Biography: arts and entertainment Books
The University Press of Kentucky Yves Montand
Book Synopsis
£48.60
McNidder & Grace Bob Dylan in the Big Apple
Book SynopsisBob Dylan in the Big Apple takes you on Dylan's journey through the streets of New York - the locations, characters and stories that formed a backdrop to his life and work. Follow in his early footsteps to the Cafe Wha? and more recently the Beacon Theatre. With maps, illustrations and wonderful stories this is a must for any Dylan enthusiast.Trade Review‘There is something magical about walking in the footsteps of our musical heroes. Whether it’s the Beatles in Liverpool, Leonard Cohen in Hydra or Bob Dylan in New York City, these pilgrimages can be vastly more rewarding than any planned vacation. Refreshingly non-academic, this book begins and ends at the Beacon Theatre, where Dylanophiles from around the world converge for a glimpse of the enigma that is Bob Dylan. This is your travel guide through time and space to the favorite haunts of the most celebrated folkie on planet earth.’ Kevin Odegard, musician, ‘Blood on The Tracks’
£10.80
Oldcastle Books Ltd Simenon
Book SynopsisGeorges Simenon was the most successful writer of crime fiction in a language other than English in the modern age, and his detective Maigret is rivalled only by Sherlock Holmes; André Gide called Simenon 'the greatest French novelist of our times'. Barry Forshaw examines the man's extraordinary life and work on both page and screen....Trade ReviewBite-size briefings on everything you could possibly want to know about the French novelist, philanderer and armchair philosopher. The perfect companion to Pierre Assouline's magisterial 1997 biography, Simenon * Sunday Times (Best New Crime Fiction for July 2022) *Barry Forshaw's detailed study unravels clues to the Belgian writer's prolific output and controversial life... Where Forshaw's book comes into its own is in its detailed dissection of the books Simenon wrote and the many film and television adaptations that they spawned * Financial Times *Bite-size briefings on everything you could possibly want to know about the Belgian novelist, philanderer and armchair philosopher: not only the Maigret books and the many adaptations of them, but also other works, personal history, Parisian geography and, thankfully, precious little hagiography * Times & Sunday Times Crime Club *An exemplary and insightful work of reference that I highly recommend -- Alan Price * London Grip *
£11.69
Canongate Books Boogie Man
Book Synopsis''You the funkiest man alive.'' Miles Davis'' accolade was the perfect expression of John Lee Hooker''s apotheosis as blues superstar: recording with the likes of Van Morrison, Keith Richards and Carlos Santana; making TV commercials (Lee Jeans); appearing in films (The Blues Brothers); and even starring in Pete Townshend''s musical adaptation of Ted Hughes'' story The Iron Man. His was an extraordinary life. Born in the American deep south, he moved to Detroit and then, in a career spanning over fifty years, recorded hypnotic blues classics such as ''Boogie Chillen'', rhythm-and-blues anthems such as ''Dimples'' and ''Boom Boom'' and, in his final, glorious renaissance, the Grammy-winning album The Healer. Charles Shaar Murray''s authoritative biography vividly, and often in John Lee Hooker''s own words, does magnificent justice to the man and his music.Trade ReviewMurray's book represents a paradigm of investigative biography: musical nuts and bolts threaded through vividly recounted social history and philosophical muscle, written by a thinking writer who knows exactly how to operate and manipulate language. Sprawling over 500 pages, Murray is word - and comma - perfect. -- Philip Clark * * Gramophone * *Charles Shaar Murray combines a serious grasp of what he needs to take from post-modernist notions such as intertextuality or shamanism, and chastened common sense about life and sorrow, with an adult capacity to shut up and, a lot of the time, let John Lee himself do the talking -- Roz KaveneyThe new foreword drops tantalising hints that the chronology on which the book is based may be out by five or six years...this is a fascinatingly detailed account of an equally fascinating life. * * Record Collector * *
£15.29
Barricade Books Inc Morgan Freeman A Biography
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Queen's Temple Publications Strings Winds Pipes Pianos and Food
Book Synopsis
£14.20
Pan Macmillan Cheers Geoff
Book SynopsisThe Times Sports Books of the Year'Cracking read . . . loved it' – Piers Morgan'Packed with brilliant anecdotes about the biggest names' – The MirrorWith a foreward from Alan Shearer.There are just a handful of people who have been ever-present for the thirty years of the Premier League, but only one person has been at the very epicentre for the entire period: Geoff Shreeves. From signalling the very first ball to be kicked on Sky’s Premier League coverage to facing down Sir Alex Ferguson’s wrath (on countless occasions), Geoff is an integral part of the football fabric, respected by everybody in the game while still asking the toughest questions. Geoff’s interviews with Cristiano Ronaldo, Arsène Wenger, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer have become the stuff of legend, but it is his close personal relationships with the game’s star names that really sets him apart.PackTrade ReviewWhen it’s the showpiece game of the weekend and it’s on Sky Sports, you know Geoff will be there. No one handles the big moments better -- Jordan HendersonThe man who asks the questions now gives the answers -- Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer for The TimesA legend of television journalism -- Arsène WengerThroughout my career, Geoff is always there and always fair. As a player and a manager, you can’t ask for more than that -- Frank LampardGeoff has always been professional, honest and authentic in all the time we’ve worked together. He has a special way of connecting with his line of questioning -- Steven GerrardGood times. Bad times. Who is always there? Geoff is always there and he does his job perfectly -- Jose MourinhoPacked with brilliant anecdotes about the biggest names * The Mirror *Cracking read by a brilliant reporter – loved it -- Piers MorganSometimes, all that is needed is a bit of fun, and for that you can turn to Cheers, Geoff, by Geoff Shreeves, who is generous with his anecdotes * The Times *
£10.79
Austin Macauley Publishers Pussycat
Book Synopsis
£18.69
Penguin Putnam Inc The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
Book SynopsisAt last, the full story behind Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman's epic romance, including stories, portraits, and the occasional puzzle, all telling the smoldering tale that has fascinated Hollywood for almost two decades.
