Search results for ""author leo"
Princeton University Press Jean Sibelius and His World
Perhaps no twentieth-century composer has provoked a more varied reaction among the music-loving public than Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Originally hailed as a new Beethoven by much of the Anglo-Saxon world, he was also widely disparaged by critics more receptive to newer trends in music. At the height of his popular appeal, he was revered as the embodiment of Finnish nationalism and the apostle of a new musical naturalism. Yet he seemingly chose that moment to stop composing altogether, despite living for three more decades. Providing wide cultural contexts, contesting received ideas about modernism, and interrogating notions of landscape and nature, Jean Sibelius and His World sheds new light on the critical position occupied by Sibelius in the Western musical tradition. The essays in the book explore such varied themes as the impact of Russian musical traditions on Sibelius, his compositional process, Sibelius and the theater, his understanding of music as a fluid and improvised creation, his critical reception in Great Britain and America, his "late style" in the incidental music for The Tempest, and the parallel contemporary careers of Sibelius and Richard Strauss. Documents include the draft of Sibelius's 1896 lecture on folk music, selections from a roman clef about his student circle in Berlin at the turn of the century, Theodor Adorno's brief but controversial tirade against the composer, and the newspaper debates about the Sibelius monument unveiled in Helsinki a decade after the composer's death. The contributors are Byron Adams, Leon Botstein, Philip Ross Bullock, Glenda Dawn Goss, Daniel Grimley, Jeffrey Kallberg, Tomi Mkel, Sarah Menin, Max Paddison, and Timo Virtanen.
£31.50
Hachette Children's Group A Question of History: Did Romans really eat flamingos? And other questions about the Romans
Discover the weird and wacky history of the Romans!Who was the maddest Roman emperor? Why didn't the Romans use toilet paper? And just how dangerous was a Roman tortoise? A Question of History: Ancient Rome answers all these questions and much more.With an engaging question and answer format, this series draws young readers into the fascinating, sometimes gruesome, world of famous peoples and civilisations through history. Each spread opens with a simple question, opening up an exploration of an aspect of the life of a people or civilisation and busting some popular myths along the way!The lively design is supported by annotated photos and cartoons, making history fun and accessible for readers aged 8+.Titles in the series: What happened the pharaoh's brain? And other questions about the Ancient EgyptiansDid the kings of Benin really keep pet leopards? And other questions about the kingdom of BeninDid the Celts really use hair gel? And other questions about the Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze AgeWhy did the ancient Greeks use elephants in battle? And other questions about the ancient GreeksWhy did the Maya stick needles in their tongues? And other questions about the MayaDid the Romans really eat flamingos? And other questions about the RomansWhy did the Shang write on turtles? And other questions about the Shang Dynasty Did the Vikings really wear horns on their helmets? And other questions about the Vikings
£8.99
John Wiley & Sons Inc Digital Transformation: Building Intelligent Enterprises
Building Intelligent Enterprises by leveraging the emerging and next-generation technologies to accelerate the adoption of digital transformation The speed of innovation and emerging IT technologies are changing at a very fast pace and enterprises are eager to join the digital revolution so they can stand above the competition and succeed as the enterprise of tomorrow. This book is an attempt to make the enterprise intelligent by providing the path to digital transformation and the adoption of new IT methods, tools and technologies. This book has been organized to cover the following topics: Digital Transformation, Design Thinking, Agile, DevOps, Robotic Process Automation, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Drones, Augmented and Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, Big Data, Analytics, Cloud Computing, APIs, and SAP Leonardo. No prior knowledge of any technical coding or language is necessary to understand the content of this book. End-to-end storyline to accelerate the enterprise’s digital transformation journey How an enterprise can stay relevant, compete, and perform in the digital economy How to leverage these technologies to build intelligent enterprises Understand and apply the emerging technologies across key business processes Industry-specific Use Cases for all technologies as a reference point to build the business case for implementation The book is very well suited towards the C-Suite executives, both IT and business leaders, directors and managers, project managers, solution architects, and all professionals who have an interest and desire to keep up-to-date with the latest technological trends, looking for a career change, want to help enterprise adapt and onboard the digital roadmap, or have an agenda to digitize key processes within the enterprise to make it intelligent.
£27.89
Murdoch Books The Dessert Game: Simple tricks, skill-builders and showstoppers to up your game
'Reynold's lifelong passion and imagination is the DNA in all of his food and this cookbook brings that passion into your kitchen. It has something for everyone.' Gordon Ramsay 'Reynold is one of those rare sparks that ignites in such a way as to capture the hearts and minds of so many in an entirely new and fresh light. His relentless pursuit of perfection and his unapologetic obsession with pastry has already yielded spectacular creations. One can only imagine what happens next ...' Melissa Leong Got a sweet tooth or someone to impress? Level up your dessert game with tried-and-tested recipes from modern-day MasterChef legend Reynold Poernomo.Perfect your butter cake, curd tart or creme caramel with Level 1. These are all the crowd pleasers and perfectly simple desserts for beginners or aficionados, each with a 'Reynold twist', like pavlova flavour pairings or a honey glaze for your cheesecake.Kick it up a notch with Level 2, for swoon-worthy jar desserts, the perfect oozy lava cake or the ultimate praline tart. Step by step, Reynold shows how each element is made so you can dream up your own combinations and increase your confidence.Are you an adventure cook? Or want to blow everyone's minds? Level 3 is an access-all-areas pass to the signature dishes and secret recipes for white noise, onyx, magic mushrooms and more - these creations need to be seen (and tasted) to be believed.Including choose-your-own-flavour-adventure flowcharts, endless tips on substitutions and the inside skinny on kitchen tools and specialty ingredients, The Dessert Game is everything you need for sweet, sweet victory at your place.
£18.99
Dorling Kindersley Ltd DK Eyewitness Top 10 Milan and the Lakes
Italy's 'second city' oozes culture and style - Milan has exquisite architecture, world-class museums, chic boutiques, bustling markets and trendy night spots - and all of this within striking distance of the tranquility of the Italian lakes. Your DK Eyewitness Top 10 travel guide ensures you'll find your way around Milan and the Lakes with absolute ease.Our newly updated Top 10 travel guide breaks down the best of Milan and the Lakes into helpful lists of ten - from our own selected highlights to the best museums, places to eat, shops and festivals.You'll discover:- Nine easy-to-follow itineraries, perfect for a day-trip, a weekend, or a week- Detailed Top 10 lists of Milan's must-sees, including detailed descriptions of Leonardo's Last Supper, Milan's Duomo, Pinacoteca di Brera, Castello Sforzesco, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Sant'Ambrogio, Navigli, Isole Borromee, Bergamo and Mantua- Milan and the Lakes' most interesting areas, with the best places for shopping, dining, and sightseeing- Inspiration for different things to enjoy during your trip - including children's attractions, things to do for free and and hidden gems off the beaten track- A laminated pull-out map of Milan and the Lakes, plus eight colour area maps- Streetsmart advice: get ready, get around, and stay safe- A lightweight format perfect for your pocket or bag when you're on the moveDK Eyewitness Top 10s are the UK's favourite pocket guides and have been helping travellers to make the most of their breaks since 2002. Looking for more on Milan's culture, history and attractions? Try our DK Eyewitness Italy.
£9.04
Little, Brown Book Group Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon
To have been alive during the last sixty years is to have lived with the music of Paul Simon. The boy from Queens scored his first hit record in 1957, just months after Elvis Presley ignited the rock era. As the songwriting half of Simon & Garfunkel, his work helped define the youth movement of the '60s. On his own in the '70s, Simon made radio-dominating hits. He kicked off the '80s by reuniting with Garfunkel to perform for half a million New Yorkers in Central Park. Five years later, Simon's album "Graceland" sold millions and spurred an international political controversy. And it doesn't stop there.The grandchild of Jewish immigrants from Hungary, the nearly 75-year-old singer-songwriter has not only sold more than 100 million records, won 15 Grammy awards and been installed into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame twice, but has also animated the meaning and flexibility of personal and cultural identity in a rapidly shrinking world.Simon has also lived one of the most vibrant lives of modern times; a story replete with tales of Carrie Fisher, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, Shelley Duvall, Nelson Mandela, the Grateful Dead, drugs, depression, marriage, divorce, and more. A life story with the scope and power of an epic novel, Carlin's Homeward Bound is the first major biography of one of the most influential popular artists in American history.
