Search results for ""author isabel"
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Lost Paradise: The Story of Granada
The essential history of an iconic European city, by Cambridge academic Elizabeth Drayson. 'An admirable achievement... [Drayson has] expertise as a scholar and command as a storyteller' BBC History Magazine 'A glittering homage to one of the world's most beautiful and storied cities' Dan Jones 'Beauty built on blood and brutality... A fascinating new tome' Daily Mail From the early Middle Ages to the present, foreign travellers have been bewitched by Granada's peerless beauty. The Andalusian city is also the stuff of story and legend, with an unforgettable history to match. Romans, then Visigoths, settled here, as did a community of Jews; in the eleventh century a Berber chief made Granada his capital, and from 1230 until 1492 the Nasrids – Spain's last Islamic dynasty – ruled the emirate of Granada from their fortress-palace of the Alhambra. After capturing the city to complete the Christian Reconquista, the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella made the Alhambra the site of their royal court. In Lost Paradise, Elizabeth Drayson takes the reader on a voyage of discovery that uncovers the many-layered past of Spain's most complex and fascinating city, celebrating and exploring its evolving identity. Her account brings to the fore the image of Granada as a lost paradise, revealing it as a place of perpetual contradiction and linking it to the great dilemma over Spain's true identity as a nation. This is the story of a vanished Eden, of a place that questions and probes Spain's deep obsession with forgetting, and with erasing historical and cultural memory.
£12.00
Boydell & Brewer Ltd The Church Music of Fifteenth-Century Spain
Analysis of Latin sacred music written during the century illustrates the rapid and marked change in style and sophistication. Winner of the 2007 AMS Robert M. Stevenson prize The arrival of Francisco de Peñalosa at the Aragonese court in May 1498 marks something of an epoch in the history of Spanish music: Peñalosa wrote in a mature, northern-oriented style, and his sacred music influenced Iberian composers for generations after his death. Kenneth Kreitner looks at the church music sung by Spaniards in the decades before Peñalosa, a repertory that has long been ignoredbecause much of it is anonymous and because it is scattered through manuscripts better known for something else. He identifies sixty-seven pieces of surviving Latin sacred music that were written in Spain between 1400 and the early 1500s, and he discusses them source by source, revealing the rapid and dramatic change, not only in the style and sophistication of these pieces, but in the level of composerly self-consciousness shown in the manuscripts. Withina generation or so at the end of the fifteenth century, Spanish musicians created a new national music just as Ferdinand and Isabella were creating a new nation. KENNETH KREITNER teaches at the University of Memphis.
£70.00
Chronicle Books Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design
A collection of beautifully illustrated essays and interviews presenting a rich, inclusive, contemporary, and global vision of design diversity. As the design industry re-examines its emphasis on Eurocentric ideologies and wrestles with its conventional practices, Centered advocates for highlighting and giving a voice to the people, places, methods, ideas, and beliefs that have been eclipsed or excluded by dominant design movements. Curated by Kaleena Sales, a powerful voice and noted advocate for diversity in the design community, the thirteen essays and interviews in this volume will feature important and underrepresented design work and projects like: Gee's Bend Quilters, by Stephen Child and Isabella D'Agnenica A Chinese Typographic Archive, by YuJune Park and Caspar Lam Indigenous Sovereignty and Design: An Interview with Sadie Red Wing (Her Shawl is Yellow) The Truck Art of India, by Shantanu Suman New Lessons from the Bauhaus: An Interview with Ellen Lupton Vocal Type: An Interview with Tre Seals Decolonizing Graphic Design, A Must, by Cheryl D. Miller And more A must-read for design practitioners, educators, students, and anyone interested in expanding narratives and gaining a more inclusive understanding of design.
£19.79
Museum of Fine Arts,Boston Strong Women in Renaissance Italy
The lives, works and imagery of women artists, patrons and icons in Renaissance Italy The story of the Renaissance in Italy is often told through the work of great male artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo. But what about the female half of the population? By exploring works made by, for, or about women, this book aims to reconsider a period of creative ingenuity and artistic excellence from their often-overlooked perspective. Drawing on the rich collection of paintings, ceramics, textiles, illustrated books and prints at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, this publication focuses on images of feminine power, both sacred and secular, telling the stories of saints such as Mary Magdalen as examples of strength and ascetic devotion, Biblical heroines such as Judith as civic and domestic role models, and the mythical sorceress Medea as the ideal of a heroic nude. Women also asserted their presence as artists, artisans and patrons: Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, Artemisia Gentileschi, Vittoria Colonna, Isabella d’Este and Eleonora Gonzaga are just some of the strong women who shaped the life and art of the Italian Renaissance.
£36.00
Transworld Publishers Ltd Rebel Sisters
The No.1 bestselling novel from one of Ireland's most loved writers!With the threat of the First World War looming, tension simmers under the surface of Ireland. Bright, beautiful and intelligent, the Gifford sisters Grace, Muriel and Nellie kick against the conventions of their privileged, wealthy Anglo-Irish background and their mother Isabella's expectations.As War erupts across Europe, the spirited sisters soon find themselves caught up in Ireland's struggle for freedom.Muriel falls deeply in love with writer Thomas MacDonagh, artist Grace meets the enigmatic Joe Plunkett - both leaders of 'The Rising' - while Nellie joins 'The Citizen Army' and takes up arms to fight alongside Countess Markievicz in the rebellion. On Easter Monday 1916, the Rising begins, and the world of the Gifford sisters and everyone they hold dear is torn apart in a fight that is destined for tragedy.____________'Engrossing' Sunday Times'Marvellous ... A gripping read' Irish Independent'Finally, women are being written back into the history of [Ireland's] awakening' Irish Mail on Sunday
£9.99
Duke University Press Museum Skepticism: A History of the Display of Art in Public Galleries
In Museum Skepticism, art historian David Carrier traces the birth, evolution, and decline of the public art museum as an institution meant to spark democratic debate and discussion. Carrier contends that since the inception of the public art museum during the French Revolution, its development has depended on growth: on the expansion of collections, particularly to include works representing non-European cultures, and on the proliferation of art museums around the globe. Arguing that this expansionist project has peaked, he asserts that art museums must now find new ways of making high art relevant to contemporary lives. Ideas and inspiration may be found, he suggests, in mass entertainment such as popular music and movies.Carrier illuminates the public role of art museums by describing the ways they influence how art is seen: through their architecture, their collections, the narratives they offer museum visitors. He insists that an understanding of the art museum must take into account the roles of collectors, curators, and museum architects. Toward that end, he offers a series of case studies, showing how particular museums and their collections evolved. Among those who figure prominently are Baron Dominique Vivant Denon, the first director of the Louvre; Bernard Berenson, whose connoisseurship helped Isabella Stewart Gardner found her museum in Boston; Ernest Fenollosa, who assembled much of the Asian art collection now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Albert Barnes, the distinguished collector of modernist painting; and Richard Meier, architect of the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles. Carrier’s learned consideration of what the art museum is and has been provides the basis for understanding the radical transformation of its public role now under way.
