万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

Stan: Tackling My Demons
Stan: Tackling My Demons
Stan Collymore
¥80.25
The searingly honest and at times harrowing autobiography of the former Liverpool, Aston Villa and England striker. Exposes the dark and often seedy world hidden behind the glamorous facade of professional football. ‘I was a mess. I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t structure my day properly. I couldn’t face having a shower or getting dressed. Those all seemed like major events I didn’t want to confront.’ Once the most charismatic and expensive player in the new Premiership flooded with cash, Stan Collymore had, by the age of 28, booked himself into The Priory to treat his depression, close to self-destruction and unable to get his head round playing at all. Along the way, he had been the goalscorer nobody wanted to congratulate, the centre-forward no one knew how to manage, a deeply reluctant star in a tabloid culture that saw him make the front pages as often as the back, and that waited for him to crack up or lash out. When he eventually did, it was, infamously, inevitably, at his then celebrity girlfriend, Ulrika Jonsson. But then retired from football in 2001 and finding himself in the commentary box, he proved he did care about the game, rather too much perhaps, sounding like a fan as much as an ex-player – and at a stroke he had more in common with the rest of the nation. He knew it was all so much more than a game, and what happened on the field was only a reflection of what was going on inside players’ heads. The contradictions remain. A man, who had a steady stream of celebrity women falling at his feet, shamed by his voyeurism in a Cannock car park; a star with everything who was once discovered by his wife tightening a belt around his neck; a loving dad of two whose own father walked out of the marital home and who Collymore continues to blot from his memory to this day; a footballer who abstains from drugs, yet who needs therapy at Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous; the loner slated for his aloofness who found critical acclaim as a football pundit on national prime-time radio. This is Stan Collymore’s own life story, the real person on his flawed character and personal demons, telling it like you have never seen before – raw and uncut.
Chris Eubank: The Autobiography
Chris Eubank: The Autobiography
Chris Eubank
¥80.25
Love him or loathe him, Chris Eubank is one of life’s more eccentric personalities who has transcended the world of boxing and established himself as a media celebrity and role model to millions of fans the world over. His story is both gripping and extraordinary. He exploded into the public consciousness in November 1990 with a ferocious defeat of Nigel Benn for the WBO middleweight crown. Once crowned champion, he made 19 successful defences of his title and became one of the most talked about boxers of his generation. But his early life was so very different. Aged 15, Eubank was ejected from the last in a long line of care homes and was living on the streets. His life was a mess of shoplifting, burglary, drink and drugs from which there seemed no escape. In 1981, in a last-ditch attempt to drag himself from the abyss, he relocated to New York with his mother. Here he started boxing and within two years he had won the prestigious Spanish Golden Gloves Amateur title. Some of the incredible experiences he recalls in his autobiography include: his involvement in a car crash which saw a man die, how he became Lord of the Manor of Brighton, his reaction to Michael Watson’s horrific injuries sustained in their 1992 super-middleweight contest and subsequent partial recovery, his views on the ‘mugs game’ from which he previously made his living, his relationship with Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali, his passion for his truck, jeeps and motorbikes, and his legendary sartorial elegance and extravagance. Eubank’s life as a ‘TV celebrity’ is even more enigmatic and compelling. He was the subject of a Louis Theroux fly-on-the-wall documentary, he was first to be voted out of the Comic Relief Big Brother house, and is the star of his own television programme At Home with the Eubanks. His story is truly extraordinary.
The 13th Gift: Part Two (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
The 13th Gift: Part Two (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
Joanne Huist Smith
¥11.77
A true Christmas story of a family suffering their darkest moments finding strength and love from a surprise Christmas miracle. December 1999: It was the Christmas season, but Joanne Smith was numb. She wished she could just go to sleep and wake up on December 26. No singing. No laughter. No shopping. She typically enjoyed the holidays, but this year she couldn’t celebrate. Her beloved husband of almost twenty years had died two months previously. What had once been a happy home was now devastated, leaving her and her three children drowning in grief. Until they were thrown a lifeline. Twelve days before Christmas, Jo was in the midst of rushing her kids to school, when she discovered a poinsettia sitting on her doorstep with a card, signed cryptically by her “true friends.” That seemingly small gift was the turning point for the Smith family, as over the course of the twelve days of Christmas, a new gift arrived daily. The mystery of the Christmas presents – specifically, the generosity and kindness behind them – worked its magic on the Smiths as the family knitted back together. They rose out of their grief and latched onto the hope they suddenly felt again: that with love, with community, and with family, even the most broken hearts can be mended.
