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Let acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe take you on an unforgettable
journey across Middle-earth, from Bag End to Mordor, in this richly
illustrated sketchbook fully of previously unseen artwork,
anecdotes and meditations on Middle-earth. Middle-earth has been
mapped, Bilbo's and Frodo's journeys plotted and measured, but it
remains a wilderland for all that. The roads as yet untravelled far
outnumber those down which J.R.R. Tolkien led us in his writings. A
Middle-earth Traveller presents a walking tour of Tolkien's
Middle-earth, visiting not only places central to his stories, but
also those just over the hill or beyond the horizon. Events from
Tolkien's books are explored - battles of the different ages that
are almost legend by the time of The Lord of the Rings; lost
kingdoms and ancient myths, as well as those places only hinted at:
kingdoms of the far North and lands beyond the seas. Sketches that
have an 'on-the-spot' feel to them are interwoven with the artist's
observations gleaned from Tolkien's books as he paints pictures
with his words as well as his pencil. He also recollects his time
spent working alongside Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings and
Hobbit film trilogies. Combining concept work produced for films,
existing Middle-earth art and dozens of new paintings and sketches
exclusive to this book, A Middle-earth Traveller will take the
reader on a unique and unforgettable journey across Tolkien's
magical landscape.
The most famous and influential work of English fantasy ever
published, reimagined for a new generation of readers by John
Matthews, one of the world's leading Arthurian experts, and
illustrated by internationally acclaimed Tolkien artist, John Howe.
The tales of how the boy Arthur drew the Sword from the Stone, or
the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, or how the knights of the Round
Table rode out in search of the Holy Grail are known and loved the
world over. It all began when an obscure Celtic hero named Arthur
stepped on to the stage of history, sometime in the sixth century,
and oral tales led to a vast body of stories from which, 900 years
later, Thomas Malory wrote the famous Morte D'Arthur. THE GREAT
BOOK OF KING ARTHUR presents these well-loved stories for a modern
reader, for the first time collecting many tales of Arthur and his
knights either unknown to Malory or written in other languages.
Here, you will read of Avenable, the girl brought up as a boy who
becomes a famous knight. You will learn of Gawain's strange birth,
his upbringing amongst poor folk and his final rise to the highest
possible rank - Emperor of Rome. There is also the story of Morien
whose adventures are as fantastic and exciting as any to be found
in the pages of Malory. In addition, there are some of the earliest
tales of Arthur, deriving from the tradition of Celtic
storytelling. Here is the original Arthur, represented in such
powerful stories as 'The Adventures of Eagle-Boy', and 'The Coming
of Merlin', based on the early medieval text Vita Merlini, which
gives a completely new version of the great Enchanter's story.
These age-old stories, still as popular today as they were from the
Middle Ages onwards, are dramatically brought to life by the
luminous paintings and drawings of John Howe, whose work on the
Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies has brought him a
world-wide following.
