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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 13%
    - A History of Sion Row, Twickenham
    by Robert Shepherd
    £52.49

    Twickenham is chiefly known today as the home of rugby, but its heyday could be said to be in the eighteenth century when first Alexander Pope and then Horace Walpole made it their home and extolled its Arcadian setting.Captain Gray, a naval officer, acquired plots of land close to the river in Twickenham in 1718 on which he built two rows of houses, Sion Row and Montpelier Row, which survive to this day and are much admired.This book tells the story of Sion Row, which was built for Gray by a remarkable local craftsman, Edward Reeves, who had ambition to become an architect. It explains the features of the houses and how they were built. It then follows them through to the present day showing how they were used and what modifications have been made to them and, not least, how they survived.In parallel we learn of the owners and the residents, many of whom have fascinating stories to tell. They are immensely diverse, some international, some purely local, some disreputable, others pillars of respectability.Their lives are put in the context of changes in Twickenham as it evolved from out of town retreat to prosperous commuter suburb. In telling the story of these houses and people, a remarkable social history is revealed.

  • - A gin distiller's guide for beginners
    by Marcel Thompson
    £15.49

    Gin's resurgence is a global phenomenon and a new generation of gin makers are forging an exciting future.Armed with this book, you can count yourself among today's intrepid creators and build upon gin's legacy.Award-wining distiller, Marcel Thompson describes the building blocks to help you create high-quality gin.Read this book to understand: How you can make gin inexpensively without fuss That inexperience is not a barrier to success The three core values that professional distillers hold dear How to commercialise your gin legacy Why simplicity is key

  • by Ianthe McGuinn
    £15.49

    The only band member who remains synonymous with the Byrds is front man Roger McGuinn. The person closest to him, who witnessed the band's rise, glittering heyday, and tumultuous clash of wills-artistic and personal within the group-was his wife, Ianthe. Sharing tales of the Byrds' rise to fame from her unique vantage point as the only woman consistently involved with and at the center of the drama and success of the Byrds, Ianthe tells the story of the exploding rock music scene in 1960s Los Angeles. In the Wings is also Ianthe's memoir of being a young and beautiful Latina from Tucson getting a crash course in love, loss, sex and drugs, marriage, and motherhood while being immersed in the aureate and vagaries of celebrity. And of course, it is the love story of Ianthe and Roger, how that love was destroyed, and how she survived to find herself. The Byrds' worldwide hit songs from the 1960s, "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Turn! Turn! Turn!," and "Eight Miles High," are iconic. Today, the group is considered by rock critics one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. The Beatles called them their favorite contemporary American group.Rolling Stone magazine dubbed the Byrds one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in1991.

  • - Colour Spectrum A4 Blank Sheet Music Notebook
    by Young Dreamers Press
    £11.49

    Music Manuscript BookWrite notes in staff/stave line with this music composition notebook, ideal for songwriting, notating music, piano, guitar, violin, and other musical instruments. Perfect for students, study, practice lessons, or transcribing music. Great for beginners and boys and girls alike. Makes for a fantastic gift and a great teaching resource!Features: IDEAL FOR STUDENTS, kids, teens, tweens, and adults MEASURES A4 - 8.27 x 11.69 inches (21 x 29.7 cm) 100 PAGES of 12 Stave (5 Lines) - Music Paper PERFECT MUSIC GIFT for those seeking a Music Notebook for school classes, music theory, to study music, or practice lessons BLANK SHEET MUSIC and lined paper interior with plenty of room to write in DURABLE matte finish cover

  • - End Is the Beginning
    by Siku
    £12.99

    APOCALYPSE: The Book of Revelations Words by JohnArt by SikuPaperback, 96 pp This is stunning visualisation of the Book that spells out How the World will End. Using the iconic King James Version ( permission granted by the Queens Copyright holders) plus Siku's high charged Art THE FINAL BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVILThe last book of the Bible is the most mysterious book of the Bible. In it contains the riddle and unveiling of how the World will end.Now comes an illustrated graphic comic book version of this book. Stand in the Apostle John's sandals and watch the World's climactic war between good and evil unfold in dramatic and dazzling imagery. See the Lamb, the Seven-Headed Dragon, and the Beast as never before. Take a thrilling ride through ancient prophecy. Discover anew the story of the ultimate fulfillment of John's faith as the final battle is fought between God and Satan.Using the KJV text , permission given by the Queen of England. Visualised by SIKU ( Manga Bible, Judge Dredd , Lion Hero Bible,) by SIKU, Ed Chatelier of THE EDGE GROUP.

