Fully illustrated throughout, The Supercar Book is a sumptuously designed guide full of everything you could ever want to know about the best supercars on the planet. From number-one bestselling author Martin Roach, The Supercar Book is a must-have for all boys and their dads (plus petrol-head girls and mums!) interested in fast cars. With an introduction from F1 racing legend David Coulthard, as well as contributions from the biggest names in the field, this tour de force starts with the iconic 1954 Mercedes Gullwing and races through each respective decade of supercar history, showcasing the very best and most important vehicles in this scintillating species. Featuring the landmark 10 game-changers that have defined the genre and highlighting dozens and dozens of supreme supercars from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani, McLaren and Porsche, get ready to be blown away by the beauty and power of these incredible vehicles. With a pre-history of the genre plus an excursion into American muscle cars, this comprehensive book takes us underneath the bonnets and peels back the bodywork of these mind-blowing machines, as well as exploring how supercar technology has affected everyday cars. The Supercar Book is a tour de force of the fastest, the most powerful and the most drop-dead gorgeous vehicles in supercar history. Jam-packed with almost 200 full-colour photographs, awe-inspiring statistics and exclusive interviews with supercar experts, and featuring every landmark star of the genre, this book is the ultimate guide for every supercar fanatic.

Trace the evolution of the supercar through the technology that drives it. With an introduction by David Coulthard. This is the definitive story of the science behind the art of supercar design. Written by bestselling author Martin Roach and featuring bespoke technical illustrations from F1 insider Neil Waterman, plus contributions from the biggest names in the supercar world, including: Adrian Newey - legend of Formula 1 design Gordon Murray - creator of the McLaren F1 Achim Anscheidt - chief designer of the Bugatti Chiron Tony Hatter - Porsche design guru Horacio Pagani - founder of Pagani Nigel Mansell - Formula 1 world champion Christian von Koenigsegg - founder of Koenigsegg And many, many more. From the earliest supercharged monsters to the complex machines of today, The Science of Supercars traces the evolution of the supercar through the technology that powers it.

'A special treat...The pictures and stories combine to provide a rich texture to telling the difficult story of why we chase speed like an addiction.' Valerie Thompson, the world's fastest female motorcycle racer Ever since we built machines that could transport us, there has been a desire to find ways to make them go faster. For some, going faster isn't enough - they want to be the fastest. This book celebrates those who have built the machines and driven them at ever greater speeds. This is The History of Speed. Bestselling automotive writer Martin Roach tells the extraordinary story of those who have come to be obsessed by speed. From Camille Jenatzy, 'the Red Devil', who became the first man to drive at over 100kmh in 1899, through the golden age of Malcolm Campbell and his Bluebird, and on to the modern era of jet- and rocket-propelled cars, we have gone faster and faster. But this book is not just about these record-breakers, Roach also looks at the technology, the engines and the inventors who helped progress in speed at all levels, from Formula One to the supercars from the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes that are eagerly snapped up by collectors, rarely to be seen on the road. Accompanied by some of the most stunning images of the cars and those who made and drove them, Roach tells a wonderful story of innovation and invention. He talks to some of the great drivers to find out what inspires them to risk their lives, and finds out from engineers how they developed their ideas. Along the way, we hear some remarkable tales and anecdotes, but also find out how the pursuit of speed can also have its costs, with many tragic heroes and heroines falling along the way.  If you've ever thrilled to the roar of a sports car engine, or loved the feel of the g-force as you accelerate away, or even looked on in wonder at a powerful engine, The History of Speed is a book that you will not want to miss out on. 

Damon Albarn was the frontman of Blur and the face of Britpop. While his peers have gradually fallen by the wayside, Albarn has survived Britpop to completely re-invent himself as the mastermind behind the global phenomenon that is Gorillaz. With his eclectic solo projects - such as the currently much-revered The Good, The Bad and the Queen - and his work with legends like Soul music icon Bobby Womack, he has proven again and again that he is one of British music's most respected, innovative and important personalities. And in 2015, with the release of The Magic Whip, Blur's first album for over a decade, Damon Albarn will take his place once more as an iconic jewel in the crown of the British music scene. This fully up-to-date book - the only available dedicated biography of Albarn - covers his multiple musical personas in depth, with first-hand interviews by those close to Albarn in his formative years, as well as social and musical context that covers the Britpop era and Albarn's re-emergence as the Godfather to the i-Pod generation.

