Best Selling Books by Philip Wilkinson

Profiles twenty of the world''s greatest buildings, providing for each the story of its construction, a visual analysis, and an explanation of key architectural features, and offers a chronological history of architecture.

Discover Islam--the faith, culture, and history that have shaped the Islamic world. Explore the world''s fastest-growing religion--from the Prophet Muhammad to Ramadan and the Qu''ran. Learn about traditional Islamic dress, feasts, and Islam''s rich tradition of design. Why do Muslims fast? What are the five pillars of Islam? What happens during the pilgrimage to Mecca? How did Islam spread across the world, from Spain to China? Find answers to these questions and more. Read about annual festivals in the Muslim calendar, including Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. View the layout of a mosque and see Islam''s role in scholarly learning, from astronomy to mathematics and medicine. Learn about the religion''s first conquests and the arms and armor of the Islamic world. Read about Islam''s important figures, including the scholar Avicenna, the explorer Ibn Battuta, and the military leader Saladin. DK Eyewitness Books: Islam is the perfect guide for kids who want to learn about this vibrant religion and culture.

Full steam ahead! Join the crew for a stirring voyage through the world of ships in this generously illustrated compendium of everything nautical. Investigate the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, find out what role ironclad warships played in the Civil War, and observe a container ship loading its cargo! Detailed cutaway artwork lets you explore the inner workings of all kinds of ships -- from ocean liners and aircraft carriers to sailboats and steamships. A useful reference section includes an illustrated glossary and index. The perfect gift for the budding seafarer.

Frank Lloyd Wright was the greatest American architect of the 20th century. During a long life he designed many of the most striking and iconic buildings in the USA - structures such as Fallingwater, a house poised above a waterfall in rural Pennsylvania, the Unity Temple, the USA''s first all-concrete public building, and New York''s amazing, spiral-shaped Guggenheim Museum. One of the most remarkable innovators in the history of architecture, Wright produced some of the most revolutionary buildings - breathtaking prairie houses, the Johnson Wax company headquarters with its Pyrex glazing and stunning mushroom columns, his own canvas-roofed desert home and office. Wright was a technological innovator too, pioneering inventions such as double-glazing, sound-absorbing office furniture, and prefabricated office partitions. But Wright did not pursue the new for its own sake. All his work is underpinned by a belief system: that buildings should be at one with their environment, that their form should grow from the needs of the client, and that site, floor plan, structural materials, and the use of the building should be in harmony. Wright called this set of ideas organic architecture, and both the philosophy and the buildings it produced are as inspiring now as they were when Wright was alive and working. This book showcases fifty of Wright''s most important projects. It covers buildings throughout his whole career, from the house he built for himself in Oak Park, Illinois in 1889 to the landmark structures of his final years like the Beth Sholom Synagogue and the Guggenheim Museum. The projects include a handful of influential buildings that are no longer standing, such as the masterly Larkin Company Building and the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, as a tribute to designs that still fascinate architects and others who follow the work of this inspiring American master. Brief opening and closing chapters outline the architect''s life and describe his wide influence, which, with his emphasis on architecture and environment, is as relevant as ever today.

In six hugely entertaining hours of television, BBC One brings the story of the great British high street to life in a major new series for Autumn 2010. At the centre of the programmes are five modern-day shopkeepers and their families, whose challenge will be to run their shops exactly as they would have been run in six key eras of British history, from the 1870s to the 1970s. The book that accompanies the television series tells the remarkable story of how the rise and fall of the high street transformed all our daily lives, touching on the history of technology, family relationships, work, food, fashion and community that make Britain what it is today. Each chapter vividly retells the story of the evolving high street at that period in time, with special emphasis given to changes in food, fashion, attitudes, jobs and family life. Illuminated with human interest stories from the programmes and illustrated with hundreds of archive photographs, this is the truly fascinating story of British society over the last century as well as a lavish photographic record of the great British high street in its heyday. CHAPTER 1 THE BIRTH OF THE GREAT BRITISH HIGH STREET. CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP SHOP (1880-1901). CHAPTER 3 THE GOLDEN AGE OF SHOPPING (1901-1918). CHAPTER 4 PEACE AND PROSPERITY (1918-1939). CHAPTER 5 MAKE DO AND MEND (1939-1945). CHAPTER 6 HELP YOURSELF (1945-1969). CHAPTER 7 COMMON MARKET (1970-1980). CHAPTER 8 THE FUTURE OF THE HIGH STREET. CHAPTER 9 YOUR HIGH STREET''S STORY.

