Entertainment Books

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

Now including the top astronomical places to visit, star festivals and the latest on star parties in Britain and Ireland, the new 2024 edition is totally up-to-date for exploring the wonder of the night skies, month-by-month and day-by-day. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer or just starting out, Philip's Stargazing 2024 is the only book you'll need. Compiled by experts and specially designed for easy and daily use, Stargazing 2024 acts as a handily illustrated and comprehensive companion. Includes 12 updated sky charts for year-round astronomical discovery, Month-to-Month information. Daily Moon Phase Calendar, highlighting special lunar events throughout the year and planet Watch for ideal viewing days in 2024. Find the best places to experience Dark Skies, along with the latest on Star Festivals and Star Parties and the top places to visit for astronomical insights. With expert advice and insight throughout from internationally renowned Prof Nigel Henbest, a special article on the use of filters for astro-photography by expert Robin Scagell, the complete calendar of major astronomical events, including the Top 20 Sky Sights of 2024 and Jargon Buster, explaining common or confusing terms, the planets' movements explained from solar and lunar eclipses to meteor showers and comets.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781849076517 • Author: Nigel Henbest • Publisher:  Philip's • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions: 14.9 x 14.9 x 21 cm

Ripley's Believe It or Not! is guaranteed to amaze and entertain children and adults alike with its unique blend of weird but true stories and jaw-dropping facts gathered from all over the world. This year... Marvel at the ice caves of Alaska. Find out what very unusual food Icelanders eat at their traditional mid-winter feast. Discover why Lucas the penguin has to wear rubber boots. Hear about the woman who sailed down the Missouri River in a giant hollowed-out pumpkin. And take the 'Funny Bones' test to see whether you can match photographs of skeletons to their animal owners. No Christmas is complete without Ripley's! Product Information: • ISBN: 9781529941203 • Author: Ripley • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Hardback • Pages: 256 • Dimensions: 30.5 x 23.6 x 2.2cm

Pull on your wellies, grab your flat cap and join Jeremy Clarkson in this hilarious and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the farm we're all obsessed with . . . An idyllic spot offering picturesque views across the Cotswolds, bustling hedgerows and natural springs. Until one day, Jeremy decided he would do the farming itself. After all, how hard could it be? . . . Faced with suffocating red tape, biblical weather, local objections, a global pandemic and his own frankly staggering ignorance of how to 'do farming', Jeremy soon realises that turning the farm around is going to take more than splashing out on a massive tractor. Fortunately, there's help at hand from a large and (mostly) willing team, including girlfriend Lisa, Kaleb the Tractor Driver, Cheerful Charlie, Ellen the Shepherd and Gerald, his Head of Security and Dry Stone Waller. And yet while the farm may be called Diddly Squat for good reason, Jeremy soon begins to understand that it's worth a whole lot more to him than pounds, shillings and pence . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9780241464502 • Author: Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher: Michael Joseph • Format: Hardback • Pages: 224 • Dimensions: 24 x 16.2 x 2.6 cm

Join us in celebrating the unparalleled talent and unmatched charisma of Taylor Swift with this exclusive activity book. Whether you're a die-hard Swiftie or just beginning your journey as a fan, this is the ultimate companion for anyone enchanted by Taylor's music and magic. Girlboss, superstar, feminist icon… it's no wonder Taylor Swift has inspired an army of Swifties across the globe. The Taylor Swift Activity Book is an ideal gift for those who missed out on concert tickets but still want to experience the excitement of The Eras tour or for fans wanting to find out what cryptic messages are hidden in her lyrics. It’s also the perfect companion for waiting in line and a fun way to pass the time for those lucky enough to attend a concert. Step into the dazzling world of Taylor Swift… are you ready for it? Product Information:  • ISBN: 9780008713317 • Author: Nathan Joyce • Publisher: Pavilion Books • Format:  Paperback • Pages: 192 • Dimensions: 13 x 2 x 18.5 cm

Since their humble beginning in the pages of The Sunday Post in 1936, The Broons and Oor Wullie have weathered the seasons to bring joy and laughter to all. Now they invite us to take a trip through the ages in this collection of classic comic strips from the archives. From 1950s poodle skirts to 1980s perms, from 1960s miniskirts to 1990s bucket hats, and from 1970s flares to the not-so-smart phones of recent years, The Broons and Oor Wullie have seen it all! Product Information: • ISBN: 9781845359942 • Author: DC Thomson & The Broons & Oor Wullie • Publisher: Booksource • Format: Hardback • Pages: 144 • Dimensions: 30 x 22.5 x 1.5cm

