Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

PublicationStatus

Brand

Format

AgeRange

Series

Imprint

CategoryLabel

Stephen Bentley

'Life is full of uncertainty when you work deep undercover. I had to forget Steve Bentley and become totally immersed in the psyche of Steve Jackson. I was ready to do almost anything to further my cover. It was one great adrenaline rush fuelled by copious amounts of alcohol, hash, weed and some cocaine.' 
 
This is the true story behind Operation Julie, the groundbreaking police investigation that resulted in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operations in the world, by the detective who infiltrated their global drug empire. 
 
In the mid-1970s, at the age of 29, Stephen Bentley, a fresh-faced detective, turned himself into Steve Jackson, a dope-smoking, hard-drinking hippie. His time spent undercover with a gang making and distributing LSD,, as well as infiltrating a cartel planning to smuggle cocaine into Britain, helped bring down two criminal networks. However, the operation also led to deep personal aftershocks felt long after the case closed. 
 
As we get up close and personal with the operators of the drug supply chain that fuelled 1970s counterculture, the story becomes laden with heavy drug-taking, blurred lines between cop, criminal and friend, and creeping doubts about who Steve really is. 
 
Stephen Bentley's insider account shows what it really takes to go undercover - to befriend, to betray and to bury your sense of self.

Behind Cartel Lines

How I infiltrated and brought down Britain’s biggest drug networks

Drew Pritchard

'Over the years I've had some incredible finds, but the one that excites me the most is the next one.' 
 
Drew Pritchard set himself up as a dealer when he was a teenager, rooting around in scrapyards, working out of a shed and getting about in a ropy old Transit. Now he's a leading figure in the antiques trade with an international online business, and he's hugely popular presenter of hit TV show Salvage Hunters. But he's still as driven by the thrill of the find as he was forty years ago. 
 
In this engaging and informative narrative, clearly structured into practical themes, Drew reveals what it takes to start with nothing but an obsession and a dream. He shows you how to create the opportunities, establish a network, get the best out of auctions and fairs, spot the fakes, develop your eye, build a reputation, buy and sell and yes, make a profit. 
 
Whether you are a professional dealer or an amateur enthusiast, and whatever your budget, Drew's on a mission to show you how to enrich your life with beautiful things, that have their own unique story and that bring you joy. And then how to part with them for cash!

How Not to Be an Antiques Dealer

Everything I've learnt, that nobody told me

Matt Rife

both the hottest and most controversial comedian in America. Now, in his new book, Matt gives his legions of fans and haters plenty to talk about, with hilarious and dangerously revealing stories about his insane rise to stardom—from the trashy backroads of Ohio to the bedrooms of MILFs in LA to sold-out stadiums around the world. 
 
Matt Rife is well aware that he’s both the most loved and the most controversial comic in America today. And honestly, he thinks that’s your problem. 
 
In his very first book, Matt reveals without apology everything that led him to becoming comedy’s biggest lightning rod before he reached thirty, in a story full of bold and hysterical takes on everything from Justin Bieber tramp stamps and rap battles with ex-cons to Matt’s battles with depression and his many brushes with failure before finally hitting it big. 
 
Born in trashy backwoods Ohio, Matt was saved by his foul-mouthed but loving grandpa Steve and a passion for standup. He started hitting comedy clubs before he could even drink, cutting his teeth in front of mostly Black crowds who dared him to succeed. Matt honed a brand of razor-sharp, brutally honest standup that took no prisoners—and took him to the most famous stages of Atlanta and LA before he graduated high school. Along the way, he broke the hearts of MILFs everywhere, finally hit puberty at the ripe age of twenty-two, never met a grudge he wouldn’t keep—and never, ever backed down. 
 
Full of Matt at his most unfiltered best opening up about his life for the very first time, this book will give Matt’s millions of fans everything they want and more—and might even get his insecure enemies to change their minds. Your Mom’s Gonna Love Me is one part memoir, one part comedy special, one part crazy first date. Just you and Matt between the covers. What could be better?

Your Mom’s Gonna Love Me

Cam Whitnall

Lion Heart is the bold and uplifting memoir of Cam Whitnall, a man whose life has been defined by extraordinary bonds with wildlife and a dramatic warzone rescue that brought five lions to safety in the UK. 
 
The Whitnall story began in 1984, when Cam’s grandparents visited the dilapidated Broxbourne Zoo, once known as the worst zoo in the UK, and made the decision to trade in their business and rebuild it from the ground up. 
 
