Everyone knows that famous image of Che Guevara that adorns T-shirts and posters, that of a young revolutionary looking all wind-swept and interesting in his flash beret. Unfortunately, that photograph, taken by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda, may be all that some younger readers know of Che, and there’s certainly much more to the bloke than […]
More to Guevara than that image Read Post »
There’s probably not a lot you can say about Sir Edmund Hillary that we don’t already know. Sir Ed is the stuff of legend: he scaled the world’s highest peak then proudly proclaimed to the world that he’d “knocked the bastard off” and cranked up his trusty tractor for a wee trip to the South
Getting to know our Sir Ed Read Post »
Now here’s a cutesy idea: a series of dramatised biographies that allow the reader to travel back in time and spend an hour or so with some of the more interesting people in history. Coffee With Groucho, by Simon Louvish, features the Marx brother who could have been the king of Movember, while Coffee With
Getting to know them over coffee Read Post »
James Yee could have been the poster boy for the United States Army. The West Point graduate and New Jersey native was a second-generation army man, following in the footsteps of his father and his brothers. He converted from Christianity to Islam shortly after his 1990 graduation and decided to take up the invitation to
Post-9/11 life tests chaplain Read Post »
In 1973, Steve Wozniak decided to build a computer for a bit of fun. He called it Apple I. Fast forward 30 years and that bit of fun has snowballed to become a billion-dollar company with more than 30 million customers. I’m not one of those users but I can appreciate a good product and
Not just for the Mac addicts Read Post »
Aussie’s Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin may have died an untimely death after his encounter with a stingray but there’s no doubt he packed more into his 44 years than most of us could ever hope to achieve in two lifetimes. This book by his widow Terri tells the story of how when they first met
A life that was full of colour and adventure Read Post »
It’s interesting that a man who caused immeasurable stress for a bunch of bankers is now the author of a book on how to cope with stress — I’d have thought rogue banker Nick Leeson was more of a carrier than a sufferer. However, Leeson continues his story from where Rogue Trader left off. He
From stress-causer to stress-master? Read Post »
We all know the story of Lesley Martin, the voluntary euthanasia campaigner who became a household name when she was jailed for the attempted murder of her terminally ill mother. Martin has already written one book, To Die Like a Dog, and this one picks up where it left off. It was that first book that
Detailed and compelling reading Read Post »
The life and tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was played out under the harsh glare of camera flashes and glossy magazines. It seemed that she couldn’t make a move without the world knowing about it and the betrayals from the men in her life were well publicised from Charlie and his bit on the side
The constant man in Diana’s life tells his story Read Post »
This moving family memoir gives the reader a glimpse into the grief of a father as he comes to terms with the ultimate loss for any parent: the loss of a child. Reg Thompson’s daughter Charlotte, known as Charlie, died with her friend Livvy in December 2005 when they were hit by a train while crossing the
Story of personal loss raw but uplifting Read Post »