£12.99
Thames & Hudson Ltd The Wyvern Collection: Medieval and Renaissance Enamels and Other Works of Art
Works of art in enamel are among the most attractive, colourful and revealing objects of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Enamel was employed to embellish a broad array of objects, including reliquary caskets, crosses, book-covers, croziers, censers and pyxes for the church and a wide range of tableware for the secular market. The Wyvern Collection comprises many pieces of prime importance from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. Among the highlights in this volume are two extremely rare Romanesque enamels of c. 1160-70 from the Meuse Valley: the celebrated reliquary triptych probably originally belonging to the Bishop of Liège, and a beautiful phylactery (a reliquary designed to be suspended) with scenes from the story of the True Cross, said to have come from the famous abbey of Lobbes. Limoges enamels of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are particularly well represented, the 65 pieces making up what is undoubtedly now the finest and most comprehensive collection in private hands. The later painted enamels of Limoges, from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, include remarkable examples of the work of the principal enamellers, most notably Pierre Reymond, and the spectacular horn of St Hubert, dated 1538 and signed by Léonard Limosin, which once belonged to Horace Walpole at Strawberry Hill. The catalogue additionally includes other outstanding works of art such as an important Anglo-Carolingian chrismatory of the ninth century, a small group of enigmatic twelfth-century drinking-cups and sumptuous examples of German late medieval goldsmiths' work. Stained and painted glass roundels, Italian Renaissance ceramics, luxurious textiles and tapestries, and German and Italian armour are also catalogued. An appendix presents several important pieces, recently acquired, which supplement those published in the first two volumes. With more than 250 objects, all specially photographed, this is more than a handbook to an especially rich part of one of the greatest private collections. It is a detailed and authoritative guide to medieval and Renaissance enamels and other works of art, a stimulus to further research and a feast for the eyes.With 400 illustrations in colour
£58.50
Encounter Books,USA The Noise of Typewriters: Remembering Journalism
W.H. Auden famously wrote: “Poetry makes nothing happen.” Journalism is a different matter. In a brilliant study that is, in part, a memoir of his 40 years as an essayist and critic at TIME magazine, Lance Morrow returns to the Age of Typewriters and to the 20th century’s extraordinary cast of characters—statesmen and dictators, saints and heroes, liars and monsters, and the reporters, editors, and publishers who interpreted their deeds. He shows how journalism has touched the history of the last 100 years, has shaped it, distorted it, and often proved decisive in its outcomes.Lord Beaverbrook called journalism “the black art.” Morrow considers the case of Walter Duranty, the New York Times’ Moscow correspondent who published a Pulitzer Prize-winning series praising Stalin just at the moment when Stalin imposed mass starvation upon the people of Ukraine and the North Caucasus in order to enforce the collectivization of Soviet agriculture. Millions died.John Hersey’s Hiroshima, on the other hand, has been all but sanctified—called the 20th century’s greatest piece of journalism. Was it? Morrow examines the complex moral politics of Hersey’s reporting, which the New Yorker first published in 1946.The Noise of Typewriters is, among other things, an intensely personal study of an age that has all but vanished. Morrow is the son of two journalists who got their start covering Roosevelt and Truman. When Morrow and Carl Bernstein were young, they worked together as dictation typists at the Washington Star (a newspaper now extinct). Bernstein had dedicated Chasing History, his memoir of those days, to Morrow. It was Morrow’s friend and editor Walter Isaacson—biographer of Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs—who taught Morrow how to use a computer when the machines were first introduced at TIME.Here are striking profiles of Henry Luce, TIME’s founder, and of Dorothy Thompson, Claud Cockburn, Edgar Snow, Joseph and Stewart Alsop, Joan Didion, Norman Mailer, Otto Friedrich, Michael Herr, and other notable figures in a golden age of print journalism that ended with the coming of television, computers, and social media. The Noise of Typewriters is the vivid portrait of an era.
£19.99
Headline Publishing Group Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time
NOMINATED FOR THE JAZZ JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 WINNER OF THE PRESTO JAZZ BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020An articulate, scrupulously researched account based on first-hand information, this book presents Brubeck's contribution to music with the critical insight that it deserves - ***** BBC Music Magazine This is the writing about jazz that we've been waiting for - Mike WestbrookThe sheer descriptive verve, page after page, made me want to listen to every single musical example cited. A major achievement - Stephen Hough'Definitive . . . remarkable. Clark writes intelligently and joyously.' - MojoIn 2003, music journalist Philip Clark was granted unparalleled access to jazz legend Dave Brubeck. Over the course of ten days, he shadowed the Dave Brubeck Quartet during their extended British tour, recording an epic interview with the bandleader. Brubeck opened up as never before, disclosing his unique approach to jazz; the heady days of his 'classic' quartet in the 1950s-60s; hanging out with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis; and the many controversies that had dogged his 66-year-long career.Alongside beloved figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, Brubeck's music has achieved name recognition beyond jazz. But finding a convincing fit for Brubeck's legacy, one that reconciles his mass popularity with his advanced musical technique, has proved largely elusive. In Dave Brubeck: A Life in Time, Clark provides us with a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today.Structured around Clark's extended interview and intensive new research, this book tells one of the last untold stories of jazz, unearthing the secret history of 'Take Five' and many hitherto unknown aspects of Brubeck's early career - and about his creative relationship with his star saxophonist Paul Desmond. Woven throughout are cameo appearances from a host of unlikely figures from Sting, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and Keith Emerson, to John Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Partch, and Edgard Varèse. Each chapter explores a different theme or aspect of Brubeck's life and music, illuminating the core of his artistry and genius.
£12.99
Abbeville Press Inc.,U.S. Art & Science
Today, art and science are often defined in opposition to each other: one involves the creation of individual aesthetic objects, and the other the discovery of general laws of nature. Throughout human history, however, the boundaries have been less clearly drawn: knowledge and artifacts have often issued from the same source, the head and hands of the artisan. And artists and scientists have always been linked, on a fundamental level, by their reliance on creative thinking. Art and Science is the only book to survey the vital relationship between these two fields of endeavour in its full scope, from prehistory to the present day. Individual chapters explore how science has shaped architecture in every culture and civilisation; how mathematical principles and materials science have underpinned the decorative arts; how the psychology of perception has spurred the development of painting; how graphic design and illustration have evolved in tandem with methods of scientific research; and how breakthroughs in the physical sciences have transformed the performing arts. Some 265 illustrations, ranging from masterworks by Dürer and Leonardo to the dazzling vistas revealed by fractal geometry, complement the wide-ranging text. This new edition of Art and Science has been updated to cover the ongoing convergence of art and technology in the digital age, a convergence that has led to the emergence of a new type of creator, the 'cultural explorer' whose hybrid artworks defy all traditional categorisation. It will make thought-provoking reading for students and teachers, workers in creative and technical fields, and anyone who is curious about the history of human achievement.
£22.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Pickleball Is Life: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Obsession
The ultimate keepsake for every pickleball fan—from a dink shot to the kitchen, everything a pickleballer needs to know in this fully illustrated guide to the world’s greatest recreational sport, packed with lots of joy, good humor, and even a little bit of wisdom.Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. Easy to learn, but impossible to master, it’s no wonder that nearly 5 million people nationwide have picked up their paddles and taken to the court. But people aren’t just dabbling in this up-and-coming activity, they are obsessed; some hit the court as many as five, six, even seven times a week. As Vanity Fair put it, pickleball has “won over everyone, from Leonardo DiCaprio to your grandparents.”Pickleball Is Life is the first book of its kind celebrating the weird and wonderful world of pickleball. It will take readers on a journey from the sport’s quirky origins to its modern-day cult following. Along the way, visual info graphs and illustrations will share even more pickleball knowledge, including etiquette tips, a DIY court, obscure rules, and pointers for (good-natured) trash talk. Also included are interviews with members of the three founding families from Bainbridge Island who are still very much involved in the sport and its growth.People of all ages, athletic abilities, and backgrounds have fallen in love with pickleball. Sure, it’s a good workout, but it’s also a cheerful way to interact with others—something folks crave now more than ever. So, whether they’re uninitiated or obsessed, this book will help readers find even more to love about the world’s greatest sport.
