Under Orders (Paperback)

The Diary of a Racehorse Owner’s Husband

John Timpson

When John Timpson, chairman of the eponymous high street chain, bought his wife Alex a racehorse in 2002, a friend commented that it would be ‘a marvellous way to lose money’.

Soon they were immersed in a world of trainers’ yards, Novice Hurdles and handicaps, and well on the way to proving the old adage that the best way to make a small fortune is to start with a larger one, and buy a few racehorses.

As the number of horses increased and Alex became a well-loved figure on the racing scene, John kept a diary of their experiences on and off the track. This witty book describes how racing brought something extra into their marriage – from Mondays at Ludlow to the Cheltenham Festival. It documents the wins, near misses, disappointments and occasional tragedies that make up a racing career – not to mention the friends made, the knowledge gained and the sheer thrill of it all. 

Under Orders is a joyous and humorous portrait of horseracing in Britain and a tribute to the owners whose dedication and enthusiasm make the whole thing possible.

Sales of the book will raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund.

John Timpson CBE is Chairman of Timpson Ltd. Timpson and his wife Alex, who died in January 2016, were foster carers for 32 years, during which time they have fostered 90 children. John lives in Cheshire.

Money, Magic, and How to Dismantle a Financial Bomb (Paperback)

Quantum Economics for the Real World

David Orrell

Money has many apparently magical properties. It can be created out of the void – and vanish without so much as a puff of smoke. It can flash through space. It can grow without limit. And it can blow up without warning.

David Orrell argues that the emerging discipline of quantum economics, of which he is at the forefront, is the key to shattering the illusions that prevent us from understanding money's true nature.

In this colourful tour of the history, philosophy and mathematics of money, Orrell demonstrates how everything makes much more sense when we replace our classical economic models with ones based on quantum probability – and reveals the explosive reality of what is left once the illusions are stripped away.

DAVID ORRELL is a scientist and writer of books on science and economics. His books include Economyths: 11 Ways Economics Gets It Wrong and Quantum Economics: The New Science of Money, plus Behavioural Economics in the Hot Science series. He lives in Toronto.

India Uniform Nine (Paperback)

Secrets From Inside a Covert Customs Unit

Mark Perlstrom

When the stakes are this high, evey move has consequences.

Mark Perlstrom is no stranger to money-laundering, drug-smuggling and crooked firms. In the late 1980s he started working for HM Customs and was quickly thrown in at the deep end. He joined Operation C-Chase, an undercover investigation that penetrated Pablo Escobar's mighty Medellin cartel, brought down the corrupt BCCI bank, helped extradite General Noreiga and stopped London's gangs from moving their ill-gotten gains around the capital.

As part of the Uniforms – the new, secret, anti-money-laundering squad – Perlstrom bugged homes, took part in high-speed car chases and played a role in one of the most expensive and elaborate stings ever devised – that was almost scuppered by a US Customs bungle!

Told by a true insider and revealing never-before-told industry secrets, India Uniform Nine lays bare the intense rivalry between covert crime-fighting organisations and shows how that can lead to corruption, chaos and some scarcely believable antics.

Mark Perlstrom joined the civil service in 1983, starting in the Ministry of Defence and moving to HM Customs. This is his first book. Douglas Wight is an author, ghostwriter and journalist. His recent titles include Son of Escobar, Against My Will and Amazon number 1-bestseller The Bad Room.

Buy Better, Consume Less (Paperback)

Create Real Environmental Change

Sian Conway-Wood

Making the effort to recycle, but drowning under all the packaging?

Trying to buy ethically, but struggling to see past 'sustainable' marketing campaigns?

Confused whether to prioritise low carbon footprint, fairtrade or palm-oil free products?

For too long, eco-responsibility has been shifted onto the consumers, forcing us to individually spend time and effort to make the right choices. It's time to push back and demand change.

With practical tips on how to see through greenwashing, hold corporations accountable and consume less, #EthicalHour founder Sian Conway-Wood shows how we can create demand for sustainability in supply chains and put pressure on decision makers to put people and planet above profit.

Sian Conway-Wood is a prominent voice on climate change and ethical living. Green and Eco Influencer of the Year 2018, she founded #EthicalHour – the world's first and largest online support network for people who want to live and work more ethically. She lives in Worcestershire.

The Newlyweds (Paperback)

Young People Fighting for Love in the New India

Mansi Choksi

'Staggeringly good… Much like Lisa Taddeo's Three Women, it reads more like a novel than a piece of non-fiction… it does what all great writing should – it puts us into the world of someone else, so completely that days later I find myself missing the couples and wondering how their stories end' Marianne Power, The Times

'A profound book on the politics of love, of couples who brave everything and everyone to be together. Told with warmth, truth and humanity, Mansi Choksi's The Newlyweds is an extraordinary look at what it takes to be together in modern India' Nikesh Shukla

'Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand youth in India today – or for anyone who believes in the galactic powers of love to change history, personal and political' Suketu Mehta

What would you risk for love?

