Best Selling Books by Matthew Sturgis

The fullest, most textural, most accurate—most human—account of Oscar Wilde''s unique and dazzling life—based on extensive new research and newly discovered materials, from Wilde''s personal letters and transcripts of his first trial to newly uncovered papers of his early romantic (and dangerous) escapades and the two-year prison term that shattered his soul and his life. "Simply the best modern biography of Wilde." —Evening Standard Drawing on material that has come to light in the past thirty years, including newly discovered letters, documents, first draft notebooks, and the full transcript of the libel trial, Matthew Sturgis meticulously portrays the key events and influences that shaped Oscar Wilde''s life, returning the man "to his times, and to the facts," giving us Wilde''s own experience as he experienced it. Here, fully and richly portrayed, is Wilde''s Irish childhood; a dreamy, aloof boy; a stellar classicist at boarding school; a born entertainer with a talent for comedy and a need for an audience; his years at Oxford, a brilliant undergraduate punctuated by his reckless disregard for authority . . . his arrival in London, in 1878, "already noticeable everywhere" . . . his ten-year marriage to Constance Lloyd, the father of two boys; Constance unwittingly welcoming young men into the household who became Oscar''s lovers, and dying in exile at the age of thirty-nine . . . Wilde''s development as a playwright. . . becoming the high priest of the aesthetic movement; his successes . . . his celebrity. . . and in later years, his irresistible pull toward another—double—life, in flagrant defiance and disregard of England''s strict sodomy laws ("the blackmailer''s charter"); the tragic story of his fall that sent him to prison for two years at hard labor, destroying his life and shattering his soul.

During his five years in captivity in Beirut, John McCarthy had very little reading material. But the one book he did have was the Bible, which he read from cover to cover--twice. He was particularly intrigued by the stories of the Old Testament. But how much of this ''history'' is actually true? Returning to the Holy Land, John McCarthy visited sites associated with the great biblical stories and spoke to the archaeologists and the historians who are uncovering the truth of the biblical past. This book encapsulates the evidence, examines the arguments and, offers fresh, sometimes shocking but challenging perspectives on the Bible.

I really love Peters work. its so full of fun and creativity, using things hes found; maps, letters, stamps, and then creating finished work that has a real sensitivity -Paul Smith, fashion designer. Paperwork includes subjects as varied as animals, fashion, accessories and some of the sources from which Clark derives his inspiration. Old maps, love letters, stamps, playing cards, match boxes, rosettes, buttons, labels, patterns, all form the starting point of Peter Clarks innovative and often humorous paper collages. Clark undertakes many scavenger trips to antiques fair, car-boot sales, bric-a-brac markets and second hand stores to find the right objects to inspire him. Paperwork presents the working methods of this eccentric and unique artist, showing the progression of his work from found ephemera to pieces of art. Accompanied by a background story to his work and beautifully illustrated with full-page pictures, this book provides us with an insight into Peter Clarks practice, from his early works to his most recent collages. Paperwork will inspire anyone with an interest in collage, collecting, portraiture and scrapbooking.

The Chronicles of Downtown Abbey: A New Era is a perfect gift book for fans of the Emmy Award-winning series and feature film, inviting readers inside the third season. The Great War has ended, but Downton Abbey is far from peaceful... "Americans can''t get enough of Downton Abbey," said The Boston Globe. As Season 3 of the award-winning TV series opens, it is 1920 and Downton Abbey is waking up to a world changed forever by World War I. New characters arrive and new intrigues thrive as the old social order is challenged by new expectations. In this new era, different family members abound (including Cora''s American mother, played by Shirley MacLaine) and changed dynamics need to be resolved: Which branch of the family tree will Lord Grantham''s first grandchild belong to? What will become of the servants, both old and new? The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, carefully pieced together at the heart and hearth of the ancestral home of the Crawleys, takes us deeper into the story of every important member of the Downton estate. This lavish, entirely new book from Jessica Fellowes focuses on each character individually, examining their motivations, their actions, and the inspirations behind them. An evocative combination of story, history, and behind-the-scenes drama, it will bring fans even closer to the secret, beating heart of the house.

Greatly in need of privacy for personal reasons, Tosca the cat searches the entire house and backyard before she finds the perfect spot.

Tosca the cat fears she is going to be left out of the celebration this Christmas, until she in on hand to witness Santa''s visit.