£12.99
Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd Decimus Burton: Gentleman Architect
A contemporary of Soane, Nash and Pugin, Decimus Burton (1800–1881) was one of the most prolific architects of his day and is best known for his work in London’s Royal Parks, including: the Wellington Arch and the Serpentine pavilion in Hyde Park; villas and terraces in Regent’s Park and the London Zoo; the Temperate house at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; and the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of Fleetwood and St Leonards-on-Sea, and the spa town of Tunbridge Wells. Other projects include the Atheneum Club, Pall Mall, Adelaide Crescent in Brighton, and Phoenix Park in Dublin. Despite his success, little is known about Burton and this book is the first to fully examine his work, from his early years and his father’s influence, through his apprenticeship with John Nash, his works in private practice and his growing reputation, to his exploits in town planning and glass houses. This is set within a fascinating social and political context, with stories of conflict and heated dispute amongst the key players which paint a vivid portrait of the architectural profession and construction industry during this period. It reappraises Burton’s legacy and summarises his significant achievements and reveals how he contributed to the birth of the picturesque style that was to develop into the Arts and Crafts movement.
£49.99
Thames & Hudson Ltd How to Understand Art
The visual arts enrich our lives in many ways: bringing innovative ideas and the pleasures of beauty and emotion, but they can also confound. How To Understand Art sets out to enhance the viewer’s experience by breaking down the elements of art and sculpture to provide a firm basis for simple enjoyment as well as further investigation. With 100 visual examples drawn from across the globe, the stress is on how to assess art objectively – a key skill for any art student, museum visitor or cultural enthusiast. Janetta Rebold Benton guides the reader to re-evaluate their experiences of looking at art by learning to move beyond ‘I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like,’ and shift towards an understanding of ‘why I like it’. Materials and techniques are discussed – drawing, painting, printing, photography, sculpture and decorative art – making it possible to assess what can (and cannot) be done in certain media. The book also features a section devoted to six key artists who have had a particularly notable and innovative influence on the history of art: Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Perfectly aimed at students and the general reader, this indispensable guide to the subject is well-placed to encourage questions and discussion, especially in the light of current debates surrounding class, ethnicity, gender and race.With 111 illustrations in colour
£12.99
Headline Publishing Group The Graces
'A haunting, gripping, deeply atmospheric novel' - Emma Stonex 'What a storyteller . . . masterful' - Donal Ryan 'Beautiful, compelling and exquisitely told. This story will haunt me' - Ruth Hogan 'To be savoured long after the last page' - Leonora Nattrass 'A master craftswoman. I am in awe at this novel's brilliance' - Louisa Treger 'A stylish, evocative novel from a born storyteller' - Sunday Independent Science and faith collide against tumultuous 20th-century Ireland in this heart-wrenching historical novel, perfect for fans of Stacey Halls and Laura Purcell. ___________Bestowed with the graces. Condemned by a secret. Redeemed by a lie.Dublin, 1918. Rosaleen Moore: The Rose. A seer and a healer.Revered by popular spiritualists and sought after for her gifts of prophecy and healing by fashionable society, the mighty of Dublin Castle and mercurial political agitators alike, her last extraordinary prophecy will only see her legend grow.On the anniversary of her death, pilgrims walk the Way of the Rose: to St. Kilian's Abbey and its bell tower which so lured the Rose in life. Although a shrine, the bell tower has seen tragedy – a heinous crime to which the monastery's once-beloved Abbot, now imprisoned, has confessed.Then emerges a deathbed revelation by Rosaleen Moore which casts doubt on the Abbot's word.The Rose has a different tale to tell . . . ___________PRAISE FOR SIOHAN MACGOWAN:'Keeps the reader hooked to the end' - The Times'Utterly absorbing and vividly realised' - Irish Independent'An enthralling drama' - Best'A sweeping, heart-breaking quest for justice' - Fiona Looney'A tale told with such ominous beauty. Lotta will stay with me forever' - Chas Newkey-Burden'Weaves historical fact with an engaging and page-turning plot' - Sinead Moriarty'This is a sit-down-and-do-not-get-up-until-you've-finished read' - Belfast Telegraph'A brilliant tale' - Sunday Business Post'A gripping story of injustice, intrigue and revenge set at the turn of the 20th century' - Irish Times
£9.99
Zaffre The Angels Weep: The Ballantyne Series 3
BOOK 3 IN THE BALLANTYNE SERIES, BY INTERNATIONAL SENSATION WILBUR SMITH'Best historical novelist' - Stephen King'A master storyteller' - Sunday Times'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily MirrorTWO FAMILIES. TWO COUNTRIES. ONE CONFLICT. Like his father Zouga, Ralph Ballantyne dreams of making his fortune from the rich lands of Africa. But the tribes that they - and men like them - previously exploited are rising up, and will no longer submit quietly to the greed and mindless destruction of these Colonial trespassers. A hundred years later, the last Ballantyne, Craig Mellow, lives in the newly named Zimbabwe. The battle for Africa still rages, and for Craig there is a terrible price to pay for the actions of his ancestors . . .A sweeping epic that explores over a century of Africa's history under colonialist rule from the late nineteenth century, The Angels Weep is a moving and exciting novel that was an instant bestseller on publication (1982).The third book in the epic Ballantyne Series.Book 4 in the Ballantyne series and the stunning conclusion to the story of the Ballantynes, The Leopard Hunts in Darkness, is available now.
£10.99
Skyhorse Publishing ABCs of Art
“A surprisingly fresh take on the classic children's ABCs book.” A “Best Book of 2019.” —Vanity FairA fun way to inspire children’s imagination and creativity!” —Serena Williams“Art connects us all on the deepest level and this book will inspire young minds.” —Ken Griffin, founder & CEO of Citadel, trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago, and trustee of the Whitney Museum of American Art Learn the alphabet through fine art!Spark your child’s creativity and curiosity with this delightfully curated alphabet book featuring some of the world’s most iconic paintings.In this collection, your child will discover artwork by Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Mary Cassatt, and many others. Help them locate the earring in Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring, teach them different colors while examining Monet's Water Lilies, and count the pieces of fruit in Cezanne's The Basket of Apples.With a fun rhyming scheme and large, colorful text, ABCs of Art will inspire your budding art lovers as they learn the alphabet and new words by finding objects in paintings. Then, as your child grows, you can read the playful poems aloud together and answer the interactive questions that accompany each painting.
£13.49
University of Illinois Press Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage
A creative genius and prolific inventor, Leon Theremin almost single-handedly launched the field of electronic music in 1920. The theremin--the only musical instrument that is played without being touched--created a sensation worldwide and paved the way for the modern synthesizer. But the otherworldly sound that entranced millions was only part of Theremin's epic life. As a Soviet scientist, Theremin surrendered his life and work to the service of State espionage. On assignment in Depression-era America, he worked the engines of capitalist commerce while passing data on US industrial technology to the Soviet apparat. Following his sudden disappearance in 1938, Theremin vanished into the top-secret Soviet intelligence machine and was presumed dead for nearly thirty years. Using the same technology that spawned the theremin, he designed bugging devices and a host of other electronic wonders, including an early television and multimedia devices that anticipated performance art and virtual reality by decades. Albert Glinsky's biography places the inventor at world events stretching from the Russian Revolution through the Cold War to perestroika. Throughout, he spins whimsy and treachery into an astonishing drama of one man's hidden loyalties, mixed motivations, and irrepressibly creative spirit.
