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Art & Culture

Culture and art is many things and at Tales you find a wide selection of art and culture books. If you enjoy a trip to the museum or an evening at the theatre this is the place for you. If you are more into architecture or a well written song, fear not you also find books about that. Lastly design and fashion is also part of our art and culture selection, so what are you waiting for? Set your inner creativity free and get inspired by some of the world’s best artists, musicians, designers or architects.
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  • Save 10%
    by Winifred (The Nottingham Trent University) Aldrich
    £31.49

    Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear is a groundbreaking book by the esteemed author Winifred Aldrich, who is renowned for her work at The Nottingham Trent University. First published in 2015 by John Wiley & Sons Inc, this book has become an indispensable guide in the genre of Fashion and Design. Aldrich's expertise shines through each page, providing detailed instructions and insights into women's wear pattern cutting. Readers will find the author's innovative approach to the metric pattern cutting for women's wear truly enlightening. This book is not just an ordinary guide; it's a comprehensive tool for anyone who wants to delve into the world of fashion design. Published by John Wiley & Sons Inc, it's a testament to their reputation for releasing quality educational resources. This book is written in English.

  • Save 22%
    - Portraits of Time
    by Beth Moon
    £27.99

    A captivating collection of black-and-white photographs of the world's most majestic ancient trees, by Beth Moon.

  • Save 29%
    by CD Projekt Red
    £31.99

  • Save 15%
    - An Exhibition Catalogue
    by Bill Watterson
    £10.99

    Enjoy this beautiful companion book to the Calvin and Hobbes exhibition. Includes an in-depth, original, and lengthy interview with Bill Watterson.

  • Save 11%
    - Queen
     
    £12.49

    82 classic tracks by rock legends Queen in one pocket-sized collection. All the songs presented and arranged in the same key as the original recordings with chord symbols, guitar chord boxes and complete lyrics. Songs include 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Radio Ga Ga', 'We Will Rock You' and more.

  • - Architectural Environments. Surrounding Objects
    by Peter Zumthor
    £28.49

    Peter Zumthor's passion is the creation of buildings with architectural atmosphere. But how can one actually set out to achieve it? In nine short, illustrated chapters framed as a process of self-observation, Zumthor describes what he has on his mind as he sets about creating the atmosphere of his houses.

  • Save 30%
    - In Association with the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris
    by Pamela Golbin
    £41.99

    This fascinating publication presents the roles two men have played in turning a small workshop in nineteenth-century Paris into one of the most successful and recognized brands in the world. Known for both craftsmanship and must-have high design, Louis Vuitton the luxury house was started by its eponymous founder in 1854. The first half of this publication traces the innovations by Vuitton, who turned the little-known guild profession of emballeur (packer) into the foremost luxury trunk maker in Paris, with a clientele that included in his lifetime the French nobility as well as the elite of a prosperous empire. Prime and never-before-seen examples of Vuitton's craftsmanship, along with the fashion that went into them, are the highlights of these chapters. The second half of the book examines the role of Marc Jacobs as Louis Vuitton's creative director (since 1997), who took the Louis Vuitton house into a new era with a series of collaborations with artists and designers-such as Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and Stephen Sprouse-as well as designing a line of highly successful and desired clothing for the company.By examining two divergent but often similar careers one hundred years apart, Louis Vuitton / Marc Jacobs is not only a layered study of the evolution of a luxury brand in the past 150 years but also a celebration of technical and design innovations in the new century.

  • Save 16%
    by "Radiohead"
    £15.99

    From their very first release in 1992, with the single Creep, through to the latest songs from their seventh studio album, In Rainbows, The Radiohead Piano Songbook features 28 of their biggest songs accurately transcribed from the original recordings for piano and voice with guitar chords.

  • Save 27%
    by Leatrice Eiseman
    £21.99

    PANTONE, the worldwide colour authority, invites you on a rich visual tour of one hundred transformative years. This title identifies more than 200 touchstone works of art, products and fashion and carefully match them with official PANTONE palettes to reveal the trends, radical shifts, and resurgences of various hues..

