First Helpings

Deborah Albon (Author) Deborah Albon is a former early years professional and lecturer at the University of Roehampton, London, and has published widely about many food topics.Amy Palmer (Author) Amy Palmer is a former infant teacher and lecturer at the University of Roehampton, London, and has published on children’s literature and education.

"The authors shine a light on the impact of hunger on children and their families and the book highlights how food is interwoven in everyday life and in the collective memory, which has an impact on the life course. An excellent book which leads all of us to think hard about these issues." - Gurpinder Singh Lalli, Professor at University of Wolverhampton School of Education and author of Schools, Food and Social Learning"Through a series of brilliant visual analyses of Veronese’s paintings, Nichols’s book highlights the feminization of the artist’s ravishingly beautiful visual world as well as the sustained attention that he paid to those on the margins of society. Veronese emerges as an aristocratic painter but never a socially exclusive one. His tendency toward pictorial inclusivity is explored for the first time in this compelling and sharply observed study that casts fresh light on one of the greatest masters of the Venetian Renaissance." - Marie-Louise Lillywhite, Fellow by Special Election, Keble College, University of Oxford"Through a series of brilliant visual analyses of Veronese’s paintings, Nichols’s book highlights the feminization of the artist’s ravishingly beautiful visual world as well as the sustained attention that he paid to those on the margins of society. Veronese emerges as an aristocratic painter but never a socially exclusive one. His tendency toward pictorial inclusivity is explored for the first time in this compelling and sharply observed study that casts fresh light on one of the greatest masters of the Venetian Renaissance." - Marie-Louise Lillywhite, Fellow by Special Election, Keble College, University of Oxford"The authors shine a light on the impact of hunger on children and their families and the book highlights how food is interwoven in everyday life and in the collective memory, which has an impact on the life course. An excellent book which leads all of us to think hard about these issues." - Gurpinder Singh Lalli, Professor at University of Wolverhampton School of Education and author of Schools, Food and Social Learning"Edwin Morgan’s is the kind of poetry I want. A Home in Space is a multiverse chock full of concrete word-patterning, sound-ups and cut-ups, galaxies and constellations, collages, overlays, typographic arrays, acoustic riffs, lettrist elations and noncesensical confabulations, graphic designs, ur-computer inventions, and iconoclastic ads and icons. Greg Thomas and Julie Johnstone’s detailed, historically informative, and discerning introduction sets the stage for Morgan’s verbo-visual-vocal – patalexical! polychromatic! – lollapalooza of a book." - Charles Bernstein, Donald T. Regan Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature, University of Pennsylvania"Many of the legends assembled in Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People blend the otherworldly with the everyday . . . Dagrún provides helpful context for these charming stories, which deserve a readership far beyond those murky Icelandic farms." - Pablo Scheffer, TLS"Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine dares to be different. Why? It is not another regurgitation of the history of the Pistols. It aims to place the reader back in the 1960s and ’70s and explore the Sex Pistols phenomenon as it was experienced in the era that spawned it one of scant information, sparse news outlets and very little access to the music. It reminds the reader how different the world of today is, where Pistols footage, audio and even the Grundy show can be accessed in an instant on the internet. Back in the day, if you didn’t see it yourself, you didn’t see it. Importantly, the book helps define how the myth, controversy and enigma of the Sex Pistols was given oxygen by, ironically, this very vacuum." - SexPistols.net"Nichols contends that everything about Giorgione’s paintings – from their hazy brushstrokes and unconventional colors to their peculiar compositions and enigmatic figures – s meant to puzzle us, and thereby draw us in . . . Although Giorgione’s biography and artwork are ambiguous, Nichols’s text is not. His survey of Giorgione’s portraits, landscapes, and nudes is evenly paced, meticulously researched, and persuasively argued. The author presents a lucid examination of what we do and do not know about Giorgione that ultimately opens the viewer to a richer engagement with the artwork. The book would appeal to scholars, artists, history buffs, and even Vasari himself." - Hyperallergic"The rose has a fascinating history: archaeologists have found rose fossils which are 35 million years old. In this charming book, social historian Catherine Horwood traces the flower’s religious, literary and artistic roots, right up to its present-day uses." - Mail on Sunday"The many illustrations (often old ads) are fascinating and often funny (1980s businessmen tripping off to work with massive &#34portable" computers), or reveal obscure aesthetic precedents (1983s Orb computer looks suspiciously like the first iMac)." - The Guardian"Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine dares to be different. Why? It is not another regurgitation of the history of the Pistols. It aims to place the reader back in the 1960s and ’70s and explore the Sex Pistols phenomenon as it was experienced in the era that spawned it one of scant information, sparse news outlets and very little access to the music. It reminds the reader how different the world of today is, where Pistols footage, audio and even the Grundy show can be accessed in an instant on the internet. Back in the day, if you didn’t see it yourself, you didn’t see it. Importantly, the book helps define how the myth, controversy and enigma of the Sex Pistols was given oxygen by, ironically, this very vacuum." - SexPistols.net"Ambitious . . . Scanlan, who wrote 2015’s excellent Easy Riders, Rolling Stones, breaks from the intellectual slumming that often smothers the band, repositioning the Pistols as Malcolm McLaren’s anarchic art project that misfired when they kick-started the UK’s punk revolution and made a ‘classic album’." - Kris Needs, Record Collector"A wonderfully informative and entertaining new study of the painter. The first full-length account of the artists life and work to appear in English for nearly 50 years." - Sunday Telegraph Magazine"A wonderfully informative and entertaining new study of the painter. The first full-length account of the artists life and work to appear in English for nearly 50 years." - Sunday Telegraph Magazine"A wonderfully informative and entertaining new study of the painter. The first full-length account of the artists life and work to appear in English for nearly 50 years." - Sunday Telegraph Magazine "In this thoroughly researched and illustrated history, Paul Atkinson traces the design and development of the electric guitar from invention to international mass production . . . The book is packed with colour photos and contemporary adverts – Atkinson has tracked down some rare images . . . The book offers an exhaustive and attractive discussion of a classic of modern design." - The Wire"This highly original study prises Titian away from the Venetian tradition, arguing that his works rebelled against their local context far more often than they cosied up to it. Nichols discerns the painters strident individualism throughout his career, from his early efforts to break with his master, Giovanni Bellini, to his formal experiments with the classical altarpiece and, ultimately, in his inimitable late style." - Apollo"[a] stimulating new book, The Sumerians, the latest contribution to the Lost Civilizations series. . . The Sumerians, for all their doubtful status as a formal society, have a remarkable list of achievements to their credit. Besides being the world’s earliest attested civilization in the fourth millennium BCE, they invented cuneiform – the world’s earliest writing – and the sexagesimal system of mathematics. Their cities, such as Uruk and Ur, were the headquarters of the world’s earliest city-states, with bureaucracies, legal codes, divisions of labor, and a money economy . . . a civilization made vivid by Collins’s clear and expert text." - Science"This highly original study prises Titian away from the Venetian tradition, arguing that his works rebelled against their local context far more often than they cosied up to it. Nichols discerns the painters strident individualism throughout his career, from his early efforts to break with his