The World History of Animation by Stephen Cavalier

As a director at Disney and contributor to Spielberg's animation team, Stephen Cavalier has acquired a wealth of knowledge about the industry over the course of his career, and his new book, The World History of Animation, is a testament to this experience. This comprehensive collection features key figures from across Europe, North America and Asia, and includes everything from feature films and TV to digital animation and games. Organised chronologically, the book introduces landmark characters and technical innovations, while also paying special attention to the individuals and studios that made it all possible through biographies and interviews. It also lists certain must-see movies, complete with synopses and film stills, making it easy for readers to experience the world of animation on their own.

This beautiful, easy to follow book is perfect for both seasoned film buffs and those looking to expand their knowledge of this extensive and fascinating genre.

Coming: November 2011
Format: Hardback, 416 pp
Price: £35

Upcoming Titles: Autumn 2011

The Ray Harryhausen Fantasy Scrapbook
by Ray Harryhausen and Tony Dalton

Widely acclaimed as one of the most influential film animators of all time, Ray Harryhausen is responsible for such classic films as Clash of the Titans, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts. In the film world his name is synonymous with the pioneering of stop motion animation and he has been an inspiration to household names such as Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas, among many others.

The Ray Harryhausen Fantasy Scrapbook gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life and works of this creative genius. Designed in the form of a scrapbook, this collection includes everything from concept drawings, scripts and poster designs to outtakes from classic films, models from unrealised projects and letters from cast and crew. This book is a must-have for film buffs, Harryhausen fans and anyone interested in animation, graphics or the film-making process.

Coming: November 2011
Format: Hardback, 192 pp, 900 colour and b&w illustrations
Price: £30

2011 Releases so far...(Part 3)

Professor Gary Sheffield, The Chief: Douglas Haig and the British Army

A radical reassessment of the most controversial general in British history

In 1918, after the armies he commanded had helped to win the First World War, Douglas Haig was feted as the saviour of his country. On his death in 1928 he was mourned as a national hero. But within ten years his reputation was in ruins, and it has never fully recovered.

In this scholarly yet accessible biography, Professor Gary Sheffield reassesses Haig’s reputation. Using extensive research into primary sources, he shows how Haig’s experiences on the Western Front not only made him a highly effective commander but helped him transform the shambolic amateur force of the Somme in 1916 to the victorious army of 1918. He also reveals how, after the war, Haig used his influence as a leader of ex-servicemen to help secure the peace.

This is a powerful rehabilitation of Haig’s reputation as a military commander which offers original insights into his achievements and his place in British history.

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chief-Douglas-Haig-British-Army/dp/1845136918/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312879197&sr=8-1

Greg King, Wallis: The Uncommon Life of the Duchess of Windsor

The first unbiased account of the fascinating and outrageous life of Wallis Simpson, the commoner who bewitched the King of England …

It was the love story of the century. In December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry ‘the woman I love’, Wallis Warfield Simpson. American and twice-divorced, Wallis was hardly the sort of woman the Royal Family would have chosen for their future Queen. Their ostracism of her, coupled with a thinly veiled animosity in the British press tainted her reputation for the rest of her life.

In his acclaimed biography Greg King sifts through the decades of rumour and accusation to reveal the woman behind the legend. Wild speculation about her past affairs, her domination of the Duke and her tragic, lonely end are answered. Using previously untapped sources, conducting hundreds of interviews with survivors and expertly marshalling a huge array of documentation, King presents a definitive and sympathetic portrait of the woman who was punished for falling in love.


Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wallis-Uncommon-Life-Duchess-Windsor/dp/1845136942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312802028&sr=8-1

Andrew Vine, Last of the Summer Wine: The Story of the World’s Longest-Running Comedy Series

NEW IN PAPERBACK

Although Last of the Summer Wine came to the end of its last-ever episode in 2010 after 37 years, repeats are shown regularly on both UK Gold and the Yesterday channel, with new DVD box sets also being released in 2011. The programme has fan clubs from the US to Australia. Andrew Vine’s history of this phenomenal sitcom, which has sold over 10,000 copies in hardback, shows how a quiet comedy about three aimlessly pottering old men that began when British Leyland were still making the Austin Allegro, turned into a programme watched at its peak by a third of the population. It then managed to survive and reinvent itself even in the age of the iPhone, by which time its stars were touching ninety. It made the small town of Holmfirth into a tourist attraction, and gave actors from Thora Hird to Frank Thornton an Indian summer for their careers.

