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Few women in China were to prove so important to the rise of Chinese nationalism and liberation from tradition as the extraordinary Soong Sisters: Soong Ching-ling (wife of Sun Yat-sen, statesman, physician, and political philosopher who served as the first provisional president of the Republic of China and the first leader of the Kuomintang); Soong Ai-ling (wife of H. H. Kung, who was the richest man in the early 20th century Republic of China); and Soong Mei-ling (Madame Chiang Kai-shek, wife of President Chiang Kai-shek of the Republic of China). This biography is also China's story through both world wars and the chronicle of the changes to Shanghai as they relate to a family that had the courage to speak out against the ruling regime. Greatly influencing the history of modern China, they interacted with their government and military to protect the lives of those who could not be heard. First published in 1942. -
I am the world's sexiest man. Mr Burton and Mr Sinatra take second place to me in the sex-appeal stakes. Sex appeal isn't just straight teeth, a square jaw and a solid torso. Look at me. I'm 63 and the first thing in the morning I have a face like a woollen mat. And yet I am the most desirable man in the world. Indeed, if I put my mind to it I am sure I could pass the supreme test and lure Miss Taylor away from Mr Burton... NEVER a believer in false modesty, Noel Coward was one of the most significant and witty figures in the world of the theatre. As a playwright, revue writer, lyricist, composer, actor and director, he made an unforgettable impression on the international scene - and continues to make it in contemporary culture today. here is the essence of his brilliant personality - the carefully studied insult...the polished repartee...the timely aphorism and of course, the rapier-like comment. -
From 'Did Harry Potter kill Hitler' to 'Can we play cricket in your bookshop?', here's a bewildering, slightly alarming and definitely hilarious selection of the most ridiculous conversations from the shop floor! And these gems and gold nuggets have been supplied from booksellers across the world...and truly, they border on the realms of fantasy. Notable weird things include a request for a book on the workings of an internal combustion engine suitable for a three-year-old, the lost ferret and speculation that The Hungry Caterpillar was possibly bulimic...honestly, no-one could invite this stuff.... -
The sequel to Grumpy Old Men: The Official Handbook covers a year in the sad and sordid life of a Grumpy Old Man, sorting into seasons the many irritations that multiply in this perpetual torment that we call modern living. It's a daily chronicle of life for the terminally irritable; an almanac of angst. If you know, live with, tolerate, or are a Grumpy Old Man, this is essential reading: covers drinks parties, holidays, hospital visits, buying presents for the wife, going to the gym...if you're a man of a 'certain' age, this book is for you. It proves that 'grumpy' is a way of looking at the world. Featuring Rick Wakeman, Don Warrington, Nigel Havers, Arthur Smith (of course!) and more from the Grumpy club.
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Norman Lindsay kept a small warm corner of his long artistic life for his cats. He not only collected them and kept a horde of them in the stables and sheds, the gardens, bush and architectural nooks of Springwood - allowing the occasional prince to share the master's studio - but he drew them with humour and delightful observation. While The Magic Pudding made Lindsay's kookaburras famous, this other small anabranch of his art meandered own without public scrutiny amid the controversy, furor and celebration of his paintings and pen drawings. Some of the collection presented here were done with quick delight over the behaviour of one of his Springwood friends, others were drawn as cartoons for The Lone Hand or The Bulletin and others were done as Christmas cards or jokes. They all express the pleasure and delight his feline friends gave him. His long time friend, poet and author Douglas Stewart, introduces the drawings with an affectionate memoir of Lindsay and his cats. -
For years they thought it was just them - irritated and tormented by everything around them, from call centres to nose studs, from speed bumps to ringtones. Then along came the television series Grumpy Old Men and they knew they were not alone. It turns out that 35-54 year old men are the grumpiest lot in history. Grumpier than their parents, who were just glad to have survived the war and lived long enough to collect their pensions. Grumpier than their children, who don't care about anything except iPods and tattoos. This book extends the hand of friendship to the young, the old and the women who identified with Grumpy Old Men. It is now a modern movement and its members are proud of the title. Sir Bob Geldof: If you aren't grumpy, that means you're contented with the world. And who the **** could be that? Featuring Rick Stein, Jeremy Clarkson, Arfur Smith, Rick Wakeman and more. -
A collection of some of H.V. Morton's columns for the Daily Express, which is still in print today almost 100 years later. Morton never did the tourist route; instead he went off the beaten track to look into what really made a city. What he found was London's wonderful diversity of people against intriguing backgrounds. Among other places, he visits the docks, the Caledonian Market, Petticoat Lane, the Free Cancer Hospital, observes the nannies and their charges in Kensington Gardens, tea-shops, St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, the Lost Property Office and many other places. -
Having been a jockey since 1953, Roy Higgins knows most of the tall, and short, stories from the tracks. In a sport renowned for its colourful characters there a myriad of funny stories, from the lady trying to back the favourite, Quadrella, to the fast talking jockey who gets left at the barrier. But it is not only jockeys and racegoers who provide the laughter, owners trainers, bookmakers, racing writers and commentators, stewards, vets and committee men all figure prominently in many of the anecdotes. Anyone who has ever bet on a horse will enjoy this humorous and affectionate salute to the racing game by one of its best known identities. Illustrated by Vane Lindesay -
Ziegfeld: Charles Higham
$20.00Florenz Ziegfeld was without question the most flamboyant showman the American theatre has produced. His glorification of the American girl in glittering glamorous settings packed theatres for years and made him a legend in his own time. Higham's exploration of the life and loves of Florenz Ziegfeld show the man backstage - the demonic, driving, ruthless but utterly charming genius who private life was as agonising as his public life was dazzling. The son of the founder of the Chicago Musical College, Ziegfeld broke with family tradition early and launched his career as an extraordinary showman in 1893. Sent to Europe by his father to book classical music ensembles, he instead imported vaudeville acts, the most notable being Eugene Sandow, the famous strong-man, whose nationwide tour launched Ziegfeld's career, which reached its pinnacle with the lavish revue the Ziegfeld Follies, which enthralled audiences for over two decades. His extraordinary 'fake marriage' to Anna Held, his tempestuous romance with ravishing showgirl Lillian Lorraine, his marriage to Billie Burke and affair with Marilyn Miller are all highlighted, as his is move to musical comedy, producing memorable Broadway shows such as Kid Boots, Show Boat and Whoopee. Based on interviews with almost every living person who knew or worked with Ziegfeld: his daughter; his private secretary Goldie; and the stars who passed ascross the stage of Ziegfeld's life. Illustrated with black and white photographs.
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