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the author, a surprisingly frank portrait begins to emerge. From the distant days of his penniless beginnings as an acclaimed poet in Montréal, through the travels, affairs and religious crises, to his latest tours, here is the story of his relationships with women, alcohol, drugs, crime and much more. Despite it all, Leonard Cohen commands unparalleled loyalty from his fans and followers, young and old and he takes the mickey out of his grumpy reputation! He is a superstar performer. 320 paperback pages with b/w photos and selective discography.


£14.95 NOW £7.50


72532 LONNIE DONEGAN by Patrick Humphries The photo on the back cover says it all - Lonnie Donegan in the early 60s surrounded by three young Beatles who look thrilled to bits at being photographed with their hero. Donegan’s domination of the British pop scene was short, lasting from his first hit “Rock Island Line” in 1956 to his eclipse by the Beatles and Stones in the mid-60s. The first British act


to enter the charts at No.1, to post-war teenagers Donegan was “almost as exciting as a piece of off-ration beef or a whole bar of Cadbury’s chocolate”. He showed the world that anyone could join a band and before long, “joining a skiffle group became an essential rite of passage between Meccano and marriage”. Humphries met Donegan a few times in his later career and as a music journalist his study of the trail-blazing skiffle star is not only a supremely readable biography but also an analysis of the musical influences on his unique sound. A self-taught guitarist heavily influenced by jazz in his early years, Donegan’s first job was with the legendary jazzman Chris Barber who was interviewed for this book. His big break came in 1957 with the new pop television show The 6.5 Special, and for a few brief years the world was at his feet, with “My old man’s a dustman” rivalling Elvis’s “Jailhouse Rock” by entering the charts at No 1. 386pp, discography, photos. £25 NOW £7


73099 LOVE ME TENDER: The Stories Behind the World’s Best-Loved Songs by Max Cryer


An English composer’s ditty about a blackbird singing in a tree was sold to an American minstrel show and 95 years later the song became one of Elvis Presley’s biggest hits and the title of this book. Here is the remarkable story of many other


songs, some of which came from musical theatre, some from folk songs and others hit the mark because a particular recording appeared at just the right time. Sometimes, one word made all the difference. With a cast of characters from Art Garfunkel, Robert Burns and Paul McCartney, Judy Garland and Cole Porter to Marie Antoinette, and from T S Eliot to Big Mama Thornton. 192 pages with b/w archive photos. £9.99 NOW £5


72591 ALL MUSIC GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC edited by Chris Woodstra, Gerald


Brennan and Allen Schrott The definitive guide to classical music, this whopping great outsized softback contains 1608 pages and is an authoritative guide to 12,000 recommended recordings. Whether


you are exploring the haunting melodies of Gregorian chant, the mighty symphonies of Beethoven, the dizzying soundscapes of today’s brightest young composers from John Adams to Ellen Taafe Zwilich, J. S. Bach, Debussy, Puccini, Schubert to Ralph Vaughan Williams and Richard Wagner, there are also many interesting essays on classical music for newcomers - music of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and Romantic period through to music from 1950-1975, ballet music, chamber and choral music, film music. 1500 biographies of composers and performers, 4000 descriptions of composers’ work, 1200 recordings recommended, 360 opera and ballet synopses, plus introductory essays. £19.95 NOW £7.50


