Mark Harris Livres

Set during a transformative era in Hollywood, this bestseller delves into the creation of five significant films, exploring the artistic and cultural shifts of the time. It offers an insider's perspective on the filmmaking process, highlighting the challenges and triumphs faced by directors, actors, and crews. Through rich storytelling, the book captures the essence of a pivotal moment in cinema, revealing how these films influenced the industry and shaped the landscape of modern filmmaking.

'The most revelatory and entertaining Hollywood book since Easy Riders, Raging Bulls.' Daily Telegraph

"A magnificent biography of one of the most protean creative forces in American entertainment history, a life of dazzling highs and vertiginous plunges--some of the worst largely unknown until now--by the acclaimed author of Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back. Mike Nichols burst onto the scene as a wunderkind without parallel: while still in his 20's, he was half of a lucrative hit improv duo with Elaine May that was the talk of the country. Next he directed four hit Broadway plays, picking up the Best Director Tony for three of them, and by his mid-30's the first two films he directed, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Graduate, were the highest-grossing movies of 1966 and 1967 respectively, and The Graduate had won him an Oscar for Best Director. Well before his 40th birthday, Nichols lived in a sprawling penthouse on Central Park West, drove a Rolls Royce, collected Arabian horses, and counted the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Avedon and the Aga Khan as good friends. Where he had arrived is even more astonishing given where he began: born Igor Peschkowsky to a Jewish couple in Berlin in 1931, he and his younger brother were sent alone to America on a ship in 1939. Their father, who had gone ahead to find work, was waiting for them; their mother would follow, in the nick of time. His name changed by his father to "Michael Nichols," the young boy caught very few breaks: his parents were now destitute, and his father died when Mike was just 11, leaving his mentally unstable mother alone and overwhelmed. Perhaps most cruelly, Nichols was completely bald: as a small child an allergic reaction to an immunization shot had caused total and permanent hair loss. His parents claimed they could not afford to buy him even a cheap wig until he was almost in high school. Mark Harris gives an intimate and even-handed accounting of success and failure alike; the portrait is not always flattering, but its ultimate impact is to present the full story of one of the most richly interesting, complicated, and consequential figures the worlds of theater and motion pictures have ever seen. It is a triumph of the biographer's art"-- Provided by publisher

"A magnificent biography of one of the most protean creative forces in American entertainment history, a life of dazzling highs and vertiginous plunges--some of the worst largely unknown until now--by the acclaimed author of Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back. Mike Nichols burst onto the scene as a wunderkind without parallel: while still in his 20's, he was half of a lucrative hit improv duo with Elaine May that was the talk of the country. Next he directed four hit Broadway plays, picking up the Best Director Tony for three of them, and by his mid-30's the first two films he directed, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Graduate, were the highest-grossing movies of 1966 and 1967 respectively, and The Graduate had won him an Oscar for Best Director. Well before his 40th birthday, Nichols lived in a sprawling penthouse on Central Park West, drove a Rolls Royce, collected Arabian horses, and counted the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Avedon and the Aga Khan as good friends. Where he had arrived is even more astonishing given where he began: born Igor Peschkowsky to a Jewish couple in Berlin in 1931, he and his younger brother were sent alone to America on a ship in 1939. Their father, who had gone ahead to find work, was waiting for them; their mother would follow, in the nick of time. His name changed by his father to "Michael Nichols," the young boy caught very few breaks: his parents were now destitute, and his father died when Mike was just 11, leaving his mentally unstable mother alone and overwhelmed. Perhaps most cruelly, Nichols was completely bald: as a small child an allergic reaction to an immunization shot had caused total and permanent hair loss. His parents claimed they could not afford to buy him even a cheap wig until he was almost in high school. Mark Harris gives an intimate and even-handed accounting of success and failure alike; the portrait is not always flattering, but its ultimate impact is to present the full story of one of the most richly interesting, complicated, and consequential figures the worlds of theater and motion pictures have ever seen. It is a triumph of the biographer's art"--‡cProvided by publisher

Focusing on the intersection of biblical creation texts and contemporary scientific theories, this book offers a thorough historical analysis of the narratives surrounding creation. It explores the shared insights and distinct differences between science and religion, advocating for a thoughtful dialogue between the two. By examining these foundational ideas, it seeks to illuminate how both perspectives can coexist and inform our understanding of origins.

One of The Hollywood Reporter’s 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time “One of the great works of film history of the decade.” —Slate Now a Netflix original documentary series, also written by Mark Harris: the extraordinary wartime experience of five of Hollywood's most important directors, all of whom put their stamp on World War II and were changed by it forever Here is the remarkable, untold story of how five major Hollywood directors—John Ford, George Stevens, John Huston, William Wyler, and Frank Capra—changed World War II, and how, in turn, the war changed them. In a move unheard of at the time, the U.S. government farmed out its war propaganda effort to Hollywood, allowing these directors the freedom to film in combat zones as never before. They were on the scene at almost every major moment of America’s war, shaping the public’s collective consciousness of what we’ve now come to call the good fight. The product of five years of scrupulous archival research, Five Came Back provides a revelatory new understanding of Hollywood’s role in the war through the life and work of these five men who chose to go, and who came back.

Aimed at secondary school teachers, this book provides a collection of practical teaching strategies that are immediately useable in the classroom. Chapters cover a full range of key components for creating excellent lessons, from lesson planning and questioning to marking and time management tips. Each strategy and technique is explained in a step by step approach, and case studies for specific subjects are provided throughout the book. This practical resource can be used by newly qualified teachers, as well as more experienced teachers who are looking for some fresh ideas for their lessons.

Matt Martin, along with best friend Johnny and Matt's loyal dog Cheetah, wake one morning to find an odd-looking little blue man in their campsite on their favorite remote lake island. When Cheetah gives chase, the little man and Cheetah seemingly disappear by running straight into the face of a rock cliff! The blue man reemerges, telling things too strange to believe. Only one thing seems clear - Cheetah is inside the cliff somehow, and will not be returned until the boys join the little man and the "Tovian Volunteer Army" on a dangerous mission into a mysterious hidden world. The boys, along with Matt's sister Terry and their mother's annoying dog Frankenstein, embark on a fantastic crusade through an alien world populated with bizarre creatures. Along their unreal journey through Tovia, they discover that everything the little blue man had told them was unfortunately true. Worse yet, they learn the many disturbing facts that he had not mentioned! With the unlikely assortment of Tovian creatures at their side, can the boys find a way to defeat the evil force that awaits them? If not, they will never see home again, because earth will be destroyed completely!

Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone brings together these great truth-seeking disciplines, and seeks to understand the ways in which they challenge and inform each other. Key topics and their areas of focus include: - Foundational Issues - why should anyone care about the science-and-religion debate? How do scientific claims relate to the truth? Is evolution compatible with design? - Faith and Rationality - can faith ever be rational? Are theism and atheism totally opposed? Is God hidden or does God simply not exist? - Faith and Science - what provides a better explanation for the origin of the universe-science or religion? Faith and physics: can they be reconciled? Does contemporary neuroscience debunk religious belief? Creationism and evolutionary biology - what constitutes science and what constitutes pseudo-science? - Practical Implications - is fundamentalism just a problem for religious people? What are the ethical implications of the science-and-religion debate? Do logic and religion mix? This book is designed to be used in conjunction with the free 'Philosophy, Science and Religion' MOOC (massive open online course) created by the University of Edinburgh, and hosted by the Coursera platform (www.coursera.org). This book is also highly recommended for anyone looking for a concise overview of this fascinating discipline.

A fascinating and lively history of Hollywood and WWII.