Biography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisThe Enormously Entertaining Memoir by One of the Great Artists of Our Time—Now a New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller. In this candid and often hilarious memoir, the celebrated director, comedian, writer, and actor offers a comprehensive, personal look at his tumultuous life. Beginning with his Brooklyn childhood and his stint as a writer for the Sid Caesar variety show in the early days of television, working alongside comedy greats, Allen tells of his difficult early days doing standup before he achieved recognition and success. With his unique storytelling pizzazz, he recounts his departure into moviemaking, with such slapstick comedies as Take the Money and Run, and revisits his entire, sixty-year-long, and enormously productive career as a writer and director, from his classics Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters to his most recent films, including Midnight in Paris. Along the way, he discusses his marriages, his romances and famous friendships, his jazz playing, and his books and plays. We learn about his demons, his mistakes, his successes, and those he loved, worked with, and learned from in equal measure. This is the hugely entertaining, deeply honest, rich and brilliant self-portrait of a celebrated artist who is ranked among the greatest filmmakers of our time. Trade Review“A lively tale of growing up lower-middle-class in Brooklyn; a gossipy account of scrambling up the comedy ladder from tabloid gag writer to Oscar winner . . . This memoir is for the most part a pleasure to read and entertaining company. . . . You’d have to be a real sourpuss not to laugh at the fusillade of one-liners, two-liners, three-liners and so on.”—Peter Biskind, Los Angeles Times “He has an authentic and easygoing voice on the page.”—New York Times “It’s a fantastic book, so funny. . . . You feel like you’re in the room with him and yeah, it’s just a great book and it’s hard to walk away after reading that book thinking that this guy did anything wrong.”—Larry David “An absolute delight, hilarious and endearing and glistening with stardust.”—National Review“Master, from youth, at self-deprecating humor, and born with New York City cojones, Allen says what others just think, controversy be damned.”—New York Journal of Books “It was a laugh a minute.”—Newark Star-Ledger"An enjoyable excursion into the mind, personality, and delicious whimsy of Woody Allen . . . one of our finest filmmakers and a man of droll wit, who came of age as an artist in the 1970s, just in time for his unique combination of cynicism and romanticism, as old gods died and new ones failed to appear."—Jim Delmont, Omaha Dispatch “His wit is on full display.”—The Federalist “A brisk, vivid, and extremely funny account..”—Commentary Magazine “Allen’s style is gossipy and spry.”—The Guardian “Brilliant.”—Deadline"If you love Woody Allen, you’ll love the book."—Sam Wasson, Air Mail

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Book SynopsisJohnny Thunders: In Cold Blood is the definitive portrait of the condemned man of rock n roll, from the baptism of fire and tragedy that was the New York Dolls, through the junkie punk years of the Heartbreakers, to his sudden and mysterious death in 1991. It is an unflinching account of a unique guitarist whose drug problems often overshadowed his considerable style and talent, but whose unquestionable influence on glam, punk, and more still resonates today. Nina Antonia discovered Johnny Thunders and the New York Dolls as a teenager and spent her formative years as a dedicated fan before starting work on this book in her twenties. Then, when Johnny and his manager read her early drafts, they decided she should make it an authorised biography and granted her unique access to Johnny s life. As such, it begins by painting a historical portrait of Thunders and his early life and work before shifting into the present tense as Nina vividly describes her own experiences with the real-life Johnny and his associates. First published in 1987, Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood has been kept alive over the years by an audience that isn t always catered for. While the New York Dolls are now rightly acknowledged as having been as pivotal as the Velvet Underground, and you might catch the odd fashionista sporting a Dolls T-shirt, Johnny s dark flame burns for those who have known adversity. He is the voice of the disenfranchised; he is every gifted son or daughter who went off the rails. Like Jesse James or James Dean, he couldn t come in from the badlands of rock n roll; he wouldn t appease or kowtow to the establishment. This new edition adds a new closing chapter, bringing Thunders legacy up to date, new photographs, and a foreword by Mike Scott of The Waterboys.

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Book SynopsisWho Could Ever Love You is an intimate, heartbreaking memoir of a father, a mother, and a family's exile.Mary Trump grew up in a family divided by its patriarch's relentless drive for money and power. The daughter of Freddy Trump, the highly accomplished, dashing eldest son of wealthy real estate developer Fred Trump, and Linda Clapp, a flight attendant from a working-class family, Mary lived in the shadow of Freddy's humiliation at the hands of his father.Fred Trump embodied the ethos of the zero-sum game and among his five children, there could only be one winner. That was supposed to be Freddy, his namesake, but Fred found him wantingtoo sensitive, too kind, too interested in pursuits beyond the realm of the real estate empire he was meant to inherit. In Donald, Fred found a kindred spirit, a killer, who would stop at nothing to get his own way.Even after Freddy's short-lived career as a professional pilot for TWA came to an end, he never st

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Book SynopsisPaused in Cosmic Reflection is the definitive story of The Chemical Brothers. Told in the voices of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, with contributions from friends and collaborators, it is fully illustrated with 30 years of mind-bending visuals.Trade ReviewA ROUGH TRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023Rich in anecdotes, the book chronicles their evolution from DJing in basements to shaping modern electronic music. Complemented by archival photos and unseen visuals, it's a visual feast for fans, an intimate journey into the pulsating heart of The Chemical Brothers' world * Clash *An abundance of yarns... the visual presentation is exceptional, as-photoshoot outtakes, video stills, ecstatic snapshots and assorted ephemera sumptuously encapsulate the Chemicals' mind-altering universe * MOJO *Sumptuous new graphic autobiography * Daily Telegraph *A block-rockin' coffee-table tome... the definitive story of this groundbreaking duo * Electronic Sound *Excellent * Creative Boom *

