Release Date: 27/04/17
Publisher: WH Allen
SYNOPSIS:
The first day of the Somme has had more of a widespread emotional impact on the psyche of the British public than any other battle in history. Now, 100 years later, Robert Kershaw attempts to understand the carnage, using the voices of the British and German soldiers who lived through that awful day.
In the early hours of 1 July 1916, the British General staff placed its faith in patriotism and guts, believing that one ‘Big Push’ would bring on the end of the Great War. By sunset, there were 57,470 men – more than half the size of the present-day British Army – who lay dead, missing or wounded. On that day hope died.
Juxtaposing the British trench view against that from the German parapet, Kershaw draws on eyewitness accounts, memories and letters to expose the true horror of that day. Amongst the mud, gore and stench of death, there are also stories of humanity and resilience, of all-embracing comradeship and gritty patriotic British spirit. However it was this very emotion which ultimately caused thousands of young men to sacrifice themselves on the Somme.
REVIEW:
The Somme is the worst day of war on record and whilst you learn about numbers and casualties in history, things are often told from the point of view of choices made by those who weren't there, relying on the accounts of the generals who made so many errors.
This title from Robert is for me one of the best books out there as it tells the full bloody history from the front lines with words from both sides of the battlefield. You get the gore, the devastation and also terror of those who faced it all. Its not a book of blame, its a book of cold hard facts and for that I applaud the author who has brought this to the fore with it no becoming more history and recently slipping out of living memory.
All round well written, carefully explained with solid prose to keep the reader engaged making this a factual title that helps bring events to life.
Release Date: 07/04/16
Publisher: Little Brown
SYNOPSIS:
Paralysis. Stuttering. The 'shakes'. Inability to stand or walk. Temporary blindness or deafness.
When strange symptoms like these began appearing in men at Casualty Clearing Stations in 1915, a debate began in army and medical circles as to what it was, what had caused it and what could be done to cure it. But the numbers were never large.
Then in July 1916 with the start of the Somme battle the incidence of shell shock rocketed. The high command of the British army began to panic. An increasingly large number of men seemed to have simply lost the will to fight. As entire battalions had to be withdrawn from the front, commanders and military doctors desperately tried to come up with explanations as to what was going wrong. 'Shell shock' - what we would now refer to as battle trauma - was sweeping the Western Front.
By the beginning of August 1916, nearly 200,000 British soldiers had been killed or wounded during the first month of fighting along the Somme. Another 300,000 would be lost before the battle was over. But the army always said it could not calculate the exact number of those suffering from shell shock. Re-assessing the official casualty figures, Taylor Downing for the first time comes up with an accurate estimate of the total numbers who were taken out of action by psychological wounds. It is a shocking figure.
Taylor Downing's revelatory new book follows units and individuals from signing up to the Pals Battalions of 1914, through to the horrors of their experiences on the Somme which led to the shell shock that, unrelated to weakness or cowardice, left the men unable to continue fighting. He shines a light on the official - and brutal - response to the epidemic, even against those officers and doctors who looked on it sympathetically. It was, they believed, a form of hysteria. It was contagious. And it had to be stopped.
Breakdown brings an entirely new perspective to bear on one of the iconic battles of the First World War.
REVIEW:
I've always looked at footage from the Great War and seen the pride of those marching off to war vs the faces of fear of those who returned and whilst I knew about Shell Shock, a lot of what I understood was sadly that it was just the result of the conditions that the men were forced to suffer.
Yes its a pretty naive point of view and thanks to this book by Taylor Downing, I've gotten to see how it affecrted the best known battlefield of the first world war, the Somme. Within this title is an indepth look into the condition, through the eyes of three very different cases, a private, a doctor and a brigadier and its amazing to see the differences in how each were treated. The book is more of a medical commentary on the great war and its effects and whilst its always difficult reading, the way in which the subject matter is approached is comprehensible, understandable and of course very thorough.
