This remarkable book reveals the story of 40 of the world's most fascinating plants. The plants are explored through specially selected facsimile texts from the Archives at Kew and expert introductions, as well as exceptional and beautiful illustrations. Extraordinary Plants also includes 40 beautifully reproduced prints of the plants which can then be framed, allowing the reader to truly appreciate these magnificent plants.

Eric Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. He is a highly respected figure in the pantheon of rock and roll greats, and his long career — with the Yardbirds and Cream, and as a solo artist — has been acknowledged by hundreds of awards and accolades over the years. Eric Clapton celebrates the legendary musician through stunning, rarely published photographs and the reproduction of 20 items of memorabilia, including posters, tickets, flyers and signed photographs. Eric Clapton gives the reader a front-row seat (and backstage access as well) to the career of the legendary guitarist who the only person to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times. This unique book is a treasure trove of memorabilia and photographs and the ultimate celebration of world's greatest living guitarist.

Through 100 groundbreaking dresses, The History of Fashion in 100 Dresses traces the past and present influences and reinterpretations in clothing design. From the Victorian crinoline to Vivienne Westwood's mini-crini of 1985, from Herve Leger's 1985 bandage dress to Christopher Kane's 2006 neon version, each landmark dress gives examples of how fashion ideas have been reborn and referenced throughout time by designers. By making connections between designers and across decades, the book allows the reader to discover the breadth of influence in this field, the magic of inspired originality from fashion designers and an overview of fashion history. From beaded and bias-cut to frou-frou to corseted, Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, laced to bustled, each dress tells a fashion story through anecdotes and analysis, with historic and cross-cultural references, beautiful imagery, and immaculate referencing.

Grand Prix Yesterday & Today is a timely celebration of motor racing. Each spread will show a facet of the sport from those pioneering days of more than 100 years ago juxtaposed with a similar one of recent times. Complementing these expertly chosen images are reflections on the situations then and now. The structure of the book allows today's Formula 1 fan to see just how much things have technically changed over the years but, paradoxically, how many of the fundamentals of motor racing have remained unaltered. Times may change, but Grand Prix motor racing remains the compelling spectacle that it always was.

British architect Richard Rogers has been described as the last humanist, in recognition of his determination to create public spaces that encompass the diversity and complexity of the contemporary world. This book takes a look at the work of Rogers and his partners, from his early career in the Sixties and Seventies, to his collaboration with Renzo Piano on the design of the Pompidou Centre (1971-77), to numerous projects up to present day through his architectural practice, Richard Rogers Partnership (now Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners). Rogers and his team use new materials and innovative techniques to build structures that are lightweight, transparent and environmentally friendly. His buildings create a seductive interplay of light and shadow and are simple to understand and use. In this book, projects executed by Richard Rogers and his partners are presented in sections devoted to the various architectural themes that define his work: legible; transparent; lightweight; systems; green; urban; public; together with sections on both early work and work in progress.

Bowie tells the story of one of the world's most iconic and influential figures in popular music. With a career spanning over four decades, David Bowie has consistently topped charts all over the world, selling an estimated 140 million albums worldwide. Bowie, through beautiful photographs and memorabilia, illustrates his journey from humble beginnings to world superstardom.

Metallica grew from the fledgling thrash metal scene of the early 1980s to become one of the biggest metal acts in the history of music. They still play sell out concerts around the globe and their music is critically acclaimed. Their story is one of excess, success and very heavy metal. Their music has been constantly innovative, breaking the boundaries of what constitutes heavy metal and skilfully appealing to a huge global audience. As early as 1986, Master of Puppets was seen as the album that broke thrash to the wider audience, and by the time Metallica (the black album) came out in 1991, it cemented their reputation as metallers who remained faithful to the core, but were able to adapt and make themselves hugely popular.

Who was just seventeen and made Paul's heart go boom? Who was Lady Madonna? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? What inspired Happiness is a Warm Gun? Why was Paul the walrus and what inspired the lyrics to Ringo's Octopus's Garden? In The Complete Beatles Songs, Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four's rich legacy by investigating the events immortalized in The Beatles' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture's collective imagination. This beautifully packaged 2015 edition has been fully revised and updated with a complete set of printed lyrics to accompany each song, used with exclusive permission from the band's music publishers, and includes new information on many songs.

It is impossible not to have fun adding colour to this stunning collection of woodland sprites. Whether you're applying the finishing touch to a fairy in the forest or bringing a fairy in flight to life, The Fairyland Colouring Book will enthrall you for hours. With over 120 charming designs to colour, this adult activity book is the perfect gift for the artist in your life and a fantastic source of inspiration for anyone looking to create their own designs.

Written by his trusted friend and companion, Dr John Watson, The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Case Notes chronicles nine of the most fascinating cases solved by the world's most famous detective. Based on the many notes and evidence gathered during the course of Sherlock Holmes's investigations, this fantastic collection is painstakingly presented as a scrapbook by Dr Watson. In these pages, you'll discover newspaper articles, sketches and maps that were crucial to solving the cases, with each item reproduced as a historical artefact, complete with tears, stains, foldmarks and insightful annotations written by Watson. Fifteen of these items are secured within special glassine evidence bags for easy removal and careful study by the reader.

This sumptuous folio takes Carlton's publishing on magical and mythical creatures to an even higher level. An engaging visual feast, it transports readers to the very heart of a world where dragon fire lights up the skies. With painstaking devotion to detail, it encourages children to explore every corner of the page. The large classic format allows the pictures — including scenic artworks, anatomical drawings and museum artefacts — to tell their own stories without the need for too much text. You can discover the treasure hoard of the dragon, uncover the secrets of dragon wisdom and hear the tales of the greatest dragon slayers.