‘[An] authoritative history of the show’ – Mail on Sunday

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Summer-Wine-Longest-Running-Programme/dp/1845137116/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312803584&sr=1-3

Sinclair McKay, The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The WWII Codebreaking Centre and the Men and Women Who Worked There

NEW IN PAPERBACK

During World War Two at a rambling Victorian house in the Buckinghamshire countryside, thousands of young people intercepted, decoded and translated enemy messages, whilst some of Britain’s most brilliant minds effectively invented modern computing. Their work was undertaken in total secrecy. This bestselling and critically acclaimed book mesmerisingly describes what life was like for the men and women of Bletchley Park, caught in unusual territory between the civilian and the military.

‘An eloquent tribute to a quite remarkable group of men and women’ Mail on Sunday

‘A truly breathtaking, eye-opening book’ Readers Digest

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Life-Bletchley-Park-Codebreaking/dp/1845136330/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312802867&sr=1-1

2011 Releases So Far... (Part 2)

S. N. Pike, Mile by Mile on Britain’s Railways
Three classic guides to Britain’s mainline railways reissued in facsimile – with a fourth, new, pastiche treatment for the missing fourth (the Great Western).
Fascinating maps to follow every mile from London to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Penzance.
Extensive lineside commentary on sights to be seen from the window, gradients, water-towers for steam locos – all as it was in 1947

‘the bygone era of travel by steam train is brought to life’- Daily Telegraph

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mile-Britains-Railways-Southern-Railway/dp/1845136128/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305292925&sr=1-1

Whitney Port, True Whit
Fashion icon and MTV mega-star Whitney Port shares personal stories, beauty and fitness secrets and invaluable advice on everything girls need to know to start out their independent lives in style.

‘Intimate and honest, this book provides tips on everything from dating to decorating’- Heat Magazine

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/True-Whit-Designing-Style-Beauty/dp/184513673X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305295418&sr=8-1

Martin Smith, Kings, Queens and Four-Legged Athletes: The Telegraph book of Horse Racing
It is the sport of Kings and Queens, but also the sport of knaves and bounders, spivs and cheats. Horse racing is the sport of the ordinary man: from housewives with their 50p on whichever horse Lester is riding in the Derby, to anyone who has entered the office Grand National sweepstake. Kings, Queens & Four-Legged Athletes relives horse racing’s greatest moments through the passion and authority of the back pages’ true thoroughbreds past and present, including John Oaksey, Brough Scott, J.A. McGrath, Marcus Armytage, Peter Scott, Paul Hayward and Andrew Baker.

‘A veritable treasure trove, the book covers the splendour of Royal Ascot and the Derby…through to the homeliness of the most humble country course’ – The Daily Telegraph
‘Editor’s Top Choice’- Ireland’s Equestrian Magazine Jan. 2011

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kings-Queens-Four-Legged-Athletes-Telegraph/dp/1845136101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305536231&sr=8-1

Charlie Spedding, From Last to First
Charlie Spedding describes himself as ‘not particularly talented’ – at least, compared to the group of people he had chosen to find himself among. These were the athletes in the Olympic marathon. So how did he end up with a bronze medal? How did he win the London Marathon? And why does he still hold the English record for the distance?
In this remarkable autobiography he explains how someone who was almost bottom of the class when he first went to school, and even worse at sport, eventually turned himself into a genuinely world-class athlete, competing in top marathons all over the world, and genuinely going from last to first.

Book of the Week, Independent on Sunday, 27 March: ‘It’s an equal pleasure to accompany him on that journey’

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-First-long-distance-runners-journey/dp/1845136284/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305286392&sr=8-1

Judith B. Tankard, Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden
Gertrude Jekyll was one of the most important garden designers of the twentieth century. A prolific writer and a hugely influential plantswoman, her circle of friends included some of the most distinguished architects, horticulturists, artists, and writers of the time. This new volume in the Country Life Archives series celebrates Jekyll's gardens and her legendary theories on color, planting, and design with a selection of her most famous collaborations with Sir Edwin Lutyens and other important architects. The text is illustrated with over 150 superb photographs that capture the enduring magic of Jekyll's creative genius.

