Books in the “Michael O'Mara” bookshelf created by Michael O'Mara Books

Ever find yourself struggling to remember simple facts and rules? Is the ever increasing pace of life and glut of information challenging your memory? I Before E (Except After C) is full of memory aids to help you out. From well known rhymes such as the popular 'Thirty days hath September, April, June and November', memorable sayings including 'Spring forward, fall back', and mnemonics such as 'Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain', to a selection of more modern methods of boosting one's failing memory. I Before E is the definitive guide to help you to unjumble your mind and improve your ability to recall names, dates, facts, figures and events, and contains all the mnemonics you'll ever need to know.

Anything Goes, John's first book, gave you the story so far. I Am What I Am reveals more about the man behind the television sensation, focusing on John's unique approach to life and love. The book is filled with juicy titbits from behind the scenes of Doctor Who and Torchwood, along with heart-warming family anecdotes and personal revelations, plus John's perspective on fame and how it has affected him. Also containing exclusive details about John's forthcoming role in Desperate Housewives, I Am What I Am gives unprecedented access to the multi-talented man himself — an unmissable treat for any fan.

Roy Hudd's career began in the 1950s and since then he has worked with most of the major stars of the last forty years. Born in Croydon in 1936, his early life was turbulent. His father left home and his mother committed suicide during the war, leaving his formidable, but adored grandmother, to raise him, and it was she who gave him the title for this book. His big television break came with Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life with David Frost, John Bird and John Fortune and he also had a brief stint in the popular TV soap Coronation Street. His radio career includes the hugely popular The News Huddlines, which he starred in and ran for twenty-six years. With over thirty pantomimes under his belt, as well as many memorable Variety and West End performances, perhaps most notably as Fagin in Cameron Mackintosh's first production of Oliver!, A Fart in a Colander brings together some wonderful stories from his life, and sparkles with the fun and laughter Roy has brought to millions of people throughout his career.

One of the most exciting 'chase thrillers' ever published, and a huge influence not only on spy fiction, but on Hollywood as well, The 39 Steps is a book which has captured the imagination of audiences for decades. It was written by acclaimed Scottish author John Buchan, who inspired the writing of other great British novelists, including Graham Greene, Ian Fleming and John le Carré. The 39 Steps remains his most famous work. It is the first of five novels featuring Richard Hannay, an all-action hero with a steely determination and an extraordinary knack for getting himself out of sticky situations. The novel charts the electrifying story of an ordinary man caught up in a sinister international plot.

There are so many small things you can do to make a big difference in your career, and this book unlocks the tools to make that happen. In today's current economic climate, it is important to stay ahead of the competition, remaining employable, adept and confident in business. Buy Me! is a book that helps you do just that. Clearly and accessibly written by two business professionals, the book guides readers through ten easy steps to maximizing themselves and their success. Contains advice on how to: appear more confident; network and forge relationships; overcome obstacles in the workplace; take control; move outside your comfort zone; achieve job satisfaction, and much more. Whatever your career goals, in Buy Me! you will find the resources you need to sell yourself successfully every time.

For the mum who embraces motherhood and all that it entails, The Mums' Book is a humorous handbook on the ups and downs of being a mother. Featuring:recipes for the perfect fairy cakes tips on how to throw the best children's parties examples of the best games to play on long journeysadvice on the best ways to pamper oneselfPlus other invaluable, and bizarre, pearls of wisdom handed down from generation to generation. The Mums' Book is also a celebration of motherhood, a miscellany of hilarious anecdotes and survival techniques from the world's best mums. No mother should be without this informative and amusing guide!

With the recent scrapping of GCSEs fresh in everyone's minds, The O Level Book is the perfect book to settle that age-old argument between the generations: were the exams of yesteryear really harder than anything children have to face today in the age of calculators and spell checkers? Are contemporary kids less intelligent than previous generations? Here is the chance to find out as the whole family pit their wits against one another in the ultimate generation game, contrasting the schooling of yesteryear with modern educational practices. Testing you on a range of old-school topics: English Language; General Science; Geography and History; Household Cookery; Mathematics.A wonderfully nostalgic yet testing anthology, The O Level Book encourages you to dust off your slide rules and get your thinking caps on to see who will come out on top in your family!