£24.99
HarperCollins Publishers Punch-Drunk Love
This book was previously published as Sweatpants at Tiffanie’s The knock out romantic comedy of the year! This brilliant, funny love story is perfect for fans of Jo Watson, Mhairi McFarlane and Zara Stoneley. ‘Absolutely loved Sweatpants at Tiffanie’s… I devoured every page’ Holly Martin True love packs a punch… Tiffanie Trent is not having a great week. Gavin, her boyfriend, has dumped her unceremoniously on their tenth anniversary, leaving her heartbroken and homeless. Frank Black, the owner of Blackie’s boxing gym and where Tiff has been book-keeper for the last decade, has dropped dead. He's not having a great week either. And if that wasn’t enough, Mike ‘The Assassin’ Fellner, boxer of international fame and Tiff’s first love, is back in town and more gorgeous than ever. Tiff can’t seem to go anywhere without bumping into his biceps. When she discovers Blackie has left her the gym, Tiff, with her saggy trackies and supermarket trainers, is certain she’ll fail. Can Tiff step up and roll with the punches, or will she be down and out at the first round? Readers love Pernille Hughes: ‘A fun, smart, sassy read full of likeable characters that stayed with me long after the last page’ Alex Brown ‘Punchy, pacy and packed with wit and warmth’ Sunday Times bestseller Cathy Bramley ‘A lovely, uplifting story…everything I look for in a romantic comedy’ Karen Clarke ‘A proper meet-cute…DEFINITELY unputdownable’ Isabella May ‘Funny, poignant and wonderfully descriptive…an unlikely but perfect romcom’ Rachel Burton ‘If you are looking for a wonderful rom-com, that also had a few surprises in it, then this is definitely worth a read’ Rachel’s Random Reads
£9.99
Pindar Press Jan van Eyck and Portugal's "Illustrious Generation"
Barbara von Barghahn is Professor of Art History at George Washington University and a specialist in the art history of Portugal, Spain, and their colonial dominions, as well as Flanders (1400-1800). In 1993, she was conferred O Grão Comendador in the Portuguese Order of Prince Henry the Navigator. She has spent nearly a decade completing research about Jan van Eyck's diplomatic visits to the Iberian Peninsula. This manuscript investigates Van Eyck's patronage by the Crown of Portugal and his role as diplomat-painter of the Duchy of Burgundy following his first voyage to Lisbon in 1428-1429 when he painted two portraits of Infanta Isabella, who became the third wife of Philip the Good in 1430. New portrait identifications are provided in the Ghent Altarpiece (1432) and its iconographical prototype, the lost Fountain of Life. These altarpieces are analyzed with regard to King João I's conquest of Ceuta, achieved by his sons who were hailed as an"illustrious generation." Strong family ties between the dynastic houses of Avis and Lancaster explain Lusitania 's sustained fascination with Arthurian lore and the Grail quest. Several chapters of this book are overlaid with a chivalric veneer. A second "secret mission" to Portugal in 1437 by Jan van Eyck is postulated and this diplomatic visit is related to Prince Henrique the Navigator's expedition to Tangier and King Duarte's attempts to forge an alliance with Alfonso V of Aragon. Late Eyckian commissions are reviewed in light of this ill-fated crusade and additional new portraits are identified. The most significant artist of Renaissance Flanders appears to have been patronized as much by the House of Avis as by the Duchy of Burgundy.
£150.00
Phaidon Press Ltd Bird: Exploring the Winged World
'The most glorious cornucopia celebrating our enduring love affair with birds - an uplifting and eye opening tribute to the way they enrich our lives.' - Alan Titchmarsh MBE, British TV presenter, broadcaster, and gardener 'Wonderfully illustrated.' - Wall Street Journal Let your imagination take flight and celebrate the beauty and diversity of birds throughout art, science, history, and culture This visually stunning survey of birds, chronicling their scientific and popular appeal throughout the ages and around the world, showcases the remarkable diversity of species in the avian kingdom, from tiny hummingbirds to ostriches taller than humans, and icebound penguins to tropical macaws. With its content curated alongside an international panel of ornithologists, art historians, wildlife photographers, conservationists, and curators, this extraordinary book includes illustrations and artwork of all styles, with works by a diverse and often surprising range of creators from many different backgrounds, including: John James Audubon; Robert Clark; Mark Dion; Charley Harper; Barbara Kruger; Edward Lear; Ustad Mansur; John Ruskin; Joel Sartore; Sarah Stone; and Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe. Arranged in thoughtfully paired juxtapositions, it reveals how artists, illustrators, ornithologists, and photographers - from ancient Egypt to the present - have captured the spirit, likeness, character, and symbolism of birds. Including Tweety pie paired with the Twitter bird; birds as 300-foot desert carvings or 2-inch-tall ivory statuettes; bird bones, bird bank notes, sculptures and birds shaped as beds, the book's three hundred visually stunning entries span four thousand years of fine art, photography, ornithological drawings, popular culture, and scientific discovery from all corners of the globe to create the ultimate celebration of the winged world. Advisory panel: Dawn Balmer, Tim Birkhead FRS, Dr Alexander Bond, Gordon Campbell, Dr Sylke Frahnert, Joëlle Garcia, Elizabeth Hammer, David Lindo aka The Urban Birder, Jen Lobo, Fred G. Meijer, Sabine Meyer, Penny Olsen, Oliver Rampley, Katrina van Grouw and Dr Lisanne Wepler Additional texts: Giovanni Aloi, Sara Bader, Dr Alex Bond, Dr Michael Brooke, Tim Cooke, Clare Coulson, Nick Crumpton, Louisa Elderton, Diane Fortenberry, Carolyn Fry, Elizabeth Hammer, David Lindo, Fred G. Meijer, David B Miller, Rebecca Morrill, Penny Olsen, Michele Robecchi, Gill Saunders, James Smith, David Trigg, Katrina van Grouw, Martin Walters, Isabella Wing-Davey and Dr Lisanne Wepler
£35.96
ACC Art Books Dress of the Year
The Dress of the Year is a deluxe study of exquisite fashion from 1963 to the present, drawn from the renowned collection at the Fashion Museum, Bath. Each year, a fashion-world luminary is invited to capture the definitive moment in an international whirlwind of creative style by choosing the outfit that truly represents that year's mood in fashion. The announcement of each winner is widely covered in the British press, and the resulting Dress of the Year collection is a treasure trove of international design. Among the extraordinary roll-call of design names are Mary Quant, Jean Muir, Ossie Clark, Biba, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Margaret Howell, Katharine Hamnett, Giorgio Armani, John Galliano, Paul Smith, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Ralph Lauren, Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, Marni, Prada, Alexander McQueen, Kate Moss for Top Shop, Vivienne Westwood and Sarah Burton. The choices are made and explained by a Who's Who of great style writers, including Felicity Green, Prudence Glynn, Beatrix Miller, Grace Coddington, Suzy Menkes, Colin McDowell, Liz Tilberis, Isabella Blow, Iain R. Webb, Alexandra Shulman, Hilary Alexander, Paula Reed and Hamish Bowles. Through specially-commissioned new photography, unseen archive material and contemporary media images, this sumptuous book reveals the Dress of The Year collection in all its glory for the first time. The book champions an important and fascinating fashion project, offering a detailed insight into our ever-changing styles and tastes since the early 1960s, and revealing the complex interplay between haute couture, celebrity endorsement and the High Street.
£31.50
University of Minnesota Press Orientalists, Propagandists, and Ilustrados: Filipino Scholarship and the End of Spanish Colonialism
The writings of a small group of scholars known as the ilustrados are often credited for providing intellectual grounding for the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Megan C. Thomas shows that the ilustrados’ anticolonial project of defining and constructing the “Filipino” involved Orientalist and racialist discourses that are usually ascribed to colonial projects, not anticolonial ones. According to Thomas, the work of the ilustrados uncovers the surprisingly blurry boundary between nationalist and colonialist thought. By any measure, there was an extraordinary flowering of scholarly writing about the peoples and history of the Philippines in the decade or so preceding the revolution. In reexamining the works of the scholars José Rizal, Pardo de Tavera, Isabelo de los Reyes, Pedro Paterno, Pedro Serrano Laktaw, and Mariano Ponce, Thomas situates their writings in a broader account of intellectual ideas and politics migrating and transmuting across borders. She reveals how the ilustrados both drew from and refashioned the tools and concepts of Orientalist scholarship from Europe. Interrogating the terms “nationalist” and “nationalism,” whose definitions are usually constructed in the present and then applied to the past, Thomas offers new models for studying nationalist thought in the colonial world.
