Biographies & Memoirs

The following represents all books currently listed within the genre, Biographies & Memoirs:

Book cover image for Children of Dreams:  An Adoption Memoir
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Synopsis

Lorilyn Roberts' hopes of motherhood came to a devastating end when her husband left her for his pregnant girlfriend. Eight years later, Children of Dreams reveals God's restoration of her dreams through the international adoption of her two daughters. Written as creative nonfiction, an analogy is drawn between the physical adoption of children and God's spiritual adoption as recounted in the Bible. Ms. Roberts skillfully weaves in her own back‑story while telling about her adventures in Nepal and Vietnam, filled with political intrigue.


Scriptural insights and reflections interspersed throughout the book show Lorilyn's reliance upon her heavenly Father when all hope seemed lost. The reader will enjoy the vivid descriptions as well as a window into the plight of those struggling to survive where basic necessities may not be available. The adventure includes meeting a future Prime Minister, a missing baby, and many other surprises.


The medical mystery in Children of Dreams was featured on Animal Planet's "Monsters Inside Me," in the episode of "Shapeshifters."



Ms. Roberts' appearance on the show was to inform adopting families about certain medical conditions endemic in developing countries.

(4.4)

141 reviews*

**Price: $3.99

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Book cover image for THE BEAUTY SHOP
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England, 1942. After three years of WWII, Britain is showing the scars. But in this darkest of days, three lives intertwine, changing their destinies and those of many more.

Dr Archibald McIndoe, a New Zealand plastic surgeon with unorthodox methods, is on a mission to treat and rehabilitate badly burned airmen – their bodies and souls. With the camaraderie and support of the Guinea Pig Club, his boys battle to overcome disfigurement, pain, and prejudice to learn to live again.

John ‘Mac’ Mackenzie of the US Air Force is aware of the odds. He has one chance in five of surviving the war. Flying bombing missions through hell and back, he’s fighting more than the Luftwaffe. Fear and doubt stalk him on the ground and in the air, and he’s torn between his duty and his conscience.

Shy, decent and sensible Stella Charlton’s future seems certain until war breaks out. As a new recruit to the WAAF, she meets an American pilot on New Year’s Eve. After just one dance, she falls head over heels for the handsome airman. But when he survives a crash, she realises her own battle has only just begun.

Based on a true story, "The Beauty Shop" is a moving tale of love, compassion, and determination against a backdrop of wartime tragedy.

(4.6)

92 reviews*

**Price: $3.85

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Book cover image for The Bride's Trunk: A Story of War and Reconciliation
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Synopsis

"An extraordinary narrative"
"Beautifully told - stays with you long after the last page is sadly turned."
"Carefully pieced together from personal and official documents, oral testimony and material objects"

A true story of love and reconciliation in the aftermath of the Second World War

Minny leaves Germany on a bitterly cold morning in December 1946 and travels to England to marry Jim, a British Intelligence Corps soldier in the Allied armies that defeated the Nazi regime in 1945 and occupied the devastated nation. She has survived British and American bombs and witnessed the destruction of Aachen, her ancient and beautiful city. How will a German woman cope in austere post-war Britain, where she is still regarded as the enemy? Illustrated with almost 100 images and original documents, The Bride's Trunk describes the adventures of an unremarkable piece of luggage and three generations of its owners, whose journeys across Europe are determined by the turbulent events of twentieth century history.

Some comments on 'The Bride's Trunk'

“An extraordinary narrative, pieced together from original documents, about a couple who were determined not to let war defeat them. 70 years ago the British government passed a law allowing British men to marry German women, but little thought was given to the life that those German women would find, in the aftermath of the second world war. This heart-warming tale brings alive childhood and adolescence in pre-war Germany, followed by a new life in the old enemy country."
Jackie Ashley, President of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, and journalist

“Scant attention has been paid to the 10,000 or so German women who married British soldiers at the end of the Second World War. In this often moving account, Ingrid Dixon traces the story of her own parents, one a former secretary for the German police, the other a British soldier from the Intelligence Corps, both of whom were caught up in the chaotic last months of the Third Reich and its immediate aftermath. Their story is carefully pieced together from personal and official documents, oral testimony and material objects, including the old trunk which survived the vicissitudes of war to carry the bride’s worldly possessions to her new home in Liverpool.”
Professor Peter Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War, University of Oxford 

“A gripping and moving story, with excellent illustrations, which really evokes time and place and is a sensitive treatment of the conflicting feelings associated with war.”
Dr Philip Towle, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge

(4.4)

45 reviews*

**Price: $5.97

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Book cover image for A Bricklayer's Tales: A Collection of Short Stories and memoirs (The Ray Dennis Series Book 1)
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Synopsis

Top #20 Amazon Bestseller In Biograpy&Memoirs>Collections

Get Your Copy of This Fantastic Short Story Collection

In this short story collection, Gary Troia shares his adventures, travels and memoirs from his life.

