[This entry was updated by Gina Macdonald (Loyola University) from her entry in the Concise Dictionary of British Literary Biography, volume 8, pp. 107-127.] Author of thirty-six novels, which have been translated into nearly two dozen languages and have...

Author of twenty-nine novels, which have been translated into nearly two dozen languages and which have sold more than twenty million copies, Dick Francis is unequaled at making horse racing come alive. In fact, Philip Larkin (Times Literary Supplement,...

Raised in a family of jockeys, Dick Francis rode professionally for ten years, became Champion Jockey in 1954 and nearly won the Grand National on the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Loch. Mystery still surrounds the event. Ahead by several lengths, the hors...

Straight to the point... American fastener distributors and fastener manufacturers must accept the internet as a business tool that is definitely here to stay. Therefore, attitudes such as "we've always done OK without the Internet" or "we'll wait until our customers demand that we...

101p - plastic waste containers - Straight may not be a household name but, to date, it has supplied more than 6m recycling containers. Legislation is driving demand for its products - so its past investment should now help to boost profit margins....

Leadership: Presidential candidate John McCain says he'll make restoring America's flagging reputation overseas a "top priority" if he wins in 2008. But better to be disliked and right than loved and wrong, we say.McCain's right when he says America's reputation has sagged noticeably in recent...

Brandon Roy had 25 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers won their ninth straight game, beating the Toronto Raptors 101-96 on Wednesday night.The Blazers, 11-3 at home and 14-12 overall, have won nine straight games for the first time since...