£13.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Speak Well of Me
Book SynopsisSir Ronald Harwood (1934-2020) was one of the most prolific playwrights and screenwriters of his generation. His acclaimed play, The Dresser, has been constantly revived since its premiere in 1980 and has been adapted for both cinema and television, most recently the 2015 BBC production starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Sir Ian McKellen. Harwood's other notable film adaptations included Roman Polanski's haunting depiction of life in the Warsaw Ghetto, The Pianist (2002), Baz Luhrmann's frontier epic, Australia (2008), and Dustin Hoffman's poignant celebration of old age, Quartet (2012). His many awards included an Oscar for The Pianist and a BAFTA for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). Speak Well of Me turns the focus onto Harwood himself. Based on extensive interviews with the playwright during his final years, the biography recounts Harwood's gradual transformation from lacklustre South African schoolboy to doyen of theatreland Trade ReviewRonald Harwood is a highly intelligent dramatist who handles important themes with a powerful theatrical skill. Furthermore he possesses an ability to tell stories, by which I mean his sense of narrative binds his skills to produce a compelling stage battle. I envy his abilities. * Arnold Wesker *Table of ContentsIntroduction Prologue Act One: WALKING THE BOARDS 1.) A Man from the Colonies 2.) Uncle Lionel 3.) 'Clean My Boots!' Act Two: A STAR IS BORN 4.) Early Magic 5.) 'Mine for the Asking' Act Three: BEYOND OLYMPIA 6.) Show Business 7.) Man of Letters INTERVAL 8.) The Good Companion Act Four: SARTOR RESARTUS: The Tailor Retailored 9.) The Dresser 10.) With the Greats Act Five: AUTUMN TRIUMPH 11.) The Pianist 12.) Arise, Sir Ronald CURTAIN CALL 13.) At Home Acknowledgements Major Works By Ronald Harwood Endnotes Index
£20.89
Disney Book Publishing Inc. Women of Walt Disney Imagineering
Book Synopsis
£24.64
Arcturus Publishing Ltd Leonardo da Vinci
Book SynopsisThe genius behind Leonardo da Vinci''s artwork is introduced in this deluxe silkbound guide with full-colour illustrations. Leonardo da Vinci''s desire for accuracy and realism in his work drove him to take an almost forensic approach to recording the world around him, and to produce an enormous number of paintings, drawings, plans and diagrams.Selected from the entire range of Leonardo''s finest drawings, this book presents a comprehensive and inspiring collection that is testament to Leonardo''s accurate eye and unfailing hand, showcased with breathtaking full-color images.Once you have studied these images you will begin to understand why Leonardo believed the eye was the perfect instrument for absorbing all the laws of nature, and that the artist was the perfect instrument for their expression.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Silkbound Classics series brings together deluxe gift editions of literary classics, present
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co The Blues Brothers
Book Synopsis''Highly entertaining'' Empire''A must read'' Independent''Remarkable'' Judy Belushi Pisano''This book is on a mission from God'' DBC PierreThe Blues Brothers hit cinemas on 20th June, 1980. Today, it ''s recognised as one of the most significant films of the twentieth century. Its spotlighting of some of the world''s most legendary rhythm and blues artists - Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker - made the film as unforgettable as its wild car chases. In The Blues Brothers, Daniel de Visé shares the history of this timeless movie, encompassing the colourful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by The Harvard Lampoon; the birth and drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live; and of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made. Based on original research and dozens of interviews probing the memories of principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, The Blues Brothers illuminates in glorious technicolour, the making of an American masterpiece and the birth of modern comedy.''Droll and rigorous . . . bracingly thorough'' The Times''[A] diverting celebration'' Irish Times
£12.74
Orion Publishing Co Foo Fighters
Everyone from Sir Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page to Queens of the Stone Age now relishes the chance to share a stage with Dave Grohl and his legendary Foo Fighters. The question is: why? Musical depth? Not really. Major success? Well, yes. Despite no longer shifting albums in the same quantity as they did twenty years ago, this band can still fill stadiums the world over (when Dave's not breaking his leg, of course).Long before Kurt Cobain blew his brains out in 1994, Dave Grohl was planning for a life after Nirvana. The unflinching bright sunlight to Cobain's permanent midnight darkness, Grohl had come from a similar broken home to his erstwhile band leader, but came out of the experience differently - brimming with positivity and a shrewd grasp of opportunities in the music industry.Did Grohl merely take the sonic blueprint of Nirvana and embellish it with a more life-affirming pop sheen? Of course he did. Every band in America that sold over a million records in the post-grunge 90s did the same. The difference was that Grohl had real credibility. And he knew it.With exclusive testimony from true insiders (including Krist Novoselic, Grohl's bass-playing partner in Nirvana, ex-girlfirends, record company executives, tour photographers and confidantes), this book is an exploration of the real story behind Grohl and the Foo Fighters - the only serious literary biography of the group and its leader, one of the most famous and critically bulletproof rock figures of the 21st century.
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co No Regrets
Book SynopsisA colourful collection of pieces on the enigmatic genius of Scott Walker from THE WIRE.
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Reacher Guy
Book SynopsisThe definitive authorised biography of Lee ChildTrade ReviewHere is a biography as gripping as one of Lee Child's own bestsellers. Heather Martin digs deep to uncover nugget after nugget. Trust me, this is gold. -- Ian Rankin
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co The Castle on Sunset
Book SynopsisFor nearly ninety years, Hollywood''s brightest stars have favoured the Chateau Marmont as a home away from home. Filled with deep secrets but hidden in plain sight, its evolution parallels the growth of Hollywood itself. Perched above the Sunset Strip like a fairy-tale castle, the Chateau seems to come from another world entirely. An apartment-house-turned-hotel, it has been the backdrop for generations of gossip and folklore: 1930s bombshell Jean Harlow took lovers during her third honeymoon there; director Nicholas Ray slept with his sixteen-year-old Rebel Without a Cause star Natalie Wood; Anthony Perkins and Tab Hunter met poolside and began a secret affair; Jim Morrison swung from the balconies, once nearly falling to his death; John Belushi suffered a fatal overdose in a private bungalow; Lindsay Lohan got the boot after racking up nearly $50,000 in charges in less than two months. Much of what''s happened inside the Chateau''s walls has eluded the publTrade ReviewFascinating, dishy, and glimmering with insight, THE CASTLE ON SUNSET is a must-read for anyone interested in the rich and racy history of Tinseltown. Shawn Levy's entertaining and deeply researched biography of a building chronicles experiences both glamorous and sordid, historical and contemporary. This is the definitive book about Hollywood's most storied hotel -- Cheryl Strayed, author of WILD: A JOURNEY FROM LOST TO FOUNDChateau Marmont in West Hollywood is unquestionably one of the most dauntingly glamorous hotels in the world [and this book is] an exuberant record of its life and times . . . Levy's pages teem with extraordinary and extreme personalities -- Simon Callow * THE SUNDAY TIMES *I felt like I was sneaking around the hallways of the Chateau after midnight and peering through keyholes in history . . . Lovingly researched and wonderfully dishy -- Joe Hagan, author of STICKY FINGERS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JANN WENNER AND ROLLING STONE MAGAZINEI want to live inside this book! -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of DAISY JONES & THE SIXAs elegant and naughty as the hotel's guests . . . tells a secret history of American film, fame and decadence. It's a spellbinding read -- Peter Ames Carlin, author of HOMEWARD BOUND: THE LIFE OF PAUL SIMONA fabulously fizzy account * VANITY FAIR *A fascinating exposé of wild nights and celebrity scandals at Hollywood's iconic hotel * GRAZIA *An irresistible, deliciously dishy deep-dive . . . told in prose so witty and alive, you feel you're sitting at the bar with Dominick Dunne. This is a book worthy of its glamorous, alluring subject -- Wednesday Martin, author of PRIMATES OF PARK AVENUE: A MEMOIRHollywood and Beverly Hills were separated by two miles of unpaved road when the Chateau Marmont - modelled on a Loire Valley castle by its owner Fred Horowitz - was completed in 1929. Levy's witty, intimate account describes how the flowering of hotspots on the Sunset Strip beginning in the 1930s made the Marmont a show-business magnet -- Jane Ciabattari, BBC Culture
£9.49
AuthorHouse Mums the Word
Book Synopsis
£11.66
House of Anansi Press Ltd ,Canada In Too Deep
Book SynopsisThe unlikely story of a bunch of small-town Canadian punks who conquered the global music industry.After punk found commercial success in the '90s, with bands like Green Day, the Offspring, and Blink-182, a new wave of punk bands emerged, each embodying the DIY spirit of the movement in their own way. While Southern California remained the spiritual home of punk rock in the early 2000s, an unexpected influx of eager punks from Canada took the world by storm, changing the genre forever. Drawing on exclusive interviews and personal stories from nine artists of the era, In Too Deep explores how Canada became the improbable birthplace of a new age of punk icons. Covering the rowdy punk rock of Gob and Sum 41, the arena-sized ambitions of Simple Plan and Marianas Trench, the reinvention of the popstar by Avril Lavigne and Fefe Dobson, and the quest to bring hardcore into the mainstream by Billy Talent, Silverstein, and Alexisonfire, In Too Deep traces the evolution of a music scene that challenged notions of who and what should be considered punk while helping to define Millennial culture as some of their generation's first superstars.
