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Ideal Beauty: The Life and Times of Greta Garbo
by Lois W. BannerOne of the silver screen’s greatest beauties, Greta Garbo was also one of its most profound enigmas. A star in both silent pictures and talkies, Garbo kept viewers riveted with understated performances that suggested deep melancholy and strong desires roiling just under the surface. And offscreen, the intensely private Garbo was perhaps even more mysterious and alluring, as her retirement from Hollywood at age thirty-six only fueled the public’s fascination. Ideal Beauty reveals the woman behind the mystique, a woman who overcame an impoverished childhood to become a student at the Swedish Royal Dramatic Academy, an actress in European films, and ultimately a Hollywood star. Chronicling her tough negotiations with Louis B. Mayer at MGM, it shows how Garbo carved out enough power in Hollywood to craft a distinctly new feminist screen presence in films like Queen Christina. Banner draws on over ten years of in-depth archival research in Sweden, Germany, France, and the United States to demonstrate how, away from the camera’s glare, Garbo’s life was even more intriguing. Ideal Beauty takes a fresh look at an icon who helped to define female beauty in the twentieth century and provides answers to much-debated questions about Garbo’s childhood, sexuality, career, illnesses and breakdowns, and spiritual awakening.
The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation: From Snow White to WALL-E (Studies in Childhood, 1700 to the Present)
by David WhitleyIn the second edition of The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation, David Whitley updates his 2008 book to reflect recent developments in Disney and Disney-Pixar animation such as the apocalyptic tale of earth's failed ecosystem, WALL-E. As Whitley has shown, and Disney's newest films continue to demonstrate, the messages animated films convey about the natural world are of crucial importance to their child viewers. Beginning with Snow White, Whitley examines a wide range of Disney's feature animations, in which images of wild nature are central to the narrative. He challenges the notion that the sentimentality of the Disney aesthetic, an oft-criticized aspect of such films as Bambi, The Jungle Book, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast, and Finding Nemo, necessarily prevents audiences from developing a critical awareness of contested environmental issues. On the contrary, even as the films communicate the central ideologies of the times in which they were produced, they also express the ambiguities and tensions that underlie these dominant values. In distinguishing among the effects produced by each film and revealing the diverse ways in which images of nature are mediated, Whitley urges us towards a more complex interpretation of the classic Disney canon and makes an important contribution to our understanding of the role popular art plays in shaping the emotions and ideas that are central to contemporary experience.
I'd Scream Except I Look So Fabulous: A Cathy Collection (Cathy Ser. #20)
by Cathy GuisewiteAmerica’s favorite comic strip heroine navigates the perils of being a modern woman in this hilarious collection.By now, we’re all familiar with Cathy’s battles among the four basic guilt groups: food, Mom, love, and career. Women can identify with Cathy Guisewite’s hilarious portrayal of the universal struggles of modern femininity. A confirmed chocoholic, Cathy often consoles herself with one more trip to the fridge, then pays for it with frightening excursions in department store dressing rooms. Mom pushes Cathy to find the man who will give her grandchildren. As for her career, Cathy struggles to be a superstar, even though her desk looks like a disaster area.In fact, Cathy’s all-too-recognizable life is what endears her to devoted readers. Her countless fans look on their cartoon heroine as a best friend, someone who really knows the trials and tribulations of the working single woman. From Internet dating to Christmas catalog fiascoes, from winter-flu one-upmanship at the office to kitchen technique discussions with Mom, Cathy puts her finger on the kinds of situations that women face in their real lives on a daily basis. In this Cathy collection, I’d Scream Except I Look So Fabulous, our favorite cartoon character once again shows why her popularity soars. Who can’t relate to the discomfort fashion sometimes dictates in order to be trendy.
I'd Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays
by Tom SeguraA #2 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From a massively successful stand-up comedian and co-host of chart-topping podcasts &“2 Bears 1 Cave&” and &“Your Mom&’s House,&” hilarious real-life stories of parenting, celebrity encounters, youthful mistakes, misanthropy, and so much more. Tom Segura is known for his twisted takes and irreverent comedic voice. But after a few years of crazy tours and churning out podcasts weekly, all while parenting two young children, he desperately needs a second to himself. It&’s not that he hates his friends and family — he&’s not a monster — he&’s just beat, which is why his son&’s (ruthless) first full sentence, &“I&’d like to play alone, please,&” has since become his mantra. In this collection of stories, Tom combines his signature curmudgeonly humor with a revealing look at some of the ridiculous situations that shaped him and the ludicrous characters who always seem to seek him out. The stories feature hilarious anecdotes about Tom's time on the road, including some surreal encounters with celebrities at airports; his unfiltered South American family; the trials and tribulations of parenting young children with bizarrely morbid interests; and, perhaps most memorably, experiences with his dad who, like any good Baby Boomer father, loves to talk about his bowel movements and share graphic Vietnam stories at inappropriate moments. All of this is enough to make anyone want some peace and quiet. I&’D LIKE TO PLAY ALONE, PLEASE will have readers laughing out loud and nodding in agreement with Segura's message: in a world where everyone is increasingly insane, sometimes you just need to be alone.
