Autobiographies and biographies 1 - RNIB



Biographies and Autobiographies

Talking Books

The titles in this booklist are just a selection of the titles available for loan from the RNIB National Library Talking Book Service.

Don’t forget you are allowed to have up to 6 books on loan. When you return a title, you will then receive another one.

If you would like to read any of these titles then please contact the Customer Services Team on 0303 123 9999 or email library@.uk

If you would like further information, or help in selecting titles to read, then please contact the Reader Services Team on 01733 37 53 33 or email libraryinfo@.uk

You can write to us at RNIB NLS, PO Box 173, Peterborough PE2 6WS

Film and Television

Crawford, Michael

Parcel arrived safely, tied with string: my autobiography. 2000. Read by Gordon Dulieu, 11 hours 35 minutes. TB 13521.

In his autobiography, Crawford recalls his childhood, his early years in showbusiness and the friendships to which it led. Stage shows like "The Phantom of the Opera" and films such as "Hello Dolly" are all remembered, and he offers plenty of professional and personal behind-the scenes anecdotes. TB 13521.

Davis, Sammy

Sammy: an autobiography. 2001. Read by Jeff Harding and Bill Roberts, 18 hours 29 minutes. TB 13681.

Sammy Davis Jr rose from Childhood stardom on the vaudeville stage to become one of the most famous African-American entertainers of the 195s and 1960s. At the same time, he spent most of his career surrounded by controversy and ridicule - over his affairs with white film stars, his marriage to Swedish actress May Britt, his conversion to Judaism and problems with drugs and alcohol. Contains strong language. TB 13681.

Hancock, Sheila

The two of us: my life with John Thaw. 2004. Read by Frances Jeater, 10 hours 35 minutes. TB 14445.

When John Thaw, star of The Sweeney and Inspector Morse, died from cancer in 2002, a nation lost one of its finest actors. Sheila Hancock lost a beloved husband. In this unique double biography she chronicles their lives - personal and professional, together and apart. When they married in 1974, Sheila was already the star of the TV series The Rag Trade and went on to become the first woman artistic director at the RSC. Theirs was a sometimes turbulent, always passionate relationship, and Sheila describes their love - weathering overwork and the pressures of celebrity, drink and cancer - with honesty and piercing intelligence. Contains strong language. TB 14445.

Harris, Rolf

Can you tell what it is yet? my autobiography. 2001. Read by Nigel Graham, 13 hours 38 minutes. TB 13788.

After nearly fifty years on stage and screen, Rolf Harris is a widely respected and well-loved figure in the world of British showbusiness. In this account of his life he traces his roots to the dusty streets of Bassendean, West Australia. Contains strong language. TB 13788.

Hunniford, Gloria

Next to you: Caron's courage remembered by her mother. 2005. Read by Maggie Cronin, 11 hours 45 minutes. TB 14823.

Caron was 41 when she died, leaving behind two sons, Gabriel and Charlie. A few weeks after Gabriel was born - and her own father died - Caron found a lump in her breast. Gloria knew at that moment, that all their lives would change for ever. Written by Gloria, but with extracts from Caron's own diary, this is a story about an unbreakable mother/daughter bond. Contains strong language. TB 14823.

Leaming, Barbara

Bette Davis: a biography. 1992. Read by Helen Horton, 17 hours 2 minutes. TB 9436.

Bette Davis has always aroused controversy, with her legal battle with Warner Brothers, her four husbands and the book by her daughter B.D. Until now, though, she has always been seen as the heroine. Here is the dark side of a woman whose power destroyed others, her family and herself; a story of abandonment, alcoholism, domestic violence, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, religious fanaticism and insanity passed from generation to generation. TB 9436.

Lee, Christopher

Lord of misrule: the autobiography of Christopher Lee. 2003. Read by Nigel Graham, 16 hours 20 minutes. TB 13971.

Christopher Lee's remarkable film career has delighted and terrified fans young and old alike but his life has proved just as strange as his films. Lee's family was descended from papal nobility, and an unusual home life was counterbalanced by his conventionally English education, as public school was followed by the RAF and dramatic wartime experiences. Contains strong language. TB 13971.

Lipman, Maureen

Lip reading. 2000. Read by Maureen Lipman, 9 hours 5 minutes. TB 12644.

In this latest collection of humorous stories, Maureen Lipman reveals how she found herself trussed up backstage in Birmingham, ponders the more peculiar aspects of cricket terminology and explores the miracle of plastic tablecloths. TB 12644.

Monkhouse, Bob

Crying with laughter: my life story. 1993. Read by Jon Cartwright, 12 hours 22 minutes. TB 10021.

Hooked from the age of seven after seeing George Formby, Bob took to writing jokes and sending them to leading variety stars. Finally he won the admiration of Max Miller who gave him a masterclass in comic technique. One of this country's most successful comedians, Bob's confessions combine the wit of his public image with the revelation of his private tragedies and will come as a shock to those who see him only as the self-assured TV host and cabaret star. Contains strong language. TB 10021.

Peel, John

Margrave of the marshes. 2005. Read by Johnathan Oliver, Joan Walker and Peter Kenny, 12 hours 40 minutes. TB 14768.

The first half of the book, written by John describes his early life, from child to man, including his school and National Service. The second section written by his wife Shelia, completes the story, providing an intimate portrait of the man and his music, and the highs and lows of everyday life at their home in Suffolk. Contains strong language. TB 14768.

Secrest, Meryle

Somewhere for me: a biography of Richard Rodgers. 2001. Read by Liza Ross, 16 hours 45 minutes. TB 13371.

The life of composer Richard Rodgers encapsulates the very essence of New York and London high society during the first half of the twentieth century. His twenty-five-year collaboration with Lorenz Hart gave rise to songs that will live forever such as 'The Lady is a Tramp' and 'Blue Moon'. Later he collaborated with Oscar Hammerstein II and together they wrote musicals such as 'The Sound of Music' and 'South Pacific'. TB 13371.

Sykes, Eric

If I don't write it, nobody else will. 2005. Read by Stephen Thorne, 18 hours 44 minutes. TB 14691.

