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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 23%
    - Architecture + Interiors + Design
    by Geeta Mehta & Kimie Tada
    £15.49

    Enter the world of the stylish Japanese house, where every object in sight is a work of art. Japan Style introduces 20 special residences. With more than 200 color photographs, this book showcases Japanese design in the stunning beauty of old homes and reveals how they are cared for by their owners.Traditional Japanese homes, with superbly crafted fine wood, great workmanship and seasonal interior arrangements, have an aesthetic of infinite simplicity. Unlike Japanese inns and historical buildings, the Japanese architecture featured in this book is on private property not open to public viewing. Japan Style offers a rare glimpse into the intimate world of everyday Japanese culture and fascinating insight into the traditional architecture of Japan.

  • Save 24%
    - Volume One: Tune In
    by Mark Lewisohn
    £18.99

    The Beatles have been at the top for fifty years, their music remains exciting, their influence is still huge, their acclaim and achievements cannot be surpassed. But who really were the Beatles, and how did they and everything else in the 1960s fuse so explosively?Mark Lewisohn's three-part biography is the first true and accurate account of the Beatles, a contextual history built upon impeccable research and written with energy, style, objectivity and insight. This first volume covers the crucial and less-known early period - the Liverpool and Hamburg years of a hungry rock and roll band, when all the sharp characters and situations take shape.This is the Beatles like you've never read them before. It isn't just 'another book', it's the book, from the world-acknowledged authority. Forget what you know and discover The Complete Story.

  • Save 10%
    by Tina Fey
    £8.99

    Once in a generation a woman comes along who changes everything. Tina Fey is not that woman, but she met that woman once and acted weird around her.Before 30 Rock, Mean Girls and 'Sarah Palin', Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true.At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon - from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

  • Save 15%
    by Stephen Fry
    £10.99 - 15.49

    Stephen Fry invites readers to take a glimpse at his life story in the unputdownable More Fool Me.'Oh dear I am an arse. I expect there'll be what I believe is called an "e;intervention"e; soon. I keep picturing it. All my friends bearing down on me and me denying everything until my pockets are emptied. Oh the shame'In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, 'made it'. Much loved in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, author of a critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel, The Liar, with a glamorous and glittering cast of friends, he had more work than was perhaps good for him. What could possibly go wrong?Then, as the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celebrity parties, drinking dens, and poker games by night, in a ludicrous and impressive act of bravado, he fooled all those except the very closest to him, some of whom were most enjoyably engaged in the same dance.He was - to all intents and purposes - a high functioning addict. Blazing brightly and partying wildly as the 80s turned to the 90s, AIDS became an epidemic and politics turned really nasty, he was so busy, so distracted by the high life, that he could hardly see the inevitable, headlong tumble that must surely follow . . .Containing raw, electric extracts from his diaries of the time, More Fool Me is a brilliant, eloquent account by a man driven to create and to entertain - revealing a side to him he has long kept hidden.Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and was unforgettable as Captain Melchett in Blackadder. He also presented Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, his groundbreaking documentary on bipolar disorder, to huge critical acclaim. His legions of fans tune in to watch him host the popular quiz show QI each week.

  • Save 15%
    by Mark Linley
    £10.99

    Learn to draw the fun way! Like almost everyone in the world, you are bursting with raw artistic talent just waiting to be released. In a few deft sweeps of your pencil, capture the character of your 'victim'. Use swift strokes to create a face that has instant appeal. Exaggerate the features to make a comical caricature. Brighten up someone's day with your own tiny bit of magic!"e;Yes, you can do it,"e; says Mark Linley, "e;and I show you exactly how!"e;

  • Save 10%
    by Morrissey
    £8.99

    Steven Patrick Morrissey was born in Manchester on May 22nd 1959. Singer-songwriter and co-founder of the Smiths (1982-1987), Morrissey has been a solo artist for twenty-six years, during which time he has had three number 1 albums in England in three different decades. Achieving eleven Top 10 albums (plus nine with the Smiths), his songs have been recorded by David Bowie, Nancy Sinatra, Marianne Faithfull, Chrissie Hynde, Thelma Houston, My Chemical Romance and Christy Moore, amongst others. An animal protectionist, in 2006 Morrissey was voted the second greatest living British icon by viewers of the BBC, losing out to Sir David Attenborough. In 2007 Morrissey was voted the greatest northern male, past or present, in a nationwide newspaper poll. In 2012, Morrissey was awarded the Keys to the City of Tel-Aviv. It has been said Most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status that Morrissey has reached in his lifetime. David Morrissey is one of the most versatile actors of his generation. He is also a screenwriter and director.

