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万本电子书0元读

Dickens: History in an Hour
Dickens: History in an Hour
Kaye Jones
¥18.05
Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Charles Dickens remains – 200 years after his birth – arguably Britain’s most successful writer. Works such as Great Expectations and Oliver Twist have amused and inspired readers in all languages since their original publication in the nineteenth century, and have been adapted countless times for the stage and screen. Dickens: History in an Hour covers all the major facts and events surrounding Dickens’s life; the poverty of his childhood, his experience in Warren’s Blacking Factory, the evolution of his novels, his tours around America and Europe and his sometimes scandalous private life. Dickens: History in an Hour tells you everything you need to know about Charles Dickens in just one hour. Know your stuff: read about Dickens in just one hour.
The Times Cricket Quiz Book
The Times Cricket Quiz Book
Chris Bradshaw
¥54.25
The definitive cricket quiz book with 2000 quality questions on all aspects of the game. Since England won the Ashes in 2005 cricket has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. This book will appeal to quiz goers but also to cricket enthusiasts to enjoy as an informative read. Some of the facts and brainteasers will amuse and entertain as well. Questions allude to all facets of the game including the laws of cricket, the politics, the history, the venues, the teams, the players, the results and the winners and the losers. The major tournaments are covered - the Test Matches, One Day Internationals, The World Cup, Twenty 20, County Cricket and Ashes contests. Each quiz deals with a single category such as a county, a venue or a player but there are also some quirkier sections such as 'Cricket's Bad Boys', 'The Big Hitters', 'Players nicknames and middle names'. The questions vary in their level of difficulty and follow the formats listed here: ? straightforward question and answer ? true or false ? who am I? ? anagrams e.g. which player's name is an anagram of 'Fanned off twirl' ? who said? ? brainteaser e.g. which England player's name end in the letter i?
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.
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.
Uggie, the Artist:My Story
Uggie, the Artist:My Story
Uggie
¥73.58
Chronicling Uggie’s life and that of his humans in intimate detail, Uggie: My Story is the hilarious and heart-warming life story of Hollywood’s favourite dog. The undisputed canine star of multiple-award-winning movie The Artist tells all. From his humble beginnings as a pound-bound hound, Uggie confesses to his youthful misdemeanours including Cat-Gate and Goat-Gate, before taking the reader on a page-turning journey through his career as a Jack Russell pin-up, star of numerous commercials, and bit-part player in several B-list movies. Aged almost seventy in human years, Uggie finally made it to the Oscars in the silent movie that set the world talking before being forced to retire at the peak of his career through ill health. Uggie’s memoir offers an entertaining romp through his encounters with celebrity actors (animal and human) as well as directors, politicians, journalists and vets. It also covers his disastrous dalliance with alcohol and his squirrel obsession. As well as a love letter to his acting coach Omar Von Muller, Uggie: My Story is revealingly frank about Uggie’s enduring crush on his one-time co-star Reese Witherspoon, which was finally sealed with a kiss at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Everyone loves a happy ending, especially a dog. ‘Uggie’s the catch of the day!’ Katy Perry ‘That was the best action I’ve had in years!’ Whoopi Goldberg, after being kissed by Uggie ‘You have no idea how star struck I am!’ Gerard Butler ‘Uggie was my shadow and my friend’ Jean Dujardin Warm, funny and totally absorbing, this is the perfect Christmas gift for film and dog fans alike.
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.
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.
Making Piece
Making Piece
Beth M. Howard
¥58.86
"You will find my story is a lot like pie, a strawberry-rhubarb pie. It's bitter. It's messy. It's got some sweetness, too. Sometimes the ingredients get added in the wrong order, but it has substance, it will warm your insides, and even though it isn't perfect, it still turns out okay in the end." When journalist Beth M. Howard's young husband dies suddenly, she packs up the RV he left behind and hits the American highways. At every stop along the waywhether filming a documentary or handing out free slices on the streets of Los AngelesBeth uses pie as a way to find purpose. Howard eventually returns to her Iowa roots and creates the perfect synergy between two of America's greatest iconspie and the American Gothic House, the little farmhouse immortalized in Grant Wood's famous painting, where she now lives and runs the Pitchfork Pie Stand. Making Piece powerfully shows how one courageous woman triumphs over tragedy. This beautifully written memoir is, ultimately, about hope. It's about the journey of healing and recovery, of facing fears, finding meaning in life again, and moving forward with purpose and, eventually, joy. It's about the nourishment of the heart and soul that comes from the simple act of giving to others, like baking a homemade pie and sharing it with someone whose pain is even greater than your own. And it tells of the role of fate, second chances and the strength found in community. "
A Long Way from Home: Part 3 of 3
A Long Way from Home: Part 3 of 3
Cathy Glass
¥28.45
The true story of 2 year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage. Elaine and Ian had travelled half way round the world to adopt little Anna. She couldn’t have been more wanted, loved and cherished. So why was she now in foster care and living with me? It didn’t make sense. Until I learned what had happened. … Dressed only in nappies and ragged T-shirts the children were incarcerated in their cots. Their large eyes stared out blankly from emaciated faces. Some were obviously disabled, others not, but all were badly undernourished. Flies circled around the broken ceiling fans and buzzed against the grids covering the windows. The only toys were a few balls and a handful of building bricks, but no child played with them. The silence was deafening and unnatural. Not one of the thirty or so infants cried, let alone spoke.
