Entertainment Books
Rowman & Littlefield Shanties from the Seven Seas
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Taylor & Francis Ltd Historical Pattern Archive
Book SynopsisHistorical Pattern Archive: Women's Clothing 18371969 is the first book of its kind to capture such a wide range of women's period patterns in one book, featuring 83 patterns spanning over a century of clothing.The book offers an accurate pattern of each garment on a 1/8 graph that can be used to scale the pattern up to its original size, drawings of each piece from multiple angles, and instructions about how the original garment was constructed and what materials were used. Capturing research and information about garments that would have otherwise stayed hidden or disappeared permanently due to age, wear, or poor storage conditions, this volume is designed to be a tool to preserve history through documenting vintage clothing.Written for historians, reenactors, costumer makers, and costume designers, Historical Pattern Archive will enable readers to study the history behind each piece, implement their original techniques, and recTable of Contents1. Pre-1850 Patterns 2. 1850 Patterns 3. 1860 Patterns 4. 1870 Patterns 5. 1880 Patterns 6. 1890 Patterns 7. 1900 Patterns 8. 1910 Patterns 9. 1920 Patterns 10. 1930 Patterns 11. 1940 Patterns 12. 1950 Patterns 13. 1960 Patterns
£35.14
McFarland & Co Inc Heart Full of Soul
Book Synopsis This is the first full-length biography of Keith Relf, frontman for the Yardbirds and one of the great tragic characters in rock history. Keith''s moody vocals and harmonica helped to define the Yardbirds'' sound on a string of innovative hit records in the 1960s that influenced garage rock, psychedelia, blues rock, hard rock and heavy metal. Numerous books have been written about the Yardbirds'' famous guitarists--Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page--yet Keith has remained a mysterious and elusive figure since his death by electrocution at age 33. A deeply private person, prone to depression and poor health, Keith was ill-suited to the life of a rock star. In the years following the Yardbirds'' breakup, as the band''s guitarists became household names playing blues-based rock, Keith insisted on pursuing new musical paths, always searching for something new and trying to extend the Yardbirds'' spirit of curiosity and innovation. By the time of his death in 1976, KeithTable of Contents Table of Contents Acknowledgments—ix Foreword by Alice Cooper—1 Preface—3 Introduction—5 1. Richmond Upon Thames—9 2. Ready, Steady, Go!—20 3. Emotional Experiences in Sound—39 4. Invaders—50 5. Pop Art—62 6. Blow Up—81 7. Dazed and Confused—99 8. A Fresh Start—119 9. The Good Life—134 10. The Human Element—142 11. A Place in the Sun—147 12. The Battle of Light and Dark—155 13. Farewell—167 Epilogue—175 Selected Discography—177 Chapter Notes—185 Bibliography—193 Index—195
£29.41
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Thelma & Louise
Book SynopsisThelma & Louise, directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, sparked a remarkable public discussion about feminism, violence, and the representation of women in cinema on its release in 1991. Subject to media vilification for its apparent justification of armed robbery and manslaughter, it was a huge hit with audiences composed largely but not exclusively of women who cheered the fugitive central characters played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. Marita Sturken examines Thelma & Louise as one of those rare films that encapsulates the politics of its time. She discusses the film's reworking of the outlaw genre, its reversal of gender roles, and its engagement with the complex relationship of women, guns adn the law. The insights of director Scott, screenwriter Khouri as well as Davis and Sarandon are deployed in an analysis of Thelma & Louise and the controversies it sparked. This is a compelling study of a landmark in 1990s American cinema. In her foreword to this new edition, Sturken looks back on the film's reception at the time of its release, and considers its continuing resonances and topicality in the age of #MeToo.Table of ContentsForeword to the 2020 Edition Acknowledgments Thelma & Louise Notes Credits
£11.69
Soul Jazz Records Yo! The early days of Hip Hop 1982-84:
Book Synopsis
£28.00
Nick Hern Books How Plays Work
Book SynopsisIn How Plays Work, distinguished playwright David Edgar examines the mechanisms and techniques which dramatists throughout the ages have employed to structure their plays and to express their meaning. Written for playwrights and playgoers alike, Edgar's analysis starts with the building blocks of whole plays – plot, character-creation, genre and structure – and moves on to scenes and devices. He shows how plays share a common architecture without which the uniqueness of their authors' vision would be invisible. How Plays Work is both a masterclass for playwrights and playmakers and a fascinating guide to the anatomy of drama. In this revised edition, Edgar brings the book right up to date with analyses of many recent plays, as well as explorations of emerging genres and new innovations in playwriting practice. 'A brilliantly illuminating, bang-up-to-date, unmissable read' April De Angelis 'A book of real theoretical heft written by a major working playwright' Steve Waters 'An essential accompaniment for anyone fascinated by the craft of dramatic storytelling' John Yorke 'Every theatremaker should read this book' Pippa Hill, Literary Manager, Royal Shakespeare Company 'Even if you've read the book before, it demands to be reread' Simon Callow 'Combines theoretical acumen with the assured know-how of a working dramatist' Terry Eagleton, Times Literary SupplementTrade Review'Fascinating... read it. You will learn a lot' * The Stage *'Lucid, deeply intelligent... combines theoretical acumen with the assured know-how of a working dramatist' * Terry Eagleton, TLS *
£13.49
Bonnier Books Ltd The Beatles Colouring Book
Book SynopsisChannel your creativity and love for The Beatles through this nostalgic colouring experience.
£7.59
Globe Pequot Press Bruce Springsteen
Book SynopsisFifty years since Bruce Springsteen''s debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. brought a new songwriting talent to the public, Bruce Springsteen is long established as one of the giants of popular music. Through a long career of studio and live albums, archival releases, massive tours with the E Street Band, and more recently solo performances on Broadway, Springsteen has demonstrated a remarkable talent for communicating with a wide audience. Whether acoustic or electric, plainly presented or richly orchestrated, his narrative and character-based songs have captured and reflected the pains, hopes, dilemmas, and dreams of millions. Bruce Springsteen: Songwriting Secrets, Revised and Updated presents his music as the starting point for a masterclass in the art of writing powerfuland successfulsongs. Songwriting guru Rikky Rooksby surveys Springsteen''s rich catalogue and shows how the common techniques they employ can help you:Structure intros, verses, choruse
£16.99
Hal Leonard Corporation How to Write Guitar Riffs
Book SynopsisCountless great songs are based on riffscatchy guitar phrases that repeat until they're seared into your brain foreveror snappy chord sequences as memorable as any melody. Riffs get people excited, whether they are musicians or listeners. Advertising agencies use riffs on television, internet videos, and cinema trailers. Riffs sell concert tickets, guitars, and downloads. Youtube is full of guitarists playing riffs.This book now in its third and updated edition digs deep into the world of the guitar riff, identifying 30 distinct types and illustrating them with reference to 150 examples: from Howlin Wolf to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Chuck Berry to Limp Bizkit, the Kinks to the Strokes, Black Sabbath to the White Stripes, Coldplay and Kings of Leon. The book includes 56 tracks of audio, illustrating all types of riffs covered, plus notation and TAB for 40 original example riffs composed by the author. In the book you can trace the connections between riff types and the scales, modes, or chords from which they're drawn learn the guitar tips and arranging techniques to get the best from your riffs read an exclusive interview with Led Zeppelin and Them Crooked Vultures bassist John Paul Jones, a multi-instrumentalist, writer, and arranger with 50 years experience in riff-based music.
