Carlton

This veritable Who's Who of contemporary art contains a generation-spanning roster of 200 of the world's most influential and talented artists, from acknowledged masters like Lucian Freud, Louise Bourgeois, and Jasper Johns to younger stars like Matthew Barney, Damien Hirst, and Tracey Emin. Insightful biographies, with special focus on key works, and cross-referencing to linked artists, themes, and movements, make this the essential insider's guide to the international art scene.

Compact and easy to use, this beautifully illustrated book looks at the major events in Leonardo's life: from his early childhood to his apprenticeship with Verrocchio and then the setting up of his own workshop in Florence, before leaving for Milan where his patron was Ludovico Sforza ('Il Moro' — the Moor). Packed with information about Leonardo's style of painting and drawing, as well as his work as a civil and military engineer, the book combines chapters on Leonardo's life with themed chapters that look at his inventions and key works, including such well-known paintings as the Mona Lisa and the Last supper. It is augmented by the inclusion of 15 facsimile documents such as: numerous extracts from Leonardo's notebooks showing his famous 'mirror' writing and various sketches for inventions and studies for his works done from nature; Leonardo's letter to Ludovico Sforza; Leonardo's map of Imola; and, Leonardo's study of the organs and vascular system of a woman.

Since the Lumiere brothers first made the autochrome process commercially available, colour photography has proliferated in so many directions that we are saturated with it. Pamela Roberts, a former Curator at the Royal Photographic Society, has gathered together an outstanding collection of colour photography from the last 100 years, from works in autochrome and other early processes whose freshness and clarity are still stunning, through the glamour of the 1930s, the social documentation of the 1940s and the magazine-led explosion of colour in the 1950s, to the popularisation of colour photography in the 1960s, experimentation in the 1970s and 1980s, and the new directions in which photography has developed around the world in the years preceeding and following the turn of the millennium.This comprehensive, informed and visually arresting collection of images is fascinating to anyone with an interest in photography, but it also grounds the different images in their time, showing how changes in society were often just as influential as technological developments in steering colour photography in new directions.

Since the Lumiere brothers made the autochrome process commercially available in June 1907, colour photography has proliferated in so many directions that we are saturated with it. In this stunning collection, Pam Roberts has gathered together the finest examples of the art of colour photography, covering every major technical and artistic development in colour photography in over 100 years.

This is not merely a biography of The Beatles but a unique and vividly personal, first-hand account by a Liverpool-born author who knew John, Paul, George and Ringo as friends throughout the height of their fame. As The Beatles' Press Officer, he worked within the group's closest circle for six breakneck years during the Beatlemania era of the Sixties. Few were closer to The Beatles than Tony Barrow, and here, for the first time, he holds a mirror up to the Fab Four and offers his own insider's perspective on that four-way dynamic that spawned the greatest pop group the world has ever seen.

One of the world's best-known artists, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) still exerts influence on contemporary art and culture. Packed with information about Warhol's prolific creativity, as well as his other cultural interests, the project follows the arc of his life. This beautifully illustrated publication reveals Warhol's rags-to-riches life from his early years in Depression-era Pittsburgh to his success as an illustrator in New York City in the 1950s and his transformation into a notorious Pop Artist, underground filmmaker, author, publisher, collector, recorder and iconic celebrity. With 21 beautifully produced removable facsimile documents help give an unprecedented insight into Warhol's life and work in this unique and authoritative guide to this celebrated modern artist.

The Magic of Christmas presents a hugely popular topic in a boundary-busting new format. The augmented reality animations bring to life the magic of Santa's world, while an imaginative text and sumptuous illustrations show how Santa prepares for the big day — how his elves make presents in the toyshop, reindeers pull Santa's sleigh and fairies sprinkle fairy. At the touch of a key you can make Santa's sleigh magically appear, use fairy dust to decorate a Christmas tree, or see Santa slide down the chimney.

Who was 'just seventeen' and made Paul's heart go 'boom'? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? Where's Penny Lane? In A Hard Day's Write, Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four's rich legacy by investigating the events immortalised in The Beatles' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture's collective imagination.

