Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Fifth Estate, 12 Years a Slave, August: Osage County, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug-these would be milestones in most actors' entire career. For Benedict Cumberbatch, roles in these films are merely a year's additions to his already-vast resume. 2013 proved to be the final step in Cumberbatch's transition from respected working actor to bona fide worldwide celebrity and recipient of BAFTA Los Angeles' Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year. Like its predecessor, Benedict Cumberbatch, In Transition (MX Publishing, 2013), Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed: Films, Fame, Fans explores the nature of Cumberbatch's fame and fandom while analysing his most recent roles. This in-depth performance biography does more than critique the actor's radio, stage, film, and television performances-especially his star turn in the long-awaited yet controversial third series of Sherlock. It also analyses how and why the actor's work is so memorable in each role, a perspective unique to this performance biography. Cumberbatch's role in popular culture, as much as his acting in multiple media, is well worth such scrutiny to illustrate that Benedict Cumberbatch represents both the best of acting and of the power of celebrity.

In the 1880s, George Grossmith was the dazzling comic star of Gilbert and Sullivan's immensely popular Savoy operas. London theatregoers waited excitedly for the next production, knowing that George would be cast in the lead role of the 'patter man'. He was also many other things in his life, including Bow Street court reporter, piano entertainer for high society, and in the 1890s, with his brother Weedon, the author of the humorous classic work of fiction, The Diary of a Nobody, which has never been out of print and continues to inspire other writers.In this fascinating book, Stephen Wade tells the story of Grossmith's life, from Penny Reading entertainer to self-styled 'society clown.' A Victorian Somebody places him firmly in context, recalls the many friends and colleagues who worked with George, and puts him once again centre stage, exactly where he should be.

Many people may not have heard of actor Jim Whelan but he has appeared in some of the most iconic programmes on British television over the past four decades, from Crown Court and Last of the Summer Wine to The Royle Family and Heartbeat. What a Life is the story of one man's passion for acting and his determination to follow his dream at all costs. From humble beginnings and an unpromising start, leaving school with no qualifications and few job prospects, Jim went on to enjoy a long TV career, receiving accolades from respected directors and working alongside such famous actors as Ray Winstone, Martin Clunes, David Tennant, Christian Bale and Rod Steiger. This autobiography explains how a shy and insecure Salford boy went from being a dockland worker to become a recurring character in Coronation Street and documents the successes and disappointments of a jobbing actor. In this honest account of his life Jim spills the beans on some of the big name stars he has worked with and provides the reader with a fascinating insight to the television industry and some of the larger than life characters who inhabit the world of 'soap'. This book is a riveting read that is certain to hold your attention from the first page to the last.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hobbit trilogy, Twelve Years a Slave, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate; Hedda Gabler, After the Dance, Frankenstein; Hawking, To the Ends of the Earth, The Last Enemy, Parade's End, and, of course, Sherlock. For most actors, these stellar cinematic, theatrical, and television events would be the highlights of a lifetime's work. On Benedict Cumberbatch's resume they are only a few of many entries. Especially since 2010, his performances have garnered a plethora of best actor awards, both in the theatre (Evening Standard Theatre Award, Critics Circle Theatre Award, and Olivier Award), by playing the dual roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature in the National Theatre's Frankenstein, and on television (Broadcasting Press Guild Award, Critics Choice Television Award, Crime Thriller Award, and TV Choice Award), by starring as the titular Holmes in the BBC's Sherlock. Add these and other recent accolades to nearly a decade's nominations and awards (such as the Golden Nymph as best actor in Hawking), and it's easy to see why Benedict Cumberbatch is often hailed as the actor of his generation. Cumberbatch's body of work further includes indie films, radio plays and series, television documentaries, live dramatic readings, multimedia advertisements, and even the occasional stint as a fashion model. He often shares an intriguing perspective on his profession, as evidenced in sometimes controversial interviews. He has become so much in demand that online box offices crash when tickets for his performances go on sale, and, before a Cheltenham Literature Festival Q&A session, fans overwhelmed Twitter when so many responded immediately to a call for questions. Cumberbatch consistently is a top name on lists ranging from sex appeal to global influence. In 2012 he beat David Beckham in the former and U.S. President Barack Obama in the latter. Increasingly, part of Cumberbatch's job involves the role of celebrity. Benedict Cumberbatch is at a pivotal point in his profession, and his career trajectory especially as documented in entertainment media permits a closer examination of just what it means to be a celebrity or star in Britain or the U.S. and how an actor may be perceived very differently in London or Hollywood. This performance biography is an analysis of a man in transition from working actor to multimedia star, as well as the balance between actor and celebrity. It looks at what makes this actor so well suited to play one of popular culture's iconic characters, Sherlock Holmes, and how Sherlock is so well suited to propel Cumberbatch toward greater global fame.

