HAPPY BARGAIN BOOK GIFT HUNTING


70945 ITALIAN GOTHIC PAINTING by Margherita Zalum


In Europe, the 15th century began in the spirit of the refined, sophisticated tastes of late or ‘international Gothic’, so-called as it was the product of the continual, fruitful exchanges between courts all over Europe, thanks to the artists’ frequent travel and to the rapid circulation of the artworks. The extreme elegance and sophistication of the compositions reflect the aristocratic tone and the courtly subjects of the depictions. Extraordinary attention to realistic detail is commonplace and often accompanied by grotesque extremes or by idealised settings. The artists of the Renaissance were the first to use the term Gothic, a highly groundbreaking style. The artist who contributed to this the most was Giotto. Not only frescoes, but chiefly altar pieces very soon became the most popular art form in the whole of Europe, alongside manuscript illuminations. This very elegant outsize tome is a manifestation of this elegant culture of chivalry. Gothic art is a manifestation of deep, medieval spirituality, conveyed in the countless churches and monasteries built or restored in this period and the many paintings and frescoes created to decorate altars and chapels. Traditional subjects were replaced with new iconography which celebrated the humanity of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Saints with unparalleled realism in their depiction of the body, settings and everyday detail. Resonant with colour, exquisite in detail, shining in gold panels and triptychs, imbued with humour in some of the courtly paintings and with passion in the suffering of Christ, almost a touch of eroticism in the bare breast of Jean Fouquet’s Virgin and Child on page 309 and with regal splendour in the Consecration of St. Augustine by Jaime Huguet from Barcelona. We counted over 65 artists including Pietro, Ambrogio, English miniature painters, Cenni de Pepo, Sassetta and other luminaries of this


evocative era. 320 huge pages, 13" x nearly 16" and in mailing box for additional protection. New Scala publication.


ONLY £49


69361 PERSIAN PAINTING by Sheila R. Canby


This gem of an illustrated volume provides a concise account of Persian painting c.1300 to 1900. Beginning with the materials and tools, pigments and treatises which enabled the artists to achieve their remarkable effects, the author, curator in the British Museum specialising in Islamic Iran, goes on to survey the stylistic development of Persian painting and the influences upon it of over six centuries of Iran’s turbulent history, from the Ilkhanids of the 14th century, the glorious Safavids to Shah Abbas. 128 paperback pages with 50 colour, 43 b/w illus and map. £10.99 NOW £4


69749 TAHITIAN BEAUTIES 1904-1921


by Gauthier Kakou


With its lush vegetation, spectacular storms, slow pace of life and beautiful naked girls, Tahiti was a magnet for late Victorian artists such as the pioneering photographer Lucien Gauthier, who arrived in Papeete in 1904. Gauthier set


himself up as a portrait photographer, creating an album of semi-naked young beauties and recording civic worthies. He was also fascinated by the exuberant Tahitian greenery and made striking landscape studies. After a spell of military service he returned to Tahiti in 1909 but the needs of his wife and family eventually sent him back to France. During his Polynesian idyll Gauthier created timeless images, perpetuating the myth of a Garden of Eden populated with unclothed women. The languid postures and melancholy air of his subjects contribute to an erotic stereotype at a time when the contrast with the war raging in Europe could hardly have been greater. One of the most striking studies shows a naked girl standing on the edge of a precipitous waterfall, and the same girl later climbs precariously in an oriental tree. The studio studies tend to be more suggestive. Over 100 full-page beautiful monochrome reproductions. 138pp. Save £30. £46 NOW £16


69576 MODIGLIANI: A Life by Jeffrey Meyers In a sensitive rendering of the artist’s life, the author reveals not only the drink-and-drugs-ridden painter and his art but also the painters, writers and lovers who inhabited early 20th century Paris with him. Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian Jew from a bourgeois family. His friends included Picasso, Utrillo and Soutine but, unlike them, his gift was never


recognised during his lifetime and he died in poverty and neglect. A contemporary of the Cubists, ‘Modi’ turned to the art of Africa for inspiration in creating his distinctive style. 272 paperback pages with b/w plates. £11.99 NOW £6


69906 CHRISTIAN ART by Rowena Loverance What makes a work of art Christian? In this quality offering published by the British Museum, Rowena Loverance takes the innovative approach of separating Christian art from its traditional chronological framework and treating it as response to universal human themes, such as relationships between the sexes, food, friendship, those in need and coping with the demands of old age, to mention but a few. She discusses these themes through a fascinating range of 160 colour illus, of some less familiar Christian iconography, from palm mats, papier mâché figures, pilgrim tokens and ivory figurines to gold and enamel reliquaries, Byzantine, Ethiopian and Russian icons, Old Master drawings and modern prints. She also considers the assault of post-Renaissance science and philosophy on artistic output, and assesses


the current state of Christian art in the 21st century. 248pp.