The story of one of Britain's greatest comic legends. Sykes reveals his extraordinary life working alongside a generation of legendary comedians and entertainers, despite being dogged by deafness and eventually virtual blindness. His essential core of warm humanity and genuine creative genius has won him a place in so many hearts. TB 14691.

Taylor, Roberta

Too many mothers: a memoir of an East End childhood. 2005. Read by Roberta Taylor, 7 hours 17 minutes. TB 14462.

A bittersweet memoir of Roberta Taylor’s early life and the extended family that brought her up. It is a portrait of an embattled family who embrace petty crime, romance, blackmail, adoption and even murder. TB 14462.

Titchmarsh, Alan

Trowel and error: notes from a life on earth. 2002. Read by John Mayes, 9 hours 4 minutes. TB 14575.

Alan Titchmarsh has had a passion for gardening for as long as he can remember. Aged eight, he announced to friends that he was going to be the next Percy Thrower, although he thought it was no more than a dream. Here, he tells his own story from Ilkley Moor to Pebble Mill and to the final realizing of his dream of becoming TV's favourite gardener. Along the way, the cast of characters includes everyone from Auntie Ethel to Nelson Mandela and the Queen. TB 14575.

Wogan, Terry

Is it me? Terry Wogan: an autobiography. 2000. Read by John Cormack, 10 hours 5 minutes. TB 13583.

Wogan brings to the reader a wry take on everyday life, mixed with a self-deprecating humour, as he describes his whole life, both personal and professional. TB 13583.

Authors and Journalists

Adie, Kate

The kindness of strangers: the autobiography. 2004. Read by Kate Adie, 16 hours 4 minutes. TB 13469.

Kate Adie, reporting from the world's trouble spots, is so familiar to us that we all recognise her, but this book reveals much more about her eventful life. Raised in post-war Sunderland, where life was "a sunny experience, full of meat-paste sandwiches and Sunday school". Kate has courageously reported from all over the world since she joined the BBC in 1969. These memoirs encompass her reporting from, inter alia, Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Tiananmen Square and, of course, the Gulf War of 1991. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 13469.

Bayley, John

Iris: a memoir of Iris Murdoch. 1998. Read by Michael McStay, 6 hours 50 minutes. TB 11905.

Dame Iris Murdoch, philosopher and novelist and her husband, John Bayley, Professor of English, literary critic and novelist, have exercised a joint influence in university circles and in the world of letters. Their life together was cruelly interrupted when it became clear that Dame Iris was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, paralysing for a thinker and writer of such creative distinction. TB 11905.

Booth, Martin

Gweilo: memories of a Hong Kong childhood. 2004. Read by Christopher Oxford, 11 hours 33 minutes. TB 13885.

In this memoir of his colonial childhood in Hong Kong in the 1950s, Martin Booth writes from his child's perspective of the years where he was able to roam freely around the streets of Hong Kong. Filled with an enormous curiosity about the exotic and colourful world around him, Martin quickly gains a grasp of pidgin-Cantonese and uses it to roam the streets and gain access to some of the most colourful parts of Hong Kong, including opium dens, the headquarters of ruthless criminals and a leper colony. Contains strong language. TB 13885.

Hastings, Max

Going to the wars. 2001. Read by Peter Barker, 15 hours 29 minutes. TB 13051.

Max Hastings grew up with romantic dreams of a life amongst warriors. But after an embarrassing false start as a parachute soldier in 1963, he became a journalist and a war correspondent instead. He learned his trade as a correspondent in race riots in America and amid Northern Ireland's first big clashes in 1969, but his greatest moment came in 1982 when he walked alone into Port Stanley, ahead of the British landing force, in pursuit of a last great scoop. Contains strong language. TB 13051.

Gardner, Frank

Blood and sand: love, death and survival in an age of global terror. 2006. Read by Alistair Petrie, 11 hours 56 minutes. TB 14677.

On 6 June 2004, Frank Gardner and cameraman Simon Cumbers were in a quiet suburb of Riyadh, filming a piece on Al-Qaeda when they were confronted by Islamist gunmen. Simon was killed instantly. Frank was brought down by a shot in the shoulder, then the leg and four bullets at point blank range. This story follows how he survived what should have been death. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 14677.

Mortimer, John

Where there's a will. 2003. Read by Peter Barker, 6 hours 6 minutes. TB 13662.

Following the bestselling 'Summer of a Dormouse', Sir John Mortimer - playwright, novelist, octogenarian and erstwhile QC - offers up more lessons in living and growing old disgracefully. What would we like to leave to our descendants? Not a third-rate painting of our PEPs, according to Sir John, but a love of Shakespeare, a taste for alcohol, the ability to defeat boredom, the importance of never locking the lavatory door, and so on. Contains strong language. TB 13662.

Sage, Lorna

Bad blood. 2001. Read by Charlotte Strevens, 9 hours 25 minutes. TB 12824.

The author's memoir of childhood and adolescence brings to life her eccentric family and somewhat bizarre upbringing in Hanmer, on the border between Wales and Shropshire. The period as well as the place is evoked with the crystal clarity: from the 1940s, dominated for Lorna by her dissolute but charismatic vicar grandfather, through the 1950s, where the invention of fish fingers revolutionised the lives of housewives like Lorna's mother, to the brink of the 1960s, where the community was shocked by Lorna's pregnancy at sixteen. TB 12824.

Simpson, John

Strange places, questionable people. 1999. Read by Steve Hodson, 24 hours 27 minutes. TB 13589.

For over thirty years John Simpson has travelled the world to report to the significant events of recent years. Here the BBC World Affairs Editor tells of his eventful career. TB 13589.

Slater, Nigel

Toast: the story of a boy's hunger. 2004. Read by Nigel Slater, 6 hours 2 minutes. TB 13641.

The book looks at the author’s memories of childhood through food. Whether relating his mother's ritual burning of the toast, his father's dreaded Boxing Day stew or such culinary highlights of the day as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered something of a status symbol in Wolverhampton), this memoir vividly recreates daily life in sixties suburban England. Contains strong language. TB 13641.