A Long Way from Home: Part 2 of 3
A Long Way from Home: Part 2 of 3
Cathy Glass
¥28.45
The true story of 2 year-old Anna, abandoned by her natural parents, left alone in a neglected orphanage. Elaine and Ian had travelled half way round the world to adopt little Anna. She couldn’t have been more wanted, loved and cherished. So why was she now in foster care and living with me? It didn’t make sense. Until I learned what had happened. … Dressed only in nappies and ragged T-shirts the children were incarcerated in their cots. Their large eyes stared out blankly from emaciated faces. Some were obviously disabled, others not, but all were badly undernourished. Flies circled around the broken ceiling fans and buzzed against the grids covering the windows. The only toys were a few balls and a handful of building bricks, but no child played with them. The silence was deafening and unnatural. Not one of the thirty or so infants cried, let alone spoke.
Long Shot: My Bipolar Life and the Horses Who Saved Me
Long Shot: My Bipolar Life and the Horses Who Saved Me
Sylvia Harris
¥54.25
An inspiring and searingly honest memoir of how one woman had the strength and courage to change her life. Sylvia Harris was homeless, her children had been taken from her, and she was using crack cocaine. She is also a manic depressive. Now she’s a prize-winning jockey with the world at her feet. Sylvia’s life was dominated by the fear of a faceless madness that could take hold without warning, causing terrifying hallucinations, delusions and bizarre behaviour. These could at any moment fluctuate back to ruthless clarity or all-consuming depression. She had been labelled a ‘neglectful mother’, was beaten by her boyfriend, snubbed by family and neighbours and in trouble with the law. There seemed no way out. Until she discovered that her childhood love of horses could offer a means of escape, a sanctuary from her isolation. Sylvia felt the exhilaration and danger of riding, the joy of connection to these strong and graceful creatures, the redemptive focus and intuition of the race, the pure ecstasy of finishing, of winning, of beating her demons and all the people who never believed she would succeed, and never looked back. As unforgettable as Seabiscuit and as touching as Horse Boy, Long Shot is for anyone who has been at life’s lowest ebb – and survived.
The Secrets of the Notebook
The Secrets of the Notebook
Eve Haas
¥68.67
The incredible true story revealed by a family notebook, telling of four daughters across two centuries of turbulent history, of a passionate and ill-fated royal love affair, ending in a tragic and cruel death. 'The beautiful owner of this book is dearer to me than my life. August, your protector.' Eve Haas was irresistibly drawn to the family 'notebook', which had been passed down the generations. Her father had shown her the in*ion inside when she was young, with warnings of dire happenings if the secret behind the diary was pursued. Years later, Eve decided to follow the trail of the notebook, it would take her to the old kingdom of Prussia, to a forbidden royal marriage that was wiped from all official records, and a royal princess given away to ensure her protection. Forty years earlier in 1942, Eve's grandmother, Anna, had died on her way to Auschwitz after being seized by the SS. They believed she was just an old Jewish woman. The secret of her royal heritage lay in that notebook, but it couldn't save her.
Stolen Innocence
Stolen Innocence
Elissa Wall
¥65.53
A tale of survival and freedom, Stolen Innocence is the story of one heroic woman who stood up for what was right and reclaimed her life. In September 2007, a packed courtroom in St. George, Utah, sat hushed as Elissa Wall, the star witness against polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs, gave captivating testimony of how Jeffs forced her to marry her first cousin at the age of fourteen. This harrowing and vivid account proved to be the most compelling evidence against Jeffs, showing the harsh realities of the lengths to which Jeffs went in order to control the sect's women. Now, in this courageous memoir, Elissa Wall tells the incredible and inspirational story of how she emerged from the confines of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and helped bring one of America's most notorious criminals to justice. Offering a child's perspective on life in the FLDS, Wall discusses her tumultuous youth, and explains how Warren Jeffs's influence over the church twisted its already rigid beliefs in dangerous new directions. Once she was married, Wall's childhood shattered as she was obligated to follow Jeffs's directives and submit to her husband in "mind, body, and soul." With little money and no knowledge of the outside world, she was trapped and forced to endure the pain and abuse of her loveless relationship, which eventually pushed her to spend nights sleeping in her truck rather than face the tormentor in her bed.
