Biographies

You know who the Peaky Blinders are ... It's time to see where they began. At the turn of the twentieth century, Birmingham was seemingly transforming into a wealthy, bustling metropolis, celebrated for its manufacturing and local government. Yet behind this optimistic facade, the poorest and most vulnerable in society were abandoned. This longstanding inequality aroused unrest, sparking violence and terror from backstreet gangsters who'd become known as peaky blinders. In this fourth instalment of the bestselling series, historian Carl Chinn draws upon his decades of expertise and his own family history to reveal even more about these notorious gangs, going back to where it all began. Chinn exposes the real people whose bloody feuds, murders and maiming, baiting of police officers, bullying of the decent poor, gendered violence, blackmailing, and disturbing roles in political riots and racist attacks made Birmingham infamous as the city of the Peaky Blinders. Peaky Blinders: The Real Gangs and Gangsters is a vivid and shocking portrait of Birmingham through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, unpicking the storied history of its vicious gangs to reveal how they forced themselves into notoriety. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789467291 • Author: Carl Chinn • Publisher: Bonnier Books UK Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 13 x 19.8 x 2.5 cm

In December 2018, after fifty years of belly-laughs, energy and outrage, Billy Connolly announced his retirement from live stand-up comedy. It had been an extraordinary career. When he first started out in the late sixties, Billy played the banjo in the folk clubs of Scotland. Between songs, he would improvise a bit, telling anecdotes from the Clyde shipyard where he'd worked. In the process, he made all kinds of discoveries about what audiences found funny, from his own brilliant mimes to the power of speaking irreverently about politics or explicitly about sex. He began to understand the craft of great storytelling. Soon the songs became shorter and the monologues longer, and Billy quickly became recognised as one of the most exciting comedians of his generation. Tall Tales and Wee Stories brings together the very best of Billy's storytelling for the first time. With an introduction and original illustrations by Billy throughout, it is an inspirational, energetic and riotously funny read, and a fitting celebration of our greatest ever comedian. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529361360 • Author: Billy Connolly • Publisher: Two Roads • Format: Paperback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 19.69 x 12.7 x 2.22 cm

At the age of sixty-nine, Ozzy Osbourne was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world. Then: disaster. In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalised with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour – and all public life – as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down. Last Rites is the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Ozzy’s descent into hell. Along the way are reflections on an extraordinary life and career, including his marriage to wife Sharon, and what it took for him to return to the stage for the triumphant Back to the Beginning concert, streamed around the world, where Ozzy reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates for the final time. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408724057 • Author: Ozzy Osbourne • Publisher: Little Brown • Format: Hardback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 23.8 x 16.2 x 3.6 cm

A major new book on leadership by former England manager Gareth Southgate During his eight years at England, in one of the highest profile roles in the country, Southgate forged a unique management style, combining calm empathy with mental resilience, emotional intelligence and strong accountability. His leadership at England propelled the national team to its most sustained success in fifty years, reaching the 2018 FIFA World Cup Semi Final and the UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024 Finals. In the process, Southgate revitalised and reshaped the national team's footballing identity. Southgate’s book draws on the defining moments that shaped his leadership style, principles that informed his decisions, and the resilience that enabled him to perform under the most intense public scrutiny. This is a book that transcends football providing modern day leadership lessons that can apply to any individual, team or organisation. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529958294 • Author: Gareth Southgate • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Hardback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 24.1 x 15.8 x 3.2 cm

