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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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  • - Memory Keeper First Time Parent As You Grow Baby Shower Gift
    by Holly Placate
    £15.49

  • Save 14%
    by Duncan Hamilton
    £9.49

    'One day you'll write a book about this club. Or, more to the point, about me. So you may as well know what I'm thinking and save it up for later when it won't do any harm to anyone.'Brian Clough's twenty years as Nottingham Forest manager were an unpredictable mixture of success, failure, fall-outs and alcoholism. Duncan Hamilton, initiated as a young journalist into the Brian Clough empire, was there to see it all. In this strikingly intimate biography - William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2007 - Hamilton paints a vivid portrait of one of football's greatest managers: from Nottingham Forest's double European Cup triumph to the torturous breakdown of relations at the club and Clough's descent into alcoholism.Sad, joyous and personal, Hamilton's account of life with Brian Clough is a touching tribute to a brilliant man.

  • Save 21%
    by Ify Adenuga
    £14.99

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    - The inspiring true story of a young girl surviving Mengele's hell
    by Eva Mozes Kor
    £8.99

    The heart-breaking and inspiring memoir of a 10-year-old Auschwitz twin.

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    - Kings and Conquerors
    by Adrian Goldsworthy
    £11.99

    A joint biography that investigates how, during their lifetimes, Philip and Alexander of Macedon transformed a weak kingdom in northern Greece into a globe-spanning empire, and in so doing changed the course of human history.

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    by Paul Rees
    £8.99

    Robert Plant is one of the few genuine living rock legends.Frontman of Led Zeppelin, musical innovator and seller of millions of records, Plant has had a profound influence on music for over four decades. But the full account of his life has barely been told ... until now.Robert Plant: A Life is the first complete and comprehensive telling of Plant's story. From his earliest performances in folk clubs in the early 1960s, to the world's biggest stages as Led Zeppelin's self-styled 'Golden God', and on to his emergence as an emboldened solo star.The sheer scale of Zeppelin's success is extraordinary: in the US alone they sold 70 million records, a figure surpassed only by the Beatles. But their success was marred by tragedy.These pages contain first-hand accounts of Plant's greatest highs and deepest lows: the tragic deaths of his son Karac and his friend, Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.Told in vivid detail, this is the definitive story of a man of great talent, remarkable fortitude and extraordinary conviction.

  • by Karen Armstrong
    £11.49

    Through the Narrow Gate is Karen Armstrong's memoir of life inside a Catholic convent in the 1960's.With gentleness and honesty, Armstrong takes her readers on a revelatory journey that begins with her decision, at the age of seventeen, to devote her life to God as a nun. yet once she embarked upon her spiritual training, she encountered a frightening and oppressive world, fossilized by tradition, which moulded, isolated and pushed her to the limit of what she could endure.

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    by Sebastian Junger
    £9.49

    The worst storm in history seen from the wheelhouse of a doomed fishing trawler; a mesmerisingly vivid account of a natural hell from a perspective that offers no escape.The 'perfect storm' is a once-in-a-hundred-years combination: a high pressure system from the Great Lakes, running into storm winds over an Atlantic island - Sable Island - and colliding with a weather system from the Caribbean: Hurricane Grace.This is the story of that storm, told through the accounts of individual fishing boats caught up in the maelstrom, their families waiting anxiously for news of their return, the rescue services scrambled to save them. It is the story of the old battle between the fisherman and the sea, between man and Nature, that awesome and capricious power which can transform the surface of the Atlantic into an impossible tumult of water walls and gaping voids, with the capacity to break an oil tanker in two.In spare, lyrical prose 'The Perfect Storm' describes what happened when the Andrea Gail looked into the wrathful face of the perfect storm.