Published in collaboration with the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation, Dali's World offers one of the most up-to-date and intriguing views of the life and works of one of the world's most famous artists of the 20th century. Augmented by the inclusion of facsimiles of over 20 documents from the archives of the Foundation, this beautiful book takes the reader through the life of one of the leading lights of the Surrealist movement. From his first forays into the world of art to his visits to Paris and meetings with Picasso and the Surrealists, Dali broke boundaries like few others, and themed chapters look at his fascination with other artists and writers, his collaborations with such giants as the film-makers Luis Bu-uel, Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney as well as his adherence to and then expulsion from the Surrealist movement. Containing some rarely and previously unpublished works, Dali's World culminates in an examination of the legacy that Dali has left behind and how successive artists have been influenced by him.

Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s is a glorious celebration of the Swinging Sixties — a groundbreaking decade heralding a new creativity, freedom and liberation. This lavishly illustrated book surveys how those years were depicted by illustrators for some of the UK's best-selling magazines. Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s is a stunning survey of magazine artwork from the Sixties. It not only provides a fascinating insight into the extraordinary artistic talents of the illustrators featured, but also reveals the social aspirations of this unprecedented era of political optimism and sexual freedom. Tracing the decade's evolution from the homemaking ethos of romantic coupledom to the stylish liberation of mini-skirted Chelsea girls, it features page after page of stunning rediscovered artwork, much of it by the very best artists of the day and provides a wonderful, nostalgic escape into a world of retro sophisticated living.

Gothic images are very much a part of contemporary culture, not least for a style tribe with a passion for black. Gothic has a very long history stretching over hundreds of years of aesthetic evolution, becoming a form of sensational narrative that encompasses fiction, film, television and graphic novels; a genre of underground rock music; and a distinctive visual aesthetic exploited in fashion, the visual arts and digital media. Gothic has proved marvellously adaptable, and fertile ground for endless imaginative reinvention. This book provides an introduction to the wealth of Gothic phenomena. If one thing is true, it is that Gothic knows no boundaries.

The popular portrayal of the medieval era as one of endless famine, war, and ignorance is itself ignorant — overlooking brilliant advances in science, art, and literature. This beautifully illustrated collection illuminates the dark ages, telling the story of the period and of such key figures as Joan of Arc, Marco Polo, and Saladin. Some 15 facsimile documents include the authorization of the use of torture issued by Pope Innocent IV in 1250, pages from the Gutenberg Bible, medieval maps, and illuminated manuscripts.

As we approach the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and the steady Allied push to victory, it is timely to reflect on the greatest military conflict of all time. Written by leading military historian Richard Holmes, this book presents a selection of images year by year, covering every theatre of operations. The images are largely drawn from the immense collection of the Imperial War Museum in London, and include many rare photographs. Dramatic, hard-hitting and intensely moving, this is a unique visual testament to the millions of men and women who lived through or lost their lives in the war, and a reminder to today's generations of both the heroism and horror of global conflict.

«Brigitte Bardot was the first official face of Marianne, the figure synonymous with the liberty of France. She became one of the most famous faces of French cinema during the 50s and 60s and set the world alight when she appeared in And God Created Woman in 1957. Working with some of the most revered film directors in the world, including Jean-Luc Godard and Louis Malle, as well as appearing with such luminaries as Kirk Douglas and Sean Connery, Bardot has had as colourful a life off screen as she has on. Four times married — her first husbands were Roger Vadim, Jacques Charrier (by whom she had a son) and Gunter Sachs — Bardot retired from films in 1973, determined to «get out elegantly». Bardot's life and career is examined in this beautifully illustrated book, going behind the scenes to take a look at her performances in films such as Le Mepris, Les Femmes and Les Petroleuses.»

Madonna Louise Ciccone is known universally as the Queen of Pop, and with career record sales topping 300 million worldwide, she is acknowledged as the biggest selling female recording artist of all time. Indeed, in Billboard's 2008 100 All-time Top Artists, she was ranked second only to the Beatles. During a 30-year career she has released 12 studio albums (plus numerous more compilations, live albums, soundtracks, remixes, EPs, and box sets). With each album she has consistently reinvented her music and image, pushing the boundaries both lyrically and in the form of elaborate and often sex-charged stage shows. But she is far more than just a pop star. With a career that has encompassed not just music but books, movies, fashion and humanitarian work, she has transcended the world of pop to become a global cultural icon and a role model to millions of women. Indeed, almost every successful female recording artist of the last 30 years — from Jennifer Lopez to Rihanna and, of course, Lady Gaga — cites her as a major influence.

Approaching the fascinating world of tattoo art from the perspective of design, 1000 Tattoos offers basic instruction on designing a tattoo and hundreds of images to help you choose one that's right for you. The book opens with a general introduction to the history of body decoration and technical advice on drawing and designing some of the more intricate tattoos featured in the book. Along with health and safety tips for getting a tattoo, there is also information for creating the designs using body paints and mehndi for those who want to try out different looks before choosing permanent ink. Eleven chapters are organized by theme, from intricate Celtic knotwork patterns and geometric tribal art to old-school flowers, skulls and hearts to the magical and monstrous. A stylish reference that offers a vast range of ideas on a wide cross-section of themes, 1000 Tattoos enables readers to create their own images or trace and enlarge one from the book.

It was the war to end all wars, a conflict without precedent in which millions died and millions more were injured. It was also one of the first wars from which we have a comprehensive photographic record. This book presents the conflict in all its appalling and intensely moving detail — covering all the great battles and theatres of operations, from the mud of Flanders to the beaches of Gallipoli. The photographs capture the patriotism and innocence of the men and women who volunteered for their countries, the reality of trench warfare on the Western Front, the sea battles in oceans around the globe, the terror of gas and mechanized weaponry, and the ultimate sacrifice of a generation.