Search results for ""methuen publishing ltd""

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.

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This title presents the memoirs of Ireland's acclaimed author and playwright, Hugh Leonard. Born in 1926 in Dublin, he was educated at Presentation College, Dun Laoghaire. He is an award winning playwright and screenwriter, and was Literary Editor at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin 1976-77. He now lives in Dalkey in County Dublin. This second volume of autobiography is a portrait of adolescence in Dublin in the 1940s and 1950s: schooldays and altar-boyhood, early bliss in the sevenpennies at the Astoria, problems with Gloria and Dolores. Leonard stirs in theatre ancedotes, vignettes of Patrick Kavanagh and Brendan Behan and divulges his own beginnings as a writer. The result is a humorous analysis of Dublin and Dubliners.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.'

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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.

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'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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Published to coincide with the Queen's Golden Jubilee, this title is the history of Ascot from its foundation by Queen Anne in 1711 to 2002 present day. Illustrated with contemporary pictures and modern photographs, the text takes the reader through the development of one of the most famous racecourses in the world. The authors have had access to the Royal Archives and archives of Weatherbys, The Jocky Club, the Public Record Office and the British Museum. The book contains stories of the many people who have contributed to Ascot over nearly 300 years and there are equine stories aplenty. It also recounts races between many of the best horses ever known to the sport. This book is for those who love the sport of Kings and Queens.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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"The Sleepless Moon" opens with the marriage of Constance and Melford Turner, with Constance's dreamlike walk across the square of Orlingford: when the warm summer wind ripples her white silk dress against her skin, she feels 'astonishingly free and exalted'. Although she is shy and quiet, Constance is also sensual and sexual, but we discover on her wedding night that she is doomed to a passionless marriage, and the arrival of a young pianist, Frankie Johnson, drives their marriage even further apart. "The Sleepless Moon" is about the bleak and unforgiving nature of insomnia, of restlessness, repressed passion and dislocation. Orlingford is a town where it is hard to differentiate between pleasure and pain: the wonder of a moment is ignored, misconstrued or overridden by the fear of it passing. Pleasure is never more than fleeting and the characters are speechless in their supplication for help and understanding; repressed emotions manifest themselves in peculiar character traits and habit, and dreams are more vivid and warm than life.

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John Betjeman (1906-1984) was not only one of the best-loved Englishmen of the twentieth century, he was also the people's favourite poet and champion of many causes linked to the preservation of Britain's heritage. Whether those causes concerned buildings, bridges or railway branch lines, Betjeman was a feared adversary of bureaucratic excesses. This delightful little book is a celebration of his love of railways and rail travel. Ten letters selected by his daughter, Candida Lycett Green, each describe a journey that he made or that he planned to make or that he planned for a friend or relative. Jonathan Glancey has added his own words to each letter; words that set the scene, bring the letters to life, that describe Betjeman's moods - humorous, mischievous, brisk for business - and above all, remind us of the age of the steam locomotive in Britain and the many stations closed and track miles lost during the sixties and seventies.

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During the Second World War, a secret department was formed at Britain's Air Ministry to co-ordinate a strategy to defeat German bombing by means of deception. With the help of leading technicians from the film industry, ingeniously designed decoy airfields, towns and military bases were built throughout the island. This campaign of illusion, masterminded by the charismatic Colonel John Fisher Turner, did more to protect Britain's forces and civilians from the Nazi threat than, at the time, they were allowed to know. This is the only detailed study of Britain's bombing decoys, both at war, through their design, locations and operations, and at peace, through their fragmentary survival as enigmatic features in today's landscape. It draws upon a wealth of new research into wartime documents, and includes detailed maps and data showing the patterns of decoy sites across the country. Compiled in support of English Heritage's initiatives to study and preserve Britain's wartime remains, "Fields of Deception" explores the history and the legacy of one of the least-known aspects of Britain at war.

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"Canute began by being a Bad King on the advice of his Courtiers, who informed him (owing to a misunderstanding of the Rule Britannia) that the King of England was entitled to sit on the sea without getting wet." 1066 And All That is a book that has itself become part of our history. The authors made the claim that "All the History you can remember is in the Book" and, for most of us, they were probably right. But it is their own unique interpretation of events that has made the book a classic; an uproarious satire on textbook history and our confused recollections of it: "The first date in English History is 55 BC, in which year Julius Caesar (the memorable Roman Emperor) landed, like all other successful invaders of these islands, at Thanet. This was in the Olden Days, when the Romans were top nation on account of their classical education, etc."

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A collection of linked stories narrated by a recovering alcoholic and heroin addict, "Jesus' Son" is a disturbing portrayal of loneliness and hope. He travels through an American underworld of burnt-out sports stars, hospital waiting rooms, doomed relationships and senseless violence.

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Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh is a collection of eight compelling short stories written over the past twenty years: surrealistic political fables, ghost stories, tales of failed and perverse love, and stories about the destructive effects of superstition and ignorance. These stories capture the current concerns of the Chinese: lack of income, famine, and the devastating effects of the one-child policy. One particular get-rich-quick scheme involves an unemployed man who decides to convert an abandoned bus into a venue for private trysts which will enable him to charge lovers by the hour.

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Two years after writing his celebrated childhood autobiography Ake, Wole Soyinka opened a tin box that had belonged to his father. The simple contents of this box provide the fuel for Isara the second instalment of Soyinka's memoirs.

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A true story of one of the world's strangest plants and humanity's oddest obsessions: the orchid, brought to book by the author, traveller and self-confessed orchid obsessive. From the Orinoco River to the hothouses of Kew, and the clandestine nurseries of Europe to the peat bogs of Minnesota, this is a dark and humorous tale of orchid smugglers, ice-cream makers and visionary breeders; of courruption, murder and moths with 12-inch tongues; and of the vicious, bizarre world of international plant politics and the wide range of gentle people whose overriding passion is the cultivation of these beautiful, fragile flowers.

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