master, Giovanni Bellini, to his formal experiments with the classical altarpiece and, ultimately, in his inimitable late style." - Apollo"Masterful. There is no better guide to what occurs betwixt the sheets of the medieval bedroom than Katherine Harvey. The Fires of Lust – an absolute triumph.'" - Kate Lister, author of A Curious History of Sex and Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts"The story of Simon the goat-lover is just one of hundreds of weird and wonderful anecdotes that rub together in Katherine Harvey’s jaunty study of late-medieval sex . . . Her book is an enjoyable romp, smart as well as funny. It left me fully satisfied, with a big smile on my face." - Dan Jones, Sunday Times"A great resource for all guitar players, tinkerers and enthusiasts. Paul Atkinson's well-researched book provides essential and fascinating facts of this unique instrument's development over the course of more than a century." - Paul Brett, rock guitarist, journalist, guitar designer"This is a beautifully written and illustrated account of the discovery and re-discovery of America in the late fifteenth to early sixteenth century. Lydia Towns incorporates much recent published research whilst being unafraid to offer clear and original analysis. Her core focus is not only the stories of the voyages of Columbus and the two Cabots, John and Sebastian, but the motivations for the journeys – as much merchant enterprises as means of imperial endeavour. In Search of Trade and Fortune is, for sheer originality of thought and sound scholarship, a book I shall wish to keep at hand." - Margaret Condon, Cabot Project, University of Bristol"This is a beautifully written and illustrated account of the discovery and re-discovery of America in the late fifteenth to early sixteenth century. Lydia Towns incorporates much recent published research whilst being unafraid to offer clear and original analysis. Her core focus is not only the stories of the voyages of Columbus and the two Cabots, John and Sebastian, but the motivations for the journeys – as much merchant enterprises as means of imperial endeavour. In Search of Trade and Fortune is, for sheer originality of thought and sound scholarship, a book I shall wish to keep at hand." - Margaret Condon, Cabot Project, University of Bristol"Masterful. There is no better guide to what occurs betwixt the sheets of the medieval bedroom than Katherine Harvey. The Fires of Lust – an absolute triumph." - Kate Lister, author of A Curious History of Sex and Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts"A book that will upend our view of the past, this time disabusing us of the Medieval reputation of dirt and lack of hygiene . . . Harvey's revisionist history uncovers a time when people strove to live a healthy and balanced life." - Sue Baker, The Bookseller: Health and Diet Spotlight 'Expert Pick'"In The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living, Katherine Harvey offers a clearly written, lively exposé of medieval ideas about, and practices for, health and wellness that challenge our modern misconceptions of the era. At times serious but often infused with humour, Harvey’s work reminds us that concern for our health, and taking action to protect it, is part of what makes us human, even if our understanding of how the body works has changed over the centuries." - Lori Jones, Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa, and author of Patterns of Plague: Changing Ideas about Plague in England and France, 1348–1750"Many of the legends assembled in Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People blend the otherworldly with the everyday . . . Dagrún provides helpful context for these charming stories, which deserve a readership far beyond those murky Icelandic farms." - Pablo Scheffer, TLS"Dawley’s retelling of Taiwan’s history humanises Taiwanese people and their history in a way that is desperately needed in today’s great-power focused world. No other volume better introduces Taiwan’s complex history and political development in such a thorough yet accessible way. This is a must-read, both for those new to – and familiar with – East Asian history and politics." - Dr Lev Nachman, author of Contested Taiwan"The line between the natural and supernatural is blurred in Iceland, where, for over a millennium, farmers and fishermen have eked out an existence and told stories about wizards, hidden folk, ghosts, murderers and trolls. Dagrún’s selection of these Icelandic folk legends immerses the reader in a perilous landscape and provides glimpses into the dangers of the unpredictable behaviors of supernatural beings, while capturing the evolving role storytelling plays in understanding the world around us and the ways in which legend creates meaning for its tellers and audiences alike. Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People is a masterful and much needed addition to our growing scholarship on Icelandic and Nordic folklore and will delight readers of all ages and backgrounds. Oh, and be very careful when driving past Skriðinsenni . . ." - Timothy R. Tangherlini, Professor in the Department of Scandinavian, UC Berkeley, and editor and translator of Danish Folktales, Legends and Other Stories"Dawley’s retelling of Taiwan’s history humanises Taiwanese people and their history in a way that is desperately needed in today’s great-power focused world. No other volume better introduces Taiwan’s complex history and political development in such a thorough yet accessible way. This is a must-read, both for those new to – and familiar with – East Asian history and politics." - Dr Lev Nachman, author of Contested Taiwan"The arrival of Evan N. Dawley’s Taiwan: A People's History could not be better timed. Written in an admirably accessible style, it offers an original approach and is chockful of engaging nuggets. Based on deep familiarity with the literature, a thorough amount of original research, and much time in the field, Dawley’s book is required reading." - Thomas Gold, University of California, Berkeley"Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir has selected here nineteenth-century Icelandic legends that offer insights into past beliefs, social attitudes and daily life. They reveal views on gender, class and traditions in rural households. Her commentary provides a deeper understanding, offering a historical perspective from the common folk’s viewpoint." - Rósa Þorsteinsdóttir, Associate Research Professor in Folkloristics, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies"The arrival of Evan N. Dawley’s Taiwan: A People's History could not be better timed. Written in an admirably accessible style, it offers an original approach and is chockful of engaging nuggets. Based on deep familiarity with the literature, a thorough amount of original research, and much time in the field, Dawley’s book is required reading." - Thomas Gold, University of California, Berkeley"One of the book's great strengths is the effort Dagrún has made to contextualise the tales within Icelandic social history . . . These are vividly told, sometimes brutal, sometimes hilarious tales which offer a wonderfully representative and engrossing conspectus of the long Icelandic past." - Carolyne Larrington, Fortean Times"In The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living, Katherine Harvey offers a clearly written, lively exposé of medieval ideas about, and practices for, health and wellness that challenge our modern misconceptions of the era. At times serious but often infused with humour, Harvey’s work reminds us that concern for our health, and taking action to protect it, is part of what makes us human, even if our understanding of how the body works has changed over the centuries." - Lori Jones, Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa, and author of Patterns of Plague: Changing Ideas about Plague in England and France, 1348–1750"With unabashed directness, a delicate touch of wit, and constant humanity, Katherine Harvey surveys the world of medieval sex and sexuality. Throughout The Fires of Lust she situates the twin themes of morality and medicine in the social and material world that medieval people inhabited. What those people thought, felt, feared and hoped for all play a part, alongside the pronouncements of theologians, lawmakers and intellectuals. Here, in its messy complexity, is medieval life – life laid bare, but always with respect and care. A triumph." - John H. Arnold, Professor of Medieval History, University of Cambridge, author of Belief and Unbelief in the Middle Ages"In a fascinating book that cleverly intertwines the careers of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot, Lydia Towns sets their voyages within contemporary knowledge of the Atlantic, which was fuller than is generally assumed, and shows that English