"Excellent! A collection of short stories about: depression, alcoholism and drug use. Very compelling reading. I read this short story collection all in one go." (Maria, Goodreads.)

"Gary manages to take the mundanities of life and elevate them to brilliance. in this short story collection" (Sara Fell)

"Author, Gary cements growing reputation...A Bricklayer's Tales touches on real-life experiences in the building trade." ( Salina Patel, Hounslow Cronicle)

Anyone who has ever done building work for brutal wage slavery and wondered if they were going mad, will recognise the life of Ray Dennis, (Troia's alter ego) which evokes a vision of mind-numbing, soul-destroying workplaces and workmates. His is the voice of discord for the marginally employed, the creatively frustrated working Joe, who turns to a life of drink and drugs to elevate the monotony of life.Few have brought this world to life with such despair, black humour and indifference as Gary Troia. He paints a beautifully sad portrait of a truly messed up person with potential, struggling to keep his messed up mind from drowning in cheap wine and self-loathing. Ray's spirit is trapped in a world of endless grey mundanity.

A Bricklayer's Tales is the ultimate "I hate this job" story, written as a collection of short stories and memoirs, each one containing a snapshot of the life of Ray. Troia captures the tedium of working in a low paid, menial job and living hand to mouth. This book of short stories is sad and questions the reader to ask questions about their own life. This book achieves clarity without trying.Ray has three expensive hobbies: drinking, drugs, and running away. Without the income that Bricklaying provides, he would not be able to maintain his chosen lifestyle, so he compromises his principles and continues with his trade. A collection of short stories and memoirs that include:

Angel Dust, the peculiar story of a man whose new life in America leads to conversations with Ancient Greek philosophers

Advert In The Art Shop Window, will a new building job in Spain be the start of a new life?

Return Ticket, handcuffed and ready for deportation. A sad departure from the States

Peyote, hippies, LSD and an idyllic refuge

A Bricklayer's Tale, the story of a disillusioned, alcoholic bricklayer

˃˃˃ A collection short stories and memoirs of British dark humour.

Scroll up and grab a copy today.

(3.6)

31 reviews*

**Price: $2.25

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Book cover image for The Upside of Cancer: How a Terrifying Illness Can Lead You to a New Life
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Synopsis

Strange though it may sound, cancer can lead us to a deeper experience of joy and inner peace, this book asserts. Praised by Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 reviewer Grady Harp as "a brief, exceptionally rewarding book," The Upside of Cancer offers hope and courage to cancer patients and their families and anyone facing a major trauma.

The author was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer in 2013 at age 81. With insights and stories from his own life, he shows you how to turn anxiety into joy as you tap into your inner courage, find peace and solace in stillness, and listen to the wisdom of your own heart.

This book will help you:

Stay positive
Develop resilience
Overcome anxiety
Face the fear of death
Find inner peace

(4.7)

27 reviews*

**Price: $8.14

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Book cover image for Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle
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Synopsis

On the planet Ankor, Klubbe the turkle lives as a hermit. A marine mishap inspires him to be an inventor. His inventions and explorations change his life, his entire planet.

Turkles are close cousins of turtles. Unlike them, they have yellow golden skin and back shells, walk on their hind legs, have the gift of language, and the ability to create their own culture.

The life of Klubbe may read like a light-hearted science fiction story, but it actually happened to him. Princess Corka thinks his invention is sublime. Ubbtosh, the pyramid priest, promises to guide him to the core of the cosmos. In space, there are no sign posts, he finds, but there are other beings. And on Ankor, there are mysteries to be solved. Is the Great Glom more than a myth? And what about the Great Archy Eopta?

(4.6)

24 reviews*

**Price: $3.24

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Book cover image for Faded Dreams
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Synopsis

PleaFaded Dreams is an epic autobiography by my fellow writer and good friend Carlos Rubio. Beyond being a very personal story of a young man growing up to the backdrop of this remarkable country of Cuba, there is as well a political subplot of a country that is dragged through the mud by one of the most ruthless dictators in recent world history. The people who populate his world all fantastically come alive on the pages; Carlos does so well in telling how special they were to him, and are still special today. This book now gives us a close-up, in your face look at the very human side of Cuba as seen from a young man who lived there and experienced it as could be described as its rise and fall.