  • by London College of Music Examinations
    £9.99

    This book is part of a series that forms an expertly structured and comprehensive method of studying acoustic guitar. The book covers all the material needed for an LCM examination in Acoustic Guitar, enabling you to study for an internationally recognised qualification. However, even if you do not intend to take an exam, this book will help you achieve your full potential as a guitarist by developing all aspects of your playing in a structured way.

  • by Tina DeJarld
    £42.99

    Students seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe InDesign choose Adobe InDesign Classroom in a Book (2020 release) from Adobe Press. The project-based step-by-step lessons show users the key techniques for working in InDesign. Students will build a strong foundation of typographic, color, page layout, and document-construction skills that will enable them to produce a broad range of print and digital publications—from a simple postcard to an interactive Adobe PDF with form fields. The real-world tasks in this comprehensive book are presented in easy-to-follow lessons and are designed to train beginning Adobe InDesign users in the program—from fundamental features to powerful layout and output skills. The online companion files include all the necessary assets for readers to complete the projects featured in each lesson. All buyers of the book get full access to the Web Edition: A Web-based version of the complete ebook enhanced with video and multiple-choice quizzes.

  • - Floral Unicorn | A4 Blank Sheet Music Notebook
    by Young Dreamers Press
    £11.49

    Music Manuscript BookWrite notes in staff/stave line with this music composition notebook, ideal for songwriting, notating music, piano, guitar, violin, and other musical instruments. Perfect for students, study, practice lessons, or transcribing music. Makes for a fantastic gift and a great teaching resource!

  • Save 27%
    - Punk & post punk graphics 1976-1986
    by Andrew Krivine
    £25.49

    This book represents over 650 original scans of punk and post-punk posters, flyers, covers and ads from the prime years of the movement which changed the world of graphic design forever.

  • Save 24%
    by Caroline Akselson
    £18.99

    The Great British Sewing Bee: Sustainable Style is a captivating book penned by the talented Alexandra Bruce. Published in 2020 by Quadrille Publishing Ltd, this book dives into the world of sustainable fashion and sewing. It's a unique blend of practical guide and inspiration source for anyone interested in sustainable style. The book is filled with beautifully illustrated instructions and patterns that guide you through the process of creating your own sustainable wardrobe. The author, Alexandra Bruce, expertly combines her extensive knowledge of sewing and fashion to provide readers with a comprehensive guide to sustainable style. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in sewing, fashion, or sustainability. Published by Quadrille Publishing Ltd, it reflects their commitment to producing quality books that inspire and educate readers. The book is written in English.

  • Save 22%
    by Georgianna Lane
    £13.99

    London in Bloom showcases the English capital's extraordinary parks, gardens, and flower markets and the work of some of the world's best florists alongside the city's iconic architecture. The book also includes a detailed list of recommended gardens, shops, and markets to visit, plus a guide to the seasons' signature flowers. For flower lovers and Anglophiles alike, acclaimed photographer Georgianna Lane offers an irresistible, unexpected view of London.

  • by Gary R Roberts
    £22.49

    Shoji & Kumiko: 85 Vintage Designs was produced from the original, one of a kind c1930 Japanese Architects Design Proposal book in the collection of Gary Roberts, Publisher: Toolemera Press. www.toolemerapress.comNOTE: This reprint was produced in-house on professional flat bed scanners from the original book in my personal collection. The Architects Designs were intended for a community outside of Osaka, Japan and were for use by local carpenters. As such, there are no titles or dimensions.SHOJI: A Japanese screen or sliding door used to partition living spaces. KUMIKO: A decorative and practical Japanese woodworking system consisting of lattice pieces held together through precision joinery lacking any nails or other metal supportsToolemera Press preserves the printed history of early crafts, trades and industries. Visit www.toolemerapress.com for the online museum and book shop.

  • Save 27%
    - Where Stars Are Born
    by David Eicher
    £25.49

  • Save 30%
    by Patrick Pfeiffer
    £15.49

  • Save 15%
    - How the LP Saved Our Lives
    by David Hepworth
    £10.99

    _________'Hepworth's knowledge and understanding of rock history is prodigious ... [a] hugely entertaining study of the LP's golden age' The Times_________The era of the LP began in 1967, with 'Sgt Pepper';

  • Save 24%
    - Between Earth and Heaven
    by Art Wolfe
    £17.49

    Art Wolfe’s immersive photos capture the wonder humans have felt about trees for millennia.From the ancient Assyrian Tree of Life to the Iroquois peoples’ Tree of Peace, trees have played an archetypal role in human culture and spirituality since time immemorial. An integral part of a variety of faiths—from Buddhism and Hinduism to Nordic and aboriginal religions—trees were venerated long before any written historical records existed. This sense of reverence and wonder is beautifully evoked in these vivid images from legendary photographer Art Wolfe. The new, giftable format of his celebrated book on the topic, Trees, focuses on both individual specimens and entire forests, offering a sweeping yet intimate look at an arboreal world that spans six continents. To accompany these timeless images, author Gregory McNamee weaves a diverse and global account of the myths, cultures, and traditions that convey the long-standing symbiosis between trees and humans, and renowned ethnobotanist Wade Davis anchors the text with a penetrating introduction. Humans have always shared this planet with trees, and this book is both a breathtaking journey through and an homage to that relationship and its past, present, and future—now in a new, beautiful, and highly giftable format.