Discover the creative processes and intriguing inspirations behind
the work of leading fantasy artist John Howe - conceptual designer
on The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy - in this comprehensive
practical art book. Brings together Fantasy Art Workshop and
Fantasy Drawing Workshop into a combined volume, fully updated and
with new art. Examines in fascinating detail over 150 of the
artist's outstanding sketches, drawings and paintings, plus the
techniques and stories behind each. Leads you step-by-step through
a range of specially commissioned drawing and painting
demonstrations that reveal John's renowned artistic approach in
action. Discusses the rewarding journey into fantasy art, from the
first steps of building a compelling portfolio to book
illustration, graphic novels and the big screen. This book will
appeal to artists and fans of John Howe's work by leading you
step-by-step through a range of specially commissioned
demonstrations, sketches and finished paintings, some designed
specifically for this book, that reveal John's renowned artistic
approach in action, plus the techniques and stories behind each. It
covers a wide range of subjects, beginning with the creative
process, exploring where inspiration comes from, looking at
narratives and themes, gathering reference materials, organizing
your working environment, and protecting and storing artwork. Howe
covers drawing materials and explores drawing and painting fantasy
beings from initial inspiration and approaches to characters,
symbolism and accoutrements. He begins by showing how to create
different types of male and female archetypes, humans in action,
armour and weapons, faces, expressions and hands, hair and
costumes, and goes on to explain how to create different types of
fantasy beasts: talons, wings, fangs and fire, and noble animals,
interspersed throughout with exciting case studies. The book also
explores fantasy landscapes and architecture and balancing light
and dark atmospheres. The final section of the book provides
further inspiration and guidance on presenting work in various
forms, including film work, book covers and advertising, all areas
John Howe has vast experience in. The foreword is written by
groundbreaking film director Terry Gilliam, with an afterword by
Alan Lee, John's partner on the conceptual design for The Lord of
the Rings movie trilogy and Oscar-winning illustrator.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the first ever illustrated
edition of this collection of tales which takes readers further
into the stories told in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The
Silmarillion, featuring 18 full-colour paintings depicting scenes
from the First, Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. Unfinished
Tales is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder
Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring, and
provides those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
with a whole collection of background and new stories. The book
concentrates on the realm of Middle-earth and comprises such
elements as The Quest of Erebor, Gandalf’s lively account of how
it was that he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at
Bag-End; the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before the eyes of Tuor
on the coast of Beleriand; and an exact description of the military
organization of the Riders of Rohan. Unfinished Tales also contains
the only story about the long ages of Númenor before its downfall,
and all that is known about such matters as the Five Wizards, the
PalantÃri and the legend of Amroth. The tales were edited by
Christopher Tolkien, who provides a short commentary on each story,
helping the reader to fill in the gaps and put each story into the
context of the rest of his father’s writings. In celebration of
its 40th anniversary, this new edition features 18 stunning
paintings from critically acclaimed Tolkien artists, Alan Lee, John
Howe & Ted Nasmith, which reveal the three Ages of Middle-earth
like never before.
For the first time, fans of Sarah J. Maas's sweeping New York Times
bestselling Throne of Glass saga can experience the vivid imagery
of her expansive world. Celaena battling the ridderak in the
catacombs, Chaol in the gardens of the glass castle, Manon riding
her wyvern through the Crossing, and many other favourite moments,
characters and objects come to life as readers explore the
vibrantly detailed realm of Throne of Glass. Stunning original
black and white drawings will bring fans deeper into the series
than ever before - making this a must-have companion to Sarah J.
Maas's beloved books.
By walking, you escape from the very idea of identity, the
temptation to be someone, to have a name and a history ... The
freedom in walking lies in not being anyone; for the walking body
has no history, it is just an eddy in the stream of immemorial
life. In A Philosophy of Walking, a bestseller in France, leading
thinker Frédéric Gros charts the many different ways we get from
A to B-the pilgrimage, the promenade, the protest march, the nature
ramble-and reveals what they say about us. Gros draws attention to
other thinkers who also saw walking as something central to their
practice. On his travels he ponders Thoreau's eager seclusion in
Walden Woods; the reason Rimbaud walked in a fury, while Nerval
rambled to cure his melancholy. He shows us how Rousseau walked in
order to think, while Nietzsche wandered the mountainside to write.
In contrast, Kant marched through his hometown every day, exactly
at the same hour, to escape the compulsion of thought. Brilliant
and erudite, A Philosophy of Walking is an entertaining and
insightful manifesto for putting one foot in front of the other.
An ever-increasing proportion of our lives is spent in
supermarkets, airports and hotels, on motorways or in front of TVs,
computers and cash machines. This invasion of the world by what
Marc Augé calls “non-space†results in a profound alteration
of awareness: something we perceive, but only in a partial and
incoherent manner. Augé uses the concept of “supermodernityâ€
to describe a situation of excessive information and excessive
space. In this fascinating essay he seeks to establish an
intellectual armature for an anthropology of supermodernity.
