Daedalus Books

The Poema de Mio Cid recounts the adventures of Rodrigo Diaz, an 11th-century hero of Islamic Spain. The Cid and his legendary exploits were already the subjects of ballads, songs, and children's tales by the time of this 12th-century epic poem. The sole dual-language edition currently available.

For lovers of words and seekers of wisdom, a lively history of aphorisms — the shortest and oldest written art form — and the intriguing people who have penned them, from the Buddha to Emily Dickinson. Starting with the ancient Chinese and ending with contemporary Europeans and Americans, «The World in a Phrase» tells the story of the aphorism through spirited and amusing biographies of some of its greatest practitioners: Americans like Ambrose Bierce, Emily Dickinson, and Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker; great French aphorists like Montaigne, La Rochefoucauld, and Chamfort; philosophers like Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein; as well as prophets and sages like the Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Jesus. Though it's an ancient art form, the aphorism is as spritely and as apposite as ever. Challenging and subversive, aphorisms deliver the short, sharp shocks of old forgotten truths. They are literature's hand luggage: they're light and compact, you can take them anywhere, and they contain everything you need to get through a rough day at the office or a dark night of the soul. But more than just a literary history, «The World in a Phrase» is a personal memoir of how aphorisms changed Geary's life — and how, if not for an aphorism by W.H. Auden, he might never have met his wife. In our modern age of drive-through culture, pre-digested soundbites, and manufactured sentiment, «The World in a Phrase» explores how aphorisms still retain the power to instigate and inspire, enlighten and enrage, entertain and edify.

A splendid, new, magical adventure from Diana Wynne Jones, set in the worlds of Chrestomanci! Conrad is young, good at heart, and yet is apparently suffering from the effects of such bad karma that there is nothing in his future but terrible things. Unless he can alter his circumstances — well, to be brutally honest, he is DOOMED. Conrad is sent in disguise to Stallery Mansion, to infiltrate the magical fortress that has power over the whole town of Stallchester, and to discover the identity of the person who is affecting his Fate so badly. He has to put an end to them, or he wont last the year. But can any plan really be that simple and straightforward? Of course it can't! And things start to go very strangely for Conrad from the moment he meets the boy called Christopher! This is trademark DWJ — packed with laugh-aloud humour, insane logic, spot-on observations, organised chaos, and all wrapped up in a rattling good adventure which oozes magic from every seam. Literally.

Inspired by the similarities between human existence and the seasons, Ram, n del Valle-Incln created four modernist stories known as the «Sonatas tetralogy.» From that highly regarded series comes this 1904 tale of innocence betrayed, the most popular of Valle-Incln's works — now in a dual-language edition.

Bad Cat returns in this loopy picture book for readers up to 8, and he's up to his old tricks. The toothy feline runs into a restaurant kitchen to cook himself breakfast, puts his painty paws on an artist's canvas, and climbs up a ladder some thieves are climbing down. Finally he slinks backstage and finds himself the center of a big dance production. Yet somehow everything Bad Cat does «wrong» seems to turn out right, even though it doesn't matter to him one way or the other; «I'm Bad Cat, top hat cat, dancing on my way, to the twinkly lights in Stinkytown, razzle-dazzle hey» he sings in defiant triumph. Tracy-Lee McGuinness-Kelly renders her insouciant hero in jazzy computer-generated collages. «This book is brimming with, well, everything. The computer-assisted artwork is packed with people and shapes that flip and fly across the pages. Sometimes shiny bright, sometimes patterned, and occasionally looking like collage, the images mirror the energy of the text.... A huge dose of silly feline fun».

Anne Taintor celebrates the fine American tradition of shopping in this 5 x 7-inch lined journal. Encouraging captions also appear randomly on the pages, such as: «change your shoes ... change your life»; «darling! let's get deeply into debt»; and «she would show them consumer confidence». The journal is one in a series featuring her hilariously acerbic domestic divas, office gals, and party girls (and the occasional suit), commenting on gender stereotypes, consumerism, and a certain ambiguity about behaving oneself.

On August 12, 2000, the giant Russian submarine Kursk suffered a catastrophic explosion and sank in the icy Barents Sea. As survivors of the 118-man crew struggled to survive, the Russian Navy failed to notice the accident, while Western observers immediately alerted leaders in the United States and Britain. Why then did Western officials fail to alert Vladimir Putin and his new post-Soviet government? And why did the Russians then rebuff international rescue attempts when their own equipment proved woefully inadequate? Ramsey Flynn untangles the deceptions and conspiracies surrounding this disaster, and tells the gripping story of the men aboard Kursk.

