Search results for ""Limelight""

* "A richly entertaining account of tragic theatre accidents and murders most foul. If theatre walls could talk, what secrets would they reveal? Chris Wood provides fascinating answers with tales of brawling ushers, murderously jealous husbands, stampeding crowds and infant tragedies. A meticulously researched and vivid collection of lives lost in the palaces of dreams. A must-read for all lovers of the theatre, providing shocks and gasps of horror when real life proves to be more dramatic than any play on stage." - Hugh Bonneville * "Immaculately researched and beautifully macabre. This is a real treat for anyone who is either a fan of the theatre or of untimely deaths. I loved it!" - Peter James Britain's theatrical wonderland has been a cornerstone of culture for centuries, delighting and thrilling audiences with an assemblage of exhilarating spectacles. Beyond the trodden boards, and tucked neatly behind the curtain however, lies a catalogue of real life destruction and grisly murder that our greatest tragedians would surely be proud to have presided over. Tread the bloodied boards of Britain's theatres and witness the deathly dramas that have played out so dramatically within them. Death in the Theatre collects an astonishing selection of startling tragedies from Britain's throng of theatres. There is something especially staggering when the player exits life on their adorned stage, and yet, with this by no means an infrequent occurrence, death has made many a fearful cameo appearance - stalking the stalls and grimly reaping the galleries in its macabre and relentless fashion. In 1910 a strange midnight tragedy was enacted in a London theatre, where the brutal murder of an elderly stage carpenter prompted huge excitement among the theatre-going world and indeed wider public. How did a children's magic show descend into such unspeakable horror that would leave 183 youngsters dead in a Sunderland theatre, their tiny bodies brutally laid out in the dress circle for the bleakest of identity parades? Learn of outrageous tragedy such as the young man mauled to death by a lion in a Gloucester theatre, and the unfortunate victim killed in the Dumfries Theatre Royal - quite literally - by the limelight.

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“Poeppel has created a story that is well thought out, well plotted, well written, and fully developed. A delightful novel that celebrates the messiness and joy to be found in real life.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “100% page-turning delight…Pull out a lawn chair and prepare to read this gleefully entertaining novel.” —Stephen McCauley, author of My Ex-Life The award-winning, “quick-witted and razor-sharp” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six) author of Limelight and Small Admissions returns with a hilarious and heartfelt new novel about a perfectly imperfect summer of love, secrets, and second chances.Bridget and Will have the kind of relationship that people envy: they’re loving, compatible, and completely devoted to each other. The fact that they’re strictly friends seems to get lost on nearly everyone. For three decades, they’ve nurtured their baby, the Forsyth Trio—a chamber group they created as students with their Juilliard classmate Gavin Glantz. In the intervening years, Gavin has gone on to become one of the classical music world’s reigning stars, while Bridget and Will have learned to embrace the warm reviews and smaller venues that accompany modest success. Bridget has been dreaming of spending the summer at her well-worn Connecticut country home with her boyfriend Sterling. But her plans are upended when Sterling breaks up with her over email, her twin twenty-somethings arrive unexpectedly, and her elderly father announces he’s getting married. She concocts a plan to host her dad’s wedding on her ramshackle property, while putting the Forsyth Trio back into the spotlight. But to catch the attention of the music world, she and Will place their bets on luring back Gavin, whom they’ve both avoided ever since their stormy parting. “In this funny, profound, and brilliantly alive novel about all the messy, wise, and wonderful chords that love can strike in our lives, Poeppel gathers together fathers and daughters, old flames and new sparks, music, writing and gardening, to explore what it really means to feel at home, and how life can open you up in ways you never saw coming” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author).

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As one of the most recognisable faces in showbiz today, Kerry Katona has seen more than her fair share of ups and downs played out in public. Once labelled 'the nation's sweetheart,' the Atomic Kitten singer rose from foster care to international stardom, but soon found herself judged and ridiculed as mental health problems and bad decisions derailed her life. From a picture perfect yet fractured marriage to one of the biggest pop stars in the world, to her fall from grace in a haze of drink and drugs while wed to her taxi driving second husband, Kerry has been loved and derided in equal measure. But since her bestselling autobiography was released in 2012, which documented her troubled childhood and subsequent life in the limelight, Kerry has faced her most devastating challenges yet. In this riveting read, Kerry documents how, in the decade since, she's welcomed her fifth child, suffered a debilitating injury, a cancer scare, several tragic losses and a career slump she thought she'd never recover from. Yet the most significant event in that time was her marriage to third husband, George Kay. Stuck in an abusive relationship she felt powerless to leave, Kerry opens up about her struggles living with a violent man, whose mental health problems and drug use would see her and her family trapped in a cycle of helplessness and despair that only ended when George died in 2019, having eaten a sock filled with cocaine while staying in a local Travel Inn. Kerry bravely reveals her hell at the hands of a man who would unleash physical and emotional torture on her, in an all too familiar situation so many women face every day. But this is also a story of hope, strength and survival. Of how Kerry, with the support of her now -fiance Ryan and her children, built herself up from the lowest point imaginable, with sheer grit and determination, to get her life and career back on track in the wake of such devastation. It's a story of survival and peace and how, after years of desperately trying to find her way, she has finally started to feel - in the words of her most famous song -Whole Again.