I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
by Tony DanzaI'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had is television, screen and stage star Tony Danza's absorbing account of a year spent teaching tenth-grade English at Northeast High -- Philadelphia's largest high school with 3600 students. Entering Northeast's crowded halls in September of 2009, Tony found his way to a classroom filled with twenty-six students who were determined not to cut him any slack. They cared nothing about "Mr. Danza's" showbiz credentials, and they immediately put him on the hot seat. Featuring indelible portraits of students and teachers alike, I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had reveals just how hard it is to keep today's technologically savvy - and often alienated -- students engaged, how impressively committed most teachers are, and the outsized role counseling plays in a teacher's day, given the psychological burdens many students carry. The book also makes vivid how a modern high school works, showing Tony in a myriad of roles - from lecturing on To Kill a Mockingbird to "coaching" the football team to organizing a talent show to leading far-flung field trips to hosting teacher gripe sessions. A surprisingly poignant account, I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny but is mostly filled with hard-won wisdom and feel-good tears.ica is still one of the most unappreciated." --Erin Gruwell, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling The Freedom Writers Diary "At age 59 Tony Danza inexplicably chose to become a teacher at a tough, inner-city school. The story he tells is moving, eye-opening, and compellingly honest. Love infuses his work, and he cries a lot. Read this book and you will too."--Joel Klein, former New York City Schools chancellor "It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of a group of teens and proclaim yourself their teacher. It takes even more to be a good one -- someone who sees each student as an individual with a unique life story. Tony Danza put himself forward to teach children and learn from them, knowing that the more he really understood these kids the better teacher he could be for them. We easily forget how truly difficult it is to be a transformational teacher and in these pages you can see that's what he became."--Rosalind Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author of Queen Bees & Wannabees "Tony Danza is filled with life, joy and the spirit of altruism - which makes him a natural teacher, as well as a perfect witness to the victories and tragedies in today's inner-city classroom. Like teaching itself, this book is an emotional roller-coaster - but it's also a sobering account of the perilous state of schools in our poor communities. This is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the nation's children."--Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children's Zone "I highly recommend I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had to everyone who has thought about teaching as an encore career - and anyone who wants to know what life is like for teachers and students in American public school classrooms today. Tony's book will make you laugh, cry, and cheer. It serves as a call to action for every one of us to take a stand and commit to the education of our young people."--Sherry Lansing, Former CEO of Paramount Pictures and Founder of The Sherry Lansing Foundation
I'd Know That Voice Anywhere: My Favorite NPR Commentaries
by Frank DefordFrank Deford is one of the most beloved sports journalists in America. A contributing writer to Sports Illustrated for more than fifty years, and a longtime correspondent on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, these days, Deford is perhaps best known for his weekly commentaries on NPR’s "Morning Edition.” Since 1980, Deford has recorded 1,600 of them, and in I’d Know That Voice Anywhere he brings together the very best, creating a charming, insightful, and wide-ranging look at athletes and the world of sports.In I’d Know That Voice Anywhere, Deford discusses everything from sex scandals and steroids to why, in a culture dominated by celebrity, sport is the only field on earth where popularity and excellence thrive in tandem. This page-turning compendium covers more than thirty years of sports history while showcasing the vast range of Deford’s interests and opinions, including his thoughts on the NCAA, why gay athletes "play straight,” and why he’s worried about living in an economy that is so dominated by golfers. A rollicking sampler of one of NPR’s most popular segments, I’d Know That Voice Anywhere is perfect for sports enthusiasts-as well as sports skeptics-and a must-read for any Frank Deford fan.