Release Date: 04/06/15
Publisher: Quercus
SYNOPSIS:
'Of picking, washing and cleaning my pretty little toes, which he took great delight in, and in which pleasurable, innocent, and inoffensive pastime he as often spent hours; 'twas the greatest gratification to him on earth, nor did he (said she) indulge in any other in all the time we spent together, he never was even rude enough to give me a kiss.'
So emerged the first exposé of foot fetishism in the eighteenth century. Revelations and racy anecdotes about the lives of the rich and famous of Dublin and London abound within Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore.
From a violent domestic background, Peg blitzed her way through balls and masquerades creating scandals and gossip wherever she went, leaving dukes, barristers and lieutenants stranded in her wake. She was the first madame ever to write her memoirs, thereby setting the template for the whore's memoir. She wrote not merely to reveal herself but to expose the shoddy behaviour of others and her account of her life. In Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore, Julie Peakman brings her subject and the world through which she moved to glorious, bawdy life.
REVIEW:
A title that is as scandalous as the life led by this 18th Century Lady of the Night and one of fame within Ireland and beyond. Whilst the title is salacious to tempt many a reader in, the book worked well for me as excerpts from one of Peg’s three diaries have made their way in to help (alongside Julie Peakmans work) explain the time that she lived in. Its definitely a book of academia and whilst for some they’ll be put off, I found it not only fascinating but enticing especially seeing how people of the time lived and spotting many similarities by today’s standards.
All round I was glued to each page learning terms that were utilised at the time and getting to explore Peg’s own extraordinary life. Thanks to Julie for making it so readable.
Release Date: 22/10/15
Publisher: Bloomsbury
SYNOPSIS:
I'm not a typical lawyer. I don't maintain a pretty office filled with mahogany and leather. I don't belong to a big firm, prestigious or otherwise. I don't do good works through the bar association. I'm a lone gunman, a rogue who fights bad systems and hates injustice . . .
Sebastian Rudd takes the cases no one else wants to take: the drug-addled punk accused of murdering two little girls; a crime lord on death row; a homeowner who shot at a SWAT team.
Rudd believes that every person accused of a crime is entitled to a fair trial - even if he has to cheat to get one. He antagonises people from both sides of the law: his last office was firebombed, either by drug dealers or cops. He doesn't know or care which.
But things are about to get even more complicated for Sebastian. Arch Swanger is the prime suspect in the abduction and presumed murder of 21-year-old Jiliana Kemp, the daughter of the assistant chief of police. When Swanger asks Sebastian to represent him, he lets Sebastian in on a terrible secret . . . one that will threaten everything Sebastian holds dear.
Gritty, witty, and impossible to put down, Rogue Lawyer is the master of the legal thriller at his very best.
REVIEW:
A British King that I’ve always wondered about as whilst I know the supposed history attached to him, a lot of what I know was propaganda at the time, emphasised by those who took over the realm as well as accepted by writers like Shakespeare as he didn’t want to upset the royal personage of the day who was related to Henry VII.
The book is one of discovery, both for the author and the reader with the former doing a lot of digging to try and flesh out the Kings life. Its well written, brings the time into focus for the reader and helps them paint a picture of their own about the crippled king in their own right. Whilst it will always be subject to conjecture as to who killed the princes in the tower, many including the author allude to Richard’s knowledge of the act, however personally I’m more a believer in it being Margaret Beaufort (as it set her son Henry VII in a solid position for Kingship.)
All round it’s a well written book and one that I got quite a lot from making David an author I’ll be keeping an eye on for future outings. Magic.
Release Date: 05/11/15
Publisher: Penguin UK
SYNOPSIS:
'. . . as when iron is drawn to a magnet, camphor is sucked into hot air, crystal lights up in the Sun, sulfur and a volatile liquid are kindled by flame, an empty eggshell filled with dew is raised towards the Sun . . .'
The Bible is full of stories featuring forms of magic and possession - from Moses battling with Pharaoh's wizards to the supernatural actions of Jesus and his disciples. As, over the following centuries, the Christian church attempted to stamp out 'deviant' practices, a persistent interest in magic drew strength from this Biblical validation. A strange blend of mumbo-jumbo, fear, fraud and deeply serious study, magic was at the heart of the European Renaissance, fascinating many of its greatest figures.
