Best Selling Books by Steve Turner

Johnny Cash is one of the most influential figures in music and American popular culture today. While he was an icon to people of all ages during his life, Cash''s legacy continues after his death. His remarkable story is captured in this exclusive authorized biography, addressing the whole life of Johnny Cash-not just his unforgettable music but also his relationship with June Carter Cash and his faith in Christ. His authenticity, love for God and family, and unassuming persona are what Steve Turner captures with passion and focus in this inspiring book. Different from other books written about him, The Man Called CASH brings Cash''s faith and love for God into the foreground and tells the story of a man redeemed, without watering-down or sugar-coating. The Man Called CASH will be a huge success with his millions of fans and will draw in many new fans with this inspiring story of faith and redemption.

Did you know? 36% of Bob Dylan''s songs published between 1961 and 1968 had biblical references, including his 1964 hit "The Times They Are A-Changin.''"The book of Ecclesiastes has been a great inspiration on popular music including the song "Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Birds, the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon, and "Desperado," the 1973 hit by The Eagles, among others.Paul Simon once advised a young prospective lyricist to raid the Bible for memorable phrases. "Just steal them," he said, "That''s what they''re there for." There''s no question that Scripture has influenced music since the first ever song was penned. In Turn! Turn! Turn! author and music connoisseur, Steve Turner, takes an in-depth look at the lyrics and cultural context of 100 of the greatest songs from the 1930s to today to reveal an often overlooked or ignored strand of influence in popular music -- the Bible. Indeed, some of the "greats" -- including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Bono, Johnny Cash, Sting, and others -- have repeatedly returned to the Bible for such sustenance, as well as musical inspiration and a framework with which they can better understand themselves. "I hope the book prompts, provokes, and intrigues as it reveals this often-hidden history," writes Steve Turner. You''ll never listen to your favorite song or popular tune the same way again after discovering how the Bible has influenced music.

Behind our most beloved hymn is a fascinating story spanning continents, cultures, and centuries. Inspired by the way "Amazing Grace" continues to change and grow in popularity, acclaimed music writer Steve Turner embarks on a journey to trace the life of the hymn, from Olney, England, where it was written by former slave trader John Newton, to tiny Plantain Island off the coast of Africa, where Newton was held captive for almost a year, to the Kentucky-Tennessee border and other parts of the South, where the hymn first began to spread. Newton had been rescued from Africa by a merchant ship when, during an eleven-hour storm on the Atlantic, he converted to Christianity. Years later, as a minister, he wrote the hymn for use among his congregation. Through the nineteenth century, "Amazing Grace" appeared in more and more hymn books, and in the twentieth century it rose to a gospel and folk standard before exploding into pop music. It has been recorded by artists as varied as Elvis Presley, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tiny Tim, Al Green, Johnny Cash, Rod Stewart, Chet Baker, and Destiny''s Child. Amazing Grace closely examines this modern history of the hymn through personal interviews with recording artists. From John Newton''s incredible life story to the hymn''s role in American spirituality and culture, Amazing Grace is an illuminating, thorough, and unprecedented musical history.

Imagine art that permeates society, challenging conventional thinking and standard morals to their core. What if this art was created by Christians? In this revised and expanded edition of a contemporary classic, Steve Turner shares his bold vision for Christians in the arts. If Jesus is Lord of all of life and creation, then art is part of his cultural mandate.

The movies, the documentaries, the museum exhibits. They often tell the same story about the "unsinkable" Titanic, her wealthy passengers, the families torn apart, and the unthinkable end. But never before has "that glorious band," the group of eight musicians who played on as the Titanic slipped deeper and deeper into the Atlantic Ocean, been explored in such depth--until now. Join renowned biographer Steve Turner as he shares an extraordinary portrait of eight men who were thrown together on a maiden voyage, never having played together as a band, and whose names will be forever linked because of an extraordinary act of courage in the face of death. In The Band that Played On, Turner asks and answers key questions, including: How did the faith of the band members allow them to react with grace under pressure? Why does the story of the Titanic continue to fascinate? How does the legacy of that glorious band live on today? Praise for The Band that Played On: "The Band that Played On is, surprisingly, the first book since the great ship went down to examine the lives of the eight musicians who were employed by the Titanic. What these men did--standing calmly on deck playing throughout the disaster--achieved global recognition. But their individual stories, until now, have been largely unknown. What Turner has uncovered is a narrow but unique slice of history--one more chapter of compelling Titanic lore." --Marjorie Kehe, Book Editor, Christian Science Monitor

Introduced in 1979, the Fox chassis Mustang and the new Fox-4 have become some of the most popular Mustangs ever built. The significant showroom success of these models is reflected in the automotive specialists cater to the 5.0 crowd. Thorough and straightforward explanations combine with 300 no-nonsense black-and-white photographs to guide the reader through absolutely every aspect of 5.0 Mustang performance modifications.