Smith, Sean

J K Rowling: a biography. 2002. Read by Nigel Carrington, 7 hours. TB 13100.

J.K. Rowling's rise to superstardom status is the stuff of tabloid legend - how she would spend hours in a cafe in Edinburgh, nursing a single coffee and a glass of water while she wrote the Harry Potter novel that would bring her fame and fortune. This is the life-story of this popular author. TB 13100.

White, Peter

See it my way. 1999. Read by Peter White, 10 hours 16 minutes. TB 11932.

Unsentimental and humorous autobiography by the BBC's disability affairs correspondent, the second blind son born to sighted parents. The text covers Peter White's childhood, his experiences at special schools, the shock of 'real life' - of the problems of coping with seemingly ordinary, everyday living away from home or at a special school, his career with the BBC, marriage and parenthood, his love of sport, his occasional rage at the attitudes of 'normal' people, and his sometimes volatile relationship with his father. TB 11932.

Artists and Musicians

Bergreen, Laurence

Louis Armstrong: an extravagant life. 1997. Read by Jeff Harding, 22 hours 33 minutes. TB 12264.

A biography of the jazz and blues master, using new material from the Louis Armstrong archive. Louis Armstrong was a character of epic proportions - married four times, a life-long advocate of marijuana, who took his music from the streets of New Orleans to Hollywood, Europe and South America. TB 12264.

Bocelli, Andrea

Andrea Bocelli: the music of silence. 1999. Read by Peter Barker, 9 hours 14 minutes. TB 12878.

Andrea Bocelli is one of the world's most successful male singers, selling 20 million recordings world-wide. He has become the popular face of classical music. Yet behind his extraordinary success lies a story of personal triumph. Andrea Bocelli was blinded at the age of twelve. Undeterred, he continued to pursue his childhood dream to sing, using Braille musical scores and lyric sheets. This is Bocelli's true story, told in his own words for the first time. He talks frankly about his blindness, the importance of his family, his stage fright, and the pressures of international stardom. TB 12878.

Callow, Philip

Lost earth: a life of Cezanne. 1995. Read by Robert Gladwell, 24 hours 42 minutes. TB 11302.

In recent years, an exhibition of the early work of Cezanne has revealed a young genius whose imagination was violent and troubled. Drawing on contemporary sources, the author charts the twists and turns of Cezanne's life, outwardly uneventful but full of inner anguish. He examines Cezanne's relationship with Emile Zola with whom he later quarrelled, and reveals a man who, despite his own weakness and despair, became an exemplar of artistic commitment. TB 11302.

Crawford, Alan

Charles Rennie Mackintosh. 2002. Read by Robert Kirkwood, 5 hours 45 minutes. TB 13489.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh's finest work dates from about a dozen intensively creative years around 1900. His buildings in Glasgow are more complex and playful than anything in Britain at that time. His interiors are both spare and sensuous, creating a world of heightened aesthetic sensibility. Finally, during the 1920s, he painted a series of watercolours which are as original as anything he had done before. This book investigates Mackintosh and his achievements, revealing a designer of extraordinary sophistication and inventiveness. TB 13489.

Du Pre, Piers

A genius in the family: an intimate memoir of Jacqueline Du Pre. 1998. Read by Peter Wickham and Rosalind Shanks, 15 hours 23 minutes. TB 11886.

From the moment Jacqueline du Pre first held a cello at the age of five, it was clear that she had an extraordinary gift. At sixteen, when she made her professional debut, she was hailed as one of the world's most talented and exciting young musicians. Ten years later, she stopped playing virtually overnight when multiple sclerosis removed the feeling in her hands just before a concert. It took fourteen years for the crippling disease to kill her. TB 11886.

Dylan, Bob

Chronicles. 2004. Read by John Chancer, 9 hours 57 minutes. TB 13951.

This is the first volume of the autobiography of a musical and political icon. Circa 1965, arguably the high point of his creative genius, Bob Dylan writes on the beginnings of his music career, his loves - including his very first date - and offers a very personal, anecdotal view of this time of great creativity, innovation and music history. TB 13951.

Ferrier, Kathleen

Letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier. 2003. Read by Peter Barker, Joan Walker and Diana Bishop, 16 hours 29 minutes. TB 13933.

Fifty years ago, Kathleen Ferrier, the greatest lyric contralto Britain has ever produced, lost her battle with breast cancer. Until now she has been a voice, but through these letters and diaries we get to see the person. Her correspondents include composer Benjamin Britten, conductors John Barbirolli and Bruno Walter, her accompanist John Newmark, her agents John and Emmie Tillet, as well as friends, family and fans. Her letters not only illuminate the musical life of Britain, Europe and America but also detailed the organisation involved in programming, touring, and performing in the very different arenas of concerts, recitals, opera, broadcasting and recording. TB 13933.

Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich

Echoes of a lifetime. 1989. Read by Peter Barker, 13 hours 25 minutes. TB 8198.

"Echoes of a Lifetime" offers a self-portrait rather than a traditional autobiography, almost a photograph-album in prose. He vividly recalls his young years in Hitler's Germany and the military service that interrupted his musical training and took him to an American prisoner-of-war camp in Italy. Back home in Berlin in 1947, the tumultuous applause that greeted his debut as Posa in Verdi's "Don Carlos" launched one of the truly great careers of musical history. TB 8198.

Heath, Chris

Feel: Robbie Williams. 2004. Read by David Thorpe, 20 hours 17 minutes. TB 14017.

A documentary book on Robbie Williams. The text explores nature of fame, ambition and talent and tells a very surreal tale of an ordinary young man thrust into a most peculiar world. Contains strong language. TB 14017.

Spurling, Hilary

The unknown Matisse: a life of Henri Matisse: the early years, 1869-1908. 2001. Read by Jilly Bond, 19 hours 4 minutes. TB 14598.

Hilary Spurling presents an account of Matisse's early life, from his beginnings as the son of shopkeepers in Flanders through his impoverished days as a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Tracing Matisse's life through his thirties, Spurling describes how the artist's stubborn northern temperament helped sustain him through many challenges, both artistic and financial, as he found his way as a painter. TB 14598.

