BBC Books

Explore how music has changed our world through 50 pieces across classical, folk and world traditions with BBC presenter Tom Service, in this official Radio 3 compendium. Music transports us and defines us. As a form of expression, it has been passed down through oral tradition, musical notation and recordings in a chain of connection that spans the globe, across the millennia. A History of the World in 50 Pieces follows that chain, collating 50 pieces of classical music that reflect our changing politics, social structures and technological development, and how composers, musicians and listeners have shaped those currents of history. From Bach to Beethoven, Songlines to Saariaho, Hildegard of Bingen to the Happy Birthday song, Tom Service offers a fresh take on pieces that many of us think we know, and many more we might not. With each short, sharp analysis, he expands the typical canon and tests the boundaries of what we understand to be 'classical music' - or even music at all, such as the sounds of the earth's rotation, and the songs of humpback whales. An official BBC Radio 3 publication, A History of the World in 50 Pieces is a book for anyone curious about the power of music and how it shapes us and connects us.

Accompanying the landmark BBC natural history documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and featuring stunning full-colour photography. Five years, four powerful animal families. Who will rule the Kingdom? Zambia's spectacular Luangwa Valley contains ideal leopard territory. It also hosts one of the highest densities of wild dogs ever recorded, one of the ten remaining strongholds of lions left in Africa and is home to one of the few hyena populations to be studied in depth. Kingdom chronicles the real-life saga of four animal families as each one stakes their claim here for a territory called Nsefu. Over the course of five years, this story follows the twists and turns of their interconnected lives. Leopard mother Olimba is busy bringing up her two cubs, when wild dog Storm arrives, fiercely determined to make this place home for her pack. Hyenas Tenta and Tandala walk a tightrope between following their rivals for food, whilst keeping themselves and their cubs safe; and the lion pride strive to secure their control of this territory for generations to come. Featuring stunning full-colour photography, Kingdom charts the uplifting highs of these real animal characters, as well as their heart-rending lows, as they jostle for power and their family's survival.

Time to hide behind the sofa from the 100 scariest monsters ever in this fact-packed Doctor Who book. It's a big universe and there are some truly terrifying monsters out there! Discover and learn about the 100 scariest monsters the Doctor has ever encountered so far, from the devious Daleks and cunning Cybermen, to the terrifying Weeping Angels. With facts and stats on all the most fearsome scary monsters, this book will have you cowering under the covers!

Unleash the adrenaline-fueled chaos of Top Gear with Top Gear Nought to Sixty – a collection of the 60 maddest motoring moments from every era of probably the greatest motoring programme of all time. From epic challenges like homemade stretch limos, bungee jumping a Rover 114 and destroying a Toyota Hilux to all of the legendary road trips, from Botswana and Vietnam to Bolivia and Nepal. This is a loving tribute to every era of Top Gear, where speed, power, and sheer audacity collide in a spectacular showcase of motoring madness. Featuring all your favourite presenters, road trips, challenges and choice insults as well as features on everything from racing legends and sleek supercars to space shuttles and old bangers, this epic collection is a must-have for any discerning petrolhead.

Fun, informative and insightful, How to Read F1 is the perfect gift for Formula One fans. BBC F1 presenter and Drive to Survive expert Jennie Gow covers the key concepts, drivers, teams, tech and rules in an easy-to-read, bitesize format. Featuring bespoke illustrations capturing the sport's famous faces and technical elements, the book is packed with Jennie's unique insights, anecdotes and plenty of trivia. Whether you’re new F1 and keen to learn more or a veteran supporter looking to brush up on facts, there’s something for everyone in this entertaining guide to racing in the fast lane.

Newer, faster and more spectacular than ever, join the Top Gear team as they get to grips with the latest and most innovative Hypercars. Top Gear Hypercars uncovers the 15 latest and greatest Hypercars, each pushing design and automotive technology to the limit. Aston Martin, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini and Red Bull are reconfiguring the Hypercar landscape, all featured in this lavishly illustrated book, complete with technical cross-sections, vital stats, driving reports and insider access to the people who make these incredible machines. With a foreword from racing legend Horacio Pagani, this book answers the question: exactly what makes a Hypercar ‘Hyper’?

Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!' In a lair somewhere beneath central London, a malevolent alien intelligence is plotting the end of humanity. Shop window dummies that can move - and kill - are taking up key positions, ready to strike. Rose Tyler, an ordinary Londoner, is working her shift in a department store, unaware that this is the most important day of her life. She's about to meet the only man who understands the true nature of the threat facing Earth, a stranger who will open her eyes to all the wonder and terror of the universe - a traveller in time and space known as the Doctor. Rose is the story that brought Doctor Who back for the 21st century - and Russell T Davies's novelisation, based on his script, set the standard for new-era Target novelisations. Now, with illustrations by acclaimed artist Robert Hack - this is Rose as you've never seen it before...

These are my simple suppers. Recipes that are straightforward and informal - yet effortlessly delicious. The idea of supper appealed to me because it suggests an ordinary meal. When one is not trying too hard; maybe something you're going to cook in your jeans and Polo shirt, a glass of vinho verde on the worktop. Rick Stein's Simple Suppers is your new go-to cookbook. A collection of stylish, easy recipes for midweek, weekends and every eventuality in between. Chapters include: - Suppers for one: Easy croque monsieur, Steak with Chimichurri sauce - Suppers for two: Harissa lamb steak with chickpea mash, Aubergine braised with soy & ginger - Suppers with friends: Pilaf with buttermilk chicken & pomegranate, Puff pastry fish pie - Fast suppers: Sweet potato, chorizo & sweetcorn tacos, Baked portobello mushrooms with Dolcelatte & walnuts - One-pot suppers: Coconut prawn curry, Wild garlic & broad bean risotto - Veggie suppers: Vegetable bourguignon with dumplings, Spaghetti with courgettes, rosemary and ricotta

The iconic series that started it all returns: accompanying an 8-part program narrated by David Attenborough,Planet Earth IIItakes you closer than ever to the world's most fascinating animals and landscapes - and humanity's irrevocable impact upon them. There are over 100 billion planets in our galaxy. Only one is home to life. Ranging across seven dramatic habitats, from the depths of the ocean, to the scorching desert and into the to the darkest jungle,Planet Earth IIIshowcases places and animals from all corners of our amazing, unique, planet. For the first time,Planet Earth IIIintroduces a human element to each landscape - highlighting how, in the age of the Anthropocene, today's planet has been forever changed by humanity and that wildlife now faces new challenges in our crowded, modern world. Using state-of-the-art photography techniques, the Planet Earth team has spent longer in the field than ever before, bringing you closer to some of the planet's most intriguing species, unseen landscapes and natural phenomena. Planet Earth IIIdepicts the challenging lives of animals on an increasingly fragile planet, highlighting the deep interconnectivity of all life on Earth and championing the heroic lengths some are going to preserve the critical ecosystems of the planet we call home.

Accompanying a major 5-part BBC series presented by David Attenborough and produced by the team behind Planet Earth and Blue Planet, Perfect Planet is an exploration of the unique conditions that make life on earth possible, and how our wildlife is perfectly adapted to its environment. There is no place like home. The conditions of Earth are not just good for life, they are perfect. Everything about our planet – its size, its distance from the Sun, its spin and tilt, its moon – is perfectly suited to our existence, and our planet’s forces serve to nurture its spectacular biodiversity. Perfect Planet shows in stunning detail how Earth has always been more than the sum of its parts. Unlike any other astronomical body, it is a living world. Focusing on four key natural forces – global weather systems distributing fresh water to all corners; marine currents delivering nutrients to the deepest reaches of the ocean; solar energy warming and electrifying everything it touches; and volcanic activity fertilizing the earth’s surface – Huw Cordrey reveals to us new levels of this living world, a place populated with astonishing characters living remarkable lives. From Arctic wolves prowling moonlit landscapes or wood frogs, frozen in winter and magically thawing back to life, to flamingos flying thousands of miles to a vast volcanic lake in Africa to breed, we see time and again how animals are perfectly adapted to whatever the environment throws at them. Packed with over 250 full-color images, and including a foreword by David Attenborough and stills from the BBC series' spectacular footage, Perfect Planet is a stunning exploration of life on Earth – life that is increasingly precious and rare.

