Why do people put indelible marks on their bodies in an era characterized by constant cultural change? How do tattoos as semiotic resources convey meaning? What goes on behind the scenes in a tattoo studio? How do people negotiate the informal career of tattoo artist? The Social Semiotics of Tattoos is a study of tattoos and tattooing at a time when the practice is more artistic, culturally relevant, and common than ever before. By discussing shifts within the practices of tattooing over the past several decades, Martin chronicles the cultural turn in which tattooists have become known as tattoo artists, the tattoo gun turns into the tattoo machine, and standardized tattoo designs are replaced by highly expressive and unique forms of communication with a language of its own. Revealing the full range of meaning-making involved in the visual, written and spoken elements of the act, this volume frames tattoos and tattooing as powerful cultural expressions, symbols, and indexes and by doing so sheds the last hints of tattooing as a deviant practice. Based on a year of full-time ethnographic study of a tattoo studio/art gallery as well as in-depth interviews with tattoo artists and enthusiasts, The Social Semiotics of Tattoos will be of interest to academic researchers of semiotics as well as tattoo industry professional and artists.
The publication of Feel: Robbie Williams by Chris Heath in September 2004 caused shockwaves of controversy, delight and book-buying. Finally, after years of rumour and lies, the complete, intimate story of Robert P Williams has been written. Spanning his childhood through Take That to his current status as rock icon, probing his love life and his family relationships, this book takes you closer than you ever thought you'd get to Robbie Williams. Written by Chris Heath, who spent nearly two years working with Rob on this book, every word is imbued with Rob's humour, charisma, talent, memories and complexity. But more than ever before, this book tells the truth about his extraordinary life. Billy Connolly told his story through his wife, and with Rolling Stone journalist, Chris Heath, Robbie's own story has been brilliantly and insightfully told. You may have seen his face a million times, heard his music every day, followed him from the beginning of Take That, but this is a man with some serious surprises in store. This is a groundbreaking book; truly original and brilliantly written; a grippingly honest story of an extraordinary man.
Why do people put indelible marks on their bodies in an era characterized by constant cultural change? How do tattoos as semiotic resources convey meaning? What goes on behind the scenes in a tattoo studio? How do people negotiate the informal career of tattoo artist? The Social Semiotics of Tattoos is a study of tattoos and tattooing at a time when the practice is more artistic, culturally relevant, and common than ever before. By discussing shifts within the practices of tattooing over the past several decades, Martin chronicles the cultural turn in which tattooists have become known as tattoo artists, the tattoo gun turns into the tattoo machine, and standardized tattoo designs are replaced by highly expressive and unique forms of communication with a language of its own. Revealing the full range of meaning-making involved in the visual, written and spoken elements of the act, this volume frames tattoos and tattooing as powerful cultural expressions, symbols, and indexes and by doing so sheds the last hints of tattooing as a deviant practice. Based on a year of full-time ethnographic study of a tattoo studio/art gallery as well as in-depth interviews with tattoo artists and enthusiasts, The Social Semiotics of Tattoos will be of interest to academic researchers of semiotics as well as tattoo industry professional and artists.
Dramatic and immersive, Redmond is a provocative reassessment of John Redmond, Home Rule campaigner and one of Ireland's most brilliant political minds.'A vivid portrayal of one of the great political campaigns in Irish history.' Stephen Collins, Political Editor, The Irish TimesRedmond brings to life seven pivotal years in Irish history, when the campaign for Home Rule seized the imagination of a nation and brought Ireland to the brink of a negotiated settlement with Britain. The architect of this campaign was John Redmond, the shrewd and assured leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party.Opening with euphoric scenes on Dublin's O'Connell St when tens of thousands assembled in support of Home Rule, Redmond charts the Irish Party leader's path from power broker in the British parliament in 1910, when Home Rule for Ireland seemed a fait accompli, to public enemy by 1917, when, in the wake of World War I, Irish nationalist politics migrated from the parliamentary chamber to the barricade.Redmond succeeds in weaving a complex portrait of a forgotten hero of Irish politics and the personalities – from Churchill to Carson, de Valera to Lloyd George – who aided and, ultimately, frustrated his life's work.'At last, a biography that recognises the role played by Redmond in the creation of modern Ireland. Chris Dooley brings the man and his times vividly to life in this excellent account. Full of intelligence and sympathy, it is a book that deserves to be read by anyone who wants to understand how our country came into being.'Fergal Keane, BBC'A gripping story which skilfully weaves considerable research and telling details to illuminate the story of Redmond and Home Rule.'David McCullagh, RTÉ
The first book-length study of two overlooked engagements that helped turned the tide of a pivotal Civil War battle. By May of 1863, the stone wall at the base of Marye’s Heights above Fredericksburg, Virginia, loomed large over the Army of the Potomac, haunting its men with memories of slaughter from their crushing defeat there the previous December. They would assault it again with a very different result the following spring. This time the Union troops wrested the wall and high ground from the Confederates and drove west into the enemy’s rear. The inland drive stalled in heavy fighting at Salem Church. Chancellorsville’s Forgotten Front is the first book to examine Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church and the central roles they played in the final Southern victory. Authors Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White have long appreciated the pivotal roles these engagements played in the Chancellorsville campaign, and just how close the Southern army came to grief—and the Union army to stunning success. Together they seamlessly weave their extensive newspaper, archival, and firsthand research into a compelling narrative to better understand these combats, which usually garner little more than a footnote to the larger story of Stonewall Jackson’s march and fatal wounding. Chancellorsville’s Forgotten Front offers a thorough examination of the decision-making, movements, and fighting that led to the bloody stalemate at Salem Church, as Union soldiers faced the horror of an indomitable wall of stone—and an undersized Confederate division stood up to a Union juggernaut.