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Book SynopsisFrom Peter Bogdanovich - director, screenwriter, actor, and cinema scholar - 25 fascinating portraits of Hollywood''s most acclaimed movie actors and actresses: stars whom he has known, admired, and occasionally worked with. Bogdanovich captures brilliantly - in their own words and his - the personality, the work, the style and the enduring iconic appeal of America''s movie greats.Trade Review'An affectionate collection of pieces on 25 of Tinseltown's biggest stars that is so full of insight it makes you appreciate all the more the subtleties of Bogdanovich's front - of - camera work in The Sopranos.' Sunday Times 'A dazzling album of movie-star portraits... this book brings them to life through a mix of informal conversations, profiles and beautiful black and white photographs.' Sunday Express 'Bogdanovich's engaging assemblage of interviews and pen-portraits clings heroically to the notion that they don't make 'em like that anymore. And he's right.' Empire 'Full of fresh and entertaining details.' Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisWhen it was first published in 2017, Jesse Fink’s masterful biography of Bon Scott became an international sensation: it made the cover of Classic Rock magazine, threats were made against the author, and there was talk among some AC/DC fans of boycotts and book burnings. So why the uproar? The legend of the man known around the world as `Bon’ grows with each passing year. In death, AC/DC’s trailblazing frontman has become a rock icon. But so much of his story is myth. Bon: The Last Highway tells the unvarnished truth. The 1977–80 period forged the legend of AC/DC. There wasn’t a harder working band on the road in America. But, as Fink reveals in a journey that takes the reader from Austin to Miami to London, the relentless AC/DC machine was threatening to fall apart. With unprecedented access to Bon’s lovers, newly unearthed documents and a trove of never-before-seen photos, this updated edition contains a new introduction and more revelations about the singer’s death, which should dispel once and for all the idea that Scott succumbed to acute alcohol poisoning on 19 February 1980. Meticulously researched and packed with fresh information, Bon: The Last Highway is an affectionate, honest tribute to a titan of rock music.Trade Review'The most extensively researched book on AC/DC ever ... it's outstanding. This is as close as anyone is ever gonna get to the complete truth behind the legend, warts and all.' - B. J. LISKO, Canton Repository 'This one-man investigation, born of respect for the truth and for Bon Scott as a human being, blazes a new trail.' - JOE BONOMO, author of AC/DC's Highway To Hell (33 1/3 Series) 'Jesse Fink has done rock fans a great service. He dispels the many myths about how AC/DC's Bon Scott lived and died, and in doing so, brings to life one of the most influential, memorable and complex figures in rock history.' - GREG RENOFF, author of Van Halen Rising

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Book SynopsisAs heard on BBC 6 Music with Shaun Keveny, BBC Radio 5 Live and Talk Radio with Eamonn HolmesThe age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. Like the cowboy, the idea of the rock star lives on in our imaginations.What did we see in them? Swagger. Recklessness. Sexual charisma. Damn-the-torpedoes self-belief. A certain way of carrying themselves. Good hair. Interesting shoes. Talent we wished we had.What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn’t stay the course.In Uncommon People, David Hepworth zeroes in on defining moments and turning points in the lives of forty rock stars from 1955 to 1995, taking us on a journey to burst a hundred myths and create a hundred more. As this tribe of uniquely motivated nobodies went about turning themselves into the ultimate somebodies, they also shaped us, our real lives and our fantasies. Uncommon People isn’t just their story. It’s ours as well.Trade ReviewMarvellous . . . The age of the rock star is over, and Hepworth’s never-less-than fascinating book is a more than fitting farewell -- Dylan Jones * GQ *David Hepworth is such a clever writer . . . Uncommon People is a gorgeous read, celebratory and bittersweet, both pep rally and memorial, throbbing with insight and incident -- Julie Burchill * Spectator *This book is a kind of elegy for a glorious but passing phase in entertainment history . . . brim[s] with insight, humour and a certain genial astringency -- Stuart Maconie * Mail on Sunday *[A] wonderful portrait of rock stardom . . . Hepworth’s writing is sublime * Daily Mail *The effect is that of faded, evocative, partisan Polaroids scattered from the memory of one obsessive music fan . . . Uncommon People emerges as part of the drive to capture, analyse and archive key moments in musical history that might otherwise vanish from popular memory before we know it * Observer *

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Book Synopsis‘Ferociously smart. A rare combination of guilty pleasure and intellectual insight’ VOGUE ‘Perceptive. Refreshing. Tears away layers of false readings and conspiracy theories’ NEW YORK TIMES Intricately researched. Churchwell’s Marilyn is a complex, well-rounded creature in the best sense – the human sense’ OBSERVER There are many Marilyns: sex goddess and innocent child, crafty manipulator and dumb blonde, screen legend and Hollywood victim. In this incisive and subtle book, Sarah Churchwell looks at how the stories we tell have trivialised a woman we supposedly adore, and at what they reveal about our attitudes towards sex symbols and icons, to women, death, biography and Marilyn herself.Trade ReviewInventive and entertaining ... Churchwell seems to have invented an altogether new form of biography * LITERARY REVIEW *A splendid metabiography of one of the great icons of the twentieth century -- BOOKS OF THE YEAR * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Refreshing … [Tears] away layers of false readings and conspiracy theories * NEW YORK TIMES *Ferociously smart … A rare combination of guilty pleasure and intellectual insight * VOGUE *Untangles the threads of Monroe’s life story, isolating the essential cornerstones of the Monroe myth * INDEPENDENT *

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES POP BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY TELEGRAPH MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY MAIL MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARA TIMES MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR (''Of the many Led Zeppelin biographies marking the band''s 50th anniversary, this is the most illuminating'')OBSERVER BEST BOOKS OF 2018''An enthralling and rigorously researched book'' Sunday Times ''Blake has talked to everyone, and the stories are both lurid and melancholy'' Mail on Sunday ''A juicy saga of excess all areas, Mark Blake''s biography of Led Zeppelin''s notoriously combative manager, Peter Grant, reads at times like an all-you-can-eat buffet of guilty pleasures . . . a riotous roller coaster'' The Times ''A tale as expansive and complex as the man himself'' Mojo''To say Bring It On Home is a rambunctious page-turnerTrade ReviewIt's tempting to dismiss Grant as a supremely unappetising figure, so it is a credit to this enthralling and rigorously researched book that we get a sufficiently three-dimensional portrait to be able to understand what drove him * Sunday Times *A juicy saga of excess all areas, Mark Blake's biography of Led Zeppelin's notoriously combative manager, Peter Grant, reads at times like an all-you-can-eat buffet of guilty pleasures . . . a riotous rollercoaster ride full of larger-than-life characters . . . the first authorised in-depth portrait . . . an entertaining journey into a lost epoch of unchecked superstar excess * The Times *Exhaustive and detailed resume . . . the detail is priceless . . . Blake has talked to everyone, and the stories are both lurid and melancholy * Mail on Sunday *Meticulous always entertaining . . . never shies away from its subject's belligerent reputation . . . Naturally, this is a book about Zeppelin as well as Grant, but their story, as told through a Peter Grant-shaped lens, is magnified and augmented . . . A tale as expansive and complex as the man himself -- James McNair * Mojo *The incredible inside story of Led Zeppelin's fabled hardman manager . . . forensically-researched . . . the volume of other new stories unearthed here is impressive . . . To say Bring It On Home is a rambunctious page-turner is an understatement; but despite all the violence and weirdness, you can't help liking the 'real' Peter Grant who emerges here * Planet Rock *Grimly entertaining . . . richly anecdotal . . . insight into a thankfully lost world * Q magazine *Glimpses of this former wrestler and doorman's life have made him a legend, but this is the first time it has been revealed in depth. With a wealth of unseen pics and detail, Bring It On Home is like Grant himself - awesome * Weekend Sport *In this entertaining, sympathetic biography, music journalist Mark Blake . . . provides a fresh perspective on the Zeppelin story * Observer *Of the many Led Zeppelin biographies marking the band's 50th anniversary, this is the most illuminating -- Will Hodgkinson * The Times *[Grant] is captured vividly by Mark Blake, who paints a compelling, warts-and-all portrait of a figure who was as much a gangster as a Svengali, equal parts visionary and monster -- Dan Cairns * Sunday Times *Well-researched . . . at once amusing, candid, guarded, vague, clever and occasionally contradictory . . . Blake has written a pleasantly humane portrayal of a much-mythologised man -- John Perry * Record Collector *Shed[s] new light on how excess and tragedy tore this amazing band apart * The Sun *

