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In 1765, eminent botanist Philibert Commerson was appointed official naturalist to a grand new expedition: The first French circumnavigation of the world. Desperate not to be left behind, Jeanne Baret - Commerson's young mistress and collaborator - disguised herself as a teenage boy and signed on as his assistant. Amid deceit and deception she travelled the world, surviving for two years on a boat with over 100 men. When she next set foot on French soil, she had become the first woman to sail around the globe. Yet very little is known about this extraordinary woman - until now. Taken from accounts of Baret's crewmates and Baret's own recently discovered notebook, the author has unravelled this amazing true story. -
Australian Richard Hillary joined RAF Fighter Command’s 603 Squadron in July 1940, then based in Scotland and flying the new Supermarine Spitfire. On 27 August 1940 the squadron moved south to London, the epicentre of the Battle of Britain, and within a week Hillary had shot down five Messerschmitt 109s, becoming an ‘ace’. But on his last sortie he was shot out of the sky over Dungeness, the cockpit of his Spitfire became engulfed in flames and Hillary was grievously burned as he desperately tried to bale out. Hillary was soon to become the most famous patient of the RAF’s pioneering plastic surgeon, Archibald McIndoe, and member of his ‘Guinea Pig Club’. He would endure months of painful surgery in an attempt to repair the damage to his hands and face, and allow him to return to active duty. Originally published in 1942, just months before he died in a second crash, The Last Enemy recounts the struggles and successes of a young man in the Royal Air Force. -
Was Joan's life so enigmatic as legend would have it? Made use of by the royal court as someone who could be passed off - to the rank and file - as divinely inspired, Joan soon become a headstrong nuisance. And there is nothing more mysterious than her trial and execution. This book is about Joan the girl - not beautiful or mad; nor a liar... but witty, shrewd, fiery and energetic.
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George Burns, born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer. His career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three quarters of a century. Sprightly, cheeky and irreverent, George declared his intention of living to 100 - and he did. He was one of the first to observe that if someone is hurt, then it isn't funny6. Here is his memoir, from the days of vaudeville to the beginning of popular radio and onto the heyday of Hollywood. Illustrated with archival black and white photographs. -
Lydia Laube, an outspoken Australian nurse, went to work in Saudi Arabia, a society that does not allow women to drive, vote, or speak to a man alone. Wearing head to toe coverings in stifling heat, and fighting administrative apathy, Lydia kept her sanity and got her passport back. Her battle against the odds is surprisingly hilarious. Some rather mixed reviews on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1236221.Behind_the_Veil?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_29 -
He was an accomplished organist and interpreter of Bach, a crusader for world peace, and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He made his philosophy of "reverence for life" an ethic for the world. The hospital he founded in Lambaréné (still in operation in present-day Gabon) is a model of what Europeans might have given to Africans throughout colonial history. But above all, Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) was a talented and compassionate human being. This biography probes beyond the timeworn image of Schweitzer as "the old man in the pith helmet" to reveal the philosopher, scholar, husband, father, humanitarian, and liberal rebel in a conservative church. Illustrated with black and white photographs. -
Did you know that the first game of ladies' cricket took place in 1745? Here is a fascinating book for sports fans and history buffs - an early history of the women's game written by two highly-regarded cricketers, Rachael Heyhoe Flint (Baroness Heyhoe Flint, 1939-2017) and Netta Rheinberg, MBE (1911-2006). All aspects of the game covered, in Britain and worldwide. With black and white archival photos. -
A rich and varied treasure house of Australiana with a range of material to suit every taste and interest. This is the virtue of such a book for, within this single volume are collected extracts from every field and aspect of Australian life. Such diverse elements as the humour of 'Mo' and Lennie Lower, the poetry of Henry Kendall and Adam Lindsay Gordon, reminiscences of the famous, and quotations from statesmen, scholars and scoundrels, are united by this theme. There is something for every day. Illustrated with archival black and white photographs and illustrations.
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The Face Of Britain series. With colour and black and white plates, this book explores - among other places - Welford-On-Avon, Newent, Stoke Edith, Malvern, Warwickshire and, of course, Stratford-On-Avon. Some of historical buildings include Stoneleigh Abbey, Compton Verney, Aston Hall, Elmsley Castle Church and Compton Wynyates. The natural beauty of the area is also covered as are many other points of interest that a tourist might accidentally pass by.
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