«The Most Evil Secret Societies in History» examines fifteen of the most notorious organisations the world has ever seen. These are; The Illuminati, an ancient association dedicated to establishing a 'New World Order'; Argentum Astrum, a black magic order formed by Aleister Crowley in 1907; The Thule Society, an Aryan brotherhood behind the Nazis; Muti Magic, practitioners of ritual murder; Ku Klux Klan, an American white supremacist cadre; The Tongs, violent Chinese society linked to organised crime; Solar Temple, international suicide sect uncovered in the 1990s; The Hashishim, a murderous Muslem sect at the time of the Crusades; The Mau Mau, a ruthless tribal society in pre-Independence Kenya; Aum Shinrikyo — Japanese terrorist survivalists; Odessa, a Nazi organisation perpetuating the vendetta against the Jews; SPK, an anarchist terrorist group active in the 1960s and 70s; The Thugees, Indian devotees of Kali, the Goddess of Death; Camorra, a clandestine Italian network with Mafia links; and The Hell Fire Club, 18th Century English aristocrats dabbling in sex and politics.

Pull up a seat and take a pit stop with this amusing toilet book. The Loo Companion is a hilarious and entertaining addition to any bathroom, guaranteed to expand your mind and make you laugh whenever nature calls. This book contains pages of trivia, news stories, historic references, quotes, anecdotes, statistics, sudoku, jokes, quizzes, puzzles, and more … all written in bitesized chunks, perfect for the reader to dip into — however long they're otherwise 'engaged'. Filled with humorous facts about toilet-related activity, as well as a compendium of some more generic humour, there is something for everyone. So whenever you're going to see a man about a dog, this book will guarantee you'll never be bored and keep you glued to your seat.

Calling all men — have you started buying your jeans for comfort rather than style? Do you prefer to watch the football in your favourite armchair rather than at the pub? Have you recently found yourself enjoying Gardeners' Question time or thinking about joining the National Trust? STOP! It's official. You are turning into your dad. This hilarious book is packed full of stories, advice, amusing quotes and more, designed to help men of all ages spot those unthinkable, yet inevitable signs that you are, in fact, becoming like your dad. An ideal book for those men who are old before their time, and those who are just getting on a bit, it will either have them embracing their inner dad or running in the opposite direction.

Over the past year we have seen the humble, inquisitive meerkat take over the world, and in Where's the Meerkat? that is literally the case. A family of meerkats are making a round-the-world trip, visiting some of the world's most famous and popular places and your task is to spot them in the crowd. Each page is intricately illustrated in full colour with a checklist of items and people to spot along with the meerkats.

How on earth did 'with bells on' come to express enthusiasm? What do chips on shoulders have to do with inferiority complexes? And who is the face that launched a thousand ships? Did you know that 'the rule of thumb' refers to the use of the thumb to make measurements, as the first joint of the average adult thumb measures one inch?Spilling the Beans on the Cat's Pyjamas provides us with the meanings of these well-worn and much-loved phrases by putting these linguistic quirks in context, and explaining how and why they were first used. Absorbing, diverting and fascinating - Spilling the Beans really is the bee's knees!

Hans Christian Asbosen is back with more wickedly witty tales of ASBO England. Meet King Harold and William the Conqueror, who sorted their differences over a wet bank holiday weekend on the pier at Hastings. Read of Henry VIII and his six wives — Katherine of Argos, Anne of Slag, Catherine the Strict, Anne of Summers, Svetlana of Moscow and Babs of Windsor. And meet Henry the Sly, responsible for hiding a copy of Norse Sluts inside the Doomsday Book. Discover how Francis Drake thrashed the Spanish Armada after he'd finished with a Plymouth ho… All of these tales and many more are retold by Asbosen in his unique way for the twenty-first century. Truly hilarious, Robin the Hoodie is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud at the wickedly warped tales — definitely different to those you were taught at school. These tales of blood, swears and teeth are sure to bring history to life for a whole new generation.

Rosie, a young Englishwoman from a comfortable middle-class background, left her London home in 1939 to work as an au pair in Avignon in the South of France. Even the outbreak of war later that year did little to disturb her happy life there, until 1940 when Hitler launched an all-out assault on Western Europe. Trying to escape back to Britain, Rosie was only able to flee as far as Paris, where she was eventually rounded up as an 'enemy alien' and sent to a German-run prison camp in Eastern France. Desperate to escape, she eventually did so with an equally industrious friend, Frida. After many months on the run in France, the young women finally reached the unoccupied city of Marseille. From there, they continued to flee through France, Spain and Portugal, at last arriving in Ireland where they were able to catch a plane back to Britain. Moving, enthralling, and inspirational, Rosie's War is a book for all to enjoy.

