Alumni authors

The University of Sheffield is proud to have so many alumni who have gone on to be successful authors.

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Hilary Andrews (BA History 1965)
The Prioress

The Prioress is a gripping historical drama set amidst the political intrigue and religious unrest of 13th century London. An unpopular prioress is murdered and a young man is accused of the murder. His brother, a stone-mason, working on the nearby Westminster Abbey attempts to clear his name. The plot is widened by the underlying conflict between the King and the barons.

Link to book (Amazon)


Shazhad Aslam (MSc Sports Injury 2005)
The Butterfly Will Always Float

The book tells a story of how a 12-year-old innocent boy befriends a spirit of one of the icons of the 20th century discovering inner resources of strength and courage to overcome his insecurities. A magical tale that will leave you moist-eyed. “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.” – Muhammad Ali

Use code AUTHOR0422 at checkout to receive the discount. 

Link to book (Austin Macauley)


Wilfred Attenborough (Former Student 1963)
Diagnosing Churchill: Bipolar or "Prey to Nerves" ?

This pioneering book investigates how biographical evidence has been variously used, misused, or not used at all, by clinicians entirely reliant on biographical evidence for the influential posthumous diagnoses they have produced of Winston Churchill as a manic-depressive. Attention is paid, also, to the distinct question of Churchill and "nerves," otherwise known as neurasthenia. This question has a place alongside the manic-depression issue because, by ensuring there is a marked contrast between two lines of biographical inquiry, it facilitates a significant move in the direction of a more rounded, a more securely founded, understanding of how Churchill functioned psychologically, and how he did not.

Link to book (Amazon)


Penny Avis (LLB Law 1989)
Never Mind the Botox

Co-written with her friend Joanna Berry 'Never Mind the Botox' is a series about four professional women all working on the sale of high profile cosmetic surgery business the Beau Street Group. Each book reveals how the women cope with one of the most glamorous but challenging deals of their careers, and the dramatic impact it has on their personal lives. With a briefcase in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, can they navigate their way through a surreal world of boob jobs by day and intrigue by night - and still keep their own love lives on track?

Link to book (AvisBerry.com)


Emad Aysha (BA Economics & Philosophy, 1996; MA International Studies, 1998; PhD Politics, 2001)
Arab and Muslim Science Fiction, Critical Essays

This book examines the nature, genesis, and history of Arabic and Muslim science fiction, as well as the challenges faced by its authors, in the authors’ own words. These authors share their stories and struggles with censors, recalcitrant publishers, critics, the book market, and the literary establishment. Their uphill efforts, with critical contributions from academics, translators, and literary activists, will enlighten the sci-fi enthusiast and fill a gap in the history of science fiction. Topics covered range from culture shock to conflicts between tradition and modernity, proactive roles for female heroines, blind imitation of storytelling techniques, and language games.

Link to book (McFarland.com)


Diane Bailey-Boulet
Poverty to Possibility: Snapshots from a Yorkshire Boyhood

Diane recounts the story of her late father, Sheffield Medical alumnus Harry Bailey (MB ChB Medicine 1956).

In Britain, during the desperate Depression-era 1930s and war-torn 1940s, a poor but promising and determined Yorkshire coal miner's son finds the friendship, love, and community he needs to break the forceful grip of poverty and let his boldest dreams take flight.

Link to book (Amazon)


Simon Baynes (BSc Probability and Statistics 1979)
Extreme Survivor

At the age of seven Simon was diagnosed with early onset diabetes. The title ‘Extreme Survivor’ relates to his citation in 2016 for a Joslin Medal, which is awarded to those who survive on insulin for fifty years from their diagnosis. This autobiography chronicles his life, including his studies at the University and his time as Chair of Trustees of the University of Sheffield Pension Scheme.

Link to book (Church Times)


Dr William Bedford (BA English Literature 1976, PhD English 1980)
None of the Cadillacs was pink

None of the Cadillacs Was Pink is a collection of short stories and memoir essays. Both stories and memoir essays deal with Bedford's early experiences of working on the east coast fairgrounds and fishdocks of Lincolnshire, and then living close to an American nuclear rocket base in North Lincolnshire.

Link to book (Amazon)


Paul Behrens (MPhil Physics with Astronomy 2006)
The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science

Academic, physicist, environmental expert and award-winning science communicator Paul Behrens presents a radical dual analysis of a civilisation on the brink of catastrophe.

Setting out the pressing existential threats we face, he writes, in alternating chapters, of what the future could look like, at its most optimistic and pessimistic, and details the steps we can take to ensure our survival. In lucid and clear-sighted prose, Behrens argues that structural problems need structural solutions, and examines critical areas in which political will is necessary, including women’s education, food and energy security, biodiversity and economics.

Link to book (Indigo Press)


Brian Bennett (BA Russian 1970)
The Last Dictatorship in Europe: Belarus Under Lukashenko

Belarus is a European country denied democratic progress by a modern-day tyrant. Bennett traces Belarus's history from the collapse of the Berlin Wall to the eventual establishment of Lukashenko’s personal dictatorship in 2006. He writes of the hopes and excitement of the first presidential election in 1994 and Lukashenko’s swift consolidation of power through fraudulent referenda and elections, suspicious disappearances and the sidelining of opposition. He takes a close look at the enigmatic Lukashenko and hazards a guess as to how his regime will end.

Link to book (Amazon)


Jeffrey Scott Bernstein (BA English Literature 1993)
The Oresteia of Aeschylus

The Oresteia, first performed in Greece in 458BC, has been celebrated as an exemplar of the highest literary art. The murder of King Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra, the bloody vengeance their son Orestes wreaks upon his mother, and the appearance of the goddess Athena to sort matters out, tells a foundation narrative of world drama. The trilogy traces a progression from personal blood feud to institutionalised justice, and in doing so celebrates, by the end, the triumph of democracy among the citizenry.

Link to book (Carcanet)


Leandro Berti (PhD Chemistry 2010)
Nanossegurança

This work is a compendium of the latest information and international standards in the field of Nanotechnology. The result of an intense research work, this unprecedented text aims to beacon and guide the understanding and development of Nanotechnology, emphasizing the Safety by Design paradigm, in order to promote effective communication and integration between the industry and academia. The authors explore in a practical way the Nanosafety concepts and definitions, best practices for the manufacture of nanomaterials, how to measure nanomaterials properties, how to assess exposure, hazard and risk, and finally, how to assess the safety of nanomaterials.

Written in a clear and educational way, the book presents a technical text with a practial view, and immediately applicable both in industry and in academia. This book may also be useful for the creation of public policies and regulatory frameworks for research, use, production and manufacture of nanomaterials in general.

Link to book (API NANOtechnologia - in Portuguese)


Bridget Blankley (PG Dip Post-16 Education and Training Policy 2004)
The Ghosts & Jamal

The Ghosts & Jamal is an intriguing story, touching on religion, terrorism and Nigeria’s internal conflicts, following a young orphan who is negotiating an unforgiving society. Waking up in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, 14-year-old Jamal tries to piece together what has happened whilst simultaneously trying to evade capture by the attackers. It soon becomes clear that he has been living in a separate outhouse from his family on account of the “bad spirits” that plague him. As he wanders around his family’s compound, he comes across red canisters leaking yellow gas, which he works out were the weapon that killed his family, and he begins calling the gas “ghosts”. With his family dead, he begins to search for his grandfather who he hardly knows; when his grandfather turns him away he keeps walking. On his journey he passes out and is picked up by a patrolling soldier. He is taken to a hospital where he is treated for the “spirits”, or rather, his epilepsy. Jamal escapes and on doing so, he wanders bewildered around the city. On the way he meets prejudice, exploitation and friendship, before finally discovering that it is people, not ghosts, that have killed his family, and they have plans to keep on killing.

Link to book (Amazon)


Katherine Blessan (MA English Literature 2000)
Lydia's Song

Lydia's quiet expat life in Cambodia is dramatically turned upside down by the sudden arrival of Song, a young & vulnerable Vietnamese girl, and the flattering romantic attentions of a handsome, dashing local man. Just as she settles into this new-found happiness, everything is shattered as Song is kidnapped and sold into the child sex trade. Broken, Lydia returns to the UK, confirmed in her doubts about 'God', only to find the most unexpected guest on her doorstep one night many years later with the most incredible story to tell of hope lost and innocence restored.