£17.99
Titan Books Ltd Aliens - Artbook
Book SynopsisA lavish coffee table book bursting with brand new and exclusive art. The book includes over 100 pieces by professional artists, illustrators, concept artists, comics artists and graphic designers. From character portraits, faux book covers and poster concepts, to iconic scenes, wanted posters and renderings of the iconic Xenomorph and Alien Queen, each artist puts their own stamp on the Alien universe.Trade Review"For fans of Aliens looking for their next fix" - Borg.com
£31.99
University of Virginia Press The Architecture of Suspense
Book SynopsisIn this original and indispensable book, Christine Madrid French reveals Hitchcock’s relation to the built world was informed by an intense engagement with location and architectural form - in an era marked by modernism’s advance - fueled by some of the most creative midcentury designers in film.Trade Review"The subject is fascinating. This book will surely appeal to a wide audience. Christine Madrid French’s enthusiasm is contagious, informative, and eye-opening." - Sidney Gottlieb, editor of Hitchcock on Hitchcock
£22.46
HarperCollins Publishers Wagnerism
Book Synopsis'An absolutely masterly work' Stephen FryAlex Ross, renowned author of the international bestseller The Rest Is Noise, reveals how Richard Wagner became the proving ground for modern art and politicsan aesthetic war zone where the Western world wrestled with its capacity for beauty and violence.For better or worse, Wagner is the most widely influential figure in the history of music. Around 1900, the phenomenon known as Wagnerism saturated European and American culture. Such colossal creations as The Ring of the Nibelung, Tristan und Isolde, and Parsifal were models of formal daring, mythmaking, erotic freedom, and mystical speculation. A mighty procession of writers, artists, and thinkers, including Charles Baudelaire, Virginia Woolf, Isadora Duncan, Vasily Kandinsky, and Luis Buñuel, felt his impact. Anarchists, occultists, feminists, and gay-rights pioneers saw him as a kindred spirit. Then Adolf Hitler incorporated Wagner into the soundtrack of Nazi Germany, and the composer came to be defined by his ferocious anti-Semitism. His name is now almost synonymous with artistic evil.Wagnerism restores the magnificent confusion of what it means to be a Wagnerian. A pandemonium of geniuses, madmen, charlatans, and prophets do battle over Wagner's many-sided legacy. The narrative ranges across artistic disciplines, from architecture to the novels of Philip K. Dick, from the Zionist writings of Theodor Herzl to the civil-rights essays of W. E. B. Du Bois, from O Pioneers! to Apocalypse Now. In many ways,Wagnerism tells a tragic tale. An artist who might have rivalled Shakespeare in universal reach is implicated in an ideology of hate. Still, his shadow lingers over twenty-first century culture, his mythic motifs coursing through superhero films and fantasy fiction. Neither apologia nor condemnation, Wagnerism is a work of intellectual passion, urging us toward a more honest idea of how art acts in the world.Trade Review‘Ross does a good and very full job in tracing the obsession of different times and places, and the intellectual flavour each wave took … excellent, and extraordinarily thorough’ Philip Hensher, Spectator ‘An absolutely masterly work … A miraculous synthesis. Ross’s writing is an art that conceals art, propelling the reader on and on’ Stephen Fry “Wagnerism is as magnificently realized as it is monumentally ambitious, a cultural history of the modern world that Richard ‘Wagner and his protean art helped mightily to create … Ross is the ideal guide: lucid, astoundingly erudite, scrupulous, generous, profound, objective and engaged, and enormously entertaining’ Tony Kushner, playwright of Angels in America ‘With rhetorical flourishes and an eye for detail Ross extols the art made by Wagnerians who were able to meet “the Meister” on their own terms’ The Times ‘Wagnerism is a hugely exhilarating read, and a virtuoso feat of scholarship and supple writing: Ross is such a companionable guide, connecting ideas so casually and unspooling stories so fluidly that you can almost lose sight of the ferocious erudition that undergirds every page. I can’t think of a better or more profound work about the long, complicated shadow of cultural influence’ Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Say Nothing ‘Goes far beyond the man himself, using its subject to springboard into a breathlessly entertaining and dizzyingly diverse survey of art, politics and culture over the past century and a half. Ultimately, it’s a book about how humans are inspired by art, and like all of Alex Ross’s writing, it bottles that strange lightning and inspires us in turn’ Rian Johnson, director of The Last Jedi and Knives Out ‘Love him or hate him, Wagner has been unavoidable … By presenting an honest assessment of the problem, Wagnerism supplies, if not answers, then at least the right questions.’ Economist
£16.14
Rutgers University Press Single Lives: Modern Women in Literature,
Book SynopsisSingle Lives is a collection of singleness studies essays from the interdisciplinary humanities that explores the last two hundred years of literature and popular media by, about, and for single women in the US and the UK. Independent women have always been a center around which social anxieties and excitement coalesced. Moving between the family home and domestic independence, between household and public labor, and between celibacy and a range of sexual relations, the single woman remains a literary and cultural focus, as she has been from the 19th to the 21st centuries. This collection offers readers the opportunity to uncover the social, political, economic, and cultural connections between the "singly blessed" women and "bachelor girls" of the 19th and early 20th century and "all the single ladies" of the 21st century. Essays read singleness across genre and field, offering new approaches to studying modern and contemporary single women in literature, film, and history. Authors engage scholarship from wide ranging fields of social history, women's studies, queer theory, and Black feminism. The collection reads familiar texts against the grain, rethinking archival resources, revisiting familiar figures, and exploring new sources: cookbooks, ephemera, personal documents, recovered film histories, and forms of domestic space and labor.This is a book for scholars of gender and sexuality, social history, feminist film and media scholars, and literary historians, and reflects the urgent contemporary interest in single women as a political, economic, and cultural force. Trade Review"Single Lives, focusing on a wide range of British and American texts from the nineteenth to the present century, makes a timely feminist intervention into ongoing critical conversations about the representation of women’s singleness. This engaging interdisciplinary collection, which foregrounds diverse embodiments of singleness, revisits familiar figures, and promotes expanded methods and sources to better understand single women’s lived experiences, promises to greatly enrich the field of singleness studies." -- Anthea Taylor * author of Celebrity and