£23.99
The University of Chicago Press How to Do It: Guides to Good Living for Renaissance Italians
Hope to conceive a boy? Tie a tourniquet around your husband's left testicle. Pregnant and fear a weak or malformed baby? Frequent hearty laughter should reduce the risk. And if you're a teenager of good repute, avoid dancing at all costs and stay away from wine, cosmetics, and flashy dress. What may seem quirky to today's readers certainly wasn't to its original audience - Renaissance Italians. They read advice manuals prodigiously, seeking guidance from the latest books by best-selling alchemists and snake-oil peddlers like Mrs. Isabella Cortese and Dr. Leonardo Fioravanti with an avidity not bestowed even on a Dante or a Machiavelli. This work shows 16th-century Italy from an alternative perspective: through manuals which were staples in the households of middlebrow Italians just trying to lead a better life. Rudolph M. Bell uncovers a culture much like our own in which people sought advice for everything from reining in a wayward spouse to running an efficient household. Italians who faced such timeless challenges turned to these books, which were written specifically for families of moderate means, complete with indexes, tables of contents, and marginal summaries making them easy to consult as problems arose.
£24.24
The University of Chicago Press How to Do It: Guides to Good Living for Renaissance Italians
Hope to conceive a boy? Tie a tourniquet around your husband's left testicle. Pregnant and fear a weak or malformed baby? Frequent hearty laughter should reduce the risk. And if you're a teenager of good repute, avoid dancing at all costs and stay away from wine, cosmetics, and flashy dress. What may seem quirky to today's readers certainly wasn't to its original audience - Renaissance Italians. They read advice manuals prodigiously, seeking guidance from the latest books by best-selling alchemists and snake-oil peddlers like Mrs. Isabella Cortese and Dr. Leonardo Fioravanti with an avidity not bestowed even on a Dante or a Machiavelli. This work shows 16th-century Italy from an alternative perspective: through manuals which were staples in the households of middlebrow Italians just trying to lead a better life. Rudolph M. Bell uncovers a culture much like our own in which people sought advice for everything from reining in a wayward spouse to running an efficient household. Italians who faced such timeless challenges turned to these books, which were written specifically for families of moderate means, complete with indexes, tables of contents, and marginal summaries making them easy to consult as problems arose.
£80.00
The University of North Carolina Press The Laywoman Project: Remaking Catholic Womanhood in the Vatican II Era
Summoning everyday Catholic laywomen to the forefront of twentieth-century Catholic history, Mary J. Henold considers how these committed parishioners experienced their religion in the wake of Vatican II (1962-1965). This era saw major changes within the heavily patriarchal religious faith-at the same time as an American feminist revolution caught fire. Who was the Catholic woman for a new era? Henold uncovers a vast archive of writing, both intimate and public facing, by hundreds of rank-and-file American laywomen active in national laywomen's groups, including the National Council of Catholic Women, the Catholic Daughters of America, and the Daughters of Isabella. These records evoke a formative period when laywomen played publicly with a surprising variety of ideas about their own position in the Catholic Church.While marginalized near the bottom of the church hierarchy, laywomen quietly but purposefully engaged both their religious and gender roles as changing circumstances called them into question. Some eventually chose feminism while others rejected it, but most, Henold says, crafted a middle position: even conservative, nonfeminist laywomen came to reject the idea that the church could adapt to the modern world while keeping women's status frozen in amber.
£29.66
Thames & Hudson Ltd The World According to Lee McQueen
'When times are hard, fantasy and escapism are crucial' Alexander McQueen Having grown up in London’s East End, Alexander McQueen left school at 15 to become a tailor’s apprentice on Mayfair’s Savile Row. At 22, he joined the prestigious MA course at Central Saint Martins and, after presenting his 1992 graduate collection (bought on the spot by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow), went on to change the course of fashion. McQueen was defiant in his opinions on creativity (‘Give me time and I’ll give you a revolution’), women (‘I design clothes because I don’t want women to look all innocent and naïve … I want people to be afraid of the women I dress’) and craft (‘You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition’). He drew much of his inspiration from the natural world (‘I have always loved the mechanics of nature and to a greater or lesser extent my work is always informed by that’) and consistently challenged perceptions of beauty (‘People find my things sometimes aggressive. But I don’t see it as aggressive. I see it as romantic, dealing with a dark side of personality’). This attractive book in an accessible format is the perfect gift for fans of fashion and Alexander McQueen, capturing the wit and spirit of a true visionary.
£12.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd Wild Fell: Fighting for nature on a Lake District hill farm
'I found myself turning the pages with an inward leap of joy' - Isabella Tree*WINNER of the Richard Jefferies Award for Nature Writing**Shortlisted for the James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Conservation*'Exquisite' GUARDIANIt was a tragic day for the nation's wildlife when England's last and loneliest golden eagle died in an unmarked spot among the remote eastern fells of the Lake District. But the fight to restore the landscape had already begun.Lee Schofield, ecologist and site manager for RSPB Haweswater, is leading efforts to breathe life back into two hill farms and their thirty square kilometres of sprawling upland habitat.Informed by the land, its turbulent history and the people who have shaped it, Lee and his team are repairing damaged wetlands, meadows and woods. Each year, the landscape is becoming richer, wilder and better able to withstand the shocks of a changing climate.But in the contested landscape of the Lake District, change is not always welcomed, and success relies on finding a balance between rewilding and respecting cherished farming traditions. This is not only a story of an ecosystem in recovery, it is also the story of Lee's personal connection to place, and the highs and lows of working for nature amid fierce opposition.