Benedict Cumberbatch's career is built to last. From his early success as a working actor through his dynamic trajectory to international star, Cumberbatch continues to be one of the best thespians of his generation. Those who know Cumberbatch primarily because of his award-winning star turn as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC's Sherlock know only a fraction of the actor's noteworthy professional history, including such critically acclaimed roles as, on television, Hawking, Small Island, To the Ends of the Earth, Parade's End, and The Hollow Crown; on stage, Hedda Gabler, After the Dance, Frankenstein, and Hamlet; on radio, Cabin Pressure and Neverwhere; and on film, Atonement, War Horse, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and The Imitation Game. Whether starring on television, stage, or radio in home base London or filming a Hollywood production, Benedict Cumberbatch continues to choose interesting roles that cement his A-list status. His career is not without occasional controversy, but, like those he admires most in London or Hollywood, he has become savvy about the entertainment industry. Benedict Cumberbatch is here to stay in the spotlight-to the delight of anyone who appreciates fine acting.

When actor Will Shephard turned up at the Beverley Hills offices of Dino De Laurentiis, he expected to be interviewed for a modest role in the great man's next production. "e;My agent told me on the phone that you were looking for actors who could do animal movements, but she didn't tell me what the film was about,"e; said Will. "e;It's King Kong,"e; said the producer. "e;You mean a remake of the 1933 film?"e; "e;Yes."e; "e;What's the role I'm being considered for?"e; "e;It's Kong."e; And so began an extraordinary few months in Will's life as he joined fellow actor and make-up artist Rick Baker to become the one of the 'guys in the ape suit', striding through miniature jungles, wrestling a giant rubber snake, running amok in Manhattan and scaling the World Trade Center. Inside the suit it was fearsomely hot, the special contact lenses made him dizzy and he frequently had to insert a tube through the gorilla mask in order to breathe. But the illusion was perfect: audiences never knew that the highly publicized, forty-foot tall, mechanical Kong that had cost millions of dollars to develop only got a few seconds of exposure, and that on screen for the rest of the movie were Rick and Will, clad in rubber and bear-hide. Inside King Kong is Will's journal of his experiences on the set in 1976. This delightful, engaging and funny account is accompanied by behind-the-scenes photographs that are being published for the first time.

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, characterised by mental deterioration and degeneration of the brain, is distressing for both sufferers and those who care for them, and Celebrities' Favourite Books is dedicated to those affected.Containing around 100 letters from well-known people nominating their all-time favourite reads and explaining their choice, this book is designed both to stimulate an interest in reading novels and also to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease.With a fitting foreword by Princess Alexandra, the aim of the book is to highlight the plight of sufferers and raise awareness of, and funds for, the valuable work carried out by the Alzheimer's Society.

From Charles Bronson himself:It's back. It's crazy. It's mind blowing. It's on the edge. It's total bonkers! It's dark. It's brain explosive material. Hell ... it's me ... I'm back!I never really disappeared ... I'm always here. You just can't see me in the darkness. I live in a box in the shadows. I only slip out to create my dreams; then slip back away unseen, unheard. It's like sticking your tongue into a bear's ear ... you know you shouldn't, but you can't help yourself. It's like jumping off a cliff with the next doors cat ... it's not good. Half way down you wish you had gone to bed with a mug of hot chocolate and a copy of 'Born Again Artist' with some fig rolls.Hells bells, enjoy!

Described by Professor Hans Holzer, a leading authority in America on the paranormal, as the greatest medium of our time, Philip Solomon shares his amazing story, from his childhood psychic experiences of been born into a mediumistically gifted family with show business connections, through his many strands of spiritual and psychical development, to the finely honed, highly attuned state of awareness he has achieved. For those of you who think that mediumship is merely passing on messages from beyond the grave to members of a Spiritualist church or theatre audience, then your eyes are about to be opened, as this book covers predictions, meditation, hypnotism, sports psychology, guides and angels, ghosts and the paranormal, healing, astrology, leylines and UFOs, with an emphasis on the innate ability in each and every one of us to develop psychic awareness. With a fitting foreword by respected fellow-medium, Derek Acorah, this book will definitely challenge your perceptions and broaden your outlook on life, both on the earth plane and in the spirit world beyond. In this and his many previous books, Philip Solomon's intentions and convictions are clear. He has been chosen by Spirit to walk a sometimes difficult pathway on a mission to prove beyond doubt the existence of life after death and other-worldliness and to assure those that have lost loved ones that death is not the end.

