Wembley Speaks is a new type of grassroots sociology. Based entirely on postings on Nextdoor, the local networking app, the book reveals how a community talks to itself and what matters to it.As well as housing England’s national stadium, Wembley – the community under observation – is unusual in its demographics. Over 70% of the population has an ethnic minority background, compared to 18% for England as a whole. To what extent do tensions arise?Wembley Speaks

For more than half a century Betjeman's writings have awakened readers to the intimacy of English places - from the smell of gaslight in suburban churches, to the hissing of backwash on a shingle beach. Betjeman is England's greatest topologist: whether he's talking about a townhall or a teashop, he gets to the nub of what makes unexpected places unique.This new collection of his writings, arranged geographically, offers an essential gazetteer to the physical landmarks of Betjeman ...

Pevsner: The BBC Years gives the first full account of Sir Nikolaus Pevsner’s engagement with the BBC at a time when both were the dominant institutions in their own fields -- Pevsner as the most persuasive figure in architecture and art history, the BBC as the country's sole broadcaster. A German emigré, Pevsner was not at first trusted to speak on the air, and was only invited to appear at the very end of the war, in spite of his growing eminence in academia and publishing. With the arri...

This book brings together the surviving texts of the 113 talks on art and architecture that we know of, given by the art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner on radio and television between 1945--1977. It includes the seven texts of the 1955 Reith Lectures in their original broadcast form, as well as lectures that Pevsner gave in German (for the BBC in London and RIAS in Berlin) and on the radio in New Zealand. These talks are important as an example of the attempt by the BBC in particular to pr...

Collected Poems made publishing history when it first appeared, and has now sold more than two million copies, to an ever-growing readership. This newly expanded edition includes Betjeman's verse autobiography, Summoned by Bells. With a new Introduction by Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, Collected Poems is the definitive Betjeman companion.

... poetry is the blossom and the fragrancy of all human knowledge, human thoughts, human passions, emotions, language.' Samuel Taylor ColeridgeThis glorious celebration of classic poetry features verse from around the English-speaking world. Carefully selected and divided into themed sections, the poems encompass the wealth of human experience - love, death, youth, old age, nature, travel and humour are all included in works that range from the 1500s onwards.A comprehensiv...

WIth full-color illustrations throughoutFrom the best-selling author of Sexual Personae and Break, Blow, Burn and one of our most acclaimed cultural critics, here is an enthralling journey through Western art’s defining moments, from the ancient Egyptian tomb of Queen Nefertari to George Lucas’s volcano planet duel in Revenge of the Sith.America’s premier intellectual provocateur returns to the subject that brought her fame, the g...

In this landmark work, Jed Perl captures the excitement of a generation of legendary artists–Jackson Pollack, Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, and Ellsworth Kelly among them–who came to New York, mingled in its lofts and bars, and revolutionized American art. In a continuously arresting narrative, Perl also portrays such less well known figures as the galvanic teacher Hans Hofmann, the lyric expressionist Joan Mitchell, and the adventuresome realist Fairfield Porter, as well the writer...

"Who can resist an art critic with attitude?"--Former Supreme Court of Canada Justice, Ian Binnie"It was wonderful! Julian shared his enormous knowledge of the world's best art with a panache that is irresistible."--Justice Stephen Goudge, Ontario Court of AppealThis essential companion to all the major European museums and galleries discusses some of the world’s greatest paintings from Giotto through to Picasso. Julian Porter’s passion for art began with the ...

Classical theories of conservation are well known in the heritage community, but in the last two decades thinking has shifted, and classical theory has faced increasing criticism. Contemporary Theory of Conservation brings together current ideas in conservation theory, presenting a structured, coherent analysis of the subject for the first time. This engaging and readable text is split into 3 parts. The first, Fundamentals of conservation, addresses the identity of conservation itself, and...

Edvard Munch’s career is effectively divided into two periods: those before and after his mental breakdown in 1908. Prior to his psychiatric treatment and recuperation, the underlying themes of his work bounced between dark sorrow and an overt, aggressive sexuality. But after his breakdown, when he had returned to his homeland of Norway after two decades in France and Germany, his work took a decidedly positive turn in theme and subject. Munch’s body of work is now being revisited in a mod...

Offering a wealth of perspectives on African modern and Modernist art from the mid-nineteenth century to the present, this new Companion features essays by African, European, and North American authors who assess the work of individual artists as well as exploring broader themes such as discoveries of new technologies and globalization.A pioneering continent-based assessment of modern art and modernity across AfricaIncludes original and previously unpublished fieldw...