£20 NOW £7


69639 MAGRITTE by Marcel Paquet It is impossible to overlook the influence of René Magritte (1898-1967) on contemporary art. His surrealistic painting turns the usual order of things ironically on its head, thus restoring mystery to a world that has lost its magic. Without a specific message, Magritte’s paintings nonetheless speak to us, creating a connection between opposites on an associative level. Thus a dinner roll can, with complete naturalness, fly past a barred dungeon opening. In discussing his art, Magritte spoke of “inspired thoughts”: he was indeed a painter-philosopher who thought in pictorial form and moved with seemingly playful lightness in the exalted atmosphere of his own imagination. Features a detailed chronological summary of the artist’s life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist, approximately 100 colour illus and a concise biography. 9.4 x 11.8", 96 pages. ONLY £9


69640 MIRO by Janis Mink Joan Miró (1893-1983) is one of the most significant Spanish painters of the 20th century. His early work clearly shows the influence of Fauvism and Cubism. The Catalan landscape also shapes the themes and treatment of these initial works. In his travels, Miró encountered the intellectual avant-garde of his time.


From the mid-20s onward, Miró strove to leave direct objective references behind and developed the pictograms that typify his style. The pictures of this period, which include perhaps the most beautiful and significant ones of his whole oeuvre, dispense with spatiality and an unambiguous reference to objects. From then on, the surfaces were defined by numerals, writing, abstract emblems, and playful figures and creatures. In the post-war years be begin producing graphic works, ceramics, monumental murals, and sculptures. In these works, too, the Catalan artist sought the solid foundation of a figurative, symbolic art, featuring faces, stars, moons, rudimentary animal forms and letters. Joan Miró developed in several stages his characteristic flowing calligraphic style and his world of forms resembling shorthand symbols; from Fauvism to Surrealism by way of his original childlike style, Miró sought to shake up the establishment and in doing so made a name for himself. 100 colour illus and a concise biography. 9.4 x 11.8", 96 pages. New publication. ONLY £9


69644 THE MAGIC MIRROR OF M. C. ESCHER by Bruno Ernst


Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was a master of the third dimension - his lithograph “Magic Mirror” dates as far back as 1946. In taking that title for this book, mathematician Bruno Ernst is stressing the magic spell Escher’s work invariably casts on those who see it. Ernst visited Escher every week for a year, systematically talking through his entire oeuvre with him. Their discussions resulted in a friendship that gave Ernst intimate access to the life and conceptual world of Escher. Biographical data, 250 illustrations, and explications of mathematical problems, offers answers to these and many other questions and is an authentic source text of the first order. 9" x 11.5", 116 pages. New from Taschen. ONLY £9


69621 GRAMMAR OF


ORNAMENT by Owen Jones


This classic Victorian compendium of decorative art was produced in 1856. The author, Owen Jones, voyaged throughout the


Mediterranean as a young man and in 1850 joined a group of architects working on the Crystal Palace. This book is divided into 20 chapters,


each covering a particular historical style and including Jones’s analysis of the structural and aesthetic qualities of examples from each culture. The ancient world is followed by Byzantine, Turkish, Moorish, Indian, Hindu, Chinese and Celtic ornament. For example, in the Medieval section, beautiful line-drawings of Romanesque capitals are accompanied by ten pages of colour motifs from stained glass and illuminated manuscripts, and this is followed by the Renaissance ornament developed in Italy by masters such as Donatello and Ghiberti. The author concludes with drawings from nature. 228pp, softback, 112 colour pages and numerous line drawings. ONLY £11