You're going to need a bigger sofa... Doctor Who's biggest and most comprehensive monster guide yet, The Monster Vault takes you on the ultimate tour of the Whoniverse, discovering and cataloguing every wonderful and terrifying creature the Doctor has ever encountered. From the notorious Daleks, to evil Stenza warrior Tzim-Sha and the ancient Thijarians, The Monster Vault features in-depth profiles on each monster, showing the Doctor's most dangerous enemies in their natural habitat and unveiling their secret histories. You will also discover how monsters were created and designed, behind-the-scenes secrets, unseen details from the original scripts, case studies and rare artwork. This lavish and visually stunning book provides an unrivalled wealth of information, allowing you to explore the rich history of Doctor Who and expand your knowledge and understanding of characters old and new.

"We are in Transylvania; and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things." Bram Stoker's classic horror novel tells the story of English lawyer Jonathan Harker. Travelling to Transylvania to meet his reclusive client, Count Dracula, Harker soon discovers Dracula's true nature: he is a centuries-old monster with an insatiable appetite for blood! Sensing new opportunities to spread his vampire curse, Dracula sets his sights on England. Ranged against him, the wily Professor Van Helsing and a dedicated band of young men and women. But who - living, dead or undead - can stop him? Accompanying the new BBC series from Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, creators of Sherlock, starring Claes Bang as Count Dracula. This Tie-in edition will introduce a whole new generation of fans to the wonders of Stoker's original novel.

This is WWII history, as it happened. All the horror and excitement of eleven months that changed the world. On D-Day (6 June 1944) a team of BBC reporters, trained and were embedded with British troops, achieved a first in war reporting: they landed side by side with soldiers, in gliders, by parachute, in assault-craft, talking into portable recording machines to 'tell it as it was'. For eleven months reporters such as Richard Dimbleby, Chester Wilmot and Frank Gillard were in the vanguard, filing over 1,500 dispatches covering the desperate exchanges on the D-Day beaches, the battle for Caen, the advance through Normandy, the liberation of Paris and, finally, the German surrender in 1945. 75 years after the invasion of Normandy, the dispatches of War Report collected here are as visceral and urgent as ever, and provide a remarkable account of Allied efforts to liberate Europe and end the war. With a foreword by John Simpson, War Report is a vital piece of modern history, direct from the front line.

You only get one life. Make it a memorable one. This is the second title in an exciting international bestselling series of books that will help you search out essential sights and experiences around the world. In Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die, international travel writers and photographers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones draw on their years of experience to select their ultimate trips of a lifetime. This book will introduce you to a host of unusual and amazing activities to be done in fabulous destinations during a break of two weeks or less. Adventures range from searching for pearls in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and dog-sledding through the snowy landscapes of Sweden, to exploring the rainforests of Belize, and sailing down the Nile on an Egyptian felucca. For the less active explorer they offer more relaxed but equally unmissable pursuits, such as watching an opera in the ancient ruins of Verona, Italy, or wine-tasting in Bordeaux, France. Lavishly illustrated with specially commissioned photographs, Unforgettable Things to Do Before You Die is aimed at anyone looking for an inspirational experience of a lifetime.

Life is short. Take yourself to places you'll never forget. We owe it to ourselves to see as much of this beautiful world as possible. This is for people that want to see ancient monuments, extraordinary scenery, endangered wildlife, inspiring cultures, architecture and art - places that give us the chance to grow and expand our horizons. Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die is the first title in an exciting international bestselling series of books that will help you search out essential sights and experiences around the world. International travel writer and photographer Steve Davey has drawn on his years of experience in selecting the most unmissable places to see. Some, such as the Taj Mahal and the Alhambra, are relatively well-known, but most, such as the amazing sand dunes of Dead Vlei in the Namib desert, are very much off the beaten track. All of them, though, can be visited in a holiday of two weeks or less. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned photographs, this is a book that will inspire you to think beyond the walls of your room and truly see the world around you.

A new version of this much-loved anthology, with a brand-new story featuring the brand-new Thirteenth Doctor from literary sensation Naomi Alderman! Twelve wonderful tales of adventure, science, magic, monsters and time travel - featuring all twelve Doctors - are waiting for you in this very special Doctor Who book. And now they're joined by a very exciting, and very exclusive, new tale - written by Naomi Alderman, author of The Power - that will star the Thirteenth Doctor, as she battles to save the universe with her three close and trusted friends. Other authors featured are: Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman, Alex Scarrow, Charlie Higson, Derek Landy, Neil Gaiman, and Holly Black.