£21.99
Giorgio Nada Editore Ferrari F40
A must, an "exaggerated" Ferrari, a remarkably impressive car still today, more than 30 years on from its launch. The Ferrari F40 caused a sensation when it first saw the light of day in 1987 thanks to its uncompromising lines and a formidable mechanical specification, most of which left in plain sight and promising unrivalled performance. The car emanated immense appeal from every side. The last of the Prancing Horse's GT cars "approved" by Enzo Ferrari is the protagonist of this book by Gaetano Derosa, a book that starts from a long way out, analysing the "forebears" of the F40: from the 250 LM of 1963 to the 308 "Millechiodi" of 1978, to the 288 GTO of 1984 and the GTO Evoluzione of 1986. The technical and stylistic evolution of the F40 is also recounted by the figures responsible for this thoroughbred Ferrari: from Leonardo Fioravanti, in his dual role as designer and at the time vice-chairman of the Maranello firm to Nicola Materazzi who defined the monstrous eight-cylinder engine that powered the car and through to Piero Ferrari himself one of the great supporters of the F40 Le Mans project. It is no coincidence that the book concludes with an exhaustive chapter dedicated to the F40 in racing, from the GT and single-marque championships to the return to the Le Mans 24 Hours.
£44.99
Reaktion Books Hippopotamus
Hippos are well-loved, cumbersome, rotund mammals famous for lounging around semi-submerged in muddy pools. Gregarious herbivores, they emerge after dusk from the water into the cool night air to graze on grass and plants before returning to the water at sunrise. They have huge mouths adapted for grazing as well as large, sharp tusks and jaws powerful enough to bite through crocodiles, small boats and even humans. The common hippo, once found all over Africa, is now largely confined to South and East Africa, while its close relative, the mysterious pygmy hippo, is only found in the forests of Sierra Leone, West Africa. Hippos originated in Asia and share a common ancestry with whales. Until the last Ice Age, they were found across Europe, including Britain. The ancient civilizations of North Africa and the Middle East were familiar with the common hippo, as it was still plentiful along the Nile. To the Egyptians it was a revered deity while at the same time it was hunted for sport. While the Romans imported them into their circus spectacles in Rome, today the best place to see the common hippo is in its natural African environment.
£13.95
Little, Brown Book Group A Quiet Death in Italy
'The locale is brought to life . . . the plot keeps you guessing' The Times'A slow-burning, tense and brooding thriller' The Herald Scotland'Tom Benjamin's debut novel blows the lid off a political cauldron in which Leftist agitators, property moguls, the police and city elders struggle for survival and dominance' Daily Mail'It's an immensely promising debut, which leaves the reader feeling they really know the city.' Morning StarBologna: city of secrets, suspicion . . . and murderWhen the body of a radical protestor is found floating in one of Bologna's underground canals, it seems that most of the city is ready to blame the usual suspects: the police.But when private investigator Daniel Leicester, son-in-law to the former chief of police, receives a call from the dead man's lover, he follows a trail that begins in the 1970s and leads all the way to the rotten heart of the present-day political establishment.Beneath the beauty of the city, Bologna has a dark underside, and English detective Daniel must unravel a web of secrets, deceit and corruption - before he is caught in it himself.A dark and atmospheric crime thriller set in the beautiful Italian city of Bologna, perfect for fans of Donna Leon, Michael Dibdin and Philip Gwynne Jones.
£9.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd NATO and Warsaw Pact Tanks of the Cold War
Led by the USA with Western European partners, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet threat. In response the Soviet Union assembled and dominated the Warsaw Pact in 1954. The mainstay of both alliances' groundforces were their main battle tanks (MBTs). Initially both sides relied on Second World War MBTs; in NATO's case the Sherman medium tank and its successor the M26 Pershing together with the British Centurion and the heavy Conqueror. The Soviets originally fielded the T-34-85 medium tank and the IS-2 and IS-3 heavy tank replaced by the T-10. Next came the T-54 followed by the T-55 and 155mm armed T-63 (1965). The final WP Cold War MBTs were the T-64, T-72 and T-80 all with 122mm main armament. By contrast, NATO nations increasingly deployed a range of MBTs; the widely used American Patton series (M46 through M48), British Chieftain (1963) and Challenger (1982), French AMX-13 (1950) and AMX-30. From 1963 the Bundeswehr was equipped with the homegrown Leopard 1 and 2. The US M60 series and M1 Abrams came into service from 1980. These and more MBTs and variants are covered in expert detail in this superbly illustrated book.
£22.50
Little, Brown Book Group The Silent Ones
'All you have to do is find out why Harry is prepared to blame an innocent man. That's the thread. Follow it. You'll reach the Silent Ones. This is your way - our way - of making a difference.' With this challenge from Father Edmund Littlemore, Anselm returns to the Old Bailey. The man in the dock is Littlemore himself. He is charged with grave offences against Harry Brandwell who, it seems, is both a victim and a liar. But he's the only link to these others who've chosen silence over their right to justice. Unknown to Anselm, Robert Sambourne, a journalist, has been investigating Littlemore's background. And he's a man with a troubled past, always on the move, from Boston in the USA to Freetown in Sierra Leone, finally running from a London police station rather than explain himself. More disturbingly, Robert uncovers details of a carefully planned scheme to entice Anselm back into court, exploiting his reputation for honesty to secure a shock acquittal. Meanwhile Harry Brandwell - abused, abandoned and betrayed - has decided to take matters into his own hands. The Silent Ones examines the one crime that Church, State and Family thought they could hide in their own best interests; Anselm's return is a compelling novel about the anatomy of silence, the courage of victims and the redemptive power of public justice.
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Discover the truth about ENDURANCE in this superb true story of adventure, shipwreck, storms and survival on the high seas.'Superb ... the greatest survival story of all time' Sir Chris Bonington'One of the most remarkable tales of human courage and determination. The story is gripping and the book is a classic' Sir Ranulph FiennesENDURANCE is the story of one of the most astonishing feats of exploration and human courage ever recorded. In 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men set sail for the South Atlantic on board a ship called the Endurance. The object of the expedition was to cross the Antarctic overland. In October 1915, still half a continent away from their intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in ice. For five months Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways on one of the most savage regions of the world. This utterly gripping book, based on first-hand accounts of crew members and interviews with survivors, describes how the men survived, how they lived together in camps on the ice for 17 months until they reached land, how they were attacked by sea leopards, the diseases which they developed, and the indefatigability of the men and their lasting civility towards one another in the most adverse conditions conceivable.
£8.99
ACC Art Books A Palace in Sicily: A Masterpiece Restored
"A jewel of Baroque architecture, the Castelluccio Palace is the spotlight of a beautiful book retracing its history, its long restoration and its precious ornaments. These photographs reflect the Sicilian Golden Age." —Fanny Guenon des Mesnards, AD France "This monograph is an invitation to visit the Palazzo Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio."—Italian Vogue "A Palace in Sicily: A Masterpiece Restored doesn’t just pull back the curtain on the finished palace, it details the four-year-long process through an elaborate array of photos..." —Architectural Digest, and Yahoo With its sun-drenched sands and Mediterranean waters, Sicily has been a favoured destination of travellers for centuries. History is alive on this island, from ancient accounts of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans; to the journals of wealthy young European men embarking on the Grand Tour. This book captures the sun-steeped aesthetic of the island, while detailing the restoration of one of its finest attractions: the Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio palace. Marquis de Castelluccio was one of the last "servals" or “leopards” of Sicily – wealthy aristocrats who flooded the island with luxury. Following his death, his home fell to ruin. A half-century later, Jean-Louis Remilleux fell in love with this dilapidated 18th-century palace and made it his mission to restore it. Unveiled for the first time in this beautifully illustrated book, the Di Lorenzo del Castelluccio palazzo is one of the finest testaments to Sicilian architecture and art. Today, lush green palm trees welcome you to the palace’s imposing front façade. Frescoes, arabesques, masks, imitation marble, ceilings and wainscoting have all restored to their former glory, over decades of elaborate work. This book charts the restoration process and celebrates the astonishing end results. It contains an album’s worth of photographs that capture the beauty of this palace beneath the Mediterranean sun.
