Biography: arts and entertainment Books

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

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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

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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

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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 *

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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.

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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

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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

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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 *

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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.

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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

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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.”

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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 *

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Book SynopsisThe first-ever collection of interviews with the tortured but ground breaking singer.

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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.

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned history of the final, turbulent years of The Clash under the dark shadow of Reagan and Thatcher.

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Book SynopsisNYC's notorious Mudd Club where art and music intersect with sex, drugs and the slumming glittering elite.

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Book SynopsisFrancis Poulenc (1899–1963) is widely acknowledged as one of the twentieth century’s most significant masters of vocal music—solo, choral and operatic—quite apart from his achievements in instrumental spheres. But what it cost him has been underestimated. In this seminal biography, which will serve as the definitive guide to the songs, Graham Johnson shows that it is in Poulenc’s extraordinary songs and seeing how they fit into his life—his hidden sexuality, addiction and all—that we discover the composer’s essential artistic being. With Jeremy Sams’s song translations, the first in over forty years, and the insight that comes from a lifetime of performing this music, Johnson provides an essential volume for singers, pianists, listeners and readers interested in the artistic milieu of modernism in the first half of the twentieth century.Trade Review"Admirably written, long-pondered and scrupulously researched… Johnson proves a marvellous guide to [Poulenc’s songs’] various qualities and the contexts in which they emerged." -- Rupert Christiansen - Literary Review""...an entertaining and learned new biography... [Johnson] has unparalleled practical knowledge of the terrain... [his] real concern is the music: [he is] convinced of its complexity, depth and importance... The translations (by Jeremy Sams ) also make this a valuable compendium, not to say a triumph of copyright clearance." -- Oliver Soden - The Observer"…an absolutely indispensable listening guide to the songs themselves, yet the wealth of information it contains gives us so much more. [This] marvellous book… sends you back to listen to Poulenc's music anew, with a greatly enriched understanding both of the man and his world." -- Tim Ashley - Gramophone"...a vital new book on the songs which are here placed ingeniously in the context of the composer's life... the definitive guide to Poulenc's melodies..." -- Jon Tolansky - Classical Music"If ever such a book as this was needed, this is it. Graham Johnson's masterly study cannot be improved upon in terms of detail, musical understanding and thoroughgoing grasp of the subject. It is beautifully written, chock-full of apposite detail and is superbly illustrated... This wonderful and deeply original study will disabuse any who continue to underestimate Poulenc's genius. It is a major achievement by any benchmark... this outstanding volume deserves a place in any self-respecting musicians' library." -- Musical Opinion"And if Wagner sounds too daunting for Christmas, try Graham Johnson's Poulenc: The Life in the Songs which presents the 20th century’s most loveable composer in terms that manage to be serious but entertaining – as you'd expect from someone with Johnson's unique authority as a performer, raconteur and scholar. Joyfully enlightening." -- Westminster Extra

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Book SynopsisFortunately for fans, Craig Duswalt hasn't just heard rumours - he knows what went on backstage on one of the longest and most popular music events because he lived it. As Axl Rose's personal manager during the ridiculously long world tour, Duswalt experienced things that would make most people run the other way and never look back. And in Welcome to My Jungle, he shares the sometimes hilarious, sometimes just plain reckless, and always insane actual happenings on the tour. A true must-read for Guns N' Roses fans, Welcome to My Jungle delights readers with hilarious and entertaining exclusive firsthand stories like: The day Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain, and Courtney Love got into a “huge war' backstage at the MTV Awards, Why Guns N' Roses are forever linked to Charles Manson, The night Liz Taylor walked in on a very nude Slash - and stayed a while. Featuring little-known facts for the ultimate GN'R fan, Welcome To My Jungle gives an inside look at what it's really like to live and work with a hugely popular band, from the middle of a rock and roll hurricane.