This is a book filled with incantations, charms, curses, summonings, cures and descriptions of extraordinary, shadowy, only half-understood happenings from long ago. It features writers as various as Thomas Aquinas, John Milton, John Dee, Ptolemy and Paracelsus along with anonymous ancient and medieval works which were, in some cases, viewed as simply too dangerous even to open.
Brian Copenhaver's wonderful anthology will be welcomed by everyone from those with the most casual interest in the magical tradition to anyone drawn to the Renaissance and the tangled, arcane roots of the scientific tradition.
REVIEW:
As a child you always believe in magic, as an adult you learn that things happen because of science, however for me, I want to believe in magic, there’s something primal, something innocent and of course for me, something mystical. It’s a subject that has undergone a lot of discussion over the years and whilst our opinions have changed over the years its fascinating to see how points have changed as well as how exponents of the various arts have gone on to further their own studies as well as beliefs based on what they could find tangible.
The book is wonderfully detailed. Carries a lot of research and whilst for some it could have been heavily bogged down with too much info, this title is accessible to the reader with an interest in the subject alongside carrying practices with incantations. Add to this a book that I found easy to follow as well as wonderfully bound all round makes this an ideal gift for the magically curious in your own life.
Release Date: 24/09/15
Publisher: Bloomsbury
SYNOPSIS:
From insidious murder weapons to blaze-igniting crinolines, clothing has been the cause of death, disease and madness throughout history, by accident and design. Clothing is designed to protect, shield and comfort us, yet lurking amongst seemingly innocuous garments we find hats laced with mercury, frocks laden with arsenic and literally drop-dead gorgeous gowns.
Fabulously gory and gruesome, Fashion Victims takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the lethal history of women s, men s and children s dress, in myth and reality. Drawing upon surviving fashion objects and numerous visual and textual sources, encompassing louse-ridden military uniforms, accounts of the fiery deaths of Oscar Wilde s half-sisters and dancer Isadora Duncan s accidental strangulation by entangled scarf; the book explores how garments have tormented those who made and wore them, and harmed animals and the environment in the process. Vividly chronicling evidence from Greek mythology to the present day, Matthews David puts everyday apparel under the microscope and unpicks the dark side of fashion.
Fashion Victims is lavishly illustrated with over 125 images and is a remarkable resource for everyone from scholars and students to fashion enthusiasts.
REVIEW:
We’ve all heard the expression “Fashion Victim” however I’ve always wondered where it originated and reading this book pretty much helps you discover the hidden truths that were under our noses, such as the dyes utilised and their origins through to various garbs that at certain periods were all the rage.
It’s a great book, full of illustrations and presents what to some would seem like just plain information in an entertaining as well as making it accessible to readers. All round a top notch title and one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading as well as helping me understand how much times have changed and thank the gods that I live in the modern era.
Release Date: 20/09/15
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
Comics grow up The humanized super hero. On December 15, 1978, the dreams of generations of American children finally came true. "You'll believe a man can fly," read the posters and billboards for the blockbuster film Superman. With an undeniable mass appeal, it cemented the role of the super hero as America's most enduring archetype, and the comic book as one of the country's most significant native art forms. That art form, however, was already moving in a new direction. Influenced by the emergence of underground comics and shifting political tides, DC's line of comics was increasingly aimed at adults, and sold in comic book shops, rather than on newsstands. Socially relevant subjects such as drug addiction, racism, and women's rights had entered the mainstream, and comics weren't just for kids anymore. The Bronze Age of DC Comics includes an original interview with Green Lantern/Green Arrow writer Denny O'Neil. About the series: Taschen's series on DC Comics explores the origins of comics' most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men and women who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award-winning XL book, 75 Years of DC Comics, this new series hits the shelf at a reader-friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and more than 1,000 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans.