£15.19
University Press of Mississippi Mark Gruenwald
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£14.24
Stanford University Press Unknown Past: Layla Murad, the Jewish-Muslim Star
Book SynopsisA biography of the "Cinderella" of Egyptian cinema—the veneration and rumors that surrounded an unparalleled career, and the gendered questions that unsettled Egyptian society. Layla Murad (1918-1995) was once the highest-paid star in Egypt, and her movies were among the top-grossing in the box office. She starred in 28 films, nearly all now classics in Arab musical cinema. In 1955 she was forced to stop acting—and struggled for decades for a comeback. Today, even decades after her death, public interest in her life continues, and new generations of Egyptians still love her work. Unknown Past recounts Murad's extraordinary life—and the rapid political and sociocultural changes she witnessed. Hanan Hammad writes a story centered on Layla Murad's persona and legacy, and broadly framed around a gendered history of twentieth-century Egypt. Murad was a Jew who converted to Islam in the shadow of the first Arab-Israeli war. Her career blossomed under the Egyptian monarchy and later gave a singing voice to the Free Officers and the 1952 Revolution. The definitive end of her cinematic career came under Nasser on the eve of the 1956 Suez War. Egyptians have long told their national story through interpretations of Murad's life, intertwining the individual and Egyptian state and society to better understand Egyptian identity. As Unknown Past recounts, there's no life better than Murad's to reflect the tumultuous changes experienced over the dramatic decades of the mid-twentieth century.Trade Review"A fascinating and fun read, Unknown Past carefully documents Layla's story, fills voids, and makes important interventions into debates on her life and legacy. Just as Layla's life was bigger than the screen, this book goes beyond the history of cinema to illuminate questions about religion, society, gender, and politics."—Beth Baron, The Graduate Center and City College, City University of New York, author of The Orphan Scandal"Bringing together biography and history, Unknown Past examines transformations in midcentury Egypt through the life of the hugely popular Layla Murad. Unraveling rumors and debunking myths, Hanan Hammad draws attention to the social pressures Murad faced as a working woman, as a Jew, as a wife, and as a mother."—Deborah Starr, Cornell University, author of Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema"Unknown Past is meticulously researched and vividly written. Hanan Hammad unpacks, in a careful, clear-headed, and brave manner, all the myths surrounding Egypt's beloved star Layla Murad, from her career's entanglement in the Arab-Israel conflict to her premature retirement. An essential read."—Ted Swedenburg, University of Arkansas, editor of Palestine, Israel, and the Politics of Popular Culture"Unknown Past: Layla Murad, the Jewish-Muslim Star of Egypt is a descriptively compelling and detailed account of the life and work of a culturally, artistically, and politically influential Egyptian woman through modern Egypt's complicated and perilous times. A consummate work of impeccable scholarship, no Egyptian Cinema or 20th Century Egyptian Biography collection would be complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of a copy of Unknown Past." -Julie Summers, Reviewer's Bookwatch"This is the kind of book any aspiring scholar should want to write at least once during their career: Hammad both lucidly engages relevant academic literature and tells a fascinating story for nonspecialist readers new to one of the dizzying number of disciplines into which she intervenes."—Abe Silberstein, Cineaste"[Unknown Past is] a story not only about religion and ethnicity in the Arab world, but also one about how being female can amplify the effects of being a minority in a society that is not as 'modern' as it prides itself on being."—Lauren Hakimi, The Forward"This engaging text sheds new light on old questions and provides greater depth to this Golden Age star.... Ultimately, readers see Murad as a complex, multidimensional individual—acelebrity, wife, lover, mother, and businesswoman. Recommended."—M. L. Russell, CHOICETable of ContentsIntroduction: Why Layla Murad? 1. The Schoolgirl: Making Layla Murad 2. The Country Girl: Branding Layla Murad 3. Adam and Eve: Interfaith Family, Fame, and Gossip 4. The Blow of Fate: The Politics of Boycotting Israel 5. The Unknown Lover: Layla Murad and the Free Officer 6. The Starling of the Valley: Remembering Layla Murad Conclusion: Can an Egyptian Be a Single Mother and a Jew?
£21.59
Pan Macmillan Joan: Beauty, Rebel, Muse: The Remarkable Life of
Book SynopsisVolumes have been written by and about Patrick Leigh Fermor, but his wife Joan is almost entirely absent from their pages. Now Simon Fenwick, the first archivist to see the Leigh Fermor papers, reveals a woman hitherto only fleetingly glimpsed. A talented photographer, Joan defied the social conventions of her times and, though she came from a wealthy and well-connected family, earned her own living. Through her lover, and later editor of the TLS, Alan Pryce-Jones, she met and mingled with the leading lights of 1930s bohemia – John Betjeman, Cyril Connolly, Evelyn Waugh, Maurice Bowra (who adored her) and Osbert Lancaster, among others. She featured regularly in the gossip columns, not only for her affairs and her fashionable clothes, but for her intrepid travels to Russia and America.In 1936 she met and subsequently married the journalist John Rayner, but her belief in open marriage was not shared by her husband and their relationship foundered. Then, in 1944 in Cairo, where she was a cypher clerk, she met Paddy Leigh Fermor, lionized for his daring kidnap of the Nazi General Kreipe in Crete. They would remain together until her death in 2003.In this riveting biography, written with full access to Joan’s personal archive, Simon Fenwick reveals the extraordinary life of a woman who, until now, has been defined by the man she married and their famous friends. Here, at last, Joan is placed at the centre of her own story. It is also a riveting portrait of a marriage and a milieu, revealing the sexual and intellectual mores of that wartime generation who lived life at full tilt, no matter what the consequences.
