Bøger af Simon Spence

This book looks to construct a detailed portrait of the myth of the Greek hero, Jason.This involves examining all extant evidence, both literary and iconographical, for this hero up until the end of the fifth century B.C.

The only book to consider Oi! as a distinct genre within punk rock, What Have We Got? is the story of a musical movement that became a national concern in the eighties and still divides opinion today.

The Stone Roses captures the magic-and chaos-behind the UK band's rise, fall, and recent resurrection. The iconic Brit pop band The Stone Roses became an overnight sensation when their 1989 eponymous album went double platinum. It was a recording that is still often listed as one of the best albums ever made. Its chiming guitar riffs, anthemic melodies, and Smiths-like pop sensibility elevated The Stone Roses to a cult-like status in the UK and put them on the map in the U.S. But theirs is a story of unfulfilled success: their star imploded as their sophomore effort took years to complete and the band broke up acrimoniously in 1996. Sixteen years later, they reunited and have been playing sold out gigs, thrilling fans around the globe, and working on new material. In 2013, they nabbed the coveted headline spot at the Coachella Festival. With one hundred interviews of key figures, forty rare photographs, and exclusive insider material including how they created their music, The Stone Roses charts the band's rise from the backwaters of Manchester to becoming the stars of the "Madchester" scene to their successful comeback years later. Going beyond the myths to depict a band that defined Brit pop, Simon Spence illustrates their incandescent talent and jaw-dropping success while contextualizing them in the 90s music scene. This is the definitive story of The Stone Roses.

**With a special foreword by award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director, Stephen Fry**Persephone is the seventh book in the Early Myths collection, a series of children's picture books on Greek myth. Each book covers a character from mythology and brings the tale to life through illustrations and story-telling, with inspiration from ancient art and literature. The books are aimed at 4 to 10 year olds, are beautifully designed and easy to read.Persephone is the daughter of the goddess of nature who grows up in the forests of Greece only to be whisked away by Hades, the love-struck god of the Underworld. Persephone's mother, Demeter, roams across the lands in search of her daughter and a solution must be found. Should Persephone return to her old life or can there be a balance between her role as goddess of nature above and her new responsibilities below?For teachers and parents, we have a notes section at the back, describing how our illustrations have been inspired by ancient Greek vase-painting, sculptures, and early literature. The kids don't need to know this aspect to enjoy the tale, but the grown-ups can learn about how we have taken time and care to construct our book, using the early historical sources, rather than simply repeat a generic version of the myth.Awards for our Early Myths collection: - Perseus: bronze medal winner at the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2014- Odysseus: honourable mention at the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards 2015- Odysseus: finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2015- Atalanta: silver medal at the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2016- Atalanta: honourable mention at Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2016- Atalanta: finalist at the Readers' Favorite Awards 2016- Herakles: 1st prize for illustrations and 6+ picture book at the Dragonfly Books Awards 2017- Herakles: gold award at the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards 2017- Herakles: silver medalist in the Wishing Shelf Children's Books Awards 2017- Theseus: best illustrations at Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2018- Theseus: honourable Mention in Picture Books (5 and younger category) at the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2018- Theseus: silver medalist at the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2018

From Keith Moon's stately home to George Harrison's Buddhist retreat, Sinatra's chic apartment to Elton John's crash pad, how do the homes of the rock stars reflect their personalities and idiosyncrasies? This picture led book takes you through the keyhole of the abode's of our biggest stars.

Their story is one of worldwide pop hysteria coupled with an almost unrelenting behind the scenes darkness.

A joyful reappraisal of the Bee Gees at the peak of their powers, at the time of their wildly successful but unfairly maligned soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, the album that turned them from has-beens to the musical phenomenon of the 70s.

The definitive story of The Stone Roses by Simon Spence, with an updated final chapter covering the reunion rollercoaster ride. From the Manchester backwaters to the worldwide 2012 tour, War and Peace lays bare the irresistible tale of the last of the great bands..Based on 400 hours of interviews with over seventy of The Stone Roses' closest associates, including six former band members, War and Peace is the first major biography of the band that defined a generation.Originally planned in collaboration with Reni, the reclusive drummer, this book had been a year in the making when the Roses, against all odds, announced their re-formation. It is a remarkable coda to an astonishing story. In 1989 their debut album and the single 'Fools Gold' made them the most exciting British export since the Sex Pistols. With their incendiary aura the Roses became figureheads of the 'Madchester' movement.War and Peace traces the band's genesis, studded with violent gigs and abandoned recordings, and shaped by their infamous manager Gareth Evans. The Roses' legendary gigs culminated in the era-defining Spike Island show in 1990. From this pinnacle the unravelling was spectacular.But the true story behind their rise and fall - and resurrection - has never been told. Until now. * With 40 unseen photos, including from renowned rock photographer Dennis Morris'This is the one. It's the definitive biography of the band, stuffed with photos that have never been seen before. The writing feels really fresh and definitive. It's a classic' Alex Heminsley BBC 6 Music Book of the Month'A comprehensive, no-holds-barred account... details with steely, forensic precision the story of the group's ascent, heyday and spectacular implosion. All the triumphs and disasters are here' The Sunday Times'An era-defining, definitive biography' QSimon Spence collaborated with Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham on the acclaimed memoirs Stoned and 2Stoned. He has written for the NME, i-D, Dazed & Confused and the Independent. He was at the Stone Roses' legendary Blackpool and Alexandra Palace shows in 1989 and covered their era-defining Spike Island show for The Face.

Nobody who saw Depeche Mode in 1980 could have predicted that those four fresh-faced, synth-pop innocents would transform themselves into stadium-filling rock gods within a few years. Part musical odyssey, part cultural history, this title draws on dozens of interviews to give us an inside view of one of the most unlikely stories in pop and rock.