Philip Kay-Bujak

Madeline Smith’s career began suddenly - shop girl in a London suburb one week, modelling for rising fashion chain BiBa the next and then a nationally recognized face soon after. It was 1967 and Maddie never looked back. Telling her story for the first time, despite many calls for her to tell her own story, Maddie has decided to take us on a very personal journey through her eventful life – a book for all people that reminisce about the 60s, 70s and 80’s and provided by a star with a zest for life that was always the hallmark of her smile, personality and humility. This book appeals to many audiences – James Bond enthusiasts for her role as Roger Moore’s first Bond Girl in Live and Let Die (1973) and fans of Hammer Horror films, where Maddie remains an iconic figure from playing opposite Peter Cushing and Vincent Price in The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Theatre of Blood (1973). Maddie’s roles in Carry On Matron in 1972 and The Amazing Mr Blunden bring back to life talented stars now long forgotten and are supplemented by anecdotes on Tony Curtis in The Persuaders, Ronnie Barker in The Two Ronnies, Leslie Phillips in Casanova ’73 and Christopher Timothy in All Creatures Great and Small. Passionate about theatre, Maddie talks about her roles with Alec Guiness, Donald Sinden and Brian Cox, and her friendships with Rob Stewart and Richard Harris. Working alongside experienced writer and biographer Philip Kay-Bujak, this opportunity to share with us her personal battles, tragedies and achievements joins with her philosophy on growing old and will inspire anyone that reads it. This is a book that is long overdue and proves that stars like Madeline Smith truly Live and Never Let Die.

Though less famous than Rommel or von Manstein, Hermann Balck was considered by peers and enemies to be among the most talented German commanders of the Second World War. He was a veteran of the First World War, in which he served as a junior officer on the Western, Eastern, Italian and Balkan fronts and was wounded seven times. In 1940 he led the successful crossing of the River Meuse with dramatic consequences.Balck led from the front in the new and very dynamic and aggressive command style of Auftragstaktik- continuously touring forward HQs to brief officers personally, regardless of personal risk. He refused two offers to join the General Staff preferring to remain in combat roles. Balck was a pivotal moving force behind the growth of the Panzer forces. In 1942 he commanded a depleted division against massive odds, virtually destroying Soviet 5th Tank Army. He was rewarded with the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (one of only 27 recipients) He briefly commanded Grossdeutschland Panzergrenadier Division and suggested Hitler was wrong in how the Waffen-SS was constructed. Philip Kay-Bujak argues that, had Hitler ignored Balck''s criticisms of the Waffen-SS and promoted him Field Marshal, Balck might have changed the course of the war on the Eastern Front. It was also Balck that nearly defeated the Americans at Salerno in 1943.Commanding Army Group G, in 1944 he came up against General Patton but could not halt his advance in Alsace. First sacked then reinstated by Hitler, he fought on until surrendering to US forces on 8 May 1944 to avoid capture by the Soviets. Post-war, as a convicted war criminal, Balck chose obscurity and refused to take part in US interviews but by the 1980''s he changed his mind on both and advised NATO on how to win a land war against Russia - his tactics are still relevant today.