merchants, and then John Cabot, played a much under-estimated role in the discovery of America." - David Abulafia, Professor Emeritus of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Gonville and Caius College"In a fascinating book that cleverly intertwines the careers of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot, Lydia Towns sets their voyages within contemporary knowledge of the Atlantic, which was fuller than is generally assumed, and shows that English merchants, and then John Cabot, played a much under-estimated role in the discovery of America." - David Abulafia, Professor Emeritus of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Gonville and Caius College"Paul Atkinson has dug deep into the history of the electric guitar to create a detailed view of the ways in which makers and musicians have tried—and in many cases succeeded—to move its design forward. This engaging new book will be required reading for anyone interested in the development of one of the most popular and revolutionary instruments ever created." - Tony Bacon, guitar historian and author"When does sex become rumpy-pumpy? . . . By the Middle Ages sex is indisputably odd. Reading Katherine Harvey’s The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages, I found myself thinking: weird, weirder and, occasionally, whoa! This is an eye-watering, jaw-dropping, blush-raising book. Harvey, a medieval historian and honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, has peeped through the keyhole of the past and caught the Middle Ages in flagrante. The tone is spot-on: curious but not prurient; correct yet amused." - Laura Freeman, The Times"In this fascinating monograph, Collins provides a thought-provoking study of the Sumerians as representing the most ancient of all civilizations. Instead of presenting a traditional descriptive account, Collins explores how archaeological and textual sources were used over the past 150 years to construct multiple and often-conflicting notions of the ancient land called Sumer and the people who became known as the Sumerians . . . Well-written, well-illustrated, and well-documented, this volume will be of great interest to both scholars and students. Highly recommended." - Choice"With unabashed directness, a delicate touch of wit, and constant humanity, Katherine Harvey surveys the world of medieval sex and sexuality. Throughout The Fires of Lust she situates the twin themes of morality and medicine in the social and material world that medieval people inhabited. What those people thought, felt, feared and hoped for all play a part, alongside the pronouncements of theologians, lawmakers and intellectuals. Here, in its messy complexity, is medieval life – life laid bare, but always with respect and care. A triumph.'" - John H. Arnold, Professor of Medieval History, University of Cambridge, author of Belief and Unbelief in the Middle Ages"Nicholss book takes readers through Titians career in a chronological and thematic progression. His conclusions are consistently thought-provoking, engaging, and often heterodox, stressing difference, contrast and the uniqueness of Titians work . . . [a] nicely illustrated and well-produced volume . . . offers a challenging alternative view of one of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance. Recommended." - Choice"Nicholss book takes readers through Titians career in a chronological and thematic progression. His conclusions are consistently thought-provoking, engaging, and often heterodox, stressing difference, contrast and the uniqueness of Titians work . . . [a] nicely illustrated and well-produced volume . . . offers a challenging alternative view of one of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance. Recommended." - Choice"There are plenty of books on electric guitars but very few consider them as industrial design products. Yet models such as the Fender Stratocaster or Gibson's Flying V have become part of the visual language of contemporary culture, bizarrely enduring designs that seem somehow not to have dated." - Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times"Nichols . . . is at pains to point out how far this at once exhilarating and exasperating painter went against the Venetian grain. Nichols persuasively shows how he cultivated poverty, in terms of technique, iconography and professional identity . . . a good book." - The Independent "Nichols . . . is at pains to point out how far this at once exhilarating and exasperating painter went against the Venetian grain. Nichols persuasively shows he hew cultivated poverty, in terms of technique, iconography and professional identity . . . a good book." - The Independent"Nichols . . . is at pains to point out how far this at once exhilarating and exasperating painter went against the Venetian grain. Nichols persuasively shows how he cultivated poverty, in terms of technique, iconography and professional identity . . . a good book." - The Independent"It’s a fast read, with clean writing and little editorializing . . . [Scanlan] uses quotes and rare photos to give the reader a sense of the time and place, which is as important to the Sex Pistols as the people involved in their rise . . . Great book for fans of the band who need a little more ammo in the face of trite dismissals, or punk history buffs alike – Poison in the Machine is a fascinating read" - Dying Scene"Sex Pistols: Poison in the Machine dares to be different. Why? It is not another regurgitation of the history of the Pistols. It aims to place the reader back in the 1960s and ’70s and explore the Sex Pistols phenomenon as it was experienced in the era that spawned it one of scant information, sparse news outlets and very little access to the music. It reminds the reader how different the world of today is, where Pistols footage, audio and even the Grundy show can be accessed in an instant on the internet. Back in the day, if you didn’t see it yourself, you didn’t see it. Importantly, the book helps define how the myth, controversy and enigma of the Sex Pistols was given oxygen by, ironically, this very vacuum." - SexPistols.net"An elegant history of the computers journey from its &#34initial form as a forbidding room-sized construction" to &#34an innocuous box sitting on top of an office desk." Atkinson describes all the important technological milestones stored memory, the first mouse, the development of touch screens but this is more art book than technical manual . . . Computer offers dozens of great photographs of and vintage advertisements for boxy old computers, and Atkinson analyzes these images as a means of exploring how our attitudes toward computers have changed over the years . . . an oddly fascinating history" - The New Yorker"Systematic use of sfumato can have the effect of shrouding a painting in visual mystery, allowing space for a kind of reflection that’s unencumbered by the more routine task of identifying historical narrative, political figure, or religious doctrine. No painter used sfumato to this end more thrillingly than Giorgione, of the Venetian School, who died in his thirties in 1510, and to whom only a handful of existing works can be firmly attributed. Nichols’s book on Giorgione’s Ambiguity traces the life and work of this wonderfully enigmatic painter." - The New Criterion"You will pick up this book wondering what else there could possibly be to know about roses only to be captivated by a tapestry of deftly woven stories of the plants botanic, literary, cultural and artistic influence that I, at least, discovered for the first time . . . the book manages, in a succinct and engaging manner, to illuminate the breadth of the plant's influence. For gardeners who love roses this is a fascinating and enlightening book." - Gardens Illustrated"It’s a fast read, with clean writing and little editorializing . . . [Scanlan] uses quotes and rare photos to give the reader a sense of the time and place, which is as important to the Sex Pistols as the people involved in their rise . . . Great book for fans of the band who need a little more ammo in the face of trite dismissals, or punk history buffs alike – Poison in the Machine is a fascinating read." - Dying Scene"One of the book's great strengths is the effort Dagrún has made to contextualise the tales within Icelandic social history . . . These are vividly told, sometimes brutal, sometimes hilarious tales which offer a wonderfully representative and engrossing conspectus of the long Icelandic past." - Carolyne Larrington, Fortean Times"This eagerly awaited study is a veritable triumph. Greg Thomas’s fine introduction ranges seamlessly over the intricate details of Morgan’s multifaceted career as a poet. The decision to reproduce many of the poetic texts in the versions that Morgan himself devised enhances the book’s historical