LITMIR.BIZ

Tired of being told to quit, put it out, stand outside, have some consideration, think about your health …? The list of complaints against smokers would take much longer than a fag break to read out, and many of us (even those who don't smoke) have had just about enough of it! The passive whingeing we endure from the self-righteous is enough to have anyone gasping for another ciggie! Leaping to the defence of the smoker, The Daily Mirror's favourite columnist Sue Carroll and non-smoker Sue Brealey take a hilarious and irreverent look at the humble cigarette, its history and its place in life and death, love and sex, fiction and the silver screen, and champions its survival in the face of a modern tide of persecution from the health police. I knew a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex and rich food. He was healthy, right up to the day he killed himself.' Johnny Carson 'I just hate being a non-smoker, because I always find smokers the most interesting people on the table.' Michelle Pfeiffer

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Calling all JCats! Read on and find out everything you need to know about your favourite band…Discover how Josh, JJ and Jaymi started out as Triple J – and how they found George and became Union J. Relive their incredible X Factor 2012 journey and read all about the twists and turns on their road to stardom. Find out about their likes and dislikes, their musical influences and all the hilarious things the boys get up to. This book tells the thrilling story of how four ordinary lads turned into the pop superstars we know and love.With fun facts about George, Josh, JJ and Jaymi, stories from their amazing journey and all the info from The X Factor and beyond, this is the ultimate book for any devoted JCat.

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Since their foundation during the Second World War, the Parachute Regiment has acquired a formidable reputation as tough, fearless soldiers. 'The Red Devils' have played a key role in many of the battles of the past sixty years – the capture of Sicily, the D-Day landing, the heroic but doomed attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem. In the savage wars of 'peace' since the Second World War, the Paras have seen action all over the world – from Cyprus, Palestine, Egypt, Borneo and the Falklands to Bosnia. For his authoritative book, John Parker has gathered together the testimony of numerous veterans of the Parachute Regiment. Their first-hand accounts of the major events in their history make enthralling reading, bringing home the reality and cruelty of combat.

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Wednesday, Rucks and Rock 'n'Roll tells the story of the East Bank from 1975 to 2002 – the planning, the pubs, the matches, the rucks and the coppers. Never mindless violence – but a day at the football simply wouldn't be complete without a good all-out fight with the rivals.It's the era of the silver jubilee, skinheads and bands like sham 69, The Jam, The Clash and The Sex Pistols. Tommy and his mates like nothing better than having a beer, going to a gig and supporting their beloved football team, Sheffield Wednesday. They go to every game, home and away, to enjoy the match – and, of course, to have a good fight.

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Manny and Brigitta Davidson are a remarkable couple. Their parents, emigrés from Latvia and from Nazi-occupied Poland, strove to keep their heads above water and give their children a future in which to prosper. Together, Manny and Brigitta built a business empire from nothing, having survived the terrible Blitz on London during the Second World War.<br>Their two children, however, have lived altogether different lives. Charmed lives, some might say. The Davidsons' business did so well that their offspring went to the finest schools, enjoyed luxury holidays and lived in beautiful homes here and abroad. As their success grew, the Davidsons set up a trust fund for their son and daughter, with two purposes. First, to provide generous incomes for them – it is currently delivering approximately £20 million a year. The second purpose was to protect the family's wealth for the future benefit of their children and further generations. That wealth included the beautiful Jacobean manor, Lyegrove House in Gloucestershire, and all its priceless contents of art and other treasures.<br>Sadly, their children decided that they would wait no longer before laying claim to all that their parents had provided, and seized control of the trust in a cruel and punishing way, which led to legal action, and even to court.<br>Today, the Davidsons live in Monaco, estranged from their son and daughter. They have lost their children, as surely as those children have lost their parents. This is their story, in which they can be forgiven for echoing Shakespeare's line: 'How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.'

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From playing a rogue agent in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, to taking on the role of villainous Bane in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy is well on the way to becoming the finest actor of his generation. His raw talent, edginess and ability to utterly inhabit the characters he plays have already prompted comparisons to screen legends such as Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. With a host of critically acclaimed performances under his belt and the bright lights of Hollywood beckoning , Tom's star is undoubtedly in the ascendant. Born into an idyllic, middle-class life in the suburbs, by his teenage years Tom had grown restless and started to rebel. Bad behaviour in the form of alcoholism, drug-taking and criminal activity ensued and after a brief stint working as a model, fate intervened and he found his way onto an acting course at his local college. Having been plucked from drama school to appear in Band of Brothers, by 2003, his addictions had got the better of him and he collapsed in Soho following a drugs binge. Rehabilitation followed, as did a rare second chance at hitting the big time. It was Hardy's standout performance as Stuart Shorter in BBC TV's Stuart: A Life Backwards and as Britain's most notorious prisoner in the film Bronson, which really made audiences and critics sit up and take notice. Since then, he has earned himself a reputation as a shape-shifting actor with the skill to slip effortlessly in and out of contrasting characters such as Eames in blockbusters Inception and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. This affectionate and in-depth biography reveals the actor and the life that has shaped him into the star he has become. It explores his wayward youth, his drama school years, his burnout and his complex route to eventual success. With a host of major films on the horizon in 2012 and beyond, his is clearly Hollywood's hottest property – and the best is yet to come.

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On October 8, 1920 the body of a young woman named Kate Lilian Bailey, aged 22, was discovered. It transpired that her husband, George Arthur Bailey, had poisoned his seven-months pregnant wife with prussic acid, and with a whiff of the same chloroform he used to ease her final anguish, sedated his three-year-old daughter whom he placed in bed next to the corpse. Fourteen hours later, he fled the cottage, taking his child to relatives in Swindon before being arrested three days after the murder, at Reading Station with four kinds of poison in his pockets. Police also found a note suggesting that Bailey had intended to kill his little girl as well as himself and his wife. So was this simply the botched suicide pact of a devoted couple that had gone tragically out of control? All would be revealed at a sensational 1921 trial at Aylesbury Assizes; a shabby record of forgery, fraud, theft, false information and army desertion. Bailey – also known to the police as George Cox and Ronald Gilbert Treherne, or Tremayne, was also, it's said, a budding sex criminal and a fantasist of the first order. Although, curiously, he didn't plead insanity at his trial, the accused had a history of mental disorder including nervous breakdowns and several suicide attempts. At his trial – where women would sit on an English murder jury for the first time – Bailey denied all the charges. The prosecution argued that Bailey murdered his wife in order to be free to seduce innocent local girls, and a conviction was swiftly secured after the four day trial. Despite an appeal, Bailey was hanged 'three clear Sundays' after the jury returned with its verdict. George was a milkman and was known as the 'musical milkman' because he could be heard whistling while on his daily rounds.

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Leona Lewis. Kelly Clarkson. Susan Boyle. JLS. These are some of the biggest names in music today. But they all have a single common denominator of success, and his name is Simon Cowell.Simon's uncanny ability to spot talent – and his way of shooting down those without it – has made him both the most popular and feared reality TV show judge of all time. He's the star of hit shows like Pop idol, American Idol and Britain's Got Talent. And it doesn't end there – he's bringing his biggest success so far, The X Factor, stateside. Simon Cowell looks unstoppable. This in-depth and fascinating biography looks at the man behind the incredible TV talent show phenomenon. A must-read for any fan, it charts his success from the mailroom of EMI to the launch of his own label, Syco, and the incredible journey that has made him the first billion dollar man in British TV. This is his unforgettable true story.

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John Holmes was a schoolboy when World War II broke out in 1939, but even he jknew his destiny lay in the skies. 'Boys from these parts don't join the RAF', he was told on more than one occasion. But they were wrong.After many months undergoing selection and training he eventually made it into the air crew of 196 squadron. It was there he embarked on a love affair with the Stirling Bomber, and it was there that he met up with his crew – his brothers in arms.With in-depth research, Steve Holmes' inspirational, harrowing and at times humorous book charts the wartime exploits of his father, John 'Sherlock' Holmes, and his flight crew. Through many hours of research and contact with living relatives of 'Sherlock's Squadron;' Steve has pulled together a unique and personal insight into the most brutal and devastating armed conflict in history.Verified and independently confirmed by the MOD, War Office, Bomber Command and preserve navigators' records and pilots' log books of the time, this is a comprehensive and compelling account of World War II from the eyes of a group of young RAF men from distant corners of the globe.

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David Jason is Britain's best-loved star. From his wonderful characterisation of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses to Detective Jack Frost and Mr Micawber, he has captured the heart of a nation. This remarkable biography traces the life of Britain's favourite actor from his humble roots in north London through his days as an electrician to Sir David Jason, the icon we all know and love. Recruited to an early Monty Python project for his masterful sense of timing, David soon attracted the attention of Ronnie Barker with whom he appeared in episodes of the classic BBC comedy series Porridge and Open All Hours. He has gone on to create many of television's popular and enduring characters, earning numerous accolades, including the Royal Television Society's Award for Best Actor, a Top Television Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA fellowship for his outstanding contribution to television. He also received the ultimate tribute in 2005; a knighthood from the Queen. Revealing the man behind Del Boy, Pop Larkin and Jack Frost, this authoritative biography offers valuable insight into his life and loves, covering the tragic loss of his partner of eighteen years, Myfanwy Talog, and the joy of his secret wedding to new love Gill Hinchcliffe, and the birth of their daughter Sophie Mae. It paints a complete portrait of one of England's funniest and most talented actors; a true national treasure.

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