Biography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisWhen Cream broke up in 1968 it was by no means a foregone conclusion that it would be Eric Clapton who would enjoy continued commercial success. After all, it was Jack Bruce who had the looks, and who co-wrote and sang all the band's major hits, including "Sunshine of Your Love", "I Feel Free" and "White Room". But he was a singular talent who wanted to be a pioneer, not just a pop star, and he was never happy resting on his reputation. Cream split in their prime but their influence endured, and when they reformed in 2005 tickets were selling for nearly GBP 2000 on e-bay. In the 40 years since Cream split Bruce has continued his musical adventures with the likes of John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Carla Bley and Mick Taylor, never quite achieving the success and recognition he deserves. It has been an often troubled life - heroin addiction, management rip-offs, family tragedy, and a failed liver transplant, all of which he speaks about frankly in this book, telling a story that is sometimes funny, sometimes bleak, and always honest.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA long-overdue biography of one of the most celebrated Shakespearian actors of the 19th century, Ira Aldridge.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere are few actors working in Hollywood today as distinctive as Jack Black. With his hyper-dynamic, explosive comedic performances, he has become one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in mainstream American cinema. High-profile roles in blockbusters such as "School of Rock", "King Kong", and "Kung Fu Panda" have made him one of the highest paid actors in the world. Yet, unusually, paralleled with this onscreen fame has been the massive success of his band Tenacious D - alongside faithful cohort Kyle Gass - which has seen Jack enjoy a platinum album, sell out Madison Square Garden and play the main stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. Jack's rise to prominence has not been without its difficulties. From an inauspicious first role in a video game commercial, through a desperately troubled youth and a long spell as an extra, Jack has had to bring all of his talent into service to earn his current seat among the galaxy of Hollywood stars and rock legends. This is the first book to tell that surprising, compelling and entertaining story.

Read more less

Book Synopsis***Now the subject of a major sell-out exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum***She revolutionized how women looked. She banned corsets, shortened skirts and scented the world with Chanel No.5. Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was an icon. But how closely did her carefully moulded image match the truth? Born illegitimate and raised in an orphanage - not by the two aunts that she invented - Gabrielle Chanel fought constantly to escape the mundane. She rose from back-street milliner to become the head of a vast business empire, and socialised with Picasso, Stravinsky and Cocteau. Edmonde Charles-Roux also reveals one of Chanel's best-kept secrets - her love affair with a prodigal German spy.Chanel's legend did not fade with her death, and nor has the mark of sheer elegance that she left upon the world of fashion. This is the living woman behind the vibrant legend.Trade Review'Chanel's life was extraordinary, varied, full, perverse and like all good stories, full of dramatic reversals and successes' Margaret Drabble. * Margaret Drabble *'A fascinating, intimate, merciless, but ultimately sympathetic portrait… Even for those with only the slightest interest in fashion this is a beautifully written, highly entertaining biography' Guardian. * Guardian *'This biography delves far into the past, unraveling the mysteries that Chanel herself worked to create…it's a beautifully honest yet surprisingly unforgiving portrait of a woman often outshone by her own legend' Observer. * Observer *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. Foreword. Origins 1792-1883. Gabrielle's youth 1884-1903. A False Start 1903-1905. The Keepers and the Kept 1906-1914. The Foundations of an Empire 1914-1919. The Slavic Period 1920-1925. A Victorian Illusion and its Aftermath 1925-1933. Of Divers Dances 1933-1940. The German Period 1940-1945. First Epilogue 1945-1952. Second Epilogue 1953-1971. Notes. Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis?From the filth and the fury to the elegant extravaganza, Peter Gravelle', the many named photographer, has remained in the shadows of punk rock, low culture and high fashion, deflecting attention while steadily producing an epic body of iconic work. ?The Death of Photography' is a tour de force, a high end art book showcasing forty years of the best punk, fashion and portraiture of Gravelle's career. Heavily stylised images are woven together with Gravelle's own fascinating recollections from a live lived in technicolour.

