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introduction and an explanation of the incredible amount of information presented. There are mini-biogs of each band members’ early years, before the main part of the book begins. From their early beginnings in West London as the Detours and the High Numbers before becoming established as The Who, here is every single concert, every radio, TV or film appearance, every recording session, as much information as possible on bootleg recordings and the band members’ personal lives - births, marriages, deaths, court cases, car crashes, Rolls Royce detonations and other rock’n’roll shenanigans. Photos, 485pp paperback. £9.99 NOW £3.75
69964 WOODSTOCK: Three Days that Rocked the World
!
edited by Mike Evans and Paul Kingsbury Over half a million people gathered in a field on a dairy farm in upstate New York to participate in what has since been recognised as the most significant and inspiring musical event of its kind. The three days of the festival are presented chronologically. A complete festival log details each of the 31 acts in the order they appeared from Richie Havens’s opening set on the Friday night to Jimi Hendrix’s seminal ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ on the Monday morning - hours after the festival was supposed to have ended. With its information on the band line ups, set lists, performances and anecdotes, the entire Woodstock soundscape is reviewed, song by song. Graphic memorabilia and colour photos, nude hippies taking a dip. 288pp, 10" x 12". £25 NOW £9
70518 CELTIC MUSIC edited by Kenny Mathieson Karen Matheson of Capercaillie, Davey Spillane, the wonderful Christy Moore, the rock-influenced group Clannad, Welsh band Ar Log, Brittany group Gwerz, harpist, piper, singer Alan Stivvell and many more are well known in the Celtic music world of today. Featuring both traditional and new kinds of Celtic
and Celtic-influenced music by leading and lesser known performers, here are the solo artists, bands, singers and players who specialise with instruments like harps, pipes, fiddles, drums, squeezeboxes, whistles, mandolins and guitars. Cape Breton, Wales, Isle of Man and England, Scotland and Brittany are covered as well as Ireland. For each region there are recommended records and recordings to listen to or collect. 192pp in well illus large softback.
£14.95 NOW £5.50
69942 DOO WOP: The Music, The Times, The Era
by Cousin Brucie Morrow and Rich Maloof 300 spectacular archival colour photos of the doo wop artists and album covers, images of movie and TV stars, athletes, newsmakers and events from an era when cars were judged by the size of their fins and beehive hairdos were all the rage. The opening chapter begins on the west coast of Africa and includes Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and other stars of the 1940s. Here are the doo wop pioneers, big business taking over, acts like The Soul Stirrers and The Andrews Sisters, The Delta River Boys, early US children’s TV featuring music, The Robins, The Silhouettes, Jive Five with their 1961 hit ‘My True Story’ and dozens of others through to The Beach Boys, The Mamas and Papas, Bob Dylan and The Beatles. With a really fun doo wop dictionary (bread meaning cash), Cousin Brucie’s top 140 groups and a Q & A quiz with such characters as Ben E. King. 352pp, 10" x 12". £14.99 NOW £8
MYTHOLOGY
70997 CURIOUS COUNTRY CUSTOMS
by Jeremy Hobson
Why do people career downhill after a rolling cheese, dance with horns on their heads or race carrying burning barrels? Britain’s many traditions have long been its greatest attractions, and some are extremely famous. But the lesser- known, more weird and wonderful
customs are often the most fascinating, intriguing and amusing. Where is a goat crowned king and elevated to a stage to watch the celebrations? Why might you be asked if you would like to ‘spend a penny’ when visiting the village of Helpin? And why do you need to take care of your money if you visit Kilburn in July? 224 pages illustrated in b/w, with list of customs by region. £9.99 NOW £5
23958 ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES: SELECTED STORIES
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was born in Odense, the son of a shoemaker. His early life was wretched, but he was adopted by a patron and became a short-story writer, novelist and playwright, though he remains best known for his magical fairy tales, which were published between 1835 and 1872. For 150 years his stories have been delighting both adults and children. Packed with light-hearted whimsy combined with mature wisdom they are as entrancing as ever. Here over 40 of Andersen’s 168 tales, and among the favourites are The Red Shoes, The Mermaid, The Real Princess, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Tinder-Box and, of course, The Ugly Duckling. Illus. throughout. 400pp. Paperback. ONLY £2
52781 WAGNER THE WEREWOLF by George W. M. Reynolds