Link to book (Amazon)


Professor Max Blythe (BSc Botany 1968)
Pioneering Physician: the Life of Charles Fletcher, 1911-1995

The latest medical biography by Max Blythe is of Britain's first TV doctor, leading anti-smoking campaigner and first doctor to witness the amazing therapeutic powers of penicillin when trialling it at Oxford in 1941. Largely told in Fletcher's own words, recounted to Max Blythe through more than 20 interviews in the 1980s, the book provides eye-witness accounts of pneumoconiosis research which resulted in major advances in the prevention of the dust disease then afflicting tens of thousands of British coal miners; pioneering studies of chronic bronchitis; and the the publication of Smoking and Health, the historic 1962 report of the Royal College of Physicians, which had widespread national and international influence in early campaigning against smoking.

Link to book (Words by Design)


Dr Colin Bonnington (PhD Wildlife Conservation 2014)
The Grey Tale of Mrs Sciurus

Mrs Sciurus, is a mother grey squirrel, who was born in the countryside, but her ancestors weren't. And therein lies the problem, with some of her neighbours wanting the squirrel family gone. This story, written and illustrated by wildlife conservation scientist, Dr Colin Bonnington, parallels human social issues, including acceptance and prejudice.

Link to book (Amazon)


Frances Booth (MA Print Journalism 2004)
The Distraction Trap

If you're worried that you're losing the power to concentrate The Distraction Trap can help. Learn how you can easily release your life from the steely grip of modern technology where you're always available and always connected. Discover how you can radically boost your productivity by keeping your whole brain and both eyes on the task in hand. You may think you can do ten things at once, with a scattered thinking approach and expect to do everything well and on time. Well, you can't. The Distraction Trap will empower you to focus and prioritise, switch off your email, say 'no' to social media ruling your life and help you rediscover your lost powers of concentration. Your campaign to reclaim your life starts here and now!

Link to book (Amazon)


Lucienne Boyce (BA Philosophy 1977)
The Butcher’s Block: A Dan Foster Mystery

The Butcher’s Block, the latest instalment of the Dan Foster murder mystery series by award-winning author Lucienne Boyce, features a society in upheaval, with divisions between Britain and Europe, calls for parliamentary reform, radical politics and the plight of the underclass.

Link to book (LucienneBoyce.com)


James Brown (BA English Literature 2003)
Jingle Spells

Trixie’s friends think she’s batty as a vampire, so she needs Santa’s help to spread the Christmas joy. But when she visits Lapland HQ, Santa is nowhere to be seen, the elves’ shelves are empty and ALL WITCHES are on the Naughty List! Luckily, Trixie knows a spell or two that just might save Christmas for everyone.

Join Trixie, Rudy the cat, LOTS of elves and witches . . . and even Santa himself in this beautifully illustrated picture book by James Brown.

Link to book (Simon & Schuster)


Dr Ian Bullock (BA Modern History of Government 1963)
The Drums of Armageddon

The outbreak of war in August 1914 was devastating for many people. None more so, however, than the British socialists who strongly believed, despite ‘German menace’ warnings, that war was a nightmare of the past and socialism was growing steadily around the globe. The Drums of Armageddon is a detailed and poignant exploration of the last peacetime and the first five wartime months of 1914 as presented on the pages of the three longest established socialist weeklies – Justice, the Clarion, and Labour Leader.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Julian Burton (MB ChB Medicine 1994, MEd Teaching and Learning for University Lecturers 2002)
The Hospital Autopsy: A Manual of Fundamental Autopsy Practice

The Hospital Autopsy presents a clear and systematic approach to safe and effective modern autopsy practice for pathologists. It begins by discussing issues such as legislation governing autopsies, religious attitudes and ensuring safety, before covering the procedures of external examination, evisceration, dissection of internal organs and report writing.

Link to book (Amazon)


Laura Canty (MEng Mechanical Engineering 2004, MPhil Mechanical Engineering 2006)
Something To Live For: My Postnatal Depression and How the NHS Saved Us

The real-life, very relatable story of how young mum overcame postnatal depression and rediscovered hope and joy. Laura was diagnosed with acute postnatal depression and was admitted to the Barberry National Centre for Mental Illness mother and baby unit in August 2018. She and her baby Arthur lived there for 10 weeks.

As a result of her gratitude for the treatment she received, Laura now volunteers as an Expert by Experience for the NHS. She also sits on the Perinatal Mental Health Network Group for Gloucestershire, regularly speaking at training sessions and events, and mentors women before their potential admission to a Mother and Baby Unit.

Link to book (Amazon)


John Case (MB ChB Medicine 1960)
The Surgeons Apprentice

This second book in John's semi-autobiographical series concerns his student life in Sheffield and postgraduate training elsewhere before emigrating to northern Alberta, Canada.

Link to John's website


James Chambers (BA Philosophy 2008, MA Philosophy 2009)
Marx and Laozi: A Dialectical Synthesis

This book dialectically combines the theories of Marx and Laozi. The resulting synthesis is a positive materialist negation of Hegel's idealistic dialectics. Syntheses are presented for Marx and Laozi in ontology, metaphysics, epistemology, scientific method, ethics and politics: in short, the full spectrum of their foundational principles. An interpretation of Laozi is reconstructed which makes him an opponent of Hegel’s philosophy whose significance Hegel failed to identify. The book deepens the interpretation of the ontological dimension of Marx’s thought in its reconstruction of Marx’s theory’s emergence from a materialist refutation of Hegel. This book employs a materialist modification of Hegel’s dialectics to make its synthesis. Marx is presented as outlining the principles for the science of concepts reinterpreted as a moment of historical praxis. Laozi, by contrast is shown to produce an aesthetic of concepts constituted by a sympathetic comportment to experience. Both of these views are argued to have their roots in a shared ontological principle. This book attempts to reconstruct a materialist interpretation of Laozi, which can be put to work for Marxist theory.

Link to book 


Lee Child (LLB Law 1977, Hon LittD 2009)
Killing Floor (Jack Reacher 1)

Lee Child is one of the world’s leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world, and are published in over one hundred territories. He is the recipient of many prizes, most recently the CWA’s Diamond Dagger for a writer of an outstanding body of crime fiction.

Link to Jack Reacher series official website


Professor Mark Christian (PhD Sociological Studies 1997)
Booker T. Washington: A Life in American History

Booker T. Washington was an integral figure in mid-19th to early-20th century America who successfully transitioned from a life in slavery and poverty to a position among the Black elite. This book highlights Washington's often overlooked contributions to the African and African American experience, particularly his support of higher education for Black students through fundraising for Fisk and Howard universities, where he served as a trustee. A vocal advocate of vocational and liberal arts alike, Washington eventually founded his own school, the Tuskegee Institute, with a well-rounded curriculum to expand opportunities and encourage free thinking for Black students. While Washington was sometimes viewed as a "great accommodator" by his critics for working alongside wealthy, white elites, he quietly advocated for Black teachers and students as well as for desegregation. This book will offer readers a clearly written, fully realized overview of Booker T. Washington and his legacy.

Link to book (Amazon)


Lynne Collis (MEng Rail Systems Engineering 2001)
A Sense for Silver

An intriguing mystery novel, setting the radiance of Paris in relief against its darker side, exploring Paris’s magic, its flavours and its diversity. Ellyn Boswell, a young silversmith with an uncanny gift of discerning precious metals by touch, escapes to Paris after her father is reported killed in a cliff fall. Her signature Byzantine bracelets help her find work with an old jeweller in the city’s best food street, where her love of sharing food helps her make friends. She hates liars and thieves, but she has something they want. Is she being followed for her sense of silver or because of some backlash from her father’s shady dealings?

Link to book (Amazon)


Caroline Corcoran (BA English Literature 2002)
Through the Wall

Caroline Corcoran is an author whose first novel, Through The Wall, came out in October 2019. It was a Sunday Times Bestseller and translated into numerous foreign languages.

Her second book, The Baby Group, will follow in September 2020.

As well as writing books, Caroline is a freelance lifestyle and popular culture journalist who has written and edited for most of the top magazines, newspapers and websites in the UK.

