SKINS Oxblood, Sweat and Beers

SKINS Oxblood, Sweat and Beers

Author: Ian Phillips

Publisher:

Published: 2016-02-15

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 9781910705209

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'Skins: Oxblood, Sweat & Beers' takes an insightful look at the British Skinhead movement. Beginning in the late 1960s, this youth subculture evolved from the Mods and quickly became the subject of many scathing stories in the media. Often portrayed and branded as "outcasts," "yobbos," "dole dossers," "lager louts," this propaganda cast a shadow over the Skinhead cult and instilled fear from those living more conventional lifestyles. While the scene died out in the early 1970s, it was revived in the late 1970s, though was soon divided, some spiraling into far-right, politically-motivated groups that became notorious for racism, thus giving the cult an even worse reputation. This book chronicles the rise of the Skinhead in the late 1960s, including a look at the fashion and music that helped shape the scene and some of the stories that were highlighted in the press, through to its major revival in the late 70s. Included are a host of compelling, brutally frank and honest depictions by several real-life Skinheads, which give an insightful look to life within this culture.Also featured are exclusive forewords written by major artists and icons of the Skinhead scene: Nick Welsh (King Hammond), Monty Neysmith of Symarip, Neville Staple and Roddy Byers of The Specials, who all recall their own personal experiences with the Skinheads. Publisher: New Haven Publishing Ltd ISBN: 9781910705209


Book Synopsis SKINS Oxblood, Sweat and Beers by : Ian Phillips

Download or read book SKINS Oxblood, Sweat and Beers written by Ian Phillips and published by . This book was released on 2016-02-15 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Skins: Oxblood, Sweat & Beers' takes an insightful look at the British Skinhead movement. Beginning in the late 1960s, this youth subculture evolved from the Mods and quickly became the subject of many scathing stories in the media. Often portrayed and branded as "outcasts," "yobbos," "dole dossers," "lager louts," this propaganda cast a shadow over the Skinhead cult and instilled fear from those living more conventional lifestyles. While the scene died out in the early 1970s, it was revived in the late 1970s, though was soon divided, some spiraling into far-right, politically-motivated groups that became notorious for racism, thus giving the cult an even worse reputation. This book chronicles the rise of the Skinhead in the late 1960s, including a look at the fashion and music that helped shape the scene and some of the stories that were highlighted in the press, through to its major revival in the late 70s. Included are a host of compelling, brutally frank and honest depictions by several real-life Skinheads, which give an insightful look to life within this culture.Also featured are exclusive forewords written by major artists and icons of the Skinhead scene: Nick Welsh (King Hammond), Monty Neysmith of Symarip, Neville Staple and Roddy Byers of The Specials, who all recall their own personal experiences with the Skinheads. Publisher: New Haven Publishing Ltd ISBN: 9781910705209

Skinhead History, Identity, and Culture

Skinhead History, Identity, and Culture

Author: Kevin Borgeson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-11-08

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 1315474794

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Skinheads go beyond the societal stereotype of hate mongers, bigots, and Neo-Nazis. The community of skins also includes traditional skins (those that adhere to the original philosophy of the British movement in 1969), Skinheads Against Racial prejudice (SHARPS), and gay skins, female skins and Neo-Nazi or Racist/Nationalist skins. Skinhead History, Identity, and Culture covers the history, identity, and culture of the skinhead movement in Europe and America, looking at the total culture of the skins through a cross-sectional analysis of skinheads in various countries. Authors Borgeson and Valeri provide original research data to cast new light into the skinhead community. Some of the data is ethnographic, drawing on face-to-face interviews with skins of all kinds, while other data is compiled from the Internet and social media about various skinhead groups within the United States, Europe, and Australia. The book covers the history of the subculture; explores the unique cultures of female, gay, and Neo-Nazi skins; and explores manifestations of the culture as represented on the Internet and in music. The work discusses how skinheads derive their values and morals and how they fit into the larger social structure.


