British Art

Alice Liddell, sweetly dignified, the inspiration for the heroine of Alice in Wonderland, is posed and identified as Pomona, goddess of abundance, in a marvelous 1872 photograph by the irrepressible Julia Margaret Cameron; appropriately she is the cover girl for this lavish standalone publication, which also acted as the catalogue accompanying the recent exhibition of the same title at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, (October 31 2010-January 30 2011), and the Museé d'Orsay Paris, March 6 - May 29, 2011).

Very seldom in London can a major show of modern and contemporary art at a highly respected national institution have received such universally negative reviews. As I write this, not all the verdicts on the Royal Academy’s exhibition of Modern British Sculpture have been delivered. However, it is already clear that the majority will be hostile. Paradoxically, it is this, more than any other factor, which makes it seem like an important event - a turning point if you like.

Did you know that when some of Jane Austen’s lesser-known work was sent to publishers in 2007 under a pseudonym it was rejected? Do you know in which radio sitcom she was once portrayed as a foul-mouthed and violent inhabitant of hell who even the devil was scared of? And exactly what have zombies got to do with Pride and Prejudice? This fascinating audiobook contains more than 100 facts about Jane Austen, with each chapter exploring a different part of her life and work.

Al Murray's Book of British Common Sense helped Great Britain get back on her feet by providing an injection of common sense to counteract all the balls and waffle we've been subjected to in this once great nation of ours. Now he's back, and he's turning his attention to You. The Pub Landlord knows that you, like so many others in Broken Britain, need help to Help Yourselves.

When the Cowley sisters employ a carer to look after the ailing Carmela, Morag appears to suit their needs perfectly. But after a spectacular jewel theft on the night of the Hunt Ball, it appears that the perfect carer might be implicated.

Fifty years ago a dashing, ultra-talented motorbike racer planned to escape from Communist East Germany at the height of the Cold War. Award-winning presenter Stephen Evans tells how Degner, a hero in his homeland, risked everything, including the life of his young family, to flee to the west, taking with him groundbreaking technology developed deep behind the Iron Curtain. All that stood in his way was an increasingly repressive regime, the notorious Stasi, and the building of a certain wall that changed the course of European history.

This is the ideal way to quickly master the Cockney (British) accent using a combination of approaches from pronunciation and oral posture techniques to dialect development (Cockney rhyming slang) and practice exercises. The course also contains guidance on developing a basic British accent to underpin a Cockney accent if desired dependent on your native accent. This course can help you prepare for a Cockney role or audition on stage or screen.

Agatha Christie, born in upper-middle-class British society during the late Victorian era, turned into one of the most prolific and popular mystery writers of all time. Her novels have been translated into 44 languages and have sold over two billion copies worldwide. Her mysteries continue to sell as new generations of readers discover the delights of her main characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. In addition, Christie’s plays have been a tremendous success, with The Mousetrap running in London for the past 70 years.

J. R. R. Tolkien, an orphan in love with words, spent most of his life as an unassuming Professor of Literature at Oxford studying and teaching old languages. During his time there, he created his very own languages and a mythological world, Middle-earth. Middle-earth was inhabited by Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other fascinating creatures. It was a world that became almost more real to Tolkien than the one he lived in. Tolkien’s two masterpieces, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have set the standard in mythological literature.

George Eliot was born Mary Ann Evans in the same year as Queen Victoria. Mary Ann might have lived a traditional Victorian-era life had she been pretty and ornamental. When she didn’t attract attention with her looks, however, she made use of her remarkable intelligence. By her early 20s, she translated articles from Latin and French into English and wrote her own reviews for a radical magazine. Discover a plethora of topics such as her life as a young radical, her journey to Switzerland, meeting George Henry Lewes, becoming George Eliot, and more.

George Orwell, the son of a British civil servant, spent his life promoting social justice and equality, while fighting against totalitarianism and elitism. His two best-known novels 1984 and Animal Farm depict the ultimate horror of a totalitarian government. Orwell wrote with passion about what he believed. Eighty years after their publication, his novels are as relevant as ever. Citizens are spied on by CCTV cameras. Smartphones track people’s movements and activities.

From working in a shoe-blacking factory as a 12-year-old to help his family while his father was in debtor’s prison, Charles Dickens rose to become one of the best-known novelists of all time. In this book, you’ll meet the author who not only wrote famous novels like Great Expectations and David Copperfield, but whose work also helped to develop and popularize the genre of the novel.

Do you know that there are no quality Russian humor books in the English language? They are full of old boring jokes or they were translated without cultural differences taken into consideration. No wonder my British friends think that there is no humor in “Mother Russia”. Well, it is your lucky day. I have gone through thousands of Russian funny stories to find the best ones for British adults to enjoy.

This book will focus on the activity of two leading artists of their generations: Anthony Caro and Alison Wilding, both of international standing and influential figures for succeeding artists. The book also considers their relationship to their immediate contemporaries, and touches on the diverse forces at play in shaping the art and culture of our time.

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.

This side-splitting collection of 101 of the best food jokes you have ever heard pasta be Jack Goldstein's funniest audiobook yet! The master of comedy has prepared a sumptuous banquet of hilarity that will have the whole family laughing. Organised into categories so you have a food joke for every course, this is an ideal addition to any budding comedian's bookshelf. Bon appetit!

Who invented the pub quiz? The British, of course! Who doesn’t enjoy a rousing question-and-answer session over a pint and some scratchings? Indeed, what higher calling is there than standing in the pub loudly demanding answers to difficult questions like ‘d'you want some?’ Here, for your pleasure, Britain’s leading pub landlord, The Pub Landlord, presents the finest collection of facts imaginable.

An interview with leading British sculptor Sir Anthony Caro (1924-2016) recorded by Nicholas James at his Barford Street sculpture studio Camden Town in 1994, used as a basis for a feature in Art Monthly 1994. Also includes the essay "Caro to Wilding: Shifts in Modern British Sculpture", comparing the work of Caro with Alison Wilding.

Are you a budding comedian who wants to have a joke ready for every occasion? If so, this is the perfect audiobook for you! Master of comedy Jack Goldstein has loaded over one hundred of his most powerful laugh grenades into his ultimate humour launcher and has handed it over to his English counterpart Stephen Harris to take aim, press the button and unleash hilarity mayhem!