£10.99
Vintage Publishing My Life in Sea Creatures: A young queer science writer’s reflections on identity and the ocean
***AMAZON BEST BOOK OF DECEMBER******A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF THE YEAR******LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER***A young queer science writer on some of the ocean's strangest creatures and what they can teach us about human empathy and survival'A miraculous, transcendental book' ED YONG'An astonishing debut' GUARDIANAs a mixed Chinese and white non-binary writer working in a largely white, male field, science journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments.Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature: the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs, the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams, the bizarre Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena) and other uncanny creatures lurking in the deep ocean, far below where the light reaches. Imbler's debut weaves the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family and coming of age, implicitly connecting endangered sea life to marginalised human communities and asking how they and we adapt, survive and care for each other.This far-reaching, unique collection shatters our preconceptions about the sea and what it means to survive.'Astounding' PHILIP HOARE'A revelation' ISABELLA TREE
£16.99
Vintage Publishing The Greatest Traitor: The Life of Sir Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March
The first biography of the rebel baron who deposed and murdered Edward II.One night in August 1323 a captive rebel baron, Sir Roger Mortimer, drugged his guards and escaped from the Tower of London. With the king's men-at-arms in pursuit he fled to the south coast, and sailed to France. There he was joined by Isabella, the Queen of England, who threw herself into his arms. A year later, as lovers, they returned with an invading army: King Edward II's forces crumbled before them, and Mortimer took power. He removed Edward II in the first deposition of a monarch in British history. Then the ex-king was apparently murdered, some said with a red-hot poker, in Berkeley Castle. Brutal, intelligent, passionate, profligate, imaginative and violent: Sir Roger Mortimer was an extraordinary character. It is not surprising that the queen lost her heart to him. Nor is it surprising that his contemporaries were terrified of him. But until now no one has appreciated the full evil genius of the man. This first biography reveals not only the man's career as a feudal lord, a governor of Ireland, a rebel leader and a dictator of England but also the truth of what happened that night in Berkeley Castle.‘Mortimer's book roars, races and sings... with a sense of passion and drama and an unrelenting pace’ Daily Telegraph
£12.99
Cinnamon Press All the Places that Were Hurt
After a decade trying to accept that London is home, a devastating bereavement pushes 29 year old May to return to the rural Vermont town she fled so long ago. Ignoring her sister’s strong misgivings, she immerses herself in creating a healing garden, bringing people together with the food she loves to cook, and renovating a dilapidated farmhouse until she starts to find a sense of peace and purpose. But as spring turns to sultry summer and she is thrown increasingly together with Harley, the man she loved and left ten years before, May is torn. Will she take a risk and follow her heart, or go back to London where her ever loyal sister is longing for her return? Mish Cromer’s latest novel of love and friendship and the healing power of the natural environment explores the impact of family, trauma and loss, and the powerful need we all have to find the place where we belong. Praise for Mish Cromer’s debut novel: Alabama Chrome You’ll come for the wonderful characters — gruff Cassidy with a dark past, wise Lark, Belle and her beauty parlour, Evangeline the mechanic, Brooke Adler the hard-nosed reality TV presenter... then you’ll be swept away by the fantastic sense of place. Set in small-town Kentucky and focusing on the bar which acts as the town’s front porch where stories are told and secrets are ultimately revealed, Alabama Chrome is a beautifully written page-turner, told in a voice that will stay with you — along with the book's big heart. — Alison Chandler You begin to understand, reading this story, how important it is to allow yourself to be understood, — Joanne Merrison A compassionate and skilful tale of a soulful young man’s struggle, vividly intertwined with the characters of a remote US town who welcomed him, and their reaction to the arrival of a controversial reality TV presenter. A gripping read. — Isabella
£10.99
Edinburgh University Press Bergson in Britain: Philosophy and Modernist Painting, c. 1890-1914
Demonstrates the central role of Bergson for modernist art and intellectual history in the UK Brings to light new evidence of British artists' direct engagement with Bergson, opening new avenues of research and interpretation for the artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, John Duncan Fergusson, and artist-writers Roger Fry and Wyndham Lewis Based on archival material in Paris and US not previously accessed? (Biblioteque Jacques Doucet, Isabella Gardner Museum, Boston and Wyndham Lewis' marginalia in his editions of Bergson's texts at The University of Texas at Austin), in addition to primary sources in UK (Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, London, and Strathclyde), and US (Universities of Cornell and Texas at Austin) Changes art history's standard readings of these artists as the evidence of their knowledge of and engagement with Bergson is irrefutable Explores concepts of duration, intuition, creativity; the image and perception as they were formulated by Bergson and understood by his contemporaries Demonstrates Bergson's relevance to key problematics for Art History: temporality, intuition, subjectivity, representation, the image. Charlotte de Mille shows that the reception of the philosophy of Henri Bergson by British artists and critics was far more wide spread and of far greater importance in the UK than has been previously thought. Based on archival material in Paris and the US, not all previously accessed, along with primary UK sources, she opens new avenues of research and interpretation on the work of artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, John Duncan Fergusson and artist-writers Roger Fry and Wyndham Lewis. De Mille demonstrates the profound impact of Bergson's work in UK culture immediately prior to World War One. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates philosophy, art criticism and art history. An Epilogue considers the proximity of Bergson's thought on temporality, perception, intuition and subjectivity to art history, from Alois Riegl and Aby Warburg, to practitioners today.
£90.00
Nick Hern Books Shakespeare On Stage: Thirteen Leading Actors on Thirteen Key Roles
Thirteen leading actors take us behind the scenes, each recreating in detail a memorable performance in one of Shakespeare's major roles. * Brian Cox on Titus Andronicus in Deborah Warner's visceral RSC production * Judi Dench on being directed by Franco Zeffirelli as a twenty-three-year-old Juliet * Ralph Fiennes on Shakespeare's least sympathetic hero Coriolanus * Rebecca Hall on Rosalind in As You Like It, directed by her father, Sir Peter * Derek Jacobi on his hilariously poker-backed Malvolio for Michael Grandage * Jude Law on his Hamlet, a palpable hit in the West End and on Broadway * Adrian Lester on a modern-dress Henry V at the National, during the invasion of Iraq * Ian McKellen on his Macbeth, opposite Judi Dench in Trevor Nunn's RSC production * Helen Mirren on a role she was born for, and has played three times: Cleopatra * Tim Pigott-Smith on Leontes in Peter Hall's Restoration Winter's Tale at the National * Kevin Spacey on his high-tech, modern-dress Richard II * Patrick Stewart on Prospero in Rupert Goold's arctic Tempest for the RSC * Penelope Wilton on Isabella in Jonathan Miller's 'chamber' Measure for Measure The actors discuss their characters, working through the play scene by scene, with refreshing candour and in forensic detail. The result is a masterclass on playing each role, invaluable for other actors and directors, as well as students of Shakespeare – and fascinating for audiences of the plays. Together, the interviews give one of the most comprehensive pictures yet of these characters in performance, and of the choices that these great actors have made in bringing them thrillingly to life. 'These passages of times remembered contribute vividly to the sense of a teemingly creative period when Shakespeare seemed to have been rediscovered.' Trevor Nunn, from his Foreword
£14.99
Abrams Artful Baker: Extraordinary Desserts From an Obsessive Home Baker
A collection of more than 100 extraordinary dessertsall with photos and meticulous instructionsby Cenk Sönmezsoy, creator of the internationally acclaimed blog Cafe Fernando. Written, styled, photographed, and designed by Cenk Sönmezsoy, The Artful Baker shares the inspiring story of a passionate home baker, beginning with his years after graduate school in San Francisco and showcasing the fruits of a baking obsession he cultivated after returning home to Istanbul. Sönmezsoys stories and uniquely styled images, together with his original creations and fresh take on traditional recipes, offer a thoughtful and emotional window into the life of this luminary artist. The Artful Baker is comprised of almost entirely new content, with a few updated versions of readers favorites from his blog, such as Brownie Wears Lace, his signature brownies topped with blond chocolate ganache and bittersweet chocolate lace (originally commissioned by Dolce & Gabbana and awarded Best Original Baking and Desserts Recipe by Saveur magazine); Raspberry Jewel Pluot Galette, a recipe inspired by Chez Panisses 40th year anniversary celebrations; and Devil Wears Chocolate, his magnificent devils food cake that graces the cover of the book. Each chapter highlights a variety of indulgences, from cookies to cakes and tarts to ice creams, including recipes like Pistachio and Matcha Sablés; Tahini and Leblebi (double-roasted chickpeas) Swirl Brownies; Sakura Madeleines; Sourdough Simit, the beloved ring-shaped Turkish bread beaded with sesame seeds; Isabella Grape and Kefir Ice Cream; Pomegranate Jam; and Blanche, a berry tart named after the Golden Girl Blanche Devereaux. Every recipe in The Artful Baker has gone through a meticulous development phase, tested by an army of home bakers having varying levels of skill, equipment, and access to ingredients, and revised to ensure that they will work flawlessly in any kitchen. Measurements of ingredients are provided in both volume and weight (grams). Where a volume measurement isnt useful, weight measurements are provided in both ounces and grams.