Link to book (Amazon)


Roger Croft (BA Economics 1955)
The Wayward Spy

In Roger Croft's explosive and mercurial espionage thriller, The Wayward Spy, he offers readers an idea of how the secret undercover spy world works-and how one might throw a wrench in it. Croft's take on things is part farce, complete irony, and unfettered action. When retiring newsman Michael Vaux returns to the neighbourhood in Cairo where he grew up, he's reunited with former schoolmate Ahmed Abdul Kadri, who happens to be Syria's chief armaments buyer. With good reason, this piques the interest of the British Secret Service who orders him to tow his country's lines-and interests. Directed to pump critical intelligence from Kadri, who is presumably a bitter former official of the Syrian regime, when Vaux goes missing all bets are off. In a dynamic, masterfully crafted plot that takes readers from Geneva to Morocco, until the very end, it's nearly impossible to figure out the ruse or even, at times, what's at stake. Perhaps, when it comes down to it, there's nothing better than a willful spook.

Link to book (Amazon)


Nick Currie (BA English Literature 1995)
How to Run a Limited Company

‘How to Run a Limited Company’ covers the entire life-cycle of a company, from formation and registration through core compliance tasks such as managing shares, meetings, and reports and accounts, through to wind-up and insolvency. The book will provide readers with the practical tools and resources required to successfully establish and operate a private limited company. The book is aimed at people who are new to the area so it’s a good resource for entrepreneurs, new business owners, those studying business law at degree or post-graduate level (or undertaking the Legal Practice Course) as well as trainees in the legal field – trainee solicitors and trainee accountants, for example.

Link to book (Amazon)


R.J. Dearden (BA History 1996, MA History 1997)
The Realignment Case

Geneva, 2012. Disgraced lawyer Daniel Athley is hired by a shadowy international organisation with a secret it will kill to project - the past can be changed. Working for the enigmatic Counsellor Winter, Dan's role is to defend the status quo in The Court of Final Correction. Discovering a plot that could unleash chaos in a disordered future, he must choose a side in a murky world where the fate of the dead is decided.

Link to book (Amazon)


Richard Di Britannia (BA East Asian Studies 2019)
Speak Your Way to Wealth

Conventional wisdom tells us that those who talk to themselves regularly are crazy. The truth is exactly the opposite. Those who make an intentional habit of talking to themselves have clearer thoughts and better communication skills than the rest of us.

In this book, the result of hundreds of client case studies, professional speech and communication skills coach Richard Di Britannia explores why those who habitually talk to themselves conquer their emotions, discover their true opinions, and drastically increase their own influence, while those who persist in 'silent thinking' rarely realise their full potential.

With his technique of 'thought articulation' through extemporaneous speech, Richard teaches his readers, be they shy professionals or seasoned executives, to unleash their own wit, charm and charisma long before they ever need take the stage or wield the microphone. By the time they get there, they will find their voice stronger and their thoughts larger, for "small talk is called so, because it results in small ideas."

Link to book (Amazon)


Steve Dickens (BA History 1983)
Stretford & Old Trafford Through Time

The districts of Stretford and Old Trafford are today best known for their sporting links to the football stadium of Manchester United FC and the Lancashire county cricket ground. However, as this book shows, their histories are much more extensive than these (admittedly more famous) connections. The photographs in this book detail the main historical changes of the last century and show the part that trade, industry and transport have played in the development of Stretford and Old Trafford.

Link to book (Amazon)


Jordi Doce (Erasmus student 1993 and former member of staff)
Master of Distances 

Translated by Terence Dooley. Master of Distances consists of a hundred or so prose fragments fluctuating between dream, nightmare, and a harsh reality: the bleakness of ageing and accompanying the loved one through a long and debilitating illness. The continuity of mood and imagery gradually melds the fragments into a single poem. The poet stumbles confusedly as through a labyrinth of feeling and sensation. Who or what is the mysterious master of distances of the title? Time? Language? Oneself? The answer is a radical experiment in poetry and a new departure for this fine lyric poet.

Link to book (Shearsman Books)


Amy Durrant (BA Journalism Studies 2013)
Prisms

The year is DC12. The parallel worlds of Earth and Mara are wastelands of corruption, ruled by the unforgiving conference. Seventeen-year-old Faye finds herself thrown into the heart of rebellion with one aim; destroy the conference at any cost. In a dystopian tale of treachery, truth and travesty, ‘Prisms’ invites the reader to join Faye on a ride through a future not too far from now. But time is ticking and the Runners are coming. Can Faye win out before she loses herself forever?

Link to book (Amazon)


Professor Lee Elliot Major (BSc Physics 1990, PhD Physics 1994, Hon DSc 2017)
What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Social Mobility?

Through the use of cutting-edge data this book summarises what we know about social mobility in Britain, documenting the history of mobility trends since the Second World War; detailing the recent dark age of declining absolute mobility, charting the variation of social mobility by place; and considering how family traits affect intergenerational mobility. The authors then call for a fundamental shift in debates about social mobility, arguing that simply tinkering with current policies will not transform society to the extent that is needed. Only by establishing general principles of fairness in society- relating to notions of community and collective responsibility – can we agree the major policy reforms that can make Britain a more mobile and just society.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Yasmin Farooq (PG Cert Learning & Teaching 2008)
Elite Migrants: South Asian Doctors in the UK

Dr Farooq provides an analysis of her funded empirical research that investigated for the first time, the integration experiences of South Asian doctors who migrated from the Indian sub-continent. She selected three different UK geographical locales as her case study areas - Sheffield, Manchester and Barnsley. She reflects on their experiences from the point of migration to settlement in the UK society and the challenges this group of elite migrants faced.

Link to book (Transnational Press)


Peter Fox (MA Library & Information Studies 1973)
Trinity College Library Dublin: A History

The first comprehensive, scholarly history of Trinity College Library Dublin. It covers the whole 400 years of the Library's development, from its foundation in the seventeenth century to the electronic revolution of the twenty-first century. Particular attention is given to the buildings, the acquisition of the great treasures and the individuals who influenced the Library's development - librarians, politicians, readers, book collectors and book thieves. An important aspect is the comprehensive coverage of legal deposit from the beginning of the nineteenth century, viewed for the first time from the Irish perspective.

Link to book (Cambridge University Press)


Duncan Froggatt (Studied MA in Historical Archaeology)
Sheffield – A Civilised Place

This book is a thematic history of Sheffield from pre-historic times to the present day. It explores the development of the city through the essentials of a civilised life, often putting local developments in a national or international context. It highlights notable buildings and places, from humble barns and cottages to factories and offices, to modern tower blocks, from churches to places of entertainment and recreation and diverse forms of transport and communication and other services. The book features some of the key people involved in the creating of these places.

Link to book (Sheffield-Made.com)


Dr Maria Gallo (PhD Education 2010)
The Alumni Way: Building Lifelong Value from Your University Investment

This enlightening, original book reimagines graduates’ alumni status as a gateway to immense opportunities through professional and personal networks. To discover this alumni potential, Maria L. Gallo guides you through the four key traits of the 'Alumni Way’: reflection, curiosity, passion and generosity. With a sound academic foundation, combined with practical activities and checklists, The Alumni Way is the ultimate resource for inspiring savvy, active alumni citizens of the world.

Link to book (Bristol University Press)


Liam Gilliver (BA Journalism Studies 2018)
We're Worried About Him

When a troubled writer living in Venice falls deeply for an upcoming singer, he has to decide how much he is willing to sacrifice in the name of love. How does life on the open road differ to nights of the Italian summer? We're Worried About Him is a book about falling in love as much as it is heartbreak: about self-discovery as much as it is self-torment.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Jonathan Glazzard (MA Education 2004, EdD Education 2013)
Teaching Systematic Synthetic Phonics Early English

The text addresses the specifics of teaching English in the early years and importantly places systematic synthetic phonics within the context of early English as a whole. It starts by examining the fundamental role of communication and language in laying the foundations for literacy development. It explores the importance of early sound discrimination, rhyme, alliteration, oral blending and oral segmentation, as well as the importance of developing children's visual discrimination skills. The text critically examines the role of systematic synthetic phonics as an approach for teaching children to read, and its application in both reading and writing is fully covered. Other key chapters include literacy through the wider learning environment, supporting children with literacy difficulties and assessing English in the early years.