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Book SynopsisA finely wrought coming-of-age memoir about the author’s relationship with her beloved grandfather Joe Simon, cartoonist and co-creator of Captain America.In the 1990s, Megan Margulies’s Upper West Side neighborhood was marked by addicts shooting up in subway stations, frequent burglaries, and the “Wild Man of 96th Street,” who set fires under cars and heaved rocks through stained glass church windows. The world inside her parents’ tiny one-bedroom apartment was hardly a respite, with a family of five—including some loud personalities—eventually occupying the 550-square-foot space. Salvation arrived in the form of her spirited grandfather, Daddy Joe, whose midtown studio became a second home to Megan. There, he listened to her woes, fed her Hungry Man frozen dinners, and simply let her be. His living room may have been dominated by the drawing table, notes, and doodles that marked him as Joe Simon the cartoonist. But for Megan, he was always Daddy Joe: an escape from her increasingly hectic home, a nonjudgmental voice whose sense of humor was as dry as his farfel, and a steady presence in a world that felt off balance. Evoking New York City both in the 1980s and ’90s and during the Golden Age of comics in the 1930s and ’40s, My Captain America flashes back from Megan’s story to chart the life and career of Rochester-native Joe Simon, from his early days retouching publicity photos and doing spot art for magazines, to his partnership with Jack Kirby at Timely Comics (the forerunner of Marvel Comics), which resulted in the creation of beloved characters like Captain America, the Boy Commandos, and Fighting American. My Captain America offers a tender and sharply observed account of Megan’s life with Daddy Joe—and an intimate portrait of the creative genius who gave us one of the most enduring superheroes of all time.Trade Review“A tender and heart-aching account of coming-of-age, and of aging, and of a vanishing New York City, as well as a much-needed corrective to myths concerning the origins of some of our most iconographic pieces of 20th-century popular culture. Thank you, Megan Margulies, for getting it all so right.” -- Jonathan Lethem, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award“We all need to have a Captain America in our life, especially these days. They can take many different forms. Fortunately for us, Megan Margulies’ grandfather was the creator of the original Captain America and shares a poignant and touching portrait of not just a seminal practitioner of the art form of comics, but a loving and unconventional grandfather.” -- Al Roker, Today Show co-host“Read Megan’s memoir if you care about Captain America and Joe Simon’s other other-worldly heroes from Comics’ Golden Age. Read it for a granddaughter’s stirring love poem to her Daddy Joe. Read it for writing as compelling as the storytelling. Read it because you, like me, need an escape today, and this is one that'll transport you to an uplifting setting and moment.” -- Larry Tye, author of "Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero"“Megan Margulies’s beautifully rendered chronicle of a charmed friendship brims with the illustrative skills that she so admired in her grandfather. Painting with the indelible details of city dwelling—gurgling coffeemakers, wooden taborets, and rooftop stargazing—she brings to marvelous life the bonds of three generations of restless, complicated New Yorkers, with and without their shields.” -- Sean Howe, author of "Marvel Comics: The Untold Story," a New York Times bestseller“My Captain America is the best and truest kind of love story: one with a thousand tendrils that come together to create a rich symphony of love letters to family, a city, history, and—maybe most importantly—the author herself. In this cinematic memoir of growing up in New York City with a grandfather who’d invented the character Captain America, Megan Margulies deftly explores familial bonds, the lasting power of the smallest (and deceptively simplest) of acts, and the way in which the deepest and most transformative grief forms from the most profound of bonds. This marvelous book drew me in and kept me enthralled in