£36.00
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Masks from West and Central Africa: A Celebration of Color and Form
In West and Central Africa,ceremonial masks are viewed as manifestations of the spirits, and the dramatic effect and visibility of masks is enhanced by use of vivid color. Accompanied by vivid color photographs of 266 masks, the largest representation of traditional polychrome masks from the Temne people of Sierra Leone and the Anang (Ibibio) people of Nigeria are documented here, as well as one of the largest published collections of articulated masks from the Ogoni people of Nigeria. Also illustrated is a wide range of traditional masks used by other peoples from West and Central Africa, including masks from the nations of Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. Mask styles are discussed in relation to size, shape, materials, degree of abstraction, distinguishing characteristics, and context of usage. Other topics considered in this engaging presentation are the changing forms of masks in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the aesthetics of masks from the African perspective, and issues of "authenticity" as it relates to collecting African masks.
£36.89
New York University Press Essential Papers on Masochism
An anthology of essays examining the nature and practice of sexual masochism The contested psychoanalytic concept of masochism has served to open up pathways into less-explored regions of the human mind and behavior. Here, rituals of pain and sexual abusiveness prevail, and sometimes gruesome details of unconscious fantasies are constructed out of psychological pain, desperate need, and sexually excited, self- destructive violence. In this significant addition to the Essential Papers in Psychoanalysis series, Margaret Ann Fitzpatrick Hanly presents an anthology of the most outstanding writings in the psychoanalytic study of masochism. In bringing these essays together, Dr. Fitzpatrick Hanly expertly combines classic and contemporary theories by the most respected scholars in the field to create a varied and integrated volume. This collection features papers by S. Nacht, R. Loewenstein, Victor Smirnoff, Sigmund Freud, Jacques Laplanche, Robert Bak, Leonard Shengold, K. Novick, J. Novick, S. Coen, Margaret Brenman, Esther Menaker, S. Lorand, M. Balint, Bernhard Berliner, Charles Brenner, Helene Deutsch, Annie Reich, Marie Bonaparte, Jessica Benjamin, S.L. Olinick, Arnold Modell, Betty Joseph, and Janine Chasseguet-Smirgel.
£29.99
Titan Books Ltd This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us
In a dingy office in Fisherman's Wharf, the glass panel in the door bears the names of A. Kimrean and Z. Kimrean, Private Eyes. Behind the door there is only one desk, one chair, one scrawny androgynous P.I. in a tank top and skimpy waistcoat. A.Z., as they are collectively known, are twin brother and sister. He's pure misanthropic logic, she's wild hedonistic creativity. The Kimreans have been locked in mortal battle since they were in utero, which is tricky because they, very literally, share one single body. That's right. One body, two pilots. The mystery and absurdity of how Kimrean functions, and how they subvert every plotline, twist, explosion, and gunshot – and confuse every cop, neckless thug, cartel boss, ninja, and femme fatale – in the book is pure Cantero magic. Someone is murdering the sons of the ruthless drug cartel boss known as the Lyon in the biggest baddest town in California: San Carnal. The notorious A.Z. Kimrean must go to the sin-soaked, palm-tree-lined streets of San Carnal, infiltrate the Lyon's inner circle, and find out who is targeting his heirs, and while they are at it, rescue an undercover cop in too deep, deal with a plucky young stowaway, and stop a major gang war from engulfing California. They'll face every plot device and break every rule Elmore Leonard wrote before they can crack the case, if they don't kill each other (themselves) first. This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us is a brilliantly subversive and comic thriller celebrating noir detectives, Die Hard, Fast & Furious, and the worst case of sibling rivalry, that can only come from the mind of Edgar Cantero.
£9.04
Monacelli Press New Surrealism: The Uncanny in Contemporary Painting
New Surrealism: The Uncanny in Contemporary Painting by Robert Zeller offers a sweeping exposition of both historical Surrealism and its legacy in the world of contemporary art. It demonstrates the many ways in which the most significant art movement of the last century continues to be relevant today, featuring an international selection of contemporary artists whose compositions and studio practice reveal its influence. There are many modalities of historical Surrealism that still maintain contemporary currency: presenting the familiar as unfamiliar and uncanny, the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated imagery, the use of absurdity to critique political or social issues, and the use of erotic imagery in an irrational, non-linear context. Not all the artists brought together in this book self-identify as Surrealist, per se, but each uses some variation of Surrealism in a personal manner. The book begins with a study of the origins, leadership, participating artists, and major milestones of historical Surrealism. Zeller chronicles the movement starting at the end of World War I and the birth of Dada. The most important players and events emerge throughout the timeline of events—including World War II, and such notable artists as Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Leonora Carrington, and many others—up until the death of its leader Andre Breton in 1966. Zeller then explores how elements of New Surrealism are being put into practice in the contemporary art world. Section Two offers a survey of 29 contemporary artists who engage in New Surrealism’s seemingly unlimited variations of the movement’s original themes, including Rosa Loy, Glenn Brown, and Arghavan Khosravi. Section Three features 14 artists, including important contemporary artists such as Inka Essenhigh, Ginny Casey and Anna Weyant, who speak to Surrealism’s influence on their studio practice, detailing in their own words how they create a composition from start to finish.
£29.66
HarperCollins Publishers The Fragments of my Father: A Memoir of Madness, Love and Family Secrets
A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR In the vein of the Costa-winning Dadland, with the biographical elements of H is for Hawk, The Fragments of my Father is a powerful and poignant memoir about parents and children, freedom and responsibility, madness and creativity and what it means to be a carer. SHORTLISTED FOR THE BARBELLION PRIZE My life had been suspended, as though I had inhaled and was still waiting to let out that gasp of breath. I set aside my dreams for a future time when life might be normal again. But that night, on my mother’s birthday, as I sat and watched the sky turn from blue to black, I wondered for the first time if it ever would … There were holes in Sam Mills’s life when she was growing up – times when her dad was just absent, for reasons she didn’t understand. As she grew older, she began to make up stories about the periods when he wasn’t around: that he’d been abducted, spirited away and held captive by a mysterious tribe who lived at the bottom of the garden. The truth – that he suffers from a rare form of paranoid schizophrenia, and was hospitalised intermittently – slowly came into focus, and that focus became pin-sharp in 2012, when Sam’s mother died and Sam was left as his primary carer. In this powerful, poignant memoir Sam triangulates her own experience with the stories of two other carers, one she admires and one, on some days, she fears she might become: Leonard Woolf, husband to Virginia and F Scott Fitzgerald, husband to Zelda, and a man whose personality made him ill-equipped – in a great many ways – to be a carer for his troubled wife. A mesmerising blend of literary biography and memoir The Fragments of My Father is a compelling and moving account of what it means to be a carer.
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group CLR James: A Life Beyond the Boundaries
Historian, revolutionary and cricket writer, CLR James was one of the truly radical voices of the twentieth century. Born in Trinidad in the final days of the Victorian era, he debated with Trotsky, played cricket with Constantine, was published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf, inspired Kwame Nkrumah, and was a profound influence on the British Black Power movement. And yet by the late 1970s, CLR James was all but forgotten. The books he had written over the past half century were nearly all out of print. There were a few circles in which his name rang a bell: serious students of Black history; obsessive cricket fans. But that was it.When he died in Brixton in 1989, CLR James was internationally famous - lauded as the greatest of Black British intellectuals: the 'Black Plato', according to The Times.The ideas he put forward in his own time - of the importance of identity alongside class, of rebellion coming from below, of the leading roles of Black people, women and youth in political struggle - have gradually made their way to the forefront of our political thinking. His two great books, The Black Jacobins and Beyond a Boundary, still have the power to change readers' understanding of the world today.But while CLR James's work has been much examined, his long and remarkable life story has often been overlooked. For the first time, in a biography full of original research, human drama and keen insight, John L. Williams unveils the rich and compelling story of an intellectual giant. In doing so, he firmly establishes the importance of CLR James for the twenty-first century - if Black Britain has had a presiding genius, it remains CLR James.
