Entertainment Books

Book SynopsisThe official Peaky Blinders companion, featuring new and exclusive interviews and insider access, covering all six series. The perfect gift for completist fans.

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Book SynopsisRockschool is the original way to study, learn, and become qualified inrock, pop, and contemporary music. Started in 1991, the books are now betterthan ever! The specially written arrangements for each syllabus develop theskills and techniques you need to play some of the world's most popular songson your drums and help you achieve your musical goals. Each graded publicationcontains 9 tracks, expertly arranged and benchmarked per grade. Get ready foryour Grade 1 exam with the new Rockschool drums syllabus now.

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Book SynopsisTomasz Stańko is arguably the greatest jazz musician Poland has ever produced. His career spanned almost 60 years until his death in 2018. A visionary trumpeter and composer, a protégé of Krzysztof Komeda and a colleague of musicians from Poland, Sweden, Norway, Britain, Cuba and the USA, his impact on jazz internationally was profound, proving that jazz was not exclusively an American art form but truly world-wide. In 2014 he was awarded the Polytika Passport in Poland, the Prix du Musicien Européan in Paris and the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. The book is a no-holds-barred extended interview with broadcaster Rafał Księżyk originally published in Polish by Wydawnictwo Literackie.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Born Twice Chapter 2: First Cigarette, First Bottle Chapter 3: Komeda Chapter 4: Poetry and Jazz Chapter 5: Stańkomania Chapter 6: A Proust-reading Boxer Chapter 7: ‘I was Marlene Dietrich’ Chapter 8: Jazz in the Ruhr Area Chapter 9: ‘The Full Catastrophe!’ Chapter 10: Green Face Chapter 11: Bending the Note Chapter 12: Whistling in the Temple Chapter 13: A White Black Man in Communist Poland Chapter 14: At Remont Chapter 15: Purple Liquor Chapter 16: ‘Hamulczyki, namulczyki, amulczyki’ Chapter 17: Short-cut Chapter 18: Empathy for the Devil Chapter 19: A Peruvian and a Minor Sixth Chapter 20: View from the high-wire Chapter 21: The Feminist Chapter 22: A Prim, Bluish Man Chapter 23: Maldoror’s War Song Chapter 24: Thoughts on Simplicity Chapter 25: Theme for Trumpet Chapter 26: Children and the Vampire Chapter 27: From Afar Chapter 28: A Certain Kind of Vitality A Chronology/Time Line of Tomasz Stańko’s Life and Works Discography

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Book SynopsisIntimate, vulnerable, and profound,Formationis a rare look inside the mind of an artist at the top of his field, in his own words.

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Book SynopsisA unique environment created by the confluence of three oceanic, climatic zones, the Welsh coast and its waters teem with life and diversity, documented as never before. From seals and seabirds gathered along the celebrated coastline to species found in the depths of the Celtic Sea, along with the behind-the-scenes challenges and triumphs of this landmark TV series.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA history of the last seventy years of popular music, particularly Rock and Roll, combined with a personal story of artistic aspiration overtaken by conventional career.

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Book Synopsis1971 was a great year for cinema. Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Dario Argento, Ingmar Bergman, Stanley Kubrick, Sergio Leone, George Lucas, Sam Peckinpah, Roman Polanski, Nicolas Roeg and Steven Spielberg, among many others, were behind the camera, while the stars were also out in force. Warren Beatty, Marlon Brando, Michael Caine, Julie Christie, Sean Connery, Faye Dunaway, Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Vanessa Redgrave all featured in films released in 1971.The remarkable artistic flowering that came from the New Hollywood' of the '70s was just beginning, while the old guard was fading away and the new guard was taking over. With a decline in box office attendances by the end of the '60s, along with a genuine inability to come up with a reliable barometer of box office success, studio heads gave unprecedented freedom to young filmmakers to lead the way.Featuring interviews with cast and crew members, bestselling author Robert Sellers explores this landmark year in Hollywood and in Britain, when this new age was at its freshest, and where the transfer of power was felt most exhilaratingly.