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Book SynopsisSince her death in 2011, the legendary Surrealist Leonora Carrington has been reconstructed and reinvented many times over. In this book, Gabriel Weisz Carrington draws on remembered conversations and events to demythologise his mother, revealing the woman and the artist behind the iconic persona.He travels between Leonora’s native England and adopted homeland of Mexico, making stops in New York and Paris and meeting some of the remarkable figures she associated with, from Max Ernst and André Breton to Remedios Varo and Alejandro Jodorowsky. At the same time, he strives to depict a complex and very real Surrealist creator, exploring Leonora not simply in relation to her romantic partners or social milieus but as the artist she always was.A textured portrait emerges from conversations, memories, stories and Leonora’s engagement with the books that she read.Trade Review'Gabriel Weisz Carrington's gentle, grieving memoir of his mother allows us a glimpse of their extraordinary life together in Mexico City. It is a life enchanted by art and anchored by love, a wild, irreverent love for all the world's creatures, passed on from mother to son, and now, from son to reader.' Merve Emre, Associate Professor of English, University of Oxford'Gabriel Weisz Carrington’s intense memoir of his mother explores her inner life as both artist and writer. He reveals the range of her experiments with the magical and the esoteric as well as her profound and sometimes dangerous quest to plumb the mysteries of manifest creation.' Marina Warner, writer and cultural historian'To spend time with this book is to spend time with Leonora Carrington — a pure delight from start to finish.' Viktor Wynd, author of The UnNatural History Museum'An enchanting portrait of what it was like to grow up as Leonora’s son — here, too, as in some of her paintings, the domestic and the fantastical are tightly, wonderfully, intertwined.' Chloe Aridjis, author of Sea Monsters 'One can never know enough about Leonora Carrington. Through a wealth of fascinating vignettes, Gabriel Weisz captures the magic and mystery of her inimitable persona.' Homero Aridjis, author of Eyes to See Otherwise ‘A touching account of a continuous conversation, The invisible painting sheds light on the extraordinary life of Leonora Carrington from a witness able to share his lived experience and give emotional texture to her biography and creative processes.' Francesco Manacorda, Artistic Director, V-A-C Foundation ‘Utterly exhilarating and poetically accurate. A vital addition to Leonora Carrington studies. The invisible painting wilfully debunks existing myths around the official Carrington family narrative. The preface by Jonathan P. Eburne also paints a glowing portrait of Gabriel Weisz Carrington as someone “deliciously weird” – a creative intellectual in his own right.’ Catriona McAra, author of The medium of Leonora Carrington'This is a moving portrait, tinged with palpable grief. Yet its abiding spirit is joyful: Leonora emerges as a character exuding the same magic and puckish vision that imbues her writing and painting.'Francesca Wade, RA Magazine -- .Table of ContentsPreface by Jonathan EburneMy memoir of Leonora Carrington

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Book SynopsisIn this inspiring rags-to-riches memoir, UFC star Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal reveals how he went from a poor son of immigrants on the streets of Florida to one of the most successful athletes in the world, and how you can use the same principles to achieve success in your life. When an older bully pushed the smaller Jorge Masvidal to the ground in second grade and tried to steal his bike, something snapped inside him. A “skinny kid with a big head,” Jorge grew up in a tough Miami neighborhood, raised by a single mom while his Cuban refugee father was in and out of jail. Jorge reacted in the only way he knew how: a flurry of punches and kicks fueled by red-hot rage that sent the bully to the ground. Over the years, Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal channeled rage into discipline and used his fists to go from feared street scrapper to one of the world’s greatest professional fighters. But his influence isn’t limited to

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Book SynopsisClint Eastwood is Hollywood’s elder statesman and its conscience. He is the standard by which other films and filmmakers are judged. He represents both classical Hollywood and an entirely modern, uncompromising and unfussy directorial presence. There are those who adore him as a cowboy, a superstar, the rugged, unyielding yet introspective face of American machismo. There are those who read him as a great American auteur fashioning uncompromising, fascinating, intellectual films about his country, about life, about whatever the hell takes his fancy.   No single figure in all of Hollywood, operates so freely outside of the strictures of commercial pressure. And yet, or perhaps that is because, he makes hit after hit.   Separation of actor and director is almost impossible. They are intimately related, cross pollinating, but he has become in the latter half of his career to be view as one of the great American artists. While drawing conTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION THE MAGNIFICENT STRANGER The early years (1930–1971) THE DIRECTOR EMERGES Play Misty for Me (1971), Dirty Harry (scene) (1971), High Plains Drifter (1973), Breezy (1973), The Eiger Sanction (1975) WAY OUT WESTERN The strange tale of The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) MAXIMUM MINIMALISM Ten great Clint Eastwood performances AMERICAN STORYTELLER The Gauntlet (1977), Bronco Billy (1980), Firefox (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Sudden Impact (1983) THE MAYOR Tightrope (uncredited) (1984), Pale Rider (1985), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), Bird (1988), White Hunter Black Heart (1990), The Rookie (1990) MAYOR OF CARMEL The tale of Clint Eastwood’s brief foray into politics THE LAST RIDE The greatness of Unforgiven (1992) THE INTREPID ICON A Perfect World (1993), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Absolute Power (1997), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), True Crime (1999), Space Cowboys (2000), Blood Work (2002), Mystic River (2003) AMERICAN SOUL The emotional triumph of Million Dollar Baby (2004) COMPLETING CLINT Rounding out a fifty-year career as filmmaker HOLLYWOOD NOBILITY Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Changeling (2008), Gran Torino (2008), Invictus (2009), Hereafter (2010) THE UNQUENCHABLE FLAME J. Edgar (2011), Jersey Boys (2014), American Sniper (2014), Sully (2016), The 15:17 to Paris (2018), The Mule (2018), Richard Jewell (2019), Cry Macho (2021) SOURCES