Twenty-first century India is a culture on fast forward, a society which is changing at breakneck speed, where two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These young men and women grew up with the internet, smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love, the weight of thousands of years of tradition cannot so easily be set aside.

An extraordinary work of reportage, The Newlyweds is a portrait of modern India told through the stories of three young couples, who defy their families to pursue love. The lesbian couple forced to flee for a chance at a life together. The Hindu woman and Muslim man who must escape under the cover of night after being harassed by a violent mob. And the couple from different castes who know the terrible risk they run by marrying.

Writing with great insight and humanity, Mansi Choksi examines the true cost of modern love in an ancient culture. It is a book that will change the way readers think about love, freedom and hope.

Mansi Choksi is a writer based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Mumbai, India. The Newlyweds is her first book.

The Guerrilla and the Journalist (Paperback)

Exploring the Murderous Legacy of Jonas Savimbi

Fred Bridgland

A profound moral challenge now faced me following this macabre encounter with Savimbi in the African forest. How was this former English council house boy going to save his friend from this guerrilla chieftain who had learned the arts of war from Mao, Che, Clausewitz, the CIA and the South African Defence Force?

As a young Reuters correspondent, Fred Bridgland revealed the secret invasion in 1975 of post-independence Angola by apartheid South Africa's armed forces in support of UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi. At the time he befriended Tito Chingunji, a guerrilla officer before he became UNITA foreign secretary, who persuaded Bridgland to walk many hundreds of kilometres across Angola to watch UNITA's fighters go into combat.

Later Chingunji and Bridgland worked together on a sympathetic biography of the charismatic Savimbi, then the great hope of the 'free West'. However, after the book's publication, Chingunji told Bridgland how he and his family were under constant threat of death from Savimbi.

Bridgland started to uncover atrocities that reveald Savimbi not as the champion of his people, but as a murderous tyrant. Chingunji had risked his life to help Bridgland tell the true story of what was going on behind the scenes. When his friend went missing, Bridgland journeyed into the Angolan jungle to plead his friend's case and was himself put before a kangaroo court by an enraged Savimbi.

This is account of the bond that developed between a guerrilla fighter and a journalist and the terrifying challenges they faced as they revealed Savimbi's true face.

FRED BRIDGLAND is a veteran British foreign correspondent and author. He reported on the Angolan civil war and the Border War for Reuters as the agency's Central Africa correspondent in the 1970s and then from South Africa for the Sunday Telegraph and The Scotsman in the 1980s and 1990s.

Bridgland has written several books, including Cuito Cuanavale (2017) and Truth, Lies and Alibis:
A Winnie Mandela Story (2018).

Kuhn Vs Popper (eBook)

The Struggle for the Soul of Science

Steve Fuller

In 1965 Thomas Kuhn and Karl Popper met at the University of London to stage what became the most momentous philosphical debate of the century. At stake was the soul of science itself. Popper pinned the future of science on scientists having the freedom to test their theories to the point of being false. But this required an 'open society' that tolerate error, even in the established authorities. Kuhn, in contrast, reflected heads-down Cold War mentality that scientists should not question authority in their own fields or society at large – unless absolutely necessary. Those rare occasions count as proper 'scientific revolutions'. Kuhn painted as the young radical against Popper as the conservative, won the battle. His Structure of Scientific Revolutions sold a million copies. Steve Fuller argues forcefully, however, that these caricatures of Kuhn and Popper's positions are fundamentally flawed – and that the wrong man won. The first popular account of this landmark confrontation, Kuhn vs Popper retells the story of the clash, the background behind it, and its legacy to our understanding of science.

Steve Fuller has appeared on Radio 4's Today, Radio 3's Nightwaves and Channel 4's Trial of the 21st Century. He has written for the Independent, the New Scientist and the New York Times, among others. By day, Fuller is also Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick.

When One is Expecting (eBook)

A Posh Person's Guide to Pregnancy and Parenting

From the creator of @pippatips

From the creator of the smash hit Twitter feed, @pippatips

Does ‘nesting’ mean I have to live in a tree?
Is there any salad involved in a Caesarean section?
Is caviar suitable for puréeing?

Apart from deciding which hat to wear for Ascot, having a baby is the biggest challenge a person can face. With tips to take you from womb to silver spoon, When One is Expecting is the definitive guide to raising your little darling the aristocratic way.

From the brains behind @pippatips, the smash-hit twitter account with over 40,000 followers. The author has been featured in numerous publications, including the Huffington Post and the Evening Standard. While she doesn’t personally have a baby, she has seen lots.