Search results for ""author christopher""

In this compelling biography, Christopher Sandford explores the full, inside story of Kurt Cobain. From the disruptive childhood which had such a crucial impact on Cobain's personality to the ambitious career musician who, as a friend said, "lunged for success", and the worldwide breakthrough of Nirvana's Nevermind, Sandford also writes about Cobain's stormy marriage to Courtney Love, his heroin addiction, and how he became more and more of a recluse. Finally, he writes of the crisis when, in April 1994, Cobain turned a shotgun on himself and became a martyr for disaffected youth.The result is a saga of success and corruption which John Peel has called "the ultimate rock and roll morality story".

Read more less

Discover the dark and decadent novella that inspired Cabaret. Set in the 1930s, Goodbye to Berlin evokes the glamour and sleaze, excess and repression of Berlin society. Isherwood shows the lives of people under threat from the rise of the Nazis: a wealthy Jewish heiress, Natalia Landauer, a gay couple, Peter and Otto, and an English upper-class waif, the divinely self-indulgent Sally Bowles. 'Brilliant sketches of a society in decay' George Orwell 'Isherwood is a master of the emotionally cathartic moment, funny and perspicacious' Evening Standard

Read more less

Two 19th century stage illusionists, the aristocratic Rupert Angier and the working-class Alfred Borden, engage in a bitter and deadly feud; the effects are still being felt by their respective families a hundred years later.Working in the gaslight-and-velvet world of Victorian music halls, they prowl edgily in the background of each other's shadowy life, driven to the extremes by a deadly combination of obsessive secrecy and insatiable curiosity.At the heart of the row is an amazing illusion they both perform during their stage acts. The secret of the magic is simple, and the reader is in on it almost from the start, but to the antagonists the real mystery lies deeper. Both have something more to hide than the mere workings of a trick.******'I can't believe how far the two of them went to prolong their feud of pranks. It was great seeing two professionals unwilling to harm their craft still work around all the little niceties to get at one another.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Duelling illusionists' ongoing battle in the late Victorian era has consequences for future generations. This is a masterpiece of epistolary style writing. The Prestige explores issues relating to social class and gender, artistry vs science. One of the best novels in a structural sense that I've read. Well worth the time.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Gripping, eerie, hard to put down. Every time I thought I had a good sense of what was going on, Priest pulled the rug out of from under his plot and I'm still not sure what actually happened. Demands a re-read.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A suspenseful and gripping story, Christopher Priest demonstrates his storytelling skill in this compelling tale of two turn-of-the-century competing British stage magicians and their feud that trickles down through their descendants.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The setting is in present day, with descendants of two famous magicians trying to figure out what happened to their great-grandfathers. They do this by reading the journals/books of their forefathers. What they find out will really amaze you. This book will keep you guessing, and once the guessing stops, things get really weird. But it's a good kind of weird.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Read more less

A uniquely powerful novel of a society in decay. On a planet whose very nature is a mystery a massive decrepit city is pulled along a massive railway track, laying the line down before it as it progresses into the wilderness.The society within toils under an oppressive regime, its structures always on the point of collapse, the lives of its individuals lived in misery. No one knows where they are going, why they are going or what they will find when they get there.The ending of the novel provides one of the most profound twists in SF.

Read more less

Return to the World of Eragon with master storyteller Christopher Paolini in this stunning illustrated edition packed with full-colour paintings.Celebrate the worldwide fantasy phenomenon Eragon, the first book in the Inheritance Cycle, which has sold more than 40 million copies across the series.Prepare for the flight of a lifetime with Eragon as you've never seen him before in this dazzling oversized edition with brand-new full-colour illustrations throughout. This is the perfect must-have gift for both new and long-time Inheritance fans. Soar high above the ground with Eragon on Saphira's majestic back. Experience narrow escapes from the gruesome Ra'zac. See the wonders of the dwarves' city-mountain, Tronjheim. Rich detail and painterly strokes make each piece by accomplished fantasy artist Sidharth Chaturvedi feel as if it's actually moving. Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy - until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save - or destroy - the Empire. In this extraordinary work of art, Paolini's fantasy masterpiece Eragon is brought to life in an entirely new way through Sidharth Chaturvedi's brilliant illustrations that accompany the complete original text. This is the ideal book to return to the World of Eragon - experience the thrill and exhilaration of becoming a Dragon Rider all over again! Published alongside the brand new hardback in the World of Eragon: MURTAGH.

