Introduction by Malachy McCourt

“A gargantuan omnibus of song, a one-volume reference library. The like of it, for scholarship and inclusiveness, we shall not see again.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer

Styles examined include Neoclassicism, Empire, Sturm und Drang, Romanticism, the Nazarenes, Biedermeier, the Pre-Raphaelites, Primitivism, the Gothic Revival, and Realism. Artists include William Blake, John Constable, Gustave Courbet, Jacques-Louis David, Delacroix, Goya, Ingres, and Turner.

Photographs by Sam Lindberg

A luminous series of brief, paired biographies/autobiographies of fathers and children from every walk of life, accompanied by an archival photograph of the father and contemporary portraits of each son or daughter by famed photographer, Sam Lindberg. Using “forced field writing,” adapted from the work of psychologist Kurt Lewin, Jess Maghan has drawn eloquence from these non-professional writers that astounded even themselves. He wants the reader “to tap into the familiar yearning all sons and daughters have to connect with the man anchored to the very center of their being. The man we call father.”

The art of sub-Saharan African has a long history, although it is difficult to reconstruct precisely because many works, being made from wood and earth, have disappeared without trace, and archaeological excavations, which could enrich our knowledge of the region, are still rare.
Nonetheless, what has been preserved largely works from the past 150 years, although there are some which date back even thousands of years—is already substantial…

Here are four popular board games which were played in the days of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt and in nearby countries from about 5,000 years ago. Everything you need is here “€œ the playing boards in sumptuous colors, playing pieces and full instructions.

SENET, Game of Thirty Squares
MEHEN, The Snake Game
HOUNDS AND JACKALS
THE ROYAL GAME OF UR

A Baltimore Sun Best Book of the Year

“Rossi’s extraordinary grace and force took my breath away… it sings with lovely ironies without ever being trivially comic. It is bubblingly delightful and yet somehow deeply tragic.” – Michael Packenham, Baltimore Sun

This book presents a comprehensive outline of Sub-Saharan African art dating through the last 150 years, and connects a multitude of styles to specific ethnic groups and to spatial-temporal macro-areas that date back thousands of years.
To fully understand the meaning of each Sub-Saharan artifact, we must try to imagine it back in the hands of the person who made it, and contextualize it through the humus of the beliefs and superstitions that played a part in its creation. A recurring theme…

Inspired by the life of Artemesia Gentileschi, painter of Judith Decapitating Olophern, Artemesia is the basis of the film Artemesia (Mirimax/Zoe)by Agnes Merlet, which received a Golden Globe nomination as Best Foreign Film.

Translated by Jon Graham

Winner of the 1991 Grand Priz De L’Academie Francaise
A Los Angeles Times Book of the Year

“This biography represents the fruit of a hundred years of Rimbaldian studies. A highly attentive and just biography.” – Magazine Litteraire

A New York Times Notable Book

“Alma Mahler, the belle of Vienna’s Belle Epoque, pulled off an unusual grand slam, cuckolding the composer Gustav Mahler, the architect Walter Gropius, the painter Oskar Kokoschka, and the novelist Franz Werfel…This fictional memoir, narrated with sardonic omniscience after death, captures Alma’s wit and scheming with a blend of historical detail and sensuality.” – The New Yorker

Translated by Jody Gladding

“Rarely do writers know how, in following patiently the detours and meanderings of a sentence, to say everything there is to say about a sentiment, a setting, or an event. They are, perhaps, the little nephews of Proust. Pierre Moinot is one of them… One cannot resist reciting out loud these supple, undulating phrases… Truly remarkable.” – MAGAZINE LITTà€°RAIRE

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley was the most notorious and outstanding artist of the fin de siecle. His disturbing erotic drawings shocked the sensibilities of the Victorians. Jacques-Emile Blanche’s portrait of Beardsley, his face “like a silver hatchet,” is the enduring image of this man, friend and collaborator of Oscar Wilde, who died at age 25.

The definition of the Baroque age, meaning the set of complex cultural and artistic expressions that developed in Europe during the 17th century, is still subject to debate among critics and historians. In one of its most commonly accepted meanings, Baroque describes some aspects of 17th-century art, with sumptuous Roma at the center, that upset the proportions and static harmony of the Renaissance—already undermined by Mannerism during the previous century—through the use of curves…

Rowan Atkinson first came to prominence in the classic comedy series Not the Nine O’clock News in the late 1970s. His music hall mannerisms and natural acting ability gave him huge success in his next outing as the dastardly Blackadder, one of the most popular comedy series ever produced. In the 1980s he created, with Richard Curtis “€œ who went on to write Four Weddings and a Funeral “€œ Mr. Bean. Mr Bean is now a major international success, shown all over the world.