Book Synopsis Skinhead History, Identity, and Culture by : Kevin Borgeson

Download or read book Skinhead History, Identity, and Culture written by Kevin Borgeson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-08 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Skinheads go beyond the societal stereotype of hate mongers, bigots, and Neo-Nazis. The community of skins also includes traditional skins (those that adhere to the original philosophy of the British movement in 1969), Skinheads Against Racial prejudice (SHARPS), and gay skins, female skins and Neo-Nazi or Racist/Nationalist skins. Skinhead History, Identity, and Culture covers the history, identity, and culture of the skinhead movement in Europe and America, looking at the total culture of the skins through a cross-sectional analysis of skinheads in various countries. Authors Borgeson and Valeri provide original research data to cast new light into the skinhead community. Some of the data is ethnographic, drawing on face-to-face interviews with skins of all kinds, while other data is compiled from the Internet and social media about various skinhead groups within the United States, Europe, and Australia. The book covers the history of the subculture; explores the unique cultures of female, gay, and Neo-Nazi skins; and explores manifestations of the culture as represented on the Internet and in music. The work discusses how skinheads derive their values and morals and how they fit into the larger social structure.

Diana Ross Reflections

Diana Ross Reflections

Author: Ian Phillips

Publisher:

Published: 2015-05-28

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781910705100

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With a career now spanning over five decades, Diana Ross remains one of the most successful recording and performing artists of all time. As lead singer of The Supremes, she amassed a total of twelve number one hit singles between 1964 - 1969, and had a further six as a solo artist. Ian Phillips' book takes a detailed, affectionate and critical look back at Miss Ross' career which began in the late 1950s. Phillips' examines all of her recording work from The Primettes through to the present day, as well as highlighting her many career highlights and accomplishments, including her work in film, television and on stage. There are a wealth of fascinating background stories and anecdotes relating to her river of legendary classics, from Baby Love, Reflections, Love Child, to Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Touch Me In The Morning, Love Hangover, Upside Down, I'm Coming Out and so many, many more. This is an essential read for all Diana Ross fans, spotlighting not only on her ground-breaking success but also her revolutionary cultural impact, overcoming so many obstacles as a black woman and breaking down so many racial barriers. A legend, a trailblazer, pioneer, icon, there are so many words that can be used to describe Diana Ross but so little has been written in such detail on her extensive body of work. Until now. A true labour of love for this book, is an entertaining, and the ultimate, guide to the career of Miss Diana Ross.


Book Synopsis Diana Ross Reflections by : Ian Phillips

Download or read book Diana Ross Reflections written by Ian Phillips and published by . This book was released on 2015-05-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a career now spanning over five decades, Diana Ross remains one of the most successful recording and performing artists of all time. As lead singer of The Supremes, she amassed a total of twelve number one hit singles between 1964 - 1969, and had a further six as a solo artist. Ian Phillips' book takes a detailed, affectionate and critical look back at Miss Ross' career which began in the late 1950s. Phillips' examines all of her recording work from The Primettes through to the present day, as well as highlighting her many career highlights and accomplishments, including her work in film, television and on stage. There are a wealth of fascinating background stories and anecdotes relating to her river of legendary classics, from Baby Love, Reflections, Love Child, to Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Touch Me In The Morning, Love Hangover, Upside Down, I'm Coming Out and so many, many more. This is an essential read for all Diana Ross fans, spotlighting not only on her ground-breaking success but also her revolutionary cultural impact, overcoming so many obstacles as a black woman and breaking down so many racial barriers. A legend, a trailblazer, pioneer, icon, there are so many words that can be used to describe Diana Ross but so little has been written in such detail on her extensive body of work. Until now. A true labour of love for this book, is an entertaining, and the ultimate, guide to the career of Miss Diana Ross.

Black Swan Green

Black Swan Green

Author: David Mitchell

Publisher: Random House

Published: 2006-04-11

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 158836528X

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By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas | Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Selected by Time as One of the Ten Best Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, Rocky Mountain News, and Kirkus Reviews | A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist | Winner of the ALA Alex Award | Finalist for the Costa Novel Award From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new. Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons. Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date. Praise for Black Swan Green “[David Mitchell has created] one of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel. . . . The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods. . . . This enchanting novel makes us remember exactly what it was like.”—The Boston Globe “[David Mitchell is a] prodigiously daring and imaginative young writer. . . . As in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Herman Melville, one feels the roof of the narrative lifted off and oneself in thrall.”—Time