the Feminist Blockbuster *"Drawing from wide-ranging disciplines and spanning a century of British and American history, Single Lives offers an original and engrossing analysis of how the figure of the single woman stands as an implicit challenge to the norm of the patriarchal nuclear family." -- Kathleen Rowe Karlyn * author of The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter *"Single Lives, focusing on a wide range of British and American texts from the nineteenth to the present century, makes a timely feminist intervention into ongoing critical conversations about the representation of women’s singleness. This engaging interdisciplinary collection, which foregrounds diverse embodiments of singleness, revisits familiar figures, and promotes expanded methods and sources to better understand single women’s lived experiences, promises to greatly enrich the field of singleness studies." -- Anthea Taylor * author of Celebrity and the Feminist Blockbuster *"Drawing from wide-ranging disciplines and spanning a century of British and American history, Single Lives offers an original and engrossing analysis of how the figure of the single woman stands as an implicit challenge to the norm of the patriarchal nuclear family." -- Kathleen Rowe Karlyn * author of The Unruly Woman: Gender and the Genres of Laughter *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Situating Single Lives by Katherine Fama and Jorie Lagerwey Part I: Singles Studies: Archives and Methods Chapter 1: Searching for Singles: Archival Approaches for Singleness Studies and Black Women’s Collections by Andreá N. Williams Chapter 2: Reclaiming Single Women’s Work: Gender, Melodrama, and the Processes of Adaptation in The Best of Everything by Jennifer S. Clark Chapter 3: Recovering Single Biography: Jane Armstrong Tucker, Illness, and the Single Life by Elizabeth DeWolfe Part II: Familiar Figures: Representing and Reforming the Single Woman Chapter 4: Becoming Single: Gidget “Betwixt and Between” by Pamela Robertson Wojcik Chapter 5: F. Scott Fitzgerald and “The Sinking Ship of Future Matrimony:” The Unmarried Flapper in Literature and on Screen by Martina Mastandrea Chapter 6: Neither Betwixt nor Between: Divorced Mothers in the United States, 1920-1965 by Kristin Celello Chapter 7: Serves One: Exploring Representations of Female Singleness in American Cookbooks by Ursula Kania Part III: Singles at Home: Domestic Labors Chapter 8: Feeling “Like a Queen:” Later-Life Single Women at Home in Modern American Short Fiction by Katherine Fama Chapter 9: “Spinsters’ Rest?”: The Discomforts of Home in British Women’s Short Stories of the 1920s to the 1940s by Emma Liggins Chapter 10: All the Single Nannies: Reforming Elite Domesticity and the Cultural Imaginary by Ann Mattis Afterword by Benjamin Kahan Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors Bibliography Index
£30.60
Titan Books Ltd Marvel Comics' Black Panther: Wakanda Cookbook
Book SynopsisWakanda forever! Celebrate the flavors of Africa with this cookbook inspired by over fifty years of Black Panther comics. Create meals fit for a king with this cookbook featuring over seventy delicious recipes from Wakanda and the African continent. Whether you're welcoming Wakandan envoys, or simply hosting a watch party with friends, the 70+ African cuisine-inspired recipes in Marvel's Black Panther: The Official Wakanda Cookbook make it a must-have volume for any kitchen.
£21.24
Vestal Press Treasures of Mechanical Music
Book Synopsis
£58.40
Abrams Music Is History
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Music Is History is an entertaining, informative and far-reaching work, meticulously excavating American culture and history with the eye of a seasoned cratedigger.” * The Washington Post *“This inspired volume continues Questlove’s thoughtful and thought-provoking work and is an enduring analysis of the effects of music on personal, political, and cultural histories.” * Library Journal STARRED Review *“Questlove’s in-depth, witty, creative, personal, and authoritative musical history will keep people reading, listening, questioning, and musing for many years to come." * Booklist *“A palimpsestic, personal, and resonant journey with a living musical encyclopedia.” * Kirkus *“This stimulating work is sure to attract deep thinkers and music theorists everywhere.” * Publishers Weekly *
£12.59
Titan Books Ltd Star Wars Insider Presents The Mandalorian Season
Book SynopsisJourney to amazing worlds as Star Wars: The Mandalorian, the critically acclaimed series that expands the Star Wars universe, continues to tell the acclaimed story of the mysterious Mandalorian warrior Dyn Jarren and The Child. This collector's edition includes stunning artwork from chapters 5-8, featuring the droids, rogues, and soldiers of the Empire as seen in the hit series. A unique mix of photography, art and concept illustration showcases the Mandalorian, his allies, his foes and his incredible adventures.
£11.24
Simon & Schuster This Bright Future: A Memoir
Book SynopsisThe instant New York Times bestseller and “inspiring and vulnerable” (Trevor Noah) memoir from Bobby Hall, the multiplatinum recording artist known as Logic and the #1 bestselling author of Supermarket.This Bright Future is a raw and unfiltered journey into the life and mind of Bobby Hall, who emerged from the wreckage of a horrifically abusive childhood to become an era-defining artist of our tumultuous age. A self-described orphan with parents, Bobby Hall began life as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, the only child of an alcoholic, mentally ill mother on welfare and an absent, crack-addicted father. After enduring seventeen years of abuse and neglect, Bobby ran away from home and—with nothing more than a discarded laptop and a ninth-grade education—he found his voice in the world of hip-hop and a new home in a place he never expected: the untamed and uncharted wilderness of the social media age. In the message boards and livestreams of this brave new world, Bobby became Logic, transforming a childhood of violence, anger, and trauma into music that spread a resilient message of peace, love, and positivity. His songs would touch the lives of millions, taking him to dizzying heights of success, where the wounds of his childhood and the perils of Internet fame would nearly be his undoing. A landmark achievement in an already remarkable career, This Bright Future “is just like the author—fearless, funny, and full of heart” (Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One) and looks back on Bobby’s extraordinary life with lacerating humor and fearless honesty. Heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting, this book completes the incredible true story and transformation of a human being who, against all odds, refused to be broken.
£11.99
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Fleetwood Mac in Chicago
Book SynopsisA book showcasing the legendary Fleetwood Mac blues session at Chicago's Chess Studios in January 1969!
£33.29
Chester Music Underwater
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Faber & Faber Verse Chorus Monster
Book SynopsisA long-awaited memoir of Blur co-founder, guitar legend and visual artist Graham Coxon.