Wenatchee, named after the native people who inhabited the valley in the eastern Cascades for centuries, is situated at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia Rivers in central Washington. The first European explorers came through Wenatchee in 1811. Settlement began in 1868 and increased with the coming of the Great Northern Railway Company in 1892. Its population grew rapidly as merits of the area's soil, climate, and water resources attracted homesteaders who planted orchards. The tree fruit industry thrived, and Wenatchee became known as the "Apple Capital of the World," with an annual Apple Blossom Festival that endures as the community's biggest celebration. Orchards propelled the economy through most of the 20th century. Now, thanks to Wenatchee's location on two rivers in the Cascade foothills, the town has become a destination for outdoor recreation and wine tourism with a beautiful downtown historic district worth exploring.
This latest edition in the Denby & District series opens up in its own unique and in depth style. It begins with a chronicle of the area dating from Medieval times to the 18th century. Most of the documents utilised have never before been published and include a transcription of a petition signed by villagers to exonerate the Denby witches. The books scope is wider then ever before with extensive details on Skelmanthorpe and Cumberworth. Here examined are such subjects as the field nmanufacturing family and the evangelist, Issac Marsden. Extensive details from the 19th century include Denby Poor Law records, Turnpike Roads, the 1881 Census Returns and extracts from the Barnsley Chronicle 1876–1896, detailing the trials and tribulations of the locals at the time. The well known Denby Dale born actor, Paul Copley, also tells the story of his life and career. The book is packed with new and never before published information, photographs and family trees and is a must for anyone with an interest in the area.
Is your creative writing in need of inspiration? Do you need confidence to create watertight plots and believable characters? The Writer's Source Book provides dozens of practical exercises to help you create storylines, craft people and generate ideas, with support and creative insight for every stage. It will give you support in identifying your genre and crafting your work around it, and help you to understand the complexities of plot and character before beginning to create your own. Inspired and inspiring exercises will help you master the structure of your book, story or play, while focused and innovative advise will help those who have run into trouble. This is a technical manual ideal for any writer who needs to build, fix, polish or perfect their storyline.
What I didn’t know [when starting to research and write this book]: I would become full-on, hopelessly obsessed with finding out every arcane detail about the artists gathered in these pages, whether they are living or long gone. Those myriad facts are puzzle pieces that—even though some pieces are missing—form portraits of extraordinary people with a hunger for jazz and other creative artforms, a determination to overcome struggles, and a deep joy for creating profound expression. —Chris Wong, from the Preface and Introduction to Journeys to the Bandstand. Journeys to the Bandstand: Thirty Jazz Lives in Vancouver chronicles the creative lives and musical journeys of thirty extraordinary artists who have helped shape the jazz scene in the west coast Canadian city, and further afield. Each chapter focuses on one remarkable artist, or a small group of impactful musicians, mostly based in Vancouver (Al Neil, Dave Quarin, Brad Turner, Cory Weeds, Jodi Proznick, Natasha D’Agostino, and others). The book also highlights some American musicians (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Dr. Lonnie Smith, George Coleman, and others) who have made an indelible impression on the city’s jazz community. Weaving a first-person perspective—through the author’s experiences hearing the musicians perform and documenting oral history from in-depth interviews—with extensive written and audio-visual history gathered from articles, letters, recordings, films, and more, Journeys to the Bandstand is a compelling collection of long-form portraits. The unique life stories of each subject include challenges—addictions, anxiety and self-doubt, racism, abuse, and other hard realities—and triumphs when they succeeded in making expressive and memorable music. Each individual path forms a complex and fascinating passage—the journey to the bandstand.