Book Synopsis Black Swan Green by : David Mitchell

Download or read book Black Swan Green written by David Mitchell and published by Random House. This book was released on 2006-04-11 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas | Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize Selected by Time as One of the Ten Best Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post Book World, The Christian Science Monitor, Rocky Mountain News, and Kirkus Reviews | A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist | Winner of the ALA Alex Award | Finalist for the Costa Novel Award From award-winning writer David Mitchell comes a sinewy, meditative novel of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood and the old on the cusp of the new. Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons. Pointed, funny, profound, left-field, elegiac, and painted with the stuff of life, Black Swan Green is David Mitchell’s subtlest and most effective achievement to date. Praise for Black Swan Green “[David Mitchell has created] one of the most endearing, smart, and funny young narrators ever to rise up from the pages of a novel. . . . The always fresh and brilliant writing will carry readers back to their own childhoods. . . . This enchanting novel makes us remember exactly what it was like.”—The Boston Globe “[David Mitchell is a] prodigiously daring and imaginative young writer. . . . As in the works of Thomas Pynchon and Herman Melville, one feels the roof of the narrative lifted off and oneself in thrall.”—Time

The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street

Author: Jordan Belfort

Publisher: Bantam

Published: 2007-09-25

Total Pages: 530

ISBN-13: 0553904248

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Now a major motion picture directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could. From the binge that sank a 170-foot motor yacht and ran up a $700,000 hotel tab, to the wife and kids waiting at home and the fast-talking, hard-partying young stockbrokers who called him king, here, in Jordan Belfort’s own words, is the story of the ill-fated genius they called the Wolf of Wall Street. In the 1990s, Belfort became one of the most infamous kingpins in American finance: a brilliant, conniving stock-chopper who led his merry mob on a wild ride out of Wall Street and into a massive office on Long Island. It’s an extraordinary story of greed, power, and excess that no one could invent: the tale of an ordinary guy who went from hustling Italian ices to making hundreds of millions—until it all came crashing down. Praise for The Wolf of Wall Street “Raw and frequently hilarious.”—The New York Times “A rollicking tale of [Jordan Belfort’s] rise to riches as head of the infamous boiler room Stratton Oakmont . . . proof that there are indeed second acts in American lives.”—Forbes “A cross between Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities and Scorsese’s GoodFellas . . . Belfort has the Midas touch.”—The Sunday Times (London) “Entertaining as pulp fiction, real as a federal indictment . . . a hell of a read.”—Kirkus Reviews


Book Synopsis The Wolf of Wall Street by : Jordan Belfort

Download or read book The Wolf of Wall Street written by Jordan Belfort and published by Bantam. This book was released on 2007-09-25 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Now a major motion picture directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could. From the binge that sank a 170-foot motor yacht and ran up a $700,000 hotel tab, to the wife and kids waiting at home and the fast-talking, hard-partying young stockbrokers who called him king, here, in Jordan Belfort’s own words, is the story of the ill-fated genius they called the Wolf of Wall Street. In the 1990s, Belfort became one of the most infamous kingpins in American finance: a brilliant, conniving stock-chopper who led his merry mob on a wild ride out of Wall Street and into a massive office on Long Island. It’s an extraordinary story of greed, power, and excess that no one could invent: the tale of an ordinary guy who went from hustling Italian ices to making hundreds of millions—until it all came crashing down. Praise for The Wolf of Wall Street “Raw and frequently hilarious.”—The New York Times “A rollicking tale of [Jordan Belfort’s] rise to riches as head of the infamous boiler room Stratton Oakmont . . . proof that there are indeed second acts in American lives.”—Forbes “A cross between Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities and Scorsese’s GoodFellas . . . Belfort has the Midas touch.”—The Sunday Times (London) “Entertaining as pulp fiction, real as a federal indictment . . . a hell of a read.”—Kirkus Reviews

Copper and Bronze in Art

Copper and Bronze in Art

Author: David A. Scott

Publisher: Getty Publications

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 536

ISBN-13: 9780892366385

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This is a review of 190 years of literature on copper and its alloys. It integrates information on pigments, corrosion and minerals, and discusses environmental conditions, conservation methods, ancient and historical technologies.


Book Synopsis Copper and Bronze in Art by : David A. Scott

Download or read book Copper and Bronze in Art written by David A. Scott and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2002 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a review of 190 years of literature on copper and its alloys. It integrates information on pigments, corrosion and minerals, and discusses environmental conditions, conservation methods, ancient and historical technologies.

Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy

Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy

Author: Gabriella Coleman

Publisher: Verso Books

Published: 2015-10-06

Total Pages: 497

ISBN-13: 1781689830

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The ultimate book on the worldwide movement of hackers, pranksters, and activists collectively known as Anonymous—by the writer the Huffington Post says “knows all of Anonymous’ deepest, darkest secrets” “A work of anthropology that sometimes echoes a John le Carré novel.” —Wired Half a dozen years ago, anthropologist Gabriella Coleman set out to study the rise of this global phenomenon just as some of its members were turning to political protest and dangerous disruption (before Anonymous shot to fame as a key player in the battles over WikiLeaks, the Arab Spring, and Occupy Wall Street). She ended up becoming so closely connected to Anonymous that the tricky story of her inside–outside status as Anon confidante, interpreter, and erstwhile mouthpiece forms one of the themes of this witty and entirely engrossing book. The narrative brims with details unearthed from within a notoriously mysterious subculture, whose semi-legendary tricksters—such as Topiary, tflow, Anachaos, and Sabu—emerge as complex, diverse, politically and culturally sophisticated people. Propelled by years of chats and encounters with a multitude of hackers, including imprisoned activist Jeremy Hammond and the double agent who helped put him away, Hector Monsegur, Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy is filled with insights into the meaning of digital activism and little understood facets of culture in the Internet age, including the history of “trolling,” the ethics and metaphysics of hacking, and the origins and manifold meanings of “the lulz.”


Book Synopsis Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy by : Gabriella Coleman

Download or read book Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy written by Gabriella Coleman and published by Verso Books. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate book on the worldwide movement of hackers, pranksters, and activists collectively known as Anonymous—by the writer the Huffington Post says “knows all of Anonymous’ deepest, darkest secrets” “A work of anthropology that sometimes echoes a John le Carré novel.” —Wired Half a dozen years ago, anthropologist Gabriella Coleman set out to study the rise of this global phenomenon just as some of its members were turning to political protest and dangerous disruption (before Anonymous shot to fame as a key player in the battles over WikiLeaks, the Arab Spring, and Occupy Wall Street). She ended up becoming so closely connected to Anonymous that the tricky story of her inside–outside status as Anon confidante, interpreter, and erstwhile mouthpiece forms one of the themes of this witty and entirely engrossing book. The narrative brims with details unearthed from within a notoriously mysterious subculture, whose semi-legendary tricksters—such as Topiary, tflow, Anachaos, and Sabu—emerge as complex, diverse, politically and culturally sophisticated people. Propelled by years of chats and encounters with a multitude of hackers, including imprisoned activist Jeremy Hammond and the double agent who helped put him away, Hector Monsegur, Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy is filled with insights into the meaning of digital activism and little understood facets of culture in the Internet age, including the history of “trolling,” the ethics and metaphysics of hacking, and the origins and manifold meanings of “the lulz.”

Deadline with Death (Time-Slip Mysteries, Book 1)

Deadline with Death (Time-Slip Mysteries, Book 1)

Author: Zara Keane

Publisher: Time-Slip Mysteries

Published: 2022-07-14

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9783039380251

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When small-town reporter Dee Flanagan is caught up in an unusual ambush, how can she convince people she didn't imagine a gunfight played out between two centuries?


Book Synopsis Deadline with Death (Time-Slip Mysteries, Book 1) by : Zara Keane

Download or read book Deadline with Death (Time-Slip Mysteries, Book 1) written by Zara Keane and published by Time-Slip Mysteries. This book was released on 2022-07-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When small-town reporter Dee Flanagan is caught up in an unusual ambush, how can she convince people she didn't imagine a gunfight played out between two centuries?

Pretty Little Mistakes

Pretty Little Mistakes

Author: Heather McElhatton

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2009-10-13

Total Pages: 783

ISBN-13: 0061857025

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There are hundreds of lives sown inside Pretty Little Mistakes, Heather McElhatton's singularly spectacular, breathtakingly unique novel that has more than 150 possible endings. You may end up in an opulent mansion or homeless down by the river; happily married with your own corporation or alone and pecked to death by ducks in London; a Zen master in Japan or morbidly obese in a trailer park. Is it destiny or decision that controls our fate? You can't change your past and start over from scratch in real life—but in Pretty Little Mistakes, you can! But be warned, choose wisely.