Icing on the Cake
by Annabel MorleyWith her grandmother the society beauty Dame Gladys Cooper, and her father the renowned actor Robert Morley CBE, Annabel Morley was always going to lead an extraordinary life. Evoking an English childhood from a bygone era, Annabel Morley brings back to life the magic and charm of growing up in a bohemian artistic and quintessentially English family. Their house in Berkshire is the backdrop to a wonderful array of events and personalities. Often surrounded by the greats of theatre such as Vivien Lee, Lawrence Olivier and Spencer Tracy, Annabel recounts these times with such wit and affection. The Icing on the Cake features unpublished photographs of the Morley lives as well as private letters and personal memories, including her travels to Sydney, Venice and Hollywood during the glamorous 1940s and 50s. The book displays how Annabel's passion for the theatre is also matched by her love of food and family, including recipes served at family get togethers on both sides of the word.
Ice Cream & Sadness
by Dave Mcelfatric Rob Denbleyker Matt Melvin Kris WilsonCyanide & Happiness is back! You hold in your grubby mitts the second collection from the hit online comic that was created by a quartet of depraved, inappropriate twentysomethings from all four corners of the world, and which has been compared to Family Circus by both the seeing and mentally impaired communities. Bigger, bolder, and badder than ever before, this book includes 120 hilarious, silly, and vile classics, as well as 30 brand-new strips that are guaranteed to have you in stitches. Though hopefully not literally. And for your inner child, we've included some Interactivities to keep you entertained until the day you die, or for thirty minutes, whichever comes first. Complete with a foreword from Randall Munroe (author of XKCD), Ice Cream & Sadness is the book that will resolve, once and for all, the answer to the eternal question: What do I get Grandma for Christmas?
The Ice Cream Blonde: The Whirlwind Life and Mysterious Death of Screwball Comedienne Thelma Todd
by Michelle MorganA detailed look at the charmed life and tragic death of one of Hollywood's earliest stars A vibrant and beloved Golden Age film comedienne who worked alongside the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant, Clara Bow, and dozens of others, Thelma Todd was one of the rare actors to successfully cross over from silent films to "talkies." This authoritative new biography traces Todd's life and career, from a vivacious little girl to a young woman who became a reluctant beauty queen to her rapid rise as a Hollywood comedy star to her mysterious death at the age of 29. Increasingly disenchanted with the studio star system, Todd opened the successful Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Café, attracting adoring fans, tourists, and Hollywood celebrities. Life appeared blessed for the beautiful and outspoken Hollywood rebel. So the country was shocked when Todd was found dead by her housekeeper in a garage near the café. An inquest concluded that her death was accidental, caused by inhaling the car's exhaust fumes. In a thorough new investigation that draws on FBI documents, interviews, photographs, reports, and extortion notes--much of these not previously available to the public--author Michelle Morgan offers fresh evidence and conclusions about the circumstances surrounding Todd's death, proving what many people have long suspected, that Thelma had been murdered. The cast of suspects includes Thelma's Hollywood-director lover; her gangster ex-husband; assorted thugs who were pressuring her to install gaming tables in the room above her popular café; and a new, never-before-named mobster. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of Todd's death, The Ice Cream Blonde is sure to interest any fan of Thelma Todd, Hollywood's Golden Age, or gripping real-life murder mysteries.
Ice Cold (Rizzoli and Isles #8)
by Tess GerritsenThis eBook includes the full text of the novel plus the following additional content: Rizzoli & Isles, In Their Own Words: learn more about the lead characters in these special essays written by the author Rizzoli & Isles TV Pilot script: A spur-of-the-moment ski trip becomes a bone-chilling nightmare when a wrong turn leaves Boston medical examiner Maura Isles marooned- far from home and help--in the snowbound Wyoming mountains. Seeking shelter from the cold, she and her traveling companions stumble upon Kingdom Come- a remote village of identical houses that seems to have become a ghost town overnight. But the abandoned hamlet has dark secrets to tell, and Maura's party may not be as alone as they think. Days later, word reaches Boston homicide cop Jane Rizzoli that Maura's charred remains have been found at the scene of a car crash. But the shocking news leaves Jane with too many questions, and only one way to get answers. Determined to dig up the truth, she heads for the frozen desolation of Kingdom Come, where gruesome discoveries lie buried, and a ruthless enemy watches and waits.
The Ice Castle
by Joan Charles Pendred NoyceThe return to Lexicon begins when thirteen-year-old cousins Ivan and Daphne find their Aunt Adelaide deathly ill. Leaving their aunt to rest, Ivan and Daphne accidentally let their younger cousin, Lila, in on their secret world of Lexicon.Ivan and Daphne must track Lila, who disappears, through the frozen landscape to the Land of Winter where social status and freedom is determined by how well one sings. Fortunately for Lila, her musical talent lands her in the most favorable place. Separated by class now, the cousins face the cold, hunger, poverty, illness, injustice, and the malicious plotting of a power-hungry blind man. Slave, servant, and fine lady, the three cousins must escape their own imprisonment before they reunite, provoke a revolution, and restore spring to the Land of Winter.