£21.25
Pan Macmillan Handel in London: The Making of a Genius
Book Synopsis'How refreshing, to read a book about music written for a music lover and not a musicologist. In clear, lucid, entertaining prose, Jane Glover makes those of us who lack musical literacy better understand and appreciate Handel’s divinity.' - Donna Leon, author of Handel's Bestiary and the Inspector Brunetti mysteriesHandel in London tells the story of a young German composer who in 1712, followed his princely master to London and would remain there for the rest of his life. That master would become King George II and the composer was George Frideric Handel.Handel, then still only twenty-seven and largely self-taught, would be at the heart of musical activity in London for the next four decades, composing masterpiece after masterpiece, whether the glorious coronation anthem, Zadok the Priest, operas such as Giulio Cesare, Rinaldo and Alcina or the great oratorios, culminating, of course, in Messiah. Here, Jane Glover, who has conducted Handel’s work in opera houses and concert halls throughout the world, draws on her profound understanding of music and musicians to tell Handel’s story. It is a story of music-making and musicianship, of practices and practicalities, but also of courts and cabals, of theatrical rivalries and of eighteenth-century society. It is also, of course, the story of some of the most remarkable music ever written, music that has been played and sung, and loved, in this country – and throughout the world – for three hundred years.Trade ReviewRemarkable ... Glover's command of detail is impressive ... Her beautiful descriptions of Handel's music sent me again and again, in mid-chapter, to my LPs and CDs to play the arias she had just described ... Handel in London is a delight to read, -- Richard Stokes * Financial Times *Written in elegant prose that wears its author's scrupulous scholarship lightly ... Glover deftly weaves musical analysis into her biographical flow. Her greatest achievement, however, is to give life and music a political and social context. -- Richard Morrison * The Times *Beautifully written ... This book's main achievement, though, is to evoke with admirable clarity and sympathy the rich, interdependent symbiosis between Handel, his singers, his audiences, the royal family and the great capital city that housed their life and work. -- Jessica Duchen * Sunday Times *Lively and warm ... It's refreshing to read a chronicle of Handel's years in London written by a renowned conductor and musicologist ... She wants us to love Handel's music as much as she does and she writes convincingly and fully about each work, singling out her favourite arias for mention, but always in a way that's readable by a music-loving lay person. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Country Life *Inspiring and reassuring ... told with fluency * Spectator *Handel’s workload leaves one breathless. Reading, in Jane Glover’s beautiful prose, about the astonishing succession of masterpieces he composed is almost overwhelming. As is the schedule for the singers and musicians who learned one lengthy opera whilst performing another. I now have a much clearer picture of the man himself as he adapted his operas to suit the singers at his disposal, rewriting arias and nurturing young artists, and of his generosity in all he did for the Foundling Hospital. I’m full of admiration for the subject of the book, as I am for its author. -- Dame Felicity LottBehind Jane Glover's baton lurks a brilliant explainer in words, as well as music, able to unravel the threads of musical technique, performance history, and social and political events, exploring each before braiding them tightly together to weave a brightly coloured tapestry of Handel, of his music, and of the world about him. Handel in London is an education, and a delight. -- Judith FlandersAs an experienced international conduction who once told an interviewer that her ambition was to conduct Handel's entire dramatic oeuvre (has she yet achieved this? I wonder), Jane Glover is ideally placed to show us how these pieces continue to glitter ... [she] turns our gaze towards the creative artist, resilient and inspired, and asks us to listen ever more attentively to his tuneful voice. -- Jonathan Keates * Literary Review *Delightfully readable, informed and enlivened like no other Handel biography by Jane Glover’s understanding of a professional music director’s life. -- Dr Ruth Smith, author of Handel's Oratorios and Eighteenth-Century ThoughtJane Glover gives us a welcome portrait of Handel as a hard-working composer and conductor. She makes us feel the bruising schedule he set for himself, and for all who worked with him, from the point of view of a conductor who knows full well what it takes to mount Handel’s great opera or oratorios. She details Handel’s uncanny ability to choose his singers when given the opportunity, and she illustrates his amazing skill for writing to the strengths of all his singers, while also bringing to life the characters they portrayed. -- Professor Ellen T. HarrisHow refreshing, to read a book about music written for a music lover and not a musicologist. In clear, lucid, entertaining prose, Jane Glover makes those of us who lack musical literacy better understand and appreciate Handel’s divinity. -- Donna LeonGlover’s story sweeps us away with her practitioner’s musical insights, her attention to historical detail, and her placing of Handel’s work in social and political context, which few of his biographers have attempted before. Handel in London is an unputdownable read. -- Hugh Canning * Opera *Glover tells [Handel’s] story with easy scholarship, placing Handel in the midst of the city’s turbulent social life, beset by aristocratic factions and temperamental prima donnas. Out of this maelstrom, great music flourishes -- Richard Fairman 'Books of the Year' * Financial Times *Table of ContentsSection - i: List of Illustrations Section - ii: Foreword Section - iii: Author’s Note Section - iv: Preface Chapter - 1: EARLY YEARS ‘An infant rais’d by thy command’ [Saul] Chapter - 2: LONDON, 1710 ‘Populous cities please me then’ [L’Allegro] Chapter - 3: THE FINAL STUART YEARS ‘Cease, ruler of the day, to rise’ [Hercules] Chapter - 4: HANOVER IN LONDON ‘From mighty kings he took the spoil’ [Judas Maccabaeus] Chapter - 5: THE LAUNCH OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY ‘Music, spread thy voice around’ [Solomon] Chapter - 6: THE FORTUNES OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY ‘Ah! think what ills the jealous prove’ [Hercules] Chapter - 7: NEW BEGINNINGS ‘Now a different measure try’ [Solomon] Chapter - 8: NEW ENDINGS ‘Toss’d from thought to thought I rove’ [Alexander Balus] Chapter - 9: DEFIANCE ‘All danger disdaining’ [Deborah] Chapter - 10: RECOVERY AND REINVENTION ‘Strange reverse of human fate’ [Alexander Balus] Chapter - 11: ‘Hallelujah’ Chapter - 12: WINDING DOWN ‘Great in wisdom, great in glory’ [Judas Maccabaeus] Chapter - 13: THE FINAL ACT ‘With honour let desert be crown’d’ [Judas Maccabaeus] Section - v: Afterword Acknowledgements - vi: Acknowledgements Section - vii: Bibliography Section - viii: Notes Index - ix: Index
£21.25
Manchester University Press The Wood Engravers' Self-Portrait: The Dalziel
Book SynopsisThe wood engravers’ self-portrait tells the story of the image-making firm Dalziel Brothers, investigating and interpreting a unique archive from the British Museum. The study takes a creative-critical approach to illustration, alongside detailed investigation of print techniques and history. Five siblings ran the wood engraving firm Dalziel Brothers: George, Edward, Margaret, John and Thomas Dalziel. Prospering through five decades of work, Dalziel became the major capitalist image makers of Victorian Britain. This book, based on AHRC-funded research, outlines the achievements of these remarkable siblings and uncovers the histories of some of the 36 unknown artisan employees that worked alongside them. Dalziel Brothers made works of global importance: illustrations to Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, novels by Charles Dickens, and landmark Pre-Raphaelite prints, as well as other, brilliant works that are published here for the first time since their initial creation.Table of ContentsIntroduction Approaching engravings: medium and the parasite1 A wordless memoir: the illustrator as archivistPart I The Dalziel family and their ‘woodpecker’ employees, 1839-18932 ‘The print of [her] feet’ (Wordsworth): the wood engravers’ self portrait3 Ruskin’s sinisterity: disjointed hands and brains, and the division of art labour4 Barnaby Rudge and ‘the atmosphere of letters’ (Craik): apprenticeship, education and employment5 Ghostwriting the line of the other: Wilkie Collins’s After Dark, and Dalziel’s freelance engravers6 ‘This midnight forger’ (Trollope): signatures, authorship, and relations between engravers and draughtspeoplePart II Medium and technique at Dalziel Brothers7 ‘Off with her head!’ (Carroll): execution, technical violence, and the discipline of visual culture8 ‘These many ingenious adaptations of photography’ (Dalziel): photography and wood engraving, from Eadweard Muybridge to Julia Margaret Cameron9 ‘A peculiar brilliancy of black’ (DeVinne): the colour of monochrome, and Thomas Dalziel’s The May Queen10 Speed, print, newsConclusion11 Greedy rats
£76.50