Raw: The diary of an anorexic (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
Raw: The diary of an anorexic (HarperTrue Life – A Short Read)
Lydia Davies
¥9.71
Lydia was 19 years old and enjoying university with a loving family and great friends when she became anorexic. The doctors told her that she would die. This is Lydia’s account of what anorexia did to her, how it changed her and how it impacted on her family, friends and all her choices in life. Her story is told through letters and blogs that Lydia wrote at the best and worst of times, notes from her parent s and friends desperately trying to find a way through to her and doctors notes with the horrific exacting details. Lydia is now 23 and ‘recovering’. She strongly believes that recovery is possible, and feels she is almost there. She wrote her book to explain her deepest thoughts and to explain the painful mental torture that she endured and overcame. And she wrote it in the hope that others suffering would relate to it, and that other families watching their loved ones will be touched and understand more deeply how an eating disorder really feels.
Constance Street: Part 3 of 3
Constance Street: Part 3 of 3
Charlie Connelly
¥36.50
Constance Street can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts. This is PART 3 of 3. You can read Part 3 on release of the full-length eBook and paperback. One forgotten street, 12 unforgettable women. Through the story of one street – Constance Street – we hear the true life tales of a tight knit group of working class women in the East End of London set against a backdrop of war, hardship and struggle. It’s a story of matriarchy and deep family ties, of a generation that was scattered away from the street during the blitz bombings, but which maintained the ties of that street for decades afterwards. Set in an area of East London called Silvertown, a once thriving docking community that at the turn of the 20th century was the industrial heartland of the south of England; the story focuses on the lives of 12 incredible women and their struggle to survive amidst the chaos of the war years. We have Nellie Greenwood, the author’s great grandmother who runs a laundry in Silvertown which becomes the focal point of the community. In 1917 a munitions factory in Silvertown explodes flattening much of the surrounding area and causing extensive damage to Constance Street – Nellie’s daughter is blown from her crib but miraculously survives. Deciding to open the laundry as a field hospital for the injured, Nellie and the women on the street come together to tend the wounded, the sick and the emotionally shattered as they cope with the aftermath of not just one but two world wars. Through the Great War, the roaring Twenties, the Depression and then the unimaginable – the outbreak of a second world war – Nellie and the street survive with love, laughter and friendships that bind the community together. But just as this incredible group of women live through the worst, the unthinkable happens. On 7 September 1940, Constance Street is no more. Following in the footsteps of Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth and The Sugar Girls, Constance Street is a life-affirming, heart-warming read that reminds us of a time when people pulled together.
Care for Your Puppy (RSPCA Pet Guide)
Care for Your Puppy (RSPCA Pet Guide)
RSPCA
¥31.59
Published in association with the RSPCA, the UK’s leading animal welfare charity, this practical family guide is full of expert advice on how to choose a puppy and how best to look after it. If you already own or are planning to buy a puppy this easy-to-use introductory guide is a must. Clearly illustrated with colour photographs throughout, it covers all aspects of daily care including housing, feeding, hygiene, grooming, exercise and first aid. Published in association with the experts at the RSPCA, this book will help you ensure that you are giving your puppy the best possible start in life.
Care for Your Guinea Pigs (RSPCA Pet Guide)
Care for Your Guinea Pigs (RSPCA Pet Guide)
RSPCA
¥31.59
Published in association with the RSPCA, the UK’s leading animal welfare charity, this practical family guide is full of expert advice on how to choose a guinea pig and how best to look after it. If you already own or are planning to buy a guinea pig this easy-to-use introductory guide is a must. Clearly illustrated with colour photographs throughout, it covers all aspects of daily care including housing, feeding, hygiene, grooming, exercise and first aid. Published in association with the experts at the RSPCA, this book will help you ensure that you are giving your guinea pig the best possible care.