‘one to get your hands on…packed with rarely seen images of her work’- The Guardian.

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1845136241/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0711207461&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0YE2HVHYREV12R7EZ3HQ

Barry Turner- Beacon for Change
As the 2012 Olympics sets about transforming a swathe of east London, Barry Turner’s book marks the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain, which did the same for London’s South Bank after the second world war.

‘A scintillating new history of the festival of Britain.’, Richard Morrison for The Times

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beacon-Change-Festival-Britain-Shaped/dp/1845135245/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305297324&sr=1-1

Giles Worsley, England’s Lost Houses
From the archives of Country Life
As the twentieth century recedes into history, the story of the country house over the past hundred years becomes increasingly fascinating. England’s Lost Houses is essential reading for all those seeking to understand what really happened.
Giles Worsley, who died in 2006, was the former architecture correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. He was also a former architectural editor of Country Life and editor of Perspectives on Architecture.

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Englands-Lost-Houses-Archives-Country/dp/1845136144/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305298533&sr=1-1

2011 Releases So Far... (Part 1)

Stephen Brook, MW, The Finest Wines of California
This guide, the fourth in the acclaimed Finest Wines series, from Hugh Johnson’s award-winning team, casts a whole new light on the California region. Authoritative, bang up-to-date, and brimming with fascinating information, this essential guide is required reading for all wine lovers.

‘This book is exceptional. It is well-written. It is informative. It is readable and entertaining’- Winesights, Toronto, Canada.

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finest-Wines-California-Stephen-Brook/dp/184513611X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305286695&sr=1-1

Gideon Haigh, Ashes 2011
Most people gave England a modest chance of success. Some, like Glenn McGrath, insisted that history would repeat itself and Australia would administer another whitewash. What no-one anticipated was that the 2010-11 Ashes Tests would see one of the most complete performances ever by an England touring side and the first Ashes victory on Australian soil for 24 years, with, uniquely, three innings victories. It was a series full of remarkable records, and every member of the England side made crucial contributions.

Now, Gideon Haigh tells the full story of this amazing sporting achievement. Beginning with the build-up to the series - Australia going into it on the back of an uncharacteristic losing run, England after a year of quietly solid consolidation – he covers each Test, day by day, with pithy match reports and elegant analyses.

‘Cricket-lovers who know Gideon Haigh’s work will need no convincing: those who don’t will find this an ideal place to start. What makes Haigh so good? One reason is that he not only tells us what happened, he explains what it meant, where it fits into cricket history, of which he has a consummate grasp. Above all, he is a supreme stylist, with the ability to make one laugh out loud.’ – Simon Redfern, Independent on Sunday

‘[Haigh] is the most elegant of writers whose prose is a delight to read whatever the content.10/10 – this is the best tour book we’ve read.’- cricketweb.net

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashes-2010-11-Englands-Record-Breaking-Victory/dp/1845136136/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305296095&sr=1-1

Harper’s Bazaar Fashion
Sophisticated, elegant and intelligent, Harper’s Bazaar Fashion is the style resource for women everywhere. Packed with invaluable style insight and practical advice, and illustrated with hundreds of fabulous photos of the world’s hottest celebrities, and beautiful original illustrations from the world’s top fashion designers, This stunningly presented gold style bible will no doubt become the must-have accessory of the season!

‘bursting with tips’- Telegraph Magazine

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harpers-Bazaar-Fashion-Guide-Personal/dp/1845136616/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305298848&sr=1-5

Matthew Hayden, Standing My Ground
Matthew Hayden is one of the most commanding batsmen the game of cricket has ever seen – and one of the great enigmas. A devout Catholic and a ruthless on-field sledger. A brutal enforcer, and a soft-hearted family man. The Australian record-holder for highest score in Tests and One Day Internationals, who was at times troubled by self-doubt and doubters.
In Standing My Ground Hayden confronts these contradictions head-on. He talks frankly about the forces that shaped his journey from fringe international to a giant of the game. He dissects Australia’s tactic of verbal warfare and his own role as a key aggressor, taking us on a privileged tour inside the sporting machine that dominated all corners in a golden age of Australian cricket.