£19.00
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Ill Show Myself Out
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Poignant and brutally honest. . . will make you laugh out loud.” — Washington Post, "The Best Feel-Good Books of the Year" “A laugh-out-loud book of essays. . . . strikes gold. . . . Klein’s comedic sensibilities and abundant care for women make her the ideal writer to square off against the obligations and judgments placed on mothers. . . . an instant classic." — Glamour “Comedian Jessi Klein delivers a necessary laugh for parents just beginning to emerge from the dumpster fire otherwise known as pandemic parenting. . . . grapples with the humiliations and possibilities of midlife and motherhood, from impossible car seats to equally befuddling ‘Mama’ necklaces. Even the essay titles are funny.” — Time Magazine "Her humor and insights are spot-on." — People, "The Best New Books" "Achingly funny." — Esquire, "The 8 Best Comedy Books of the Year" “Brutally honest and so very human.” — Vulture, “The Best Comedy Books of the Year (So Far)” “Jessi Klein is back with an unflinchingly honest and hilarious memoir about navigating the absurdly high expectations of being both a mom and a woman. . . . I’ll Show Myself Out will not only make you laugh but also, and most importantly, think, ‘Hmm, so it’s not just me.’” — Shondaland “Jessi Klein has yet again ‘delivered’ (and yes I’m using that in the messy motherhood-pun way—I’m not the writer) a collection of the most relatable, achingly raw, and stunningly human essays I have read about the mess of motherhood and this chapter of life since her last collection. And… they are of course hilarious. THANK YOU JESSI for this gift. Please read it, mothers. It is nourishment.” — Kathryn Hahn “Jessi Klein’s essay collection spoke to the deepest part of my soul and being. Her framing of motherhood as a ‘hero’s journey’ made me weep from feeling seen. I also howled with laughter so many times I was politely asked to leave a restaurant. It’s a perfect book.” — Casey Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Wreckage of My Presence “I'll Show Myself Out is so pee-in-the-pants funny, I made sure to wear period underwear while reading it. Insanely smart and wildly relatable, Jessi Klein's highly anticipated second book is the most entertaining thing I've read in a long time.” — Ali Wong, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Girls "Jessi Klein has once again arrived with a collection of essays so familiar to me, it's like she has been directly inside my brain. Smart, bold, and uproariously funny. It's a 10/10 from me." — Kate Baer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman and I Hope This Finds You Well “[Klein] is gifted at turning the day-to-day minutiae into comedy gold, while simultaneously pulling back to lend commentary (often searing commentary) on the larger picture. A lot of her writing reminds me of David Sedaris, the way you find yourself laughing your ass off as you read along, and then suddenly you’re like why is my heart in my throat?” — Jenny Rosenstrach, New York Times bestselling author of The Weekday Vegetarians and Dinner: A Love Story “A bold and irreverent collection. . . . Klein is full of surprises, and moments of hilarity often dissolve into unexpected glimpses of joy. . . . Funny, clever, and full of heart, this one’s a gem.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Klein isn't here to make motherhood look pretty, but she ends up making it look pretty great in the truest sense of the word, mixing laughs with poignancy and treating heavy topics with a brightening kind of honesty.” — Booklist Praise for You'll Grow Out of It: "A book like Jessi Klein's YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT comes along to remind us just what an artful confessional essay can do." — New York Times "Is it really a surprise that comedian Jessi Klein, head writer and executive producer for Inside Amy Schumer, would write a book of personal essays brimming with sharp observations and insights and poignant recollections but that above all is very, very funny? ...We guarantee that this book will quickly become one of your summer favorites." — Entertainment Weekly "[Jessi Klein's] astute, hilarious essays about the perilous path to modern womanhood will have you wincing in recognition." — People "Klein shares her eccentric path to adulthood, from her tomboyish girlhood to sidesplitting dating tales and beyond in this uproarious, relatable, and irresistible memoir." — Harper’s Bazaar "Deftly blending irreverent humor with poignant insights, Klein's writing is wonderfully intimate." — New York magazine "Never afraid to share insights and reveal the raw truth behind her own stories, Klein makes readers laugh while inspiring them, a feat that calls to mind the work of the late Nora Ephron. This uplifting and uproarious collection of personal essays will be repeatedly shared among friends." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Reading [Jessi Klein's] book is like watching her--doubtless superb--stand-up act." — Booklist (starred review) "A gifted comedian turns the anxieties, obsessions, insecurities, and impossible-to-meet expectations that make up human nature into laughter." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
£16.08
Fitzcarraldo Editions Fassbinder Thousands of Mirrors
Book SynopsisMelodrama, biography, cold war thriller, drug memoir, essay in fragments, mystery – Fassbinder Thousands of Mirrors is cult critic Ian Penman’s long awaited first original book, a kaleidoscopic study of the late West German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945–1982). Written quickly under a self-imposed deadline in the spirit of Fassbinder himself, who would often get films made in a matter of weeks or months, Fassbinder Thousands of Mirrors presents the filmmaker as a pivotal figure in the late 1970s moment between late modernism and the advent of postmodernism and the digital revolution. Compelling, beautifully written and genuinely moving, echoing the fragmentary and reflective works of writers like Barthes and Cioran, this is a story that has everything: sex, drugs, art, the city, cinema and revolution.Trade Review‘[Fassbinder] Thousands of Mirrors is not a sorrowful kill-your-heroes recanting. It’s much more interesting than that – a freewheeling, hopscotching study of the Fassbinder allure and an investigation of Penman’s younger self…It’s a book about a film-maker but also, hauntingly, about the way our tastes and passions change over time.’ — Anthony Quinn, Observer‘Do Penman’s flurries of quickfire erudition add up to a dazzling kaleidoscope overall, or a labyrinth of aborted pathways? The answer is “both”. He’s boldly querying his subject’s genius from every vantage point – angry and young; older and (maybe) wiser.’ — Tim Robey, Telegraph‘Ian Penman is an ideal critic, one who invites you in, takes your coat, and hands you a drink as he sidles up to his topic. He has a modest mien, a feathery way with a sentence, a century’s worth of adroit cultural connections at the ready, and a great well of genuine passion, which quickly raises the temperature.’ — Lucy Sante, author of The Other Paris‘This is a wonderful book, and a surprisingly encouraging one too. Acute in its glancing survey of Fassbinder’s films, it also engages the early Seventies as a moment of ideological dishevelment that refuses to pass. If Penman lingers over those years in his own taut and revealing way, that is partly because they produced a kind of critical thought that, having not yet been squared up to fit the academic conveyor belt, could be rarified, speculative and experimental while also remaining closely engaged with political reality. Fassbinder is a great model for anyone puzzling over how we might remember as well as think and act in this chaotic time.’ — Patrick Wright, author of The Sea View Has Me Again‘Ian Penman – critic, essayist, mystical hack and charmer of sentences like they’re snakes – is the writer I have hardly gone a week without reading, reciting, summoning to mind. The writer without whom, etc.’ — Brian Dillon, author of Affinities‘Approached from all angles, Fassbinder is by turns a figure of intense corporeality, glistening with sweat, and an overblown mass of meaning.’ — Georgie Carr, Times Literary Supplement‘The book is many things, but above all it is a reckoning with the idea that art might enter the commodity world and awaken its inhabitants.... [T]he late 1970s/early 1980s, in which Penman was a shadowy but vital presence – post-punk, new pop, new romanticism – is remembered similarly as a moment where a sudden societal switch led to an efflorescence of radical popular culture. Writing his book in 2022, Penman was remembering Penman in 1982 remembering the just-dead Fassbinder marking one historical moment of transition by making reference to another that took place decades earlier. To read Penman doing this in what feels like another moment of passage into something unknown and frightening is rather eerie.’ — Owen Hatherley, London Review of Books‘This is a jittery, clammy book, sweat beading on every page… In its exuberant phrase making, obsessive listing, emotional explosions and crashes, bursting seams – the book has three appendices – and its linguistic pyrotechnics, it ultimately comes down on the side of willing delirium.’ — John Douglas Miller, Frieze‘[A] slender love letter.’ — Stuart Jeffries, Spectator‘[T]his is the efficient, gregarious guidebook that neophytes have been missing’ —Chris Molner, Los Angeles Review of Books ‘Drifting through personal back alleys and intellectual boulevards à la the wanderings of Walter Benjamin and Geoff Dyer. A maze of epigrams, aphorisms (“Aren’t all masks death masks?”), anecdotes, and numbered fragments. An exquisitely companionable guidebook-inventory of a vast, intimate mental space Penman dubs the Fassbundesrepublik…A Thousand Mirrors doesn’t try to solve the contradictions of its subject but lays them out like a suit and inhabits them.’ —Howard Hampton, Artforum‘Ian Penman’s Fassbinder Thousands Of Mirrors isn’t a biography of the epic and controversial master filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder – it’s much more. It’s chock-a-block with quotes and confessions, famous writers, artists, politics, history, social commentary and a bit of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, among – of course – film talk. Like me, you’ll have to re-read this, not least because it’s a who’s who of post-WWII culture world.’ — Rhonda Lee Reali, Buzz Magazine‘And so, as if making a pact with his young review-churning self, Penman opted for a different strategy: to write quickly, finishing in a matter of months a critical portrait of Fassbinder in the style of Fassbinder — fast, made-to-deadline, bristling with ideas yet economical.The book rushes by in a flurry of numbered one-or-so-paragraph notes. The notes drift, venture lightly and suggestively down quick-flash exploratory tunnels, turn Fassbinder and his films over and peer at them from various heights.’ — William Harris, Jacobin‘Fassbinder Thousands of Mirrors, by the British critic Ian Penman, offers… an erotics—of cinema, of memory, of the gradual wreck of history. The sensuality of Penman’s book is inseparable from the music of his prose.’ — Jeremy Lybarger, The Baffler‘Ian Penman – legendary writer, critic and master of lucid, joyous prose – instead offers up a patchwork portrait of RWF, one assembled of 450 observations, reflections, bits of research and more. Through those fragments you get a proper sense of how one can really wallow in both Fassbinder’s massive body of work and his personal mythology – but Mirrors also reeks of adoration and joy, a delightful, emotive and appropriately flashy ode.’ — Ed Cunningham,Timeout Books of the Year 2023
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co The Mousetrap
Book Synopsis''Even more thrilling than the plot is the atmosphere of shuddering suspense . . . No one brews it better than Agatha Christie'' Daily ExpressFor more than 70 years, Agatha Christie''s The Mousetrap has kept millions of people, from every corner of the globe, on the edge of their seats, and it continues to be a sell-out hit of London theatre. This brand new edition of the world''s longest-running play contains a new introduction by Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of the authorised Agatha Christie Poirot continuation novels, as well as the official play script and a host of exclusive material from the show''s archives. As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves in a remote countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover - to their horror - that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be th
£21.25
Faber & Faber Verse Chorus Monster
Book SynopsisA refreshingly modest memoir.' THE TIMESVerse, Chorus, Monster! is the memoir of iconic British musician and Blur co-founder Graham Coxon, charting a life of music, fame, addiction and art. Before the noise and clamour of the Britpop era, Coxon was a shy Army kid tempering his anxiety through painting and a growing love of music. As he honed his artistic skill at school, his band with school friend Damon Albarn, fellow student Alex James, and a drummer called Dave Rowntree began to get noticed. But there are things they don't tell you before you get famous. There are monsters out there. And some may even be lurking inside yourself.Charting the hedonism of his Nineties heyday and the ensuing fallout, Blur''s reluctant guitar hero is finally making himself heard.' EVENING STANDARDBreaks off with Coxon, a classically tortured artist, on a blessedly even keel.' OBSERVER
£10.44
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Crisis of Narration
Book SynopsisNarratives produce the ties that bind us. They create community, eliminate contingency and anchor us in being. And yet in our contemporary information society, where everything has become arbitrary and random, storytelling becomes storyselling and narratives lose their binding force. Whereas narratives create community, storytelling brings forth only a fleeting community – the community of consumers. No amount of storytelling could recreate the fire around which humans gather to tell each other stories. That fire has long since burnt out. It has been replaced by the digital screen, which separates people rather than bringing them together. Through storytelling, capitalism appropriates narrative: stories sell. They are no longer a medium of shared experience. The inflation of storytelling betrays a need to cope with contingency, but storytelling is unable to transform the information society back into a stable narrative community. Rather, storytelling as storyselling is a pathological phenomenon of our age. Byung-Chul Han, one of the most perceptive cultural theorists of contemporary society, dissects this crisis with exceptional insight and flair.Table of ContentsPreface From Narration to InformationThe Poverty of ExperienceThe Narrated LifeBare LifeThe Disenchantment of the WorldFrom Shocks to LikesTheory as NarrativeNarration as HealingNarrative CommunityStoryselling Notes
£12.99
FAB Press The Ghastly One: The 42nd Street Netherworld of
Book Synopsis
£21.24
Faber & Faber Kubrick
Book SynopsisThe enigmatic and elusive filmmaker Stanley Kubrick has not been treated to a full-length biography in over twenty years. Stanley Kubrick: An Odyssey fills that gap. It is based on access to the latest research, especially into his archive at the University of the Arts, London, and other papers as well as new interviews with family members and those who worked with him. It offers comprehensive and in-depth coverage of Kubrick's personal, private, public, and working life. We discuss not only the making of his films, but also about those he wanted but failed to make like Burning Secret, Napoleon, Aryan Papers, and A.I. We discover what he was doing when he was not making films. This biography will puncture a few myths about this allegedly reclusive filmmaker, who created some of the most important works of art of the twentieth century
£27.00
Taschen GmbH Harry Benson. Paul
Book SynopsisHarry Benson began photographing Paul McCartney in 1964, when the Beatles took America by storm, toured the world, and made their movie debut with A Hard Day’s Night. The legendary photojournalist was on hand to document it all. When the Fab Four came to an end, it was Benson who had intimate access to Paul and his wife Linda, as Paul forged a new path, creatively and personally. Featuring more than 100 color and black-and-white images, this collection is a window into the life of one of the world’s best-known recording artists, one who has remained enigmatic despite a lifetime in the limelight. Through Benson’s lens, Paul traces the evolution of its namesake from performer to icon, father and husband. We see the young musician at the height of his fame with the Beatles, in the recording studio with Linda and their band Wings, with the family, behind the scenes and on stage during the 1975–76 “Wings Over America” tour, partying with the stars, and at the couple’s quiet farm in the UK in the early 1990s. On the occasion of Sir Paul's 80th birthday, Paul gives an all-access look at a life spent making the world’s most popular music. A must for any music fan.Trade Review“Benson’s photographs celebrate the life and making of the world’s most beloved musician.” * V Magazine *“…a trove of charming, intimate shots of the former Beatle and his family.” * People *“I’m proud of the work that I’ve done with Paul over the years and grateful he’s allowed me to document some private and personal moments in his extraordinary life.” * Harry Benson *
£37.50
Titan Books Ltd The Amazing Maurice: The Art of the Film
Book SynopsisThe official art book for the animated movie The Amazing Maurice, based on the Carnegie Medal-winning Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett Maurice is a streetwise talking tomcat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of talking rats and finding a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe. When Maurice and company reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm called Malicia and their scheme soon goes down the drain. The Art of the Film is a coffee table hardback celebration of the creative process of bringing The Amazing Maurice to life, including exclusive concept designs, character sketches, storyboards and production art, alongside insight from the artists, filmmakers and directors.