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'Notorious Sorcerer is a firework of a fantasy novel: vibrant, explosive, deliciously dangerous and impossibly fun. A must-read debut' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine ThroneWelcome to Bezim, where tribes of sword-slinging bravi race through the night, and where rich and idle alchemists make magic out of mixing the four planes of reality. Siyon Velo, Dockside brat turned petty alchemist, scrapes a living hopping between the planes to harvest ingredients for the city's alchemists. But when Siyon accidentally commits and act of impossible magic, he's catapulted into the limelight - which is a bad place to be when the planes start lurching out of alignment, threatening to send the city into the sea. It will take a miracle to save Bezim. Good thing Siyon has pulled off the impossible before. Now he has to master it. A dazzling fantasy debut bursting with wild magic, chaotic sword-fighting street gangs, brazen flirting, malevolent harpies and one defiant alchemist. Praise for Notorious Sorcerer:'From the razor-sharp social climbing to the glimmering alchemist's library to the hidden realms beneath it all, I loved getting lost in this dazzling debut' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass'Notorious Sorcerer's unique magic system adds to this delightful fantasy setting, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the Burnished City series' Booklist'Notorious Sorcerer feels like a dream you don't want to wake from. . . I devoured it and want more!' Melissa Caruso, author of The Obsidian Tower'A delightful and fast-paced ride full of flashy swordplay, high society, and thrilling magic. . . Sheer, glorious fun!' Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light'Notorious Sorcerer is a real delight, with compelling characters and wonderful worldbuilding that sucks the reader in and keeps them engaged from beginning to end' Mike Brooks, author of The Black Coast'A brilliant alchemical recipe! Notorious Sorcerer is a delicious melange of my favourite things, remixing historical magic with class consciousness. I couldn't put it down' Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul'If you like a healthy dollop of rollicking fun with your epic fantasy, this is the book for you' Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

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Foreword by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg A legal historian recounts the influential life of women's rights activist Belva Lockwood, the first woman to practice at the bar of the Supreme Court In Belva Lockwood: The Woman Who Would Be President, prize-winning legal historian Jill Norgren recounts, for the first time, the life story of one of the nineteenth century’s most surprising and accomplished advocates for women’s rights. As Norgren shows, Lockwood was fearless in confronting the male establishment, commanding the attention of presidents, members of Congress, influential writers, and everyday Americans. Obscured for too long in the historical shadow of her longtime colleague, Susan B. Anthony, Lockwood steps into the limelight at last in this engaging new biography. Born on a farm in upstate New York in 1830, Lockwood married young and reluctantly became a farmer’s wife. After her husband's premature death, however, she earned a college degree, became a teacher, and moved to Washington, DC with plans to become an attorney-an occupation all but closed to women. Not only did she become one of the first female attorneys in the U.S., but in 1879 became the first woman ever allowed to practice at the bar of the Supreme Court. In 1884 Lockwood continued her trailblazing ways as the first woman to run a full campaign for the U.S. Presidency. She ran for President again in 1888. Although her candidacies were unsuccessful (as she knew they would be), Lockwood demonstrated that women could compete with men in the political arena. After these campaigns she worked tirelessly on behalf of the Universal Peace Union, hoping, until her death in 1917, that she, or the organization, would win the Nobel Peace Prize. Belva Lockwood deserves to be far better known. As Norgren notes, it is likely that Lockwood would be widely recognized today as a feminist pioneer if most of her personal papers had not been destroyed after her death. Fortunately for readers, Norgren shares much of her subject’s tenacity and she has ensured Lockwood’s rightful place in history with this meticulously researched and beautifully written book.

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In this fully revised and richly illustrated edition, author and journalist Will Ellsworth-Jones pieces together a complete picture of the life and work of Banksy, perhaps the most iconic, enigmatic and controversial artist of modern times. For someone who shuns the limelight so completely that he conceals his name, never shows his face and gives interviews only by email, Banksy is remarkably famous. This fully updated and illustrated story of Banksy’s life and career builds an intriguing picture of his world and unpicks its contradictions. Whether art or vandalism, anti-establishment or sell-out, Banksy and his work have become a cultural phenomenon and the question ‘Who is Banksy?’ is as much about his career as it is ‘the man behind the wall’. From his beginnings as a Bristol graffiti artist, his artwork is now sold at auction for seven-figure sums and hangs on celebrities’ walls. The appearance of a new Banksy is national news, his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop was Oscar-nominated and people queue for hours to see his latest exhibition. Now moreNational Treasure than edgy outsider, who is Banksy and how did he become what he is today? This book charts Banksy's journey from the graffiti-scrawled streets of Barton Hill, the working class neighbourhood of Bristol where he and others covered the walls with vibrant pieces while trying to avoid the police, through to some of the most prestigious galleries of the world, where his daring acts of guerilla art have forced us to reconsider how we define as art. From the artist's own words to recollections of friends and colleagues, this book also examines the contradictions of Banksy's life: charting how a privately educated boy from a middle class area of Bristol reinvented himself as a rogue and an outlaw who would take the art world by storm. With beautiful reproductions of some of his most controversial and recognisable works, this detailed study is a truly indispensible guide to understanding the ultimate art rebel whose work is no less relevant today than it was when he first started out some thirty years ago.