‘The book is not all serious analysis of the game of cricket. Hayden’s description of his first commentary stint with Geoffrey Boycott, and his confession he did not face Brett Lee in the nets because he was scared (said tongue in cheek), are lighter moments, in what is a well written autobiography. Overall this book is an enjoyable read and should be a big seller this Christmas.’- http://www.cricketweb.net/cricketbooks/6507.php

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Standing-My-Ground-Autobiography-Matthew/dp/1845136624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305293887&sr=8-1

Terry Nation, The Man Who Invented The Daleks
‘A tale of monsters, megalomaniacs and the golden age of British television’
In 1963, the Daleks were first introduced to British television and straight away became impressed on the nation’s consciousness. There they have remained, instantly recognisable, terrifying and delighting generation after generation. In his new biography, The Man Who Invented the Daleks, Alwyn Turner explores the often strange worlds of their creator, Terry Nation; a man whose impact on modern British culture has, until now, been relatively unexplored.
Turner sheds light on a strange world of ambitious young writers, producers and performers without whom British culture today would look very different.

‘Alwyn Turner shapes Nation's extraordinary career into a wonderfully rich account of British popular culture since the war. Carefully researched and beautifully written, his book covers everything from the early days of Doctor Who’ http://www.doctorwhoappreciationsociety.co.uk/Celestial_Toyshop/Books.html

Available here : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Invented-Daleks-Strange/dp/1845136098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305207125&sr=8-1

Robin Oakley, The Cheltenham Festival: A Centenary History
The Cheltenham Festival is a work of history and celebration – telling the story of how jump racing beneath Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire became a vast sporting event attracting more than 50,000 spectators a day. It is also the story of the craic and the characters, like the Irishman who won enough to pay off his mortgage on Istabraq then lost it all punting on Ireland's fancy in the Gold Cup. "To be sure, it was only a small house anyway", he shrugged. This anecdote-filled study is a book for the committed festival-goer and every armchair racing fan.

‘a highly readable history’- The Independent on Sunday

‘It’s the human element that entertains most’- Sport Magazine
Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheltenham-Festival-Centenary-History/dp/1845136365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305297917&sr=8-1

Dave Pelz, Golf Without Fear
The renowned instructor behind pros such as Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh shows you how to conquer the ten shots you fear the most.
Dave Pelz conducted worldwide surveys to determine which shots golfers fear the most, and has now created a methodology and conditioning process proven to teach golfers how to conquer their top 10 most feared shots. The first book to use the "Golfer's Eye View" - a technique developed for Pelz by photographer Leonard Kamsler - Dave Pelz's Golf without Fear features Pelz's signature combination of science and savvy.

Available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golf-Without-Fear-Feared-Confidence/dp/1845136632/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305287725&sr=1-2

The Man Who Invented The Daleks

‘A tale of monsters, megalomaniacs and the golden age of British television’

In 1963, the Daleks were first introduced to British television and straight away became impressed on the nation’s consciousness. There they have remained, instantly recognisable, terrifying and delighting generation after generation. In his new biography, The Man Who Invented the Daleks, Alwyn Turner explores the often strange worlds of their creator, Terry Nation; a man whose impact on modern British culture has, until now, been relatively unexplored.

Turner not only reflects on how the Daleks became an overnight success, to be immersed in British pop culture for all time, but also reveals their inventor’s bemusement at the phenomenon he created, reflecting on tales of fan mail being addressed to simply ‘the Dalek man, London’. This biography however goes beyond the world of Dr. Who and his greatest nemesis to explore a career that influenced a great deal of the television culture we know today.

Alwyn W. Turner is the author of, amongst other titles, Crisis? What Crisis: Britain in the 1970s and Rejoice! Rejoice!: Britain in the 1980s.