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Book SynopsisAnn Temkin is the MarieJosée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Romy Silver-Kohn is a researcher in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Anna Deavere Smith is an actress and playwright credited with creating a new form of documentary theater. She is a professor at the Tisch School of the Arts and the founding director of New York University's Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, MAIL ON SUNDAY, FINANCIAL TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, SPECTATOR THE SUNDAY TIMES ART BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 'Explosively enjoyable, bursting with life and art ... A central figure as wild and beguiling as any character in literature' CRAIG BROWN William Feaver, Lucian Freud’s collaborator, curator and close friend, knew the unknowable artist better than most. Over many years, Freud narrated to him the story of his life, ‘our novel’. Fame follows Freud at the height of his powers, painting the most iconic works of his career in a constant pursuit of perfection, just outrunning his gambling debts and tailor’s bills. Whether tattooing swallows at the base of Kate Moss’s back or exacting a strange revenge on Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger, Freud’s adventures were always perfectly characteristic. An enfant terrible till the end, even as he was commissioned to paint the Queen, what emerges is an artist wilfully oblivious to the glitter of the world around – and focussed instead on painting first and last. ‘A dazzling tour de force’ THE TIMES 'A wonderfully vivid chronicle' OBSERVER ‘Does justice to Freud’s pitiless genius’ DAILY MAIL Trade ReviewFreud’s voice rings out on every page, offering opinions on everything ... There’s plenty of celebrity juice here too * Guardian, Best Art Books of 2020 *The painter emerges as fully three-dimensional in this second part of Feaver’s biography * THE TIMES, Best Paperbacks of 2022 *Huge, gossipy and sometimes shocking … no less breezy and eye-popping than the first * The Times and Sunday Times Best Books of 2020 *The concluding volume of Feaver’s unmissable biography sees the great painter evolving from enfant terrible into Old Devil - although really was a man ever so uncompromisingly himself from cradle to grave? As a life it’s both a horrible warning and a shining example, and Feaver does it justice * Daily Telegraph *Freud was a wonderful painter – a genius – but a frequently awful human being. His endless feuds and fights, his numerous sexual partners, his extraordinary work and his eccentricities are all vividly chronicled in this, the second volume of Fever’s monumental biography * Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year *Lucian Freud wanted William Feaver’s biography of him to be ‘the first funny art book’ … [this is] certainly that, with laughs galore. But it’s also much more, not least a wonderfully vivid chronicle of the interlocking worlds of money, art and bohemia * Observer, Best Books of 2020 *Feaver has collected some fabulous stories * Daily Telegraph, The Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2020 *William Feaver’s biography of Lucian Freud also comes in two parts. I read the second part, Fame: 1968-2011 (Bloomsbury) this year and found it as engrossing and well informed as the first, and as judicious and well written -- Colm Toibin * New Statesman, Books of the Year *[One of] the best things I read this year … crammed with enough jaw-dropping, buttocks-clenching revelations to keep a whole Soho pub entertained for days -- Robert Douglas Fairhurst * Spectator, Books of the Year *Explosively enjoyable, bursting with life and art, and all focused on a central figure as wild and beguiling as any character in literature, real or fictitious ... Feaver is wonderfully deft at interweaving the art and the life in an unshowy manner. Throughout the two volumes he manages to convey Freud’s personal magnetism, and the way he was simultaneously controlled and controlling and out of control. And, rare for a biographer, he shows what it was like to be with his subject from day to day -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Magnificent ... Reads like the last days of Rome ... Feaver shares his subject’s style and timing. His clipped prose is running commentary and ironic aside; the sentences, bone-dry, have dramatic entrances -- Frances Wilson * Times Literary Supplement *If Freud’s pictures are at heart all about palpable reality, the same is true of Feaver’s daunting enterprise ... David Hockney described Freud’s portraits as being essentially “an account of looking”, and that’s just what Feaver’s book is too * Sunday Times *Does justice to Freud’s pitiless genius as an artist * Daily Mail *An extremely juicy biography … You can hear Freud’s voice on the page, which is thrilling …Bulges with gossipy stuff … He was more vivid than other people ... and Feaver’s great and generous achievement in his book is to enable us to imagine this. Its last lines – Freud tells him, that he’s always liked lipstick on the teeth – are so perfect. Somehow, they say it all. Dress up, go out, get laid. And then try to get it all down in your work: “Tell people you’ve been alive” -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *A biography that is as generous and unsparing as Freud’s own best work. At once personally intimate and critically detached, perceptive on the art ... but never trying to compete with it, Feaver’s biographical portrait is an unforgettable achievement * Prospect *Superb and eye-opening ... A figure who was driven by strong appetites, told the truth when it was uncomfortable or unwanted, and used paint to play a complicated game in which self-revelation was strangely mixed up with self-disguise. * Prospect *A mesmerising picture of a paintaholic who was incorrigibly on the make … Feaver’s vastly detailed biography is the ideal companion to Freud’s work. It resembles nothing so much as a large Freud canvas: hypnotic, occasionally reiterative, quirkily dark in places, proceeding by a process of obsessive accretion -- Elizabeth Lowry * Guardian *Diverting … Freud played the mischievous bar-room raconteur, chuckling over bygone stunts and scrapes, and sticking the knife into old foes with venomous relish * Sunday Telegraph *The latest instalment of the epic biography of Lucian Freud finds him at the height of his fame * The Times *Absorbing in all its darkness and light, a dazzling tour de force … Remarkable … we have to be grateful that his Boswell was there to make a record * Literary Review *The first volume of Feaver’s biography of the artist was highly acclaimed. This second one covers his most productive years * Sunday Times *PRAISE FOR THE LIVES OF LUCIAN FREUD: YOUTH: 'William Feaver has done a brilliant job -- Lynn Barber * Daily Telegraph *Freud emerges, dab by dab, fully three-dimensional from Feaver’s vibrant recitation of dealers and models, works in progress and gambling ... David Hockney, another sitter, described Freud’s portraits as being essentially “an account of looking”, and that’s just what Feaver’s book is too * SUNDAY TIMES *Freud and Feaver seize you by the elbows, bundle you into a Bentley, haul you round the nightclubs, feed you oysters, Guinness and amphetamines and order you Russian tea and eggs the next morning. I didn’t know whether I’d been roughed up or ravished * The Times *This is a tremendous read. Anyone interested in British art needs it … An extraordinary book -- Andrew Marr * New Statesman *A biography that is as entertaining, and full of twists and turns, as a picaresque novel … It has amazing zip and gusto, and leaves you wanting more -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Sparkling … An extraordinary tranche of anecdote and apercu … Feaver’s wonderful biography comes close to Freud’s own definition of his art: “A picture should be a recreation of an event rather than an illustration of an object” * Sunday Times *Superlative … Every page of this volume affirms his distinction … This is Lucian Freudian biography, packed with stories -- Alexandra Harris * Guardian *Lucian Freud was unique; unique in intensity, in affection, in interest and in fun. This brilliant and compendious biography has the same qualities. It does justice to Lucian -- Frank AuerbachFeaver has filled his book to the brim with the excitement and strangeness of Freud's life -- Colm Toibin * London Review of Books *Mesmerising, almost surreal in its headlong layering of detail, memory and gossip. Propelled by Freud's sardonic recollections, and lit throughout by William Feaver's impeccable, penetrating analysis of the work, this is a monstrously brilliant portrait -- Jenny UglowIn William Feaver’s The Lives of Lucian Freud, based upon decades of conversation with the painter, we hear Freud’s remarkable voice on almost every page. The result is a vivid, intimate biography of one of the 20th century’s most storied artists -- Annalyn Swann and Mark Stevens, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors of de Kooning: An American MasterHere, Freud gets to tell his version of events with panache * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisArt critic Martin Gayford, author of The Yellow House, brings the Regency period to life in Constable in Love: Love, Landscape and the Making of a Great Painter his account of the life of English Romantic painter John Constable. Love, not landscape, was the making of Constable. . . John Constable and Maria Bicknell might have been in love but their marriage was a most unlikely prospect. Constable was a penniless painter who would not sacrifice his art for anything, while Maria''s family frowned on such a penurious union. For seven long years the couple were forced to correspond and meet clandestinely. But it was during this period of longing that Constable developed as a painter. And by the time they''d overcome all obstacles to their marriage, he was on the verge of being recognised as a genius.Martin Gayford brings alive the time of Jane Austen in telling the tremendous story of Constable''s formative years, as well as this love affairTrade ReviewBrilliant, wholly fascinating. I can't recommend this delightful book too highly -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Delightful...a small drama of love, frustration and despair played itself out with massive repercussions for the history of painting * Financial Times *A stunning account of Constable's coming of age as both a man and an artist * Guardian *Gayford's nuanced narrative throws much-needed fresh light, as well as real understanding, on both Constable's painting and his love life * Sunday Telegraph *A scrupulously observed tragical-comical tale * Evening Standard *Engaging, cunning, agreeable and alert to the vagaries of human behaviour * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisCoco Chanel was founder and queen of a fashion empire, and her name is forever linked to an unmistakable style. Before all this, Mademoiselle Coco was Gabrielle, a poor orphan who rejected convention and put her independence above all else. With her grit and tenacity, she made her fortune and restored freedom to women. This volume celebrates a true icon 50 years after her passing, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the timeless Chanel No. 5. She revolutionised the concept of feminine elegance with straight dresses and inventions that would later become icons: these were the little black dress, Chanel No. 5, costume jewellery, the suit with gold buttons, the quilted bag. Her myth lives again in a biography illustrated by images portraying her as the perfect embodiment of the timeless elegance. Because, as Coco said, "fashion passes; style remains."