Cam grew up on those grounds, in a bedroom overlooking the tiger enclosure. His childhood playground was full of lions, tigers and snow leopards where he and his brothers played hide-and-seek after hours and even hand-reared a lion cub called Zara inside their family home. Under the guidance of their grandparents, Cam, Aaron and Tyler developed an unshakeable dedication to protecting the planet’s most threatened species. 
 
In 2024, as Director of The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, Cam made global headlines for leading a high-risk rescue mission of five abandoned lions from war-torn Ukraine. Changing their fate, he formed an unbreakable bond with Yuna, Vanda, Rori, Amani and Lira, and gave the lions the freedom to walk on grass for the very first time.

Lion Heart

How a lifelong love of big cats led to an incredible lion rescue

Ted the Dog

Top 5 Sunday Times bestseller now in paperbark! 
 
Ted's sniff and tell 
It’s hard to believe Ted was once a skinny, unwanted pup who was dumped outside an animal shelter, before he found fame and fortune alongside Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse on the hit BBC series Gone Fishing. 
 
In this exclusive exposé, Ted reveals what it’s like working alongside two national treasures and what really happens when the cameras stop rolling. 
 
With searing honesty, he gives his unique viewpoint on living in a dog's world and he speaks about how you – yes you – can make it a better place for everyone. 
 
This is his story, in his own words. 
 
Nearly all of it is true.

A Pawtobiography

My adventures on Gone Fishing

Greg James

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
Brilliantly funny and life-affirming stories of growing up from much-loved Radio 1 presenter and bestselling children's author, Greg James. 
 
When Greg James was ten years old, his nylon shell suit-clad idols the Chuckle Brothers ('to me, to you') signed an autograph (from them, to him) with the message 'All the best for the future.’ It was a weirdly formal message for a kid. Ten-year-old Greg had no idea what the future held, no clue what was in store for him as he carried on through life. How could he? No one really knows what's coming. 
 
We all have big dreams and small ones, ideas about how we want our lives to pan out: when you'll get married, where you'll live, how many children you want, what you want to be when you grow up. We race through the milestones, desperate to unlock life's next level and before you know it, you’re a ‘grown up'. That’s all well and good but have you remembered to have fun along the way? 
 
Whether it's entertaining the nation with his hugely popular BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, writing big funny adventures for kids with his bestselling children's books, finding the joy in cricket and F1 in his podcasts Tailenders and The Fast and the Curious, or posting stupid videos of his adorable but quite thick dog Barney, Greg’s focus is to put a smile on people's faces because, let's face it, having fun is something we all forget to prioritise sometimes. 
 
In All the Best for the Future, Greg looks at how he thought his life would go and shares the things that wind him up, make him sad, make him laugh and the little passions and interests that he relies on to get him through the day - whether it was a good one or a bad one. He tells us who he is, who he thought he'd be and who he still thinks he could be. Most of all though, his message for everyone is not to let go of that inner child as he navigates how to grow up without growing old. It’s possible to be fully functioning adults, with bills to pay and a dog to look after, and still find time to play with a train set...

All the Best for the Future

Growing Up Without Growing Old

Abbey Clancy

Peter Crouch

Join the nation's favourite married couple and chart-topping podcast hosts, Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch, as they discuss the realities of modern relationships in this hilarious and relatable guide. 
 
From the moment you swipe right or lock eyes across a crowded bar, you step onto a rollercoaster ride of dating, first kisses and romantic weekends away. Then before you know it, you're meeting the in-laws, moving in together and walking down the aisle. It's not all highs, there are lows too: you've got your other half's annoying habits to discover and you need to learn how to win every argument in pursuit of always being right. 
 
When kids come along, sexy text messages make way for school whatsapp groups and suddenly you have no time for one another. Life is a blur of nappies, sleepless nights and chauffeuring as your offspring embark on a more colourful social life than you could dream of. That first date might just be the start of a relationship that lasts for the rest of your life, so choose wisely. 
 
From hooking up to breaking up and getting together to staying together, join us as we navigate our way through the trials and tribulations of dating and relationships. Celebrating all that's good and bad about being in pursuit of love, we ask can you ever find you happy ever after?

The Therapy Crouch

In Search of Happy (N)ever After

Luke Stoltman

Tom Stoltman

When Loch Morlich freezes over, we cut a hole in the ice and jump in. 
 