Carlos was sent to the United States at a young age by his parents after Castro took over. Things there only get worse. Living in the safety and prosperity of the United States as an adult, Carlos periodically looks at photographs of family and friends he was so fond of in those days before the Revolution. They are no longer alive, but his doting on those photos vividly brings them back to life on the pages -it gives the reader a sense of timelessness and tells how powerfully a childhood was impacted by those people, especially the incredible person that was his father, a man from whom he could never separate himself.se enter manually

(4.7)

19 reviews*

**Price: $7.65

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Book cover image for Escape from Communism
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Synopsis

Life under communism is cruel and inhumane. Commit the smallest political infraction, and the secret police will arrest you. The only ray of hope is the West, but getting out from communism is difficult. Communist countries have a “Berlin Wall” around them. It is a crime to escape by crossing the border illegally, and anyone caught is beaten and imprisoned, sometimes even shot. I was eighteen, and I was living in hell. However, I would rather have died than keep living as a communist slave. This is my story of what happened and how I reached freedom.

Editorial Reviews

"Mr. Sandru has the ability to translate the complex  into simple one simple truth ...  liberty is the most valuable asset any individual has, hold on to it with your life!" By Kathi Herman Photography

"A dream for freedom, a daring escape, and lessons to learn...

This is the fourth excellent book I've read by Mr. Sandru. I loved this book as it painted a very clear picture of what life is like under communism. While he writes in a style that keeps you wanting to read more, he also has you stopping to think..." by Julie Blaskie

(4.2)

15 reviews*

**Price: $5.99

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Book cover image for Through the Porthole: First Cruise: Queen Victoria
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Synopsis

A ten day cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria.
Docking at La Coruña, Cádiz, Malaga, Tangier and Lisbon.

Editorial Reviews

"Author, Gary cements growing reputation." ( Salina Patel, Hounslow Cronicle)

"Enjoyable and descriptive...very interesting." (J.Collins)

"A rollicking good read." (Amazon Customer)

AN EXTRACT FROM THROUGH THE PORTHOLE:

I want to go back to a time when travelling itself was the main focus. I don't need to get anywhere too fast. I point a finger of blame at the budget airlines. Flight should have remained a luxury - something special that you could look forward to and appreciate. Flying, in my opinion, has become the lowest form of travel. Getting a budget flight feels to me like getting a bus from a provisional town after the pubs and only club have all kicked out. It's either going to be a loud but good-humoured case of singing and banter on the way home, or it's all going to kick off after a drunken remark. "You looking at my bird, mate?"

When we took a coach to Lake Como, I enjoyed looking out the window along the way, seeing villages and sights that you miss when you fly. From the hotel base we visited Milan and St. Moritz. We went across to St. Moritz on the Bernina Express railway. The memories I have of the snowcapped mountains and deep valleys is something I will never forget. I enjoyed going to Milan, as it has always been a city I have wanted to visit. But sitting on a coach for twenty-four hours to get to Lake Como was draining. I couldn't stretch my legs, and the drivers asked that we all refrain from defecating in the coach toilet, or, as he put it, "What goes in there, stays in there until we get back to England." Once we got to Lake Como and based in the hotel, it was great. But the thought of returning home on a coach for twenty-four hours when the holiday was over was a very sobering thought. It was impossible for me to sleep. How others managed it, I'll never know. So Marina, opting for the third mode of travel (sea), has booked us on Cunard's Queen Victoria...

(4.7)

15 reviews*

**Price: $4.01

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Book cover image for English Yarns and Beyond: A Collection of Short Stories and memoirs (The Ray Dennis Series Book 2)
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Synopsis

In this short story collection, Gary Troia shares his adventures, travels and memoirs from his life.

Anyone who has ever done building work for brutal wage slavery and wondered if they were going mad, will recognise the life of Ray Dennis, (Troia's alter ego) which evokes a vision of mind-numbing, soul-destroying workplaces and workmates. His is the voice of discord for the marginally employed, the creatively frustrated working Joe, who turns to a life of drink and drugs to elevate the monotony of life.

Few have brought this world to life with such despair, black humour and indifference as Gary Troia. He paints a beautifully sad portrait of a truly messed up person with potential, struggling to keep his messed up mind from drowning in cheap wine and self-loathing. Ray's spirit is trapped in a world of endless grey mundanity.

