A selection of new ebooks in Arts; nothing if not eclectic…..

Cinematic canines : dogs and their work in the fiction film: edited by Adrienne L. McLean

As the owner of a dog who used to love watching other dogs on television (he’d get quite exercised), I can only commend this long overdue study of the important influence canines have exerted over the entire history of film. There is, of course, a whole chapter on Asta (real name Skippy), the dog who stole the show many times from William Powell and Myrna Loy in the delightful Thin Man film series, not to mention many other classic Hollywood comedies.

The image of Christ in modern art by Richard Harries

It’s easy enough to think that religious iconography, so central to the story of Western art throughout the centuries, has taken a back seat in the modern era, but Richard Harries mounts a compelling case to argue quite the opposite.

The London stage : 1920-1929 : a calendar of productions, performers, and personnel by J.P. Wearing

The author of this multi-volume and massive work has done an extraordinary service to both the theatre historian and the more casual enthusiast. While it may look, on the surface, to be a somewhat dry listing of dates and names you only have to look at the entries more closely to find a fascinating amount of detail, as well as contemporary reviews that can knock the wind out of some of these sails! Other volumes in this electronic version cover 1890-1899, 1900-1909 and 1910-1919, with more to follow.

Hardcore, punk, and other junk : aggressive sounds in contemporary music: edited by Eric James Abbey and Colin Helb

 

Not for the faint-hearted, this collection of essays examines the rise of  “aggressive” music on the popular music scene and the important role it plays as both an inspiration and release for its devotees, as well as an alternative to the packaged and anodyne output of the mainstream commercial industry.

And for those unacquainted with the oeuvre of Skippy, the wire fox terrier…….