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The Culture of History: English Uses of the Past 1800-1953
Billie Melman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 019929688X |
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In this original and widely researched book, Billie Melman explores the culture of history during the age of modernity. Her book is about the production of English pasts, the multiplicity of their representations and the myriad ways in which the English looked at history (sometimes in the most literal sense of 'looking') and made use of it in a social and material urban world, and in their imagination. Covering the period between the Napoleonic Wars and the Coronation of 1953, Melman recoups the work of antiquarians, historians, novelists and publishers, wax modellers, cartoonists and illustrators, painters, playwrights and actors, reformers and educationalists, film stars and their fans, musicians and composers, opera-fans, and radio listeners. Avoiding a separation between 'high' and 'low' culture, Melman analyses nineteenth-century plebeian culture and twentieth-century mass-culture and their venues - like Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors, panoramas, national monuments like the Tower of London, and films - as well as studying forms of 'minority' art - notably opera. She demonstrates how history was produced and how it circulated from texts, visual images, and sounds, to people and places and back to a variety of texts and images. While paying attention to individuals' making-do with culture, Melman considers constrictions of class, gender, the state, and the market-place on the consumption of history. Focusing on two privileged pasts, the Tudor monarchy and the French Revolution, the latter seen as an English event and as the framework for narrating and comprehending history, Melman shows that during the nineteenth century, the most popular, longest-enduring, and most highly commercialized images of the past represented it not as cosy and secure, but rather as dangerous, disorderly, and violent. The past was also imagined as an urban place, rather than as rural. In Melman's account, City not green Country, is the centre of a popular version of the past whose central Images are the dungeon, the gallows, and the guillotine.
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- A scorching corker of joy
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Shakespeare After Mass Media
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
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Shakespeare and Modern Popular Culture (Oxford Shakespeare Topics)
ASIN: 0312294549 |
Book Description
Shakespeare in mass media particularly film, video, and television is arguably the fastest growing research agenda in Shakespeare studies. Shakespeare after Mass Media provides both students and scholars with the most comprehensive resource available on the market for studying the extraordinary afterlife of Shakespeare's plays in a wide range of media. From marketing to electronic Shakespeares, comics to romance novels, Star Trek to Kenneth Branagh, radio and popular music to Bartlett's Quotations, the contributors explore the contemporary cultural significance of Shakespeare with theoretical sophistication and accessible writing.
Customer Reviews:
A scorching corker of joy.......2002-02-19
There are lots of academic studies of Shakespeare in popular culture coming out at the moment, but many are written by people who wouldn't know popular culture if it banged on their door trying to sell them cookies. The contributors to this volume are intelligent deep cultured people but listen this does not HAVE to mean you don't know how the mass market thinks, and this team does. Laurie Osborne is divine on Shakespeare in Harlequin romances and Burt is at his leg-biting best on the strange eery tameness of Taymor's *Titus* movie. This book really advances the argument about what and how Shakespeare means in America today -- buy it.
Book Description
The science behind the gadgets, exploits, and enemies of the world's greatest spy
From the sleek Aston Martin that spits out bullets, nails, and passengers at the push of a button to the microjet that makes hairpin turns to avoid a heat-seeking missile, the science and technology of James Bond films have kept millions of movie fans guessing for decades. Are these amazing feats and gadgets truly possible?
The Science of James Bond takes you on a fascinating excursion through the true science that underlies Bond's most fantastic and off-the-wall accoutrements. The acclaimed science-fiction authors Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg provide a highly entertaining, informative look at the real-world achievements and brilliant imaginations behind such singular Bond gadgets as the buzz-saw Rolex, the car that turns into a submarine, and the ever-popular rocket-firing cigarette. They examine hundreds of Q Division's ingenious inventions; analyze Bond's astonishing battles beneath the earth and sea, in the skies, and even in outer space; and ask intriguing questions that lead to enlightening discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.
Filled with entertaining anecdotes from Bond movie shoots and supplemented with "tech" ratings for all of the Bond movies, The Science of James Bond separates scientific fact from film fantasy--with some very surprising results.
Customer Reviews:
Errors and Plugs.......2006-12-23
Please do not waste your time reading this book. It is soon obvious that the authors have done very little research into their topic. Some of the obvious errors are: Ian Fleming did not write the screenplay for "A View to a Kill" as the authors claim, the wristwatch garrote appeared in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" which the authors fail to mention, and the authors must have gone into the kitchen for a snack while watching "Goldeneye" since they seemed to have missed a Russian fighter crashing into the Russian facility. Since the authors base some of their reasoning on some of these errors, their final conclusions fall a bit flat.
My other complaint is how often the authors plug another one of their books. Several times in "The Science of James Bond," when the authors have introduced a field of science, they drop the topic, explaining that the reader will have to find more information on the particular field by referencing another title by the authors. To me, this reeks of laziness and commercialism.
Unfortunately, a bit of false advertising.......2006-12-13
I just finished reading this book, and while it has its amusing and informative bits, it is apparent that the publisher and/or editor did not bother to read the book before making the covers shots, and even the subtitle. This books is titled, "The Science of James Bond", with the subtitle of "From Bullets to Bowler Hats to Boat Jumps, the Real Technology Behind 007's Fabulous Films". The cover shot on the book shows a wristwatch, a bowler hat, and a boat jump scene from "Live and Let Die". The wristwatch appears to be too cheap to be a 'genuine Bond' item, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Despite the blurb and the photo, there is absolutely no mention of the bowler hat in the book, and only two (throwaway - no pun intended) mentions of Oddjob in the book. I was expecting a discussion of the derby, such as what could it have been made of, how heavy would it have to be, and even (as the Booklist review seems to indicate, showing that the writer ALSO didn't read the book) if it could decapitate a man.
Moving on to the subject of boat jumps, let me describe, in sum total, how much the authors have to say about them (and let me be the first to admit that the "Live and Let Die" boat chase scenes were among my favorites): Nothing.
That's right, not a single word, phrase, or discussion about any of this -- not the technology needed to film them, the stunt men, nothing.
There's quite a bit more wrong with the book, even if taken as 'tongue in cheek', because it's obvious that the authors (who claim to be science-aware) don't understand even basic facts. For example, they go on and on (over several pages) about how Blofeld's spaceship in "You Only Live Twice" is unrealistic because, after all, it wouldn't be able to 'stop' in space, as it needs to go 17,000 MPH to be in orbit, etc. They completely ignore relative speeds -- the Blofeld spaceship only needs to go slightly faster/slower than the target ship, not thousands of miles per hour different. I won't go into the whole 'orbital mechanics' that happen with rendezvous in space (most of which are counter-intuitive), because the authors don't touch on it at all. The authors go on and on about how they can't understand how (at the time the movie was released, in the sixties) NASA wouldn't have 'seen' the spaceship on radar, without understanding how much work had gone into being able to track vehicles that we KNEW about (let alone unknown ones). And there is only a passing reference, several chapters later, about the most 'incredible' aspect of this spaceship -- that it's able to land vertically, under power, on land.
The blurb on the back cover of the book even talks about the "ever-popular rocket-firing cigarette." Of course, if you're anticipating reading anything about that in the book, rest assured -- you won't. It isn't there. And while they spend pages and pages explaining bullet calibers, and why Bond has a Walther PPK, there is nary a mention of one of the most fascinating 'gadget guns' in any of the movies, the 'golden gun' used by Scaramanga in "The Man with the Golden Gun".
In short, this seems to be a somewhat rambling discourse on logical flaws in the Bond movies, with a bit of 'science' thrown in, but it doesn't hold together well, and I can't help but feel cheated by the comparison of the book cover blurbs and the actual content. It doesn't make me feel good to realize that I spent more time reading this book than the publisher did...
Informative and Great Fun!.......2006-11-29
Reading a book like this can give one the urge to watch the Bond movies yet again. Although the authors review the James Bond movies with a critical scientific eye, it is obvious that they are genuine 007 fans. Some of the technology, big and small, portrayed in the Bond movies are discussed in very accessible and engaging prose. Some scientific ideas are discussed form basic principles, but in a clear and completely painless way. Thus readers can learn a bit of science along the way. However, I did stumble upon an error. On pages 99-100, Geiger counter readings are discussed with the intention of establishing the total radiation dose received by Bond due to radioactive contamination on the surface of his body. The one essential element that is missing from this otherwise quite accurate and illuminating discussion is the time factor. A Geiger counter measures a count rate which is a measure of the number of radiation particles impinging upon it per unit time. If the Geiger indicates a reading of 72.8 (no dimensions given in the movie), it is clear that this reading must include time in its units. Thus, in keeping with the units given in the book, the reading could have been 72.8 mSv/hour. Consequently, assuming that this figure also represents the rate at which Bond's whole body is absorbing the radiation dose (which, by the way, is not usually the same as the Geiger counter reading), the total dose received by Bond would be the dose rate multiplied by the time during which he was contaminated. So, for example, if his body surface was contaminated for, say, 10 minutes, then his total dose would only be about 12 mSv. This minor point aside, this is a wonderful book that could be enjoyed by anyone - especially Bond fans.
