Search results for ""Author Stephen Parkin""

As a first-time visitor to London, De Amicis was awestruck by the bustle and magnificence of the Victorian metropolis and wrote a number of sketches in his trademark witty, observational style, which made him one of the best-selling travel writers of his age. Originally conceived as a series of newspaper articles and later published in volume form, De Amici's 'Memories of London' brings back to life all the bygone charm of the capital of the British Empire. De Amici's impressions are paired here with a piece written by one of his contemporaries, the French writer Louis Laurent Simonin, which leaves the city's opulence and granduer behind and offers an uncompromising look at the poverty and squalor of its most deprived areas.

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Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the author of one of the most poignant and enduringly popular novels of the twentieth century, left only a few other pieces of fiction when he died prematurely at the age of sixty. Childhood Memories and Other Stories, here presented in a new translation by Stephen Parkin and including previously deleted passages and the unpublished fragment ‘Torretta’, collects all of Lampedusa’s extant shorter fiction and provides a revealing glimpse into the writer’s workshop and the background to the composition of his masterpiece. From the atmospheric recollections of the Palazzo Lampedusa and the Palazzo Filangeri Cutò at the turn of the twentieth century in ‘Childhood Memories’ to the delightful fable ‘The Siren’, from the gently humorous, bitter­sweet tones of ‘Joy and the Law’ to ‘The Blind Kittens’ – the first chapter of what was intended to be a sequel to The Leopard – this volume showcases Lampedusa’s unparalleled ob­ser­vational powers and narrative skills.

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The story of a naughty wooden puppet who has a penchant for lying and dreams of becoming a real boy, The Adventures of Pinocchio has entered our collective imagination and fascinated generations of young and adult readers since its first publication in 1883. Part fable, part coming-of-age novel, part cautionary tale, Pinocchio’s rollicking exploits through an unforgiving and often incomprehensible world – populated by unforgettable characters such as the Talking Cricket, Candlewick, Mangiafuoco and the Fairy with Turquoise Hair – have had a profound impact on our culture and attained universal significance as a mirror of the human condition. Here presented in a brand-new and lively translation by Stephen Parkin and illustrated beautifully by Peter Bailey, this edition of The Adventures of Pinocchio brings extra sparkle to one of the greatest and most celebrated works of children’s literature.

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A remarkable nineteenth-century account of Istanbul – which begins with a dazzling description of the city gradually appearing through the fog as the author’s ship approaches the harbour – Constantinople expertly combines personal anecdote, breathtaking visual observation and entertaining historical information. An invaluable record of the metropolis as it used to be – a fascinating crossroads between Eastern and Western civilization and one of the most cosmopolitan cities of its time – as well as a vivid example of a European tourist’s reaction to it – part delight, part incomprehension – this book will provide an enriching read for lovers of history or those planning to visit Istanbul themselves.

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Why does a book look and feel the way it does? What can it tell us about the circumstances of its creation? This is a fascinating exploration of the development of book design through some of the most treasured volumes in the British Library collections. Carefully selected by the Library's curatorial teams and beautifully illustrated with striking new studio photography alongside images from specially digitised collections, The Book by Design includes: The Lindisfarne Gospels * The Diamond Sutra of 868 The Arnstein Bible * The Golden Haggadah The Queen Mary Psalter * The Mainz Psalter of 1457 Hypnerotomachia Poliphili * Akbar's Khamsah of Nizami The Shakespeare First Folio * Tale of Genji * A Qur'an from Aceh * The Grammar of Ornament * The Buddha's Last Birth Tale * Audubon's The Birds of America * The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer Flowing between these major chapters are features covering unusual book formats, interesting bindings and materials, as well as particular design elements and trends from different periods and cultures. This structure brings together works of historical importance and modern innovation to create a volume that will delight bibliophiles and anyone passionate about book design and production.

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