This book recounts the entire story of the most successful British band since The Beatles. From their humble beginnings to the break-up that shook the pop world, to their explosive and successful come-back tour a decade later, TAKE THAT - NOW AND THEN exposes the intimate details of the band that changed pop history. Containing hot behind-the-scenes information on the band's sell-out come-back tour, Take That - Now and Then gives a complete history of the band, with revelations on what's happened over the band's time together and apart, and allows you to relive the tour experience all over again. Formed in Manchester in the early '90s, everyone had their Take That favourite, from the cheeky Robbie to gorgeous Mark Owen. Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Jason Orange completed the group, and they went from strength to strength with their unique mix of high-energy dance tunes and soulful ballads. But theirs was not an easy beginning. Gruelling training schedules, tours across the nation in gay clubs that saw their bottoms pinched and empty school halls on a 'Safe Sex tour', all had to be endured before the boys finally 'made it' in the fickle world of pop music. But once they made it, boy did they make it! The only thing more certain than Take Take's next single going straight into the Top Ten was that they would clean up at every award ceremony going, both as a group and as individuals. But behind the glamour and success, tensions were mounting. Robbie Williams was sliding into the depths of depression, and on the eve of their 1995 tour, he left the band. By 1996, Take That were no more. Speaking exclusively to those inside the music industry who knew them best, many of whom have never spoken publicly about their experiences, music journalist Martin Roach recounts exactly what went on behind the scenes during those years, as well as providing first-hand accounts of the fickle world of pop from members of some of the UK's most prolific boy-band members.

Author Martin Roach reveals how the band members met, played their early gigs, financed their own early EPs and how, with four hit albums under their belt; they still continue to maintain a tight degree of control over their output. Featuring insights into Coldplay's professional insecurities and anxieties and the notoriously angst-ridden personality of lead vocalist Chris Martin, this is an in-depth portrait of one of Britain's most successful bands of the new millennium. Fully illustrated and including a comprehensive discography.

From humble beginning as a 1970s motoring show, Top Gear has achieved world domination. Reaching a peak in the 1990s thanks to presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the original series faced the axe in 2001 - but Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman successfully pitched a new format to BBC bosses and Top Gear returned to become the irrevernt, funny and often controversial show we now know and love. The addition of Richard Hammond and James May completed the Top Gear dream team and ratings soared as viewers tuned in to see the latest Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, arguments ove the Cool Wall and Power Laps by the mysterious Stig. Recent series have been defined by their madcap challenges - with predictably hilarious results. Hour-long specials such as the 1000-mile journey across the Africa in cars bought for only GBP1500, and a race to the magnetic North Pole in which Clarkson and May became the first people to drive a motor vehicle to the Pole, have cemented Top Gear's reputation as much more than just a motoring show. But the show's most shocking moment came in 2006, when Hammond suffered serious head injuries while driving a Vampire turbojet drag racing car at over 300mph.

The Prodigy have sold 25 million records and single-handedly reinvented the crossover between dance and rock music, with legendary songs such as 'Firestarter', 'Omen' and 'Breathe'. However, long before they became a stadium-filling rock monster, The Prodigy were prowling the underground of the UK rave scene, first as a blistering demo of tunes by the 'prodigious' teenage Liam Howlett, then latterly with their breakthrough masterpiece, Music for the Jilter Generation. Martin Roach was present throughout the band's early years and documented their rise to fame from the underground into the bright lights of music superstardom. Containing hours and hours of exclusive interviews, the book chronicles the band's early years in minute detail, speaking the each band member and all the key playes along the way. With a new introduction and fresh interview with band members putting these classic early phase in the context of their historically important career, this book is a must-buy for the millions for Prodigy fans eager to learn about the band's formative days.

From Abracadabra by the Steve Miller Band to Zoom by ELO, this indispensable, innovatively designed book celebrates fifty years of British album charts, telling you everything you could possibly want to know about every album to reach the Top 100. With new feature material covering a huge range of areas, bands and history, it's an essential part of any serious music fan's collection. The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums covers everything, from the classics (Sgt Pepper, Nevermind, The Dark Side of the Moon) to the dodgy (Spiceworld, Seriously Orchestra) and the downright bizarre (Smurfs Go Pop!, Seventies Dinner Party). Where else are you going to find out that: Bridge over Troubled Water spent 307 weeks in the charts Pavarotti has topped the album charts - twice Lily Allen went triple-platinum in 2006 with Alright, Still Oasis sold 356,000 copies of Be Here Now in one day alone Both Gary Glitter and Mariah Carey released an album called Glitter Donny Osmond has never made it to No. 1 in the album charts

From Spandau Ballet and Kajagoogoo to Half Man Half Biscuit and Guns and Roses, the 1980s music scene is here in all its glory. The Official Ultimate 80s Pop Quiz will spark arguments at dinner tables and pub quizzes up and down the country. Questions include: 1) Who had a top five hit in October 1982 with 'Starmaker'? a) Bananarama b) The Kids from Fame c) Modern Romance 2) What was U2's debut number one single, a 1988 chart-topper? a) The Fly b) With or Without You c) Desire 3) Who had a No. 1 hit in 1980 with 'Working My Way Back to You - Forgive Me Girl'? a) The Four Tops b) The Temptations c) The Detroit Spinners