Most unusually among major painters, Vincent van Gogh (1853-90) was also an accomplished writer. His letters provide both a unique self-portrait and a vivid picture of the contemporary cultural scene. Van Gogh emerges as a complex but captivating personality, struggling with utter integrity to fulfil his artistic destiny. This major new edition, which is based on an entirely new translation, reinstating a large number of passages omitted from earlier editions, is expressly designed to reveal his inner journey as much as the outward facts of his life. It includes complete letters wherever possible, linked with brief passages of connecting narrative and showing all the pen-and-ink sketches that originally went with them. Despite the familiar image of Van Gogh as an antisocial madman who died a martyr to his art, his troubled life was rich in friendships and generous passions. In his letters we discover the humanitarian and religious causes he embraced, his fascination with the French Revolution, his striving for God and for ethical ideals, his desperate courtship of his cousin, Kee Vos, and his largely unsuccessful search for love. All of this, suggests De Leeuw, demolishes some of the myths surrounding Van Gogh and his career but brings hint before us as a flesh-and-blood human being, an individual of immense pathos and spiritual depth. Perhaps even more moving, these letters illuminate his constant conflicts as a painter, torn between realism, symbolism and abstraction; between landscape and portraiture; between his desire to depict peasant life and the exciting diversions of the city; between his uncanny versatility as a sketcher and his ideal of the full-scale finished tableau. SinceVan Gogh received little feedback from the public, he wrote at length to friends, fellow artists and his family, above all to his brother Theo, the Parisian art dealer, who was his confidant and mainstay. Along with his intense powers of visual imagination, Vincent brought to the

"... Any dog devotee will put it right on their coffee table the second they open it." -Christina Vercelletto, CNN Underscored "...a magnificent collection of photos of animals looking sweet, innocent, thoughtful, tender and sublime." -Dave Johnson, Forbes What makes dogs so unique? They are the only species that favour the company of humans over their own kind. A dog looks at us with a deep understanding and empathy perhaps greater than our own. In this charming book of dog photography, Vincent Lagrange records this treasured intimacy with our four-legged friends. Applying the techniques of portrait photography, which he learned in his youth at his father Marc Lagrange's studio, he captures our canine counterparts in crisp, perfectly illuminated pictures that allow their own soulful personalities to shine through. Text in English and German.

A fearless innovator who inspired designers, models, photographers, and artists, Diana Vreeland, the famed editor of Vogue, reinvented the way we think about style. In this first full-length biography, Amanda Mackenzie Stuart tells the story of Vreeland's childhood on New York's Upper East Side, her first job at Harper's Bazaar, her renowned post at Vogue, and her role as special consultant to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Empress of Fashion is an intimate and surprising look at an icon who made a lasting mark on the world of couture.

Helmut Newton (1920-2004) always showed a healthy disdain for the easy or predictable, so it's no surprise that the SUMO was an irresistible project. The idea of a book the size of a private exhibition, with spectacular images reproduced to state-of-the-art origination and printing standards, emerged from an open, experimental dialogue between photographer and publisher. With the SUMO weighing in-boxed and shrink-wrapped-at 35.4 kg (just under 80 pounds), Newton created a landmark book that stood head and shoulders above anything previously attempted, both in terms of conceptual extravagance and technical specifications. Published in an edition of 10,000 signed and numbered copies, the SUMO sold out soon after publication and quickly multiplied its value. It now features in numerous collections around the world, including New York's Museum of Modern Art. The legendary copy number one, signed by more than 100 of the book's featured celebrities, broke the record for the most expensive book published in the 20th century, sold at an auction in Berlin on April 6, 2000 for 620,000 German marks-about 317,000 euros. Now, this XL edition celebrates 20 years of SUMO, the result of a project conceived by Helmut Newton some years ago. Revised by his wife June, the volume gathers 464 images and a new booklet that takes us through the making-of this publishing venture-a spectacular tribute to the larger-than-life Helmut Newton, now in a friendly format. Images (c) The Helmut Newton Estate / Maconochie Photography

On his nighttime rambles through the City of London-i.e., its historical and financial heart-Andreas Schmidt (born 1967) documents the icy glamour of its epic-scaled financial palaces, in which empty lobbies, conference rooms and endless corridors proliferate. Schmidt's portrait of these eerily alienated realms restore the understanding that such environments, in their oversized grandeur, are very far from the civic good.

California, the Golden State, is steeped in cliche like almost nowhere else: palm trees, beach-blonde surfers, aspiring actors and tail-finned cars, all bathed in endless sunshine. Sally Davies, acclaimed New York street photographer and author of New Yorkers, heads west to capture the images and listen to the voices of everyday Californians in their own homes, hoping to delve beneath the ubiquitous stereotypes. She finds light and space, swimming pools and enticing views of the stunning natural surroundings encroaching through the walls. Posing for her in bedrooms, garages and patios, Davies discovers vibrant multicultural communities, eccentric stories of hopes and dreams, tales of gridlocked traffic, urban sprawl, air pollution and all aspects of the entertainment industry. Among the voices are well-known figures, Linda Ramone and actor Eric McCormack, accompanied by a cast of models, producers, a high-court judge, artists, stylists, writers, musicians, lawyers, magicians and many more.

Midge Ure is one of the most successful musicians of his generation, selling more than 20 million albums over the last five decades. During the 1970s he played in various rock and pop bands around Scotland before moving to London to join ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock's Rich Kids, later playing guitar for Thin Lizzy, forming Visage and joining Ultravox. In the 1980s he had phenomenal worldwide success with Ultravox and as a solo artist. He also co-wrote one of the best-selling singles of all time, Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas'. He co-founded the Band Aid charity and is still involved with it today. This book is a stunning collection of photographs taken by Midge on his travels between 1980 and 1985. Travelling with a Canon A-1 camera, he documented his work in the recording studio, on tour with Ultravox, behind the scenes whilst directing promotional videos (for Ultravox and other artists such as Phil Lynott, Fun Boy Three, Bananarama) and holidays in far-flung places and road trips. This is a fascinating travelogue of a working musician. All photographs have been carefully scanned and retouched from the original negative to show the images in their glorious best, and every element of this book has been produced to the highest specification. Midge is still active today writing and recording music, touring around the world as well as presenting TV and Radio programs.