Books published by publisher Sidgwick and Jackson

A blonde, chic Parisienne, Francoise never expected to find herself living on a South African game reserve. But when she fell in love with renowned conservationist Lawrence Anthony her life took an unexpected turn. Lawrence died in 2012 and Francoise was left to face the tough reality of running Thula Thula without him, even though she knew very little about conservation. She was short on money, poachers were capitalizing on the chaos of Lawrence’s death, and one of their elephants was charging Land Rovers on game drives and terrifying guests. There was no time to mourn when Thula Thula’s human and animal family were depending on her. How Francoise survived and Thula Thula thrived is beautifully described in this charming, funny and poignant book. Their elephant herd, rescued by Lawrence, shared Francoise's grief at his passing but over time forged a new relationship with her. One day a baby, Tom, became separated from the herd and found his way into Francoise's kitchen and there was a desperate race against time to save another baby who had a snare wrapped round his face and couldn't open his mouth to suckle. Meanwhile Francoise worked to create a rescue centre for orphaned rhinos. She also took on abandoned hippo baby Charlie who hated water and a German Shepherd called Duma who became an unlikely nursemaid, coach and best friend to all the traumatised rhino, hippo and elephant babies. If you loved Lawrence's The Elephant Whisperer, or just want to spend time with some remarkable animals, then you won’t want to miss this sparkling book.

Françoise Malby-Anthony never expected to find herself responsible for a herd of elephants with a troubled past. A chic Parisienne, her life changed forever when she fell in love with South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony. Together they founded a game reserve but after Lawrence's death, Françoise faced the daunting responsibility of running Thula Thula without him. Poachers attacked their rhinos, their security team wouldn't take orders from a woman and the authorities were threatening to cull their beloved elephant family. On top of that, the herd's feisty new matriarch Frankie didn't like her. In this heart-warming and moving book, Françoise describes how she fought to protect the herd and to make her dream of building a wildlife rescue centre a reality. She found herself caring for a lost baby elephant who turned up at her house, and offering refuge to traumatised orphaned rhinos, and a hippo called Charlie who was scared of water. As she learned to trust herself, she discovered she'd had Frankie wrong all along.... Filled with extraordinary animals and the humans who dedicate their lives to saving them, An Elephant in My Kitchen by Françoise Malby-Anthony is a captivating and gripping listen.

'The most magical book about the African bush since Born Free' – Daily Mail'A beautiful love story between humans and the majestic elephants' – Jo Malone, Daily ExpressFrançoise Malby-Anthony never expected to find herself responsible for a herd of elephants with a troubled past. A chic Parisienne, her life changed forever when she fell in love with South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony. Together they founded a game reserve but after Lawrence’s death, Françoise faced the daunting responsibility of running Thula Thula without him. Poachers attacked their rhinos, their security team wouldn’t take orders from a woman and the authorities were threatening to cull their beloved elephant family. On top of that, the herd’s feisty new matriarch Frankie didn’t like her.In this heart-warming and moving book, Françoise describes how she fought to protect the herd and to make her dream of building a wildlife rescue centre a reality. She found herself caring for a lost baby elephant who turned up at her house, and offering refuge to traumatized orphaned rhinos, and a hippo called Charlie who was scared of water. As she learned to trust herself, she discovered she’d had Frankie wrong all along . . .Filled with extraordinary animals and the humans who dedicate their lives to saving them, An Elephant in My Kitchen by Françoise Malby-Anthony is a captivating and gripping read.

Sir Tony Robinson is a much-loved actor, presenter and author with a stellar career lasting over fifty years. In this autobiography he reveals how the boy from South Woodford went from child stardom in the first stage production of Oliver!, a pint-sized pickpocket desperately bleaching his incipient moustache, to comedy icon Baldrick, the loyal servant and turnip aficionado in Blackadder. It wasn't all plain sailing though. Along the way he was bullied by Steve Marriott, failed to impress Liza Minnelli and was pushed into a stinking London dock by John Wayne. He also entertained us with Maid Marion and Her Merry Men (which he wrote and starred in) and coped manfully when locked naked outside a theatre in Lincoln during the live tour of comedy series Who Dares Wins. He presented Time Team for twenty years, watching countless gardens ruthlessly dug up in the name of archaeology, and risked life and limb filming The Worst Jobs in History. Packed full of incident and insight, No Cunning Plan is a funny, self-deprecating and always entertaining read.