£22.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Happy Odyssey
Adrian Carton de Wiart's autobiography is one of the most remarkable of military memoirs. He was the son of a Belgian barrister, Leon Constant Ghislain Carton de Wiart (1854-1915). He, himself, was intended for the law, but abandoned his studies at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1899 to serve as a trooper in the South African War. He abandoned the law for all time on 14 September 1901 when he received a direct commission in the 4th Dragoon Guards. Carton de Wiart's extraordinary military career embraced service with the Somaliland Camel Corps (1914-15), liaison officer with Polish forces (1939), membership of the British Military Mission to Yugoslavia (1941), a period as a prisoner of war (1941-43), and three years as Churchill's representative to Chiang Kai-shek (1943-46). (Churchill was a great admirer.) During the Great War, besides commanding the 8th Glosters, Carton de Wiart was GOC 12 Brigade (1917) and GOC 105 Brigade (April 1918). Both these command were terminated by wounds. He was wounded eight times during the war (including the loss of an eye and a hand), won the VC during the Batlle of the Somme, was mentioned in despatches six times, and was the model for Brigadier Ben Ritchie Hook in the Sword of Honour trilogy of Evelyn Waugh.
£14.99
Ivan R Dee, Inc A Higher Form of Cannibalism?: Adventures in the Art and Politics of Biography
"We used to canonize our heroes," Oscar Wilde wrote. "The modern method is to vulgarize them. Cheap editions of great books may be delightful, but cheap editions of great men are absolutely detestable." Since Wilde's condemnation of modern biography, the genre would appear to have accelerated its descent into bad taste. As Carl Rollyson points out, writers as various as Rebecca West, Ted Hughes, and Joyce Carol Oates have deplored biographers' tendency to cut up lives and render the bloody data so as to make their subjects seem unhealthy, unwholesome, and unsound. Janet Malcolm has compared biographers to burglars; modern novels feature the biographer as grave robber and victimizer. Exactly when did biography take this turn for the worse? Inquiring into the history of the art, and examining his own practices as well as those of biographers from Samuel Johnson to Richard Ellmann, Jeffrey Meyers, and many others, Mr. Rollyson casts considerable doubt on the indictments handed down by Oates, Malcolm and Co. By its very nature, Mr. Rollyson argues, biography is a problematic and controversial genre. That contemporary critics believe it has gone astray only reveals their ignorance of history and their hostility to the biographical enterprise itself—an animosity born of a misguided modernism and a rejection of Enlightenment values. A Higher Form of Cannibalism? explores the nexus between scholarship and biography, and demonstrates how the similarities of method between Leon Edel and Kitty Kelley outweigh the differences. Viewed through the prism of biography, the scholarly and the popular may not be as clearly separated as people suppose.
£17.09
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Dialogues with Degas: Influence and Antagonism in Contemporary Art
Dialogues with Degas demonstrates the ongoing relevance of Edgar Degas to 20th- and 21st-century ideas and art practices. The first in-depth examination of this major artist’s impact on contemporary art, this book explores how contemporary practitioners have used Degas’s creativity as a springboard to engage imaginatively and critically with themes of colonialism, gender, race and class. Individual chapters are devoted to dialogues between Degas’s art and works produced by Frank Auerbach, Cecily Brown, Xinyi Cheng, Ryan Gander, Maggi Hambling, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Chantal Joffe, Leon Kossoff, R.B. Kitaj, Juan Muñoz, Paula Rego, Jenny Saville, Yinka Shonibare, Cy Twombly and Rebecca Warren. Through close analyses of selected paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, Kathryn Brown explores how Degas’s technical and compositional experiments have been extended or challenged in innovative ways. By experimenting with the materials and methods of existing works, contemporary artists generate visual palimpsests that make new demands of the viewer and prompt a reconsideration of ideas that have informed histories of 19th-century French art. The book overturns familiar conceptions of influence by eschewing a genealogical approach and prioritizing, instead, the analysis of non-linear encounters between artworks. This encourages a new conception of the agency of visual artefacts and of the conversations they are capable of entertaining with each other. While this study sheds new light on Degas’s art and that of his interlocutors, it also has methodological significance for the writing of art history.
£90.00
Columbia University Press Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Avant-garde: War, Civilization, Modernity
Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Avant-Garde traces the dynamic emergence of Woolf's art and thought against Bloomsbury's public thinking about Europe's future in a period marked by two world wars and rising threats of totalitarianism. Educated informally in her father's library and in Bloomsbury's London extension of Cambridge, Virginia Woolf came of age in the prewar decades, when progressive political and social movements gave hope that Europe "might really be on the brink of becoming civilized," as Leonard Woolf put it. For pacifist Bloomsbury, heir to Europe's unfinished Enlightenment project of human rights, democratic self-governance, and world peace-and, in E. M. Forster's words, "the only genuine movement in English civilization"- the 1914 "civil war" exposed barbarities within Europe: belligerent nationalisms, rapacious racialized economic imperialism, oppressive class and sex/gender systems, a tragic and unnecessary war that mobilized sixty-five million and left thirty-seven million casualties. An avant-garde in the twentieth-century struggle against the violence within European civilization, Bloomsbury and Woolf contributed richly to interwar debates on Europe's future at a moment when democracy's triumph over fascism and communism was by no means assured. Woolf honed her public voice in dialogue with contemporaries in and beyond Bloomsbury- John Maynard Keynes and Roger Fry to Sigmund Freud (published by the Woolfs'Hogarth Press), Bertrand Russell, T. S. Eliot, E. M. Forster, Katherine Mansfield, and many others-and her works embody and illuminate the convergence of aesthetics and politics in post-Enlightenment thought. An ambitious history of her writings in relation to important currents in British intellectual life in the first half of the twentieth century, this book explores Virginia Woolf's narrative journey from her first novel, The Voyage Out, through her last, Between the Acts.
£25.20
Tate Publishing The Art of Feminism (Updated and Expanded): Images that Shaped the Fight for Equality
The Updated and Expanded edition of The Art of Feminism charts the birth of the feminist aesthetic and its development over two centuries that have seen profound and fast-paced change in women's lives across the globe. Including over 350 remarkable artworks, ranging from political posters and graphics to stunning and provocative pieces of painting, sculpture, textiles, craft, performance, digital and installation art, the book begins with poster images produced by the Suffrage Atelier in the nineteenth century, moving on to developments of both World Wars before arriving at the `birth' of feminist art in the 1960s. More recent artworks describe the development of feminism from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the present day, including examples by Zanele Muholi, Paula Rego, Lenka Clayton, Sethembile Msezane, Andrea Bowers, Tanja Ostojic, Aliaa Magda Elmahdy and Zoe Leonard. Other featured artists include Valie Export, Ketty La Rocca, Ewa Partum, Carolee Schneemann, Sanja Ivekovic, Senga Nengudi, Eva Hesse, Lynda Benglis, Suzy Lake, Barbara Kruger, Sophie Calle, Nancy Spero, Marina Abramovic, Mary Kelly, Judy Chicago, Faith Ringgold and Sonia Boyce. UPDATED AND INCLUSIVE: This edition of the book features an even more diverse array of artists and artworks than the original, from the beautiful figurative paintings of Hungarian-Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil to the thoroughly researched and extravagantly costumed self-portraits of American photographer Ayana Jackson. Edited by Helena Reckitt, with texts by Lucinda Gosling, Hilary Robinson and Amy Tobin, The Art of Feminism also includes a preface by Maria Balshaw, Director, Tate, and a foreword by Xabier Arakistain, former director of del Centro Cultural Montehermoso Kulturunea, Spain.
£27.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Commando Helicopter Aircrewman: 51 Years in Action with the RN and RAF
This is the remarkable story of one man's service in the Royal Navy, RAF and the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch of the Fleet Air Arm. It is a flying career which lasted for an impressive 51 years and in which Warrant Officer Class 1 John Sheldon amassed over 8,000 hours in the air. Having joined the Royal Navy in 1968, as a fifteen-year-old boy entrant not long out of school, John was recruited into the Fleet Air Arm as a junior electrician. He went on to become a Commando Aircrewman and flew in all types of service helicopters and in all of their roles, from Arctic training in Norway to the balmy Mediterranean and the wilds of Canada. Having initially been involved in the evacuation of Cyprus and the Turkish invasion in 1974, in which his helicopter had to recover bodies from the water with a sprawl net, John went on to serve in Northern Ireland, was deployed to the South Atlantic in the Falklands War, where he operated from HMS _Fearless_ and helped lift survivors from the RFA _Sir Galahad_ tragedy, undertook a tour in Lebanon, and then saw action during the First Gulf War, in Bosnia, Sierra Leone and then in Afghanistan. In his extraordinary career, John was tasked with going around the UK undertaking aerial displays to support recruitment campaigns for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, as well as completing several tours as a Search and Rescue Aircrewman, Anti-Submarine Operator and also as an RN/RAF Test Aircrewman at the Rotary Wing Test Squadron at Boscombe Down. This unique memoir covers the military action that John encountered, the many incidents and close shaves he was involved in and the friends he lost during his long and illustrious career.