Tom 'The Albatross' and Luke 'The Highland Oak' Stoltman are the world's strongest brothers. Between them, they've won everything there is to win in the mighty world of Strongman. 
 
Tom can deadlift a 430kg bar to hip height, equivalent to about seven washing machines. Luke isn't far behind. Yet for the Stoltmans, being strong is about more than pure muscle. It's about overcoming adversity. And it's about honouring their biggest fan: their mother, who died in 2016 leaving the family devastated. 
 
They've also transcended the sport, not least through launching the hugely successful online Stoltman Strength Academy. Through it all, they've stayed true to their roots in the Highlands of Scotland, giving back to their community, their family, and each other. 
 
But it wasn't always like this. Back in 2010, Luke worked full time on oil rigs in the North Sea, and Tom was a teenager contending with the challenges posed by his autism. So, how did two lads from Invergordon conquer the world? Simple. They started lifting. 
 
In their autobiography, Tom and Luke Stoltman show you how to lift: how to lift the lid on life with autism. How to lift yourself out of the darkness of bereavement. How to lift the trophy at the World's Strongest Man.

Lifting

Becoming the World's Strongest Brothers

Luke Evans

Growing up in a small village in the Rhymney Valley, Luke's life was shaped by his Jehovah's Witness upbringing, a path he'd eventually navigate to come out to his parents, knowing he risked losing them. In his raw and honest account, he shares his struggles of always feeling different and being bullied as a child, and his brave decision to leave home at just seventeen, searching for a new life and a place where he truly belonged. 
 
Starring first on the West End stages in iconic productions like Miss Saigon, Avenue Q, and Rent, he quickly captivated the hearts of audiences and caught the eye of Hollywood's elite, going on to secure roles in blockbuster films like The Hobbit, Beauty and the Beast, the Fast and Furious franchise, and Nine Perfect Strangers TV series. 
 
In this intimate memoir, Luke takes us behind the scenes of his career on the stage and screen. He writes beautifully of the relationship he now has with his family and the respect they all have for one another on their different paths. Luke's story is a powerful tale of resilience, courage, and the pursuit of finding a sense of belonging and identity.

Boy From the Valleys

My unexpected journey

David Teale

Bobby Teale

Alfie Teale

‘Who had smashed up our young lives? Was it the murderous Kray twins? Or was it the police, cynically using the criminal justice system to hide their own failure?’ 
 
Bobby David and Alfie Teale were deeply trusted confidants of the notorious Kray twins, but when the Krays grew more extreme in their violence, Bobby secretly became a police informer to stop them. Then, supposedly for their own protection, Bobby, David and Alfie were all arrested on a fitted-up charge of demanding money with menaces, and sentenced to three years in prison. 
 
When the Krays were eventually arrested, each of the brothers gave evidence at the trial. The Krays went down. The police were suddenly heroes - while Bobby vanished, in fear of his life, and David and Alfie were left to pick up the pieces of theirs. 
 
In this extraordinary three-way memoir, you will see who the real heroes are, and it’s the Teales’s story which will endure as the real version of history.

Legacy of Menace

Life in the Shadow of the Krays

Giles Wood

Mary Killen

The Nutty Idyll 
 
Former townies Giles and Mary swapped city life for rural Wiltshire over thirty years ago, and they've each embraced it in their own very different ways. 
 
Mary has happily traded sophisticated London salons for monthly lectures at the Farmers' Club, competitive school quizzes, church interactions and local Auction House sales. While Giles has immersed himself in the catastrophic consequences of conventional farming, his organic no-dig veg-patch, the increasingly disproportionate response by local landlords to harmless trespassers and the strange death of the village house martins. 
 
For recent city escapees and indigenous country folk alike, Giles and Mary sift through the unhelpful dreamy myths and offer a practical reality, with robust back and forth on every aspect of life in rural outposts, including but not limited to planning wars, class wars, dog thefts, tree-felling fights, misunderstandings between incomers and natives and the role of the Heron Appreciation Society. 
 
The much-loved Wiltshire couple share their combined, hard-earned lessons, so we can learn the secret skills of grumbling and bumbling our way towards a new contented country life.

Country Life

A story of peaks and troughs

Andy Serkis

If Gollum, Caesar and Ulysses Klaue could hear Andy Serkis tell his story, would they choose him to play them? This is the question at the heart of his long-awaited memoir. 
 
