Other books that might interest you

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  The Snowstorm - Author of War &...

  Leo Tolstoy

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  Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 in the Russian province of Tula to a wealthy noble family. As a child, he had private tutors but he showed little interest in any formal education. When he went to the University of Kazan in 1843 to study oriental languages and law, he left without completing his courses.  Life now was relaxed and idle but with some writing also taking place.  Gambling debts forced an abrupt change of path and he joined the army to fight in the Crimean War.  He was commended for his bravery and promoted but was appalled at the brutality and loss of life.  He recorded these and other earlier experiences in his diaries which formed the basis of several of his works. 
   
  In 1852 ‘Childhood’ was published to immediate success and was followed by ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Youth’. 
   
  His experience in the army and the horrors he witnessed resulted in ‘The Cossacks’ in 1862 and the trilogy ‘Sevastopol Tales’. After the war he travelled around Europe, visiting London and Paris and meeting such luminaries as Victor Hugo and Charles Darwin.  
   
  It was now that Tolstoy began his masterpiece, ‘War and Peace’. Published in 1869 it was an epic work that changed literature. He quickly followed this with ‘Anna Karenina’.  
   
  These successes made Tolstoy rich and helped him accomplish many of his dreams but also brought problems as he grappled with his faith and the lot of the oppressed poor. These revolutionary views became so popular that the authorities now kept him under surveillance.  
   
  He led a life of asceticism and vegetarianism and put his socialist ideals into practice by establishing numerous schools for the poor and food programmes. He also believed in giving away his wealth, which caused much discord with his wife.  
   
  His writing continued to bring forth classics such as ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’ and many brilliant and incisive short stories such as ‘How Much Land Does A Man Need’.  
   
  In 1901 Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Church and controversially deselected for the Nobel Prize for Literature. 
   
  Whilst undertaking a pilgrimage by train in October 1910 with his daughter Aleksandra he caught pneumonia in the nearby town of Astapovo.  Leo Tolstoy died on November 9th, 1910, he was 82. 
   
  In this much acclaimed short story Tolstoy’s characters are engulfed by a huge snowstorm which descends upon them and puts the successful conclusion of their journey into perilous doubt.

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  Returning العودة

  Mais Amad

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  The journey of a woman who was raised and developed between West & East. Through reality's pitfalls and joyful bursts, she begins a path to experience the Divine within, or so she thinks until the years and experiences around her have shown her that she, along with many others, are in fact returning to their spiritual essence. Returning is subtle, it looks like sleeping habits, physical activity, eating well, embracing community, and enriching the mind & soul. The dramatic outcome, yet also subtle, is ego shifting, pride lifting, inward sincerity deepening, and the limitless and weightless way of living.

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  If My Memoir Serves Me Well - A...

  Gary Warren

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  They say everyone’s got one book in them. Well, I haven’t… not anymore! 
  Introduction 
  These recollections cover the time from the very early 1960s until after my last significant acting role. After that I pulled a disappearing act and became a regular bloke for the most part. The transition from child/youth actor through to adult is notoriously difficult, some have succeeded, some spectacularly so. Some have stumbled along and sadly, some have fallen. I chose to take a break, which I’m still on. I’ve been the subject of many 'where are they now?' articles and musings. Well, I’m here now, writing this. I have led an exquisitely wonderful life hence forth. I have been married to my absolute soul mate for over forty years and have two amazing and extremely talented kids, a totally brilliant son-in-law and a fab little granddaughter who is off the scale bright and gorgeous. So it’s all good. 
  But my musings on those magical years of the 1960s and 1970s, I believe might be of some interest. I’m sure The Railway Children, in particular holds massive fascination, being one of the most beloved British films of, dare I say, all time. 
  Considering it was the directorial debut of Lionel Jeffries, who was, up until then, an actor, is indeed a remarkable achievement. 
  Music has always been my abiding passion so I’ve named the chapters appositely. It certainly was a fun time… but, back then I had to go to school sometimes too, never mind these obstacles can occur. 
  Oh, and If you’re wondering why I can remember all the music references and dates in such detail it’s because it has all stayed with me over the years. I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday but I can sing all eleven verses of Bob Dylan’s Desolation Row for you, if you’d like… 
  (For Info email: ifmymemoir@yahoo.com)

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  Two Old Fools Down Under - Old...

  Victoria Twead

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  When Vicky and Joe wave goodbye to their beloved Spanish village, they face their future in Australia with some trepidation. Now they must build a new life amongst strangers, snakes, and spiders the size of saucers. Accompanied by their enthusiastic new puppy, Lola, adventures abound, both heartwarming and terrifying. 
  Will the Two Old Fools embrace the Aussie way of life or is it time to stop gallivanting around the globe and return to Britain?

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  The Swift Conquest - Unraveling...

  John Harpoon

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  The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party did not occur in isolation but was the culmination of a confluence of societal, economic, and political factors. Post-World War I Germany was a nation in turmoil, grappling with humiliation, economic devastation, and political instability. The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, placed the blame for the war squarely on Germany's shoulders, imposing severe reparations that crippled its economy. The German people, burdened by hyperinflation, unemployment, and poverty, became disillusioned with the democratic Weimar Republic, which they perceived as weak and ineffectual. 
  Amid this chaos, Hitler emerged as a figure of radical change. A decorated veteran of the First World War, Hitler initially joined the German Workers’ Party, a small and obscure nationalist group. With his fiery oratory skills and an unrelenting focus on propaganda, he quickly rose to prominence, transforming the group into the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), or the Nazi Party. Hitler’s message was simple yet potent: he promised to restore Germany to greatness, overturn the Treaty of Versailles, and provide a scapegoat for the nation’s suffering—the Jewish people and other minorities. 
  By the early 1920s, Hitler had crafted a political doctrine that combined virulent nationalism, anti-Semitism, and a disdain for democracy. He also sought to exploit the populace’s fears of communism, which was gaining traction in Europe following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, an attempted coup in Munich, briefly landed Hitler in prison. However, this setback proved instrumental to his ideological development, as he used the time to dictate Mein Kampf, a manifesto outlining his vision for Germany’s future and the expansion of Lebensraum, or "living space," for the German people.

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  Beyond Beyond - A Chance...

  Roz Lewy, Ralph Insinger

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  You are never too old and it's never too late....A chance encounter at a museum forever changed the lives of authors, Roz and Ralph. Both eighty-plus years old and some 1500 miles apart, the two embarked on a months-long email correspondence that evolved into a spectacular real-life love story. Follow along this incomparable journey toward love through hundreds of heartwarming, witty, and wise exchanges. This audiobook, narrated by Roz and Ralph, brings voice to their messages that grew to be something much more than casual correspondence. Beyond Beyond is an authentic illustration of what love can mean in each chapter of one's life and is a powerful reminder of the weight of our words. Roz and Ralph each have a great deal of life experience as parents, grandparents, and successful professionals that they bring to their writing. The repartee between the two is undeniable as the comforting back-and-forth of the book broaches their pasts, interests, concerns, and joys. Listeners will delight in the clever banter as well as the unobstructed view into the dialogue that led to the pair's second chance at love.

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