Collection: Biography

Whenever society produces a depraved criminal, we wonder: is it nature or is it nurture? When the charlatan Alicks Sly murdered his wife, Ellie, and killed himself with a cut-throat razor in a house in Sydney's Newtown in early 1904, he set off a chain of events that could answer that question. H...

"We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python--from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on a remarkable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his succe...

The powerful account of how one man escaped the prison of Manus Island. A true story of bravery and resilience. The awe-inspiring story of the only person to successfully escape from Australia's notorious offshore detention centre on Manus Island. In 2013 Jaivet Ealom fled Myanmar's brutal regime...

A single moment has the power to change any life, forever. This is a story about what happens next. On 1st March 1999, Dom Frawley was a rural general practitioner, providing medical care to a few hundred families through a small cottage practice. He and his wife Maggie were due to deliver their ...

A hilarious, heartwarming memoir of growing up and becoming oneself in an Egyptian Muslim family At the turn of the millennium, Soos is growing up in an eccentric household with a lot of rules. No bikinis, despite the South-East Queensland heat. No boys, unless he's Muslim. And no life insurance,...

Dyson has become a byword for high performing products, technology, design and invention. Now, James Dyson, the inventor and entrepreneur who made it all happen, tells his remarkable and inspirational story in Invention: A Life.

They don't make them like Ted anymore. He's the quintessential bush storyteller; he has rubbed shoulders with some of the best-known and least-known of his countrymen and women, and he can wring a heart-wrenching song out of a beer carton. In Outback Songman, Ted Egan recounts the story of his ri...

"‘For me, being in a paddock means anything is possible . . .’Country girl and bestselling novelist Rachael Treasure had worked hard to build a long-dreamed-of lifestyle on her own patch of dirt in Tasmania’s rugged and beautiful wilderness. But through the breakdown of her marriage, Rachael lost...

A fascinating account of Russia's famous dissident and the politics he embodies. Who is Alexei Navalny? Poisoned in August 2020 and transported to Germany for treatment, the politician returned to Russia in January 2021 in the full glare of the world media. His immediate detention at passport con...

Ever since Luc Longley lit up the court as the first Australian to play in the NBA in 1991, Australians have made an indelible impact on the world's best basketball competition. Longley's journey from Perth to the NBA, alongside Michael Jordan at the Chicago Bulls, paved the way for a generation ...