Beginning in a childhood split between Ruislip and Baghdad, Andy Serkis takes us – and his characters – on a journey through the early influences that shaped him: acting mentors, early roles at a regional repertory theatre, a passion for mountaineering, a desire for film-making and the love story with Lorraine Ashbourne that became the foundation of his life. Then, the call arrives in 1999 that changes everything. Peter Jackson is preparing to make The Lord of the Rings and Andy is asked to audition for the voice of a certain animated character. 
 
What follows is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes journey through the fantastical worlds Andy has helped shape – The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Black Panther, Star Wars and more – as he pioneered a new form of performance that would forever redefine the possibilities of cinema. 
 
In this book, Andy invites us into a genre-defying conversation between actor and character, imagination and reality, and provides an answer to the question: what would Andy’s most iconic characters make of the man that brought them to life?

My Pressures

The Bizarrely True Story of Andy Serkis

Catherine Cohen

‘I ask my therapist why should I want to grow / she says I will suffer less / what is she trying to prove?’ 
 
Tragicomic verses from the award-winning comedian and millennial renaissance woman. 
 Catherine Cohen, the one-woman stand-up chanteuse who has electrified the downtown NYC comedy scene in her white go-go boots, has been posting poignant, unfiltered poems on social media since before Instagram was a thing. A self-proclaimed self-obsessed millennial on the prowl with her beaded bag, she ponders guys who call you dude after sex, English-major dreams, true love during the pandemic, and other weighty matters in these captivating short lyrics. 'I wish I were smart instead of on my phone,' Cohen confides; 'heartbreak, / when it comes, and it will come / is always new.' 
 
A Dorothy Parker for our time, a Starbucks philosophe with no primary-care doctor, this poet and rising megastar is a welcome new breed of everywoman – a larger-than-life best friend, who will say all the outrageous things we think but never say out loud ourselves. 
 
'Cat’s poems are equally hilarious as they are profound. Her lines morph from being quite absurd to deeply meaningful, a trick only she can master. A genre-defining original!' Amelia Dimoldenberg 
 
‘Catherine is a once-in-a-generation comic genius who makes the cringey perils of modern life seem both glamorous and survivable! She also looks amazing in white boots.’ Jack Rooke, creator of Big Boys 
 
‘Does anyone chronicle and lampoon millennial ennui as hilariously, as vulnerably, and as bitingly as Cat Cohen? NFW TBH. I’m a stan!’ Alan Cumming, author of Not My Father’s Son

God I Feel Modern Tonight

Poems from a Gal about Town

Jimmy Tarbuck

In October 1963, Jimmy Tarbuck made his TV debut on Sunday Night at the Palladium, The young comedian stepped out on stage and brought the house down. Two years later, he was hosting the show. 
 
As a football-mad youngster, Jimmy's dream had been to play professionally for his beloved Liverpool FC. Meanwhile, his childhood friends John Lennon and Cilla Black shot to fame as chart-topping sensations of the Merseybeat phenomenon. But it was a gift for making people laugh that was to propel him to stardom. 
 
Hosting the biggest show on British TV, he found himself on telly every week introducing superstars like Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Rudolf Nureyev. Then he went to America and there he was on stage with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, chatting to Elvis in Vegas and chinwagging with Sinatra in Miami. This was a golden age for British entertainers, and he takes us back to the camaraderie of those days, remembering his old muckers Eric and Ernie, Tommy Cooper and Kenny Lynch, laughing together as they conquered the world. 
 
As his incredible story shows, Jimmy has gone through life seeing the funny side of everything and, even through tough times, he knows that laughter is always the best medicine. Read his autobiography for a big, joyful dose it.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

My autobiography

Alfie Boe

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTELLER 
 
The intimate and uplifting memoir from one of Britain's most loved singers - this is Alfie, off stage. 
 
Bringing his characteristic sense of cheeky humour to the page, in this heartfelt book Alfie describes for the first time the highs and lows of over a decade singing and performing across the world. From personal dinners with Queen Elizabeth II and following in the steps of King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis in Vegas to mischievous antics with Michael Ball, Alfie's book takes us backstage to witness his brilliant career memories. 
 
But this book is also a heartfelt insight to Alfie's unmasked truth for the first time ever. His unflinching honesty reveals not only the success stories, but also the pressures and how, through challenging times, he learned more about himself than he ever thought possible. 
 
Laying bare the events that have shaped Alfie into the performer he is today, Face the Music demonstrates to us all that it's not our mistakes that define us - but instead, how we choose to come back from them.