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Book SynopsisTaylor Swift makes the whole world shimmer in this glittering, globetrotting search book. Spot Taylor at a Nashville rodeo, browsing for cat toys at the pet shop and charming the crowds at a concert arena. Featuring 17 sensational locations and showcasing 17 iconic outfits, readers can spot Taylor, her cats and three Eras-themed items hiding in every scene.

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Book SynopsisWhilst these records were being conceived, rehearsed, recorded and produced, Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood made hundreds of images. These ranged from obsessive, insomniac scrawls in biro to six-foot-square painted canvases, from scissors-and-glue collages to immense digital landscapes. They utilised every medium they could find, from sticks and knives to the emerging digital technologies.The work chronicles their obsessions at the time: minotaurs, genocide, maps, globalisation, monsters, pylons, dams, volcanoes, locusts, lightning, helicopters, Hiroshima, show homes and ring roads. What emerges is a deeply strange portrait of the years at the commencement of this century. A time that seems an age ago - but so much remains the same.Trade ReviewA celebration of the ideas, both written and drawn, that were behind the creation of the Radiohead albums Kid A and Amnesiac . . . Includes faxes, notes, scribblings and sketches that musician Yorke and artist Donwood exchanged in the run-up to the creation of two iconic albums * * Independent * *The themes they [explore] (global warming, government surveillance, the corrosive power of the internet) are still strikingly relevant * * Scotsman * *These companion art books show the depth of Radiohead singer Thom Yorke and visual artist Stanley Donwood's decades-long creative partnership . . . Filled with rare artwork, early drafts, poetry and even a glossary to many of their inspirations, these works shed light on some of their more cryptic mysteries, while folding in new shadows to consider * * Variety * *

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Book SynopsisInterested in the ukulele and want to learn how to play it? This is the book for you.Originally published as Get Plucky, this all-encompassing guide to the ukulele is written by Will Grove-White, one of the world-renowned Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Clearly written, beautifully designed, and chock-full of photos and illustrations, Ukulele for Beginners is the perfect teach-yourself ukulele book for adults and children alike, and a must for anyone with an interest in the instrument.- No knowledge of music required- Clearly written and easy to understand- Full colour photographic illustrations- Chords to learn and songs to strum- Simple and advanced strumming techniques- Tips and tricks for writing your own songs- How to play in a group- Play along with the songs onlineAlso includes:- Pull-out comprehensive chord dictionary- A complete history of the ukulele- Biographies of great uke players from past and present- Ukulele revelations about Jimi Hendrix, Neil Armstrong, Elvis Presley and more...

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Book Synopsis(Really Easy Piano). 36 popular classic pieces for budding pianists! Easy piano arrangements with chord symbols complete with song background notes and playing hints and tips.

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Book SynopsisKapka Kassabova first set foot in a tango studio ten years ago and, from that moment, she was hooked. With the beat of tango driving her on and the music filling her head, she's danced across the world, from Auckland to Edinburgh, from Berlin to Buenos Aires, putting in hours of practice for fleeting moments of dance-floor ecstasy, suffering blisters and heart-break along the way. Here, in sparkling, spring-heeled prose, Kapka takes us inside the esoteric world of tango to tell the story of the dance, from its Afro roots to its sequined stars and back. Twelve Minutes of Love is a timeless tale of exile and longing, death and desire, love and belonging.