importance." - Stephen Bann, Emeritus Professor of History of Art, University of Bristol, and editor of Concrete Poetry: An International Anthology (1967)"Albon and Palmer bring us authentic voices of children and how their “foodways” have changed over time. The excellent selection of their voices and images is salutary and by turns celebratory. I recommend this fascinating book and ask for more." - Penny Lawrence, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education, UCL Institute of Education"Albon and Palmer bring us authentic voices of children and how their “foodways” have changed over time. The excellent selection of their voices and images is salutary and by turns celebratory. I recommend this fascinating book and ask for more." - Penny Lawrence, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education, UCL Institute of Education"A Home in Space is a fantastic presentation of the extensive work of the Scottish visual/concrete poet Edwin Morgan. Greg Thomas and Julie Johnstone have created an artfully curated volume that showcases the many dimensions of Morgan’s practice – from his early scrapbooks through his explorations of typewriter, graphic, visual poetics in various media. Thomas’s initial essay situates Morgan’s work in the context of twentieth-century literary activity, making the case once and for all that visual poetry was a central – rather than marginal – component of modern aesthetics. For those unfamiliar with the poet, this is a terrific introduction and, for those already fans, the book is an opportunity to appreciate the range and variety of Morgan’s thought and expression. So much of his work is scattered and distributed in different venues and repositories and circulated in niche networks that the sheer effort of locating, selecting and collating this collection is admirable. It’s such a pleasure to see the combination of solid research and beautifully designed publication honouring Morgan’s creative spirit." - Johanna Drucker, author of Affluvia: The Toxic Off-Gassing of Affluent Culture (2025) and Inventing the Alphabet (2022)"Ambitious . . . Scanlan, who wrote 2015’s excellent Easy Riders, Rolling Stones, breaks from the intellectual slumming that often smothers the band, repositioning the Pistols as Malcolm McLaren’s anarchic art project that misfired when they kick-started the UK’s punk revolution and made a ‘classic album’." - Kris Needs, Record Collector"The line between the natural and supernatural is blurred in Iceland, where, for over a millennium, farmers and fishermen have eked out an existence and told stories about wizards, hidden folk, ghosts, murderers and trolls. Dagrún’s selection of these Icelandic folk legends immerses the reader in a perilous landscape and provides glimpses into the dangers of the unpredictable behaviors of supernatural beings, while capturing the evolving role storytelling plays in understanding the world around us and the ways in which legend creates meaning for its tellers and audiences alike. Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People is a masterful and much needed addition to our growing scholarship on Icelandic and Nordic folklore and will delight readers of all ages and backgrounds. Oh, and be very careful when driving past Skriðinsenni . . ." - Timothy R. Tangherlini, Professor in the Department of Scandinavian, UC Berkeley, and editor and translator of Danish Folktales, Legends and Other Stories"It is no surprise that the rose is the world’s favourite flower and in her new book, simply called Rose, Catherine Horwood dances us through every aspect of its botanical, cultural and literary significance . . . It offers many interesting nuggets, too – not least that we should all add the European Rose Garden in Sangerhausen, Germany, to our bucket list, as it has 8,600 varieties. There’s an enticing recipe for rose vodka, too." - Country Living"Nichols's thesis that Giorgione's art is intended to expand the limits of art and our understanding of human nature is sound, well-researched and amply illustrated. Recommended." - The Jackdaw"This is a gem of a book. Atkinson has written a highly readable yet authoritative survey of computing history and its connections to the larger cultural forces that often invisibly guide how technology emerges from and propagates through a society . . . what emerges from Computer is a fascinating story of the progress in computer product design, accompanied by rare and illuminating photographs that show the wide gamut of changing maker and user perceptions of what thisuniversal machine could be . . . I heartily recommend it." - Journal of Design History"Ambitious . . . Scanlan, who wrote 2015’s excellent Easy Riders, Rolling Stones, breaks from the intellectual slumming that often smothers the band, repositioning the Pistols as Malcolm McLaren’s anarchic art project that misfired when they kick-started the UK’s punk revolution and made a ‘classic album’." - Kris Needs, Record Collector"It’s a fast read, with clean writing and little editorializing . . . [Scanlan] uses quotes and rare photos to give the reader a sense of the time and place, which is as important to the Sex Pistols as the people involved in their rise . . . Great book for fans of the band who need a little more ammo in the face of trite dismissals, or punk history buffs alike – Poison in the Machine is a fascinating read." - Dying Scene"By relating the pictures to the changes in cinquecento Venice, Nichols identifies the nature of and suggests the reasons for Tintorettos unorthodox style. The many, excellent illustrations in Tintoretto can be admired for their own sake, but the text demands to be closely read." - Sunday Times"By relating the pictures to the changes in cinquecento Venice, Nichols identifies the nature of and suggests the reasons for Tintorettos unorthodox style. The many, excellent illustrations in Tintoretto can be admired for the own sake, but the text demands to be closely read." - Sunday Times"There are many, many competing claims and myths about original electric guitar designs. Atkinson set himself the task of picking carefully through the evidence. OK, this is not a book you’ll be buying your aunty for Christmas, but the stories behind your favorite axes and why some never became favorites is why this is an interesting read!" - Mixdown Magazine"By relating the pictures to the changes in cinquecento Venice, Nichols identifies the nature of and suggests the reasons for Tintorettos unorthodox style. The many, excellent illustrations in Tintoretto can be admired for their own sake, but the text demands to be closely read." - Sunday Times "Nicholss book offers the kind of free-flowing and deeply intelligent analysis of a painters career that can only be produced after long study and intimate familiarity with his subject. Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies" - Choice"Nicholss book offers the kind of free-flowing and deeply intelligent analysis of a painters career that can only be produced after long study and intimate familiarity with his subject. It is beautifully written and generously illustrated, and you feel both Nicholss and Titians minds working at every turn" - Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies"Learned, fun, and full of surprises – a fascinating, wide-ranging guide to medieval sexual attitudes and experiences.'" - Fara Dabhoiwala, author of The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution"This is an important book . . . a vital and thought-provoking contribution to the study of the ancient Middle East, and is written in such a way that readers beyond those working in the field will also find it accessible. The book is attractively laid out, with beautiful color illustrations and the text formatted in a clear, readable font." - Amanda H. Podany, Journal of the American Oriental Society"Katherine Harvey’s The Fires of Lust seeks to counterbalance misconceptions about the supposed depravity of the Middle Ages by means of an impressively wide-ranging survey of medieval sexual practices and attitudes . . . The Fires of Lust is the most comprehensive picture of medieval sex to date, one that not only illuminates striking differences between sex then and sex now, but also dispels long-held misconceptions about life in the period." - Times Literary Supplement"Paul has put a fantastically exhaustive amount of work into this book for all of us global guitar nerds to enjoy. It’s so much fun to dive into it full immersion, and glean everything from details on iconic artist guitars to strange inventions from creatives on the fringe!" - Jennifer Batten, guitarist (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck)"This work is a vital and compelling look at the interconnected systems of the early Atlantic World. Brilliantly re-contextualizing familiar explorers within the crucial