Link to book (ResearchGate.net)


Dr Stephen Glynn (BA English Literature and French 1981)
David Bowie and Film

This is the first book dedicated to an analysis of David Bowie’s appearances in film. Studies of Bowie seldom dwell on his film career yet, with appearances in almost thirty works, his screen commitment constitutes a major part of his artistic identity. Add in the plethora of film references in his song lyrics and the film influences in his tour designs and it becomes clear that Bowie was, as he sang in ‘Life on Mars?’, ‘hooked to the silver screen’. This book explores Bowie’s entire film career, including performance documentaries such as Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, star vehicles such as The Man Who Fell to Earth, and cult favourites such as The Hunger and Labyrinth.

Link to book (Amazon)


Agnes Grunwald-Spier (MA Holocaust Studies 1998)
The Other Schindlers

As a baby, Agnes Grunwald-Spier was herself saved from the horrors of Auschwitz by an unknown official, and is now a trustee of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. She has collected together the stories of thirty individuals who rescued Jews, and these provide a new insight into why these people were prepared to risk so much for their fellow men and women.

Link to book (History Press)


Stephen Guscott (BA History 1994, MA History 1997, PhD History 2001)
Humphrey Chetham 1580-1653: Fortune, Politics And Mercantile Culture In Seventeenth-century England

Humphrey Chetham (1580–1653) was the most successful gentleman merchant of seventeenth-century Lancashire. He was born in Crumpsall, near Manchester, and made a fortune in the fustian and woollen trade in a hugely successful partnership with his brother George. He was also a shrewd and successful moneylender, and in the 1620s began to purchase land and property in the Manchester area. Chetham’s wealth brought him into the public domain, and in 1634 he became Sheriff of Lancashire, being responsible for the collection of the deeply unpopular Ship Money rate. During the Civil War, he continued to fund the Parliamentarian war effort and purchased the mortgages of several Royalist estates in the North West.

For many years before his death Chetham attempted to make provision for a large charitable scheme. Towards the end of his life he began to pay for the education and maintenance of twenty-two boys from the Manchester region, as well as providing chained libraries of godly books for parishes in Manchester and Bolton. He died unmarried on 20 September 1653 at the age of 72, and was buried amid much pomp and ceremony at the Collegiate Church of Manchester. Today, his bequest lives on in the internationally famous institutions of Chetham's Library and Chetham's School of Music.

Link to book (Amazon)


Judith Haire (BA Politics 1981)
Our Encounters with Suicide

‘Our Encounters with Suicide’ comprises a range of writings on the theme of suicide – by those who have been suicidal, alongside the friends, family and staff who have lived and worked with them. The ‘Our Encounters with…’ series collects together unmediated narratives by service users past and present, carers and survivors. These stories of direct experience are intended to be helpful for people who may have had similar encounters and for those who care for them personally or professionally.

Link to book (PCCS Books)


Jacob Halpin (MA International Studies 2006)
Thirteen Ways to Make a Plural: Preparing to Learn Arabic

Arabic is one of the world's most complex and fascinating languages, but many students dive into it without first understanding what they are aiming for, much less knowing how they will get there. Thirteen Ways to Make a Plural: Preparing to Learn Arabic provides essential guidance on making a success of learning Arabic, drawing on the author's personal experience of having been there and done it, along with the insights and advice of countless other students and teachers.

Link to book (AUC Press)


Sarah Healey (née Grant) (LLB Law 1992)
The Night Watch

"It's Bedlam here tonight. You'll wish you'd rung in sick." So starts Sergeant Nick Toft's night shift, an eight hour rollercoaster of crisis and tragedy that threatens to throw him right out of the safe, sensible life he's carefully crafted for himself. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Rose Olding is trying to solve a shocking suburban murder with very little evidence, plenty of blood and three suspects all blaming each other... Sarah Healey worked for ten years as a criminal defence lawyer before becoming a writer. She now uses all her experience of working in police stations big and small, at all hours of the day and night, to create a gritty and atmospheric police drama.

Link to Amazon Author page


John Hemsley (MEng 1966, PhD Mining 1968)
Elastic analysis of raft foundations

This monograph explains the flexural analysis of plain raft foundations and related ground-bearing structures. It illustrates the basic principles of this difficult subject and includes many topics ranging from the distortion of an elastic half-space to the analysis and design of complex raft foundations using computer-based methods. It also contains extensive numerical results, and examines the practical effects of soil-structure interaction by means of several case histories.

Link to book (ICE Virtual Library)


Lauren Ho (LLB Law 2004)
Last Tang Standing

Crazy Rich Asians meets Bridget Jones’s Diary in this funny and irresistible debut novel about the pursuit of happiness, surviving one’s thirties intact, and opening oneself up to love.

Link to book (Penguin Random House)


Sarah Holt (BA Philosophy & Psychology 2005)
Love and Eskimo Snow

Our dictionaries tell us that love can be defined as ‘a strong feeling of affection’. But that’s not Missy’s experience of love. For her, affection and passion play second fiddle to commitment and pledges. It’s not Elizabeth’s sense of the word, either; she’s got it pegged as intimacy and confidences.

Then there’s Claire, for whom love is bed, and Bea, who has spent a lifetime pondering the true meaning of love But is it ever possible to pick genuine, ‘true’ love out in an identity parade? Or is love more like the Sami Eskimo concept of snow: summed up only in two hundred different words, and never falling the same way twice?

Link to book (Valley Press)


Raz van Hoinaru (BA International History and International Politics 2009)
New Models of Financing and Financial Reporting for European SMEs

This book looks at the 23 million registered Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that make up 98 per cent of the EU economy. Addressing the high end of SMEs in terms of new models for SME funding and financial reporting, this merged way of looking at SMEs reveals a ‘myopic’ thinking in terms of net present value and (future) cash flows generating short-termism and low risk appetite for business. This is not an accounting issue, but rather a preference toward certain financial tools. A segment of SMEs, the ones that seek new ways of funding possibilities, as well as modern technologies (MTFs listing, blockchain, ICOs, etc.) do require, even without knowing, IFRS for SMEs. This book reveals how market conditions impact the financial performance and sustainability of SMEs and also generate innovative policy interventions and financing strategies for SME integrity and efficiency. The authors frame their arguments in the context of the Capital Markets Union, looking at the Innovation Triangle, SME growth ecosystem and business models. They conclude by advocating for closing the circle of financing and financial reporting for SMEs, while considering if new financial models of financing and financial reporting are good for all the SMEs or only for some.

Link to book (Palgrave)


Steve Howell (BA Economic History 1977)
Over the Line

Megan Tomos, poster girl for the Rio Olympics, is only 21 and already a millionaire celebrity popular with fans and sponsors. But what is she hiding? And why do the police want to interview her about the death of an old school-friend, Matt, who used steroids for body-building?

Suspicion grows when it emerges she’s still in touch with an ex-boyfriend, Will, who was present when Matt died and who’s been banned from rugby after failing a drugs test. As media pressure intensifies, Megan disappears. The police suspect she’s been less than truthful – and lying never looks good when there’s a corpse involved.

Link to book (Steve-Howell.com)


R. Alison Hunter (BSc Geology 1971, Cert Botanical Illustration 2003)
Sorby's Legacy: Geology at the University of Sheffield

The year 2013 marked the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Department of Geology at the University of Sheffield. Sheffield had one of the largest geology teaching departments and an international reputation for its fields of research. The demise of the Department has puzzled not only alumni but also the wider geological community. The book details the history of the Department from its founding, the many achievements and eventual closure. University Archives provided the basis for the book, which was augmented by documents, personal memories and many photographs submitted by former staff and alumni.

Link to book (Amazon)


Jake Hunton (BA Modern Foreign Languages 2003)
Exam Literacy: A guide to doing what works (and not what doesn't) to better prepare students for exams

This book focuses on the latest cognitive research into revision techniques - proven procedures which actually work. In the light of the recent decision to make all subjects at GCSE linear, so that students will be tested in one-off exams, it will be even more important to prepare students effectively for exams. Accordingly, this book concentrates on what works more effectively in terms of revision strategies: practice testing, distributed practice, elaborative interrogation and self-explanation, whilst setting out what doesn't work as effectively: re-reading, highlighting, summarising, etc. Uniquely, it also includes some subject-specific examples based on the new specification content, showing how these proven revision strategies could work alongside subject content.

