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@rnib.org.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@rnib.org.uk
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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.
2
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.
3
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-fiveyear 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
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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.
5
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.
6
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
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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
8
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.
9
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
10
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.
11
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
12
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.
13
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.
14
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.
15
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.
16
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.
17
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.
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
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
22
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.
23
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
www.rnib.org.uk/booktalk and post your review on the Forum".
24