Drawing on his storied career as a pop-culture wallflower, Steve Turner provides an all-access pass to the pervasive cultures of style, media and celebrity. Passing on his uniquely Christian way of viewing these cultures, Turner opens our eyes to a world of ideas lying just beneath the hype.

A lavishly illustrated, rollicking account of the real people and events that inspired the Beatles'' lyrics. Who was "just seventeen" and made Paul''s heart go "boom"? Was there really an Eleanor Rigby? Where''s Penny Lane? In A Hard Day''s Write, music journalist Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four''s rich legacy by investigating for the first time the ordinary people and events immortalized in the Beatles'' music and now occupying a special niche in popular culture''s collective imagination. Arranged chronologically by album, the book breaks new ground by exploring how private incidents influenced the group''s writing and how their music evolved. Turner reveals that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was really a drawing by Julian Lennon of his childhood friend; Bungalow Bill was an all-American tiger hunter; Doctor Robert was a New York ''speech doctor''; and much more. A longtime Beatles admirer, Turner tracked down and interviewed the real-life subjects of the songs, probed public records and newspaper archives, and spoke in depth to the people closet to the Beatles to unearth tales that have never before been made public. The result is a book that chronicles an untold story of the Beatles themselves. Illustrated with over 200 photographs, A Hard Day''s Write is a visually alluring and highly entertaining journey to the land stretching just beneath your conscious mind, mapped out with strawberry fields, fool-topped hills, and long and winding roads.

A riveting look at the transformative year in the lives and careers of the legendary group whose groundbreaking legacy would forever change music and popular culture. They started off as hysteria-inducing pop stars playing to audiences of screaming teenage fans and ended up as musical sages considered responsible for ushering in a new era. The year that changed everything for the Beatles was 1966—the year of their last concert and their first album, Revolver, that was created to be listened to rather than performed. This was the year the Beatles risked their popularity by retiring from live performances, recording songs that explored alternative states of consciousness, experimenting with avant-garde ideas, and speaking their minds on issues of politics, war, and religion. It was the year their records were burned in America after John’s explosive claim that the group was "more popular than Jesus," the year they were hounded out of the Philippines for "snubbing" its First Lady, the year John met Yoko Ono, and the year Paul conceived the idea for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On the fiftieth anniversary of this seminal year, music journalist and Beatles expert Steve Turner slows down the action to investigate in detail the enormous changes that took place in the Beatles’ lives and work during 1966. He looks at the historical events that had an impact on the group, the music they made that in turn profoundly affected the culture around them, and the vision that allowed four young men from Liverpool to transform popular music and serve as pioneers for artists from Coldplay to David Bowie, Jay-Z to U2. By talking to those close to the group and by drawing on his past interviews with key figures such as George Martin, Timothy Leary, and Ravi Shankar—and the Beatles themselves—Turner gives us the compelling, definitive account of the twelve months that contained everything the Beatles had been and anticipated everything they would still become.

The spiritual journey of the Beatles from fun-loving agnostics to drug-inspired mystics.

Adams County, Washington, is home to farmlands on the Columbia Plateau that produce more crops than might be expected of its semiarid soils. But while unique in its geography and history, it also faces many of the problems confronting farmers throughout rural America. Seasoned journalist Steve Turner, having spent time in Adams County as a young harvest hand, returned to the region to portray farm life and history in a land where change is a subtle but powerful constant. Amber Waves and Undertow interweaves family narratives, historical episodes, and Turner’s own experiences to illuminate the transformation of rural America from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. Whether distilling the lore of wheat and potato agriculture or describing action at a combine demolition derby, Turner celebrates both the usual and the unusual among the local residents. He blends stories of pioneer settlers with vignettes of present-day life, introducing readers to the characters—the hardworking and the eccentric, the old-timers and the Latino newcomers—who populate this corner of America. In the mode of John McPhee and Wendell Berry, Turner’s lyrical prose conveys his affection for both the land and its inhabitants. Amber Waves and Undertow is a thoughtful depiction of an exceptional place that puts the difficulties of individual farmers in national and global contexts, showing us that only by understanding the past of rural America can we confront its future challenges.

A delightful, rhyming retelling of the creation story. Children will enjoy the rolling rhythm and rhyme of this tale, and adults will love sharing it with them. Full-color illustrations.

Forty years after the publication of On the Road Kerouac has won the critical recognition he long deserved, inspiring passionate interest from a new generation of readers. This lively, visual biography highlights Kerouac''s impact on the 1950s and 1960s and tracks his relentless devotion to his work, revealing the spirituality that was at its core. 150 color and b&w photos.