  • Save 20%
    by Nicola Moorby
    £11.99

    J.M.W. Turner is one of the most influential and important British artists of all time. His watercolours, with their extraordinary effects of shifting light and dramatic cloudscapes, are especially highly regarded. This book reveals the secrets of his technique for the first time, allowing watercolourists to try them out for themselves.

  • Save 23%
    - Ballet Companion
    by Eliza Gaynor Minden
    £15.49

    A new classic for dancers of all levels, THE BALLET COMPANION is the first complete, full-colour ballet reference book, covering the technique, artistry, training, performance and enjoyment of ballet - and a beautiful gift for anyone who loves the art of dance.

  • Save 15%
    by Leonardo da Vinci
    £8.49

    This selection offers a cross-section from the 6,000 surviving sheets that constitute Leonardo's notebooks, including his thoughts on landscape, optics, anatomy, architecture, sculpture, and painting. Fully updated, this new edition includes some 70 line drawings and a Preface by Leonardo expert Martin Kemp.

  • by James Longworth
    £9.99

    Helps young guitarists to start at beginner level and progresses to Initial/Preparatory Grade. This work explains the method in 15 stages and contains original pieces and traditional tunes in different styles including classical, folk and world music as well as favourite film and TV themes such as "James Bond", "Batman" and "The Flintstones".

  • Save 26%
     
    £70.49

    A fitting tribute to possibly the greatest pop band ever - The Beatles. This outstanding hard-cover edition features over 1100 pages with full scores and lyrics to all 210 titles recorded by The Beatles. Guitar and bass parts are in both standard notation and tablature. Also includes a full discography. Songs include: All You Need Is Love * And I Love Her * Baby You're a Rich Man * Back in the U.S.S.R. * The Ballad of John and Yoko * Blackbird * Can't Buy Me Love * Come Together * Drive My Car * Eleanor Rigby * From Me to You * Glass Onion * A Hard Day's Night * Help! * Hey Jude * I Saw Her Standing There * I Want to Hold Your Hand * Michelle * Penny Lane * She Loves You * Twist and Shout * Yesterday * and many more! Book is packaged in its own protective box. A must-own for any serious Beatles fan or collector! 7-2/8 inch. x 10-7/8 inch..

  • Save 29%
    by Pamela Golbin
    £35.49

    The name Valentino has been synonymous with high fashion for almost fifty years. Based in Rome, Valentino is only one of two couture houses recognized by the French government outside of Paris. His exquisite designs are coveted and worn by young Hollywood and high society the world over. On the occasion of his last couture collection, presented in Paris in the spring of 2008, this landmark book celebrates forty-five years of Valentino’s remarkable career. Published in association with a prestigious exhibition at the Museé des Arts Decoratifs’s famed costume department in Paris, this volume focuses on Valentino’s haute couture creations, highlighting the most important and iconic creations of his half-century in fashion through recurring themes in Valentino’s work—variations on the ideas of volume, line, and texture as well as motifs such as geometry, pleats, and flowers—through new photography, sketches, fabric samples, and commentary on the dresses by Valentino himself. In addition, unprecedented photography by François Halard of Valentino’s last fittings and backstage of his runway show reveals Valentino’s private world for the first time. "Valentino On Valentino," a chapter of first-person accounts of the designs of these iconic dresses, along with Valentino’s commentary on his fashion, will make this publication unique in the study of Valentino as a cultural and artistic icon.

  • Save 10%
    by Wladyslaw Szpilman
    £8.99

    The powerful and bestselling memoir of a young Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds. Made into a Bafta and Oscar-winning film.