71386 ELVIS PRESLEY: Two Volume Life by Peter Guralnick


Hailed by the New York Times Book Review as “the greatest rock-and-roll biography ever written” and by Bob Dylan as “This book cancels out all others”, Guralnick’s biography of the King is presented here in a slipcased two volume set, the two titles being Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley. Volume one begins with Elvis’s childhood, which began on 8 January 1935 in traumatic fashion, the second born of twin boys, his brother Jesse being still-born 35 minutes earlier. Unable to have any more children following his birth, Gladys Presley idolised her son, lavishing upon him all the attention she could, and he learned basic guitar and showed a little promise at singing. Between the ages of 14 to 19 he discovered his love of music, and the book then takes us from 1953 to 1958 in meticulously detailed two-six month chronological chapters. Sam Philips and Sun Records, signing to RCA, the early singles, tours and films, and quite simply becoming the biggest rock’n’roll star in the world, before the US Draft Board intervened in 1958 and by October Elvis was off to Germany for 18 months. Volume two begins with his triumphant return from National Service in March 1960. Colonel Tom Parker had been busy orchestrating all the elements necessary to keep his sole client’s profile high, and career-wise it was almost as if he had not been away. Here is the insular youth from Tupelo to the movies, the girls, the touring, Las Vegas and drug dependency ensued, and although the voice never failed, the rest of him did, culminating in the awful denouement of 16 August 1977. As Bob Dylan also points out, “...he steps from the pages, you can feel him breathe”. Two slipcased paperbacks, 560pp and 766pp, with b/w photos. £27.50 NOW £11


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72615 KLASSISCHE MEISTERWERKE VI 1685- 1897: 12 CDs by the Royal


Philharmonic Orchestra 12 great composers are celebrated in this German box set which is presented in the size of an old vinyl


album for easy storage. Each CD lasts approximately one hour and the 12 composers featured with some of their best known works include Handel, J. S. Bach, Die Söhne Bachs, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, von Weber, Berlioz, Offenbach, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. A bargain price for these wonderful classical recordings performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. ONLY £9


71446 A BRIEF HISTORY OF ALBUM COVERS by Jason Draper


Covering six decades from the 50s to the noughties, each chapter is organised chronologically according to the earliest release date of the album either in the UK, US or occasionally Australia. With full information about the context in which it was created, the record label, release date and songwriters. Remember In the Court of King Crimson 1969 with that huge pink face looking terrified? Trailblazing designs, all in colour one per page. 384pp in paperback.


£9.99 NOW £3


71498 MIDSUMMER NIGHTS by Jeanette Winterson and Ralph Fiennes A collection of 19 short stories. Each is written by an acclaimed writer, who has taken as their inspiration an opera of their choice. Antonia Fraser, Colm Toibin on Pearl Fishers, Andrew Motion, Joanna Trollope, Alexander McCall Smith and Ruth Rendell - the standard of writing is of the very highest. We particularly enjoyed Ruth Rendell on Theodora, as well as Lynne Truss’s String and Air (Britten’s Turn of the Screw) featuring Caroline and her vast cast of rescue cats. Colour illus. by Posy Simmonds, 329pp. £16.99 NOW £5


71517 COMPLETE LYRICS OF P.G.


WODEHOUSE edited by Barry Day P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) himself said that he viewed his novels as “musical comedies without the music”. Between 1905 and 1934 he had a hand in the libretto of almost 40 musicals, culminating in Anything Goes (1934). Collaborating with the writer Guy Bolton and the composer Jerome Kern, Wodehouse’s big break from tradition was to write lyrics to fit Kern’s music. Although Oklahoma in 1943 is often credited with pioneering this approach, Bolton, Wodehouse and Kern were already developing the technique during World War I in hits such as Leave it to Jane and Oh, Boy!. Wodehouse’s song “Bill”, originally written for the 1917 musical Oh Lady! Lady!!, ended up in the groundbreaking Hammerstein musical Showboat. Includes all Wodehouse’s lyrics together with the synopsis of each show and original cast. Appendices include “the lost shows” and Wodehouse’s notes on lyric-writing. 489pp, photos, playbills. £51.95 NOW £12


71639 GUITAR HEAVEN: The Most Famous


Guitars to Electrify Our World by Neville Marten


During the 1970s and 80s, the author was a guitar repairer for Gibson and Fender, working on a host of valuable and rare guitars, including Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Woodstock’ Stratocaster. Since 1983, he has played guitar in Marty Wilde’s Wildcats. He has met and interviewed dozens of legendary guitarists, from Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler to Brian May and George Harrison. Here is the historic Gretsch 6136 White Falcon played by Neil Young of the harmony-driven American folk-rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, which cost a staggering $600. Covers every guitarist worth his salt from Darrell Dimebag Abbott to Frank Zappa. 234 softback pages 21cm x 29.5cm absolutely bursting with info and photos in colour and b/w, with alphabetical list of guitars. Foreword by Les Paul. $22.99 NOW £7