economic and historical networks that made their journeys possible, this book is a masterful examination of how the Old World truly expanded into the New." - Mylynka Kilgore Cardona, Associate Professor of History, East Texas A&M University"Learned, fun, and full of surprises – a fascinating, wide-ranging guide to medieval sexual attitudes and experiences." - Fara Dabhoiwala, author of The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution"This work is a vital and compelling look at the interconnected systems of the early Atlantic World. Brilliantly re-contextualizing familiar explorers within the crucial economic and historical networks that made their journeys possible, this book is a masterful examination of how the Old World truly expanded into the New." - Mylynka Kilgore Cardona, Associate Professor of History, East Texas A&M University"Tackling head-on a range of worn cliches about medieval backwardness, Katherine Harvey brings vividly to life a society that was just as preoccupied with health and wellbeing as we are today. This engaging and impeccably researched book casts a new light on the Middle Ages and should be required reading for anyone with an interest in medical history." - Carole Rawcliffe, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, University of East Anglia, and author of Urban Bodies: Communal Health in Late Medieval English Towns and Cities"The line between the natural and supernatural is blurred in Iceland, where, for over a millennium, farmers and fishermen have eked out an existence and told stories about wizards, hidden folk, ghosts, murderers and trolls. Dagrún’s selection of these Icelandic folk legends immerses the reader in a perilous landscape and provides glimpses into the dangers of the unpredictable behaviors of supernatural beings, while capturing the evolving role storytelling plays in understanding the world around us and the ways in which legend creates meaning for its tellers and audiences alike. Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People is a masterful and much needed addition to our growing scholarship on Icelandic and Nordic folklore and will delight readers of all ages and backgrounds. Oh, and be very careful when driving past Skriðinsenni . . ." - Timothy R. Tangherlini, Professor in the Department of Scandinavian, UC Berkeley, and editor and translator of Danish Folktales, Legends and Other Stories"This is the book the world has been waiting for! Since Taiwan is one of the world’s geopolitical hotspots, the history of the Taiwanese people is needed to understand their views. Evan N. Dawley’s gem of a book is at once rigorous scholarship, a delightful read, and a courageous act of decolonization." - Scott E. Simon, University of Ottawa"In Icelandic culture from the eighteenth, nineteenth and well into the twentieth century, ghosts, trolls and the hidden people were an integral part of everyday life. Stories of these beings were shared during the long nights at the so-called winter-evening gatherings (kvöldvaka), and these creatures felt just as real to Icelanders as the people sitting beside them. In this remarkable book, readers are invited into that world through the stories told during those times, brought to life and expertly analysed by one of Iceland’s most promising young folklorists, Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir. With her insightful commentary, she offers a deeper understanding of these tales and their significance. This is a book no one with an interest in the world of northern European folklore should miss." - Sigurður Gylfi Magnússon, Professor of Cultural History, University of Iceland"This is the book the world has been waiting for! Since Taiwan is one of the world’s geopolitical hotspots, the history of the Taiwanese people is needed to understand their views. Evan N. Dawley’s gem of a book is at once rigorous scholarship, a delightful read, and a courageous act of decolonization." - Scott E. Simon, University of Ottawa"This is the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched history of Taiwan in the English language. Among the foremost historians of Taiwan in the Anglosphere, Evan N. Dawley masterfully distills millennia of history, from Indigenous settlement to Taiwan’s democratization, into one book. Dawley underscores the profound and multifarious effects of settler colonialism on Taiwanese peoples and, consequently, the emergence of a layered and complex Taiwanese identity and nationhood." - James Lin, University of Washington"Richly illustrated and accompanied by carefully researched contextual material, this book opens a gateway into the wonderful world of Icelandic folk belief of the past, providing access to a number of narratives that have previously only been accessible to those who speak Icelandic. Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir invites readers to enter a shadowy world of Nordic darkness, mystery and enchantment; unforgettable surroundings populated by powerful nature spirits, lovelorn ghosts, vengeful outlaws and marauding monsters." - Terry Gunnell, Professor Emeritus in Folkloristics, University of Iceland"This is the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched history of Taiwan in the English language. Among the foremost historians of Taiwan in the Anglosphere, Evan N. Dawley masterfully distills millennia of history, from Indigenous settlement to Taiwan’s democratization, into one book. Dawley underscores the profound and multifarious effects of settler colonialism on Taiwanese peoples and, consequently, the emergence of a layered and complex Taiwanese identity and nationhood." - James Lin, University of Washington"Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir has selected here nineteenth-century Icelandic legends that offer insights into past beliefs, social attitudes and daily life. They reveal views on gender, class and traditions in rural households. Her commentary provides a deeper understanding, offering a historical perspective from the common folk’s viewpoint." - Rósa Þorsteinsdóttir, Associate Research Professor in Folkloristics, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies"Lydia Towns offers a much-needed corrective to the notion that Columbus’ Atlantic venture was new and unique, correctly placing the “great” Atlantic explorers in their proper context of trade and merchant enterprises. In Search of Trade and Fortune illuminates the British activities in the North Atlantic, demythologizing Columbus and Spanish successes in the process." - Marguerite Ragnow, Curator of the James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota"Living well was a medieval obsession as much as a contemporary one. Katherine Harvey shows that health advice was founded on surprisingly sophisticated medical ideas about how the human body interacted with its environment. Courts, cities and religious groups across Europe all adopted rules to avoid infection and pestilence. The book is brimming with a wealth of fascinating individual stories of medieval people high and low trying to stay healthy in a world full of risks." - Peter Murray Jones, Fellow and former Librarian of King’s College, Cambridge, and author of The Medicine of the Friars in Medieval England"A lively and readable account rooted in a deep knowledge of the scholarly literature on sexuality in medieval western Europe. Harvey’s specialism in the history of medicine provides particular depth, and is integrated with legal and cultural material to create a sparkling and convincing whole." - Ruth Mazo Karras"For me, a truly compelling, fact-packed read all about how guitars are made, look, sound and play. Paul Atkinson admirably recounts a century of history, invention and experimentation by experts and amateurs of a revolutionary instrument. Highly recommended for anyone who has a guitar, and for anyone who wants one." - KT Tunstall, singer-songwriter and guitarist"an expansive, accessible and highly engaging account of what we do – and don't – know about western European sexual culture in the Middle Ages. The book offers multiple insights into the realities of medieval sex." - BBC History Magazine"A lively and readable account rooted in a deep knowledge of the scholarly literature on sexuality in medieval western Europe. Harvey’s specialism in the history of medicine provides particular depth, and is integrated with legal and cultural material to create a sparkling and convincing whole.'" - Ruth Mazo Karras"original and provocative" - Charles Hope, Burlington Magazine"A highly readable, fully authoritative account of all aspects of the ways of life of the Sumerians, one of the most important peoples of the ancient world. Paul Collins also covers the issue of the discovery and rediscovery of the Sumerians very effectively, bringing to life not just the Sumerians themselves