Aspirin has been used as a common, household painkiller for over a hundred years. However, many of its greater, recently discovered health benefits remain unknown by the general public. In December 2010, a new study proved that taking a small daily dose of aspirin cut overall cancer deaths by at least a fifth. In An Aspirin A Day, Dr Keith Souter examines the results of this and countless other studies which prove that aspirin is indeed a wonder drug which can protect against some of our worst known diseases, setting out how you too can benefit from taking even a small dose daily. Fully responsible, this book also gives advice on what to ask your doctor before adopting an aspirin regime, and outlines the possible side effects. Comprehensive and informative, this fascinating book is essential reading for everyone, teaching how this cheap and readily available drug can protect you.

Gathered from offices, hotels, shops and roadsides, this collection of seemingly ridiculous signs offers such examples as: «Elephants please stay in your car»; «If you cannot read this, this leaflet will tell you how to get lessons»; and "Bargain basement upstairs", as well as — On a cruise ship: Please do not lean on the widow. In a hotel: A sports jacket may be worn to dinner, but not trousers. In a launderette: Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.

This collection investigates the origins of our most intriguing old-fashioned superstitions, many of which we still find ourselves abiding by today.Hundreds of the beliefs passed down through the generations have their foundations in our ancestors' efforts to ward off evil, which they blamed for hardship, illness and injustice in times when life was, as often as not, 'nasty, brutish and short'. Black Cats and Evil Eyes sets these superstitions in their historical and social context, explaining how fear of the Devil, demons, evil spirits and witchcraft drove people to arm themselves with rituals and talismans to repel dark forces and allow them to live long and healthy lives.In examining many of our common superstitions, this book illuminates the customs, beliefs and practices that link us to an ancient, and often darker, human past.

Lost London is the story of the city as told through the buildings, parks and palaces that are no longer with us. Places like the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, the leading venue for public entertainment in the city for over 200 years, or the Palace of Whitehall whose 1500 rooms made it the largest royal residence in Europe until it was destroyed by fire at the end of the 17th century. From bull rings to ice fairs, plague pits to molly houses, this is a fascinating journey through London's forgotten past, unearthing the extraordinary stories that lie beneath familiar streets as well as shining a light in the city's darkest corners.

There's only one Essex — and due to the phenomenal popularity of the hit reality-show The Only Way is Essex, the county has transformed from somewhere to be scoffed at to somewhere to be celebrated. 100% Essex is a hilarious book that does just that! Crammed full of bling, banter, Essex birds and blokes, it champions the Essex way of life as shown on screen, seamlessly mixing tongue-in-cheek guides with anecdotes, jokes and quotes about Essex, as well as cheeky tricks and tips on how to act 100% Essex. Includes unmissable chapters on: Love life — chat-up lines, first date etiquette, how to marry well in Essex; Looking good — the 'art' of fake tanning, beauty cheats, top-ten things you might find in an Essex girl's Louis Vuitton; How to speak in Essex — 'babe', 'shu' uuuup', 'well jell' . . . and many more! This is the must-have handbook for all fans of the show and aspiring Essex girls and boys alike.

Since 1975 Charles Collingwood has also been known as Brian Aldridge — 'the JR of Ambridge' — the upper-class charmer with more than a dash of naughty wickedness. Charles' alter-ego has kept him pretty busy, from affairs and illegitimate children, to ventures into the sausage business. His long-suffering on-air wife is Jennifer, but in reality his wife is also his co-star, Shula, played by Judy Bennett, who he met over 25 years ago. Actor, wit and bonviveur, Charles Collingwood began his acting career after studying at RADA by working as an actor in rep theatre. In the mid-1970s he met Judy, who was already playing Shula in The Archers, and the rest is history. Aside from his most famous alter-ego however, Charles has also appeared in television shows, from Inspector Morse and Midsomer Murders to Roger Roger and Noel Edmunds' Telly Addicts, and has guested on several radio shows, including Just a Minute and Quote Unquote. Brian and Me is the wonderfully funny and vibrant memoir of an allround entertainer.