From some of the earliest attempts at art to the plant hunters of the nineteenth & twentieth centuries the images produced in the study of plants have held a fascination for all those who love nature. The Golden Age of Botanical Art" brings together the stories of the intrepid explorers (some of whom became botanical artists by default) & the many professional artists who recorded the flora that they discovered on their travels & expeditions. Truly global in its scope this beautifully illustrated book moves across centuries & continents looking at the artistry of China & India delving into the sketchbooks of explorers in the Himalayas & following the voyages of those who discovered new worlds & new species as far apart as Russian & South America. Alongside special features on key figures in the botanical art world the book highlights the work of some of the great names of botanical art including Ehret & Bauer. " The Golden Age of Botanical Art"

Includes:: a host of rarely or previously unpublished images & shows how what might have been a pastime for some also made a significant contribution to our understanding of the world & the glories of nature."

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This lavish book focuses on Parisian & British couture between 1947 & 1957 a decade that Christian Dior described as fashions golden age. Diors New Look collection of 1947 shocked & delighted the fashion world creating a style that symbolised a new femininity. The full skirts & hour glass silhouettes were considered highly decadent synonymous with luxury & extravagance in marked contrast to the austerity of the war years. Nevertheless the New Look caught the public imagination & ushered in a period of remarkable creativity. The Golden Age of Couture" features stunning gowns & exquisite tailoring from designers such as Balenciaga Balmain Givenchy & Dior as well as evocative photographs by the likes of Richard Avedon & Cecil Beaton." ...

In June of 1938 Action Comics debuted with a new kind of comic book character on its cover: A costumed man with two identities who possessed extraordinary strength & powers a man able to protect the public when ordinary measures would not do. He was not the first super hero but the Man of Steel would become the prototype for all super heroes thereafter. Superman's story & those of Batman Wonder Woman & hundreds of other DC Comics characters are all told in The Golden Age of DC Comics". The single most comprehensive book on the subject this volume traces the company's first decades from its pulp origins up to the comic book burnings of the Mc Carthy '50s in over 400 pages bursting with comics art comics photographs & more comics. Plus an exclusive interview with legendary Sgt. Rock/ Hawkman artist Joe Kubert! TASCHEN's series on "DC Comics" explores the origins of comics' most enduring legends & the behind-the-scenes stories of the men 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 & over 500 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers & interiors original illustrations photographs film stills & collectibles have been reproduced using the latest technology to bring the story lines the characters & their creators to vibrant life making this an invaluable reference for comics fans."
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The post-war era was British speedways golden age. Ten million spectators passed through the turnstiles of a record number of tracks at the sports peak. With league gates as high as 80 000 speedway offered a colourful means of escape from the grim austerity of the times. A determinedly clean image with no betting & rival fans mingling on the terraces made speedway the family night out of choice. The sport thrived despite punitive taxation & Government threats to close down the speedways as a threat to industrial productivity. A three-division National League stretched from Exeter to Edinburgh & the World Championship Final attracted a capacity audience to Wembley. Test matches against Australia provided yet another international dimension. Even at the height of its popularity speedway was a sporting edifice built on unstable foundations which crumbled alarmingly as the 1950s dawned & Britains economic & social recovery brought competing attractions like television. ...

Was the Golden Age of Spain in the sixteenth century an illusion? By introducing & examining some of the key issues & themes involved Henry Kamen offers a balanced discussion of this question. The second edition of this book has been thoroughly revised & rewritten in the light of recent research while new chapters have been added which cover such material as religion & culture. ...

A scrumptious dessert makes the perfect finish to any meal whether it be a week-night or weekend lunch or supper for the family & friends or an elegant formal dinner party. Here you will find more than 250 delectable dessert ideas ranging form flans custards mousses trifles charlottes ice creams & meringues to layer cakes & rolls pies tarts puddings souffles crepes fritters & pastries. The Golden Book of Desserts also

Includes:: many step-by-steps sequences explaining basic techniques. This is the one-stop dessert book for home cooks. Enjoy!

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A classic study of the beliefs & institutions of mankind & the progress through magic & religion to scientific thought The Golden Bough has a unique status in modern anthropology & literature. First published in 1890 The Golden Bough was eventually issued in a twelve-volume edition (1906-15) which was abridged in 1922 by the author & his wife. That abridgement has never been reconsidered for a modern audience. In it some of the more controversial passages were dropped including Frazer's daring speculations on the Crucifixion of Christ. For the first time this one-volume edition restores Frazer's bolder theories & sets them within the framework of a valuable introduction & notes. A seminal work of modern anthropolgy The Golden Bough also influenced many twentieth-century writers including D H Lawrence T S Eliot & Wyndham Lewis. Its discussion of magical types the sacrificial killing of kings the dying god & the scapegoat is given fresh pertinence in this new edition. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more. ...

Henry James' highly charged study of adultery jealousy & possession The Golden Bowl" is edited with an introduction & notes by Ruth Bernard Yeazell in " Penguin Classics". Maggie Verver a young American heiress & her widowed father Adam a billionaire collector of objets d'art lead a life of wealth & refinement in London. They are both getting married: Maggie to Prince Amerigo an impoverished Italian aristocrat & Adam to the beautiful but penniless Charlotte Stant a friend of his daughter. But both father & daughter are unaware that their new conquests share a secret
- one for which all concerned must pay the price. Henry James' late great work both continues & challenges his theme of confrontation between American innocence & European experience. This edition of " The Golden Bowl" contains a chronology suggested further reading a glossary notes & an introduction by Ruth Bernard Yeazall discussing James' original conception of the novel & later changes made to its structure & characters. Henry James (1843-1916) son of a prominent theologian & brother to the philosopher William James was one of the most celebrated novelists of the fin-de-siecle. In addition to many short stories plays books of criticism biography & autobiography & much travel writing he wrote some twenty novels. His novella " Daisy Miller" (1878) established him as a literary figure on both sides of the Atlantic & his other novels in " Penguin Classics" include " Washington Square" (1880) " The Portrait of a Lady" (1881) " What Maisie Knew" (1897) " The Awkward Age" (1899) " The Wings of the Dove" (1902) & " The Ambassadors" (1903). If you enjoyed " The Golden Bowl" you might like Theodor Fontaine's " Effi Briest" also available in " Penguin Classics". "A wonderfully luminous drama". (Gore Vidal). " One of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written". (A.N. Wilson)."
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Henry James's last completed novel The Golden Bowl is the story of two flawed marriages. The lives & relationships of Maggie Verver & her widowed American millionaire father Adam are changed & challenged by the beautiful & charming Charlotte Stant who is the former lover of Maggie's husband the impoverished Italian Prince Amerigo. The narrative is underpinned by complex symbolism. The gilded crystal bowl with its almost invisible flaw is the vehicle which James uses to reveal past misdemeanours & make his characters face their own defects in this classic tale of redemption. ...

Max Walker is the golden boy Hes the perfect son the perfect friend & the perfect crush for the girls at his school Hes attractive hes intelligent hes athletic Hes even nice to his little brother Max is going to pass his exams with flying colours Hes going to make his parents proud Max Walker has a terrible secret If his secret gets out his perfect life will be blown apart The consequences are unimaginable But someone knows his secret someone close to him & that person must not be trusted because he could do great damage to Max In fact hes already started ...