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Biographies

A good biography invites you into someone else’s life. It takes you on fascinating journeys through the ups and downs of the life of legendary film stars, talented musicians, inspiring athletes, visionary politicians and many more. A good biography lets you get under the skin of your biggest idols, and you feel collected when reading their story - maybe even in the form of their own words. You will find both biographies and autobiographies in Tales’ selection, in addition to diaries and memoirs. So are you ready to be inspired by some of the world’'s most extraordinary individuals?
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  • Save 27%
    - Seafarers' Sketchbooks
    by Huw Lewis-Jones
    £21.99

    A captivating compendium of rare and exquisite first-hand records of ocean voyages around the world and in different ages, providing a fascinating insight into exploration and adventure at sea.

  • by Joanne Lee
    £7.99

    Silent Sisters is a gripping novel penned down by the talented author, Joanne Lee. Published in 2019 by Mirror Books, this book has been a sensation in the literary world. Silent Sisters falls under the genre that keeps the readers on the edge of their seats, making them turn pages in anticipation. Joanne Lee, with her captivating storytelling, takes the readers on a journey they won't forget. The book was released to the public on the 18th of April, 2019, and since then, it has been garnering rave reviews from readers worldwide. Published by Mirror Books, a renowned publishing house known for its selection of extraordinary books, Silent Sisters is a testament to their reputation. This book is available in English, making it accessible to a broad spectrum of readers. Do not miss out on this mesmerizing novel by Joanne Lee.

  • Save 20%
    by Martin W Bowman
    £11.99 - 18.99

  • Save 13%
    - My life as a climbing nomad
    by Tony Howard
    £12.99

    In 1965 Tony Howard made the first British ascent of Norway's Troll Wall. He went on to found Troll Climbing Equipment but never stopped exploring. Quest into the Unknown, his autobiography, covers his extensive travels in North Africa, the Middle East, Scandinavia, Canada and much more.

  • Save 20%
    - Riot's Classic First Decade
    by Martin Popoff
    £11.99

    A tale of opportunities missed, of a band ahead of the curve & from which both its classic era lead singers Guy Speranza & Rhett Forrester are now dead. As is Mark Reale, a quiet man who wanted to just play his heavy metal. A New York institution that is perhaps the shining example of the term, "honorary New Wave of British Heavy Metal" band.

  • Save 11%
    by Paul French
    £12.49

    For the privileged a cosmopolitan pleasure ground; For the desperate a port of last resort. A pot of gold at the end of an Oriental rainbow; A thick slice of hell denounced from the pulpit. The start of a journey for many; The end of the road for some. A place to find fame, or to seek anonymity; Rogues, chancers, showgirls, criminals... For so many people from so many lands, there was one phrase that sent a tingle of hope or a shiver of anticipation down every spine: "e;DESTINATION SHANGHAI"e;

  • Save 23%
    - Big Ideas Simply Explained
    by DK
    £15.49

    A thorough study of feminism, tracing the key ideas and historical events forward to contemporary movements such as #MeToo and the actions of modern figures such as Malala Yousafzai. Introduction from "Guardian" columnist Lucy Mangan.

  • Save 25%
    - The Definitive Anthology. Movies, Anecdotes, Curiosities, Stories, Scripts and Interviews of the Legendary Film Director.
    by Oreste De Fornari
    £20.99

    The definitive anthology by De Fornari uses individual films, along with original material: a preface by filmaker Giuseppe Tornatore, a collection of quotes arranged alphabetically and an essay (Six Ways Not to Resemble John Ford) that explains what distinguishes Leone from the myriad of Italian and American directors making westerns.

  • Save 10%
    - A Celebration of the Life, Art, Loves, Words, and Style of Frida Kahlo
    by Kathy Cano-Murillo
    £8.99

    Revel in the enduring legacy of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo—from the self-portraits, to the flower crown, to her iconic eyebrows—with this fun and commemorative book!With her colorful style, dramatic self-portraits, hardscrabble backstory, and verve for life, Frida Kahlo remains a modern icon, captivating and inspiring artists, feminists, and art lovers more than sixty years after her death. Forever Frida celebrates all things Frida, so you can enjoy her art, her words, her style, and her badass attitude every day. Viva Frida!