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Impressive detail, a notable addition to the extensive Music in American Life Series."--Booklist"A well-researched and rapidly consumed book."--AllAboutJazz.com"As comprehensive and appreciative as any of the past Parker literature."--The Santa Fe New Mexican"This is a wonderful, loving, yet unsparing look at Bird's life. Haddix's research is stunning."--Kim Parker"I couldn't put this book down! This is a must read! A very important book. Congratulations to Chuck Haddix for bringing more clarity to the life of Charlie Parker."--Bobby Watson, Director of Jazz Studies, UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance"Finally, a biography that includes a detailed account of Bird's formative years. One feels that Haddix's research may open new discussions about this flawed genius, and the wonderfully detailed aspects of Parker's early life present a hitherto unknown aspect of a tragically short but immensely influential existence. Almost sixty years since Parker's death, this book is surprisingly the first comprehensive account of the life of one of the last century's foremost and yet enigmatic musicians. Essential reading for any jazz musician."--Llew Walker, creator of www.birdlives.co.uk"Balancing historical research and anecdotal information, Haddix artfully crafts a rich context for understanding the musical genius—-and enigma—that was Bird. . . . the book's pacing, numerous quotes from other musicians, and references to legal practices of the time make it hard to put down. Highly recommended."--Choice"A detailed and well-proportioned linear narrative. Assiduous about assigning dates, where possible, to previously vague areas of chronology."--Jazzwise "Clearly the most complete account of the saxophonist's early life and career. What emerges from Bird is a much more human tale that we have not heard before."--Popmatters.com "Bird makes extensive use of primary-source material, much of it hitherto unknown. . . . It sets forth the known facts of Parker's brief life in a way that is unusually thorough for so concise a book."--Commentary "A straightforward, no-frills chronicle of the alto saxophonist. Thanks to diligent research, it pieces together the disparate fragments of Parker's turbulent private life into a persuasive, coherent and convincing narrative."--Record Collector Magazine "A studiously researched overview of the man, it underscores how Parker's life was as concise as his influence was infinite."--Los Angeles Magazine

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Book SynopsisMulatu was the first Ethiopian jazz music-maker to study abroad and thus be exposed to Western musical trends. When he returned to Addis Ababa he pursued his dream of drawing on the musical heritage of his homeland a heritage that has been buffeted by Ethiopia s turbulent history to produce a unique, compelling blend of music: Ethiopian sounds with a twist . In the late 1960 s, his Ethio jazz introduced, among other new ideas, the Afro-Latin soul where he played conga, piano, vibraphone and innovative musical arrangements. These included compositions of popular Ethio jazz music which took on a modern, funk, jazz-infused quality that soon had recording companies knocking at his door.