This fantastic classic text is Pater's graceful collection of essays discussing the achievements of Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and other artists. The book concludes with an uncompromising advocacy of hedonism, urging readers to experience life as fully as possible. His cry of "e;art for art's sake"e; became the manifesto of the Aesthetic Movement, and his assessments of Renaissance art have influenced generations of readers. This version has been specially formatted for today's e-readers by Andrews UK.

A Kádár-kori titkosszolgálatok m?k?dése a rendszerváltás óta mind a mai napig a magyar k?zélet egyik meghatározó és kibeszéletlen témájának számít. Az 1962-ben új m?k?dési kereteket kialakító egykori szervezet legismertebb részlege – els?sorban egyes k?zéleti szerepl?k utóbb leleplez?d? ügyn?kmúltja miatt – a bels? elhárítással foglalkozó III/III. Csoportf?n?kség lett. E részleg tényleges tevékenysége ugyanakkor ma is csak t?redékesen ismert, mik?zben továbbra is számtalan félreértés, legenda és mítosz él a III/III-mal kapcsolatban. TABAJDI G?BOR k?tete az elmúlt évek kutatási eredményeinek felhasználásával a pártállami titkosszolgálatok, azon belül is a bels?reakció-elhárítás m?k?désének átfogó krónikáját adja. A k?nyv az események id?rendi tárgyalása során a sok esetben félrevezet? ügyn?kt?rténetek helyett magára a szervezetre helyezi hangsúlyt, így a jól dokumentálható, konkrét esetek kapcsán a bels? elhárítás nagyszabású akciói mellett a III/III-asok mindennapjait befolyásoló egyéb hatásokat is igyekszik bemutatni, a pártutasítások fogadtatásától kezdve a szabadid?s tevékenységeken át egészen az állomány társadalmi helyzetéig. Az egyes szócikkekhez tartozó események arra is rávilágítanak, hogy a ?létez? szocializmus” világában milyen hétk?znapi tevékenységi formák válhattak politikai kérdéssé, és melyek voltak azok, amelyek a hatalom megtorló intézkedéseit kiváltották. A szócikkekkel párhuzamosan futó k?zt?rténeti kronológia és a kor hangulatát megidéz? dokumentumok ugyanakkor eddig kevésbé érzékelt ?sszefüggéseket is megvilágítanak. A Budapest a diktatúrák árnyékában cím? nagy siker? t?rténelmi útikalauz szerz?je új néz?pontból, a III/III szervezeti oldaláról láttatja e sz?k három évtized t?rténéseit, és ennek k?sz?nhet?en az olvasó el?tt oldalról oldalra feltárul a pártállami Magyarország titkos t?rténete. A Kádár-kori titkosszolgálatok m?k?dése a rendszerváltás óta mind a mai napig a magyar k?zélet egyik meghatározó és kibeszéletlen témájának számít. Az 1962-ben új m?k?dési kereteket kialakító egykori szervezet legismertebb részlege – els?sorban egyes k?zéleti szerepl?k utóbb leleplez?d? ügyn?kmúltja miatt – a bels? elhárítással foglalkozó III/III. Csoportf?n?kség lett. E részleg tényleges tevékenysége ugyanakkor ma is csak t?redékesen ismert, mik?zben továbbra is számtalan félreértés, legenda és mítosz él a III/III-mal kapcsolatban. TABAJDI G?BOR k?tete az elmúlt évek kutatási eredményeinek felhasználásával a pártállami titkosszolgálatok, azon belül is a bels?reakció-elhárítás m?k?désének átfogó krónikáját adja. A k?nyv az események id?rendi tárgyalása során a sok esetben félrevezet? ügyn?kt?rténetek helyett magára a szervezetre helyezi hangsúlyt, így a jól dokumentálható, konkrét esetek kapcsán a bels? elhárítás nagyszabású akciói mellett a III/III-asok mindennapjait befolyásoló egyéb hatásokat is igyekszik bemutatni, a pártutasítások fogadtatásától kezdve a szabadid?s tevékenységeken át egészen az állomány társadalmi helyzetéig. Az egyes szócikkekhez tartozó események arra is rávilágítanak, hogy a ?létez? szocializmus” világában milyen hétk?znapi tevékenységi formák válhattak politikai kérdéssé, és melyek voltak azok, amelyek a hatalom megtorló intézkedéseit kiváltották. A szócikkekkel párhuzamosan futó k?zt?rténeti kronológia és a kor hangulatát megidéz? dokumentumok ugyanakkor eddig kevésbé érzékelt ?sszefüggéseket is megvilágítanak. A Budapest a diktatúrák árnyékában cím? nagy siker? t?rténelmi útikalauz szerz?je új néz?pontból, a III/III szervezeti oldaláról láttatja e sz?k három évtized t?rténéseit, és ennek k?sz?nhet?en az olvasó el?tt oldalról oldalra feltárul a pártállami Magyarország titkos t?rténete.