£27.99
Chronicle Books Negatives: A Photographic Archive of Emo
Book SynopsisA gorgeous hardcover time capsule of the emo music scene as it was from 1996 to 2006, featuring never-before-seen photographs and never-before-told stories from key emo musicians, photographers, and icons. While the term emo has become a familiar label, there was a time when that wasn't the case. Many bands of the mid-to-late '90s would never have classified themselves as such - back then, the term was not only inaccurate but often used derogatorily. With the advent of the 2000s, the previously underground emo scene was put on the map, and the term and sound of the genre morphed into something new. A musical renaissance was happening, but bands didn't give much thought to the label in the long term. Nothing mattered, as long as the kids came out to shows. Today, the musical and cultural impact of this movement is alive and well, responsible for some of the biggest and most influential acts of the 21st century, from Jimmy Eat World to My Chemical Romance, and the emo label has been reclaimed by those who can't imagine life without Through rare and never-before-seen photographs Amy Fleisher Madden, founder of Fiddler Records (Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory, Recover, and more), thoughtfully and lovingly puts together this moving archive of the second and third waves of emo. With a foreword by Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional) and revealing essays from Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Geoff Rickly (Thursday), Norman Brannon (Texas Is the Reason), and Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids), as well as insights and bite-sized narratives from photographers and other musicians of the era, this heartwarming time capsule expounds an extraordinary moment in music history - a scene that gave life to not only numerous big names but also to a powerful sound and even more powerful friendships. Featuring over 80 bands, including: Jimmy Eat World Dashboard Confessional My Chemical Romance Texas Is the Reason Taking Back Sunday The Get Up Kids Thursday The Promise Ring American Football Saosin From basements and VFW halls to dive bars and hole-in-the-walls, during long overnight drives through the middle of nowhere and stolen moments of sleep in carbon-copy motels, Negatives captures the heart of what made up this tight-knit community, an official archive of life as it was, taking you on stage, behind the curtain, and on the road.
£33.25
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd Marilyn Monroe
Book SynopsisLife advice from a screen legend Arguably one of the most recognisable actresses of all time, this unauthorised collection of inspirational quotes demonstrates the spirit of a true style icon, and reflects on fashion, elegance, success, beauty and beyond. ---'All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they aren't.''Who said nights were for sleep?''I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one.''I am not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.'
£9.49
Faber & Faber The Weakness in Me
Book SynopsisSelected and arranged by the author, and featuring a foreword by revered record producer Glyn Johns, The Weakness In Me presents the lyrics of Joan Armatrading for the first time in one unique volume.
£11.24
Thames & Hudson Ltd Marrs Guitars
Book Synopsis'A great book fascinating' Jools Holland, Later With Jools Holland, BBC2 'If you are even remotely interested in guitars or the geniuses that play them you have to get a copy of Marr's Guitars. A lush, mouthwatering masterpiece of a book' Shaun Keaveny 'What a love story this book is. The electric guitar - the greatest weapon ever given to the working class' Gary Kemp 'Guitars have been the obsession of my life ... they've been a mission and sometimes a lifeline' Johnny Marr The guitarist's guitarist, Johnny Marr redefined music for a generation. His ringing arpeggios and chordal innovations helped elevate The Smiths to be one of the most influential and important British bands of all time. Tracing Marr's career from his teenage years to his recent work on the Bond soundtrack, Marr's Guitars showcases the most significant of Marr's superb collection of electric and acoustic guitars, revealing through them the evolution of his iconic sound and style of playing. Each guitar is iTrade Review'A great book, I really enjoyed looking at it … fascinating' - Jools Holland, Later With Jools Holland, BBC2'If you are even remotely interested in guitars or the geniuses that play them you have to get a copy of Marr’s Guitars. A lush, mouthwatering masterpiece of a book' - Shaun Keaveny'Creating a visually arresting, high-quality art book became Marr’s main aim, and he approached it with the tenacity and enthusiasm he would normally bring to a new album' - Guardian'The wonderfully curated and intentionally detailed collection is eye candy for music fans of all kinds ... Each tale is a glimmer, every guitar unraveling personal moments that were inspiring and formative. In totality, it’s a beautiful journey ... Marr’s recollections transport the reader to a different time' - Forbes'A guitar book for people "who wouldn’t normally have guitar books" ... As Hans Zimmer aptly writes in the foreword, "the guitar... lets us reveal our true selves more profoundly than words ever could"' - Daily Mail'What a love story this book is. The electric guitar - the greatest weapon ever given to the working class' - Gary Kemp'Marr’s Guitars is not just a love-letter to Marr’s beloved instrument; it’s a historical reference' - Paste magazine'A coffee table book of stunning guitar photographs from Johnny Marr’s collection ... tells the story of Marr’s life through his guitars. Complementing the guitar pictures are classic photographs of Marr himself. Some of these are familiar, many of them are not ... In three sections, Marr himself is interviewed. His responses are not a rehash of his well-received 2016 autobiography, Set the Boy Free. Rather, they offer a different perspective on Marr’s experiences through the lens of his guitars. Marr’s Guitars has an unexpected emotional impact ... Marr’s Guitars is a book for Marr fans, for Smiths fans, for fans of guitars, but also for appreciators of art and photography' - SPIN'Highlights just how wide his taste and use of different models has been over his career so far' - Music Radar
£36.00
McNidder & Grace The Mick Ronson Story
Book SynopsisA must have book for fans of Mick Ronson and David Bowie - the Spider from Hull who lit up the fabulous Ziggy Stardust shows with his dazzling guitar playing and powerful stage presence. This is Mick Ronson's story. And it begins in his home-town of Hull.Trade Review'Carefully crafted, it collects anecdotes and insights from family, friends and fellow musicians into his genius - and genial - character... Rupert and Garry charts Ronson's life, from the moment his mother realised the gift he had, through his early struggles to achieve his ambition, the Bowie years, and onwards to the many collaborations with top musicians as producer and arranger.' Yorkshire PostTable of ContentsFOREWARD PREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1- Childhood and Early Years 1946-1963 CHAPTER 2 - First Bands 1963-1966 CHAPTER 3- The Rats Part One 1966- 1968 CHAPTER 4- The Rats Part Two 1968-1970 CHAPTER 5- Bowie, Hype and the Man Who Sold the World 1970 CHAPTER 6 - From Ronno to Ziggy 1970-1971 CHAPTER 7 - Ziggy Played Guitar 1972 CHAPTER 8 - Ziggy's Rise and Fall 1973 CHAPTER 9 - From Sideman to Frontman 1973-1974 CHAPTER 10 - Musician & Producer for Hire 1974-1977 CHAPTER 11- The Long Road Home 1977- 1993 CHAPTER 12 - The Legacy APPENDICES: Who's Who Mick Ronson Timeline Bands & Artists that Mick worked with as a Musician and/or Producer Mick Ronson Map of Hull Acknowledgements Bibliography Photo Credits Index
£13.49
Rowman & Littlefield The Monster Movies of Universal Studios
