Biography: arts and entertainment Books
Elliott & Thompson Limited Verdi: The Man Revealed
Book SynopsisGiuseppe Verdi remains the greatest operatic composer that Italy, the home of opera, has ever produced. Yet throughout his lifetime he claimed to detest composing and repeatedly rejected it. He was a landowner, a farmer, a politician and symbol of Italian independence; but his music tells a different story.; An obsessive perfectionist, Verdi drove collaborators to despair but his works were rightly lauded from the start as dazzling feats of composition and characterisation. From Rigoletto to Otello, La Traviatato to Aida, Verdi's canon encompassed the full range of human emotion. His private life was no less complex: he suffered great loss, and went out of his way to antagonise many erstwhile supporters, including his own family. An outspoken advocate of Italian independence and a sharp critic of the church, he was o en at odds with nineteenth-century society and paid the price.; In Verdi: The Man Revealed, John Suchet attempts to get under the skin of perhaps the most private composer who ever lived. Unpicking his protestations, his deliberate embellishments and disingenuous disavowals, Suchet reveals the contradictory and sometimes curmudgeonly character of this great artist, convicted throughout much of his life but ultimately unable to walk away from the art for which he will be forever known.Table of ContentsContents; 1; Confused Beginnings ...1; 2; A Father and His Daughter ...13; 3; `He Is a Rude, Uncivil Scoundrel' ...21; 4; Intolerable Losses ...33; 5; Another Loss and a Fiasco ...43; 6; `Little By Little the Opera Was Composed' ...51; 7; The Galley Years ...61; 8; `Signor Maestro' ...71; 9; Verdi, Man of Property ...81; 10; Queen Victoria Is Not Amused ...91; 11; `The Hour of Liberation Has Sounded' ...101; 12; Verdi Sets Tongues Wagging ...111; 13; The Opera Is `Repugnant, Immoral, Obscene' ...121; 14; A Rift in the Verdi Family ...131; 15; A Question of Identity ...139; 16; `Without You, I Am a Body Without a Soul' ...147; 17; The Bear of Busseto ...157; 18; Verdi, Gentleman Farmer ...165; 19; `Verdi Is My Tyrant' ...175; 20; A Wedding At Last ...183; 21; A Soprano Impresses Verdi ...193; 22; `I Am an Almost Perfect Wagnerian' ...203; 23; An Opera for Cairo ...213; 24; `The All-Powerful Corruptor of Italian Artistic Taste' ...223; 25; Scandal and Comedy ...233; 26; `One Button More, One Button Less' ...243; Afterword ...255; Notes ...267; Bibliography ...270; Index ...272
£21.25
Vintage Publishing Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: The definitive
Book SynopsisRead the definitive biography of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, whose music and career illuminate the legacy of 1960s counterculture.Between 1969 and 1974, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were the most successful, influential and politically potent rock band in America. More than any of their peers, they channelled and broadcast all the radical anger, romantic idealism and generational angst of their era. The vast emotional range of their music, from delicate acoustic confessionals to raucous counter-culture anthems, was mirrored in the turbulence of their personal lives.Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is the first major biography of a band whose first two albums are undisputed rock classics, and which continues to attract a large and loyal following to their sporadic reunions. At the same time, Peter Doggett illuminates the pivotal years of 1960s counterculture through the story of four of its key protagonists, whose music, beliefs and relationships with each other chronicle both its trajectory and its legacy.'A fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history' Frank TurnerTrade ReviewPeter Dogett's book is a fascinating, rip-roaring and timely re-telling of a corner of music history that was hugely important but is all too often forgotten. The rehabilitation of Crosby, Stills and Nash's reputation (and of Young's contributions here) is long overdue -- Frank TurnerEngaging… [Doggett] use[s] the saga of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young as a metaphor for the Woodstock generation and their doomed mission to return to the garden -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] meticulous chronicle of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young… Doggett carefully charts the stalled sessions and schemes caused by this alpha-male jostling… For fans who want detailed chronology, it will be a joy, but Doggett’s book is also a deft portrait of a golden age tarnishing even as the band sang -- Victoria Segal * Sunday Times *Especially good on the musicians early lives and early Seventies peak * Choice *Doggett… presents a solid, steady, evenhanded portrait. He loves the music without being slavish, and pays each of the musicians their due -- Anthony Quinn * Mail on Sunday *Exhaustively researched… If you think you know the history of CSN&Y then read this and, like me, you will be surprised at what you learn -- Tom Povey * RNR *Doggett…treasure[s] the band’s early oeuvre and writes with empathy about the group -- Holly George-Warren * Times Literary Supplement *
£12.34
Vintage Publishing Beethoven Variations: Poems on a Life
Book SynopsisFrom the author of the bestselling Darwin: A Life in Poems, Ruth Padel’s new collection follows in the footsteps of one of the world’s greatest composers, Beethoven, and investigates what his life and music might mean to us todayTwo hundred and fifty years since Beethoven was born, Ruth Padel goes on a personal search for him, retracing his steps through war-torn Europe of the early nineteenth century, delving into his music, letters, diaries and the conversation books he used when deaf, to uncover the man behind the legend. Her quest, exploring the life of one of the most creative artists who ever lived, turns more personal than she expects, taking her into the sources of her own creativity and musicality. From a deeply musical family herself, Padel’s parents met through music, and she grew up playing chamber music on viola – Beethoven’s instrument as a child. Her father’s grandfather, a concert pianist born on the German–Danish border, studied in Leipzig with a friend of Beethoven before immigrating to the UK. The poems in this illuminating biography in verse conjure not only Beethoven’s life and personality, but her own music-making and love both of the European music-making tradition to which her father’s family belongs, and to the continent itself Europe.Trade ReviewHow to uncover from biographical details the mystery that is music? With precision, heart-breaking beauty and lyric insight, Ruth Padel performs a miracle: Beethoven comes alive before us, the son of a drunk, who became a genius, and lost everything, and found his way back to the center. And here we are, following Padel's own genius for composing the music of a story via lyrical means. You will find your heart shored up / by meeting the trapped brilliance of his eyes, she writes. Indeed -- Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf RepublicVividly beautiful * BBC *Poetry, biography, music and memoir collide in this wonderful collection from Ruth Padel... A tender and evocative portrait of the man and his music, and most of all the profound ways it affects listeners and performers * Tatler *Padel's imagery and imagination took me deeper into Beethoven than many biographies I've read... Padel knows her history. But a poet is free to inhabit her subject and elaborate on the record -- Anthony Tommasini * New York Times *What a wonderful and unusual idea. Ruth Padel writes with true passion; her love for, and understanding of, the man and his music shine through each poem -- Steven Isserlis, cellistBeethoven’s music encompasses the entire blinding spectrum of human thought and emotion, from violent to ethereal, from chaos to sublimity. Ruth Padel’s poems encompass that uncontainable spirit to an astounding degree, and preserve the primal shock of our first hearing -- Alex Ross, author of The Rest is Noise, music critic of the New YorkerBreathtaking -- Paul Griffiths * Times Literary Supplement *
£11.40
Hal Leonard Europe Limited David Bowie: 1947-2016
Book Synopsis
£19.79
Cornerstone When Ziggy Played Guitar: David Bowie and Four
Book Synopsis___________________6 JULY, 1972David Bowie appears on Top of the Pops for a third time.His quiff is big, bold, and the colour of fire. His make-up is lavish. His jumpsuit is a wild burst of colourful patterns, like a fluorescent fish skin. He carries a brand-new blue acoustic guitar. There's excitement, mixed with incredulity. And then he begins to play.It's a moment that will change the world of music forever.This is Ziggy Stardust, what would become Bowie's most famous persona. It's an instant seismic shift in the zeitgeist. This one performance embeds Ziggy Stardust into the nation's consciousness, and music will never be the same again.In When Ziggy Played Guitar, Dylan Jones looks back at one of the most influential moments in pop history,the birth of an icon, and the myriad unexpected ways that David Bowie reshaped pop culture.Trade ReviewThe best music book I have ever read, dislodging Revolution in the Head and England's Dreaming. Superb in every way. -- Matthew d'AnconaHis blow-by-blow account of the performance is breathless in its fan-boy enthusiasm and much of the rest of When Ziggy Played Guitar is rooted in its personal impressions. “The by-product of Ziggy’s success was the validation of identity, our identity”, Jones writes, and it’s hard not to be moved by his hero worship. * New Statesman *Jones is a wonderfully fluent writer, with a terrific knack for atmospheric phrasemaking, period detail and juicy factoids. * Daily Telegraph *Dylan Jones’s account of David Bowie’s rise to superstardom. We’ll eat up anything about the greatest pop star who ever walked this planet. * The Herald Magazine *This excellent book looks at the background to that memorable TV event, and its enduring legacy. * Choice Magazine *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Artemisia Gentileschi
Book SynopsisArtemisia Gentileschi was the greatest female artists of the Baroque age. In Artemisia Gentileschi, critic and historian Jonathan Jones discovers how Artemisia overcame a turbulent past to become one of the foremost painters of her day.As a young woman Artemisia was raped by her tutor, and then had to endure a seven-month-long trial during which she was brutally examined by the authorities. Gentileschi was shamed in a culture where honour was everything. Yet she went on to become one of the most sought-after artists of the seventeenth century. Yet she went on to become one of the most sought-after artists of the seventeenth century. Gentileschi's art communicated a powerful personal vision. Like Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois or Tracey Emin, she put her life into her art.'Lives of the Artists'is a new series of brief artists biographies from Laurence King Publishing. The series takes as its inspiration Giorgio Vasari's five-hundred-year-old masterwork, updating it with modern takes on the lives of key artists past and present. Focusing on the life of the artist rather than examining their work, each book also includes key images illustrating the artist's life.Trade Review"In the world and words of Jones’s book, the 17th century could have happened yesterday, it is urgent, immediate and very compelling." -- Irish Times"Jonathan Jones’s highly readable Artemisia Gentileschi is the latest in the publisher Laurence King’s ‘Lives of the Artists’ series. (...) Jones gives a lively account of her life and career, and his enthusiasm for her work permeates his writing: the descriptive passages on her paintings are especially evocative." -- Apollo Magazine
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Keith Haring
Book SynopsisKeith Haring was a revolutionary artist, who transformed the art world during his short but impactful life. Brought to life by Simon Doonan, Creative Director for Barneys New York, this new pocket-sized biography tells his inspirational story.Revolutionary and renegade, Keith Haring was an artist for the people, creating an instantly recognisable repertoire of symbols - barking dogs, space-ships, crawling babies, clambering faceless people - which became synonymous with the volatile culture of 1980s. Like a careening, preening pinball, Keith Haring playfully slammed into all aspects of this decade - hip-hop, new-wave, graffiti, funk, art, style, gay culture - and brought them together.Haring's fanatical drive propelled him into the orbit of the most interesting people of his time: Jean Michel Basquiat envied him; Warhol, William Boroughs and Grace Jones collaborated with him. Madonna and he shared the same tastes in men. Famous at 25, dead from AIDS at 31, Keith Haring is remembered as a Pied Piper, an unpretentious communicator who appeared happiest when mentoring a gang of kids, arming them with brushes and attacking the nearest wall.A series of brief biographies of the great artists, Lives of the Artists takes as its inspiration Giorgio Vasari's five-hundred-year-old masterwork, updating it with modern takes on the lives of key artists past and present. Focusing on the life of the artist rather than examining their work, each book also includes key images illustrating the artist's life. Hardbound, but pocket-sized, the books each sport a specially-commissioned portrait of their subject on the half-jacket.