This book analyses the use of rural road networks and the causes
and effects of road programmes in the areas of personal travel,
education, health and poverty alleviation. It discusses the
criteria which are being used for rural road selection and their
impact in Egypt, India, Botswana and Thailand.
Stunning 40th anniversary collector's edition of this collection of
tales which takes readers further into stories told in The Hobbit,
The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, featuring 18
full-colour paintings, housed in a matching illustrated slipcase
with two removable full-colour posters unique to this edition.
Unfinished Tales is a collection of narratives ranging in time from
the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring,
and provides those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the
Rings with a whole collection of background and new stories. The
book concentrates on the realm of Middle-earth and comprises such
elements as The Quest of Erebor, Gandalf's lively account of how it
was that he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at
Bag-End; the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before the eyes of Tuor
on the coast of Beleriand; and an exact description of the military
organization of the Riders of Rohan. Unfinished Tales also contains
the only story about the long ages of Numenor before its downfall,
and all that is known about such matters as the Five Wizards, the
Palantiri and the legend of Amroth. The tales were edited by
Christopher Tolkien, who provides a short commentary on each story,
helping the reader to fill in the gaps and put each story into the
context of the rest of his father's writings. In celebration of its
40th anniversary, this new edition features 18 stunning paintings
from critically acclaimed Tolkien artists, Alan Lee, John Howe
& Ted Nasmith, which reveal the three Ages of Middle-earth like
never before. This special collector's edition is printed on
superior quality paper, features a unique special binding and
ribbon marker and is housed in a custom-made, fully illustrated
slipcase.
Fruits of the most recent research on the worlds of the eleventh
and twelfth centuries. This volume of the Haskins Society Journal
furthers the Society's commitment to historical and
interdisciplinary research on the early and central Middle Ages,
focusing on the Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and Angevin worlds.The
topics of the essays range from the complexities of landholding and
service in England after the Norman Conquest and the place of
Portugal in the legal renaissance of the twelfth century, to the
purpose and audiences of copiesof Anglo-Saxon charters produced by
the late medieval community at Bury St Edmunds. There is an
investigation of the hitherto overlooked narrative role of material
objects in Orderic Vitalis'History, continuing the Journal's
investigation of source-specific analyses, together with an
exploration of the date and reliability of an important, but
neglected, witness to the Norman conquest of Sicily. Other essays
look at the longue duree of the ascetic practice of
self-flagellation and its emergence in eleventh-century Italy; the
place and meaning of religious practices in crusading, using the De
expugnatione Lyxbonensi as laboratory; and aural and visual
experience in the life and musical opus of Godric of Finchale.
Contributors: Howard B. Clarke, Sarah Foot, John Howe, Monika
Otter, Daniel Roach, Charles D. Stanton, Susanna A. Throop, Andre
Vitoria.
Enter an incredible world of magical beasts, dare to draw near to
their captivating powers, and discover the spellbinding stories of
16 favourite mythical creatures from around the world. Venture into
this world and you'll discover why griffins collect a gem called
agate, how to put out dragon fire, how mischievous elves can cause
terrible nightmares, and much, much more. A Miscellany of Magical
Beasts is a beautiful, luxurious gift book showcasing a fascinating
menagerie of creatures from the world's timeless mythologies and
legends. Presented in an incredible package with spectacular cover
finishes, it is sure to be treasured by fantasy enthusiasts. Each
beast is beautifully illustrated with rich, enchanting artworks,
accompanied by amazing facts. Five feature spreads take a different
approach to each particular beast - including a gleaming guide to
the world's dragons and an enchanting introduction to elf spells
and tricks. Imaginative flourishes such as cutaways showing
constellations (see where Pegasus's story ends), and a die-cut
linking the lustrous feathers of the phoenix with those of the
terrifying harpies, make this a truly inspiring exploration of some
wonderfully strange creatures. List of beasts included: phoenix,
harpy, griffin, Pegasus, dragons, elves, unicorn, centaur, mermaids
and mermen, werewolf, troll, sphinx, basilisk, Cerberus, giant,
chimera
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Beowulf (Paperback)
Nick Holt, John Howe
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R319
R166
Discovery Miles 1 660
Save R153 (48%)
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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It is a tale that has been retold countless times through the
centuries and here, in a new paperback edition illustrated by a
noted Tolkien artist, the mighty Beowulf is well set to capture new
legions of followers. This contemporary retelling of the ancient
epic follows the mythic hero from his disarming of the gruesome
Grendel to his sword battle with the monster's sea hag mother to
his final, fiery showdown with an avenging dragon.
