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Nests
By Susan Ogilvy. 2021
An exquisitely illustrated, one-of-a-kind celebration of the hidden beauty of nature and the ingenuity of birdsSusan Ogilvy started painting bird…
nests almost by accident. One day, while tidying up her garden after a storm, she found a chaffinch nest - a strange, sodden lump on the grass under a fir tree. She carried it inside and placed it on a newspaper; over the next few hours, as the water drained out of it, the sodden lump blossomed into a mossy jewel. She was amazed, and dropped everything to make a painting of the nest at exact life size.This was the start of an obsession; Ogilvy has since painted more than fifty bird nests from life, each time marvelling at its ingenious construction. Every species of bird has its own vernacular, but sources its materials - most commonly twigs, roots, grasses, reeds, leaves, moss, lichen, hair, feathers and cobwebs, less usually, mattress stuffing and string - according to local availability. Ogilvy would, of course, never disturb nesting birds; instead she relies upon serendipity, which is why all her nests have either been abandoned after fulfilling their purpose, or displaced by strong winds.Although Nests showcases the specimens she has found near her homes in Somerset and on the Isle of Arran, its subject matter is by no means only British, since these same birds can be found all over Europe, Scandinavia and as far afield as Russia, Turkey and North Africa. This wondrous book is all the more special for its rarity. Few modern books exist specifically on the subject of bird nests; the most recent among the author's reference works was published in 1932. Exquisitely designed and packaged, Nests will be an essential addition to the libraries of all nature lovers.My World in Motion
By Jo Whiley. 2011
Jo Whiley is someone millions of us recognise but very few of us know. Jo's a mother, sister, DJ, wife…
and music-industry insider who throughout her career - and in an age of fleeting celebrity - has earned the respect of her peers and fans by simply being herself and for her constant enthusiasm, be it for established rock 'n roll royalty or emerging talent. For Jo Whiley, it's all about the music.My World in Motion offers a unique opportunity to get to know the real Jo Whiley. From her musical epiphany (being carried over the crowd at a Clash concert) to when she became friends with John Peel at Glastonbury (over some very short shorts - his not hers) and interviewed Bono (surviving a power-cut on vodka). My World in Motion is an honest, funny, self-deprecating account of Jo's professional coming of age, and what it means to be a private person in a very public world.My Turn: An Autobiography
By Norman Wisdom. 2005
Norman Wisdom's early years could easily have come straight from the pages of a Dickens novel. Left by their frightened…
mother, ill-treated by a brutal father, Norman and his brother were forced to fend for themselves, sleeping rough in London and stealing food to survive. This is a rags to riches tale of the man Charlie Chaplin said would take his mantle and who went on to make millions laugh around the world for over five decades. Here are the hardships, tragedies and triumphs that gave him his inspiration. From the days working the seasons at Scarborough, to the unforgettable and endearing character Norman Pitkin - the little man in a tight fitting suit, read of his rapid climb up the showbiz ladder.My Town: An Artist's Life in London
By David Gentleman. 2020
David Gentleman has lived in London for almost seventy years, most of it on the same street. This book is…
a record of a lifetime spent observing, drawing and getting to know the city, bringing together work from across his whole career, from his earliest sketches to watercolours painted just a few months ago.Here is London as it was, and as it is today: the Thames, Hampstead Heath; the streets, canals, markets and people of his home of Camden Town; and at the heart of it all, his studio and the tools of his work. Accompanied by reflections on the process of drawing and personal thoughts on the ever-changing city, this is a celebration of London, and the joy of noticing, looking and capturing the world.'David has spent a lifetime depicting with wit and affection a London he has made his own' Alan Bennett 'He delivers a poetry of exultant concentration ... The surface fusion of the sensuous and the sharply modern is echoed by Gentleman's imagery' Guardian 'The artist and illustrator has been responsible for some of the most-seen public artworks in this country' The Times 'Perhaps the last of the great polymath designer-painters' Camden New JournalMy Teenage Diary: Adolescent Musings from the Hit BBC Radio 4 Series
By Harriet Jaine. 2018
Ever wanted to pick the lock of a celebrity’s teenage diary?My Teenage Diary is a Radio 4 comedy show hosted…