Britney: Inside the Dream
Britney: Inside the Dream
Steve Dennis
¥72.40
Britney Spears – the princess of pop – is making a comeback, and there isn't a person out there who hasn't heard about it. In this fully up-to-date and authoritative biography, Steve Dennis reveals all there is to know about the much-loved star. Hitting our radios for the first time in 1998 with '…Baby One More Time', Britney Spears quickly became a pop idol. Now, at just 27 years of age, she has racked up five number one albums, seven top-ten singles and seven sell-out world tours, as well having performed on stage with both Madonna and Michael Jackson. Just a decade after breaking onto to scene, she has become nothing short of a pop legend. Her private life, however, has not been so easy. In 2004 Britney famously married a childhood friend at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas; since then her personal life has seemingly been thrown into turmoil. In the last five years she has had numerous failed relationships and endured a very public divorce and custody battle - all in the full glare of the international media. Drawing on exclusive interviews with those closest to the superstar, Britney: Inside the Dream is a engrossing portrait of fascinating star. A frank biography, with no detail spared, it reveals the real Britney Spears, like you’ve never known her before.
The Loyal Lieutenant
The Loyal Lieutenant
George Hincapie,Craig Hummer,Lance Armstrong
¥66.22
The stunningly candid autobiography of one of cycling’s great names and the man who rode alongside Lance Armstrong for each of his now infamous seven Tour victories George Hincapie has always personified more than the sport in which he chose to compete, cycling, and his legacy will be more than the sum of his accomplishments on the road. It is also intertwined with the team-mates he helped to achieve success. As Lance Armstrong’s trusted sidekick, he helped re-write the record books of the greatest cycling event in the world, the Tour de France. No other team-mate was with Lance for all seven of his wins. No one was closer to him as a friend or confidante and no one was closer to the scandal which would ultimately bring down Armstrong and so many of those around him. Told with stunning candour, ‘The Loyal Lietenant’ offers the most transparent and engaging account yet of the now infamous years of cycling’s modern history. It is a book that will once again change our perceptions of what it means to be a sporting great.
The Men Commandments
The Men Commandments
Christian O’Connell
¥72.99
The Bible For Blokes From The Daddy Of Breakfast Radio Foreword by James Nesbitt. Christian O’Connell has been a man nearly all his life. Well, once he was a boy, then he was a teenager, then a man, but you get what we mean. So who better to save manhood from devolving into one of those spineless newt things from the Guinness ad? For years women have had everyone from Germaine Greer to Bridget Jones to tell them how to be a woman, and who have men had? No one. That is, until now . . . For ten years Christian has dispensed wisdom and advice to millions of lucky radio listeners on every topic conceivable; but it was when he saw his wife reading, and laughing at, a book called “How to Kill your Husband”, that he realised he had to write this book. Men are confused about what it is to be a man in a world where men use moisturiser and eat sandwiches with rocket. They need help. The Men Commandments is a roadmap, a compass for men (not a sat nav - they’re evil!) With his outspoken humour and ironic take on life, Christian explores male-dom; celebrating all that is great about being a man and unravelling those mysteries of masculinity that have stumped women for literally minutes. Packed full of wisdom, advice, trivia, and cheeky banter, this is the must have book for men everywhere. Includes: ? The Man Quiz (a helpful quiz to establish real manliness) ? The 78 genetic differences between men and women (work for which Christian is expecting a Nobel prize) ? Manly Toilet Etiquette (real men do not speak at the urinals) ? The History of Men (it says a lot about the psyche of Man that early Neanderthal paintings depict willies) ? Men and their Mates (a relationship full of weird rituals, abuse and unspoken rules) ? The Real First XI ? The Men Commandments (the ten commandments that every true man needs to know)
Once Were Lions: The Players’ Stories
Once Were Lions: The Players’ Stories
Jeff Connor,Martin Hannan
¥139.99
Drawing on first hand interviews from more than 75 British Lions tourists since the golden age of the fifties, this book captures what it means to be a British Lions rugby player – the historic victories, the glorious failures and the stories surrounding the icons of rugby such as Edwards, Bennett, Hastings, Guscott, Dallaglio and Johnson. The British and Irish Lions are one of the most famous and recognised teams in world rugby. Every four years, the Lions – selected from the national sides of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland – head to the southern hemisphere to do battle with either New Zealand, Australia or South Africa. In Once Were Lions, acclaimed sportswriter Jeff Connor interviews a host of players – from the oldest surviving Lions from the 1946 tour and the icons of the game to those who have become mere footnotes in history – and draws out the compelling human stories from each Test series. It’s a book that captures the ups and downs of tour life: the pride of being a Lion, the numerous personal feuds and the many humorous anecdotes, taking in the historic wins and the ignoble losses. Many Lions had their lives enriched by having worn the famous red jersey; an equal number had their lives changed irrevocably in the opposite direction. Full of previously unchronicled stories – Des O’Brien was away from home for nine months on the 1946 tour which almost cost him his marriage; while in 1966 one well-known English winger ‘went off tour’ with a woman he met in a bar and reappeared only for the last two matches – the book concludes with the disastrous 2005 New Zealand tour and trenchant opinions from the players on the controversial Clive Woodward.