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'I'm so glad you had the life you did, Barbara. I'm sorry you can't remember, but my God, what a life! You haven't wasted a minute of it...'In December 2020, while the world was gripped with news of an imminent third lockdown, Scott Mitchell was visiting the care home where his partner and wife of 27 years - Dame Barbara Windsor - was being looked after. At the age of 83, after a career spanning seven decades and a seven-year battle with the debilitating effects of dementia, she was slipping away.Barbara's illness meant she could no longer remember her magical career, and so Scott sat by her bedside in her final days, telling her tales from their extraordinary life together. From the unlikely moment they met to the challenges they faced, and the highs and lows of a life shared in the limelight. For theirs was an incredibly passionate relationship, but also a turbulent one - and along with a life of love and laughter, together they endured the pressures of fame, drink and addiction, heartbreak and ultimately dementia. He told Barbara stories of her wonderful achievements on and off screen, and the people who altered the trajectory of her life. From nine enormously successful and much-loved Carry On films to more than twenty years in Albert Square with the role of Peggy Mitchell. From director Joan Littlewood handpicking her for Sparrows Can't Sing and her first husband Ronnie Knight and his links to the Kray twins, to her friendships with Sid James, Kenneth Williams and more.Weaving together an old-fashioned love story, a glittering life of showbiz and the true cost of dementia, By Your Side is a treasure trove for all of us who grew up watching and loving Dame Barbara. From the madness and the mayhem, the glorious highs and the devastating lows, to the fantastic fun she and Scott had along the way - this is an intimate, honest and incredibly personal account of a life spent loving Babs; a warm, colourful and heartfelt celebration of her rich, varied and remarkable life from the man who knew her best.

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This richly illustrated volume explores Edison's inventive and personal pursuits from 1888 to 1889, documenting his responses to technological, organizational, and economic challenges.Thomas A. Edison was received at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle—the World's Fair—as a conquering hero. Extravagantly fêted and besieged by well-wishers, he was seen, like Gustave Eiffel's iron tower, as a triumphal symbol of republicanism and material progress. The visit was a high-water mark of his international fame.Out of the limelight, Edison worked as hard as ever. On top of his work as an inventor, entrepreneur, and manufacturer, he created a new role as a director of research. At his peerless laboratory in Orange, New Jersey, he directed assistants working in parallel on multiple projects. These included the "perfected" phonograph; a major but little-recognized effort to make musical recordings for sale; the start of work on motion pictures; and improvements in the recovery of low-grade iron ore. He also pursued a public "War of the Currents" against electrical rival George Westinghouse. Keenly attuned to manufacturing as a way to support the laboratory financially and control his most iconic products, Edison created a new cluster of factories. He kept his manufacturing rights to the phonograph while selling the underlying patents to an outside investor in a deal he would regret. When market pressures led to the consolidation of Edison lighting interests, he sold his factories to the new Edison General Electric Company. These changes disrupted his longtime personal and professional relations even as he planned an iron-mining project that would take him to the New Jersey wilderness for long periods.The ninth volume of the series, Competing Interests explores Edison's inventive and personal pursuits from 1888 to 1889, documenting his responses to technological, organizational, and economic challenges. The book includes 331 documents and hundreds of Edison's drawings, which are all revealing and representative of his life and work in these years. Essays and notes based on meticulous research in a wide range of sources, many only recently available, provide a rich context for the documents.