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Book SynopsisIn 1982, aged twenty-three, Simon Parkes paid £1 for a virtually derelict building in Brixton. Over the next fifteen years he turned it into Britain's most iconic music venue. And now he's telling his story: full of fond - and wild - reminiscences of the famous musicians who played at the venue, including Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Lou Reed, The Ramones, New Order, the Beastie Boys and The Smiths. This is about one man's burning desire for success against the odds, his passion for live music and the excitement of those wilderness years, a far cry from the corporate world that controls the scene today. From rock-star debauchery and mixing it up with Brixton gangsters to putting on the first legal raves in the UK and countless backroom business deals, this is the story of how to succeed in business with no experience and fulfil your teenage fantasies.Trade ReviewIf Simon Parkes' autobiography - full of raucous tales and geezer speak - is ever made into a film, it will be fun trying to find an actor who can do him justice. * The Independent *The king of gigs * Sunday Times *Brixton was always the one. It was so authentic as a venue, it's when things became 'real'. A proper old Victorian beer hall of a place with a century's sweat and ale steeped into the woodwork and plaster, and the faded glamour of that mighty proscenium arch. The first time I stood on that stage was in the Libertines supporting Morrissey. All my life I'd wanted to be an actor playing to an adoring theatre crowd, and here I was in front of a sea of stony faces with beer cans bouncing off my head. -- Carl BaratBrixton Academy has always been a special venue to me. From the age of 15 I saw countless shows there, from Blur to Foo Fighters. London is a city of countless music venues but in my eyes playing Brixton was the true sign of a successful band. I've been fortunate enough to play there a number of times now, firstly as part of the NME Awards tour but subsequently as the headline act - and the feeling of prestige never gets old -- Russell Lissack, Bloc PartyFor me, the Brixton Academy has something of a mythical status. As a young teenage boy in south east London I'd always see the listings in the NME or Melody Maker, listings for bands that I desperately wanted to see, but at the time was too young. I remember a school friend claiming that he "knew a back way in" and perhaps we should chance it for the Food Records Christmas Party - playing host to Jesus Jones, and at the time a lesser known Blur. That prospect of this 'back way in' stayed with me until a few years later, when at the height of their powers, the Lemonheads' Evan Dando treated those of us who'd hung around the side alley to an impromptu acoustic set of covers and requests as he straddled the dressing room windowsill. The thing that I always remembered was that it felt like outside inside. If they'd have painted stars on the ceiling I would have believed it was so. Those turrets and balconies... It seemed vast. Playing there with Hot Chip, our front of house engineer pointed out the 'sweet spot' where you could clap your hands and hear a never ending echo as the sound bounced from floor to ceiling to floor and back, proving there was indeed a roof, but to me it sounded like a flock of birds. From the stage, the width of the audience is what first surprised me, twice as wide as it is deep, and on a full house you can still see every face. -- Rob Smoughton, Grosvenor/Hot Chip

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Book SynopsisDive in to Glasgow's vibrant musical heritage with this guide to the people, places and events which have shaped the city's world-renowned music scene.With decades of experience between them, Fiona Shepherd, Alison Stroak and Jonathan Trew, the founders of Glasgow Music City Tours, are your guides on this compelling voyage of discovery.

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Book SynopsisIrish Folk Tunes for Ukulele presents a collection of 36 pieces for solo fingerstyle ukulele playing. Drawn from the rich tradition of Irish folk music the collection covers a range of styles including some popular, as well as lesser known pieces. Experienced ukulele player and teacher Colin Tribe along with musicologist Andrew Robinson provide notes on all of the pieces, as well as technical aspects of the playing style. This volume is accompanied by a mp3-pack with a recording of all tunes. German and French translations of the introduction are available as PDF downloads from the Schott Music website. Suitable for both beginners as well as more experienced ukulele players.Instrumentation:ukulele