  • Save 21%
    - Theatre Games in Three Courses
    by Glyn Trefor-Jones
    £13.49

    Drama Menu is a brand new concept for planning and delivering dynamic, progressive drama lessons and workshops. Packed with over 150 tried-and-tested theatre games, exercises and improvisation ideas, it's an essential resource for any drama teacher or workshop leader - guaranteed to deliver delicious drama sessions every time. Simply make a selection from each of the three courses, and your whole drama session will come to life with new-found energy and focus: Appetisers are fast-paced warm-up exercises to energise and enthuse the group; Starters are the intermediary course to challenge the players and encourage creativity; Main Courses provide the central part of the session, culminating in a final performance piece; And a few Desserts are also provided, if you have some space at the end of your session for something sweet. Drama Menu is the recipe book that will relieve the stress of planning lessons and workshops. Now you can get on with what you do best: delivering creative drama sessions that will have your groups hungry for more. Join the online Drama Menu community, browse and share other recommended menus, and download a comprehensive Resource Pack and selection of sound effects, providing everything you need to start playing straight away. www.DramaMenu.com

  • Save 12%
    - Gender in the Modern Horror Film - Updated Edition
    by Carol J. Clover
    £14.99

    From its first publication in 1992, Men, Women, and Chain Saws has offered a groundbreaking perspective on the creativity and influence of horror cinema since the mid-1970s. Investigating the popularity of the low-budget tradition, Carol Clover looks in particular at slasher, occult, and rape-revenge films. Although such movies have been traditionally understood as offering only sadistic pleasures to their mostly male audiences, Clover demonstrates that they align spectators not with the male tormentor, but with the females tormented-notably the slasher movie's "e;final girls"e;-as they endure fear and degradation before rising to save themselves. The lesson was not lost on the mainstream industry, which was soon turning out the formula in well-made thrillers.Including a new preface by the author, this Princeton Classics edition is a definitive work that has found an avid readership from students of film theory to major Hollywood filmmakers.

  • Save 15%
    - A Hippie Dream
    by Neil Young
    £10.99

    Waging Heavy Peace is the remarkable memoir of rock icon Neil YoungNeil Young is a singular figure in the history of rock and pop culture in the last four decades, inducted not once but twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Reflective, insightful and disarmingly honest, Waging Heavy Peace is his long-awaited memoir. From his youth in Canada to his crazy journey out to California, through Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash, to his massively successful solo career and his re-emergence as the patron saint of grunge on to his role today as one of the last uncompromised and uncompromising survivors of rock 'n' roll - this is Neil's story told in his own words.Young presents a kaleidoscopic view of personal life and musical creativity; it's a journey that spans the snows of Ontario to the LSD-laden boulevards of 1966 Los Angeles to the contemplative paradise of Hawaii today. Along the way he writes about the music, the victims, the girls and the drugs; about his happy family life but also about the health problems he and his children have experienced; about guitars, cars and sound systems; about Canada and California and Hawaii. Candid, witty and revealing, this book takes its place beside the classic memoirs of Bob Dylan and Keith Richards.'Wryly funny, deeply moving, painfully honest' Guardian'He's talking to you, not at you, unravelling himself as well, and you don't want it to end . . . You see rock and roll history from the inside out, and in the present tense' Independent'Young appears bounteous and joyful, a genuinely happy hippy . . . Unusually for a rock memoir, this one is almost completely angst-free' Sunday Times'Dryly hilarious . . . poignant . . . Waging Heavy Peace shows that Young is still in full possession of that stubborn, brilliant, one-of-a-kind instrument' Rolling Stone'A real treat . . . he writes openly and movingly abut the key figures in his life...you feel you know Young better for reading it' Metro

  • Save 13%
    by David Batchelor
    £12.99

    In this best-selling book David Batchelor analyzes the motivations behind the widespread fear of colour within Western culture, considering the work of writers and philosophers who have used colour as a significant motif, and offering new interpretations of familiar texts and works of art. 'a hugely entertaining guide to our ongoing obsession with white' - Time Out

  • Save 23%
    - The Story of Modern Pop
    by Bob Stanley
    £15.49

    Modern pop began in 1952 when the first British chart was published and the first 7"e; singles were released. It ended (perhaps) in 1995 when Robson and Jerome reached the top of the charts with the first number one not to be available on vinyl since 1953. The internet age ushered in the death rites of over 40 years of pop.A Complete History Pop describes the journey that leads from 'Rock Around the Clock' to 'Crazy in Love'. Raw, thrilling, surprising and sometimes downright dangerous, the Pop moment almost always clocks in under 3:30 and is initially, immediately recognised by a teenage listener.Billy Fury. Chuck Berry. Sonny and Cher. The Troggs. Glen Campbell. Bee Gees. Roxy Music. Chic. Slade. Sex Pistols. Adam and the Ants. Pet Shop Boys. New Order. Madonna. Bob Stanley's A Complete History of Pop documents the rich soundtrack of the last six decades as it has been heard on radios and jukeboxes across the land.There have been many books on pop but very few, if any, have attempted to bring the whole story to life from rock n roll to house and techno in all its various sub-permutations. Audacious and addictive, A Complete History of Pop is a one-stop pop shop for the music lover everywhere.

