Charlotte Montague Livres

Based on contemporary reports and diaries, with historic photographs and period posters, Houdini is an intriguing biography of the world’s greatest magician and escape artist. Ninety years after his death, this book from the Oxford People series brings both the man and his magic back to life again for one last performance. In the early 1900s, Houdini’s handcuff show was a huge sensation that toured the best venues in the USA and Europe, and when audiences demanded more, he introduced straight-jackets, water-filled tanks, and nailed shut packing crates. His outdoor spectaculars became increasingly elaborate. In the early winter of 1906, he leaped manacled from the MacArthur Bridge in Detroit, Michigan, freeing himself from two pairs of handcuffs beneath the icy waters. Houdini's mega-star status allowed him to fly airplanes, star in his own movies, write and publish his own books, and even become president of the Society of American Magicians. This biography is an authoritative view from accomplished biographer Charlotte Montague, and belongs on the shelf of any lover of magic, escape artistry, and enigmatic figures.

Strap in for a terrifying look into the life and times of the original strange man: Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is viewed as the ultimate doomed romantic whose last days are shrouded in sordid mystery. His life was a disaster, but his achievements in writing are amazing. He is widely recognized as father of the modern short story, inventor of the detective story and the master of horror. A Boston born writer, editor, and literary critic, he's best known for his creepy and macabre tales as well as being one of the central figures in the Romanticism movement in the United States. Accurately being dubbed as the ultimate doomed romantic, Poe was a drunk, his last days are shrouded in mystery akin to that of his short stories. During his lifetime, Edgar Allan Poe didn't make a dime out of writing, but his legacy to the world is one of never-ending riches. He left behind seventy-three wonderfully gruesome stories and a novel filled with suspense and brilliantly twisted plots. Hist stories and poems are now read and revered globally. As another master of horror, Stephen King, has said, we are all "the children of Poe." Abraham Lincoln, Josef Stalin, Michael Jackson, and Bart Simpson all have one thing in common; they are fans of the nineteenth century American writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. The writer of "The Raven" has legions of such devotees across the globe. The list of authors inspired by Poe is long and varied, but his profound influence reaches much further-into music, film, and art just as much as modern day literature. There have been more than a dozen film adaptations of his story "The Fall of the House of Usher," and his works have inspired composers ranging from Claude Debussy to Lou Reed. More than 160 years after his death, Charlotte Montague has written a fascinating account of Poe's life and times, in which she uncovers a strange man, standing deep in the shadows, who's unique imagination and macabre writing have changed popular culture forevermore. n the process, she uncovers a strange man, standing deep in the shadows, whose macabre stories and twisted plots changed literature forever.

"Hypatia was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who invented the hydrometer in about 400 AD. Described as a charismatic teacher, she was seen as an evil symbol of the pagan science of learning and she was eventually murdered by Christian zealots. For many women in years gone by, the invention process was fraught with danger and difficulty. Not only did they face the hardship and obstacles of inventing, they also had to contend with the sexism and gender discrimination of a male world that believed women had nothing to contribute. Scientific women came to the fore with momentous innovations which were impossible for men to ignore. During World War Two, Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr became a pioneer in wireless communications, developing a Secret Communications System. More recently, 20-year-old Ann Makosinski has invented the ingenious Hollow Flashlight which converts radiant body heat into electricity. Meanwhile other women continued inventing in the domestic sphere with Miracle Mops, long-lasting lipsticks, and magic knickers. In every walk of twenty-first century life women have been challenging themselves (and men) to shape the way we live. The 150 remarkable women in this book show all too clearly that not only can invention no longer be described as a male dominated domain but that a woman's inspiration and ingenuity will probably be driving the life-changing ideas of tomorrow's world"--Publisher's description

Kniha Upíři přibližuje jednotlivé pověry a mýty, jejich dopad na lidskou společnost a důvod, proč se krvelačných upířích manýrů nemůžeme nabažit. Toužíte-li se dovědět něco více o svém oblíbeném upírovi, ať už je to Edward Cullen, Angel, nebo sám hrabě Dracula, neváhejte – a zakousněte se. Mnoho spisovatelů, umělců a filmařů bylo uchváceno upírskými legendami stovky let. Autorka zkoumá různé upírské mýty a legendy a jejich dopad na populární kulturu.