Aubrey Beardsley: A Biography

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Diagnosed with tuberculosis at age 7, the talk of London before he turned 22, and dead at 25, Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) was a textbook example of the doomed artist he and his fellow decadents admired so much. British journalist and art critic Matthew Sturgis paints an evocative picture of the cultural milieu that shaped Beardsley, with its ferocious rivalry between the idealistic Pre-Raphaelites and the more sardonic English impressionists, who ultimately claimed Beardsley's loyalty (though the ambitious teenager initially gained the patronage of Pre-Raphaelite Edward Burne-Jones). The author's portrait of Beardsley is equally vivid, limning both his dandified affectations and underlying sweetness, his dedication to art and the distaste for sustained work that made him the despair of his publishers. Beardsley's unique black-and-white drawings--perfect for the new technology of mass reproduction--made a sensation, first with the commissioned artwork for Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur and Wilde's Salome, then in the bold periodical he founded with friends, The Yellow Book. But Wilde's trial for gross indecency tainted Beardsley (though Sturgis's take is that he was more likely a virgin than a homosexual); he was fired from The Yellow Book; and his tuberculosis worsened along with his commercial prospects. The author depicts his subject's agonized final months with the same judicious sympathy he trains on "The Beardsley Boom" of 1894. --Wendy Smith

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for the Budding Beardsleyite.......2004-03-21

Among the myriad biographies on Aubrey Beardsley, I have to say that this one stands out. Thorough, in depth and a quick read, it covers his life, work and complex personality perfectly. Although I have enjoyed immensely many other books about the man, I feel that this one provides a great starting point. From Beardsley's birth in Brighton to his untimely death in Menton, his tragic story is told with warmth, pathos and the great knowledge of a man clearly admiring of his subject. This book will open your eyes to new and startling truths about Beardsley and his work, if you have been convinced that his life was one of wanton decadence and sexual excess. What a surprise to learn that this clearly was not the case - rather, Beardsley was a most conservative man. I have for many years admired him and his work greatly, and am personally very thankful that Sturgis wrote this book.
For those more interested in a review of Beardsley's work, I'd suggest Chris Snodgrass' book, Aubrey Beardsley, Dandy of the Grotesque. It stands as a perfect companion to Sturgis' biography.

A Beardsley Biography.......2000-09-08

Matthew Sturgis' biography of the short-lived pen and ink master of black and white imagery provides an informative and elegantly written life of Art Noveau figure Aubrey Beardsley. Discussions of Beardsley's early years, meetings with famous figures like Oscar Wilde and James Whistler, Yellow Book fame, and last years full of physical decline are covered with intelligent attention to detail. Also included are several reproductions of Beardsley's illustrations and the critical response to them. The book is a fast read that is accessible to those not overly familiar with the man and the period, and is also interesting to the fin-de-siecle conoisseur.

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Aubrey Beardsley: Imp of the Perverse
Stanley Weintraub
Manufacturer: Backinprint.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Aubrey Beardsley: A Biography

ASIN: 0595008089

Book Description

At twenty the "Fra Angelico of Satanism", as Roger Fry was to call Aubrey Beardsley, was an obscure clerk in a London insurance firm. Three years later he was the most notorious — and perhaps the most influential — artist in England.

Here, then, is the marvelous boy—he died at twenty-five—as human being and as complex and tragic genius, in the rich context of 150 examples of his graphic art.

Book Description

Aubrey Beardsley lived the life of a decadent, and his art--witty, irreverent, grotesque--often shocked late-Victorian sensibilities. His work was also sublimely elegant, and his stylish, suggestive illustrations for Oscar Wilde's Salome, and for The Studio, The Yellow Book, and The Savoy were widely admired throughout Europe and America. In Peter Raby's new book, Beardsley's brief, meteoric career is placed in the context of the remarkable age in which he lived. Complemented by numerous reproductions of his work, it presents a captivating portrait of the artist and the last decade of the 19th century. Peter Raby is the author of Bright Paradise, Samuel Butler, and The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde.

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The Perfect Introduction to Beardsley's Life and Work

Aubrey Beardsley: A Slave to Beauty
David Colvin
Manufacturer: Welcome Rain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1566490138

Book Description

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley, illustrator and writer, was the most notorious and outstanding artist of the fin de siècle. His disturbing erotic drawings shocked the sensibilities of the Victorians and his friendship and collaboration with Oscar Wilde has secured his place in the pantheon of great artists of the 19th century. Jaques-Emile Blanche's portrait of Bearsley, his face 'like a silver hatchet', is the enduring image of this fabulously talented man who died at the age of just 25. Beardsley's most important illustrations were for Wilde's Salome, Popes The Rape of the Lock, The Lysistrata of Aristophanes and Jonson's Valpone. He was art editor of the hugely influential Yellow Book from which he was dismissed following the arrest of Wilde becoming thereafter the creative editor of the 'Savoy' magazine. He went on to write the highly erotic romance The Story of Venus and Tannhauser which was published in an unexpurgated version as Under the Hill. This extraordinary man created some of the most striking and enduring images of the last one hundred years. His influence on Oscar Wilde and his circle was profound and his achievements in such a short life is one of the great literary and artistic stories of the 19th century.

Customer Reviews:

The Perfect Introduction to Beardsley's Life and Work.......2004-03-31

A quick read, and packed with wonderful photographs and drawings, this book is a great treat for the new Beardsley fan. This book re-opened my eyes to his work, and broadened my horizons, as to who he was, and the life that he led. In other words, it laid the foundation for my further studies of Aubrey Beardsley, and his artistic contribution to the world.

Book Description

The reader is provided with information on how to choose between the techniques and how to design a system that takes advantage of the best features of each of them. Imminently practical in approach, the book covers sampled data systems, choosing A-to-D and D-to-A converters for DSP applications, fast Fourier transforms, digital filters, selecting DSP hardware, interfacing to DSP chips, and hardware design techniques. It contains a number of application designs with thorough explanations. Heavily illustrated, the book contains all the design reference information that engineers need when developing mixed and digital signal processing systems.

*Brought to you from the experts at Analog Devices, Inc.
*A must for any electrical, electronics or mechanical engineer's reference shelf
*Design-oriented, practical volume

Customer Reviews:

Very Good.......2004-09-07

I am reviewing the free downloadable version of his book, available at www.analog.com. It is a little more geared towards practicing engineers than students (like me). But to me that's a plus because it gives insight into the practice of DSP hardware engineering, as opposed to a bunch of theory.

Some might find it to be a difficult read like I did, as the authors assume prior knowledge of certain terms (like what the hell is a twiddle factor?). But make no mistake, this is what it will look like once you touch down in that dream DSP job you're lusting after... Except then, you'll have seasoned pros to prod for answers!

Untangling mixed signals.......2003-04-22

This book is based on a set of Seminar Notes that had previously been available only from Analog Devices. It's refreshing to see this new edition, from Newnes, edited by Walt Kester, with its updated information-particularly in the digital signal-processing (DSP) area.

Packed with design information from engineers with years of experience, and backed up by many references, this volume covers the details of both analog and digital signal-processing (DSP), as well as the requisite analog-digital interfacing. Perhaps the best way to review it is to let the chapter headings speak for themselves:
Introduction-about real-world signals and signal processing, with a practical example

Sampled data systems: Discrete time sampling, static transfer functions and dc errors, ac errors in data converters, D/A converter dynamic performance

A/D converters for DSP applications: Successive-approximation, sigma-delta, flash, subranging (pipelined), bit-per-stage

D/A converters for DSP applications: DAC structures, low-distortion architectures, logic, interpolating, sigma-delta, direct digital synthesis (DDS)

Fast Fourier transform (FFT): Discrete Fourier transform (DFT), fast Fourier transform, FFT hardware and benchmarks, DSP requirements for real-time FFT, spectral leakage and windowing

Digital filters: Finite impulse response (FIR), implementations in DSPs, circular buffering, FIR designing, infinite impulse response (IIR), design techniques for IIR, multirate, adaptive

DSP hardware: Microcontrollers, microprocessors, and DSPs; DSP requirements; ADSP-21xx 16-bit fixed-point core; fixed-point vs. floating-point; SHARC DSPs; ADSP-2116x single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) core; TigerSHARC, static superscalar; DSP evaluation and CROSSCORE tools

Interfacing to DSPs: Parallel interfacing, reading from memory-mapped peripheral ADCs; writing to memory-mapped DACs; serial interfacing; I/O ports, analog front ends, and codecs; high-speed interfacing; DSP system interface

DSP applications: High performance modems for POTS; RAS modems; ADSL; digital cellular; GSM, SoftFone, Othello; analog cellular base stations; digital base stations; motor control, codecs and DSPs in voiceband and audio; sigma-delta ADC with programmable digital filter; applications summary

Hardware design techniques: Low-voltage interfaces, grounding in mixed-signal systems, digital isolation techniques, power-supply noise reduction and filtering, dealing with high-speed logic.

This is a book by a set of experts and edited by an experienced practitioner--Walt Kester, a Staff Applications Engineer at Analog Devices. He has designed, developed, and given applications support for high-speed ADCs, DACs, sample-hold amplifiers, op amps, and multiplexers--and it shows, as evidenced by his authoritative, practical, down-to-earth approach.

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Mixed-signal and DSP Design Techniques
*
Manufacturer: BUTTERWORTH HEINEMAN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K4L4F6

Book Description

This book brings together a plethora of different fighting styles from the best of the d20 publishers, which will allow players to truly make their characters unique with the sheer scope of the choice in front of them.

Book Description

Welcome to Fawlty Towers, the best loved bad hotel in the world, and to "the definitive volume of sit-com perfection. Required reading."- Punch.

What did Basil Fawlty fail to avoid mentioning? Why did Sybil keep snagging her cardies? Where was Polly on the night of the great wedding anniversary disaster? And what is the Spanish word for "donkey"?

The answer to all these questions can be found in this, the complete and unexpurgated scripts of Fawlty Towers-the most celebrated "Brit-com" of all time, and the show last fall voted the top UK television series ever by the British Film Institute. The snobbish, manic Basil...his over-coiffeured, domineering wife Sybil...the hopeless but ever-hopeful waiter Manuel...the calm and capable Polly...and of course the steady stream of abused guests-all live again in the pages of The Complete Fawlty Towers. Gahan Wilson in the New York Times has called John Cleese "arguably one of the funniest people now living." And as one British periodical (Literary Review) put it, the book is "superbly well written. If you're on a bus and can't see Basil Fawlty thrashing his car with a large branch, it is some compensation to read it happening." Or as one anonymous fan put it on-line: "Yes, it's all here, all the comedy, the frustration, the dead body, even the rat."

Customer Reviews:

It's Like Reliving the Shows on Paper.......2002-06-21

If you love the show "Fawlty Towers," than this book is for you. This book contains the complete scripts to every single episode that was out. I was very surprised that such a thing even exstisted, and I was very happy to purchase it since I love the show so much.

This is a great read for many reasons. If you love the show, then you will love reading the scripts. It is very much like reliving the show. I still found myself laughing while reading, although it is funnier seen on screen, so I do not suggest that you get this over the shows. This is only for fans of the show who have seen all of the episodes.

Another reason why I liked this so much was because the shows were so chaotic and rapid, it was hard to catch every single word. Basil would mouth off to his wife in a very low and quiet tone, so it would be hard to get every single word. The accents also make it hard to understand what they're saying sometimes.

My favorite episodes, both in here and the shows themselves, are: "Gourmet Night," "The Hotel Inspectors," "The Germans," "Communication Problems," "Waldorf Salad," "The Builders," and "Basil the Rat."

All in all, a very funny companion to the show. I really enjoyed reading this, and I am sure that I will read it over and over again. Every page is filled with nothing but some of the funniest lines you will ever read on paper. Just imagine John Cleese verbally and phsyically abusing Manuel, and you've got yourself a great time! Filled with witty humor, razor sharp comeback, the most outrageous situations, and the most memorable characters, "The Complete Fawlty Towers" is a fine companion to the show and is a must-have for all fans. If you love the show, get this book. I don't think you will regret it.