Aged and deserted, Fernand Wagner agrees to serve John Faust for the last year of his life. In return he is given youth, wealth and beauty - but at the terrible price of becoming a werewolf. He loves the glacial, beautiful, sesual Nisida, whose family history conceals a dreadful secret. Together they flee from Florence to a desert island: but dogged by the Inquisition, and by the might of the Ottoman Empire, they are finally forced to face the horror that lurks in the closet. First published in 1847, this is one of the earliest treatments of the Werewolf theme in English literature. Paperback. 476pp. ONLY £3
68035 COMPLETE FABLES OF LA FONTAINE: A New Translation in Verse by Craig Hill
The translator has captured the liveliness, satiric wit and poetic beauty that made the poet famous during his lifetime and his Fables celebrated as a masterwork of world literature ever since. Putting his characters on stage and endowing them with irresistibly witty dialogue, La Fontaine portrayed with great humour the flaws and pretensions that still dog us. Here are the backstabbing politicians, charlatans, egomaniacs, gluttons, liars and many more that still exist today. 350 pages with scintillating illustrations by Edward Sorel, chronology, translator’s note, La Fontaine’s Preface, La Fontaine’s Prose Dedication to the Dauphin and La Fontaine’s Verse Dedication to the Dauphin. $35 NOW £5
69591 WORLDS OF ARTHUR by Fran and Geoff Doel and Terry Lloyd
Subtitled ‘King Arthur in History, Legend and Culture’, we ask exactly who was King Arthur? How does this figure relate to the hero of the medieval romances and other legends? What are the origins of the Knights of the Round Table or the Quest for the Holy Grail? The authors highlight the evidence for the historical Arthur, the medieval
Welsh sources, the French Romances and the tradition of courtly love, Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and the Tudor myths, the contribution of Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites and the explosion of Arthurian novels in the 20th century. 141pp in paperback with illus and photos.
£9.99 NOW £3
68656 BEASTLY TALES FROM HERE AND THERE
by Vikram Seth illustrated by Ravi Shankar In an enchanting collection of animal fables in verse from around the world, the award-winning novelist cooperates with his friend, the Indian cartoonist Ravi Shankar, to bring magic to old tales and make them seem like new. With his unique blend of humour and poetic genius, he revisits traditional tales that originated in Greece, China, India and the Ukraine, as well as in his own fantasyland of Gup. Here are The Louse and the Mosquito, the Eagle and the Beetle, the Elephant and the Tragopan, and many more to amuse and delight. 126 pages. £9.59 NOW £1.75
69511 WHORES OF THE DEVIL: Witch-Hunts and Witch-Trials
by Erik Durschmied
In 1519, Martin Luther said ‘Witches are the whores of the Devil.’ But who were the monsters who accused, arrested, judged and condemned without showing consideration or pity, and what were their motives? Did they act to uphold the established faith, or was it for self-protection? Was it for political aims, sheer greed or to
confiscate the wealth of their victims? This is an excellent reprint of the 2005 original text which explores the period of the Middle Ages to modern times with such characters as Joan of Arc, Martin Luther and the Witchfinder-General Matthew Hopkins. 313pp in paperback.
£9.99 NOW £2.75
68763 ANIMAL LORE OF SHAKESPEARE’S TIME: Including Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, Fish and Insects by Emma Phipson
In her classic 19th century text, first published in 1883, the author provides a most unusual insight into how the medieval mind related to animal life. Here are not only the known species but also beasts that hardly merit a mention in the 21st century, such as the mantichor, the cockatrice, the wyvern, the fire-drake, the basilisk and many more. Here, animal by animal, the author explains the similes, allusions and anecdotes found in the plays, poems and general literature of this compelling age. 476 paperback pages in facsimile reprint. £9.99 NOW £3.50
70714 MYSTERY OF THE WHITE LIONS: Children of the Sun God
by Linda Tucker
The author lived a glamorous life- style as a model until a near-death experience changed her life for ever and is now working to save these endangered strange creatures with their white fur and blue eyes. This intriguing book is her first-hand account of her journey into the
mysteries of the most sacred animal on the African continent - the legendary White Lion, which is a genetic rarity within Panthera leo and has occurred in just one region on earth - Timbavati, South Africa. Here, shamans believe that, in accordance with the most guarded secrets of Ancient Egypt, and humankind’s greatest riddle, the Sphinx, killing a ‘lion sun god’ is the ultimate sacrilege. 321 paperback pages, b/w with colour plates.