‘Alwyn Turner shapes Nation's extraordinary career into a wonderfully rich account of British popular culture since the war. Carefully researched and beautifully written, his book covers everything from the early days of Doctor Who’ http://www.doctorwhoappreciationsociety.co.uk/Celestial_Toyshop/Books.html

The Man Who Invented the Daleks is released in May 2011 and is available here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Invented-Daleks-Strange/dp/1845136098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305207125&sr=8-1

True Whit Competition

Whitney Port, MTV reality star turned clothing designer, now launches her new lifestyle guide, True Whit; a personal and honest template for ‘designing a life of style, beauty, and fun’. Through a range of chapters on everything from career advice and relationship issues to fashion tips, fitness plans and even decorating ideas, Whitney shares the secrets to an independent and glamorous world.

Now, Aurum Press, in association with Lookfantastic, are offering you the chance to quiz the girl herself and receive some individual advice and ‘Whittyisms’ on any element of creating a fabulous and stylish life of your own. All you have to do is send your question to the Lookfantastic Twitter page and, on 19th May 2011, Whitney will be personally responding to a selection of submissions. For full details about the competition and how to enter, follow this link: http://blog.lookfantastic.com/?p=3563.

Whitney Port, True Whit is available to buy now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/184513673X/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1A1GA14XN229ZJ1NQEFE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294

You can see cosmopolitan.co.uk’s feature on the book here: http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/campus/student-careers/interview-tips

‘Intimate and honest, this book provides tips on everything from dating to decorating’- Heat Magazine.

Spring 2011 Titles

Ashes 2011 by Gideon Haigh

England's stunning victory over Astralia in the Ahses series galvanised the nation. Now, Gideon Haigh, aclaimed as the 'finest living cricket writer', has written the first book about this remarkable sporting feat. Following each Test day by day, mixing vivid reportage with erudite wit, Haigh's chronicle is no 'instant bok' but rather a characteristically considered and memorable work.

Coming: February 2011
Format: Hardback, 256pp w./ 8pp colour plates
Price: £12.99



The Sport of Kings, Queens and Four-Legged Athletes Edited by Martin Smith

Horse racing is a massive commercial industry with a multi-million pound turnover in betting, breeding and prizemoney. But it is also a fun day out. The Sport of Kings... relives racing's greatest moments through the passion and authority of the sports pages' true thoroughbreds inclusing John Oaksey, Brough Scott and J.A. McGrath.

Coming: February 2011
Format: Hardback, 384pp
Price: £20



Mile by Mile on Britain's Railways by S.N. Pike

Back in 1947 someone called S.N. Pike - we know almost nothing about him - published three pamphlets which mapped in forensic detail one of Britain's mainline rail routes. Today, Aurum reissues those three - adding a fourth in the same style - in this single volume. Full of period interst, this delightful book reminds us of what once could be seen at leisure on a long railway journey.

Coming: March 2011
Format: Hardback, 160pp w./ line drawings throughout
Price: £12.99



The Cheltenham Festival by Robin Oakley

The Cheltenham Festival is nowadays the biggest event in the racing year in visitor numbers and 2011 marks a hundred years since the birth of the Festival. A work of both hisory and celebration, Oakley's book is a must have for both the committed festival-goer and the armchair racing fan.

Coming: March 2011
Format: Hardback, 304pp
Price: £20




Subdued Magic : Raymond Chandler a Life by Tom Williams

A majour new biography of one of the twentieth century's most popular, influential and enduring literary figures. Tom Williams' fascinating book covers everything from Chandler's isolated upbringing to his growing alcohol problems, pointing out the origins of his prose, characters and style along the way.

Coming: April 2011
Format: Hardback, 400pp w./ 16pp B&W plates
Price: £20




The Man Who Invented The Daleks by Alwym W. Turner

Terry Nation was one of the most successful and prolific writers for television and radio that Britain ever produced, and his most famous creations, the daleks, ensured the success of Doctor Who. This is the first serious, mainstream account of Terry Nation's life and tremendous contribution to British television.

Coming: May 2011
Format: Hardback, 356pp
Price: £20


The VW Camper Van: a biography by Mike Harding

The Volkswagen Camper van has long escaped its military origins and become the embodiment of freedom and the open road. Combining his endless curiosity flair for stand up comedy, Harding has created a wonderful social history of the postwar yearsthrough the prism of a single transport icon.

Coming: April 2011
Format: Hardback, 256pp
Price: £16.99