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnscrupulous, devilishly ambitious and undeniably charismatic, Domenico Barbaja was the most celebrated Italian impresario of the early 1800s and one of the most intriguing characters to dominate the operatic empire of the period. Dubbed the 'Viceroy of Naples', Barbaja managed both the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and La Scala in Milan. He was the influential force behind the careers of a plethora of artists including Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini and the great mezzo-soprano Isabella Colbran, who became Barbaja's lover before eventually deserting him to marry Rossini. Most vitally, Barbaja's vision had an irrevocable impact on the history of Italian opera; determined to create a lucrative business, he cultivated an energetic environment of new artists producing innovative, exciting opera that people would flock to hear. Philip Eisenbeiss brilliantly pieces together the forgotten story of a tireless tyrant who began life as a barely educated coffee waiter, yet grew to be one of the richest and most potent men in Italy. A natural entrepreneur, Barbaja had the ability to predict a sensation; a skill he exploited his entire life, forging his fortune as a cafe-owner, arms profiteer, gambling tycoon and eventually, opera magnate. Eisenbeiss unlocks the enigma of this eccentric and fascinating personality that has been hitherto neglected.Trade Review'a delightful read, and it should appeal to opera lovers as well as anybody who has an interest in 18th-century entrepreneurship.' '...a heck of a good read' -- Charlotte Rea '...a fine piece of work; informative, entertaining, written in a hugely accessible style. I particularly liked the detail [he goes] into of the politics of the Kingdom of Naples and how San Carlo and Barbaja rolled with the punches.' -- Sir David McVicar 'Eisenbeiss seems to have read widely in several languages, and is as likely to devote a paragraph to the political ambitions of the Carbonari, the latest forms of gas lighting or the details of a theatrical contract as to the artistic quality or nature of a particular opera or performer ... [he] deserves credit...' '...a highly readable, even entertaining historical work about music and culture in Italy during the 1800s. Author Eisenbeiss, heart in hand, displays admirable research and analytic skills as he makes sense of an almost-unheard-of opera impresario, Domenico Barbaja.'

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Tinker and the Student is the second volume of David Campbell’s biography of acclaimed Scottish storyteller Duncan Williamson. This volume chronicles Williamson’s life from the time he met his second wife, the young American student Linda Jane Headlee, until his death in November 2007. Campbell recounts how Linda played a pivotal role in bringing Williamson’s stories out of the travelling world to the wider community, and in doing so shows the impact that Williamson made on the lives of the people he came into contact with.Trade ReviewDavid Campbell opens the door to a world crammed with anecdotes, folklore and memories. SCOTS MAGAZINE on A Traveller In Two Worlds The second part of A Traveller in Two Worlds, this book completes David Campbell's life of a man who loved a good story more than life itself, and who always told it from the heart. EDINBURGH LIFEThis second volume, candid and touching, the best kind of memoir.. SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen the author bought a falling down fortified house on the Staffordshire moorlands, he had no reason to anticipate the astonishing tale that would unfold as it was restored. An increasingly mysterious, set of relationships emerged amongst its former owners, revolving round a now almost forgotten artist. Robert Bateman, in his youth was a prominent Pre-Raphaelite and friend of Burne Jones. The son of a local millionaire, he was to marry the granddaughter of the Earl of Carlisle, and to be associated with both Disraeli and Gladstone, and other prominent political and artistic figures. But he had abandoned his life as a public artist in mid-career for no obvious reason, to live as a recluse, while his father lost his money, and his rich and glamorous wife-to-be had married the local vicar, already in his sixties and shortly to die. The discovery of two paintings by Bateman, both clearly autobiographical, led to an utterly absorbing forensic investigation into Bateman's life. The story moves from Staffordshire to Lahore in India, to Canada, to Wyoming, and then, via Buffalo Bill to Peru and back to England. It leads to the improbable respectability of the Wills (now Imperial Tobacco) cigarette business in Bristol, and then, less respectably, to a car park in Stoke on Trent. En route the author pieces together, and illustrates, an astonishing and deeply moving story of love and loss, of art and politics, of morality and hypocrisy, of family secrets, concealed but never quite completely obscured. The result is a page-turning combination of detective story and tale of human frailty, endeavour and love. It is also a portrait of a significant artist, a reassessment of whose work is long overdue

