Paul Simpson

"The Rough Guide to Philip Pullman''s His Dark Materials" explores the beguiling world of Philip Pullman''s classic trilogy. The guide covers Pullman''s inspiration from science and literature, including string theory, climate change and dark matter, Milton, Blake and fantasy fiction. The Story and characters are unraveled with insight into the key mysteries and events and how everyone from Lyra Belacqua to the golden monkey demon fit in to the author''s grand design. You''ll find everything from the story behind the filming and cast of the first "His Dark Materials" film, The Golden Compass to how the Victorian era shaped Pullman''s imagination, with a tour of Oxford''s Exeter College, Geneva (home of the Magisterium), Venice (Cittagazze), and of course where to catch the Northern Lights. Pullman shares his views on religion, and discover what organised religion has to say about his books. Cut threw the darkness and step into another universe with "The Rough Guide to Philip Pullman''s His Dark Materials".

With concept art, character models, set designs, stills, plus interviews with all the leading talent and an introduction by Nick Park, this is an illustrated guide to the movie

The Rough Guide to Westerns examines one of the cinemas most durable, influential, genres, offering the reader an insight into its history, its place in popular culture in America and the rest of the world, the key iconic figures both in front of the lens and behind it, and the genres essential movies. The guide looks at what makes a good Western, considering the seven basic Western plots, the pens behind the movies, the major historic events and their influences, and the genres central ritual - the gunfight. There is a potted history of the Western decade-by-decade and a critical canon of the 50 greatest Westerns. From the pioneers and directors to the iconic cowboys and railroads, this guide covers it all.

There are many myths about serial killers: that they are all dysfunctional loners; all white males; only motivated by sex; that they all travel and operate across a wide area; cannot stop killing; are all insane, or evil geniuses; and that they all want to get caught. Of course, there are some serial killers who fit into these categories, but the married Green River Killer was not a dysfunctional loner; there are plenty of female and non-Caucasian serial killers; Dr Harold Shipman was certainly not motivated by sex; many serial killings (such as the Ipswich prostitute murders carried out by Steve Wright) happen within a confined area; the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader, stopped killing in 1991, but wasnt caught until fourteen years later. Many serial killers may have a low animal cunning, or be street smart, but few of them are Mensa-level geniuses. Each of the thirty cases covered here is unusual in some respect, perhaps in the way in which the killer carried out their crimes, the choice of victims, the way in which they were apprehended, or the method of their execution.The cases are presented alphabetically by country - from Australia via Colombia, Great Britain, Indonesia, Iran, South Africa and elsewhere to the United States - and then chronologically. They come from across history and from all over the world. The author has gone back as far as possible to contemporary source material - newspaper accounts, trial evidence, interviews with perpetrators or survivors - rather than rely on the increasingly blurred truth to be found online and in far too many collections.

An essential guide to one of the most influential writers of the 20th centuryA Brief Guide to C. S. Lewis explores Lewiss life, from his reconversion to Christianity under the influence of his friend J. R. R. Tolkien, which had such a profound influence on his writing to his marriage to American writer Joy Davidman Gresham and his battle with cancer. Perhaps best known as the author of the seven Chronicles of Narnia, published between 1949 and 1954, Lewis also wrote The Pilgrims Regress, a trilogy of science-fiction novels incorporating Christian themes, and a large number of non-fiction books about his faith, accessible to Christians and non-believers alike. The guide provides synopses of Lewiss fiction, an overview of his other writings, a biography and a look at all the many different versions of his stories that have appeared. In doing so it draws on recent interviews by the author with some of the many talented people who have worked on these adaptations.

Everyone has heard the songs from The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The stage show was a roaring success in New York and London, and the much-loved feature film, directed by Hollywood veteran Robert Wise, continues to be a staple of television schedules 50 years after its release in 1965. In this fascinating and wide-ranging book, Paul Simpson explores the incredible story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from the Third Reich in all its incarnations, from real-life adventure, to book, to stage, to award-winning film to cultural phenomenon. He discusses the stage show, the many differences that were incorporated into the fictionalisation of the tale, and how that story was brought to the screen. He also looks at the numerous other ways in which the Von Trapps story has been told, including the two West German movies from the 1950s and the extensive forty-part Japanese anime series from the 1990s, to explain why the story of the Von Trapp family has appealed to so many generations.Praise for A Brief Guide to Stephen King:The best book about King and his work I have ever readBooks Monthly

2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Stephen Kings first novel Carrie in April 1974. Rescued from the rubbish by his wife Tabitha, the novel launched the Maine schoolteacher on a prolific and extraordinarily successful career. His name has become synonymous with horror and suspense through over fifty works, including The Dark Tower, a retelling of Byrons Childe Harold to the Dark Tower Came.Simpson traces the writers life from his difficult childhood his father went out to the shops and never came back through his initial books under the pseudonym Richard Bachman to the success of Carrie, Salems Lot and The Shining in the 1970s, and beyond. He examines how Kings writing was affected by the accident that nearly killed him in 1999 and how his battles with alcohol and addiction to medication have been reflected in his stories. The guide will also take a look at the very many adaptations of Kings work in movies, on television and radio, and in comic books.

An incredible 30,000 flights at least arrive safely at their destinations every day. But a handful dont, while some come terrifyingly close to crashing. When even the smallest thing does go wrong at 35,000 feet, the result is nearly always a fast-unfolding tragedy. This extensive collection of compelling real-life accounts of air disasters and near-disasters provides a sobering, alternative history of the just over 105 years that passengers have been travelling by air, from the very earliest fatality to recent calamities.But there are incredible stories of heroism against the odds, too, such as that of Captain Chesley Sullenberger who successfully landed his aircraft with both engines gone on the Hudson River in New York, saving the lives of everyone aboard, and of the American Airlines crew who prevented terrorist Richard Reid from exploding a bomb hidden in his shoe three months after 9/11.The book also details the often ingenious, always painstaking work done by air-accident investigators, while a glossary helps to clarify the occasional, inevitable bits of jargon.

True stories of prison breaks including those of Frank Abagnale, whose story is told in Catch Me If You Can; Henri Charriere who claimed to have escaped from the supposedly inescapable Devils Island - the true story as opposed to his questionable memoir, Papillon; Bud Day, said to be the only US serviceman ever to have escaped to South Vietnam; the six prisoners who escaped from Death Row in Mecklenburg Correctional Center; and Pascal Payeret, the French armed robber who escaped not once, but twice from French prisons with the help of a helicopter.

What if Dorothy Gale wasnt the only person who went to see the Wizard of Oz? MGMs landmark 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland, did not mark the beginning of adventures in Oz. Both before and since, dozens of tales have been told of the Marvellous Land of Oz, and its inhabitants such as the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger and Jack Pumpkinhead. In this fascinating and wide-ranging book, Paul Simpson looks back at the Famous Forty - the original novels by L. Frank Baum and his successors which entranced generations of children with their wonderful world of munchkins, princesses and wicked witches. He examines the many ways in which the stories have been retold in movies - from the silent era to Disneys recent blockbuster Oz the Great and Powerful - and on television, featuring everyone from Tom & Jerry to trades union leaders. On stage, Oz has come to life in the many revivals of The Wizard of Oz musical and the worldwide reign of Elphaba in the smash hit Wicked. Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the worlds best-loved film and the whole magical world of Oz with its vampires, muppets, dragons, living statues and so much more.

From the end of the Second World War to the present day, the world has changed immeasurably. The art of spying has changed too, as spies have reacted to changing threats. Here you will find the fascinating stories of real-life spies, both famous and obscure, from either side of the Iron Curtain, along with previously secret details of War on Terror operations.Detailed stories of individual spies are set in the context of the development of the major espionage agencies, interspersed with anecdotes of gadgets, trickery, honeytraps and assassinations worthy of any fictional spy.A closing section examines the developing New Cold War, as Russia and the West confront each other once again.

El verde infame de Scheele, el rojo carísimo de Mondrian, el secreto aterrador del pigmento Mummy Brown o la belleza trágica del rosa flor de cerezo. Las historias del color nos han fascinado desde el primer pigmento rojizo de las cuevas de Altamira hasta los 1.867 colores identificados hoy en dia por Pantone.En este compendio caleidoscopico, Paul Simpson parte de los once colores basicos para explicar su papel en la evolucion de nuestra especie, en la persuasion politica y la asociacion de un color con la libertad o la opresion. Los codigos que cada cultura les atribuye hacen que los colores levanten imperios y pasiones; canones, rarezas y caprichos de artistas y civilizaciones.El codigo del color recurre a quimicos, actores, compositores, musicos, misticos, poetas, deportistas y cuenta historias que cambiaran nuestra percepcion del espectro y la manera que tenemos de ver el mundo.

As Harvard graduate Roger Angell once said, The Game picks us up each November and holds us for two hours and...all of us, homeward bound, sense that we are different yet still the same. It is magic.For hundreds of thousands of alumni and fans, the annual clash between Harvard and Yale inspires a sense of nostalgia and pride unequaled anywhere in sports. For much of the year Ivy League football is overshadowed by powerhouse programs such as Miami and Michigan. But not on the third Saturday of November, when all eyes turn to New England for the legendary battle between the Crimson and the Blue. In The Only Game That Matters, Bernard M. Corbett and Paul Simpson explore what makes this iconic rivalry so revered, so beloved, and so pivotal in college football history. Known simply as The Game, this tradition-soaked Ivy League feud began in 1875, and it has been leading the evolution of college football ever since. Although the Ivy League hasnt had a national champion in decades, The Game still stands alone in the college football pantheon. It is a living history, its roots reaching back to a time when young men took to the field for the sake of competition, not for a chance at a million-dollar pro contract. The Game, then and now, features the true student athlete.Of course, it also features bloody brawls, ingenious pranks, and breathtaking comebacks. The Only Game That Matters recounts the 2002 season through the eyes of players and coaches, interweaving the modern-day experience with great stories of classic games past. By tracing this venerable competition from its inceptionlooking at such legendary games as 1894s Bloodbath in Hampden Park and Harvards 2929 win in 1968 and such influential coaches as Yales Walter Camp, the father of football as we know itthe anatomy of a rivalry emerges. Culminating in the thrilling 2002 contest, The Only Game That Matters illuminates the unique place this storied feud occupies in todays sports world. To the game of football, to the spirit of rivalry, to the Crimson and Blue faithful, The Game is the only game that matters.In this book about the remarkable football rivalry between Harvard and Yale, Bernard M. Corbett and Paul Simpson capture the unique intensity of this famous game, as felt by the teams who go all out on each play, and by the families and the alumni in the stands who live and die by each touchdown.From the Foreword by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Harvard 56The Only Game That Matters does a great job of explaining why Yale/Harvard is The Game one that does matter, and should matter more. It is a shining example of what college football and amateur sports should be.From the Foreword by Governor George E. Pataki, Yale 67

El verde infame de Scheele, el rojo carísimo de Mondrian, el secreto aterrador del pigmento ‘Mummy Brown’ o la belleza trágica del rosa flor de cerezo. Las historias del color nos han fascinado desde