Showing results by narrator "Jack Wynters" in All Categories

When I visited the huge Damien Hirst exhibition staged by the Gagosian Gallery in New York in 1996, one of the most striking pieces was a large glass tank full of live fish. Dumped among the fish were an obstetrical couch, in a rather decayed condition, and various obstetrical implements. For some time after I had seen the show, this image tugged at my mind. It reminded me of something - but of what? Finally, memory dragged up the reference I needed: Hirst's piece was a direct descendant of Salvador Dali's installation, "Rainy Taxi".

This may seem a funny moment to proclaim that nothing much is happening in art - certainly not in contemporary art. In many ways, the art world has never seemed more vibrant and active, and this activity is increasingly focused on what is defined as contemporary. There hasn’t, in fact, been a moment like this in the relatively recent history of art since the mid-19th century. If one looks at the years of political and economic chaos between 1789 and 1815, as the fortunes of war swayed back and forth, this is not surprising.

A good art collection is always much more than the sum of its parts. This applies with especial force to collections of contemporary work. A collection of this kind, whether the collector intends it to be so or not, is always a portrait - a reflection in the mirror of a particular epoch, and, willy-nilly, a self-portrait of the person who takes the trouble to bring it together.

In the summer of 1914, the capitals of Europe erupt in a patriotic frenzy as peoples on all sides, roused by the press, rejoice at the outbreak of the "war to end wars". The rejoicing soon turns to disillusionment as the full horrors of the bloodiest conflict the world has ever seen become apparent. For the Emperors of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia comes the growing awareness that this war, which they sought desperately to avoid, is not being fought for territory or honor, but rather to destroy the old world order and to replace their autocracies with secular ideologies and international economic control.

In Simply Hitchcock, author and movie critic David Sterritt explores the celebrated director’s entire career, from its beginnings in the British silent film industry to its glory days in Hollywood. He shows Hitchcock as a consummate artist who dealt with deep existential and psychological issues, as well as a mischievous prankster who loved playing tricks on the audience and never missed a chance to pull a dead rabbit out of a hat.

The first emperor of France and one of the shrewdest military leaders of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821) eventually came to control much of Europe. In Simply Napoleon, authors J. David Markham and Matthew Zarzeczny tell Napoleon's story, from his birth on the island of Corsica to his eventual imprisonment and death on the island of Saint Helena. They explain how the famed military commander's unique combination of determination, intellect, and personal charisma allowed him to rise from a provincial village to become a powerful and authoritative ruler. While taking an overall positive view of Napoleon, Markham and Zarzeczny also make it a point to draw attention to his mistakes and their consequences, providing a balanced picture of this complicated figure who was both a product of his times and a man pointing the way to the future.

According to legend, Annas Zevi, an artist who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, was told by Christ to paint what he saw. Over the centuries, his completed works have vanished, along with every other painting depicting Lazarus' resurrection. They were rumored to be sacred icons with miraculous powers. International art recovery experts Broderick Ladro and Ulla Stuart are hired by a disgraced high court judge, Sir Maxwell Throgmorton, to locate a long lost medieval painting by Spanish artist Francisco Cortez. Like Zevi, his work is said to be divinely inspired.

On 28th June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his morganatic wife, Sophie Chotek, were shot dead in broad daylight on a crowded street in Sarajevo. The murder of a relatively unknown archduke in a remote Bosnian city might well have been quickly forgotten were it not for the fact that this seemingly minor event ignited a spark that would explode into one of the bloodiest conflicts in history. Within four years, over sixteen million people from one hundred countries would lie dead on the battlefields.

Hidden away in the depths of the forest lies a secret. As the full moon casts an eerie glow over the trees, Jacob sneaks away from his slumbering parents and makes his way to a moss and lichen covered outcrop. Armed with a magnifying glass, night vision goggles, and his book on the stars, Jacob delves into the enchanting and illusionary forest. It's a place of wonder and mystery, filled with secrets beyond his wildest dreams.