Kádár János és a nevével fémjelzett korszak megítélése napjainkig élesen megosztja a magyar k?zvéleményt. Ennek egyik ered?je az a hatvanas évek elején meghirdetett ?sz?vetségi politika”, amely egy újfajta kiegyezés reményében együttm?k?d?k, ?társutasok” megnyerésével igyekezett alkut k?tni a magyar társadalommal. Az ennek érdekében hozott politikai, gazdasági intézkedések a t?rténeti elemzések révén mára jól ismertek. Kádár hatalomtechnikai t?rekvéseinek mélyebb rétegei, személyes dimenziói azonban részben még ma is feltáratlanok. Kik voltak azok, akikkel a pártállami vezet?k a megújuló hatalomgyakorlási mód jegyében párbeszédet kezdtek? Milyen korábbi mintákat hasznosított az MSZMP ?sz?vetségi politikájának” kialakítása során? Milyen út vezetett addig, amíg az 1956-os forradalom leverése után ?t évvel elhangozhatott a kádárizmus jelszava, a bibliai mondást kifordító ?aki nincs ellenünk, az velünk van” mottó? TABAJDI G?BOR legújabb k?tete a ?kádárizmus” hatalomtechnikai módszereinek kialakulását mutatja be, és azt a hatalom birtokosai, a magyar kommunisták, illetve Kádár János politikája fel?l értelmezi. ?tfogó elemzéséhez a r?vid és hosszú távú, kül-, illetve belpolitikai folyamatok bemutatása mellett eddig nem publikált titkosszolgálati dokumentumokat is felhasznál.

Edvard Munch, born in 1863, was Norway's most popular artist. His brooding and anguished paintings, based on personal grief and obsessions, were instrumental in the development of Expressionism. During his childhood, the death of his parents, his brother and sister, and the mental illness of another sister, were of great influence on his convulsed and tortuous art. In his works, Munch turned again and again to the memory of illness, death and grief. During his career, Munch changed his idiom many times. At first, influenced by Impressionism and Post-impressionism, he turned to a highly personal style and content, increasingly concerned with images of illness and death. In the 1892s, his style developed a ‘Synthetist' idiom as seen in The Scream (1893) which is regarded as an icon and the portrayal of modern humanity's spiritual and existential anguish. He painted different versions of it. During the 1890s Munch favoured a shallow pictorial space, and used it in his frequently frontal p

Picasso was born a Spaniard and, so they say, began to draw before he could speak. As an infant he was instinctively attracted to artist’s tools. In early childhood he could spend hours in happy concentration drawing spirals with a sense and meaning known only to himself. At other times, shunning children’s games, he traced his first pictures in the sand. This early self-expression held out promise of a rare gift. Málaga must be mentioned, for it was there, on 25 October 1881, that Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born and it was there that he spent the first ten years of his life. Picasso’s father was a painter and professor at the School of Fine Arts and Crafts. Picasso learnt from him the basics of formal academic art training. Then he studied at the Academy of Arts in Madrid but never finished his degree. Picasso, who was not yet eighteen, had reached the point of his greatest rebelliousness; he repudiated academia’s anemic aesthetics along with realism’s pedestrian prose and, quite naturall

Pierre Bonnard was the leader of a group of Post-Impressionist painters who called themselves the Nabis, from the Hebrew word meaning “prophet”. Bonnard, Vuillard, Roussel and Denis, the most distinguished of the Nabis, revolutionised decorative painting during one of the richest periods in the history of French painting. Bonnard’s works are striking for their strong colours and candidness.