Draws on new material to examine the life and work of illustrator Beardsley (1872-98), who redefined line drawing and set an important tone for fin de siecle Britain with his journal The Yellow Book and illustrations for Oscar Wilde''s Salome. Finds that his most impressive creation was his own public image, through careful manipulation of the press and art community. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

This “dashing chronicle” reveals what tourists have been visiting in Rome, from the era of the Roman Republic to contemporary times (The Independent). There is no place like Rome. Throughout its long, long history, its many changes in form and fortune, Rome has always been a tourist centre. In every age—Classical, Christian, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romantic, Modern—people have flocked to see its wonders. This is the story of what Rome’s visitors have looked at over the past two thousand years, the buildings, the statues, the paintings, the artifacts that have most impressed each generation of travellers from the time of the Roman Republic in the second century BC up to the present age of mass tourism. It is the history both of how Rome has changed with the centuries and how the taste of those who have visited the city has changed with it.

First major life of the British painter; it re-appraises his talent and demolishes Patricia Corwell''s assertions that he was Jack the Ripper.

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Linked to a television series, this book interweaves the history, architecture and art of four centuries of Hampton Court Palace with personal accounts by members of its present staff. Created by Henry VIII, the palace was extended and altered by William and Mary, Anne and the Georges.

On March 14,1999 an ordinary family, the Bowlers, embarked on an extraordinary journey. They were selected to travel back in time to the world of their great-grandparents. Their destination was a Victorian house in the suburbs of London which was restored to the way it would have been in 1900. The authors describe the restoration of the house the Bowlers lived in and set this unique experiment in its historical context. Drawing on the Bowlers'' written and video diaries they follow them on their illuminating journey.

An illustrated history and portrait of the Jerwood Foundation which is a major UK funder of arts, education and science.

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Emma Haworth is a painter of the urban scene. Her art is built upon meticulous observation of the ebb and flow of modern metropolitan life - in the streets, the parks, the squares of London, New York, Paris and other great cities: it is a constantly shifting drama of moving people and changing light, played out in a great arena that is both architectural and natural. In To Every Thing There is a Season, Emma shows us an overview of her oeuvre and working practices.

Set of three hardcover volumes concerning the work of a prominent Australian artist David Bromley, with text by Matthew Sturgis and Ashley Crawford and photography by Earl Carter. Two volumes are housed in a handmade canvas jacket painted by Bromley and the third is in a handmade leather case with a clasp. The set is housed as a whole in a custom-made leather satchel signed by Bromley and includes an original signed child portrait by Bromley. The first two volumes are dedicated to the themes of children and female portraiture, which Bromley has predominantly explored throughout his career. The third volume is dedicated to Bromley’s studios and creative environment.

This is the first monograph on the work of David Whitaker, providing a unique insight to his fascinating career. The book is fully illustrated with full-color images and will inspire anyone with an interest in abstract art and watercolor painting. Over the course of his career, David Whitaker extended the range and resonance of Abstract Art. He established a reputation through investigating the optical effects of color in paintings of extraordinary technical accomplishment and daring. The ambition and the control of these strikingly beautiful effects were continuously developed throughout his career.

Abigail McLellan (1969-2009) was known for her pared-down images that were set against richly-worked backgrounds of saturated colour. This limited edition of 100 incorporates a new, original colour etching produced exclusively for this publication from an image created by the artist and authenticated by the artist''s widower, Alastair Wallace. The print is packaged with the book in a slipcase. Born in Middlesbrough, McLellan''s family moved to Scotland when she was thirteen and her education was concluded at the Glasgow School of Art. McLellan''s vision, for all its individuality, drew strongly upon the traditions of Scottish - and, particularly, Glaswegian - art. Her striking simplifications of form and her bold sense of design owed much to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his circle. More contemporary influences included Joan Eardley and Craigie Aitchison.Yet McLellan''s vision was very much her own and in her quest to create a comparable intensity of colour she evolved a highly personal technique, building up layer upon layer of translucent, quick-drying acrylic paint in short, stippled strokes.

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

This richly illustrated short, extracted from the official book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, focuses on the characters individually, examining their motivations, their actions and the inspirations behind them. Forwarded by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.

Série télévisée britannique créée par Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey met en scène la vie de la famille Crawley et de leurs domestiques à Downton, une demeure anglaise dans les années 1910. Depuis sa création, cette série connaît un succès d''audience et critique sans précédent. Dans ce livre compagnon officiel de la saison 3, nous partons à la rencontre des personnages de la série. les fans sont conviés derrière les portes du manoir pour une visite exceptionnelle. Construit autour de deux catégories (les maîtres et les serviteurs), Chroniques de Downton Abbey vous présente en détail tous les personnages : le comte et la comtesse de Grantham, leurs trois filles, Mary, Sybil et Edith, la délicieuse comtesse douarière, mais également Mr Carson et Mrs Hughes, John Bates, Matthew Crawly et bien d''autres. On y découvre des révélations inédites sur le tournage et la vie des acteurs. Superbement illustré, Chroniques de Downton Abbey analyse le contexte politique et social de cette époque et présente, grâce à des documents d''époque, les hommes et les femmes qui ont inspiré la série.