My Uncle Charlie - Part 3 of 3
My Uncle Charlie - Part 3 of 3
Julie Shaw
¥15.60
My Uncle Charlie 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 one week ahead of the full-length eBook and paperback.
My Mam Shirley - Part 2 of 3
My Mam Shirley - Part 2 of 3
Julie Shaw
¥18.93
My Mam Shirley can either be read as a full-length eBook or in 3 serialised eBook-only parts. This is PART 2 of 3. You can read Part 2 two weeks ahead of release of the full-length eBook and paperback.
Taking le Tiss
Taking le Tiss
Matt Le Tissier
¥68.67
The fascinating, insightful and at times hilarious memoirs of one of the most gifted and enigmatic British footballers of the last 25 years. Nicknamed "Le God" by the Southampton faithful, Matt Le Tissier was not cast from the same mould as 99% of other professional footballers. A real "one-off" if every there was one, he was a one-club man in a 16-year career that brought little in the way of trophies but countless plaudits from footballs fans and commentators alike. To the old school brigade he was a "luxury player", someone with a less than ideal work rate and waistline who simply wouldn't conform to the blueprint of a typically hard-working, unsophisticated British player. Terry Venables and Glenn Hoddle found it all too easy to leave him out of their England squads. But to the vast majority Le Tissier was a maverick to be treasured, a flair player who lit up every match he played in and delighted fans with his sumptuous technique and élan for the beautiful game. In fact, the kind of skilful, inventive player and scorer of wonderful goals this country produces all too rarely. Did he simply enjoy the comfort zone of being a big fish in a small pond? Or did he display commendable loyalty in staying with Southampton for his entire career? Did he shun opportunities to move on? Were England managers right not to pick him so many times? Would Fabio Capello pick him for England now? Does the British game discourage his style of play? And how much would he be worth in today's transfer market? Taking Le Tiss is the great man's first chance to answer all these questions and many more. It is also a delightfully self-deprecating and witty story from a player who was more of a Big-Mac-and-fries than a chicken-and-beans man.
Life in Rewind
Life in Rewind
Terry Weible Murphy,Michael A. Jenike,Edward E. Zine
¥53.76
‘Time equals progression. Progression equals death.’ This is a thought that consumes Ed Zine, a handsome, athletic, twenty-four year old. The victim of a debilitating form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Ed's illogical mind tells him that if going forward in time moves him closer to death, reversing an action will carry him away from it. The youngest of four children, Ed Zine's life was thrown into turmoil when his mother, the centre of his universe, died from ovarian cancer when he was just eleven years old. Not warned by his family that his mother was sick, and beaten and screamed at by his father on the night of his mother's death for leaving the lid off a jam jar, Ed was shell-shocked when his mother died and, for years, kept quiet about the fact that he witnessed his mother's last breath and never truly grieved her death. Ed's trauma over the loss of his mother manifested itself in bizarre physical affectations and as he became less able to articulate his sorrow and his pain he became more and more isolated from other humans. Thirteen years on, Ed Zine lived alone in a basement, meticulously counting and rewinding any action he made in an obsessive and illogical attempt to prevent his loved ones from moving towards death. All efforts to help him, from members of his family, and numerous medical professionals, had been in vain, until Dr Michael Jenike, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and one of the world's leading experts in research and treatment of OCD made the long drive to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This was just the beginning of the extensive and difficult journey the two were to endure together…