Sometimes a person can be so famous and iconic it hardly matters that we would be hard-pressed to enumerate or describe many of their actual superlative accomplishments. Andy Warhol was a slick and slapdash painter of transcendental banality, his silkscreen prints completed by 'assistants' - yet his work fetches hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Roman historian Suetonius attributed to the Emperor Tiberius the statement that to lead the Roman people was 'to hold a wolf by its ears'.
Next month, it will be a hundred years since W. G. Grace died. But those of us who follow cricket with an enthusiasm that verges on mental illness are still fascinated by the old goat.
As a class-of-1985 graduate with one child finished at university, another in his second year and a third about to apply, I picked up this book with a certain lofty scepticism.
You'd never guess from this vast and astounding collection of archived material that Charlie Chaplin went to great lengths to hide his working process.
SCI-FI
Zack Lightman is staring out of the classroom window when he sees a flying saucer
MUST READS
The White Cliffs of Dover are one of the most recognisable formations in the world
Queen of Glitz bows out with a bang: Chick Lit
After the shock news of Collins's death I had to rewrite this review
HISTORICAL
In the winter of 1461, England is riven by a seemingly endless civil war
LITERARY FICTION
Eli is almost never alone
DEBUT FICTION: Truth, lies and a haunted house
Rawblood is an isolated, old house on Dartmoor
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On Monday mornings for five decades, Frost would catch a flight to JFK - on Concorde, when it existed - and appear before the cameras in New York at 4pm. On Wednesdays he'd return First Class to London to prepare for weekend broadcasts. The culmination of his achievement was in 1977, when he confronted Richard Nixon (pictured right with Frost), who had resigned from the US presidency after the Watergate scandal. Now a new book (inset) has cast light on the man behind the mic, even revealing that he was such a pro that his face was almost permanently caked in orange make-up in case he was needed for an impromptu TV appearance. Among his many famous friends was Sarah Ferguson (left), who would meet up with him and Prince Andrew for lunch. She recalls: 'Frostie and I proceeded to drink the lunch away. Goodness knows why Andrew asked me to marry him after seeing that!'
Auburn, titian, copper, carrot, ginger, russet, strawberry-blonde: call it what you will, if you are born with red hair, it's likely to be your most striking physical characteristic.
We are delighted to announce our autumn Daily Mail Literary Lunch on Tuesday, October 6, with a stellar line-up of speakers to entertain you.
It is not a blank canvas but an unadorned face that provides the starting point for the striking art showcased in this vibrant book. Part dazzling gallery, part how-to guide.
For those who first encountered Billy Crystal in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally or who, like me, go back even further, to the Seventies.
This month's Henley Literary Festival, supported by the Daily Mail, is the biggest yet with 170 talks, performances and workshops.
Jane Austen's much-loved story has been recreated on screen on many occasions, but never before have the leading parts been played by guinea pigs.
Like Miss Marple, in both appearance and personality Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a sweet little old lady. It would have been wise not to underestimate her, however, as she had the skills to be a psychopath - should she so choose. As Kathryn Harkup says in her brilliant study - surely the best book yet on the Queen of Crime - the genteel, twinkling, elderly matron 'consistently displays a worryingly detailed knowledge of pharmaceuticals and poisons'.
Terry Pratchett was ready for death. His fans have adored his wildly imaginative, punning, profound, silly, magical, thrilling Discworld stories for 32 years, since he published his first novel.
Can a man really breastfeed a kitten? It's not a question you expect to arise in a book about the leading literary lights of the Thirties. The author explores his unusual childhood.
A seasoned walker of the English countryside never sets off without a rucksack packed for every possibility. He has learnt from battered experience to take with him a folding mackintosh.
This is a book about some of the most important songs in the world. They might not be up to much musically or lyrically, but they can change lives and often end them: our national anthems.
Decorative ceramic tiles are at the heart of Islamic architecture. Though they vary in shape, finish and pottery technique, the vivid colour and geometric patterns are consistent features of the tiles.
On New Year's Eve 1977, novelist Adam Mars-Jones told his father he was gay. He was 27 at the time, so hardly a tremulous teenager.
All this week, Labour MP Simon Danczuk is laying bare how the Establishment, the Liberal Party, the police and even MI5 covered up the industrial-scale child abuse of 29-stone Rochdale MP Cyril Smith. Today, how his victims were ignored and betrayed when they tried to expose their suffering.
In the finale of her unique inside story, Vicky Pryce, the wife of disgraced ex-minister Chris Huhne, describes life at open prison East Sutton Park.
In the second extract from her autobiography, published exclusively in the Mail today, Mary Berry describes the sudden death of the son she doted on, pictured left.
In his compelling new biography, Gary Morecambe talks about his father's relationship with Ernie Wise and how he continued to make them laugh even up until the end.
The star was accused of being a communist after allegedly telling banquet guests 'the Russian purges' were a 'wonderful thing'.
Jerry and Lucian had never quite bonded. While sitting for him she gave him cashmere jerseys, which he loathed. But worse, she had a habit of being late.
In an extract from his explosive memoirs, Power Trip, Damian McBride reveals how the former Chancellor survived by the skin of his teeth after credit crunch bungle.
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