Autobiography & Memoir - Michael O'Mara Books - Independent Publisher

The Last Overland

Publicity — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:59:41 +0000

SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2023

* NOW A MAJOR DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON ALL 4 *

‘This is a fabulous adventure – reckless, insanely ambitious and filled with sweat, tears and laughter … irresistible reading.’ Joanna Lumley

‘Alex Bescoby weaves travel, adventure, history and the contemporary together like no one else. His great gift is to take us on a journey through past and present.' Dan Snow
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‘A journey that I don’t think could be made again today’. It was this comment by Sir David Attenborough on the fiftieth anniversary of the iconic First Overland expedition that became an irresistible challenge for filmmaker and adventurer Alex Bescoby.

In 1955, Attenborough, then a young TV producer, was approached by six recent university graduates determined to drive the entire length of ‘Eurasia’, from London to Singapore. It was the unclimbed Everest of motoring – many had tried, none had succeeded. Sensing this time might be different, Attenborough gave the expedition enough film reel to cover their attempt. The 19,000-mile journey completed by Tim Slessor and the team captivated a nation emerging from postwar austerity. Tim’s book, The First Overland, soon became the bible of the overlanding religion.

Inspired by the First Overland, Alex made contact with now eighty-six-year-old Tim and together they planned an epic recreation of the original trip, this time from Singapore to London. Their goal was to complete the legendary journey started more than sixty years ago in the original Land Rover. In awe of the unstoppable Tim, and haunted by his own grandfather’s declining health, Alex and his team soon find themselves battling rough roads, breakdowns and Oxford’s constantly leaky roof to discover a world changed for the better – and worse – since the first expedition.

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SAS – Battle Ready

Emma Burton — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:57:36 +0000

The Special Air Service – the SAS – are known to be the greatest elite fighting force in the world. This book focuses on the most famous operations undertaken by the SAS from its inception during the Second World War to the present day, describing in dramatic detail the unit’s most daring and memorable missions in trouble spots across the world.

Revelatory and gripping, the author weaves together the extraordinary true stories of this brave fighting force, wherever they are in action. From missions on home shores to Iraq, Sierra Leone, the Falkland Islands, Europe, Libya, Malaya, Afghanistan and more, SAS Battle Ready brings together both the history of the unit and some of its most powerful moments.

From hostage rescues to ambushes, from sabotage to jungle warfare and from pitched battles to reconnaissance, it hasn’t always gone according to plan but the courage and devotion to duty revealed within show just what it takes to be an SAS soldier.

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Head Trauma

Publicity — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:42:30 +0000

Welcome to the world of teaching: polyester suits, well-polished shoes, endless marking and a stream of embarrassing moments at the coalface of the classroom.

Follow Nick Smith as he charts his journey from trainee teacher to inspiring head. Now, thirty years on, Nick has seen – and heard – it all, and in this book, he shares extraordinary stories from his time in the education system. Follow Nick from his early trainee years, as he faces a daily battle to make it home without having his classroom set on fire (yes, really) and watch as he climbs the greasy pole to headship, navigating everything from Ofsted visits to mission statements, parents’ evenings and much more.

At turns heart-breaking and hilarious, Head Trauma is a rousing call to arms for parents, teachers and pupils alike. Above all else, this is the story of the students that kept Nick returning to the school gates every morning: the brave, the bolshie and the downright determined kids who helped shape him into the headteacher he went on to become.

‘As I began my teacher training, little did I know of what awaited me. Almost three decades and seven schools later, I am head of a state secondary school. On the wall in my office is a children’s toy, a plastic monster’s head which, if pressed, emits a pre-recorded message: ‘It beggars belief!’. I press the monster whenever I, pupils, parents, staff, or the Department for Education do something that is notable, ludicrous, odd, bewildering or unreasonable. It is pressed so often that I am forever having to replace the batteries.’

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Toujours la France!

Publicity — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:36:26 +0000

Following on from her hugely popular books, My Good Life in France and My Four Seasons in France, ex-pat Janine Marsh shares more heart-warming and entertaining stories of her new life in rural France.