The World of Ships is divided into four section--Trade and Discovery, Ships of War, Peopling the World, and Discovering Ships. Each section includes several page spreads focusing on specific themes and topics related to ships and seafaring. A glossary and an index are also included to build vocabulary and research skills.

A stunning visual guide to the world''s best designs Great Designs is a fascinating overview of the dynamic history of design from the 1860s onwards, tracing the development of modern designs, from sketches and prototypes to the final product. Which technological advancements have pioneered ground-breaking design? How did political struggle in 1930''s Germany inspire modern graphic design? Over 100 of the best modern design ideas are explored and explained, from Bauhaus posters and bubble chairs to the Citroen DS and the iPad. Each iconic design is analysed visually with close up details, and the story behind each piece of work is also revealed. Profiles of influential designers like Ferdinand Porsche and Earl Tupper, workshops and design movements as well as highlights of the characteristic elements of key design styles make this a fantastic visual reference guide. Examining product and industrial design as well as furniture, graphics, and textiles, Great Designs is a magnificent gallery of iconic designs.

Provides the reader with glimpses inside twenty-one famous buildings from around the world.

This resource covers a wide range of questions about Christian life, from the teachings of Jesus to how the pulpit and lectern are used in worship.

From lightning-wielding Zeus, the supreme Greek god, to protective Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love - heroes, gods, and monsters are brought to life in these retellings of myths from around the world. Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories is a children''s book that invites you to explore all the well-known stories from Greek and Norse mythology, and a range of other cultures across more than 100 tales. Discover the fascinating myths of Anansi, the West African trickster god who takes the form of a spider; the story of the Wawilak Sisters of Arnhem Land in northern Australia, who form the land as they walk across it; or the Slavic tale of Ivan as he chases the mischievous Firebird. Read about ferocious, man-eating monsters such as the Minotaur and Fafnir the dragon, and the legendary heroes that fought them, like Theseus and Sigurd. Also included are the legends of Robin Hood, and of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, epics from Asia, such as the Mahabharata and Gilgamesh, and a host of tales from Aztec mythology and a range of other cultures. As well as offering the retellings themselves, Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories: a visual encyclopedia investigates the meanings of these primal stories, examining why these tales have stood the test of time over thousands of years. Themed features draw together elements that are common to myths from all over the world, such as shapeshifters, mythical beasts, and magical weapons. Panels on modern retellings, such as Percy Jackson and The Little Mermaid, help to show why these myths are still relevant to our lives today.

Across perilous seas, deserts and frozen wastes, in the deepest ocean and on the highest mountain, this volume reveals the motivation behind the most memorable expeditions. Learn about exploration from planning to wilderness survival, and follow the routes the explorers travelled.

Redoutables guerriers et courageux explorateurs, les Vikings pillaient les villes et les villages, parcouraient les océans et faisaient du commerce dans des pays lointains il y a plus de mille ans. Qui étaient-ils ? Découvre d''où venaient les Vikings et comment ils vivaient. Qui était le plus puissant de leurs dieux ? Explore le monde fascinant des mythes et légendes vikings. Pourquoi les Vikings donnaient-ils des noms à leurs épées et à leurs haches ? Familiarise-toi avec leurs terribles armes. Pourquoi les Vikings ornaient-ils la proue de leurs bateaux de figures évoquant un dragon ? Découvre comment ils construisaient leurs célèbres drakkars. Voyage dans le temps et découvre le rôle joué par ces guerriers venus du nord de l''Europe.

Looks throughout history at discoveries in the field of transportation, and discusses how the ideas and inventions which were developed changed the way people travelled. Examples include the wheel, roads, boats and ships, the steam engine, mass production, the jet engine and rockets. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, junior secondary.

In this examination of Britain''s architectural heritage, the author discovers that the buildings of the past were often dramatically modern statements of form and technology. He argues that contemporary architecture has lost its way because it romanticizes periods and styles of the past.

Afin de souligner le centenaire du naufrage du Titanic, ce documentaire propose une découverte de ce légendaire navire: les grands paquebots de la fin du 18e siècle et du début du 19e siècle, la structure du navire, le repas du soir, la nuit du 14 avril 1912, les objets retrouvés par les plongeurs, etc. Chaque sujet fait l''objet d''une double page et d''une riche iconographie. [SDM].