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In Volume 15 Jefferson, a veteran of the councils of his own country's revolution, becomes an eyewitness of the opening events of the great upheaval in France in 1789. The Archbishop of Bordeaux and his colleagues of the National Assembly ask Jefferson's aid and counsel in drafting a new constitution; he declines in July but gives a private dinner in August for Lafayette and the moderates who wish to form a coalition and thus avoid civil war. He is catapulted into the limelight by Mirabeau's attack on Necker for the shortage of grain and flour. He advises Lafayette about the latter's proposed draft of a Declaration of Rights and proposes a compromise charter for France in order to gain time, to consolidate the advances already made, and to allow public opinion to ripen. Jefferson dines with De Corny and learns at first hand what happened at the fall of the Bastille. Three days later he is among the crowds with Dugald Stewart, the young Scottish philosopher, as Louis XVI is "led in triumph by his people thro' the streets of the capital." He writes long dispatches to Jay and private letters to Thomas Paine and Richard Price, among others, detailing the events that he regarded as "the first chapter of the history of European liberty." Early in September Jefferson becomes ill and, treated by a philosopher-physician, is possessed by the idea that "the earth belongs in usufruct to the living." He urges Madison to develop this concept and to apply it to American legislation--but his ostensible purpose is supported by arguments addressed wholly to the situation in France, whereby he furnishes justification for the abolition of ancient debts, the public appropriation of feudal grants, the wiping out of hereditary privileges, and the eradication of monopolies. Late in September, with Polly, Patsy, Petit, and two servants, Jefferson leaves Paris for a six months' leave, unaware that the same day the United States Senate confirmed his nomination as Secretary of State. Four weeks later he lands in Norfolk, where he is greeted by the officials--and finds that politics and anti-federalism are far from inactive in Virginia.

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THE TIE-IN EDITION FOR THE AMAZON PRIME TV SERIES STARRING SAM CLAFLIN, RILEY KEOUGH AND CAMILA MORRONEFrom the author of CARRIE SOTO IS BACK, THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and the bestselling MALIBU RISING'I LOVE it . . . I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so fun' DOLLY ALDERTONEverybody knows Daisy Jones and the Six.Their sound defined an era. Their albums were on every turntable. They sold out arenas from coast to coast.Then, on 12 July 1979, Daisy Jones walked barefoot onto the stage at Chicago Stadium. And it all came crashing down.Everyone was there.Everyone remembers it differently.Nobody knew why they split. Until now . . .'The verdict: Daisy Jones steals the limelight' STYLIST'New obsession, incoming' TELEGRAPH'I didn't want this book to end' FEARNE COTTON'Utterly believable . . . fantastically enjoyable' THE TIMES'Pitch perfect' SUNDAY TIMES'Reads like an addictive Netflix documentary meets A Star Is Born - despite being utterly fictional. It's also a call-to-arms that when you find your niche, don't doubt, embrace it' EMERALD STREET'Well observed, sensitively told . . . a great read' BBC'A tremendously engaging, and completely believable tale of rock and roll excess... inventive, persuasive and completely satisfying' DYLAN JONES'I spent a lost weekend in this book. Daisy Jones is an instant icon' ERIN KELLY'DAISY JONES & THE SIX is a transporting novel - at once a love story, a glimpse into the combustible inner workings of a rock-and-roll band, and a pitch-perfect recreation of the music scene of the Fleetwood Mac era. You'll never want it to end' CECILIA AHERN'Once in a blue moon you get to discover a book you end up pressing upon many other people to read. Taylor Jenkins Reid has got every nuance, every detail exact and right. I loved every word' PAUL REES'So brilliantly written I thought all the characters were real . . . I couldn't put it down' EDITH BOWMAN'Explosive . . . a gorgeous novel and a ravishing read' SUNDAY EXPRESS'The characters leap off the page, seducing you with their dramas, and making you wish the band was real' HEAT'The heady haze of the 70s music scene, and a perfectly flawed Daisy, combine to create a fresh, rock n roll read. I loved it' ALI LAND, author of Good Me Bad Me

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Learn how to create the coolest makeup looks from creative makeup MUA, Rachel Duffy. Choose from 12 key looks covering all the most exciting makeup trends from everyday looks using glitter and crystals, floating eyeliner and neon through to more complex looks for special occasions. This collection of techniques and tutorials will explain everything you need to know about creative makeup whether you are an aspiring MUA, a makeup student or someone who enjoys makeup as a creative outlet. Author and MUA, Rachel Duffy, encourages you to draw on inspiration from life, film and fiction to get creative with makeup. These fundamental techniques will provide you with the skills you need and help you on your way to your specific creative goals. These techniques and tutorials are an ideal learning base for retail or brand artistry, cosplay, theatre, television and film work, special effects and editorial work. There are instructions for all the basic techniques required to get started including how to create the perfect base through to more advanced techniques such as eyebrow blocking which is necessary for the more dramatic and involved looks. There is also advice on colour theory and how to use it when developing characters and creating your own designs. Rachel explains how to create the perfect flawless base on which to build your looks and takes you through the process step-by-step. There is also detailed advice about choosing the right tools and materials that you need in order to get the best results. Once you've got the basics nailed there are 12 incredible looks for you to experiment with all with step-by-step text instructions and photography. These range from 'lighter looks' that can be amped up or toned down, right through to four stunning illusion looks that will completely transform your image and send your social media feed into meltdown. The 12 key looks cover all the important makeup trends including floating eyeliner and neon eyeliner, through to illusion makeup, animal print and much more. Choose your favourite look from: Spotlight Eye; Monochrome Graphic Liner; Ombre Cat Liner; Limelight Deep Smoke; Rainbow Electrica; Sea Siren; Woodland Fae; Celestial Being; Flapper Starlet; Haunted Skull; Space Bot and Circus Horrorshow. Your creative makeup play time starts here - you just have to let your creativity flow!

