Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
BOOK OF THE WEEK – AMAZING RARE THINGS, DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, 9781902163468 (ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST)
BD9.800 for members of Gulf Weekly Book Club
THE great voyages of discovery of the 16th and 17th centuries brought European artists face to face with new and exotic plants and animals, and created an intense interest in the way nature was investigated and recorded.
In this stunning hardback book (its full title being: Amazing Rare Things, The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery), Sir David Attenborough - the renowned naturalist and documentary-maker leaves the here-and-now to explore the world of natural history instead.
Profusely illustrated throughout, this fantastically interesting book is organized around a selection of exquisite drawings and watercolours by Leonardo da Vinci along with four other leading artists of the period as well as the works collected by Cassiano dal Pozzo for his immense ‘Paper Museum’.
These breath-taking images (all held in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle) reflect each artist’s engagement with the natural world from Renaissance Italy and England on to the New World of the Americas. So join Sir David as he leads us on a wonderful wonderful tour of the passions and achievements of each of these five artists on a range of their works.
Written in that charming, meandering style Sir David has, it is like having the best-loved commentator sitting alongside, talking you through the collection – simply magnificent!
READ IT NOW IN PAPERBACK
HERSTORY; 50 WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO SHOOK THE WORLD, KATERINE HALLIGAN AND SARAH WALSH,
9781788001380 (NOSY CROW)
BD8.300 for Gulf Weekly Book Club members
This is not just HIStory, it’s HERstory
There are a lot of ‘girl power’ titles around at the moment, but this bright and vibrant hardback is, in my opinion, one of the best. In this uplifting and inspiring book, children can learn about 50 intrepid women from around the world and throughout history.
It is the story of brave leaders, talented artists, gentle healers, committed teachers and gifted problem-solvers. It is the story of women and girls who bravely faced challenges, overcame difficulty or danger, and even gave up their lives to follow their dreams and make the world a better place.
Telling the stories of their childhood, the challenges they faced and the changes they made, each gorgeously illustrated spread is a celebration of women in its many forms. With a range of pioneering careers - from astronauts to activists, musicians to mathematicians and many more - young readers will be inspired to follow their own dreams with a collection of stories featuring 50 incredible women and girls.
Compelling, motivating and brilliantly illustrated in equal measure, this is the perfect introduction to just some of the amazing women who have shaped our world with fascinating facts, beautiful photographs and gorgeous art.
It is a wonderful book and one which should be on every child’s bookcase, boy or girl and in every school library.
A small selection of the women featured: Elizabeth I, Joan of Arc, Indira Gandhi, Boudicca, Frida Kahlo, Beatrix Potter, Coco Chanel, Billie Holiday, Anna Pavlova, Maya Angelou, Georgia O’Keeffe, Emily Bronte, Maria Montessori and Marie Curie.
MY FAVOURITE
READ OF THE WEEK
ROYAL TEAS, MARK FLANAGAN AND KATHRYN CUTHERTSON,
9781909741331 (ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST)
BD7.300 for Gulf Weekly Book Club members
There is no more quintessentially British tradition than afternoon tea, and nowhere is that tradition taken more seriously than at Buckingham Palace, where 30,000 afternoon teas are served every year at the summer Garden Parties.
Inspired by this British institution, and following on from the success of A Royal Cookbook (which was also a Gulf Weekly Book Club Book of the Week) Mark Flanagan, the Royal Chef, shares here his favourite tea-time treats.
Recipes and clear instruction will guide you through making pastries and savouries, biscuits and show-stopping cakes, from a springtime picnic to a festive Christmas tea, all with the royal touch.
This elegant recipe book also tells the story of the local and seasonal ingredients used by Mark Flanagan, such as the deliciously syrupy jam made from the mulberry trees of Buckingham Palace gardens, and the bee hives that keep the Royal Household in honey all year round and would make a perfect gift for any ardent lover of tea, cakes and all things British!
