Search results for ""Methuen Publishing Ltd""

The founding of the welfare state in the 1940s was one of the crowning achievements of modern British history - or was it? In this robustly argued book James Bartholomew advances the hitherto sacrilegious argument that however well-meaning its founders, the welfare state has in reality done more harm than good: Do welfare benefits cause unemployment? How the NHS fails to deliver? Can state education ever be properly reformed? Does broken parenting matter? Is a low state pension better than none, and who pays for it? 'The welfare state has caused tens of thousands of people to live deprived and even depraved lives, and has undermined the very decency and kindness which first inspired it. Evidence will be brought forward to show that it has resulted in a generation of badly educated people...The thesis of this book is that Britain would have been better off without the welfare state.'

Read more less

THE LEGENDARY TEACHER OF STORY . . . Robert McKee's new book CHARACTER: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage and Screen is an excellent companion volume to his hugely successful STORY: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting and DIALOGUE: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage and Screen. Divided into four parts (In praise of Character, Character Creation, The Character Universe and Character Relationships) CHARACTER has a primary purpose of enriching the reader's insight into the nature of a fictional character and sharpens the creative techniques necessary to invent a complex cast of personalities, starting with the protagonist then adding the cast of supporting roles. McKee uses scenes from classic films and television programmes, Sex and the City, Casablanca, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Fawlty Towers, and the works of classical dramatists, Homer, Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, to demonstrate how characters are constructed and developed for page, stage and screen. Robert McKee is an author, lecturer and story consultant whose popular writing workshops have brought him international fame. His book STORY, is the basis for his programme and it has defined how we regard the art of story creation. In STORY's companion volume, DIALOGUE, McKee offers the same in-depth analysis of how actors speak on the screen, on the stage and on the page. CHARACTER is a masterly work with a primary purpose of enriching the reader's insight into the nature of a fictional character and sharpening the creative techniques necessary to invent a complex cast of personalities, starting with the protagonist then adding the first, second and third tiers of supporting roles. CHARACTER is a brilliant addition to the genre and is essential reading for all aspiring writers.

Read more less

Thelwell made a study of this strange phenomenon of human behaviour and set it all down in his BOOK OF LEISURE.

Read more less

Israel is under great threat from its neighbours without and traitors within... Its leaders can resort to use of nuclear weapons in self-defence but fear the catastrophe that would result. Samuel Dayan is the traitor who has orchestrated a number of atrocities in Europe and the Middle East, with blame falling on Israel. David Golightly, Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister is frantically trying to prevent the threatened conflict. Nick Hunter and his TIFAT team are brought in to help and after several bloody encounters, and assistance from Ruth Golightly, a Mossad agent, the TIFAT team finally confront Dayan and his followers.

Read more less

In Paul Henke's TIFAT novel Retribution, Nick Hunter and his TIFAT team are drawn into the human catastrophe sweeping Africa and the Middle East. Criminal gangs of people smugglers are orchestrating the migration of many thousands of Africans and Asians into Europe, threatening the stability of that continent. The criminal gangs trade on the fear of those fleeing poverty, oppression and genocide and, in return for large sums of money, arrange illegal entry into Europe. Many who survive the journey, hoping for a safer life, are sold into slavery and the sex trade. The criminals are well connected with the upper echelons of Arab society and channel their ill-gotten gains to spread terror across Europe in the name of Islam. The TIFAT team have the task of tracing the criminal gangs and their leaders and eliminating them. For TIFAT, danger is ever-present.

