The Far Land (Paperback)

200 Years of Murder, Mania and Mutiny in the South Pacific

Brandon Presser

The Far Land swells in the cause and effect of actions of passion. Brandon Presser's fascinating narrative of the relentless consequences of the Bounty mutineers asks: were they brave or damned? They lived so very troubled ever after. You can't make this stuff up!

Brandon Presser is a travel writer and 'rough-and-tough adventurer' (Entertainment Weekly). His writing has been featured in numerous publications including Bloomberg, Harper's Bazaar, Condé Nast Traveler and Lonely Planet.

The Alien Perspective (Paperback)

A New View of Humanity and the Cosmos

David Whitehouse

A journey through the evolving cosmos, considering how human survival will depend on otherworldly perspectives.

In David Whitehouse's most ambitious book to date he explores how human evolution has been intertwined with the workings of the cosmos from the very beginning, and what the far-distant future may hold, both for the universe and for ourselves.

Given enough time, Whitehouse contends, we must communicate with intelligent aliens whose divergent perspective will transform our understanding of the universe. First contact may even come sooner than we think. We have already transmitted signals towards promising exoplanets. If, say, Gliese 581d harbours life, the return signal could reach us in 2051.

Drawing the thread of human consciousness from the cave to the cosmos, the acclaimed author of Apollo 11: The Inside Story charts our future journey to the end of space and time, and considers whether something of humanity could remain at the end of it all.

David Whitehouse is a former BBC science correspondent and science editor, and the author of several books, including most recently Apollo 11: The Inside Story and Space 2069. He has a doctorate from the Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory and Asteroid 4036 is named after him. He is a regular broadcaster and contributor to newspapers and magazines.

Griezmann (Paperback)

The Making of France's Mini Maestro

Cyril Collot

Luca Caioli

Quick, incisive and versatile, Antoine Griezmann is the ultimate modern forward. Arriving in 2014 to join an Atlético Madrid side persistently challenging for the biggest trophies in Spanish and European football, he quickly established himself as the team’s key player and main goal threat.

A Super Cup win over city rivals Real Madrid was just the start but an inspired tilt at the Champions League the following season ended in heartbreak – as did a Euro 2016 campaign in which his performances for France saw him named player of the tournament.

In this first biography of the Atléti and France star, Madrid-based journalist Luca Caioli examines the story behind Griezmann’s rise to the top. Features exclusive interviews.

Luca Caioli is the bestselling author of Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Suarez. A renowned Italian sports journalist, he lives in Spain corresponding for SKY Italia and Corriere della Sera.

Family (eBook)

Life, Death and Football: A Year on the Frontline with a Proper Club

Michael Calvin

No one likes Millwall. They don't care. But what does it really take to be a part of this team, or a supporter? A British Sports Books Awards 2011 nominee, Michael Calvin's Family provides a unique glimpse into the soul of a real football club. Award-winning sports writer Calvin follows Millwall through an emotional promotion season. There for the first day of training, he was on the substitutes' bench at Wembley, 333 days later. He vividly portrays players and management as family men, close to their roots. In captain Paul Robinson's words : 'We're playing for the people who hate their jobs, who'd love our lives.' Forget the glitz of the Premier League – this is the beautiful game in all its raucous glory. Intimate and compelling, Calvin's unforgettable picture of lower-league English football is essential reading for anyone for whom football is far more than just a game.

Michael Calvin is currently chief sports writer with the Sunday Mirror, and has worked at the Daily Telegraph, The Times and the Mail on Sunday. He has twice been named Sports Reporter of the Year.

Ask John (eBook)

Straight-talking, common sense from the front line of management

John Timpson

John Timpson CBE is one of the UK’s most successful businessmen. He is Chairman of the eponymous high street cobblers, key cutters, engravers and watch repairers, with more than 1,300 branches throughout the UK and Ireland and a turnover of £180m.

John is hugely admired across the business world for the ‘Upside Down Management’ techniques that put the growth of the business in the hands of its employees – or of John’s colleagues, as they are called.

John’s Daily Telegraph column, ‘Ask John’, has been dispensing straight-talking, no-nonsense business advice for more than five years. This book collects and expands the very best from that column for the first time.

From why low cost will never be a real substitute for proper customer service to the etiquette of employing interns, John’s honest, common-sense business advice should be required reading for anyone running a business – whatever the size.