but also the early travellers and antiquarians who first engaged with them. The book, too, is superbly illustrated." - Roger Matthews, Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology, University of Reading"Deeply perceptive in interpretation" - Brian Sewell, Books of the Year, Evening Standard"Atkinson seeks to explain the complicated history of the electric guitar – complicated because of the burden of mythology, legend, contradictory statements, and inaccurate dating attached to the instrument. To make sense of the mess, Atkinson did extensive research, conducted interviews, and delved into oral histories . . . The book includes numerous diagrams/patents, and photographs of various electric guitar models help the reader understand which model is under discussion. Recommended." - Choice"Deeply perceptive in interpretation'" - Brian Sewell, Books of the Year', Evening Standard"Deeply perceptive in interpretation" - Brian Sewell, Books of the Year, Evening Standard"In addition to his impressive historical account, Scanlan threads a variety of analytical considerations into the book, thus endowing it with a sound intellectual basis. For instance, he investigates a broader disparity between reality and perception and delves into the indispensability of cultural memory. Of the former, he writes that ‘this gap between the reality and its representation – so at odds with the world we live in today, where the gap is non-existent – also added to the perception that the Sex Pistols had, by 1977 already entered the realms of myth’. The author does some important conceptual unpacking for cultural memory as well. He asserts that this memory is embodied by ‘the panoply of media artefacts, material objects and memoirs that feed into various forms of reanimation’. Examples the author provides of these are film documentaries, commemorative events, and exhibitions. In an embodiment of cultural memory and the reality/perception dichotomy, the author presents the reader with the idea that there were two Sex Pistols: manager Malcolm McLaren’s and frontman John Lydon’s. These two groups were an idea and a musical entity, respectively." - Zach Thomas, Rock Music Studies"In addition to his impressive historical account, Scanlan threads a variety of analytical considerations into the book, thus endowing it with a sound intellectual basis. For instance, he investigates a broader disparity between reality and perception and delves into the indispensability of cultural memory. Of the former, he writes that ‘this gap between the reality and its representation – so at odds with the world we live in today, where the gap is non-existent – also added to the perception that the Sex Pistols had, by 1977 already entered the realms of myth’. The author does some important conceptual unpacking for cultural memory as well. He asserts that this memory is embodied by ‘the panoply of media artefacts, material objects and memoirs that feed into various forms of reanimation’. Examples the author provides of these are film documentaries, commemorative events, and exhibitions. In an embodiment of cultural memory and the reality/perception dichotomy, the author presents the reader with the idea that there were two Sex Pistols: manager Malcolm McLaren’s and frontman John Lydon’s. These two groups were an idea and a musical entity, respectively." - Zach Thomas, Rock Music Studies"Rose is a well-researched and riveting history of the world's most popular flower. From the fossil record to the rose garden at the White House, this book takes the reader on an epic history of the rose in civilization from ancient times through the patent rules in contemporary times. Historical accounts are spellbinding and include the harrowing tale of the escape from Europe in the midst of a military invasion during WW II of a world-renowned hybrid tea rose, "Peace." The book properly attributes the important contribution of Josephine Bonaparte, whose appetite for roses and access to her husband's wealth and privilege prompted her to construct the world's greatest rose garden; her influence is still found in today's gardens. Medicinal uses, cultural importance, and the role of roses in medieval paintings are academically addressed but never difficult to comprehend. This is a small book that packs a huge punch regarding roses in human history. Recommended." - Choice"Peppered with images and pithy analysis [Computer] offers a design history perspective on the material and visual in the social construction of computing . . . a lively and highly readable book with broad appeal and one that is a welcome addition to the historiography of computing." - Public Understanding of Science""Witholding from clear or closely defined meanings in painting allowed Giorgione to explore uncharted sensual territories, and to develop ever more intimate psychological relationships between the work and its spectator," writes Tom Nicholls in his brilliant biography and appraisal, Giorgione’s Ambiguity . . . a handsome production, with glossed pages highlighting the work to optimum effect . . . [a] two hugely appealing book which should be investigated by all lovers of Renaissance men and Renaissance artists." - Paddy Kehoe, RTE Culture"Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir has selected here nineteenth-century Icelandic legends that offer insights into past beliefs, social attitudes and daily life. They reveal views on gender, class and traditions in rural households. Her commentary provides a deeper understanding, offering a historical perspective from the common folk’s viewpoint." - Rósa Þorsteinsdóttir, Associate Research Professor in Folkloristics, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies"In addition to his impressive historical account, Scanlan threads a variety of analytical considerations into the book, thus endowing it with a sound intellectual basis. For instance, he investigates a broader disparity between reality and perception and delves into the indispensability of cultural memory. Of the former, he writes that ‘this gap between the reality and its representation – so at odds with the world we live in today, where the gap is non-existent – also added to the perception that the Sex Pistols had, by 1977 already entered the realms of myth’. The author does some important conceptual unpacking for cultural memory as well. He asserts that this memory is embodied by ‘the panoply of media artefacts, material objects and memoirs that feed into various forms of reanimation’. Examples the author provides of these are film documentaries, commemorative events, and exhibitions. In an embodiment of cultural memory and the reality/perception dichotomy, the author presents the reader with the idea that there were two Sex Pistols: manager Malcolm McLaren’s and frontman John Lydon’s. These two groups were an idea and a musical entity, respectively." - Zach Thomas, Rock Music Studies"In Icelandic culture from the eighteenth, nineteenth and well into the twentieth century, ghosts, trolls and the hidden people were an integral part of everyday life. Stories of these beings were shared during the long nights at the so-called winter-evening gatherings (kvöldvaka), and these creatures felt just as real to Icelanders as the people sitting beside them. In this remarkable book, readers are invited into that world through the stories told during those times, brought to life and expertly analysed by one of Iceland’s most promising young folklorists, Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir. With her insightful commentary, she offers a deeper understanding of these tales and their significance. This is a book no one with an interest in the world of northern European folklore should miss." - Sigurður Gylfi Magnússon, Professor of Cultural History, University of Iceland"Tom Nichols’s book serves as an excellent, cerebral, and insightful essay on one of the most influential and enigmatic of Renaissance painters. Like one of Giorgione’s own pictures, Nichols’s analysis is lyrical, and thought-provoking; constantly drawn to the profound implications of its subject, yet never less than concise and accessible. The book is particularly welcome and timely . . . Nichols is able to reserve his considerable intellectual energy for a revitalising and superbly informed discussion of the essence of Giorgione – both in terms of the elusive, enfolded meanings of his art, and in providing the reader with a navigable, clear-headed guide to a corpus of key works." - Philip Cottrell, Assistant Professor in Art History, University College Dublin"The author takes a fresh perspective on the subject from historical and botanical contexts tempered by her own interactions with and knowledge of specific rose varieties, including many grown by herself . . . Horwood expertly organises the book into 11 chapters