its evocations of a vibrant childhood and a fascinating family history, and moved me to tears with its sensitivity, compassion, and depth.” -- Eva Hagberg, author of "How to Be Loved: A Memoir of Lifesaving Friendship"“Megan Margulies’s My Captain America was a compelling read from start to finish. Margulies has crafted a touching and relatable coming-of-age story, a nuanced and accurate portrait of New York City in the 1990s, and, most importantly, a beautiful heart at the center of the book—Daddy Joe, Joe Simon, creator of Captain America. At turns moving, funny, and cinematic, I tore through these pages and enjoyed every moment.” -- Erin Khar, author of "Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies that Nearly Killed Me"“Megan Margulies tells the story of a national treasure through the loving eyes of a granddaughter. Joe Simon invented superheroes like Captain America and also lent his daughter a hand helping to raise his granddaughter Megan during her complicated 1990s New York City adolescence. In Daddy Joe, as she called him, Megan had a true champion and a loving reflection of the grown up she could become. Margulies writes her story with vulnerability and honesty. As a narrator, she is definitely someone you want to be friends with and the portrait she paints of her grandfather makes you really want to be friends with him, too. She helps us see that this creator of a superhero, actually kind of was one.” -- Joselin Linder, author of "The Family Gene"“With writing by turns gritty, raw, and poignant, Megan Margulies’ memoir interweaves stories from the Golden Age of comics, New York City in two iconic eras, and a girl's love for her grandfather. It’s a compelling read, and a testament to how family bonds so often shape us into the person we will become.” -- Teresa Lust, author of "A Blissful Feast" and "Pass the Polenta"“There are too few books that explore the importance of a loving relationship between a grandchild and grandparent. Oozing with love for her grandfather, this memoir plays tribute to Margulies’s grandfather, the cartoonist Joe Simon, who provides the foundational love for the author growing up in New York City. Margulies gives us a portrait of the artist as an old man— energetic, open-hearted, wise—whose last decades of life were most meaningful to the first decades of the author’s life. A tender story about what we inherit, what we hope to pass on, and how the man who created the superhero Captain America plays a real-life guardian angel to his granddaughter. A book to cherish.” -- Tory Bilski, author of "Wild Horses of the Summer Sun"“It is a peculiar thing to belong to someone who belongs to everyone, but in My Captain America, Megan Margulies accomplishes a telescopic feat: This is at once an intimate, finely observed rendering of a single, beloved man and a compelling portrait of a public figure and his legendary work. Even with a larger-than-life, possibly immortal Nazi-fighting superhero in nearly every frame, Margulies shows, through confidently drawn and lovingly rendered scenes, that true heroes are the altogether mortal, everyday humans who love us generously, quietly, and durably.” -- Andrea Avery, author of "Sonata"“Episodic memoir recounting the close relationship between grandfather and grandchild—and an unusual grandfather at that. [Joe] Simon was always ready for adventure, and he emerges as quite a character. Fans of comic book history will enjoy this affectionate look backward.” * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisA new biography of the beloved but mysterious Blind Lemon Jefferson, famous blues musician. Born in 1897, Jefferson was a blind street musician who played his guitar at the corner of Elm Street and Central Avenue in the Deep Ellum area of Dallas, Texas, until a Paramount Records scout discovered him. Between 1926 and his untimely death in 1929, Jefferson made more than 80 records and became the biggest-selling blues singer in America. Although his recordings are extensive, details about his life are relatively few. Through Govenar and Lornell's extensive interviews and research, See That My Grave is Kept Clean gathers the scattered facts behind Blind Lemon Jefferson's mythic representations.

