At liberty - Ed Burstell

A truly inspirational memoir, this is Ed's story: an affecting, candid and wildly funny tale of one man's meteoric rise to the top of the retail and fashion world - from heroin addict to MD of Liberty, one of Britain's most iconic institutions.

Along the way, Ed shares his ups and downs: the riotous hedonism of the 1980s New York and Florida party scene; the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, during which he lost his best friend; his first job as a spritzer at Macy's; his role in transforming the fortunes of two of New York's most prestigious luxury department stores; his battle with drug addiction and depression; his experiences working with, and feting, a multiplicity of high-profile stars; his top tips for surviving in fashion and retail; and finally his coming to London to take the reins at Liberty, a stranger in a strange land.

Including 16 pages of photographs, At Liberty is a window onto a seemingly glamorous world, a world that Ed writes about with a sparky, wry, self-deprecating humour and a fantastic sense of pathos. Ed truly is a larger-than-life character, on and off the page.