Book Description
Previously titled Father of Frankenstein, this acclaimed novel was the basis for the 1998 film starring Sir Ian McKellen, Lynn Redgrave, and Brendan Fraser. It journeys back to 1957 Los Angeles, where James Whale, the once-famous director of such classics as
Frankenstein and
Bride of Frankenstein, is living in retirement, haunted by his past. Rescuing him from his too-vivid imagination is his gardener, a handsome ex-marine. The friendship between these two very different men is sometimes tentative, sometimes touching, often dangerous—and always captivating.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Customer Reviews:
11th Hour Obsessions of a Hollywood Has-Been.......2006-10-28
This novel is reminiscent of such films as SUNSET BOULEVARD and WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE. The story concerns the last days of has-been director James Whale who in his prime had directed the films SHOW BOAT and THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, among other hits. In 1957 he was a virtual recluse in his expensive Hollywood home, despondent after suffering a stoke. His death by drowning in his swimming pool was ruled an accident, but many years later, his former companion made public Whale's suicide note. From this grim material, Christopher Bram has fashioned a sweet and far-from-sentimental love story of Whale and his obsession with his handsome ex-marine gardener. There are a lot of surprises along the way, some of them hilarious, some truly disturbing. Once again Bram intermingles fictional characters with real people. In this volume Elsa Lanchester, Greta Garbo, Charles Laughton, George Cukor, Princess Margaret and Elizabeth Taylor make appearances. My favorite scene was when Whale takes his gardener to a lawn party thrown by George Cukor in honor of Princess Margaret. This is a great party scene worthy of Proust himself. Although the relationship between Whale and the gardener is a chaste one, it is nonetheless a love story. I found this a beautiful book with a lot of heart and humor. I laughed aloud several times. I liked this edition with its appendices and author's afterword.
My only real criticism is that once again Bram has contemporary slang usage coming from the mouths of characters who lived in a previous era. I hope that if Bram writes another novel set in the past that he will have an expert go through the manuscript with him to correct this. But nonetheless, I really like Bram's writing and plan to read more of his work. Everything I've read by him so far has been very intelligent and entertaining. Four stars.
A Great Book With Extras.......2005-12-27
This is a great book, guys. I came from the angle of being a fan of old Hollywood, and if it's black and white, I've heard of it.
"Frankenstein" is by far the best of the Universal monster movies, and it has a lot to do with the subject of this novel: James Whale. The guy took the unwieldy, even boring, Shelley novel and pulled out the story of a sad monster and the redemption of its creator. He's also the reason why we have "Young Frankenstein" - so there's a lot to love about the guy.
The most intriguing thing about the novel, is the author creating a fictionalized "untold story" of Whale's final days - an act of literary bravado that could easily go wrong, but didn't, and it didn't in a big way. I'll spare you the plot synopsis because if you're reading this, you've already read that, but I will tell you this is a great book in the sense that college classes will make it required reading and the sense of being accessible to the masses.
Don't let anyone fool you: This is not a "movie book" or a "gay book" it's just a book; and a damn good one.
I really dig this particular edition for it's "postscript". It's the kind of stuff DVD extras are made of...an interview with the author, an after word and so on. As someone who invested the time to read the 300+ pages, it was great to hear directly from the author of how he came to tell this story, his thoughts on the movie based upon this book among other things.
Mark my words, soon you will see "Special Editions" of nearly every book you can think of...not just for the insights of the author or analysis of its historical context...but as a marketing tool by which we will end up buying our favorite books all over again. :)
Very different twist on a gay theme.......2005-11-19
Gods and Monsters (a.k.a. Father of Frankenstein) is a great novel on lots of different levels. It explores the gay world of Hollywood in the 1950s, the impossibility of overcoming stereotyping (can we say Joseph Heller?), and the way that the horrors of the First World War were morphed into a classic horror movie, among other themes.