English Yarns and Beyond is the ultimate "I hate this job" story, written in short stories and memoirs, each one containing a snapshot of the life of Ray. Troia captures the tedium of working in a low paid, menial job and living hand to mouth. This short story book is book is sad and questions the reader to ask questions about their own life. This book of short stories and memoirs achieves clarity without trying.

Ray has three expensive hobbies: drinking, drugs, and running away. Without the income that Bricklaying provides, he would not be able to maintain his chosen lifestyle, so he compromises his principles and continues with his trade.

A collection of short stories that include:

The Cuckoo's Egg- Boyhood antics lead to tragedy.No Comb on the Cock- Gypsies, champion fighting cocks, and career choices.
My Best Mates Head- Did a weekend of boozing save Ray from certain death?
The Shetland Isles- A trip to sunny Benidorm, a chance meeting with some Glaswegians, and a cold, miserable job in Lerwick.
Pointing a House in Islington- Too much alcohol and cocaine don't mix well on building sites!
When I Joined a Cult- Sober dating as Ray discovers religion.
A Week in the Life of Ray Dennis- With the prospect of no money for food or alcohol this Christmas, Ray has to find work quickly.
Teaching Other People- The grass is always greener-the escape from bricklaying.
Steak, Egg and Intensive Care- A harmless dinner leads to hospitalisation.

(4.4)

13 reviews*

**Price: $2.50

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Book cover image for Guardians of Churchill's Secret Army: Men of the Intelligence Corps in the Special Operations Executive
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Synopsis

What if you have to survive undercover in a hostile land?
A single slip can lead to arrest, torture, execution. Who can be trusted? Discover what kept Churchill's secret saboteurs alive in occupied France, Holland or Thailand - or didn't!
'A fascinating and important study of a long-hidden corner of SOE history.' Dr Roderick Bailey, Pembroke College, Oxford, Advisor to BBC TV series ‘Secret Agent Selection: WW2’.
The men and women who served as agents of the World War 2 Special Operations Executive were courageous. But courage was not enough. They also needed to learn the caution and suspicion that might just keep them alive, deep undercover in enemy territory.
Guardians of Churchill's Secret Army tells the stories of the extraordinary men who taught them those skills and thought processes. They helped trainee agents learn how to seem innocuous while preparing resistance, subversion and sabotage. Each spoke several languages. Many became agents themselves and faced danger with great bravery; that’s part of their story too. All played a crucial role in the global effort to undermine the enemy.
We find them not only in the Baker Street Headquarters of SOE, but also in night parachute drops, in paramilitary training in the remotest depths of Scotland and in undercover agent training in isolated English country houses. We follow them to occupied France, to Malaya and Thailand under threat of Japanese invasion, to Italy and Germany as they play their part in the collapse of the Axis regimes. Their stories are inspiring.
If you like discovering the true stories that underpin the history of the Second World War, then you'll want to read this authentic book. Author of Setting the Med Ablaze, Dr Peter Dixon has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and four decades of military and peacebuilding experience. In the tradition of Antony Beevor and Ben Macintyre, he shines a spotlight on a crucial area of the Special Operations Executive.
Enjoy reading Guardians of Churchill's Secret Army and explore a little-known aspect of World War 2 history.

(4.5)

11 reviews*

**Price: $5.97

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Book cover image for The Little Book of Quirky Christmas Stories
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Synopsis

The Little Book of Quirky Christmas Stories

This is a collection of short stories written especially for those who like Christmas with a twist. There's autobiographical, fantasy and funny stories containing magic and mystery. Please enjoy these quirky Yuletide tales that put a different spin on some of the clichés of the festive season.

Warning: these stories contain Father Christmas, Christmas Trees, Christmas dinners, presents, reindeer, snowmen, witches, elves, and snow!

Christmas Tree Barbie - a dubious Santa doesn't get what he expects when he pays a visit to a little girl.

Mother Christmas - a young woman with a lazy husband and a baby receives a surprise Christmas gift from an unexpected person.

A Busy Night For Sarah- an alternative version of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas in Northmold - a tourist couple on a weekend break in a seaside town find the supernatural side after dark.

Christmas 1959 - a photograph in the attic reminds a woman of a memorable childhood Christmas.

Christmas by the Seaside - why is Father Christmas following a married couple around by the seaside?

When The Elves Stole Christmas - the oppressed Elves have their revenge on the dreadful tyrant - Santa Claus!