£36.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Reframing Japonisme: Women and the Asian Art Market in Nineteenth-Century France, 1853–1914
Japonisme, the 19th-century fascination for Japanese art, has generated an enormous body of scholarship since the beginning of the 21st-first century, but most of it neglects the women who acquired objects from the Far East and sold them to clients or displayed them in their homes before bequeathing them to museums. The stories of women shopkeepers, collectors, and artists rarely appear in memoirs left by those associated with the japoniste movement. This volume brings to light the culturally important, yet largely forgotten activities of women such as Clémence d’Ennery (1823–98), who began collecting Japanese and Chinese chimeras in the 1840s, built and decorated a house for them in the 1870s, and bequeathed the “Musée d’Ennery” to the state as a free public museum in 1893. A friend of the Goncourt brothers and a 50-year patron of Parisian dealers of Asian art, d’Ennery’s struggles to gain recognition as a collector and curator serve as a lens through which to examine the collecting and display practices of other women of her day. Travelers to Japan such as the Duchesse de Persigny, Isabella Stewart Gardner, and Laure Durand-Fardel returned with souvenirs that they shared with friends and family. Salon hostesses including Juliette Adam, Louise Cahen d’Anvers, Princesse Mathilde, and Marguerite Charpentier provided venues for the discussion and examination of Japanese art objects, as did well-known art dealers Madame Desoye, Madame Malinet, Madame Hatty, and Madame Langweil. Writers, actresses, and artists—Judith Gautier, Thérèse Bentzon, Sarah Bernhardt, and Mary Cassatt, to name just a few— took inspiration from the Japanese material in circulation to create their own unique works of art. Largely absent from the history of Japonisme, these women—and many others—actively collected Japanese art, interacted with auction houses and art dealers, and formed collections now at the heart of museums such as the Louvre, the Musée Guimet, the Musée Cernuschi, the Musée Unterlinden, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
£26.95
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Forget Me Not: Finding the forgotten species of climate-change Britain – WINNER OF THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
WINNER OF THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION AND LONGLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING ON CONSERVATION. 'Enchanting… a joy to read.' JOANNA LUMLEY 'Vibrant and vital.' CHRIS PACKHAM 'Forget Me Not is a tonic.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'Remarkable.' NELL FRIZZELL 'A fierce, passionate stand for the wild.' MEGAN MCCUBBIN 'Funny, full of interest and often poignant.' ISABELLA TREE 'Beautiful. Rare. Profound. Hopeful.' CHARLOTTE PHILBY 'Passionate, pragmatic and seriously funny.' GILLIAN BURKE 'Wonderfully refreshing.' BENEDICT MACDONALD Join Sophie Pavelle on a low-carbon journey around Britain in search of ten animals and habitats threatened by climate change in the 21st century. Forget-me-not – a beautiful flower and a plea from our islands’ wildlife. When climate change has driven dozens of our most charismatic species to extinction, will they be forgotten? Like many of her generation, Sophie Pavelle is determined to demand action on climate change. In her hilarious and thought-provoking first book, she describes the trips she took to see ten rare native species: species that could disappear by 2050 and be forgotten by the end of the century if their habitats continue to decline. Sophie challenged herself to find them the low-carbon way, travelling the length of Britain on foot, by bicycle, in an electric car, by kayak, on ferries and in a lot of trains. From Bodmin Moor to the Orkney Islands, Sophie encountered species on the frontline of climate change in Britain. Which are going to be seriously affected, and why? Could some bounce back from the brink? Or are we too late to save them? Forget Me Not is a clarion call: we all need to play a part in tackling this most existential of threats. Everyone can see wildlife in the British Isles without contributing to its destruction. With joyful irreverence, Sophie shows us we can dare to hope. Journey with her, and she may even inspire you to take action for nature and head out on your own low-carbon adventure.
£10.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC British Black and Asian Shakespeareans: Integrating Shakespeare, 1966–2018
Shakespeare is at the heart of the British theatrical tradition, but the contribution of Ira Aldridge and the Shakespearean performers of African, African-Caribbean, south Asian and east Asian heritage who came after him is not widely known. Telling the story for the first time of how Shakespearean theatre in Britain was integrated from the 1960s to the 21st century, this is a timely and important account of that contribution. Drawing extensively on empirical evidence from the British Black and Asian Shakespeare Performance Database and featuring interviews with nearly forty performers and directors, the book chronicles important productions that led to ground-breaking castings of Black and Asian actors in substantial Shakespearean roles including: · Zakes Mokae (Cry Freedom) as one of three black witches in William Gaskill’s 1966 production of Macbeth at the Royal Court Theatre. · Norman Beaton as Angelo in Michael Rudman’s 1981 production of Measure for Measure at the National Theatre – the first majority Black Shakespearean cast at the theatre. · Josette Simon as Isabella in Measure for Measure at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987. · Adrian Lester in the title role of Nicholas Hytner’s 2003 production of Henry V. · Iqbal Khan on his 2012 production of Much Ado About Nothing – the first production with an all south Asian cast at the Royal Shakespeare Company. · Alfred Enoch and Rakie Ayola as Edgar and Goneril in Talawa Theatre Company’s 2016 production of King Lear · Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet in Simon Godwin’s 2016 production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. With first-hand accounts from key performers including Joseph Marcell, Adrian Lester, Josette Simon, Lolita Chakrabarti, Noma Dumezweni, Rakie Ayola, David Yip, Ray Fearon, Paterson Joseph, Alfred Enoch, Rudolph Walker and many more, this book is an invaluable history of Black and Asian Shakespeareans that highlights the gains these actors have made and the challenges still faced in pursuing a career in classical theatre.
£26.05
Dorling Kindersley Ltd Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration
An official Platinum Jubilee souvenir that explores the incredible life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth and how her historic reign has shaped the world.In honour of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee 2022, this once in a lifetime history book for kids tells the story of a young princess who grew up to become our longest reigning monarch, and celebrates the achievements, people and places that have become part of her remarkable legacy.There is a treasure box hidden away in Great Granny Joyce's home, bursting with all kinds of things... A photo of a young woman wearing a crown, a map of the world, newspaper clippings, and so much more that reveal the great wonders of the last 70 years. There is so much to look at that little Isabella doesn't even know where to begin! Did you know that Princess Elizabeth was only 27 when she became Queen? Or that she made an appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2010 London Olympics alongside James Bond? And that the most astonishing inventions like the World Wide Web, as well as historic milestones like the first female Prime Minister of the UK happened under our Queen's watch?Delightfully playful illustrations, exciting facts, and information sidebars fill every page to tell the full story of the world's most beloved and inspiring monarch. Embark on this royal journey and show what you know with a surprise quiz at the end!Inside this beautifully illustrated history book for children, you will find everything from the Crown to the Corgis detailed here, including:- An exclusive quiz poster- An illustration mapping out the Royal Family tree- A timeline of the histories of the four UK nations- The story of the Queen's dedication to her country from wartime service during World War II to fundraising and commitments to the Commonwealth and wider world- A timeline of the extraordinary events in history, as well as the incredible achievements of people from the UK and Commonwealth countries that have taken place during The Queen's lifetime- Details of the 14 British Prime Ministers who have served alongside The Queen- A celebration of the amazing people The Queen has recognised
£12.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Forget Me Not: Finding the forgotten species of climate-change Britain – WINNER OF THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
WINNER OF THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION AND LONGLISTED FOR THE JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING ON CONSERVATION. 'Enchanting… a joy to read.' JOANNA LUMLEY 'Vibrant and vital.' CHRIS PACKHAM 'Forget Me Not is a tonic.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'Remarkable.' NELL FRIZZELL 'A fierce, passionate stand for the wild.' MEGAN MCCUBBIN 'Funny, full of interest and often poignant.' ISABELLA TREE 'Beautiful. Rare. Profound. Hopeful.' CHARLOTTE PHILBY 'Passionate, pragmatic and seriously funny.' GILLIAN BURKE 'Wonderfully refreshing.' BENEDICT MACDONALD Join Sophie Pavelle on a low-carbon journey around Britain in search of ten animals and habitats threatened by climate change in the 21st century. Forget-me-not – a beautiful flower and a plea from our islands’ wildlife. When climate change has driven dozens of our most charismatic species to extinction, will they be forgotten? Like many of her generation, Sophie Pavelle is determined to demand action on climate change. In her hilarious and thought-provoking first book, she describes the trips she took to see ten rare native species: species that could disappear by 2050 and be forgotten by the end of the century if their habitats continue to decline. Sophie challenged herself to find them the low-carbon way, travelling the length of Britain on foot, by bicycle, in an electric car, by kayak, on ferries and in a lot of trains. From Bodmin Moor to the Orkney Islands, Sophie encountered species on the frontline of climate change in Britain. Which are going to be seriously affected, and why? Could some bounce back from the brink? Or are we too late to save them? Forget Me Not is a clarion call: we all need to play a part in tackling this most existential of threats. Everyone can see wildlife in the British Isles without contributing to its destruction. With joyful irreverence, Sophie shows us we can dare to hope. Journey with her, and she may even inspire you to take action for nature and head out on your own low-carbon adventure.
