Bøker av Mark Berry

Embark on a riveting journey with Sebastian, a retired operative, whose peaceful existence is shattered by persistent calls from his old boss, Durbish Mc Fane. Ignoring these pleas proves impossible as Sebastian is drawn back into a clandestine world he sought to leave behind. The messages reveal a threat that challenges Sebastian's wish for a quiet retirement. As he grapples with his boss' urgent requests, Sebastian faces emotional turmoil and the resurgence of a dangerous past. A tale of espionage, moral dilemmas, and the unwavering oath of "the Robin" unfolds as Sebastian navigates the complex web of his boss' ominous proposition. Will he be able to resist the call, or is his tranquil retirement at risk of being shattered? The intrigue deepens, and Sebastian's resolve is put to the ultimate test in this gripping thriller.

The story of ocean liners brought to life by objects and ephemera, revealing life on board, luxury and magnificence, and peril and disaster

The most radical and divisive composer of the twentieth century, Arnold Schoenberg remains a hero to many, and a villain to many others. In this refreshingly balanced biography, Mark Berry tells the story of Schoenberg's remarkable life and work, situating his tale within the wider symphony of nineteenth- and twentieth-century history. Born in the Jewish quarter of his beloved Vienna, Schoenberg left Austria for his early career in Berlin as a leading light of Weimar culture, before being forced to flee in the dead of night from Hitler's Third Reich. He found himself in the United States, settling in Los Angeles, where he would inspire composers from George Gershwin to John Cage. Introducing all of Schoenberg's major musical works, from his very first compositions, such as the String Quartet in D Major, to his invention of the twelve-tone method, Berry explores how Schoenberg's revolutionary approach to musical composition incorporated Wagnerian late Romanticism and the brave new worlds of atonality and serialism. Essential reading for anyone interested in the music and history of the twentieth century, this book makes clear Schoenberg changed the history of music forever.

Offers histories of music drama beginning with Wagner's Parsifal and then looking at works by Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, Luigi Dallapiccola, Luigi Nono and Hans Werner Henze.

Explores the political and religious ideas expounded in Wagner's 'Ring' through an attention to this text and drama, the multifarious intellectual influences upon the composer during the work's lengthy gestation and composition. It considers Wagner's treatment of various worlds: nature, politics, economics, and metaphysics.