Face the Music

My Story

Simon Lazenby

As lead presenter for Sky Sports Formula One live coverage, Simon Lazenby is at the centre of Grand Prix race-weekend action. With a foreword by legendary motorsport driver Damon Hill, in this book Simon takes us off camera to give us exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to the people who power this multi-billion-pound sport. 
 
Drawing on over a decade’s accumulated first-hand knowledge and connections across the paddock, Simon talks to key experts and professionals within the teams and the overall organisation, who each reveal how they operate, how they compete, the skills they've learnt to navigate the challenges they face. 
 
Among the insiders who let us into their world are Max Verstappen's race engineer, whose voice we hear on the driver's cockpit radio communicating key strategic decisions, and the Aston Martin mechanic who oversees the team responsible for assembling the F1 car from 14,500 different components before each GP. There's the performance coach, who has to ensure that the drivers' necks can withstand the equivalent of 24kg of weight (helmet + head + G force) and Giorgio Piola whose sketches of F1 cars have been revered since the late 1960s. George Russell talks about life at Mercedes as their new lead driver. And at the top of pyramid are Zak Brown, CEO of current contenders McLaren, and James Vowles, team principal of Williams, who are breaking through. In all, we get insight for some 27 separate roles up and down the paddock. 
 
We see split-second, mid-race decision-making at the pit wall, lightning physical and technical efficiency in the pit lane, high-level politics and boardroom manoeuvres, emergency medical interventions, genius design innovation and much more inside track action. This is a unique, first-hand insight into human performance under extreme pressure at the highest level of motorsport, bringing man and machine together to compete at speeds of 200 miles per hour.

Pressure

How the people who power Formula One thrive at the limits

Jane McDonald

The instant Sunday Times bestseller 
 
'Life is what you make it, nothing is for free 
Stand up and be counted, and be who you want to be' 
'Let The Light In' Jane McDonaldJane was planning a golden retirement with her beloved partner Ed, when a shocking cancer diagnosis changed everything. Ed was terminally ill. Jane nursed him at home until the end, on her own, with the UK in lockdown. At first she was overwhelmed, but slowly gathered strength from caring for her loved one, and now sees that it was a privilege to be there for him. 
 
'Let The Light In', a song Jane wrote over twenty years ago during another dark time, points the way to finding a new kind of joy out of sorrow. It's a philosophy Jane has always lived by and, in this deeply personal book exploring the same themes, she reveals the lessons she's learned that have helped her grow, adapt and rise up through adversity. She looks back with candour and honesty on her experiences of heartbreak and loss, failure and burn-out. Cherishing the ring of support around her, taking the odd duvet day and keeping a sense of humour throughout, she grew stronger through each challenge, building resilience, trusting her gut, going for her goals.Read on and let Jane McDonald’s fabulous light into your own life.

Let the Light In

Lessons learned through life, love and laughter

Cliff Richard

Foreword by Bob Stanley 
 
On a sunny Saturday morning in May 1956, a fifteen-year-old, then called Harry Webb, was mooching down Waltham Cross High Street. He heard some music blaring out of a parked car. It stopped him in his tracks. 
 
The song was 'Heartbreak Hotel' by Elvis Presley. It sounded like nothing he had ever heard before. In that instant, the schoolboy who was destined to take the hit parade by storm as Cliff Richard fell in love with rock and roll. It gave him the thrill, the purpose and the mission that has shaped his life ever since. 
 
Cliff lives in and for music. And with 65 years as a hitmaker, the music filling his head is a broad category. His soundtrack begins by blasting us all back into that first life-changing explosion of rock and roll, and also includes great soul stars such as Aretha Franklin, longtime colleagues like Elton John, and much-missed close friends Cilla Black and Olivia Newton-John. 
 
This book is meaningful to Cliff on many levels. The 30 or so songs here that make up the soundtrack to his life have each moved him deeply, but it's also about the legendary artists he met, and often got to know. He shares those stories and memories with you, too. 
 
A Head Full of Music is a vibrant personal journey for Cliff, and it's a joy to accompany him on it. Get wired for sound with him and read on.

A Head Full of Music

The soundtrack to my life

Alex Horne

Fastest wins. Your adventure starts now ... 
 
 This is a race. 
 
 It is not a race against the clock, because that would be a far easier race. Clocks can be fast, but clocks never win races. It's nearly always humans, sometimes horses, and occasionally dogs. 
 This is a race against your fellow Taskmaster players. 
 