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Book SynopsisWith behind-the-scenes gossip creating as much drama as the movies themselves, Hollywood in 1967 showcased the future of film in more ways than one. From the anti-heroes of Bonnie and Clyde and the illicit sex of The Graduate to the race relations of In The Heat of the Night, suddenly no subject was taboo. This was a time of turbulence as hip young filmmakers embodying the restlessness and rebellion of a changing America wrought radical changes to the traditions of cinema. Scenes from a Revolution is an exceptional analysis of the films shortlisted for the Best Picture Academy Award of 1967 as well as an illuminating window into the popular culture of the time.Trade ReviewContains enough tantrums, firings and exposed star insecurities to thrill the most jaded Hollywood-watcher . . . a terrifically enjoyable read. -- Christopher Fowler * * Independent on Sunday * *Harris's book is racy, wise and deeply funny...All human life is here and most of Hollywood too. -- Nigel Andrews * * FT * *Absolutely wonderful. An extraordinary book that combines social and pop history in an unputdownable volume. -- Richard E. GrantWonderful, addictively engrossing and very smart . . . one of the best books about film I have ever read -- NICK HORNBYMark Harris understands that film making depends less on creative talent than on social connections, bullshit, and work done in restaurants. As an exercise in social gossip (and incest), Scenes from a Revolution is hard to beat. -- Chris Petit * * Guardian * *Harris's book initially overlaps with Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, Peter Biskind's roaring study of 1970s US cinema. But in fact it stands shoulder to shoulder with it, like a better organized 1960s prequel. -- Larushka Ivan-Zadeh * * Metro * *Beyond the intrigue and the gossip, Scenes from a Revolution is a persuasive account of one of the turning points in our cultural history. * * Daily Telegraph * *A fresh and detailed portrait of counter-culturalism on the move through American cinema. Harris' style is easy and lucid and well-worth spending time with. -- Paul Dale * * The List * *Impeccably researched, engagingly written and remarkably readable . . . the real joy here is the elegant flow of Harris' narrative, moving seamlessly from picture to picture and presenting a thorough, and entertaining, look at a turbulent time. -- William Thomas * * Empire * *A near-faultless work of film criticism -- Melissa Katsoulis * * Sunday Telegraph * *Excellent . . . might justly claim to explain how Hollywood came to be what Hollywood has become. -- Andrew O'Hagan * * London Review of Books * *[Harris] is excellent on shifting attitudes towards race and homosexuality, but the real entertainment here comes from unsparing depictions of back-room machinations, business betrayals and egos so beastly Dr Dolittle would struggle to tame them. -- Victoria Segal * * Guardian * *The depth and scope of Harris' research, coupled with his nose for a good anecdote, bring to life the book's dramatis personae of visionary egomaniacs and Machiavellian rainmakers. If you can get to the last page without having rented all five DVDs, I'd like to know how. -- Daragh Downes * * Irish Times * *Very entertaining and full of characters . . . lots of dueling egos and bad behaviour. -- William Leith * * Scotsman * *

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Book Synopsis(The Little Black Songbook). This is a pocket-sized collection of over 70 Leonard Cohen hits, with complete lyrics, guitar chord symbols, and chord diagrams. Perfect for fitting into gig bags! Songs include: Ain't No Cure for Love * Bird on the Wire (Bird on a Wire) * Closing Time * Death of a Ladies' Man * First We Take Manhattan * Hallelujah * Lady Midnight * Lover Lover Lover * So Long Marianne * Winter Lady * and many more.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect companion to the 'Guitar Chords' book, 'Advanced Guitar Chords' is a handy resource for guitarists who feel they are able to take the next step. The simple and clean layout provides 360 chords shown as chord boxes, covering chords that are played further up the neck and in 3rd position, along with more extensive provision of augmented and diminished chords. Ideal for playing genres such as jazz, this no-nonsense, easy-to-carry, spiral-bound book will fit into a gig bag, flight case or handbag with the minimum of fuss and will help musicians become more complete guitarists.

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Book SynopsisWhat do Postman Pat, Tommy Cooper, Norman Wisdom and George Best have in common with being abandoned in a Costa Rican jungle after a severe bout of flatulence? Indeed, how are they also connected to trying to buy an Australian brewery just to get a beer, owning twenty-two cars, an American soccer team and a Swiss mail-order pornography company?The common feature is of course a certain Richard Wakeman.The Further Adventures of a Grumpy Old Rock Star takes you, the privileged reader, on a trip of absurd excess, a cultural car crash of side-splitting hilarity and an unforgettable glimpse (again) into the life of one of Britain's most legendary showmen, rock stars and all-time great raconteurs.Trade ReviewThis highly entertaining read gives an unforgettable glimpse into the life of one of the UK's most legendary showmen, rock stars and raconteurs ... A light-hearted romp through the pomposity of the music business and the joy of being alive * RAF News *

