This is the novel Dickens regarded as his 'favourite child' & is considered his most autobiographical. As David recounts his experience from childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist Dickens draws openly & revealingly on his own life. Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters are Rosa Dartle Dora Steerforth & the 'umble Uriah Heep along with Mr Micawber a portrait of Dickens' own father evoking a mixture of love nostalgia & guilt. ...

Humorous dramatic ironic & tender David Copperfield" has always been one of Dickens most popular novels. From his boyhood at the knee of his nurse Peggotty to the cruelties of Salem House Academy & his youthful adoration of Dora Splendow David beings to learn about life the world & the heart. His path to maturity is filled with memorable characters the Micawbers Uriah Heep Steerforth & many more. Told as autobiography " David Copperfield" draws deeply on Dickens own life & was his own favourite child among his books." ...

Partly modelled on his own life--although in no way a direct autobiography--David Copperfield follows a young boys life from his birth in Suffolk through the trials & tribulations of childhood (including his mothers death) to his triumphant success as a novelist. The masterful early scenes in particular capture the perspective of a fatherless boy whose idyllic life with his mother & his nurse is destroyed when his mother marries a domineering & cruel man. The cast is filled with colorful & unforgettable characters from the glamorous Steerforth & cheerful Mr. Micawber to the villainous Uriah Heep. Dickens described it as his "favorite child" among his novels & it is easy to see why. The worlds greatest works of literature are now available in these beautiful keepsake volumes. Bound in real cloth & featuring gilt edges & ribbon markers these beautifully produced books are a wonderful way to build a handsome library of classic literature. These are the essential novels that belong in every home. Theyll transport readers to imaginary worlds & provide excitement entertainment & enlightenment for years to come. All of these novels feature attractive illustrations & have an unequalled period feel that will grace the library the bedside table or bureau. ...

Stunning watercolour title new in paperback. Leading watercolourist reveals the secrets behind his atmospheric light-filled paintings. Watercolour is ideal for capturing the transient effects of light & with compact & lightweight materials is the perfect medium for plein-air painting. Leading watercolour painter David Curtis is a strong advocate of working on site observing & capturing changing conditions & effects. In this beautifully illustrated book he explains in detail his two main methods for working on location -- for quick loose studies & for more controlled & detailed paintings. He also shows how to collect reference material on the spot & develop this into resolved paintings back at the studio. He provides helpful instruction on interpreting light effects with strong guidance on choosing materials exploring techniques composition tone & colour & associated topics. This invaluable advice is complemented by a wealth of sketches finished works & step-by-step demonstration paintings to illustrate different points & inspire further ideas. Reference Light & Mood in Watercolour hardback (9780713489552) * Leading watercolourist reveals the secrets behind his light-filled paintings * How to work en plein air to capture the transient effects of light * How to collect reference material on location but paint in the studio * Bestselling title new in paperback ...

David Dickinsons bestselling autobiography now in paperback. David Dickinson is a household name the king of the catchphrase undisputed darling of daytime TV & a rising star. Hes a respected antiques expert & exudes a taste for the finer things in life. But the road to his success has not been as smooth as his patter & hes learnt a lot at the school of hard knocks. In his autobiography David tells how he grew up in a working class district of Manchester & reveals how he discovered at age 12 that he was adopted. David also describes his early foray into wheeling & dealing in the garment industry in Manchester as well as his stint in Manchesters notorious prison Strangeways. David was first introduced to showbiz when he travelled the world as the manager of his international cabaret star wife Lorne. In his book David describes some of the remarkable people they met on their travels & discloses the dark & dangerous side of showbiz he had no idea existed. Finally after building himself a reputation as an antiques dealer to the rich & famous with an eye for treasures a chance meeting with a TV exec at a barbecue began Davids journey to primetime TV on Bargain Hunt & in his autobiography David shares some of his experiences of sudden celebrity. ...

Plays One: Slag"" Teeth n Smiles "" Knuckle"" Licking Hitler"" Plenty" Introduced by the author this first volume of David Hares plays contains his work from the seventies including the landmark play of that decade " Plenty " charting the development of one of the great post-war British playwrights (" Independent on Sunday")." ...