REVIEW:
Having loved the previous books by Paul about the history of DC comics, I’ve been waiting to see what this third instalment would bring, as it tackles the comics that I remember from my childhood as well as character development for the modern audience. It’s wonderfully researched, packed full of top notch illustrations and all round is very informative as well as being an ultimate item for the graphic novel or comic aficionado within your own home.
All round, I can’t recommend this series enough and apart from making three very weighty tomes, they’ll be books that are looked at time and again just to gain some extra nuggets for use at the various conventions as well as to see how favourite DC heroes have changed over the years. Magic and a great gift for the Christmas period.
Release Date: 27/08/15
Publisher: Bloomsbury Sport
SYNOPSIS:
Rugby has always been a sport with as much drama off the field as on it. For every thrilling last-minute Jonny Wilkinson drop-goal to win the World Cup or Jonah Lomu rampage down the touchline for a try there has been a split, a feud, or a controversy.
The Oval World is the first full-length history of rugby on a world scale from its origins in the village-based football games of medieval times to the globalized sport of the twenty-first century, now played over a hundred countries. It tells the story of how a game played in an obscure English public school became the winter sport of the British Empire, spreading to France, Argentina, Japan, and the rest of the world, and commanding a global television audience of over four billion for the last World Cup final. It also explores how American football and other games, such as Australian, Canadian, and Gaelic football emerged from their English cousin.
Featuring the great moments in the game s history and its legendary names David Duckham, Serge Blanco, Billy Boston, and David Campese, alongside Rupert Brooke, King George V, Boris Karloff, Charles de Gaulle, and Nelson Mandela The Oval World investigates just what it is about rugby that enables it to thrive in countries with very different traditions and cultures. This is the definitive world history of a truly global rugby.
REVIEW:
As a grandson of a Rugby Fanatic I like to try my best to keep up with things and as such thought a book on the subject would not only give me snippets of factoids to throw at him but also help keep me up to speed with the sport. However whilst the book was full of information, one thing that really annoyed me was the fact that there were no images within. Yes you can describe things but as they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Whilst it is well written and easy to follow alongside lovingly researched by the author all round I have to say that I was disappointed with the book. I wanted a bit more passion within to allow readers to really get the feel for the sport and what keeps many glued to the matches rather than just a book that didn’t exude this key sporting emotion.
Release Date: 02/07/15
Publisher: Quercus
SYNOPSIS:
We all wonder how much our pet understands, what is going on in their head and just how intelligent they really are. This entertaining and comprehensive guide will not only explain your cat's sometimes baffling behaviour - it will give you the means to test your pet's IQ yourself.
Using your cat's natural skills, How Smart Is Your Cat? will enable you to improve their responses and reactions - and ultimately their IQ - as you work through a wealth of intelligence tests, giving them a star rating as they progress. The bond between you will deepen as you learn more about how your cat thinks.
Featuring panels on feline psychology, different cat breeds and information on how cats communicate, How Smart Is Your Cat? is the ideal companion for everyone who wants to understand what their cat is thinking and how to communicate with them effectively.
The perfect gift for cat lovers everywhere, this book will open your eyes to just how canny your kitten can be!
REVIEW:
OK, so many know that I am Cat Man, toadie to five beautiful felines and whilst at times they seem to be quite smart, at others they can be completely bat shit crazy, racing from room to room as if it’s a race track at 4 AM or just to use me as a bouncy castle during the night. However at the end of the day, I like to set them little challenges as well as try to teach them some tricks just to help keep their brain’s active. After all an occupied cat is a kitty that isn’t getting into trouble. LOL
What this book from David Alderton does is give you a few idea’s as well as some training idea’s to help from everything from introduction to giving you cat some advanced training. All round it’s a bit of fun and whilst I may not agree with a number of the statements from the author, I did find some of the information within useful.
Release Date: 07/05/15
Publisher: Adlard Coles,
SYNOPSIS:
From getting back to nature with a tent, some matches and a few litres of bottled water, to enjoying a pub dinner and camping out in the garden afterwards, this book shows how to get stuck into wild camping in all its forms. Beautiful wildernesses; tiny budgets; environmentally-friendly Whats not to like?
