Flamingos are among the most familiar and popular of all the world's birds. This book summarises the available understanding of flamingo biology, with discussions of population dynamics, ecology, movements, feeding, breeding biology, and conservation. It a

The extraordinary 1950s London childhood of one of Britain's best-loved politicians.
Alan Johnson's childhood was not so much difficult as unusual, particularly for a man who was destined to become Home Secretary. Not in respect of the poverty, which was shared with many of those living in the slums of post-war Britain, but in its transition from two-parent family to single mother and then to no parents at all.
This is essentially the story of two incredible women: Alan's mother, Lily, who battled against poor health, poverty, domestic violence and loneliness to try to ensure a better...

In July 1969, while the Rolling Stones played a free concert in Hyde Park, Alan Johnson and his young family left West London to start a new life. The Britwell Estate in Slough, apparently notorious among the locals, in fact came as a blessed relief after the tensions of Notting Hill, and the local community welcomed them with open arms. Alan had become a postman the previous year, and in order to support his growing family took on every bit of overtime he could, often working twelve-hour shifts six days a week. It was hard work, but not without its compensations - the crafty fag snatched in...

When Tony Blair brought Alan Johnson into Parliament in 1997, it was something of a culture shock. Blair famously said to him 'Oh, so you really are working class aren't you'. But Alan eventually took to the corridors of power as to the manner born, fuelled by his passionately held principles and his loyalty to his constituents in Hull West and Hessle.

But this is no self-aggrandising memoir of politicking and skulduggery. In the bestselling tradition of This Boy and Please, Mister Postman, Alan's honesty and authenticity shine through every engaging word. Prepare to...

His love affair with pop music blossomed alongside the music itself, which exploded into being in the mid-1950s and came to embody the iconoclastic spirit of a new era. Honest, poignant and very funny, it is more than just a nostalgic celebration of music: it offers a new perspective on the singular life of Alan Johnson the man.