Whitehouse, Andrew

Images from the dark: the story of Carolyn James. 1990. Read by Carol Marsh, 6 hours 10 minutes. TB 8220.

Carolyn James is a talented painter, especially of landscape, and is completely blind. In a full and varied life she was constantly frustrated by failing sight. Only when her blindness became total did imagination and her daughter's paint-box free her to make pictures. Within a year her work exhibited, and soon she appeared on television and radio. She began writing her poems, which became song lyrics, and now in her 40s is a creative artist in both media. TB 8220.

Science and Engineering

Bathurst, Bella

The Lighthouse Stevensons: the extraordinary story of the building of the Scottish lighthouses by the ancestors of Robert Louis Stevenson. 1999. Read by Joan Walker, 9 hours 1 minute. TB 12118.

Robert Louis was the most famous Stevenson, but not the most productive. Four generations of "Lighthouse" Stevensons built every Scottish lighthouse, were inventors in both construction and optics, and achieved feats of engineering in conditions that would be forbidding even today. TB 12118.

Doran, Jamie

Starman: the truth behind the legend of Yuri Gagarin. 1999. Read by Steve Hodson, 10 hours. TB 13363.

This biography examines the life of Yuri Gagarin who became the first human in history to leave the Earth's atmosphere and venture into space. The book is based on material from sensitive KGB files and restricted documents from the Russian space authorities. It includes a number of interviews. TB 13363.

Hartley, Sarah

Mrs P's journey: the remarkable story of the woman who created the A-Z map. 2001. Read by Joan Walker, 9 hours 50 minutes. TB 13139.

The entrepreneurial daughter of a Hungarian Jewish immigrant, looking for ways of supporting herself, Phyllis Pearsall decided to remedy the unmapped muddle that was London in the mid-1930s. This biography tells of the woman who single-handedly created the publishing phenomenon of the London A-Z. TB 13139.

Moore, Patrick

Eighty not out. 2003. Read by Raymond Sawyer, 10 hours 33 minutes. TB 13972.

Throughout his distinguished career, Patrick Moore has done more to raise the profile of astronomy among the British public than any other figure in the scientific world. As the presenter of 'The Sky at Night' on BBC television for over 45 years he was honoured with an OBE in 1968 and a CBD in 1988. In 2001 he was knighted 'for services to the popularisation of science and to broadcasting'. Educated at Cambridge University, Patrick's early research was concentrated on mapping the moon. In 1959 the Russians used his charts to correlate the first Lunik 3 pictures of the far side of the satellite and he was also involved in the lunar mapping carried out prior to the NASA Apollo missions. This is his autobiography. Contains strong language. TB 13972.

Tinniswood, Adrian

His invention so fertile: a life of Christopher Wren. 2001. Read by Nigel Graham, 19 hours 15 minutes. TB 13141.

Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723) was the greatest architect Britain has ever known. But he was more than that. A founder of the Royal Society, he mapped the moon and the stars, investigated the problem of longitude and the rings of Saturn, and carried out groundbreaking experiments into the circulation of the blood. His observations on comets, meteorology and muscular action made vital contributions to the developing ideas of Newton, Halley and Boyle. TB 13141.

Wooler, Geoffrey

Pig in a suitcase: the autobiography of a heart surgeon. 1999. Read by Peter Barker, 7 hours 51 minutes. TB 13646.

Geoffrey Wooler's career in medicine began before the outbreak of war in 1939. He was in the Territorial Army, and was soon on active service in Africa and Italy. The book provides insights into the drama of the operating theatre, and the humanity of the surgeons who wield the scalpels. TB 13646.

Political

Abse, Leo

Margaret, daughter of Beatrice: a politician's psychobiography of Margaret Thatcher. 1989. Read by Bruce Montague, 15 hours 45 minutes. TB 7826.

Margaret Thatcher in her "Who's who?" entry writes, "Born 13 October 1925, daughter of the late Alfred Roberts". Why does the Prime Minister so brutally repudiate her mother? Why has Thatcher said that after the age of fifteen she had nothing more to say to her? Why are her reluctant and rare references to her mother always deprecatory? And why do Thatcher's contemporaries tell us she despised her mother? TB 7826.

Ashdown, Paddy

The Ashdown diaries. 2000. Read by Nigel Graham, 23 hours 5 minutes. TB 12939.

This volume of Paddy Ashdown's diary is a first-hand account of the efforts to build a centre-left strategy for defeating the Conservatives, gives insight into the management and structure of a modern political party, and also includes Ashdown's daily record. Contains strong language. TB 12939.

Blunkett, David

On a clear day. 1995. Read by Peter Barker, 7 hours 58 minutes. TB 10327.

People have asked David Blunkett what this book is about. He describes it as the autobiography of a politician, Blunkett the man and guide dogs! It was suggested to the author he might write about guide dogs and a little about his own life. He rejected the idea of writing a political autobiography at this stage in his life, deciding instead to wait until after retirement when he would have the time and space to do justice to it. So what the author has produced is a book containing a thumbnail sketch of his life so far, with a great deal about guide dogs and a little bit about politics. TB 10327.

Boothroyd, Betty

Betty Boothroyd: the autobiography. 2001. Read by Rosemary Davis, 15 hours 16 minutes. TB 13049.

Betty long political career reached its apogee in 1992 when she was elected the first woman Speaker of the House of Commons with overwhelming support from all sides of the house. Her term of office coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in British politics of recent times as John Major tried to hold the Conservative Party together and Tony Blair led Labour to a landslide victory. In this autobiography she unravels many of the stories behind the headlines and her fight to defend the reputation and rights of Parliament. TB 13049.

Clark, Alan

Diaries. 2000. Read by Steve Hodson, 15 hours 56 minutes. TB 13046.

Since the first publication of Alan Clark's diaries in 1993, readers have begged for more. This series tells the story of how he came to enter the House of Commons and serve as a backbencher for years before advancement in Thatcher's government. TB 13046.

