With annual worldwide sales of over ten million copies, Enid Blyton is one of the most successful and famous writers in the world. But who was the real Enid Blyton? Was it the driving force who wrote 600 books in her 40-year career and yet found time to be a devoted mother and a friend to countless young readers? Or the cold self-absorbed woman described by her younger daughter? Or perhaps a mixture of both? This biography describes her life and background, her two marriages, the development of her career and her writing methods - sitting hunched over a manual typewriter, supported by a plank on her knees, her inspiration, style and characterization. It also deals with the multi-million pound business that the Enid Blyton industry has become since her death in 1968.

Lists the funniest, most popular, and most bizzare names owners have given to their pets and includes anecdotes of how some of the pets were named

Product Description: Fifty years after the publication of his first book, George Greenfield looks back over a memorable half-century in the book world. With humor and insight he comments on the businesses of publishing and agenting, and delightfully recalls many of the anecdotes and incidents accumulated during a distinguished career: encounters with Robert Maxwell (who offered $10 million for Margaret Thatcher's memoirs only to withdraw the following day), Jeffrey Archer andJohn Le Carré are recalled with appropriate relish or affection...read more

Describes how conditions for writers have changed, explains how writers work, and looks at how novels are published