ROGER FEDERER. RAFAEL NADAL. NOVAK DJOKOVIC. At the highest echelons of tennis, a few names stand out. Dominating the rankings, these famous big hitters are unarguably among the finest players in the world, with multiple Grand Slams to their credit. But how do today's champions compare with those of earlier eras? From 'Big' Bill Tilden and Pancho Gonzalez to Rod Laver and Pete Sampras, who makes the grade as the greatest male singles player of all time? Better known as the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow has enjoyed a successful dual career in the tennis world as competitive junior player and qualified coach. Ideally placed to argue the merits of the maestros, in this fascinating guide he sets out to determine just who is the greatest of the greats. It is no easy task. Court surfaces and ball speeds have changed, racket technology has revolutionised the game, and trying to distinguish the best from the rest is as challenging as it is enjoyable. Drawing on published records of past glories, and offering his own analysis and reasoning, Bercow describes the accomplishments of twenty all-time tennis heroes and suggests a hall of fame from the unashamed vantage point of the lifelong enthusiast. Let the debate begin...

Divisive, controversial, atypical - few others embody the fraught nature of British politics today quite like John Bercow. A man who is revered by his one-time political opponents and chastised by his former bedfellows. A politician who has traversed the deep chasm between the Conservative right and the liberal left. A Speaker some see as a great moderniser and others, a constitutional arsonist. With Brexit left unresolved, Bercow is determined to ensure that he, the 157th person to occupy the Speaker's Chair, has left an indelible imprint on the history books. From suffering at the hands of bullies to standing up for backbenchers in the Commons, this is the story of John Simon Bercow, the son of a taxi driver from North London, and one of the most fascinating characters to grace the corridors of the Palace of Westminster.

Before the current re-birth of Shanghai and before the stagnation brought on by China's Cultural Revolution, there was a vibrant European community in Shanghai. An important element of this cultural oasis in China during the first half of the 1900's was the musical efforts of Maestro Mario Paci, an Italian pianist and conductor who reorganized the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and taught piano and singing to a large number of devoted Chinese and European pupils. Intertwined with her father's life, Floria, the Maestro's daughter, shares her memoirs, from being born in Surabaya, Java to her English schooling in Shanghai and trips to Italy.

In Lessons from The Maestro: Crafting a Successful Fight/Stunt Career in Theatre and Film, famed Hollywood and theatre stuntman, trainer, and fight director David L. Boushey writes about his life, the history of stage and screen combat and stunt work, and how to enter the entertainment industry. Charting his illustrious career that spanned over 45 years, 400 theatre credits, and 45 films, Boushey narrates the events and decisions that lead him to enter the entertainment industry and documents for the first time his founding of multiple national and international associations for fight directors and stuntmen. He provides a roadmap for individuals aspiring to work in the theatre and film industry, providing information on training, auditioning, networking, unions, different paths one might take, and tips on how to be a successful stunt performer in a competitive industry. Part autobiography, part how-to guide to the entertainment business from the foremost authority in stage combat and stunt work, this is an invaluable resource for professional and aspiring fight and intimacy directors and stunt performers in theatre and film.

Maestro is the first full-length biography on André Tchelistcheff (1901–94) that details the events of his life leading to his career as an expert winemaker, consultant, and mentor and how his wisdom helped revitalize a severely-damaged Napa Valley wine industry.

Culture and the Literary is a study of how cultural codes are constructed, consumed and conveyed as represented in selected works of fiction and non-fiction. Examining cultural studies as a discipline by revisiting some of its seminal figures, the book includes a study of selected literary as well as non-fictional texts. It offers a unique combination of three major theoretical frames: memory studies, thing theory, and affect studies. Drawing on fictional representations, theoretical frames and historical events, this book aims to provide a unique perspective into how culture as a phenomenon is represented, reified and re-membered in the world we inhabit today.

This is the follow-up book to the original published on 5th September 2017, and, again, I hope they really do make you “Think, Laugh and Cry”, and thank you for your kind donations to both Diabetes and Dementia charities who will receive a pound for every book sold.

Nearly ten years after its original publication, The Maestro Myth continues to enthrall readers with its insightful look into the lives and careers of the world's most celebrated conductors. Now updated and including two new chapters, this volume portrays the politics and inflated economics surrounding the podiums of today's international classical music scene, and the obstacles faced by blacks, women, and gays. From Richard Strauss to Herbert von Karajan to Leonard Bernstein to Simon Rattle, The Maesto Myth examines the world of classical music and the mounting crisis in a profession where genuine talent grows ever scarcer. It is a must-have resource for music aficiionados as well as anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes lives of these music masters. Book jacket.