John Timpson CBE was born in 1943 and educated at Oundle and Nottingham University. In 1975 he became Managing Director of William Timpson Ltd, the business that had borne his family name since 1865, and he is now sole owner of the company, which has a turnover in the UK of £180m per year.

His last book, Upside Down Management (Wiley, 2010) was described by the Financial Times as ‘A practical and inspirational manual for anyone who runs a business’. Timpson and his wife Alex have been foster carers for 31 years, during which time they have fostered 90 children. He lives in Cheshire.

High Street Heroes (eBook)

The Story of British Retail in 50 People

John Timpson

WHEN BUSINESSMAN John Timpson started his retailing career in 1960, there were no supermarkets, no out-of-town shopping centres and not even a hint of internet shopping. The British high street was full of made-to-measure tailors and traditional grocers. Among the household names were Mac Fisheries, Dewhurst, John Collier and Timothy Whites & Taylors.

In this enjoyable new book, Timpson shows how successive generations of forward-thinking shopkeepers and inspirational entrepreneurs have led the major retailers through a period of rapid change – people such as Ken Morrison, Ralph Halpern, Terence Conran and Anita Roddick, without whom our high streets would have looked very different.

This unique survey – from a man who knows a few things about success in retail – paints a compelling, personal and vivid picture of how shops have changed over the last 100 years and reveals who Timpson thinks has had the biggest influence on the shape of shopping in the ‘retail revolution’ that we have witnessed since the 1970s.

John Timpson CBE is Chairman of Timpson Ltd which has a UK turnover of £180m per year. His previous book was Ask John (Icon, 2014), based on his Daily Telegraph column of the same name. Timpson and his wife Alex have been foster carers for 32 years, during which time they have fostered 90 children. He lives in Cheshire.

Under Orders (eBook)

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.

Keys to Success (eBook)

50 Secrets from a Business Maverick

John Timpson

John Timpson, Chairman of the eponymous British high street chain, knows a thing or two about running a successful business. Over many years he revolutionised how his firm worked, developing his philosophy of upside-down management, and has reaped the rewards – the Timpson group (which includes the Snappy Snaps and Max Spielmann chains).

Timpson, whose weekly Daily Telegraph column and regular media appearances have made him a well-known business commentator, here shares his secrets. Full of actionable advice, Timpson’s Top Business Tips is a step-by- step MBA for business women and men who need results now.

From encouraging flexible working, having a happy index and a great bonus scheme to the importance of checking the cash on hand every day and planning for disaster scenarios; from why you should never make decisions at meetings to the value of a mentor – even when you’re at the top – these are essential markers on your roadmap to business success, whatever business you’re in.

John Timpson CBE was born in 1943 and educated at Oundle and Nottingham University. He become the Director responsible for buying of the family footwear business William Timpson Ltd in 1970. Following the acquisition of the company by the UDS Group in 1973, he became Managing Director of retailer Swears & Wells and in 1975 was appointed Managing Director of William Timpson, his original family business. His previous books include Ask John (Icon, 2014) and High Street Heroes (Icon, 2015). He lives in Cheshire.

Trust (eBook)

From Socrates to Spin

Kieron O'Hara

This book offers a popular, gripping account of the most vital political issue of the 21st century. From Aristotle to Francis Fukuyama, Machiavelli to Naomi Klein, the "Book of Job" to Blairite newspeak and from Enron to nanotechnology, Kieron O'Hara presents a lively exploration of trust. Essential for almost all social interaction, trust holds society together and makes co-operation possible. Ubiquitous, and yet deeply misunderstood, it can take years to build up, and after one false move can disappear overnight. Polls record levels of trust in politicians, businessmen, scientists and others that are at all time lows: a crisis in trust is currently gripping Western culture.O'Hara moves easily between the great philosophers and sociologists, and the impact of this crisis in our daily lives, animating theory with in-depth case studies, helping us make sense of the daily scares in our newspapers. Is trust declining? Should we be worried? What can we do about it? "Trust" gives few easy answers in this exhilarating ride through politics, literature, philosophy and history.

Kieron O'Hara is a senior research fellow in the Intelligence, Agents and Multimedia Group at the University of Southampton. He co-wrote the script of the computer game Tomb Raider 4, and is the author of the only scholarly paper about Carry On Cabby.