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Book SynopsisMusic through the Ages Volume 1Trade ReviewGrades 4-7 Take a journey through time with More Time Pieces for Viola. These two volumes contain well-crafted arrangements, presented in chronological order, to take you from the seventeenth century right up to the present day. *Table of ContentsGrades 1-3 Volume 2

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Book SynopsisJohann Friedrich Franz Burgmuller (1806-1874) was a popular Parisian pianist, skilled improviser and prolific composer. These varied studies will help develop technique and are also enjoyable to play in their own right.Table of ContentsArabesque, Op. 100 No. 2 ; Ave Maria, Op. 100 No. 19 ; Ballade, Op. 100 No. 15 ; Barcarolle, Op. 100 No. 22 ; Consolation, Op. 100 No. 13 ; Douce Plainte (Sighing), Op. 100 No. 16 ; Innocence, No. 5 from 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100 ; Inquietude (Restlessness), Op. 100 No. 18 ; L'Adieu (Farewell), Op. 100 No. 12 ; L'Harmonie des Anges (Angelic Harmony), Op. 100 No. 21 ; L'Hirondelle (The Swallow), Op. 100 No. 24 ; La Babillarde (The Chatterbox), Op. 100 No. 17 ; La Bergeronnette (The Wagtail), Op. 100 No. 11 ; La Candeur (Openness), Op. 100 No. 1 ; La Chasse (The Hunt), Op. 100 No. 9 ; La Chevaleresque (The Knight Errant), Op. 100 No. 25 ; La Gracieuse (Gracefulness), Op. 100 No. 8 ; La Petite Reunion (The Small Gathering), Op. 100 No. 4 ; La Styrienne (Austrian Dance), Op. 100 No. 14 ; Le Retour (The Return), Op. 100 No. 23 ; Pastorale, Op. 100 No. 3 ; Progress, Op. 100 No. 6 ; Tarantella, Op. 100 No. 20 ; Tendre Fleur (Tender Flower), Op. 100 No. 10 ; Le Courante Limpide (The Clear Stream), Op. 100 No. 7

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Book SynopsisA reappraisal of Lope's literary career, bringing out the complexities of his dramatic texts. This book offers a radical re-evaluation of Lope's theatre, which will affect the way in which the comedia in general is read. It spans Lope's literary career, discussing (pseudo-)historical, tragic and peasant plays in order to show Lope's texts as complex negotiations between author and public, between conservatism and subversion, between representations of the ideal of kingship and its political reality, in a period of social and political change. Drawing on contemporary Spanish political philosophy, McKendrick shows that far from glorifying monarchy and advocating absolutism (the orthodox view in the Hispanic world), Lope's political plays constitute an informed critiqueof kingship; she also challenges the received wisdom that the comedia was an instrument of stage and that its playwrights were the conscious propagandists of an aristocratic elite. With the help of insights and models provided by the speech act theory, the stratagems and techniques utilised by Lope to follow the path of prudence between the acceptable and the unacceptable in political commentary in the commercial theatre are scrutinised, illustrating how richly nuanced texts produce not an ideologically monolithic and complacent drama but one which is at once politically anxious and probing. MELVEENA MCKENDRICK is Professor of Spanish Literature, Culture and Societyat the University of Cambridge.Trade ReviewA milestone in Lope studies. * MLR *A very important, indeed a necessary book. * BULLETIN OF SPANISH STUDIES *Will be an indispensable guide. * CALIOPE *Providing detail that is finely woven and rich in texture, McKendrick shows how Lope's court and popular theatre reveal his ambivalence toward the contemporary conduct of royal life... intelligently written, nuanced discussion...should be in every library supporting study of Spanish literature at the upper-division undergraduate level and above. * CHOICE *Excellent... sophisticated and convincing study: Lope de Vega's intricate and sometimes ambiguous dialogue with Spanish history provides one of the most eloquent commentaries on the moral and political complexity of his age. * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT [B W Ife] *A study of major importance, not simply for all who work on the comedia, but also for those concerned with the broader question of the relation between literature and society in Golden Age Spain.... As a study of Lope this book succeeds magnificently...[and] will become a standard work in discussions of the complex relationship between societyand literature in early modern Spain. * BULLETIN OF HISPANIC STUDIES *Table of ContentsReconsiderations; monarchy and the theatre; historical transformations - fractured icons I; historical transformations -fractured icons II; " decir sin decir" - patterns of communications; the politics of tragedy - absolutism and reason of state; political antinomies - rebels within the system; conclusions. List of works consulted.