(4.6)

11 reviews*

**Price: $1.23

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Book cover image for A Slice of the Seventies: First book of The Mug Trilogy
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This first loosely autobiographical book in The Mug Trilogy tells the story of Jersey-born Mug, a troubled girl from a recently broken home. It covers her experiences as a sixteen-year-old girl at the Isle of Wight Music Festival in 1970, the same year that she follows a guru. It describes her tumultuous years as an art student in Coventry, where vegetarian Mug finds herself living next door to an abattoir and railway shunting yard with David, a fellow art student. Dramatic events follow on from the evening they meet at a student party, when Mug attempts to save David from attempting a very public drunken suicide attempt.

(4.8)

11 reviews*

**Price: $2.83

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Book cover image for Behind the Lines: An anthology of short stories
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A young man coming of age as he undergoes basic military training. Stories drawn from real-world experience, with the anti-hero transforming from awkward teenager to young adult as he tries to outwit those in authority. These eight short stories are hilarious, serious, whimsical, and entertaining, providing insights into a young man's search for identity and independence within a military system designed for conformity and control.

(4.8)

10 reviews*

**Price: $0.99

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Book cover image for Return to Vienna: The Special Operations Executive and the Rebirth of Austria
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'Captain Charles Kennedy' parachuted into a moonlit Austrian forest and searched frantically for his lost radio set. His real name was Leo Hillman and he was a Jewish refugee from Vienna. He was going home.
Men and women of Churchill’s secret Special Operations Executive worked to free Austria from Hitler's grip. Many were themselves Austrians who had fled Nazi persecution. Trained and equipped by SOE, they courageously returned to their homeland. Some died in the attempt.
Their moving stories are part of the history of how Austria recovered her sovereignty.
'An extraordinary and compelling account of the little-known operations of SOE and Austria in World War Two. Peter Dixon shines a light on the bravery of the agents, in a narrative told with colour and vivacity, yet great sensitivity and meticulous research', Dr Helen Fry, author of Spymaster.
'A valuable and well-researched account of a little-known aspect of SOE’s operations’, Paul McCue, Secret World War 2 Learning Network

(5.0)

10 reviews*

**Price: $2.99

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Book cover image for Quirky Christmas Stories
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Christmas with a Twist!

This collection of Christmas stories puts a different spin on some of the clichés of the festive season.

Why is Santa stalking a couple?

Who will protect seven-year-old Jeannie when a fake Santa comes to call?

What is the real story of the first Christmas?

You’ll enjoy these and other quirky Christmas stories, curled up on the sofa when the long winter nights draw in.

(3.8)

10 reviews*

**Price: $3.81

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Book cover image for Spanish Yarns and Beyond: A Collection of Short Stories and memoirs From Spain and Italy
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Top #10 Amazon Bestseller In Books>Spain>Basque

"Author, Gary cements growing reputation...A collection of short stories that give a humorous account of life in a new country." (Salina Patel, The Hounslow Chronicle)

"I liked the fact that some of the short stories in this collection were connected and followed on from each other, but at the same time they are stand alone. Great for people like me who are slow readers, I can read a whole story on the train to work and not have to wait all day for the ending." (Carol Wiggins)"

I really enjoyed reading these short stories, they are easy to read. I would have liked it if there were more stories!" (Maria, Goodreads)

In this short story collection, Gary Troia shares his adventures and memoirs from his travels in Spain. A Total of 9 Stories Including:

How Not To Travel To The Alhambra, hung-over, the wrong fuel, the car breaks down. Will they ever make it to Granada?
Poking A Carob Tree, a new home and new neighbours, just in time for Christmas.
The Road To Ronda, a terrifying drive to Ronda, was it worth it?
Gaudi, a flight to Barcelona for a kebab and a look at the Sagrada Familia.
Spain Reborn, no more commuting to London. Lets celebrate!

(3.8)

9 reviews*

**Price: $1.27

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Book cover image for Setting the Med Ablaze: Churchill's Secret North African Base
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It was Christmas 1942. Eleven young women braved the attentions of Nazi U-Boats in the deep Atlantic on their way to North Africa. About to play their part in defeating Hitler, they called themselves the First Eleven.
According to Winston Churchill, the Mediterranean was the key to defeating the Third Reich. And a crucial part of undermining Fascist power in Italy, France and the Mediterranean islands would be subversion and sabotage. But the undercover fighters needed a springboard to spearhead their operations in the ‘soft underbelly’ of Europe.
Those eleven young women joined heroic soldiers, sailors and secret agents at the Special Operations Executive’s new North African base. Code-named Massingham, it was hidden away among pine trees by a Mediterranean beach. SOE, America’s OSS and the French intelligence agencies worked together to undermine cruel regimes.
This is the remarkable story of Massingham. Its life was short. Less than two years after its formation, its multinational job was done. British, American, French, Italian, Spanish: together they played a key role in the Second World War.
Alongside the espionage of MI6 and the strategic deception of ‘A Force’, Massingham’s men and women launched covert operations at dead of night: by parachute, by submarine, by canoe easing silently on to a deserted beach. In the tradition of Antony Beevor and Ben Macintyre, this book reveals an aspect of WW2 history that has remained hidden for far too long.