Clinton, Bill

My life. 2004. Read by Jeff Harding, 50 hours 25 minutes. TB 14131.

A look at the former president as a son, brother, teacher, father, husband and public figure. Clinton painstakingly outlines the history behind his greatest successes and failures, including his dedication to educational and economic reform, his war against a "vast right-wing operation" determined to destroy him, and the "morally indefensible" acts for which he was nearly impeached. My Life is autobiography as therapy--a personal history written by a man trying to face and banish his private demons. TB 14131.

Cole, John

As it seemed to me: political memoirs. 1995. Read by Denys Hawthorne and John Cole, 22 hours 7 minutes. TB 10519.

The inside stories of British politics from the times of Harold Macmillan to the early days of John Major's government. For more than thirty years the author has reported the political goings on in Britain, as journalist, newspaper editor and political editor of the BBC. He tells us the secrets of these years, drawing on his conversations with politicians, and also introduces us to his Belfast Background. TB 10519.

Heseltine, Michael

Life in the jungle: my autobiography. 2000. Read by Jon Cartwright, 23 hours 20 minutes. TB 13045.

Michael Heseltine has enjoyed one of the most colourful and creative careers of modern British politics. This autobiography tells the story of his political life, and his business career. Contains strong language. TB 13045.

Keeler, Christine

The truth at last: my story. 2002. Read by Norma West, 9 hours 45 minutes. TB 13298.

After Christine Keeler's affairs with the Minister of War, John Profumo, and a Russian diplomat, the press discovered that it could and would expose the private lives of public figures. In these memoirs, Christine Keeler sets the record straight, including her own personal sacrifices. Contains passages of a sexual nature. TB 13298.

Major, John

John Major: the autobiography. 1999. Read by Alistair Maydon, 34 hours 53 minutes. TB 12120.

John Major's rise through Parliament was meteoric. That is, until within months of the 1992 election, when his government was in troubled waters. In this text, John Major tells about what he won and lost, and about friends and foes within his own party as well as outside. TB 12120.

Mowlam, Marjorie

Momentum: the struggle for peace, politics and the people. 2002. Read by Penelope Freeman, 12 hours 45 minutes. TB 12853.

Mo Mowlam tells the story of her time in government, including the months leading up to the 1997 General Election, Labour's landslide victory and what had gone on as she underwent treatment for a brain tumour while working towards that victory. She tells the inside story of her time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, why she decided to leave Westminster politics and her hopes and dreams. TB 12853.

On Royalty

Bradford, Sarah

Elizabeth: a biography of Her Majesty the Queen. 1996. Read by Norma West, 24 hours 13 minutes. TB 11156.

The author has uncovered unpublished archives and documents, and has had access to people close to the family. This book is not only a great family saga spanning the twentieth century but also an in-depth portrait of a very private woman in her public and family life. TB 11156.

Burrell, Paul

A royal duty. 2003. Read by Christopher Oxford, 17 hours 50 minutes. TB 13435.

The untold story behind one of the most sensational chapters in the history of the House of Windsor. Paul Burrell fought to clear his name. Now he reveals startling new truths about Diana, Princess of Wales – and presents for the first time as faithful an account of her thoughts as we can ever hope to read. Contains strong language. TB 13435.

Forbes, Grania

My darling Buffy: the early life of the Queen Mother. 1997. Read by Norma West, 6 hours 30 minutes. TB 11416.

An intimate portrait of the Queen Mother's childhood and early adult life. It shows the strong-willed little girl and describes her pranks, pets and prowess in the schoolroom. It also details her encounter with the Duke of York that led to a happy marriage. The book contains many previously unpublished letters, diaries and photographs. TB 11416.

Holden, Anthony

Charles: a biography. 1998. Read by Peter Barker, 18 hours 38 minutes. TB 11669.

Anthony Holden's third book on Charles presents a divorced prince, now a widower, facing a stark choice between his children, the love of his life and the throne. It also offers an insight into his perspective on Diana's death. TB 11669.

Van der Kiste, John

George V's children. 1991. Read by Erica Grant, 7 hours 53 minutes. TB 9065.

A collective biography of King George V and Queen Mary's six children. All except the youngest lived to maturity and made their mark on British public life. This is the first book to cover the intriguing lives of King George's children, whom he described as "a regiment, not a family". TB 9065.

Wharfe, Ken

Diana: closely guarded secret. 2002. Read by Michael Latimer, 10 hours 15 minutes. TB 13151.

This text reveals: the truth about the Princess's relationships, including her infatuation with James Hewitt and Oliver Hoare, and the surprising fact that she was sometimes conducting more than one liaison at a time; accounts of exotic trips - both official and private - around the world; an insider's view of the 'War of the Waleses' - the rows and bitterness, and Diana's desire to escape the 'gilded cage' of royalty; how Charles and Diana managed their separate love lives with the help of loyal retainers; a searing, expert indictment of the errors in security and protection that led to the Princess's death. TB 13151.

Ziegler, Philip

King Edward VIII: the official biography. 1990. Read by Robert Gladwell, 29 hours 52 minutes. TB 8872.

A study of the life of Edward VIII, from boyhood to Prince of Wales, uncrowned King, in exile, and as Governor of the Bahamas. It also examines his relationships with George V, Queen Mary, the future George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Freda Dudley Ward, Wallis Simpson, Adolf Hitler, and Oswald Mosley. TB 8872.

Sport

Armstrong, Lance

It's not about the bike: my journey back to life. 2001. Read by Jeff Harding, 10 hours 40 minutes. TB 13276.

This is the autobiography of Lance Armstrong who won the 1999 Tour de France in spectacular style, taking four stages and both a mountain and a time trial. His story is even more remarkable because he was diagnosed with stage four testicular cancer in October 1996. Contains strong language. TB 13276.

Best, George

Blessed: the autobiography. 2001. Read by John Cormack, 10 hours 15 minutes. TB 13280.

Christened the fifth Beatle at his peak, George Best was the first pop star footballer. He remains one of the greatest footballing figures of the 20th century. At last Best is ready to open his heart and engage us in his life story, from the halcyon days at Manchester United and the European Cup win of '68, to the string of affairs and scandal that followed him from the bars to the bankruptcy courts and even to prison. Contains strong language. TB 13280.