Ice Breaker: The Autobiography of Rudy Galindo
by Rudy Galindo Eric MarcusOn January 20, 1996, Rudy Galindo stepped from the shadows to claim national glory--and a place in history. Those present at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, California, witnessed nothing less than a miracle: a series of flawless, transcendent performances that whirled Rudy Galindo to his surprise win... But the true miracle was that he competed at all. In this candid, inspiring autobiography, Rudy Galindo reveals the personal and professional challenges that nearly destroyed his career, but which ultimately gave him the push he needed to achieve his lifelong dream--and earned him a place alongside the great champions in figure skating history. As a young, gay Mexican-American from a working-class family, Rudy grew up in a neighborhood where drugs and gangs were far more prevalent than Olympic hopefuls. But his future was bright: hard work earned him two U.S. pairs skating championships with partner Kristi Yamaguchi--and they seemed headed for Olympic gold. His hopes were dashed when Kristi decided to go it alone. Despondent, his career in crisis, Rudy soon faced even greater personal trials. Within six years he would lose his brother, George, and two coaches to AIDS, and his father to heart attack. Feeling cursed and hopeless, Rudy fell into a period of self-destructive behavior and an eight-month hiatus from training that almost marked the end of his career. Supported by his beloved sister, Laura, Rudy got back out on the ice, where he discovered something far more elusive than a gold medal: a sense of inner peace. With Laura as his dedicated coach, Rudy overcame many hurdles, including his decision to go public with his sexual orientation. At the 1996 Nationals he trusted his own artistic instincts for the first time and delivered two stunning programs that brought the electrified crowd to its feet, and to joyous tears. No one could deny the poetic beauty of Rudy's achievement. A remarkable story, ICEBREAKER portrays much more than one man's difficult, intensive quest to be the best, it chronicles the making of an American hero, one who proves to us all that dignity, determination, and honesty can transform adversity into triumph. The appendix and photo captions are included at the end of the book.
Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption from South Central to Hollywood
by Douglas Century Ice-TMy life's been a great story / In the ultimate war / Should I ill or do right? / Make peace or go raw?--Ice-T, "Exodus" He's a hip-hop icon credited with single-handedly creating gangsta rap in the 1980s. Television viewers know him as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola on the top-rated TV drama Law & Order: SVU. But where the hype and the headlines end, the real story of Ice-T--the one few of his millions of fans have ever heard--truly begins. Ice is Ice-T in his own words--raw, uncensored, and unafraid to speak his mind. About his orphan upbringing on the gang-infested streets of South Central Los Angeles. About his four-year stint in the U.S. Army's famed "Tropic Lightning" outfit. About his successful career as a hustler and thief, the car crash that nearly killed him, and the fateful decision to turn away from a life of crime and forge his own path to international entertainment stardom. Ice by Ice-T is both a tell-it-like-it-is tale of redemption and a star-studded tour of the pop culture firmament. The acclaimed rapper and actor shares never-before-told stories about friends like Tupac, Dick Wolf, Chris Rock, and an antler-clad Flavor Flav, among others. Readers will ride along as Ice-T's incendiary rock band Body Count narrowly escapes from a riotous mob of angry concertgoers in Milan, and listen in as the music legend battles the self-appointed censors over his controversial "Cop Killer" single. Most of all, Ice is the place where one of the game's most opinionated players breaks down his own secret plan for living, offering up candid observations on marriage and monogamy, the current state of hip-hop, and his latest passion: doing one-on-one gang interventions and mentoring at-risk youths around the country. With insights into the cutthroat world of the street--and the cutthroat world of Hollywood--Ice is the inspirational story of a true American original.From the Hardcover edition.
Ice
by Sarah Beth DurstWhen Cassie was little she thought her mother had been taken prisoner by trolls because of a deal she’d made with the Polar Bear King. Just a fairy tale to soothe a child whose mother had died. But on her eighteenth birthday, the “fairy tale” comes true when the Polar Bear King comes to take Cassie for his bride. Realizing she has the power to save her mother, Cassie makes her own deal with the bear and finds herself on a journey against time, traveling across the brutal Arctic to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. It is a journey that will teach Cassie the true meaning of love and family—and what it means to become an adult.