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Amy Winehouse
Book SynopsisIn her intense, brief life, Amy Winehouse's music spoke directly to millions. And since her death, her fans have only increased.Amy Winehouse is one of those pop stars that comes along so rarely we're not sure we knew what we had when we had her. Her story speaks to us not because the relentless tabloid coverage of her darker days unfolded in real time, but because she tapped into deeply personal yet universal feelings and displayed them to us in all their painful, raw glory. She turned our demons into something we could dance and sing to, and she skewered those who wronged her in ways we could only dream of.
£11.69
Palazzo Editions Ltd Pink: Raise Your Glass
Book SynopsisPink is one of the most trailblazing artists of our time. Her breakthrough album, Missundaztood, was released to critical acclaim in 2001 and showcased her unique, powerhouse pop vocals, as well as her rebellious style. In the two decades since, she has remained firmly in pop’s upper echelons, despite her refusal to conform. She consistently out-sings her contemporaries with hit songs such as, “Get the Party Started,” “Just Like a Pill,” “So What,” “What About Us,” and “Beautiful Trauma,” while her willingness to speak frankly about difficult topics has made her a relatable role model. She is an outspoken animal rights activist, and has been vocal about women’s rights, LGBT rights, and her support of same-sex marriage. Away from the studio, Pink’s live shows are nothing short of phenomenal; her jaw-dropping acrobatics mark her out as a truly spectacular performer. Loved by fans and revered by the music industry, Pink continues to enjoy global success and substantial airplay. Her accolades are numerous and include, three Grammys, a Daytime Emmy Award, and seven MTV Video Music Awards—the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award among them. In 2019, she was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the Brit Awards, and in 2021 she accepted the Icon Award at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. Pink: Raise Your Glass is a celebration of one of pop’s longest reigning rebels. Beautifully illustrated with essential images, this book is a fitting tribute to an undeniably, remarkable pop artist.
£23.80
Gemini Books Group The Essential... Beyoncé
Book SynopsisThe complete story of ''Queen Bey'' for every Beyoncé superfanBeyoncé is one the greatest artists of all time. Performing since she was a child, she has earned megastar status both as a member of best-selling girl group Destiny''s Child and as a solo act.The most-awarded musician in Grammy history, Beyoncé''s ascension to ''Queen Bey'' is cast with critically acclaimed albums, a desire to explore her creativity and a willingness to push boundaries and defy expectations. Her stage performances are compelling to watch, and she is undoubtedly one of the great vocalists of our time.Outside of music she is a savvy businesswoman, one half of power couple the Carters - with husband rapper Jay-Z - social justice advocate, style icon, fashion designer and sometime actress and film director; a defining, artistic tour de force for the twenty-first century.The Essential... Beyoncéis her complete story; from child performer to prominent cultural figure, fully illustrated throughout with stunning, iconic images.The Essential... seriesCelebrating the world''s best-loved popular icons and cultural luminaries, The Essential series is packed with facts, quotes, photos and stories.
£13.50
MX Publishing Jeremy Brett - Playing A Part
Book Synopsis“Holmes could be rude, impatient, abrupt, and his intolerance of fools was legendary. I tried to show all this, all of the man’s incredible brilliance. But there are some cracks in Holmes’s marble, as in an almost-perfect Rodin statue. And I tried to show that, too. It’s difficult for me to say what I may have given to the image of Holmes. Faithful to Conan Doyle’s text, certainly. Also, I’ve tried to bring out the emotion that is there in Holmes. On the surface he seems a cold, sometimes dark, rather off-putting figure. But deeper down, I think, he’s a man of feeling.” JeremyJeremy Brett is still recognised as the most celebrated incarnation of Sherlock Holmes which he presented for ten years. Jeremy delighted viewers with his dashing, arrogant, moody interpretation of the most popular famous detective he brought a brooding intensity to his finest role - one of disturbing power. He is still called the definitive Sherlock Holmes.Covering a forty year period from first leaving Central School of Speech and Drama until his early death at the age of 61, Playing a Part is a full career book of “a very fine actor” who would delight audiences as a sensitive lover or as a haunted murderer. Talented, loved and admired by the theatrical world at the birth of the National Theatre led by Laurence Olivier, Robert Stephens and Maggie Smith. Beginning and ending his career in Manchester he would transfer his talents to the American culture of the 70s as he settled into his new life with his American wife but was enticed back with some of the best classical roles for television and the stage.Jeremy’s own words are used whenever they are available to present his story and his approach to playing the parts. His unfailing enthusiasm for a new project and the degree of commitment comes through.Illustrated with original photographs covering his life and career it is the first detailed record of all his performances on the stage, film or television.
£37.99
Headline Publishing Group Diana: Her Last Love
Book SynopsisWITH NEW AFTERWORD FROM THE AUTHOR.When you're the most famous woman in the world, can you really love in secret?When Princess Diana flew to Pakistan in May 1997, she went to meet the family of Dr Hasnat Khan, the man she wanted to marry. One of the most well-known and beautiful women in the world, she hoped to persuade Dr Khan's mother that she would make a suitable wife for her son. However, this was not the only hurdle to overcome: the man she called her 'Mr Wonderful' was a dedicated professional who sought to avoid the limelight – a fact that would test their love to the limits. Had their relationship succeeded, the events of that summer might have been very different.Sharing powerful testimony from Diana's closest confidants, and that of Dr Khan's own family, as well as information released during the inquests into the deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed, this book offers a unique insight into Diana's world and the events central to her last years.This special new edition of an international bestseller, released in the year that would've marked Diana's 60th birthday, features a new afterword from the author reflecting on the legacy of this most extraordinary of women.Table of ContentsForeword • Prologue • PART ONE - The Real Diana: 'I am unwanted' • 'I want to turn back' • The Unthinkable Happens • Home Alone • 'Just call me Diana' • 'I am destroyed, I am destroyed' • PART TWO: 'What can I do to help?' • 'Do you know Imran Khan?' • 'Maybe it's time!' • 'Isn't he drop dead gorgeous!' • 'Natty' • PART THREE: 'He's doing everything he tells his patients not to do!' • 'I'm sure we've met before' • 'I have finished my ironing. Would you like me to do yours?' • 'We should invite Ms. Bhutto for a special viewing!' • 'We are laughing ourselves silly over this' • 'I wouldn't be seen dead in virtually any of them!' • Caught between a rock and a hard place • PART FOUR: 'I want to marry Hasnat Khan;' 'Tell Dr. Hasnat to marry the Princess!' • 'Tell Hasnat I'm coming back' • Anatomy of a Kiss • 'Look here, I'm not for sale!' • The Rescue Mission • Her Last Love • The Funeral • Epilogue • Appendices: 1. Timeline; 2. Sources; 3. List of illustrations • Acknowledgements • Index.
£9.49
Omnibus Press John Lennon, 1980: The Final Days
Book SynopsisJohn Lennon, 1980: The Final Days in the Life of Beatle John tells the story of the legendary musician’s incredible last year. For Lennon, 1980 had begun as a ceaseless shopping spree in which he and wife Yoko Ono fell into the doldrums of purchasing blue-chip real estate and indulging their every whim. But for John, that pivotal year would climax in several moments of creative triumph as he rediscovered his artistic self in dramatic fashion, only to be cut down by an assassin’s bullets on Monday, December 8th, 1980, in the prime of a new life that was only just beginning to blossom.