 You are competing against everyone else who is reading this book. All you've got to do is find The Taskmaster's Head first. This is a race with many twists and turns, that requires very little running, much sideways thinking and quite a lot of patience. 
 
 Thankfully, there will be a shedload of tasks along the way to distract you. There are tasks to do on your own, tasks to do with your family and friends, and tasks for bigger groups too. Some of these distractions may slow you down, but some may help you get where you need to go. As always, enjoy them, do your best, make good choices. 
 
 So get going. Take on the tasks. All the information you need is in the book... 
 
 Alex Horne, 
 Taskmaster's Assistant

Bring Me The Head Of The Taskmaster

101 next-level tasks (and clues) that will lead one ordinary person to some extraordinary Taskmaster treasure

Averil Mansfield

'A great read. I am honoured to have worked with such a legend' David Nott 
'A role model for women' Independent 
'A wonderful read' Julian Fellowes 
'Remarkable' Lauren Laverne 
'Charming' Guardian 
 
We were occasionally expected to travel by ambulance to a serious case and would always have a kit of tools and drugs ready for emergency calls. On one occasion, we were responding to a man who had fallen into the hold of a grain ship and broken his leg. I was expected to go down a pole into the ship to administer analgaesia before he could be rescued. The 'audience' of shipworkers delighted in telling me that there were rats the size of dogs down in the grain. The other problem was that this was the era of the mini skirt, and you can imagine what that meant. Following the incident, I instituted the purchase of some 'Casualty Officers Emergency Dungarees' as an addition to the kit. 
 
Averil Mansfield established herself as a pioneer in every sense of the word when she qualified as a surgeon in the early 1970s. At the time just two per cent of her colleagues were female, and she was often met with surprise, bordering on disbelief and amusement, when telling people what she did. But time and again, Averil proved herself more than capable of the role which had been her greatest dream since the age of eight. After a formidable operating career in Liverpool and London, during which she made many enduring friendships, she went on to became the UK's first ever female professor of surgery. 
 
Life in Her Hands is the remarkable story of a truly trailblazing woman. Averil's account shines light on a medical and societal world that has changed beyond measure, but which - as she shows through her experiences - still has a long way to go for the women finding their place within it.

Life in Her Hands

The Inspiring Story of a Pioneering Female Surgeon

Will Young

The Sunday Times Bestseller. New edition, updated with added content. 
 
Navigating day-to-day life can be a tricky business. By the time we are adults, our experiences have formed our way of thinking and we have learned patterns of behaviour that are not always helpful. We must unravel these to understand, accept, nurture and allow ourselves to rise with our vulnerabilities, not in spite of them. 
 
After having a breakdown in 2011, Will Young went about the process of interrogating everything he thought he knew: how he formed his identity, what he relied on for self-esteem and how he behaved and communicated. Everything he has learned over the past ten years, he has now condensed into this easy to access A-Z guide. He digs into how everyday life can affect our wellbeing, how we can navigate our emotions, where they come from and how to create a balanced mindset, offering practical techniques we can all use to ground ourselves and set boundaries. 
 
With wit and wisdom and revealing his own vulnerabilities along the way, Will shows us how to identify destructive patterns, develop good mindful habits, be true to who we are and grow into better versions of ourselves.

Be Yourself and Happier

The A-Z of Wellbeing

Chris Hutchins

&lsquo;Who is Alex? Is he the gifted businessman whose interests have netted him billions of dollars, whose generosity and charm has beguiled the world&rsquo;s elite? Or is he the cold-blooded killer accused by the French police of poisoning his lover? A ruthless but brilliant conman who made millions by creating a fictitious persona?&rsquo; 
 
Alexandre Despallières bewitched everyone he met with his disarming good looks and killer charm. But this had tragic consequences for many he got close to, as he left a trail of suspicious deaths in his wake. 
 
Posing as a billionaire businessman dying of an inoperable brain tumour, Despallières seduced and married music industry legend Peter Ikin in 2008. Just one month later, Ikin died of a paracetamol overdose and Despallières was set to inherit his estate, worth millions, through a forged will. 
 
As investigations unfolded, other suspected victims emerged, including Despallières&rsquo;s own parents. Others narrowly managed to escape a similar fate, such as a Hollywood heiress, who Despallières convinced to adopt him, and conned her out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
 
Despallières died in 2022, just before he was due to stand trial, leaving unanswered questions behind. In Love Until Death, Chris Hutchins untangles Despallières&rsquo;s web of deceit, and gains the trust of Despallières himself, who reveals his version of events for the first time.