REVIEW:
A few years ago I used to love going out and about with my tent, camping out, enjoying the scenery but the major bane of my existence was having to preplan all the places I could stay and how easy they were to get to alongside how much of a journey it was between each step.
And boy, could I have used this book by Stephen then, as to be honest it’s full of the legal jargon and knowhow that means you can prove that you’re not camping illegally and that you are entitled to. It’s easy to remember and were I to plan a trip again now, I would definitely have this title packed as well as having my copy filled with post its so I could find the right section for the circumstance I was in.
In addition to this, it is full of great information, tales of his own adventures as well as places where you can stay to help make planning your own trip on a budget better. A great book for any camping enthusiast or home bound adventurer. Cracking.
Release Date: 05/02/15
Publisher: Quercus
SYNOPSIS:
Conventional chronologies of world history concentrate on the reigns of kings and queens, the dates of battles and treaties, the publication dates of great books, the completion of famous buildings, the deaths of iconic figures, and the years of major discoveries. But there are other more interesting stories to tell - stories which can bring the past vividly and excitingly to life. Imagine a book that tells you the date of the ancient Roman law that made it legal to break wind at banquets; the name of the defunct medieval pope whose putrefying corpse was subjected to the humiliation of a trial before a court of law; the identity of the priapic monarch who sired more bastards than any other king of England; and last but not least the date of the demise in London of the first goat to have circumnavigated the globe - twice. Imagine a book crammed with such deliciously disposable information, and you have History without the Boring Bits.
By turns bizarre, surprising, trivial, and enlightening, History without the Boring Bits offers rich pickings for the browser, and entertainment and inspiration aplenty for those who have grown weary of more conventional works of history.
REVIEW:
OK, I admit this, I have a set of books that I keep in the bathroom that are full of curious information, weird facts and to be honest things that will either make you laugh or just itch that scratch that for something completely useless to anyone but everyone finds fascinating.
So when this book by Ian landed, it was one of those that I added to my bathroom stock, after all, it’s the place where you can do a little light reading and then throw into the mix some weird fact when you want to either entertain you children or friends. Hidden within this title are a wealth of information that goes to show that stupidity is not just a modern thing and that it can be surprising as to how we’ve managed to live so long.
Add to this historical information that will fill in some gaps within your mind as well as giving you funny ways to remember the facts, all round could turn you into your quiz team history hero. Good fun.
Release Date: 12/03/15
Publisher: Head of Zeus
SYNOPSIS:
Admiral Lord Collingwood, the eldest son of a Newcastle merchant, went to sea in 1761 at the age of thirteen. In his nearly fifty years in the Navy he rose to become a fine seaman, a master of gunnery, a battle commander the equal of his friend - and rival in love - Nelson. He was also an accomplished writer and wit, a doting father, inveterate gossip and consummate diplomat and strategist.
Collingwood's service took him to Boston, where he lived and fought during the American War of Independence; to Antigua, where he and Nelson both fell in love with Mary Moutray; to Corsica; Sicily; and Menorca, where he began as a young midshipman and ended his career as the effective viceroy of the Mediterranean.
ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD is an intimate portrait of a forgotten British naval hero and a thrilling portrait of the glory years of the age of sail.
REVIEW:
Considering the importance of men like Admiral Collingwood, I felt that this book was more than a little flat for me as a reader. He was a man with a sense of humour, a man who had worked his way up and when added to the fact that he was a contemporary as well as a rival of Nelson’s all round meant to me that his book should have really stood out.
Yes the author did their research, yes the piece had all the information required, but when you write a biography of someone as magnetic as Collingwood, you need to add more than a little polish to allow readers to grasp not only his brilliance but also to get a fuller flavour of the man himself.