You Are Not Alone: Michael, Through a Brother’s Eyes
You Are Not Alone: Michael, Through a Brother’s Eyes
Jermaine Jackson
¥70.44
‘This is the truth as we know it. I have read so much about what people think they know about Michael, but this is about what really happened.’ Jermaine Jackson You Are Not Alone is an intimate, loving portrait of Michael Jackson, illuminating the private man like never before. It is an invitation into Michael’s real character, private insights and hidden feelings: the innermost thoughts of a fiercely private individual. Jermaine Jackson knew Michael like only a brother can. In You Are Not Alone Jermaine brings light to the man behind the mask of superstardom, an identity that has lingered in the shadows for too long. You Are Not Alone is a celebration of the real Michael: the boy who shared a tiny bunkbed with Jermaine at 2300 Jackson Street, Gary, Indiana; the brother with whom Jermaine shared laughter, tears and memories; the boy who would grow up to become a legend. Raw, honest and incredibly moving, You Are Not Alone is also a sophisticated, no-holds-barred examination of Michael Jackson, aimed at fostering a true and final understanding of who he was and what shaped him. This is Michael Jackson – the man, not the legend – through a brother’s eyes. If you love Michael Jackson, this is the only book you will want to read. If you think you know the Michael Jackson story, it’s time to think again.
The Boy No One Loved: A Heartbreaking True Story of Abuse, Abandonment and Betra
The Boy No One Loved: A Heartbreaking True Story of Abuse, Abandonment and Betra
Casey Watson
¥63.77
Sunday Times bestselling author and foster carer Casey Watson’s first heartbreaking memoir. Justin was five years old; his brothers two and three. Their mother, a heroin addict, had left them alone again. Later that day, after trying to burn down the family home, Justin was taken into care. Justin was taken into care at the age of five after deliberately burning down his family home. Six years on, after 20 failed placements, Justin arrives at Casey’s home. Casey and her husband Mike are specialist foster carers. They practice a new style of foster care that focuses on modifying the behaviour of profoundly damaged children. They are Justin’s last hope, and it quickly becomes clear that they are facing a big challenge. Try as they might to make him welcome, he seems determined to strip his life of all the comforts they bring him, violently lashing out at schoolmates and family and throwing any affection they offer him back in their faces. After a childhood filled with hurt and rejection, Justin simply doesn’t want to know. But, as it soon emerges, this is only the tip of a chilling iceberg. A visit to Justin’s mother on Boxing Day reveals that there are some very dark underlying problems that Justin has never spoken about. As the full picture becomes clearer, and the horrific truth of Justin’s early life is revealed, Casey and her family finally start to understand the pain he has suffered… Includes a sample chapter of Crying for Help.
Crying for Help: The Shocking True Story of a Damaged Girl with a Dark Past
Crying for Help: The Shocking True Story of a Damaged Girl with a Dark Past
Casey Watson
¥63.77
The second book from Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson. Two weeks after saying farewell to her first foster child, Casey is asked to look after Sophia, a troubled 12-year-old with a sad past. Sophia’s actions are disturbing and provocative and, before long, Casey and her family find themselves in a dark and dangerous situation. Two years ago Sophia’s mother had a terrible accident. Sophia has been in care ever since. Right away, Casey feels something isn’t right. Sophia’s a well-developed girl, who looks more like 18 than 12. She only seems to have eyes and ears for men, and treats all women with contempt and disgust. And she has everyone around her jumping through hoops. Over time, as more details begin to emerge about Sophia’s past, it becomes clear that her behaviour is a front for an early life filled with pain and suffering. But although Casey feels she is gradually breaking through to Sophia and getting her to open up about things she has never spoken about before, her violence is threatening the safety of the whole family, forcing Casey to question whether she can really handle this lost and damaged girl. Both shocking and inspiring, this true story will shed new light on the extreme and sometimes dangerous nature of foster care. Includes a sample chapter of Little Prisoners.