by Rufus Hound featuring celebrities reading and discussing extracts from their teenage diaries. Collected together for the first time, these tear-stained, lipstick-smudged, adolescent ramblings form the backbone of this book, edited by series producer, Harriet Jaine. Featuring diary extracts from Terry Wogan, Alex Horne, Robert Peston, Rachel Johnson, Meera Syal, Sheila Hancock, Robert Webb and many more, these diaries give us a wealth of brilliant material - from the funny and ridiculous, via the poignant, pretentious and philosophical, down to the extremely embarrassing.My Lifey
By Paddy McGuinness. 2021
Get the kettle on, the biscuits out and settle in for a belting read.Let Paddy McGuinness take you back, far,…
far away from celebrity land, to a two-up, two-down terrace in 1970s Bolton, where he grew up. They were happy times, but money was tight. Paddy slept on a mattress he dragged in from the street, and at 17 he struggled severely with the stress of juggling a college course and two jobs to support his beloved mum.But while cash may have been short, grit and wit were in over-supply, and this is the improbable true story of the lad who went from kipping in abandoned cars in Bolton to racing supercars on Top Gear, via laying concrete floors in prisons, a lively career in a leisure centre, a showbiz intervention by school pal Peter Kay and eye-popping adventures in the world of teledom.There has been mischief and misadventure, joy and sorry, huge success and unexpected challenges. It's a lifey well lived, and an unforgettable personal memoir written from the heart.Mrs Brown's Family Handbook
By Brendan O'Carroll. 2013
Uncover hilarious and unique insights into the Brown family, in Brendan O'Carroll's first official book on his NTA winning comic…
creation Mrs Brown's Boys.Millions od us have wondered: how does Agnes Brown do it? Keeping her end up while seven grown-up children tear about the fecking place like the eejits don't have a home to go to.Packed with Mammy's tips for keeping a perfect family - or at least, just a family - as well as contributions from her children, neighbours and other hangers on, Mrs Brown's Family Handbook dispenses endless advice in her fecking fantastic style.You'll learn: Why every mammy's secret weapon is the tea towel The dos and don'ts of cleaning up Granddad What Dermot doesn't know about farting (not much) What Winnie knows about seks (not enough) All about the Five-Sausages-A-Day Diet (hint: contains sausages) From Maria, all about pain relief in child birth (if it's free, fecking take it)The must-have gift for any Mrs Brown fan, Mrs Brown's Family Handbook is perfect for equally large and chaotic families, or those in small families curious about what they're missing...Brendan O'Carroll is an Irish writer, producer, comedian, actor, director and author. He is best known for playing Agnes Brown in Mrs Brown's Boys, which won the best sitcom BAFTA in 2012 and best comedy at the National Television Awards 2020. He has written four films and nine comedy shows, including The Course (1995) and The Last Wedding (1999). He has also published seven novels, including The Mammy, The Scrapper and The Young Wan - a number of which have been translated into 12 languages.MORI Building: The Making of Vertical Garden Cities
By Minoru Mori. 2012
From building office blocks in the charred ruins of post-war Tokyo to creating Japan's largest ever urban development, Mori Building…
Co. has revolutionized how cities are made. In the late 1960s, after the success of its early 'number buildings', the company changed its focus from individual sites to whole neighbourhoods as Japan's economic miracle fuelled a building boom. By the 1980s Mori had completed the groundbreaking redevelopment at Ark Hills, home to the country's first 'intelligent building' which became Tokyo's international finance hub. This was the forerunner to the Roppongi Hills project - a cultural quarter which has attracted 40 million visitors a year since it was completed in 2003 and is Japan's biggest private development to date.In this book, Minoru Mori tells the story of the remarkable growth and pioneering vision that made Mori Building Co. Japan's leading developer. He traces the entire history of the company and shows how the unconventional thinking championed by Mori will be vital as Japan faces the challenges of recovering from a devastating tsunami while dealing with a shrinking population and a turbulent global economy.Monty Python: From the Flying Circus to Spamalot
By Richard Topping. 2007
Have you ever wanted to be a lumberjack? Had trouble with a dead parrot? Or gone for a silly walk?Combining…
outrageous humour, unbridled creativity and surreal animation, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Eric Idle entertained millions and inspired generations of future comedians. Including all Monty Python material ever produced, from the Flying Circus to the Life of Brian to Spamalot! with biographies, programme guides and a filmography, this is a must-have plethora of Pythonism and a fitting tribute to comedic pioneers.Monty: His Part in My Victory (Spike Milligan War Memoirs)
