Compass Points was off to the
Science Museum this week for the supersonic launch of Mission Moon 3-D (hb, £30, 978 1999667405).
Brian May and
David Eicher blasted off this hardback
in great style with a riveting presentation of the astonishing 3D pics from the
book, some stellar moon cocktails and a Skype interview with Apollo 16 Moonwalker
Charlie Duke (who’s written the foreword) from his home in the US.
I think everyone found the Q&A with him very exciting, and indeed moving. For
those of us not fortunate enough to have been to the moon (and only twelve have,
only four are still alive) he confirmed that the 3D pics “are amazing and give a good approximation of what it’s really like to
be there.” Earlier the same day I had heard Brian May and David Eicher give a barnstorming promotion for the book to Craig
Charles on the Big Show on Radio 2. This show has eight million listeners
– and I defy anyone who heard Brian and Craig talking enthusiastically about it
“the book is fascinating, it’s brilliant,
it’s so well produced” not to have immediately wanted to rush out and buy it!
You can listen to that interview here, it’s 2hrs 26 mins
in.
I
caught Alastair
Campbell talking on the Jeremy Vine programme about the latest
volume of his diaries - very interesting! His story has now reached one those
memorable moments that many of us remember very well! Having succeeded Tony
Blair as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown wants Campbell at his side, but Campbell
resists as a general election looms and Brown's indecision and fluctuating
moods suggest the Labour administration is seriously threatened by the Tory
posh boy, David Cameron. The intensity of the months leading up to 6 May 2010
is as dramatic as any screenplay, with Campbell chronicling Brown's struggle to
win over a disillusioned nation and then his dignified departure from the main
stage. Who remembers “bigot-gate” – you can remind yourselves here! Campbell is all
over the airwaves at the moment, championing the People’s vote – which shouldn’t
do the sales of Volume
7: From Crash to Defeat, 2007 – 2010 (£25, hb, 978 1785900853) just
out from Biteback any harm at all!
A
very moving piece in the Mail here
about some heart-wrenching letters sent to the grieving parents of three
brothers killed in the First World War which have just been sold at auction to
the National Trust for £1,200.This reminds me to tell you about Having a Go at the
Kaiser: A Welsh Family at War (£14.99,
pb, 978 1786833471) by Gethin Matthews which is published in November by University of Wales Press. This book is
based on more than a hundred letters sent home by three Swansea soldier brothers
during 1916–18. Richard, Gabriel and Ivor’s letters written to different
members of their family allow us to build an extraordinary picture of what the
brothers thought on a range of different issues and of how their beliefs and
ideas evolved. Full of sibling rivalry and affection, and dealing with such
issues as identity, masculinity and duty, this is a detailed and fascinating
collection.
I
think we can all agree that we live in highly uncertain times at present – and for
those in business, the future looks especially undefined. The book they need is
Leading Through
Uncertainty: Emotional Resilience and Human Connection in a Performance-Driven
World (£17.99, pb, 978 1788600194),
of which Professional Manager
magazine has just declared “If you only
read one management book in the near future, let this be it.” The rapid
advancement of technology has fuelled fast-paced change in business, creating a
high-performance culture that requires leaders to be resilient and agile. But
the increased level of insecurity and an ever-expanding workload often create
stress and fear. Leadership expert Jude Jennison overcame
her fear of horses six months before she bought her first one and the process
of overcoming those fears and the lesson she learned about leadership are the
subject of this refreshing management book. This is a call to return to the
core of humanity to find the natural human characteristics of communication,
connection, compassion and community. As Professional
Manager went on to say “Jennison’s
work is a tribute to partnership…let your eyes be opened and see if you can
overcome your own fears.” It’s out now from Practical Inspiration.
A
good review for That
Summer Feeling by Mark Hodkinson (pb, £9.99, 978 1904590323), in The Crack magazine here “I like books that ramble on, that are like
someone talking to you or you’re hearing thoughts. When I meet someone or just
see them around I always think: what are you like? What’s happened to you?”
That’s the 20-something hero of Mark Hodkinson’s latest explaining to the tutor
of his creative writing course what sort of books he likes. It would be a
fitting description for this 2004-set novel, although any rambling on is done
in the most amiable way.” It goes on to compare Mark’s novel to Billy Liar – “engaging” and “sharply
intelligent”.
Super
to see Happy By Design (978 1859468784, £20, pb) by Ben Channon included
in a promotion by the Welcome Trust entitled
Living With Buildings. This is a fantastic
little book exploring the links between happiness and architecture. Given that
we spend over 80% of our time in buildings, shouldn't we have a better
understanding of how they make us feel? This book explores the ways in which
buildings, spaces and cities affect our moods and reveals how architecture and
design can make us happy and support mental health, and explains how poor
design can have the opposite effect. Presented through a series of
easy-to-understand design tips and accompanied by beautiful diagrams and
illustrations, Happy
by Design is a great resource for architects, designers and
students, or for anybody who would like to better understand the relationship
between buildings and joy. It’s just been published by RIBA.
The Flag:
The Story of Revd David Railton MC and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (hb, £20, 978 1612004471)
is set to be the Book of the Month in
December for the magazine Britain at War.
Reverend Railton served as a chaplain on the Western Front during World War. He
supported the soldiers in their worst moments, he buried the fallen, comforted
the wounded, wrote to the families of the missing and killed, and helped the
survivors. He also received the Military Cross for rescuing an
officer and two men under heavy fire on the Somme. It was Railton’s idea to
bring home the body of an unidentified fallen comrade from the battlefields to
be buried in Westminster Abbey, and on Armistice Day 1920, his flag covered the
coffin as the Unknown Warrior was laid to rest with full honours. This is the
first book to explore David Railton’s life and war, drawing on his letters and
unpublished papers. It’s published by Casemate.
There
was a great, big, really enthusiastic review from Bel Mooney of What a Hazard a
Letter Is (£14.99, hb, 978 0993291173) in the Daily Mail this week! “Caroline
Atkins delves through history and literature to uncover a series of unsent letters
written by notable individuals including Virginia Woolf, Beethoven and John F. Kennedy
… Unsent letters provide essential devices in fiction, as well as being part of
the tragedy of life … a gloriously varied collection…fascinating…intriguing.”
You can read the whole piece here,
it really is a superb bit of publicity for this book which has just been published
by Safe Haven.
A
lovely review in Sunday Express for Under The Wig ((hb, £16.99, 978 1912454082); "an
eloquent and riveting memoir by one of this country's leading murder case
defence lawyers. William Clegg revisits some of his most notions cases, from
the acquittal of Colin Stagg for the murder of Rachel Nickell to his defence of
the first Nazi war criminal to be tried in Britain, and the burglar given a
life sentence because of an ear print." Canbury Press have already sold out of the first print run of this title
and its only just been published! The reprint has just arrived and I suggest
you order it pronto, as all the reviews have been terrific (“Gripping” The Times, “Fascinating”
The Secret Barrister) and it’s the ideal Christmas crime read!
This
weekly blog is written for the UK book trade. If you would like to order any of
the titles mentioned, then please talk to your Compass Sales Manager, or call
the Compass office on 020 8326 5696. Every Friday an e-newsletter containing
highlights from the blog is sent out to over 700 booksellers – and if you’d
like to receive this then please contact nuala@compass-ips.london
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