Though not without its rivals, Latin stood at the apex of Western
culture from the Renaissance until relatively recently. Francoise
Waquet offers an enthralling, original history of the language's
uses, its detractors and defenders, and the social hierarchies its
practitioners inscribed. Granted a new lease of life by the
Humanists and the Catholic Church, Latin was the form in which
generations of schoolchildren were taught to read, millions of
people worshipped, and an international community of scholars
communicated with one another. It conveyed sacredness, but also
obscenity; learning, as well as pedantry; science, but also
trickery and mumbo-jumbo. Few individuals even among the clergy or
the most learned scholars have ever managed to speak it with any
degree of correctness or fluency, let alone elegance. Why, despite
rationalist criticisms that Latin was inaccessible to the great
majority of people, and inconvenient and time-consuming for the
rest, did it maintain such a strong presence - some would say a
tyranny - for so long?
'Vice and wretchedness exist in their most appalling and hideous
forms, stalking about with bold front, unblushingly, as though vice
were virtue.' For the middle-class moralists and reformers of
Victorian London, poverty was synonymous with depravity: their
descriptions of the urban working classes portray a swarming,
undifferentiated mass, impoverished and immoral. In the absence of
written accounts by the poor themselves, these nineteenth-century
prejudices still cloud our understanding of popular attitudes to
sensuality and courtship, marriage and pregnancy. Love in the Time
of Victoria overturns these prejudices by presenting and analyzing
an extraordinary range of hitherto unpublished first-hand
documents: love letters and testimonies from working-class women
who faced pregnancy alone, and from their suitors, relatives and
employers. These unique and moving writings provide the fullest and
most accurate picture to date of love and sex among the poor in
Victorian London. Francoise Barret-Ducrocq has painstakingly
uncovered autobiographical fragments which show women and men who
are neither depraved nor unusually virtuous. They meet in the
course of their work, in the streets or through family and friends;
they seek romance in parks and pubs, servants' attics or rented
rooms. The women's own records of their relationships resonate with
all the singularities of desire, passion and regret, and they
reveal a wide range of responses to separation or abandonment. For,
despite their limited options, these women continued to exercise
real choice. Their words vividly bring to life the material and
emotional conflicts of the poor in nineteenth-century London. This
remarkable book restores dignity and individuality to its subjects,
but never idealizes them. The stories here contain cynicism and
tenderness, cruelty and generosity. As the author says, this is
history amazingly like real life.
John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women is a landmark work both
in the long history of women's struggles for political, legal,
economic, and personal equality, and in the shorter history of
rigorous intellectual analyses of women's subordination. One of the
lasting legacies of Mill's The Subjection of Women is its careful
argument for the need for justice at both the 'public' and the
'private' levels, which requires changes at the domestic level that
are as radical in the 21st century as they were in the 19th. The
essays collected in this critical edition represent a variety of
interpretations both of the kind of feminism Mill represents and of
the specific arguments he offers in The Subjection of Women
including their lexical ordering and relative merit. Each selection
is preceded by a brief and useful summary of the author's position,
intended to assist readers encountering the material for the first
time
The cinema, like language, can be said to exist as a system of
differences. In his latest book the acclaimed philosopher Jacques
Ranciere relates cinema to literature and theatre. With literature,
he argues, cinema takes its narrative conventions, while at the
same time effacing its images and its philosophy; and it rejects
theatre, while also fulfilling theatre's dream. Built on these
contradictions, the cinema is the real, material space in which one
feels moved by the spectacle of shadows. Thus for Ranciere, the
cinema is the always disappointed dream of a language of images.