Since giving up their city jobs in London and moving to rural France over ten years ago, Janine and husband Mark have renovated their dream home and built a new life for themselves, adjusting to the delights and the peculiarities of life in a small French village.

Including much-loved village characters such as Mr and Mrs Pepperpot, Jean-Claude, Claudette and the infamous Bread Man, in Toujours la France! Janine also introduces readers to some new faces and funny stories, as she and Mark continue their lives in this special part of northern France. With fantastic food, birthday parties, rural traditions old and new – Jean-Claude introduces snail racing to the village – and trouble with uninvited animals, there is never a quiet moment in the Seven Valleys.

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The Wild Remedy

alex — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:31:55 +0000

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTESELLER

Emma Mitchell's richly illustrated and evocative diary – as seen on the BBC's Springwatch – records her nature finds over the course of a year and shows how being in the wild benefits our mental and physical wellbeing.

'This is a beautiful, beautiful book, and I can't recommend it enough.' Sue Perkins
‘Emma's words are profound, her photography is inspiring and her illustrations are exquisite.’ Emma Freud
‘Emma's writing is precise, gorgeous and inspiring.’ Amy Liptrot
'An absolute joy.’ Joanna Cannon

Emma Mitchell has suffered with depression – or as she calls it, 'the grey slug' – for twenty-five years. In 2003, she moved from the city to the edge of the Cambridgeshire Fens and began to take walks in the countryside around her new home, photographing, collecting and drawing as she went. Each walk lifted her mood, proving to be as medicinal as any talking therapy or pharmaceutical.

In Emma's hand-illustrated diary, she takes us with her as she follows the local paths and trails, sharing her nature finds over the course of a year. Reflecting on how these encounters impact her mood, Emma's candid account of her own struggles is a powerful testament to how reconnecting with nature may offer some answers to today's mental health epidemic.

Written with Emma's characteristic wit and frankness, and filled with her beautiful drawings, paintings and photography, this is a truly unique book for anyone who has ever felt drawn to nature and wondered about its influence over us.

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Gurkha Brotherhood

Publicity — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:19:02 +0000

‘Sometimes my mind reaches back beyond the fear and the arid landscapes of war, to memories of childhood that fill me with happiness and laughter.’

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‘A humane and gripping book which proves beyond doubt why the Gurkhas are known as such formidable warriors.’ – Sir Ranulph Fiennes
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This is a searingly honest memoir by Kailash Limbu, a serving Gurkha soldier who undertook five tours of active service in Afghanistan. Kailash Limbu was in the front line of the fighting in Helmand Province. On dangerous resupply missions and on offensive patrols that took them to the heart of the ‘killing zone’, he and his men came under frequent attack from Taliban fighters.

He talks of other operations in which he has served – and, perhaps most movingly, of the other Gurkha soldiers – the united band of brothers – with whom he serves and on whom he relies every day.

On many occasions he has feared he would not live to see the end of the day – and, inevitably, he lost several friends and colleagues from the close-knit Gurkha brotherhood. His means of coping with the trauma of conflict was to travel back in his mind to his childhood in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal. But even amid the simplicity of mountain life, danger and tragedy lurked.

In this compelling narrative Capt Limbu celebrates his Gurkha heritage, relates remarkable stories of courage (his own and others’), and confronts demons that have shaped but never broken him. The result is a record of war and peace that is rare in its honesty and humility.

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The Cycling Revolution

Simon appleby — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:18:56 +0000

Written by the founder of The London School of Cycling. This essential book celebrates how cycling has changed the world – and the wisdom we can glean along the way from life on two wheels.

As Einstein once said, ‘life is like riding a bicycle’. In this beautifully illustrated book, cycling expert Patrick Field reveals the lessons we can learn from the world of cycling, including the movers and shakers who created the cycling revolution, the best modern races, chases and riders of the twenty-first century, and incredible stories of people who have smashed down barriers on the road… and beyond.

Once we learn how to ride, we never forget how to do it. This little book brings together over 60 vital life lessons inspired by the bike – from pushing yourself to the limit to learning to pace yourself and the importance of teamwork – and will show you that learning how to ride is, essentially, learning how to live. Packed with tips and tricks and combined with stunning illustrations from Harry Goldhawk, this is perfect for seasoned and new cyclists alike.

