The ultimate introduction to global art, presenting 30,000 years of creativity in one lavishly illustrated book. Discover all you need to know about art history in this definite guide. Art: The Definitive Visual Guide brings a gallery of more than 2,500 of the world's finest paintings and sculptures into your home. Spanning 30,000 years, from cave paintings to contemporary art, this stunning chronological exploration of every major artistic movement introduces the major milestones of each period, from the tomb paintings of Ancient Egypt, Qing Dynasty Chinese art, through to 20th century Cubism and African art today. Dedicated spreads explain how art works, for example introducing how artists use colour and composition. A visual timeline of key works gives an overview of the scope of each major movement, and each era and art movement is introduced with key information, placing art in the context of its time. Accessible to art novices as well as seasoned enthusiasts, Art: The Definitive Visual Guide is a must-have for any bookshelf.

An original and breathtakingly beautiful perspective on how art developed through the ages, this book reveals how new materials and techniques inspired artists to create their greatest works. The Story of Painting will completely transform your understanding and enjoyment of art. Covering a comprehensive array of topics, from the first pigments and frescos to linear perspective in Renaissance paintings, the influence of photography, Impressionism, and the birth of modern art, it follows each step in the evolution of painting over the last 25,000 years, from the first cave paintings to the abstract works of the last 100 years. Packed with lavish colour reproductions of paintings and photographs of artists at work and the materials they used, it delves into the key paintings from each period to analyse the techniques and secrets of the great masters in detail. Immerse yourself in the pages of this stunning book and find yourself dazzled by new colours; marvel at the magic of perspective; wonder at glowing depictions of fabric and flesh; understand cubism; and embrace abstraction. You will look at paintings in a whole new light.

For four hundred years Caravaggio's (1571-1610) staggering artistic achievements have thrilled viewers, yet his volatile personal trajectory-the murder of Ranuccio Tomasini, the doubt surrounding Caravaggio's sexuality, the chain of events that began with his imprisonment on Malta and ended with his premature death-has long confounded historians. In a bravura performance, Andrew Graham-Dixon delves into the original Italian sources, presenting fresh details about Caravaggio's sex life, his many crimes and public brawls, and the most convincing account yet published of the painter's tragic death at the age of thirty-eight. With illuminating readings of Caravaggio's infamous religious paintings, which often depict prostitutes and poor people, Graham-Dixon immerses readers in the world of Italy at the height of the Counter-Reformation and creates a masterful profile of the mercurial painter's life and work.

Solving crimes is never easy, but for Detective-Sergeant Cassius Toledo it is also never boring. Cassius Toledo always gets the interesting cases. And in a place like Berkeley interesting reaches a whole new level. Eyes keep popping up in unusual places and it is his job to figure out why. He also has to find the rest of the corpse. Considering the unusual individuals that populate the Berkeley campus and surrounding areas- getting a straight answer may be the hardest part...

A book for all those who have played, still play and would consider playing along with an essential requirement for all colleges, schools and libraries. The vast majority of badminton players have a rather limited knowledge of the game which is usually restricted to the confines of their local club and league. Sadly the few books that were of any help in this respect are now long ago out of print. So here at long last is an insight into the wonderful world of the sport of Badminton. An insight into the game of Badminton as found on the pages of a great variety of books and magazines. Graham Dixon has used his collection of badminton books and magazines along with the resources of the National Badminton Museum to produce a remarkable insight into the game of badminton as recorded by players and writers over the last 120 years. Fifteen chapters deal with such facets of the game as;- The history and development - Books and magazines - The All England Championships - Veteran players - How to play - Shuttles - Rackets - Clothing - Courts and Equipment - Some serious facts - Some 'funny' stuff - Some of the great players and a most comprehensive bibliography. The book is in full colour and fully illustrated with some classic, informative and amusing illustrations from a variety of sources. Steven Baddeley, Director of National Sport, Sport England, in his forward to the book says, 'If you enjoy a weekly game of badminton with family or friends or if you play in a local league, you will enjoy reading this informative account of badminton past and present'.

In the years following World War II, the allies occupied a shattered Germany. Britain held North-Western Germany for ten years, overseeing the rehabilitation of 'the biggest single forced population movement in modern history', as Germans from around Europe were expelled from the crumbling Third Reich. This was a humanitarian crisis with most hospitals, houses, transport networks and schools destroyed during the war, and the British and Americans running enormous and often inhumane refugee camps. Francis Graham-Dixon assesses how the British squared their ethical focus on liberalism with their status as an occupying power, and examines the economic, military and political pressures of the period through the key turning points of the end of World War II - the bombing of Hamburg in 1943, the mismanagement of the refugee camp system and the fallout between occupiers and occupied after the Nuremberg trials of 1945/6. The first book to compare German and British sources from the period, this is an essential contribution to the literature on World War II, the Cold War and post-war Europe.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) lived the darkest and most dangerous life of any of the great painters. This commanding biography explores Caravaggio's staggering artistic achievements, his volatile personal trajectory, and his tragic and mysterious death at age thirty-eight. Featuring more than eighty full-color reproductions of the artist's best paintings, Caravaggio is a masterful profile of the mercurial painter.

In the years following World War II, the allies occupied a shattered Germany. Britain held North-Western Germany for ten years, overseeing the rehabilitation of 'the biggest single forced population movement in modern history', as Germans from around Europe were expelled from the crumbling Third Reich. This was a humanitarian crisis - with most hospitals, houses, transport networks and schools destroyed during the war, and the British and Americans running enormous and often inhumane refugee camps. Here, Francis Graham-Dixon assesses how the British squared their ethical focus on liberalism with their status as an occupying power, and examines the economic, military and political pressures of the period through the key turning points of the end of World War II - the bombing of Hamburg in 1943, the mismanagement of the refugee camp system and the fallout between occupiers and occupied after the Nuremberg trials of 1945/6. The first book to compare German and British sources from the period, this is an essential contribution to the literature on World War II, the Cold War and post-war Europe.