(4.4)

8 reviews*

**Price: $5.97

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Book cover image for The Complete Short Stories of Gary Troia: The complete stories from, Spanish Yarns and Beyond, A Bricklayer's Tales and English Yarns and Be
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For the first time ever, this collection of short stories by Gary Troia brings together, in chronological order stories and memoirs from Spanish Yarns and Beyond, English Yarns and Beyond and A Bricklayer’s Tales into one complete volume.

"Excellent! A collection of short stories about depression, alcoholism and drug use. Very compelling reading. I read this short story collection all in one go." (Maria, Goodreads.)A Bricklayer's Tales is the ultimate "I hate this job" story, written as a collection of short stories and memoirs, each one revealing a snapshot in the life of Ray. Troia captures the tedium of working in a low paid, menial job and living hand to mouth. This book of short stories is sad and questions the reader to ask questions about their own life. This book achieves clarity without trying.

Ray has three expensive hobbies: drinking, drugs, and running away. Without the income that Bricklaying provides, he would not be able to maintain his chosen lifestyle, so he compromises his principles and continues with his trade.

A collection of short stories and memoirs that include:

The Cuckoo's Egg. Boyhood antics lead to tragedy.

My Grandfather's Shed. The making of an English key

No Comb on the Cock. Gypsies, champion fighting cocks, and career choices.

What I Did In My Summer Holidays In 1000 Words. Could having an idea ever be considered a criminal act?

My Best Mate’s Head. Did a weekend of boozing save Ray from certain death?

The Shetland Isles. A trip to sunny Benidorm, a chance meeting with some Glaswegians, and a cold, miserable job in Lerwick.

Pointing a House in Islington. Too much alcohol and cocaine don't mix well on building sites!

Angel Dust. The peculiar story of a man whose new life in America leads to conversations with Ancient Greek philosophers

Peyote. Hippies, LSD and an idyllic refuge

Return Ticket. Handcuffed and ready for deportation. A sad departure from the States

When I Joined a Cult. Sober dating as Ray discovers religion.

Bilbao. How very, very English!

Teaching Other People. The grass is always greener-the escape from bricklaying.

A Week in the Life of Ray Dennis. With the prospect of no money for food or alcohol this Christmas, Ray has to find work quickly.

Catania. A meeting with a Sicilian fox, some Neapolitans, and a man with a camel haired coat.

Advert In The Art Shop Window. Will a new building job in Spain be the start of a new life?

Gaudi. A flight to Barcelona for a kebab, and a look at the Sagrada Familia.

The Day My Soul Left Me. "To be or not to be? That is the question"

How Not to Travel to The Alhambra. Hung-over, the wrong fuel, the car breaks down. Will they ever make it to Granada?

The Road To Ronda. A terrifying drive to Ronda, was it worth it?

Poking A Carob Tree. A new home and new neighbours, just in time for Christmas.

Spain Reborn.No more commuting to London. Lets celebrate!

Home From Home. A parallel world where the Spanish have taken over Weymouth.

Three Common Carp.An epic battle with a whale and marlin it is not.

Mrs. McClintock. An absurd farce in which a Glaswegian couple retire to Spain

Steak, Egg and Intensive Care. A harmless dinner leads to hospitalisation.

The Unchangeable Chameleon. Can a leopard change it's spots?

A Bricklayer's Tale. The story of a disillusioned, alcoholic bricklayer

A collection short stories and memoirs of British dark humour.

(4.5)

7 reviews*

**Price: $4.13

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Book cover image for Still the Dawn: Poems and Ballads
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Still the Dawn. A book of poems and ballads. Poems written to preserve memories, explore moods, emotions, art, myths, real events and dreams, together with some attempts at light verse, even nonsense. Ballads that tell tales, reflect on the seasons, time and its passing. The poet enters the mead hall, un-lids his word hoard, recites. He shares his gift. Those who attend to his works, he hopes to entertain.