“Beneath Buddha’s Eyes is a moving and exciting tale of life and survival, and a human portrait that goes far beneath the politics and pretensions of the tragic conflict in Vietnam. A beautiful gift to the reader by a writer who has the eyes of a painter.” – Tracy Sugarman, author of My War: A Love Story in Letters and Drawings from World War II

“THE authoritative, comprehensive biography of the woman whose pin-up provided the inspiration for American soldiers to win World War II.” – Booklist

“This book is a must for Grable fans and all those who love the exciting cinema era of the forties and fifties. It is so refreshing to read a movie biography devoid of trashy gossip and petty commentary.” – William Hare

In his magisterial Fine Bird Books, Sir Sacheverell Sitwell says of Audubon: “There is nothing in the world of fine books quite like the first discovery of Audubon. The giant energy of the man, his power of achievement and accomplishment, give to him something of the epical force of a Walt Whitman or a Herman Melville – Audubon is the greatest of bird painters; he belongs to American history.”

“This is much more than a survey of styles and personalities. A study of the music of an oppressed and segregated people must necessarily be a study of that experience. James Haskins vividly conveys the inseparable bond between black life in a predominantly white society and the music that results.” – Publishers Weekly

Never in the history of war to this point had a civilian population been subject to such unrelieved terror, though Britain and her Allies would give as good as they got – and more: Germany paid a terrible price for its aggression.

Born Robert Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Minnesota, Bob Dylan is a singer, songwriter, author, and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades.

In 2008, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize special citation for his “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.

“My greatest claim to fame is that I discovered Bricktop before Cole Porter.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“This books sounds just like the Bricktop I knew–charming, tough, independent…Bricktop’s book is a key to a very special time in history. Her book unlocks the door to memories and secrets she has kept hidden in her heart for many years. Bricktop has lived a hundred lives rolled into one. She saw things and did things most people only dream about.” – Diana Ross

More than 800 painstakingly restored photographs from the archives of The Daily Mail, giving a fascinating insight into a time when Britain faced the biggest threat in its history and stood alone against implacable enemies.

“Mi casa es su casa” might be a fantasy for many readers of this oversize photographic collection of 55 sumptuous homes throughout the world, all taken by internationally acclaimed photographer, Massimo Listri.

The virtual tour spans every continent and most imaginable forms of housing, from Native American wigwams, to Baroque and French Empire chateaux, to ultra-modern high rise apartments, to rustic stone, wood, and adobe houses, all elegant in their own ways, and all depicted in multiple pages of details.

In this exciting and lavishly illustrated new guide, Damien Noonan explores the many and varied historic sites to be found the Emerald Isle. A chapter is devoted to each of the seven tourist regions of the Irish Republic: Southeast, Northeast, Shannon, West, Northwest, Midalds, East and Dublin; with another chapter focusing on Northern Ireland. 150 main sites are described in detail, with another 150 sites receiving brief mentions. They range from the chambered tombs of Newgrange and Carrokeel and the monastic sites of Clonmacnois and Glendalough, to the great abbeys of Moyne and Athassel to the Clara Castle and the great Norma stronghold at Trim.

This lavishly illustrated guide describes in detail every castle in Scotland, from the grandeur of Stirling Castle to medieval tower house and the primitive brochs of the Highlands. Organized by region, which makes it ideal for use by visitors whether they are based in one place or touring, the guide includes maps of the regions, and detailed directions for finding each site. Each listing provides a history of the site, highlighting features of particular interest, and full details are given about access, facilities, opening times and admission prices.

We are familiar with the great 20th-century phenomena that have changed our world out of all recognition “€œ airplanes and nuclear power, television and computers, spaceflight and the Internet. But what about all those other clever things of humbler origin that have also made our lives so different from those of our ancestors “€œ the paperclip, the ballpoint pen, nylon stockings, the traffic light “€œ not forgetting the bra…

Researched and produced with the full cooperation and help of Chanel in Paris, Chanel: Key Collections is a stunning tribute to the glory and vision of the flagship of haute couture, filled with stunning color and b&w illustrations, from reproductions of the earliest Chanel designs to photographs of celebrities and supermodels such as Karl Lagerfeld, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Linda Evangelista, Kate Moss, and Marilyn Monroe.

