Biography

Jonny Texas came from an unconventional but close-knit Midlands family and developed a fascination with all forms of gambling from a young age. He grew up learning how to be a wheeler dealer and in his twenties, with a young family to support, the challenge of beating the odds to make large sums of money became even greater. As he grew older, his life was to become a rollercoaster of highs and lows as he moved from one wild money spinning venture to another, making huge amounts and then losing them, unable to resist any gambling opportunity. The two constants in his life have been his family and poker and, at times, they have made uneasy bedfellows. But somehow, Jonny has managed to pull off the unimaginable, repeatedly pulling himself back from the brink of disaster and turning himself into a winner, appearing on TV and in the public eye. From Sixpences to Dollars documents the extraordinary story of one man's obsession with gambling and how he has ultimately turned it to his advantage.

Ashley & Cheryl Cole - Where Did It All Go Wrong? is a quick-read biography, focusing on Cheryl and Ashley's relationship, marriage and divorce. It looks at the parallels in their careers, the ups and downs, and investigates Ashley's alleged cheating with numerous women. Ultimately it asks the question 'Where Did It All Go Wrong' - could anything have been done to prevent the break-up, or was the marriage doomed from the beginning.

Penzance sits in the heart of beautiful Mount's Bay – the centre of Cornwall's most westerly region. Penzance: The Biography tells the story of the town, from its earliest times to the 400th anniversary in 2014 of its borough status. It tells of its growth from two small neighbouring villages to its thriving industrial Victorian heyday and beyond, a tale of disaster and success, drama and survival. Penzance has survived attacks from Celts, Vikings, Saxons, Normans, African corsairs, Spanish galleys, English Parliamentary troops and Second World War bombing. Its fortunes have rested upon tin mining, shipping and tourism among a wealth of other industries, including, of course, smuggling.Famous characters' stories are revealed: its first 'founder', Alice de Lisle; the Pretender, Perkin Warbeck; the pioneer of modern chemistry, Humphry Davy; the father of Methodism, John Wesley; and others from all strands of society who have trodden Penzance's streets. Herein lies a rich pageant of history that created the town and its ongoing story.

Cardiff has an incredibly rich history, from its foundation as a Roman fort through its Norman occupation to its establishment as a county town following the Act of Union with England. Owing to its strategic position on the River Taff, Cardiff became the world's greatest coal port in the nineteenth century, and in the post-industrial era, the city has found a new identity as the capital of Wales. Join author Dic Mortimer as he explores the history of one of Britain's most fascinating and vibrant cities, exploring the people and events that made the Welsh capital what it is today.

Founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, Bournemouth was originally a deserted heathland, home to fishermen and smugglers. Initially marketed as a health resort, Bournemouth's growth really accelerated with the arrival of the railway and it became a town in 1870. The arrival of the railways precipitated a massive growth in seaside and summer visitors to the town, especially from the Midlands and London. In 1880, the town had a population of 17,000 but, by 1900, when railway connections to Bournemouth were at their most developed, the town's population had risen to 60,000 and it had become a favourite location for visiting artists and writers. Today, Bournemouth has a population of almost 190,000 people, and is a tourist centre of leisure, entertainment, culture and recreation. It has come a long way from its roots in the nineteenth century. Those roots, the formative years of the town, are the focus of Bournemouth: The Biography, which charts the evolution of Bournemouth from a smuggler's haven to the coastal resort we know today.