£13.49
Music Sales Ltd Rock 'n' Roll Sweepstakes: The Official Biography
Book Synopsis
£17.00
ACC Art Books Kaiser Karl: The Life of Karl Lagerfeld
Book Synopsis"admiring and ferocious" - France Inter "This first biography, fed by many first-rate witnesses... we laugh, we shudder, we admire." - Elle On the last morning of his life, Karl Lagerfeld's only companion was Sébastien, his bodyguard and right-hand man. The king of fashion insisted on being cremated, along with his universally recognisable 'gear' - the dark glasses and high starched collar that served as a bastion for his secrets. It is only now that witnesses have begun to talk. Thus emerges the story of Karl Lagerfeld: his father's past in the heart of wartime Germany, his rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (enflamed by his only love, Jacques de Bascher) and the networks he forged with the biggest luxury manufacturers in the world as he compiled his vast fortune. Truly an unparalleled icon in the history of fashion, Lagerfeld's legacy lives on today.Trade Review'Karl Lagerfeld's personal life is examined in a new book by Raphaëlle Bacqué.' -- The Daily Mail.'Mr. Lagerfeld represented the designer of the future: multitasking, collaborative, a celebrity. He gladly fed — and fed off — the dizzying cycle of consumption.' -- The New York Times"The result is a detailed, sometimes shocking, sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious look at a fashion genius." -- Cellophaneland“In 2019, the fashion world lost one of its visionaries. In this bestselling intimate biography, recently translated into English, French investigative journalist Raphaelle Bacque interviews several of Karl Lagerfeld’s confidants, colleagues and employers.” -- Daniella Saunders, Country & Town House"Thus emerges the story of Karl Lagerfeld: his father's past in the heart of wartime Germany, his rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (enflamed by his only love, Jacques de Bascher) and the networks he forged with the biggest luxury manufacturers in the world as he compiled his vast fortune." - Lovely Books
£17.00
ACC Art Books Rebel Stylist: Caroline Baker - The Woman Who
Book Synopsis"I have always been inspired by what was happening on the street – and anyway, I couldn't afford the high fashion price tags." —Caroline Baker "Featuring an array of – now – infamous covers and high fashion editorials crafted by Baker, readers are encouraged to bask in the success of her trail-blazing tale and indulge in the history of streetwear’s rise to the helm of the fashion industry." —Wonderland "A fantastic delve into the story of fashion styling straight from the lips (and visual archive) of the lady who invented it all, Caroline Baker" —Navaz Batliwalla, disneyrollergirl "What makes this book a must-read? Author Iain R. Webb is a friend of Baker’s, so this is the inside story of a woman whose work is a masterclass in the art of style and subversion." —Yahoo Caroline Baker is the antidote to high fashion. As the legendary fashion editor of Nova magazine in the 1960s and '70s, her style was quite literally cutting-edge (she famously chopped up clothes to achieve her desired looks). She is credited with challenging the status quo of the industry and society at large, and introducing street fashion to the mass market. Stylist-of-choice for the most dynamic female designers on the scene – Katharine Hamnett and Vivienne Westwood – Caroline has continued her trajectory as a fashion provocateur. Her work has appeared on the pages of Vogue, Tatler and Cosmopolitan as well as The Face and i-D – and unsurprisingly, a new generation of style-setters is now looking to Baker’s back catalogue for inspiration. This book offers an in-depth overview of Baker’s work, expertly curated and considered by Iain R. Webb. It is divided into sections that highlight specific recurring themes and tropes – such as Punk Rock, DIY, Utility and Sportswear. These ideas have defined Baker’s evolving sartorial vocabulary over six decades, and set a template for street fashion that endures to this day. Accompanied with personal commentary from Baker herself and specially written contributions by Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett, this is the definitive guide to Caroline Baker and her influence on fashion.Trade Review"Featuring an array of – now – infamous covers and high fashion editorials crafted by Baker, readers are encouraged to bask in the success of her trail-blazing tale and indulge in the history of streetwear’s rise to the helm of the fashion industry." - Wonderland"A fantastic delve into the story of fashion styling straight from the lips (and visual archive) of the lady who invented it all, Caroline Baker" - Navaz Batliwalla, disneyrollergirlCaroline Baker arrived in London with the necessary impetus and at the right time to become the creator of street style. [Translated from Spanish] - Malu Pandolfo, La Nacion"What makes this book a must-read? Author Iain R. Webb is a friend of Baker’s, so this is the inside story of a woman whose work is a masterclass in the art of style and subversion." - Yahoo"1976… It was the fashion editing at its most original, carried out by one of the most influential stylists of the era: Caroline Baker, the architect of "street fashion"." - VOGUETable of ContentsFOREWORD by CB / Rebel Style INTRODUCTION by IRW / Rebel Rebel ONE / Rebel Women TWO / Army Dreamers THREE / Punk Rocks FOUR / Reggae Boys FIVE / Pirates and Buffalo Gals SIX / Really Saying Something SEVEN / Anachronism in the UK EIGHT / Belt and Braces NINE / Men Swear TEN / Be a Sport ELEVEN / It’s a Wrap TWELVE / We Are the World THIRTEEN / Get Knitted FOURTEEN / Tits Up FIFTEEN / Up Yours SIXTEEN / Under Where? SEVENTEEN / The Way We Wore EIGHTEEN / Modern Times NINETEEN / Pin-Ups TWENTY / Lace and Fineness TWENTY-ONE / Old Romantic TWENTY-TWO / Fierce Glamour INDEX PICTURE CREDITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
£28.00
Reaktion Books René Magritte
Book SynopsisThe Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte redefined the way we think about art. Famous for his men in bowler hats, Magritte’s witty and provocative work inspired generations of later artists, from Andy Warhol to Jasper Johns. In this illuminating new biography, Patricia Allmer radically repositions Magritte’s work in relation to its historical and cultural circumstances. Allmer explores the significant influence of events and experiences in Magritte’s early childhood and youth, recorded in his letters and essays: his memories of visiting fairs and circuses; of magical shows and performances; of the cinema; and in particular his first encounter with his future partner, Georgette, on a carousel. Allmer’s analyses of these events and their influence on both well-known and less familiar images give new insights into Magritte’s art. The book will appeal to those who wish to know more about Magritte’s life and work, as well as the wide audience for Surrealism.
£12.34
Reaktion Books Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure
Book SynopsisOrnette Coleman’s career encompassed the glory years of jazz and the American avant-garde. Born in segregated Fort Worth, Texas, during the Great Depression, the African American composer and musician was the zeitgeist incarnate. Steeped in the Texas blues tradition, Ornette and jazz grew up together, as the brassy blare of big band swing gave way to bebop, a faster music for a faster, post-war world. At the dawn of the Space Age and New York’s 1960s counterculture, his music gave voice to the moment. Lauded by some, maligned by many, he forged a breakaway art sometimes called `the new thing’ or `free jazz’. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America’s most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing world.Table of ContentsIntroduction Part One: Coming Up Part Two: Ignition Part Three: Atmospherics Part Four: Transmissions Epilogue
£21.25
Reaktion Books Henri Matisse
Book SynopsisHenri Matisse’s experiments with form and color revolutionized the twentieth-century art world. In this concise critical biography, Kathryn Brown explores Matisse’s long career, beginning with his struggles as a student in Paris and culminating in his celebrated use of paper cutouts and stained glass in the last decade of his life. The book challenges various myths about Matisse and offers a fresh perspective on his creativity and legacy. Chapters explore the artist’s enthusiasm for fashion and cinema, his travels, personal ties, interest in African art, love of literature, and willingness to challenge audience expectations. Through close readings of Matisse’s works, Brown offers new insight into the artist’s friendships and battles with dealers, critics, collectors, and fellow artists.Trade Review"Effortlessly and engagingly told, a sprightly and readable critical biography. Brown clearly understands that the reason to find out about Matisse is primarily his painting and sculpture, that family, fame, history and culture are the support for this discussion, not the focus." * International Times *"This is a compact and succinct overview of the life and work of renowned French artist Henri Matisse (1869–1954). Brown explores the artist’s life, from his early years struggling in Paris and painting in the fauvist style, to his turn-of-the-century success thanks to the patronage of the Stein family of American collectors (Leo, Sarah, Michael, and Gertrude). The book then follows Matisse’s travels to Morocco and Tahiti; his more abstract work, created during World War I; and his mature years working in the South of France. Brown situates Matisse’s art in relation to his own philosophy about making art, and his contemporary critics, and more recent discourses on the art historical analysis of his work." * Library Journal *"Brown's lucid and sophisticated text presents the great modernist, Henri Matisse, as a highly experimental artist who drew on an exceptionally wide range of visual sources and yet was also a shrewd marketing man, carefully managing his public identity and surrounding himself with a constellation of supportive poets and writers. Bolstered by astute summaries of the current critical debates around Matisse and sensitive formal analyses of the artist's work, Brown's book is the best short biography of Matisse available." -- Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art, Saint Louis Art Museum"An insightful addition to Matisse’s scholarship [and] a true page-turner, written in an engaging style, this study is a multi-layered analysis of Matisse’s career. It focuses on Matisse’s talent to shape his own transnational public image as one of the first internationally famous artists of the twentieth century." -- Véronique Chagnon-Burke, Academic Director, Christie’s Education
£12.34
Reaktion Books Jean Sibelius: Life, Music, Silence
Book SynopsisFew composers have enjoyed such critical acclaim – or longevity – as Jean Sibelius, who died in 1957 aged 91. Always more than simply a Finnish national figure, an ‘apparition from the woods’ as he ironically described himself, Sibelius’s life spanned turbulent and tumultuous events, and his work is central to the story of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century music. This book situates Sibelius within a rich interdisciplinary environment, paying attention to his relationship with architecture, literature, politics and the visual arts. Drawing on the latest developments in Sibelius research, it is intended as an accessible and rewarding introduction for the general reader, and also offers a fresh and provocative interpretation for those more familiar with his music.Trade Review"With a new spring in his step across already familiar ground, Grimley reinvigorates the life-and-works format by vividly placing Sibelius within the ever-shifting artistic and geopolitical landscape of his time, and that of existing scholarship. Grimley’s elegant fusion of 'audible' musicological detail and warm human insight will enrich the academic and general reader alike." -- Hilary Finch, former music critic,Times (UK)"Grimley’s Jean Sibelius: Life, Music, Silence is a concise, balanced, and reader-friendly volume that combines successful biographical study with cultural-historical cross-section and discussion about up-to-date topics in the literature, such as the debate on Sibelius’s political orientation. Extending the examination beyond the standard Sibelius repertoire, the author’s perspective on the composer’s music is fresh and inventive." -- Timo Virtanen, lecturer at Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, editor-in-chief of the Jean Sibelius Works
£24.00
Reaktion Books Leon Battista Alberti: The Chameleon's Eye
Book SynopsisOne of the most brilliant and original authors and architects of the entire Renaissance, Leon Battista Alberti's output encompassed engineering, surveying, cryptography, poetry, humour, political commentary and more. He employed irony, satire and playful allusion in his written works, and developed a sophisticated approach to architecture that combined the ancient and modern. Born into the Florentine elite, Alberti was nonetheless disadvantaged due to exile and illegitimacy. As a result, he became an acute analyst of the social institutions of his time, as well as a profoundly existential writer who was intensely preoccupied with the human condition. This new account explores Alberti's life and works, examining how his personal and intellectual preoccupations continually pushed him to engage with an ever-broader spectrum of Renaissance culture.