Becky Bloomwood, America's favorite shopaholic, is back in a hilarious, heartwarming tale of married life, best friends, and long-lost sisters (and the perils of simply having to own an Angel handbag!). What's a round-the-world honeymoon if you can't buy the odd souvenir to ship back home? Like the twenty silk dressing gowns Becky found in Hong Kong… the hand-carved dining table (and ten chairs) from Sri Lanka… the, um, huge wooden giraffes from Malawi (that her husband Luke expressly forbade her to buy)… Only now Becky and Luke have returned home to London and Luke is furious. Two truckloads of those souvenirs have cluttered up their loft, and the bills for them are outrageous. Luke insists Becky go on a budget. And worse: her beloved best friend Suze has found a new best friend while Becky was away. Becky’s feeling rather blue — when her parents deliver some incredible news. She has a long-lost sister! Becky is thrilled! She's convinced her sister will be a true soulmate. They'll go shopping together, have manicures together... Until she meets Jessica for the first time and gets the shock of her life. Surely Becky Bloomwood’s sister can't…hate shopping?

In an endearing and amusing photographic account of cats, Jules Farber, with the help of passionate photography curators the world over, has assembled a stunning collection, comprising the works of early photographers such as Felix Nadar, a pioneer of avant-garde photography; Jacques-Henri Lartigue, whose professional recognition at age sixty-nine came long after his photographic debut at six; and the inimitable Man Ray; as well as contemporary shutterbugs such as Robert Capa of Magnum; Willy Ronis of Rapho; celebrity portraitist Philippe Halsman; and Edward Steichen, who curated the groundbreaking exhibition The Family of Man at the MOMA in 1955. Alongside photographs by such world-renowed photographers, are unexpected photographic treasures from artist Pierre Bonnard, author Victor Hugo's son Charles, and several anonymous nineteenth-century experimentalists. The images, which reflect a variety of styles, share one theme: cats. The book is divided into five chapters: At Home portrays cats engaged in domestic activities, from turning somersaults on chairs to sleeping in kitchen pots and lounging with nudes; In the City finds cats roaming and cavorting around the limitless and often surprising urban locales; In the Streets features cats caught in the arms of a fat little boy or snuggled deep within the folds of a bag lady's carriage; In the Country encounters cats enjoying dairy-fresh milk, napping beside contented owners, and peaking the curiosity of their animal counterparts; and At Play uncovers cats in such mischievous undertakings as pushing a dog on a hobby horse and trying a hand (paw?) at the piano. Cat lovers and photography enthusiasts alike will revel in this light-hearted and beautifully produced volume.

Graham Hettlinger's brilliant translations of Bunin's stories in Sunstroke (2002) were widely acclaimed. In The Elagin Affair, Mr. Hettlinger continues to acquaint English-language readers with a Bunin they may not have appreciated. The Elagin Affair contains two of the author's greatest novellas, the title piece and Mitya's Love, as well as a broad range of stories written between 1900 and 1940 and centered on themes of love, loss, and the Russian landscape, including several of Bunin's most haunting stories from his final collection, Dark Avenues.

Time and Transformation brings together a variety of seventeenth-century Dutch paintings and works on paper in a major examination of themes dealing with the transformative effects of time and circumstance. The Dutch were fascinated with this idea and the variety of motifs used to convey it. Included are images of local landscapes with medieval structures left in ruins in the wake of the Spanish wars, depictions of rustic cottages and farmhouses, Dutch Italianate landscapes with Roman ruins, and representations of accidental ruins caused by flood or fire. Non-architectural imagery, such as vanitas still lifes and depictions of ruined trees encourage broader thinking on the meanings and associations of images of the fragmentary. Among the artists included are Rembrandt, Jacob van Ruisdael, Jan van Goyen, Abraham Bloemaert, Willem Kalf, Gerard Dou, and Bartholomaus Breenberg.

Cristian Crisbasan lives and works as an independent Photographer in Bucharest, Rumania. He was working as stylist and editorial journalist at the Playboy Magazine in Rumania, until he dedicated himself to photography and became already a well known name inside the fashion world.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) was one of the most audacious and original landscape artists of his age. Throughout his career, he continually experimented with composition, light, paint handling, and pictorial structure in innovative new ways that challenged traditional and contemporary painting. He taught himself by working side-by-side with fellow Impressionist masters Monet and Sisley, and in the 1870s began to define his distinctive landscape style of quick, silvery brushstrokes. By the end of the decade he had moved decisively in the direction of unparalleled painterly freedom. This stunning book is the first to examine Renoir’s landscape art in depth, tracing its evolution from the beginning of his career through his Impressionist period and the early 1880s, when he began to incorporate new landscape motifs and new levels of coloristic intensity in paintings after traveling to Algeria and Italy. With over 200 illustrations, a detailed chronology, and bibliography, the book includes essays by highly distinguished scholars that discuss the range and importance of these works and present many fresh discoveries. They also place Renoir’s landscapes in the overall context of the genre in 19th-century France, revealing how his experiments were radical and in ways that have not yet been fully acknowledged influential on the later development of modern art.

In the best tradition of sound-bites and pithily entertaining witticism, the authors gather together essential facts and fascinating insights about William Shakespeare — probably the most famous writer of all time — and the world in which he lived and worked.