Love Until Death

The twisted true story of killer conman Alexandre Despallières

Fern Britton

‘I didn’t know it at the time, as I didn’t have a word for it then, but I’ve repowered several times in my life. Leaving home in my teens, changing careers from theatre to TV to author, battling my way out of the dark pit of postnatal depression and rebuilding my life as a single mother after the end of my marriage. All these were hard. All of them taught me big lessons. Perhaps the biggest of these was that I can do it. And so can you.’ 
 
Fern had recently entered her 60s when a series of life-altering events threw her into the eye of the storm. Both her parents passed away, her 20-year marriage ended, and the pandemic was looming.Faced with an uncertain future, Fern decided that if she wanted to start over, now was the time. She moved to Cornwall, where she reconnected with her true self and instead of fearing getting older, she chose to create a glorious new life full of friendship, fun and adventure.Fern explores the joy and challenges of aging with warmth and humour. She reflects back on all she has learnt, from enduring tough times to embracing new opportunities and learning how to be kinder to herself. This wasn’t a moment of empowerment, for that would suggest she never had any power to begin with. As women, we often put our needs aside, and she feels strongly that it’s time for us to repower and rediscover our happiness.In The Older I Get, join Fern as she candidly shares her experiences of grief and loss, rebuilding confidence and exploring new passions, as well as the importance of finding friends you can put the world to rights with over a couple of Cosmos.

The Older I Get…

How I repowered my life

Chris Harris

'What defines the car-saddo condition is not being able to recall a time when the toy-car-era of your life actually ended. Because for us sufferers, it never does.' 
 
Nobody knows cars like Chris Harris does. He calls it 'unhinged geekery', but the rest of the world call it infectious enthusiasm, adrenaline fuelled escapism and rigorous journalistic integrity. 
 
And then there are his famous skills at the wheel, from city cars to rally cars, not forgetting the Guinness World Record 3.4km sideways in an electric car. 
 
And now for the first time, Harris takes us down the road of his lifelong obsession with the automobile - along surprising diversions, around hazards and obstructions, down the fast lane collecting Gs and back to the lock-up to prep the stock. 
 
From the six-year-old who could recite the stats from What Car? magazine to the YouTube car guru whose honest reviews got him banned by Ferrari. From the Scalextric track of his childhood, to podiums as a racing driver out in the world. From behind his garage doors to the floodlit Top Gear studio. 
 
Variable Valve Timings brings you an incredibly engaging story of adventure and petrolhead joy, told with wit, warmth and disarming honesty. This book is a true one-off, just like Chris.

Variable Valve Timings

Memoirs of a car tragic

Tom Felton

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'Uproarious memoir packed with anecdotes about the Harry Potter films' Daily Mail 
'Very funny and fascinating' Mail on Sunday 
'Brave and brilliant' Cosmopolitan 
'Highly readable' The Times 
 
They called for a break, and Gambon magicked up a cigarette from out of his beard. He and I were often to be found outside the stage that housed the Astronomy Tower, having 'a breath of fresh air' as we referred to it. There would be painters and plasterers and chippies and sparks, and among them all would be me and Dumbledore having a crafty cigarette. 
 
From Borrower to wizard, Tom Felton's childhood was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame saw him catapulted into the limelight aged just twelve when he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. 
 
Speaking with candour and his own trademark humour, Tom shares his experience of growing up on screen and as part of the wizarding world for the very first time. He tells all about his big break, what filming was really like and the lasting friendships he made during ten years with the franchise, as well as the highs and lows of fame and the reality of navigating adult life after filming finished. 
 
Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.

Beyond the Wand

The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard

Tim Downie

Travel along with actor and podcaster Tim Downie as he explores the strange and beautiful places that have shaped British folklore. 
 
Tim brings to life the mystical stories that shape the character of our isles. Push through the bramble and briar to embark on a journey through the seasons, encountering wonders from clowns to coffins, horn dances to blazing tar barrels, punkies to soulcakers. 
 
Filled with detailed insights into hidden mythic sites and stories from the incredible people that keep our folklore fires burning year after year, this book is an invitation to step outside and reconnect with the ebb and flow of the natural world. Rituals reveals how British folklore’s rich tapestry breathes life and power into every season.

Rituals

A Folk Journey Through The British Isles

Sunday Times Bestseller 
 
 
Join Ted, the beloved canine star of BBC2's Gone Fishing and bestselling author, as he embarks on a life-changing adventure, and discovers what truly matters to him. 
 