  • Save 20%
    - The Legendary Photojournalist's Illustrated Memoir of World War II
    by Robert Capa
    £11.99

    In 1942, a dashing young man who liked nothing so much as a heated game of poker, a good bottle of scotch, and the company of a pretty girl hopped a merchant ship to England. He was Robert Capa, the brilliant and daring photojournalist, and Collier's magazine had put him on assignment to photograph the war raging in Europe. In these pages, Capa recounts his terrifying journey through the darkest battles of World War II and shares his memories of the men and women of the Allied forces who befriended, amused, and captivated him along the way. His photographs are masterpieces -- John G. Morris, Magnum Photos' first executive editor, called Capa "the century's greatest battlefield photographer" -- and his writing is by turns riotously funny and deeply moving. From Sicily to London, Normandy to Algiers, Capa experienced some of the most trying conditions imaginable, yet his compassion and wit shine on every page of this book. Charming and profound, Slightly Out of Focus is a marvelous memoir told in words and pictures by an extraordinary man.

  • Save 14%
    by Ernest Hemingway
    £9.49

    If you loved BBC4's Hemingway, rediscover Ernest Hemingway's classic portrait of the pageantry of bullfighting. In Death in the Afternoon, Hemingway shares the sights, the sounds, the excitement, and above all, the knowledge, which fuelled his passion for Spain and the bullfight.

  • Save 25%
    by Oppi Untracht
    £52.49

    Nearly ten years in preparation and production, Jewelry Concepts and Technology is the definitive guide and handbook for jewellery makers on all levels of ability. It is also a unique reference source for those not directly active in the field but who wish to gain an understanding of what lies behind the jewellery-making mystique.

  • Save 27%
    - Photographs by Gregory Crewdson
    by Rick Moody
    £25.49

    This volume chronicles Gregory Crewdson's Twilight series, elaborate tableaux that capture bizarre surrealities behind deceptively familiar suburban facades. The images are accompanied by an essay from Rick Moody, a novelist renowned for exposing the underbelly of small-town, middle-class America.

  • Save 29%
    by J. C. Cooper
    £28.49

    Explains the meanings associated with objects, plants, animals, myths, religious symbols, and images in art.

  • Save 27%
    by Mojang AB
    £25.49 - 134.49

  • Save 24%
     
    £37.99

    'Books have traced the lives of great designers before, but few serve to double as a visual history of British popular culture. What this book deftly demonstrates is that Smith has not just been going for 50 years, he's been interwoven with our national aesthetic for 50 years.' - Esquire A timely celebration of British design legend Sir Paul Smith and his one-of-a-kind creativity This innovative book captures the unique spirit of British fashion icon Sir Paul Smith through 50 objects chosen by Sir Paul himself for the inspiration they have provided him over the years - from a wax plate of spaghetti and a Dieter Rams radio to a Mario Bellini Cab chair and a bicycle seat. Each object has impacted his worldview, his creative process, and his adherence to a design approach that's always imbued with distinctly British wit and eccentricity. The book covers subjects as varied as breaking down the formality of wearing a suit, the importance of wit, and the benefits of remaining independent in an increasingly monopolized world, and includes personal contributions - handwritten notes, a sketch, or photograph - from such fashion and design heavyweights as Manolo Blahnik, Inès de la Fressange, Martin Parr, and John Pawson. Updated with a fresh new fabric cover featuring the brand's signature stripe and a brand-new preface written by Sir Paul especially for this edition, Paul Smith provides the ultimate insight into one of the fashion world's most-loved creators.

  • Save 23%
    by Florence Given
    £15.49

    Living Deliciously is the ritual of prioritising your joy and rest, choosing to notice the beauty of everyday existence, and taking the initiative to create small, considered moments for yourself. This book will help you cultivate a sense of agency in your everyday life through intentional actions so that you're able to enjoy your life moment to moment, instead of counting on the big, momentous life events. Too many of us have lost connection with ourselves and what makes us happy because our attention is drawn to external and material things that ultimately leave us feeling dissatisfied. Living a delicious life is an achievable and sustainable way of enabling our bliss and allowing time for what makes us feel good.It's time for us all to fall in love with ourselves and our own lives.PRAISE FOR WOMEN DON'T OWE YOU PRETTY by FLORENCE GIVEN 'An incredible mouthpiece for modern intersectional feminism.' - Glamour'A fearless book.' - Cosmopolitan'A hugely influential young woman.' - Woman's Hour'Rallying, radical and pitched perfectly for her generation.' - Evening Standard

  • Save 10%
    by Liz Tomforde
    £8.99

    Coming soon . . .The fourth book in the Windy City series - the TikTok sensation! Available to pre-order now.