Book SynopsisIn 1931 Universal Studios released Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. This box office success was followed by a string of films featuring macabre characters and chilling atmospherics, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. With each new film, Universal established its place in the Hollywood firmament as the leading producer of horror films, a status it enjoyed for more than twenty years.In The Monster Movies of Universal Studios, James L. Neibaur examines the key films produced by the studio from the early 1930s through the mid-1950s. In each entry, the author recounts the movie’s production, provides critical commentary, considers the film’s commercial reception, and offers an overall assessment of the movie’s significance. Neibaur also examines the impact these films had on popular culture, an influence that resonates in the cinema of fear today.From the world premiere of Dracula to the 1956 release of The Creature Walks among Us, Universal excelled at scaring viewers of all ages—and even elicited a few chuckles along the way by pitting their iconic creatures against the comedic pair of Abbott and Costello. The Monster Movies of Universal Studios captures the thrills of these films, making this book a treat for fans of the golden age of horror cinema.Trade ReviewLike Dr. Frankenstein, Universal Studios under Carl Laemmle Jr., brought the monster movie genre to terrifying new life with the 1931 Tod Browning–directed film Dracula starring Bela Lugosi in his most iconic role. The characterizations of Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster by Lugosi and Boris Karloff, as well as the studio’s costume and makeup design, ensured that Universal’s monsters would become the standard representation of these literary monsters in popular culture. In chronological order, historian Neibaur (The Fall of Buster Keaton) details the production and reception of each monster movie produced by the studio between 1931 and 1956, including such classics as Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and each of their respective sequels. The author provides insight into the challenges that the actors faced in the roles that made them household names. Verdict: Neibaur’s book honors Universal’s horror legacy with exhaustive research. The detailed breakdowns of each film makes this an excellent resource for film students and monster movie fanatics. * Library Journal *The horror movies produced by Universal Studios from the 1930s to the early 1950s featured some of the most iconic movie monsters in film history. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and the Creature have been portrayed more than once since their first appearances on screen, but there are many who prefer these classic movie monsters to today’s CGI film fiends. Entries document the initial films as well as their sequels. After a summary with full credits, release date, running time, and availability, there is an essay that provides background information, a plot synopsis, and other details. Studio stills and trade ads for several of the films add a suitably scary touch to this treat for fans and scholars alike. * Booklist *A must-read for any avid horror fan or classic movie buff, The Monster Movies of Universal Studios is an fascinating look back at a struggling studio and the genre that saved it. For those who weren't around at the time, the book provides a wealth of insight & trivia, and if it prompts the reader to revisit any of these classics, then it's done its job. * Free Kittens Movie Guide *Neibaur does a good job discussing ... films.... [A]ny monster fan would have fun reading over some of their favorite titles of these classic monster films. * Kitley's Krypt *I was impressed by the research and smooth writing skills of the author, which have become a staple of his books.... [I]t's a fact-filled, genre-fun read of a piece of Hollywood history that so many cult film fans love. It merits real estate in your book case. * Plan 9 Crunch: All About Cult Films *While the images of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein monster, and Elsa Lanchester’s Bride of Frankenstein dominate magazine covers, notebooks, posters, mugs and other collectibles, the series of movies that introduced these characters seems to get very little respect from film historians. A step in the right direction to correct this is the excellent new book The Monster Movies of Universal Studios by James L. Neibaur, published by Rowman and Littlefield. In this fascinating new study, the author puts Universal’s horror series into proper historical context. Unlike other books on the subject, Neibaur has limited his focus to films that feature one or more of Universal’s line-up of monsters…. The book is an impressive work of film scholarship and shines a spotlight on classic Hollywood moviemaking by looking at one of the longest film series at a major studio….Each chapter is full of behind the scenes information and welcome analysis into the filmmaking process. It’s clear that Neibaur has studied the screenplays for these films…. The Monster Movies of Universal Studios is a great book on the history of one of Hollywood’s oldest franchises…. The book is an excellent look at studio and genre filmmaking in a bygone era. It is the perfect Halloween read. * Cinema Retro *
£17.09
Faber & Faber Quartet
Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY STORYTELLING AWARD**SHORTLISTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2023*The lives, loves, adventures and trailblazing musical careers of four extraordinary women from a stunning debut biographer.''Fabulous.'' Sunday Times ''A rare gift.'' Financial Times ''Passionate ... Vivid ... Timely.'' Telegraph ''Readable and inspiring.'' Guardian ''Compelling ... Ambitious ... Poignant.'' Spectator ''Magnificent.'' Kate Mosse ''Riveting.'' Antonia Fraser ''A breath of fresh air.'' Kate Molleson ''Fascinating.'' Alexandra Harris ''Wonderful.'' Claire Tomalin ''Splendid.'' Miranda Seymour ''Remarkable.'' Fiona Maddocks ''Pioneering.'' Andrew Motion ''Brilliant'' Helen PankhurstEthel Smyth (b.1858): Famed for her operas, this trailblazing queer Victorian
£18.00
Orion Publishing Co Never Understood
Book SynopsisFor 5 years after they''d swapped sought-after apprenticeships for life on the dole, brothers William and Jim Reid sat up till the early hours in the front room of their parents'' East Kilbride council house, plotting their path to world domination over endless cups of tea, with the music turned down low so as not to wake their sleeping sister. They knew they couldn''t play in the same band because they''d argue too much, so they''d describe their dream ensembles to each other until finally they realised that these two perfect bands were actually the same band, and the name of that band was The Jesus and Mary Chain. The rest was not silence, and picking up those conversations again more than 40 years later, William and Jim tell the full story of one of Britain''s greatest guitar bands for the very first time - a wildly funny and improbably moving chronicle of brotherly strife, feedback, riots, drug and alcohol addiction, eternal outsiders and extreme shyness, that also someh
£20.00
Little, Brown The Piano Player of Budapest
Book SynopsisThis is a story about a piano and its most prodigious player - how it, along with him, survived.When her father died, singer songwriter Roxanne de Bastion inherited a piano she knew had been in her family for over a hundred years. But it is only when she finds a cassette recording of her grandfather, Stephen, playing one of his compositions, the true and almost unbelievable history of the piano, this man and her family begins to unravel.Stephen was a man who enjoyed great fame, a man who suffered the horrors of concentration camps in WWII, a man who ultimately survives - along with his piano. By piecing together his cassette recordings, unpublished memoirs, letters and documents, Roxanne sings out her grandfather''s story of music and hope, lost and found, and explores the power of what can echo down through generations.
£15.29
Columbia University Press Mary C. McCall Jr.
Book SynopsisA screenwriter, novelist, labor leader, Hollywood insider, and feminist, Mary C. McCall Jr. was one of the film industry's most powerful figures in the 1940s and early 1950s. J. E. Smyth tells McCall's remarkable story for the first time.