  • Save 20%
    by Jon Savage
    £11.99

    Jon Savage's Ralph Gleason Award-winning England's Dreaming is the ultimate book on punk, its progenitors, the Sex Pistols, and their time: the late 1970s. Full of anedcote, insight, and exclusive interviews, it tells the sensational story of the meteoric rise and rapid decline of the last great rock'n'roll band and the cultural moment they came to define.The critical reputation of England's Dreaming has grown over the past decade and a half. This updated edition includes an introduction focusing on the legacy of punk twenty-five years on, an account of the Sex Pistols 1996 reunion, and a comprehensively updated discography.

  • Save 15%
    - The Story of the Pogues
    by James Fearnley
    £10.99

    October 1982: ABC, Culture Club, Shalamar and Survivor dominate the top twenty when the Pogues barrel out from the backstreets of King's Cross, a furious, pioneering mix of punk energy, traditional melodies and the powerfully poetic songwriting of Shane MacGowan. Reviled by traditionalists for their frequently fast, often riotous interpretations of Irish folk songs, the Pogues rose from the sweaty chaos of backroom gigs in Camden pubs to world tours with the likes of Elvis Costello, U2 and Bob Dylan, and had huge commercial success with everyone's favourite Christmas song, 'Fairytale of New York'. Yet, the exuberance of their live performances coupled with relentless touring spiralled into years of hard drinking and excess which eventually took their toll - most famously on Shane, but also on the rest of the band - causing them to part ways seven years later. Here, their story is told with beauty, lyricism and great candour by James Fearnley, founding member and accordion player. He brings to life the youthful friendships, the bust-ups, the amazing gigs, the terrible gigs, the fantastic highs and the dramatic lows in a hugely compelling, humorous, moving and honest account of life in one of our most treasured and original bands.

  • Save 23%
    by Philip Briggs
    £15.49

    Now into its seventh edition, and written by Philip Briggs, the world's leading writer of guidebooks to Africa, Bradt's Rwanda has been the go-to guide for visitors to this historical and resurgent `land of a thousand hills' for nearly two decades, and it continues to be in a class of its own when it comes to in-depth information on this emerald slice of Central Africa. With freshly researched and updated details on developments across the country, Bradt's Rwanda includes information on the ongoing revival and rhino repopulation of Akagera National Park, up-to-date maps of rapidly modernising Kigali, and a newly expanded chapter on excursions into the neighbouring DRC. In this new edition are extensive and recently updated maps and natural history information, details of kayak and canoe excursions on Lake Kivu and the Mukungwa River, all you need to know about tracking not only mountain gorillas in Rwanda in Volcanoes National Park but also lowland gorillas in Congo, and information about overnight stays on a tea plantation at Sorwathe or Gisovu. Also covered are Nyungwe Forest National Park, where a wealth of endemic birds and primates inhabit the largest surviving montane forest in East Africa; Nyanza, where the hilltop Rukari Palace Museum marks the site of the old Mwami's (King's) palace; and the National Museum of Rwanda, the top cultural site in Rwanda's second city, Huye. Coverage of nearby cities and national parks in the neighbouring DRC has been expanded since the last edition, providing all the necessary information to take a thrilling and increasingly popular excursion into Rwanda's enormous and poorly understood neighbour. Rwanda continues to change and develop at an unprecedented pace, and there's hardly a more accessible slice of Africa to be found anywhere on the continent. It's no less intriguing for the convenience, however, and Rwanda's superlative natural attractions seem to improve by the day.

  • Save 17%
    by Walter Guadagnini
    £17.49

    The mysterious and contemplative work by Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, among the most renowned authors of contemporary portraiture. Text in English and Italian.

  • Save 27%
    by David Busch
    £23.99

    David Busch's Nikon Z50 Guide to Digital Photography is your all-in-one comprehensive resource and reference for the exciting Nikon Z50 mirrorless camera. With this book in hand, you'll master all the camera's impressive features, and fine tune your camera skills as develop your creativity taking great photographs with your new Z50.This guide covers all the camera's capabilities in depth, from taking your first photos through advanced details of setup, exposure, lens selection, lighting, and morePlus, learn when to use each option and, more importantly, when not to use them, by following the author's recommended settings for every menu entryWith best-selling photographer and mentor David Busch as your guide, you'll quickly have full creative mastery of your camera's capabilities, whether you're shooting on the job, as an advanced enthusiast, or are just out for funWritten by #1 best-selling camera manual author, David Busch

  • Save 27%
    - All the Songs. All the Stories. All the Lyrics.
    by Paul Du Noyer
    £21.99

    This book examines and assesses all of John Lennon's solo work.