Read more less

This rich and enjoyable book by the acclaimed author of Japan Story explores the many ways in which Asia has influenced Europe and North America over centuries of tangled, dynamic encountersFrom the time of the ancient Greeks onwards the West's relationship with Asia consisted for the most part of outrageous tales of strange beasts and monsters, of silk and spices shipped over vast distances and an uneasy sense of unknowable empires fantastically far away. By the twentieth century much of Asia might have come under Western rule after centuries of warfare, but its intellectual, artistic and spiritual influence was fighting back.The Light of Asia is a wonderfully varied and entertaining history of the many ways in which Asia has shaped European and North American culture over centuries of tangled, dynamic encounters, and the central importance of this vexed, often confused relationship. From Marco Polo onwards Asia has been both a source of genuine fascination and equally genuine failures of comprehension. China, India and Japan were all acknowledged to be both great civilizations and in crude ways seen as superseded by the West. From Chicago to Calcutta, and from antiquity to the new millennium, this is a rich, involving story of misunderstandings and sincere connection, of inspiration and falsehood, of geniuses, adventurers and con-men.Christopher Harding's captivating gallery of people and places celebrates Asia's impact on the West in all its variety.

Read more less

'Far, far away in the high, high mountains in a deep, deep valley in a dark, dark cave - there lived a mighty dragon.' He was an awesome and frightening creature, terrorising whole armies, destroying castles, demolishing forests and kidnapping princesses. But this mighty dragon had a deep, dark secret. . . .Uncover a charming tale of adventure, a dragon, and an unlikely hero. Told with gentle humour and mesmerising illustrations, this is a picture book to enchant and delight. This stunning new edition is perfect for new readers, as well as fans of George, the Dragon and the Princess. This much-loved classic tale comes from the exceptional storyteller and illustrator, Chris Wormell.

Read more less

Introduction to Econometrics provides students with clear and simple mathematics notation and step-by-step explanations of mathematical proofs, to give them a thorough understanding of the subject. Extensive exercises throughout build confidence by encouraging students to apply econometric techniques. Retaining its student-friendly approach, Introduction to Econometrics has a comprehensive revision guide to all the essential statistical concepts needed to study econometrics, additional Monte Carlo simulations, new summaries, and non-technical introductions to more advanced topics at the end of chapters. This book is supported by an Online Resource Centre, which includes: For lecturers: · Instructor's manual for the text and data sets, detailing the exercises and their solutions. · Customizable PowerPoint slides. For students: · Data sets referred to in the book. · A comprehensive study guide offers students the opportunity to gain experience with econometrics through practice with exercises. · Software manual. · PowerPoint slides with explanations.

Read more less

Lenin lived a controversial life and has had a deeply controversial reputation in the centenary since his death (21 January 1924) His rise from a conventional, educated, provincial, and middle-class background to become not only the leader, even dictator, over the largest country on earth, is dramatic and vital in itself. But it is only part of the story. Even after his death, he was unchallenged as the chief inspirer of a disparate world revolutionary movement which rocked the dominant capitalist world for most of the twentieth century. His admirers and disciples included major intellectual and cultural figures, such as Brecht, Picasso, Sartre, Franz Fanon and Pablo Neruda; disparate radical activists and revolutionaries such as Ho Chi Minh, Joseph Stalin, Mao Ze dong, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Josip Broz Tito, terrorist groups such as the Red Brigades and Baader-Meinhof, and many liberation movements. Despite this, his work and influence have often been written off as no longer relevant, and many today consider this to be so. Lenin has, they claim, had his day, even though he is still revered in China, the world's most populous country. However, Lenin, like his mentor Marx, has had a tendency to rise from apparent decline and oblivion to renewed force and influence. This study examines the key elements of Lenin's life and career, the consolidation of his ideas into the doctrines of 'Leninism', the influence of Leninism in promoting revolutionary movements around the globe, and the currently disputed issue of whether his ideas still have any relevance today. In particular, while considering his views on the role of the revolutionary party, often seen as the centrepiece of his theory and practice, this account identifies the root of Lenin's global influence in his opposition to capitalist imperialism and as a bedrock foundation for the opposition of many to fascism and associated ideologies. While recognizing that Lenin's reputation has reached its lowest point, not least in his home country where his legacy is reviled by Vladimir Putin and other contemporary leaders, the book concludes by weighing up the contemporary arguments of those who believe that Lenin still lives.

Read more less

Sôphrosunê (“self-discipline”) is the often-forgotten sibling of justice, wisdom, courage, and piety in discussions of canonical Greek virtues. Christopher Moore shows that during the classical period it was the object of significant debate--about its scope, its feel, its practical manifestations, and its value. By interpreting sôphrosunê as a commitment to norm-following, we see that these pointed discussions of the virtue, previously ignored as parodic moralizing or expressions of political propaganda, are in fact concerned with the ideal of human agency. These discussions query the way we become fully responsible for our actions. Greek thinking about sôphrosunê becomes thinking about self-constitution, our crucial capacity to act on the general reasons that we come to identify with as our own. This perspective explains sôphrosunê's inclusion in Plato's canon of virtues, and before that its frequent appearance in funerary inscriptions, elegiac poetry, tragic drama, and historiography. It also explains the analytic attention given to it by Heraclitus, the Sophists, the historians, Socrates, Xenophon, and Plato. Moore deals principally with the classical period, though the book includes one chapter addressing earlier poetry and another addressing the virtue in two gender-sensitive post-classical works. An appendix deals with the epigraphic material. For the Greeks (and perhaps for us) there is a virtue of agency, an acquirable capacity to be guided by what's best. Hardly just a concern for reticence and reserve, commitment to sôphrosunê is a commitment to whatever it is that makes us truly ourselves.

Read more less

A sweeping and theoretically original analysis of the India-Pakistan rivalry from 1947 to the present. Since their mutual independence in 1947, India and Pakistan have been engaged in a fierce rivalry. Even today, both rivals continue to devote enormous resources to their military competition even as they face other pressing challenges at home and abroad. Why and when do rival states pursue conflict or cooperation? In The Difficult Politics of Peace, Christopher Clary provides a systematic examination of war-making and peace-building in the India-Pakistan rivalry from 1947 to the present. Drawing upon new evidence from recently declassified documents and policymaker interviews, the book traces India and Pakistan's complex history to explain patterns in their enduring rivalry and argues that domestic politics have often overshadowed strategic interests. It shows that Pakistan's dangerous civil-military relationship and India's fractious coalition politics have frequently stymied leaders that attempted to build a more durable peace between the South Asian rivals. In so doing, Clary offers a revised understanding of the causes of war and peace that brings difficult and sometimes dangerous domestic politics to the forefront.

Read more less

Schopenhauer is the most readable of German philosophers. This book gives a succinct explanation of his metaphysical system, concentrating on the original aspects of his thought, which inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein. Schopenhauer's central notion is that of the will - a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of nature. Seeing human behaviour as that of a natural organism governed by the will to life, Schopenhauer developed radical insights concerning the unconscious and sexuality which influenced both psychologists and philosophers. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Read more less

A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020'Mightily impressive ... a marvellous read' Sunday TimesFrom the acclaimed author of Japan Story, this is the history of Japan, distilled into the stories of twenty remarkable individuals. The vivid and entertaining portraits in Chris Harding's enormously enjoyable new book take the reader from the earliest written accounts of Japan right through to the life of the current empress, Masako. We encounter shamans and warlords, poets and revolutionaries, scientists, artists and adventurers - each offering insights of their own into this extraordinary place. For anyone new to Japan, this book is the ideal introduction. For anyone already deeply involved with it, this is a book filled with surprises and pleasures.

Read more less

After a chance encounter on a train the English teacher William Bradshaw starts a close friendship with the mildly sinister Arthur Norris. Norris is a man of contradictions; lavish but heavily in debt, excessively polite but sexually deviant. First published in 1933 Mr Norris Changes Trains piquantly evokes the atmosphere of Berlin during the rise of the Nazis.

Read more less

WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY SIMON CALLOWIn 1939, as Europe approaches war, Isherwood, an instinctive pacifist, travels west to California, seeking a new set of beliefs to replace the failed Leftism of the thirties. There he meets Swami Prabhavananda, a Hindu monk, who will become his spiritual guide for the next thirty-seven years. Late-night drinking sessions, free love, and the glamour of writing for the Hollywood studios alternate with meditation, abstinence and the study of religious texts in a compelling tug of war between worldliness and holiness.

Read more less

At a party in the Hollywood Hills, Stephen Monk finds his wife in the arms of another man. Betrayed and furious, he packs his belongings and returns to the home he was born in. There he begins to retrace the steps that have brought him to this crisis. He is reminded of his own betrayals and weaknesses. But most of all, the memory of his lost love, Elizabeth Rydal, haunts him. Can he forgive his wife, and most importantly, himself?