  • Save 14%
    by Charles Mingus
    £9.49

    A blisteringly powerful self-portrait of 'The Angry Man of Jazz', contemporary of jazz genius Miles Davis

  • Save 15%
    - The Life of a Reluctant Nationalist
    by Antonio Tomas
    £25.49

    On 20 January 1973, the Bissau-Guinean revolutionary Amílcar Cabral was killed by militants from his own party. Cabral had founded the PAIGC in 1960 to fight for the liberation of Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde. The insurgents were Bissau- Guineans, aiming to get rid of the Cape Verdeans who dominated the party elite. Despite Cabral''s assassination, Portuguese Guinea became the independent Republic of Guinea- Bissau. The guerrilla war that Cabral had started and led precipitated a chain of events that would lead to the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, toppling the forty-year-old authoritarian regime. This paved the way for the rest of Portugal''s African colonies to achieve independence. Written by a native of Angola, this biography narrates Cabral''s revolutionary trajectory, from his early life in Portuguese Guinea to his death at the hands of his own men. It details his quest for national sovereignty, beleaguered by the ethnic-based identity conflicts the national liberation movement struggled to overcome. Through the life of Cabral, António Tomás critically reflects on existing ways of thinking and writing about the independence of Lusophone Africa.

  • Save 13%
    - The Fast Life and Extreme Cars of Racing Legend Craig Breedlove
    by Craig Breedlove & Samuel Hawley
    £23.49

    An L.A. hot rodder with a high school education, a family to support and almost no money, Craig Breedloveset out in the late 1950s to do something big: harness the thrust of a jet in a car. With a growing obsession that would cost him his marriage, he started building in his dad's garage. The car's name: Spirit of America. Through perseverance and endless hard work, Craig completed Spirit and broke the land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting a new mark of 407 mph in 1963. In the early 1970s he turned to rockets and set an acceleration record at Bonneville that stands to this day. He built a jet car in the 1990s, Spirit of America-Sonic Arrow, to go head-to-head against Britain's ThrustSSC to be the first to Mach One. Craig's subsequent crash at 675 mph remains the fastest in history. Even today, at the age of 80, he is going strong with plans for yet another Spirit of America racer. The ultimate goal: 1,000 mph. Ultimate Speed is the authorized biography of Craig Breedlove, a candid revelation of one of motorsports' most interesting figures based primarily on countless hours of interviews with Craig and dozens of people connected to his life.

  • Save 14%
    - The #Merky Story So Far
    by Stormzy
    £9.49

  • Save 21%
    - The Art of Bill Traylor
    by Leslie Umberger
    £61.49

    "Bill Traylor (ca. 1853-1949) is regarded today as one of the most important American artists of the twentieth century. A black man born into slavery in Alabama, he was an eyewitness to history--the Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow segregation, the Great Migration, and the steady rise of African American urban culture in the South. Traylor would not live to see the civil rights movement, but he was among those who laid its foundation. Starting around 1939, Traylor--by then in his late eighties and living on the streets of Montgomery--took up pencil and paintbrush to attest to his existence and point of view. In keeping with this radical step, the paintings and drawings he made are visually striking and politically assertive; they include simple yet powerful distillations of tales and memories as well as spare, vibrantly colored abstractions. When Traylor died, he left behind more than one thousand works of art. In Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor, Leslie Umberger considers more than two hundred artworks to provide the most comprehensive and in-depth study of the artist to date; she examines his life, art, and powerful drive to bear witness through the only means he had, pictures. The author draws on a wealth of historical documents--including federal and state census records, birth and death certificates, slave schedules, and interviews with family members-- to clarify the record of Traylor's personal history and family life. The story of his art opens in the late 1930s, when Traylor first received attention for his pencil drawings on found board, and concludes with the posthumous success of his oeuvre"--

  • Save 11%
    - A Study in Insecurity
    by Helen Castor
    £7.99

  • - Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Feminism and the Irish Revolution
    by Margaret Ward
    £23.49

    This full-length biographical study of one of the most important women in Irish political life in the 20th century is now reissued by UCD Press. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, trailblazing feminist and part of a pioneering generation, played a significant role in the early Irish Republic.

  • Save 18%
    - The Confessions of a Russian Ex-Oligarch
    by Alexander Lebedev
    £16.49

    Hunt the Banker is a memoir of Lebedev's own hair-raising experiences as someone who aspires to show that an 'honest banker' is not an oxymoron. There is the thread of a whodunit as his attempts at constructive and charitable business enterprises are systematically torpedoed by a person or persons unknown.

  • Save 21%
    - Montrose, Gamma and Ronnie Redefined
    by Martin Popoff
    £13.49

    This is first & foremost the story of the Montrose & Gamma records. But there's a darker turn with Ronnie's shocking suicide, before looking at his legacy by those who knew him best. It's a rough ride but there are enough lessons on creativity to satisfy those readers centred around the type of six-string mayhem cooked up by the hero of our story.