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThomas Hennell (1903–45) said his aim was to ‘surprise his subject’ – to capture the transient quality of the moment. In watercolour he found his perfect medium, producing work which was, as his fellow artist Edward Bawden said, ‘fully expressive and technically perfect’. During an idyllic childhood in rural Kent Hennell discovered his love of the English countryside. He explored its fields, farms and woods, and later, travelling on a rusty old bicycle, developed an appreciation of England’s traditions and crafts. Much of his work records the countryside in a state of change, imbuing his sense of loss with poetic intensity. In the early 1930s, Hennell suffered a severe breakdown and later described the three years he spent in mental hospitals in his memoir The Witnesses (1938), an astonishing document in a period when stigma still attached to mental illness. Hennell’s remarkable talent for friendship survived his years of mental turmoil. Jessica Kilburn’s new biography brings Hennell the man vividly to life through extracts from his letters to friends and personal accounts by people who knew him. As this richly illustrated book shows, the artist’s final years were exceptionally productive. In 1943 Hennell was appointed an official war artist, yielding commissions in Iceland and northern Europe. After the pastoral evocations of inter-war England, his portrayal of war’s brutality is shocking: devastated French towns, emaciated prisoners of war. At the war’s end, Hennell received a final posting to the Far East. Tragically, he was caught up in the struggle for independence in Java and in late October 1945 disappeared in circumstances which Jessica Kilburn recreates more fully than in any previous account. Thomas Hennell was born into a remarkable generation of English artists that included Eric Ravilious, John Piper, Graham Sutherland and Barbara Hepworth. His peers regarded him as one of their finest creative talents; Jessica Kilburn’s sensitive and deeply researched new biography restores this unjustly neglected artist to his rightful place in the history of twentieth-century English art.Trade Review"This well-written, intricately researched and hugely detailed account of his life and work . . .generously illustrated, and with informative picture captions, has a relaxed breadth which suits the subject . . . It is indisputable that Hennell was an artist and writer of distinctive achievement, whose work should be more widely known. This substantial and impressive book deserves to lead the way in a Hennell revival." -- Andrew Lambirth * The Spectator *"Truly a delight, beautifully written, with superb illustrations." -- Jenny Uglow"The first full biography of the artist in over 30 years...richly illustrated...a full account of his fascinating life and work." * The Chap *"Magnificent...this book glows with colour on almost every page....a sympathetic and nuanced biography which will do a great deal to broaden Hennell's appeal and ensure that his claims to the pinnacle of watercolour excellence can no longer be ignored." * The Burlington Magazine *"Superbly researched and illustrated...a thoughtful account of a remarkable life." * Times Literary Supplement *"A timely reminder of an artist well worth discovering." * Illustration magazine *"Hennell's superb watercolours and drawings capture English agricultural life in the 1930s and 40s, on the cusp of changing for ever, and Kilburn's very welcome and lavishly illustrated biography is appropriately elegiac." -- Peter Parker * Times Literary Supplement Books of the Year *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor the last 50 years, Clive James has been writing remarkable songs – witty, moving, sometimes satirical, often thrillingly poetic – with his musical partner, Pete Atkin. They’ve written more than 200 together, releasing the first album of their work in 1970 and the last in 2015. John Peel loved them. So did Kenny Everett. Stephen Fry is a huge fan. And Clive himself believes these songs are the best things he’s ever done. Loose Canon explores the sparkling lyrics and brilliantly memorable tunes that have won Clive and Pete a fanatical cult following but still managed to remain the British music industry's best-kept secret. Stephen Fry has written an incredibly generous and enthusiastic foreword.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRichard Demarco co-founded the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in 1963 and ran the vibrant Richard Demarco Gallery in Edinburgh for almost 30 years. He promotes crosscultural dialogues and was the first person to introduce Joseph Beuys in the UK. Joseph Beuys was a German sculptor and creator of action performances, political activist and teacher. This book explores the works, lectures and ‘Actions’ which resulted from the mutual hopes, inspirations and shared values of Richard Demarco and Joseph Beuys, the innovative and inspirational German postwar artist, from 1970 until Beuys’ death in 1986. Demarco, an avant-garde gallerist in Edinburgh, was an early proponent of Scotland taking its place within the European art world; Demarco recognised the visionary quality of Beuys’ work and visited him in Oberkassel in January 1970. In the hope of focusing Beuys’ attention on Scotland, he presented him with a set of postcards depicting typical Scottish scenes. Beuys responded with, ‘I see the land of Macbeth, so when shall we two meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain?’ They reunited in thundery Edinburgh later that year and Demarco led him northwards along the ancient track he calls ‘The Road to Meikle Seggie’. This initial experience of the Scottish landscape inspired Beuys, who felt a strong connection with Celtic culture, and laid the foundation for a remarkable artistic friendship which enriched the work of both men. With photos from Demarco’s personal collection and essays spanning from 1970 to the present, this is an intimate and intellectually rigorous look at a friendship seminal to the development of art in Scotland over the last 40 years.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR RICHARD DEMARCO: As well as being recognised internationally as an artist, Richard is equally recognised as the promoter of exhibitions and theatre events that have broken new ground in Britain and further beyond, to which the long list of his national and international awards and honours attests. His writing is as idiosyncratic and enthralling as his drawings, driven by true passion and belief, the personal account of an artist whose deeply rooted and abiding love for his native Scotland shines clearly in his words. – RICHARD NOYCETable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introductions The Legend of Beuys - Douglas HallThe Road to Muddle Segue - Martin KempBeuys, Demarco and Scotland - Robert McDowell On Richard Demarco - Sir Nicholas SerotaWith regard to the exhibition entitled Richard Demarco and Joseph Beuys: A Unique Partnership - Richard Demarco Joseph Beuys: Timeline Essays Beuys in Scotland Richard Demarco’s personal experience of the reality of Strategy: Get Arts 7,000 Oaks: Richard Demarco Interviews Joseph Beuys Ex Cathedra Performance MagazineRyszard Stanislawski on Polentransport Thoughts on the ending of 1993 – and the significance of Strategy: Get Arts The Genesis and Legacy of Strategy: Get Arts Tadeusz Kantor and Joseph Beuys Joseph Beuys as Artist-Teacher Artistic Detours: Joseph Beuys as an Anthropologist A Unique Partnership in Pictures, 1970–87 The Beuys Legacy