One of the most loved - and loving - father-and-son duos in the land, Harry and Jamie Redknapp are football royalty. Football runs through their veins. Both have enjoyed stellar careers on the pitch, in managerial dug-outs and in our television studios. But how did it all start, and what drove them on to be the football fanatics that they so passionately are today? A Family Obsession is the fascinating result of Harry and Jamie sitting round the kitchen table, where they discuss, debate, select and celebrate all aspects of the game that have inspired them. Who are the men who impacted their careers and fired that all-consuming passion for football? This is a deep dive into the matches, the players, the managers and the changes that have spanned their two generations. With amusing anecdotes, Harry and Jamie reveal the individuals who have set their pulses racing, opened their minds, enriched their football lives and stimulated their respective love affairs with the sport. From childhood idols to role models in young adulthood, from beloved team-mates to bitter rivals, from genius managers to the game's great mavericks - from Pele and Maradona to Bobby Moore and Lionel Messi via Steven Gerrad and Pep Guardiola - all are brought to life by two of the country's most knowledgeable, animated and beloved football obsessives. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408721742 • Author: Harry Redknapp & Jamie Redknapp • Publisher: Little Brown • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288 • Dimensions: 19.56 x 12.7 x 1.52 cm

Welcome to Staying Relevant, a book written by two best friends . . . contains swearing, adult themes and outrageous stories from life in the spotlight. If you think you know us already, you're wrong. You're gonna find out a hell of a lot about us. Probably more than you ever needed or wanted to know, to be honest. This book isn't about the glossy, filtered version of us that people normally see. It's about the real Sam and Pete, the ones behind the nonsense. Now grab a bevvy, get comfy and enjoy the journey with us - through the best bits, the worst bits, and all the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel moments in between, on our quest to stay relevant. In their first book together, Sam and Pete lay out what it truly takes to stay in the spotlight. A celebration of their unlikely friendship, the book features brand new, insane stories from their lives, including: behind the scenes, never-before-told tales from the jungle and the ballroom, hosting the NTAs red carpet, their journey creating the podcast, and plenty more. Expect swearing, heaps of positivity from Sam and, of course, zero sarcasm from Pete. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781408734742 • Author: Sam Thompson & Pete Wicks • Publisher: Little Brown • Format: Hardback • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 24 x 15.8 x 3.6 cm

Billed as 'the ultimate fighting machine', the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is a US-designed close-support aircraft in service in the UK with the Army Air Corps (AAC). Apache at War is a senior British pilot's vivid and uncompromising account of flying this and other combat helicopters in action. Tautly, often graphically written, here is a memoir of the author's service flying close-support helicopters with the AAC, from patrolling 'Bandit Country' in Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland, in the late 1990s, to taking out Taliban fighters in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in the mid to late 2000s, with active service in the Balkans and Iraq along the way. Besides combat flying, Steve Jones was also a qualified instructor on the Apache, and helped to teach the then 'Lieutenant H. Wales' - Prince Harry - to fly and fight the aircraft. He tells of mentoring the hard-living prince, of equipping him with skills that would later bring out the best in him in Afghanistan, offering insights into Harry the soldier and pilot far removed from the media figure of today. The first-person narrative is immediate, often dramatic, and peppered with military insights that give it great authenticity. Laced with laconic humour, it is a testament to the vital work of combat helicopters, as well as an intimate salute to a truly remarkable aircraft. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789467734 • Author: Steve Jones • Publisher: Bonnier Books UK Limited • Format: Paperback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.5 cm

Think you know Bradley Wiggins? Think again. Bradley Wiggins on a remarkable journey of self-discovery during which he faced his greatest ever opponent – the demons inside his head. He has cast aside his fragile shell and is the person he always wanted to be. Finally, he is happy in his own skin. He has broken the chain. Bradley Wiggins is the greatest British cyclist of his generation. A national hero on both track and road, he won five Olympic gold medals, eight world titles and the Tour de France. But his is a story mired in contradiction, controversy, and confusion. Sat on a throne after winning gold at London 2012, just ten days after becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France, here was a man with the world at his feet. Sporting hero. People’s champion. Legend. Everyone knew who ‘Wiggo’ was. Everyone, that is, but him. Bradley’s own truth was one of a chaotic and disturbing upbringing characterised by abandonment and abuse. The bike had been his escape but he knew that the second he got out of the saddle he was a shadow-man with no self-belief and even less self-worth. With zero confidence in his value as a human being, attention was his worst nightmare. Bradley’s answer was to wear a mask. He became ‘Sir Wiggo’, the loveable rogue, the disguise slowly suffocating the real him, crushing the last few remnants of self-esteem. Bradley descended into a deep personal despair marked by drug addiction. It was his lowest point, and one which, he freely admits, could have resulted in his death. Bradley’s saviour has been himself. Incredibly he found the strength to embark on a remarkable journey of self-discovery during which he faced his greatest ever opponent – the demons inside his head. In so doing he reached an understanding of what and who he is. The result is this powerful memoir, The Chain. It is a journey he now wants to share. He wants others to understand they are not alone in their mental battles; that embracing honesty and openness is the key to personal happiness. Bradley Wiggins has cast aside his fragile shell. Now, as the person he always wanted to be, he has become an inspiration to us all. Forget the jerseys, the medals. Finally, Bradley Wiggins is who he is, in his own skin. He has broken the chain. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780008767730 • Author: Sir Bradley Wiggins • Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers • Format: Hardback • Pages: 336 • Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.2 x 3.4 cm

THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE CANON CLEMENT SERIES, THE REVEREND RICHARD COLES After a life of sex, drugs and the Communards, recounted in his acclaimed memoir Fathomless Riches, the Reverend Richard Coles devoted himself to God and Christianity. So what is life like for the parson in Britain today? From his ordination, through Advent and Christmas to Lent and Easter, Reverend Coles gives us a unique insight into his daily experience in the ministry, with all the joy, hope, drama and difficulty that entails. Written with extraordinary charm and compassion, Bringing in the Sheaves will inspire and inform all who read it. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399628464 • Author: Richard Coles • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 256 • Dimensions: 19.69 x 12.7 x 1.27 cm

An outrageous, white-knuckle journey to the dark heart of an intoxicating world - from someone who survived the trading game and then blew it all wide open. 'If you were gonna rob a bank, and you saw the vault door there, left open, what would you do? Would you wait around?' Ever since he was a kid, kicking broken footballs on the streets of East London in the shadow of Canary Wharf's skyscrapers, Gary wanted something better. Something a whole lot bigger. Then he won a competition run by a bank: 'The Trading Game'. The prize: a golden ticket to a new life, as the youngest trader in the whole city. A place where you could make more money than you'd ever imagined. Where your colleagues are dysfunctional maths geniuses, overfed public schoolboys and borderline psychopaths, yet they start to feel like family. Where soon you're the bank's most profitable trader, dealing in nearly a trillion dollars. A day. Where you dream of numbers in your sleep - and then stop sleeping at all. But what happens when winning starts to feel like losing? When the easiest way to make money is to bet on millions becoming poorer and poorer - and, as the economy starts slipping off a precipice, your own sanity starts slipping with it? You want to stop, but you can't. Because nobody ever leaves. Would you stick, or quit? Even if it meant risking everything? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781802062731 • Author: Gary Stevenson • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 432 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.9 x 2.5 cm

Jamie Laing is still figuring it all out. And now that he's going to be a dad, he wants to share the tools to help his child grow into a happy, thoughtful and kind person. This is the handbook Jamie has put together for that purpose. In a world struggling to find genuine connection, Jamie wants to share his experiences of life, relationships and maturing. He takes us through his personal A-Z of growing up in today's society – from overcoming anxiety, checking in with your mates and working out what makes you happy, to embracing our failures, trying therapy and understand what it means to be a loving and present partner. Above all, Jamie shows us that vulnerability is cool. And that boys do cry – after all, he's done plenty of that this year. With contributions from his wife Sophie Habboo, this book will help men and women, boys and girls have the conversation of all conversations: how to live your happiest and most resilient life in today's world. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781037200182 • Author: Jamie Laing • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc • Format: Hardback • Pages: 256 • Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.3 cm

