From the alleyways of Soho to the medieval remains of Moorgate, the new book by Sunday Times bestselling author Jack Chesher takes you on a journey through London and its history, showing you its hidden corners. Explore the fascinating history of the city with the creator of the ever-popular @LivingLondonHistory. Have you ever wondered where a notorious Victorian murderer was captured? Or in which backstreet you can find the pub that hid the masterminds behind the Great Train Robbery? Or perhaps which pocket park contains the remains of a great medieval monastery? Have your questions answered and let London: The Hidden Corners reveal the capital’s unique and shadowy mysteries.Illustrated throughout and complete with a selection of maps to help you discover your new favourite locations, London: The Hidden Corners promises to bring the city to life for intrepid explorers and local Londoners alike.Whether you are new to the city or a seasoned traveller, London: The Hidden Corners is a must-have guide for anyone looking to uncover something beyond the familiar. So, in true @LivingLondonHistory style, turn the page and get ready to transform the city into the museum you never knew you had. Read more

Explore the world’s most incredible buildings, from the magnificent architecture of the ancient world to green buildings of the present day.Discover the beautiful details, principal elements, and decorative features of every architectural style, from the Great Pyramid of Giza, Machu Picchu, and the Colosseum to the Sydney Opera House, the Gherkin, and Burj Khalifa. Architecture offers a truly worldwide look at historical and contemporary buildings, with breathtaking photography and intriguing cross-sections to enhance your view. See how and why certain features were common in specific time periods and how these amazing buildings have stood the test of time.Unique specially-commissioned CGI artworks throughout the book showcase more than 10 specific buildings, including The Pantheon and the United States Capitol, giving you an pristine view of their features. Clear annotations of each artwork, along with exquisite photography of specific details, make sure that you don’t miss a thing.Presented in a special slipcase, this stunning guide makes the perfect purchase for anyone who is fascinated by our world’s most wondrous buildings. Read more

"The wonderful cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the greatest achievements of European civilization, was on fire. The sight dazed and disturbed us profoundly. I was on the edge of tears. Something priceless was dying in front of our eyes. The feeling was bewildering, as if the earth was shaking." (Ken Follett)"[A] treasure of a book." (The New Yorker)In this short, spellbinding book, international best-selling author Ken Follett describes the emotions that gripped him when he learned about the fire that threatened to destroy one of the greatest cathedrals in the world - the Notre-Dame de Paris. Follett then tells the story of the cathedral, from its construction to the role it has played across time and history, and he reveals the influence that the Notre-Dame had upon cathedrals around the world and on the writing of one of Follett's most famous and beloved novels, The Pillars of the Earth.Ken Follett will donate his proceeds from this book to the charity La Fondation du Patrimoine. Read more

London is a spectacular place to visit, and there are endless things to see and do all year round.In London, Block by Block, illustrator Cierra Block shares 40 maps showing the best places that London has to offer, whether it's the food or history, culture, shopping, beautiful buildings or gardens. Each map starts with an idea - it might be, Where are the best pancakes in London? What are the places everyone should visit in Marylebone? Or, Where in London can you lose hours browsing the shelves of a beautiful bookstore? From there, Cierra has curated a list of the best places and has painted a charming accompanying map. From best afternoon tea to most impressive views, haunted places and things to do in summer, there really is something for everyone.This book will be an inspiration for all, whether it's your first visit to London, you're a seasoned vacationer or an all-your-life local. That's the wonderful thing about London - there's always more to explore!" Read more

From the creators of the wildly popular 99% Invisible podcast, comes a guidebook to the unnoticed yet essential elements of our cities. Narrated by Roman Mars, with a bonus Q&A and a Full Episode of 99% Invisible.Have you ever wondered what those bright, squiggly graffiti marks on the sidewalk mean?Or stopped to consider why you don't see metal fire escapes on new buildings?Or pondered the story behind those dancing inflatable figures in car dealerships? 99% Invisible is a big-ideas podcast about small-seeming things, revealing stories baked into the buildings we inhabit, the streets we drive, and the sidewalks we traverse. The show celebrates design and architecture in all of its functional glory and accidental absurdity, with intriguing tales of both designers and the people impacted by their designs.Now, in The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to Hidden World of Everyday Design, host Roman Mars and coauthor Kurt Kohlstedt zoom in on the various elements that make our cities work, exploring the origins and other fascinating stories behind everything from power grids and fire escapes to drinking fountains and street signs. With deeply researched entries, The 99% Invisible City will captivate devoted fans of the show and anyone curious about design, urban environments, and the unsung marvels of the world around them. Read more

The centuries-long history of the Louvre, from humble fortress to Royal palace to the world’s greatest art museum—with photos and building maps.Some ten million people from all over the world flock to the Louvre each year to enjoy its incomparable art collection. Yet few of them are aware of the remarkable history of the site and buildings themselves—a fascinating story that historian James Gardner elegantly chronicles in this authoritative history.More than seven thousand years ago, men and women camped on a spot called le Louvre for reasons unknown. Centuries later, King Philippe Auguste of France constructed a fortress there, just outside the walls of a nascent Paris. Intended to protect the capital against English soldiers stationed in Normandy, the fortress became a royal residence under Charles V two centuries later, and then the monarchy’s principal residence under the great Renaissance king François I.In 1682, when Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles, the Louvre languished until the French Revolution when, during the Reign of Terror in 1793, it first opened its doors to display the nation’s treasures. Ever since—through the Napoleonic era, the Commune, two World Wars, to the present—the Louvre has been a witness to French history, and expanded to become home to a legendary art collection that includes the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.Includes sixteen pages of full-color photos illustrating the history of the Louvre, a full-color map detailing its evolution from fortress to museum, and black-and-white images throughout the narrative. Read more

Journalist Julie Satow's thrilling, unforgettable history of how one illustrious hotel has defined our understanding of money and glamour, from the Gilded Age to the Go-Go Eighties to today's Billionaire Row. From the moment in 1907 when New York millionaire Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt strode through the Plaza Hotel's revolving doors to become its first guest to the afternoon in 2007 when a mysterious Russian oligarch paid a record price for the hotel's largest penthouse, the 18-story white marble edifice at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street has radiated wealth and luxury. For some, the hotel evokes images of F. Scott Fitzgerald frolicking in the Pulitzer Fountain, or Eloise, the impish young guest who pours water down the mail chute. But the true stories captured in The Plaza also include dark, hidden secrets: the cold-blooded murder perpetrated by the construction workers in charge of building the hotel, how Donald J. Trump came to be the only owner to ever bankrupt the Plaza, and the tale of the disgraced Indian tycoon who ran the hotel from a maximum-security prison cell, 7,000 miles away in Delhi.   In this definitive history, award-winning journalist Julie Satow not only pulls back the curtain on Truman Capote's Black and White Ball and The Beatles' first stateside visit - she also follows the money trail. The Plaza reveals how a handful of rich dowager widows were the financial lifeline that saved the hotel during the Great Depression, and how, today, foreign money and anonymous shell companies have transformed iconic guest rooms into condominiums that shield ill-gotten gains, hollowing out parts of the hotel as well as the city around it.  The Plaza is the account of one vaunted New York City address that has become synonymous with wealth and scandal, opportunity and tragedy. With glamour on the surface and strife behind the scenes, it is the story of how one hotel became a mirror reflecting New York's place at the center of the country's cultural narrative for over a century.  PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

From the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the Pharos of Alexandria and the mystery of Stonehenge, our eternal fascination with wonders is ceaseless. In their presence we are transported and brought face-to-face with things that command awe, admiration or even reverence. WONDERS OF THE WORLD explores man-made treasures that have captured the human imagination across cultures and throughout time.Please note that this product is an authorized edition published by Time Inc. and sold by Amazon. This edition is printed using a high quality matte interior paper and printed on demand for immediate fulfillment. Read more

Palm Springs Tiki presents a visual exploration of a mid-century tropical paradise in the California desert.From the 1930s through the 1970s, Palm Springs and other desert communities embraced the mid-century fantasy of a home-grown Polynesian paradise. The concept of the oasis and that of the tropical island shared the qualities of exotic escapism for the urban dweller, these would-be islanders under the desert sun. Sprouting from the arid desert were Polynesian restaurants, bars, nightclubs and lounges, hotels, motels, apartments, and trailer parks decorated with Tikis.Celebrities frequented Palm Springs’ Don the Beachcomber, the El Mirador’s South Pacific Room, the Bamboo Room at the Racquet Club, and Aloha Jhoe’s. Average Americans vacationed at the city’s Tropics Motor Lodge with its Reef Bar and the Tiki Spa; and resided at the Aloha Palms and Kauai apartments and condominiums such as the Royal Hawaiian. In Rancho Mirage, the “Fly In / Drive In” Desert Air Hotel hosted luaus attracting over a thousand people, and at Bing Crosby’s Blue Skies Village was parked a trailer disguised as a Polynesian hut surrounded by Tikis. Palm Desert, the Salton Sea, Desert Hot Springs, and far-flung desert outposts all had their own tropical hideaways.Through myriad captivating objects, historic photographs, vintage postcards, colorful architectural renderings, and other ephemera, Sven Kirsten’s and Peter Moruzzi’s Palm Springs Tiki shows readers the many imaginative concepts that proprietors developed in creating a tropical paradise in the California desert. This book is a brightly colored gem full of historical information for both lovers of Tiki and mid-century Palm Springs. Read more

Spending his weekends exploring historic churches across the idyllic English countryside – and sharing their beauty and unsung history across social media – Luke Sherlock is bringing English history and the heritage of our rural countryside to a new audience. England is full of incredible churches, from small stone chapels and quiet Romanesque masterpieces, to thousand-year-old Saxon stalwarts, dramatic Gothic monuments and high Victorian treasures. These special places, often under-celebrated and overlooked, dot the English landscape but collectively tell a remarkable story of our nation. Travelling to all corners of England – from the Kent marshlands to the Norfolk fens, Somerset lanes and beyond – Sherlock carefully documents these unique buildings, celebrating their histories and decoding their hidden meanings. Bringing together 70 of the most unusual, intriguing and atmospheric of England’s churches, Sherlock tells stories of craftsmanship and local community, whilst centering these buildings at the heart of our national story and revealing their forgotten secrets and cultural significance. Read more

“The wonderful cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the greatest achievements of European civilization, was on fire. The sight dazed and disturbed us profoundly. I was on the edge of tears. Something priceless was dying in front of our eyes. The feeling was bewildering, as if the earth was shaking.” —Ken Follett“[A] treasure of a book.” —The New Yorker In this short, spellbinding book, international bestselling author Ken Follett describes the emotions that gripped him when he learned about the fire that threatened to destroy one of the greatest cathedrals in the world—the Notre-Dame de Paris. Follett then tells the story of the cathedral, from its construction to the role it has played across time and history, and he reveals the influence that the Notre-Dame had upon cathedrals around the world and on the writing of one of Follett's most famous and beloved novels, The Pillars of the Earth. Ken Follett will donate his proceeds from this book to the charity La Fondation du Patrimoine. Read more

Relax and delve into a world of dot-to-dots made just for you! This adult dot-to-dot book of large print, relaxing sea life images will put your mind at ease as you let your cares slip away and enjoy connecting a simple numbers of dots!The puzzles in this book include a wide variety of beautiful landscape and outdoor images. Our professional artists will leave you with breathtaking finished images that you can color, tear out and hang up if you like. You’ll be blown away by the drawings and can try to figure each one out as they gradually appear in front of your eyes. There is an answer key at the end in case you get stuck!Each image is printed on high-quality paper and every drawing is followed by a blank sheet of paper so you never have to worry about tearing individual images out of the book.You will get:Puzzles ranging up to 433 dotsA wide variety of large print, easy to read beautiful landscape imagesSkip around and start with easier images to ease into the challengeRelaxation and stress reliefProfessionally created images that will amaze you when completed!Bonus images from other dot-to-dot books in our series!Answer key at the endEnjoy the puzzles and let your stress melt away! Read more

🏆 First place winner at The BookFest 2024! 🏆Embark on a wondrous journey through the enchanting streets of Paris with Penny! ✈️ From savoring delectable pastries to exploring world-renowned museums, Penny’s day is filled with art 🎨, history 📜, and the magic of the City of Light ✨. As she explores iconic landmarks like Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower, readers will be captivated by the beauty of Paris. 🇫🇷This charming children’s picture book invites readers to follow Penny’s footsteps as she discovers the iconic landmarks 🗼 and hidden gems 💎 of one of the world’s most beloved cities. With delightful illustrations and a heartwarming tale, this book is a perfect introduction to the magic and splendor of Paris for young readers. Say “au revoir” to ordinary and “bonjour” to the extraordinary with Penny’s Paris Tour! 📖 Read more

Journalist Julie Satow's thrilling, unforgettable history of how one illustrious hotel has defined our understanding of money and glamour, from the Gilded Age to the Go-Go Eighties to today's Billionaire Row. From the moment in 1907 when New York millionaire Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt strode through the Plaza Hotel's revolving doors to become its first guest, to the afternoon in 2007 when a mysterious Russian oligarch paid a record price for the hotel's largest penthouse, the eighteen-story white marble edifice at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street has radiated wealth and luxury. For some, the hotel evokes images of F. Scott Fitzgerald frolicking in the Pulitzer Fountain, or Eloise, the impish young guest who pours water down the mail chute. But the true stories captured in THE PLAZA also include dark, hidden secrets: the cold-blooded murder perpetrated by the construction workers in charge of building the hotel, how Donald J. Trump came to be the only owner to ever bankrupt the Plaza, and the tale of the disgraced Indian tycoon who ran the hotel from a maximum-security prison cell, 7,000 miles away in Delhi. In this definitive history, award-winning journalist Julie Satow not only pulls back the curtain on Truman Capote's Black and White Ball and The Beatles' first stateside visit-she also follows the money trail. THE PLAZA reveals how a handful of rich, dowager widows were the financial lifeline that saved the hotel during the Great Depression, and how, today, foreign money and anonymous shell companies have transformed iconic guest rooms into condominiums that shield ill-gotten gains-hollowing out parts of the hotel as well as the city around it.THE PLAZA is the account of one vaunted New York City address that has become synonymous with wealth and scandal, opportunity and tragedy. With glamour on the surface and strife behind the scenes, it is the story of how one hotel became a mirror reflecting New York's place at the center of the country's cultural narrative for over a century. Read more

Relieve your stress with dot to dot books for adults! This extreme dot to dot landmark book will help you unwind at the end of the day. You'll never get bored with the wide range of landmarks included in this book. Guess what the landmark is as the image takes shape! The puzzles range from 386 - 864 dots. Beautiful Landmark ImagesSkillfully constructed puzzlesStress Relief: Relax & Enjoy!Variety: Puzzles from 386 - 864 dotsBonus PagesThis book contains famous landmarks from all over the world like Santorini, St. Basil's Cathedral, The Freedom Tower and the Giza Pyramids. There are many more, but we don't want to give them all away! See how many you recognize, and check the answer key in the back to see them all.Puzzles go in order of least to most complicated, so you can choose how complicated of a puzzle you would like to do and improve as you go along.But this book is more than just a fun and entertaining book. It's also a powerful tool for improving your mindfulness and concentration, helping you to stay focused and centered even in the midst of a busy day. So whether you're a seasoned puzzler or a complete beginner, Mindful Dot-to-Dot is the perfect way to challenge your mind and nurture your creativity. Order your copy today and start connecting the dots! Read more

An in-depth look at America’s historic skyscraper and Chicago’s most iconic building.This is the captivating story of the spectacular architecture of the century-old Wrigley Building—its design, construction, and enduring significance as one of Chicago’s most emblematic buildings. Through meticulous research and spectacular photography, the book unearths a century’s worth of architectural, social, and business history, shedding light on many aspects of the Wrigley Building for the first time.The Wrigley represents the high-water mark of Beaux Arts Classicism in the city, a gleaming white palazzo at the head of Chicago’s grandest boulevard, Michigan Avenue. With lavish terra-cotta ornamentation, it was Chicago’s tallest building when it opened in 1921. The book focuses on the intertwined stories of William Wrigley Jr., the larger-than-life founder of the chewing gum empire, and Charles Gerhard Beersman, the relatively unknown architect who, mentored by architect Julia Morgan, brought the building to life.With stunning new photography alongside archival images, renderings, and original blueprints and drawings, this volume is a must-have for any architecture enthusiast. It unveils a fresh perspective on this architectural marvel as well as a wealth of fascinating social history illuminating the building’s significance as more than just a structural landmark but as a nexus of Chicago’s cultural, social, and business evolution. The book incorporates multiple paper stocks and two gatefolds. Read more

Set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of World War II, The Hôtel on Place Vendôme is the captivating history of Paris’s world-famous Hôtel Ritz—a breathtaking tale of glamour, opulence, and celebrity; dangerous liaisons, espionage, and resistance—from Tilar J. Mazzeo, the New York Times bestselling author of The Widow Clicquot and The Secret of Chanel No. 5When France fell to the Germans in June 1940, the legendary Hôtel Ritz on the Place Vendôme—an icon of Paris frequented by film stars and celebrity writers, American heiresses and risqué flappers, playboys, and princes—was the only luxury hotel of its kind allowed in the occupied city by order of Adolf Hitler.Tilar J. Mazzeo traces the history of this cultural landmark from its opening in fin de siècle Paris. At its center, The Hotel on Place Vendôme is an extraordinary chronicle of life at the Ritz during wartime, when the Hôtel was simultaneously headquarters to the highest-ranking German officers, such as Reichsmarshal Hermann Göring, and home to exclusive patrons, including Coco Chanel. Mazzeo takes us into the grand palace’s suites, bars, dining rooms, and wine cellars, revealing a hotbed of illicit affairs and deadly intrigue, as well as stunning acts of defiance and treachery.Rich in detail, illustrated with black-and-white photos, The Hotel on Place Vendôme is a remarkable look at this extraordinary crucible where the future of post-war France—and all of post-war Europe—was transformed.  Read more

Ballparks Then and Now is a fascinating exploration of ballparks across America. Packed with archival and modern photography, this book documents the development of America’s national pastime by looking at the fields of dreams on which it is played.The ballpark experience has changed dramatically from baseball’s early days on grassy lots with wooden grandstands and free admission. The Union Grounds in Brooklyn, New York, is considered by many historians to be the first ballpark ever built, when William Cammeyer decided to use the Union Skating Pond as grounds for baseball games in 1862. When the first professional leagues were formed in 1871, enterprising owners began to invest in the creation of luxurious wooden palaces such as the Grand Pavilion in Boston and Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. The first steel-and-concrete ballpark was Shibe Park in Philadelphia, built in 1909, which housed a record number of 20,000 paying customers and set the standard in ballpark design for the next fifty years. The cookie-cutter ballparks of the 1960s and 1970s have largely been replaced by newer retro designs that give each park its own unique feel and have re-established ballparks as a vital part of urban America.Ballparks Then and Now is a fascinating exploration of ballparks across America. Packed with archival and modern photography, this book documents the development of America’s national pastime by looking at the fields of dreams on which it is played. Read more

Edwin Lutyens'' Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Thiepval in Northern France, visited annually by tens of thousands of tourists, is arguably the finest structure erected by any British architect in the twentieth century. It is the principal, tangible expression of the defining event in Britain''s experience and memory of the Great War, the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, and it bears the names of 73,000 soldiers whose bodies were never found at the end of that bloody and futile campaign. This brilliant study by an acclaimed architectural historian tells the origin of the memorial in the context of commemorating the war dead; it considers the giant classical brick arch in architectural terms, and also explores its wider historical significance and its resonances today. So much of the meaning of the twentieth century is concentrated here; the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing casts a shadow into the future, a shadow which extends beyond the dead of the Holocaust, to the Gulag, to the ''disappeared'' of South America and of Tianenmen. Reissued in a beautiful and striking new edition for the centenary of the Somme. Read more

Before the passage of critical preservation legislation in 1978, the Nation's Capital lost an irreplaceable assembly of architecturally and culturally significant buildings. Wanton destruction in the name of progress—particularly in the decades immediately following World War II—resulted in a legacy forever lost, a cultural heritage destroyed by the wrecker's ball. By reminding us of things lost, James Goode's magisterial and poignant study represented a comprehensive call for action, a mandate for responsible stewardship of the architectural legacy of Washington, DC. Both the familiar public Washington of official landmarks and the private city of residential neighborhoods are paid tribute in this volume, dedicated to the vanished.At once a visual delight, a fascinating social history, and an eloquent appeal for ongoing awareness, Capital Losses reveals the Washington that was and how it became what it is today. This updated edition includes eighteen more treasures lost and ninety additional historic photographs. Read more