Born the son of Scotland's last telescope-maker, Stuart Braithwaite was perhaps always destined for a life of psychedelic adventuring on the furthest frontiers of noise in MOGWAI, one of the best loved and most ground-breaking post-rock bands of the past three decades.
'Shirley is a time traveller, a conduit for essential human aches, one of the greatest artists who ever lived' Stewart Lee'Without doubt one of England's greatest cultural treasures' Billy BraggIn America Over the Water, celebrated English folksinger Shirley Collins offers an affecting account of her year-long stint as assistant to legendary musical historian and folklorist Alan Lomax.
First as a journalist and then a publicist at Warner Brothers Records for nearly twenty years, Barbara Charone has experienced, first-hand, the changes in the cultural landscape.
'Birkin's diary entries ultimately expose the toxic reality behind one of the 20th century's most glamorous couples' Sunday TimesJane Birkin - actor, singer, songwriter and model - may have shot to worldwide fame through her relationship with Serge Gainsbourg and their controversial hit 'Je t'aime .
For almost 30 years as label boss, producer, and talent conductor at XL Recordings, Richard Russell has discovered, shaped and nurtured the artists who have rewritten the musical dictionary of the 21st century, artists like The Prodigy, The White Stripes, Adele, M.
In this poetic handbook, written when he was just twenty-three, the world-famous high-wire artist Philippe Petit offers a window into the world of his craft.
'A formidable freestyle book that isn't straight biography but a mix of history, street-level investigative reporting, hagiography, Deep South sociology, music criticism, memoir and some fiery preaching' ROLLING STONEThe music of James Brown was almost a genre in its own right, and he was one of the biggest and most influential cultural figures of the twentieth century.
'The book is filled with that most distinctive of all her qualities: her voice' The TimesHome Work, the second instalment of Julie Andrews' internationally bestselling memoirs, begins with her arrival in Hollywood to make her screen debut in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins.
Volume I: THE PYTHON YEARS (1969-1979)Michael Palin's diaries begin when he was newly married and struggling to make a name for himself in the world of television comedy.
Longlisted for the Penderyn Music Book PrizeOver the course of a thirteen-album and multi-award-winning career with Squeeze, it was clear from the very beginning that Chris Difford has few peers when it comes to smart, pithy lyricism.
'Full of glorious examples of caller wisdom [with] laugh-out-loud anecdotes' Allison PearsonHaving taken over 25,000 listener calls on his BBC Radio 2 lunchtime show, Jeremy Vine decided it was time to take stock of the wisdom his listeners have imparted over the airwaves.
Evgeny Kissin's musicality, the depth and poetic quality of his interpretations, and his extraordinary virtuosity have earned him the veneration and admiration deserved only by one of the most gifted classical pianists of his generation.
John Tusa is a distinguished journalist, broadcaster and leader of arts organisations, best remembered for his times at the BBC, including creating Newsnight.
After discovering a derelict record plant on the edge of a northern English city, and hearing that it was once visited by David Bowie, Karl Whitney embarks upon a journey to explore the industrial cities of British pop music.
'Memoirists rarely begin their work with a stroke of genuine inspiration, and Robyn Hitchcock's ingenious idea to limit his account of his life to the titular year gives this sharp, funny, finely written book an unusually keen, wistful intensity without sacri ficing its sense of the breath-taking sweep of time.
The World was my Lobster tells the story of George Cole's more than 70 years in the acting profession that began with a walk-on part at the age of 14 in the stage musical The White Horse Inn in 1939, and continues today having included such roles as David Bliss in the radio and television versions of A Life of Bliss, Flash Harry in the St.
INCLUDES NEVER-BEFORE-SHARED PROJECTS, RECIPES AND INSPIRATION, ALONG WITH STUNNING NEW PHOTOGRAPHYFor as long as Zoe Sugg can remember she has loved welcoming friends & family into her home, whether it's to celebrate someone else's big day or just being with friends, there is nothing she enjoys more than putting her energy into making any occasion special.
'The thought behind this book is not just me wanting to tell my story in the standard autobiographical fashion but to create a kind of self-help book that includes my story.
#SaffronBarkerVSRealLifeIn world of airbrushing and perfectly constructed social media lives, one girl is battling to make it through completely unfiltered (well, almost).
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWhen Monty Don's golden retriever Nigel became the surprise star of BBC Gardeners' World, inspiring huge interest, fan mail and his own social media accounts, Monty Don wanted to explore what makes us connect with animals quite so deeply.
In these three bestselling memoirs, Alan tells his own story from Ilkley Moor to Pebble Mill and to the final realising of his dream of becoming TV's favourite gardener.
WINNER OF THE THURBER PRIZEThe compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.
