Bøger udgivet af Octopus

What if the British Museum isn't a house of learning, but a vast sinkhole of still-bubbling historic injustice? What if it presents us not with a carefully ordered cross section of history but is instead a palatial trophy cabinet of colonial loot swarming with volatile and errant spirits?When artist and writer Noah Angell first heard murmurs of ghostly sightings at the British Museum he had to find out more. What started as a trickle soon became a landslide as staff old and new, from guards of formidable build to respected curators, brought forth testimonies of their inexplicable supernatural encounters.It became clear that the source of the disturbances was related to the Museum's contents - unquiet objects, holy plunder, and restless human remains protesting their enforced stay within the colonial collection's cases, cabinets and deep underground vaults. Be it wraiths associated with genocides, uprooted sacred beings or the afterglow of deaths that occurred inside the museum itself, according to those who have worked there, the museum is heaving with profound spectral disorder.Ghosts of the British Museum fuses storytelling, folklore and history, digs deep into our imperial past and unmasks the world's oldest national museum as a site of ongoing conflict, where under the guise of preservation, restless objects are held against their will.It now appears that the objects are fighting back.

The brand new edition of the unrivalled and bestselling annual, Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book, the world's bestselling annual wine guide. The world's best-selling annual wine guide.Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book is the essential reference book for everyone who buys wine - in shops, restaurants, or on the internet. Now in its 47th year of publication, it has no rival as the comprehensive, up-to-the-minute annual guide. It provides clear succinct facts and commentary on the wines, growers and wine regions of the whole world. It reveals which vintages to buy, which to drink and which to cellar, which growers to look for and why. Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine 2024 gives clear information on grape varieties, local specialities and how to match food with wines that will bring out the best in both. This latest edition of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine 2024 includes a colour supplement on Chardonnay, the world's most obliging grape, discussing everything from history and taste to texture, fashion and the role oak.

"I loved writing, I loved chronicling life and every moment I was cogent, sober, or blitzed, I was forever feeding off my surroundings, making copious notes as ammunition for future compositions. . . . The thing is good, bad or indifferent I never stopped writing, it was as addictive as any drug."This is the memoir music fans have been waiting for. Half of one of the greatest creative partnerships in popular music, Bernie Taupin is the man who wrote the lyrics for Elton John, who conceived the ideas that spawned countless hits, and sold millions and millions of records. Together, they were a duo, a unit, an immovable object. Their extraordinary, half-century-and-counting creative relationship has been chronicled in biopics (like 2019's Rocketman) and even John's own autobiography, Me. But Taupin, a famously private person, has kept his own account of their adventures close to his chest, until now.Written with honesty and candour, Scatterhot allows the reader to witness events unfolding from Taupin's singular perspective, sometimes front and center, sometimes from the edge, yet always described vibrantly, with an infectious energy that only a vivid songwriter's prose could offer. From his childhood in the East Midlands of England whose imagination was sparked and forever informed by the distinctly American mythopoetics of country music and cowboys, to the glittering, star-studded fishbowl of '70s and '80s Beverly Hills, Scattershot is simultaneously a Tom Jones­-like picaresque journey across a landscape of unforgettable characters, as well as a striking, first-hand account of a creative era like no other and one man's experience at the core of it.An exciting, multi-decade whirlwind, Scattershot whizzes around the world as we ride shotgun with Bernie on his extraordinary life. We visit New York with him and Elton on the cusp of global fame. We spend time with him in Australia almost in residency at an infamous rock 'n' roll hotel in an endless blizzard of drugs. And we spend late, late night hours with John Lennon, with Bob Marley, and hanging with Frank Sinatra. And beyond the world of popular music, we witness memorable encounters with writers like Graham Greene, painters like Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali, and scores of notable misfits, miscreants, eccentrics, and geniuses, known and unknown. Even if they're not famous in their own right, they are stars on the page, and we discover how they inspired the indelible lyrics to songs such as "Tiny Dancer," "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and The Jets," and so many more.Unique and utterly compelling, Scattershot will transport the reader across the decades and around the globe, along the way meeting some of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century, and into the vivid imaginings of one of music's most legendary lyricists.

The definitive guide to energy cultivation exercise. Includes expert tips on how to practise Qigong for health, spiritual development and martial prowess. This is the ultimate guide to practicing Qigong and finding a mental and physical balance in life, encouraging readers of all levels to make Qigong a part of their everyday routine. The ancient art of Qigong, the 'seed of martial arts', not only allows you to maintain your health but also heals the bodies and calms the minds of those who practice it. Beautifully presented and fully illustrated with 300 postures from the main schools of Qigong, illustrated in step-by-step sequence, The Qigong Bible includes expert tips on how to practice Qigong for health, spiritual development and martial prowess. This is the definitive guide to energy cultivation exercise.