Austin Macauley Publishers Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers
Book SynopsisFOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE LIFE STORY OF ONE OF THE GREAT TELEVISION AND STYLE ICONSPeter Wyngarde: the name elicits memories of an actor with worldwide renown and instantly adhesive star quality, who was to hit his professional zenith via his starring roles in the smash hit TV series, Department S, and its equally successful spin-off, Jason King. However, when this imperial phase of his career took a downturn during the mid-1970s, he stoically dusted himself off and returned to the theatre--the scene of so many of his earliest triumphs. There he enjoyed continued success until a late-period revival came with the role of General Klytus in the 1980 blockbuster, Flash Gordon.Ordinarily, this book would end there. The fact that it doesn''t reveals an unusual dichotomy: it splits Wyngarde''s life into two, almost equal, parts. From the late 1980s, the author came into his orbit as the long yearned-for, missing piece of the puzzle: namely a strong, dependable sounding board and, increasingly, his soulmate.To those who have been content to view Wyngarde as a two-dimensional figure on a TV screen, or merely as the subject of media gossip, this book will come as a revelation--and no doubt a startling one, as it will shatter many long-held myths and preconceptions. And yet in spite of her closeness to the subject, the author has refused to place him on a pedestal: her exploration of his life and career is as honest as it is eye-opening. While she does not shy away from Wyngarde''s more difficult characteristics and painful life experiences, the thread running through the book is a story of love and devotion that is deeply touching and ultimately heart-wrenching.""This is an intimate biography that is elegantly crafted, intensively researched, and presented with the utmost honour."" Steven Berkoff
£13.49
Austin Macauley Publishers Peter Wyngarde: A Life Amongst Strangers
Book SynopsisFOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE LIFE STORY OF ONE OF THE GREAT TELEVISION AND STYLE ICONSPeter Wyngarde: the name elicits memories of an actor with worldwide renown and instantly adhesive star quality, who was to hit his professional zenith via his starring roles in the smash hit TV series, Department S, and its equally successful spin-off, Jason King. However, when this imperial phase of his career took a downturn during the mid-1970s, he stoically dusted himself off and returned to the theatre--the scene of so many of his earliest triumphs. There he enjoyed continued success until a late-period revival came with the role of General Klytus in the 1980 blockbuster, Flash Gordon.Ordinarily, this book would end there. The fact that it doesn''t reveals an unusual dichotomy: it splits Wyngarde''s life into two, almost equal, parts. From the late 1980s, the author came into his orbit as the long yearned-for, missing piece of the puzzle: namely a strong, dependable sounding board and, increasingly, his soulmate.To those who have been content to view Wyngarde as a two-dimensional figure on a TV screen, or merely as the subject of media gossip, this book will come as a revelation--and no doubt a startling one, as it will shatter many long-held myths and preconceptions. And yet in spite of her closeness to the subject, the author has refused to place him on a pedestal: her exploration of his life and career is as honest as it is eye-opening. While she does not shy away from Wyngarde''s more difficult characteristics and painful life experiences, the thread running through the book is a story of love and devotion that is deeply touching and ultimately heart-wrenching.""This is an intimate biography that is elegantly crafted, intensively researched, and presented with the utmost honour."" Steven Berkoff
£16.19
Pan Macmillan Mozart in Italy: Coming of Age in the Land of
Book Synopsis'I couldn’t put it down' - Joanne Lumley At thirteen years old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who had captured the hearts of northern Europe, but his father Leopold was now determined to conquer Italy. Together, they made three visits there the last when Mozart was seventeen, all vividly recounted here by acclaimed conductor Jane Glover.Father and son travelled from the theatres and concert salons of Milan to the church-filled streets of Rome to Naples, poorer and more dangerous than the prosperous north, and to Venice, the carnivalesque birthplace of public opera. All the while Mozart was absorbing Italian culture, language, style and art, and honed his craft. He met the challenge of writing Italian opera for Italian singers and audiences and provoked a variety of responses, from triumph and admiration to intrigue and hostility: in a way, these Italian years can be seen as a microcosm of his whole life.Evocative, beautifully written and with a profound understanding of eighteenth-century classical music, Mozart in Italy reveals how what he experienced during these Italian journeys changed Mozart – and his music – for ever.Trade ReviewYou don’t have to be able to hum Mozart to find this book utterly engrossing. As a fan of both the fabled composer and Dame Jane Glover, Mozart in Italy is a match made in heaven. I couldn’t put it down. -- Joanna LumleyBrimming with life, Glover’s vibrant account of Mozart’s unique and absorbing adolescence is joyously rewarding. * The Toronto Star *
£21.25
Ebury Publishing How to Be Narstie: Real talk on humble starts,
Book SynopsisMans here to help you help yourself.Real talk. One thing you've got to know about advice: there are two types. Sometimes the people who give the most advice to others are the last people you should be listening to. They just love the sound of their own voice. No matter what the problem is, they'll just say: 'Believe in yourself, you can do anything.' And then ... well, then there's the kind of advice that's just the truth. That's the sort of advice you might get from this book, and I'll warn you sometimes the truth ain't pretty. In these pages I'm gonna tell you some of my story and show you how you can change yours: how to survive school, how to get a job, how to deal with family, friends, love and PAIN. How to live your own life, not someone else's.
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Edie: American Girl
Book SynopsisA brilliant and unique biography of Andy Warhol's tragic muse, the 60s icon Edie Sedgwick‘Exceptionally seductive… You can’t put it down’ LA TimesOutrageous, vulnerable and strikingly beautiful - in the 1960s Edie Sedgwick became both an emblem of, and a memorial to, the doomed world spawned by Andy Warhol. Born into a wealthy New England Edie’s childhood was dominated by a brutal but glamourous father. Fleeing to New York, she became an instant celebrity, known to everyone in the literary, artistic and fashionable worlds. She was Warhol's twin soul, his creature, the superstar of his films and, finally, the victim of a life which he created for her. Jean Stein’s classic biography of Edie is an American fable on an epic scale - the story of a short, crowded and vivid life which is also the story of a decade like no other.‘Edie Sedgwick was the spirit of the sixties, and these pages capture her power to dazzle us… This is the book of the Sixties we have been waiting for’ Norman MailerTrade ReviewAn exceptionally seductive biography... You can't put it down... It has novelistic excitement * Los Angeles Times Book Review *Through a kaleidoscope of seemingly fragmented voices, patterns form, giving brilliant definition to the very American tragedy of Edie Sedgwick, a woman...not likely to be forgotten after this haunting portrait * Publishers Weekly *There is no more classic summertime read * New York Magazine *Jean Stein invented a form that many have tried to replicate since: the oral history biography. The voices in these pages give a sentimental education that is glamorous, dark, sexy, depraved, comical, and profound. Edie maps the follies and glories of an entire era—the Warhol 1960s. -- Rachel Kushner
£11.69
Ebury Publishing ScreenAge: How TV shaped our reality, from Tammy
Book Synopsis'Like a superheated kernel of corn, the world has gone Pop... Drag has become mainstream. Being gay became cool. From being the criminal outsider, being queer has even become representative of the way the outsider voice is common to us all.'When he moved to New York in 1982, Fenton Bailey saw the world go Pop. Together with filmmaking partner Randy Barbato, their production company World of Wonder would pioneer the genre of Reality TV and chronicle the emerging Screen Age through their extraordinary programs and outrageous subjects - from Bible Belt televangelists and conspiracy theories to pioneering drag queens.Working with icons such as Britney Spears, Tammy Faye Bakker and RuPaul, the production company's shows tell a wider story of how television has fundamentally shifted our reality.Packed with glorious insider gossip and amazing celebrity stories, these are the riotous tales behind the shows that would make ScreenAgers of us all.Trade ReviewScreenAge is a must-read. We FINALLY have a book that recognizes the profound and positive impact television has had on all our lives -- Michelle Visagel learned everything I know from television, and you can learn everything I know from this book -- RuPaul
£17.00
