One climbed to the very top of the social ladder, the otherchose to live among tramps. One was a celebrity at twenty-three,the other virtually unknown until his dying days. One wasright-wing and religious, the other a socialist and an atheist.Yet, as this ingenious and important new book reveals, at the heartof their lives and writing, Evelyn Waugh and George Orwell wereessentially the same man. Orwell is best known for "Animal Farm"and "1984," Waugh for "Brideshead Revisited" and comic novels like"Scoop" and "Vile Bodies." How ever different they may seem, thesetwo towering figures of twentieth-century literature are linked forthe first time in this engaging and unconventional biography, whichgoes beyond the story of their amazing lives to reach the core oftheir beliefs-a shared vision that was startlingly prescient aboutour own troubled times. Both Waugh and Orwell were born in 1903,into the same comfortable stratum of England's class-obsessedsociety. But at first glance they seem to have lived

A comprehensive, authoritative, in depth andentertaining biography of one of the greatest and most influentialfantasy authors in modern time, J.R.R. Tolkien. In this informed an entertaining account, renowned biographerMichael White delves into the little-known life of one of the mosttreasured and enduring authors of our time, J.R.R. Tolkien. In absorbing and revealing detail, White describes Tolkien'slife -- from his childhood years and the tragic early death of hisparents; his burgeoning romance with Edith Brett; fighting on thefront lines in WWII; his many years as an Oxford academic, wherethe idea of the Hobbit struck him while marking a term paper; tohis friendship with C.S. Lewis and the founding of the group "TheInklings"; and why The Lord of the Rings became the mostinfluential book in the late sixties counter-culture, one of themost respected and most-read trilogies ever written, and the centerof a major film phenomenon. With 16 pages of black and white photos.

Long acknowledged as a master of contemporary realism, Philip Pearlstein (b. 1924) has been painting his famed monumental nudes since the 1960s. The larger-than-life men and women who occupy his canvases veer out of the frame at surprising angles, posed sitting or reclining passively, disinterestedly, under stark, even light. Since the early 1980s, Pearlstein has introduced folk art, sculpture, and other objects into his paintings, making complex compositions that create visual tension between human and inanimate forms. This striking volume—the only book now in print on this grand master of contemporary figurative painting—includes a fascinating interview with the artist and a thoughtful essay by curator, scholar, and art critic Robert Storr.

Since Yao Ming's electrifying NBA debut with the Houston Rockets in 2002, the 7-foot-5 Chinese center has appeared in numerous TV commercials, on magazine covers, and in countless basketball-highlights reels. And yet, despite Yao's status as one of the country's most recognizable sports stars, the remarkable story of how a shy, gangly kid from Shanghai went on to become the NBA's first foreign-born and developed #1 draft pick has remained, until now, largely unknown. With this memoir, Yao reveals himself as a thoughtful, opinionated young man whose insights extend far beyond the basketball court. He paints a compelling portrait of how his parents, both former Chinese basketball stars and fully aware of the bleak outlook for ex-players, resisted the Chinese government's interest in steering their son into the sport as a child. But the love of the game took hold of Yao as a teenager, and he began to sense both his own potential and the restraints he would face from the bureaucrats who ran the sport

With the first publication, in this edition, of all thesurviving letters of Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), readers will forthe first time be able to follow the thoughts, ideas and actions ofone of the great literary figures of the twentieth century in hisown words. This first volume encompasses his youth, his experiencein World War I and his arrival in Paris. The letters reveal a morecomplex person than Hemingway's tough guy public persona wouldsuggest: devoted son, affectionate brother, infatuated lover,adoring husband, spirited friend and disciplined writer. Unguardedand never intended for publication, the letters record experiencesthat inspired his art, afford insight into his creative process andexpress his candid assessments of his own work and that of hiscontemporaries. The letters present immediate accounts of eventsand relationships that profoundly shaped his life and work. Adetailed introduction, notes, chronology, illustrations and indexare included.

An enraged man abducts his estranged wife and child, holes upin a secluded mountain cabin, threatening to kill them both. Aright wing survivalist amasses a cache of weapons and resists callsto surrender. A drug trafficker barricades himself and his familyin a railroad car, and begins shooting. A cult leader in Waco,Texas faces the FBI in an armed stand-off that leaves many dead ina fiery blaze. A sniper, claiming to be God, terrorizes the DCmetropolitan area. For most of us, these are events we hear abouton the news. For Gary Noesner, head of the FBI’s groundbreakingCrisis Negotiation Unit, it was just another day on the job. In Stalling for Time, Noesner takes readers on a heart-poundingtour through many of the most famous hostage crises of the pastthirty years. Specially trained in non-violent confrontation andcommunication techniques, Noesner’s unit successfully defused manypotentially volatile standoffs, but perhaps their most hard-wonvictory was earning the recognition and respect of the