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Book SynopsisBased on a favourite character from BBC TV sitcom `Allo `Allo! In this delightful book, Officer Crabtree's masterly grasp of 'Fronch' falls under the spotlight as never before. From 'Ploose may I hov a kippy of the dooly nosepooper?' to 'frigs logs', 'scrimbled oggs' and 'fosh and chops' the book is a tribute to mangled words and phrases. Arthur Bostrom, who played Officer Crabtree on stage and screen, mixes vowels and pronunciation trying to educate those less gifted in the French 'longwodge'... For example: 'Criss chunnel fairy'... 'Which bonk do you bonk with?'... 'Would you lick a drunk?'.... Illustrated by John Cooper and ideal for travellers and fans of `Allo `Allo! alike, Good Moaning France! is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks they are competent in French (or English or any other language). Readers' questions are answered in Ask Crabtree, there are examples from Crabtree's 'poloce newtberks' and a most unhelpful 'Undex'. In a Foreword music legend Rick Wakeman recalls how he fell off his chair laughing on seeing the character created by screenwriters David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd at the start of the second series (the book is published by permission).Trade Review`Listen very carefully, you will read this more than once. I loaved it'-- Les Dennis; `I've not laughed at anything like I've laughed at Crabtree ever in my life, this book is "very good nose"'-- Justin Moorhouse; `Buck your fairy trip to Fronce now and take Crabtree's guide with you. A must-read. Hilarious'-- Su Pollard; `DO NOT BUY ZIS BOOK!!! IF YOU DO, YOU VILL BE SHOT!!!'-- Helga.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1.Out and About; 2.Wartime Phrases; 3.French Language Rules; 4.My Everyday Practice; 5.Everyday Words and Phrases; 6.Going on Holiday to France; 7.All About Banking; 8.Shopping; 9.Living and Working in France; 10.Music; 11.Proverbs; 12.Books; Further Reading; Undex. PLUS: Interspersed with examples from Crabtree's 'Poloce Newt Berks', Ask Crabtree and illustrations.

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Book SynopsisLove That Journey For Me dives deep into the cultural sensation of Canadian comedy-drama Schitt’s Creek. Considering the fusion of existing sitcom traditions, references and tropes, this Inkling analyses the nuance of the show and its surrounding cultural and societal impact as a queer revolution. By discussing how the show reshapes LGBTQ+ narratives from the crafting of the town itself, and celebratory influences including Cabaret, to how writer-creator Dan Levy utilised and subverted expectations throughout his work, Emily Garside will showcase how one TV show became a watershed moment in queer representation and gay relationships on screen. Part analysis of Schitt’s Creek’s importance, part homage to a cultural landmark, this is a show that – in the words of David Rose himself – needs to be celebrated. This book is that celebration. This book is unofficial, and unaffiliated with Schitt’s Creek and its brand.

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Book SynopsisThe colorful "Punk Professor", new-wave musician, and critic/filmmaker spins a dazzling survey of women in punk, from the genre's inception in 1970s London to the current voices making waves around the globe. As an industry insider and pioneering post-punk musician, Vivien Goldman's perspective on music journalism is unusually well-rounded. In Revenge of the She-Punks, she probes four themes-identity, money, love, and protest-to explore what makes punk such a liberating art form for women. With her visceral style, Goldman blends interviews, history, and her personal experience as one of Britain's first female music writers in a book that reads like a vivid documentary of a genre defined by dismantling boundaries. A discussion of the Patti Smith song "Free Money," for example, opens with Goldman on a shopping spree with Smith. Tamar-Kali, whose name pays homage to a Hindu goddess, describes the influence of her Gullah ancestors on her music, while the late Poly Styrene's daughter reflects on why her Somali-Scots-Irish mother wrote the 1978 punk anthem "Identity," with the refrain "Identity is the crisis you can't see." Other strands feature artists from farther afield (including in Colombia and Indonesia) and genre-busting revolutionaries such as Grace Jones, who wasn't exclusively punk but clearly influenced the movement while absorbing its liberating audacity. From punk's Euro origins to its international reach, this is an exhilarating world tour.

