This handsomely illustrated book contains a collection of quotes from the pope's speeches. prayers. and tweets that directly refer to the theme most often used by Pope Francis during the first two years of his papacy, Jorge Mario Bergoglio 's personal life and his pastoral actions have always been characterized by his special attention to the poor, the disadvantaged, and the needy, and it is th…
For two years, Pope Francis Has enchanted and bewildered the world in equal measure with his compassion and his contradictions. Expanding greatly on his acclaimed earlier book Pope Fanci's: Untying the Knots, Paul Vallely reexamines the complex past of Jorge Mario Bergoglio and adds nine new chapters, revealing many untold, behind the scenes stories that explain this pope of paradoxes. Valle…
In his moving introduction to this book, Tony Bennet remembers being in the studio when his friend Frank Sinatra recorded "Summer Wind" : "He did it in one take. One take, and Sinatra gets into this gorgeous Italian sports car; rolls down his window and says to me, 'Was that all right, kid?' and - zing - he drives away. Perfect Sinatra!" Perfect Sinatra: Ten years after the great singer's de…
Hillary Clinton's surprising defeat in the 2008 Democratic primary brought her to the nadir of her political career, van squished by a much younger whose message of change and cutting-edge tech learn ran circles around her stodgy campaign. And yet, six years later, she has reemerged as an oven more powerful and influential figure, a formidable stateswoman and the presumed front runner for the 2…
Nearly eight years after George W. Bush left White House, his legacy still shapes American policy at home and abroad. Award-winning historian and biographer Jean Smith has written the most complete account yet of the Bush presidency in this revelatory biography of America's forty-third president. A lackluster student with a fondness for alcohol, "W" became a born-again Christian and turned h…
Vivienne Westwood is one of the icons of our age. Fashion designer, activist, co-reator of punk, global brand and grandmother, a true living legend. Her career has succesfully spanned five decades and her work has influenced millions of people across the world. For the first and only time, Vivienne Westwood has written a personal memoir, collaborating with award winning biographer Ian Kelly,…
To many observers, Winston Churchill was the savior of his nation, even of Western civilization: "the greatest Briton" who ever lived. Detractors might agree with Evelyn Waugh, who described Churchill as "always in the wrong, surrounded by crooks, a terrible father, a radio personality." Historian Ashley Jackon lucidly and entertainingly describes the contours and contradictions of Churchill's …
He was the very first icon of the silver screen and remains one of the most recognizable of Hollywood faces, even a hundred years after his first film. But who was the man behind the moustache? What dove the artist who not only directed the films but held the camera and acted in front of it? Peter Ackroyd turns the spotlight on Caplin's often controversial life as well as on his classic film…
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she had ruled for nearly sixty-four years. She was a mother of nine and grandmother of forty-two and the matriarch of royal Europe through her children's marriages. Too many, Queen Victoria is a ruler shrouded in myth and mystique, an aging, stiff widow paraded as the figurehead to an all-made imperial enterprise. But in truth, Britain's longest-reigning monarc…
I was asked to write this book to commemorate the bicentenary of my great great great grandfather’s birth. He was born on 7 February 1812; the year 2012 is a celebration not only of his life, but of the vast and exciting legacy he left behind him. I am so pleased with the way Andre Deutsch produced this book, one of its most unique aspects is that there are a large number of removable do…