Read more less

In November 1929, Christopher Isherwood - determined to become a 'permanent foreigner' - packed a rucksack and two suitcases and left England on a one-way ticket for Berlin. With incredible candour and wit, Isherwood recalls the decadence of Berlin's night scene and his route to sexual liberation. As the Nazis rise to power, Isherwood describes his dramatic struggle to save his partner Heinz from persecution.

Read more less

In this brilliantly perceptive novel, a middle aged professor living in California, is alienated from his students by differences in age and nationality, and from the rest of society by his homosexuality. Isherwood explores the depths of the human soul and its ability to triumph over loneliness, alienation and loss.

Read more less

The perfect book on how to make your garden the best it can be.'Essential reading' Country Life'Funny, encouraging, informative' Sunday TimesWould your garden, small or large, in town or country, win a prize? Is there room for improvement? Everybody has favourite plants, but the ability to put them all together to ensure a splendid show throughout the year is a skill that must be acquired. THE WELL-CHOSEN GARDEN will guide you to making the most of your available space, help you avoid untimely gaps, colour clashes and many other pitfalls of garden planning.The perfect book for new and experienced gardeners alike.

Read more less

Well known for his appearances on TV and radio, as well as for his books Finding Sanctuary and Finding Happiness, Christopher Jamison once again shows his ability to communicate spiritual insights in an accessible way. Finding the Language of Grace: Rediscovering Transcendence focuses on the transcendent experiences of grace that we struggle to talk about in today’s very business-like culture. Abbot Christopher shows how the ways we listen and speak, read and write can all be channels of grace. This is illustrated through books as diverse as the medieval legend of the Holy Grail, Silence by Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, the writings of Spanish mystics and the novels of Pulitzer Prize winner Marilynne Robinson. The power and the pain of grace resonate throughout the book, offering a new perspective on healing the loneliness and mistrust experienced by many, as well as on the turbulence and political extremes of today’s world. How do we restore trust? How can we listen well? What is the right way to read the signs of the times? And how can we revitalise the language of grace in our day?

Read more less

Examines the changing legal landscape of eighteenth-century Mexico through the lens of the jurist Francisco Xavier de Gamboa (1717-1794). Gamboa was both a representative of legal professionals in the Spanish world and a central protagonist in major legal controversies in Mexico.

Read more less

Attempts to set the place of symbols in the context of our contemporary cultural and to elucidate an understanding of liturgical symbols. This book also aims to provide some theological and historical background to the symbols and then to offer practical guidance as to the place and use of symbols in the whole range of Common Worship services.

Read more less

Quieres dibujar la figura humana, perote intimida aprender anatomía?Te frustran los libros sobre dibujo de la figura que se centran más en los huesos ylos músculos que en las personas? Si es así, Figúrate! es el libro que estabas esperando.Esta guía divertida e inspiradora te enseña a dibujar eficazmente figuras masculinas yfemeninas sin necesidad de conocimientos exhaustivos de anatomía. Aprenderás adibujar la cabeza y las expresiones faciales, para después completar poses de la figura,incluyendo personas vestidas y cuerpos en movimiento.En el interior encontrarás:? Cientos de figuras en poses variadas.? Claros dibujos paso a paso.? Secretos de los artistas para dar vida a los dibujos... y muchas cosas más!CHRISTOPHER HART es el autor de los libros didácticos de dibujo y animación más vendidos del mundo. Susobras han establecido el estándar para la enseñanza artística a nivel internacional; de ellas se hanvendido más de 3 millones de

Read more less

Simon Hathaway, un Templario de alto rango, revive los recuerdos de su antepasado Gabriel Laxart, quien luchó al lado de Juana de Arco. A través de ellos irá descubriendo poco a poco secretos del pasado que podrían impactar peligrosamente en su presente... y en el de toda la Orden Templaria.Un conflicto interminable.Un antiguo malentendido.Una nueva revelación.Y la verdad más peligrosa de todas: quién es el hereje? y quién el verdadero creyente.

Read more less

En El modo atemporal de construir, Christopher Alexander se propuso contestar a la siguiente pregunta: Qué es lo que hace que un edificio esté adaptado simultáneamente a su función y a su entorno, que permita la aparición de la vida dentro y fuera de él, y que siga manteniendo estas cualidades a través de las generaciones y las culturas? Para el autor, el secreto se halla en una cualidad sin nombre que es fruto de la vivencia histórica y social del entorno, y de la aplicación directa de determinados preceptos muy sencillos.En este sentido, la sabiduría popular habría creado, a través de siglos de pruebas y errores, una serie de patrones, modelos simples y contrastados de distribución y construcción que al unirse de modo natural formarían un lenguaje arquitectónico concreto y facilitarían la creación de estructuras óptimas para vivir. Todo el mundo puede construir a través de patrones. Todo el mundo debería construir mediante patrones. En este auténtico libro de culto, Alexander nos