But most of all, Gods and Monsters is about life and death. What gives meaning to life? Can one grow into life by being part of another man's death? Why is death so feared? These questions are all raised and adressed, although the answers are left for the reader to determine.
I have read many gay novels, and this one is a masterpiece. It transcends the genre and approaches the level of the great writers of our time. Well worth reading!
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British Historical Cinema (British Popular Cinema)
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0415238102 |
Book Description
British Historical Cinema examines the ways in which British films have represented the past onscreen. From Carry On's historical films to heritage cinema and recent retro films such as Velvet Goldmine and East is East, contributors explore issues of authenticity and nationalism, and challenge recent debates about the role of British film in the construction of history and identity.
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Films and British National Identity: From Dickens to Dad's Army (Studies in Popular Culture)
Jeffrey Richards
Manufacturer: Manchester University Press
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ASIN: 0719047439 |
Book Description
This book seeks to examine the ways in which the cinema has defined, mythified and disseminated British national identity during the course of the twentieth century. It takes the form of a series of linked essays which examine chronologically, thematically and by specific case studies of films, stars and genres the complexities and ambiguities in the process of evolution and definition of the national identity. It argues for the creation of a distinctive British national identity both in cinema and the wider culture. But it also assesses the creation of alternative identities both ethnic and regional and examines the interaction of cinema and other cultural forms (music, literature and television).
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British Horror Cinema (British Popular Cinema)
Steve Chibnall
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0415230047 |
Book Description
From no-budget to the Hammer studio, British Horror Cinema investigates a wealth of horror films including classics such as Peeping Tom and The Wicker Man. Contributors consider the Britishness of British horror and address issues of censorship, the representation of family and of women. They also examine sub-genres such as the portmanteau horror film, and the work of key filmmakers including John Gilling and Peter Walker.
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Milton in Popular Culture
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1403972370
Release Date: 2006-06-08 |
Book Description
Breathing life into Milton for the twenty-first century, this cutting-edge collection shows students and scholars alike how Milton transforms and is transformed by popular literature and polemics, film and television, and other modern media.
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British Popular Films: 1929-1939 (Studies in Film, Television and the Media)
Stephen Shafer
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0415002826 |
Book Description
Challenging the conventional assumption that British films of the '30s were aimed primarily at the middle-class, Schafer reveals the vital role of cinema for the working class and exposes an emphasis on the virtues of cooperation, patriotism and self sacrifice that reinforced the status quo during significant economic and social disruption. An innovative examination of an often forgotten period in film history,
British Popular Films is a valuable contribution to the field.
Book Description
The Pornographer's Poem is an edgy, important novel that tests the lines between pornography and art, exploitation and exploration. Introduced at the age of 16 to adult cinema by an eccentric teacher, the unnamed narrator of this controversial novel secretly shoots a short film of his neighbors having a very unconventional kind of sex. Helped by his doomed poet friend Nettie, who thinks such work can be liberating, he uses what are essentially porn loops to try to make sense of the world, to right its wrongs, in the process becoming a cause célèbre in the underground. But seen first through the eyes of a child and later an alienated adult of indeterminate age, this world is a brutal one populated by disposable people. In his highly acclaimed third novel, Michael Turner deftly blends time shifts, tableaux of radical sexuality and degradation, and an unexpected coming-of-age theme, bringing comparisons to Salinger and other chroniclers of growing up absurd.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting premise.......2005-05-30
An interestingly written novel, "The Pornographer's Poem" is a great read diminished only by numerous distracting typos. Where was the copyeditor on this one? This story and this author deserve better.
Poetic, gritty, page turner - buy the book!.......2003-09-28
I stumbled upon Michael Turner's "The Pornographers Poem", while browsing discount book
shelves at a local book store. I purchased the book partly because of the excellent reviews on the
back cover including praise from the Globe and Mail.
I wasn't disappointed. Michael Turner's writing is very good, almost poetic. He is a master of
creating time and place, I could see the beach from his words.
I won't spoil the story by delving too deeply in the format, which is similar to an interrogation, by
an unnamed person. This however is the most effective part of the story and it makes for a most
satisfying ending.
After finishing the book, I have often thought about it and I realize that there could be many
different endings and you're never sure exactly which truths our main character has shared or withheld from his interrogator.
The book is raw and real in some parts, so it might offend the faint of heart, but those who appreciate serious, fresh writing will find this to be an excellent book.
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