(4.6)

6 reviews*

**Price: $2.99

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Book cover image for Coach to Como: A Reflective Coach Trip To Lake Como, St Moritz And Milan, Poured Out In A Stream Of Consciousness
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Gary Troia is a writer, he has also been a bricklayer, a teacher, a philosophy student and a sufferer of several disorders, including: manic depression, alcoholism, fear of flying and a dislike of most people.

After Gary announces that he will no longer fly, his wife, Poppo books a coach holiday to Lake Como. One week later, with the newly acquired kittens dropped off at the cattery, Gary and Poppo embark on a twenty-four hour coach journey to Italy.

Gary always believed the restless, relentless, impossible-to-satisfy voice in his head was one of his greatest assets. It spurred him on. For a while, his strategy worked. But soon the energy of raw emotion would dissipate, and he would be back where he started. What happened next was completely unforeseen. Through a bizarre series of events - involving gangsters, the ICF, deportation from the States, Christian cults and the AA - Gary stumbled upon something that helped him tame the voice in his head: inspirational books. He spent years reading them before having a quiet revolution. Gary’s life was not transformed into a thing of beauty, but he did gain a passion for daily reflection and meditation. While the book itself is a narrative account of a journey to Lake Como, The coach to Como is ultimately the story of survival, recovery and evolution. The book is well crafted, with various threads being skilfully interwoven to give a colourful but incredibly honest account of the journey Gary has undertaken since he came to terms with his ego, his internal struggles with life, loneliness, rebelliousness and self-destructive behaviour.

(3.3)

5 reviews*

**Price: $2.48

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Book cover image for The Adventures of Doctor X in China: Five years teaching ESL in a strange land
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In his late fifties Doctor X realised that he was in the ‘death zone,’ and didn’t want to go out feet up, sitting in front of the TV in the UK – he wanted to continue to live a life. Journey with him on his five-year love and hate affair with China, seeking out a new life, and enjoying strange encounters - boldly going where no English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher has gone before.

Doctor X gives us his unexpurgated insight into an ESL teacher’s life in China. What it’s really like in the high schools of China. He outs the unprofessional, and drunken behaviour of the riff raff that wash up professing to be teachers but are really professional bar flies. He also provides crucial hints, and tips for the new teacher thinking about giving China a go.

He writes frankly about his relationship with some of the women that were just ships that passed in the night. From Little Yellow, and the ladyboys of Bangkok to meeting E - his eventual life partner. This erotilogue will show you a China hidden from the tourist – the bathhouses, and the pink curtained massage parlours. Doctor X does not regret one moment of it - it has been an experience worth living – one moment close to death, the next in the arms of random women.

And to think Doctor X could be back home in Britain stacking shelves in Tesco.

(5.0)

3 reviews*

**Price: $4.23

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Book cover image for The Life Of An Akita Chow Mix
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A heartwarming autobiographical memoir told by an Akita- Chow mix dog named Rusty. He tells his story from his early days with his mother, through his hardship times to being adopted into a loving home.

He explains how he was judged because of his breeds and reflects on how the actions of all humans helped shape his behavior. He talks about how the bond between dog and human needs strengthening so that less dogs end up at the shelter and he reminds us why these beautiful animals come into our life.

(4.3)

3 reviews*

**Price: $2.99

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Book cover image for Last Flock of the Geese
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A book of clear verse. Geese migrate through its lines. Tall ships leave Liverpool Bay. An iceberg breaks free of Antarctica. Ivory burns in Kenya. The healing of the rift between nations is contemplated. An exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite art is visited. The crossing of the Rubicon is dared. Franz Kafka writes his tales. The spirit of T.S. Eliot revisits The Waste Land. Shakespeare drinks with his acting company. Autumn in Yerevan, Armenia, is mirrored. Utopia is mused on. Childhood is remembered. Love celebrated. Archie Leach sails from Bristol to New York. Matthew Flinders becomes the first man to circumnavigate Australia. Noah's ark moors on mount Ararat. The death of the last white rhinoceros is lamented. Weland the smith lifts his hammer. Hugh Minn finds an alien in his loft. Various other visions and inspirations are explored. Readers of these lines will hopefully find them worthy of study.