Historians typically single out the hundred-year period from about
1050 to 1150 as the pivotal moment in the history of the Latin
Church, for it was then that the Gregorian Reform movement
established the ecclesiastical structure that would ensure Rome's
dominance throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. In Before the
Gregorian Reform John Howe challenges this familiar narrative by
examining earlier, "pre-Gregorian" reform efforts within the
Church. He finds that they were more extensive and widespread than
previously thought and that they actually established a foundation
for the subsequent Gregorian Reform movement. The low point in the
history of Christendom came in the late ninth and early tenth
centuries-a period when much of Europe was overwhelmed by barbarian
raids and widespread civil disorder, which left the Church in a
state of disarray. As Howe shows, however, the destruction gave
rise to creativity. Aristocrats and churchmen rebuilt churches and
constructed new ones, competing against each other so that church
building, like castle building, acquired its own momentum. Patrons
strove to improve ecclesiastical furnishings, liturgy, and
spirituality. Schools were constructed to staff the new churches.
Moreover, Howe shows that these reform efforts paralleled broader
economic, social, and cultural trends in Western Europe including
the revival of long-distance trade, the rise of technology, and the
emergence of feudal lordship. The result was that by the
mid-eleventh century a wealthy, unified, better-organized,
better-educated, more spiritually sensitive Latin Church was
assuming a leading place in the broader Christian world. Before the
Gregorian Reform challenges us to rethink the history of the Church
and its place in the broader narrative of European history.
Compellingly written and generously illustrated, it is a book for
all medievalists as well as general readers interested in the
Middle Ages and Church history.
A practical manual for non-engineers which describes the design and
construction of earth roads with a usage of up to 50 vehicles per
day. Drainage, road planning, the actual construction and
subsequent maintenance operations are all dealt with.
Marc Perelman pulls no punches in this succinct and searing
broadside, assailing the 'recent form of barbarism' that is the
global sporting event. Forget the Olympics and consider, under
Perelman's guidance, the ledger of inequities maintained by such
supposedly harmless games. They have provided a smokescreen for the
forcible removal of 'undesirables'; aided governments in the
pursuit of racist agendas; affirmed the hypocrisy of drug-testing
in an industry where doping is more an imperative than an
aberration; and developed the pornographic hybrid that Perelman
dubs 'sporn', a further twist in our corrupt obsession with the
body. Drawing examples from the modern history of the international
sporting event, Perelman argues that today's colosseums, upheld as
examples of 'health', have become the steamroller for a decadent
age fixated on competition, fame and elitism.
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Virtue and Terror (Paperback)
Jean Ducange; Maximilien Robespierre; Introduction by Slavoj Zizek; Translated by John Howe
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R523
Discovery Miles 5 230
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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Robespierre's defense of the French Revolution remains one of the
most powerful and unnerving justifications for political violence
ever written, and has extraordinary resonance in a world obsessed
with terrorism and appalled by the language of its proponents. Yet
today, the French Revolution is celebrated as the event which gave
birth to a nation built on the principles of enlightenment...So how
should a contemporary audience approach Robespierre's vindication
of revolutionary terror? Zizek takes a helter-skelter route through
these contradictions, marshalling all the breadth of analogy for
which he is famous.
This is a history of Latin between the 16th and 20th centuries, a
period when the language dominated the civic and sacred worlds of
Europe and, arguably, the entire Western world. The book explores
the institutional contexts in which the language was adopted and
transmitted, as well as the privilege it came to confer on those
that studied it. Waquet demonstrates how Latin became a symbol of
status and ultimately shows that, rather than disappearing, this
has given way to a nostalgic exoticism such that water companies
and car models now use Latin names.
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