A down-and-dirty chronicle of the birth and evolution of the Seattle grunge scene—from amateur skate parks and underground hardcore clubs to worldwide phenomenon—as told by one of its founding fathers and lead guitarist of legendary alternative rock band, Mudhoney. In the late 80s and early 90s, Steve Turner and his friends—Seattle skate punks, hardcore kids, and assorted misfits—started forming bands in each other’s basements and accidentally created a unique sound that spread far beyond their once-sleepy city. Mud Ride offers an inside look at the tight-knit grunge scene, the musical influences and experiments that shaped the grunge sound, and the story of Turner''s bands, Green River and Mudhoney, which went from underground flophouse shows to selling out stadiums with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Including stories about the key moments, musicians, and albums from grunge''s beginnings to its come-down from the highs of global success and stardom, this is the first account of the musical phenomenon that took over the world from someone who was there for it all. Written by Steve Turner, lead guitarist of Mudhoney, a foundational grunge band that inspired musical icons from Kurt Cobain to Sonic Youth, Mud Ride features a foreword by Pearl Jam''s Stone Gossard and never-before-seen photographs and grunge memorabilia throughout. Take a seat and ride through the messy and muddy grunge scene that grew from the basements of the Northwest and went on to circle the globe. MUST HAVE FOR FANS: For cult fans of Mudhoney and all things Seattle grunge, this is the perfect book to add to your collection. Turner helped put Sub Pop Records on the map, a label that launched bands like Soundgarden and more. Mudhoney was also one of the first American grunge bands to tour Europe and the UK, laying the groundwork for the worldwide explosion of grunge. Learn more about the ins and outs of the birth of grunge and immerse yourself in ''80s and ''90s Seattle. A GREAT GIFT FOR MUSIC LOVERS: For the aspiring musician or anyone wanting to learn more about music history, this is an illuminating look into grunge and Seattle bands that have gone on to become world-famous. AN ESSENTIAL ROCK HISTORY BOOK: An amazing gift for readers of Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain''s Please Kill Me, John Doe and Tom DeSavia''s Under the Big Black Sun, and Michael Azerrad''s Our Band Could Be Your Life. Anyone wanting to learn more about the history of grunge will delight in this great tell-all read. Perfect for: Music lovers, history buffs, and musicians Fans of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Hole, Green River, and more Anyone nostalgic for the ''80s and ''90s pop culture scene People obsessed with grunge, rock, musical movements, or Seattle history Readers of Please Kill Me, Under the Big Black Sun, Our Band Could Be Your Life, Grunge Is Dead, and Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge Gen Z readers who have embraced all things ''90s, from the decade''s fashion to its music, and have sparked a resurgence in popularity of grunge bands like Nirvana

Ten silly Santas At the north North Pole One Santa cracked the ice And fell down through a hole. Find out what happened to the nine other silly Santas in this brand-new, fun-filled collection of Christmas poems for children. Written by one of the nation''s favourite children’s poets, Ten Silly Santas captures both the joy and the angst of the Christmas season - making you laugh out loud while also prompting you to quietly reflect on the mystery that lies at the heart of it all. ‘Great poems. Lovely book!’ Charlie Mackesy

In The Complete Beatles Songs, Steve Turner shatters many well-worn myths and adds a new dimension to the Fab Four''s rich legacy. This beautifully packaged book examines every Beatles-penned song and the inspiration behind them all; with fresh research and packed with new information, there are revelations aplenty. The book covers the Fab Four''s entire output chapter by chapter and includes a complete set of printed lyrics to accompany each song, used with exclusive permission from the band''s music publishers. 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''?

Have you ever formed a secret club with friends? Or witnessed the flight of a cow? Have you ever heard a duck whistle? You haven''t? Then read this book now. As always, Steve Turner''s poems present a fresh and quirky view on life. Many of the poems in this collection are about childhood: school and holidays, dreams and monsters, food, friends... This collection of over seventy poems will entertain and interest children both in the classroom and at home. The themes and ideas are thought-provoking as well as witty and fun, and the entertaining cartoons reflect the mood of the poems. Steve Turner is the award-winning author of the best-selling poetry collection The Day I Fell Down the Toilet.