  • Save 20%
    by Royal Horticultural Society
    £11.99

    A pretty and practical desk address book from the Royal Horticultural Society.

  • Save 26%
    by Jane Davenport
    £20.99

    A journey through the mysterious world of mermaids, explaining everything from how to accurately draw the figure of a mermaid to creating convincing habitats with mixed-media techniques.

  • Save 19%
    - Simple Techniques for Drawing the Head and Body
    by Christopher Hart
    £12.99

    This is a great guide for anyone aged 12 and up interested in beginner-level figure drawing.

  • Save 25%
    by Antonio Donnanno
    £20.99

    This new volume introduces the patternmaking techniques used in the field for draping, details, high-fashion trousers and skirts.

  • Save 23%
    - The Women & Ideas Shaping Paris
    by Lindsey Tramuta
    £16.99

    The New Parisienne focuses on one of the city's most prominent features, its women. Lifting the veil on the mythologized Parisian woman--white, lithe, ever fashionable--Lindsey Tramuta demystifies this oversimplified archetype and recasts the women of Paris as they truly are, in all their complexity. Featuring 50 vibrant, inspiring activists, creators, educators, visionaries, and disruptors, the book reveals a new movement, with Paris blossoming into a cultural center of feminine power.

  • Save 15%
    - Techniques to Bring the Pottery Surface to Life
    by Hilda Carr
    £10.99

    A technique-based pottery book for new and practising potters to bring their pottery surface to life with beautiful carving techniques.

  • Save 20%
    by World Press Photo
    £19.99

    2019's best visual journalism compiled in one book. Selected from thousands of images by photo journalists, picture agencies, newspapers and magazines from all over the world.

  • Save 32%
    by Armin Zweite
    £67.49

    This superbly illustrated, large format book is the definitive retrospective of Gerhard Richter's genre-defying, boundary-blurring, and constantly evolving oeuvre.

  • Save 27%
    - for Children and Curious Grown-ups
    by Marie Hugstead
    £21.99

  • Save 30%
    by Erica Cooke
    £41.99

    This exhibition will be the first American retrospective of Donald Judd's work in thirty years. Due to the unprecedented archival access granted by the Judd Foundation to MoMA's curatorial team, this show presents a unique opportunity to assess Judd's career anew. Most writings to date have dwelled on Judd's place within Minimalism and drawn heavily on biography as well as the artist's own statements on his work. With an aim to counter the mythologizing and interpretation-heavy literature that still prevails in Judd scholarship, this book will marshal in-depth research in order to expand readers' knowledge of the revolutionary nature of his working method. The essays included will delve into the specifics of Judd's industrial materials, fabrication processes, exhibition histories, and activities related to design and architecture.

  • Save 14%
    - Vintage Design Edition
    by Roland Barthes
    £9.49

    Barthes investigation into the meaning of photographs is a seminal work of twentieth-century critical theory. This is a special Vintage Design Edition, with fold-out cover and stunning photography throughout. Examining themes of presence and absence, these reflections on photography begin as an investigation into the nature of photographs - their content, their pull on the viewer, their intimacy. Then, as Barthes contemplates a photograph of his mother as a child, the book becomes an exposition of his own mind. He was grieving for his mother at the time of writing. Strikingly personal, yet one of the most important early academic works on photography, Camera Lucida remains essential reading for anyone interested in the power of images. 'Effortlessly, as if in passing, his reflections on photography raise questions and doubts which will permanently affect the vision of the reader' Guardian

  • Save 10%
    - Draw 30 People in 10 Easy Steps
    by Justine Lecouffe
    £8.99

    A beginner's guide to drawing people in 10 simple steps and short explanations.

  • Save 25%
    by Square Enix
    £17.99

    A hardcover volume that showcases the intriguing evolution of pixel art from the Final Fantasy series!Containing detailed sprite sheets that showcase the pixel composition of Final Fantasy's beloved characters, maps of Final Fantasy's most popular highlighting tools used by the developers, and a special interview with Kazuko Shibuya, the character pixel artist for the Final Fantasy series, FF Dot is a one of a kind product that immerses readers into an iconic aspect of the Final Fantasy experience. Dark Horse Books is proud to collaborate with Square Enix to bring fans FF Dot: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy, translated into English for the first time. This localization of the original Japanese publication holds nearly 300 pages of colorful pixel art, and is an invaluable addition to any Final Fantasy fan's collection.

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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