No truer words can be said—life isn’t always as it seems—especially when it throws a dangerous concoction of its mind-blowing elements straight at you. Coming from an underprivileged background in the East End of London, Berkeley sets himself the challenge to escape poverty and do well for himself. Armed with a good brain and determination, he succeeds and wants for nothing, but there’s a bitter price to pay. Now the challenge is with himself, and he escapes to the quiet of Tenerife for love, only to lose it promptly. What now? With no career or prospects in the unfamiliar country, what is Berkeley to do? He decides to set up business opening an art gallery, yet knows nothing about art. What follows is a series of comical disasters, veiled threats, and visitors of a spiritual nature convincing him he’s to be served up to the Devil himself. The whole experience pushes Berkeley to limits he’s never encountered before, and he learns the hard way that what goes around really does come around to haunt you. Only love and true friendships can bring him back to the real world.

This richly illustrated volume, the first devoted to maritime art and galley slavery in early modern France, shows how royal propagandists used the image and labor of enslaved Muslims to glorify Louis XIV. Mediterranean maritime art and the forced labor on which it depended were fundamental to the politics and propaganda of France’s King Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715). Yet most studies of French art in this period focus on Paris and Versailles, overlooking the presence or portrayal of galley slaves on the kingdom’s coasts. By examining a wide range of artistic productions—ship design, artillery sculpture, medals, paintings, and prints—Meredith Martin and Gillian Weiss uncover a vital aspect of royal representation and unsettle a standard picture of art and power in early modern France. With an abundant selection of startling images, many never before published, The Sun King at Sea emphasizes the role of esclaves turcs (enslaved Turks)—rowers who were captured or purchased from Islamic lands—in building and decorating ships and other art objects that circulated on land and by sea to glorify the Crown. Challenging the notion that human bondage vanished from continental France, this cross-disciplinary volume invites a reassessment of servitude as a visible condition, mode of representation, and symbol of sovereignty during Louis XIV’s reign.

Under attack, be physically or spiritually, the men are at battle with something or someone. Mistela and The 12 Gods can be read as standalones, but as from Sun, Sea and a Contemporary Art Gallery, the series follows the life of Berkeley. Wherever Berkeley goes or whatever he does steamy romances blossom and trouble is never far behind him. Bundle Contains: Mistela - Men in Love and At War Book 1 The 12 Gods Book 2 Sun, Sea And A Contemporary Art Galley Book 3

The Rough Guide to Seoul is the ultimate travel companion to the Korean capital, one of Asia's most intriguing and energetic cities. Comprehensive sections detail the very best places to eat, drink, shop and unwind, providing information on everything from the luxurious cafes, restaurants and clothing boutiques of Apgujeong to Hongdae's snack stands, barbeque halls and hole-in-the wall bars. Representing all of these attractions using highly detailed maps, the guide depicts Seoul's culinary scene and dynastic history with glorious colour images. Enabling readers to get to grips with Seoul's modern art and live music will help travellers to get a sense of Asia's bustling cultural scene. The guide will help you to see a side of Seoul you never thought possible, by providing you with knowledge of its royal fortresses, secluded temples, enchanting islands and the world's most visited national park. This guide contains all the information a traveller could possibly need to reach all these, and more. Make the most of your time on earthTM with The Rough Guide to Seoul.

The award-winning Rough Guide to Japan makes the ideal travel companion to one of the world's most unique and dynamic countries. In full colour throughout, this opinionated guide is packed with essential information on the latest and best places to sleep, eat, party and shop, as well as pointers on etiquette and other cultural niceties. From neon-soaked Tokyo to temple-studded Kyoto and snow-topped Mount Fuji, all of the major travel hotspots are covered in full, while the guide also points the way to off-the-beaten-track gems - take a live-volcano hot spring on Kyushu island, go diving in tropical Okinawa, or wind your way through mountain traverses in the Japan Alps. Gain a richer understanding of the country through chapters on Japan's history, religions, arts, movies and music plus coverage of pressing environmental issues. There are maps of all the main tourist destinations, together with easy-to-read colour transport maps covering the Tokyo and Osaka train and subway systems. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Japan. Now available in ePub format.

From the dandy with black skin to astronauts and aliens dressed in typical African colors and materials, Yinka Shonibare addresses issues of cultural identity in his artistic research with irony. The Nigerian-British artist seeks provocative and destabilizing elements to stimulate new reflections on our typical perspectives of the world. His often spectacular installations quote famous European paintings of the 18th and 19th centuries, with mannequins dressed in typically western fashions sewn from batik, a fabric considered typically African, but which actually has a complex origin involving Dutch colonialism. The result is an excellent metaphor for addressing the collision of cultures. In other works, Shonibare places himself at the center of photographic images dressed as Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray. For Shonibare, the dandy is a leitmotiv: the person who states his individuality by challenging well-to-do society through his appearance. This publication is the first substantial book on Shonibare's work. Besides illustrating his major works from 1994 until now, the book features a number of in-depth essays on important aspects of his work that are always touched upon but never fleshed out, including the relevance of recent art history, the trade in Dutch Wax textiles, the history of the dandy, the sexuality and leisure of the aristocracy in Victorian times, and the rise of modernism in Nigeria. Additionally, Gracia Lebbink's thoughtful, playful book designed employs different colors of paper and binds the book in fabrics similar to those that Shonibare uses in his work.