Books with author Christopher Finch

Now available in a newly revised and expanded edition, this book offers the definitive critical examination of one of America’s most celebrated living artists. Chuck Close reinvented portraiture more than four decades ago with a series of nine-foot-tall, black-and-white likenesses of himself and fellow artists, which astonished an art world dominated by Minimalism and Conceptualism. Close has since explored the possibilities implicit in his original breakthrough in an array of media. This lavish, large-format volume deals with all aspects of Close’s career and places them in a biographical context. Christopher Finch’s insight into Close’s achievement comes by way of hundreds of studio visits and thousands of hours of conversation since he met Close in 1968. The author provides an engaging, in-depth analysis of Close’s portraits on canvas, from the continuous-tone airbrushed heads of the 1960s and 1970s to the painterly “prismatic grids” of the past decades. Featuring 365 illustrations, the book surveys almost all of Close’s paintings, including his most recent work, together with a selection of prints and multiples and examples of his photographic oeuvre. This beautifully designed volume reveals not only the variety of pictorial strategies Close has devised, but also the extraordinary personality of the artist behind the work.

Christopher Fowler’s acclaimed Peculiar Crimes Unit novels crackle with sly wit, lively suspense, and twists as chilling as London’s fog. Now the indomitable duo of Arthur Bryant and John May, along with the rest of their quirky team, return to solve a confounding case with dark ties to the British theater and a killer who may mean curtains for all involved.For the crew of the New Strand Theatre, the play The Two Murderers seems less performance than prophecy when a cast party ends in the shocking death of the theater owner’s son. The crime scene is most unusual, even for Bryant and May. In a locked bedroom without any trace of fingerprints or blood, the only sign of disturbance is a gruesome life-size puppet of Mr. Punch laying on the floor. Everyone at the party is a suspect, including the corrupt producer, the rakish male lead, the dour set designer, and the assistant stage manager, who is the wild daughter of a prominent government official. It’s this last fact that threatens the Peculiar Crimes Unit’s investigation, as the government’s Home Office, wary of the team’s eccentric methods, seeks to throw them off the case. But the nimble minds of Bryant and May are not so easily deterred. Delving into the history of the London theater and the disturbing origins of Punch and Judy, the detectives race to find the maniacal killer before he reaches his even deadlier final act. Whip-smart and endlessly entertaining, The Memory of Blood is an ingeniously intricate mystery from the deliciously inventive Christopher Fowler.BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Christopher Fowler's The Invisible Code.Praise for The Memory of Blood “[The Memory of Blood] breathes new life into the locked-room mystery. . . . Spiced with a little screwball-comedy dialogue and a touch of the occult.”—The Washington Post “Great fun.”—The Seattle Times

Christopher Fowler’s Peculiar Crimes Unit novels have been hailed for their originality, suspense, and unforgettable characters. Now Arthur Bryant, John May, and their team of proud eccentrics have been given only one week to hunt down a murderer they’ve already caught once—and who is now luring them down into the darkest shadows of the London Underground.The young man they seek is an enigma. His identity is false. His links to society are invisible. A search of his home yields no clues. The Peculiar Crimes Unit knows only this: Somehow Mr. Fox got out of a locked room and killed one of their best and brightest. Facing a shutdown, Bryant and May learn that their man, expertly disguised, has struck again in the world’s oldest subway system. But as their search takes them into the vast labyrinth of tunnels that tie the city together, they discover a fresh mystery as bizarre as anything they have ever faced. . . . As the city blithely goes about its way, as tales of ghost stations and Underground legends emerge, Bryant and May, men of opposite methods, are each getting closer to what lies hidden at the heart of London’s celebrated Tube—and to the madness that is driving their man to murder.Sophisticated, fast-paced, and confounding until its final twist, Bryant & May off the Rails is Christopher Fowler dead on track and at the height of his power to beguile, bewitch, and entertain.BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Christopher Fowler's The Memory of Blood.Praise for Bryant & May off the Rails“Life always seems livelier whenever Arthur Bryant and John May are on a case.”—The New York Times Book Review “Fowler, like his crime-solvers, is deadpan, sly, and always unexpectedly inventive.”—Entertainment Weekly