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Book SynopsisAn artful and contemplative tribute to the late actor famed for his role as Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills, 90210.Best known for playing loner rebel Dylan McKay in Beverly Hills 90210, Luke Perry was fifty-two years old when he died of a stroke in 2019. There have been other deaths of 90’s stars, but this one hit different. Gen X was reminded of their own inescapable mortality, and robbed of an exciting career resurgence for one of their most cherished icons—with recent roles in the hit series Riverdale and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood bringing him renewed attention and acclaim. Only upon his death, as stories poured out online about his authenticity and kindness, did it become clear how little was known about the exceedingly humble actor and how deeply he impacted popular culture. In A Good Bad Boy, Margaret Wappler attempts to understand who Perry was and why he was unique amo

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Book SynopsisThe first book to celebrate the classic-era Motà rhead lineup of Lemmy Kilmister, 'Fast' Eddie Clarke, and Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor.

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Book SynopsisThe dazzlingly funny second volume of Danny Baker's memoirs: the television years.Since my first book was published I have had countless friends and family members get in touch to say how come I hadn't included this story or that tale. Was I ashamed of being shot twice, once up the arse, in Jamaica Road? How long should a man live with such a secret? If by retrospectively dropping my trousers every few pages I can reveal a fuller picture of myself during these years, then so be it.Besides. Being shot up the arse. In front of your mates.What else did I forget?Trade ReviewFrom presenting cheeky trivia on teatime telly to a disastrous panto sting, he's like a living poster of Kipling's If, happily talking over both Triumph and Disaster. ...his own talents, at least as a memoirist, are closer to that other driven south Londoner Spike Milligan. -- Steve Jelbert * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Going Off Alarming is quite simply the funniest book you'll read all year. Seriously....Like its predecessor, the book is a hoot from soup to nuts, easily as funny, as self-deprecating and as worldly-wise as The Moon's A Balloon by David Niven. If you have been unlucky in life, and have spent the bulk of it without coming into contact with him or his work, then this book is a wonderful introduction. What's it like? Well, it's like Tom and Jerry written by a Cockney Roddy Doyle on Prozac. But funnier. -- Dylan Jones * GQ ONLINE *..great company and a brilliant raconteur. -- Viv Groskop * THE OBSERVER *Volume two of Baker's autobiography rattles along at the same delightful and dizzying pace as its predecessor. ..Baker loves a tale told at his own expense and they come thick and fast. He writes like he speaks, with hyperactive garrulity and a rhetorical flourish. ..there is something about Baker in full flow that is affirming. Book three will doubtless be out for next Christmas but, when it comes to the Pangloss of Deptford, you are happy to forgive him the indulgence. -- Duncan White * DAILY TELEGRAPH *For comic value, go for Danny Baker's latest memoir. The funniest book Dylan Jones has read all year. -- Olivia Cole * GQ *It's the strength of the anecdotes, and welcome digressions from the narrative, that make the book such a delight. * CHOICE MAGAZINE *Any autobiography that opens with the author being shot in the buttocks demands your complete attention. This book made me howl with laughter -- Lorraine Kelly * HERALD SCOTLAND *

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Book SynopsisAmong his many captivating exploits, the French artist Yves Klein (1928 - 1962) invented his own brand of colour: the inimitable International Klein Blue. Denounced as a charlatan and feted as a mystic, Klein scandalized the art world with his enthusiastic embrace of the highs and lows of post-war mass culture and his exploitation of controversial publicity tactics. Today it is clear that Klein was not only one of the most radical artists of the post-war period but an iconic role model for contemporary practices: he reinvented abstract painting, conceived new horizons for performance art and was a trailblazer in the interdisciplinary realm of land, body and conceptual art. Nuit Banai examines the relationship between Klein's brief but incandescent life and his wide repertoire of artistic practices. The book establishes that Klein's brilliance was above all performative, as he created and inhabited a cast of public identities: avant-garde artist, bourgeois, judo expert, painter, charlatan, collaborator, politician, middle-class mystic, fascist and showman.With each persona, Klein invented new ways to communicate his paradoxical message of spiritual enlightenment and Dada iconoclasm to an unsuspecting, bemused and entranced audience. This new critical biography illuminates Klein's influential and multifaceted artistic career. Alongside contemporaries like Andy Warhol and Joseph Beuys and postmodern chameleons like Cindy Sherman, Klein's protean performance of multiple roles stands as a landmark example of the artist's transformational status. An invaluable introduction to the life and work of this flamboyant individual, Yves Klein will appeal to students and scholars of Klein as well as those interested in contemporary art and twentieth-century culture.

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Book SynopsisBrother and sister Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn enjoyed a rare bond: they were intimate companions and theirs was one of the most significant musical relationships of the 19th century. They shared and commented on each other’s compositions, each highly appreciative of the other but also offering frank, critical advice. Their travels produced some great music – Felix’s best loved works, the Hebrides Overture and the Scottish Symphony, were inspired by his 1829 visit to Scotland, whilst Fanny’s innovative piano cycle Das Jahr was a musical response to the tour of Italy she made in 1839–40. Combining letters and sketches with an accompanying narrative describing their journeys, this is a wonderful celebration of the two Mendelssohns and a portrait of Scotland and Italy of the time as seen through the eyes of two of the Romantic movement’s most acclaimed composers.Trade Review'. . . engagingly written and handsomely illustrated. The Soul of the Journey reminds us that two of the seminal German composers of the 1830s and 1840s were “serious" tourists, who brought back from their travels in Scotland and Italy not only visual reminiscences but inspiration for several of their most significant composition' -- Professor R. Larry Todd, Duke University, author of Mendelssohn: A Life in Music and Fanny Hensel: The Other Mendelssohn'A beautifully produced book, lavishly illustrated, carefully researched and written: a perfect gift for music lovers' * Blackwell's Bookshop Edinburgh *'This account of Felix and Fanny Mendelssoh’s travels around Europe sheds fascinating new light on some of their greatest works' -- Scotland on Sunday * Stuart Kelly *'Ambache's writing is clear and well honed… beautifully produced and lavishly illustrated' -- Jessica Duchen * BBC Music Magazine *