Providing an overview of global railway networks and services, 'Railway Directory 2008' outlines current issues and provides accurate data on all of the world's major networks.
What connects the Murder of Maria Marten, the Luddites, Barings Bank, the Castlemaine Gold Rush, the Marquiss of Normandy, Knutsford Prison, the Archibishop of York Wentworth Woodhouse, the Earl of Mulgrave, W B Yeats and a Ghost of Denby Dale? They all feature in this fourth addition to the influentialand highly successful series Denby & District. Amongst a wealthof absorbing new research this book features the Green family, corn millers of Denby Dale; Elijah Hinchcliffe, a convicted felon from Cumberworth who was transported to Tasmania for his crimeand the Kelso family of Denby Dale, comedians and travelling music hall artistes. The book also includes a fascinating, in depth analysis of the lives, careers and families of the curates of Upper Denby church, from 1627, which has thrown up a wealth of previously unknown information, made available here for the first time. Illustrated with numerous family trees and well over a hundred never before published photographs, the book is a must for anyone with an interest in the area and continues the high standards and traditions set by previous volumes in the series.
Before television, the great picture magazines captured world events for millions of readers. They sent correspondents and photojournalists to the ends of the earth to record history in the making. Among this elite was the photographer, John Launois. During the 1960s and 1970s, the final decades of the “golden age of photojournalism,” John Launois blossomed as one of the most resourceful, inventive, prolific, highly paid, and widely traveled photojournalists at work during that period. Launois made himself the master of the deeply researched photo essay, and his published work appeared in Life, The Saturday Evening Post, National Geographic, Fortune, Time, Newsweek, Look, Rolling Stone, Paris Match, London’s Sunday Times, and many other American, European, and Asian publications. This is his story told in his own words: from his youth amid the poverty and terror of German-occupied France during World War II when he dreamed of coming to America, to his lean “noodle years” in the Far East as he struggled to master his craft, to his years in America as a successful photographer and globetrotting adventurer. It was during this time that he recorded some of the most iconic images of the period—presidents, the Beatles, Malcolm X, wars, riots, and natural disasters. He also writes very candidly of the terrible toll the demands of his work imposed on his family, his loves, and himself. Through it all, he mingled with the rich, powerful, and downtrodden alike, always marveling that he had come so far.
The Battle of Verdun was one of the bloodiest engagements of the First World War, resulting in 698,000 deaths, 70,000 for each of the 10 months of battle. The French Army in the area were decimated and it is often most tragically remembered as the battle in which the French were ‘bled white’.A potent symbol of French resistance, the fortress town of Verdun was one that the French Army was loath to relinquish easily. It was partly for this reason that the German commander chose to launch a major offensive here, where he could dent French national pride and military morale. His attack commenced on 21 February, using shock troops and flamethrowers to clear the French trenches. Starting with the capture of Fort Douamont, by June 1916 the Germans were pressing on the city itself, exhausting their reserves.The French continued to fight valiantly, despite heavy losses and eventually rolled back German forces from the city. In the end it was a battle that saw much loss of life for little gain on either side.
In the hearts of London and New York stand their two oldest public monuments, Cleopatra’s Needles, the last of a series of obelisks from Ancient Egypt to be moved abroad during a period of over two thousand years. This book uses the Needles to examine how objects embody the cultures that create them, and how the use, value, and meaning of these objects change as they are transferred between cultures by gift, sale, barter, or theft. It explores the way in which obelisks functioned as imperial trophies, how their transfer was part of the complex political manoeuvring between European powers, America, the Ottoman Empire, and the semi-autonomous rulers of Egypt, and how their acquisition reflected the relative power of these parties. In contrast, it also examines the crucial role that private individuals and finance played in the acquisition and transport of the obelisks, and how popular understanding of them, and of the culture they came from, often differed from those of social and professional elites. It also relates the Needles to contemporary debates about the ownership of cultural artefacts, the legacy of colonial history, and the nature of reception as the process of understanding and valuing the past and its surviving material and immaterial culture.
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