  • Save 20%
    - UFO in the `80s & `90s
    by Martin Popoff
    £11.99

    Amongst Popoff's analysis of the catalogue is lots of tour talk, revealing nightmares surrounding the band's business based around interviews with the key members. The journey takes us through the period where Paul Chapman takes over from Michael Schenker and concludes with 1995's Walk On Water that sees the classic line-up reunited with Schenker.

  • Save 11%
    - A Welsh-American in WWII
    by Clifford Guard
    £7.99

    GI Limey is a story about the bond that keeps soldiers together, through the danger of combat and the decades after. In this honest account, Clifford Guard examines how war shaped his identity, one defined by two allied countries an ocean apart.

  • - In His Own Words
     
    £9.49

    A collection of more than 400 quotes from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on business, e-commerce, technology, innovation, and more. Part of the In Their Own Words series.

  • Save 11%
    - Extraordinary Lives from History
    by Marian Broderick
    £12.49

    From patriots to pirates, warriors to writers, and mistresses to male impersonators, this book looks at the unorthodox lives of inspiring Irish women.

  • Save 10%
    by John Grogan
    £8.99

    THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THAT MOVED DOG LOVERS ALL OVER THE WORLD**NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, STARRING OWEN WILSON AND JENNIFER ANISTON**'A book with intense appeal . . . tenderly follows its subject from sunrise to sunset' New York Times'Not just a funny dog story . . . It's a universal story of family life and a publishing sensation' The Times'Made me laugh so much I pulled a muscle in my solar plexus' Daily Mail'A wonderful, moving book that even non-dog-lovers cannot fail to enjoy' Mail on Sunday* * * * * * The original book that moved millions of readers around the world and that inspired the major motion picture of the same name starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.This No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller tells the heart-warming tale of how a wiggly yellow fur ball of a puppy could grow into a barrelling, ninety-seven pound stramroller of a Labrador retriever who would prove that unconditional love comes in many forms. John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Along comes Marley, mischievous, hyperactive and so unruly he is expelled from obedience school. How could they possibly know that this incorrigible dog could teach them more about love for life than they could hope to teach him?Since becoming a major motion picture, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, this heart-warming and unforgettable story of a family and their haphazard dog has become a timeless family favourite.

  • Save 10%
    by Betty Mahmoody
    £8.99

    'You are here for the rest of your life. You are here until you die.'Betty Mahmoody and her husband, Dr Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody ('Moody'), came to Iran from the USA to meet Moody's family. But every scheme that was suggested to her meant leaving Mahtob behind for ever...

  • Save 15%
    - My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London
    by Christopher Skaife
    £10.99

    'Packed with insight and anecdote, his story brings the Tower ravens to vivid life, each bird with a personality of its own. I've been fortunate enough to tour the Tower and meet the ravens a few times in years past; after reading this book, I cannot wait to go back' George R. R. Martin

  • Save 10%
    by Gene Wilder
    £8.99

    Gene Wilder defined film comedy in the 1970s and '80s. But this is no traditional autobiography, rather it's an intelligent, quirky, humorous account of key events that have affected him in search for love and art.In this very personal, fascinating book, Wilder gives a great insight into the creative process on stage and screen. He discusses his experiences of working with the very best of movie talent, including Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Sidney Poitier and Richard Pryor, and tells how he developed his own unique style from his early days at The Actors' Studio with Lee Strasberg.Amongst other incidents, he describes his time in the UK, which he has great fondness for, studying at the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol. During this period he came top of his class at fencing and doorstepped Sir John Geilgud to ask him to explain the use of iambic pentametre.Wilder also talks amusingly about his failed love life off-screen (including 4 marriages) and is candid about much darker times such as the death of his third wife, comedienne Gilda Radner, from cancer. He also reveals his own recent battle with the disease, which he's now come through, and which changed his perspective on life.This isn't a traditional celebrity 'tell all' but an insight into the life and mind of a great comic actor who has a rare ability to write as well as he performs.

