Part of a new series of beautiful gift art books, The World's Great Masterpieces of Art highlights the most popular art from the beginning of the twelfth century to the Pop Art movement of the twentieth century. With a fresh and thoughtful introduction to the history of art, discussing the work of some of the most famous artists in the world, the book goes on to showcase key works in all their glory. This is a sumptuous treat for the eyes, with something for everyone.

From works by Botticelli and Raphael to Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo, discover the paintings that have shaken the art world through the centuries and across continents. Great Paintings presents over 60 amazing paintings - both familiar and new. It not only lists some of the greatest works of art but brings them to life with the help of more than 700 photographs and descriptive text. Understand the key features, composition, and techniques that have made these paintings stand out. The book also includes brief biographies of the artists, which provides the background to each artwork and helps readers paint their own picture of the historical and social context behind each masterpiece. Whether you are young or old, an art student or a fan, simply turn the pages of Great Paintings to go on your personal gallery tour of some of the world's best-loved paintings.

What is a masterpiece? At the most basic level, a masterpiece is a quintessential work by a great artist. This magnificent volume details the development of art from the beginning of recorded civilisation into the twentieth century, presenting essential works of art from across the world, both East and West, in more then 110 full-color reproductions.

World's Greatest Wonders is an illuminating visual guide to 30 stunning man-made and natural wonders—with annotated 3-D reconstructions and cutaway models from various stages in human development that allow you to journey right to the heart of each of them. We live on a unique planet. The only one that we know of that has life. Amidst the budding civilizations and testaments to human creativity and ingenuity, great geological and ecological diversity have surrounded us since humans took their first steps. The Earth has developed into a truly astounding place to live. The clash of the natural forces that sculpted earth’s surface for millions of years has been supplemented by the great creative spirit of human beings, who have built their own wonders. We have before us a whole world, our own to explore and discover, to find and revel in the natural paradises created by the patient hand of nature as well as the astonishing constructions imagined by the genius of humankind. You just have to look around and take in the spectacle. The wonders: Stonehenge, Pyramids of Giza, Valley of the Kings, Petra, Acropolis, Terracotta Army, The Colosseum, Teotihuacán, Nazca Lines, Chichen Itzá, The Moai, Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu, Forbidden City, St. Peter’s Basilica, Taj Mahal, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House, Antarctica, Galapagos Islands, The Amazon, Iguazu Falls, Sahara, Virunga National Park, Kilimanjaro, Anjajavy, Himalayas, Niagara Falls, Grand Canyon, and Tongariro. See the best of human and natural creation in the World's Greatest Wonders.

Why was Thomas Hardy's first novel never published? What happened to the manuscript of the long promised 'magnum opus' that Truman Capote never delivered? Why did Heinrich Böll abandon his Paradise Lost? These and many other intriguing mysteries are uncovered in this comprehensive guide to literature's lost and unfinished masterpieces. From a creative crisis to a dissatisfied editor, and from a bizarre twist of fate to an untimely death, behind each unpublished book lies a unique and compelling story. One of the giants of modern literature, Ernest Hemingway, saw three years of work, including a novel and several short stories, vanish when his wife's suitcase was stolen in the Gare de Lyon in Paris. Evelyn Waugh, on the other hand, burned the manuscript of his first novel and attempted to drown himself after a friend gave it a bad review. Covering an eclectic range of international authors, both living and dead, The Greatest Books You'll Never Read unearths an alternative literary history that is fascinating and heartbreaking in equal measure. Each ill-fated book, from Karl Marx's comic novel Scorpion and Felix to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight spin-off Midnight Sun, is examined in an in-depth essay, with selected entries featuring manuscript extracts. Specially commissioned covers by acclaimed designers illustrate each entry, bringing to life these lost literary wonders. At once entertaining and enlightening, The Greatest Books You'll Never Read will be loved by bookworms everywhere. Erica Jarnes worked as an editor at Bloomsbury for eight years before becoming Literature Programmer at the South Bank Centre. She is involved in organizing Port Eliot Festival, a prestigious literary gathering that attracts authors from around the globe, and is passionate about promoting translated fiction. She lives in London.