By Spike Milligan. 1976
VOLUME THREE OF SPIKE MILLIGAN'S LEGENDARY MEMOIRS IS A HILARIOUS, SUBVERSIVE FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT OF WW2'The most irreverent, hilarious book about…
the war that I have ever read' Sunday Express 'Brilliant verbal pyrotechnics, throwaway lines and marvelous anecdotes' Daily Mail ______________ 'It's all over, Von Arnheim has surrendered and he's very angry.' 'This could mean war . . .' The third volume of Spike Milligan's laugh-a-line account of life as a gunner in World War Two resumes on the eve of victory in North Africa. Now Britain's looniest war hero must combat some of the direst threats a soldier has ever faced - boredom ('Christ, I just thought of Catford'), moving camp ('It's a sort of Brighton with camels'), moving camp again ('We're already somewhere else'), a visit to Carthage ('It's terrible, it's like Catford') and a perilous encounter with the gloriously endowed Mademoiselle Villion ('"Help! massage," I said weakly').Against the odds, they survive and are sent at last to Italy to be killed...______________ 'That absolutely glorious way of looking at things differently. A great man' Stephen Fry 'The Godfather of Alternative Comedy' Eddie Izzard 'Manifestly a genius, a comic surrealist genius and had no equal' Terry Wogan 'A totally original comedy writer' Michael Palin 'Close in stature to Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear in his command of the profound art of nonsense' GuardianA Modern Way to Live: 5 Design Principles from The Modern House
By Matt Gibberd. 2021
Beautifully designed and featuring breathtaking photography, this book from the creator of The Modern House makes the perfect coffee table…
book and is the ultimate gift for home design enthusiasts 'A source of fascination, inspiration and fantasy' GuardianIn 2005, childhood friends Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill set out to convince people of the power of good design and its ability to influence our wellbeing. They founded The Modern House - in equal parts an estate agency, a publisher and a lifestyle brand - and went on to inspire a generation to live more thoughtfully and beautifully at home.As The Modern House grew, Matt and Albert came to realise that the most successful homes they encountered - from cleverly conceived studio flats to listed architectural masterpieces - had been designed with attention to the same timeless principles: Space, Light, Materials, Nature and Decoration.In this lavishly illustrated book, Matt tells the stories of these remarkable living spaces and their equally remarkable owners, and demonstrates how the five principles can be applied to your own space in ways both large and small. Revolutionary in its simplicity, and full of elegance, humour and joy, this book will inspire you to find happiness in the place you call home.PRAISE FOR THE MODERN HOUSE:'One of the best things in the world' GQ'The Modern House transformed our search for the perfect home' Financial Times'Nowhere has mastered the art of showing off the most desirable homes for both buyers and casual browsers alike than The Modern House' VogueA Modern Herbal
By Alys Fowler. 2019
THE BEST GARDENING BOOKS OF THE YEAR - GARDENS ILLUSTRATED'Informative and enthusiastic' i PaperPLANT-BASED MEDICINE FOR A CALMER, HEALTHIER LIFE…
It's easy to turn to the pharmacy when we're stressed, sick or feeling under the weather, but what if you turned to your garden instead?In this accessible and easy to use manual, horticultural expert, former Gardener's World presenter and Guardian columnist, Alys Fowler, shows how to take control of your health by adopting a more natural lifestyle. For thousands of years, people who had no access to clinical medicine knew how to boost their well-being by using the ingredients they found in plants. Herbs are the people's medicine; often freely available and abundant, they are ready and waiting to be plucked from around you to soothe and heal your body and mind. With guides for how to use and grow over 100 herbs - for example how to use fennel for indigestion, camomile for anxiety and nettle for hayfever - you'll soon be heading into the garden, rather than opening the medicine cabinet. Offering a fusion of botanical, practical, cultural and historical information, A Modern Herbal reveals how common herbs are the simple, cleansing way to better health and happiness.AS SEEN IN THE GUARDIAN'An important and accessible herbal for the 21st century . . . For anyone delving into herbs for the first time or those who want to broaden their herbal repertoire in the garden and home, this book is much needed' Gardens IllustratedModern Buildings in Britain: A Gazetteer
By Owen Hatherley. 2021