Read more less

Tomás Guerrero es un importante personaje de la política que aparece muerto de un balazo en el corazón. Los principales sospechosos: su mayordomo, su criada, su hija, el novio de esta y su propio hijo. Para esclarecer el crimen aparece en acción Francisco Díaz de la Vega, un inspector de policía con un importante olfato detectivesco, excéntrico y poco convencional, que siempre viaja acompañado por su pequeña perra Julieta, su fiel ayudante.CRIMEN PERFECTO I. Crimen a la Carta cuenta con varios hechos entrelazados y relacionados con el poder político, los medios de comunicación, el amor, la pasión, la codicia, el sexo, la falta de escrúpulos... Giros inesperados, una trama trepidante y un final que nadie espera son algunos de los componentes de este libro, que es el primero de la saga de quince obras, realizadas por el autor.PVP

Read more less

Christopher, un joven británico, alquila una habitación en la capital alemana e imparte clases de inglés para ganarse la vida. Este trabajo y su curiosidad de escritor en ciernes le llevarán a conocer a personajes de todo tipo y condición, como la rica heredera judía Natalia Landauer, la familia obrera de los Nowak,Otto y Peter, dos jóvenes homosexuales, o Sally Bowles, una jovencita inglesa de clase alta, seductora y extraviada?que inspiró el personaje de Liza Minelli en la célebre película Cabaret?. Adiós a Berlín es una crónica reveladora y emotiva del Berlín de la República de Weimar, decadente y atractivo, sobre el que se cierne la creciente brutalidad del nazismo.

Read more less

"Lucid and lyrical…a vivid history of Japan's turbocharged (and painful) modernization." —The Daily TelegraphIn A History of Modern Japan, cultural historian Christopher Harding delves into the untold stories of Japan's recent history—from a pop star's nuclear power protest song in 2011, to Japanese feminists who fought for an equal political voice in the 1890s.Though highly successful, and typically portrayed as a unified effort, Japan's rebuilding throughout the 20th century faced a lot of domestic criticism. This story-led account gives a voice to those who felt they didn't fit in with what Japan was becoming. It's that push and pull that made the country what it is today.This book will be a fascinating read for anyone interested in Japanese culture—whether film and literature, or pop culture and manga—as big shifts in Japanese ideology and society tend to come from culture and the arts, rather than being politically-driven. It will also be of interest to those traveling to Japan who want a better sense of the place, or anyone seeking to better understand Japan's role on the global stage.With over 100 photographs, maps and prints, A History of Modern Japan showcases the compelling story of Japan's amazing growth and its resulting struggles. For all the country's advancement, the Japanese people continue to wrestle with the notion of what it means to be Japanese in a changing world.

Read more less

Christopher Knowlton, author of Cattle Kingdom and former Fortune writer, takes an in-depth look at the spectacular Florida land boom of the 1920s and shows how it led directly to the Great Depression.The 1920s in Florida was a time of incredible excess, immense wealth, and precipitous collapse. The decade there produced the largest human migration in American history, far exceeding the settlement of the West, as millions flocked to the grand hotels and the new cities that rose rapidly from the teeming wetlands. The boom spawned a new subdivision civilization—and the most egregious large-scale assault on the environment in the name of “progress.” Nowhere was the glitz and froth of the Roaring Twenties more excessive than in Florida. Here was Vegas before there was a Vegas: gambling was condoned and so was drinking, since prohibition was not enforced. Tycoons, crooks, and celebrities arrived en masse to promote or exploit this new and dazzling American frontier in the sunshine. Yet, the import and deep impact of these historical events have never been explored thoroughly until now. In Bubble in the Sun Christopher Knowlton examines the grand artistic and entrepreneurial visions behind Coral Gables, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, and other storied sites, as well as the darker side of the frenzy. For while giant fortunes were being made and lost and the nightlife raged more raucously than anywhere else, the pure beauty of the Everglades suffered wanton ruination and the workers, mostly black, who built and maintained the boom, endured grievous abuses. Knowlton breathes dynamic life into the forces that made and wrecked Florida during the decade: the real estate moguls Carl Fisher, George Merrick, and Addison Mizner, and the once-in-a-century hurricane whose aftermath triggered the stock market crash. This essential account is a revelatory—and riveting—history of an era that still affects our country today.

Read more less