Read more less

Here H. V.Morton begins his wandering in the City, where Roman London began, and follows, westwards, the course of London's seventeenth and eighteenth-century expansion. Here is a lasting memento for the overseas visitor, for Londoners in their thousands, and for all those readers for whom H. V. Morton has long been the perfect guide and the most entertaining companion. In this remarkable, living picture of London past, present and timeless Morton explores the City and the Temple, Covent Garden, Soho and all the 'submerged villages beneath the flood of bricks and mortar', uncovering layer upon layer of London's history. Morton follows the leads of imagination and investigation back and forth across the city, tracing unforgettable scenes: the Emperor Claudius leading his war elephants across the Thames; the terrible executions at the Tower; the city that Shakespeare knew, and that of Pepys, and Nelson and Queen Victoria, and also the shattered yet defiant city of the Blitz and the post-war London of 'ruins and hatless crowds'. Morton's quest for the city's heart reveals how London's daily life is rooted in a past that is closer and more familiar than we might think, making In Search of London as informative, entertaining and rich in human colour today as when it was written fifty years ago.

Read more less

This is a mongrel mix of prose, poem, cartoon strip, letter, and limerick. Musings upon his mum, his chum, his love, his love's loss, and salvation at the paws of his chum's mum's Welsh Border Collie. This collection of verse and drawings from the man dubbed 'comedy's poet laureate' combines Hegley's skills as a stand-up poet, puppeteer, and cartoonist. The work is, by turns, both touching and funny.

Read more less

Part political inquiry, part travel journal, part-self exploration, "Seek" is a collection of essays by an award-winning novelist out to explore himself and his life in the company of those who live on the edges of society. Denis Johnson travels between the extremes of human behaviour, from a hippy convention in the Achoco Natinal Forest, to war-ravaged Liberia, where he is witness to horrifying acts of torture. Along the way he joins a "Bikers for Jesus" rally in Texas, hangs out with a gun-crazed militia group, finds himself stranded in Somalia, and swaps stories with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Read more less

Provincetown, Cape Cod: the last outpost of civilisation, the end of the earth. In the confused aftermath of a failed suicide attempt, Leonard English – pursuing a vague vision of redemption and an even vaguer offer of employment – finds himself in a Cape resort populated by religious zealots and promiscuous transvestites. Taking a position as a part-time disc jockey-cum-private investigator, he falls hopelessly in love with a beautiful young gay woman. As winter approaches Leonard’s anguish mounts, his search for an elusive artist proves as futile as his desire and his growing obsessions lead to a tragic discovery and unexpected personal satisfaction.

Read more less

The subversive songs of mathematics teacher Tom Lehrer, the sardonic piano-wielding fugitive from Harvard, have corrupted generations of Americans since he first began recording and performing in the 1950s. His uniquely depraved wit has been forced again on an unsuspecting public via 'Tomfoolery', the stage revue based on his ever-trenchant observation of the American scene, spawned in London in 1980 and which has since spread to many other Lehrer-speaking countries. This new songbook, with old favourites unavailable for years as well as never-before-published songs, is the most comprehensive ever assembled. It contains the words, tunes, piano accompaniments, and guitar chords for these thirty-four classics: The Irish Ballad, Fight Fiercely Harvard!, Be Prepared, The Old Dope Peddler, The Wild West Is Where I Want to Be, I Wanna Go Back to Dixie, Lobachevsky, The Hunting Song, I Hold Your Hand in Mine, My Home Town, L-Y, When You Are Old and Gray, The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz, Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, A Christmas Carol, Bright College Days, In Old Mexico, She's My Girl, The Elements, The Masochism Tango, National Brotherhood Week, MLF Lullaby, The Folk Song Army, Smut, Send the Marines, New Math, Pollution, So Long Mom, Who's Next?, Wernher Von Braun, We Will All Go Together When We Go, I Got It from Agnes, Silent E and The Vatican Rag.

Read more less

An hilarious canine compendium, essential for new and experienced dog owners alike. As all dog owners know, man's best friend is a complex bundle of appetites, instincts, and winsome wiles. Few first-time owners will realize, however, just what a responsibility they are taking on. So Norman Thelwell kindly provided them with this invaluable handbook full of advice on choosing, training, feeding, exercising, and caring for our four-legged friends. It also emphasizes the importance of protecting one's own interests – not to mention those of one's neighbours – for an ill-trained hound will soon develop a healthy disrespect for law and order. Here is a superb cartoon collection designed to give every dog owner a new leash of life in the canine world. From the business of choosing a puppy and the troubles of training to the foibles of different breeds, TOP DOG is an indispensable companion for all fans of man's best friend.