'It's Sapiens for teenagers.' The TimesLIFE IS WEIRD.Nothing gives you a sense of perspective like finding out just how weird.I'm an extremely curious chap and with this book I wanted to share the content of my noggin, because I think these are the 147 things that have helped me through this thing we call life. Sometimes because it shows how lucky we are to be here at all, but often because I’m a moron and learned whatever lesson it taught me the hard way, and I’d like to save you the pain of making the same mistakes (I refer here to the waxing of my pubic hair).Ever wondered if first times are over-rated (hint: they are), whether you’ll ever find the one (hint: there are 7 billion of us) or pondered the sheer unlikelihood of the you who is you being in the world right now? If so, then YouTube superstar and fact-obsessed, over-sharer Jim Chapman is here to explain it all – whether it’s why your heart actually aches after a break-up, what’s happening when you get hangry, or why people are just so plain RUDE online.Along the way, we’ll find out how much fun he has when Tanya’s sleep-talking and why he looked like a gangly T-rex with wonky teeth when he was a teenager. As with his videos, no subject is off-limits, as Jim lifts the lid on his life and his relationships, sharing embarrassing stories and things he’s learnt along the way (trust us, the thing about kangaroos will really freak you out).

From YouTube superstar, TV presenter, model and fact-obsessive oversharer Jim Chapman comes a hilarious user's guide to the universe. In 147 Things, Jim takes us on a whistle-stop tour of the best bits of everything, from the mind-blowing to the ridiculous. As with his videos, no subject is off-limits and he’ll lift the lid on his life and his relationships, sharing embarrassing stories and things he’s learnt along the way. If you’ve ever felt weirded out by the fact we’re seven billion (mostly) hairless apes spinning around a giant ball of flaming gas, or that we all begin as tiny humans INSIDE our mothers, or that many of us keep slightly-less-dangerous wolves in our homes, then you need this book in your life. Jim wants to inspire you with the sheer unlikelihood of us all being here and equip you to feel just a little less overwhelmed by the small stuff

From a council house in Kent to her first home in the Hollywood hills, from being told she was too big to model to becoming an inspiration for curvy girls everywhere, Kelly's life has taken many unexpected turns. As a child she just wanted to be an actress - she never imagined she'd also become a hugely popular pin up girl or that she'd be romanced by film stars and pursued by paparazzi.Now, in her deeply personal and honest autobiography, Kelly opens up about the men she has loved and the tragic loss and heartache she has overcome. And she reveals how, by refusing to be limited by other people's perceptions of her, she has forged a successful career as an actress, model and business woman. In Close Up we see the real Kelly. The girl behind the gloss. A funny, feisty woman who lives life on her own terms.

Claire Richards is loved by women everywhere for her warm and genuine personality. Now she writes honestly about her life, taking us from the bullied schoolgirl who dreamed of peforming at Wembley to finding stardom with Steps. She reveals the secrets of the music industry and what it's really like to be in a band at the top of their career, from the unhealthy pressure to stay thin to the backstage rows. She describes how the stress of her affair caused her to starve herself, and explains why she and fellow bandmate H controversially resigned. Claire also opens us about why her first marriage to Steps dancer Mark didn't last, her dramatic weight gain and years of yo-yo dieting as she battled low self-esteem, and how she found happiness with second husband Reece and their two children Charlie and Daisy. And she takes us behind the scenes of the Steps reunion tour as old issues rose to the surface. Entertaining, touching and funny, this is sure to appeal to Claire's many fans.

From GMTV weathergirl to Loose Women anchor, Andrea McLean has become one of our most-loved TV presenters. But for years her famous smile has been concealing some devastating secrets. With heartbreaking honesty she opens up about the end of her first marriage and how, on the edge of a breakdown, she found herself juggling her demanding career with raising her son alone. When her second marriage also fell apart - in the glare of the media spotlight - it seemed her life had really hit rock bottom. In her fully updated autobiography, Andrea writes movingly about her joys and sorrows, and about coming to terms with being a single mum again. She describes how she learns that messing up doesn't mean you're wicked - just human. And she takes us behind the scenes at GMTV, Dancing on Ice and Loose Women to reveal that television can be a treacherous place for a good girl!