£12.99 NOW £4.50
69319 AZTEC AND MAYA MYTHS by Karl Taube
Produced in association with the British Museum Press, and with 50 illustrations and some maps, here is a superb introduction to the mythology of ancient Aztec and Maya people. The Maya creation and flood myths have survived, in various forms, in pre-Hispanic writing and art, but the Aztec empire arose less than two centuries before the Spanish conquest, and our knowledge of its mythology comes primarily from early colonial documents of the 16th century. Here are creation myths and calendrics in Yucatan, the origin of the alcoholic beverage pulque, the origin of maize and the head of the maize god placed in the cacao tree, Camazotz the killer bat and much more. 80 page large softback. £8.99 NOW £1.75
Bibliophile Books Unit 5 Datapoint, 6 South Crescent, London E16 4TL TEL: 020 74 74 24 74 NATURE
71133 HELIGAN WILD by Colin Howlett
‘The Lost Gardens of Heligan’ was a phenomenal bestseller, an extraordinary tale of archaeology and passion. But Heligan, ‘the garden restoration of the century’, is not simply a product of the gardener’s art - it is a haven for wild birds and animals. The author began observing the wildlife and the weather at Heligan for several
years and the result is a nature lover’s diary on this incredible place. He had arrived at the Heligan restoration project in March 1993 and was volunteered to run the official weather station on the estate. His daily observations draw us to the homes of the many beautiful birds like a small flock of long-tailed tits, mistlethrush, herons and swallows alongside the natural flora like wild rosehip, sweet chestnut and Alder catkins. With beautiful colour illustrations throughout and a list of bird species and butterflies sighted at Heligan. 128pp in paperback.
£7.99 NOW £4
71035 NATURE’S ENGRAVER: A Life of Thomas Bewick by Jenny Uglow
Gilbert White’s ‘Natural History of Selborne’, and Thomas Bewick’s ‘History of British Birds’ marked 18th century Britain’s love with nature. Illustrated by woodcuts of astonishing accuracy and beauty and vivid vignettes scattered through, the book draws the life of the country people in the north east
- children and farmers, travelling musicians, old soldiers and beggars, housewives and fishermen. Bewick was a master of the miniature. Jenny Uglow’s superbly illustrated biography tells the story of the farmer’s son from Tyneside who never courted fame yet revolutionised wood engraving and influenced book illustration for a century. It is a story of violent change and radical politics, workshops and family life, mines and fells, the sea and the fierce west winds - a journey to the beginning of our lasting obsession with the natural world. Faber paperback. 458pp with engravings and drawings plus 16 pages of colour plates. £11.99 NOW £5
71072 UNCLE GEORGE’S
GOLDEN DAYS by Humphrey Phelps ‘Uncle George, my father’s elder brother’ was a baker by trade but gardening, fruit growing and pigs interested him far more than the baking and selling of bread. This is the latest instalment of the Forest Series which has its central character the author’s larger-than-life subject - Uncle George. As the local baker,
he was at the core of his community and held decided views on any and every subject. He was always ready to express himself in trenchant terms, not only to his two cronies Reuben and Colonel, but to anyone else whose ear he could attract. He was seldom far from the storm centre of every dispute in the village, and often the source of them! Cider-making and above all his smallholding were his real passions and the story sees George selling his bakery and buying the adjoining piece of land upon which he has had his eye for so long. 191pp in softback. £12.99 NOW £4
71140 A NATURAL HISTORY
OF OURSELVES by Hannah Holmes
Homo Sapiens is a mammal that uncharacteristically travels on two legs, leaving the forelimbs free for other tasks. It has strangely diminutive canine teeth. Sex differences are pronounced. The sexes also differ in height, fat storage and fur distribution. Although resembling other apes, the human’s excursion into trees are
normally clumsy and often injurious! Welcome to the field guide to your species. Homo Sapiens is a strange mammal. It mates remarkably often, eats to the point of undermining its own health and marks its territory with doors, fences and garden gnomes. It thinks of itself as intelligent, complex and superior to animals in every other way but Hannah Holmes surveys the evidence using an illuminating mix of personal anecdote and scientific observation. A hugely entertaining popular science book, 400pp in paperback. £8.99 NOW £3.50
71108 TREES IN THE LANDSCAPE
by Graham Stuart Thomas Every landscape is a potential picture to be captured in paint or on camera, and the author of this horticultural classic was both an eminent horticulturist and a person with an artist’s eye. Spending much of his working life with the National
Trust, Thomas had particular admiration for the work of the early 19th century gardener Humphry Repton, who always consulted “the genius of the place”, and he reproduces the pair of prints used by Repton to illustrate the difference between a park and a garden. Thomas himself analyses a number of country scenes to demonstrate what judicious planting can achieve to enhance the landscape. Carding Mill Valley at the foot