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    by Jeanine Cummins
    £10.99

    A devastating true crime account of a murder that touched her own family, from the author of AMERICAN DIRT

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    by Philip Norman
    £11.99

    The final word on music's greatest legend, in which Philip Norman reveals a John Lennon the world has never seen. With ground-breaking insight into the pain, beauty and frustration that shaped the genius of modern music, John Lennon: The Definitive Biography redefines a legend.John Lennon - the iconic songwriter, composer and one quarter of The Beatles - was a giant of the twentieth century. As the founding member of the world's most successful group ever, he changed lives. The popularity and significance of The Beatles is beyond comparison in our age - in the UK alone, they released more than 40 number one singles and albums.But their impact extended well beyond their music. Their clothes, hairstyles, statements, and even their choice of instruments made them trend-setters from the 1960s to this day, while their growing social awareness - reflected in the development of their music - saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.Following the painful collapse of The Beatles, John came out a wiser but angrier person. Together with his wife Yoko Ono, he attempted to transform the world through non-musical means. Their bed-in in Amsterdam and Montreal, their black bag appearances on stage, their innocent flirting with political activists and radicals, all received massive media attention. These events were in search of world peace.John Lennon was shot dead by a mentally disturbed fan outside his New York apartment building on December 8, 1980.Featuring previously unseen photographs, this truly is the definitive John Lennon.

  • - Joseph Pilates and His Legacy
    by John Howard Steel
    £13.49 - 21.49

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    by Andre Leon Talley
    £8.99 - 18.99

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    by Susie Hodge
    £13.49

    An expert and comprehensive new reference book on the life and works of the influential impressionist artist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

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    - The Anatomy of Football's Centre-Half
    by Leo Moynihan
    £14.49

  • - A True Story of Faith, Love, and the Miraculous Power of Prayer
    by Lydia Prince & Dr Derek Prince
    £15.99

    This is the riveting true story of a young schoolteacher and her courageous quest to know God's will for her life. In Lydia Prince's search for God and her life's purpose, she is led to Jerusalem, where she learns the power of prayer and experiences many

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    - The Birth of Netflix by the first CEO and co-founder Marc Randolph
    by Marc Randolph
    £9.49

    Netflix co-founder and first CEO shares the behind-the-scenes origin story of the major international brand that has changed everything about how we consume TV and film.

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    by James Haskell
    £9.49

  • Save 15%
    - A Coming-of-Gender Story
    by Jacob Tobia
    £10.99

  • Save 12%
    - The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon
    by Maxine Gordon
    £14.99

    Sophisticated Giant presents the life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (19231990), one of the major innovators of modern jazz. In a context of biography, history, and memoir, Maxine Gordon has completed the book that her late husband began, weaving his ';solo' turns with her voice and a chorus of voices from past and present. Reading like a jazz composition, the blend of research, anecdote, and a selection of Dexter's personal letters reflects his colorful life and legendary times. It is clear why the celebrated trumpet genius Dizzy Gillespie said to Dexter, ';Man, you ought to leave your karma to science.' Dexter Gordon the icon is the Dexter beloved and celebrated on albums, on film, and in jazz lore--even in a street named for him in Copenhagen. But this image of the cool jazzman fails to come to terms with the multidimensional man full of humor and wisdom, a figure who struggled to reconcile being both a creative outsider who broke the rules and a comforting insider who was a son, father, husband, and world citizen. This essential book is an attempt to fill in the gaps created by our misperceptions as well as the gaps left by Dexter himself.

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    - My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming
    by Kerri Rawson
    £11.99

    What is it like to learn that your ordinary, loving father is a serial killer? Kerri Rawson, the daughter of the notorious serial killer known as BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill), tells the nightmarish story of that discovery and of her long journey of faith and healing.

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    by Ken Wilber
    £13.99

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    by Howard Marks
    £10.99

    The incredible story of an unconventional life During the mid 1980s Howard Marks had forty three aliases, eighty nine phone lines and owned twenty five companies throughout the world.