“Muriel Spark’s imagination allows her so convincingly to inhabit Mary Shelley’s time, place and temperament that it seems as if we have bumped over Europe in a badly sprung coach and awoken terrified, to see a monster of our own creation.” – Jeanette Winterson, The New York Times
“Crisply excellent… A book neatly divided between biography and literary criticism.” – London Review of Books

The extreme eastern part of the Asian continent represents a relatively homogenous region in art history, rich in unique aspects. Due to its antiquity and the exceptional nature of its art, the immense country of China influenced the area decisively, marking the regions subject to its cultural effects and often its political dominance. In the same way, Japan and Korea assimilated these influences, modifying them partially with their own traditions.

Beginning with World War I (the war to end all wars), the Chronicle presents a history of modern military conflict including contemporaneous reporting and more than 900 photographs drawn from the archive of Associated Newspapers.
Included are the Russian Revolution, Estonian, Latvian & Lithuanian Wars of Independence, the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Chinese Civil War, Korea, Algeria, Vietnam, Armenian Genocide, Turkish War of Independence, Japanese invasion of Manchuria, Changkufeng Incident, Greek Civil War, Mau Mau insurgency, Cuban Revolution, Biafra, Rhodesia, Falklands, Granada, the Gulf War, Sierra Leone, Bosnia, East Timor and Darfur among others.

Foreword by Hugh Trevor-Roper

Over 125,000 words of the original chroniclers, translated into modern English, tell the riveting story of the English court, while the 113 mini-essays, over 235 color and b&w illustrations, detailed maps, a comprehensive bibliography and index that accompany the chroniclers’ tales provide a lively picture of what was happening throughout Europe: music and medicine, Chaucer and Boccaccio, Marco Polo and Genghis Khan, the first House of Commons, the last Crusade, and much more.

In 1095, Pope Urban II released an avalanche of princes, knights and followers who, with shouts of “God wills”, descended on the Arab world, itself the heir to an ancient and sophisticated civilization.Five hundred years of conflict were to follow; Chronicles of the Crusades recreates the glorious victories and gruesome defeats on both sides, through eye-witness accounts of the traumatic clashes between two opposing faiths.
Linking text and essays are written by a team of leading authorities and, with lavish illustrations, provide insight into the social, political and artistic background of one of the most enthralling and extraordinary eras in world history.

This lavish volume, drawn primarily from the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Musee du quai, Branly, Paris, displays the art, artifacts and people of Oceania, the Americas, Africa, and Asia from 1850-1910.

“The images presented here bear witness to the great diversity of cultures, yet they also reflect the existence of similar needs, practices and activities in all societies. The custom of wearing masks, found at every latitude, for example…

One of the most original artists of his generation, Bowie has re-invented himself many times, mixing genres and genders, during a career spanning five decades. This volume contains over 200 pages of dramatic photographs, text, a discography and chronology. A must for Bowie fans and lovers of rock in general.

“Strange, suspenseful… this canny novel, which takes its knowing air from David L. Koral’s translation from the French, evokes suffocating feelings of dread for its appealing protagonistwho has not let her infirmities dim her intelligence or her sardonic sense of humor.” – The New York Times

“This first person mystery is not only chilling, it is “€œ incredibly “€œ amusing. Elise is an engaging heroine with a remarkable sense of humor about her physical and mental state. There are plenty of twists and turns in this crisply translated story, and readers, far from feeling sorry for Elise, will find themselves cheering on this gutsy woman as she uses her remarkable intellect to keep herself out of danger and bring the murderer to justice.” – Otto Penzler

“(A) dazzling whodunit”- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

Winner of the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere

Translated by David Koral

“In centering her thriller around a main character who is not only a quadriplegic but blind and mute as well, French author Aubert sets herself a difficult task, but she acquits herself brilliantly… Elise’s astute thoughts, together with the crisp dialogue of the people she encounters and her keen and often humorous commentary on their one-sided conversations, fuels this dazzling whodunit…” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Almost unbearably vivid… James Gavin has brought us as close as life to his subject.” – David Hajdu, The New York Times Book Review