Photographer Todd Gray worked with Michael Jackson for several years before Jackson requested that he become his personal photographer, a relationship that would encompass the singer's performances with the Jacksons through the release of his smash solo albums Off the Wall and Thriller. This collection of unseen, intimate, and joyful pictures of Michael taken over a span of 10 years reveal him at home, with his family and fans, in career-making live performances, and the on the "Beat It" video shoot. A young black man not much older than Jackson at the time they met, Gray brings unique insights to his time with the singer, contributing stories and context to the images, presenting a rare, intimate portrait of Jackson at a creative peak as he grew from a brilliantly talented young man into a pop icon. 作者简介：Todd Gray photographed Michael Jackson over a period of 10 years, often as Jackson's chosen photographer. He has shot numerous album covers and directed music videos, and his photo-based artwo

Antonio Lopez Garcia is one of Spain's most revered contemporary artists. Bringing his profound visual sensitivity and mastery of light to bear on a range of deliberately quotidian subjects, Lopez Garcia imbues them with an extraordinary and haunting character. In 1993, his paintings and drawings were given a major retrospective at the Reina Sofia, Madrid, while Victor Erice's 1992 documentary about Lopez Garcia, The Quince Tree of the Sun, received the Critics' Prize at that year's Cannes and top prize at the Chicago Film Festival. Yet Lopez Garcia's work has rarely been exhibited outside his native country. This book, published to accompany the first major exhibition of his art in the United States (in tandem with the MFA's monumental El Greco to Velazquez exhibition), offers the first comprehensive overview in English of this extraordinary oeuvre. An essay by curator Cheryl Brutvan discusses Lopez Garcia as a descendant of the great Spanish naturalists, as well as his indebtedness to Surrealism and "magic

Michael Jackson was the undisputed King of Pop and his untimely death has provoked tributes from around the world. With a colourful life spanning from 1968 when Michael was a member of the Jackson 5 to his recent announcement of a final comeback tour at the O2 in London, nobody can dispute the achievements of the man who was arguably the greatest artist of the millenium. This fully illustrated book offers an insightful tribute to the man behind Thriller, the world's best selling album of all time. Including sections on Michael's early life and the Jackson 5, the making of Off the Wall and Thriller, and the troubled years leading right up to his announcement of a comeback tour, this will be a comprehensive and fitting tribute to a legendary pop star, the likes of which the world will never be seen again.

Under the pen name Lewis Carroll, Charles Lutwidge Dodgsonbecame a legend for his children's books, which broke theconstraints of Victorian moralism. Thirty years in the writing anddrawn from a voluminous fund of letters and diaries, this exemplarybiography conveys both the imaginative fancy and human complexityof the creator of Alice in Wonderland. Photos.

The first account—prodigiously researched, richly detailed—ofthe last remarkable twenty-five years of the life and art of one ofAmerica’s greatest and most beloved musical icons. Much has been written about Louis Armstrong, but most of itfocuses on the early and middle stages of his long career. Now,Ricky Riccardi—jazz scholar and musician—takes an in-depth look atthe years in which Armstrong was often dismissed as a buffoon?ish,if popular, entertainer, and shows us instead the inventiveness anddepth of expression that his music evinced during this time. These are the years (from after World War II until his death in1971) when Armstrong entertained crowds around the world andrecorded his highest-charting hits, including “Mack the Knife” and“Hello, Dolly”; years when he collaborated with, among others, EllaFitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Dave Brubeck; when he recorded withstrings and big bands, and, of course, with the All-Stars, hisprimary performing ensemble for more than

“If my story were ever to be written down truthfully fromstart to finish, it would amaze everyone,” wrote Henri Matisse. Itis hard to believe today that Matisse, whose exhibitions draw hugecrowds worldwide, was once almost universally reviled andridiculed. His response was neither to protest nor to retreat; hesimply pushed on from one innovation to the next, and left theworld to draw its own conclusions. Unfortunately, these weregenerally false and often damaging. Throughout his life andafterward people fantasized about his models and circulatedbaseless fabrications about his private life. Fifty years after his death, Matisse the Master (the second halfof the biography that began with the acclaimed The Unknown Matisse)shows us the painter as he saw himself. With unprecedented andunrestricted access to his voluminous family correspondence, andother new material in private archives, Hilary Spurling documents alifetime of desperation and self-doubt exacerbated by Matisse’sattempts to counterac

Told by the band themselves and manager Paul McGuinness, withpictures from their own archives, this story of U2 allows accessinto the inner life of one of the greatest rock bands. It presentsworse hangovers, prayer meetings and wild parties, encounters withPresidents and Popes, and intimate accounts of the creation oftheir classic songs.