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Everything That Makes Us Human

Publicity — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:15:31 +0000

‘There are two ways to open a child’s head. The pretty way and the quick way. Usually I shave the hair, use a scalpel to nick the skin then apply an electrocautery device to burn down to bone level. It’s a slow, precise method and it leaves almost no scarring. But it takes time. Time, the interminable single note of the heart monitor reminds me, I don’t have.’
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‘Extraordinary’ – The Times
‘Compelling’ – The Daily Mail
‘An inspirational book written by a truly remarkable man’ – Dr Amanda Brown, author of The Prison Doctor
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Jay Jayamohan makes life and death decisions on a daily basis. That’s because he’s a Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon in a busy Oxford hospital. Every day, parents put all their faith in him to make their sick children well again. Though he is proud of his successes, he is haunted by every failure. Jayamohan is known not only for his skill in surgery but also his human touch: to him, no patient is only a number.

In this gripping and sometimes heartrending book, Jayamohan – who has featured in two highly acclaimed BBC fly-on-the-wall series following the work of neurosurgeons – brings the highs and lows of the operating theatre into vivid life. Beginning with his struggles as an Asian growing up in 1970s Britain, he chronicles his early days as a medical student and spans decades of extraordinary activity, drawing on case studies from various aspects of his career: not all of which have happy endings. Jayamohan describes how he found the strength to keep going despite terrible setbacks: no matter how many times he is knocked down, he always gets up again to face the next challenge.

Everything That Makes Us Human is a pacy, gripping account of Jayamohan’s life and work. He pulls no punches and owns his mistakes, but the complete picture is one of a man driven to save as many lives as possible.

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Close to Where the Heart Gives Out

alex — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 01:59:23 +0000

‘Malcolm Alexander is to GPs what James Herriot is to vets’ – MATT GAW
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‘An ode to island life in all its glorious foibles’ – THE HERALD
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'A fascinating, funny and utterly heart-warming family adventure.’ – RUTH HOGAN
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An immensely heart-warming story of life on the frontline within extreme circumstances.

When Malcolm Alexander saw the job advert, ‘urgent: island doctor needed’, he applied immediately. What he didn’t anticipate was how much Orkney would affect his family, for better or worse.

In stories that range from the humorous to the deeply moving, Malcolm describes what it’s like adjusting to life without modern conveniences and to the extreme – and constantly changing – weather; and what it means to be providing the best medical care to the local population with limited resources. Which often includes the wildlife as well …

Malcolm’s journey evokes the awe that the Orkney landscape can inspire, as well as the challenges of island life and the demons that the dark, cold winter months can give birth to. Gripping and beautifully written, Close to Where the Heart Gives Out reminds us of the importance of listening to our heart, as well as to the rhythms of the landscape.

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My Four Seasons in France

Eva Arnold — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 01:55:46 +0000

A little over ten years ago, Janine Marsh and her husband Mark gave up their city jobs in London to chase the good life in the countryside of northern France. Having overcome the obstacles of starting to renovate her dream home – an ancient, dilapidated barn – and fitting in with the peculiarities of her new neighbours, Janine is now the go-to expat in the area for those seeking to get to grips with a very different way of life.

In the Seven Valleys, each season brings new challenges as well as new delights. Freezing weather in February threaten the lives of some of the four-legged locals; snow in March results in a broken arm, which in turn leads to an etiquette lesson at the local hospital; and a dramatic hailstorm in July destroys cars and houses, ultimately bringing the villagers closer together.

With warmth and humour, Janine showcases a uniquely French outlook as two eternally ambitious expats drag a neglected farmhouse to life and stumble across the hidden gems of this very special part of the world

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Praise for Janine Marsh’s My Good Life in France:

'Warm, uplifting, and effervescent … Janine's voice and humor bubble right off the page, making you want to pack your bags and visit her fixer-upper home in rural France' – Samantha Verant, author of Seven Letters from Paris

'If you've ever dreamed of discovering “the real France”, you won't want to miss this delightful book' – Keith Van Sickle, author of One Sip at a Time: Learning to Live in Provence

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