Ibsen's Kingdom: The Man and His Works
by Evert SprinchornA major biography of one of the most important figures in modern drama, evoked through a biographical reading of his plays Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen achieved unparalleled success in his lifetime and remains one of the most important figures in modern drama. The culmination of a lifetime of scholarship, Evert Sprinchorn&’s biography constructs Ibsen&’s life through a biographical reading of his plays with provocative and insightful analyses of his works, placing them and their author within the social, political, and intellectual foment of nineteenth-century Europe. This thought-provoking book will captivate anyone interested in the history of drama and the foundations of modernism.
Ibsen in the Decolonised South Asian Theatre (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Sabiha Huq Srideep MukherjeeThis book maps South Asian theatre productions that have contextualised Ibsen’s plays to underscore the emergent challenges of postcolonial nation formation. The concerns addressed in this collection include politico-cultural engagements with human rights, economic and environmental issues, and globalisation, all of which have evolved through colonial times and thereafter. This book contemplates why and how these Ibsen texts were repeatedly adapted for the stage and consequently reflects upon the political intent of this appropriative journey of the foreign playwright. This book tracks the unmapped agency that South Asian theatre has acquired through aesthetic appropriation of Ibsen and thereby contributes to his global reception. This collection will be of great interest to students and scholars of theatre and performance studies.
Ian McKellen: The Biography
by Garry O'Connor'[A] fascinating voyage round McKellen' Simon Callow, Guardian'Surely the definitive McKellen biography' Alexander Larman, Observer'A well-researched, eminently readable book' Benedict Nightingale, The TimesFew actors achieve in their lifetime what Sir Ian McKellen has. A repertoire of vast commercial success coupled with critically acclaimed and authoritative Shakespearian roles. A man whose achievements inspire both admiration and affection. McKellen has been feted and admired in every country across the globe, and has been knighted by, and received the Companionship of Honour from Queen Elizabeth II. He is an icon of, and ardent campaigner in the cause for LGBT rights.Many of us know of McKellen through his depiction of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Garry O'Connor's definitive biography reveals the man behind McKellen the actor. The inside story of the person himself: a constantly developing drama and a work in progress. Yet O'Connor pulls no punches: some of his revelations may be controversial to his fans, even explosive, given McKellen's constant ability to shock and surprise. The author directed McKellen in some of his very first roles. This is an unflinching yet deeply intimate and affectionate biography that, like McKellen himself, will stand the test of time as a rounded and complete portrait of one of the most unusual geniuses of our times.
Ian McKellen: The Biography
by Garry O'ConnorSir Ian McKellen is that rarest of characters: a celebrity whose distinguished political and social service has transcended his enormous fame and international stardom to reach far beyond the stage and screen.The breadth of his endeavour - professional, personal and political - has been truly staggering. Of some four-hundred stage and film roles, there are only three, in his own estimation, of which he has not been proud. Iconic roles have not been in short supply: Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings being perhaps the most universally-recognised and well-loved. Add to all this McKellen's tireless political activism in the cause of gay equality, and you have a veritable phenomenon.This intimate and definitive biography probes the heart of the actor, recreating for the reader his greatest stage roles, and exploring the inner man in his personal releationships. It will define in a complete and compelling way what makes him tick, his achievements, and his shortcomings.McKellen's life story has been a constantly developing drama. He is an enigmatic and complex being; and parts of the book may be controversial, even explosive, given his consistent ability to shock and surprise.
Ian McKellen: A Biography
by Garry O'ConnorThe definitive biography of Sir Ian McKellen from an acclaimed biographer In 2001, Ian McKellen put on the robe and pointed hat of a wizard named Gandalf and won a place in the hearts of Tolkien fans worldwide. Though his role in the film adaptation of Lord of the Rings introduced him to a new audience, McKellen had a thriving career a lifetime before his visit to Middle Earth. He made his West End acting debut in 1964 in James Saunders’s A Scent of Flowers, but it was in 1980 that he took Broadway by storm when he played Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s Tony-Award-winning play Amadeus.He has starred in over four hundred plays and films and he is that rare character: a celebrity whose distinguished political and social service has transcended his international fame to reach beyond the stage and screen. The breadth of his career—professional, personal and political—has been truly staggering: Macbeth (opposite Judi Dench), Iago, King Lear, Chekhov’s Sorin in The Seagull and Becket’s tramp Estragon (opposite Patrick Stewart) in Waiting for Godot. Add to all this his tireless political activism in the cause of gay equality and you have a veritable phenomenon. Garry O’Connor’s Ian McKellen: A Biography probes the heart of the actor, recreating his greatest stage roles and exploring his personal life. Ian McKellen will show readers what makes a great actor tick. His life story has been a constantly developing drama and this biography is the next chapter.