From New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes the definitive biography of the most enduring icon in popular American culture. When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told...until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian. He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy's-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the fi

Audrey Hepburn's exquisite style and grace is much documented-her debut in Roman Holiday in 1953 redefined perceived notions of Hollywood glamour and ushered in an age of sophistication and elegance, Hepburn's legacy on screen and in fashion is undisputed, her image attaining that rare feat in cinema of becoming as synonymous with her fame as her films. Audrey Hepbum: The Pdrdmount Years collects together for the first time those memorable billboard images which established her iconic status. Featuring the golden period of Hepburn's film career, this sumptuous book includes never-before-seen poster artwork for Roman Holiddy; Sobrina, Funny Face and Breakfast At Tiffony's along with magazine covers from the period, lobby cards, stunning costume designs and rare behind-the-scenes stills from her Paramount films. With a foreword written by Sir Christopher Frayling, Chair dArts Council England and Rector of the Royal College of Art, this book shows, film by film, how Hepburn's classic image was created th

Henri Matisse is one of the masters of twentieth-century artand a household word to millions of people who find joy and meaningin his light-filled, colorful images--yet, despite all the booksdevoted to his work, the man himself has remained a mystery. Now,in the hands of the superb biographer Hilary Spurling, the unknownMatisse becomes visible at last. Matisse was born into a family of shopkeepers in 1869, in agloomy textile town in the north of France. His environment wasbrightened only by the sumptuous fabrics produced by the localweavers--magnificent brocades and silks that offered Matisse hisfirst vision of light and color, and which later became a familiarmotif in his paintings. He did not find his artistic vocation untilafter leaving school, when he struggled for years with his father,who wanted him to take over the family seed-store. Escaping toParis, where he was scorned by the French art establishment,Matisse lived for fifteen years in great poverty--an ordeal heshared with other young a

"Apart from anything Bin Laden’s wives may have to say thatmight be useful to intelligence officers..., there is also apowerful natural curiosity about the women and their children: Whatwas it like to live with the founder of Al Qaeda, to call himhusband or father? As with Hitler or Pol Pot, you want tounderstand whether his bizarre combination of grandiosity andviciousness carried over to domestic life — in Bin Laden’s case,whether he perhaps was an eerily ordinary parent, complaining aboutwhat was for dinner, nagging the kids about theirhomework.... The most vivid look the American public has had at Bin Laden’sfamily life is from a 2009 memoir by his son Omar bin Laden andOmar’s mother, Najwa bin Laden. They wrote 'Growing Up bin Laden'with the assistance of Jean Sasson, an American writer. The bookincludes what may be the most complete account available of theterrorist’s immediate family." --Scott Shane, The New York Times,May 15, 2011 “Fascinating. . . . Together, Najwa and O

Michael Jackson was one of those rare human beings who can truly be described as a legend. As with Elvis and John Lennon, everyone will remember where they were when they heard about the death of Michael Jackson. He was just fifty when he died, yet had become a superstar by the time he was eleven, ensuring his music was part of the fabric of everyone's life. Though his days of greatest success were behind him, Jackson was standing on the threshold of what could well have been one of the biggest comebacks in showbiz history. It wasn't to be, but the music, sales figures and the number of current stars who queued to pay tribute to his influence underlined the fact that, for all his controversial personal quirks, Michael Jackson was indeed one of the greats. This picture-packed tribute charts the life of a legend, from his earliest days as a hyperactive child protege fronting family group the Jackson Five, to the assured superstar looking out from the cover of Thriller, still the best-selling album of all time.

Michael Jackson: The Making of "Thriller" is an illustratedtribute to the King of Pop and his groundbreaking music video, withnever-before-seen photos of its creation. The book features over200 exclusive, behind-the-scenes photographs of the artist on setduring the 1983 production of the Grammy award winning videodirected by John Landis. Considered to be the most successful project of all time,"Thriller" is beloved the world over, inspiring imitation and acult-like following of millions of fans. Documenting the creationof the most popular and iconic music video of all time, this bookcelebrates the artist and his music at the top of his career. Famed photographer Douglas Kirkland and journalist Nancy Griffinwere the only members of the media allowed on the set of the video.The resulting photos capture Jackson both in high performance modeand relaxing on the set and depict his transformation into thecharacters in the video as well capturing the public and privatefaces of Michael Jackson.

In her introduction to this brilliant and outrageous literarylandmark, Anne Barton places Don Juan within the context of Byron'slife and reading, and offers an interpretation of the poem whichdemonstrates its underlying coherence and artistic integrity,despite Byron's mischievous protestations to the contrary. A longchapter on the reception of the poem considers some of the attemptsto imitate or continue it, using them to define what is fundamentalto Byron's own handling of the Don Juan legend.