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of the Long Mynd in Shropshire could be opened up to reveal the view, with trees screening an unsightly telegraph pole. A view of hills across a meadow in nearby Church Stretton is given interest by well-placed Lombardy poplars, whereas the lake at Blickling Hall in Norfolk lacks foreground interest. The arts of screening and planting are covered in two initial chapters before the long section which is the centrepiece of this work, a list of trees and shrubs, giving Latin name, date of introduction and native habitat and height. The book concludes with a gazetteer of “some parks and landscapes”, followed by “trees through other Eyes and Minds”, quoting landscape poets. 200pp, over 130 photos in black and white and colour. £25 NOW £8
68662 JACQUES COUSTEAU: The Sea King by Brad Matsen
Vividly conveying the lure of the sea that shaped Jacques Cousteau’s life, here is Cousteau working for the French resistance during World War II, for which he received France’s Croix de Guerre, developing and risking his life to test, the regulator that made scuba diving possible, becoming a legendary catalyst of the worldwide environmental movement, starring in many documentaries and publishing more than 50 books! Cousteau also married his long-time mistress, 40 years his junior and the mother of two of his children, which kindled a bitter family feud. 296pp, illus. £17.99 NOW £4
70036 LOST AND LEFT BEHIND: Stories from the Age
of Extinctions by Terry Glavin It is a worrying fact that the planet is losing many animal and plant species but, more than that, we are also losing a vast human legacy of languages. Ecologists are calling the age in which we live the Sixth Great Extinction. The author sets off in pursuit of the very things we are losing. Along the way, he encounters some of the world’s
wonderful, rare occurrences: a mysterious Sino-Tibetan song-language, a Malayan tiger - the last of its kind - and a strange tomato that tastes just like black cherry ice cream. And he finds hope in the most unlikely places - a macaw roost in Costa Rica and the vault beneath the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. 335 pages, line drawings.
£12.99 NOW £3
68780 MY FAMILY AND 50 OTHER ANIMALS: A Year-Long Quest to See Britain’s Mammals by Dominic Couzens
Believe it or not, there are almost 100 mammalian species living in Britain. Many of them are nocturnal, almost all of them are not exactly forthcoming, and most people, even keen natural history enthusiasts would struggle to see more than ten in a year. So how could one ordinary young family manage to see a total of 50 in a year? The book charts the peaks and troughs - figuratively and geographically - as he, his wife Carolyn and their children scour the British countryside and coastline in search of that elusive half-century. Pine martens, edible dormice, orcas, beavers, dolphins and even red-necked wallabies - as well as a great many human eccentrics - all make an appearance. 255pp, colour photos.
£17.99 NOW £3.50
68898 BATS: Biology, Behaviour and Folklore by Glover Morrill Allen
Originally published in 1939 and still regarded as a standard work on the subject, this scientific and literary study starts with bats in folklore and goes on to their biology, habitats, breeding, migration and social habits. Tree-living bats are brighter in colour while the cave- dwelling Ghost Bat is pure white. Bats’ teeth are interesting in that the second set is very different, and this is thought to be an adaptive trait. Migration of bats depends upon the seasonal availability of insects, and bats may hibernate in very low temperatures. 368pp, paperback, photos. £19.99 NOW £3
69932 WHAT SHAT THAT? The Pocket Guide to Poop
Identity by Matt Pagett This will have every infantile mind chuckling, despite it being a technically accurate biological guide. Under seagull we see splatterings of poo which carry more toxins than most bird droppings and see poo that bears traces of the animals’ last meals. See a photograph of a typical gecko poo and learn how to remove it from windowsills with lemon oil, discover the contents of
domestic cat litter trays, horsey heaps (once common in towns), why goldfish are not shy when it comes to pooing in public and why beaver dung, light and fibrous and highly toxic, is usually found floating in water. 50 entries, colour photos and illus. 112pp. £9.99 NOW £3
69039 FUTURE HISTORY OF THE ARCTIC by Charles Emmerson
There is no land at North Pole itself, and the region within the Arctic Circle includes land which is claimed by many countries - each with very different agendas. When you factor in that there is immense oil, gas and mineral wealth to be had when the technology for drilling and mining in such conditions comes about, it is clear that the Arctic is, for all its pristine, subzero whiteness, as hot potato of the highest order. Global warming has seen the area of ice cover, upon which the entire ecosystem is dependent, shrink to such levels that it is projected that the Pole itself may actually be ice-free in summer by as early as 2025. Charles Emmerson here shows us why the Arctic is so important. 419pp paperback, photos and other illus.
£14.99 NOW £2.50
69480 DISASTROUS HISTORY OF THE WORLD by John Withington
Subtitled ‘Chronicles of War, Earthquakes, Plague and Flood’, what with tsunamis, monsoon floods and international terrorism, the world seems to get more dangerous by the day. Or does it? Our book takes the reader on an epic journey through the nastiest things to have afflicted mankind. Withington chronicles all the natural calamities including plague and famine and describes in compelling detail all the greatest man-made
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