  • Save 21%
    - The Story of the Ottoman Empire 1300-1923
    by Caroline Finkel
    £13.49

    The Ottoman chronicles recount that the first sultan, Osman, dreamt of the dynasty he would found - a tree, fully-formed, emerged from his navel, symbolising the vigour of his successors and the extent of their domains.This is the first book to tell the full story of the Ottoman dynasty that for six centuries held sway over territories stretching, at their greatest, from Hungary to the Persian Gulf, and from North Africa to the Caucasus.Understanding the realization of Osman's vision is essential for anyone who seeks to understand the modern world.

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    - Picador Classic
    by Alexandra Fuller
    £9.49

    With an introduction by Anne EnrightShortlisted for the Guardian First Book award, a story of civil war and a family's unbreakable bond.How you see a country depends on whether you are driving through it, or live in it. How you see a country depends on whether or not you can leave it, if you have to.As the daughter of white settlers in war-torn 1970s Rhodesia, Alexandra Fuller remembers a time when a schoolgirl was as likely to carry a shotgun as a satchel. This is her story - of a civil war, of a quixotic battle with nature and loss, and of a family's unbreakable bond with the continent that came to define, scar and heal them.Shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award in 2002, Alexandra Fuller's classic memoir of an African childhood is suffused with laughter and warmth even amid disaster. Unsentimental and unflinching, but always enchanting, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is the story of an extraordinary family in an extraordinary time.

  • Save 14%
    - My Search for What Really Matters
    by Jeffrey Zaslow & III Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger
    £9.49

    Now a major motion picture from Clint Eastwood, starring Tom Hanksthe inspirational autobiography by one of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Capt. Sully Sullenbergerthe pilot who miraculously landed a crippled US Airways Flight 1549 in New Yorks Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew.On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain Sully Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director / producer Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart.Sullys story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. It reminds us all that, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting forthat lifes challenges can be met if were ready for them.

  • - An Optimist in Andalucia - Special Anniversary Edition (with new chapter 25 years on)
    by Chris Stewart
    £9.99

    Driving Over Lemons, a captivating book penned by the talented Chris Stewart, is a must-read for all. Published in 2020 by Sort of Books, this engaging work of art is a stand-out in its genre. Stewart, with his unique storytelling style, transports readers to a different world, making them feel as if they're part of the narrative. Driving Over Lemons is more than just a book; it's an experience that stays with you long after you've turned the last page. Don't miss out on this masterpiece from Sort of Books.

  • Save 15%
    - The Definitive Biography of Freddie Mercury
    by Lesley-Ann Jones
    £10.99

    'Exactly the sort of tribute Mercury himself would have wanted' SPECTATOR'No one has captured better than Lesley-Ann Jones the magical, enchanting dualism of Freddie Mercury'THE TIMES'Truly definitive, truly Freddie, an energetic, entertaining and essential account'SIR TIM RICE'This book grabs you with its opening, then builds. Insight and anecdote in perfect harmony' SIMON NAPIER-BELL'At last a massive tribute to a massive talent'STEVE HARLEY, COCKNEY REBELThis is the definitive biography of Freddie Mercury. Written by an award-winning rock journalist, Lesley-Ann Jones toured widely with Queen forming lasting friendships with the band. Now, having secured access to the remaining band members and those who were closest to Freddie, from childhood to death, Lesley-Ann has written the most in depth account of one of music's best loved and most complex figures. Meticulously researched, sympathetic, unsensational, the book will focus on the period in the 1980s when Queen began to fragment, before their Live Aid performance put them back in the frame. In her journey to understand the man behind the legend, Lesley-Ann Jones has travelled from London to Zanzibar to India. Packed with exclusive interviews and told with the invaluable perspective that the twenty years since Mercury's death presents, Freddie Mercury is the most up to date portrait of a legendary man.

  • Save 25%
    - The Epic Life of the King of Comics
    by Tom Scioli
    £17.99

  • Save 10%
    by Chris Frantz
    £8.99

    Remain in Love tells the story of two bands and a love story (and marriage) that survived them both

  • Save 15%
    - Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars
    by Francesca Wade
    £10.99

    'I like this London life . In an era when women's freedoms were fast expanding, they each sought a space where they could live, love and - above all - work independently. H.

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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