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NOW A SMASH HIT AMAZON PRIME TV STARRING SAM CLAFLIN, RILEY KEOUGH AND CAMILA MORRONETHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the author of THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and the bestselling MALIBU RISING'I LOVE it . . . I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so fun' DOLLY ALDERTONEverybody knows Daisy Jones and the Six.Their sound defined an era. Their albums were on every turntable. They sold out arenas from coast to coast.Then, on 12 July 1979, Daisy Jones walked barefoot onto the stage at Chicago Stadium. And it all came crashing down.Everyone was there.Everyone remembers it differently.Nobody knew why they split. Until now . . .'The verdict: Daisy Jones steals the limelight' STYLIST'New obsession, incoming' TELEGRAPH'I didn't want this book to end' FEARNE COTTON'Utterly believable . . . fantastically enjoyable' THE TIMES'Pitch perfect' SUNDAY TIMES'Reads like an addictive Netflix documentary meets A Star Is Born - despite being utterly fictional. It's also a call-to-arms that when you find your niche, don't doubt, embrace it' EMERALD STREET'Well observed, sensitively told . . . a great read' BBC'A tremendously engaging, and completely believable tale of rock and roll excess... inventive, persuasive and completely satisfying' DYLAN JONES'I spent a lost weekend in this book. Daisy Jones is an instant icon' ERIN KELLY'DAISY JONES & THE SIX is a transporting novel - at once a love story, a glimpse into the combustible inner workings of a rock-and-roll band, and a pitch-perfect recreation of the music scene of the Fleetwood Mac era. You'll never want it to end' CECILIA AHERN'Once in a blue moon you get to discover a book you end up pressing upon many other people to read. Taylor Jenkins Reid has got every nuance, every detail exact and right. I loved every word' PAUL REES'So brilliantly written I thought all the characters were real . . . I couldn't put it down' EDITH BOWMAN'Explosive . . . a gorgeous novel and a ravishing read' SUNDAY EXPRESS'The characters leap off the page, seducing you with their dramas, and making you wish the band was real' HEAT'The heady haze of the 70s music scene, and a perfectly flawed Daisy, combine to create a fresh, rock n roll read. I loved it' ALI LAND, author of Good Me Bad Me

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Fall in love with the brand new Christmas romance from bestselling author, Sandy Barker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I love Sandy Barker’s stories. Modern romances with a bit of heat but a lot of love and plenty of hiccups along the way’ NetGalley reviewer ‘A great romantic escape – 5 stars from me! Julie Houston Another year has passed and it’s Christmas again. This year best friends Chloe, Jules and Lucy are all loved up but living worlds apart. Chloe is madly in love with her celebrity beau, Archer, but after a whirlwind year in Hollywood’s limelight, she’s desperate to get away and spend some quality time together. Jules loves her Melbourne life – and gorgeous winemaker Matt – but a crowded flat share has her longing for a place of her own. Meanwhile, Lucy is stuck in a long distance relationship, jetting back and forth between Colorado and London to see Will. When Archer’s plan to whisk Chloe to Paris goes awry, he surprises her by bringing her friends together for a Christmas to remember… The perfect feel-good holiday romance for fans of Sarah Morgan, Jo Thomas and Holly Martin. See why readers love Sandy Barker’s romance books… ‘The Christmas Trip will take you exactly where you want to go for the holidays: A tropical island with all of the Christmas trimmings and a gorgeous gift basket of HEAs.’ Sheila McClure, author of The Break-Up Agency ‘Fun, festive and tropical. I couldn’t put it down’ Aimee Brown ‘Page-turning perfection… fabulous’ Anita Faulkner ‘Funny and totally heart-warming, I couldn’t put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An all round feel good story’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wonderfully sweet’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Such a fun filled Christmas story that had me entertained and engrossed’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I feel in love with the characters and found it hard to put down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A delightful book . . . full of love, laughter, friendships and so much more’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another fun adventure’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A Christmas to remember’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Love, laughs, misunderstandings and surprises … marvellous’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An enjoyable book with its stunning location and overall themes of love in all its guises . . . a must-read author for me’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Highly recommend’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Escapism at its best’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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“A treasure trove for any fan of the four-stringed (and occasionally more) instrument.” — Billboard"It's not surprising that sooner or later I'd dive down the proverbial rabbit hole into the world of vintage bass guitars."—Geddy LeeFrom Rush frontman Geddy Lee's personal collection of vintage electric bass guitars, dating from the 1950s to the 1980s, comes the definitive volume on the subject.Geddy's love of the bass has been nurtured over a lifetime spent in the limelight as one of the world's premier rock bassists. For the past seven years, he's dedicated himself to studying the history of the instrument that's been so essential to his career, collecting hundreds of basses from around the globe.Written with arts journalist Daniel Richler, gorgeously photographed in breathtaking detail by Richard Sibbald, and with insight from Geddy’s trusted bass tech and curator, John "Skully" McIntosh, Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass profiles over 250 classic basses from Geddy’s extensive collection. Representing every tone in the bass palette, every nuance of the rock and roll genre as well as blues, jazz, pop, and country, this one-of-a-kind collection features so-called "beauty queens"—pristine instruments never lifted from their cases—as well as "road warriors"—well-worn, sweat-soaked basses that proudly show their age and use. Complete with personal commentary from Geddy that showcases his knowledge both as a musician and an aficionado, this luxuriously produced volume is a revelatory look at the heavy hitters in the world of bass—Fender, Gibson/Epiphone, Rickenbacker, Höfner, Ampeg—and lesser known but influential global luthiers such as Antonio Wandr Pioli, Dan Armstrong, and Tony Zemaitis.The book also features interviews with John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin); Adam Clayton (U2); Robert Trujillo (Metallica); Jeff Tweedy (Wilco); Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones); Les Claypool (Primus); Bob Daisley (Rainbow); Fender expert and owner of the legendary Gibson Explorer, Bass Ken Collins; veteran guitar tech for The Who, Alan Rogan; plus comments from many other great players across three decades of rock and roll.Written in Geddy's singular voice, this book reveals the stories, songs, and history behind the instruments of his inimitable collection. Complete with an index and a graphically designed timeline of the history of the bass, as well as an up-close look at Geddy's basses on Rush's final R40 Tour, his stage and recording gear from 1968 to 2017, and forewords by author and respected vintage expert, Terry Foster, and Rush band member, Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass is the ultimate compendium for the consummate collector, musician, Rush fan, and anyone who loves the bass guitar.