Hidden in the margins of history books, classical literature, and thousands of years of stories, myths and legends, through to contemporary literature, TV and film, there is a diverse and other-worldly super community of queer heroes to discover, learn from, and celebrate. Be captivated by stories of forbidden love like Patroclus & Achilles (explored in Madeleine Miller's bestseller Song of Achilles), join the cult of Antinous (inspiration for Oscar Wilde), get down with pansexual god Set in Egyptian myth, and fall for Zimbabwe's trans God Mawi. And from modern pop-culture, through Dan Jones's witty, upbeat style, learn more about 90s fan obsessions Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Neil Gaiman's American Gods and the BBC's Doctor Who. Queer Heroes of Myth & Legend brings to life characters who are romantic, brave, mysterious, and always fantastical. It is a magnificent celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary glory.

CLAIR: We've been let loose on a book... whose bright idea was that?JAMES: We haven't got anything to say!CLAIR: Don't tell them that before they buy it...JAMES: They'll work it out eventually!CLAIR: Well, we've managed to put together some bits and pieces that might be interesting - or at least funny/weird/silly.JAMES: Probably not.CLAIR: No... probably not. Though if you like the vlogs, you might like it?JAMES: No one likes the vlogs.CLAIR: True.JAMES: Anyway, enjoy!At Home with The Buckleys is one couple's take on the wild ride that is modern marriage, parenting and adulting. Told from both sides, Clair and James share a collection of hilarious stories and comedy excursions from their early lives, years of cult TV fame, having children and setting up their YouTube channel.

'See the UK at its most earth-shatteringly beautiful' The Mail on Sunday'Britain at its best' The Telegraph From rural countryside to striking urban cityscapes, discover the best of British landscapes from the latest edition of the Landscape Photography of the Year competition. Now in its 15th year, this highly prestigious annual showcase was devised by award-winning photographer, Charlie Waite, and attracts thousands of visitors each year to its Central London exhibition. This edition features winning and highly commended entries across a range of categories including:- Classic View- Urban Life- Black & White- Your View- Historic Britain - Landscapes at Night - Lines in the Landscape - Coast'From rolling hills to electrifying night skies, the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards celebrate extraordinary urban, rural and coastal scenes from around the UK.' The Sunday Times'If you needed any convincing how beautiful this country can be, take a look at the winners of the annual Landscape Photographer of the Year awards' Time Out

'A one-man, one-cat mission to cheer people up' - The Mirror When Travis Nelson arrived in London, he expected to embark on a new life and a new job. Coming from California, he'd uprooted his wife and his cat, Sigrid, and planned to be here for the long haul. Then Covid-19 struck. Travis's new job vanished as the company cut staff. For two years, and through successive lockdowns, he was stuck in limbo in an unfamiliar city, trying to find his way.To keep himself occupied, Travis set out to discover his adoptive home. He bought a bike and began cycling through London's streets and parks with his unusual travelling companion, Sigrid - his deaf, Norwegian Forest cat - who came along for the ride. But what started as a way of injecting routine and purpose into Travis's life in stressful times, created an internet sensation. When Travis began posting videos of the pair's rides on social media, he drew in another community of people looking for moments of joy in an anxious world.In this charming memoir, Travis charts his adventures with Sigrid. He unlocks a hidden London seen only from cyclist's viewpoint, as well as finding friendship and hope. Most of all, it is the story of one man's relationship with his feline companion - one that has given him direction and a sense of belonging at a time when he felt lost.

The definitive guide to the best gardening techniques from pruning to propagation and planting to harvesting by the American Horticultural SocietyThis step-by-step guide to essential gardening practice is a must-have reference showing modern methods to a new generation of gardeners. Compiled by leading specialists in every area of gardening, the book contains a vast amount of expert information clearly demonstrating the tried-and-tested techniques honed by the world's leading gardening authority.Using more than 1,600 artworks in more than 400 step-by-step sequences, the book covers every aspect of gardening from pruning to sowing, watering to feeding, and propagating to planting. Covering all plants including trees, flowers, shrubs, climbers, lawns, vegetables, fruit and herbs, it shows how to create water features and patios, and add lighting. It also includes organic techniques, recycling and how to treat pests and diseases. The wealth of practical information makes this book an essential purchase for both professional and amateur gardeners.