Release Date: 12/03/15
Publisher: Head of Zeus
SYNOPSIS:
On 7 March 1944 Tokyo announced that the Japanese invasion of British India had begun. By mid-month, the Japanese 31st Division had crossed the Chindwin River in northern Burma, advancing on a wide front towards Imphal and Kohima. In bitter jungle fighting from early April, the British Fourteenth Army under Field Marshal Slim held the Japanese assault on Kohima Ridge. By late June the Japanese were in headlong retreat.
Kohima ranks for strategic importance with Alamein, Midway and Stalingrad. The increasing dominance of Allied airpower in the region in the aftermath of the battle was a major factor in turning the tide of the war in East Asia against the Japanese.
Drawing on documents and diaries from Japanese as well as Allied sources, Arthur Swinson, who served at Kohima, not only presents a thrilling and fascinating tale of heroism and combat action, but also analyses the political background to and long-term impact of a clash described by Mountbatten as 'one of the greatest battles in history'.
REVIEW:
Whilst many think of the second world war being mainly Africa and Europe, my Grandfather was stationed in India with the RAF. Here in this book the author details around the Burma campaign which to many of those in the know was seen as vital as battles such as El-Alamain, so rather than read through the book myself, I passed it onto my grandfather who had a lot of knowledge about the campaign. Here’s what he told me:
All in, the book is well written by an author who has clearly done their research to bring the piece to the market does so in such a way that it is easily accessible for the reader. The title brings the reader into the campaign showing the real human cost emotionally as well as physically. Add to this a piece that doesn’t stint on detail of this attrition war alongside the light of heroism of those who fought and all round it’s a book that really will hit hard for the reader.
Release Date: 07/05/15
Publisher: Headline
SYNOPSIS:
The 2007 disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann from her bed in Portugal touched millions around the world, and has aroused sometimes dark controversy. The years pass, but this most emotive of cases still makes headlines worldwide. Award-winning authors Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan have written the first reliable, independent account - drawing on in-depth interviews and rigorous analysis of both the Portuguese and British police investigations. Are we closer now to the truth about Madeleine's disappearance? Was the child abducted, or did something else happen? A senior officer on the continuing British police probe told the authors after the first edition of this book was published: 'The case is solvable'.
REVIEW:
To be honest, if you’re interested in the Madeleine McCann cae and you want an unbiased review of the whole case then you really don’t want this book. The authors sadly side with the family right from the get go and continue to not flag up inconsistancies throughout their “investigation.”
Its a book that feels more like a propaganda statement for the family rather than anything to present the facts in the manner in which the novel is portrayed in the description. All round, pretty much an epic fail for me as a reader and one that I want to make others aware of so that they can borrow it from the library (if they have to read it.)
Release Date: 08/01/15
Publisher: Corsair
SYNOPSIS:
Jo Walton is an award-winning author of, inveterate reader of, and chronic re-reader of science fiction and fantasy books. What Makes This Book So Great? is a selection of the best of her musings about her prodigious reading habit. Jo Walton's many subjects range from acknowledged classics, to guilty pleasures, to forgotten oddities and gems. Among them, the Zones of Thought novels of Vernor Vinge; the question of what genre readers mean by 'mainstream'; the under-appreciated SF adventures of C. J. Cherryh; the field's many approaches to time travel; the masterful science fiction of Samuel R. Delany; Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children; the early Hainish novels of Ursula K. Le Guin; and a Robert A. Heinlein novel you have most certainly never read. Over 130 essays in all, What Makes This Book So Great is an immensely engaging collection of provocative, opinionated thoughts about past and present-day fantasy and science fiction, from one of our best writers.
REVIEW:
If like me you’re on Facebook or Twitter, the odds are you’ve received numerous lists of books asking how many have you read. As a reader it can be quite irksome to find out that you’ve not sat back and read what some people consider classics but to be honest they’re just books that people think you should have read.
Here in this title by Jo, is a book that helps explain why you should read certain titles. It’s easy to follow with well-constructed points of view and backs it all up with a huge selection that really will make your reading list harder to get through (due to the increase in volume.)