plus a useful timeline of rose history that should be engrained into every rosarian's mind. Beautifully written and riveting at times, Rose can be read cover to cover, section by section, or simply opened to find a historical vignette about roses. Throughout the book, a refreshing hint of femininity comes through to offer new insights into this otherwise over-done subject" - The Quarterly Review of Biology"Computer is an extraordinary historical account of the electronic computer. Atkinson takes the reader on a tortuous journey through the technological time line of these amazing machines, from the days of Colossus to the modern notebook computer . . . The author presents notable contributions from Turing, von Neumann, and Mauchly in great and wonderful detail . . . The book is imbued with priceless photographs of everything from the ICT 1301 to the quirky but beautiful iPad. It will be truly appreciated by all who have an interest in the history of our favorite machine. Highly recommended." - Choice"Atkinson strives to separate fact from myth in this well-researched, accessible exploration of the electric guitar . . . Readers learn how the basic instrument is created, with fascinating highlights such as the integration of automobile engineering techniques and evocative new body shapes. Beautiful color photographs, contemporary advertisements, and examples of musicians displaying their own favorites add interest . . . Decidedly welcome. Atkinson’s rigorous scholarship and clear affection for the subject shine." - Library Journal"[An] excellent book . . . both engaging and most enlightening." - Times Literary Supplement"[An] excellent book . . . both engaging and most enlightening." - Times Literary Supplement"a richly illustrated and beautifully written essay" - Renaissance Studies"[An] excellent book . . . both engaging and most enlightening." - Times Literary Supplement"The story of Simon the goat-lover is just one of hundreds of weird and wonderful anecdotes that rub together in Katherine Harvey’s jaunty study of late-medieval sex . . . Her book is an enjoyable romp, smart as well as funny. It left me fully satisfied, with a big smile on my face.'" - Dan Jones, Sunday Times"I can’t think of more brilliant Christmas book to give to one’s significant other if they have even a passing interest in medieval Europe or the rich and extraordinary sex life of its inhabitants." - Erotic Review"Atkinson strives to separate fact from myth in this well-researched, accessible exploration of the electric guitar . . . Readers learn how the basic instrument is created, with fascinating highlights such as the integration of automobile engineering techniques and evocative new body shapes. Beautiful color photographs, contemporary advertisements, and examples of musicians displaying their own favorites add interest . . . Decidedly welcome. Atkinson’s rigorous scholarship and clear affection for the subject shine." - Library Journal"This debut book from Lydia Towns reconnects exploration history with one of its most unknowable subjects – John Cabot – about whom scholars have scarcely any reliable documentation. Until Towns’s important intervention, we have been forced to wade through decades of scholarship bubbling with unfounded mythologies, untenable assumptions, and unimportant questions. Towns places Cabot’s past in the context of a broader movement toward European expansionism in the centuries preceding his life alongside the public memory that has largely constructed him as an idealized explorer over the last two centuries. By revisiting sources produced in the 1490s, secondary literature, as well as archival materials from Canada, the UK, and the USA, Towns has produced a seminal work of scholarship centered on Cabot at his intersection with the Colombian lore with which he has become enmeshed. By understanding Cabot’s own alliances and self-interests, Towns for the first time forays beyond superficial knowledge about the man to establish the depth of his involvement in European expansionism into North America. Of particular note is Towns’s study of the contested memory of Cabot in the scholarly and public spheres." - Lauren Beck, Canada Research Chair in Intercultural Encounter and Professor of Visual and Material Culture Studies, Mount Allison University"The story of Simon the goat-lover is just one of hundreds of weird and wonderful anecdotes that rub together in Katherine Harvey’s jaunty study of late-medieval sex . . . Her book is an enjoyable romp, smart as well as funny. It left me fully satisfied, with a big smile on my face." - Dan Jones, Sunday Times"In Icelandic culture from the eighteenth, nineteenth and well into the twentieth century, ghosts, trolls and the hidden people were an integral part of everyday life. Stories of these beings were shared during the long nights at the so-called winter-evening gatherings (kvöldvaka), and these creatures felt just as real to Icelanders as the people sitting beside them. In this remarkable book, readers are invited into that world through the stories told during those times, brought to life and expertly analysed by one of Iceland’s most promising young folklorists, Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir. With her insightful commentary, she offers a deeper understanding of these tales and their significance. This is a book no one with an interest in the world of northern European folklore should miss." - Sigurður Gylfi Magnússon, Professor of Cultural History, University of Iceland"Many of the legends assembled in Ghosts, Trolls and the Hidden People blend the otherworldly with the everyday . . . Dagrún provides helpful context for these charming stories, which deserve a readership far beyond those murky Icelandic farms." - Pablo Scheffer, TLS"Too often, Taiwan is regarded as the object of other nations’ ambitions. Evan N. Dawley rejects that approach, making Taiwan’s people the subject of their own story and the agents of Taiwan’s extraordinary history. Dawley describes the waves of human settlers who populated the island to reveal the distinctiveness and complexity of contemporary Taiwanese society." - Shelley Rigger, Davidson College"Too often, Taiwan is regarded as the object of other nations’ ambitions. Evan N. Dawley rejects that approach, making Taiwan’s people the subject of their own story and the agents of Taiwan’s extraordinary history. Dawley describes the waves of human settlers who populated the island to reveal the distinctiveness and complexity of contemporary Taiwanese society." - Shelley Rigger, Davidson University"One of the book's great strengths is the effort Dagrún has made to contextualise the tales within Icelandic social history . . . These are vividly told, sometimes brutal, sometimes hilarious tales which offer a wonderfully representative and engrossing conspectus of the long Icelandic past." - Carolyne Larrington, Fortean Times"Richly illustrated and accompanied by carefully researched contextual material, this book opens a gateway into the wonderful world of Icelandic folk belief of the past, providing access to a number of narratives that have previously only been accessible to those who speak Icelandic. Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir invites readers to enter a shadowy world of Nordic darkness, mystery and enchantment; unforgettable surroundings populated by powerful nature spirits, lovelorn ghosts, vengeful outlaws and marauding monsters." - Terry Gunnell, Professor Emeritus in Folkloristics, University of Iceland"When does sex become rumpy-pumpy? . . . By the Middle Ages sex is indisputably odd. Reading Katherine Harvey’s The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages, I found myself thinking: weird, weirder and, occasionally, whoa! This is an eye-watering, jaw-dropping, blush-raising book. Harvey, a medieval historian and honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, has peeped through the keyhole of the past and caught the Middle Ages in flagrante. The tone is spot-on: curious but not prurient; correct yet amused." - Laura Freeman, The Times"This lively, engaging study combines a scholarly rigour with a sharp eye for telling detail, told in a fluid style that keeps the pages turning. A culture in which clerics commissioned sheelagh-na-gigs – graphic carvings of women displaying their genitals – to adorn their holy buildings perplex us. Harvey takes great care to explain this complicated culture." - The Irish Times"When does sex become rumpy-pumpy? . . . By the Middle Ages sex is indisputably odd. Reading Katherine Harvey’s The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages, I found myself thinking: weird, weirder and, occasionally, whoa! This is an eye-watering, jaw-dropping, blush-raising book. Harvey, a medieval historian and honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, has