71673 BOWIE: A Biography by Marc Spitz A deep portrait of David Bowie the artist. Noted rock journalist Marc Spitz looks in depth at the culture of post- war England in which Bowie grew up, the modern hippie scenes of swinging London in the 60s, his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, his rise to global stardom in the 80s and subsequent status as an elder statesman of alternative culture. Here is his tricky relationship with art and commerce, Buddhism and the occult, his complicated family life, his open romantic relationship, and a fresh evaluation of his recorded work, film, stage and video performances. Based on 100 original interviews. 429pp, photos.


$26.99 NOW £4.50


71684 SUSAN BOYLE: Dreams Can Come True by Alice Montgomery


When the tubby Scottish 48 year old spinster Susan Magdalane Boyle stepped out onto the stage of Britain’s Got Talent on 11th April 2009 there were jeers and sniggers. She had the voice of an angel and her story was to become a modern day fairytale. In this, the first book to explore her amazing rags to riches story, we follow her from her humble beginnings in a small Scottish town to topping the charts and performing for millions worldwide. We fall silent again as we hear her voice, this time in words. Colour photos, 246pp. $21.95 NOW £3.50


72850 THE BALLAD OF BOB DYLAN: A


Portrait by Daniel Mark Epstein The musician author combines the skills of an experienced historian with the flair of a novelist and quotes extensively from Bob Dylan’s songs and gives a fresh analysis of the lyrics. Beginning with Bob Dylan’s early concerts to touring with the Grateful Dead where Dylan revived his career (under the influence of Jerry Garcia) to the recording of Time Out of Mind in 1997 and his 2009 tour, through first hand accounts, reportage and a wealth of interviews this is a subtle and multi-layered appreciation of Dylan’s art. 496pp in paperback, photos. £15 NOW £4.50


70396 THE ART OF CLASSIC ROCK: Rock


Memorabilia, Tour Posters by Paul Grushkin and Alice Cooper With the decline of record stores, and the introduction of CDs instead of LPs, a beautiful, unique form of art has been lost, so collecting becomes ever more vital. This superb book features the biggest names in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Alice Cooper and David Bowie. Each section focuses on a famous act, covering its defining tours and albums to show how the musicians’ iconic designs and graphic styles changed over the years. This volume is the ultimate backstage pass. 255 gigantic pages 29cm x 34cm with photos of rock memorabilia, tour posters and merchandise in blazing colour. $50 NOW £12


72352 LEARN TO PLAY THE PIANO AND


KEYBOARD: A Step-by-Step Guide by Nick Freeth


The book begins with choosing your instrument and, once acquired, showing the way around the keyboard. Next follow the scales and chords, staff notation, hand coordination, major and minor chords, scales and harmonics and finally sustain, the pedals, dynamic control and different musical styles and their adaptations. Colour photos and diagrams on every page show how each note and chord should be fingered. Demystifies music reading and there are several well-known pieces to play as you begin your “journey of musical discovery”. Concludes with advice for learners. 96pp, 9"×11". ONLY £4


72387 SIR ADRIAN BOULT CONDUCTS


ELGAR: Five CDs by Regis Records Adrian Boult was born in Chester in 1889 and became part of the music staff at Covent Garden in 1914 and in 1919 conducted the première of Holst’s The Planets at the composer’s invitation. He was at the forefront of British musical life in the 1930s and 40s and with the BBC Philharmonic made a large number of important recordings in a variety of repertoires. He was at the helm for over 1500 broadcasts. The majority of the recordings on this box set date from the 1950s and the recording of Elgar’s First Symphony (1907-8) dates from the very start of his directorship of the LPO and was recorded for HMV in 1950. The set also includes many of Elgar’s important shorter orchestral works from the famous Pomp and Circumstance Marches to the charming Nursery Suite plus violin concerto (Campoli), cello concerto (Casals), Enigma Variations, Falstaff and Cockaigne. Elegantly packaged five CD box set exclusively discounted through Bibliophile. ONLY £12