Edwards, Tracy

Maiden. 1990. Read by Erica Grant, 8 hours 31 minutes. TB 9075.

"Maiden" is the inspiring story of how Tracy Edwards, a modest 27-year-old, took a yacht and the first all-female crew ever to race round the globe through storms and savage seas. This is a book about great courage, great endeavour, and extraordinary determination. It is also a story of how anyone can have a dream and, against all odds, come through triumphant. TB 9075.

Hurst, Geoff

1966 and all that: my autobiography. 2001. Read by Steve Hodson, 12 hours 45 minutes. TB 13539.

Catapulted to fame in only his eighth international, Geoff Hurst scored a hat trick against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final. His final goal has been played so many times that it has dominated his life ever since. This autobiography shows that there is more to the man than that one day. He relives the golden era in which he played, reveals some behind-the-scenes stories of events with England and his club sides that have never previously emerged, and he offers his views on the modern game. TB 13539.

Johnson, Martin

Martin Johnson: the autobiography. 2003. Read by Mark Straker, 13 hours. TB 13648.

This autobiography examines the career of former England rugby captain Martin Johnson. Johnson joined Leicester Tiger's senior squad in 1989 and has since gone on to lead the side to four successive Premiership titles (1999-2002) and two European Cups (2001-2002). His international career saw him debut for England in 1993 and first captained the team in 1998. He has also, uniquely, captained the British Lions on two separate tours, to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001. His third successive World Cup and second as captain, in Australia in autumn 2003, took him to a total of more than 80 caps for England. Contains strong language. TB 13648.

Keane, Roy

Keane: the autobiography. 2002. Read by John Cormack and Steve Hodson, 9 hours 27 minutes. TB 13323.

In 1994, Keane travelled to the world cup in America, where as a young player in an experienced team his domination of the midfield helped Jack Charlton's Ireland beat finalists Italy. Years later, as captain of the national side, Keane was crucial to his team's qualification for the 2002 finals from a group few predicted they could survive. And then it all went catastrophically wrong when, days before the tournament began, he was sensationally sent home - his unflagging, uncompromising will to win had led to his undoing. Roy Keane tells his story. Contains strong language. TB 13323.

Mansell, Nigel

Nigel Mansell: my autobiography. 1995. Read by Nigel Carrington, 12 hours 50 minutes. TB 10877.

In his keenly awaited autobiography, Nigel Mansell tells the extraordinary story of his breakthrough and rise to the summit of Formula One, a pressure cooker sport ruled by money, power and political intrigue. This is a frank and exhilarating account of the life of one of the great sporting heros of our time. TB 10877.

Matthews, Stanley

The way it was: my autobiography. 2000. Read by David Thorpe, 19 hours 30 minutes. TB 13710.

An autobiography of Stanley Matthews, the most popular footballer of his era. The book tells the story of Matthews' life, including how he was the first footballer ever to be knighted and how he played in the top division until he was fifty years old. TB 13710.

O'Sullivan, Ronnie

Ronnie: the autobiography of Ronnie O'Sullivan. 2003. Read by Phil Barley, 6 hours 28 minutes. TB 13660.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is snooker's most written and talked about player, and its greatest showman. His supreme talent, breathtaking flair and style have made him the people's champion and left commentators struggling for superlatives to describe his genius. In this book he tells for the first time the candid story of his extraordinary life. Contains strong language. TB 13660.

Remnick, David

King of the world: Muhammad Ali and the rise of an American hero. 1998. Read by Peter Marinker, 12 hours 10 minutes. TB 13146.

On the night in 1964 that Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring with Sonny Liston, he was widely regarded as an irritating freak who danced and talked way too much. Six rounds later Ali was not only the new world heavyweight boxing champion: he was "a new kind of black man" who would shortly transform America's racial politics, its popular culture, and its notions of heroism. Contains strong language. TB 13146.

Richards, Viv

Sir Vivian: the definitive autobiography. 2000. Read by Nigel Graham, 12 hours 37 minutes. TB 13620.

Vivian Richards, West Indies Captain between 1985 and 1991, had been voted the best international cricketer of the last twenty-five years by his peers. Seven years after his retirement from the game Richards tells the story. Playing days in England for Somerset and Glamorgan are recalled, alongside many memorable matches for the West Indies, and opinions on opponents and team-mates from around the world. Contains strong language. TB 13620.

Watson, David

Of fish and men: tales of a Scottish fisher. 2000. Read by David C Watson, 3 hours 4 minutes. TB 13415.

This work is a collection of perceptive and humorous anecdotes from nearly forty years of fishing, linked by a commentary on the author's life and times. The book is about much more than fishing; it is about characters and countryside, and about the struggle to forge a life and career in Scotland during the depression of the 1970s and 1980s. TB 13415.

On Religion

Armstrong, Karen

Through the narrow gate. 1981. Read by Judy Franklin, 10 hours 48 minutes. TB 5281.

Karen Armstrong entered the strict confines of an English convent at the age of seventeen when most other teenagers were embarking on the social revolution of the 1960s. She became Christ's bride in a ceremony of mystical splendour but the way forward was unbearably hard. She struggled on in a battle with her health, mind and spirit until she could go no further. TB 5281.

Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho

Freedom in exile: the autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. 1990. Read by Nigel Graham, 11 hours 36 minutes. TB 9022.

The award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 to the Dalai Lama drew the attention of the free world to the desperate plight of his people. In this autobiography he describes what it was like to grow up revered as a deity among his people and shares his inner feelings about what it means to be the Dalai Lama. TB 9022.

Carpenter, Humphrey

Robert Runcie: the reluctant archbishop. 1996. Read by Ronald Markham, 13 hours 48 minutes. TB 11357.

In this biography we learn the former Archbishop's opinions of the Pope, Terry Waite, the Falklands War, Margaret Thatcher and the survival of the monarchy. Meanwhile, Graham Leonard, Hugh Montefiore, Eric James, the new Bishop of London, Richard Chartres and, not least, Rosalind Runcie, the Archbishop's sometimes controversial wife, are among those who in turn shed light on the enigmatic figure who became the 102nd Archbishop. TB 11357.