£21.25
Bonnier Books Ltd Whats That Lady Doing
Book SynopsisFor fans of Really Good Actually and I'm Glad My Mom Died'Moving, hilarious and generally astonishing' - Guardian'The most fun a reader can have this summer' - Daisy Buchanan'Brave, funny and moving' - Aisling Bea 'A deftness that catches your breath' - Fern Brady'An incredible piece of writing' - Brett Goldstein'Interrogates moments of trauma with insight, kindness and humanity' - John RobinsThis is a book about mistakes. And why we should de-flower shame in all its messy, complicated glory...This book contains tales of dead dads, pretend dead dads, getting barred from an osteopath's, getting arrested, sex crimes and forgiveness. I used to be addicted to boys and alcohol and then men and alcohol and then some other things. I was a little unhinged. I've got some great
£9.89
Hachette Books Leon Russell
Book SynopsisThe definitive New York Times bestselling biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell, who profoudly influenced George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and the world of music as a whole. Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles. He started in the Fifties as a teenager touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, going on to play piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Leon was Elton John’s idol, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Leon also gets credit for altering Willie Nelson’s career, giving us the long-haired, pot-friendly Willie we all know and love today. In his prime, Leon filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer/performer on both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh. Leon also founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, discovering and releasing the debut albums of Tom Petty, the Gap Band, Phoebe Snow, and J.J. Cale. Leon always assembled wildly diverse bands and performances, fostering creative and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together. He brazenly challenged musical and social barriers. However, Russell also struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul and at times seemed to will himself into obscurity. Now, acclaimed author and founding member of Buffalo Tom, Bill Janovitz shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.
£25.20
Simon & Schuster Ltd George Harrison
Book Synopsis'A fully realised portrait of a complex man: spiritual but peevish, brilliantly talented, but for ever shadowed by the Lennon/McCartney axis' The Times, Book of the Year From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle. Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote. Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon an
£11.69
Omnibus Press Queer Blues: The Hidden Figures of Early Blues
Book SynopsisFrom the very beginning, the blues has had a close connection with the LGBTQ community. There is a long and decorated history of so-called 'dirty blues' songs, stretching back beyond the earliest attempts to capture the blues on record. The 1920s and 30s saw the release of dozens of raunchy, bawdy blues recordings aimed at a knowing LGBTQ audience. Queer Blues tells the story of the pioneering LGBTQ composers and entertainers that wrote, performed and recorded these wonderfully outlandish, life-affirming songs and chronicles, including: Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Josephine Baker to Frankie 'Half-Pint' Jaxon and many more. This is the definitive account of the LGBTQ trailblazers of early blues and a fascinating consideration of the intersection between music and LGBTQ history, from the award-winning Darryl W. Bullock.Trade ReviewA Guardian Music Book of the Year 2023 A Resident Records Book of the Year 2023 'Darryl W. Bullock excavates and celebrates the fantabulous intersection of Blues and Queer Culture, highlighting racial struggles, explosive joy and creativity. I love this book!' Simon Doonan 'Meticulously researched and rich in detail, Queer Blues is fabulous in its debunking of myths and righting of wrongs' 4**** Mojo
£17.00
ACC Art Books Duran Duran: Careless Memories
Book Synopsis"...unparalleled behind-the-scenes glimpse into life on the road with Duran Duran." — Classic Pop “Denis got to see a different side of the machine – he saw the cogs going around, and there were times when that wasn’t popular with everybody … Once we saw the photographs, however, we were able to appreciate the potency of it.” Simon Le Bon With chart hits charts like ‘Girls on Film’, ‘Hungry like a Wolf’, ‘Rio’ and ‘The Reflex’ and pioneering music videos, Duran Duran cemented their place as indisputable icons of the ’80s New Romantic music scene. Having sold over 100 million records, they continue to be one of the UK’s most popular bands. Eternally evolving, always innovating, their fanbase spans the globe. Containing hundreds of exquisitely restored photographs taken mostly during the North American and Japanese legs of the band's record-breaking 1984 Sing Blue Silver tour, Careless Memories provides an unparalleled visual history of Duran Duran's ascent to the top, with commentary from the band members themselves. Denis O’Regan joined the band in France, where they were filming their New Moon On Monday video, and stayed with them until the end of the tour. His unprecedented access to the band gives the Careless Memories book an insight into the lives of Simon, Nick, John, Roger and Andy as they won hearts around the world. It documents the excitement of the shows and the hysteria and mayhem that surrounded them. For Duran Duran fans, Careless Memories is a 224 page backstage pass that captures the band at the peak of their powers and their fame.Trade ReviewPosted on Instagram stories by photographer Denis O'Regan. - Instagram"Duran Duran are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and an art book, featuring pictures from the stage and behind the scenes of their 1984 tour — their zenith!— has been released." - The Daily Mail"In Duran Duran: Careless Memories, published by ACC Art Books, Denis captures the band's rise to fame and American breakthrough through a series of photographs on the Sing Blue Silver Tour - with commentary from the band themselves." - Daily Star"In Careless Memories, O'Regan's photos of the band onstage document the energy and excitement of a Duran Duran show from that tour, which is symbolized by a photo of John Taylor staring at the camera with a broad smile on his face." - NewsweekDenis O'Regan was interviewed on Today Extra about his book Duran Duran: Careless Memories - Today Extra Australia"Duran Duran honour their fans and the bands that inspired them in ‘rock & roll hall of fame’ speech." - Rolling Stone"...unparalleled behind-the-scenes glimpse into life on the road with Duran Duran." - Classic Pop"Containing hundreds of restored Denis O’Regan photographs, taken mostly during the North American and Japanese legs of the band’s 1984 Sing Blue Silver tour, Careless Memories provides a visual history of Duran Duran’s ascent to the top, with commentary from the band members themselves." - Yahoo"His unprecedented access to the band gives the book an insight into the lives of Simon, Nick, John, Roger, and Andy, documenting the excitement of shows and mayhem that surrounded them." - Independent
£29.75
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) 3 Women
Book SynopsisJustin Wyatt is Associate Professor of Communication Studies, Journalism, Film & Media at the University of Rhode Island, USA. He is author of High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood (1994), Poison (1998), The Virgin Suicides: Reverie, Sorrow and Young Love (2020). He is co-editor of Contemporary American Independent Film: From the Margins to the Mainstream (2005) and Refocus: The Later Films and Legacy of Robert Altman (2022).
£11.69
Universe Publishing Jim Hensons Labyrinth 2025 Wall Calendar
Book Synopsis
£14.44
Orion Publishing Co Cinema Speculation
Book Synopsis A unique cocktail of personal memoir, cultural criticism and Hollywood history by the one and only Quentin Tarantino. The long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the number one New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino.In addition to being among the most celebrated of contemporary filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino is possibly the most joyously infectious movie lover alive. For years he has touted in interviews his eventual turn to writing books about films. Now, with CINEMA SPECULATION, the time has come, and the results are everything his passionate fans - and all movie lovers - could have hoped for. Organized around key American films from the 1970s, all of which he first saw as a young moviegoer at the time, this book is as intellectually ri
£20.00