£16.99
Thames & Hudson Ltd Great Cities Through Travellers' Eyes
Throughout history, intrepid men and women have related their experiences and perceptions of the world’s great cities to bring them alive to those at home. The thirty-eight cities covered in this entertaining anthology of travellers’ tales are spread over six continents, ranging from Beijing to Berlin, Cairo to Chicago, Lhasa to London, St Petersburg to Sydney and Rio to Rome. This volume features commentators across the millennia, including the great travellers of ancient times, such as Strabo and Pausanias; those who undertook extensive journeys in the medieval world, not least Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta; courageous women such as Isabella Bird and Freya Stark; and enterprising writers and journalists including Mark Twain and Norman Lewis. We see the world’s great cities through the eyes of traders, explorers, soldiers, diplomats, pilgrims and tourists; the experiences of emperors and monarchs sit alongside those of revolutionaries and artists, but also those of ordinary people who found themselves in remarkable situations, like the medieval Chinese abbot who was shown round the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris by the King of France himself. Some of the writers seek to provide a straightforward, accurate description of all they have seen, while others concentrate on their subjective experiences of the city and encounters with the inhabitants. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling historian Peter Furtado, each account provides both a vivid portrait of a distant place and time and an insight into those who journeyed there. The result is a book that delves into the splendours and stories that exist beyond conventional guidebooks and websites.
£12.99
Pegasus Books Wasps: The Splendors and Miseries of an American Aristocracy
An examination of WASP culture through the lives of some of its most prominent figures. Envied and lampooned, misunderstood and yet distinctly American, WASPs are as much a culture, socioeconomic and ethnic designation, as a state of mind.From politics to fashion, their style still intrigues us. WASPs produced brilliant reformers—Eleanor, Theodore, and Franklin Roosevelt—and inspired Cold Warriors—Dean Acheson, Averell Harriman, and Joe Alsop. In such dazzling figures as Isabella Stewart Gardner, Edie Sedgwick, Babe Paley, and Marietta Tree they embodied a chic and an allure that drove characters like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby mad with desire. They were creatures of glamour, power, and privilege, living amid the splendor of great houses, flashing jewels, and glittering soirées. Envied and lampooned, they had something the rest of America craved. Yet they were unhappy. Descended from families that created the United States, WASPs felt themselves stunted by a civilization that thwarted their higher aspirations at every turn. They were the original lost generation, adrift in the waters of the Gilded Age. Some were sent to lunatic asylums or languished in nervous debility. Others committed suicide. Yet out of the neurotic ruins emerged a group of patriots devoted to public service and the renewal of society. In a groundbreaking study of the WASP revolution in American life, Michael Knox Beran brings the stories of Henry Adams and Henry Stimson, Learned Hand and Vida Scudder, John Jay Chapman and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to life. These characters were driven by a vision of human completeness, one that distinguishes them from the self-complacency of more recent power establishments narrowly founded on money and technical know-how. WASPs shaped the America in which we live: so much so that it is not easy to understand our problems without a knowledge of their mistakes. They came to grief in Vietnam and through their own toxic blood pride, yet before they succumbed to the last temptation of arrogance, they struggled to fill a void in American life, one that many of us still feel. For all their faults, they pointed—in an age of shrunken lives and diminished possibility—to the dream of a new life.
£13.49
Amber Books Ltd Kings and Queens of the Medieval World: From Conquerors and Exiles to Madmen and Saints
The Great, the Pious, the Fair; the Wise, the Lame, the Mad. Imprisoned, deposed, exiled. Excommunicated, assassinated; devout, debauched; loved, loathed — the Middle Ages produced a fascinating array of monarchs. From Britain to Russia, from Scandinavia to Sicily, from the 9th century CE to the completion of the Reconquista of Spain in 1492, Kings & Queens of the Medieval World explores the captivating stories of monarchs from all across Europe. Arranged thematically, the book groups the kings and queens by their achievements – military leaders, law-makers, religious reformers, patrons of the arts. These are stories of monarchs leading their armies into battle to expand or defend their territory, and of kings – and queens – going on crusade – both within Europe and to the Holy Land. These, too, are stories of, on the one hand, countries united by marriage, and, on the other, sons scheming against fathers in an effort to gain – and maintain – power. And yet these are also the stories of the people who constructed beautiful cathedrals, who founded universities and supported artists, of religious kings who were later canonised, of kings who created more just legal systems, established parliaments and permanent armies, and laid the foundations for more modern governments and societies. Featuring the major European dynasties, Kings & Queens of the Medieval World is a lively account of monarchs from Charlemagne to Alexander Nevsky to Ferdinand and Isabella. Illustrated with 180 colour and black-and-white artworks, photographs and maps, this is a colourful, accessible history.
£17.99
Paul Holberton Publishing Ltd Italian Maiolica and Other Early Modern Ceramics in the Courtauld Gallery
This is the first catalogue of the collection of early modern ceramics in the Courtauld. The pieces in the collection showcase brilliantly the skill of potters and pottery painters working at the time of Raphael and Titian.Maiolica is one of the most revealing expressions of Renaissance art. Its extraordinary range of colours retain the vividness that they had when they left the potter's kiln. Italian potters absorbed techniques and shapes from the Islamic world and incorporated ornament and subject matter from the arts of ancient Rome. This new approach to pottery making, combined with the invention of printing, woodcut and engraving, resulted in an extraordinary type of painted pottery, praised by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists for 'surpassing the ancient with its brilliance of glaze and variety of painting'.The collection boasts a magnificent group of vessels made during the high Renaissance, the golden age of Italian maiolica. It includes precious and delicate Deruta lustreware with imagery deriving from Perugino and Raphael, as well as vessels painted in a narrative style of pottery painting known as istoriato. Highlights include vessels depicting episodes taken from the first printed Bibles of the Renaissance. Istoriato maiolica flourished particularly in the lands of the Dukes of Urbino, who promoted this craft by sending painted pottery to prestigious patrons across Europe.Emblems and devices painted on the pottery help us understand that they were meant to be used and enjoyed by the elites in Renaissance society, such as the Medici and other great Tuscan families. The catalogue will include two recent gifts to the Courtauld, a rare tile of the famous patroness of the arts Marchioness Isabella D'Este, and a refined dish painted with the story of Diana and Actaeon.All major Renaissance pottery centres are represented in the collection, including Siena, Faenza and Venice, as well as splendid examples of the mysterious pharmacy jars made at the foot of the mountain of Gran Sasso in the town of Castelli d'Abruzzo. These achievements of the art of pottery in the early modern period are completed by fine examples of Ottoman pottery, as well as examples of Valencian lustreware.Sani's introductory essay on the Victorian collector Thomas Gambier Parry will shed new light on the development of this fascinating collection, making links between Gambier Parry's artistic practice and his collecting and revealing new insights into his taste as a collector. Each detailed entry uncovers a wealth of new information on the provenance of the pieces.