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Book SynopsisRembrandt's life has always been an enigma. How did a miller's son from a provincial Dutch town become the greatest artist in the world? With his formative years shrouded in mystery, the only remaining evidence of Rembrandt's life as a young man is his work. Deeply rooted in the turbulent changes that his hometown was undergoing, Rembrandt's early paintings tell a fascinating story of artistic evolution against the backdrop of the widening horizons of Leiden's cultural and commercial life during the Dutch Golden Age. Leiden's good fortune facilitated Rembrandt's. But who was that young man inventing himself as the city around him grew and prospered? How did Rembrandt become Rembrandt? To find out, Leiden native Onno Blom immersed himself in the world, the country, the city and the house in which Rembrandt was born in 1606 and where he spent the first twenty-five years of his life. The result is a fascinating portrait of the artist as a young man, rich in local and biographical detail, and restless in its efforts to seek out the roots of his genius.

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Book SynopsisEmpty Mansions is a rich mystery of wealth and loss, connecting the Gilded Age opulence of nineteenth-century America with a twenty-first-century battle over a $300 million inheritance. At its heart is a reclusive heiress named Huguette Clark, a woman so secretive that, at the time of her death at age 104, no new photograph of her had been seen in decades. Though she owned palatial homes in California, New York, and Connecticut, why had she lived for twenty years in a simple hospital room, despite being in excellent health? Why were her valuables being sold off? Was she in control of her fortune, or controlled by those managing her money?Huguette Clark was the daughter of self-made copper industrialist W. A. Clark, nearly as rich as Rockefeller in his day, a controversial senator, railroad builder, and founder of Las Vegas. She grew up in the largest house in New York City, a remarkable dwelling with 121 rooms for a family of four. She owned paintings by Degas and Renoir, a world-renowned Stradivarius violin, a vast collection of antique dolls. But wanting more than treasures, she devoted her wealth to buying gifts for friends and strangers alike, to quietly pursuing her own work as an artist, and to guarding the privacy she valued above all else.Empty Mansions reveals a complex portrait of the mysterious Huguette and her intimate circle. We meet her extravagant father, her publicity-shy mother, her star-crossed sister, her French boyfriend, her nurse who received more than $30 million in gifts, and the relatives fighting to inherit Huguette's copper fortune. Richly illustrated with more than seventy photographs, Empty Mansions is an enthralling story of an eccentric of the highest order, a last jewel of the Gilded Age who lived life on her own terms.Trade ReviewAn evocative and rollicking read, part social history, part hothouse mystery, part grand guignol. * The Daily Beast *Empty Mansions is a dazzlement and a wonder... This is an enchanting journey into the mysteries of the mind, a true-to-life exploration of strangeness and delight. -- Pat ConroyEmpty Mansions reveals this mysterious family in sumptuous detail. -- John BerendtAn amazing story of profligate wealth, one so wild that 'American aspiration' doesn't begin to describe its excesses . . . An outsized tale of rags-to-riches prosperity * The New York Times *Empty Mansions is at once an engrossing portrait of a forgotten American heiress and a fascinating meditation on the crosswinds of extreme wealth. Hugely entertaining and well researched, Empty Mansions is a fabulous read. -- Amanda Foreman