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Book SynopsisBritain, 1971. Strange land of hot pants, moral outrage, anarchist bombs and sexual revolution. As Marc Bolan is hailed as the nation's teenage saviour, the forgotten hope called David Bowie searches for the spark to relight his fire. He finds it in London's gay clubland and the stoned fields of Glastonbury, the speedy streets of New York City and his new rock'n'roll allies Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. The ignition for songs about life on Mars and cosmic messiahs, starry alter-egos and bold fashions fit for the ultimate Seventies superstar... In the sequel to Bowie Odyssey 70, Simon Goddard continues his groundbreaking immersive narrative of the world around Bowie, through the second year of the decade he changed pop forever.Trade Review'Simon Goddard's evocation of David Bowie circa '71 is imagined as brilliantly as its predecessor, which was the best book written about its subject until this one. The narrative is immense... Stupendous' Classic Rock, 9/10 'Continues the excellent year-by-year series that places David Bowie's ground-breaking Seventies music in its social and historical context, told with a novelist's attention to detail' Choice 'Rock history in an ice blue Freddie Burretti suit, Simon Goddard's project to write a book about each year of David Bowie's '70s continues in suitably gorgeous style... as lusciously all-enveloping as its subject demands' Mojo, 4* 'My god it's brilliant. A delicious romp' Mike Scott, The Waterboys

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Book SynopsisAn expansive and illuminating account of the development of electronic music in the UK, told with passionate enthusiasm by Matthew Collin, the critically-acclaimed author of Altered State and Rave On.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of Chuck Berry, legendary performer and inventor of rock and roll. Best known as the groundbreaking artist behind classics like "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene," "You Never Can Tell" and "Roll Over Beethoven," Chuck Berry was a man of wild contradictions, whose motives and motivations were often shrouded in mystery. After all, how did a teenage delinquent come to write so many songs that transformed American culture? And, once he achieved fame and recognition, why did he put his career in danger with a lifetime's worth of reckless personal behaviour? Throughout his life, Berry refused to shed light on either the mastery or the missteps, leaving the complexity that encapsulated his life and underscored his music largely unexplored--until now. In Chuck Berry, biographer RJ Smith crafts a comprehensive portrait of one of the great American entertainers, guitarists, and lyricists of the 20th century, bringing Chuck Berry to life in vivid detail. Based on interviews, archival research, legal documents, and a deep understanding of Berry's St. Louis (his birthplace, and the place where he died in March 2017), Smith sheds new light on a man few have ever really understood. By placing his life within the context of the American culture he made and eventually withdrew from, we understand how Berry became such a groundbreaking figure in music, erasing racial boundaries, crafting subtle political commentary, and paying a great price for his success. While celebrating his accomplishments, the book also does not shy away from troubling aspects of his public and private life, asking profound questions about how and why we separate the art from the artist. Berry declined to call himself an artist, shrugging that he was good at what he did. But the man's achievement was the rarest kind, the kind that had social and political resonance, the kind that made America want to get up and dance. At long last, Chuck Berry brings the man and the music together.Trade Review'RJ Smith’s powerful and passionate portrait of Chuck Berry reveals the troubled man behind the iconic swagger and blazing guitar. To know Chuck Berry is to know racial conflicts in America. Smith makes sure you know both.' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Legend & New York Times bestselling author Chuck Berry was one of the first people I knew that was true to life. Just like this book showing the truth to his life. I knew him from the 1950s onward and I can honestly say that RJ truly captured the essence of Chuck Berry as I knew him. You couldn’t have a better book on the life and career of my ol’ friend.' Bobby Rush, GRAMMY Award Winning blues artist, Blues Hall of Famer, and author of I Ain’t Studdin’ Ya 'A hungry ear drives Smith's wondrous, brilliant book. Not only does he capture the excitement of Berry's music, he hears the awe of those in its thrall, from his rock & roll heirs to rivals, fans, and mystified bystanders throughout the twentieth century. Smith writes history as though it's a series of tall tales—how else to conjure Berry's brilliance as well as complexities, the unheralded highs and lows, the myth and the man, the man and the strange nation that produced him.' Hua Hsu, staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Stay True

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThe first book to talk about the creative process of one of Hollywood's most iconic directorsFrom Drugstore Cowboy to Elephant, Milk and Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant's films have captured the imagination of more than one generation. Acclaimed as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker, he is also an artist, photographer and writer. Based on completely new and exclusive interviews, and featuring previously unseen imagery, this book provides a personal insight into how Van Sant successfully approaches these different and varied artforms, providing an inspirational look into the working life of one of America's most pivotal cultural and creative practitioners.

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Book SynopsisIn It’s Not a Proper Job, TV legend Chris Tarrant regales the reader with hilarious and heart-warming stories from his stellar 50-year career in television and radio. With trademark wit and self-mockery, Chris not only recalls his behind-the-scenes capers with fellow celebrities, but also shows us how, as a man of the people, he has relished rubbing shoulders with ordinary folk on his way to becoming one of the nation’s favourite TV faces. A former teacher and ATV newsreader, Chris soon established himself at the forefront of trailblazing telly as the host of Tiswas, and here recounts this 1970s, anarchic, flan-flinging children’s show that spearheaded a fresh format and a new era for Saturday morning TV packed with pranks, full of fun, and which remains a benchmark to this day. For later audiences, Chris will be more familiar as the face of yet another groundbreaking show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? which he presented for sixteen gripping years, and which grew into a global phenomenon exported to over one hundred countries. Here Chris remembers the joyous highs of contestants’ life-changing winnings, the frustrating lows of loss, the cringing embarrassment of ignorance, and the infamous cheating of the ‘Coughing Major’. Spanning five decades, Chris’s television credits are the envy of aspirational TV stars, but reading his laugh-out-loud anecdotes – akin to having a chat with the man himself over a pint, or listening to one of his entertaining, after-dinner speeches – reveals a man still amused by life, by the people he meets, and by his own humble assertion that none of his glittering career can, in any way, be called ‘a proper job’.

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Book SynopsisIn this photographic collection, seven photographers who have built their artistic reputation documenting Cuban jazz over the years, bring together images celebrating the musicians who have performed at Jazz Plaza Havana's annual international jazz festival.These photographers present very personal, subjective views on the jazz performances that they document. The images themselves becoming silent participants in the events they show, demonstrating that without photography, jazz would not be the same.

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Book SynopsisCovering his work with Dixie Dregs, Kansas and nearly three decades with Deep Purple, Steve Morse's music has touched on European classical traditions, as well as blues, jazz, country and rock n' roll genres that are unashamedly American. Virtuoso and aviator. This is the story of the life and music of Steve Morse.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most entertaining yet informative books you will ever read?Ed Godziszewski, author of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to KurosawaNorman England''s gutsy and insightful stories will do more than just entertain. This is the first and only book in English to take you on a deep dive into the Japanese film industry. You will join well-known directors, cast, and staff for tales of backroom set dealings. The author''s own unlikely story starts with joining the Japanese crew on a George Romero-directed TV commercial shot in Los Angeles. Afterward, in Tokyo, Norman England learns to navigate the sets of giant monster icons Gamera and Godzilla. The book concludes with the premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. This diary from the front lines is essential reading for Japanese cinema enthusiasts and filmmakers everywhere.Norman England moved from New York City to Tokyo in 1992. He works in the Japanese film industry as a movie subtitler, still photographer, and director. The Japan Times has described him as the world''s leading non-Japanese expert on all things Godzilla. England reports on Japanese cinema for a variety of film magazines, including Fangoria, Starlog, Hobby Japan, and Eiga Hiho.

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