“A landmark in entertainment biography” – Tony Gieske, Hollywood Reporter

“Superb… unerring… a stark, troubling portrait of both the artist and his times.” – Publishers Weekly

“Savagely honest… impeccably researched, elegantly written.” – Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle

“Delmore was close friend for twenty years and I thought I knew him fairly well until I read James Atlas. This is a distinguished critical biography, brilliantly evaluating Delmore’s oeuvre and sensibly relating it to his life.” – Dwight MacDonald

“Clear, precise, graceful… (Atlas’) biographical style makes the book read with the pleasure of a good novel.” – Leonard Michaels, The New York Times Book Review

“(An) intelligent and sensitive biography.” – The New Yorker

On hearing of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, there was an emotional outpouring of grief from millions across the world, but the love and regard ordinary people had for ‘The People’s Princess’ was never in doubt. Diana was many things to many people “€œ tireless charity worker, style icon, loving mother to her two sons “€œ and in Diana, Princess of Wales: A Tribute Tim Graham shows the many facets of her personality in a heartfelt acknowledgment of a remarkable woman.

The Dictionary of the Opera features entries on nearly 300 composers, as well as 800 singers, conductors, producers, set designers, librettists, and others, plot summaries of 570 operas, and historical and contemporary critical receptions of the works and performances. 170 photographs and illustrations, spanning the history of opera from its beginnings to the present, accompany the text.

“A great asset to students of opera.” – Joan Sutherland

“The most sensational comic of our time.” – Frank Sinatra

“(Buckley was) the only man who could make me laugh.” – Al Capone

“The be-boppingist biography!” – Booklist

“Certain to be embraced by both longtime Buckley buffs and newcomers to His Lordship.” – Publishers Weekly

“A must for anyone with an interest in the Civil Rights movement and the Supreme Court.”
– Warren E. Burger, former Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

“Rowan is thoroughly convincing because he has ‘lived’ whereof he writes. Every American should read Dream Makers, Dream Breakers to understand our nation’s long march to equality for all. We have miles to go. The only pity is that this book ends.” – Bernard Shaw

Photographs by Tim Graham.

Diana, Princess of Wales was the most photographed woman in the world. Everything she wore “€œ her dresses, handbags, hats, jewelery, to her shoes “€œ was scrutinized and commented on. Dressing Diana captures the vibrancy of Diana from her introduction to the world as a young fairy princess to her becoming an icon of style.

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

“Edinburgh has the force of a dream and the heft of a life. And Alexander Chee is a brilliant new writer.” – Annie Dillard

“Alexander Chee gets my vote for the best new novelist I’ve read in some time. Edinburgh is moody, dramatic “€œ and pure.” – Edmund White

“A coming-of-age novel in the grand Romantic tradition, where passions run high, Cupid stalks Psyche, and love shares the dance floor with death… A lovely, nuanced, never predictable portrait of a creative soul in the throes of becoming.” – The Washington Post Book World

No civilization has left such imposing and fascinating vestiges as that of Egypt, and yet so little trace of the “human.” In ancient Egypt art was not an expression of the human world but a living and active representation of the act of creation.
The extreme and forceful nature of the Nile Valley—where the fertile plain runs without a break into the desert, and the annual flooding erases the landscape in a relentless cycle as it brings new life—has shaped Egyptian art. It is in the first place a direct emanation of the divine, and as such proposes the order established by the gods with mathematical rigor…

Featuring writings by: Dante Aligheri, Edith Wharton, Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Dickens, Mary McCarthy, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Primo Levi, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Truman Capote, John Keats, and many more…

“Through St. Aubin de Teran’s carefully selected extracts, the reader gains insight into why ‘this stilettoed boot, set in two seas, seems to have walked across more hearts than any other country.’”
– Amazon UK

Elizabeth I’s reign is remembered as one of the most glorious of English history; she left behind her a truly united nation, and the legend of a golden age. Edited, and with an introduction by Antonia Fraser.

Originally published in 1900, this sublime collection of amorous correspondence from a young Englishwoman to her lover takes the reader on a tortuous, haunting journey, from the ecstasy of her first declarations of love to the last mournful whisperings of a heart broken.

“Lewis Thomas is a gifted writer with wit, imagination and a bold encouraging vision.” – Time Magazine
“One of the best writers of short essays in English.” – Newsweek

40 brief essays on words that “enchanted and obsessed” Lewis Thomas, author of Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler’s Ninth Symphony among other works.