Release Date: 01/10/14
Publisher: Head of Zeus
SYNOPSIS:
SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus. A moreishly entertaining and richly informative miscellany of facts about Rome and the Roman world. Do you know to what use the Romans put the excrement of the kingfisher? Or why a dinner party invitation from the emperor Domitian was such a terrifying prospect? Or why Roman women smelt so odd? The answers to these questions can be found in SPQR, a compendium of extraordinary facts and anecdotes about ancient Rome and its Empire. Its 500-odd entries range across every area of Roman life and society, from the Empress Livia's cure for tonsillitis to the most reliable Roman methods of contraception.
REVIEW:
OK, I am aware of the books that this series is based on and whilst I haven’t read them, I jumped into this having seen the adverts for series two being advertised (Ed note: the TV series has been cancelled after the conclusion of the second season with multiple threads lest open.)
Whilst I wasn’t sure what to expect the first episode took me back to watching the original series of Charmed and whilst it was only the witchcraft that was the same theme throughout the two the supernatural characters in this one felt more than a little out of sink with the others sharing their screen time.
Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely something that after a few more episodes that I got into however if I’d just watched the first and left it at that I may well have thought not much to it. It does get more interesting and gripping the further into it that you get. All round something a little different and whilst it has a familiarity that supernatural fans can get into.
Release Date: 06/08/14
Publisher: Lulu.com
SYNOPSIS:
First Scream to the Last offers an intriguing insight into the horror movies of the Eighties. Extremely comprehensive without being bloated, this essential companion is supported with various interviews from filmmakers and writers of the time, amongst others. An often misunderstood and under appreciated genre, the '80s was arguably its golden era. With the creation of iconic characters and visual images never seen before on film, it remains a special time for anyone involved and the avid horror enthusiast alike. From giallo to slasher, First Scream covers the highest (and not so high) moments of this genre, leaving no question unanswered. Objective, Unbiased, Independent, Informative. www.firstscreamtothelast.com
REVIEW:
As a child of the 80’s I was raised on horror films, or rather to be more particular the sub-genre entitled Video Nasties (some of which were hunted for by Greater Manchester Police) by my Dad who Mum said was “too scared to watch them on his own.”
As such these felt like bonding time between us and as I watched the zombies munch their way through a small town, or monsters butching their way through the teenage population it was something that we shared.
So as a huge fan of a lot of these films, I was always surprised that no one tackled a book on the subject, that was until now. Here in Adrians novel, is a set of not only amazing horror movie facts but also interesting information such as the budget of the film vs the gross. Full of fun and with reminders of films that I had so much pleasure watching, this title took me back to my childhood and of course in the modern age of DVD’s has given me a great playlist to pick up for the Holiday period. Add to this interviews with some of the stars as well as one with Horror Master Wes Craven, all fans of the genre will have a treat in store. A very well written book, hope to see more by this author
Release Date: 30/03/14
Publisher: Taschen
SYNOPSIS:
The Birth of Newsstand Pin-up. This is the definitive annotated and illustrated history of pin-up magazines - 1900-1969. Open your notebooks, sharpen your pencils, and get ready for a history lesson like none you've ever experienced. You're about to learn everything you could ever want to know about the world history of men's magazines - not magazines about sports, not fashion, not hunting or fishing or how to build a birdhouse in ten easy steps, but those titillating periodicals embracing the subject dearest to all heterosexual men's hearts and other body parts: the undraped female form. Editor Dian Hanson traces the fascinating development of the genre from 1900 to 1969 in three compact, informative volumes. In Volume 1 you'll learn about the first magazines that appeared around 1900 in France, Germany, and the U.S., and follow the development of the genre through the First and Second World Wars. Covered are men's magazines masquerading as movie magazines, humor magazines, art magazines, nudist magazines, and "spicy" fiction. Volume 2 documents the proliferation of pin-up magazines following World War II, most notably a little item called Playboy that debuted in December 1953 and spawned dozens of imitators. This volume also charts the emergence of English men's magazines, fetish magazines, and the top five covergirls of the 1950s. Volume 3 begins with an explosion of new American pin-up magazines following the loosening of U.S. obscenity laws, and continues with French titles in decline, England going pervy; nudists going hippy, and Germany going pervy, hippy and political.
