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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 21%
    - On Foot to Constantinople: from the Hook of Holland to the Middle Danube
    by Patrick Leigh Fermor
    £13.49

    The great travel classic, first published in 1977 and recounting an epic journey of nearly 50 years before.

  • Save 15%
    - A Songwriter's Story of Hope, Change and Courage
    by Tori Amos
    £10.99

    A timely and passionate call to action for engaging with our current political moment, from the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum singer-songwriter and New York Times bestselling author Tori Amos.

  • Save 20%
    - A Memoir
    by Andras Schiff
    £11.99

    A book of memoirs and stimulating reflections on music by the legendary classical pianist, Sir Andras Schiff.

  • Save 18%
    - The Story of the Iconic Shoe Designer
    by Darla-Jane Gilroy
    £11.49

    A pocket-sized, illustrated book charting the rise of the world's most celebrated shoe designer.

  • Save 15%
    by Brian Cox
    £10.99 - 15.49

  • Save 20%
    - A Story of Fertility, Hope and Trying Again
    by Elle Wright
    £11.99

    The second book from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Ask Me His Name.

  • Save 15%
    by Maggie Nelson
    £14.49

  • Save 21%
    - The Man Behind the Guitar
    by Julian Vignoles
    £13.49

    Biography of the legendary guitarist Rory Gallagher.

  • Save 10%
    by Reeves Wiedeman
    £8.99 - 15.49

  • Save 10%
    - Raising the Kanneh-Masons
    by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason
    £8.99

    The most talented musical family in the world. For the first time, mother Kadie Kanneh-Mason shares her unique story.

  • Save 10%
    by Claudia Winkleman
    £8.99

    Funny, moving and truthful ... Quite

  • Save 11%
    by Doireann Ni Ghriofa
    £7.99

  • by Paramhansa Yogananda
    £22.99 - 38.99

  • Save 20%
    - The Rise of Elvis Presley
    by Peter Guralnick
    £11.99

    The definitive biography of Elvis and an excellent slice of social history.

  • Save 15%
    - a memoir of recovery & self-discovery from the #1 bestselling author of UNTAMED
    by Glennon Doyle
    £10.99

    AN OPRAH BOOKCLUB SELECTION FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF UNTAMED'A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY . . . IT'S AS IF SHE REACHED INTO HER HEART, CAPTURED THE RAW EMOTIONS THERE, AND TRANSLATED THEM INTO WORDS THAT ANYONE WHO'S EVER KNOWN PAIN OR SHAME CAN RELATE TO' OPRAH WINFREY, Oprah's Book Club 2016 selection'EPIC' ELIZABETH GILBERT | 'BLEW ME AWAY' BREN BROWNJust when Glennon Doyle was beginning to feel she had it all figured out - three happy children, a doting spouse, and a writing career so successful that her first book catapulted to the top of the New York Times bestseller list - her husband revealed his infidelity and she was forced to realize that nothing was as it seemed. A recovering alcoholic and bulimic, rock bottom was a familiar place to Glennon. In the midst of crisis, she knew to hold on to what she discovered in recovery: that her deepest pain has always held within it an invitation to a richer life. Love Warrior is the story of one marriage, but it is also the story of the healing that is possible for any of us when we refuse to settle for good enough and begin to face pain and love head-on. This astonishing memoir reveals how internalizing our culture's standards of masculinity and femininity can make it impossible for men and women to ever really know one another - and it captures the beauty that unfolds when one couple commits to unlearning everything they've been taught so that they can finally, after thirteen years of marriage, fall in love.Love Warrior is a gorgeous and inspiring tale of how we are born to be warriors: strong, powerful, and brave; able to confront the pain and claim the love that exists for us all. This chronicle of a beautiful, brutal journey speaks to anyone who yearns for deeper, truer relationships and a more abundant, authentic life.

  • Save 15%
    by Vita Sackville-West
    £10.99

    Eavesdrop on the affair that inspired Virginia to write her most fantastical novel, Orlando, and discover a relationship that - even a hundred years later - feels radical and relatable. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM ALISON BECHDEL, AUTHOR OF FUN HOME AND CREATOR OF THE BECHDEL TEST.

  • Save 15%
    by Rosie Swale Pope
    £10.99

    After her husband died of cancer, 57-year-old Rosie set off to run around the world, raising money in memory of the man she loved. Followed by wolves, knocked down by a bus, confronted by bears, chased by a naked man with a gun and stranded with severe frostbite, Rosie's breathtaking 20,000-mile solo journey is as gripping as it is inspiring.Rosie's solo run around the world started out of sorrow and heartache and a wish to turn something around.Heartbroken when she lost her husband to cancer, Rosie set off from Wales with nothing but a small backpack of food and equipment, and funded by the rent from her little cottage. So began her epic 5-year journey that would take her 20,000 miles around the world, crossing Europe, Russia, Asia, Alaska, North America, Greenland, Iceland, and back into the UK.On a good day she'd run 30 miles, on a bad day she'd only manage 500 yards, digging herself out of the snow at -62 degrees C, moving her cart inches at a time. Every inch, every mile, was a triumph, a celebration of life, and 53 pairs of shoes later Rosie arrived home to jubilant crowds in Tenby, Wales.Rosie's incredible story is a mesmerizing page-turner of the run of her life. It will wake up the sleeping adventurer in you; it will inspire hope, courage and determination in you; but most of all it will convince you to live your life to the full and make every day count.

  • Save 22%
    by John Robert Christianson
    £13.99

    A new interpretation of Tycho Brahe's pivotal role in the emergence of empirical science.

  • Save 21%
    by Tom Morello
    £27.49

    As the co-founder of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage, and as a collaborator with rock legends from Bruce Springsteen to Johnny Cash, few musicians have been as groundbreaking as American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and political activist, Tom Morello. Whatever It Takes explores Morello's entire career from his first bands through to his most recent solo album. This book is illustrated throughout with photographs, including many from Tom Morello's archives; memorabilia such as vintage setlists , diaries, handwritten musical notes and imagery of Tom Morello's most famous guitars.

  • Save 13%
    - Adventures in the Video Game Industry
    by David Polfeldt
    £12.99

    The inside story of the booming video game industry from the late 1990s to the present, as told by the Managing Director of Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment (The Division, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed: Revelations).

  • Save 14%
    by Tom Mustill
    £9.49 - 15.49

  • Save 10%
    by Rob Mason
    £8.99

  • by PAUL R. ALEXANDER
    £22.99 - 27.49

  • Save 20%
    - Secrets of the Sporting Elite
    by Alistair Brownlee
    £11.99 - 15.49

    In his quest to define 'sporting greatness', double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee has spent nearly 4 years interviewing and training with some of the greatest minds in sport to discover what it takes to become - and remain - a champion.

  • Save 10%
    - My Unstoppable CrossFit Journey
    by Sam Briggs
    £8.99

    You don't get biceps like Briggs by giving up when the going gets tough... CrossFit superstar Sam Briggs, aka 'The Engine', is a true hero in the sport, with a level of endurance unparalleled in the game.

  • - The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl
    by John Colapinto
    £12.49

  • Save 10%
    by John Preston
    £8.99

  • - The incredible story of Kobe Bryant - one of basketball's greatest players!
    by Jordan Lowe
    £12.49 - 18.99

  • - Elon Musk's Best Lessons for Life, Business, Success and Entrepreneurship
    by Andrew Knight
    £12.49 - 18.99

  • Save 14%
    - The New York Times bestseller
    by Patti Smith
    £9.49 - 10.99

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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