The definitive biography and ultimate origin story of Ange Postecoglou, one of the most-talked about Premier League manager and instigator of the ‘Angeball’ phenomenon that has taken the football world by storm. Now updated in July 2025 after Ange Postecouglou’s sudden sacking from Tottenham Hotspur. It took no time at all for fans of Tottenham Hotspur to fall completely in love with Ange Postecoglou and his ‘Angeball’ brand of front-foot football. But after he delivered Tottenham Hotspur’s first trophy for seventeen years, winning the Europa Leauge in 2025, Ange Postecoglou was sacked just sixteen days later. Drawing on dozens of interviews with Postecoglou and his players, Angeball delves into the heart and soul of a man who has reshaped the football landscape. Vince Rugari follows the Greek immigrant through his journey starting in football management at his boyhood club, becoming a marauding left-back in the Australian National Soccer league, and then as Tottenham Hotspur’s unique and exciting head coach. Explore the dynamics behind his coaching brilliance, his complicated relationship with the game in his homeland, and the profound impact he has had on fans worldwide, fuelled by an unshakeable belief in himself and his ideas. This is the story of more than just a man, this is the story of ‘Angeball’. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035417216 • Author: Vince Rugari • Publisher: Hodder Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.79 x 13.51 x 2.41 cm

FATHOMLESS RICHES is the Reverend Richard Coles’ warm, witty and wise memoir in which he divulges with searing honesty and intimacy his pilgrimage from a rock-and-roll life of sex and drugs in the Communards to one devoted to God and Christianity. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399628457 • Author: Richard Coles • Publisher: Orion Publishing • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288 • Dimensions: 20.32 x 12.7 x 2.29 cm

Discover the brand new, inspirational autobiography from the Only Fools and Horses star and national treasure. 'This time next year, we'll be millionaires' So said Sir David’s iconic Only Fools character, Derek Trotter. But such a dream was almost unimaginable for David growing up in a working-class family in North Finchley in the rubble of the Blitz. Throughout his remarkable career, David's north star for navigating life's challenges has been his positive outlook and his resilience. From a trainee electrician to national treasure, David’s bumpy journey to success has overcome obstacle after obstacle. Candidly revealing the ups, the downs, and the roundabout turns, David’s latest volume of memoirs, This Time Next Year, is an uplifting, entertaining, and inspirational book offering an essential and unvarnished primer to leading a good life. Told with his characteristic warmth and humour, David reveals the hard-won wisdom of a life doggedly led getting through one day, looking to the next, and always chasing what's new on the horizon. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529944198 • Author: David Jason • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Hardback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 24.2 x 16.6 x 3.1cm

Andy Webb exclusively reveals the true extent of the deception Princess Diana experienced at the hands of BBC reporter Martin Bashir before giving her iconic 1995 Panorama TV interview, and how the cover-up that followed left the vulnerable princess to her fate. Andy Webb, the journalist who obtained the secret files that first broke the story, offers unrivalled insider access to the key players in a thrilling narrative spanning thirty years, from the moment Bashir made his first move in 1995 to the 2024 courtroom where Webb faced the BBC's elite legal squad to demand access to highly contested documents relating to the scandal. Filled with revelations that have not yet entered the public record, Dianarama will become a key part in the first draft of history. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241784648 • Author: Andy Webb • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Hardback • Pages: 432 • Dimensions: 24 x 16 x 3.8 cm

It is never too late to build the life you’re seeking. Part-memoir, part-inspirational manual for better living, Simply More by Cynthia Erivo is for anyone seeking greater harmony and fulfilment in their lives. Cynthia Erivo learned the music to Wicked a decade before she needed it, not knowing that those same lyrics would change her life. Ten years later, she performed those songs on a world stage, showing us that there is always time to keep discovering ourselves, and that the journey of becoming is not a finite one. In Simply More, through a series of powerful, personal vignettes, Cynthia reflects on the ways that she has grown as an actor and a person, shares the lessons she’s learned over years of performing, and reminds us how we are capable of so much more than we think. In this profoundly honest and moving memoir, Cynthia draws from her experiences running marathons, both real and metaphorical, on stage and on screen, to show how each challenge can help us. Through personal anecdotes, lessons and advice, she urges readers to lean into the wisdom of their bodies and to understand and strive for a physical and mental balance. Because when we chase our deepest desires, each small step leads us closer to where we want to go. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781035086016 • Author: Cynthia Erivo • Publisher: Macmillan Distribution Limited • Format: Hardback • Pages: 208