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing is the world's most comprehensive single-volume illustrated work of boxing reference, covering all aspects of the sport since its rise from the days of illegal big-money challenge matches to the multi-million-dollar televised extravaganza it is today. As well as details of the careers of the world's greatest boxers, and descriptions of many of the outstanding fights, it traces the progress of the world title from champion to champion in all the weight classes, outlines the status of boxing around the world, considers the prominent men behind the scenes as promoters, trainers and managers, recalls some of the great stadiums where boxing history was made, and details the administrative bodies, the rules, the culture and ambience of the fight game, including its occasional tragedies, along with its scandals. There is a statistical section that lists the facts, figures and oddities of the sport.

There are many books about John Lennon's life and about The Beatles' music. What is often overlooked is the extraordinary solo work that John produced in the final decade of his life, 1970 to 1980, between the end of The Beatles and his murder in New York City. This unique book recounts John's life after The Beatles in this fascinating and revealing track-by-track analysis of the stories behind each song that he wrote.

The Beatles Treasures tells the amazing story of the band, from their early beginnings to the international supergroup that they became. Each fully-illustrated double-page spread covers either a year of their history, one of the band members or an album. It builds to tell the complete, fascinating story of the Fab Four in words and pictures. The memorabilia includes: 1957 Quarrymen programme; 1961 receipt from the Top Ten Club in Hamburg; 1963 poster of Beatles concert with Billy J Kramer in support; 1964 ticket stub from Atlantic City concert; Flyer for The Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers concert; 1967 'Being for the benefit of Mr Kite' poster that inspired the song; 1981 Beatles family tree... and more!

Modern ideas of beauty are inextricably linked to fashion — and «Vogue» is considered to be the authority. As the world's leading fashion bible, «Vogue» has created and documented key fashion moments and with its unrivalled access to the world's best models, hairstylists, make-up artists and photographers, «Vogue» has immortalized every beauty trend over the last century. «Vogue Beauty» is the definitive beauty experience, which perfectly balances accessibility and aspiration. Covering the gamut of health and beauty from the healing powers of Reiki to the best make-up looks, «Vogue Beauty» shows that beauty is not about the perfect face or body — it concerns individuality, vitality, wellbeing and personal style. The philosophy of «Vogue Beauty» is to work on beauty from the inside outwards, with chapters on Body, Skincare, Hair, Make-up, Scent and Complementary Medicine. «Vogue Beauty» also highlights the healing benefits of botanical products in skin creams, herbal remedies, aromatherapy oils and flower therapies, reflecting the industry's love of all things natural and green.

Presents an overview of rock history from the 70s and 80s. This book shows how design and graphic styles changed for such rock bands as The Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd, The Who, and Led Zeppelin.

As news of the 50-year-old pop superstar's demise spread around the world, there were tears, shock and surprise: a hero was dead. This fully illustrated biography of the international superstar tells the life and death of Michael Jackson in words and pictures. One of the greatest pop music icons the world has ever seen, Michael Jackson had millions of fans all around the world and had an undeniable influence upon fashion, music and popular culture.

Decade by decade, the lavishly illustrated Vintage Handbags recounts over 100 years of shoe history, from Elsa Schiaparelli's mesh bags for Whiting & Davis in the 1920s through the Hermes Kelly bag in the 1950s to the Fendi Baguette of the 1990s. Accompanied by archive images, fashion photography and specially commissioned photographs of period pieces, the most collectible and beautiful handbags are showcased. An invaluable reference as well as a visual delight of times past, the book explores the key designers, technical developments and cultural influences that shaped handbag design, revealing exquisite and groundbreaking work from such luminaries as Salvatore Ferragamo, Coco Chanel, Hermes, Fendi, Bonnie Cashin and Judith Leiber.

Featuring interviews with band members and key people close to them, and tracing the band's meteroic rise from the early days to a group that has galvanized the pop music scene, this title explores the background and inspiration behind the songs written by U2.

There was rich praise for the original edition of The Beatles Stories Behind The Songs Book, including Steve Matteo in The Music Paper describing it as 'One of the most readable and illuminating books ever written about The Beatles'. In his autobiography, Many Years From Now, even Paul McCartney acknowledged Steve Turner's work. Who was 'just seventeen' and made Paul's heart go 'boom'? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four's rich legacy by investigating the events immortalised in The Beatles' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture's collective imagination.