£16.16
Reaktion Books Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure
Book SynopsisOrnette Coleman’s career encompassed the glory years of jazz and the American avant-garde. Born in segregated Fort Worth, Texas, during the Great Depression, the African American composer and musician was zeitgeist incarnate. Steeped in the Texas blues tradition, Ornette and jazz grew up together, as the brassy blare of big band swing gave way to bebop, a faster music for a faster, post-war world. At the dawn of the Space Age and New York’s 1960s counterculture, his music gave voice to the moment. Lauded by some, maligned by many, he forged a breakaway art sometimes called ‘the new thing’ or ‘free jazz’. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America’s most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing world.Trade ReviewFittingly unconventional . . . Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure is an atlas in prose, a guide to the territories of varied sorts – social, racial, aesthetic, economic and even geographic – that Coleman came out of, traveled through, lived near, occupied, left behind or transformed . . . Golia covers a lot of territory in tight, direct language that illuminates Ornette Coleman’s life and work . . . Most impressively, perhaps, she devotes a sizable section to Coleman’s cryptic and elliptical philosophy of music, which he called Harmolodics, without straining to defend it with academic triple-talk or dismissing it.', David Hajdu, New York Times Book Review 'Ms. Golia aptly outlines the aesthetic dilemma, when “jazz had become aware of itself and its strengths” . . . [and] writes with demystifying clarity about the manifestations of compassion and rigor behind Coleman’s search for “unison” and the musical system he called “harmolodics.” . . . She notably grounds Coleman’s identity in his hometown, reconstructing an“idiosyncratic collage of radio broadcasts from Harlem, Western Swing fiddlers, Tejano two-steps, high-school marching bands, and the rhythm and blues that issued from storefront churches” . . . [Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure] opens ears yet further to the transformative power of Coleman’s music.', Larry Blumenfeld, Wall Street Journal 'Maria Golia's well-researched volume paints a portrait of a man who looked different, ate differently (being a vegetarian in Texas was no joke), and, of course, played differently . . . we learn a great deal about Coleman's musical beginnings, his subsequent motivations, and the broader landscape of which he was a part.', Record Collector 'The freedom that Golia describes is the freedom and openness to form friendships with artists from other areas of the arts. It is the freedom of someone who would go off to Morocco to seek out the musicians of JouJouka. These musicians had a profound effect on the way that Coleman developed multiple unisons and the harmolodic melding of the blues to create the Prime Time band . . . The research that Golia has done is impressive and her book will be essential.', Jazz Views 'Following Ornette's departure from the planet, his presence in the world only seems to increase and his music’s influence will no doubt continue far into the future. The poetic conception of music, sound, and life in the broadest sense that Ornette embodied is addressed here through the terrific writing of Ms. Golia. This volume is an excellent addition to the ongoing study of one of the greatest improvising musicians of all time.', Pat Metheny, musician, composer, educator 'It’s always good to learn more about one of America’s greatest musicians, and Golia’s work has much that is new, especially (at last) a proper overview of Ornette’s experience in his hometown of Fort Worth, both in his youth and the 1980s. Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure is the best book on Ornette Coleman yet.', Ethan Iverson, musician and music critic 'The history of jazz is often told as a geographical adventure in which a great art enlightens and assimilates a chain of territories in the course of world conquest. Maria Golia revitalizes that narrative in exploring the life and genius of Ornette Coleman. This is the most incisive portrait we have of him – a joyous addition to the literature of music.', Gary Giddins, music critic, author and biographer 'A giant step in the right direction and the first significant book on Ornette Coleman since John Litweiler's Ornette Coleman: The Harmolodic Life was published in 1992…. Golia is very good at contextualising and explaining… and succeeds in exploring in a non-systemically musicological way the mysteries of harmolodics by shedding light on the more arcane side of Ornette's vast artistic curiosity. Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure also is excellent in enhancing our biographical knowledge of Ornette's early life in a very considered way.', Stephen Graham, Marlbank.net 'There are lots of fascinating anecdotes, stories and previously unpublished photographs in Golia’s book . . . She has compiled a detailed, interesting story of his career.', Martin Chilton, udiscovermusic.com 'One of the finest books on the power of place and influence in a musician's life.', Andrew Male, Mojo 'Golia offers a wide-ranging biography of the great saxophonist, writing less about the man himself than about the people, places, and musical tendencies that converged to make him the "patron saint of all things dissonant and defiant." The approach suits Coleman, who was soft-spoken despite his stubborn nonconformity, and unaffected by the larger-than-life egotism of contemporaries such as Charles Mingus or Miles Davis.', Julian Lucas, Harper's Magazine 'Maria Golia eloquently describes the Ornette phenomenon in a book laden with musical and social insights.', Chris Searle, The Morning Star 'The book is much more than a conventional biography — you learn a lot about his childhood and artistic development, particularly the early years when he was wrestling with the blues and conventional R&B forms, and you learn about the whole Texas milieu he emerged from. But there’s also a great deal of discussion of his music and life philosophy, including extensive quotes from people in his bands, so if you’re at all a fan of his work and want to gain some real perspective on it, it’s pretty much a must-read. Highly recommended.', Stereogum.com 'Ornette Coleman was the shock of the new . . . Golia writes scenically about Coleman’s birthplace, Fort Worth, Texas, where Jim Crow and music were everywhere . . . With a pointillist’s talent for detail, [she] shows how Coleman’s origins in Texas blues gave way to abstraction on landmark records . . . ultimately leading him to create the musical paradigm he called “harmolodics.” . . . The “free” in [Coleman’s] “free jazz” is an ambivalent word. It doesn’t refer to the absence of oppression or musical rules, but instead the struggle to imagine a place beyond them both. In that sense, Coleman’s definition of freedom was radically inclusive, both politically and musically.', Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic 'Golia takes a broader approach, situating the great saxophonist and composer in his cultural, social and geographical contexts. Each of the four sections pivots on a particular time and place, establishing the territory then striking out on an adventure in a manner akin to a Coleman solo . . . By deftly tracing these connections and transformations, Golia has created a valuable and highly engaging survey of Coleman’s harmolodic life.', The Wire '[A] compelling and rewarding new book.', Jerry Jazz Musician 'A marvelous and unique biography of an equally unique artist. Maria covers his entire life in vivid detail with emphasis on the man, his associations and his artistic methods. It is the perfect companion to John Litweiler’s Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life written in 1994.', Mosaic Records’ Daily Jazz Gazette 'Maria Golia’s forensic, scholarly, original Ornette Coleman: The Territory and the Adventure is a very welcome book . . . Golia – perfectly placed to write this book as one-time manager of the Caravan Of Dreams – expertly outlines Ornette’s place in a distinctly Texan musical heritage . . . a fascinating, formidable study of Ornette, with all the seriousness and rigour his life and music deserve.', Sounds of Surprise 'Golia takes us on a guided tour, not just of Coleman’s mind and music but of the country and state that birthed him and made him into a permanent outlaw and outlier. She clearly designates the framework of the biography of this titanic figure, demonstrating that the individuals who may be said to define an era have generally distilled its characteristic forces and possibilities into a consistent body of work that has in turn transformed the times in which they lived and worked. In other words, Ornette is a mirror of the very America which often found it so hard to incorporate him into its artistic, musical and cultural fabric.', Donald Brackett, Critics at Large 'Author Maria Golia’s depiction of the mise en scene of Ornette Coleman’s life, and her insights into his persona, provide ample material to understand the saxophonist’s initial disruption and his long-term influence.', The Arts Fuse 'A professional account of a heady dude, without cosmic junk and jargon.', Colin Fleming, Jazz Times 'A spectacular new biography . . . Golia has penned a labor of love and a thoroughly researched, righteous homage. Best of all, in my view, Golia gets Coleman’s ravenous intellectual curiosity. Her prose is sometimes dense with context, sometimes poetic and exalted, sometimes punchy ("Jim Crow could not dictate what kind of music a person listened to.") She gets that Ornette was never only a jazz musician. He was a thinker, a futurist, a cultural revolutionary . . . Refreshingly, Golia describes references that informed Ornette’s voracious curiosity, like Derrida, Buckminster Fuller, Maya Angelou, the later Krishnamurti, and Guy Debord.', Los Angeles Review of Books 'Golia contends that Coleman's particular vision of music, what he called Harmolodics, affected not only the shape of jazz but also that of other musical genres as well as poetry, visual art, film-making, and even architecture. It's a compelling argument, and Golia's book offers much interesting information concerning Coleman's upbringing and early music apprenticeship in his hometown of Fort Worth, TX, not generally considered a jazz capital but in these pages comes across as much more than a backwater.', Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 'Lauded by some, maligned by many, Ornette Coleman forged a breakaway art sometimes called "the new thing" or "free jazz." At the dawn of the Space Age and New York's 1960s counterculture, his music gave voice to the moment. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of Ornette and his contemporaries, this is the compelling story of one of America's most adventurous musicians and the sound of a changing world.', Rough Trade, Books of the Year 2020 'In this book Maria Golia has succeeded in celebrating Coleman’s life of musical ‘adventure’ and arguing his status as a modern master.', Centrepiece 'a book with superbly reproduced photographs . . . Ornette Coleman did his own thing with graceful ease. This comes across strongly in the story of his life as told by Maria Golia and she is good at contextualising the different phases of his musical career.', The Prisma 'Coleman’s status as a larger-than-life icon has tended to eclipse the soft-spoken, often enigmatic artist himself. Opposing this tendency is Maria Golia’s wide-ranging new biography . . . One of the book’s virtues lies in its foregrounding of Coleman’s own voice and the voices of his con-temporaries, with ample quotations throughout, many drawn from the author’s own interviews . . . Golia’s book is scholarly and well researched, but it is not written exclusively or even primarily for academics and should be welcomed by fans and general reader-ship.', Jazz and Culture 'Fascinating . . . There is a great deal of new information in her book about Coleman, particularly about his later nonmusical artistic activities, his general philosophy, and the way that that he influenced other artists including from very different fields. Even those who consider themselves experts on the altoist will find much to learn from this well-written and scholarly book . . . The Territory And The Adventure has many bright moments, fresh stories, and fascinating information about the life and times of Ornette Coleman.', LA Jazz Scene 'An invaluable contribution not only to Coleman scholarship but also to the history of African-American music, culture, and commerce of mid-twentieth-century Fort Worth.', Alan Schaefer, Journal of Texas Music History
£999.99
Reaktion Books Salvator Rosa: Paint and Performance
Book SynopsisPainter, poet and actor Salvator Rosa was one of the most engaging and charismatic personalities of seventeenth-century Italy. Although a gifted landscape painter, he longed to be seen as the pre-eminent philosopher-painter of his age. This new account traces Rosa's strategies of self-promotion, and his creation of a new kind of audience for his art. The book describes the startling novelty of his subject matter - witchcraft and divination, as well as prophecies, natural magic and dark violence - and his early exploration of a nascent aesthetic of the sublime. Salvator Rosa shows how the artist, in a series of remarkable works, responded to new movements in thought and feeling, creating images that spoke to the deepest concerns of his age.