Read more less

Book SynopsisChristian Small lived and painted in West Linton for over 60 years. Her work was of remarkable quality and range in many different media. Her choice of subjects was wonderfully imaginative: pears on a window sash, an armchair with slippers, her paint box – all so evocative of her life. Her landscapes were drawn from around the village, their colour and draftsmanship brilliantly capturing the countryside she loved: wind-bent trees, pale green grasses and the rolling Pentland Hills. Woven in and out of the paintings are poems by Gerda Stevenson, and Christian’s thoughts in prose as imagined with poignant eloquence by her daughter Jenny Alldridge – an unusual blend of word and image telling the unique story of a prolific and gifted artistTrade Review'One of the most beautiful books ever published in Scotland' - The National “Every picture tells a story, and this selection tells of lifetime creativity. Still-lifes, glowing, domestic, ordinary and marvellous, portrait studies full of the sitter’s life and individuality, the intimate landscapes daily walked in. Small things observed, relished.” – Liz Lochhead, poet

Read more less

Book SynopsisJimi Hendrix, Princess Diana and Syria's Asma Al-Assad rub shoulders with Auden, Eliot and Shelley - and with the Trouser Thief Clive met during ten long weeks locked up in a closed psychiatric ward - in this offbeat and affectionate poetic biography. Since 2010, when Clive was told he had three separate life-threatening conditions, he has poured out a stream of fine poems - sometimes light, witty and paradoxical, sometimes sad, heartfelt and regretful. Some, like `Japanese Maple', an instant Internet sensation, have already made it into the anthologies. Others, like his book-length epic, The River in the Sky, are more demanding. All are packed with the unexpected ideas, inventive imagery and breathtaking wordplay that have helped him achieve his avowed ambition of becoming `a fairly major minor poet'.Trade ReviewClive's verse is alive with energy, wit, craft, beauty, fire and a uniquely thrilling poetic intelligence - Stephen Fry; Long overdue - a readable, insightful celebration of Clive James's wonderful and humane lyric verse - Stuart Maconie; Terrific. I read it with astonishment and learnt a huge amount - Prof John Carey