The definitive illustrated guide to modern British architecture, from one of the most acclaimed critics at work todayModernism is now…
a century old, and its consequences are all around us, built into our everyday lived environments. Its place in Britain's history is fiercely contested, and its role in our future is the subject of ongoing controversy - but modernist buildings have undoubtedly changed our cities, politics and identity forever.In Modern Buildings in Britain, Owen Hatherley applauds the ambition and explores the significance of this most divisive of architectures, travelling from Aberystwyth to Aberdeen, from St Ives to Shetland, in search of our most important and distinctive modern buildings. Drawing on hundreds of examples, we learn how the concrete of Brutalism embodies post-war civic principles, how corporate values were expressed in the glass façades of the International Style, and why Ecomodernist experimentation is often consigned to the geographic fringes. As Hatherley considers the social, political and cultural value of these structures - a number of which are threatened by demolition - two linked questions emerge: what happens to a building after it has been lived in, and what becomes of an idea when its time has passed?With more than six hundred pages of trenchantly opinionated, often witty analysis, and with three hundred photographs in duotone and colour, Modern Buildings in Britain is a landmark contribution to the history of British architecture.Miss Angel: The Art and World of Angelica Kauffman, Eighteenth-Century Icon
By Angelica Goodden. 2005
A word was coined to describe the condition of people stricken with a new kind of fever when the Swiss-born…
artist Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) came to London in 1766. 'The whole world', it was said, 'is Angelicamad.' One of the most successful women artists in history - a painter who possessed what her friend Goethe called an 'unbelievable' and 'massive' talent - Kauffman became the toast of Georgian England, captivating society with her portraits, mythological scenes and decorative compositions. She knew and painted poets, novelists and playwrights, collaborating with them and illustrating their work; her designs adorned the houses of the Grand Tourists she had met and painted in Italy; actors, statesmen, philosophers, kings and queen sat to her; and she was the force that launched a thousand engravings. Despite rumours of relationships with other artists (including Sir Joshua Reynolds), and an apparently bigamous and annulled first marriage to a pseudo Count, Kauffman was adopted by royalty in England and abroad as a model of social and artistic decorum. A profoundly learned artist, but one who is loved, above all, for her tender adaptations from classical antiquity and sentimental literature; a commercially successful celebrity yet also a founding member of The Royal Academy of arts; the virginal creator of sexually ambivalent beings who was one of the hardest-headed businesswomen of her age, Kauffman's life and work is full of apparent contradictions explored in this first biography in over 80 years.Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit
By Piers Morgan. 2009
Piers has got a new job. He's off to America to be the 'Nasty Brit' judging the show America's Got…
Talent - surely a role he was made for? And with unprecedented access to people, places and parties on both sides of the pond, he'll get the inside scoop on the world of celebrity Stateside. So what could possibly go wrong?Well, it's not all plain sailing. Piers finds himself snubbed by the paparazzi and subjected to national ridicule by Alan Sugar. As well as foolishly embarking on a visit to the Playboy Mansion with his girlfriend he also becomes one of the only people to fall off the 'idiot-proof' Segway (George Bush fell off one too).Somehow though, Piers still manages to get invited to all the best parties. Perhaps because he keeps being mistaken for David Cameron? From chinwags with Naomi Campbell to a cigar-smoking session with Arnold Schwarzenegger; hilarious tête-à-têtes with everyone from Boris Johnson to Cheryl Cole; and many bizarre encounters with the likes of Paris Hilton, Tony Blair and Jay-Z, Piers is his usual candid, honest, loudmouth self as he lifts the lid on Tinsel Town.With the background cries of 'Please don't embarrass us Dad!' from his sons, the Big Mouth Brit embarks on his hilarious American adventure, and suffers just a few mishaps along the way.Mid-Term Report
By Phil Redmond. 2012
A masterclass in media studies from the creator of Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. Described in Parliament as 'excellent' by…