Who wrote Only Fools and Horses? What is Rodney Trotter's middle name? What is the name of the actor who played Uncle Albert? When the first episode of Only Fools and Horses hit our screens in September 1981, the show became an instant classic. Over the years it has gone from strength to strength and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest British comedies of all time. Whether you are looking to spice up your pub quiz or really test your in-depth knowledge of the Trotters, The Only Fools and Horses Quiz Book is a welcome, quirky addition to the bookshelf of any fan that will keep you quizzing - and laughing - for hours on end. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781789463934 • Author: John White • Publisher: John Blake • Format: Hardback • Pages: 400 • Dimensions: 20 x 13 x 2 cm

Explore the unique stories behind every Grand Prix track in this fully updated second edition. Written by award-winning journalist Maurice Hamilton and complete with bespoke digital maps of each course, this is the ultimate guide to the circuits of Formula One. Each venue is listed in chronological order from the first time it hosted a Grand Prix, starting with Monza, then taking in renowned locations such as Spa, Nürburgring, Monaco and Silverstone, all the way up to F1’s latest destination: Miami. Uncover little-known facts about famous circuits and discover the story behind some of the sport’s lesser-known venues. This fully updated second edition includes: all 77 Formula 1 circuits, featuring six additional venues from the previous edition, bespoke digital maps of every racetrack, statistics including circuit lengths, lap records, and names of corners and straights, alphabetical and ‘by country’ indices for ease of reference.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780008554798 • Author: Maurice Hamilton  • Publisher:  Collins • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  336 • Dimensions:  22.7 x 2.8 x 27.1 cm

Alan Rickman remains one of the most beloved actors of all time across almost every genre, from his breakout role as Die Hard's villainous Hans Gruber to his heart-wrenching run as Professor Severus Snape, and beyond. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate new audiences today. But Rickman's artistry wasn't confined to just his performances. Rickman's writing details the extraordinary and the ordinary in a way that is anecdotal, indiscreet, witty, gossipy and utterly candid. He takes us behind the scenes on films and plays ranging from Sense & Sensibility, the Harry Potter series, Private Lives, My Name Is Rachel Corrie and many more. The diaries run from 1993 to his death in 2016 and offer insight into both a public and private life. Here is Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveller, the fan, the director, the enthusiast: in short, the real Alan Rickman. Here is a life fully lived, all detailed in intimate and characteristically plain-spoken prose. Reading the diaries is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close friend.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781838854805 • Author:  Alan Rickman  • Publisher:  Canongate Books • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  496 • Dimensions:  12.9 x 3 x 19.8 cm

From declaring my love to Vanessa Redgrave to being fed cockroaches by Steve Buscemi, from turnip-based comedy with Blackadder to being farted on by Arnold Schwarzenegger, from Graham Norton's sofa to Alan Cumming's campervan, my life has been (and continues to be) a riotous adventure. Oh Miriam! has been such a constant refrain in my life, said in all kinds of tones - laughs, surprised gasps and orgasmic sighs (I'm hoping for all those from you as you read on!) - that it had to be the title of this book. And with a castlist that stretches from Churchill to di Caprio, Dahl to Dietrich, Princess Margaret to Maggie Smith, I've got so much more to tell you and so much more to say. My chapters range from 'How to Stay Married' to 'Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down'. Discover how to break the thickest conversational ice; why swearing is actually good for you (though not on the Today programme); the unexpected things I actually learnt at school and what my Spice Girl name would be. Not to mention my Tale of the Unexpected and my very own Vagina Monologue. Buckle up and join me on another unforgettable adventure, but this time through my heart and head...  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781399803359 • Author: Miriam Margolyes • Publisher:  John Murray • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  336 • Dimensions: 15.29 x 1.78 x 23.39 cm 

Another year on the Diddly Squat Farm and Jeremy is still knee-deep in mud and endless challenges. Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. Since taking the wheel three years ago Jeremy's had his work cut out. And it's now clear from hard-won experience that, when it comes to farming, there's only one golden rule: Whatever you hope will happen, won't. Enthusiastic schemes to diversify have met with stubborn opposition from the red trouser brigade, defeat at the hands of Council Planning department, and predictable derision from Kaleb - although, to be fair, even Lisa had doubts about Jeremy's brilliant plan to build a business empire founded on rewilding and nettle soup. And only Cheerful Charlie is still smiling about the stifling amount of red tape that's incoming... But he charges by the hour. Then there are the animals: the sheep are gone; the cows have been joined by a rented bull called Break-Heart Maestro;. the pigs are making piglets; and the goats have turned out to be psychopaths. But despite the naysayers and (sometimes self-inflicted) setbacks, Jeremy remains irrepressibly optimistic about life at Diddly Squat. Because It's hard not to be when you get to harvest blackberries with a vacuum cleaner. And, after all, it shouldn't just be Break-heart Maestro who gets to enjoy a happy ending...  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780241674895 • Author:  Jeremy Clarkson • Publisher:  Michael Joseph • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  192 • Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.6 x 23.6 cm