Read more less

The first feature film by the Monty Python team is a mock heroic tale set in medieval Britain with lots of silly things going on besides. In a series of sketches and animations, the Pythons recount scenes from the Grail legend in which the knights forsake their chorus line can-can dancing in Camelot for a higher aim. Typically, the Pythons set-up a 'historical' tale which is really a take on the modern world. Memorable scenes, like Graham Chapman's King Arthur battling with John Cleese's Black Knight until the latter is reduced limb by limb down to a speaking stump of a torso, capture both the hilarity and grotesque nature of brutality. In scene after scene King Arthur's men are led a merry chase through the countryside, encountering life on many different social levels. This screenplay edition contains just the script and is supplemented by stills from the film.

Read more less

In Hubris: The Road to Donald Trump, David Owen analyses and describes the mental and physical condition of US Presidents and UK Prime Ministers with a particular view that what went before paved the way to President Trump. Of recent leaders there have been alcoholics, depressives, narcissists, populists and those affected by hubris syndrome and driven by their religious beliefs. But Donald Trump, a world class narcissist, presents a very different set of issues, as does Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, also discussed in this revised edition. A trained physician and neuroscientist, David Owen is uniquely qualified to assess Trump and Johnson in their political, philosophical and medical contexts. Both are ‘populists’ and both have been economical with the truth. Trump is an inveterate user of social media and some of his ‘Tweets’ have been branded as outrageous and totally inappropriate for an American President. In 2020 he has faced an impeachment trial and in November will face the electorate as he seeks a second term. Boris Johnson’s premiership is in its infancy. He has concluded the UK’s exit from the EU but now has much to achieve to fulfil the promises made to the electorate in 2019, which gave an eighty seat majority to the Conservative party. Both Trump and Johnson have major roles to play in 2020. Trump’s Middle East initiative, his attempts to quell the tension with Iran and North Korea and his plans for trade with China, will define his first four years. Johnson’s focus must be on maintaining the United Kingdom, implementing new trade deals, worldwide, post Brexit and addressing the NHS, regional development and defence spending. The likely success of both President and Prime Minister is assessed by David Owen in his customarily incisive way and the book is an essential read for all with an interest in politics and the psychology of world leaders. David Owen is the author of several acclaimed books on politics, political history and the health of world leaders. He qualified as a doctor in 1962, was a Labour MP from 1966–81, an SDP MP from 1981–92 and from 1992 sat in the House of Lords as an Independent Social Democrat. He held several government posts under Wilson and Callaghan, the last as Foreign Secretary. Lord Owen continues to speak out on international affairs and to support research into hubris syndrome and other psychological conditions as there is ‘compelling evidence that the course of history has been changed … by the ill health of world leaders.’

Read more less

Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in October 1969. This newly originated volume contains the complete unexpurgated scripts of the original television series (except for the animation bits) from Episode One to Episode Twenty-three inclusive. Everyone's favourite classic sketches - all eminently quotable - are here including the Architect's Sketch, Arthur 'Two Sheds' Jackson, Whicker Island, Working-class playwright, The Larch, Nudge Nudge, Hell's Grannies, It's the Arts, Albatross, Ministry of Silly Walks, Election Night Special [Silly and Sensible Parties], Epsom furniture race, Derby Council v. All Blacks rugby match, Dead Parrot, and - it is no exaggeration to say - many, many more.

Read more less

Nick Hunter, a senior officer in TIFAT, and his colleagues are brought in to protect an accountant who has stumbled upon evidence of EU corruption at the highest level and is targeted by assassins. TIFAT seek out the murderous thugs and eliminate them and to bring the corrupt EU officials to justice.