Book Synopsis Pretty Little Mistakes by : Heather McElhatton

Download or read book Pretty Little Mistakes written by Heather McElhatton and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 783 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are hundreds of lives sown inside Pretty Little Mistakes, Heather McElhatton's singularly spectacular, breathtakingly unique novel that has more than 150 possible endings. You may end up in an opulent mansion or homeless down by the river; happily married with your own corporation or alone and pecked to death by ducks in London; a Zen master in Japan or morbidly obese in a trailer park. Is it destiny or decision that controls our fate? You can't change your past and start over from scratch in real life—but in Pretty Little Mistakes, you can! But be warned, choose wisely.

Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

Author: David Mitchell

Publisher: Vintage Canada

Published: 2010-07-16

Total Pages: 596

ISBN-13: 0307373576

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By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks | Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize A postmodern visionary and one of the leading voices in twenty-first-century fiction, David Mitchell combines flat-out adventure, a Nabokovian love of puzzles, a keen eye for character, and a taste for mind-bending, philosophical and scientific speculation in the tradition of Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, and Philip K. Dick. The result is brilliantly original fiction as profound as it is playful. In this groundbreaking novel, an influential favorite among a new generation of writers, Mitchell explores with daring artistry fundamental questions of reality and identity. Cloud Atlas begins in 1850 with Adam Ewing, an American notary voyaging from the Chatham Isles to his home in California. Along the way, Ewing is befriended by a physician, Dr. Goose, who begins to treat him for a rare species of brain parasite. . . . Abruptly, the action jumps to Belgium in 1931, where Robert Frobisher, a disinherited bisexual composer, contrives his way into the household of an infirm maestro who has a beguiling wife and a nubile daughter. . . . From there we jump to the West Coast in the 1970s and a troubled reporter named Luisa Rey, who stumbles upon a web of corporate greed and murder that threatens to claim her life. . . . And onward, with dazzling virtuosity, to an inglorious present-day England; to a Korean superstate of the near future where neocapitalism has run amok; and, finally, to a postapocalyptic Iron Age Hawaii in the last days of history. But the story doesn’t end even there. The narrative then boomerangs back through centuries and space, returning by the same route, in reverse, to its starting point. Along the way, Mitchell reveals how his disparate characters connect, how their fates intertwine, and how their souls drift across time like clouds across the sky. As wild as a videogame, as mysterious as a Zen koan, Cloud Atlas is an unforgettable tour de force that, like its incomparable author, has transcended its cult classic status to become a worldwide phenomenon.


Book Synopsis Cloud Atlas by : David Mitchell

Download or read book Cloud Atlas written by David Mitchell and published by Vintage Canada. This book was released on 2010-07-16 with total page 596 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Clocks | Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize A postmodern visionary and one of the leading voices in twenty-first-century fiction, David Mitchell combines flat-out adventure, a Nabokovian love of puzzles, a keen eye for character, and a taste for mind-bending, philosophical and scientific speculation in the tradition of Umberto Eco, Haruki Murakami, and Philip K. Dick. The result is brilliantly original fiction as profound as it is playful. In this groundbreaking novel, an influential favorite among a new generation of writers, Mitchell explores with daring artistry fundamental questions of reality and identity. Cloud Atlas begins in 1850 with Adam Ewing, an American notary voyaging from the Chatham Isles to his home in California. Along the way, Ewing is befriended by a physician, Dr. Goose, who begins to treat him for a rare species of brain parasite. . . . Abruptly, the action jumps to Belgium in 1931, where Robert Frobisher, a disinherited bisexual composer, contrives his way into the household of an infirm maestro who has a beguiling wife and a nubile daughter. . . . From there we jump to the West Coast in the 1970s and a troubled reporter named Luisa Rey, who stumbles upon a web of corporate greed and murder that threatens to claim her life. . . . And onward, with dazzling virtuosity, to an inglorious present-day England; to a Korean superstate of the near future where neocapitalism has run amok; and, finally, to a postapocalyptic Iron Age Hawaii in the last days of history. But the story doesn’t end even there. The narrative then boomerangs back through centuries and space, returning by the same route, in reverse, to its starting point. Along the way, Mitchell reveals how his disparate characters connect, how their fates intertwine, and how their souls drift across time like clouds across the sky. As wild as a videogame, as mysterious as a Zen koan, Cloud Atlas is an unforgettable tour de force that, like its incomparable author, has transcended its cult classic status to become a worldwide phenomenon.