Link to book (Amazon)


Nick Hurst (BA History 1998)
Falling From the Floating World

When Ray is sacked from his job in London, he goes to Japan hoping to start his life afresh. Things begin well: he lands work as an English teacher and strikes up a relationship with the beautiful, intriguing Tomoe. But his world is turned upside down when Tomoe’s father is found dead. Convinced that his death was a murder, Tomoe sets out after the killers, and when she goes missing Ray is forced to act. In his quest to find her he’s dragged into the ‘floating world’ – a place of corrupt politicians, yakuza, sumo wrestlers and call-girls – living out an adventure that echoes his dreams of Tokyo’s feudal past. It’s a search guaranteed to bring further loss of life, and Ray is pulled into a desperate chase to ensure it won’t be his.

Link to book (Amazon)


Jacqueline James (MBChB Medicine 1980; PG Cert Community Paediatrics 1990; MSc Health Economics & Management 1999)
Rude Awakening (Book 1)

A story of loss, evolving friendship and self discovery. Hilary has never left home and at fifty-five uncomplainingly looks after her progressively disabled but feisty mother. Hilary’s mother dies suddenly and she is thrown into a spiral of despair. With support from her friends she lifts herself out of her despondency, and begins to come to terms with the loss, until the discovery of a manuscript amongst her mother’s things throws her into turmoil. How could she have lived with someone for so long and not had an inkling of their history?

With no one else in her life, she again turns to her friends for help and in spite of their own troubles they rally round to help her through.

Link to book (Amazon)

Link to book (SilverWood Books)


Jacqueline James (MBChB Medicine 1980; PG Cert Community Paediatrics 1990; MSc Health Economics & Management 1999)
Lets Escape (Book 2)

Hilary, released from a life of bowing to her mother's wishes, has come out of her shell. Emboldened, she renovates the bungalow that she and her mother had shared. In trying to escape the resulting chaos, she ventures on a trip that would have been unthinkable while her mother was alive. Surprising herself and delighting her friends, she finds love and the promise of happiness.

Link to book (Amazon)

Link to book (SilverWood Books)


John Jarratt (MBChB Medicine 1964)
Essential Electromyography

The principles of electromyography, including single-fibre electromyography and nerve conduction studies, are described simply, supported by clear diagrams and screenshots of high-quality recordings. After a brief overview of anatomy, physiology, pathology and technical matters including electrodes, amplifiers and volume conduction, the way these principles aid the diagnosis of disorders of nerves, muscles and neuromuscular junctions is explained. The book concludes with the findings in common clinical conditions and explores the concept of normal versus abnormal values. This is an invaluable introductory text for trainees in clinical neurophysiology. 

Link to book (Amazon)


Steve Johnson (BSc Computer Science 2000)
Penhall: Speedway World Champion

The illustrated biography of the former Speedway World Champion Bruce Penhall, who not only won everything individually in a career that established him as one of the all-time great riders, but also turned Cradley Heath into League Champions.

Link to book (History Press)


William Jones (BMet Metallurgy 1968)
MindWealth: building Personal Wealth from Intellectual Property Rights

Author William A. Jones explores the UK and global environment in which people can build personal wealth from IP. In MindWealth, he illuminates the relationships between building personal wealth and intellectual property rights. He describes the ecosystem within which people generate and exploit IPR, using many examples, snapshots, and observations, as well as structured disciplines.

Link to book (iprology.com)


Victoria Kellaway (BA Journalism 2004)
Colombia a comedy of errors

Colombia a comedy of errors tells the story of all forty-eight million Colombians, examining the country's history, people, culture, colombianomics and justice. The book was written by British journalist Victoria Kellaway and Brit-Colombian artist Sergio J. Lievano and reveals the secrets behind a nation that has drama and comedy seeped into its bloodstream.

This lively, humour-filled book has a serious heart and makes for an ideal gift or travel companion. It contains more than160 illustrations, caricaturing famous faces (including Shakira, Bolivar, Botero and Uribe) as well as all those Colombians fighting to survive their country's daily contradictions. Colombia a comedy of errors is an inspiring journey into the very depths of the Colombian gene and what it means for Colombians everywhere.

Link to book (Amazon)


Peter Kent (BSc Geography and Geology 1978)
SEO for Dummies

Packed with tips, tricks, and secrets, SEO For Dummies shows you how to create and maintain a website that ranks at the top of search engines and drives high-volume traffic. Using plain-English explanations and easy-to-follow instructions, this friendly guide helps you come to grips with search engine basics—what they are, which ones are important, and how to get started—and build a search-engine-friendly site.

Link to Amazon Authors page


Geoff Kerr (BA French, German & Hispanic Studies 1968)
Yorkshire Joint Omnibus Committees

For forty years the Joint Omnibus Committees in Sheffield, Huddersfield, Halifax and Todmorden, jointly owned by the Corporations and the railways, were a unique feature of UK bus operations. Geoff Kerr describes how and why the railways came to own shareholdings in these four undertakings, how they influenced the development of bus services in Yorkshire and how, following the transfer of the railway shares to the National Bus Company, the Joint Omnibus Committees were wound up during a period of major change in the bus industry. 112 pages with around 160 illustrations including some colour.

Link to book (MDS Books)


Mark Lain (BA French Language and Literature 1998)
Destiny's Role 0: Zero To Hero

Zero To Hero is the introductory book from a new series of adventure gamebooks in the classic 1980s style entitled Destiny's Role. The intention is that many more gamebooks will be released in this series. This first book features four different examples of interactive fiction ranging from high fantasy to a modern noir-style detective story.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Roy Layfield (PhD Biochemistry 1991)
Medical Sales Professional

Medical sales is recognised over the world as a highly prestigious and professional selling role, one that includes the need of clinical expertise, territory management and strong people skills, to say the least. Our growing population and increasing demand, coupled with the attractive investment potential in the global healthcare markets, mean that medicines, equipment and consumables are increasingly being researched, developed and brought to this market. New teams are often formed for the launch of innovative ‘block-buster’ products and, as such, the role of a medical sales professional can offer you a sustainable, attractive and highly rewarding career path, not only in sales but in lots of equally challenging and financially rewarding positions. This book is written with that in mind and will equally assist the brand-new rookie breaking into the industry for the first time, just as much as the seasoned professional looking to hone your skills and shine like a star.

Link to book (Austin Macauley)


Mervyn Lebor (MPhil English Literature 1983)
Classroom Behaviour Management in the Post-School Sector

This book listens to the voices of post-school teachers, managers, theorists, trainees, teacher educators and students talking about the battle against being educated. It analyses models of classroom behaviour management, with examples of theory critiquing practice and practice criticizing theory. The contextual pressures of manageralism, demands imposed by Ofsted, economic survival for institutions based on student numbers, and mandatory attendance requirements have all meant ever-increasing pressures on teachers dealing with students’ violent, disruptive and challenging behaviours, resulting in some highly disordered classrooms in many institutions.

Link to book (Palgrave)


Eli S LeJeune (BA Accounting and Finance 1959)
The Story of Humankind

The Story of Humankind is a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the scientific accounts of the creation of the universe, the physical origins and evolution of mankind, and the continuous search for spiritual fulfilment.

It clearly sets out the most recent scientific discoveries concerning the creation of the universe and physical origins of life without drowning the reader in jargon. The author conveys the wonder and mystery of the process by which a few small bundles of self-replicating cells have evolved – over billions of years – into all forms of life on this planet, including of course, Homo Sapiens, all the while considering the spirituality that encompasses it all.

Link to book (Austin Macauley)


Thomas Lockley (PGCE 2006)
Yasuke: The true story of the legendary African Samurai

The remarkable life of history's first foreign-born samurai, and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.

When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already travelled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto caused a commotion. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha from local tradition. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan's martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of their society.

Yasuke presents the never-before-told biography of this singular figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries, cultures and classes offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan.

Link to book (Amazon)


Scott Lomax (BA Archaeology & Prehistory 2004)
The Home Front: Sheffield in the First World War

Much has been written about the First World War and the involvement of the people of Sheffield on the front line. However, never before has a book been written about life in Sheffield during this period and how the war affected the city and those living in it. The book details the human experiences, thoughts, concerns, fears and hopes of Sheffield during one of the most important periods in the city’s history. And how the war helped make Sheffield what it is today. Every aspect of life in Sheffield is featured in this well illustrated book, which is 258 pages in length.