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**Finalist in the Outstanding Music Education Resource Category for the 2023 Music & Drama Education Awards** HerStory: The Piano Collection presents invaluable repertoire by remarkable female composers across the ages. This important collection is progressively graded, suitable for intermediate to advanced level players (approximately Grade 4 to Grade 8) and also features a piano duet and an ensemble piece for piano, clarinet, viola and cello. Written and compiled by award-winning author and piano pedagogue Karen Marshall, each piece is accompanied by a fascinating ‘snapshot’ of the 29 composers, providing invaluable insights into how they lived and composed, alongside quotes from them or about them. In addition there are suggestions of other pieces to try, personal observations from Karen Marshall and pedagogical activities and ideas. “This vibrant collection of wonderful music from literally every musical period promises to enrich the musical lives of everyone. Female composers have suffered shocking neglect over the centuries, but society is now beginning to make amends. Karen Marshall’s extraordinary anthology brings neglected jewels out of obscurity and into the limelight, where they will be loved and cherished.” Kathryn Page, pianist, adjudicator, teacher and co-founder of Chetham’s International Piano Summer School ‘Marshall's book is much more than a practical text – it is a library of forgotten treasures that we should bring back to life on pianos across the world. This is proof that the uniting force of music can transcend patriarchal barriers and has the power to inspire the next generation to start a new cycle of creativity.’ Hattie Fisk, Music Teacher Online, 1st May 2022 HerStory is more than the sum of its parts, a singular and significant achievement, lifting the lid on a terrific range of superb music that is long-overdue its day in the sun. Not only so, but Karen Marshall has also done a huge service in further elevating the music with such a wealth of historical research, personal detail, and pedagogic insight, all delivered with her wonderfully personable expertise and infectious enthusiasm. As a fresh and varied collection of 30 intermediate to advanced pieces, the book offers rich pickings for concerts, piano clubs, festivals and examination syllabi alike, and will surely come to be regarded as a significant sourcebook of musical inspiration. These are winsome, highly likeable works which audiences will surely warm to, and which students and players of all ages will undoubtedly find deeply rewarding to play. Andrew Eales, pianodao.com, March 2022 Over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed exploring HerStory. It is a unique collection, and one which should be seen as an iconic milestone in music publishing. It is rare for me to say it, but I enjoyed every piece, and it’s a collection I shall enjoy playing from as much as I enjoy teaching. David Barton, davidbartonmusic.co.uk, May 2022

