Great Art

Known as the ‘Age of Enlightenment,’ the 1700s was a time that provoked significant leaps in philosophical thought. Most importantly, the thinkers of the time espoused the virtues of happiness, the evidence provided by the senses, and the distance between organised religion and the state. ‘500 Quotations from the Great Philosophers of the 18th Century’ offers a fascinating insight into the philosophical revolution that was taking place at the time. A superb book for dipping in and out of, this makes a great gift for anyone with an interest in philosophy.

Henry David Thoreau is a beloved American author, poet and philosopher. He was a lifelong abolitionist, advocate of civil disobedience againts unjust or corrupted goverments, and he defended the idea of abandoning illusory matters in favor of simple living, in order to discover life's authentic essential needs. He is best known for Walden, or Life in the woods, the book he wrote during his two-year experiment in minimalist living: having built himself a cabin in the woods, he stayed there to study, write, and enjoy his newfound communion with nature.

Do you want to learn more about how the great literary detective Sherlock Holmes was born and how Arthur Conan Doyle came to create him, but don’t have time to listen to huge, long biographies? Then let The History Journals take you on an hourly history tour of his life. Now fascinating as Sherlock Holmes undoubtedly is, and this journal will certainly take you on a journey of discovery following in the great man’s footsteps, there’s another story here, most certainly worthy of your attention.

The 1920s in the United States were known as the "Roaring '20s" and the Jazz Age, a time in the nation that glorified hard and fast living. Nobody personified the age or wrote so descriptively about it better than F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), whose name became synonymous with the times after penning the epic The Great Gatsby.

World War I, also known in its time as the “Great War” or the “War to End all Wars”, was an unprecedented holocaust in terms of its sheer scale. Fought by men who hailed from all corners of the globe, it saw millions of soldiers do battle in brutal assaults of attrition which dragged on for months with little to no respite.

Finally understand the art of secret seduction and deep intimacy.

Everyone who knows music understands Ginger Baker was, and is, perhaps the greatest rock-jazz fusion drummer ever. Author Giuliano was close to both Ginger and Jack Bruce in the 1990s and presents us with the very best of his extended three-week daily interview sessions with Mr. Baker. Here, you will meet the real man behind the never-ending drum kit. Neither myth, legend, nor spurious gossip can ever equal the true measure of the man, and this tempestuous audiobook proves it once and for all.

The Great Gate of Kiev resounds to the tumultuous bell rings that end Pictures an an Exhibition, one of the most magnificent and virtuosic of all piano pieces. However, to some of his contemporaries, Modest Mussorgsky was ‘insane’ and ‘a perfect idiot’. Born into a wealthy land-owning family, what drove this tormented man and why did he suffer psychological breakdowns and alcoholism? How did he achieve his command of the realist idiom in his stage works? d, of course, Pictures at an Exhibition.

Do you want to learn more about the great author Catherine Cookson , but don’t have time to read huge, long biographies? Then let The History Journals take you on an hourly history tour of his life. Mention the name of Catherine Cookson and images of a bygone era will immediately spring to mind. This truly remarkable author created a literary landscape based on her childhood experiences in the North East of England.

Everything is not as it seems during those balmy summer days at one of Oxford’s most prestigious colleges. Lorcan Greene, wealthy gallery owner and expert forgery-spotter, is hired by Detective Braine of the Art Fraud Squad to investigate a tip-off in Oxford. But Lorcan gets more than he bargains for, falling in love with talented art student Frederica Delacroix. But what’s she hiding and could she even be involved in forgery herself?

An entertaining history of British thrillers from Casino Royale to The Eagle Has Landed, in which award-winning crime writer Mike Ripley reveals that, though Britain may have lost an empire, her thrillers helped save the world. With a foreword by Lee Child.

Making Oscar Wilde reveals the untold story of young Oscar's career in Victorian England and post-Civil War America. Set on two continents, it tracks a larger-than-life hero on an unforgettable adventure to make his name and gain international acclaim. Combining new evidence and gripping cultural history, Michele Mendelssohn dramatizes Wilde's rise, fall, and resurrection as part of a spectacular transatlantic pageant. With superb style and an instinct for storytelling, she brings to life the charming young Irishman who set out to captivate the US and Britain with his words.

In Anatomy of a Gildy Episode, author Peggy Adler offers a compelling, behind-the-scenes look at The Great Gildersleeve, one of radio’s most iconic comedies. Through a single 1947 episode, Adler explores the artistry of Emmy-nominated scriptwriter John Ogden Whedon—tracing his impact from radio’s Golden Age to the birth of the television sitcom.

The Greatest Video Games of All Time is a comprehensive guide to the most influential and critically acclaimed video games in history. From the early days of Pong and Space Invaders, to the latest and greatest in modern gaming, this book covers it all. The book includes a list of top games that have defined the industry, pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible, and provided countless hours of entertainment to players around the world.

"700 Quotations from the Great French Writers of the 20th Century" is a wonderful collection of wit and wisdom from some of the greatest French writers ever. From Anatole France and Jules Renard to Marcel Proust and André Gide, this carefully crafted collection is guaranteed to inspire, amuse, and entertain. Ideal for those needing a dose of encouragement. These French literary giants are responsible for some of the most famous French novels and poems ever written, including "Carrot Top", "The Little Prince", and "In Search of Lost Time".

Gustave Flaubert is one of the major figures of French literature. He was made famous by his first novel, "Madame Bovary", and is also remembered for his Correspondance, full of precise introspection and reflections about realism in literature. Flaubert was known for his unvelievably scrupulous devotion to his style. He believed in the possibility and necessity of finding "le mot juste" ("the right word"), and would devout weeks to the achievement of sometimes a single page. Flaubert decisively established what most readers and writers now think of as modern realist narration, and his influence today is almost too familiar to be visible.

The year is 1851. It's a time of radical change in Britain, when industrial miracles and artistic innovations rub shoulders with political unrest, poverty and disease. It's also a turbulent time in the private life of Charles Dickens, as he copes with a double bereavement and early signs that his marriage is falling apart. But this formative year will become perhaps the greatest turning point in Dickens' career, as he embraces his calling as a chronicler of ordinary people's lives and develops a new form of writing that will reveal just how interconnected the world is becoming.

In a long line of beloved books, Loud Pictures stands as Marc Spitz’s final project. This big, broad, noisy, and expansive exploration of art marries the two things Marc loved most—movies and rock and roll. In many ways, films can become imprinted on our brains because of their soundtracks.

As Hitler was attempting to conquer the western world, his armies were methodically pillaging the finest art in Europe, from Michelangelos to Vermeers, all stolen for the Führer. The Monuments Men had a mandate from President Roosevelt to find these artworks, but no vehicles, typewriters, or authority. In a race against time to save the world’s greatest cultural treasures from destruction at the hands of Nazi fanatics, each man constructed his own treasure map....

Ear training is one of the most rewarding skills you can develop, and it’s one that you can work on every day, which makes total sense: Music is an aural experience, after all. Ear training helps you turn the music you hear into music you make on your guitar. This works for your own musical ideas, too. When you dream up a great riff or chord progression, you naturally want to sit down and play it right away. Ear training helps you do just that.