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this detailed biography, Rudiger Goerner masterfully depicts Kokoschka's multifaceted life and long career.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCharlie Chaplin is on vacation in Asia in 1936 when Cambodians are challenging colonial exploitation. Chaplin must choose: lend his celebrity status to the anti-colonial cause or stay silent. Fictionalised around real events, this is a story about how an embittered Chaplin abandons his silent Tramp in order to find his own voice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor the first time ever, the two people who knew Andy Kaufman best open up about the most enigmatic artist of our generation. Comedian and Taxi star Andy Kaufman, known for his crazy antics on screen and off, was the ultimate prankster, delighting audiences with his Elvis and Mighty Mouse impressions while also antagonizing them with his wrestling and lounge-lizard alter ego, Tony Clifton. Some say he died in 1984, while others believe he performed the ultimate vanishing act. In Andy Kaufman: The Truth, Finally, Bob Zmuda, Andy's writer and best friend, and Lynn Margulies, the love of Andy's life, reveal all--including surprising secrets that Andy made Lynne and Bob promise never to tell until both of his parents had died. Hilarious and poignant, this book separates fact from fiction, and includes a candid inside look at the Milos Forman film Man on the Moon, which Zmuda coexecutive produced and featured Jim Carrey as Andy, Paul Giamatti as Zmuda, Courtney Love as Margulies, and Danny DeVito as Andy's manager, George Shapiro. Finally, Bob Zmuda shares in detail the reasons he believes Andy Kaufman did, in fact, fake his own death, including exactly how he did it and why he will return.Trade Review"Bob Zmuda connects on so many levels with this gripping yet hilarious inside industry chronicle. A great story of unconditional friendship and love framed in a studied portrait of a fascinatingly complex, brilliant, unduplicable anti-performance artist who may well resurrect to blow our minds again." --Dan Aykroyd "Danger. What would've or WILL Andy do next???? We wondered every time we saw him on TV or live on stage. I still wonder. We still laugh. The definition of an enigma, LIKE NO OTHER." --Kathy Griffin "I never worked with Andy Kaufman and I never even watched Taxi. I do like the name Andy, if that's any help." --Paula Poundstone "Bob Zmuda was (is?) Andy Kaufman's partner in all of Andy's reality-bending adventures. Is Andy's death yet another elaborate hoax by the ultimate performance artist? An absolutely astonishing read, Andy Kaufman: The Truth, Finally reveals all. Prepare to be amazed!" --John Landis "I was so fascinated by the melding of Andy's and Zmuda's mind that I spent two years of my life making a movie about it." --Milos Forman "Zmuda offers what he calls 'a blow-by-blow account of how Andy Kaufman faked his own death.'" --Chicago Tribune

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisGo behind the scenes with the musician The New York Times called "a guitar God!"Oft-hailed as the Jimi Hendrix of his generation, living guitar legend Joe Satriani has long transcended stylistic boundaries with a sound that raises the bar like a new horizon for the broader genre of instrumental guitar rock. Joe's 6-string secrets have astounded listeners around the world for nearly 30 years.In Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir, Satriani and coauthor, music biographer Jake Brown, take fans on their first authorized tour of the story behind his climb to stardom and the creative odyssey involved in writing and recording a storied catalog of classics including "Surfing with the Alien," "Summer Song," "Satch Boogie," "Always With Me, Always With You," "The Extremist," "Flying in a Blue Dream," "Crowd Chant," and more.Featuring previously unpublished photos and hours of exclusive, firsthand interviews with Satriani, Strange Beautiful Music offers a unique look inside the studio with Joe, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal like never before. With insider details about his collaboration with multi-platinum supergroup Chickenfoot, exclusive interviews with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, commentary from fellow guitar legends such as Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus's Larry LaLonde, and legendary music producers including Glynn Johns and the late Andy Johns, this memoir offers a rare inside look for die-hard Satriani fans, guitar enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to rock.Trade Review"Joe has refined his own style of playing to a point where he's forever up there in the stratosphere of excellence that is reached by very few musicians."—Brian May"Every time Joe puts his fingers on a guitar, what comes out sounds like inspired music, even if its just a finger exercise. He created and branded a niche with his own voice and in so doing he wielded an entire genre."—Steve Vai"After all the times I had been on stages with Joe, been on the side of stages watching and listening to Joe, and all the times I have been in the audience cheering for Joe, I continue to have no idea how Joe does what he does."—Robert Fripp"Joe Satriani's my favorite guitar player."—Sammy HagarTable of ContentsForeword Chapter 1: The Hendrix Experience Chapter 2: High School Confidential Chapter 3: Learning Curves Chapter 4: Satch Goes West Chapter 5: Twists of Fate—The Joe Satriani EP, 1983–1984 Chapter 6: Not of This Earth—1985–1986 Chapter 7: Relativity Chapter 8: Surfing with the Alien—1987 Chapter 9: Launching the Silver Surfer Chapter 10: Flying in a Blue Dream—1989 Chapter 11: The Bearsville Experiment Chapter 12: The Extremist—1992 Chapter 13: Eponymous—1995 Chapter 14: G3/Crystal Planet—1997 Chapter 15: Engines of Creation—2000 Chapter 16: Strange Beautiful Music—2002 Chapter 17: Is There Love in Space?—2004 Chapter 18: Super Colossal—2006 Chapter 19: Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock—2008 Chapter 20: Chickenfoot I—2009 Chapter 21: Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards—2010 Chapter 22: Chickenfoot III—2011/2012 Chapter 23: Unstoppable Momentum—2013 Chapter 24: Shockwave Supernova—2016 Conclusion: 2017 and Beyond The Gear: Album by Album Acknowledgments Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less