Du Boulay, Shirley

Tutu: voice of the voiceless. 1988. Read by Simon Williamson, 11 hours 35 minutes. TB 8682.

The first black Anglican priest to be Archbishop of Cape Town, his emergence as a national and international figure is charted through the eyes of those who have known and observed him at close quarters. This is the story of a man pitched into a struggle which has shaken the world, told against the history of apartheid, and conflict between the Church and the South African government over the very meaning of Christianity. TB 8682.

Hattersley, Roy

John Wesley: a brand from the burning. 2002. Read by Christopher Scott, 17 hours 21 minutes. TB 14103.

John Wesley's beginning in the Anglican rectory and his enthusiasm for the Christian faith at Oxford led to his becoming a missionary to the nascent colony of Georgia. There he found God in a new way and came back to preach a revivalist message across Britain. Out of this fiery movement the Methodist Church was established and it has been claimed that because of Wesley's work Britain experienced a spiritual revival rather than a bloody revolution. TB 14103.

Purves, Libby

Holy smoke: religion and roots: a personal memoir. 1999. Read by Diana Bishop, 7 hours 26 minutes. TB 13417.

Recalling her childhood in convents around the world with stories of nuns amid the gilded temples of Bangkok and rations of beer for nine-year-olds after High Mass in France, through Oxford in the late 1960s, the author traces the way that past encounters have shaped her later thinking. TB 14103.

Rae, John

Sister Genevieve. 2002. Read by Peter Barker, 10 hours 45 minutes. TB 12833.

When Sister Genevieve arrived in 1956, Catholic West Belfast was one of the most deprived areas in Western Europe. By the time she left St Louise's, the secondary school she led for twenty-five years, she had transformed the lives of its pupils. Girls whose highest ambition had been to stitch hankies in the mills were inspired to go to university. For nineteen of those years, Sister Genevieve was running her school in the middle of a guerrilla war between the IRA and the British army. Yet throughout she remained loyal to her pupils whatever they did, and was compassionate to all who suffered in the conflict. TB 12833.

Military

Carver, Michael Carver

Out of step: memoirs of a field marshal. 1989. Read by Garard Green, 22 hours 50 minutes. TB 8534.

The memoirs of Field Marshal Lord Carver tell a remarkable story of success. The army's youngest brigade commander at the age of 29, he eventually went on to become Chief of the Defence Staff. This book is particularly valuable for its personal insight into the major politico-military events of the past 40 years. TB 8534.

Chesterton, Neville

Crete was my Waterloo: a true eyewitness account of the sinking of the Lancastria, the Battle of Crete and P.O.W. experiences 1940-45. 1995. Read by Anthony Jackson, 4 hours 4 minutes. TB 14164.

In January 1940, at the age of 19, Neville Chesterton was conscripted into the Royal Engineers. He witnessed the sinking of the Lancastria which claimed 4200 lives, and the evacuation of St Nazaire. He was taken as a German prisoner of war during the battle for Crete. TB 14164.

Fraser, David

Alanbrooke. 1982. Read by Derek Chandler, 28 hours 5 minutes. TB 4402.

From November 1941, when Churchill made him Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Alanbrooke was working at the un-newsworthy task of welding it into the most efficient machinery for running a war that any country had ever known, while others won a more public glory on the battlefields of Africa and Europe. An elegant corrective of a (probably) underestimated soldier, by a fellow soldier. TB 4402.

Lawrence, John

When the fighting is over: a personal story of the battle for Tumbledown Mountain and its aftermath. 1988. Read by Simon Vance and Derek Chandler, 6 hours 45 minutes. TB 7451.

Robert Lawrence's experiences in the Falklands War and after were the subject of the BBC film drama "Tumbledown". "When the fighting is over" is Robert's own story - how he strove to gain a place in the highly respected Scots Guards; his role in the war itself; his personal battle to overcome his injuries, and the effect that his experiences have had on his whole outlook on life. TB 7451.

Leach, Henry

Endure no makeshifts: some naval recollections. 1993. Read by Robert Gladwell, 17 hours 9 minutes. TB 10435.

Son of a distinguished naval officer who died commanding the battleship "Prince of Wales" in 1941, Henry Leach joined the Royal Navy as a 13 year old cadet in 1937 and left as an admiral 45 years later. He commanded a destroyer, a squadron of frigates and a commando carrier before reaching flag rank and later held various important posts ending as First Sea Lord. Since leaving active service he has, among other appointments, been chairman of St. Dunstan's. TB 10435.

McNab, Andy

Immediate Action. 1995. Read by Steven Pacey, 14 hours 49 minutes. TB 10661.

This is a compelling, no-holds-barred account of the author's extraordinary life, from the day he was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital to the day he went to fight in the Gulf War. TB 10661.

Reid, Fred

In search of Willie Patterson: a Scottish Soldier in the Age of Imperialism. 2002. Read by Jonathan Hackett, 6 hours 4 minutes. TB 12652.

The author was curious about his grandfather, Corporal Willie Patterson. Knowing him only from his mother's stories of the 'black sheep of the family', he wondered if there was a better side to the man. When he discovered that Willie had won the Military Medal in the First World War, he decided to research his life. This book is more than the story of a man who struggled to rise from a semi-literate background in Calton, Glasgow to be a war hero and a white-collar worker. The author, who is blind, also

tells of his own confrontation with the archives and of his safari over seven thousand miles of East Africa to find the grandfather he had never known. TB 12652.

Rose, Michael

Fighting for peace: lessons from Bosnia. 1999. Read by Jon Cartwright, 14 hours 31 minutes. TB 13541.

Known for his role as a commander in the Falklands war, and for directing operations at the Iranian Embassy siege, General Sir Michael Rose tells the story of his role as Commander of the UN Protection Force in Bosnia in 1994. TB 13541.