Tommy Belanger had been born into a dysfunctional family - fed by alcohol abuse, abject poverty, and the trials and tribulations associated with living in isolation. His was a life filled with child abuse, incest, bestiality, and zoophilia. Tommy hated how those things affected him and his siblings. And he detested his father.

Adrian Hartman is the charismatic director of the Serendipity holiday community, set among pine trees on a sunbaked island. His job is to ensure the perfect mindful break, with personal growth and inner peace guaranteed. His guests return year after year to bare their souls. For some, Adrian is Serendipity. But this year Adrian isn't there, and nobody knows the reason why. Things have changed: staff and guests are bewildered without their leader and the simmering hostility of the local villagers is beginning to boil over.

1916. Britain is deep in the grip of the Great War, spilling the best of its blood in Flanders' fields. Morale at home is low. But one thing is certain: war minister Lord Kitchener will see things through. So when Kitchener is assassinated by the IRA, how will the public react? How will British troops at the Front take it? It's up to MI5 to handle the situation, and quickly. Lieutenant Chris Hubert's suggestion of lookalike Colonel Henry Farmer staves off the announcement of Kitchener's death.

Computer whiz Peter has set up an online network which attracts the wrong crowd: criminals who embraced technology to hide their dirty dealings. Peter got rich, then got in too deep and ended up running for his life. The only way he could survive was to fake his own death. Now the ruthless American gangsters he was in partnership with have discovered he is still breathing; and they have put a price on his head.

Hidden within the depths of the boreal forest lies a secret that could change everything for Ashenee, a young Cree woman born to a traditional family. In her isolated community, they follow the customs and beliefs of their ancestors, blissfully unaware of the countless missing aboriginal women from other nearby communities. As Ashenee embarks on a journey to her mother's village, she begins to sense a foreboding presence, a warning that something is amiss.

Cyber-crime didn't exist in the 1980s. Or did it? Clem Chambers' gripping techno-thriller series, The Hacker Chronicles, is a reminder that the dark art of hacking is as old as network technology. Dial Up for Murder is set in 1984, long before the revolutionary advent of the Internet and World Wide Web. The hacker hero Peter is an entrepreneurial nerd struggling to attract paying subscribers to his new-fangled network. A chance meeting with a shady customer soon has the young computer whizz raking in the dough.

Matthew Blackwell smiled as he stirred Haley's drink, spiked with enough ketamine to render her unconscious. For many weeks he had been planning this evening, to have sex his way. It was going to be a night to remember. Matthew believed that money was power. With it he got what he wanted and he felt that he could do anything to women. Always at his side was his good friend, Ryan Crowe. Matthew had the financial means and Ryan seemingly had the connections.

Emily Walker hated that they were moving to Collingwood House and became distressed when she read the details on the real estate listing - Haunted House. They moved anyway, 4000 kilometers away from her best friend and to the seaside. The old house creaked and groaned, things went missing, doors banged, shadows moved from room to room, and dead animals were found in unusual places.

This empowering book contains the most potent success recipes in each chapter, which the author has discovered over the last 24 years of his professional experience and interaction with thousands of professionals. It will help listeners to master every area of their lives, from understanding the rationale behind fears and failures to being happy and successful in work and in relationships.

Step into a world which is both magically fictitious and shockingly real, to follow the lives of Tamsin, Ellie, Arun, and Charlie; a refugee, native, occupier, and economic migrant. Watch them grow up during a halcyon past, an everyday present, and a dystopian future. And be prepared to be amazed. Inspired by the occupations of Palestine, Kurdistan, and Tibet, and by the corporate occupation of the west, Occupied is a haunting glance into a society which is too familiar for comfort. It truly is a unique piece of literary fiction.

The author takes a close look at the dynamics that exist between populism and the society in general. From Farage in Britain to Podemos in Spain and Syriza in Greece, the book takes us on a journey to understand how populist characters have successfully challenged mainstream parties in recent years and forever redefined politics from a Left-Right two-party system with shared democratic values to a split multi-party system with deeply rooted nationalistic and revolutionary principles.