£50.00
Pindar Press Jan van Eyck and Portugal 's "Illustrious Generation"
Barbara von Barghahn is Professor of Art History at George Washington University and a specialist in the art history of Portugal, Spain, and their colonial dominions, as well as Flanders (1400-1800). In 1993, she was conferred O Grão Comendador in the Portuguese Order of Prince Henry the Navigator. She has spent nearly a decade completing research about Jan van Eyck's diplomatic visits to the Iberian Peninsula. This manuscript investigates Van Eyck's patronage by the Crown of Portugal and his role as diplomat-painter of the Duchy of Burgundy following his first voyage to Lisbon in 1428-1429 when he painted two portraits of Infanta Isabella, who became the third wife of Philip the Good in 1430. New portrait identifications are provided in the Ghent Altarpiece (1432) and its iconographical prototype, the lost Fountain of Life. These altarpieces are analyzed with regard to King João I's conquest of Ceuta, achieved by his sons who were hailed as an"illustrious generation." Strong family ties between the dynastic houses of Avis and Lancaster explain Lusitania 's sustained fascination with Arthurian lore and the Grail quest. Several chapters of this book are overlaid with a chivalric veneer. A second "secret mission" to Portugal in 1437 by Jan van Eyck is postulated and this diplomatic visit is related to Prince Henrique the Navigator's expedition to Tangier and King Duarte's attempts to forge an alliance with Alfonso V of Aragon. Late Eyckian commissions are reviewed in light of this ill-fated crusade and additional new portraits are identified. The most significant artist of Renaissance Flanders appears to have been patronized as much by the House of Avis as by the Duchy of Burgundy.
£150.00
Oxford University Press Blanks, Print, Space, and Void in English Renaissance Literature: An Archaeology of Absence
Blanks, Print, Space, and Void in English Renaissance Literature is an inquiry into the empty spaces encountered not just on the pages of printed books in c.1500-1700, but in Renaissance culture more generally. The book argues that print culture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries helped to foster the modern idea of the 'gap' (where words, texts, images, and ideas are constructed as missing, lost, withheld, fragmented, or perhaps never devised in the first place). It re-imagines how early modern people reacted not just to printed books and documents of many different kinds, but also how the very idea of emptiness or absence began to be fashioned in a way which still surrounds us. Jonathan Sawday leads the reader through the entire landscape of early modern print culture, discussing topics such as: space and silence; the exploration of the vacuum; the ways in which race and racial identity in early modern England were constructed by the language and technology of print; blackness and whiteness, together with lightness, darkness, and sightlessness; cartography and emptiness; the effect of typography on reading practices; the social spaces of the page; gendered surfaces; hierarchies of information; books of memory; pages constructed as waste or vacant; the genesis of blank forms and early modern bureaucracy; the political and devotional spaces of printed books; the impact of censorship; and the problem posed by texts which lack endings or conclusions. The book itself ends by dwelling on blank or empty pages as a sign of human mortality. Sawday pays close attention to the writings of many of the familiar figures in English Renaissance literary culture - Sidney, Shakespeare, Donne, Jonson, and Milton, for example - as well as introducing readers to a host of lesser-known figures. The book also discusses the work of numerous women writers from the period, including Aphra Behn, Ann Bradstreet, Margaret Cavendish, Lady Jane Gray, Lucy Hutchinson, Æmelia Lanyer, Isabella Whitney, and Lady Mary Wroth.
£37.44
University of Pennsylvania Press The Gibraltar Crusade: Castile and the Battle for the Strait
The epic battle for control of the Strait of Gibraltar waged by Castile, Morocco, and Granada in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries is a major, but often overlooked, chapter in the history of the Christian reconquest of Spain. After the Castilian conquest of Seville in 1248 and the submission of the Muslim kingdom of Granada as a vassal state, the Moors no longer loomed as a threat and the reconquest seemed to be over. Still, in the following century, the Castilian kings, prompted by ideology and strategy, attempted to dominate the Strait. As self-proclaimed heirs of the Visigoths, they aspired not only to reconstitute the Visigothic kingdom by expelling the Muslims from Spain but also to conquer Morocco as part of the Visigothic legacy. As successive bands of Muslims over the centuries had crossed the Strait from Morocco into Spain, the kings of Castile recognized the strategic importance of securing Algeciras, Gibraltar, and Tarifa, the ports long used by the invaders. At a time when European enthusiasm for the crusade to the Holy Land was on the wane, the Christian struggle for the Strait received the character of a crusade as papal bulls conferred the crusading indulgence as well as ancillary benefits. The Gibraltar Crusade had mixed results. Although the Castilians seized Gibraltar in 1309 and Algeciras in 1344, the Moors eventually repossessed them. Only Tarifa, captured in 1292, remained in Castilian hands. Nevertheless, the power of the Marinid dynasty of Morocco was broken at the battle of Salado in 1340, and for the remainder of the Middle Ages Spain was relieved of the threat of Moroccan invasion. While the reconquest remained dormant during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada, the last Muslim outpost in Spain, in 1492. In subsequent years Castile fulfilled its earlier aspirations by establishing a foothold in Morocco.
£32.40
Headline Publishing Group The Royal Runaway: A royally romantic rom-com!