£16.16
John Blake Publishing Ltd Who Killed John Lennon?: The lives, loves and
Book SynopsisLate on 8 December 1980, the world stopped turning for millions when news broke that its best-loved rock star had been gunned down in cold blood in New York City. But who, or what, really killed him? And when did the 'real' John Lennon die?Peeling back the layers, acclaimed music biographer and journalist Lesley-Ann Jones tracks the highs and lows that led Lennon to relocate to New York, where he was shot dead on the street outside his apartment building that fateful winter night. Using fresh first-hand research, unseen images and exclusive interviews with those who knew Lennon best, the author's search for answers in this enthralling exploration offers a gripping, 360-degree view of one of our most iconic music legends, four decades on from his tragic death.There have been countless books about the Beatles and John Lennon. There has never been one quite like this.
£9.49
John Blake Publishing Ltd The Stone Age: Sixty Years of the Rolling Stones
Book Synopsis'However much you thought you knew about The Stones before you read it, afterwards you'll know more. It's glittering' - Simon Napier-Bell'Special [...] it's brilliant' Johnnie WalkerFrom Sunday Times bestselling author Lesley-Ann JonesOn 12 July 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first-ever gig at London's Marquee jazz club. Down the line, a 'g' was added, a spark was lit and their destiny was sealed. No going back.These five white British kids set out to play the music of black America. They honed a style that bled bluesy undertones into dark insinuations of women, sex and drugs. Denounced as 'corruptors of youth' and 'messengers of the devil', they created some of the most thrilling music ever recorded. Now, their sound and attitude seem louder and more influential than ever. Elvis is dead and the Beatles are over, but Jagger and Richards bestride the world. The Stones may be gathering moss, but on they roll. Yet how did the ultimate anti-establishment misfits become the global brand we know today? Who were the casualties, and what are the forgotten legacies? Can the artist ever be truly divisible from the art? Lesley-Ann Jones's new history tracks this contradictory, disturbing, granitic and unstoppable band through hope, glory and exile, into the juggernaut years and beyond into rock's ongoing reckoning . . . where the Stones seem more at odds than ever with the values and heritage against which they have always rebelled. Good, bad and often ugly, here are the Rolling Stones as never before.
£17.00
Headline Publishing Group The Little Guide to Cher: If I Could Turn Back
Book SynopsisThere is simply no one like Cher. A mix of street smart, intelligence, talent and beauty, she's the celebrities' favourite celebrity and if you're not a Dolly Parton person, there's no doubt you're Cher obsessed. With six decades of No.1 hits, from Sonny and Cher days to her latest album (number 26) the Gold Dancing Queen in 2018, she's reinvented herself again and again.Turning her hand to serious acting in Silkwood, Mask, Moonstruck, The Witches of Eastwick and more, the multi-talented star had new award-winning film career in the 1980s, but yet again emerged as the 'Goddess of Pop' with dance-oriented pop-rock – and gaining a dedicated tribe of gay followers as a result. From LGBTQ rights to politics, from saving elephants to kitchen discos on TikTok, she's as engaged, relevant and controversial as she ever was – and she has a LOT to say for herself. Here is a collection of the funniest, sharpest, most deadpan quotes you'd expect from this authentic one-of-a-kind star who Time magazine named as 'Twitter's most outspoken (and beloved) commentator'.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing - and then marry him.' – BCC Observer, February 2005Table of ContentsI Got You, Babe: Cher's background and the early days of Sonny and Cher. The One and Only Cher: Becoming Cher. Famously self-effacing, here are her thoughts on her self-image, stage fright and superstardom. Love and Understanding: Romance, love, divorce, family and friends – tracks her headline-grabbing relationships from her split from Sonny to David Geffen, Greg Allman, Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise and 'bagel boy' Robert Camilletti. It's Entertainment: This is all about Cher's amazingly successful music and film career. Believe: Beliefs, values, LGBTQ rights, politics and passions – all the important stuff in life. If I Could Turn Back Time: Her reflections on body image, beauty, fashion, ageing and health.
£7.44
Headline Publishing Group The Little Book of LeBron James
Book SynopsisKing James, the greatest of all time.Named ''The Chosen One'' at just age 17, and with the iconic number 23 set to retire with him at the end of his career, LeBron fulfilled his destiny of surpassing scoring records and becoming one of basketball''s most well-known stars. A legend on the court and a humble family man at home, LeBron is a man of dedication and honour in every sense, with memorable thoughts about life, sports, family and more.Packed full of insightful and encouraging quotes, this pocket-sized tome covers all zones of LeBron''s accomplished and fascinating life. From his early years of childhood and rise to basketball stardom with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat to admiration and adoration from more of the greats, this little book highlights why the four-time crowned MVP is deemed one of the greatest of all time. People will hate you, rate you, shake you, and break you. But how strong you stand is what makes you
£6.99
Ad Lib Publishers Ltd Frank Sinatra and the Mafia Murders
Book SynopsisIt was said of the young Frank Sinatra that he came across as ‘St Francis of Assisi with a shoulder holster’. In Frank Sinatra and the Mafia Murders Mike Rothmiller and Douglas Thompson draw on previously secret Los Angeles Police intelligence files, a cache of FBI documents released to the authors in 2021 and extensive interviews with prime sources, including many who worked with Frank Sinatra and many more who tracked his long and fatal association with the American Mafia, notably his ongoing connection, after his original godfather was assassinated: Sam ‘Momo’ Giancana, who shared a lover with President John F. Kennedy. Sixteen days after the assassination of John F. Kennedy on 30 November 1963, nineteen-year-old Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped at gunpoint from his hotel room in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. A $240,000 ransom was demanded from his father. While the FBI and Nevada and California law-enforcement agencies sprang into action, Frank secretly contacted his Mafia friends for help. The Mafia believed they could free young Frank much more quickly through their underworld connections. Some of those they questioned died. Revealed here as never before is the extent to which Sinatra was adopted by the Mafia. They promoted his career and ‘watched his back’ and, in return, Sinatra danced to their tune. New information disclosed here shows that Sinatra also offered to spy for the CIA. Inside sources say Sinatra wanted the CIA to intercede to stop an investigation into his gaming licence in Las Vegas. But the CIA declined because they were already working with the Mob and were concerned Sinatra would learn of the Mafia’s connection to the CIA and leak it. Trade ReviewPraise for the authors’ Bombshell: ‘The claims are hard to believe . . . but the source is so solid and credible that you will find this amazing story hard to dismiss’ Daily Mail ‘A sensational new book’ Sun
£9.49
Gemini Books Group Ltd Reckless
Book SynopsisDrawing on new interviews and previously hidden police and intelligence files, Reckless finally reveals the full corruption of America's Camelot.
£9.49
Gemini Books Group Ltd The Pocket Beyonce
Book SynopsisThe inside scoop on Queen Bey's life and career.
£8.96
The History Press Ltd Rachmaninoff: The Last of the Great Romantics
Book SynopsisThe musical child of Russia’s golden age, Sergei Rachmaninoff, was the last of the great Romantics. Scorned by the musical establishment until very recently, his music received hostile reviews from critics and other composers. Conversely, it never failed to find widespread popular acclaim, and today he is one of the most popular composers of all time.Biographer Michael Scott investigates Rachmaninoff’s intense and often melodramatic life, following him from imperial Russia to his years of exile as a wandering virtuoso and his death in Beverly Hills during the Second World War, worn out by his punishing schedule.In this remarkable biography which relates the man to his music, Michael Scott tells the colourful story of a life that spanned two centuries and two continents. His original research from the Russian archives, so long closed to writers from the West, brings us closer to the spirit of a man who genuinely believed that music could be both good and popular, a belief that is now triumphantly vindicated.