Link to book (Amazon)


Katharine Lowrie (BA Landscape Design with Planning 2000)
Running South America - with my Husband and other animals

Running marathons back-to-back, sleeping by the side of the road, giving presentations to remote schools that had never been visited by their own kinsfolk let alone a pair of gringos emerging barefoot from the forest spattered in brick-red Amazon mud and pulling a bright orange bamboo trailer, this is the remarkable story of personal endurance that gives an engrossing insight into the people and wildlife of South America.

Link to book (5000mileproject.org)


Tridivesh Singh Maini (BA Politics 2002)
Humanity Amidst Insanity

Maini is currently a faculty member at the OP Jindal Global University (Sonipat, India) where he teaches International Affairs and Political Science and is a regular contributor to numerous publications – India based and international on issues pertaining to geopolitics. His latest book, 'Humanity Amidst Insanity: Stories of compassion and hope during the Indo-Pak partition’ (New Delhi: Blue Rose, 2022) is a novel approach by an Indian and two Pakistanis to bring the humane and positive episodes of the Indo-Pak partition to light. A series of interviews of the survivors of Indo-Pak partition who owe their survival to the other community. Tales of hope and faith in the crisis of humanity, when people were killing each other in the name of religion.

Link to book (BlueRoseOne.com)


Hilary Mantel (BJur Law 1973, Honorary LittD 2005)
Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel is the author of thirteen books, including A Place of Greater Safety, Beyond Black, and the memoir Giving up the Ghost. Her two most recent novels, Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring up the Bodies have both been awarded The Man Booker Prize – an unprecedented achievement.

Link to Hilary Mantel's official website


Dr Helen Mathers (BA History & Politics 1974, PhD History 1980)
Steel City Scholars

Written with warmth, style and humor, this book is a compelling account of the development of the University of Sheffield from its earliest days to the present, richly illustrated from the Archive. The book draws on the reminiscences of hundreds of present and former staff and students, whose insights bring colour to the narrative of great personalities and events. Student life is featured in every chapter and there are pen portraits of many famous University men and women who made major advances in their chosen fields of endeavour. 

Link to book (University online shop)


Richard Mayson (BA Geography 1983)
Madeira: The Islands and their Wines

Richard is an expert on Madeira, Port and Portuguese wines, and is the author of five books on wine, among them Port and the Douro (also published by Infinite Ideas) and The Wines and Vineyards of Portugal which won the André Simon Award in 2003.

His latest book 'Madeira: The Islands and their Wines' covers the history of the island, as well as examining the physical character of the archipelago, the state of the vines and vineyards, and the way in which the wines are made. Sections are also included on current producers, tasting, and information on buying, keeping and serving the wines.

Link to book (Infinite Ideas)


Jules McKim (BA Geology 1988)
Schooled by Rock

Embark on a thrilling journey through "Schooled by Rock," where climbing becomes more than a sport—it transforms into a captivating classroom of life's most profound lessons. Delve into the immersive stories, each centred around specific climbs, mountains, and pilgrimage destinations, beautifully weaving the tapestry of adventure, exploration, and self-discovery. In this playful exploration, abstract theories take a backseat, giving way to the vivid, lived experiences etched in the rugged faces of cliffs.

Link to book (Amazon)


Richard McMaster (BSc Psychology 1999, MSc Occupational Psychology 2002)
Grasping the Moment: Sensemaking in Response to Routine Incidents and Major Emergencies

The ways in which organizations make use of information available to them to make decisions and manage activity is an essential topic of investigation for human factors. When the information is uncertain, incomplete or subject to change, then decision making and activity management can become challenging. Under such circumstances, it has become commonplace to use the concept of sensemaking as the lens through which to view organizational behaviour. This book offers a unique perspective on sensemaking through its consideration of the variety of ways in which Incident Response is managed by the Police.

Link to book (Routledge)


Dr Colin Miller (BSc Physiology & Zoology 1983)
Medical Imaging in Clinical Trials

This book provides a hands-on text for those involved in clinical trials and having to assimilate medical imaging end points or biomarkers. The critical aspects of clinical trial methodology including ethics, radiation dosages, the end points commonly used for the different trial phases, acquisition and analysis techniques, as well as the logistics management of medical imaging and the role of the central imaging core lab (ICL) are covered. Furthermore this text delves into the details of the major therapeutic areas where medical imaging plays a primary or secondary efficacy or safety end point.

Link to book (Amazon)


Verieux Mourillon (MEd Continuing Education 1996)
Revitalising the Caribbean with Action Learning

This is a compelling account of how over 20 organisations in 11 Caribbean countries are using the power of Action Learning to transform their organisations. Participants will learn about breakthrough solutions achieved in problem areas such as: post-merger culture integration, leadership development, building high performing teams, stakeholder management, customer service excellence, addressing resource conflicts and growing revenue.


John Mulholland (BSc Chemical Engineering 1974)
Ferulas & Thuribles

The book describes the author’s 11 years at boarding schools between 1960 and 1971. The focus is on his journey through Stonyhurst College – a leading Catholic public school in Lancashire – between 1966 and 1971. It describes College life and the regime run by Jesuit priests, the sometimes strange culture, the masters, the pupils and situations which readers will find amusing and, at times, surprising. The author describes his story factually with the help of his contemporaries and leaves readers to draw their own conclusions. The book is not critique of the school or its traditions but simply a description of what actually happened. It covers the daily regime, academic work, bullying, corporal punishment by Jesuits and older boys, friendship, school dances, romance, hazardous pranks, the Isle of Wight Rock Festival 1970, religion, sports, Combined Cadet Force, climbing with famous mountaineer Don Whillans, an Alpine climbing trip, holiday jobs on the Tyne, rugby and the sudden deaths of the author’s friends and a Jesuit he knew well.

Place book order (email author)


Dave Musson (BA French & Linguistics 2008)
Forward! Inside the Coventry Bears’ Twentieth Anniversary Season

Coventry Bears’ record-breaking twentieth anniversary season is set to be immortalised in a new book – a publication that will also raise money for charity at the same time.

Forward! Inside the Coventry Bears’ Twentieth Anniversary Season takes readers through the entirety of the club’s history-making 2018 season, which saw the side record their first-ever victories over traditional heartlands clubs, go further than ever before in the Challenge Cup, put together their longest-ever winning streak in League 1 and break their attendance record twice in the same season.

It also highlights what life is like running, playing for and supporting an expansionist rugby league club that is based outside of the sport’s northern heartlands.

Link to book (Amazon)


Geoff Nelder (BEd Education 1973, MSc Climatology and Air Pollution 1979)
Suppose We

Geoff's new book is a surreal science fiction strangely entitled Suppose We. He brings back the sense of wonder and adventure in sci-fi by crash-landing a spaceship on a faraway planet. They need help from the locals, but they are a million years ahead of Earth and ignore them. How do they survive and persuade the superior natives to help them?

Suppose We is as far as we know the only science fiction written by a long-time vegan with a vegan main character on a planet free from predators larger than insects!

Link to book (Amazon)


Robert O'Connor (BA History & Philosophy 2011, MA Print Journalism 2015)
Blood and Circuses: A Football Journey Through Europe’s Rebel Republics

In Blood and Circuses, O’Connor embarks on an odyssey through the conflict zones of Eastern Europe’s rebel republics to investigate the role that football has played in the bloody inter-ethnic wars in eight of the region’s disputed territories. He discovers how in this part of the world the beautiful game has served as a platform for the expression of identity and an outlet through which to escape the hail of bullets and the iron fist of repression.

Link to book (Biteback Publishing)


Babatunde Olatunde Olorunfemi (MMedSci Restorative Dentistry 1993)
The Player – Target: The Executive Suite

The book provides inspirational insights and career advancement strategies on how young graduates entering the workforce can exploit the values in workplace culture for personal advancement. In an easy-read style, the book describes how people management principles of recognize, respect and connect propel a prepared personality to the office of the chief executive irrespective of the size of the business or industry.

Link to book (Amazon)


Toby Oliver (BA English Literature 1994)
Rise and Shine - How to transform your life, morning by morning

Invite more happiness, wellbeing and success into your life, one morning at a time. The way you start your morning matters – it sets the tone for the rest of your day, shaping your mood, focus and productivity.