David Hockney (b. 1937) has always been closely associated with Pop Art & California where he has lived for much of his life. This major study of his work published to accompany the exhibition showing at the Royal Academy of Arts in London redefines him as an important painter of the English countryside presenting his recent landscapes for the first time. In an attempt to renew contemporary art Hockney has returned to painting in the open air observing with honesty & intensity the scenery of his childhood in East Yorkshire. Marco Livingstone explores this bold departure in the context of Hockney's sixty-year career while other contributors address the artists place in the landscape tradition his recent video works & their relationship to English landscape film-making & his ongoing use of new technologies. Illustrated with paintings iPad drawings & video stills many of which have never been seen before this landmark publication confirms David Hockney as one of the greatest artists of his generation. ...

David Joness In Parenthesis is the greatest poem to emerge from the First World War & indeed one of the greatest to emerge from any war. It could have been written only by someone who had not only experienced the war in all its horror but who was himself soaked in both poetry & history & for whom that war deepened his understanding of both. Thomas Dilworths biography takes us through the intellectual development of a patriotic young Welshman from the London lower- middle classes who joined up at the beginning of the war served throughout on the Western Front & learned through living through the sodden misery of the winter of 1915-16 & the nightmares both of the Somme & then of Passchendaele that war could be not only terrible but also through the comradeship it brought with it deeply fulfilling. This was this strange paradox that lies at the heart of In Parenthesis. Anyone who seeks to understand that poem should first read this book. But so should anyone who seeks to understand how David Joness generation endured the Great War. Professor Sir Michael Howard OM MC Accompanying the biography are photographs of Jones & his wartime sketches & drawings many previously unpublished. The quickly drawn sketches of infantrymen landscapes ruined villages & still-lifes bring the story to life as works of documentary realism. ...

La Chapelle Heaven to Hell" is the long-awaited third volume in an exhilarating trilogy that began with " La Chapelle Land" (1996) & continued with the infamous " Hotel La Chapelle" (1999). Packed with astonishing color-saturated & provocative images those titles both became instant collector's items & have since gone through multiple printings. Featuring almost twice as many images as its predecessors " La Chapelle Heaven to Hell" is an explosive compilation of new work by the visionary photographer. Since the publication of " Hotel La Chapelle" the strength of La Chapelle's work lies in its ability to focus the lens of celebrity & fashion toward more pressing issues of societal concern. La Chapelle's images
- of the most famous faces on the planet & marginalized figures like transsexual Amanda Lepore or the cast of his critically acclaimed social documentary Rize
- call into question our relationship with gender glamour & status. Using his trademark baroque excess La Chapelle inverts the consumption he appears to celebrate pointing instead to apocalyptic consequences for humanity itself. While referencing & acknowledging diverse sources such as the Renaissance art history cinema The Bible pornography & the new globalized pop culture La Chapelle has fashioned a deeply personal & epoch-defining visual language that holds up a mirror to our times. Sumptuously packaged in the trilogy's boxed hardcover format " La Chapelle Heaven to Hell" is a must-have for anyone interested in contemporary photography. It is also keenly priced especially for those who have coveted TASCHEN's limited edition " La Chapelle Artists & Prostitutes"."

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David Livingstone has gone down in history as a fearless explorer & missionary hacking his way through the forests of Africa to bring light to the people
- & also to free them from slavery. But who was he & what was he actually like? He was an extraordinary character" according to biographer Stephen Tomkins "spectacularly bad at personal relationships at least with white people possessed of infinite self-belief courage & restlessness. He was an almost total failure as a missionary & so became an explorer & campaigner against the slave trade hoping to save African lives & souls that way instead. He helped however unwittingly to set the tone & the extent of British involvement in Africa. He was a flawed but indomitable idealist." Fascinating new evidence about Livingstones life & his struggles have come to light in the letters & journals he left behind now accessible to us for the first time through spectral imaging. These form a significant addition to the source material for this excellent biography which provides an honest & balanced account of the real man behind the Victorian icon."
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