Prepare to be whisked away on a romantic, glamorous and royal adventure!'If you like romance and a fun read, then this is the book''Fabulous, feel-good, uplifting''Not your typical romance novel!'Filled with intrigue, romance and mystery, Lindsay Emory's The Royal Runaway is perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries and The Royal We with a splash of James Bond and The Bourne Identity. *Now optioned for film!*Princess Theodora Isabella Victoria of Drieden of the Royal House of Laurent is so over this princess thing. After her fiance jilted her on their wedding day, she's back home, having spent four months in exile. Aka it's back to putting on a show for the Driedish nation as the perfect princess they expect her to be. But Thea's sick of duty, so when she sneaks out of the palace and meets a sexy Scot named Nick in a local bar, she relishes the chance to be a normal woman for a change. But just as she thinks she's found her Prince Charming, he reveals his intentions are less than honourable: he's a spy and he's not above blackmail. As they join forces to find out what happened the day her fiance disappeared, together they discover a secret that could change life as they know it.Funny, fast-paced, and full of more twists and turns than the castle Thea lives in, The Royal Runaway is a fresh romantic comedy that will leave you cheering for the modern-day royal who chucks the rulebook aside to create her own happily-ever-after.Raves for The Royal Runaway:'Captivating! Full of twists and turns, The Royal Runaway will keep you guessing and cheering for a Royal happily-ever-after!' Geneva Lee'The perfect royal romp, like The Princess Diaries meets James Bond' Teri Wilson'Thea is a whip-smart princess for the modern era... The story's greatest strength is its twisting spy tale, as it takes one unexpected turn after another' Entertainment Weekly'Happily ever after gets a refreshing update. This imaginative, absorbing, and empowering story is a must-read' Kirkus Reviews
£10.04
Penguin Books Ltd Who Cares Wins: How to Protect the Planet You Love: A thousand ways to solve the climate crisis: from tech-utopia to indigenous wisdom
Global warming has reached terrifying heights of severity, human consumption has caused the extinction of countless species and neoliberalism has led to a destructive divide in wealth and a polarization of mainstream politics. The climate crisis demands action. Your planet needs you! Can we shop our way out of a crisis? Will technology save the day? What does it mean to be a citizen and not a consumer? Are the real solutions inside of us? Who Cares Wins provides a plethora of solutions guaranteed to inspire and create lasting global change. Lily Cole has met with some of the millions of people around the world who are working on creative, innovative solutions to our biggest challenges and are committed to creating a more sustainable and peaceful future for humanity. Embracing debate and exploring issues from fast fashion to fast food, farming to plastic waste, renewable energy to gender equality, the book features interviews with diverse voices from entrepreneurs like Stella McCartney and Elon Musk, to activists such as Extinction Rebellion co-founder Dr Gail Bradbrook, Farhana Yamin, Isabella Tree, Putanny Yawanawa and Alice Waters, to offer a beacon of possibility and celebrate the joy and power of collective global creativity in challenging times.Who Cares Wins is a rousing call to action that will instil hope and leave you feeling equipped with the solutions and practical steps needed to make a difference. We are the ancestors of our future: a generation that will either be celebrated for its activism or blamed for its apathy.__________________It is time for us to choose solutions over despair, to act now and create a better future.'It's a positive, useful book - how to make choices. We need to get governments on board. I wish Lily was world controller' Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer and founder of Vivienne Westwood Ltd'A welcome and thorough overview of some of the many aspects of the crisis humanity is now facing alongside the visionary possibilities for change at our fingertips. If we don't act it isn't for lack of good ideas' Dr Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion'Your book is golden, like you' Patti Smith
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African descent
Three decades after her pioneering anthology, Daughters of Africa, Margaret Busby curates an extraordinary collection of contemporary writing by 200 women writers of African descent, including Zadie Smith, Bernardine Evaristo and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A glorious portrayal of the richness and range of African women's voices, this major international book brings together their achievements across a wealth of genres. From Antigua to Zimbabwe and Angola to the USA, overlooked artists of the past join key figures, popular contemporaries and emerging writers in paying tribute to the heritage that unites them, the strong links that endure from generation to generation, and their common obstacles around issues of race, gender and class.Bold and insightful, brilliant in its intimacy and universality, this landmark anthology honours the talents of African daughters and the inspiring legacy that connects them-and all of us.The New Daughters of AfricaDiane AbbottYassmin Abdel-MagiedLeila AboulelaAyobami AdebayoSade AdeniranChimamanda Ngozi AdichieZoe AdjonyohPatience AgbabiAgnès AgbotonCandace AllenLisa Allen-AgostiniEllah Wakatama AllfreyAndaiyeHarriet AnenaJoan Anim-AddoMonica Arac de NyekoYemisi AribisalaYolanda Arroyo PizarroAmma AsanteMichelle AsantewaNana Asma'uSefi AttaAyesha Harruna AttahGabeba BaderoonYaba BadoeYvonne Bailey-SmithDoreen BainganaEllen Banda-AakuAngela BarryMildred K. BaryaJackee Budesta BatandaSimi BedfordLinda BellosJay BernardMarion BethelAma BineyJacqueline BishopMalorie BlackmanTanella BoniMalika BookerNana Ekua Brew-HammondBeverley BryanAkosua BusiaCandice Carty-WilliamsRutendo ChabikwaBarbara Chase-RiboudPanashe ChigumadziGabrielle CivilMaxine Beneba ClarkeAngela CobbinahCarolyn CooperJuanita CoxMeta Davis CumberbatchPatricia CumperStella DadzieYrsa Daley-WardNana-Ama DanquahEdwidge DanticatNadia DavidsTjawangwa DemaYvonne Denis RosarioAnni DomingoNah DoveEdwige-Renée DroCamille T. DungyAnaïs DuplanReni Eddo-LodgeAida EdemariamEsi EdugyanSummer EdwardYvvette EdwardsZena EdwardsSafia ElhilloZetta ElliottNawal El SaadawiDiana EvansBernardine EvaristoEve L. EwingDeise Faria NunesDiana FerrusNikky FinneyAminatta FornaIfeona FulaniVangile GantshoRoxane GayDanielle Legros GeorgesPatricia Glinton-MeicholasHawa Jande GolakaiWangui wa GoroBonnie GreerJane Ulysses GrellRachel Eliza GriffithsCarmen Harriszakia henderson-brownJoanne C. HillhouseAfua HirschZita HolbourneNalo HopkinsonRashidah IsmailiNaomi JacksonSandra Jackson-OpokuDelia Jarrett-MacauleyMargo JeffersonBarbara JenkinsCatherine JohnsonEthel Irene KabwatoElizabeth KeckleyFatimah KelleherDonika KellyAdrienne KennedySusan Nalugwa KiguliRosamond S. KingDonu KogbaraLauri KubuitsileGoretti KyomuhendoBeatrice LamwakaPatrice LawrenceAndrea LevyLesley LokkoKaren LordKaren Ládípò ManyikaRos MartinLebogang MashileIsabella MatambanadzoNomaVenda MathianeImbolo MbueMaaza MengisteArthenia Bates MillicanBridget MinamoreNadifa MohamedNatalia MolebatsiWame MolefheAja MonetSisonke MsimangBlessing MusaririGlaydah NamukasaMarie NDiayeJuliana Makuchi Nfah-AbbenyiWanjiku wa NgugiKetty NivyabandiElizabeth NunezSelina NwuluTrifonia Melibea ObonoNana Oforiatta AyimIrenosen OkojieNnedi OkoraforJuliane Okot BitekChinelo OkparantaYewande OmotosoMakena OnjerikaChibundu OnuzoTess OnwuemeYvonne Adhiambo OwuorLouisa Adjoa ParkerDjaimilia Pereira de AlmeidaAlake PilgrimWinsome PinnockHannah Azieb PoolOlúmìdé Pópó?láClaudia RankineH. Cordelia RaySarah Parker RemondFlorida Ruffin RidleyZandria F. RobinsonZuleica Romay GuerraAndrea Rosario-GborieLeone RossJosephine St. Pierre RuffinMinna SalamiMarina Salandy-BrownSapphireNoo Saro-WiwaTaiye SelasiNamwali SerpellKadija SesayClaire ShepherdVerene A. ShepherdWarsan ShireLola ShoneyinDorothea SmarttZadie SmithAdeola SolankeCelia SorhaindoAttillah SpringerAndrea StuartSuAndiValerie Joan TagwiraJennifer TeegeJean évenetNatasha TretheweyNovuyo Rosa TshumaHilda J. TwongyeirweChika UnigweYvonne VeraPhillippa Yaa de VilliersKit de WaalElizabeth Walcott-HackshawEffie Waller SmithRebecca WalkerAyeta Anne WangusaZukiswa WannerJesmyn WardVerna Allette WilkinsCharlotte WilliamsSue Woodford-HollickMakhosazana XabaTiphanie Yanique
£20.00