''MANY BRAVE THINGS WERE DONE THAT NIGHT, BUT NONE WERE MORE BRAVE THAN THE MEN PLAYING MINUTE AFTER MINUTE AS THE SHIP SETTLED QUIETLY LOWER AND LOWER IN THE SEA.'' When the Titanic collided with an iceberg on April 14th 1912, the eight members of the band had already retired for the evening. Still, they put on overcoats and came out to play in the lounge. When most of the First Class passengers had taken to their lifeboats, the musicians moved to the deck and continued to play as the ship sank. As Charlotte Collyer, a Titanic survivor, recalled: They kept it up to the very end. Only the engulfing ocean had the power to drown them into silence.'' But who were these musicians? What journeys brought them to this deck on this icy ocean? Who did they leave behind? Until now, little was known about them and the events that led each of them to that ill-fated ship. In this lively and thoroughly researched account, historian and biographer Steve Turner retraces each man''s steps. Revealing eight unique and inspiring portraits of bravery, and offers a fresh perspective on the legendary sinking of the Titanic.

Joseph Valachi was a special figure in the history of American crime. Noteworthy as a rare primary source into Mafia events of the Castellammarese War-era (1930-1931), Valachi''s documented memories also provide a window into the early gangland of East Harlem, Manhattan and the Bronx. Through his recollections, historians gain a unique soldier-level view of New York-area organized crime families between Prohibition and the Mafia convention at Apalachin, New York. As an early Mafia turncoat and a celebrated informant for J. Edgar Hoover''s FBI, Valachi became the focus of a best-selling book, a popular motion picture, many hours of televised Senate testimony and a detailed but never published autobiography (The Real Thing) of more than a thousand pages. Despite all that attention, a great deal of the true Valachi story has remained untold for decades. And some of the information provided by Valachi and repeated through many years has been inaccurate. Much of his life and many of his associates have been largely ignored by crime historians. Neglected subjects have included the impact of Valachi on the FBI, the government stresses related to the Kennedy Justice Department''s desire to publicize the Valachi story and the painful birthing of The Valachi Papers in book and movie forms. Now, sixty years after Valachi put pen to paper to compose his memoirs, a team of historians has assembled a collection of carefully researched articles in an effort to correct Valachi''s flawed recollections, to reveal long hidden aspects of his life and to identify and flesh out the individuals who influenced him. This Informer issue features standalone articles on various phases of Valachi''s existence in and out of the Mafia society he called "cosa nostra." It includes dozens of separate biographies of Valachi contacts on both sides of the law, and background information on his time and place. The issue is illustrated with photos, documents and maps. In addition to this EPUB ebook format, the issue is available in Kindle ebook, hardcover, paperback, magazine and emagazine formats. Contributors to the issue: Thomas Hunt (U.S.), Steve Turner (U.K.), Fabien Rossat (France), Jon Black (U.K.), Thibaut Maïquès (France), J. Michael Niotta PhD (U.S.), Thom L. Jones (New Zealand), Patrick Downey (U.S.), Ellen Poulsen (U.S.), Justin Cascio (U.S.), Scott Deitche (U.S.).

Since its first edition in 1980, Essential Physics forRadiographers has earned an international reputation as a clear andstraightforward introduction to the physics of radiography. Now inits fourth edition, this book remains a core textbook for studentradiographers. The authors have retained the pragmatic approach of earliereditions and continue to target the book particularly at thosestudents who find physics a difficult subject to grasp. The fourthedition builds on the major revisions introduced in the thirdedition. The content has been updated to reflect recent advances inimaging technology. The chapter on Radiation Safety has beencompletely rewritten in the light of the latest changes in relevantlegislation, and a re-examination of the physical principlesunderpinning magnetic resonance imaging forms the basis of a newchapter. Worked examples and calculations again feature strongly,and the innovative and popular Maths Help File, guides readersgently through the mathematical steps and concepts involved. Thereference citations have been updated and now include Internetsources.

New edition of the outstanding best-seller celebrating more than forty years of Sir Cliff''s recording career. Cliff has sold more singles in Britain than any other artist and his durability as an entertainer is unparalleled. Steve Turner''s book is a triumph. No other writer has investigated Cliff''s life in such a depth and detail and with such objectivity. What emerges from the research is a refreshingly new picture of one of the world''s most popular musical artists.

"Turner has unearthed the clear and at times desperate hunger for spirituall truth that has been at the core of rock music since it evolved out of the churches and the speakeasies of the South ..."--Page 4 of cover.

''What is so good about this book is that none of the gossip is too touchy to dwell on. Although this is an authorised biography, all the innuendos are confronted head on. There are a lot of fine anecdotes. Turner''s sympathetic, sagacious and highly enjoyable book tells you everything you ever wanted to know about Cliff. Turner''s Cliff Richard is refreshingly human, though not without his faults.'' Tony Parsons, The Sunday Telegraph: ''Well researched, pleasantly written, and shows an almost Kitty Kelleyish ear for good quotes.'' Lynn Barber, Independent on Sunday

Profiles the popular musician, tracing his evolution as a singer from his childhood, through his early days as a blues singer with "Them," his solo career, and hits such as "Gloria" and "Moondance." 20,000 first printing.