In Rise and Shine, psychologist Kate and therapist Toby share their innovative approach to embracing mornings: the S.H.I.N.E. method. A unique and flexible way to build positive, long-term habits, S.H.I.N.E. represents the five elements we all need in our mornings: Silence, Happiness, Intention, Nourishment and Exercise.

Link to book (Hachette)


Alan O’Rourke (MB ChB Medicine 1986, MSc Information Management 1995)
The North Kerry Line

The book provides a detailed history of the construction and operation of the railway lines from Limerick to Tralee, Foynes and Fenit from the 1850s to the current day. Based on ten years of original research,it includes 275 pages, over 30 maps and diagrams and over 70 photographs, very few ever published before. The book has been produced with the generous support of the Great Southern Trail, which has saved the track bed from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale as a long distance walking and cycling route.

Email the author to obtain the book


Wendy Ouali (BA English Literature & Language 1968)
An Englishwoman In Algeria

The author had just turned eighteen years old when she met her future husband while studying at the University of Sheffield. He was an Algerian student sent to Britain by his government to study for an engineering degree. After nearly four years together, he was recalled to Algeria, forcing them to take the most important decision of their lives. She chose to return to Algeria with him. Here is her unique account of her life there; the difficulties of adapting to a new culture and the slow slide of the country she had grown to love into Islamist terror and civil war.

Link to book (Amazon)


Kit Oung (BEng Chemical Process Engineering with Fuel Technology 1997, MSc(Eng) Environmental and Energy Engineering 1998)
Energy Management in Business

The business benefits of lower energy consumption are clear: lower energy costs, energy tax avoidance, selling excess CO2 credits, immediately adding savings to the bottom line and improved competitiveness. However, with a need to focus on day to day business management activities, implementing energy reduction programmes stretches the capabilities and know-how of responsible managers.

Link to Amazon Author page


Professor Evan Peacock (MSC Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy 1990, PhD Archaeology and Prehistory 1999)
Kudzu on the Ivory Tower: From the Backwoods to an Academic Career in the Deep, Deep South

Educated meets Dispatches from Pluto, but with more explosions. The story of an unlikely journey from a poverty-stricken upbringing in the Mississippi backwoods to a career in academic archaeology. Along the way one encounters homemade cannons, untethered nuclear bombs, zombie cheeseburgers, country music sycophants, demonic rodents, screaming wood, mechanical butts, grease sandwiches, ancient artifacts, and the deleterious consequences of racist thinking. Ultimately a story of love, family, and the redemptive power of education, Kudzu on the Ivory Tower is "a mélange of Franklin's Autobiography, Rousseau's Confessions, Chateaubriand's Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Link to book (Borgo Publishing)


Anona Percy (MBChB 1967)     
North Wing and Beyond: Memoirs of a Doctor in training in the 1960s                                                                                                         

Anona Percy is a registered medical practitioner who trained in medicine in the 1960s. She served the National Health Service for over 40 years, 32 of which were as a Consultant Radiologist in a teaching hospital.

Link to book (Waterstones)


Professor Martin Price (BSc Natural Environmental Science 1978)
Mountains: A Very Short Introduction

In this Very Short Introduction, Martin Price outlines why mountains matter at the global level, and addresses the existing and likely impacts of climate change on mountain, hydrological and ecological systems.

Link to book (Oxford University Press)


Dr Jeff Pursglove (Executive MBA 1999)
Slimming by Numbers: Numerical tools to get you the body you want

Losing weight and getting into reasonable shape should be simple: just eat less and exercise more. But, if you are currently overweight, you know that slimming is just not that straightforward. If it was, then you would have no need for this book.

So, unlike many other books, Slimming by Numbers does not contain prescriptive diets and exercise regimes for you to follow. Instead, using case studies, it applies numerical analytical techniques to explore your lifestyle and identify the physical and psychological factors that you must (and can!) change if you want to be slim.

Link to book (Amazon)


Oliver Quinlan (BA History 2006)
The Thinking Teacher

Whilst the importance of good teaching is widely reported as the number one key to raising achievement in any classroom, educating teachers in the art and science of teaching is an expensive business. Simply training them to deliver a curriculum, on the other hand, is whole lot less troublesome. But we need teachers who can think – who can reflect on the process of learning, on pedagogy, on the nature of children and on the role of the professional 21st century educator and, in doing so, seek to improve their profession on a daily basis.

Link to the book (OliverQuinlan.com)


Robin Richards (MA Psychiatry, Philosophy and Society 1999)
The Great Billy Butlin Race

In 1960, Britain was swept by a craze for marathon walking which dominated both the newspapers and TV news. A craze embodied by an eccentric 56-year-old Russian: motorcycle champion, former Leningrad death row inmate and radical vegan dietician Dr Barbara Moore. She made ever-longer treks living on a meagre diet of fruit, nuts and honey. Keen to exploit this new fad, holiday camp millionaire Sir Billy Butlin organised the first and indeed the only walking/running race from John O’Groats to Land’s End. Despite opposition, 715 racers started off through the bitter Scottish weather, the winner reaching Land’s End 15 days, 14 hours and 31 minutes later. This exciting new book tells this fascinating and quirky story of daring, entrepreneurship and good-old-fashioned ‘British Pluck.’

Link to book (Stairwell Books)


Rabiatu Abba Rumah (LLB Law 2016, LLM Law 2019)
A Prophecy of Dawn

When a series of coincidences line up to create chaos, and disaster appears imminent, the people of Thaea know those events are not the making of the great maze of life. Greed paves the way for chaos, but human greed transcends time. Therefore a cycle of chaos and order exists. That is when heroes and villains are made. For when the villains create chaos, heroes always rise to restore order: and that is the truth of the great maze we call life. So, what could possibly be the link between the emperor’s natural son and a woman of much renown whose identity is shrouded in mystery?

Link to book (Amazon)


Malcolm Russell (BA History 1995)
Mudlark'd: Hidden Histories of the River Thames

The first illustrated book on mudlarking that tells the captivating stories of forgotten people through objects recovered from the river Thames.

Combining insights from 200 eclectic objects discovered on the Thames foreshore, meticulous historical research and contextual illustrations, Mudlark’d uncovers the hidden histories of forgotten people from all over the world. Beginning in each case with a particular find, Malcolm Russell tells the stories of the people who owned, made or used such objects, revealing the habits, customs and crafts not only of those living in London but also of those passing through, from continental Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Link to book (Amazon)


Ana Sampson (BA English Literature 1999, MA English Literature 2000)
She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women

A stunning gift book containing 150 bold, brave and beautiful poems by women - from classic, well loved poets to innovative and bold modern voices. From suffragettes to school girls, from spoken word superstars to civil rights activists, from aristocratic ladies to kitchen maids, these are voices that deserve to be heard. Collected by anthologist Ana Sampson She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women contains an inclusive array of voices, from modern and contemporary poets.

Link to Amazon Author page


Milagros Santos-Ong (MA Information Studies 1982)
Legal Research And Legal Citations For The Philippines

An up-to-date book on Legal Research and citations. It is aligned with the revised curriculum of the Legal Education Board wherein the subject, Legal Research, now includes Thesis Writing. Includes both printed and electronic citations universally accepted in the legal community

Link to book (Rex E-store)


Professor Ibrahim Sirkeci (PhD Geography 2003)
COVID-19 and Migration: Understanding the Pandemic and Human Mobility

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted every domain of life. Migration and human mobility in general are not exceptions. Since March 2020, researchers, policy makers and many others have channelled their efforts to understand this new coronavirus, its impact and prospects. Many scholars were thinking and writing on the pandemic from its onset and many blog essays quickly appeared. Mobility and travel data showed that it was possible to predict the spatial spread and concentration of COVID-19 cases. Not only was this finding crucial to developing appropriate policies and strategies to counter the spread of the virus, it reminded us that the pandemic is a social disease and not simply a biological threat.

Link to book (Transnational Press)


Kate Simants (BA English Literature 2000)
Lock Me In

By day, Ellie Power has a normal life. She has a stable home, a loving boyfriend, a future. But at night, she suffers from a sleep disorder. She becomes angry, unpredictable, violent. Her mother locks Ellie in her bedroom every night, to keep them both safe. Then one morning, Ellie wakes up, horrified to find the lock on her bedroom door smashed from the inside. She is covered in injuries, unable to remember anything about the night before.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr John Spencer (MB ChB Medicine 1960)
Wartime Fun

World War II was a war of deadly horrors. But in this memoir, John Spencer recalls life as a child during the Sheffield Blitz and how children found excitement and fun amidst the rubble.