  • Save 23%
    by Carolyn McHugh
    £16.99

    Loreen released her debut album "Heal" in 2012. The album showcased her unique sound, characterized by a blend of pop, dance, and electronic elements, and received incredible reviews from critics. Loreen also won the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest held in Liverpool England with her song' Tattoo'.

  • Save 15%
    by Camilla Falkenberg
    £10.99

    Having demystified financial jargon and outlined the key pillars of investing, Female Invest have laid down the foundations and educated us on how to become more financially savvy. Now it's time to put your money where your mouth is and set and achieve your own financial goals.If you are looking to save for a holiday, a first deposit, or simply want to invest in a better future for you and the planet, this financial planner contains the practical steps and interactive budgeting exercises you need to get excited about your financial future.With advice for changing your financial habits, guides for setting goals for saving, an sections of monthly and weekly planning and reviewing, this year-long planner is here to empower you to take back control of your money na drive on your own terms.Even if you only have a tiny savings fund to begin with, you too can live a rewarding and limitless life by investing in yourself.

  • Save 10%
    by Stephen King
    £8.99 - 18.99

  • Save 32%
    by Jessica Gee
    £20.49

    "This indispensable guide reveals expert tips for traveling with kids"--]cProvided by publisher.

  • Save 14%
    by Kazu Kibuishi
    £9.49

Culture
What defines culture you might ask? The answer is culture is what defines you. It is what makes us humans human and differentiate us from all other species on the planet. Art and culture is what we share with others, whether it is so called high culture or pop culture. High culture is typically associated with the ‘finer’, classical art forms such as opera, classical music, visual art, ballet and plays. Works that often have a certain age and artistic acknowledgement begin it, but fine culture is also sometimes seen as “high-brow” and not something everyone can understand and that’s sad, because culture and cultural books are for everyone no matter the kind. On the other end of the spectrum we have pop culture that typically is associated with more modern, popular and mainstream forms of culture. It can be pop music, cartoons or big blockbuster movies. We have cultural books from each side of the spectrum, but the best thing is that a change between the two concepts is coming and people are more open about mixing high culture and pop culture, because they are not that different at all. The most important thing about culture is that it connects us and is part of who we are. It can create communities and friendships, but also let us reflect upon ourselves. You can get wiser on that topic in some of our selection’s culture books. 

Art
In our selection you find some of the finest art books featuring some of the greatest artists in history and now. Art is a very important part of our culture. In art you have the possibility of getting engrossed in a wonderful painting, a provocative sculpture, a brilliant play or a beautiful ballet. 
In art you can get lost in the most wonderful stories and themes and identify yourself with someone who doesn’t necessarily look and act like you. By experiencing that you improve your ability of empathy. At the same time you can learn about yourself through art and art books especially when it comes to feelings that can be difficult to describe. In art the themes and problematics are universal and that’s why we feel recognized when experiencing a play, listening to a symphony, studying a great painting or reading a good art book. The art books are best enjoyed in a relaxed setting giving the art room to speak. 
Another beautiful thing about art is that it needs interpretation. When a person meets a well painted painting, a classical sculpture, or a provocative installation it makes us reflect about what it means, and what the art will tell us about society, life or yourself. Everyone can get something different out of a good artwork, because it speaks directly to you and functions as a dialog, where you will have to finish the sentence with your interpretation taking our own life and experiences into the artwork.
We also have a lot of artist books. One of the most talented and popular artists right now are the world famous Dane Vilhelm Hammershøi. Hammershøi has a very significant way of painting giving voice to the melankolic side of the world and of us humans. The painter is famous for his artworks of especially white doors in his apartment in Copenhagen. In the paintings Hammershøi plays with light and shadow in a brilliant way giving room to both sides, which also could be seen as a reflection of life that contains both. The motive also makes the art watcher wonder what is on the other side of the doors or corridors making them compose a continuation of the painting. You can read about Hammershøi in an European context in the artist book Hammershoi and Europe

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