Too Hurt to Stay: The True Story of a Troubled Boy’s Desperate Search for a Lovi
Too Hurt to Stay: The True Story of a Troubled Boy’s Desperate Search for a Lovi
Casey Watson
¥56.11
The fourth title from Sunday Times bestselling author Casey Watson. Eight-year-old Spencer takes himself to social services and demands to be taken into care. It’s a desperate act, a cry for help, but his parent’s reaction – good riddance – speaks volumes. Casey’s hackles are immediately up for this poor child. Spencer is the middle child of four siblings. His parents claim all their other kids are ‘normal’ and that Spencer was born ‘vicious and evil’. Casey and her family are disgusted – kids aren’t born evil, they get damaged. Although when vigilante neighbours start to take action and their landlord threatens eviction, Casey is stretched to the limits, trying desperately to hold on to this boy who causes so much pain and destruction. Casey is determined to try and understand what Spencer is going through and help him find the loving home he is so desperately searching for. But it’s only when Spencer’s mother gets in touch with social services for the first time that gradually everything starts to make sense.
Gavin Henson: My Grand Slam Year
Gavin Henson: My Grand Slam Year
Gavin Henson
¥146.27
Silver boots, perma-tanned skin, shaven legs and gravity-defying red spikes in his hair – Gavin Henson is Wales’s hottest new celeb and rugby’s golden boy. This is his story of a momentous year in rugby, starting with an epic Six Nations Grand Slam for Wales, followed by the toughest of all tours, the British Lions in New Zealand. After kicking the 50-yard goal that sent England to shock defeat in the 2005 Six Nations, the 23-year-old Gavin Henson demonstrated that here, at last, was a Welsh sportsman who was ready to put his proud rugby nation back on the world map. Wales’s Grand Slam triumph – their first since 1978 – was done the hard way, with dramatic victories against the world champions followed by France in Paris, and climaxing in the Millennium stadium against Ireland, amid a crescendo of noise and passion-fuelled expectation. The flamboyant Henson relives those special moments on and off the field: the build-up to the games and the stories from within the inner sanctum of the Welsh dressing room; the pressure of suddenly becoming favourites to win the trophy; the nail-biting victories over England and France; and the moment when Henson knew that life would never be the same again. Fast forward to summer 2005. Wales’s No 12, the inside-centre whose clever running, booming kicks and crunching tackling make him a genuine all-rounder, is the favourite to play alongside captain and Irish phenomenon Brian O’Driscoll in the Lions team against the All Blacks in this most eagerly awaited clash of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Henson’s insight into this defining tour, his views on coach Clive Woodward and his home nation colleagues (including a fit-again Jonny Wilkinson), and the eye-opening stories away from the rugby – plus all the other highlights of an unprecedented season for Wales’s new generation of talent – will make this book essential reading for the autumn.
Graham Thorpe: Rising from the Ashes
Graham Thorpe: Rising from the Ashes
Graham Thorpe
¥72.99
Graham Thorpe’s achievements on the cricket field contrasted wildly with his personal problems, where drink and depression combined to send him spiralling off the rails. This is his brutally honest life story, including his dramatic retirement from Test cricket, and updated to include England’s 2005 Ashes win, and his new coaching career. Graham Thorpe was one of the best batsmen in world cricket for more than a decade. Yet the national press hounded him as 'English cricket's most disturbed player' for pulling out of a series of tours and turning his back on the game more than once. With painful candour and often unexpected humour, Thorpe dissects his career in cricket and the inner recesses of his private life: the impact of his bitter divorce; the suicidal depression that afflicted him in his darkest hours; the reasons why he needed to 'save himself' by withdrawing from past England tours; the elation of his magnificent century on his comeback Test at the Oval in 2003; and his fresh outlook in life with a new partner after confronting his own failings and past troubles. Twelve years on from his Test debut against Australia, Thorpe took the decision to retire from international cricket after the disappointment of his controversial non-selection for the Ashes 2005 tour. With updated material on his coaching spell in Australia – where he gained valuable insight into cricket’s No 1 nation.