John grew up in Sheffield, UK, the location of vital iron, steel and munitions factories manufacturing weapons for the British war effort. In a cleverly planned tactical move, German forces bombed John's home town causing catastrophic loss of life and destruction.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Elizabeth Stafford (PhD Music 2002)
Inspiring ideas - Primary Music Leader’s Handbook

The Primary Music Leader’s Handbook is the essential resource for any music subject leader working in a primary setting. It explains and supports with every aspect of the role – defining your vision, curriculum design, assessment, extra-curricular activities, performances, supporting colleagues – and much more besides.

Link to book (Collins)


Gerald Steele (BA Economics 1967, MA Economics 1971)
The Economic Thought of Henry Calvert Simons

Drawing on years of research, Gerald Steele delves into the diverse ideas of Henry Simons, a neglected economist whose work in the 1930s on monetary and financial instability is extremely relevant to today’s debates about commercial bank credit, the interdependence of fiscal and monetary policy, and financial regulation.

Link to book (Routledge)


Amy Stone (BA English Literature 2008)
The Raven Wheel

The Raven Wheel follows three troubled teenagers as they struggle to seize control of their lives.

Wayward Tye wants to finally make his father proud. Bright but awkward Kian is desperate to reconnect with his estranged mum. Impulsive rebel, Ria, harbours a secret desire to murder her father. Their lives intertwine as they strive to succeed and find themselves in too deep, too late...

Link to book (Amazon)


Lucy Strange (BA English Literature 1999)
The Secret of Nightingale Wood

The Secret of Nightingale Wood was published in October 2016 and was immediately made the Waterstone's Children's Book of the Month. It was described as 'Startlingly good' by The Daily Telegraph and placed at Number 10 in their Top 50 books of 2016. Set in the English countryside during the long, hot summer of 1919, The Secret of Nightingale Wood is a beautifully tangled story of friendship, fairy tales and family secrets. Suitable for book-lovers from 9 to 90 years old.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Faridah Supian (PhD Physics, 2010)
Exploring Physics in Daily Life: Mechanics and Matter

Exploring Physics in Daily Life: Mechanics and Matter is intended for students taking physics at pre-university level. It may also offer a suitable reference for undergraduate students who are taking science as an option or minor subjects. The book covers the topic of kinematics and dynamics, matter and fluid mechanics which lay the foundation to the higher field of physics. This book uses simple English context examples and various examples of conceptual applications of physics in everyday life. Solution videos are accessible through the provided QR code to help learners in problem solving.

Link to book (Lazada)


Dr Robert Tansey (Certificate Archaeology 2010)
A County Guide to Pre-Reformation Monasteries of England and the Monastic Way of Life (The County of Nottinghamshire)

This handy little guide gives details of the remains of these religious houses, how to find them and what facilities there are on site such as shops, eating places, entrance fees etc. It also gives a brief history of each site along with a history of the origins of each religious order. An introduction to the monastic way of life is also included.

Link to book (Bookworm of Retford)


Gillian F Taylor (BA Ancient History and Archaeology 1988)
Oulaw Express

Sheriff Alec Lawson had no choice. He had to abandon his undercover role in order to rescue the young woman who had been kidnapped by the outlaws he was trying to capture. Now he and Lacey Fry have to flee through the snowy Colorado mountains, in country he doesn't know, while being pursued by the vengeful outlaws. Outnumbered and effectively alone, Lawson must coax Lacey to ride as never before, and out-think his enemies as he fights to get them both to safety.

Link to book (Amazon)


Anthony Thiselton (PhD Biblical Studies 1977)
A Lifetime in the Church and the University

These recollections of a life-time in the Church and in different universities give rise to a diverse series of anecdotes, which provide, first, some entertaining humor, second, a glimpse into both academic and church life, and third Anthony's attempted contributions to Christian theology.

A former student and staff member at the University, this book includes a chapter about his time as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Sheffield, from 1970 to 1985, including many photographs from the era.

Link to book (WIPF and Stock Publishers)


Professor David Titterton (BSc Physics 1969, PhD Physics 1973)
Military Laser Technology and Systems

This new resource provides an insight into the physical principles of the device technology that underpins many laser-based military systems in one form or another. From this knowledge a deeper understanding of the fundamental requirements and the potential performance, as well as limitations of such systems may be assessed, given the appropriate operational parameters.

Link to book (Artech House)


Ian Thornton (BA Business Studies & History 1990)
The Great and Calamitous Tale of Johan Thoms

On his first day as the chauffeur to Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Johan Thoms will make one wrong turn and change the course of history - setting off the disasters of the twentieth century and separating himself from his one true love, Lorelei.

Link to book (Harper Collins)


Dr Helen Tookey (BA Philosophy 1990)
Missel-Child

According to the seventeenth-century herbarium The Garden of Eden, a ‘missel-child’ is a mysterious being found beneath a mistletoe-covered tree – a changeling, perhaps, ‘whereof many strange things are conceived’. This book uses the figure of the missel-child as a starting point to explore the various archaeologies of identity, place and language. The poems range from syllabics to collage, from the elegiac to the mythic, but unifying them all is a commitment to the poem as a space within which language works to enable something not only to be said, but also to be shown.

Link to book (Carcanet)


João Ventura (MSc Chemical Engineering & Fuel Technology 1978, PhD Chemical Engineering 1981)
Tudo Isto Existe

From the author's dispersed short fiction, a selection of short stories, some fantastic, some science fiction, a few just plain weird.

Link to book (Editorial Divergencia - in Portuguese)


Peter Wallis (BA English Literature 1976)
Half Other

Fresh, imaginative, and deeply moving, Half Other recounts the fears and joys and everyday lives of two profoundly twinned brothers whose sibling love is endlessly resilient despite the odds. John and Peter Wallis, for many years volunteers for twin research at St. Thomas’ Hospital, are each his brother’s other half— and half other. Challenging and exhilarating, Half Other is a triumph of the human sprit.

Link to book (Hippocrates Press)


Ciaran Ward (MA Librarianship 1999)
In Complete Circles

A comic and at times irreverent memoir of school life and adolescence in a Northern Irish town during the 1980s and early 1990s with accompanying rants on the absurdities of modern life, nostalgic reminiscences on the news events and popular culture of the era and the subsequent fulfillment of youthful ambitions through travelling, sometimes verging on the surreal. This book is part memoir, part travelogue. The chapters alternate between episodes from the author's school days and subsequent travel writings (incorporating the Balkans, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Spain and Morocco) from several years later - but always with a connecting theme linking the two eras.

Link to book (Amazon)


Dr Garth Weston (PhD History 1969)
The Stonehenge Map

Fresh research reveals that the builders of Stonehenge and other stone circles accurately positioned their structures in relation to the highest hilltops and major directions. At many rings the position of the largest megalith or the orientation of the axis indicates the same concerns. The fixations on commanding summits and the major directions explain the transportation of stones from south-west Wales to Stonehenge. This research offers exciting insights into the beliefs and technical abilities of the circle-builders.

Link to book (thestonehengemap.co.uk)


Shalini F Wickremesooriya (PhD Human Communication Sciences 2012)
Invincible

The book is a collection of stories that reflects the lives of disabled individuals across the globe.

Each story is narrated by a courageous individual who refused to be defined and shaped by a label or a medical diagnosis. These individuals chose life and living instead of doom and gloom. They are not international superstars but are stars nevertheless because they valiantly defied limitations imposed on them despite the odds that were stacked against them.

Link to book (Amazon)


Frank Worrall (BA English Literature 1980)
Sporting biographer

A highly-respected journalist who has written regularly for The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Mail on Sunday, FourFourTwo magazine, Melody Maker/NME among other magazines and newspapers. He has also written a number of critically-acclaimed sporting biographies covering football, Formula 1, boxing and golf.

Link to Amazon Author page


Tim Woods (BSc Geography 1999)
Love in the time of Brit Pop

Set at the University of Sheffield, and loosely based on the author's experiences there in the 1990s, Love In The Time Of Britpop is an "unromantic comedy" about the Cool Britannia era, life in a big city and finding your feet in the first days of adulthood.

Link to book (Amazon)