John McShane

Young, cocksure, handsome and absurdly talented, Australian actor Heath Ledger shot to prominence with his first Hollywood film "10 Things I Hate About You": and a star was born. With huge charisma and smouldering looks lighting up the screen in a series of subsequent films, Heath was soon established as Hollywood A-list, dating a series of beauties such as Heather Graham and Naomi Watts, and living every young man's dream.But it was his award-winning and controversial role as Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain" that cemented his place in the pantheon of acting greats - he was one of the youngest people ever to be nominated for an Oscar. And it was on the set of this film that he fell in love with his co-star Michelle Williams. Though the relationship wasn't to last, the couple had a daughter in 2005.With the world at his feet and a film-stealing turn in the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight", in the can, there was worldwide shock and disbelief when the news broke that he had been found dead in his New York apartment on 22 January 2008. Prescription drugs, found next to his dead body, were thought to be the cause, but mystery surrounded the circumstances. Was it an accidental death? Or were the pressures of life in the spotlight too great to bear?What is certain is that this young man, who touched the lives of so many people, leaves behind a grief-stricken public and family, including a two-year-old daughter. This is the tragic story of the brilliant actor whose light shone so brightly but all too briefly upon the world.

Heath Ledger - His Beautiful Life and Mysterious Death

his beautiful life and mysterious death

Heath Ledger

The tragic and violent death of 17-month old Baby P at the hands of those who were supposed to love and care for him has sickened the nation. That such unimaginable cruelty could be unleashed on an innocent child - and fail to be picked up on by the authorities - has led to a public outcry and a media storm.This is a comprehensive look at the events leading up to the death of Baby P. A recent investigation has found that there was poor communication between authorities, a repeated failure to take into account the child's history and inaccurate documentation of events by Haringey Council. Child protection plans were heavily criticized in the inspection report for being disorganized with little analysis of the child and no clear decision-making. With the three perpetrators awaiting sentencing and politicians debating what can be done now and in the future, the public are left angry and bewildered as just how this was allowed to happen.

Baby P - It Must Never Happen Again

In August 2007, a 17-month-old boy died after enduring abuse of an almost unimaginable cruelty. This text takes a comprehensive look at the events leading up to the death of Baby P and an analysis of the inspection report and investigation into his death.

The Lessons Learned from the Short Life and Terrible Death of Baby P

It Must Never Happen Again

The powerfully-built nightclub bouncer kidnapped and murdered 13 year old Milly Dowler as she walked home from school in broad daylight. She had stopped for a bag of chips with friends at a railway station cafe. The case horrified the nation when six months later her body was found 25 miles away by mushroom pickers in a quiet wood in the Hampshire countryside. Her abduction and death was described as 'every parent's nightmare'. He also murdered, in an equally horrendous manner, 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell and 22-year-old French student Amelie Delagrange with blows to the head after they got off late-night buses in South London. He attempted to kill Kate Sheedy, an 18 year old he deliberately hit with his car as she walked home shortly after midnight, before reversing over her body. She survived only after major surgery in hospital.Levi Bellfield was one of the most notorious killers of his time. His crimes, his dramatic trials at the Old Bailey, plus the stories of his young victims and the devastating impact on their families are examined in detail in this chilling study of the violent deaths and danger to innocent young girls at the hands of a total stranger.

Predator - The true story of Levi Bellfield, the man who murdered Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange

For thousands of years, men and women have known who to turn to in times of trouble - a dog. All over the world dogs have risked, and often lost, their lives to look after the human beings they care for. Their intelligence, devotion and astonishing courage to help humans in distress on countless occasions almost defies belief. Their stories range from Roselle the Labrador, who led her blind owner to safety from the carnage of the World Trade Centre, to the legends of Balto and Togo, two of the huskies who traversed over 1,000 kilometres of snow and ice to bring life-saving medicine to an isolated town, and Swansea Jack, the black Labrador who rescued almost 30 people from drowning and who had a statue erected in his honour. Many of the dogs featured in this book have been specially trained to help humans, a task they eagerly set about regardless of the physical risk they face as a result. Then there are the family pets who, when danger threatens, react with total disregard for their own wellbeing, caring only about one thing; protecting the humans they love.

Man's Best Friends - True Stories of the World's Most Heroic Dogs

Didier Drogba...the name strikes fear into defenders throughout football and excites fans around the world. The giant forward's life story is as amazing as some of the goals which have turned him into a hero on two continents.Born in 1978 in Abidjan, the capital of the troubled African state of Ivory Coast, he was sent to live in France with an uncle, a professional footballer, at the tender age of five. At the age of nineteen, Drogba signed with Le Mans before moving to Guingamp and becoming an Ivory Coast international.In 2004, Chelsea splashed out GBP 24 million to bring him from Olympique Marseilles to Stamford Bridge. His goals and commitment won supporters' hearts but he has courted controversy along the way, apparently confessing to 'diving' in opposition penalty areas, and his sending off in a brutal Champions League clash with Barcelona led to one of the world's top referees quitting the game. He has even had to face competition for his place from Ukrainian goal-machine Andriy Shevchenko.Now, one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, his amazing life story reveals the struggle of his early years, his battle for acceptance on and off the football field and the truth about his rivalry with Shevchenko in a story that really is stranger than fiction.

Didier Drogba - Portrait of a Hero

On Sunday 15 November 2009, detectives hunting one of the most prolific sex offenders in Britain finally made an arrest; 17 years after the first terrifying attack took place. Delroy Grant, the 'Night Stalker' first struck in 1992, raping an 84-year-old woman in her flat in Croydon. What followed was a sickening series of horrifying sexual assaults on elderly victims across south London, Kent and Surrey. All the victims lived alone and were woken in the night by a man dressed in black, his face obscured by a balaclava. Delroy would shine a torch into their eyes, or switch off their electricity, before subjecting them to terrifyingly violent attacks. DNA profiling revealed a list of 21,000 possible suspects before officers working on Operation Minstead finally pieced together enough evidence to make an arrest. This is the full story of the man dubbed the 'Night Stalker', who brought terror and violence to the streets of South London.

The Night Stalker - The True Story of Delroy Grant, Britain's Most Shocking Serial Sex Attacker

Knife crime is sweeping Britain as the law of the blade rules on the streets and in the schools of our towns and cities. Many cases have gained notoriety - Ben Kinsella, the brother of an Eastenders actor killed for walking away from a fight he wasn't involved in - but many more hardly cause a stir, except to the victims, their families and friends whose lives are ruined forever. Now this book reveals the truth about the inexorable rise in knife crime and what - if anything - can be done to stop it.

John McShane

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