From 1950 to 1962, John Richardson lived near Picasso in France & was a friend of the artist. With a view to writing a biography, the acclaimed art historian kept a diary of their meetings. After Picasso's death, his widow Jacqueline collaborated in the preparation of this work, giving Richardson access to Picasso's studio & papers.

Volume one of this extraordinary biography establishes the complexity of Picasso's Spanish roots; his aversion to his native Malaga & his passion for Barcelona & Catalan 'modernisme'. Richardson introduces new material on the artist's early training in religious art; re-examines old legends to provide fresh insights into the artistic failures of Picasso's father as an impetus to his sons's triumphs; &

Includes:: portraits of Apollinaire, Max Jacob & Gertrude Stein, who made up ' The Picasso Gang' in Paris during the ' Blue' & ' Rose' periods.



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'I have read all W. Scott's novels at least fifty times, ' wrote Byron. '-grand work. Scotch Fielding, as well as great English poet
- wonderful man! I long to get drunk with him.' A. N. Wilson's subtle, entertaining & frequently provocative critical biography looks back through the indifference which has surrounded Walter Scott in recent times, & the distortions of his Victorian idolaters, to recapture the freshness of Scott as he appeared to his contemporaries. Despite his staggering output as a novelist, poet, biographer, historian & anthologist
- not to mention his copious letters, & the celebrated Journal
- Scott only embarked on his literary career in early middle age. In the face of constant ill-health, & financial & domestic troubles, he successfully combined the life of a bestselling, much-loved & enormously influential author with that of a lawyer, landowner, Border farmer, part-time soldier & paterfamilias. A. N. Wilson makes clear that Scott's genius, his humaneness, & his splendid qualities of stoicism & sympathy were as apparent in his life as in his work. Few writers can have been so likeable & so unpretentious, & it is hardly surprising that Scott has always been a popular subject with biographers. Yet most modern critics have tried to divorce the life from the work, or to minimise his reputation by suggesting that his talents were recognised in only a few of his works. By weaving together the life & the works, & discussing all Scott's best-known books as well as many which are less familiar, A. N. Wilson has produced a lively & contagiously enthusiastic reassessment of the writer who was, he believes, 'the greatest single imaginative genius of the nineteenth century'. Walter Scott's influence was felt not only in the field of literature, but also in the worlds of art, architecture, opera & domestic manners, & by figures as diverse as Byron & Queen Victoria, Dickens & Donizetti, Pugin & Victor Hugo.


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How often in life does convenience triumph over 'doing the right thing? & what is 'ethical living' anyway? When it comes down to it, most people fight shy of giving up their cars, or their toxic household products, their cheap washing machines, or dodgy, unethical bank accounts in order to make the world a better place. So Leo Hickman, resident consumer expert of the Guardian, decided to give it a try. Over the course of a year, he & his family set out to discover whether it was possible to live a 'normal life'
- job, mortgage, kids, holidays
- while at the same time making each daily choice or decision an 'ethical' one
- for the family, their neighbours & the environment. This the story of that year, is a record of an extraordinary transformation. Amid the pitfalls & confusion, Leo's account is funny, inspirational & a mine of information for the curious.


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It is hardly news that a growing number of people want to step back from the brink of western consumerism & find a way to live an all-round cleaner existence
- one that is not only easier on the physical body but one that is lighter on the conscience too. So how do we go about it? Most people fight shy of giving up their cars, or their toxic household products, their cheap washing machines, or dodgy, unethical bank accounts in order to make the world a better place but Leo Hickman, resident consumer expert of the Guardian, reckoned he should give it a try & report back on whether it is possible to live a life that is western but aware.
Leo's fumbling but hugely well-intentioned & increasingly successful efforts to do the right thing can't fail to involve, educate, inspire
- & amuse
- his readers.



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