Hodder & Stoughton Malice in Wonderland: My Adventures in the World
Book Synopsis'A fascinating document, a window on to a lost world of glamour, grandeur and snobbery . . . an elegy, sad and comical, to a passing era' Craig Brown, MAIL ON SUNDAY'I got as caught up in these distant but strangely evocative events as Vickers did . . . delicious in its way, recreating a lost world' Ysenda Maxtone Graham, THE TIMES'A luxuriant trawl through the recovered past . . . extraordinary book' John Walsh, SUNDAY TIMES'A quite brilliant record of a fading social and artistic milieu . . . a world to which Vickers is an unrivalled cicerone' Matthew Sturgis, THE OLDIE'Vickers' diaries bristle with injudicious indiscretion...it is no small compliment to say that the biographer is here the equal of his subject' Michael Arditti, THE SPECTATOR'Beaton himself was one of the finest 20th-century diarists. It is no small compliment to say that the biographer is here the equal of his subject' THE SPECTATOR'Illuminating and brilliantly scurrilous' Marcus Field, THE STANDARD'Scintillating' DAILY MAIL'When Mr Vickers has his eye to the keyhole, we see a secret panorama' Dominic Green, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'Vickers - as ever - is a warm and enthusiastic guide to a nearly lost world' TATLER.COMThe witty and perceptive diaries kept by Cecil Beaton's authorised biographer during his many fascinating encounters with extraordinary - often legendary - characters in his search for the real Cecil Beaton.Hugo Vickers's life took a dramatic turn in 1979 when the legendary Sir Cecil Beaton invited him to be his authorised biographer. The excitement of working with the famous photographer was dashed only days later when Cecil Beaton died. But the journey had begun - Vickers was entrusted with Beaton's papers, diaries and, most importantly, access to his friends and contemporaries. The resulting book, first published in 1985, was a bestseller. In Malice in Wonderland, Vickers shares excerpts from his personal diaries kept during this period. For five years, Vickers travelled the world and talked to some of the most fascinating and important social and cultural figures of the time, including royalty such as the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, film stars such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews, writers such as Truman Capote, and photographers such as Irving Penn and Horst. And not only Beaton's friends - Vickers sought out the enemies too, notably Irene Selznick. He was taken under the wings of Lady Diana Cooper, Clarissa Avon and Diana Vreeland.Drawn into Beaton's world and accepted by its memberTrade ReviewA fascinating document, a window on to a lost world of glamour, grandeur and snobbery ... an elegy, sad and comical, to a passing era. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *A luxuriant trawl through the recovered past...extraordinary book -- John Walsh * Sunday Times *'I got as caught up in these distant but strangely evocative events as Vickers did . . . delicious in its way, recreating a lost world' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * The Times *'Scintillating diaries' * Daily Mail *'A quite brilliant record of a fading social and artistic milieu . . . a world to which Vickers is an unrivalled cicerone' -- Matthew Sturgis * The Oldie *'A ripping read . . . [Vickers] has gathered unique knowledge and feeling for former social manners and morals; the ability to summon the "something in the air" of a recent but virtually forgotten past. It is described succinctly and unsentimentally in this book' * The Catholic Herald *'Illuminating and brilliantly scurrilous' -- Marcus Field * The Standard *'Vickers' diaries bristle with injudicious indiscretion...it is no small compliment to say that the biographer is here the equal of his subject' -- Michael Arditti * The Spectator *
£11.69
Hodder & Stoughton The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from
Book SynopsisA seasonal meander through the wilds of Scotland.'If Clanlands was a gentle road trip through Scotland, this almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal up and down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. An invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy camper van exploration over 12 glorious, whisky fuelled months. Mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna, with a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences thrown in. Much is explored, all is shared. It is a camper van cornucopia of all things Alba'.From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to whisky lore, Sam & Graham guide readers through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events, sharing personal stories and tips as only these two chalk-and-cheese friends can.As entertaining as it is practical, The Clanlands Almanac is a light-hearted education in Scottish history and culture, told through the eyes of two passionate Scotsmen. The perfect escapist guide, The Clanlands Almanac is intended as a starting point for your own Scottish discoveries.
£10.44
Fordham University Press 12 Angry Men: Reginald Rose and the Making of an
Book SynopsisFinalist, 2021 Wall Award (Formerly the Theatre Library Association Award) The untold story behind one of America’s greatest dramas. In early 1957, a low-budget black-and-white movie opened across the United States. Consisting of little more than a dozen men arguing in a dingy room, it was a failure at the box office and soon faded from view. Today, 12 Angry Men is acclaimed as a movie classic, revered by the critics, beloved by the public, and widely performed as a stage play, touching audiences around the world. It is also a favorite of the legal profession for its portrayal of ordinary citizens reaching a just verdict and widely taught for its depiction of group dynamics and human relations. Few twentieth-century American dramatic works have had the acclaim and impact of 12 Angry Men. Rosenzweig’s 12 Angry Men tells two stories: the life of a great writer and the journey of his most famous work, one that ultimately outshined its author. More than any writer in the Golden Age of Television, Reginald Rose took up vital social issues of the day—from racial prejudice to juvenile delinquency to civil liberties—and made them accessible to a wide audience. His 1960s series, The Defenders, was the finest drama of its age and set the standard for legal dramas. This book brings Reginald Rose’s long and successful career, its origins and accomplishments, into view at long last. By placing 12 Angry Men in its historical and social context—the rise of television, the blacklist, and the struggle for civil rights—Rosenzweig traces the story of this brilliant courtroom drama, beginning with the chance experience that inspired Rose, to its performance on CBS’s Westinghouse Studio One in 1954, to the feature film with Henry Fonda. The book describes Sidney Lumet’s casting, the sudden death of one actor, and the contribution of cinematographer Boris Kaufman. It explores various drafts of the drama, with Rose settling on the shattering climax only days before filming began. Drawing on extensive research and brimming with insight, this book casts new light on one of America’s great dramas—and about its author, a man of immense talent and courage. Author royalties will be donated equally to the Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham Law School and the Justice John Paul Stevens Jury Center at Chicago-Kent College of Law.Table of ContentsIntroduction | 1 Part I: Origins 1. Dreams of a Writer | 11 2. Getting Started (1952 to Summer 1953) | 23 3. Two Programs, Two Movies (1952 to 1954) | 34 4. Original Dramas for Studio One (Summer 1953 to Spring 1954) | 46 Part II: The Television Program 5. A Visit to Foley Square (Spring 1954) | 57 6. “Twelve Angry Men” (Summer 1954) | 71 7. Gaining Momentum (Fall 1954 to Spring 1955) | 81 Part III: The Movie 8. Henry Fonda and the Deal for 12 Angry Men (Spring and Summer 1955) | 95 9. Developing the Screenplay (Fall 1955 to Spring 1956) | 103 10. Assembling the Team (Spring 1956) | 113 11. Six Weeks of Work (Summer 1956) | 122 12. Release and Reviews (Fall 1956 to Spring 1958) | 133 Part IV: The Defenders 13. New Directions (1957 to 1960) | 145 14. The Defenders (1960 to Spring 1962) | 155 15. The Defenders (Fall 1962 to 1965) | 166 16. After The Defenders | 179 Part V: The Journey of 12 Angry Men 17. A Life on Stage | 193 18. A Lesson in the Law | 208 19. A Masterclass in Human Behavior | 220 20. New Versions, New Meanings | 230 Epilogue | 239 Appendix: “Twelve Angry Men” (TV Featurette) | 245 Acknowledgments | 251 Notes | 257 Selected Bibliography | 291 Index | 297 Photographs follow pages 102 and 198
£16.14
Image Comics Jim Lives: The Mystery of the Lead Singer of The
Book SynopsisAmid the intense colors of a foreign land, JIM LIVES is the story of a man searching for his son–a correspondent for a popular american newspaper–who vanished into thin air after sending one last, enigmatic message: “Jim Morrison isn’t dead. He’s hiding out in Italy. I saw him with my own eyes. I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you everything...”Come along with the Creators of PAUL IS DEAD as they reveal the second chapter in their “conspiracy trilogy:” a new, fascinating vision of the most mysterious legend in the history of rock that envisions what happened “When the Music’s Over.”