REVIEW:
Whilst I know that Dian has published with Taschen before, this was my first look at the authors work and the chance to get to see an area that I fell in love with since seeing images on the war planes of the Second World War. I love pin up and I’m a huge fan of Bettie Page so the chance to get behind the history of the pin-up as well as to see how its developed alongside the opportunity to see why it grips the audience so, I couldn’t wait to embark on what I felt would be quite a comprehensive history.
The books were definitely interesting and whilst at times it felt a little clipped, I did get a better idea of the genre as a whole. I loved the way that the author drew the audience in and of course with the top notch set of pictures accompanying it rather proved the various points of view. All round a series that I had quite a bit of fun reading and one that I’ll be referencing from time to time in the future. Great stuff.
Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher: Arrow Books
SYNOPSIS:
This is the incredible rise and unbelievable fall of a woman whose energy and ambition is often overshadowed by Napoleon's military might. In this triumphant biography, Kate Williams tells Josephine's searing story, of sexual obsession, politics and surviving as a woman in a man's world. Abandoned in Paris by her aristocratic husband, Josephine's future did not look promising. But while her friends and contemporaries were sent to the guillotine during the Terror that followed the Revolution, she survived prison and emerged as the doyenne of a wildly debauched party scene, surprising everybody when she encouraged the advances of a short, marginalised Corsican soldier, six years her junior. Josephine, the fabulous hostess and skilled diplomat, was the perfect consort to the ambitious but obnoxious Napoleon. With her by his side, he became the greatest man in Europe, the Supreme Emperor; and she amassed a jewellery box with more diamonds than Marie Antoinette's. But as his fame grew, Napoleon became increasingly obsessed with his need for an heir and irritated with Josephine's extravagant spending. The woman who had enchanted France became desperate and jealous. Until, a divorcee aged forty-seven, she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Napoleon and his young bride produced a child.
REVIEW:
To be honest this was a book that I became interested in purely for the fact that I wanted to read up a little bit more from the female point of view in the French Revolution and whilst I was fully aware of Napoleon during this time, I really didn’t know anything about his first wife Josephine (or rather Marie Josèphe Rose (her birth name.)
So whilst I had originally picked this up on a whim to learn more, what I managed to obtain from this book was a figure of strong womanhood, who not only managed to change herself like a chameleon to suit her social status’ but also managed to escape the guillotine a fete in itself. She was charismatic, she was a fascinating character and whilst many tend to think that Napoleon was the power in the relationship, in reality it was more an equal footing for both.
All round this book not only kept me glued but when backed up with solid research which is presented in an easy to follow manner, all round I was hooked from the first chapter onwards. Great stuff.
Release Date: 25/05/14
Publisher: Bantam Press
SYNOPSIS:
From petticoat duels and lucky cats to the Stiffs Express, Lord Nelson's spare nose, the Piccadilly earthquake and the Great Beer Flood of 1814, A Curious Guide to London takes you on a captivating, wildly entertaining tour of the city you think you know, unearthing the capital's secrets and commemorating its rich, colourful and unusual history. Brimming with tales of London's forgotten past, its strangest traditions and its most eccentric inhabitants, this book celebrates the unique, the unusual and the unknown. Perfect for tourists, day-trippers, commuters and the millions of people who call London home, this alternative guidebook will make you look at the city in a whole new light.
REVIEW:
Ah, the glories of what I like to term as a “Bathroom book.” Something you can delve into that is full on not only fascinating tidbits of London’s weird facts but something that will entertain as well as fascinate the reader. For me, I love finding out the weird and wonderful, the unusual, the stranger than fiction facts and for me this book is something that as a writer I’m keeping on hand for inspiration.
It’s quirky, its wonderfully laid out and all round a book that will make a wonderful gift to anyone from London or has an interest in the different. Cracking.