Read more less

Charles Kennedy was found dead on 1 June 2015. He was only 55 years of age. His death was due to complications resulting from alcohol abuse over many years. Much has been written about his addiction to alcohol, with justification. The condition dominated his life for at least 25 years, brought about the breakdown of his marriage and caused him to lie repeatedly about the problem. Those closest to him, family and colleagues, tried to help him but as Kennedy could not help himself, all their efforts were in vain. However, this tragic flaw which resulted in his premature death should not obscure Kennedy's career in politics, which began in 1983, with his election to parliament as the SDP member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye. He was just 23 years of age. Kennedy's victory was a shock. The seat had been held for the Conservatives by Hamish Gray since 1970. Several prominent candidates failed to win seats in 1983, including Menzies Campbell and it was suggested Kennedy felt 'undeserving' of his success, which may have sown the first seeds of self-doubt that dogged him throughout his career. Tipped as a future leader of his party at an early stage, Kennedy supported the merger of the SDP with the Liberal party in 1988. The process caused much turbulence but once the dust had settled, Kennedy emerged with credit. When Paddy Ashdown resigned in 1999, Kennedy was a candidate to succeed him and after several tortuous rounds of voting, he emerged as the victor over Simon Hughes. Kennedy inherited a financially strong party with 46 MPs, 10 MEPs, 17 MSPs in Edinburgh and six AMs in Cardiff. When he resigned the leadership in 2006 the Lib Dem's strength in Westminster had risen to 62 MPs and Kennedy was described as the most successful third party leader for more than eighty years. During Kennedy's tenure of office, he abandoned the traditional Lib-Lab cooperation and followed an independent route to position his party as the natural party of opposition. He also showed strong conviction when opposing Britain's planned involvement in the Iraq war in 2003. But nemesis was near. Rumours of his addiction to alcohol began to leak out and further humiliating public appearances, when drunk, brought matters to a head and he was forced to resign the leadership. This biography is a frank account of Charles Kennedy's political career that began in triumph and ended in tragedy.

Read more less

The biography of Thomas Argyll Robertson who played a key role in Operation Mincemeat (the Second World War operation which suggested that an invasion of Greece was imminent) and masterminded the 1944 Operation Fortitude (which was designed to persuade the Germans that the invasion of France would not take place in Normandy but in Pas de Calais). Thomas Argyll Robertson, known universally as Tar, joined MI5 in March 1933, recruited by Vernon Kell, the organisation's founder. He was not formally interviewed for service but was recommended by Kell's son John, Tar's contemporary at Charterhouse. In the 1930s MI5 was Vernon Kell's personal fiefdom and with the help of his wife Constance, it was run very much as a 'family firm'. At first glance, Tar Robertson may not appear an inspired choice. After Charterhouse and Sandhurst he was commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders but resigned after two years. He had a spell in the City and somewhat unusually, served in the Birmingham Police Force. But all of these experiences served him well and as an MI5 officer he made an outstanding contribution to Britain's counter-espionage activities before and during the Second World War. Tar's deft handling of a widely disparate collection of Double Cross agents, among them criminals, drug addicts and drunks, brought some spectacular military advantages for Britain. The most important by far was Operation Fortitude which fooled the German High Command over the location of the landing of the Allied Invasion Force in June 1944. In another operation Tar's agents put out masses of false information concerning the hits scored by V1 and V2 rockets which led the Germans to change their target areas which prevented thousands of civilian casualties. Not only were Tar's agents successful in hundreds of missions, they also proved more than a match for their German counterparts in the Abwehr, who effectiveness was almost totally nullified. In Gentleman Spymaster, Geoffrey Elliott has captured Tar Robertson's character perfectly. He was at once determined, discreet and fiercely loyal. Equally he was ruthless in his handling of those who threatened the Double Cross system. He was one of Britain's unsung heroes, widely recognised by many of his contemporaries as one of MI5's greatest assets. This brilliantly researched and perceptive biography clearly shows why.