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Book SynopsisEminem is currently the world''s biggest and most controversial music star. He has been blasted for what many of his critics regard as overtly homophobic and misogynistic lyrics, and resented both for his record-breaking commercial success and being a white man in a black genre. But Eminem''s sheer talent has transcended such condemnation and established him as the most important figure to come out of popular music since Kurt Cobain. Whatever You Say I Am - based on exclusive interviews with members of Eminem''s family, key figures in the music business, sociologists and reviewers and featuring previously unpublished photographs - is the first book to reveal the man behind the controversy. Most crucially, Anthony Bozza''s unprecedented access to Eminem himself makes him uniquely qualified to answer the big question - why does Eminem matter?The answer is found in Eminem''s unlikely life story, in his extraordinary ascent to super-stardom and in an analysis of his music and lyrics. Whatever You Say I Am will keep Eminem''s legions of fans riveted, and will enlighten his critics.Trade ReviewA thorough and overdue appraisal * Guardian *Bozza works at the why and how of the story, discussing the origins and development of hip-hop culture, examining Detroit's place in American music history and looking at race and ethnicity in the US before getting back to Eminem's lyrics and what he 'means' * Independent *The most dangerous threat to American children since polio -- George BushHe has created a sense of what is possible. He has sent a voltage around a generation -- Seamus HeaneyDelivered with pace ...The most exhaustive trawl through the things that matter most about the most dominant artist of the age * Q Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThis first full biography confirms Florine Stettheimer as one of the 20th century’s most significant, progressive artists whose work remains highly relevant today. Stettheimer was a feminist, multi-media artist who painted several sexually explicit, political, identity-issue-based works and documented New York City’s growth as the centre of cultural life, finance, and entertainment between the World Wars. During her first 40 years in Europe, Florine Stettheimer studied academic painting and was aware of all the earliest modernist styles prior to most American artists. Returning to New York, she and her sisters led an acclaimed Salon for major avant-garde cultural figures including Duchamp, the Stieglitz circle, poets, dancers, writers, etc. During her life she showed her innovative paintings in over 46 of the most important museum exhibits and Salons, wrote poetry, designed unique furniture and gained international fame for her sets and costumes for the avant-garde opera, 4 Saints in 3 Acts.

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Book SynopsisThe first full biography of legendary East Village artist and gay activist David Wojnarowicz, whose work continues to provoke twenty years after his death''Carr's biography is both sympathetic and compendious; it's also a many-angled account of the downtown art world of the 1980s . . . a vivid and peculiarly American story'' New York Times''A beautifully written, sympathetic, unsentimental portrait of one of the most lastingly influential late 20th century New York artists'' LA Times______________________David Wojnarowicz was an abused child, a teen runaway who barely finished high school, but he emerged as one of the most important voices of his generation.He found his tribe in New York's East Village, a neighborhood noted in the 1970s and '80s for drugs, blight, and a burgeoning art scene. His creativity spilled out in paintings, photographs, films, texts, installations, and in his life and its recountingcreating a sort of mythos around himself. His circle of East Village artists moved into the national spotlight just as the AIDS plague began its devastating advance, and as right-wing culture warriors reared their heads.As Wojnarowicz's reputation as an artist grew, so did his reputation as an agitatorbecause he dealt so openly with his homosexuality, so angrily with his circumstances as a Person With AIDS, and so fiercely with his would-be censors.Fire in the Belly is the untold story of a polarizing figure at a pivotal moment in American cultureand one of the most highly acclaimed biographies of the year.

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Book SynopsisThis accessible and expertly written introduction and overview of Tracey Emin's life offers a completely up-to-date view on the work of one of the most important and respected artists working today.From some of her previously unpublished early works from the 1980s, through the period of the 'Young British Artists' when she first found international fame, and up to her very latest works - many also published here for the first time - The Guardian's art critic Jonathan Jones brings together Tracey Emin's complete career into one concise and essential volume.

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Book SynopsisFrom 1950 to 1962, John Richardson lived near Picasso in France and was a friend of the artist. With a view to writing a biography, the acclaimed art historian kept a diary of their meetings. After Picasso's death, his widow Jacqueline collaborated in the preparation of this work, giving Richardson access to Picasso's studio and papers. Volume one of this extraordinary biography establishes the complexity of Picasso's Spanish roots; his aversion to his native Malaga and his passion for Barcelona and Catalan "modernisme". Richardson introduces new material on the artist's early training in religious art; re-examines old legends to provide fresh insights into the artistic failures of Picasso's father as an impetus to his sons's triumphs; and includes portraits of Apollinaire, Max Jacob and Gertrude Stein, who made up "The Picasso Gang" in Paris during the "Blue" and "Rose" periods.Trade ReviewRichardson, it hardly needs repeating, is steeped in Picasso and his life (his own friendship with Picasso is the tacit bedrock of this biography) but the arguments he makes are always precise and cogent, never blithely assertive. -- William Boyd * The Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThe world's most famous mononym, Madonna may be outspoken, but she's never outgunned. With a loyal legion of millions of adoring fans, who have stayed by her side for more than four decades, Madonna has inspired and influenced the hearts, souls, and minds of every generation since her now-mythical arrival in New York in 1978.Continuously reinventing her music and her image, she remains today as every bit as powerful, and iconic, as she did throughout her long reign. With quotes from her earliest interviews to her latest (controversial) award speeches, from virgins to vogue-ing, and material girls to unapologetic bitches, Madonna expresses just a little bit of everything for everyone..."I remember just being frozen... He's male and female and beautiful and elegant and poetic and funny and ironic and other-worldly. And I recognized myself in him somehow and he gave me license to dream a different future for myself." In an interview with Mojo magazine, describing her first concert and the impact David Bowie had on her."I stand before you as a doormat, Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer. Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse." On the music industry, accepting Woman of the Year Award at the Billboard Women in Music 2016.Table of ContentsLike A Virgin - Madonna speaks about her pre-fame days and her earliest musical adventures and aspirations • Material Girl - Madonna throws light on her fight for fame, her rise to success, fortune, glory, and global domination • En Vogue - Madonna talks about her larger than life look at the top of the pop world and her fans • Girl Gone Wild - Madonna discusses her controversies, her battle with the media, her extravagances and her lovers • Express Yourself - Madonna talks about the music industry, her songs, her fame, and her reputation • Lucky Star - Madonna looks back at her career and cherry-picks her favourite, most iconic moments

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Book SynopsisAVAILABLE NOW - THE PERFECT GIFT FOR FATHER'S DAY'Delightful. A great, fun read.' DAVID JASON'Mel Brooks is the king of comedy.' DAVID BADDIEL'Riotous' DAILY MAIL'A jaunty romp across Brooks's career' THE TIMES__________________________At 95, the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television, film, and the stage. Now, for the first time, this EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner shares his story in his own words.Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny.From The Producers to Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein to Anxiety and more, All About Me! offers fans fascinating and hilarious insight into Mel Brooks's outstanding collection of boundary-breaking work. Filled with tales of struggle, achievement and camaraderie, Brooks shares riveting details about his upbringing, his career and his many close friendships and collaborations including those with Gene Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, and the great love of his love, Anne Bancroft.'Not since the Bible have I read anything so powerful and poignant. And to boot - it's a lot funnier!' M. BrooksTrade ReviewConvivial and chirpily amusing...Wisecracking Mel's journey from tragedy to comedy. * Telegraph *Riotous * Daily Mail *A jaunty romp across Brooks's career * The Times *Brooks writes evocatively and with huge affection about his show business breakthrough as a writer * iNews *Such an enjoyable read * RTE *