Mary was born in Pittsburgh. Her father was a banker of liberal educational ideas and the entire family appears to have been sympathetic to French culture. Mary was no more than five or six years old when she first saw Paris, and she was still in her teens when she decided to become a painter. She went to Italy, on to Antwerp, then to Rome, andfinally returned to Paris where in 1874, she permanently settled. In 1872, Cassatt sent her first work to the Salon, others followed in the succeeding years until 1875, when a portrait of her sister was rejected. She divined that the jury had not been satisfied with the background, so she re-painted it several times until, in the next Salon, the same portrait was accepted. At this moment Degas asked her to exhibit with him and his friends, the Impressionist Group, then rising into view, and she accepted with joy. She admired Manet, Courbet and Degas, and hated conventional art. Cassatt’s biographer stressed the intellectuality and sentiment app

This book analyses the evolution of iconic art from its beginning in Byzantium to the time of the Russian Empire. Icons are a fundamental element in the history of art, and it is therefore crucial to understand how this form of expression began and how it developed over centuries. Icons are discussed by one of the world-renowned experts on early Christian iconography, offering a valuable point of reference for specialists, as well as students.

In the Middle Ages, navigation relied upon a delicate balance between art and science. Whilst respecting the customs and the precautions of their forbearers, sailors had to count on their knowledge of the stars, the winds, the currents, and even of migratory flights. They also used hand-painted maps, which, although certainly summary, were marvellously well-drawn. In following the saga of old sailors, from Eric Le Rouge to Robert Peary, Donald Wigal leads us in discovering the New World. This magnificent overview of maps dating from the 10th to the 18th centuries, often ‘primitive’ and sometimes difficult to understand, retraces the progress of cartography and shows the incredible courage of men who endeavoured to conquer the seas with tools whose geographical accuracy often left much to be desired.

如果迷人的“日出之国”不幸在火山喷发之中沉入大洋之底，它仍然将活在歌川广重（Utagawa Hiroshige）那神奇的画笔之下。通过欣赏他的风景画，想象的光之翼将我们带领到阵雨和黎明的国度——仿佛是在彩虹跌落在人间，散成了千万个棱镜的仙境之中——水流缓缓流向地平线，水仙花散布其间。 这本书宛如一条通向永恒的艺术的小道，凸显了自然之美，无人出其右，令人难忘怀。

Sargent was born in Florence, in 1856, the son of cultivated parents. When Sargent entered the school of Carolus-Duran he attained much more than the average pupils. His father was a retired Massachusetts gentleman, having practised medicine in Philadelphia. Sargent’s home life was penetrated with refinement, and outside it were the beautiful influences of Florence, combining the charms of sky and hills with the wonders of art in the galleries and the opportunities of an intellectual and artistic society. Accordingly, when Sargent arrived in Paris, he was not only a skilful draughtsman and painter as a result of his study of the Italian masters, but he also had a refined and cultivated taste, which perhaps had an even greater influence upon his career. Later in Spain, it was chiefly upon the lessons learned from Velázquez that he found his own brilliant method. Sargent belongs to America, but is claimed by others as a citizen of the world, or a cosmopolitan. Sargent, with the exception

作为对工业革命的回应，新艺术运动以装饰和建筑风格发端。新艺术运动初的目标是通过回归自然主题，创造新的自然美学。该运动中的设计常常伴有植物图案和高度风格化、反大起大落曲线的细致刻画，是谓之新艺术风格。 为了达到该目标，诸如古斯塔夫克林姆(Gustav Klimt)、科罗曼穆塞尔(Koloman Moser)、安东尼高迪（Antoni Gaudi）、扬托罗普（Jan Toorop）、威廉莫里斯(William Morris)等艺术家更加偏爱技术创新和形式新颖。新艺术运动试图将艺术融合进生活的所有侧面，从物质的家具到家中的装饰物品再到建筑物；建立在艺术与日常生活相融合的艺术哲学之上。1900年在巴黎世界博览会大获成功之后，这一趋势继续流行且营销了不少艺术家以及装饰艺术运动。新艺术运动的继承者在次世界大战之后依然层出不穷。所以说新艺术运动时装饰艺术“文艺复兴”的核心，一点都不为过。