(5.0)

2 reviews*

**Price: $2.99

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Book cover image for The Lying Scotsman: Book Two in The Mug Trilogy
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The words in this loosely autobiographical second book in the Mug Trilogy were triggered by the entanglement between Mug, a recently divorced, disinherited, temporarily sex-obsessed woman and Michael. Her Gordian knot was a complex, mendacious, Scottish baggage handler who destiny threw her way late one night in early 2004. She was an honest, too trusting, troubled woman in her late forties. He was an enigma eleven years her junior who was hiding many shocking secrets. Mug's original plan was to write about their unusual story as a present to give to him for Christmas. Little did she know that her gift would almost kill him. She had wanted the opportunity to describe in her book her life prior to their meeting, because it shaped how she felt about him, why she tolerated what others might deem unacceptable. The purpose of Mug's book was to drastically change into a desperate effort to make sense of unfolding bizarre events and to help them both deal with the aftermath.

(4.5)

2 reviews*

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Book cover image for Villains and Victims by Rick Blaine: The Global Drug, Terrorism and Organized Crime Conundrum by Rick Blaine
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Drug policies adopted by governments, treatments offered for addiction, pain and mental problems by the medical world combine in a relationship that negatively affects the world’s most vulnerable people. Villains and Victims. The Global Drug, Terrorism and Organised Crime Conundrum exposes how this unchallenged negative symbiosis influences the human world: seemingly unrelated policies act symbiotically to increase addiction, organised crime, radicalisation, and ultimately terrorism. At first it was an unintended chain, but the evidence suggests much of it is now deliberate. The public needs to be made aware of the harm the policies are causing.
For over a hundred years, the knock-on effect of the world’s ineffective drug laws and drug substitution policies contributed to the deaths of millions of people. Unless the regimes that cause this are changed, governments will continue to misguide us, pharmaceutical firms make huge unethical profits, and doctors will not offer the best treatments for drug addiction and alcoholism. This means millions more men, women, and children will continue to suffer and die from their effects, as well as from terrorist attacks and organised crime.

(5.0)

2 reviews*

**Price: $6.50

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Book cover image for Straws: Third book in The Mug Trilogy
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The aftermath of Mug’s time whirling in The Lying Scotsman’s vortex. This third book in the loosely autobiographical Mug Trilogy documents her epic struggles to achieve a positive outcome in her turbulent relationships with men, family, work and life in general. Who will be Mug's final straw?

(5.0)

1 reviews*

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Book cover image for Ray Dennis Does The Secret: A Simple Law of Attraction Story
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Ray Dennis does the secret, a simple law of attraction story is a humorous parody based on The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

When Ray Dennis, an alcoholic English bricklayer, is deported from the US back to the UK on a drug charge, he has no idea that his life and identity are about to change forever. Shattered by his knowledge that he is a failure, Ray dedicates himself to self-improvement and unwittingly puts himself and his family on a path to disaster once he discovers The Secret.With a change of name and new passport, Ray returns to LA. He meets a Guru who introduces him to the teachings of The Secret, and shows Ray how to plant thought seeds. And so begins his quest to completely change his life. His thoughts seeds create a wife, kids, a successful business, and a big house. But his success comes at a price as serious drug traffickers eventually kill his wife and children, and the police won’t help when they find out he was in the country illegally.

(5.0)

1 reviews*

**Price: $3.75

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Book cover image for Wheels of Injustice: Saving My Child from the Child Savers
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Six weeks into a blissful honeymoon, life turns into a nightmare when Susan’s 9-year-old daughter is taken away and her husband is falsely accused of child sexual abuse. As her own and other families throughout the country are crushed under its wheels, Susan musters the strength and the will to battle a behemoth system that has become the very thing it was created to eradicate.
Wheels of Injustice is the true story of one woman’s fight against a powerful system that’s run amok, grinding families into dust, obliterating Amendment protections, and taking revenge against anyone who attempts to reform it.
It’s the 1980s—a decade of unfounded abuse accusations, hysterical claims of orgies at daycare centers, families controlled by courts, and an out-of-control child protection system.
A tribute to God's faithfulness and a message of hope to others who have struggled to overcome adversity, fight governmental intrusion and overreach, and turn an upended life the right way around again.
******
“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

(5.0)

1 reviews*

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Book cover image for God's Good Works: Stories to Treasure and Tales to Ponder
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God's Good Works: Stories to Treasure and Tales to Ponder is a heartfelt faith-based collection of anecdotes and insightful lessons drawn from everyday experiences. It also examines the current American and global political climates through the lens of biblical eschatology.

Beginning in 2020, the battle between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Darkness exploded with Black Lives Matter, COVID-19, and the January 6, 2021 “Capitol insurrection.” Could we be living in the final days before the coming New World Order and the rapture of the Bible-believing Church?

(0.0)

0 reviews*

**Price: $4.99

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