There was rich praise for the original edition of The Beatles Stories Behind The Songs Book, including Steve Matteo in The Music Paper describing it as, 'One of the most readable and illuminating books ever written about The Beatles', and in his autobiography, Many Years From Now, even Paul McCartney acknowledged Steve Turner's work. Where is Penny Lane? What was the inspiration for Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds? Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four's rich legacy by investigating the events immortalised in The Beatles' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture's collective imagination.

Led Zeppelin's music has thrilled generations of rock fans. Arising from the blues-rock movement of the late Sixties, it quickly expanded into something enormous, more potent and more dazzling than anything that had been heard before. They were a simply monumental musical experience, a meeting of brute force and intelligence with a riot of differing influences, from folk to funk, filling out the textures of a formidable repertoire. Led Zeppelin effortlessly created more enduring, classic-rock songs than any other band of their era. The howling desperation of Dazed And Confused, the sonic bombardment and inimitable riffing of Whole Lotta Love, the Celtic dramas of Immigrant Song, the acoustic, magical daydreams of Stairway To Heaven, the screaming firepower of Rock And Roll... all this and more, from their first few albums, was history in the making as they swept from one landmark achievement to another. The announcement of the one-off London concert (their first since 1980) led to an Internet meltdown as 25 million people registered for the ballot for one of the 18,000 tickets. Led Zeppelin: The Stories Behind the Songs reveals the roots and origins of the songs on all eight of the band's celebrated studio albums, together with all the stories behind material released after Zeppelin's break-up in 1980, including Unledded: No Quarter and the BBC Sessions album.

n 2010, the Formula One World Drivers' Championship reaches a landmark and 60 Years of the Formula One World Championship is published to celebrate this anniversary. Through stunning photographs and with a report on each year, every moment of significance is recorded complete with all the drama and passion. Complementing this is a series of specially commissioned interviews with half a dozen of the leading protagonists from Formula One's first six decades. From Juan Manuel Fangio's dominance in the 1950s to the era of Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton, 60 Years of the Formula One World Championship is a glorious celebration of the pinnacle of motor sport and essential reading for any Formula One fan.

Metallica formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California, their original line-up consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and bassist Ron McGovney. Mustaine and McGovney subsequently left and were replaced by Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton. Burton sadly died when the band's tour bus crashed in 1986 and Jason Newsted stepped in as a replacement staying until 2001. Robert Trujillo later joined as the band's regular bassist in 2003. With a growing fan base on the underground music scene, the band was also to achieve critical acclaim in 1986 with the release of their Master of Puppets album, widely regarded as one of the most intense and influential of all thrash metal recordings. Fortune followed fame when their eponymous 1991 album (known to fans as The Black Album) went straight to No 1 on the Billboard 200. It has since sold over 15 million copies in the United States, which makes it the 25th highest selling album in the country. Metallica has released nine studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, twenty-two music videos, and forty-three singles. The band has won seven Grammy Awards, and has had five albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200. They had sold over 100 million records worldwide by the time their latest album, Death Magnetic, was released in 2008.

From vast architectural projects to modest one-off pieces of salvaged furniture, «Green Design» shows how the design world is responding to the environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. Emerging trends in green design are covered, such as recycling and ethical sourcing. Also considered is the parallel issue of social sustainability, where the welfare of factory workers is given equal importance to environmental issues, and the idea of Cradle to Cradle enterprises, where a product can be reused over several product histories or unending 'loops'. By showcasing existing green innovations as well as visionary projects that will be built in the coming years, including the world's first zero-carbon city, «Green Design» paints a future where technology and ethics merge.

Women love shoes. Even women who couldn`t care less about fashion can appreciate the line of a finely turned heel. This book is for women and men for whom the mere thought of new shoes prompts an involuntary sigh of pleasure. It examines how shoes can alter the way you feel about yourself by simply changing the way you walk.

Looks at the fashion history and celebrates the significant designers, developments and movements of various decades. This book chronicles influences from the arrival of the flapper to modern trends to plunder the past as well as cross-blend disciplines.