Whether you are a new or longtime Formula 1 fan, here is your ultimate, unofficial armchair companion to the popular Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive, providing deeper insight into the players, tech, and history that drive the show’s plot points. F1 expert Stuart Codling is your guide to all things F1. The Formula 1 Drive to Survive The Unofficial Companion is a feature-rich guide that takes you beyond the series’ personalities and off-track drama to present further context. Topics covered include: Where relevant, Codling relates content to specific seasons and episodes, providing even more context for the reality series. The visuals include scores of action and off-track photos. The result is a visually stunning guide to accompany a wildly popular TV series, and an engaging history spanning seventy-plus years of the world’s most popular motorsport. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780760386668 • Author: Stuart Codling  • Publisher:  Motorbooks • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  192 • Dimensions: 21.84 x 1.65 x 27.56 cm

Hollywood legend and British national treasure Sir Michael Caine shares the wisdom, stories, insight and skills that life has taught him in his remarkable career - and now his 85th year. One of our best-loved actors Michael Caine has starred in a huge range of films - including all-time favourites - from the classic British movies Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job to the Hollywood blockbusting Dark Knight trilogy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hannah and Her Sisters and Cider House Rules. Caine has excelled in every kind of role - with a skill that's made it look easy.He knows what success takes - he's made it to the top of his profession from the toughest beginning. But as he says 'Small parts can lead to big things. And if you keep doing things right, the stars will align when you least expect it.' Now in his 85th year he wants to share everything he's learned.With brilliant new insight into his life and work and with his wonderful gift for story, this is Caine at his wise and entertaining best. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781473689329 • Author: Michael Caine • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks • Format:  Paperback • Pages: 304 • Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.2 x 19.6 cm

Dogs love a drink! When you're not looking, your four-legged friend is busy knocking them back. This book gathers the best photos of dogs getting buzzed off booze and looking pawfully pitiful the morning after. And to add to your amusement, these snaps of hedonistic and hazy hounds have been paired with hilarious captions telling us what their barking is all about. Raise a glass to these howl-raisers! Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781800070219 • Author:  Charlie Ellis • Publisher:  Summersdale • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  96 • Dimensions:  14.73 x 1.65 x 14.61 cm

The long-awaited return of the comedy national treasure... Blockbusters, Baywatch… Mastermind, Moonlighting… Porridge, Parkinson… Peter Kay takes you on a journey into the wonders of TV –back to the days when Dusty Bin was a household name, Robin of Sherwood was a pin-up and the Brookside siege was the event of the year. For a young telly-loving Peter growing up in Bolton, TV meant Sunday bath nights with a black-and-white portable, the unbridled excitement of the new Christmas TV guide and his elderly neighbour’s inconvenient hearing problem. Here, for the first time, he collects his TV memories and adventures together in this brilliant book. Join Peter as he finds success on the small screen, leaving his own unique footprint in the golden age of TV: from making tea at Granada Studios and marching along to ‘(Is This the Way to) Amarillo’ to hanging out in the Rovers Return, having run-ins with Bernard Manning and starring in possibly the worst Doctor Who episode of all time. You’ll go behind the scenes of the legendary Phoenix Nights, take The Road to Nowhere with Max & Paddy and discover how Peter created his BAFTA-winning performance in Car Share. So sit back and enjoy a journey through the wonderful world of television. Endearing, sidesplittingly funny and utterly unforgettable – T.V. sees Peter Kay at his vivid, nostalgic and hilarious best.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780008623319 • Author: Peter Kay • Publisher: HarperCollins • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  320 • Dimensions:  15.9 x 3.6 x 24 cm

The story of pop legend Dusty Springfield from the people who knew her, from her troubled childhood to 60s mod queen and enduring music icon. Dusty Springfield was one of our greatest pop singers. From 60s hits like ‘I Only Want to be With You’, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ to her 80s collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys and beyond, she was a musical pioneer and the very essence of authentic white soul. A member of the US Rock and Roll and UK Music Halls of Fame, international polls have named Dusty among the best female pop artists of all time. Twenty-five years after her passing, she continues to fascinate and inspire. This classic biography is based on over forty-five original interviews with close friends and people who worked with her, including Sir Tom Jones, Lulu, legendary arranger Ivor Raymonde, and the late, great Atlantic Records trio, Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin, with whom she recorded her classic album Dusty In Memphis. The book fully explores her life and legacy, from a troubled Home Counties childhood to 60s mod queen and solo star, to her struggles with addiction and mental health issues, to her status as an influential LGBT heroine and enduring pop icon.  Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781789295863 • Author:  Lucy O'Brien • Publisher:  Michael O'Mara • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  304 • Dimensions:  12.9 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm

Fully illustrated profiles of Britain's top twelve most legendary racing drivers. The Immortals of British Motor Racing celebrates the UK's greatest ever racing drivers. It profiles the best of the best from over 50 years of Formula 1, the BTCC and the world's classic motorsport events such as Le Mans. Renowned motorsport commentator and writer David Addison selects his top twelve drivers then delves into the careers of the true greats. Legendary racers selected and profiled include pioneers Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart, 1970s and 1980s heroes James Hunt and Nigel Mansell, plus current hero Lewis Hamilton. The book tells the remarkable stories behind each Immortal's rise to the top and the adversity faced through their careers. Product Information:  • ISBN: 9781922662019 • Author: David Addison • Publisher: Gelding Street Press • Format:  Hardcover • Pages: 192 • Dimensions: 25 x 18.4 x 1.8cm

The seminal account of the heroism, daring and ingenuity of the men of Allied Bomber Command, who took the war to the enemy's doorstep. The Second World War saw aerial bombing - of both civilian and military targets - become a new front line in warfare, as advances in aircraft and engine design allowed planes to fly further, faster and carrying heavier loads. The RAF pilots in their Lancasters, Wellingtons and Halifaxes, the USAAF pilots in their B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators, and the Luftwaffe pilots in their Junkers and Heinkels, flew thousands of sorties deep into enemy territory, into the teeth of flak and agile enemy fighters, with staggering losses. In Bomber!, Robert Jackson uses thirteen famous raids to chronicle the bomber mission as it evolved over the course of the war, from the ferocious North Sea Battle in 1939 to the French crew who became the first Allied airmen to bomb Berlin. From the US bombing of Tokyo that forced Japan to commit her navy in the Pacific to the Earthquake Raids carried out by 617 'Dambusters' Squadron in the closing days of the war with terrifying 12,000lb 'Tallboy' bombs. Here, Jackson gives bomber crews a voice, weaving their accounts with historical analysis to create a minute-by-minute account of these events, letting you experience them as they happened. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781804365328 • Author: Robert Jackon • Publisher:  Canelo  • Format:  Paperback • Pages:  272 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.7 x 1.6cm 

Discover the elemental properties and explosive reactions of iconic DC characters... From Superman, whose powers are enhanced by Earth's yellow sun to The Flash, imbued with the Speed Force, and from Batman's superior human abilities to the mystically empowered Wonder Woman, not to mention the criminal genius of Lex Luthor and The Joker, the DC universe comprises a vast and varied array of heroes and villains.  Whether Atlantean or Amazonian, magical or elemental, technologically augmented or genetically evolved, key and lesser known DC characters are expertly classified in The Periodic Table of DC to illuminate the properties that bind them, the catalysts that created them, the active agents that energize them, and the fundamental forces that underpin the DC Multiverse. With more than 130 character profiles written by a DC expert, beautiful comic book art, and DC's seal of approval, The Periodic Table of DC reveals the fascinating and astonishing connections between the most extraordinary heroes and villains ever created. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9780241610619 • Author: DK • Publisher:  DK • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  192 • Dimensions: 15.5 x 1.9 x 21.6 cm

The remarkable inside story of how two Hollywood A-listers, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, stunned the football world by buying a non-league club in North Wales. It was one of the most extraordinary takeovers British football has known. In February 2021, Ryan Reynolds joined with Rob McElhenney to buy Wrexham FC, a non-league team in North Wales. Wrexham, a former coal and steel town dealing with its post-industrial legacy, suddenly found itself at the centre of global attention, with broadcast networks around the world descending to discover what was going on. The club became the subject of a smash hit Disney+ docu-series, Welcome to Wrexham. Tinseltown tells the story of this extraordinary, unpredictable and often surreal football takeover and the remarkable events that followed. Written with the full cooperation of Wrexham FC, it is the inside story of what happened when Hollywood met a dot on a map. How a town was transformed when its football club, aspiring only to survive on the fifth rung of the British football ladder, was sprinkled with gold dust and found ambition again. With unique access to key figures, the book charts the club's attempts to climb up the pyramid, providing a vivid sense of what it is like to play for this 'Hollywood' team and the pressure and spotlight that comes with it. Product Information:  • ISBN:  9781035407705 • Author:  Ian Herbert • Publisher:  Headline • Format:  Hardback • Pages:  400 • Dimensions:   16.4 x 3.8 x 23.8 cm