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Book SynopsisA pathbreaking, new intellectual biography of the composer and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. Wilhelm Furtwängler (1886-1954) has entered the historical memory as a renowned interpreter of the canon of Austro-German musical masterworks. His extensive legacy of recorded performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner and Wagneris widely regarded as unsurpassed. Yet more than sixty years after his death he remains a controversial figure: the complexities and equivocacy of his high-profile position within the Third Reich still cast a long shadow over hisreputation. This book builds an intellectual biography of Furtwängler, probing this ambiguity, through a critical examination of his extensive series of essays, addresses and symphonies. It traces the development of his thought from its foundations in late nineteenth-century traditions of Bildung and associated discourses of conservative-minded nationalism, through the turbulent years of the Weimar Republic and the cultural and moral dilemmasof the Nazi period, to the post-World War II years of Bundesrepublik reconstruction, in which the beleaguered idealist found himself adrift in an alien cultural environment overshadowed by the unfolding narrative of the Nazi holocaust. The book will be of interest not only to music scholars but to cultural and intellectual historians as well. ROGER ALLEN is a Fellow of St Peter's College, Oxford and author of Richard Wagner's Beethoven (1870): A New Translation (Boydell Press, 2014)Trade Review[An] absorbing, but balanced and methodical, appraisal of Furtwängler as man and musician. The unique aspect of his book is the detailed attention that is given to the conductor's extensive writings...a key towards understanding [Wilhelm Furtwängler] place German music history. * THE WAGNER JOURNAL *An innovative approach to this highly controversial conductor whose career flourished under Nazi rule...a very welcome and insightful complement to the extant library of Furtwängler biographies. * GERMAN HISTORY *Roger Allen's thoroughly researched volume is something subtler and ultimately perhaps more insightful. * OPERA *An astute essay on the highs and lows of German cultural history, as seen through the eyes and perceived by the actions of the star conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler...Allen enters this terrain equipped with a great sense of fairness rarely found in scholarly studies. * WAGNERSPECTRUM *Trace[s] the genesis of the belief system that made Furtwängler accept the Nazi regime as an unappetizing but tolerable set-up in which to achieve his cultural aims...Reading Furtwängler's writings with Allen as a guide illuminates the political undercurrents of his aesthetics. * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Explored through Furtwängler's writings and those of relevant contemporaries, is the social, intellectual and cultural hinterland - the 'Germanness' - that shaped his being...There is much that is interesting here about the nature of German conservatism and Furtwängler's relationship to it. * GRAMOPHONE *This impeccably researched and engagingly written study tackles the emotive subject from a cultural perspective, shedding fresh light on how Furtwängler remained (at least in his mind) apolitical during a period of extreme politicisation. * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *Table of ContentsIntroduction Wilhelm Furtwängler: The Historical, Cultural and Intellectual Background Childhood and Youth [1886-1911] Lübeck and Mannheim [1911-1920] Furtwängler in the Weimar Republic [1919- 1933] Furtwängler and the Nazi State I [1933-1935] Furtwängler in the Nazi State II [1935-1945] Reflection and Reaction: Furtwängler in the post-war period [1945-1950] Furtwängler as Symphonist 'All Greatness is Simplicity' [1951-1954] Afterword Appendix 1: Two Furtwängler essays, 'Heinrich Schenker' [1947], 'Hans Pfitzner' [1948] Appendix 2: Thomas Mann, 'Germany and the Germans' [1945] Appendix 3: Audio and visual sources Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Autobiography of James T. Kirk chronicles the greatest Starfleet captain's life (2233-2293), in his own words. From his birth on the U.S.S. Kelvin, his youth spent on Tarsus IV, his time in the Starfleet Academy, his meteoric raise through the ranks of Starfleet, and his illustrious career at the helm of the Enterprise, this in-world memoir uncovers Captain Kirk in a way Star Trek fans have never seen.Trade Review“A fascinating look at the exploits of one of pop culture’s greatest and most wonderfully flawed heroes” - Pop Culture Vulture"Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the Trek fan in your life? This might just be it...A fantastic book." - Nerdophiles“Another great touch was the addition of "editor's notes" throughout the narrative that lent a feeling of verisimilitude to the pages of the book. Little things that Kirk gets wrong in the book that are "corrected" by the editor make this feel like a real autobiography. Also, a full color insert of pictures in the middle of the book from Kirk's life, including his Academy graduation photo and travel documents to Tarsus IV, lend even more credibility.” - Trekcore"The Autobiography of James T. Kirk" is a wonderful addition to the stories of the fabled captain who sat in that center seat aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise for longer than any other leader in Starfleet history." - The News Hub"An accomplished, stirring tribute to a beloved sci-fi series that will captivate fans and newcomers alike." - Kirkus - Starred Review"A cause to celebrate for any fan." - City of Films"For readers like me, who loved that show and remember it with extreme fondness, it is an absolute treat of a book. I read it in one sitting, mostly with a smile on my face. And occasionally with a pang in my heart." - Reading Reality "The Autobiography of James T. Kirk serves as the perfect accompaniment for any fan looking to revisit the series with a refreshing new perspective on the well-known and beloved character." - Hypable“If you are a Star Trek fan, you will enjoy this book. In fact, the bigger a fan you are, the more you will appreciate it.” - Popmatters

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