£20.00
Duke University Press At Home in the World
Ours is a century of uprootedness, with fewer and fewer people living out their lives where they are born. At such a time, in such a world, what does it mean to be "at home?" Perhaps among a nomadic people, for whom dwelling is not synonymous with being housed and settled, the search for an answer to this question might lead to a new way of thinking about home and homelessness, exile and belonging. At Home in the World is the story of just such a search. Intermittently over a period of three years Michael Jackson lived, worked, and traveled extensively in Central Australia. This book chronicles his experience among the Warlpiri of the Tanami Desert.Something of a nomad himself, having lived in New Zealand, Sierra Leone, England, France, Australia, and the United States, Jackson is deft at capturing the ambiguities of home as a lived experience among the Warlpiri. Blending narrative ethnography, empirical research, philosophy, and poetry, he focuses on the existential meaning of being at home in the world. Here home becomes a metaphor for the intimate relationship between the part of the world a person calls "self" and the part of the world called "other." To speak of "at-homeness," Jackson suggests, implies that people everywhere try to strike a balance between closure and openness, between acting and being acted upon, between acquiescing in the given and choosing their own fate. His book is an exhilarating journey into this existential struggle, responsive at every turn to the political questions of equity and justice that such a struggle entails.A moving depiction of an aboriginal culture at once at home and in exile, and a personal meditation on the practice of ethnography and the meaning of home in our increasingly rootless age, At Home in the World is a timely reflection on how, in defining home, we continue to define ourselves.
£22.00
Little, Brown Book Group The Vintage Springtime Club: A charming novel for fans of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
Perfect for fans of A MAN CALLED OVE, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL and THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP Newly retired Philip returns home to Cologne and is thrown into emotional turmoil upon bumping into his long-lost sweetheart. In the midst of a domestic crisis, Ricarda confides in Philip that she is looking for somewhere to live. And there and then, Philip suggests that she move in with him - he is setting up a flatshare. Will she join him with his mischievous dachshund named Ralf?To his surprise, Ricarda agrees, leaving Philip to scramble together a crew of retires in time for spring, for the most unlikely of social experiments. There's grumpy cigarette-smoking grandfather Harry; quiet and discreet Eckart, curiously carting around his late wife's headstone; Uschi, brimming with life, harbouring a passion for leotards and aerobics, along with sausages and outrageous knitting patterns; and then, ever-practical and warm-hearted Ricarda, towards whom Phillip is developing real feelings. Despite their differences, the flatmates thrive and embark on a series of new adventures. But when Uschi falls unwell, familiar cracks begin to show and this uniquely spirited club of friends must work together in order to survive - and truly blossom.Read what people are saying about The Vintage Springtime Club'Such a wonderful, uplifting story. When I finished I felt a warm frisson of emotion enveloping me. It's difficult to believe this is Beatrice's first novel' (Kraftireader) 'This gentle book is full of warmth and is an easy enjoyable read' (Portobello Book Blog)'A charming debut novel' (Alba Forcadell)'A wonderful tale of life, friendship and love that kept me hooked until the very end' (Reading Room With a View)
£8.09
The Lilliput Press Ltd Paddy Mo: A Biography of Dr.Patrick Moriarty 1926-1997
This biography charts the life of Paddy Moriarty, the Kerryborn Chief Executive of ESB, a man who revolutionized corporate life during his leadership of the largest semi-state company in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s. Born in Dingle in 1926, he became one of Ireland's leading business people of the twentieth century as he transformed ESB into a world-class electricity provider and a highly efficient, commercially driven company. Having built the power infrastructure of the new State, ESB played a critical role in the revitalization of the Irish economy and, on Moriarty's watch, proceeded to assist in developing the foundations of the Celtic Tiger economy. His vision was to make ESB 'the best electricity utility in the whole world', developing the highest standards of infrastructure at home while developing an international business in the economies of North and Central America, Africa, the Middle East and the Far East. Moriarty joined ESB as a clerical officer in June 1945 at the age of nineteen and quickly gained a reputation as a young man with a determined view on how business should be run. He rose rapidly through the company ranks. He was head of Research and Audit in 1961, Assistant Chief Financial Officer in 1967 and Director Personnel in 1970, before becoming Chief Executive in 1981 and Chairman ESB in 1991. The man they called Paddy Mo conducted comprehensive and difficult industrial relations negotiations with the trade unions, ensuring harmony in the workplace during the 1980s – a decade of fast-moving change, massive technological reform and associated redundancies. His interpersonal skills, as well as his business instincts, became legendary. With Taoiseach Charles Haughey he helped pioneer the North-South Erne Waterways project in a bid to revitalize border communities. He was also a significant patron of the arts, encouraging sponsorship of painters, sculptors and musicians. His wide-ranging interests included sports and horse racing, with one of the Leopardstown classics being named in his honour. A sense of family, which included his younger brother Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh the renowned GAA broadcaster and commentator, was central to his world view.
£14.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd Stories I Might Regret Telling You
This is Martha Wainwright’s heartfelt memoir about growing up in a bohemian musical family and her experiences with love, loss, motherhood, divorce, the music industry and more. Born into music royalty, the daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to the highly-acclaimed singer Rufus Wainwright, Martha grew up in a world filled with such incomparable folk legends as Leonard Cohen, Anna McGarrigle, Richard and Linda Thompson, Pete Townsend and Emmylou Harris. It was within this loud, boisterous, musical milieu that Martha came of age, struggling to find her voice until she exploded onto the music scene with her 2005 debut and critically acclaimed album, Martha Wainwright, which contained the blistering hit, ‘Bloody Mother F*cking Asshole’, which the Sunday Times called one of the best songs of that year. Her successful debut album and the ones that followed such as Come Home to Mama, I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too and Goodnight City came to define Martha's searing songwriting style and established her as a powerful voice to be reckoned with.'With disarming candour and courage, Martha tells us of finding her own voice and peace as a working artist and mother. Her story is made more unique because of the remarkably gifted musical family she was born into.' EMMYLOU HARRIS In Stories I Might Regret Telling You, Martha digs into the deep recesses of herself with the same emotional honesty that has come to define her music. She describes her tumultuous public-facing journey from awkward, earnest and ultimately rebellious daughter, through her intense competition and ultimate alliance with her brother, Rufus, to the heart-breaking loss of their mother, Kate, and then, finally, discovering her voice as an artist. With candour and grace, Martha writes of becoming a mother herself and making peace with her past struggles with Kate and her younger self. Ultimately, this book offers a thoughtful and deeply personal look into the extraordinary life of one of the most talented singer-songwriters in music today.
£18.00
John Murray Press Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe
'Never before had the world seen four such giants co-existing. Sometimes friends, more often enemies, always rivals, these four men together held Europe in the hollow of their hands.' Four great princes - Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent - were born within a single decade. Each looms large in his country's history and, in this book, John Julius Norwich broadens the scope and shows how, against the rich background of the Renaissance and destruction of the Reformation, their wary obsession with one another laid the foundations for modern Europe. Individually, each man could hardly have been more different - from the scandals of Henry's six wives to Charles's monasticism - but, together, they dominated the world stage. From the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a pageant of jousting, feasting and general carousing so lavish that it nearly bankrupted both France and England, to Suleiman's celebratory pyramid of 2,000 human heads (including those of seven Hungarian bishops) after the battle of Mohács; from Anne Boleyn's six-fingered hand (a potential sign of witchcraft) that had the pious nervously crossing themselves to the real story of the Maltese falcon, Four Princes is history at its vivid, entertaining best. With a cast list that extends from Leonardo da Vinci to Barbarossa, and from Joanna the Mad to le roi grand-nez, John Julius Norwich offers the perfect guide to the most colourful century the world has ever known and brings the past to unforgettable life.