This extraordinary book, 666 The Mark of America, Seat of the Beast exposes the stunning truth about America and its connection with 666, which the reader will learn, represents nothing more than MONEY. Not only does the book give a simple explanation of every chapter and verse of Revelation, but it also discloses the truth about America, human nature, and the reality of the world in which we live. But most important, it gives the solution to bringing peace and happiness to our world. It validates what each of us knows intrinsically: that ALL of us are created equal, and that ALL of us should be loved, valued, and respected equally. Will the earth's powers reassess the path of insatiable appetite that creates slavery, or will we move towards peace through compassion and global equity for all? "When we begin to see each other as ourselves and treat the world's children as our own - this world will be a far different, happier and more peaceful place to live. This was John's intent and purpose in writing the book of Revelation." -- Christopher

"A romantic comedy in three acts, set in verse, it is set in the Middle Ages, it reflects the world's 'exhaustion and despair' following World War II, with a war-weary soldier who wants to die, and an accused witch who wants to live."Please note line breaks are hard-coded to preserve the original flow of the blank verse and may appear inconsistent on large text sizes.

Now available in a revised and expanded edition, this book offers the first comprehensive critical examination of one of America's most celebrated living artists. Chuck Close reinvented portraiture almost four decades ago with a series of nine-foot-tall, black-and-white likenesses of himself and fellow artists, which astonished an art world dominated by minimalism and conceptualism. Close has since explored an array of mediums. This lavish, large-format volume is the first to deal with all aspects of Close's career and to place them in a biographical context. Christopher Finch's insight into CLose's achievement comes by way of hundreds of studio visits and thousands of hours of conversation since he met Close in 1968. Finch provides an engaging, in-depth analysis of Close's portraits on canvas, from the continuous-tone airbrushed heads of the 1960s and '70s to the painterly "prismatic grids" of the past two decades. The more than 300 illustrations features in the book survey almost all of CLose's paintings, including his most recent work, together with a selection of his prints and multiples, and examples of his photographic oeuvre. This beautifully designed volume reveals not only the variety of pictorial strategies Close has devised, but the extrordinary personality of the artist behind the work.

When Zozimos is banished by an evil witch (his stepmother!) from the kingdom of Sticatha-the kingdom he was next in line to rule-he trains at battle (if you call chasing after butterflies training), travels across stormy seas (thanks for that, Poseidon), slays golems and monsters (with a lot of help), charms beautiful women (not really), and somehow (despite his own ineptitude) survives quest after quest. By the love of Zeus, though, none of it brings him any closer to home! It does, however, make for one quirky, original, giggle-provoking graphic novel sure to appeal to any kid interested in Greek mythology, or merely looking for an entertaining read.

Greek tragedy has never been so funny Zozimos' journey to the kingdom of Sticatha has been anything but smooth. He's survived enslavement, battled golems and a ravenous Cyclops, and generally served as plaything to gods and goddesses looking for a good laugh. All for the sake of reclaiming the Sticathan royal throne--stolen from him by an evil witch, aka his stepmother. You'd think that a stickman would catch a break after all that, but you'd be wrong. Arriving home only brings crazy family members and a return trip to sea, where mercenary centaurs and giant boar gods keep Zozimos questing and readers laughing. It would all be an epic tragedy if it wasn't so funny.

Christopher Fowler’s acclaimed Peculiar Crimes Unit novels crackle with sly wit, lively suspense, and twists as chilling as London’s fog. Now the indomitable duo of Arthur Bryant and John May, along with the rest of their quirky team, return to solve a confounding case with dark ties to the British theater and a killer who may mean curtains for all involved.For the crew of the New Strand Theatre, the play The Two Murderers seems less performance than prophecy when a cast party ends in the shocking death of the theater owner’s son. The crime scene is most unusual, even for Bryant and May. In a locked bedroom without any trace of fingerprints or blood, the only sign of disturbance is a gruesome life-size puppet of Mr. Punch laying on the floor. Everyone at the party is a suspect, including the corrupt producer, the rakish male lead, the dour set designer, and the assistant stage manager, who is the wild daughter of a prominent government official. It’s this last fact that threatens the Peculiar Crimes Unit’s investigation, as the government’s Home Office, wary of the team’s eccentric methods, seeks to throw them off the case. But the nimble minds of Bryant and May are not so easily deterred. Delving into the history of the London theater and the disturbing origins of Punch and Judy, the detectives race to find the maniacal killer before he reaches his even deadlier final act. Whip-smart and endlessly entertaining, The Memory of Blood is an ingeniously intricate mystery from the deliciously inventive Christopher Fowler.Praise for The Memory of Blood “[The Memory of Blood] breathes new life into the locked-room mystery. . . . Spiced with a little screwball-comedy dialogue and a touch of the occult.”—The Washington Post “Great fun.”—The Seattle Times