Read more less

Over the past sixty years the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre have probably been more influential in the West than those of any other philosopher and literary figure. In his theoretical writings, Sartre laid the foundation for an original doctrine of Existentialism. His concern, however, was to relate his theory to human response and the practical demands of living. To achieve this, he carried his philosophical concepts into his novels and plays, and there subjected them to the test of imagined experience. His uniqueness lies in the success with which he demonstrated the utility of Existentialist doctrine while creating, at the same time, works of the highest literary merit. Thus Sartre became the populariser of his own literary thought. Originally delivered as a lecture in Paris in 1945, "Existentialism and Humanism" is Jean-Paul Sartre's seminal defence of Existentialism as a doctrine true to Humanism, as opposed to a purely nihilistic creed, and a plan for its practical application to everyday human life. This exploration of one of the central tenets of his philosophical thought has become the essential introduction to his work, and a fundamental text for all students of philosophy.

Read more less

Michael Reed is a man going through the motions, numbed by the death of his wife and child. But when events force him to act as if he cares, he begins to find people who - against all expectation - help him through his private labyrinth. Poignant and beautiful, The Name of the World is a tour de force by one of the most astonishing writers at work today.

Read more less

Elizabeth Cook's mesmerising poetic voice weaves the interlocking stories of Achilles and the central figures of his legend into a many-layered exploration of achievement and loss, of choice and inescapable destiny. Born of the sea-nymph Thetis by the mortal King Peleus, hidden as a girl on Skiros until Odysseus discovers him, Achilles becomes the Greeks' greatest warrior at Troy. Into his story come others - among them Hector, Helen, Penthiseleia the Amazon Queen and the centaur Chiron; and finally John Keats, whose writings form the basis of a meditation on identity and shared experience. An unforgettable and deeply moving work of fiction, Achilles also affirms of the story's enduring power to reach across centuries and cultures to the core of our imagination.

Read more less

When The Life of Brian was first released in 1979 it was hailed by most as Monty Python's finest parody and denounced by a few as the most blasphemous film of all time. With its unforgettable song, 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life', and its infinitely quotable script The Life of Brian has since gone on to become an enduring cult classic.

Read more less

An omnibus edition of Hegley's performance poems, "The Brother-in-Law and Other Animals", together with two of his most popular books, "Can I Come Down Now Dad?" and "These Were Your Father's".

Read more less

Structure is Character. Characters are what they do. Story events impact the characters and the characters impact events. Actions and reactions create revelation and insight, opening the door to a meaningful emotional experience for the audience. Story is what elevates a film, a novel, a play, or teleplay, transforming a good work into a great one. Movie-making in particular is a collaborative endeavour - requiring great skill and talent by the entire cast, crew and creative team - but the screenwriter is the only original artist on a film. Everyone else - the actors, directors, cameramen, production designers, editors, special effects wizards and so on - are interpretive artists, trying to bring alive the world, the events and the characters that the writer has invented and created. Robert McKee's STORY is a comprehensive and superbly organized exploration of all elements, from the basics to advanced concepts. It is a practical course, presenting new perspectives on the craft of storytelling, not just for the screenwriter but for the novelist, playwright, journalist and non-fiction writers of all types.

Read more less

An anthology of the poetry of World War I, this collection is more concerned with the War than with poetry, and as such it is a book with a theme. There are 72 poets represented here - including Wilfred Owen - of whom 21 died in action. Many of the poems have notes and introductions.

Read more less

This fully updated second edition of the "Politico's Guide to Local Government" is a comprehensive guide to every aspect of British local government. As well as outlining the role of councillors and local government officers, it contains a full history of local government in Britain. It examines the politicisation of local government and analyses New Labour's policies and attitudes to local government.

Read more less

Mary Shelley was the daughter of philosopher William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Her mother died soon after her birth and her father remarried. The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was a friend of Godwin and a frequent visitor to his home. Though married with young children, Shelley flirted with Mary and when she was aged sixteen they eloped to Italy. Shelley was always in trouble financially and was forced to move frequently to avoid his creditors. Mary tolerated this lifestyle and also Shelley's constant philandering though she was often desperate with worry about Percy's infidelity. Lord Byron and Shelley met and became friends and this association was another cause for concern to Mary, who at eighteen, began writing Frankenstein, a novel that would bring her lasting fame. After Shelley's death from drowning in Italy, Mary returned to London and pursued her own writing career. In her novel Wendy Bardsley has captured the intensity of Mary's early life and her troubled marriage and the result is a remarkable book and an excellent addition to the genre of historical fiction.

Read more less

Retreat, A Story of 1918 by Charles R. Benstead was first published by Methuen in 1930, as First World War fiction was moving from positive accounts of combat heroism towards narratives of disillusionment and loss. Retreat spans both phases through its tragic portrayal of an army chaplain driven to madness when his Christian values hold no sway against the bloody realities of war and through its heartening vision of how devotion to duty can fortify soldiers' sense of purpose and self-worth in the absence of spiritual faith. Retreat is based on the author's combat experiences as a Fifth Army artillery officer during the massive German advance in March 1918, adding historical depth to the literary value of the novel. The book centres heavily on the British retreat as experienced by Padre Elliot Warne, an egotistical churchman ill suited to the bitter realities of combat at the front. Warne shepherds a flock whose lack of interest in religion undermines his sense of significance to the war effort; and in the shadow of the overwhelming German army, he finds his faith gives way to fear. In Retreat, Benstead captures the cruel injustices of war as he knew it and demonstrates the inadequacies of religion as a balm to the harsh realities of war. In the introduction to this edition, war historian Hugh Cecil provides historical context for the novel's plot, a biography of the author and a survey of the book's critical and controversial reception. Charles R. Benstead (1896-1980) served with distinction as an artillery officer in the First World War and as a naval training officer in the Second World War. He wrote twelve books in all on topics ranging from naval combat to Cambridge history but none achieved the same critical success as Retreat. Hugh Cecil is an honorary lecturer at Leeds University and co-founder of the Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds. His many publications include The Flower of Battle; How Britain Wrote the Great War; Facing Armageddon: The First World War Experienced, and At the Eleventh Hour with Peter H. Liddle.

Read more less

This omnibus edition - now in hardback - contains much of Norman Thelwell's invaluable advice to aspiring equestrians on how to get into the saddle and stay there; each item illustrated with inimitable and deadly clarity. From the first publication of Angels on Horseback in 1957, the Thelwell pony entered the language – and the libraries of horse-lovers everywhere. The angels in Angels on Horseback are children, but there is plenty here about their parents. Both for those who know Thelwell, and for those who have not met him before, this book is a savoury at all times – but especially after attending a gymkhana. Since their debut appearance in Punch over sixty years ago, Norman Thelwell's cartoons and drawings have delighted millions of people all over the world. His portrayals of sporting pursuits, human beings at play, the life of the countryside and, of course, ponies, are the products of a unique comic genius.

Read more less

Thelwell really understood the English countryside, its animals and people, and appraised with sympathetic eye both horses and the horsey. That is why his drawings adorn the studies of some of the fiercest Master of Fox Hounds in the country as well a being sure pin-up material in many Pony Club Members' dens. The angels in Angels on Horseback are children but there is plenty here about their parents. Both for readers of Punch who knew Thelwell, and those who did not meet him before, this book is a savoury at all time but especially after attending a gymkhana. J. B. Boothroyd writes in the Foreword: 'Punch has had equestrian artists before. In mid-Victorian times it was difficult to open a copy without being trampled. But the creations between the present covers achieve something entirely new: they combine portraiture with caricature, a thing which most artists would hesitate to try with human beings, let alone the more temperamentally elusive and psychologically inscrutable horse. This means that while no horse could possibly look exactly like a Thelwell horse, all Thelwell horses manage to look exactly like horses.'