£12.34
The History Press Ltd 'You Dirty Old Man!': The Authorised Biography of
Book SynopsisWilfrid Brambell was one of Britain’s most loved and complex character actors. As Albert Ladysmith Steptoe, the unscrupulous rag-and-bone man with questionable habits in Ray Galton and Alan Simpson’s long-running Steptoe & Son, he quickly became a household name with co-star Harry H. Corbett. But despite scores of other successes in roles on stage, TV and film, Brambell died a sad and lonely man.Alongside fame and fortune, ‘You Dirty Old Man!’ reveals how Brambell suffered unbelievable personal heartache, battling an inner turmoil that eventually drove him to drink as his marriage collapsed in the most deceitful circumstances imaginable. His torment led to a secretive life off camera where he did everything possible to stay out of the public eye.Featuring original interviews with film directors Richard Lester, Terence Davies and Tony Palmer, as well as recollections from his own family members, the family of Harry H. Corbett and those who worked alongside him, author David Clayton seeks to re-examine the legacy of a man whose loyal fanbase remains undiminished sixty years on from his heyday.
£11.69
Troubador Publishing Nicky Samuel: My Life and Loves
Book SynopsisWhen beautiful heiress Nicky Samuel (1951-2019) left school at the age of 16, she was caught up in the world of Sixties London. Her first job was with Yoko Ono, and she soon fell in love with the owner of the fashionable hippy boutique ‘Granny Takes a Trip’, Nigel Waymouth, whom she married and with whom she later attended the legendary Isle of Wight Pop Concert. She spent time with celebrities such as Andy Warhol, Jane Fonda, Roger Vadim, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Robert Mapplethorpe. At nineteen, Nicky became a fashionable hostess. She was photographed by Norman Parkinson for Vogue; and her close friends included Mick and Bianca Jagger, Christopher Gibbs, David Hockney, Anita Pallenberg and the eccentric, reclusive heroin addict John Paul Getty Jr. Her marriage broke up when she became involved in a passionate menage-a-trois involving the film-director Donald Cammell. In 1974, Nicky married homosexual jewellery designer, New York socialite and fortune-hunter Kenneth Jay Lane. Her social success was such that she was featured as a ‘New Beauty’ by Time Magazine. However, she became so unhappy and drug-addicted that she attempted suicide in the London Ritz. Nicky’s is exactly the kind of superficially glamorous life to which many star-struck and celebrity-hungry people aspire; this memoir is also a uniquely vivid experience of a vanished world.
£21.24
Pushkin Press The Allure of Chanel
Book SynopsisThe story of Coco Chanel in her own words, as told by her to Paul Morand Told in her own words, Coco Chanel's memories offer a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential women in fashion history. During a visit to St. Moritz at the end of World War II, Chanel shared intimate details of her life, loves and fashion philosophy with her life-long friend, Paul Morand. Only coming to light after Chanel's death, her intimate recollections reveal the secrets behind her success and the captivating charm that made her a true iconTrade Review“It’s an interesting memoir because it's all about what she thinks not what she did.” —David Patrick Columbia, The New York Social Diary “Morand was a citizen of the world, with a sharp eye and a neat turn of phrase.” —The Tablet “This enchanting, tiny book is the closest anyone can get to a face-to-face with Coco. It’s written in her voice (‘that voice that gushed forth from her mouth like lava’) and in her words (‘those words that crackled like dried vines’), and though it's full of lies, omissions and contradictions, there’s enough raw truth in it to reflect the extraordinary woman who was Chanel, even though glimpsed shard by shard in a broken mirror. —The Spectator “Paul Morand recaptures a WWII-era conversation between the author and the fashion icon.” —Publishers Weekly “Morand was the all-round aesthete.” —Nicholas Lezard, Guardian
£11.69
Andrews UK Limited Laurence Olivier & Vivien Leigh: The Final
Book Synopsis
£14.99
Andrews UK Limited From Blitz to Glitz: The Autobiography of Jess
Book Synopsis
£22.94
Hawksmoor Publishing Thinking About Tomorrow: Excerpts from the Life
Book Synopsis"Thinking About Tomorrow" is the amazing tale of rock and roll survivor Keith West. A pioneer of psychedelic music in the 1960s with such songs as "My White Bicycle", and he also achieved international fame alongside Mark Wirtz with the song "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera".
£21.84
Hawksmoor Publishing Thinking About Tomorrow: Excerpts from the life
Book SynopsisThinking About Tomorrow is the amazing tale of rock and roll survivor Keith West. With his Tomorrow bandmates, Keith was a pioneer of psychedelic music in the 1960s with songs such as My White Bicycle. He also achieved international fame alongside Mark Wirtz with the song Excerpt from a Teenage Opera.
£18.04
Unicorn Publishing Group A Singular Man: A Documented Life of the Artist
Book SynopsisDelving into Frederick Sandys's unconventional life, Betty Elzea's research reveals much about his complicated and often scandalous relationships. Born and educated in Norwich with an artisan background, Sandys was bohemian by nature, though from necessity, to the world at large, he appeared genteel and respectable. Unfortunately disorganised, un-businesslike and preferring to live alone as a bachelor in lodgings, he struggled to support two growing families of illegitimate children. From youth, developing skills as a draughtsman and painter, he moved to London, meeting Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelites and their associates, while keeping a foothold in Norwich where he maintained friendships and enjoyed the support of the Norfolk gentry and several notable Norwich industrialists. Norfolk landscape painting and nature studies led to commissioned portraiture which became his main source of income. He is known for depictions of beautiful women in legendary disguises as well as meticulously-detailed portraits of elderly women. He also pioneered a new type of large-scale portrait drawing in chalks.
£24.00
Atlantic Books Nellie: The Life and Loves of a Diva
Book Synopsis'In this highly readable biography of Nellie Melba...Robert Wainwright tells the story of the girl with the incredible voice who, by sheer force of her personality and power of her decibels, took the operatic world by storm and managed to escape from her violent husband' Ysenda Maxtone Graham, DAILY MAILNellie Melba is remembered as a squarish, late middle-aged woman dressed in furs and large hats, an imperious Dame whose voice ruled the world for three decades and inspired a peach and raspberry dessert. But to succeed, she had to battle social expectations and misogyny that would have preferred she stay a housewife in outback Queensland rather than parade herself on stage. She endured the violence of a bad marriage, was denied by scandal a true love with the would-be King of France, and suffered for more than a decade the loss of her only son - stolen by his angry, vengeful father. Despite these obstacles, she built and maintained a career as an opera singer and businesswoman on three continents which made her one of the first international superstars. Award-winning biographer Robert Wainwright presents a very different portrait of this great diva, one that celebrates both her musical contributions and her rich and colourful personal life.Trade ReviewIn this highly readable biography of Nellie Melba...Robert Wainwright tells the story of the girl with the incredible voice who, by sheer force of her personality and power of her decibels, took the operatic world by storm and managed to escape from her violent husband -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *Jolly gossipy reading, easily digested * The Telegraph *Wainwright's delightfully revisionist biography of Dame Nellie Melba rescues her from fusty Victorianisms to analyse her struggles and resilience to overcome misogyny and social expectation in becoming one of history's greatest opera singers. * Waterstones.com *[A] rounded portrait...the Melba that emerges is not only a prodigious talent but a trailblazing, fiercely independent and determined woman. * Sydney Morning Herald *Most people know the outlines of the career of the legendary nineteenth-century diva Nellie Melba, but this biography offers new insights. What Melba went through to become the toast of the musical world is almost unbelievable to our twenty-first century eyes and how she handled it makes for remarkablereading -- Judging panel for the 2022 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award (longlisted title)Wainwright has a reporter's eye for the telling detail, and an ear for good copy...a racy tale, and briskly told. * The Australian, on NELLIE *A gem of a biography. * The Lady, on ENID *My jaw kept dropping as I devoured Robert Wainwright's wonderfully racy biography, full of comedy and tragedy and populated by some of the most dissolute and eccentric aristocrats of the 20th century. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail, on ENID *Enid's story is dazzling and uplifting, and she certainly lived up to her code: "Never be afraid, never be jealous, and never complain when you are ill." -- Christopher Silvester * Spears, on ENID *As social history Sheila Chisholm's life is fascinating... it's undeniably enjoyable to read of all that glitter and gold. -- Selina Hastings * Spectator, on SHEILA *Table of Contents1: Opposites attract 2: 'I must make some money' 3: 'You wait and see' 4: The audition 5: The house of women 6: The dress 7: Becoming Melba 8: 'You are the star' 9: Covent Garden 10: A doctrine of rivalry 11: 'An Australian girl' takes Paris 12: The devil who leaves 13: The patron 14: Taking a cold house by storm 15: Prince Gamelle 16: A diva meets a duc 17: To Russia with lust 18: Melba nights 19: 'I'll whip him and see what he's worth' 20: Crossing boundaries 21: Armstrong v Armstrong 22: A just dessert 23: Facing the music 24: Murphy's law 25: A resolute intent 26: The first singer in the world 27: A fall from grace 28: Of envious men 29: A Wagnerian tragedy 30: A Star-Spangled Banner 31: Divorce, Texas-style 32: Australia finally 33: The brutal Truth 34: 'I am five feet eleven inches' 35: The long farewell
£10.44
Anthem Press Trailblazing Women of Australian Public