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Award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson breaks her silence, sharing the extraordinary story of her life, career, and epic romances with two of the most celebrated, yet enigmatic, modern American superstars-Elvis Presley and Bruce Jenner For the last forty years, award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson has quietly led one of the most remarkable lives in show business. The longtime live-in love of Elvis Presley, Linda first emerged into the limelight during the 1970s when the former beauty pageant queen caught the eye of the King. Their chance late-night encounter at a movie theater was the stuff of legend, and it marked the beginning of a whirlwind that would stretch across decades, leading to a marriage with Bruce Jenner, motherhood, and more drama than she ever could have imagined. Now, for the first time, Linda opens up about it all, telling the full story of her life, loves, and everything in between. From her humble beginnings in Memphis to her nearly five-year relationship with Elvis, she offers an intimate window into their life together, describing how their Southern roots fueled and sustained Graceland's greatest romance. Going inside their wild stories and tender moments, she paints a portrait of life with the King, as raucous as it is refreshing. But despite the joy they shared, life with Elvis also had darkness, and her account also presents an unsparing look at Elvis's twin demons-drug abuse and infidelity-forces he battled throughout their time together that would eventually end their relationship just eight months before his untimely death. It was in the difficult aftermath of Elvis's death that Linda found what she believed was her true home: the arms of Olympic gold medal-winner Bruce Jenner. Detailing her marriage to Bruce, Linda reveals the seemingly perfect life that they built with their two young sons-Brandon and Brody-before Bruce changed everything with a secret he'd been carrying his entire life, a secret that Linda herself kept for nearly thirty years, a secret that Bruce's transition to Caitlyn Jenner has finally laid bare for the world. Providing a candid look inside one of the most challenging moments of her life, Linda uncovers the struggles she went through as a woman and a mother, coming to terms with the reality of Bruce's identity and resolving to embrace him completely no matter what, even as it meant they could no longer be together. And yet, despite her marriage unraveling, her search for love was not over, eventually leading her to the legendary music producer and musician David Foster-a relationship that lasted for nineteen tumultuous years, resulting in a bond that spurred her songwriting career to new heights but also tested her like never before. Filled with compelling and poignant stories and sixteen pages of photographs, A Little Thing Called Life lovingly recounts Linda's incredible journey through the years, bringing unparalleled insight into three legendary figures.

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An aspiring TV journalist faces a shattering moral dilemma and the prospect of losing her career and her life, when she joins an impetuous photographer in the Middle East. A shocking, searingly authentic thriller by award-winning ex-CNN news executive Sarah Sultoon.‘Shocking and visceral, this novel deals with the horrors of war … a brave, important and utterly compelling book’ S J Watson ‘Gritty, hard-hitting and often harrowing … a hugely exciting voice in crime fiction’ Victoria Selman‘A powerhouse writer’ Jo Spain––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––An act of mercyOr the ultimate betrayal…Who decides?Samira is an up-and-coming TV journalist, working the nightshift at a major news channel and yearning for greater things. So when she’s offered a trip to the Middle East, with Kris, the station’s brilliant but impetuous star photographer, she leaps at the chanceIn the field together, Sami and Kris feel invincible, shining a light into the darkest of corners … except the newsroom, and the rest of the world, doesn’t seem to care as much as they do. Until Kris takes the photograph.With a single image of young Sudanese mother, injured in a raid on her camp, Sami and the genocide in Darfur are catapulted into the limelight. But everything is not as it seems, and the shots taken by Kris reveal something deeper and much darker … something that puts not only their careers but their lives in mortal danger.Sarah Sultoon brings all her experience as a CNN news executive to bear on this shocking, searingly authentic thriller, which asks immense questions about the world we live in. You'll never look at a news report in the same way again... ‘A powerful story of the brutality of front-line journalism. Authentic, provocative and terrifyingly relevant’ Will Carver ‘A gritty, jarring page-turner’ Peter Hain ‘Passionate, disturbing storytelling at its best’ James Brabazon ‘You won't read another book like this in 2022! Raw, authentic, powerful ... you won't see the end coming!’ E C Scullion ‘Brilliantly conveys both the exhilaration and the unspeakable horror of life on the international news frontline’ Jo Turner ‘Astute and penetrating, evoking feelings that are long lasting and hard to shake off … Sarah Sultoon is a new and welcome voice in what can be a very crowded genre’ Random Things through My Letterbox ‘A masterclass in storytelling and cinematic in scope’ Live & Deadly ‘Brutally honest, extremely thought-provoking, stark and vivid … impossible to put down’ Jen Med’s Book ReviewsPraise for The Source**Winner: Crime Fiction Lover Best Debut Award**‘A brave and thought-provoking debut novel. Sarah Sultoon tackles a challenging and disturbing subject without sensation, and her sensitive handling, tight plotting and authentic storytelling make for a compelling read’ Adam Hamdy‘A taut and thought-provoking book that’s all the more unnerving for how much it echoes the headlines in real life’ CultureFly‘A tense thriller, a remarkable debut, heartbreaking, but ultimately this is a story of resilience and survival’ New Books Magazine‘A powerful, compelling read that doesn’t shy away from some upsetting truths … written with such energy’ Fanny Blake‘Tautly written and compelling, not afraid to shine a spotlight on the darker forces at work in society’ Rupert Wallis‘So authentic and exhilarating … breathtaking pace and relentless ingenuity’ Nick Paton Walsh, CNN‘A powerful, intense whammy of a debut that is both uncomfortable and exhilarating to read … Thought-provoking, tense, and expressive’ LoveReading‘A gripping, dark thriller’ Geoff Hill, ITV‘A cleverly constructed story that offers an authentic view behind the scenes in a British newsroom … an original and wholly engaging debut. Definitely a name to watch’ Crime Fiction Lover‘My heart was racing … fiction to thrill even the most hard-core adrenaline junkies’ Diana Magnay, Sky News ‘Unflinching and sharply observed. A hard-hitting, deftly woven debut’ Ruth Field‘With this gripping, fast-paced debut thriller, it’s easy to see what made Sultoon such a great journalist’ Clarissa Ward, CNN ‘A hard-hitting, myth-busting rollercoaster of a debut’ Eve Smith‘I could picture and feel each scene, all the fear, tension and hope’ Katie Allen For fans of Holly Watt, Sarah Vaughan, Laura Lippman and Karin Slaughter