Paramédico
Paramédico
Benjamin Gilmour
¥66.22
Around the world by ambulance. Paramédico is a brilliant collection of adventures by Australian paramedic Benjamin Gilmour as he works and volunteers on ambulances around the world. From England to Mexico, and Iceland to Pakistan, Gilmour takes us on an extraordinary thrill-ride with his wild coworkers. Along the way he learns a few things, too, and shows us not only how precious life truly is, but how to passionately embrace it. Now an acclaimed feature-length documentary movie.
Faraday:The Life (Text Only)
Faraday:The Life (Text Only)
James Hamilton
¥92.41
A major biography of Michael Faraday (1791–1867), one of the giants of 19th century science and discoverer of electricity who was at the centre of an extraordinary scientific renaissance in London. Faraday’s life was truly inspirational. Son of a Yorkshire blacksmith who moved to London in 1789, he was a self-made, self-educated man whose public life was underpinned by his devotion to a minor Christian sect (the Sandemanians) and to his wife. He was also a fine writer and brilliant lecturer. This book is a passionate exploration of his life, work and times (he was a pioneering scientific all-rounder who also experimented with electromagnetism, techniques for preserving meat and fish, optical glass, the safety lamp, and the identification of iodine as a new element). It will also tell the story of the dawn of the modern scientific age and interweave Faraday’s life with the groundbreaking work of the Royal Institution and other early scientists like Humphrey Davey, Charles Babbage, John Herschel and Mary Somerville.
Our Best Pal:Gander
Our Best Pal:Gander
Isabel George
¥15.60
An inspiring and heart-warming short story of canine devotion and bravery. Animals have accompanied man into battle since war first waged. Gander, faithful friend to WWII Canadian soldiers, was smuggled onto a troop ship in 1940, where he was given a personal kit bag, awarded the rank of Sergeant and allowed to drink beer. In return for the kindness and admiration of his fellow soldiers, the huge Newfoundland dog gave his life to save the injured men he lived alongside. Extracted from the bestselling title The Dog That Saved My Life, this is the short story of one incredible dog that refused to give up; a dog that showed devotion and unquestioning loyalty even in the darkest days.
Liverpool v Manchester United:Seeing Red (A Short Pass)
Liverpool v Manchester United:Seeing Red (A Short Pass)
Andy Mitten
¥9.71
‘Seeing Red’ is an exclusive extract from the best-selling ‘Mad For It’, published in association with FourFourTwo magazine. It examines one of the greatest sporting rivalries from the viewpoint of the people that matter; the fans. ‘Mad For It’ proves that some football matches are far more than just a game. These short extracts, from the original book published in association with FourFourTwo magazine, provide a fresh and revealing insight into the people that make these matches matter – the fans – using their own words and stories to illuminate the conflicts, tensions, histories and celebrations behind these unforgettable games. This first essay examines the biggest rivalry in English, if not World, football. Led by Sir Alex Ferguson and Kenny Daglish, games between Manchester United and Liverpool stir up some of the strongest emotions of any sporting event. On match days, two of the biggest cities in the UK come to a standstill. ‘Seeing Red’ gets to the root cause of the rivalry and examines why it matters so much.
Songs from the Steppes:The Poems of Makhtumkuli
Songs from the Steppes:The Poems of Makhtumkuli
Brian Aldiss
¥56.90
An oddity among Aldiss works - verse translations. Song from the Steppes is the collected poems of Makhtumkuli, eighteenth century poet-hero of Turkmenistan. In this book, Aldiss renders prose translations made by Dr Youssef Azemoun, an expert on Turkic languages and literature, from the original into verse.