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Book SynopsisAdele touches the hearts of millions of people who love her for her music and share the real and honest emotion she brings to each and every song. In a cynical age, she is a phenomenon.In Adele, bestselling biographer Sean Smith talks to those close to her as he follows her astonishing journey to fame that began on the gritty streets of Tottenham. Through compelling new research and interviews, he reveals that there is far more to Adele than the superstar we all think we know.He uncovers the story of her complex family relationships; the ill-starred love affair between her mother and father; her devastation at the untimely death of her grandfather; and her seemingly unpromising future in a gang-ravaged area of South London.She found salvation at the BRIT School before a series of unhappy love affairs provided the inspiration for her record-breaking albums. He describes how she conquered America and how it all could have been ended by a dramatic vocal injury. Instead, she has made an amTrade Review‘She’s touched the hearts of millons of people through her emotional tunes, and now author Sean Smith reveals the story behind one of the UK’s most successful exports. Having gained intimate access to the individuals closest to her, Smith exposes the star’s multifaceted life, from a string of miserable relationships in her early years to conquering America. Fans will be engrossed by the highs and lows of the second highest-paid woman in pop (behind Taylor Swift), concluding with her enjoying life as a new mother to son Angelo, alongside partner Simon Konecki.’– 4 star review, OK! Magazine

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Book Synopsis''REVELATORY'' - DAILY TELEGRAPH *****''FASCINATING'' - OBSERVER''ENGROSSING'' - DAILY MAIL''You'll worry at your hunger to keep on reading, but you won't be able to stop'' - GUARDIAN, Book of the Year David Litvinoff was one of the great mythic characters of 60s London. Flitting between the worlds of music, art and crime, he exerted a hidden influence that helped create the Krays twins' legend, connected the Rolling Stones with London's dark side, shaped the plot of classic film Performance and saw him immortalised in a portrait by Lucian Freud. Litvinoff's determination to live without trace means that his life has always eluded biographers, until now. Intent on unravelling the enigma of Litvinoff, Keiron Pim conducted 100 interviews over five years, speaking to Eric Clapton and Marianne Faithfull, James Fox and Mad' Frankie Fraser. The result is an extraordinary feat of researcTrade ReviewYou’ll worry at your hunger to keep on reading, but you won’t be able to stop. * Guardian, Book of the Year *The rock'n'roll legend of David Litvinoff is given its definitive account. A considerable work of detection and human sympathy unpicking old myths and making them new. -- Iain SinclairThis surely has the most startling beginning of any biography to be published this year… Vivid, engrossing… Pim gives an all too graphic picture of the seedy 1950s… He is compassionate and humane at every moment. His prose is always careful and stylish. -- Richard Davenport-Hines * Guardian *Blending pop culture, social history and interviews with raddled survivors, Pim reconstructs every scene in Litvinoff’s twisted history… Jumpin’ Jack Flash provides the missing piece of Swinging London’s social jigsaw. -- Dominic Green * Literary Review *Blending pop culture, social history and interviews with raddled survivors, Pim reconstructs every scene in Litvinoff’s twisted history… Jumpin’ Jack Flash provides the missing piece of Swinging London’s social jigsaw. -- Dominic Green * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisWritten by Piyush Pandey, who has worked in close coordination with Manoj Bajpayee for more than a decade, this book gives a rare insight into the life of one of Indiaâs best contemporary actors.

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Book Synopsis''A joyful examination of two artists from different centuries and the unlikely parallels in their life and work'' Guardian''An ardent fan letter from Hornby that makes you want to reread Great Expectations whilst listening to Sign o''the Times'' Vogue_____________________The essential gift for lovers of Prince, Dickens and everyone in between!In Nick Hornby''s completely joyous and original new book two great figures share the stage. Charles Dickens and Prince. Two wildly different artists who caught fire and lit up the world in ways no others could. Where did their magic come from? How did they work so hard and produce so much? How did they manage or give in to the restlessness and intensity of their creativity? How did they use it, and did it kill them?With wit, curiosity and deep admiration Nick Hornby traces their extraordinary lives - from their difficult beginnings to the women they fell for to theiTrade ReviewA joyful examination of two artists from different centuries and the unlikely parallels in their life and work * Guardian *Well, here's something you didn't expect - a joint biography of Charles Dickens and the pocket-sized popster Prince. And why not? The Fever Pitch chappie explores the nature of genius and what unites the inimitable Boz and the Imp of the Perverse * The Times, Best Books for Autumn *I love this. It's smart and funny and elegantly persuasive -- Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, author of Becoming DickensFrom rocky beginnings to too-early endings, Hornby traces the lives of two very different artists and shows they have more in common than we might think. Dickens & Prince is a playful, illuminating book * The i, 40 Best Books to Read this Autumn *An enjoyable and educational read that will leave fans of either figure positively enlightened * The Independent *An ardent fan letter from Hornby that makes you want to reread Great Expectations whilst listening to Sign o'the Times * Vogue *A winningly grounded manifesto for artists: forget the preciousness so often urged as the route to brilliance, and embrace prodigiousness instead – and don’t forget to make sure you get paid * Sunday Times *Beneath the surface of this fascinating biography there lies a warm and wise craft book about what it takes to make great art in any century * Esquire *A fascinating little book * Irish Times *Hornby’s admiration for his subjects is infectious . . . a zesty tribute to two cultural legends not often spoken about in the same breath * Publishers Weekly *This pairing – two magnificent creatives, centuries and genres apart – makes stunning sense in the hands of their wisest, wittiest fan * People Magazine *Hornby’s love for the work, for the sheer unbelievably prodigal output of both artists, is intense. And when he does write about Prince and sexuality, he is almost jarringly illuminating, particularly when he wrestles with Prince as shapeshifting sexual avatar * Daily Beast *

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Book Synopsis"The all-access autobiography of Bad Religion, a Southern Californian institution and one of the most influential and long-standing punk rock bands of all time In 1980, punk was declared dead in New York, done-for in London, banned in Hollywood. And yet just under the radar, the punk rock virus had continued to spread, slowly inching its way through the breezy beach towns of Southern California and into the edgier interior of East LA. Embraced by the skaters and surfers, and hated by just about everyone else, the LA punk scene ebbed and flowed in the early '80s, each wave ushering in an increasingly aggressive cycle of reformers. It was within this hotbed of deliberate dissonance, lyrical intensity, and untapped teen angst that Bad Religion was born. In Do What You Want, the legendary band tells us the story of their success in their own words, from jamming out in a 'hell hole-ish' garage in the 1980s to headlining sold-out festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Riot Fest, and more. O