The Hollywood screen legend brings his wit, insight, entertaining stories and wisdom to answer questions about every aspect of his long life - inspiring us all to Be More Michael Caine. I'm always asked questions - by fans, by other actors and friends, by my grandchildren. They want to know how I've lasted so long, how I handle fame, why I chose to do some of my films, which films and actors I like best and so forth. They also want to know what makes me tick, what makes me get up in the morning in my 90s, and whether I'll ever retire. (The answer to that one is "No!") Over a long life, I've learnt a lot and had the opportunity to reflect. I've seen a new generation grow up, among them my own grandchildren, facing the world with all its challenges and problems. I hope they'll find Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life helps them to be optimistic - and shows that anyone can blow the bloody doors off. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781399739979 • Author: Michael Caine • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton • Format: Hardback • Pages: 272 • Dimensions: 24.13 x 15.88 x 2.24 cm

Global superstar, songwriter, singer and Princess of Pop Britney Spears tells all in her heartfelt and honest memoir that portrays her rise to fame, tumultuous relationship with her father, controversial conservatorship, widely documented mental health struggles and so much more. Battling with a parent to take control of your own life at the age of 39 seems impossible. But this is where superstar Britney Spears found herself, 13 years into a conservatorship constructed by her father. In June 2021, the whole world was listening as she spoke in open court for the first time, delivering a bombshell statement in which she described the complex legal arrangement as abusive and condemned the actions of her own father, Jamie. The impact of voicing her truth was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history. Written with remarkable candour and humour, Spears's ground-breaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781398522541  • Author: Britney Spears • Publisher: Gallery UK • Format:  Paperback • Pages: 288 • Dimensions:  13 x 1.7 x 19.8cm

The explosive new book from Britain’s leading investigative biographer, Tom Bower As one of the most famous and influential couples in the world, David and Victoria Beckham have attained iconic status. The ultimate power couple have together built a multi-billion-dollar global brand. For decades, adoring fans have been captivated by the glamorous world they have created, while their unrivalled fusion of showbiz, fashion, football and celebrity has been cultivated alongside the image of a strong marriage. When the much-trailed Netflix documentary Beckham aired in 2023, viewers were offered an even more intimate insight into their private lives. Produced by the Beckhams themselves, the series raised many questions, not only about their success and personal relationship, but also about the ruthlessly successful management of their image in the media. Are their lives really as perfect as the Beckhams would like the world to believe? Through extensive research, expert sourcing and interviews with insiders, Britain’s most celebrated investigative biographer, Tom Bower, has unearthed a succession of revelations that give surprising insight into the reality of ‘Brand Beckham’. Exploring the couple’s relationship, and the truth about their football and fashion careers, their finances and their new life in Miami, The House of Beckham unravels the extraordinary reality of the business-savvy cultural icons to tell an engrossing, often astonishing story of money, sex and power. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9780008638870 • Author: Tom Bower • Publisher: HarperCollins • Format:  Hardcover • Pages: 384 • Dimensions: 15.9 x 3.8 x 24 cm

At the age of thirteen, she became Lady Diana Spencer. At twenty, Princess of Wales. At twenty-one, she earned her most important title: Mother. As she fell in love, first with Prince Charles and then with her sons, William and Harry, the world fell in love with the young royal family - Diana most of all. With one son destined to be King and one needing to find his own way, she taught them lessons about royal tradition and also real life. 'William and Harry will be properly prepared,' Diana once promised. 'I am making sure of this.' Even after her tragic death, the strength of her love for her sons remains an enduring inspiration, not only for the two princes, but for the entire world. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529160642 • Author: James Patterson & Chris Mooney • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 464 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm