Motoring, Arts & LeisureBook & Audiobook ReviewsRobert Tanitch's Christmas round up of books Robert Tanitch’s Round Up of Christmas Books 5
By Robert Tanitch - 05/12/2011
FILM, TV, OPERA and BALLET
More Stories
Robert Tanitch's round up of Christmas books - No. 4
MRS OSCAR WILDE AND BIOGRAPHIES and AUTOBIOGRAPHIES of ACTORS
CONSTANCE by Franny Moyle (John Murray £20). The tragic and scandalous life of Mrs Oscar Wilde. Not her scandal, but her husband’s. The familiar story of his fall is told from the wife’s point of view, drawing on her unpublished letters. Strongly motivated, she wanted to protect their two boys.
Robert Tanitch's round up of Christmas books - No. 3
HISTORY, MAPS, TREASURE HUNTS AND COOKING
THE NEW ATLAS OF WORLD HISTORY by John Haywood (Thames & Hudson (£32). This is the first and only historical atlas to present global history combining state-of-the-art world maps with detailed illustrated timelines, giving an overview of history from six million years ago to the present. Splendid.
Robert Tanitch's round up of Christmas books - No. 2
Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austin, Noel Coward, Rumpole and Popes
SHAKESPEARE COMPLETE WORKS (Arden £18.99). If you are looking for a complete edition (and one that includes Double Falsehood), look no further.
CHARLES DICKENS will shortly be celebrating his 200th birthday. There are two books: CHARLES DICKENS A Life by Claire Tomalin (Viking £30), a first class biography, and CHARLES DICKENS (Andre Deutsch £30), which is of interest not for its text but for its facsimile documents and photographs from Dickens’ personal archive which has been researched by Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, his great-great-great granddaughter.
Robert Tanitch's round up of Christmas books - No. 1
Leonardo, Aestheticism, Modern Art, Photography and Churches
Have you been able to get into the Leonardo exhibition at the Royal Academy? The Phaidon Colour Library series is terrific value and LEONARDO by Patricia Emison (Phaidon £6.95) includes plates of all his master works and is a good, quick introduction. LEONARDO by Martin Kemp (Oxford £10.99) is for those who are more knowledgeable and want something more academic.
Planning a trip for next year? Take a look at these travel books!
THE TRAVEL BOOK. A journey through every country in the world. (Lonely Planet £40). Now is always a good time to be planning holidays and here is a huge book for the traveller who goes abroad and the traveler who remains in his armchair. There is a double page entry for every country and there are 229 countries. Decisions, decisions. Some double-pages whet the appetite for far-off places more than others; it all depends on the choice of photographs and sometimes the choice is a bit strange when there are only four pictures for each country. England gets a raw deal, for instance.
More books for Christmas - with something for all the family!
CONSTABLE (Phaidon £35). Constable Country is pure, unaffected, pastoral, nostalgic, nationalistic (very English), conservative and highly influential; this handsome book is a real eye-opener for those who perhaps know only his Haywain and Salisbury Cathedral.
More book recommendations for Christmas!
Robert Tanitch recommends more perfect gift books for Christmas
From Shakespeare to Sondheim - the best Theatre books
Indulge your passion for Theatre, with this selection of books for Christmas.
Film and TV books galore
From actions movies to The Archers - there's something for everyone this Christmas!
Interested in Art? Take a look at these ravishing books - out in time for Christmas
Feast your eyes on this fascinating selection of Art books - the perfect gift for Christmas!
Christmas books - the best biographies
Robert Tanitch takes a look at the best Biographies on offer this Christmas.
Six of the best - Theatrical Autobiographies
From Judi Dench to Stephen Fry, Robert Tanich takes a look at the best autobiographies on offer this Christmas.
Six more book recommendations for Christmas
CONVERSATIONS WITH MYSELF by Nelson Mandela (Macmillan £25) The book, which has Mandela’s blessing but not his personal involvement, is a series of jottings from his archive of prison letters, notebooks and tape conversations.