Read more less

The new revised edition of the uncensored 'Acto-biography' of the most controversial thespian of his generation. The memoirs of Nicholas Craig - theatrical eminence best known for his Trueplate in The Cuckolde of Leicester and more popularly as Gob in Oh No! It's the Neighbours! - are re-released for a grateful audience, updated with a wealth of new and controversial material. Startlingly truthful, unflinchingly illustrated, I, An Actor' is a piton up the slope of creativity for theatre fans and aspiring actors alike, revealing everything that most theatrical autobiographies cravenly avoid.

Read more less

'A beautifully drawn picture ... that will surely number among the classics of childhood' Evening Standard Aké is the first volume of Wole Soyinka's acclaimed series of autobiographical works. This vivid, exuberant book is Soyinka's record of his childhood in colonial Nigeria. In rich and evocative prose he tells the tales of his schooldays and adventures in a captivating narrative, sometimes recollecting fears and dangers but always sensitive to the surprises of childhood life. His days were full of discoveries, excitements, the presence of spirits and the tribal rituals of his colourful family - including his father whom Soyinka portrays in Isarà, the second volume of his autobiography. Aké ends with Soyinka about to go to college at the age of eleven and enter a new world of responsibility and wider horizons as his remarkable childhood comes to an end.

Read more less

Over the centuries human beings have had such a passion for cats that not only have they invaded our homes – occupying the sunniest corners and sitting on the softest mats they can find – they have also invaded our language. Norman Thelwell's collection of drawings is a celebration of this. From The Cat's Whiskers and Scaredy cat to Cat's Paw and Cat Nap, Thelwell's delicious and sleek drawings remind us of these phrases in hilarious and often unexpected ways. Moving beyond phrases to words, Thelwell's endearingly witty vignettes also offer punning feline interpretations of such words as catarrh, platypus and opus. For lovers of cats and pictures of cats – above all for fans of Thelwell – this latest collection is a must.

Read more less

This is the script of the film which looks at what life is really all about, which featured the whole Monty Python team and was directed by Terry Jones. This is a fully illustrated edition of the hilarious Python classic, which takes a pop at almost every single sacred cow of culture and includes the famous tune "Every Sperm is Sacred." Although primarily aimed at an audience of fish, Monty Python's film, The Meaning of Life, spans the whole range of human experience. It starts with the birth of a seemingly insignificant human being (especially from a haddock's point of view) who, sure enough turns out to play no further part in the film.

Read more less

The peasants of Paradise County in China have been eking out an existence virtually unchanged for hundreds of years, until a glut on the garlic market forces them to watch the crop that is their lifeblood wilt, rot and blacken in the fields - leading them to storm the seat of corrupt Communist officialdom in an apocalyptic riot. Against this heroic backdrop unfold three intricately interwoven tales of love, loyalty and retribution: between man and woman, father and child, friend and friend. Banned in China following Tianamen Square, 'The Garlic Ballads' is a bawdy, mystical and brawling novel that portrays a landscape at once strange and utterly compelling, and a people whose fierce passions overflow the rigid confines of their traditions.

Read more less

When the Shepards' car breaks down in pre-War New York City, a chain of events is set in motion that will transform the lives of the beautiful but stupid Evan Shepard, his doomed lover Rachel, and both their families. Fated to play out the mistakes of their parents, Evan and Rachel quickly discover the betrayal behind the dream, and desperately try every avenue of escape, only to find that all paths lead back to the small Long Island coastal town of Cold Spring Harbor, and to each other. But if there is no better chronicler than Yates of the quiet tragedy of thwarted suburban lives, Cold Spring Harbor is a testament to the absolute necessity of dreaming; for Yates's protagonists, hope may be all there is.