Van Straubenzee, Philip

Desert, jungle and dale: a memoir. 1991. Read by Robert Gladwell, 6 hours 29 minutes. TB 10113.

The story of a childhood in the Yorkshire Dales and soldier's career. "Desert" is the Kenyan desert, where Gold Coast, East African and South African forces confronted the Italians during the second world war, culminating in the battle of Waddara. "Jungle" is the dense jungle of Burma where the author commanded the 1st Sierra Leone regiment in the campaign to recapture Frontier Hill. "Dale" is the Yorkshire dale of childhood and retirement. TB 10113.

Courage and Inspiration

Brook, Elaine

The windhorse. 1986. Read by Anne Jameson, 7 hours 41 minutes. TB 6082.

Julie Donnelly has been blind since the age of eight - the result of glaucoma. She is a switchboard operator in a London bank and travels to and from work with her yellow labrador guide dog, Bruno, her first release from the prison of blindness. She met Elaine Brook, an experienced mountaineer, and her horizons took another great leap. After learning to climb in this country they began to plan the impossible: the trek, in winter, to the 18,000 foot summit of Kala Patthar. TB 6082.

Croucher, Norman

Legless but smiling: an autobiography. 2001. Read by Jonathan Oliver, 19 hours 27 minutes. TB 14067.

Despite walking on two below-knee artificial legs, it became Norman Croucher's ambition to climb any one of the world's fourteen mountains which exceed 8,000 metres. No one with a considerable disability had climbed anywhere near this high, and his goal was an almost impossible dream... to join, as he put it, 'The five mile high club'. Contains strong language. TB 14067.

Cullen, Bill

It's a long way from penny apples. 2001. Read by Kevin Moore, 13 hours 6 minutes. TB 13644.

This autobiography tells the story of incredible poverty and deprivation in the Dublin slums. Bill Cullen was one of fourteen children, by the age of six he was selling on the streets. In 1956, Bill got a job as a messenger boy in Waldens Ford Dealer in Dublin. Through hard work and determination, Bill was appointed director general of the company in 1964. Bill went on to set up the Fairlane Motor Company which became the biggest Ford dealership in Ireland. Contains strong language. TB 13644.

Griffiths, Bill

Blind to misfortune: a story of great courage in the face of adversity. 1989. Read by Andrew Cuthbert, 5 hours 47 minutes. TB 8751.

Bill Griffiths lost both hands and both eyes when he was a prisoner of the Japanese in Java in 1942. This book tells the story of how he overcame these two shattering handicaps, either one of which might have qualified him to spend the rest of his life quietly in a home for the disabled. But Bill had no intention of allowing himself to become an object of pity, and it was not long after his return to civilian life that he made this perfectly clear. TB 8751.

Lapotaire, Jane

Time out of mind. Read by Jane Lapotaire, 11 hours 24 minutes. TB 13631.

'Who are you when your brain is not you?' Jane Lapotaire is one of the lucky ones. Many people do not survive, let alone live intelligently and well again once they have suffered cerebral haemorrhage. In the long haul back to life - 'nearly dying was the easy bit' - she's learned much, some of it in very hard lessons. Some friendships became casualties; family relations had to be redefined; and her work as an actress took a severe battering. This is a book about what happens when the 'you' you've known all your life is no longer the same. TB 13631.

McCourt, Frank

Angela's ashes: a memoir of childhood. 1996. Read by John Cormack, 13 hours 55 minutes. TB 11434.

This is a memoir of growing up in New York in the 30s and in Ireland in the 40s - a life of hardship in Brooklyn tenements and Limerick slums, where there were too many children, too little money and a drunken father. It is a story of courage and survival against apparently overwhelming odds. TB 11434.

Parrado, Nando

Miracle in the Andes. 2006. Read by Daniel Philpott and Nando Parrado, 10 hours 4 minutes. TB 14916.

Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. Many were dead or dying. Those who remained were stranded on a lifeless glacier with no supplies and no means of summoning help. Struggling to endure freezing temperatures, forced to eat human flesh to avoid starvation, Nando resolved that he must get home or die trying. Unsuitable for family reading. TB 14916.

Raffray, Monique

Blindness and beyond: a memoir. 2004. Read by Elizabeth Proud, 2 hours 45 minutes. TB 14335.

The autobiography of a woman, who despite being blind from birth went to Oxford University, taught English and pioneered audio description. TB 14335.

Taylor, Judy

As I see it. 1989. Read by Norma West, 9 hours 3 minutes. TB 7863.

Determined not to let her blindness prevent her living life to the full, Judy Taylor trained as a teacher and successfully taught sighted children in local secondary schools. Her independence was assured by her devoted guide dogs. She married and brought up two sons. In 1987 an operation restored 25% of normal vision and Judy Taylor saw her husband and sons for the first time. She movingly described the difficult process of learning to see again. TB 7863.

Woodruff, William

The road to Nab End: a Lancashire childhood. 2002. Read by Sam Kelly, 10 hours 50 minutes. TB 13409.

William Woodruff was the son of a weaver, born on a pallet of straw at the back of the mill and two days later his mother was back at work. Life was extremely tough for this family in 1920's Blackburn - a treat was sheep's head or cow-heel soup - and got worse when his father lost his job when the cotton industry started its terminal decline. Woodruff had to find his childhood fun in the little free time he had available between his delivery job and school. TB 13409.

Xinran

Sky burial. 2004. Read by Meg Kubota, 4 hours 56 minutes. TB 14063.

This is the true story of a Chinese woman's 30-year search through Tibet for news of her lost, presumed dead, husband. Xinran is working as a radio journalist on a women's programme when a listener calls in to tell her about Shuwen. Xinran travels hundreds of miles across China to interview her and, over two days, Shuwen opens her heart and reveals her tragic, scarcely imaginable life story. Xinran returns to her life and spends the subsequent 10 years trying to find Shuwen again, researching her story and writing this book - a homage to an ordinary woman's extraordinary life-long search for the truth. TB 14063.

If you have read a book you particularly enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) and want to share your thoughts with other readers, visit the new RNIB Readers Forum at .uk/booktalk and post your review on the Forum".

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