£13.49
Rowman & Littlefield John McLaughlin: From Miles and Mahavishnu to The
Book SynopsisIn the hierarchy of British jazz & rock musicians, the electrifying guitarist, composer, and bandleader John McLaughlin arguably holds an unassailable position at the very top. Across dozens of official studio and live albums that encompass solo acts, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shakti, and co-headlining group projects, GRAMMY Award-winner John McLaughlin has consistently enthralled and surprised with boundary-pushing, genre-defying music. He revolutionized guitar playing with his virtuosic style, carving out one of the most critic-proof and prolific careers in modern times and was Miles Davis’s guitarist of choice on epochal albums In A Silent Way, Jack Johnson, Bitches Brew, and Live-Evil. Drawing on hundreds of sources and interviews with key collaborators, Matt Phillips takes us on an exciting journey through McLaughlin’s entire career: his early years on the London pop scene; his flirtations with the European avant-garde; groundbreaking work with Miles Davis and Tony Williams; the electrifying fusion groups The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti; special projects with the likes of Chick Corea, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Carlos Santana, and Jeff Beck; hugely popular acoustic collaborations with Paco De Lucia, Larry Coryell, and Al Di Meola; and his 4th Dimension band. This is the first major book about McLaughlin to illuminate his entire output from 1980–2020. Including never-before-seen photographs, it’s a thrilling ride through the life of a master musician.Trade ReviewJohn McLaughlin is one of a kind. What he has contributed to the world of music will never be duplicated. It’s the reason why a book reflecting on his musical career should be a must-have in every aspiring musician's personal library. -- Billy Cobham, drummer, Mahavishnu Orchestra, inductee, Modern Drummer Hall of FameTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: The Early Years (1942 – 1968)Chapter 2: 1969-1970Extrapolation, Miles and LifetimeChapter 3: 1970-1973From Devotion to Between Nothingness & EternityChapter 4: 1974-1979From Apocalypse to Electric DreamsChapter 5: The 1980sFrom Friday Night In San Francisco to Paco & John At MontreuxChapter 6: The 1990sFrom The Mediterranean Concerto to Remember ShaktiChapter 7: The 2000sFrom The Heart Of Things Live to Five Peace Band LiveChapter 8: The 2010sFrom To The One to Is That So?Epilogue: Covid, Liberation Time and John’s Goals BeyondAcknowledgmentsBibliographySelected Online ReferencesSelected Print ReferencesAbout The Author
£28.50
Little, Brown & Company The New One: Painfully True Stories from a
Book SynopsisMike Birbiglia never wanted to be a father. In fact, there are seven very specific reasons he never wanted a kid, including his aversion to sticky surfaces and his less-than-ideal genes: he's had Lyme Disease, a bladder tumor, diabetes, and dangerous sleepwalking, to name a few. Not to mention the fact that Mike generally doesn't think people (including himself) are really all that great.Then Mike's wife, poet Jen Hope Stein, becomes infected with the contagion "baby fever" and convinces him she'll do all of the parenting and that their lives don't have to change because of future baby Oona. Yes, he bought that line.In a hilarious memoir about the trials and tribulations of parenting, Mike Birbiglia shares anecdotes all parents can relate to, including laugh-out-loud observations on the lead up to being a parent, the birth of the baby, and the very messy aftermath of bringing this new one home...for a forever stay! Borne out of and based on his Broadway show The New One, and entirely expanded upon with at least 50% new material for this book, new dad Birbiglia will have you crying from laughter and smiling with joy as he falls in love with baby Oona, despite how smelly she is!Mike's candid thoughts on his reluctance about becoming a dad, what he describes as being the "pudgy milkless vice president of his family," laced with Stein's poetry combine to form a heartfelt and hilarious book.
£13.29
Little, Brown & Company I'd Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays
Book SynopsisCombining his signature curmudgeonly humor with, as Newsweek put it, a "silly approach to upsetting topics," Tom Segura presents a series of personal stories packed with the crazy characters and strong opinions fans have come to know and love from his podcasts and standup.The essays in I'd Like to Play Alone, Please feature comedic tales from Tom's time on the road, his marriage, the trials and tribulations of parenting young children and, perhaps most memorably, his dad who, like any good Baby Boomer father, likes to talk about his bowel movements and share graphic Vietnam stories at inappropriate moments. It's enough to make anyone want some peace and quiet. This book will have readers laughing out loud and nodding in agreement with Segura's central message: in a world where everyone is increasingly insane, sometimes you just need to be alone.
£22.50
Little, Brown & Company There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the
Book SynopsisFormer WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz brings readers behind the scenes for an unprecedented look at the chaotic, surreal, unbelievable backstage world of the WWE.With untold stories from a career spanning over 15 years and featuring the biggest names and controversial moments in wrestling history, THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM is an honest, unflinching look on how an introverted life-long fan unexpectedly became one the most powerful men in all of professional wrestling.For decades wrestling was shrouded in secrecy. It had larger than life personalities, bone crunching physicality and jaw-dropping theatrics but backstage it was an industry devoid of outsiders. Then in 1999, after working together on a special for MTV, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson turned to 26-year old television writer Brian Gewirtz and asked "You ever consider writing for WWE?" That question, and its answer, would have a profound effect on both of their lives for years to come.THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs. Most writers in the WWE last for a matter of months; Gewirtz was there for over 15 years, writing some of most memorable and infamous storylines in WWE history (covering the "Attitude Era", the "Ruthless Aggression Era" and into the "PG" and "Reality" eras). Throughout this journey Gewirtz found himself becoming both friend and antagonist to some of the biggest names in WWE history - Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, Stephanie McMahon, Bill Goldberg, Paul Heyman, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, and the two men who he worked the most closely with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. These men not only shaped his life professionally but also personally, forcing him to grow and change both as a writer and a human being. So how does a lifelong fan and outsider break through to become the ultimate insider? How does a low-key personality deal directly with his boss, the most brash, unpredictable "alpha male" on the planet, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon? How does one gain respect in a locker room that wants nothing more than to see him disappear? Where does one go when every year in wrestling takes you further away from the writing career you always wanted? Taking advice from his idol, the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, when you're so full of fear, there's only one way to push through: become fearless.
£15.29
PublicAffairs,U.S. Who Does That Bitch Think She Is?: Doris Fish and
Book SynopsisIn the 1970s, queer people were openly despised, and drag queens scared the public. Yet this was the era when Doris Fish (born Philip Mills in 1952) painted and padded his way to stardom. He was a leader of the generation that prepared the world not just for drag queens on TV but for a society that is more tolerant and accepting of LGBTQ+ people. How did we get from there to here? In Who Does That Bitch Think She Is? Craig Seligman looks at Doris' life to provide some answers.After moving to San Francisco in the mid-'70s, Doris became the driving force behind years of side-splitting drag shows that were loved as much as you can love throwaway trash-which is what everybody thought they were. No one, Doris included, perceived them as political theatre, when in fact they were accomplishing satire's deepest dream: not just to rail against society, but to change it.From the rise of drag shows to the obsession with camp to the conservative backlash and the onset of AIDS, Seligman adds needed colour and insight to this era in LGBTQ+ history, revealing the origins and evolution of drag.
