Esther Rantzen Livres

A good death contributes to a good life, so we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to deal with a reality most of us don't want to face. This book includes a Foreword written by Esther Rantzen, presenter of BBC2's "How to Have a Good Death" programme, airing March 2006, telling of her personal experience of losing her late husband Desmond Wilcox. Find out how to deal with death, from understanding the process of dying to communicating with hospital staff and working through the difficult stages of bereavement. Whether you are caring for someone who is dying or want to be prepared for your own death, planning ahead will put your mind at rest.

An inspirational life guide for the baby boomer generation

Why are poems and childhood an irresistible combination? It could be that the act of having a child is such a powerful emotion, it demands to be recorded in a most special way. Yet it could also be because the idea of being creative with words is something that both poets and children do. The Nation's Favourite Poems of Childhood is not a totally sentimental collection (Larkin's "This be the Verse" puts paid to that), nor is it an anthology designed to be read by children. Instead it is a wonderful expression of the myriad emotions that encompass growing up. Think about your childhood and what do you remember?--happy days in the park, indeed, but there's also curiosity (how hot is that flame?), pain (another scuffed knee), anger (that's my bike!) and frustration (but why not?) to contend with. Based on a Radio Times poll, this book takes the reader on a nostalgic and diverse journey. Some are amusing: William Blake is depressed as he is forced to sit in the classroom on a summer's day while Carol Ann Duffy can't help reaching into that box of chocolates, as long as she doesn't get the coffee cream. Others are indelibly sad, such as John Silkin's description of his son, who died in a mental hospital at the age of one. Like the other Nation's Favourite books in the collection, this book is highly accessible. It is not an intimidating tome of obscure poetry and is all the more powerful for this. --Sue Owen

The stunning debut novel from one of Britain's most enduringly successful personalities.When Suzannah Piper, TV star and media personality, is killed in a tragic car accident, many publicly grieve but few genuinely mourn. For Suzannah lived her life in the spotlight, and real friends are scarce in the glittering celebrity world. But investigative journalist Lucy Strong, one of the few people who knew the real Suzannah, mourns her. When, a decade ago, Lucy arrived in London a naive, insecure young girl in search of a TV career, it was Suzannah who saw her intelligence and nurtured it. It was Suzannah who taught her to play the media game. And it was Suzannah who helped Lucy to achieve her dream. Now, after her death, Lucy gets her chance to repay Suzannah, for crucial things about the night of her death don't add up. But as Lucy starts to uncover her friend's secret life, she realises that Suzannah was playing a dangerous game. And soon her own life is under threat...

Never before published in book form, these real dispatches from the real Dad's Army show how everything was affected, from petrol to pets, from restaurants to smoking, and not just food and clothing.