  • - 39+ Kawaii (Cute) and Sexy Manga-Style Coloring Pages Men Will Love!
    by Sora Illustrations
    £10.49

    As an effort to please to anime fans and meet their artistic needs, we've compiled the Anime Girl Coloring Book for Adults. Combining fantasy and adventure with sexual art, this book is sure to rock your imagination.

  • by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    £14.49 - 18.49

  • Save 24%
    by Sheila Rock
    £18.99

    Statement of responsibility from colophon.

  • Save 23%
    by Patrick Pfeiffer
    £15.49

    Learn to play bass guitar quickly and easily with this guide and bonus interactive CD!The bass guitar is utilized in almost every single genre of music-rock, classical, jazz, metal, funk, and country just to name a few. Bass Guitar Exercises For Dummies provides bassists an opportunity to dabble with all these styles and more.

  • - The Famous Twenty-Six in Pure Black and White
    by William Nicholson
    £12.49

  • Save 20%
    by Jessica Hundley
    £11.99 - 21.99

  • Save 24%
    by Jamie Hewlett
    £18.99

    This special edition updates Jamie Hewlett's first-ever monograph with around 30 brand new pieces. Through stories, characters, strips, and sketches from the Tank Girl era through Gorillaz and up to the present day, we trace Hewlett's exceptional capacity for invention and celebrate a polymath artist who refuses to rest on his laurels.

  • - LOVE coloring books for adults Vintage grayscale colring book
    by Attic Love
    £7.99

    VINTAGE VALENTINES DAY coloring books for adults The designs in this GRAYSCALE vintage coloring book are suitable for all skill levels Unique gift idea for family and friends for valentines day or any other day Big size 8.5" x 11" Beautiful authentic vintage 9mages were used for inspiration Coloring is great for relaxation Single sided pages suitable for all skill levels When coloring over greyscale try to think of it as a color by numbers for adults (Just without the numbers.) The darkness or lightness of the grey will be your guide and will show you how dark or light color you should use and exactly where on the image you should use it.Light colors over light grey areas, dark colors over dark grey areas, and the medium colors in between.When coloring this way you will get the look of shading without having to shade at all - providing the depth which is so hard to achieve on a traditional coloring page. greyscale coloring books for adults.greyscale adult coloring.grayscale coloring books for adults.grayscale coloring book.valentine coloring book.valentines day coloring books for adults.

  • Save 15%
    - The Greatest Detective in the World
    by Mark Aldridge
    £10.99 - 18.99

    From the very first book publication in 1920 to the film release of Death on the Nile in December 2020, this investigation into Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world's favourite fictional detective.

  • Save 15%
    by James Acaster
    £10.99

    The brand new memoir from James Acaster: cult comedian, bestselling author of Classic Scrapes, undercover cop, receiver of cabbages.

  • Save 21%
    - A Rhyming Coloring Book
    by Margalit Cutler
    £13.49

    Playful rhymes and whimsical art celebrate the many faces of the vulva in this mesmerising colouring book. Some of the rhymes uplift this oft-misunderstood body part: My vag is a martini / sometimes dry, sometimes dirty / but always delightful & a little bit flirty. And others keep it wonderfully real: Slobbering on a bush / my vag is a giraffe / majestic in person / but goofy in photograph. These pages provide a wonderful antidote to body shame. Colour your heart out as you marvel at the versatility, prowess, and personality of the vagina.

  • by Paciorek Andrew L. Paciorek
    £10.49 - 21.49

  • Save 20%
    by Gyles Brandreth
    £11.99 - 17.49

    The ultimate anthology of theatrical anecdotes, edited by lifelong theatre-lover Gyles Brandreth in the Oxford tradition, and providing a wonderfully entertaining and revealing portrait of the world of the theatre across four hundred years.

  • - A Collection of Contemporary Poetry and Photography
    by Clarissa Sofia
    £17.49

    This book is an exploration of relationships between people and places, love, death, and mental health, specifically depression and anxiety. Clarissa shares her journey as a young woman growing into her adult skin through poetry and self-portraiture. In this collection, Clarissa questions our current society and tackles ways of dealing with the reality of what it means to be conscious, conveying self-acceptance as the highest form of rebellion.

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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