72388 CHOPIN PIANO WORKS: Six CDs by Artur Rubinstein and Chopin


From the introduction by Hugo Sharley in the accompanying booklet, we learn that Artur Rubinstein (1887-1982) was born in Poland and was perhaps most fêted for his highly idiomatic, uniquely poetic interpretations of the music of Chopin, very much Poland’s national composer. This collection brings together recordings from the important middle years of his career, the earliest, the Nocturnes, recorded for HMV in 1937. Includes also Ballades, Mazurkas, Preludes, Polonaises and Waltzes. 6 CD set. ONLY £12


MYTHOLOGY


I do believe in fairies! I do! I do! I do! - J. M. Barrie


72584 THREE YOUNG RATS AND OTHER


RHYMES by Alexander Calder A Woman in Love with a Pig, Lucy Locket, London Bridge is Broken Down, I Went to Frankfort and Got Drunk, Lizzie Borden Took an Axe, I’ll Sing You 12 O Green Grow the Rushes O, and Three Young Rats with Black Felt Hats are among the adult rhymes based on the nursery rhymes of England and other popular tales and comic verse, but with a rather adult angle. Alexander Calder is well known for inventing the mobile, but here his 85 distinctive line drawings, originally published in 1944, are frank depictions of nudes adding a new depth and resonance to a host of familiar chants and verses. James J. Sweeney contributes an insightful introduction on the significance of the nursery rhyme tradition, its wit and subtlety. Large sized softback, 132pp with index of first lines, an unabridged facsimile reprint of the second edition published by the Museum of Modern Art New York, 1946. £14.49 NOW £5


72475 RUNES: Reading,


Casting and Divination by Jonathan Dee


The ancient peoples of northern Europe communicated by carving symbols on trees, and these developed into a system of runic forms. Today’s runic alphabet was developed by the Etruscans in northern Italy and the first description of runic divination comes


from the Roman historian Tacitus. From the beginning runes were thought to have magical qualities, being used to curse, bless, make love spells and defend warriors when carved into sword blades and shields. Later generations associated runes with witchcraft and condemned occult practices, though divination was secretly practised in Iceland until the modern era. With the antiquarian movement of the 18th and 19th centuries runic lore came back into favour, together with the myths of the Icelandic Sagas which described how the Norns created the Runes and the great god Odin gained runic knowledge. The author lists the different runes, their association with the Norse gods and the key concepts associated with them. Finally he describes different ways of reading the runes, from the nine rune staves of Tacitus to the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark. 160pp, softback, colour photos, diagrams. £6.99 NOW £3.50


Music and Dance 27


65653 TENNYSON’S LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR: Idylls of the King


illustrated by Gustave Doré Tennyson’s epic retelling of the Legends of King Arthur is fall of timeless magic. Covering the rise and full of Camelot and the exploits of the Knights of the Round Table, his verse captures all the mythical


grandeur of these enduring tales. Here is the illicit passion of Lancelot and Guinevere and the confusion of the Last Battle to the heroism of King Arthur himself, the legendary founder of England. In this handsome edition, Alfred Tennyson specialist Valerie Purton has set episodes from the poem alongside the exquisite woodcut illustrations of Gustave Doré who creates a world of towering cliffs, magnificent castles and enchanted forests. Chapters include The Coming of Arthur, Guinevere, Geraint and Enid, Gareth and Lynett, Merlin and Vivien, The Holy Grail and The Fall of Camelot. 256 fine pages measuring 9" x 12". £14.99 NOW £8