Ian Fleming's Inspiration: The Truth Behind the Books
by Edward Abel Smith“A journey through Fleming’s direct involvement in World War II intelligence and how this translated through his typewriter into James Bond’s world.” —The Washington TimesSecret agent James Bond is among the best known fictional characters in history, but what most people don’t know is that almost all of the characters, plots, and gadgets come from the real life of Bond’s creator, Commander Ian Fleming. This book goes through the plots of Fleming’s novels—explaining the experiences that inspired them. Along with Fleming’s direct involvement in World War II intelligence, the book notes the friends who Fleming kept, among them Noel Coward and Randolph Churchill, and the influential people he would mingle with, including British prime ministers and American presidents. Bond is known for his exotic travel, most notably to the island of Jamaica, where Fleming spent much of his life. The desk in his Caribbean house, Goldeneye, was also where his life experiences would be put onto paper in the guise of James Bond. This book takes us to that island, and many other locales, as it traces the adventures of both 007 and the man who created him.
Ian Fleming: The man who created James Bond
by Andrew LycettThe definitive biography of author Ian Fleming and the perfect read for anyone enjoying the Sky Atlantic biopic starring Dominic Cooper.Ian Fleming's life was just as dramatic as that of his fictional creation, James Bond. Andrew Lycett's direct access to Fleming's family, friends and contemporaries has enabled him to reveal the truth behind the complicated facade of this enigmatic and remarkable man. With an extraordinary cast of characters, this is biography at is best - part history, part gossip and part an informed reassessment of one of this century's most celebrated yet mysterious personalities.
Ian Fleming: The man who created James Bond
by Andrew LycettThe definitive biography of author Ian Fleming and the perfect read for anyone enjoying the Sky Atlantic biopic starring Dominic Cooper.Ian Fleming's life was just as dramatic as that of his fictional creation, James Bond. Andrew Lycett's direct access to Fleming's family, friends and contemporaries has enabled him to reveal the truth behind the complicated facade of this enigmatic and remarkable man. With an extraordinary cast of characters, this is biography at is best - part history, part gossip and part an informed reassessment of one of this century's most celebrated yet mysterious personalities.
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man
by Nicholas ShakespeareA fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers. Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote.Ian's childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be “the complete man,” and he would strive for the means to achieve this “completeness'”all his life. Only a thriller writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career in Naval Intelligence put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich inspiration for his fiction. Exceptionally well connected, and widely travelled, from the United States and Soviet Russia to his beloved Jamaica, Ian had access to the most powerful political figures at a time of profound change.Nicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering material that casts new light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful, definitive biography. His unprecedented access to the Fleming archive and his nose for a story make this a fresh and eye-opening picture of the man and his famous creation.
I Wish You Good Spaces: Poetic Selections from the Songs of Gordon Lightfoot
by Susan Polis Schutz Gordon LightfootA collection of poetic lyrics excerpted from Gordon Lightfoot's songs. He was a popular folk singer from the mid-sixties through the seventies. Even without his music, his observations on lasting love, passing love, friendship, nature, beauty and peace. made for relaxing reading and contemplation then as they still do today.
I Wish I Hadn't Said That: Over 3,000 Famous Foot-in-Mouth Moments
by Geoff TibballsEver since Mrs Malaprop first took to the stage in 1775 and described a gentleman as 'the very pineapple of politeness', some famous figures have become better known for their slips of the tongue than for anything they said intentionally. In particular, the careers of a number of broadcasters, sporting figures and politicians have become defined by their verbal blunders. Former US Vice-President Dan Quayle is remembered solely for making unfortunate remarks such as 'Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.' Welsh naturalist Iolo Williams sent Twitter into meltdown when, discussing diving sea birds on Springwatch 2016, he asked a female conservationist: 'Is that the deepest shag you've ever had?' Even respected sports broadcaster Harry Carpenter was probably haunted forever by his seemingly innocent comment at the end of the 1977 Boat Race: 'Ah, isn't that nice? The wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the cox of the Oxford crew.'I Wish I Hadn't Said That is a collection of over 3,000 spoken and written blunders - including unintentional double entendres, spoonerisms, mixed metaphors, malapropisms, jaw-dropping remarks, misguided quiz show answers, embarrassing newspaper misprints, and foreign signs and notices that have sadly become lost in translation.