peeped through the keyhole of the past and caught the Middle Ages in flagrante. The tone is spot-on: curious but not prurient; correct yet amused.'" - Laura Freeman, The Times"Attractively produced to Reaktion Books usual high standards" - Art Newspaper"Much of the best modern scholarship on the subject is incorporated into an argument which is well presented and enriched with many original and intelligent observations." - Burlington Magazine"Much of the best modern scholarship on the subject is incorporated into an argument which is well presented and enriched with many original and intelligent observations." - Burlington Magazine"One would be hard-pressed to name a more culturally iconic piece of technology produced over the past seventyyears than the electric guitar. Perhaps only sports cars, like the Corvette or Camaro, resonate as strongly in relation to youth-centered culture in the late twentieth century. Paul Atkinson’s fine overview of how the electric guitar evolved from its humble origins (discovered in an 1890 patent application) to the present certainly bolsters that impression. The book is full of photographs, drawings, and advertisements with richly detailed descriptions of virtually every significant model developed over that span . . . Atkinson draws on a variety of published sources and interviews to augment his commentary, and he tells the story in a clear, accessible fashion . . . a useful and visually striking addition to the literature on the electric guitar." - Technology and Culture Journal"Much of the best modern scholarship on the subject is incorporated into an argument which is well presented and enriched with many original and intelligent observations." - Burlington Magazine"A fascinating account that deals with image as well as reality, science fiction as well as functionality. An impressive addition to Reaktions thought-provoking Objekt series." - The Historical Association"Horwood tells us that, in 2017, viewers of the BBC Gardeners’ World programme voted the rose as the most important and influential flower of the last 50 years. Having now read Catherine Horwood’s engagingly-written, abundantly-illustrated, and extensively-researched social history of the plant, I can understand why." - Botany One"Richly illustrated and accompanied by carefully researched contextual material, this book opens a gateway into the wonderful world of Icelandic folk belief of the past, providing access to a number of narratives that have previously only been accessible to those who speak Icelandic. Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir invites readers to enter a shadowy world of Nordic darkness, mystery and enchantment; unforgettable surroundings populated by powerful nature spirits, lovelorn ghosts, vengeful outlaws and marauding monsters." - Terry Gunnell, Professor Emeritus in Folkloristics, University of Iceland"Catherine Horwood devotes her whole book to how the flower evolved, starting with fossilized roses millions of years oldand ending with modern DNA research. She looks, of course, at botany but also at philosophy, literature and symbolism, painting, the perfume industry – even the White House Rose Garden . . . Like all the best books, her treatment of the great sweep of roser elated history leads the reader to make unexpected comparisons . . . Horwood’s choice of illustration is as wide-ranging as her content . . . Rose is the latest in a series of excellent plant biographies published by Reaktion." - Historic Gardens Review"The chapters are both informative and gripping and feature countless quotes from expert luthiers, guitar gods, collectors, customization authorities, collectors, music journalists, designers and fans. Furthermore, dozens of vintage ads from the 1940s – 1990s give some impressions on how a guitar, its upgraded design or features, changed over the decades . . . A well-researched, hardcover coffee-table book with excellent pictures." - www.popcultureshelf.com"It is a challenging thesis, one that makes this book essential reading by art historians" - Renaissance Quarterly"An expansive, accessible and highly engaging account of what we do – and don't – know about western European sexual culture in the Middle Ages. The book offers multiple insights into the realities of medieval sex." - BBC History magazine"[an] irresistibly eccentric cultural history . . . Impeccably researched and impossibly entertaining, The Fires of Lust is a work that transcends its scholarly purpose . . ." - The Australian"an expansive, accessible and highly engaging account of what we do – and don't – know about western European sexual culture in the Middle Ages. The book offers multiple insights into the realities of medieval sex." - BBC History Magazine"[an] irresistibly eccentric cultural history . . . Impeccably researched and impossibly entertaining, The Fires of Lust is a work that transcends its scholarly purpose . . ." - The Australian"An illuminating exploration of the surprisingly familiar sex lives of ordinary medieval people . . . By exploring their sex lives, the book brings ordinary medieval people to life, revealing details of their most personal thoughts and experiences. Ultimately, it provides us with an important and intimate connection to the past." - New Books Network"For me, a truly compelling, fact-packed read all about how guitars are made, look, sound and play. Paul Atkinson admirably recounts a century of history, invention and experimentation by experts and amateurs of a revolutionary instrument. Highly recommended for anyone who has a guitar, and for anyone who wants one." - KT Tunstall, singer-songwriter and guitarist"Paul has put a fantastically exhaustive amount of work into this book for all of us global guitar nerds to enjoy. It’s so much fun to dive into it full immersion, and glean everything from details on iconic artist guitars to strange inventions from creatives on the fringe!" - Jennifer Batten, guitarist (Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck)"an entertaining but thoughtful study, descriptive without becoming didactic or pedantic." - The Artsfuse"I can’t think of more brilliant Christmas book to give to one’s significant other if they have even a passing interest in medieval Europe or the rich and extraordinary sex life of its inhabitants." - Erotic Review"This lively, engaging study combines a scholarly rigour with a sharp eye for telling detail, told in a fluid style that keeps the pages turning. A culture in which clerics commissioned sheelagh-na-gigs – graphic carvings of women displaying their genitals – to adorn their holy buildings perplex us. Harvey takes great care to explain this complicated culture." - The Irish Times"A lively and readable account rooted in a deep knowledge of the scholarly literature on sexuality in medieval western Europe. Harvey’s specialism in the history of medicine provides particular depth, and is integrated with legal and cultural material to create a sparkling and convincing whole." - Ruth Mazo Karras"A great resource for all guitar players, tinkerers and enthusiasts. Paul Atkinson's well-researched book provides essential and fascinating facts of this unique instrument's development over the course of more than a century." - Paul Brett, rock guitarist, journalist, guitar designer"Paul Atkinson has dug deep into the history of the electric guitar to create a detailed view of the ways in which makers and musicians have tried—and in many cases succeeded—to move its design forward. This engaging new book will be required reading for anyone interested in the development of one of the most popular and revolutionary instruments ever created." - Tony Bacon, guitar historian and author"Masterful. There is no better guide to what occurs betwixt the sheets of the medieval bedroom than Katherine Harvey. The Fires of Lust – an absolute triumph." - Kate Lister, author of A Curious History of Sex and Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts"With unabashed directness, a delicate touch of wit, and constant humanity, Katherine Harvey surveys the world of medieval sex and sexuality. Throughout The Fires of Lust she situates the twin themes of morality and medicine in the social and material world that medieval people inhabited. What those people thought, felt, feared and hoped for all play a part, alongside the pronouncements of theologians, lawmakers and intellectuals. Here, in its messy complexity, is medieval life – life laid bare, but always with respect and care. A triumph." - John H. Arnold, Professor of Medieval History, University of Cambridge, author of Belief and Unbelief in Medieval Europe"Learned, fun, and full of surprises – a fascinating, wide-ranging guide to medieval sexual attitudes and experiences." - Fara Dabhoiwala, author of The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution