Tolkien Week

Coinciding with Tolkien Week, we'd like to introduce you to a new book for true Tolkien fans, entitled, Tolkien's World.

October 2012

Tolkien’s World takes readers on an incredible journey through the realms of Middle-earth and back to a time when elves, dwarves, wizards, and a small, courageous people known as hobbits battled the forces of evil. This lavishly illustrated guide brings you the people and places from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Explore Middle-Earth, from the rolling hills of the Shire to the desolate ash plains of Mordor. Discover the secrets of a world where the elves roamed through enchanted forests and dragons slept in dark caverns under the mountains. With stunning artwork that re-imagines the places and people of Middle-Earth, Tolkien’s World is ideal for hobbit fans, big and small.

Open the pages of Tolkien’s World and meet Bilbo Baggins, the hero of The Hobbit. Then find out about Gandalf the wizard and his incredible magic powers, uncover the story of the unfortunate Gollum or learn about magical weapons, such as Gandalf’s sword Glamdring. This meticulously researched guide lets you discover the amazing peoples and creatures that inhabit Middle-earth, from friendly elves and stout-hearted dwarves to the deadly dragon Smaug and the evil Sauron. Packed with adventure and lore, Tolkien’s World is a must for all Hobbit fans.

Contributor InformationGareth Hanrahan is a writer, editor, and game designer based in Ireland, with a wealth of experience in sci-fi and fantasy properties, including Doctor Who and Tolkien's Middle-Earth.

Peter Mckinstry is an artist whose talents have been employed on a dazzling variety of book and film projects, including Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock Holmes, and Harry Potter. 

Celebrate Aviation History with Peter McMillan

In 1919, the Vickers Vimy WWI bomber achieved two aviation milestones: the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and the first flight from England to Australia, essentially proving the viability of long-distance air travel.

Seventy-five years later, a group of aviation enthusiasts restored a vintage Vickers Vimy and duplicated the pioneering efforts to remind the world of the courageous heroes and their daring achievements.

The new team duplicated the original as closely as possible, from the hand-sewn cotton fabric on its wings to its steel bracing wires made in the same factory as the original. But the spirited group found their own challenges in re-creating these voyages and faced struggles of weather, exhaustion, and even engine breakdown. Their personal logs and stories are told here, complete with cockpit-view photos along the way.

Now, fans of history and aviation can meet author Peter McMillan and learn more about these historic flights at his book signing and presentation November 4, 2012 at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California.

Vimy: The Vimy Expeditions
by Peter McMillan
Hardcover
256 pages
$75.00

Salute to Supernatural

If you pre-ordered a copy of The Essential Supernatural, you probably already know about the official Supernatural conventions taking place in the next few months, hosted by Creation Entertainment.

Creation Entertainment is a company devoted to creating the ultimate fan experience for TV shows and films that bring the community of fans together in one weekend.

Salute to Supernatural is heading to Dallas this weekend and we're looking forward to reading about it and seeing the pictures through Twitter and Facebook since we won't be able to attend.

The full Salute to Supernatural calendar of events can be found online, but make sure to look for our book, The Essential Supernatural, at the Chicago convention next month.

You can also connect with us online, at our Official Facebook Page and Twitter account for The Essential Supernatural book, coming soon.

The Season Premiere of Supernatural is Wednesday, October 3rd (9/8c) on The CW.

Greatest Love of All

              

Whitney Houston’s voice. A voice of raw power and angelic sweetness, tremendous range, and incredible control. When the world first heard it back in 1984, a new chapter was written in the annals of popular music.

Author Narada Michael Walden sat in the cockpit alongside Whitney while her career skyrocketed, producing many of the hits that today comprise her musical legacy—among them, “How Will I Know,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” and “One Moment in Time.” His intimate stories of their unforgettable times together, both inside and outside the recording studio, draw a portrait of a smart, funny, compassionate woman whose striking physical beauty was matched by her inner strength and justifiable self-confidence. As the cousin of Dionne Warwick and daughter of Cissy Houston, Whitney was able to draw on her lineage to make an unprecedented impact. And, at the same time, she and Narada enjoyed a rock-solid bond, fostered through their shared musical and spiritual backgrounds.

It is for Whitney’s legion of loving fans—several thousand of whom crowded outside the church where Narada attended her funeral service in February 2012—that he is now telling the story of the fabulously gifted artist and caring, charismatic woman he knew during her peak years. She remains the only artist to have seven consecutive U.S. chart-topping singles, and is the most awarded female act of all time.

Narada Michael Walden is an Emmy and Grammy-award winning producer and songwriter for artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, Wynonna Judd, Whitney Houston, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Stevie Wonder, and Tom Jones. He has earned equal acclaim as a recording and performing artist and in 2012 will release his solo album Thunder. He lives in San Rafael, CA.

Whitney Houston: The Voice, the Music, the Inspiration by Narada Michael Walden, is available now for pre-order.

Freddie for a Day

Freddie Mercury, the hugely popular iconic singer of Queen, was incredibly prolific, leaving behind a rich legacy of recordings.

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender, available now for preorder, is a lavishly illustrated book celebrating one of the legends of the influential British music scene.

Freddie's life is lovingly and painstakingly recounted in text and photographs from the private collections of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bulsara, and Queen’s guitarist Brian May, as well as portraits from contemporary photographers. Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender tells Freddie's story and provides insight into the huge extent of his cultural legacy.

In honor of Freddie's birthday, we'd also like to introduce you to the cause, Freddie for A Day, an annual initiative celebrated on September 5th to raise funds to support the work of the Mercury Phoenix Trust, which promotes HIV/AIDS education and awareness.

Freddie Mercury, who continues to inspire generations of musicians and artists around the world, died from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS on November 24, 1991.

The Angry Birds team has created a special Freddie Mercury bird in honor of Freddie for a Day, and we encourage you to take part as well.

Share your best Freddie Mercury impression on our Facebook page for a chance to win a copy of the new book, Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender.

Celebrating the King of Style

Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958. Today, we celebrate his life with a feature about our upcoming book, The King of Style, a fascinating look at the intersection of music and fashion, as well as an homage to Michael Jackson, whose brilliant fusing of costume, personality, and performance created the iconic image. 

The King of Pop needs little introduction. Arguably the most successful entertainer of all time, Michael Jackson owes his luminous legacy not only to his inspiring music, but also to his iconic fashion sense. In the 1980s, the formative era of music videos, Michael’s dazzling visual presentations impacted the world unlike any performer, before or since.

Through his music, dance, and fashion, Michael Jackson created a mystique that was unique to him and recognized as such throughout the world. For five decades he mesmerized audiences—and for twenty-five of those years Michael Bush was there as Jackson’s designer, stylist, and friend, accompanying the King of Pop on his journey to becoming the King of Style.Michael Bush and his partner, Dennis Tompkins, joined Jackson during the making of Bad, and the duo quickly became central in developing the looks that made him a style sensation. As their professional relationship developed, so did their friendship. Bush was there before and after every performance, and his personal stories reveal the man behind the public persona. Before there was “Billie Jean,” there was the child star of the Jackson Five, setting rhinestones in his show-clothes by hand. Jackson grew up to become a master of fusing fashion and performance, inspiring his collaborators with intriguing riddles and unrelenting confidence.

While paying homage to the original Billie Jean, Beat It, and Thriller looks that put Jackson on the fashion map,The King of Style also traces their evolution over several decades. Jackson’s penchant for the military silhouette is explored in detail, along with the trade secrets behind the sequined glove and the fencing uniform that he, Bush, and Tompkins reinvented to make stage magic. It was Michael Bush who dressed Jackson for the final time, before he was buried. Dozens of garments were left unfinished by his shocking death.

The legacy of Michael Jackson lives on. An artist like none other, he transformed everything he touched—from the fabric of his clothes to his legions of fans around the world. 

The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson
by Michael Bush
Available for pre-order, in stores in October

Michael Bush worked personally with Michael Jackson for twenty-five years to create some of the most original and indelible clothing ever worn by a musical performer. Using his professional background in theatrical costume construction and dance, Bush and his partner, Dennis Tompkins, created thousands of custom artistic pieces that captured the essence of a one-of-a-kind pop star. He lives in Hollywood, CA.

This Day in Music History (1964)

Aug 19, 1964: The Beatles kick off first U.S. tour at San Francisco's Cow Palace

When the Beatles first landed in the U.S. before their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, photographer Ken Regan was there to capture the moment. Later that same year, in August of 1964, Regan was there again as the Beatles took to the stage for their first U.S. concert.

In his own words, and an excerpt from his book, "All Access: The Rock 'N' Roll Photography of Ken Regan," he noted his surprise when he realized who the man was he was about to photograph:

When The Beatles returned to America in August, 1965, for their second tour and played the Sullivan show again, I got one of my favorites. Walking the aisles, one audience member caught my eye: an older man sitting with his fingers plugged in his ears to mute the high-pitched squeals. As I moved in for this terrific shot, I got a closer look and realized I was photographing the legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Leonard Bernstein and his family take in the concert, August 1965 (photo by Ken Regan)

To see more of Ken Regan's class photographs featuring The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and more, pick up a copy of his photography collection that GQ described as "an exhaustive, gorgeously composed inside look at some of rock 'n' roll's most famous and famously private artists in intimate and outrageous settings."