71451 DRAGON HUNTER’S HANDBOOK by Adelia vin Helsin


Few manuscripts survive from the Middle Ages, and none so intriguing as the journal of Adelia of Firense - found among the oldest papers in the library of the famous Vin Helsing (sic) dynasty. This records her fate as the family’s last fighting ancestor, destined to save the world from a furnace of dragon flame - a destiny that had haunted the family since 1352. Here, she details her journey to Tibet to do battle with one of humanity’s greatest foes - a powerful she dragon and her teeming brood. This volume demonstrates the supreme skills and strategies needed to dispatch the cursed scaly breed. 30 fold-out pages 25.5cm by 30.5cm in dark, menacing colour with padded cover and pockets full of secret documents. £14.99 NOW £3.50


71588 CHIVALRY: The Path of Love introduced by Jeremy Catto


This beautiful and illuminating introduction to the ancient code of behaviour which shaped relations between the sexes in medieval times is lavishly illustrated. It accounts for the evolution, history and practice of chivalry from its roots during the Crusades to its zenith in Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Court of Love, where romantic disputes were resolved. Exquisite colour illus. 61pp. $9.95 NOW £1.25


71672 ARTHURIAN ROMANCES by Chrétien de Troyes


A superb translation of the four Arthurian romances for scholars not familiar with 12th century French. Although he didn’t invent the Round Table or the tales of its fellowship, the 12th century poet Chrétien de Troyes was the first to recount in verse the adventures of Arthur’s knights. Includes the tales of Lancelot, Erec and Enide, Cligés and Yvain. Forbidden relationships, a knight falling in love with his queen (who is also his uncle’s wife), the rescue of Guinevere, this version is a principal source of Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. 312pp in facsimile paperback reprint, trans. by W. W. Comfort. £12.49 NOW £4


71724 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EASTERN MYTHOLOGY: Legends of the East by Rachel Storm


This superbly presented reference provides in alphabetical format the powerful and evocative mythologies of the East in all their glory, with some 600 colour illustrations. The book is divided into three sections; Egypt and Mesopotamia, India, and finally China, Japan and South-East Asia, then A-Z within these sections. From the Flood myths of the western lands, through the sacred rivers of Central Asia to the dancing dragon festivals of the Far East, the book recreates the rise and fall of many cultures and the myths and legends that accompanied them and still resonate today. The major topics such as Yin and Yang, Sacred Rivers, Mythical Mountains, the Buddha, Shamans, Dragons and Mother Goddesses have their own special extra-detailed sections within the alphabetical listings. Family trees of various divine families. 256pp softback. ONLY £5


72211 PUFFIN BOOK OF MAGICAL INDIAN MYTHS by Anita Nair


The beautiful silver covers of this entrancing book, with its magical, dazzling figures, is enough to entice readers to open it. Inside brings alive a fantastic world of demons, wise sages, demonic asuras, irresistible river deities, arrogant kings, wayward gods and brave princes who inhabit 50 stories from Indian mythology. One tale is about Sage Daksha, who got his daughters married to the moon but later, in a fit of rage, cursed the moon with consumption, which made it wax and wane. 182 pages 21cm x 26cm with over 100 enchanting, brightly coloured illustrations by Atanu Roy. £12.99 NOW £5


72284 THE ANCIENT FABLE: An Introduction


by Niklas Holzberg Here is the first and only one- volume study of the fable’s history in antiquity considering its literary history and individual analysis. Fables used by many Greek and Roman authors were exempla, then the verse fable books of Phaedrus, Babrius and Avianus and finally one Greek and one Latin prose fable book, both dating from the


time of the Roman Empire have been attributed to Aesop are studied. With extensive examples and references, the author has picked his way through what remains of this colossal task in unearthing some of the best early short stories for example Horace’s version of ‘Town Mouse and Country Mouse’ from his Satires. With veiled criticisms, beautiful verse and much more. Paperback, 128pp. £10.99 NOW £5


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