£18.75
Amazon Publishing Divine Lola: A True Story of Scandal and
Book SynopsisAn enthralling biography about one of the most intriguing women of the Victorian age: the first self-invented international social celebrity. Lola Montez was one of the most celebrated and notorious women of the nineteenth century. A raven-haired Andalusian who performed her scandalous “Spider Dance” in the greatest performance halls across Europe, she dazzled and beguiled all who met her with her astonishing beauty, sexuality, and shocking disregard for propriety. But Lola was an impostor, a self-invention. Born Eliza Gilbert, the beautiful Irish wild child escaped a stifling marriage and reimagined herself as Lola the Sevillian flamenco dancer and noblewoman, choosing a life of adventure, fame, sex, and scandal rather than submitting to the strictures of her era. Lola cast her spell on the European aristocracy and the most famous intellectuals and artists of the time, including Alexandre Dumas, Franz Liszt, and George Sand, and became the obsession of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. She then set out for the New World, arriving in San Francisco at the height of the gold rush, where she lived like a pioneer and performed for rowdy miners before making her way to New York. There, her inevitable downfall was every bit as dramatic as her rise. Yet there was one final reinvention to come for the most defiant woman of the Victorian age—a woman known as a “savage beauty” who was idolized, romanticized, vilified, truly known by no one, and a century ahead of her time.Trade Review“Breezy, emphatic…This twisty chronicle of one woman’s quest for independence is mesmerizing.” —Publishers Weekly
£8.54
Surrey Books,U.S. Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words: In Her Own Words
Book SynopsisGet inside the head of one of the most beloved musicians of our time, a longtime country music phenomenon turned titan of industry and cultural icon: Dolly Parton. This collection of quotes has been carefully curated from Parton’s numerous public statements—interviews, speeches, social media posts, and more. It’s a comprehensive picture of her legacy as one of America’s most recognizable music superstars, whose considerable impact can be felt well beyond popular culture. Since her career began in the Nashville music scene of the 1960s, Parton has become revered for her work as a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. Parton has sold over 100 million records world-wide, she’s one of the most-honored female country performers of all time, and in 1999, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her profile has long transcended her musical achievements, as she became a successful businesswoman and co-owner of the Dollywood Company. She has also been recognized for her philanthropic work, providing scholarships and awards through her Dollywood Foundation and successful literacy program. This collection is a look into the inner workings of the woman known for penning such hits as “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5.” Now, for the first time, you can find Parton’s most inspirational, thought-provoking quotes in one place, providing an intimate and direct look into the mind of this legendary musical icon.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR AGATE B2'S NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING SERIES, IN THEIR OWN WORDS: "[I, Steve] is the same treatment given such luminaries as Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Hitchens and offers Jobs's views on life, death, technology and design, among other topics.”—Timothy R. Smith, The Washington Post "[Impatient Optimist] is like eating salted peanuts: Once you start reading, it's hard to stop."—Anne Fisher, CNN Money "A new book revealing many of Steve Jobs' most illuminating quotes..."—Lance Whitney, CNET "A 160-page collection of quotes from the most iconic product pitchman since P.T. Barnum."—Ben Popper, The New York Observer BetaBeat blog "A much better Jobs product is coming soon. It’ll entertain you for hours, and no—it is not a Jobs-branded iPad or anything similarly high-tech. It is, friends, an old-fashioned book!"—Hillary Reinsberg, Mogulite "Inspirational reading pleasure."—Courtney Boyd Myers, The Next Web "The kind of book that you read, think about, and then pass on to a friend or colleague...I learned a lot about Jobs’ thinking process."—Allen Stern, CenterNetworks "[Boy Billionaire] reveals the intimate thoughts and beliefs of the man who has arguably created one of the world's largest companies…and who is also one of the world's greatest social connectors."—Strategy Driven "A short work to be dipped into for nuggets of business (or law firm) wisdom..."—Michael Roach, Law Technology News
£9.49
Surrey Books,U.S. Rihanna: In Her Own Words
Book SynopsisGet inside the head of Rihanna: musician, fashion designer, and business mogul.This collection of quotes has been curated from Rihanna’s numerous public statements—interviews, books, social media posts, television appearances, and more. It’s a comprehensive picture of a beloved icon and her impact on popular culture.Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty burst onto the American music scene in the mid-2000s when she released her single “Pon de Replay,” which hit number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Her debut album sold more than 2 million copies worldwide, opening the door for her second album, A Girl Like Me, to go platinum. She continued to climb the music charts as she released her Good Girl Gone Bad album, featuring the hit track “Umbrella,” which earned her her first Grammy Award. She has gone on to become one of the most streamed artists of all time.As she gained global fame for her musical abilities, Rihanna also became known as a fashion leader. She earned a Fashion Icon lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and her 2015 Met Gala dress “broke the internet,” garnering a billion impressions on social media.In 2017, Rihanna launched her own makeup line, called Fenty Beauty, which she expanded in the years following into a line of lingerie, Savage X Fenty, and a luxury fashion line, Fenty. She has been praised for her dedication to inclusion both in terms of the diversity of skin tones represented in her makeup and lingerie lines, and for the variety of body types featured in promotion for her products. Her global impact extends beyond music and fashion—Rihanna has founded a number of foundations and charities to facilitate her philanthropic work. Her Believe Foundation is dedicated to assisting children with terminal illnesses and her Clara Lionel Foundation supports climate justice programs. She was one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012 and 2018 and listed by Forbes as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women of 2019. In 2021, Forbes identified her as the richest female musician in the world, and the second richest female entertainer in the world behind Oprah Winfrey.Rihanna has already established herself as a hit recording artist, business mogul, and global influencer, and she’s still at the relative outset of her career. Now, for the first time, you can find Rihanna’s most inspirational, thought-provoking quotes in one place, painting a comprehensive picture of this superstar’s impact on the world so far.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR AGATE B2'S NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING SERIES, IN THEIR OWN WORDS:"[I, Steve] is the same treatment given such luminaries as Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Christopher Hitchens and offers Jobs's views on life, death, technology and design, among other topics.”—Timothy R. Smith, The Washington Post"[Impatient Optimist] is like eating salted peanuts: Once you start reading, it's hard to stop."—Anne Fisher, CNN Money"A new book revealing many of Steve Jobs' most illuminating quotes..."—Lance Whitney, CNET"A 160-page collection of quotes from the most iconic product pitchman since P.T. Barnum."—Ben Popper, The New York Observer BetaBeat blog"A much better Jobs product is coming soon. It’ll entertain you for hours, and no—it is not a Jobs-branded iPad or anything similarly high-tech. It is, friends, an old-fashioned book!"—Hillary Reinsberg, Mogulite"Inspirational reading pleasure."—Courtney Boyd Myers, The Next Web"The kind of book that you read, think about, and then pass on to a friend or colleague...I learned a lot about Jobs’ thinking process."—Allen Stern, CenterNetworks"[Boy Billionaire] reveals the intimate thoughts and beliefs of the man who has arguably created one of the world's largest companies…and who is also one of the world's greatest social connectors."—Strategy Driven"A short work to be dipped into for nuggets of business (or law firm) wisdom..."—Michael Roach, Law Technology News
£9.49
Steerforth Press On Locations: Lessons Learned from My Life On Set
Book Synopsis
£20.39
Smithsonian Books Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues
Book Synopsis
£26.10
Taylor Trade Publishing Vivien Leigh: A Biography
Book SynopsisThis is the story of the actress who became a Hollywood legend by winning the coveted role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, and whose circle included both theatrical and political celebrities, from Winston Churchill to Noel Coward, John Gielgud, and Marlon Brando. But behind the dazzling exterior lay the sinister shadow of another Vivien Leigh—a shadow which pursued her throughout her aristocratic upbringing, her frustrating first marriage, her tempestuous romance with Laurence Olivier, and her meteoric rise to stardom. As The New York Times wrote of the hardcover edition, “To read her story is to be inspired with pity and terror.”Trade ReviewTo read her story is to be inspired by pity and terror. -- . * The New York Times Book Review *If Vivien Leigh was captivating on the stage and on film, she's doubly so in this perceptive and moving portrait. * Publishers Weekly *
£13.29
Soft Skull Press I'm In The Band: Backstage Notes from the Chick
Book Synopsis
£22.49
Melville House Publishing Billie Holiday: The Last Interview
Book SynopsisThe first-ever collection of interviews with the tortured but ground breaking singer.
£12.59
Melville House Publishing Julia Child: The Last Interview: and other
Book SynopsisA delightful collection of interviews with the beloved Julia Child''The French Chef,' author, and television personality who revolutionized home cooking in 20th century America.
£12.59