70933 THE PACIFIC ISLANDS, AFRICA AND


THE AMERICAS by Douglas Newton et al The art of Oceania has the dubious distinction of being least accessible non-Western art for Western audiences, and the to us otherworldly, dreamlike appearance of much of it reflected tens of thousands of years of remote isolation from the rest of the human race. The art of Africa is the oldest in the world, dating from the first modern men, some 100,000 years ago. Each of the three sections starts with an introductory essay which sets the scene with discussions of geography, history, the artists, the subjects and typical styles of the region and its art, before we are treated to a total of 135 colour photos of exhibits in the Museum’s collection. For each there is a description and discussion of its providence, age and many points of interest, and the objects range from masks, pendants, pottery, drinking vessels, earrings and sculpture to decorated shields and helmets, created from wood, stone, terracotta, gold, shells, ivory, feathers and ceramics. The gold treasures of the Mesoamerican civilisations are particularly impressive, and the poles used by the Asmat headhunters of New Guinea to display the recently removed heads of their enemies are terrifying in their beauty and function. 160 9" × 11¾” softback pages, with foldout maps and timelines.


£14 NOW £7.50 Bibliophile Books Unit 5 Datapoint, 6 South Crescent, London E16 4TL TEL: 020 74 74 24 74 AUDIO BOOKS ON CD


71148 TWELVE BABIES ON A BIKE: Five CDs by Dot May Dunn


A young midwife’s account of her training in the Midlands in the 1950s. ‘It is 1956 in a post-war shattered world, but life must go on. A pupil midwife, Dot negotiates the streets on her trusty old bicycle come rain or shine to help women in need. Living and working under the supervision of the strict Mrs O’Reilly she must complete her training with 12 deliveries. There is Mrs Wardell who lives in a seedy slum, the eighth Clarke baby, born in an unusual place, the superstitious Wests desperate for a boy, baby Murphy who is received with laughter and brothel worker Mrs Maloney. Amid lectures, text books and university dances, Dot must saddle up at any time of the day or night to attend deliveries but fate deals her an unexpected hand.’ Abridged memoir running time five hours 20 minutes on five CDs. £14.99 NOW £5


71128 A FIELD FULL OF


BUTTERFLIES: Seven CDs by Rosemary Penfold An enchanting story of a lost world. Rosemary Penfold was born in 1938 in a traditional gypsy wagon and grew up in the fields of the English countryside. She recounts her life with a loving extended family in a


small but close knit community. From early memories of her father bringing home oranges during the war to the simple beauty of a field full of butterflies on a hot summer’s day, Rosemary’s elegant narrative captures the love and losses, hopes and struggles, traditions and prejudices that bound her to her family and help her adapt to a fast-changing world. Running time eight hours 50 minutes, unabridged, on seven CDs. £20 NOW £6


71068 THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR


HYDE: Six CDs and eBook by Robert Louis Stevenson Published as a ‘Shilling Shocker’, Robert Louis Stevenson’s dark psychological fantasy gave birth to the idea of the split personality. The story of respectable Dr Jekyll’s


strange association with ‘damnable young man’ Edward Hyde, the hunt through fog-bound London for a killer, and the final revelation of Hyde’s true identity is a chilling exploration of humanity’s basest capacity for evil. The other tales of horror in this collection also testify to Stevenson inventiveness with the gothic genre: Olalla, a tale of vampirism and tainted family blood, and The Body Snatch, which shows the murky underside of medical practice. Unabridged text, running time five hours 14 minutes on six CDs and a companion eBook in printable PDF format. Terrific value. £19.99 NOW £6.50


69930 WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER: Three CDs edited by Penelope Middelboe, Donald Fry and Christopher Grace


Through the wartime diaries of nine men and women, over this series of CDs (running time seven hours) is the story of the war as they experienced it. Some of them like Harold Nicolson or the pacifist writer Vera Brittain are well known. Others like George Beardmore, a young husband and father with ambitions to become a novelist, or Clara Millburn, a contented wife and mother of a son in the forces are not. They all followed the war in their diaries from outbreak to victory. £16.99 NOW £4


This month’s concoction is as rich as any Christmas pudding!


Fill your squirrel store now with great gifts – Bibliophile’s half price books suit all ages and interests.


Self-indulgent bookaholics can disregard our timely early warning message that books make great stocking fillers for family, friends and neighbours, or even your postman. Bearing in mind his heavy burden in November and December, we have selected paperback fiction, lovely children’s books and mid to higher priced plus gorgeous Luxury books which look fabulous and no one will know what you paid!


