'His descriptions of songs, especially, unfold like thrillers or romantic rhapsodies, sucking you in and revealing aspects of each beat or vocal trill that you'd never have noticed on your own. As the most esteemed music writer of his generation, Marcus has made a career of challenging conventional wisdom...' This man can write beautifully and deeply about songs and singing and although these ten songs may not be your choices, they will certainly get you rushing to YouTube to check them all out before compiling your own top ten list and giving them the same intimate treatment. Marcus has selected 10 songs recorded between 1956 and 2008. They include 'Transmission' by Joy Division, 'All I Could Do Was Cry' by Etta James, Beyoncé and 'To Know Him Is to Love Him', first recorded by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. Marcus tells the story of the music, the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory, braiding together past and present. The chapters on Joy Division, on Buddy Holly and on the two 'Money' songs are tours de force. We will never listen to music in the same way again after reading this meticulous, surprising and inspirational book. Bang a gong! Get it on! 306 page large softback.

First advertised as a "mind-stretching experience," Nicolas Roeg's 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth stunned the cinema world. A tour-de-force of science fiction as art form, the movie brought not only hallucinatory visuals and a haunting exploration of contemporary alienation, but also glam-rock legend David Bowie in his lead role debut as paranoid alien Newton. Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 sci-fi fable of the same title, it follows alien Newton from his arrival on earth in search of water; his transition to wealthy entrepreneur, leveraging the advanced technologies of his native planet; his sexual awakening with the young Mary-Lou; and then the discovery of his alien identity, his imprisonment, abandonment, and descent into alcoholism. Throughout, Roeg coaxed a beguiling performance from his cast, presenting not only Bowie in ethereal space-traveller glory, but also pitch-perfect supporting performances from Candy Clark, Rip Torn, and Buck Henry. The book presents many rare stills and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James, including numerous shots of Bowie at his playful and ambiguous best. A fresh introductory essay explores the shooting of the film and its lasting impact, drawing upon an exclusive interview with David James, who brings first-hand insights into the making of this sci-fi masterwork. Heavy with colour images, 15.6 x 21.7cm, 480 pages. New from Taschen.

The Dalek Invasion of Earth Collector Set features the Daleks as seen on screen in the 1964 BBC episodes of the second season of Dr. Who. This Collector Set includes four classic Dalek mini figurines, standing approximately 3 and a half inches high, to add to your shelf! The very first Daleks stood a little over four feet tall and when seen in the early days of black & white television were utterly alien. These Dalek figurines are of Emperor Dalek in blue and silver, Gold Dalek, black Dalek Warrior, and white Necros Dalek. They have been replicated as accurately as possible and come presented in the official BBC Heritage Doctor Who brand packaging and part of the Bobble Buddies collection. Their feelers and deelybop eyeballs move slightly. Once you fight through the packaging, it is a delight to see the spring loaded base on which your Dalek will now bob away! A must have for Dr Who fans, safety approved for ages 5 to adult. A pack of two currently retails at £79.89.

The author has publications about Queen, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and the James Bond film series and has written a comprehensive study of every song recorded and performed by The Beatles between 1957 and 1970. Here he turns his careful attention to Fleetwood Mac. Music fans tend to divide into two camps at the mention of their name - those who think of the multi-million-selling five-piece that formed in the mid 1970s and released Rumours, the biggest selling album of all time. But there are those who adopt a self-appointed 'cooler' stance, preferring the late-sixties blues band fronted by the virtuosic guitarist Peter Green. But that's not the whole story. Between May 1970 when Green left his own band to be replaced by the bass player's wife Christine McVie, to the beginning of 1975, when Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac, there were five years of what can only be described as turmoil. One by one talented musicians such as Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Bob Weston and Bob Welch joined and left the band. While it's impossible to ignore the skill and longevity such classic as 'Rhiannon' and 'Don't Stop' and albums like Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk, there are an equal number of half-forgotten classic songs from the first half of the 1970s, and many deep album cuts that have been overlooked. Here is the full story of the music, people, tours, rumours, failures, love and successes. 160pp in large softback, colour photos.

Across the 1970s, Genesis both together and apart released eight studio and two live albums, played a thousand concerts and launched the solo careers of four of its members. They weathered the departures of Anthony Phillips, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett, ending the decade as a self-contained trio of Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford, one that was about to become the biggest band in the world. For many though, the 1970s represents their artistic peak as a hothouse for incredible songwriters. It made for a combustible, heady brew when those talents were all harnessed in the service of the band, helping create the progressive rock genre, pioneering the multimedia concert experience, as well as making a rakishly worn daffodil the headgear of choice for the cognoscenti. Genesis began the decade by playing before an audience of one and asking if he had 'any requests?' and ended it by headlining the Knebworth Festival in front of 80,000 fans. The book tells the whole story of that decade on record, on stage, together and apart. Superbly detailed on the acoustic side of the band, the vocalists and impressive standards and influences. 188pp, paperback with colour photos.