Good, but GET THE VIDEOS INSTEAD.......2001-05-18

In some ways I prefer reading the scripts to Monty Python's Flying Circus over watching the original TV series (e.g., your imagination does not have the severe budget limits of the show). But reading the scripts to Fawlty Towers, while a fun experience in itself, is not as good as watching the show. The show did have as good of a set as it needed, and the script loses something without getting to see the wonderful physical comedy of the Basil Fawlty and Manuel characters. I don't honestly know if I would find the book as funny without picturing John Cleese's expressions from various episodes from memory. As a result, while I give the book 5 stars for its side-splitting humour, I would still recommend getting the videos instead.

I'm a sabre-toothed tart and I make my husband do everything..........2001-05-17

Great to read line-by-line the incredible wit that went into writing this series. (Tip: when you can't hear the mumbling, turn on captioning (if your TV has it) -- you'll catch almost every line, though the captioners sometimes use their own judgement dropping partial phrases).

If you're a fan, you should also put the word out (...to anyone who'll listen, etc.) to request FT on DVD, and as a special edition -- interviews with cast members, behind the scenes info, etc., etc.

At long, long last!.......2000-10-18

I'm a relatively new fan of Fawlty Towers, and I think it's the funniest comedy ever written! This book (in a relatively small tome) encompasses the relatively short series's episodes in script form.

This also solves the problem of lines that we couldn't hear. Sometimes, when watching Fawlty Towers, one can't hear the actor say the line, or the laugh track drowns it out (or, very occasionally, Manuel says something weird). This book allows you to check out the lines.

In addition to that, it's almost as funny on paper as it is on the screen! All it's missing is some way of accurately describing John Cleese's physical humor!

Worth its weight in pure gold!.......1999-06-01

This book is almost better than watching the series, as it contains all the scripts--word-for-word. Now you can catch all those witty phrases Basil mumbled to his wife which were lost to those of us without a clear ear for British speech. Yes its all here, all the comedy, the frustration, the dead body, even the rat. If this goes out of print before you get one, you'll kick yourself for years.

Fawlty Towers: Fully Booked : The Complete Story of Public Tv's Favorite Sitcom

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A Lovely Tribute to an Outstanding Britcom Classic!
A Lovely Tribute to an Outstanding Britcom Classic!

Fawlty Towers: Fully Booked : The Complete Story of Public Tv's Favorite Sitcom
Morris Bright , and Robert Ross
Manufacturer: Bay Books (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1579590799

Book Description

With 150 color photos, this lavishly illustrated guide charts the development of the show from its inspiration — an eccentric owner of a Torquay hotel where the Monty Python team was staying — to the production of the final episode. Biographies of all the principal actors and their comic highlights, background, and subsequent careers are included, along with an A to-Z celebration of the show's major guest stars. This definitive behind-the-scenes tribute to the most hilarious six hours in television history also features many previously unseen photographs and exclusive interviews with John Cleese, Prunella Scales, and Andrew Sachs, along with the series' two directors, John Howard Davies and Bob Spiers.

Customer Reviews:

A Lovely Tribute to an Outstanding Britcom Classic!.......2003-06-09

Intricately plotted and consummately acted with impeccable comic timing, Fawlty Towers reigns in many a mind as the ultimate situational comedy--the yardstick against which all other comedies are measured. An interesting (though perhaps not surprising) bit of trivia: It came out at the top of the 100 most important TV programmes of all time (according to a year 2000 poll by the British Film Institute). Certainly, it is one of the most enduring of all time.

The year 2000 marked the 25th anniversary of the first series of the show, and to celebrate, writers Morris Bright and Robert Ross, have penned a lovely 192-page tribute book loaded with colour photos (mostly stills from the show, but there are a few photos of the main stars at different stages in their careers). The book covers the history of the show, which I found to be quite interesting, not to mention entertaining. Did you know, for example, that the inspiration for the rude, abrasive Basil Fawlty came from a real-life hotelier that John Cleese (and his fellow Monty Python co-stars) had the misfortune to encounter? Indeed, co-writer John Cleese has contributed a wealth of anecdotes on his and his fellow co-writer (and wife at the time) Connie Booth's experiences in creating and writing the series. It will come as no surprise to fans to find that Cleese and Booth (who also played Polly, the maid) sometimes took as long as 2 1/2 weeks to draught a plot!

The book also includes an informative episode guide for each of the twelve episodes (which includes anecdotes and recollections by Cleese), a brief blurb on each guest star to have appeared on the show, and a two- to fourteen-page career bio of the "regulars" (ie. Basil, Sybil, Manuel, Polly, Terry (who died in 1997 of cancer at age 59), the Major, and the two old ladies).

As enjoyable as the book is, I must admit that I was surprised not to find more participation by the other actors--the main ones anyway. Though the career bios are informative and Cleese's many anecdotes extend to the characters and actors portraying them, various incidents, and so on, there are no recollections or remembrances from either Connie Booth (who incidentally, having married Cleese in 1968, was divorced from him in 1976--in between series one and two) or Prunella Scales (Sybil). Usually the writers (at the very least) participate tremendously when a tribute book is written, and I found myself wondering why Connie Booth didn't provide a few tales of her own, as it would have been lovely to have her perspective too. Nevertheless, this is a minor point only--the book is superb in every other respect.

I'll just mention a couple of interesting anecdotes, which happen to concern Andrew Sachs (Manuel), who incidentally hails from Germany and seriously questioned his ability to play a Spaniard--he needn't have worried! In the German episode, there is a fire drill during which Manuel catches fire; unfortunately, Sachs was accidentally burnt by the acid used to make his jacket smoke. In another episode, Fawlty whacks Manuel on the head with a frying pan; unfortunately (and inexpicably!), Cleese was using a real pan (not a rubber one) with the unintentional result that Sachs had a headache for about two days!

A Lovely Tribute to an Outstanding Britcom Classic!.......2003-05-31

The year 2000 marked the 25th anniversary of the first series of the show, and to celebrate, writers Morris Bright and Robert Ross have penned a lovely 192-page tribute book loaded with colour photos (mostly stills from the show, but there are a few photos of the main stars at different stages in their careers). The book covers the history of the show, which I found to be quite interesting, not to mention entertaining. Did you know, for example, that the inspiration for the rude, abrasive Basil Fawlty came from a real life hotelier that John Cleese (and his fellow Monty Python co-stars) had the misfortune to encounter? Indeed, co-writer John Cleese has contributed a wealth of anecdotes on his and his fellow co-writer (and wife at the time) Connie Booth's experiences in creating and writing the series. It will come as no surprise to fans to find that Cleese and Booth (who also played Polly, the maid) sometimes took as long as 2 1/2 weeks to draught a plot!

In short, this is a lovely, informative book and one which I (as an enormous fan of the show) highly recommend to fellow fans. I have the hardcover version, and it is a weighty 8 x 10 inches with thick, glossy pages. It's a lovely keepsake--one which I think any fan of this outstanding, all-time classic series would enjoy.

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THE COMPLETE FAWLTY TOWERS
JOHN CLEESE AND CONNIE BOOTH
Manufacturer: METHUEN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SID0V0

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THE COMPLETE FAWLTY TOWERS
JOHN CLEESE & CONNIE BOOTH
Manufacturer: GUILD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S8VX1Y

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The Complete Fawlty Towers
John; Booth, Connie Cleese
Manufacturer: Pantheon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSNVJ0

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The Complete Fawlty Towers
John Cleese and Connie Booth
Manufacturer: Methuen / Mandarin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QRXOJ6

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The Complete Fawlty Towers

Manufacturer: Methuen / Mandarin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HUJM0W

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The Complete Fawlty Towers
John Cleese
Manufacturer: Mandarin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUWS9M

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The Complete Fawlty Towers
John Cleese and Connie Booth
Manufacturer: Methuen / Mandarin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KL3NLM

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Complete Fawlty Towers
John Cleese
Manufacturer: PANTHEON BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCKRTM

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