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Since The Compleat Meadmaker was first published, mead has continued to grow in popularity as crafted beverages have become an established part of the beverage market in America. In 2003 there were roughly 60 commercial meaderies in the US, but by 2020 this number stood at 450. Naturally, many hobbyists are also discovering the delights of making this “nectar of the gods” themselves. Thanks to the global distribution of bees and, therefore, honey, you will find mead-like drinks in virtually every corner of the world. No wonder historians recognize it as one of humankind’s oldest fermented beverages. Mead production never really ceased in Europe and Africa, but its star was eclipsed with the increasing production and distribution of wine, beer, and distilled spirits from the 1600s onward. With the rebirth of brewing and the establishment of world-class wine producing regions in the US, it is time for mead in the twenty-first century to be brought back into the limelight. Mead needs to establish a vocabulary of its own and find a place in the hearts of homebrewers and home winemakers.In The Compleat Meadmaker, veteran meadmaker Ken Schramm—one of the founders of the Mazer Cup Mead Competition, North America’s oldest mead-only competition—introduces the novice to the wonders of mead. With easy-to-follow procedures and simple recipes, he shows how you can quickly and painlessly make your own mead at home. In later chapters, Schramm introduces flavorful variations on the basic theme that lead to meads flavored with spice, fruits, grapes, and malt.The author covers the many aspects of meadmaking in a comprehensive but easy-to-read fashion, with something for novices and experienced brewers and vintners alike from basic equipment for meadmaking, creating your first must, and on through the basics of fermentation, racking, and bottling. Once the first steps have been taken Schramm goes into more detail, involving balancing for taste using acid, priming for sparkling mead, corking practices, and strategies for clarifying. He also covers aspects of fermentation, such as selecting the right yeast strain, aerating and managing the pH of your must during the critical early phase of fermentation, and adjusting nutrient levels to suit mead fermentation. The author also troubleshoots common problems and processes, such as stuck fermentations, fermentations that will not start, slow or prolonged fermentations, measuring total acidity via acid titrations, and on balancing residual sugars through sweetening, malo-lactic fermentation, increasing acidity, and drying out the mead further. The fine-tuning process does not stop after fermentation is finished. Perhaps the finest characteristic of mead is that it seems to improve with age almost indefinitely. As well as advice on how long to store it, Schramm also offers up his experience with the many different approaches to conditioning and maturing mead, focusing on the use of oak chips, blocks, and barrels to age mead on wood.As one of the oldest fermented drinks and using the oldest sweetener known to humankind, mead and honey are inextricable. Schramm delves into a brief natural history of honey production and the bees that make it possible, with fascinating insights into the profession of beekeepers. He explores sources of nectar and pollen and the benefits of honey varietals explored, with a section devoted entirely to varietal honey based on floral variety. Along the way Schramm delves into the concept of honey “vintage”, grades of honey, sugar, moisture, organic acids, mineral content, color terminology, and how you should not judge a honey’s flavor by its color. There is also a discussion of aroma compounds, absolutely essential if wishing to understand the organoleptic qualities of honey. While mead can be a charmingly simple drink to make, home meadmakers can easily indulge in a host of different flavors to make unique and delicious meads. The author provides you with an understanding of the role quality ingredients play in creating a really pleasing mead. There are several ingredients-focused chapters that look at making sack mead, melomel, cyser, pyment, hippocras, metheglin, and braggot. At the end, Schramm puts it all together in a section devoted entirely to recipes.As one of the most ancient of human beverages, mead arose in part because it was easy to make. Despite this, mead is a surprisingly complex, diverse, and romantic drink that can range from bone dry to profoundly sweet, and can be crafted to complement any type of food. With The Compleat Meadmaker, you can see just how simple, fun, and rewarding meadmaking is.

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