A book that glides through the roots of both genres of Jazz and Blues through the 1920s Jazz Age, the poverty-ridden 1930s and the war-scarred world of the 1940s, before arriving at one of the most significant periods, the 1950s. Each chapter is introduced and set in its cultural context and describes what was new and exciting, what was in and what was out and why, describing the artist which carried the musical torch for their generation, the classic recordings and great quotes to get under the skin of the artists' music and how they formed he musical backbone of each decade. There is a comprehensive list of all the Major Artists, Key Artists and A-Z sections, their origins, instruments, styles and partnerships with the human voice and are stars in their own right. From Kid Ory and Ma Rainey, through to The Bad Plus and Esperanza Spalding, styles range from Boogie Woogie and Be-Bop, to Latin Jazz and Jazz & Blues Crossover. This edition has been fully updated and expanded looking at the musical and cultural forces at play in the 21st century, as well as a new generation of artists including Rhiannon Giddens, Vijay Iyer and Snarky Puppy who are helping to carry music forward in fresh and exciting directions. 384 page reference, old fashioned photos.

Bibliophile thought it was purchasing the rather more famous Zulu film, so we have to list this little mistake! When a teenage girl is discovered brutally murdered in Cape Town's botanical gardens, the Chief of Police (Forest Whitaker of The Last King Of Scotland) and cop Brian Epkeen (Orlando Bloom from Lord Of The Rings) are tasked with solving the crime. Investigating the murder they uncover a sinister synthetic drug ring with a worldwide network, releasing a new illegal substance into the market which is spiralling out of control. They are soon placing their own lives in danger in an attempt to end further devastating and disturbing consequences. A hard hitting thriller, Orlando Bloom is virtually unrecognisable in this cops versus bad guys movie from 2015. Rated 18. 102 minutes colour DVD.

Discover a treasure trove of movie secrets in this small, deluxe pop-up book showcasing three dimensional renderings from the Harry Potter films. Open the door in the middle of the front cover with the sturdy magnetic closure and elastic loops hold each pop-up firmly in place for a perfect stand alone display. Designed for children, this is a Bloomsbury first edition for collectors of all ages. Full of magical mayhem there is a flying car, a hat that sings, from the wonders of Hogwarts to Newt Scamander's enchanted case, the wizarding world is full of incredible objects and creatures. There are scenes that bring the world of the films to life as we join a nervous Harry Potter moments before the Sorting Hat bellows 'Gryffindor!' through the Great Hall, uncover a New York City bank vault with Newt Scamander chasing after an escaped Niffler and much more. Includes two pop-ups related to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and pull-out flaps which feature text that delves into the items on each spread and how they were achieved in the films. 12 pop-up pages, all in magical colour.

The friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift dominated the gossip columns of the 1950s. The public did not realise that Monty was gay, and he went out of his way to date women while conducting affairs with Hollywood names including Roddy McDowall and Truman Capote, and idolising James Dean and Marlon Brando. Clift had extraordinarily good looks while Taylor was widely acclaimed as the world's most beautiful woman, and the stills of their film A Place in the Sun are a photographer's dream. Elizabeth had her own problems and it was during her marriage to her second husband Michael Wilding that the famous episode in which she saved Monty's life occurred. In 1956 Taylor was starring with Monty in the film Raintree County and Monty attended a dinner party at the Wildings' Hollywood home up a precipitous and dark road. Monty was drinking and on the way back he crashed the car. As news reached the Wildings, Elizabeth raced down the hill to pull Monty free from the wreckage. Later Monty repaid the debt by providing his heart medication to revive Elizabeth when she collapsed. The accident left Monty with a damaged left side of the face, which directors did their best to accommodate but which inevitably affected his career, leading to smaller roles. Taylor insisted that Monty should be her leading man in their third and final co-starring film, Suddenly Last Summer. Two years later everything changed as Taylor fell victim to a consuming passion for Richard Burton on the set of Cleopatra, and meanwhile Clift was seeing a lot of Marilyn Monroe after they starred together in her last film The Misfits in 1961. In spite of some jealousy of Marilyn, Taylor offered to help with her substance abuse and general struggle with life. Monty's death of a heart attack in 1966 was a lasting sadness to Taylor and in the 1980s she became a high-profile campaigner for AIDS sufferers, influenced by friendships with several gay people including Monty. 389pp, colour photos.

We enter a world of luxury, sex, power, danger and excitement, far away from the judging stares of grey old England. Sub-titled 'Ian Fleming's Jamaica', amid the lush beauty of the island's northern coast lies the true story of Fleming's iconic creation, James Bond. For two months every year from 1946 until his death 18 years later, Ian Fleming lived at Goldeneye, the house he built on a point of high land, overlooking a small white sandy beach on Jamaica's stunning northern coast. All the James Bond novels and stories were written there, and this book explores the huge influence the island had on his iconic post-war hero. For the writer the island was part retreat from the world, part tangible representation of his own values and part exotic fantasy. The book compares the real Jamaica of the 1950s during her dramatic build-up to independence with the island's fictional portrayal in the Bond books, shining a sometimes severe light on the dramatic end of the British Empire. The books evaluates the related impact of Fleming's circle of notable friends, the endless parties, sun, sand, wildlife, flowers, swimming and what a privileged upbringing and rich imagination could create. Beautifully written, pure escapism. 388pp, paperback with colour and other photos.