It is a fascinating study of determination and courage, pain and triumph over tragedy. From the beginning of her life in a crowded terrace in Tyneside to her days as a best-selling writer able to offer thousands to charity as a Dame of the British Empire, Catherine Cookson’s own story is as extraordinary as any of her novels. It is hard to think of any writer, living or dead, who has produced — and continued to produce — such overwhelmingly popular fiction as Catherine Cookson. Between June, 1950, and the end of 1993, ninety million copies of her novels, children’s books and personal recollections had been sold worldwide. An average of 5,800 every day — 241 books every single hour. Cookson novels have been adapted into award winning television films. Musicals and plays based on her books have sold out within days and ran for weeks. Goodwin explores the intriguing, and at times distressing, life of the celebrated writer, Catherine Cookson and the novels that were inspired by her early experiences in Tyneside. Praise for the author: ‘Even Catherine Cookson couldn't have written a novel with as much drama as her own life story ... the full saga has not been told until now.’ - TODAY ‘As riveting as any of her famous novels.’ - SUNDAY EXPRESS ‘Cliff Goodwin has written a book which is hard to put down and which leaves you in greater admiration of its intriguing and enigmatic subject ... amazing and compulsive as any of her bestsellers.’ - NEWCASTLE JOURNAL ‘A cracking story ... essential for her fans, and a good read for everyone.’ - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS Cliff Goodwin was born in London in 1950. He was educated in Slough, Berkshire, and joined the town's weekly newspaper as a trainee journalist in 1968. Since then he has worked as a reporter, feature writer and sub-editor for various newspapers and magazines. His coverage of the 1988 Lockerbie air crash earned him a regional press award. A regular freelance writer — he has published features in more than 200 newspapers and magazines worldwide — Cliff Goodwin has also worked as a radio producer and in public relations. In 1993, after 25 years in journalism, he decided it was time to concentrate on full-time writing. Endeavour Press is the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.

    

    His humor and short fiction appear in various publications throughout the Southeast.

    A man who brought his own brand of excellence and humility to everything he touched. A teacher, a writer, a poet, a visionary, a world-renowned scientist and the 11th President of India.Read about his life in Amar Chitra Katha's APJ Abdul Kalam - When Dreams Take Flight

    His profound and poetic speeches are famous around the world, evidence of the greatness of American’s most beloved leader. But did you know that the sixteenth president of the United States was also a backwoods hillbilly from America’s western frontier, with a Kentucky accent so thick you could cut it? Or that he liked wrestling matches, dirty jokes, and had a reputation for telling hilarious, R-rated stories that weren’t suitable for mixed company? From his childhood working as a virtual slave for an abusive father, to sailing a river raft to New Orleans, to the Illinois General Assembly, Congress, and the White House, the story of Abraham Lincoln’s life is the story of America. He mourned the deaths of almost everyone he loved, endured marriage to a wife whose mental health issues made her a domestic abuser, and lost more elections than he won. But Abraham Lincoln believed in one thing above all: that everyone deserved a fair shot at the American dream. Why did John Wilkes Booth really shoot Abraham Lincoln? The truth is as shocking now as it was in 1865.

    How does he do it? And why? What drives him to put his body through the physical and mental hurdles to become the best in the world? This is also the story of an extraordinary year in the life of an extraordinary sportsman, one which started with his best-ever world championships in Mallorca—where, for the first time in his career, he became a double world champion—continued with his attempt on the world kilometer record in La Paz, Bolivia, went on to Japan where he spent three months riding the crazy keirin circuit, before returning to training at the world-class Manchester velodrome in the buildup to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.By shadowing Hoy through a season with the British track cycling team, author Richard Moore has gained an unembellished insight into the mind of a world champion. He has also attained unprecedented levels of access to the key members of the all-conquering British team (which smashed all records and dominated the 2007 world championships) and support staff, including top coaches, world-renowned psychiatrists, doctors (where the subject of drug abuse is an ever-present shadow), and the pivotal characters behind the scenes. Combining his forensic knowledge of the cycling world with his acclaimed skills as a tenacious investigative journalist, Moore captures the mood of the British team and explores an area of professional sport that has rarely been seen before.

    "That was perhaps the last race of my career..."'Deep down, Mark Cavendish thought he was finished. After illness, setbacks and clinical depression, the once fastest man in the world had been written off by most. And at the age of 36, even he believed his explosive cycling career would fade out with a whimper. The Manxman hadn't won a single Grand Tour stage in Italy, Spain or France since 2016.But then came his incredible resurrection at the 2021 Tour de France. Included on the Deceuninck Quick-Step team at the very last minute, only after Sam Bennett suffered an injury, Mark set about rewriting history. He claimed back the green jersey he first wore in 2011, and his four stage victories finally saw him matching Belgian legend Eddy Merckx's all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins. Cycling greats are never content, and Cav's dogged determination and inner strength had earned him the record that few believed he could ever achieve. This is his own intimate account of that race, right from the saddle of the miracle tour.

    Now take those events and transfer them to a volcanic rock with cruel winds, searing sun, rough seas and nosebleed-inducing hills, and you have Ironman Lanzarote. Why, then, would Andy Holgate – who admittedly has never swum in the sea, who can’t cope with the wind, sun or even stairs – take on such an extreme challenge? Simple: Because he can. Can’t Sleep, Can’t Train, Can’t Stop! continues Andy’s inspirational journey from where Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run left off, chronicling his attempt to complete two Ironman triathlons six weeks apart. Already in his fortieth year, would Andy make it to his forty-first? Would Lanzarote prove one triathlon too far – or will Andy succeed against the odds and live to swim, ride and run another day?

    Are you slogging your guts out at a job you don't particularly like to buy things you don't particularly need? Would you like to spend more time with your family and less time at work? Do you ever wonder what it'd be like to really love what you do?Ten years on from Fat, Forty and Fired, Nigel Marsh steps off the hamster wheel (again) to grapple with these and other less weighty questions, like: Where the hell has my wife left the cordless phone? and How do I dress my daughter as a bridge for school in ten minutes?Written with Nigel's customary humour and honesty, Fit, Fifty and Fired Up is a must-read for anyone who's ever dreamt of taking a risk to live a life they feel passionate about...