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Book SynopsisThe world’s leading reggae scholar spent forty years interviewing Bob Marley and his closest confidants. This is the definitive telling of Bob Marley’s life.Trade Review"If Bob Marley is Jesus in these times, Roger Steffens is Peter." -- Carlos Santana"... absorbing oral history... So Much Things to Say is a major work that helps us better understand Marley's tragic yet inspirational tale." -- Mojo"... absorbing "oral history"... So Much Things to Say is a fitting tribute to the tumultuous life and complex character of the country’s favourite son." -- The Observer"So Much Things to Say, an 'oral' account of Marley's life and times, amounts to an absorbing alternative biography." -- The Spectator"Steffens identifies many more pieces of the man than have ever before been put together in one book." -- The Guardian"[So Much Things to Say] narrates the life of Marley from cradle to grave... Steffens has been on the Marley case for decades, and he’s a crucial voice in this epic chorus... Illuminating." -- Touré - The New York Times Book Review"There have been dozens of Bob Marley books, but this 2017 oral history, decades in the making, is definitive." -- Rolling Stone"For decades Steffens has been a leading authority on Bob Marley. Here he identifies many more pieces of the man than have ever before been put together in one book... Steffens marshals his sources with skill, and we’re left with a complex representation." -- The Guardian

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times Book of the Year: the definitive story of fashion's most enigmatic icon. Karl Lagerfeld lived a very public life. He shaped the Chanel and Fendi brands for decades, and his wit and wisdom amused and informed the world. Yet despite a massively public persona, his hinterland remained unknown. What is the truth behind this larger-than-life but enigmatic figure? The journalist and fashion specialist Alfons Kaiser met Lagerfeld on numerous occasions. He has now written the first authoritative biography on this fascinating character, whose life has always been marked by elements of secrecy. From his parentsâ links with the Nazi regime to Lagerfeldâs last days in the company of only his closest friends, this book â the result of unprecedented archival and field work â divulges all the facets of a passionate artist and workaholic: the precocious boy who preferred to draw in the attic rather than play with his peers; the son who quarrelled with his parents but never got aTrade Review'A must-have for every aficionado! ' - Vogue'A satisfyingly rounded portrait of a designer who remained largely mysterious during his lifetime ' - Financial Times'Aims to give a fuller account of the designer – and is complete with some brilliant black-and-white (obviously) photography of Lagerfeld throughout his life' - i newspaper

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Book SynopsisMatthew Bourne and His Adventures in Dance is an intimate and in-depth conversation between the prize-winning pioneer of ballet and contemporary dance Matthew Bourne and the New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay. In 1987, a small, aspirant dance group with a striking name made its debut on the London fringe. In 1996, Adventures in Motion Pictures made history as the first modern dance company to open a production in London''s West End. From this achievement, AMP sailed triumphantly to Broadway - winning three Tony Awards - guided by Artistic Director Matthew Bourne.Even before the inception of AMP, Bourne was fascinated by theatre, by characterization, and by the history of dance. In his early works - Spitfire, Town & Country and Deadly Serious - Bourne brought a novel approach to dance. And in his reworkings of the classics of the ballet canon - Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Cinderella - Bourne created witty, vivid, poignant productions that received great acclaim.In the first decade of the new millennium, the company name was changed to New Adventures, and Bourne''s ''classics'', as well as Bourne''s new works - The Car Man, Play Without Words, Edward Scissorhands and Dorian Gray - achieved levels of box-office popularity that have seldom, if ever, been matched in dance. In addition, his choreography for various musicals - My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins and Oliver! - have run for years in the West End and on Broadway.The detail in which Bourne discusses his work with Alastair Macaulay is unprecedented. The two explore Bourne''s upbringing, his training and influences, and his distinctive creative methods. Bourne''s notebooks, his sources and his collaboration with dancers all form part of the discussion in this book.

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Book SynopsisMetallica have sold in excess of 100 million albums and won seven Grammys. Their journey from scuzzy Los Angeles garages to the stages of the world''s biggest stadia has been an epic and often traumatic one, and one of the few truly great rock ''n'' roll sagas.No music writers have been afforded greater access to Metallica over the years than Paul Brannigan and Ian Winwood, two former editors of Kerrang. Having conducted hundreds of hours of interviews with the band, they have between them gained an unparalleled knowledge of the group''s history and an insiders'' view of how their story has developed: they have ridden in the band''s limos, flown on their private jet, joined them in the studio, been invited to the quartet''s ''HQ'' outside San Francisco and shared beers and stories with them in venues across the globe. There are countless memorable stories about the band never before seen in print, tales of bed-hopping and drug-taking and car-crashes and fist-fights an

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Book SynopsisHer Again is an intimate look at the artistic coming of age of the greatest actress of her generation, from the homecoming float at her suburban New Jersey high school to her star-making roles in The Deer Hunter, Manhattan, and Kramer vs. Kramer. Michael Schulman charts Meryl Streep's rise stardom on the New York stage, her passionate, tragically short-lived love affair with John Cazale, and her evolution as a young woman of the 1970s, wrestling with changing ideas of feminism, marriage, love, and sacrifice.

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Book SynopsisA 4-way biography of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, her sister Mimi and Richard Farina and how these beatniks made folk the new rock.Trade ReviewDraws you so far into the story that you read it as a novel; as if you were present, meeting the characters on the stairway, peering at them in smoky coffee houses while they tune their guitars' IRISH TIMES

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Book SynopsisThisis the story of the milltown brothers meteoric rise and 'much ignored' demise. It's the story of a good band that got very luckyand then got very unlucky. More broadly it demonstratesthe role luck plays in all our lives, every thought, breathand movement impacting on the way our futuresunfold.

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Book SynopsisThe book looks at each Elvis song in a different light. Maybe readers will play the lesser heard songs and appreciate them in a different way after reading the story behind the track. If it builds on the fans’ knowledge about Elvis and brings a bigger appreciation of Presley’s music then the book will have achieved its purpose.

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceA Best Book of the Year (So Far): W magazineA Must-Read: The New York Times Book Review, Nylon, Star Tribune, Ms., Kirkus Reviews, The Bay Area Reporter, Town & Country, InsideHook, San Francisco Chronicle[A] monumental biography. Hilton Als, The New YorkerA rich portrait of a glittering, communal, and bygone NYC . . . [and] of the glamorous queer icon. Arimeta Diop, Vanity FairFrom the acclaimed biographer Cynthia Carr, the first full portrait of the queer icon and Warhol superstar Candy Darling.You must always be yourself no matter what the price . . . Don't dare destroy your passion for the sake of others. The Warhol superstar and transgender icon Candy Darling was glamour personi?ed, but she was without a real place in the world.Growing up on

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