£12.99
Island Press Tibet Wild: A Naturalist's Journeys on the Roof of the World
George Schaller has spent much of his life traversing wild and isolated places in his quest to understand and conserve threatened species - from mountain gorillas in the Virunga to snow leopards in the Himalaya. Throughout his career, Schaller has spent more time in Tibet than anywhere else, devoting over thirty years to the wildlife, culture, and landscapes that captured his heart. "Tibet Wild" is Schaller's account of three decades of exploration in the most remote stretches of Tibet. As human development in the region accelerated, Schaller watched the clash between wildlife and people become more common - and more destructive. What began as a purely scientific endeavour became a mission: to work with local communities, regional leaders, and national governments to protect the ecological richness and culture of the Tibetan Plateau. Whether tracking brown bears, penning fables about the tiny pika, or promoting a conservation preserve that spans four nations, Schaller has pursued his goal with persistence and good humour. "Tibet Wild" is an intimate journey through the wilderness of Tibet, guided by the careful gaze and unwavering passion of a life-long naturalist.
£28.05
The American University in Cairo Press Cats of Egypt: An AUC Press Nature Foldout
Cats were just as favored in ancient Egypt as they are today. Egyptian paintings of domesticated cats date back 3,600 years, and animal cults included worship to the cat goddess Bastet. This AUC Press Nature Foldout explores wild and domestic cats of Egypt: large cats like the Cheetah, the Leopard, and the Caracal, which are all extremely threatened or near extinction within Egypt; and smaller cats including the African Wild Cat, Swamp Cat, Sand Cat, and Egyptian Mau. Whether wild or household pets, cats have long been beloved by people. - Each species described and illustrated, alongside examples of their natural prey in the wild - Map of Egypt describing the various habitats of wild cats, as well as locations of ancient Egyptian sites where the cat was worshiped and mummified - Noted appearances of felines in hieroglyphs and reliefs - Conservation efforts for threatened cat species About the series: The AUC Press Nature Foldout series combine, in beautifully practical form, a wealth of information written by leading experts with striking full-color illustrations on the flora and fauna of Egypt and the Middle East. Designed for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers, as well as for indoor use, the foldouts come in an easily foldable format, at once compact, waterproof, and portable, making them durable and convenient travel guides. Size is 23 x 8.5 in. / 58.5 x 21.5 cm unfolded.
£8.88
Profile Books Ltd Detransition, Baby: Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2021 and Top Ten The Times Bestseller
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021 WINNER OF THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION 2022 Shortlisted for the 2022 National Book Critics' Circle John Leonard Prize for best first book As heard on BBC Radio 4's Front Row February 2021 Book of the Month for Roxane Gay's Book Club Selected for The New York Times Notable Books of 2021 and The Times Best Books of 2021 'Irresistible ... Detransition, Baby is the first great trans realist novel' Grace Lavery, Guardian 'A voraciously knowing, compulsively readable novel' Chris Kraus 'Tremendously funny and sexy as hell' Juliet Jacques Reese nearly had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York, a job she didn't hate. She'd scraped together a life previous generations of trans women could only dream of; the only thing missing was a child. Then everything fell apart and three years on Reese is still in self-destruct mode, avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men. When her ex calls to ask if she wants to be a mother, Reese finds herself intrigued. After being attacked in the street, Amy de-transitioned to become Ames, changed jobs and, thinking he was infertile, started an affair with his boss Katrina. Now Katrina's pregnant. Could the three of them form an unconventional family - and raise the baby together?
£14.99
Hachette Children's Group Crookhaven The School for Thieves: Book 1
ONE OF THE THE SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN 2023The first book in the 'criminally good' Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights."So this is really a school for criminals." It was meant as a question, though it came out more as an accusation."We are so much more than that," Caspian said, sitting in a plush leather chair and gesturing for Gabriel to sit in a similar one across the table. "We are a home for the forgotten, a sanctuary for the lost and ... yes, a training ground for the greatest crooks of the future."13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty. And then one day, he's caught.But instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven - a school for thieves. At Crookhaven, students are trained in lock-picking, forgery and 'crim-nastics', all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent.But ... can you ever really trust a thief?With a school wide competition to be crowned Top Crook and many mysteries to uncover, Gabriel's first year at Crookhaven will be one to remember... An irresistible series about chosen family, high stakes thievery, and what it really means to do good. Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Anthony Horowitz.
£8.42
Hodder & Stoughton Beatrice and Benedick
Hidden in the language of Shakespeare's best-loved comedy Much Ado About Nothing, are several clues to an intriguing tale. It seems that the witty lovers Beatrice and Benedick had a previous youthful love affair which ended bitterly. But how did they meet, why did they part, and what brought them together again?Messina, Sicily, 1588. Beatrice of Mantua comes to the court of her uncle Leonato, to be companion to his daughter, Hero. That fateful summer, Spanish lordling Don Pedro visits for a month-long sojourn on the island with his regiment. In his company is the young soldier Benedick of Padua.Benedick and Beatrice begin to wage their merry war of wit, which masks the reality that they dance a more serious measure, and the two are soon deeply in love. But the pair are cruelly parted by natural disaster and man-made misunderstanding. Oceans apart, divided by war and slander, Beatrice and Benedick begin their ten-year odyssey back to Messina and each other.In a journey that takes us from sunlit Sicily to the crippled Armada fleet and from ancient superstition to the glorious Renaissance cities of the north, Marina Fiorato tells a story of intrigue, treachery and betrayal that will shed a new light on Shakespeare's most appealing lovers.'Captures the scents, passion and vigour of Italy' Booklist
£9.99
Amazon Publishing Ripped from the Headlines!: The Shocking True Stories Behind the Movies’ Most Memorable Crimes
Bestselling true-crime master Harold Schechter explores the real-life headline-making psychos, serial murderers, thrill-hungry couples, and lady-killers who inspired a century of classic films. The necktie murders in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy; Chicago’s Jazz Age crime of passion; the fatal hookup in Looking for Mr. Goodbar; the high school horrors committed by the costumed slasher in Scream. These and other cinematic crimes have become part of pop-culture history. And each found inspiration in true events that provided the raw material for our greatest blockbusters, indie art films, black comedies, Hollywood classics, and grindhouse horrors. So what’s the reality behind Psycho, Badlands, The Hills Have Eyes, A Place in the Sun, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Dirty Harry? How did such tabloid-ready killers as Bonnie and Clyde, body snatchers Burke and Hare, Texas sniper Charles Whitman Jr., nurse-slayer Richard Speck, and Leopold and Loeb exert their power on the public imagination and become the stuff of movie lore? In this collection of revelatory essays, true-crime historian Harold Schechter takes a fascinating trip down the crossroads of fact and fiction to reveal the sensational real-life stories that are more shocking, taboo, and fantastic than even the most imaginative screenwriter can dream up.
£9.15
Headline Publishing Group Nadia Knows Best: A warm and witty tale of love, lust and family drama
NADIA KNOWS BEST is an unputdownable romance from the Sunday Times bestselling Jill Mansell, whose novels are must-reads for fans of Cathy Kelly and Lucy Diamond.When Nadia Kinsella meets Jay Tiernan, and the weather traps them in a remote Cotswold pub, she's tempted, of course she is. But Nadia's already met The One. She and Laurie have been together for years - they're practically childhood sweethearts and she still gets butterflies in her stomach at the sight of him. Okay, so maybe she doesn't see that much of him these days, but that's not Laurie's fault. She can't betray him. Besides, when you belong to a family like the Kinsellas - bewitchingly glamorous grandmother Miriam, feckless mother Leonie, stop-at-nothing sister Clare - well, someone has to exercise a bit of self-control, don't they? I mean, you wouldn't want to do something that you might later regret...What readers are saying about Nadia Knows Best: 'I couldn't put it down! I was immediately drawn into the lives of this one beautifully flawed and unusual family. I now want to read every book Jill Mansell has ever written' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'A fantastic book that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Nadia's life is presented in a way anyone could relate to and really hits at the heart' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'Funny, witty, heart-warming and endearing' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
£9.99