Ed Vaizey, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport GRANGE HILLSwimming pool disasters. Drugs, and just say ‘no’. Flying sausages. School like you’d never seen it before.BROOKSIDELesbian kisses. Bodies under patios. Exploding shops. Suburban life like you’d never seen it before.HOLLYOAKSBad boys on bikes. Loveable geeks. Leggy blondes. Students like you’d never seen them before.PHIL REDMONDThree classic TV programmes. One TV genius. This is the behind-the-scenes story of how a working-class lad from the Liverpool suburbs went from living on a housing estate to buying one, and from comprehensive school dinners to lunch with the Queen. Along the way he learned a lot of lessons, broke all the rules, and changed television for ever.Michelangelo: His Epic Life
By Martin Gayford. 2013
At thirty one, Michelangelo was considered the finest artist in Italy, perhaps the world; long before he died at almost…
90 he was widely believed to be the greatest sculptor or painter who had ever lived (and, by his enemies, to be an arrogant, uncouth, swindling miser).For decade after decade, he worked near the dynamic centre of events: the vortex at which European history was changing from Renaissance to Counter Reformation. Few of his works - including the huge frescoes of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, the marble giant David and the Last Judgment - were small or easy to accomplish. Like a hero of classical mythology - such as Hercules, whose statue he carved in his youth - he was subject to constant trials and labours.In Michelangelo Martin Gayford describes what it felt like to be Michelangelo Buonarroti, and how he transformed forever our notion of what an artist could be.The Little Swedish Kitchen
By Rachel Khoo. 2018
'A joy to behold' Yotam OttolenghiLearn how to cook the Swedish way with this beautiful book of over 100 delicious…
recipes. Spring picnics on the archipelago; barbecues at the summer cabin; cosy autumnal suppers; and dark snowy winters filled with candlelight, gingerbread and glögg - the Swedes love to celebrate every season via the food they eat. Complete with stunning location and food photography, and over 100 beautiful, fuss-free recipes, this cookbook lets you in on what the Swedish call lagom . . . the art of not too little, not too much, but just the right amount. Explore the nation's simple and balanced approach to cooking, sample their best-loved ingredients and discover a must-try cuisine that is about far more than just meatballs, fika and cinnamon buns . . . _________________Inside you'll find recipes for sunny days or cosy evenings, celebrations or nights curled up at home, such as:· POACHED CHICKEN WITH QUICK PICKLED STRAWBERRY SALAD. The ultimate barbecue salad. Replace the chicken with grilled halloumi cheese for a delicious vegetarian alternative.· PEAS, POTATOES AND CHICKEN IN A POT. The one dish delight: summer comfort food that's perfect for midweek. · MIDSUMMER MERINGUE CROWNS. The Swedes have been wearing flower crowns since long before festival-goers discovered them. Now you can make beautiful edible ones for parties or puddings.· PLUM TOSCA CAKE. This Swedish favourite, named after Puccini's opera, is filled with tart plums and sweet almonds._________________'I am so ready to race home and devour these fun, effortless and beautiful recipes that just beg to be cooked' Melissa Hemsley'The magic of Sweden's beautiful seasons comes alive . . . a real celebration of seasonal Swedish home cooking and tradition with Rachel's trademark inspirational twists!' Donal SkehanA unique opportunity to learn about the lives and creativity of the world's leading artistsHans Ulrich Obrist has been conducting…
ongoing conversations with the world's greatest living artists since he began in Switzerland, aged 19, with Fischli and Weiss. Here he chooses nineteen of the greatest figures and presents their conversations, offering the reader intimacy with the artists and insight into their creative processes. Inspired by the great Vasari, Lives of the Artists explores the meaning of art and artists today, their varying approaches to creating, and a sense of how their thinking evolves over time. Including David Hockney, Gilbert and George, Gerhard Richter, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeois, Rem Koolhaas, Jeff Koons and Oscar Niemayer, this is a wonderful and unique book for those interested in modern art.Hans Ulrich Obrist is a curator and writer. Since 2006 he has been co-director of the Serpentine Gallery, London. He is the author, with Ai Wei Wei, of Ai Wei Wei Speaks.Lives of the Artists (Lives of the Artists #1)
By Giorgio Vasari. 2007
Beginning with Cimabue and Giotto in the thirteenth century, Vasari traces the development of Italian art across three centuries to…
the golden epoch of Leonardo and Michelangelo. Great men, and their immortal works, are brought vividly to life, as Vasari depicts the young Giotto scratching his first drawings on stone; Donatello gazing at Brunelleschi's crucifix; and Michelangelo's painstaking work on the Sistine Chapel, harassed by the impatient Pope Julius II. The Lives also convey much about Vasari himself and his outstanding abilities as a critic inspired by his passion for art.