  • by Tad Szulc
    £13.99

    Never before has any biographer had such close access to Fidel Castro as did Tad Szule. The outcome of a long, direct relationship, this riveting portrait reveals astonishing and exclusive information about Cuba, the revolution, and the notorious, larger-than-life leader who has ruled his country with an iron fist for more than forty years.Only Tad Szule could bring Fidel to such vivid life--the loves and losses of the man, the devious tactics of the conspirator, the triumphs and defeats of the revolutionary leader who challenged an American president and brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster.From Jesuit schools to jungle hideouts and the Palace of the Revolution, here is Fidel...The Untold Story.Never before has any biographer had such close access to Fidel Castro as did Tad Szulc. The outcome of a long, direct relationship, this riveting portrait reveals astonishing and exclusive information about Cuba, the revolution, and the notorious, larger-than-life leader who has ruled his country with an iron fist for more than forty years.Only Tad Szulc could bring Fidel to such vivid life--the loves and losses of the man, the devious tactics of the conspirator, the triumphs and defeats of the revolutionary leader who challenged an American president and brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster.From Jesuit schools to jungle hideouts and the Palace of the Revolution, here is FIDEL...THE UNTOLD STORY.

  • by Suetonius
    £13.49 - 22.49

  • - Ron Paul
    by Marc Shapiro
    £9.49

    Ron Paul is well read, he speaks in complete sentences, and his views are often so far right that they make sense. Did I mention that he's a Republican with Tea Party tendencies? Find out what makes this Presidential hopeful tick. TidalWave's Political Power: Ron Paul, written by New York Times bestselling author Marc Shapiro, has readers on either side of the aisle agreeing to disagree.As featured on CNN, FOX News, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, LA Times, OK Magazine, and MSNBC! Political Power is a comic book series that features biographies on modern politics. Read about the world of Ron Paul in comic book form! 

  • by Tashi Khedrup
    £14.99

Biographies
Biographies books are per definition a collection of someone’s life. That someone is mostly a celebrity and often comes from the world of entertainment for example a famous movie or television star. A good biography lets you under the skin of the subject. Biographies are mostly written by biography authors, who are specialized in capturing the life of another person through research and multiple interviews with both the individual and his or her relatives. The celebrity or icon can also choose to write his or her own story, which is what characterizes an autobiography. An autobiography can - if the writer is good - give you a more intimate picture of the subject. You can both find biographies and autobiographies in Tales’ wide selection of Biographies. 

Biographies best sellers
Tales’ selection contains most of the biographies best sellers. The biographies books are often about celebrities known from film, television or the music industry, but they can also be about inspiring trailblazers from the societal or political world like the biography best seller Becoming about Michelle Obama. The American first lady has inspired many Americans and people around the world. Her and her husband - the first black American first lady and President - made many extraordinary changes in the American society and advocated for more diversity and respect in the American people. Michelle Obama also fights for more equality, especially when it comes to girls and women. Read the inspiring story of how Michelle Obama became one of our times most popular, kind and obliging residents of the White House in her biography Becoming, and let it guide you to finding our own voice. 
Another best seller is Three Women by Lisa Taddeo. Taddeo has written an innovative biography that is a collection of three American women's lives. The biography is an investigation of the female lust in all its complexity. Many women have expressed that they can reflect their own life and feelings of desire in the book. 

Biographies about musicians
Take a look in our selection and find some of the best biographies about musicians. The selection has something for every taste, because you find accounts about musicians from every end of the spectre. Whether you like rock, jazz, classical music, pop or musicals you will find biographies about musicians representing every genre. 
Take for example the autobiography Me Elton John, who has gained extraordinary reviews and success all around the world making the Elton John biography an international best seller. The book is the only official biography made about the iconic musician and singer. Read the incredible and turbulent story about one of our biggest stars to date, and you might learn the secrets behind writing and performing hit after hit.
You can also dive into the fascinating story of the musical legend Julie Andrews. In the biography Home you can read about her journey from London to Broadway stardom. The triple threat is the woman behind legendary roles such as Mary Poppins and Maria from The Sound of Music, and you can follow her journey through Hollywood in the sequel Home Work. Julie Andrews is the writer of her own story and she writes in an intimate and heart-warming narrative. 

Biographies about artists
Are you an art lover, art student or an artist yourself? Then we would recommend you to find inspiration in our biographies about artists. Our collection of biographies contains among others the book Frida Kahlo - A Biography written by Claudia Schaefer. Schaefer gives an introduction to the beloved Latino artist. Frida Kahlo is one of modern times greatest female artists and her surrealist artworks are extraordinary. The biography introduces the reader to her unique form of art - Kahlo did not see herself as a surrealist - but it also gives a look into the artist behind the world famous works of art. If you want to dive into the lives of amazing artists, the story of Kahlo is just one of many wonderful biographies about artists. 

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