Book SynopsisTrailblazing women of Australian Public Broadcasting, 1945 – 1975 offers a compelling new perspective of Australian radio and television history. It chronicles how a group of female producers defied the odds and forged remarkable careers in the traditionally male domain of public-affairs production at the ABC in the post-war decades. Kay Kinane, Catherine King, Therése Denny and Joyce Belfrage were ambitious and resourceful producers, part of the vanguard of Australian broadcasters who used mass media as a vehicle for their social and political activism. Fiercely dedicated to their audiences, they wrote, directed and produced ground-breaking documentaries and current affairs programs that celebrated Australian life, while also challenging its cultural complacency, its racism and sexism. They immersed themselves in the ABC’s many networks of collaboration and initiated a range of strategies to expand their agency and authority. With vivid descriptions of life at the ABC, this book traces their careers as they crossed borders and crossed mediums, following them as they worked on location shoots and in production offices, in television studios, control rooms and radio booths. In doing so it highlights the barriers, both official and unofficial, that confronted so many women working in broadcasting after World War II.Trade Review‘Kylie Andrews’ fascinating book is a tour-de-force of feminist scholarship and media history. In rescuing the pioneering women of radio and television from the footnotes of history, it offers us not just a vivid panorama of highly talented programme-makers but an endlessly illuminating new take on post-war Australian broadcasting.’ — David Hendy, Emeritus Professor, University of Sussex, England.‘A lively, impressively researched, and informative look at barriers faced, and battles won, by a select group of talented female producers at the ABC and beyond – battles won not only for themselves, but for the status of all women who have confronted the same attitudes and obstacles. An inspiring read.’ — Michele Hilmes, Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.‘This is an important, overdue ‘remembering’ of women’s role in the creation of the ABC - an entertaining read to set the historical (‘herstorical’) record straight - with startling insights into the good old days when the boys ‘owned the game’. It’s an eye-opener for younger program-makers to meet the feisty women who paved the way for them.’ — Caroline Jones AO, Veteran ABC broadcaster and national patron of Women in Media.‘This compelling and impeccably researched book uncovers the story of four colourful individuals, Joyce Belfrage, Therese Denny, Kay Kinane and Catherine King, and their outstanding contribution to Australian, and transnational, broadcasting. Battling a culture that was largely unsupportive of working women, Andrews brings their careers and achievements vividly to life.’ — Dr Kate Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Media and Communication, Bournemouth University, UK.‘This is a brilliant book unearthing the forgotten women of radio and television. Too often, male exploits take precedence in Australian historical recounts. Kylie Andrews has produced a work that is both entertaining and academic. Highly recommended!’ — Tracey Spicer, Broadcaster and Author.‘In the post-war years, the ABC carved out a distinctive role as a national broadcaster, both shaping and questioning Australian identity. Kylie Andrews’ passionate, highly engaging history tells the stories of groundbreaking women who worked for the ABC in those years, demonstrating that the ABC was not only ‘built by men’; it was built by women, too’. — Professor Michelle Arrow, Department of History and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University, AUS.‘In this lively and accessible work of historical reclamation, Kylie Andrews brings vividly to life the careers of four indomitable women at the ABC in the decades after World War II.' — Professor Bridget Griffen-Foley, Macquarie University, Table of ContentsList of Figures; List of Abbreviations; Preface; 1. Introduction, Showrunners, Shot Callers and Flying Typewriters, Notes; 2. Career Snapshots, Kay Kinane, Catherine King, Therése Denny, Joyce Belfrage, Notes; 3. Welcome to the ABC, Ladies, How and Why ‘Women’s Work’ Was Marginalized at the ABC, Trapped in the Typing Pool, Acceptable Behaviour, Birds, Chicks and Old Ducks , Forbidden Domains, Contesting ‘Women’s Worlds’, Notes; 4. The New Nation-Builders, A Cuckoo in the ABC’s Nest, The Adelaide Legacy, The ‘Schoolie with the Motorbike’, The Scholarly Troublemaker, Nation-builders and Citizens but Not Feminists?, Notes; 5. Talent Was Not Enough, ABC Mentors and Gatekeepers, Opportunities Arising during Times of Disruption, Bargaining from a Position of Strength and Refusing to Be Bullied, Joyce and the ABC’s Transition to Television: A Cautionary Tale, Notes; 6. Thinking Outside the Box, Moving between Radio and TV , Manipulating the Message: Using the Press to Shape Public Personas, Embracing ‘Platform Agnostic’ Careers, Notes; 7. Timely Escapes and Bittersweet Homecomings, ‘New Ways of Living and Loving’, Notes; 8. International Adventures and Global Networking, Kay’s First Big Adventure: The Imperial Relations Trust, Some Benefits of Membership, Reversing the Tide: Taking Advantage of Polarities of Exchange, Joyce Makes the Most of Empire Employment Networks, Turning a Negative into a Positive: Therése Exploits Her Colonial Identity, Kay’s American Adventure, Networks of Collaboration and Support, Broadcasting Advocacy Goes Global, Notes; 9. Farewell to the ABC, Notes; 10. Epilogue, Revising Limited Historical Narratives, Notes; Reference List, Primary Sources, Industry Memos, Intra-ABC Communications and Reports, Personal Correspondence and Diary Entries, Audio and Audio-Visual Projects, Press, Newspaper and Magazine Articles, Interviews and Oral Histories, Industry Reports, Archive Reports and Legislation, Secondary Sources, Books and Book Chapters, Journal Articles, Conference Papers and Speeches, Websites; Index
£80.00
HarperCollins Publishers The Rare and the Beautiful: The Lives of the
Book SynopsisThe compelling biography of the beautiful, talented Garman sisters and the glittering, romantic era in which they lived. Each of the seven Garman sisters were strikingly beautiful, artistic and wild. Born around the turn of the nineteenth century, most of the siblings were to become involved in the radical literary and political circles of British life between the First and Second World Wars. Their morals were unconventional: bisexuality, unfaithfulness and illegitimate children were a matter of course. Nevertheless they were high-minded and intensely loyal. They were the last muses: women who were prepared to sideline their own talent, friendships, material comforts – even their own children – in order to beguile and inspire the men they loved. Cressida Connolly's family biography delves into the lives of three of the sisters in intense and revealing detail. Kathleen Garman, the father's favourite, ran away to London to study music. She was spotted by the American sculptor Jacob Epstein, who promptly fell in love with her, and remained his muse until his death. They had three children, she was shot in the shoulder by his first wife and she finally became Lady Epstein in 1955. Mary Garman came to London with Kathleen and studied art at the Slade. She married poet Roy Campbell, who was to become the scourge of the literary establishment by espousing General Franco's side during the Spanish Civil War. Finally there was Lorna Garman, the youngest and most beautiful of all the family. At sixteen she married the wealthy Ernest Wishart, a landowner, communist and founder of the socialist publishing house Laurence & Wishart, who spent most of his life turning a blind eye to his wife's infidelities. Lorna was the love of Laurie Lee's life and they had a daughter. Lucian Freud painted several pictures for her. Through Cressida Connolly’s skilfull retelling of these remarkable lives, we get an intimate portrait of a golden age of romance, passion and art that is an original, beguiling read.Trade Review'Paints some wonderfully vivid pictures of how difficult the Garmans must have been to live with.' Sunday Telegraph 'Connolly writes with great elegance and perception about this ruthlessly sensual family.' Literary Review ‘A rollicking mix of the familiar and surprising.' Sunday Times ‘A sobering coda and an often hilarious tale.' Independent
£11.69
Pallas Athene Publishers Lives of Rembrandt
Book SynopsisRembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (c.1606-1669) was the most talked-about painter of the 17th-century - and quite possibly of the following centuries too. His prodigious talent, extraordinary emotional truth, and reckless disregard of artistic convention astonished, delighted and often dismayed his contemporaries; and the full gamut of these reactions is revealed in the three early biographies published here for the first time in their entirety in English. Sandrart, a German painter and writer on painting, actually knew Rembrandt in Amsterdam; Baldinucci, also an artist contemporary with Rembrandt, was one of the greatest early connoisseurs of prints; and Arnold Houbraken, who studied under some of Rembrandt's pupils, wrote the earliest major biographical account of the artists of Holland. These extraordinary documents give a vivid picture of Rembrandt's shattering impact on the art world of his time - not only as a painter, but as a supremely successful manipulator of the market, a dangerous example to the young, and an unavoidable challenge to any sense of decorum and rule-giving. Rooted firmly in the 17-century realities of Rembrandt's life, they bring into sharper focus the qualities of originality and psychological acuity that remain Rembrandt's trademark to this day. The introduction by Charles Ford situates these biographies in the context of 17th-century appreciation of art, and the trajectory of Rembrandt's career. The translations have been specially prepared for this edition by Charles Ford, aided by Ulrike Kern and Francesca Migliorini, and in part following the work of Tancred Borenius.Trade Review"The London publishing house Pallas Athene has come up with the very welcome and worthwhile project of assembling English translations of early biographies of artists in an easily accessible publication." - Historians of Netherlands Art Reviews
£9.49
Pallas Athene Publishers A Memoir of Samuel Palmer
Book SynopsisSamuel Palmer was one of the most original artists Britain has produced. Still a teen when he was plucked from "the pit of modern art," he embarked on an intensely personal journey that led to an astonishing outpouring of mystical drawings and later to England's first artistic colony, "The Ancients," based in the idyllic landscape of Shoreham. This book reprints the first major writings on Palmer, which were published for a retrospective exhibition in 1881. They include a biography by his son, A. H. Palmer, and a critical appreciation by Pre-Raphaelite artist and critic F. G. Stephens.Trade Review"The London publishing house Pallas Athene has come up with the very welcome and worthwhile project of assembling English translations of early biographies of artists in an easily accessible publication." - Historians of Netherlands Art Reviews
£9.49
Boydell & Brewer Ltd Gerald Finzi: His Life and Music