Read more less

From 'The Lumberjack Song' to 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life', the Fairly Incomplete & Rather Badly Illustrated Monty Python Songbook does pretty much what it says on the cover, collecting up the cream of the Python team's musical output, from the four TV series and the various feature films. Included are such gems as 'Eric the Half-a - Bee', 'Sit on My Face and Tell Me That You Love Me', 'Bruces' Philosophers Song', 'Oliver Cromwell', 'The Knights of the Round Table', 'Christmas in Heaven', 'All Things Dull & Ugly', 'Every Sperm is Sacred', and 'Isn't it Awfully Nice to Have a Penis', amongst many others, all arranged with music for the piano and accompanied by Terry Gilliam's incomparable cartoons; Reissue of a classic Monty Python humour title; Original edition sold 10,000 copies; Arranged for Piano; Ilustrated by Terry Gilliam; With a foreword by 'Elvis Presley', and complete instructions on how to play the piano

Read more less

Norman Thelwell took his first kitten home in a shopping-bag slung from the handlebars of his bicycle at the age of ten. He still has the scars to prove it. "Magnificat" is a comic tribute to the mysterious relationship human beings have long had with the feline species.

Read more less

Storynomics - Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World is a brilliant book that's destined to send shockwaves through the worlds of marketing and branding. Drawing on the experiences gained with his Storynomics seminars, Robert McKee - author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting and Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage and Screen - has teamed up with Tom Gerace to produce a work that is at once imaginative, innovative and inspirational. There has been a major change in the way brands connect with consumers. In the past, brand managers and chief marketing executives would find stories people loved and then interrupt their telling with advertisements. Today's consumers have tired of the ads and are blocking, skipping or avoiding them at unprecedented rates. The consequences are that marketing professionals are finding it harder and harder to reach their customers. Some business leaders have recognised that storytelling is the future of marketing, and to succeed in an increasingly ad-free world, they must place `story' at the centre of their strategies. There is still some misunderstanding about story and how it can be used effectively. Robert McKee created the Storynomics seminars to show business leaders how to apply storytelling to their businesses, to drive revenue, margins and brand loyalty. In their new book, McKee and Gerace bring a whole new meaning to marketing, to displace old theories and practices with story-driven messages. Storynomics, the book, is essential reading for all serious professionals.

Read more less

Martin Sproale is a mild, conventional assistant postmaster living in a small English coastal town, the only exceptional thing about him being his obsession with Ernest Hemingway. This is confined harmlessly enough to an encyclopaedic knowledge of everything about the man and to living in a room surrounded by Hemingway memorabilia. But when an ambitious young outsider, Nick Marshall, is appointed postmaster over Martin and starts to transform the friendly local post office for privatization and the high-tech challenges of the 21st century, Martin is faced with a choice--to go along with the drastic changes, or to be like his hero and fight for what he believes in. Egged on by an American scholar, Ruth Kohler, who is living nearby while completing a book in Hemingway, Martin allows his obsession to take over more and more of his life, culminating in a final, reckless act of revenge against the ruthless modernizers.

Read more less

Lost in the frozen polar wastes, an explorer huddles in his shelter, typing, with frozen fingers, the story of his lonely, extraordinary exploits, preparing to send the story to the nephew he has never seen. With his only companion, the tortoise-like mutant Jackson, the Uncle has gone in search of his ambition and his destiny: the awesome and mysterious White Lion. Illustrated on every page with stunning, beautiful, eerie original drawings, "Letters from a Lost Uncle" is the product of a unique imagination and a distillation of all that is most powerful in the strange genius of Mervyn Peake. Painstakingly re-originated from Peake's original artwork and typescript, this edition celebrates the centenary of Mervyn Peake's birth in 2011 and is re-issued alongside Peake's illustrated edition of Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark" (Methuen ISBN 978 0413 777140).

Read more less