Christmas tunes and humour on multiple CD packs will entertain over the holiday season in our Audio section, and seasonal recipes, legends and reminiscences in our Christmas feature. As promised, heavyweight collectible Art tomes from Scala and Frechmann extend the range – The Prado, The Louvre, Italian Gothic Painting and Andrea Palladio among them.


Remember stocks are limited where you see the egg timer symbol, so please hurry your order to avoid disappointment or suggest a replacement title when placing your order.


Happy early Christmas bargain hunting. & the Team (plus cats)


limelight for decades. Her unusual Christian name even led people to believe that the creator of Just William was a man. For many of us the scruffy and adventurous William, Ginger, Henry and Douglas, not forgetting the awful Violet Elizabeth, remain ever part of our childhood. But what do we know about his publicity-shy creator? Cadogan provides a portrait of a witty and talented writer, celebrates her works, relationships and literary achievements. 169pp in paperback with line art plus eight pages of b/w plates. £7.99 NOW £3.50


70999 MY SPEED KING: Life


with Donald Campbell by Tonia Bern-Campbell The love affair between British speed king Donald Campbell and vivacious singer Tonia Bern was one of the great romances of the 20th century. Passion turned to tragedy with the dramatic death of Campbell on Coniston Water in January 1967 as he attempted to break the world water speed record in his famous jet boat ‘Bluebird’. It


BIOGRAPHY / AUTOBIOGRAPHY


71138 MRS SIMPSON by Charles Higham ‘She had more beaux than any other girl in Baltimore.’ The romance of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor has been called the greatest love story of the 20th century. On publication in 1988, the author used explosive Secret Intelligence files to reveal a darker side to their 40 year relationship. Now he has updated his international bestseller. Although


Wallis gained control of the monarch with sexual techniques learned in China, she risked losing her power through a reckless and sustained affair with William Bullitt, the wealthy US Ambassador to France, with whom she conspired against Britain in the interest of Hitler. The book shows for the first time how Wallis and the King, later the Duke of Windsor, were almost destroyed in a blackmail plot in Paris that could have exposed their dangerous and treasonable association. Newly released FBI files demonstrate the extent of the Duchess’s espionage activities and provide a wealth of information about the government, the royal family and the Secret Intelligence Service. 557pp in paperback with 16 pages of b/w photos. £8.99 NOW £4


71066 RICHMAL CROMPTON: The Woman


Behind Just William by Mary Cadogan Written by the editor of the Just William Society magazine, Mary Cadogan is a specialist in the history of children’s literature. Richmal Crompton was in many ways the exact opposite of the rumbustious, outspoken and un-intellectual William. A learned and scholarly woman who was not only an immensely successful author but also a dedicated teacher, she shunned the


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has taken Tonia until now to choose to tell the full story of what it was really like to be married to a man with a great lust for love-making and high-speed record breaking. The result is a tale of fast cars and high living, cruelly cut short. 235 pages with b/w photos. £17.99 NOW £6


70281 BOBBY AND JACKIE: A Love Story


by C. David Heymann Shocking, yearningly romantic and lots of fun, this is the New York Times bestseller by the award- winning biographer. Heymann draws on more than two decades’ worth of personal interviews and previously unavailable reports from the Secret Service and the FBI to create a complete picture of the complex relationship between


Bobby and Jackie Kennedy. An open secret for decades among family insiders, their affair began as a result of their grief over John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 and lasted until Bobby began his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. From late night trysts at Jackie’s Fifth Avenue apartment to fervent embraces at the Kennedy Estate in Palm Beach, the couple’s romantic liaisons and deep friendship grew out of shared tragedies and overflowing ambition. Now featuring a bonus chapter with all-new insights. 230pp in paperback with eight pages of photos including Marilyn Monroe in the ‘Happy Birthday’ dress and Jackie’s former lovers including Marlon Brando. £9.99 NOW £5


71060 THE PEBBLED


SHORE: The Memoirs by Elizabeth Longford Having discovered the joys of writing historical biography with her wonderful study Victoria RI published in 1964, Elizabeth Longford wrote into her seventies including a biography of our present Queen, published in 1983. Public speaking was her first love and only really reconciled herself to the


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Art and Architecture


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