Traces the history of Japanese art from the seventh century through the present, offering insight into its long-time role in Japanese culture and the social factors that are shaping its development in the modern world.

Uses cartoon-style characters to explain basic concepts in music, discussing the basic characteristics of music, musical notation, musical instruments, and styles of music.

Marina Warner has loved fairy tales over her long writing career, and she explores here a multitude of tales through the ages, their different manifestations on the page, the stage, and the screen. From the phenomenal rise of Victorian and Edwardian literature to contemporary children's stories, Warner unfolds a glittering array of examples, from classics such as Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty, the Grimm Brothers' Hansel and...

Incredible stories and the inspiration behind the most popular Christmas songs, including Jingle Bells, Mary, Did You Know?, The First Noel, O Holy Night, Silver Bells, and White Christmas. Ringing along with the chimes in Silver Bells. Laughing along with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Holding a candle while singing a chorus of Silent Night. The songs that you've sung since you were a child continue to bring Christmas to life each year. Now, you'll...

Absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder. It makes people think you're dead. So begins Christopher Fowler's foray into the back catalogues and backstories of 99 authors who, once hugely popular, have all but disappeared from our shelves. This is a book about books and their authors. It is for book lovers, and is written by one who could not be a more enthusiastic, enlightening and entertaining guide.

"In this essay, Carlos Fuentes proposes an exciting journey through the evolution of the Latin American novelan expedition that spans over six centuries, from the discovery of the Americas to this day. Those who embark on this trip will come across the greatest Latin American literary figures, their constant themes, and the penchant to cannibalize and carnivalize history to create literary and artistic forms that come together paying no regard to...