Murray Walker:Unless I’m Very Much Mistaken
Murray Walker:Unless I’m Very Much Mistaken
Murray Walker
¥80.25
The voice of motor racing and much loved public figure – and the man responsible for introducing millions of viewers to the previously inaccessible world of Formula 1 – tells the story of his incident-packed life, with a brand new chapter on his globetrotting adventures since retirement. Murray Walker is a national treasure. When the man who made famous the catch phrase 'Unless I'm very much mistaken… I AM very much mistaken!!!' announced that he was retiring as ITV's Grand Prix commentator, the media reacted as if the sport itself was losing one of its biggest stars. His reputation for mistakes was the making of Walker. He was the fan who happened to be given the keys to the commentary box – and never wanted to give them back. His high-octane delivery kept viewers on the edge of their seats, while his passion for talking about the sport he loved was matched by an all-encompassing knowledge gained through hours of painstaking research before every race. In his book he writes about his childhood and the influence that his father, British motorcycle champion Graham Walker, had on his career. Failing to match his father's achievements on the track after active service in World War II, he made a successful career for himself in advertising which catapulted him to the top of his profession. An offer from the BBC to take over the commentary seat for their F1 broadcasts was too good to turn down, and it wasn't long before the infamous 'Murrayisms' enlivened a sport which until then had been shrouded in a cloak of unfathomable technical jargon and mind-numbing statistics. He also talks about the biggest changes in the sport over the last 50 years, in particular the safety issues which came to the fore after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, which he witnessed first hand. His partnership with James Hunt behind the microphone is the subject of some hilarious anecdotes, while his views on drivers past and present such as Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher make for fascinating reading.
One Direction:Where We Are (100% Official):Our Band, Our Story
One Direction:Where We Are (100% Official):Our Band, Our Story
One Direction
¥73.58
Calling all One Direction fans! This is the only official book from 1D, charting their journey over the last year and a half – from the places they’ve visited and fans they’ve met, to their thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams, highs and lows. It has been a phenomenal year – and this is a phenomenal story. This Christmas, there will be no other book that true One Direction fans will want! They’ve won dozens of awards. They’ve had a bigger US debut than the Beatles. They’ve played Madison Square Garden, the Royal Variety Show, and sold-out venues across the globe. One Direction – just five young guys from small British towns – has truly gone global. Now the lives of Louis, Liam, Harry, Zayn and Niall are changing beyond recognition. This year, with their own movie hitting theatres and a 133-date tour stretching across the globe, the 1D star is shining brighter than ever. How did they feel when they debuted twice at no. 1 in the US – and in 37 countries around the world? How have they kept themselves grounded? And now that they’ve come so far, what are their dreams for the future? In Where We Are, the boys offer you a chance to find out about this breathtaking chapter of their story, straight from the heart and in their own words. Packed with exclusive beautiful photos, backstage snapshots, hand-written annotations and brand new insights into the boys’ world, Where We Are is a unique book that no fan’s life is complete without – bringing the 1D story right up to date.
The 50 List – A Father’s Heartfelt Message to his Daughter:Anything Is Possible
The 50 List – A Father’s Heartfelt Message to his Daughter:Anything Is Possible
Nigel Holland
¥58.86
Nigel has a disability – an inherited disease that means his nerves don’t tell his muscles what to do – but he does not consider himself disabled. His youngest daughter Ellie has been diagnosed with the same condition. To inspire Ellie, and show her anything is possible, Nigel set himself a list of fifty challenges. This is the story of that list. Nigel and his wife Lisa have three children and, like all parents, they have always wanted the best for their kids. For Nigel, this meant helping them to understand that life is to be challenged: to be explored and enjoyed, no matter what obstacles you might have to face. Even during the darkest times, Nigel has never let anything stop him from realising his dreams. To inspire his youngest daughter, and let her see firsthand that anything is possible, Nigel set himself a list of 50 challenges to complete before he turned 50. Some are crazy, wild physical challenges, others are seemingly simple tasks people often take for granted. Some are activities Nigel has done before, others are skills he has learnt to cope with his condition that he wants to share with other people. All of them hold huge emotional significance to Nigel and his family. This is the heart-warming account of the year Nigel completed The 50 List. Inspiring and surprising, it will move you to tears and laughter, and leave you believing that you really can accomplish anything.