Book SynopsisCritically acclaimed biography of one of England's best loved composers, with a full discussion and evaluation of his works. Gerald Finzi is one of the best-known modern English composers. While he is especially famous as a song-writer, for his sensitive settings of poets such as Hardy and Wordsworth, he also wrote in other genres; notable works includethe exquisite cantata Dies Natalis, and his cello concerto. He also exerted a major influence in the musical world as a whole, championing the neglected Ivor Gurney and reviving eighteenth-century composers with the amateur orchestra he founded. In this lively and sensitive study of his life and works, Diana McVeagh, the renowned Elgar and Finzi scholar, has made use of interviews with the main figures in his life, correspondence with contemporaries such as Vaughan Williams, Edmund Blunden, Arthur Bliss, Edmund Rubbra, Howard Ferguson and Herbert Howells, and her access to previously unpublished material in the form of his widow, Joy's, unpublished journal. The Finzithat emerges is a multi-faceted and complex character. The author shows how he developed from a solitary, introverted youth into a man with strong views and a myriad of interests: everything from education, pacifism, vegetarianism, to the Arts and Crafts movement, the English pastoral tradition, English apple varieties, and the significance of ancestry, friendship and marriage in an artist's life. She also discusses every work within the narrative of Finzi's life, and shows what makes his output so outstanding. Diana McVeagh is the author of the highly acclaimed Elgar the Music Maker [2007]; of the entries on Elgar and Finzi for The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians [1980, 2001]; and of the Finzi entry in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [2004].Trade Review[T]he author's style is very easy indeed, informal and communicative. * RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS SOCIETY JOURNAL *The book is very well researched and immensely informative. [...] From reading this particular biography, there is also the wish to read more by Diana McVeagh. * THE ELGAR SOCIETY JOURNAL *McVeagh's analyses unfailingly draw the reader's attention to the melodic and harmonic subtleties of Finzi's writing. At her best, as in a beautiful passage on Finzi and Hardy, she sings with a lyricism that matches Finzi's own. This book comes as a timely reminder that there should be a place for the finely wrought music of a minor master. -- Richard Lawrence * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *This has been long in preparation, but the wait has been worthwhile. Lucky the composer who finds so fair-minded, candid and scrupulous a biographer and one who writes so well...[McVeagh's] analyses achieve the rare distinction of being both illuminating and readable. This is one of the best-written books about a musician to appear for many years. -- Michael Kennedy * BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE *McVeagh surely loves Finzi's music and it shows. However her devotion is clear-eyed and her writing completely avoids the sort of pastoral hagiography that Finzi scholarship can easily collapse into. The book is self-recommending but that does not stop me recommending it. - * CLASSICAL MUSIC ON THE WEB *[This] is unquestionably destined to be the standard biography of Gerald Finzi. - -- Rolf Jordan * RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS SOCIETY JOURNAL *[Now] we have McVeagh at last, so good and so well written that those who already possess...other books must have it, not only to complement them but for the sheer pleasure afforded by such a winning combination of scholarship, insight and clear-eyed humanity.. their belief will be reinforced and intensified by Miss McVeagh's candour and her remarkable achievement in writing not only a good biography but in re-creating the atmosphere of English musical life in the half-century of Finzi's life. * FINZI NEWSLETTER *With clear-eyed affection for her subject, McVeagh relates Finzi's poignant history with clarity of design that does not preclude empathy, and never allows herself the luxury of letting him off lightly over either musical or personal foibles...[a] lovely, warm and elegiac book. -- Byron Adams * MUSIC & LETTERS *
£17.99
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Vivaldi Compendium
Book SynopsisThe Vivaldi Compendium represents the latest in Vivaldi research, drawing on the author's close involvement with Vivaldi and Venetian music over four decades. The Vivaldi Compendium will serve as the most reliable and up-to-date source of quick reference on the composer Antonio Vivaldi and his music. This takes the form of a dictionary listing persons, places, musical works and many other topics connected with Vivaldi; its alphabetically arranged entries are copiously cross-referenced to guide the reader towards related topics. The Vivaldi Compendium also provides a gateway to further reading via an extensive bibliography, to which reference is made in most of the dictionary entries. These two sections are complemented by a biography of the composer and a carefully organized list of his works. Knowledge about Vivaldi and his music is still advancing at an incredible rate - many discoveries occurred while the book was in preparation - and every effort has been made to ensure that The Vivaldi Compendium represents the latest in Vivaldi research, drawing on the author's close involvement with Vivaldi and Venetian music over four decades. MICHAEL TALBOT is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Liverpool and a Fellow of the British Academy. He isknown internationally for his studies of late-baroque Italian music, which include recent books on Vivaldi's chamber cantatas [2003] and the same composer's fugal writing [2007].Trade Review[A] a musicological masterpiece. It is also one of the most practical books ever published, a book that enables anyone [.] to find reliable and detailed information on almost every subject connected with Vivaldi within seconds. One cannot be grateful enough to the author for this painstaking and most helpful publication. * EARLY MUSIC *This fact-packed reference book incorporates the latest research on Vivaldi's life and music and is written in a terse, yet engaging, style. [...] this is an impressively wide ranging guide. * EARLY MUSIC TODAY *This amazingly comprehensive volume packs a huge amount of expert scholarship [...] into an extraordinarily small space. [...] an indispensable addition to the shelves of anyone with an interest in Vivaldi, whether scholar, student, performer or music lover. * THE CONSORT *[Ein] vorteffliches Buch [...], das durch Klarheit und Verstädlichkeit in bester Angelsächsischer Wissenschaftstradition besticht. * CONCERTO *It's called a compendium, but it could also be termed a dictionary or pocket (almost) encyclopedia dedicated to a composer whose present popularity worldwide far exceeds the actual knowledge of his life and works. The completeness of this realization [...] is praiseworthy. * MUSICA *[T]here is nobody internationally as well-placed as Talbot to provide such a versatile and friendly guide to Vivaldi [...] The Vivaldi Compendium will become an indispensable companion. * GRAMOPHONE *This compact volume by Talbot provides an excellent orientation and quick reference to the state of scholarship on the life and music of Antonio Vivaldi. [...] The scope of this bibliography is impressive [...] Highly Recommended. * CHOICE *[Talbot] is, at least as far as the Anglophone world is concerned, THE expert. ... I am sure that I will consult the Compendium frequently. * EARLY MUSIC REVIEW *The Vivaldi Compendium is an extremely useful encyclopaedia [...] All the subject matter is dealt with in a scholarly and expert way. It will provide the reader with an exhaustive and informative one-stop source for Vivaldi's life, music and world. The production of The Vivaldi Compendium, too, is well up to Boydell's high standards [...] For Vivaldi collectors and specialists The Vivaldi Compendium is almost a required item. Its scope exceeds anything otherwise currently available and is managed extremely well by an expert. Strongly recommended. * CLASSICAL.NET *
£23.74
Peepal Tree Press Ltd Kitch: A fictional biography of a calypso icon
Book SynopsisThe poet and musician Anthony Joseph met and spoke to Lord Kitchener just once, in 1984, when he found the calypso icon standing alone for a moment in the heat of Port of Spain’s Queen’s Park Savannah, one Carnival Monday afternoon. It was a pivotal meeting in which the great calypsonian, outlined his musical vision, an event which forms a moving epilogue to Kitch, Joseph’s unique biography of the Grandmaster.Lord Kitchener (1922 - 2000) was one of the most iconic and prolific calypso artists of the 20th century. He was one of calypso’s most loved exponents, an always elegantly dressed troubadour with old time male charisma and the ability to tap into the musical and cultural consciousness of the Caribbean experience. Born into colonial Trinidad in 1922, he emerged in the 1950s, at the forefront of multicultural Britain, acting as an intermediary between the growing Caribbean community, the islands they had left behind, and the often hostile conditions of life in post War Britain. In the process Kitch, as he was affectionally called, single handedly popularised the calypso in Britain.Kitch represents the first biographical study of Aldwyn Roberts, according to calypso lore, christened Lord Kitchener, because of his stature and enthusiasm for the art form. Utilising an innovative, polyvocal style which combines life-writing with poetic prose, the narrative alternates between first person anecdotes by Kitchener’s fellow calypsonians, musicians, lovers and rivals, and lyrically rich fictionalised passages. By focussing equally on Kitchener’s music as on his hitherto undocumented private and political life, Joseph gets to the heart of the man behind the music and the myth, reaching behind the sobriquet, to present a holistic portrait of the calypso icon.
£10.44
Vintage Publishing A Life of Picasso Volume III: The Triumphant
Book SynopsisDrawing on exhaustive research from interviews and unpublished archival material, John Richardson has produced the long-awaited third volume of the definitive biography, full of original, groundbreaking new insights into Picasso's life and work. His lively and incisive analysis of the work meshes seamlessly with the rich and detailed narrative of this complex and sensual life. The Triumphant Years reveals Picasso at the height of his powers, producing not only the costumes and sets for such Diaghilev Ballets Russes productions as Parade and Tricorne but some of his most important sculpture and paintings. These are tumultuous years, Picasso torn between marital respectability with Olga, the Russian ballerina who was his first wife, and the erotic passion of his mistress, Marie-Therese.This extraordinary biography ends with the completion of a dramatic series of drawings of the crucifixion. From then on the horrors of war would replace any private horrors, leading ultimately to Picasso's masterpiece, Guernica.Trade ReviewThe latest instalment of the finest artistic biography ever written -- Waldemar Januszczak * Sunday Times *No man is better qualified to write the biography of Picasso...he writes with such fluency, simplicity and clarity that his knowledge and illuminating wisdom are very lightly borne... A marvellous book -- Brian Sewell * Evening Standard *Unmissably good -- Tim Martin * 'Christmas Biography Choice' Daily Telegraph *Every page provides some insightful and fascinating information -- William Boyd * 'Books of the Year', Sunday Herald *I love this tumultuous, mercurial, idiosyncratic cavalcade of a book... It is a book that manages to be simultaneously individual and authoritative, and makes one impatient for the next volume -- Philip Hensher * Daily Telegraph *
£32.00