What's the real story behind Ted's suitcase? What's in it and why does getting it back mean so much to him? 
 
Maybe the answer lies with the film supremo Quentin Tarantino, who said the value of the briefcase in his classic movie Pulp Fiction lay not in its contents, but in the briefcase itself. 
 
Rather like fishing, it’s not always about the fish you catch, but the joy of the time you spend on the riverbank, as Ted well knows. Accompanying Paul and Bob on their angling expeditions is one of the greatest pleasures of his life, alongside pocket meat. 
 
In Pup Fiction, Ted tells the story of how all these delights collide in one life-changing, breathtaking European adventure.

Pup Fiction

An epic journey with Gone Fishing

Russ Bray

Stand up if you love the darts! 
 
The one and only legend that is Russ 'The Voice' Bray has been the man beside the oche calling major darts tournaments since 1996. He has now hung up his mic, but stand up and rejoice as he'll be making himself heard once again in this essential, all-seeing companion to your favourite sport! 
 
Every throw counts, and Russ calls the best matches he's ever reffed, the greatest comebacks and the wildest epics. And it's access all areas as he takes us into the practice rooms to watch the mind games unfold. 
 
Russ also has a ton of stories to tell you about all the greats. Read on and cheer for the old-school superstars like Eric Bristow and Phil Taylor, and get chanting for the current contenders from Mighty Mike to Luke the Nuke. 
 
From the pubs to Ally Pally - it's GAME ON!

All About Darts

The ultimate guide to the world's greatest sport

Melvyn Downes

A frightened boy pursued by racist bullies who grew up to become a trailblazing soldier in the British Army and then the SAS, Melvyn Downes was one of the first British-born Black men to join the elite regiment. During his 24 years of service, he was involved in secret missions across more than 50 countries and since leaving active duty has travelled to some of the world’s most dangerous places, protecting charity workers and journalists amidst natural disasters and in brutal conflict zones. 
 
In this gripping memoir, Melvyn takes us behind enemy lines and onto the front line of war, never shying away from the darker side of what he endured, such as losing friends, experiencing psychological traumas and facing racial harassment head-on. Yet, he believes that with the right willpower and mindset, anyone can overcome life's challenges. 
 
Melvyn wasn’t born fearless, strong or confident; these traits were forged through hard work, a willingness to learn from his mistakes and a desire to push himself out of his comfort zone. Inspired by the founding principles of the SAS – humility, integrity, humour, classlessness and the unrelenting pursuit of excellence – Melvyn embodies these values in every aspect of his life. And in Unbreakable, he shows that you don’t need to be a soldier to follow these ideas – we can all use them to build resilience when life throws us curveballs, and to live a life without limits.

Unbreakable

The trailblazing SAS soldier who never backed down

Neil Forsyth

Elliot Castro

The true story behind the BBC documentary Confessions of a Teenage Fraudster 
 
'The crime of fraud, when conducted well, is a fascinating pursuit. It&rsquo;s a test of intellect, determination and stamina. It is a floating mess of fact and fiction that you have to carry in your mind for twenty-four hours a day. It can be used to realize dreams, to slip on any mask required.&rsquo; 
 
Elliot Castro was just a teenager when he began to use his formidable intelligence and charm to swindle millions from the credit card system. No outside individual has ever pulled off this scale of fraudulent activity. But the money wasn&rsquo;t funding an addiction or other criminal enterprises; Elliot was simply a working-class kid with no qualifications who wanted to see the world. From London to New York, Ibiza to Beverly Hills, Castro lived a fantasy life. He stayed in famous hotels, travelled first class and blew a small fortune on designer clothes and champagne. 
 
Time after time, Elliot managed to wriggle free of the authorities while his life spiralled out of control. As he juggled aliases, and lied to family and friends, he began to lose his grip on reality. Meanwhile, a detective from Heathrow Police Station was patiently tracking him down. It would soon turn into 
an international manhunt. 
 
In Other People&rsquo;s Money, Neil Forsyth chronicles Elliot&rsquo;s extraordinary journey. A gripping tale of charm and deceit, filled with humour and heart-stopping suspense, this true story offers a fascinating insight into the mind of Britain&rsquo;s most audacious, and friendliest, credit card fraudster.

Showing results for: ‘Steve Roud’

Filters

Category

Publication Date

Format

Imprint

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter