Tom Jones – författare

Discover the remarkably honest and captivating story of one of the world's greatest ever singing talents, Sir Tom Jones'Brilliantly told' SUNDAY TIMES'A terrific, star-studded journey' DAILY EXPRESS______ 'For a lot of years, I've answered a lot of questions, but have never told my story before . . .'In a business where dreams are often short-lived, Sir Tom Jones has maintained his sensational career across six decades.But how did a boy from a Welsh coal-mining family attain success across the globe over the course of decades?In this, his first ever autobiography, Tom revisits his past and tells the tale of his journey from wartime Pontypridd to LA and beyond. He reveals the stories behind the ups and downs of his fascinating and remarkable life, from the early heydays to the subsequent fallow years to his later period of artistic renaissance.It's the story nobody else knows or understands, told by the man who lived it, and written the only way he knows how: simply and from the heart.Raw, honest, funny and powerful, this is a memoir like no other from one of the world's greatest ever singing talents.______'Packed with the kind of showbiz tales you don't get any more' Daily Express'Hugely enjoyable' Daily Mail'A book that gets to Jones's core' Daily Mirror'This lively, thoughtful and entertaining account does justice to a remarkable life and career' Sunday Express'A brilliant read full of charm' Woman & Home

A comprehensive intellectual biography of the Enlightenment philosopherIn George Berkeley: A Philosophical Life, Tom Jones provides a comprehensive account of the life and work of the preeminent Irish philosopher of the Enlightenment. From his early brilliance as a student and fellow at Trinity College Dublin to his later years as Bishop of Cloyne, Berkeley brought his searching and powerful intellect to bear on the full range of eighteenth-century thought and experience.Jones brings vividly to life the complexities and contradictions of Berkeley’s life and ideas. He advanced a radical immaterialism, holding that the only reality was minds, their thoughts, and their perceptions, without any physical substance underlying them. But he put forward this counterintuitive philosophy in support of the existence and ultimate sovereignty of God. Berkeley was an energetic social reformer, deeply interested in educational and economic improvement, including for the indigenous peoples of North America, yet he believed strongly in obedience to hierarchy and defended slavery. And although he spent much of his life in Ireland, he followed his time at Trinity with years of travel that took him to London, Italy, and New England, where he spent two years trying to establish a university for Bermuda, before returning to Ireland to take up an Anglican bishopric in a predominantly Catholic country.Jones draws on the full range of Berkeley’s writings, from philosophical treatises to personal letters and journals, to probe the deep connections between his life and work. The result is a richly detailed and rounded portrait of a major Enlightenment thinker and the world in which he lived.

A definitive new edition of one of the greatest philosophical poems in the English languageVoltaire called it "the most sublime didactic poem ever written in any language." Rousseau rhapsodized about its intellectual consolations. Kant recited long passages of it from memory during his lectures. And Adam Smith and David Hume drew inspiration from it in their writings. This was Alexander Pope's Essay on Man (1733–34), a masterpiece of philosophical poetry, one of the most important and controversial works of the Enlightenment, and one of the most widely read, imitated, and discussed poems of eighteenth-century Europe and America. This volume, which presents the first major new edition of the poem in more than fifty years, introduces this essential work to a new generation of readers, recapturing the excitement and illuminating the debates it provoked from the moment of its publication.Echoing Milton's purpose in Paradise Lost, Pope says his aim in An Essay on Man is to "vindicate the ways of God to man"—to explain the existence of evil and explore man's place in the universe. In a comprehensive introduction, Tom Jones describes the poem as an investigation of the fundamental question of how people should behave in a world they experience as chaotic, but which they suspect to be orderly from some higher point of view. The introduction provides a thorough discussion of the poem's attitudes, themes, composition, context, and reception, and reassesses the work's place in history. Extensive annotations to the text explain references and allusions.The result is the most accessible, informative, and reader-friendly edition of the poem in decades and an invaluable book for students and scholars of eighteenth-century literature and thought.

A comprehensive intellectual biography of the Enlightenment philosopherIn George Berkeley: A Philosophical Life, Tom Jones provides a comprehensive account of the life and work of the preeminent Irish philosopher of the Enlightenment. From his early brilliance as a student and fellow at Trinity College Dublin to his later years as Bishop of Cloyne, Berkeley brought his searching and powerful intellect to bear on the full range of eighteenth-century thought and experience.Jones brings vividly to life the complexities and contradictions of Berkeley’s life and ideas. He advanced a radical immaterialism, holding that the only reality was minds, their thoughts, and their perceptions, without any physical substance underlying them. But he put forward this counterintuitive philosophy in support of the existence and ultimate sovereignty of God. Berkeley was an energetic social reformer, deeply interested in educational and economic improvement, including for the indigenous peoples of North America, yet he believed strongly in obedience to hierarchy and defended slavery. And although he spent much of his life in Ireland, he followed his time at Trinity with years of travel that took him to London, Italy, and New England, where he spent two years trying to establish a university for Bermuda, before returning to Ireland to take up an Anglican bishopric in a predominantly Catholic country.Jones draws on the full range of Berkeley’s writings, from philosophical treatises to personal letters and journals, to probe the deep connections between his life and work. The result is a richly detailed and rounded portrait of a major Enlightenment thinker and the world in which he lived.

The first study of poetic language from a historical and philosophical perspectiveIn a series of 12 chapters, exemplary poems - by Walter Ralegh, John Milton,William Cowper, William Wordsworth, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Wallace Stevens, Ezra Pound, Frank O'Hara, Robert Creeley, W. S. Graham, Tom Raworth, Denise Riley and Thomas A. Clark - are read alongside theoretical discussions of poetic language.The discussions provide a jargon-free account of a wide range of historical and contemporary schools of thought about poetic language, and an organised, coherent critique of those schools (including analytical philosophy, cognitive poetics, structuralism and post-structuralism). Via close readings of poems from 1600 to the present readers are taken through a wide range of styles including modernist, experimental and innovative poetries. Paired chapters within a chronological structure allow lecturers and students to approach the material in a variety of ways (by individual chapters, paired historical periods) that are appropriate to different courses.Key Features: Surveys a variety of linguistic and philosophical approaches to poetic language: analytical, cognitive, post-structuralist, pragmatic Provides readings of complete poems and places those readings within the wider context of each poet's work Combines theory and practice Includes a Glossary, Notes on Poets and Suggested Further Reading

The first study of poetic language from a historical and philosophical perspectiveIn a series of 12 chapters, exemplary poems - by Walter Ralegh, John Milton,William Cowper, William Wordsworth, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Wallace Stevens, Ezra Pound, Frank O'Hara, Robert Creeley, W. S. Graham, Tom Raworth, Denise Riley and Thomas A. Clark - are read alongside theoretical discussions of poetic language.The discussions provide a jargon-free account of a wide range of historical and contemporary schools of thought about poetic language, and an organised, coherent critique of those schools (including analytical philosophy, cognitive poetics, structuralism and post-structuralism). Via close readings of poems from 1600 to the present readers are taken through a wide range of styles including modernist, experimental and innovative poetries. Paired chapters within a chronological structure allow lecturers and students to approach the material in a variety of ways (by individual chapters, paired historical periods) that are appropriate to different courses.Key Features: Surveys a variety of linguistic and philosophical approaches to poetic language: analytical, cognitive, post-structuralist, pragmatic Provides readings of complete poems and places those readings within the wider context of each poet's work Combines theory and practice Includes a Glossary, Notes on Poets and Suggested Further Reading

A charming and inspiring book of 365 things to do in London. Beautifully illustrated with bitesize entries ranging from the well-known to the quirky, this is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to discover all of the gems London has to offer...'One thing to do every day that'll stop you getting tired of the big smoke.' -- The Guardian'A great way to explore London!' -- ***** Reader review'Great fun and great information' -- ***** Reader review'Great book to dip into. Always find something new to do/somewhere new to go' -- ***** Reader review'A brilliant book with fascinating ideas to do around the city' -- ***** Reader review******************************************************************************************************As the late great Samuel Johnson sagely observed, 'When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.'When author Tom Jones found himself doing the same things week in, week out while living in England's treasured capital, he decided to heed Johnson's words and seek out a thing to do each day in London to make him fall back in love with the city.Here, in Tired of London, Tired of Life, Tom shares the fun, diverting and imaginative things that you can do to keep yourself amused in London. With seasonally appropriate suggestions for each day of the year, you can explore East London by canoe, search for Fagin's lair in Clerkenwell, play petanque in Southwark, seek out Aphrodite in the British Museum on Valentine's Day and enjoy a host of unusual ways to enjoy the capital.So grab your A-Z and start discovering a whole other side to this majestic city!

A seasonal snapshot of things to do in England at any time of the year, come rain or shine (or more likely just rain!). Beautifully illustrated with bitesize entries, this is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to discover all of the gems England has to offer...'Excellent and unusual book - a wonderful way of discovering and planning things to do and places to visit you would never have thought of' -- ***** Reader review'A travel guide with humour' -- ***** Reader review'Good fun and interesting' -- ***** Reader review'A great gift for all ages' -- ***** Reader review'Must have book for anyone who's interesting in a staycation or any fans of weekend mini-breaks' -- ***** Reader review'Takes you on a journey to places you never knew existed...' -- ***** Reader review*****************************************************************************************Using a mixture of unique seasonal events and interesting places to visit (all presented in attractive bite-sized entries), Mad Dogs and Englishmen is a browsable gift book aimed at those who are interested in getting to know their home country better as well as tourists seeking to make the most of their stay in England.In more than 220 pages, divided into months, Tom Jones demonstrates the diversity of England as a country; presenting interesting, unusual and thought-provoking things to do which also enlighten the reader, and convey the message that England is a great place to live and explore all year round.Go to a tree cathedral, collect glass on the beach, pretend to be a spy, visit a pub with no beer, go curling and canoeing, walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs - the possibilities are endless! 'England is a country which requires more than a second look, an amazingly diverse place, offering almost-unlimited landscapes, culture and history, and a diversity of opportunities which is unrivalled anywhere else in the world.'

The lyricist/librettist of The Fantasticks, the longest-running show in the history of the American theater, takes on a new role as your guide through the magical world of the stage musical.

“Richly illustrated, it is ideal for fans of the show, as well as admirers of musical theatre.” – Variety “Anybody who has seen the show (who hasn't?) should read the book” – Entertainment Today “The perfect present for any Fantasticks fans.” –, Cleveland Plain Dealer “A valuable resource. Recommended for all collections.” – Choice

A gripping first-hand account of life in space and the making of an astronaut. What is it like to fly the space shuttle and work on and in the International Space Station? Veteran NASA astronaut Tom Jones is uniquely qualified to give the details: he flew four shuttle missions and led three space walks to deliver the US Lab to the Station. . From B-52 pilot during the Cold War, to a PhD in planetary science, to the unbelievable rigors of astronaut training, his career inevitably pointed him toward the space shuttle. Until the Challenger exploded. Jones’s story is the first to candidly explain the professional and personal hardships faced by the astronauts in the aftermath of that 1986 tragedy. He certainly has ’The Right Stuff’ but also found himself wondering if the risks he undertook were worth the toll on his family. Liftoffs were especially nerve-wracking (his mother, who refuses to even get on a plane, cannot watch) but his 53 days in space were unforgettable adventures. Jones uses his background as a scientist to explain the practical applications of many of the shuttle’s scientific missions, and describes what it’s like to work with the international crews building and living aboard the space station. Tom Jones returned from his space station voyage to assess the impact of the 2003 Columbia tragedy, and prescribes a successful course for the U.S. in space. Stunning photographs, many taken in space, illustrate his amazing journey.

NASA's space shuttle was the world's first reusable spacecraft, accomplishing many firsts and inspiring generations across its 30-year lifespan as America's iconic spaceship. In SPACE SHUTTLE STORIES, shuttle astronaut Tom Jones interviewed more than 130 fellow astronauts for personal vignettes from each mission, complemented by their written accounts for all 135 space shuttle missions, from Columbia's maiden flight in 1981 to the final launch of Atlantis in 2011. The book is a major contribution to the historical record of a momentous era of spaceflight. Each mission profile includes: · An astronaut narrative that immerses the readers in their personal mission experience · Data about the mission, crew, launch, landing, duration, and highlights · Captivating photographs rarely seen by the public The Space Shuttle program's 6 orbiter vehicles (Enterprise, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour) carried a total of 355 astronauts into orbit on 135 missions aimed at cutting-edge scientific research, satellite launch, retrieval and repair, collaborative work with the Russian Mir station, the launching and servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the construction of the International Space Station. SPACE SHUTTLE STORIES focuses on the lived, human experiences of larger-than-life space missions. It's a definitive oral history that captures the importance, wonder, and exhilaration of the Space Shuttle era.

Risky Living is a fascinating collection of candid and intimate conversations with forty-five men and women who describe, in gripping detail, how physical risk is a familiar companion in their working lives, and how they deal with it. This is the first work of oral history to focus solely on people who work dangerous jobs. In the great tradition of books revealing the real lives of working men and women pioneered by Studs Terkel, Risky Living takes readers:Inside Antron Brown’s car as he launches his top fuel drag racer from zero to over 300 miles per hourAlongside world champion bull rider Justin McBride as he attempts to stay atop a 1,600-pound beastNext to storm chasing videographer Jeff Gammons as he painfully remembers the screams of Hurricane Katrina drowning victimsRight behind Cameron Begbie as he recalls fighting hand-to-hand against insurgents in IraqInside the huddle with two-time Pro Bowl NFL player Kassim OsgoodIn the back of the jeep with National Geographic wildlife photographer Andy CasagrandeDown the shaft with coal miner Jeff ShinerInto the swamp with alligator trapper Tredale Boudreaux100 stories up with high-rise window washer Walter DiazRisky Living reveals who these daring people are, what they endure for a paycheck, and how they feel about their jobs. They speak for themselves, in their words, and what they have to say reveals much about who they are, what they do, and why they do it.

The economic value of forest. has long been recognized, but the ways in which that value is calculated and the management policies adopted in consequence have all too often resulted in overuse and irreversible destruction. This is spectacularly obvious around the Mediterranean basin, but it is also true in northern Europe. These five case studies, commissioned by the OECD, examine failures of forest management in Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany and Sweden. They look at both market and intervention policies and show how each can further the destruction of the forests, and they set out ways in which future policies can evade the mistakes of the past.Originally published in 1992