Here is the perfect introduction to the work of William Shakespeare for older children. Extracts from his plays, as well as his poetry, are helpfully arranged by themes such as love, mystery, nature and justice. Quotations are used in decorative headings to highlight the content of each spread. Exquisite full-colour illustrations ensure this is a collection that can be referred to with ease and enjoyment and is perfect for dipping into time and again. Deluxe presentation, including linen half-binding and gold blocking, make this beautiful volume a perfect gift for older children and Shakespeare enthusiasts of all ages.

One of the most delightful and witty Russian operas, The Love of Three Oranges was composed by Prokofiev in 1919 and first performed at the Chicago Opera House with Prokofiev conducting in 1921. This complete vocal score includes both Russian and French text and a piano reduction of the orchestral part. Indispensable for recital and rehearsal purposes.

The Maltese Falcon set the standard by which the private eye genre is judged. Sam Spade is hired by the fragrant Miss Wonderley to track down her sister, who has eloped with a louse called Floyd Thursby. But Miss Wonderley is in fact the beautiful and treacherous Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and when Spade's partner Miles Archer is shot while on Thursby's trail, Spade finds himself both hunter and hunted: can he track down the jewel-encrusted bird, a treasure worth killing for, before the Fat Man finds him?

More than the memorable adventures of a young boy, an elfin fairy, and a swarthy pirate who gives new meaning to the phrase right hook, Peter Pan is an enduring tale that speaks of magic and innocence, fair play and personal virtue. The timeless artwork of such masters as F. D. Bedford (the original illustrator), Flora White, Alice Woodward, Mabel Lucie Atwell, Arthur Rackham, and Gwynedd Hudson captures the classic story's dreaminess as it follows the adventures of the boy who wouldn't grow up. From the immortal Wendy and Tinker Bell to Captain Hook and the lost boys, make Neverland foreverland with this beautifully illustrated book that reminds the child in all of us how good it feels to fly.

Illustrated with large floral watercolors by Melissa Sweet — embellished with tiny fairies between the leaves and petals — this box set presents 26 alphabetical flowers on 8 x 10-inch cards. Use them as flash cards for beginning readers or apprentice gardeners, or put them up as cozy country decorations.

When 14 people arrive to colonize the otherwise uninhabited planet of Delmark — O, they quickly discover that their bizarre new world is more dangerous — and much, much stranger — than they ever could have imagined, in this 1970 novel by Philip K. Dick. The colonists have nothing in common, and no idea why they've been sent there. All they know is that there's no way to leave, and one by one they are being killed. A visionary, Hugo Award–winning author, Philip K. Dick was inducted posthumously into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. His stories have been made into such blockbuster films as Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, and he was the first science fiction writer to be included in the Library of America series.

The Department of Precrime has cut major crime by almost 100 percent, in the 1956 short story by Philip K. Dick that inspired the Steven Spielberg film Minority Report. No one doubts the efficiency and fairness of a system that can look into the future, arrest soon-to-be criminals, and punish them before they can commit the crime — until the Precrime Commissioner himself is accused, and must go on the run as a convicted murderer to prove his innocence. Eight other stories are also presented in this collection, including We Can Remember it for You Wholesale, the inspiration for the film Total Recall. A visionary, Hugo Award–winning author, Philip K. Dick was inducted posthumously into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. His stories have also been made into other blockbuster films like Blade Runner, and he was the first science fiction writer to be included in the Library of America series.

World War III is raging — or so the millions of people crammed into their underground tanks believe, in this 1964 novel by Philip K. Dick. For 15 years, subterranean humanity has been fed on daily broadcasts of a never-ending nuclear devastation, sustained only by their belief in the all — powerful Protector. But up on the surface, a different kind of reality reigns: East and West are at peace, while across the planet, an elite corps of expert hoaxers preserve the lie for those below. A visionary, Hugo Award–winning author, Philip K. Dick was inducted posthumously into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. His stories have been made into such blockbuster films as Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, and he was the first science fiction writer to be included in the Library of America series.

In this delightful introduction to the art of Henri Rousseau, children explore a tropical jungle while they learn about the colours and themes that make the artist's paintings masterpieces of deceptive simplicity. As a customs official, Henri Rousseau escaped the boredom of his job by creating colourful paintings of a fantastic dream-world — a place where apes and lions cavort, snakes slither, flamingoes stroll, tigers hunt and enigmatic figures entice unsuspecting visitors amid lush, tropical plants and flowers. This book draws children into Rousseau's famous works, pointing out the many elements and symbols he incorporated, and helping them understand the use of perspective and colour that were his trademarks. Biographical information reveals the importance the natural world played in Rousseau's life and the playful text encourages further investigation into the power of imagination.

Like artist's everywhere, Paul Cezanne painted what was familiar to him: his family, his surroundings, the objects in and around his home. He delighted in the most basic elements of colour, size, and shape. This captivating look at the artist's life uses Cezanne's numerous paintings of his studio to explore his methods and technique, and his portraits of his family and friends to reveal Cezanne's personal history. It also points out details from his greatest masterpieces, encouraging young readers to investigate for themselves just as Cezanne explored the brilliance of the French countryside — its light and hues, textures and shadows — in a way no other artist ever has.