biography of the poet Kathleen Raine tells the story of how she developed from a small girl, who knew at the age of eight that she wanted only to write poetry, into a world-renowned poet and literary scholar. Philippa Bernard follows Kathleen Raine’s struggle against the constrictions of her suburban childhood to her exciting days at Girton College in the twenties, where she became friends with many brilliant writers, artists and scientists, including William Empson, Julian Trevelyan, Jakob Bronowski and the fi... read more

Offering an intimate perspective on the life of an important, prolific author, this revealing biography uncovers the inner workings of a cult figure through his tumultuous relationship with his third wife. Brilliant and charismatic, Philip K. Dick was known as a loyal friend, father, and husband, as well as a talented science fiction writer. His six-year marriage to the woman he described as “the love of his life” and his intellectual equal was full of passion—the meeting of soul mates. But behind the façad... read more

"Invaluable for Dick fans and scholars because it’s told by the one person he was close to at an important turning point in his career." — New York Times “The secret of Phil Dick's greatness, as with so many other great men, is his . . . [third] wife, Anne. You can see her influence in the development of his novels.” — Thomas M. Disch, author, Camp Concentration “Besides being a remarkably accurate and life-like picture of the man, it is also a rattling good tale, like a real-life detective story.” — Ray Nelson, co-..read more

The story of a remarkable life, told with charm, honesty and insight. It is a book about children, war, Pakeha, Maori, medicine, murder, hunting and horses by someone who first wanted to write and draw but was convinced to become a surgeon.

From the halcyon days of easily accessible drugs to years of government intervention and a surging black market, this tale chronicles a former drug smuggler's 50-year career in the drug trade, its evolution into a multibillion-dollar business, and the characters he met along the way. The journey begins with the infamous Hippie Hash trail that led from London and Amsterdam overland to Nepal where, prior to the early1970s, hashish was legal and smoked freely in Nepal, India, Afghanistan, and Laos; marijuana and opium were sold openly... read more

The Long and the Short of It celebrates the 50-year-long writing career of Roy Fisher and the all-too-short 75 years (thus far) he has lived on this planet. Playing the language, pleasuring the imagination and teasing the senses, Fisher's witty, inventive and anarchic poetry has given lasting delight to his many dedicated readers. Roy Fisher's most notable achievements have included his exploration of the modern city, his experiments with perception and sensory experience, his jazz-inspired prose and his political and cultural come... read more

Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, Sunday 7 November, 11.15am, repeated Friday 12 November, 9am
 
Ian McMillan is the guest on Sunday’s edition of Desert Island Discs.  He has chosen Roy Fisher’s retrospective The Long and the Short of It: Poems 1955-2005 as his book to take to a fictional desert island. 
 
The Long and the Short of It was published in 2005 and is still available.  Roy Fisher’s subsequent collection Standard Midland was published in June of this year to mark his 80th birthday.
 
You can l..read more

This compelling biography of Lady Mary Anne Barker is a fascinating account of a Victoria woman who, through the course of her life, lived in England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Mauritius, Australia and Trinidad. Momentous historical events of the period, such as the Indian Mutiny (Revolt) and the Zulu Wars, all directly impacted upon her personal life and resulted in huge domestic upheavals. Lady Barker wrote 18 books, and is perhaps best known for "Station Life in New Zealand", which was republished by Vintage in 2000. The... read more

An intimate portrait of an incredibly talented and respected fashion icon, this biography traces Gianni Versace's life from his youth in Reggio Calabria, Italy, to his early shows at museums in Milan to his untimely, tragic murder by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Miami. An extraordinary talent with an appetite for world cultures, a nostalgia for the past, and an ability to artistically anticipate the future--all of which manifests itself in his glamorous designs worn by Elton John, Princess Diana, The Notorious B.I.G., Elizabeth ... read more

A wonderful collection of stories and memoir from childhood. Childhood is at times joyful, at times traumatic. In this anthology twenty-six distinguished New Zealand writers evoke memories of their early years, in fiction and memoir. Their stories and memoirs resonate with love and betrayal, friendship and disloyalty, elation and anxiety. The writing features parents and teachers, peers, siblings and other relatives, the loveable and the unloveable. There are wondrous discoveries of the natural and cultural world and glimpses into ... read more

Sid Phillips knew he was a long way from his home in Mobile, AL, when he plunged into the jungles of Guadalcanal in August 1942. A mortarman with the same company of the 1st Marine Division as Helmet For My Pillow author Robert Leckie, Sid was a 17-year-old kid when he entered combat. Some two years later, when he returned home, the island fighting on Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester had turned him into an "Old Timer" by Marine standards and a man. In this true story, Sid recalls his encounters with icons like Chesty Puller, Gen. Va... read more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjtLwxnrAyI&feature=player_embedded

Reviews:
"For anyone who cares about the human dimension of war--its cost and its heroism--Sid Phillips' book is a must-read . . ."
- Ken Burns, Emmy award-winning filmmaker

"Like his life-long friend, Eugene Sledge, Sid Phillips speaks to us in these enchanting memoirs in his natural voice, engaging and modest, full of insight and intelligence, but ever alert to the lighter side of even the most dismal human circumstances. And like any great story teller, he leaves you wishing to hear..read more

A former Chicago cop exposes shocking truths about the abuses of power within the city's police department in this memoir of violence, drugs, and men with badges. Lopez becomes a police officer because he wants to make a difference in gang-infested neighbourhoods; but, as this book reveals, he ends up a corrupt member of the most powerful gang of all -- the Chicago police force. Lopez shares the horrific indiscretions he witnessed during his seven years of service, from the sexually predatory officer, X, who routinely stops beautif... read more

Join Truffles, a little chocolate poodle with a huge heart, as he goes from being an awkward puppy in a pen to a very special dog. Along the way, we meet his friends and share in his ups and downs as he discovers his big purpose. This is one tale you don’t want to miss!