Paul Hendrickson provides an invaluable, unforgettable and original portrait of Ernest Hemingway and his beloved boat, Pilar, in Hemingway's Boat. Telling the story of the great American writer by focusing on the boat he wrote on, fished from and loved on, this gives a new insight into the life of a man who became a literary sensation. The biography covers from the pinnacle of Hemingway's fame in 1934 to his suicide in 1961, and this enchanting read showcases the close connection between events in his life and the words that ended up on the pages in his work.

Written by Claudia Gold, The King's Mistress: Scandal, Intrigue and the True Story of the Woman Who Stole George I's Heart tells the tale of Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, a woman who was the mistress and probable secret wife of King George I. Seemingly grasping, unattractive and dim-witted, she managed to tempt George away from his beautiful wide and bind him to her for almost 40 years, becoming one of the most powerful women in Europe. This thoroughly readable account brings her tale vividly to life in an extremely compelling way.

Written by the acclaimed historian Diane Atkinson, The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton is the sensational true story of Caroline Norton - a beautiful and clever young woman who fought for the rights of women everywhere. Maneuvered into marriage at just 19, ten years later Caroline's husband George Norton was a dull, violent and controlling man and when Caroline stood up for herself and refused to be the wife he wanted, he accused her of adultery. Soon, Caroline was exonerated and cut off from her children by her vindictive husband. This is when she began to campaign to get women a separate legal identity for the first time. Caroline helped write the Infant Custody Act and also influenced the Matrimonial Causes (Divorce) Act and the Married Women's Property Act in the nineteenth century. This beautiful hardback is a fascinating read for anyone interested in history and politics.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama: My Spiritual Autobiography is a fascinating insight into the life of the extremely respected leader. The Dalai Lama sees himself first and foremost as a human being, secondly as a monk and thirdly as the political leader of Tibet. This extraordinary autobiography describes many hitherto unknown stories from his childhood and his gradual development as a leader of his people. The Dalai Lama also shares his daily spiritual practice and demonstrates how he endeavours to bring a sense of goodness and conscience to political life around the globe. He also explains how he transforms himself through spiritual means in order to have a positive effect on the world.

A brilliantly honest portrayal of a man whose work inspired so many people, Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl is the official biography, as written by Donald Sturrock. Exposing the intricacies and complications of a life that was full of vitality and passion, but often undermined by Dahl’s faults, which Sturrock rightly refuses to miss out, this book gets closer to revealing the true tale of the writer’s life than any other book has dared. Full of drama, both comic and tragic, it is ultimately the story of a heroic life and one that you’ll be keen to finish.

Each biography reveals the life and times of artists, sportsmen, statesmen, authors, musicians, monarchs, actors and scientists, showing why they have been so inspirational. Complete with a foreword by the radio show's presenter Matthew Parris, the BBC book of Great Lives highlights the times of King Alfred, Tommy Cooper, Robin Day and Edith Wharton amongst many others. The perfect gift for fans of history and biographies.

A quiet man, P.G. Wodehouse always shied away from the idea of a biography. Expressing himself through the written word, this collection of letters provides an illuminating biographical accompaniment to the man behind the likes of Jeeves and the Empress of Blandings. Following from his schooldays at Dulwich College to his life in New York working in musical comedy alongside Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and George Gershwin, the letters also cover the strange episode in 1940 when he was interned by the Germans. A revealing insight that will delight fans of Wodehouse.

The Autobiography of Jack the Ripper purports to be the confession of the world's most notorious serial killer, apparently written by James Carnac in the 1920s, but only recently discovered. Whether it actually is or not is up for the reader to judge, but it is an extraordinary memoir that appears to have inside knowledge of the Whitechapel murders of 1888 and gives a wealth of detail about Victorian London, as well as giving a credible motive for the murders. Either fiction or non, this is a fascinating piece of period writing that is a worthy addition to the Ripper cannon and is sure to inspire heated debates.

A remarkable journey through Jackie Kay's childhood - one ridden with prejudice and experiences of rejection - Red Dust Road is a moving and beautifully written autobiography. Vividly told, Kay's memoir tells of her upbringing as an adopted, mixed-race lesbian in a genuine and appealing manner, without unattractive doses of self pity. Full of good humour and touching honesty, and written in a flowing, delicate style more akin to a bestselling novel, this is a fascinating story of nature versus nurture. This remarkable read was the winner of the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards: Book of the Year Award in 2011.

Six incredible volumes of Maya Angelou’s fascinating autobiography, this collection is an eye-opening first-hand account of life during one of America’s most tumultuous periods of history. A woman of phenomenal inner strength and resilience, Angelou grew up in the American South of the 1930’s, in a world where discrimination and poverty were rife. Having gone on to achieve great things, working as an actress, dancer, singer, film director, political activist, poet and writer, she reflects on times of hardship and on times of joy, hope and celebration.

The story of a truly iconic writer?s life and career through the decades, Agatha Christie?s Murder in the Making is expertly researched and written by John Curran and includes some fascinating never-before-published stories and snippets. With access to her personal notebooks, author Curran sheds new light on Christie?s career and the books that made her a household name, as well as publishing fascinating new excerpts and stories from her archives. Packed with details that fans will find to be thoroughly engrossing, this book contains much to enjoy.

From Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, The Chicken Chronicles is a truly unique tale of a women?s relationship with poultry and a warm memoir of how keeping chickens led the author to reflect and ask questions of herself. Growing up in the deep south of America, Alice soon became used to the reality of breeding chickens for their eggs and ultimately meat and discovered later in her life, when living in Mexico, how much she missed rearing her own brood. Full of fascinating reflections and plenty of interesting details about the practicalities of looking after animals, this is an intriguing hardback.

A fascinating insight into the life of a magazine editor, A Diary of The Lady is a riotous account of her first year in charge of the world’s oldest women’s weekly magazine by Rachel Johnson. Charged with the responsibility of rescuing The Lady from dwindling readership figures, the smart and metropolitan Johnson locks horns with the slightly archaic ways of the magazine and its owners, whilst uncovering all the dirt on life in the offices of a seemingly sedate ladies’ journal. Will she sink The Lady or will this wickedly funny account detail a masterful success?

The Children of Lovers is an interesting, intelligent memoir, written in an engaging and unsentimental style. In 1993, Golding died after an evening with the family, drunk and alone, at about 4am a bad time for a sufferer of night terrors... On the same night, in a nearby room, Judy had a prophetic dream that at last she could think and write whatever she liked. This book, so clear thinking and devoid of self-pity has emerged from that discovery. While William Golding may give The Children of Lovers its heft and weight, the author gives it wings, and her book takes flight in a light-spirited way that those brilliant, brilliant, demon-haunted novels never quite did.