Good And Evil In The Garden Of Art

In this book of essays Anthony Daniels tackles the complex relation between good and bad art on the one hand and good and bad ideas on the other. In several essays he contrasts authors or artists whom he considers good with those he considers bad, and tries to explain why his opinion is not merely a matter of individual taste but is based upon reason as well as taste. He argues that judgment and discrimination (between good and bad, beautiful and ugly) are intrinsic to any conceivable human existence, indeed to thought itself, and that the pretense that they are avoidable, that one can indefinitely suspend judgment, are merely a means by which bad or false judgments are smuggled into public life.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

Welcome to Italian police detective Nic Costa's Rome: the side of the city the tourist board does not want you to see. "Hewson does more than provide a thrilling read. He saves you the airfare to Italy. When you turn the last page, you'll think you've been there" LINWOOD BARCLAY "David Hewson's Rome is dark and tantalizing, seductive and dangerous, a place where present-day crimes ring with the echoes of history" TESS GERRITSEN "David Hewson is one of the finest thriller writers working today" STEVE BERRY "No author has ever brought Rome so alive for me - nor made it seem so sinister" PETER JAMES _______________________ A grisly discovery in the heart of Rome. A desperate chase. An untouchable prime suspect . . . Inside a deserted studio, in a seedy area of Rome best known for prostitution, an art expert from the Louvre is found dead in front of one of the most beautiful paintings that Detective Nic Costa has ever seen - an unknown Caravaggio masterpiece. This death is just the start. Before long, tragedy strikes Costa far closer to home . . . and the hunt to find the killer becomes deeply personal. But while the main suspect's identity is known, he remains untouchable - protected in his grand palazzo by a fleet of lawyers and a sinister cult known as the Ekstasists. Teaming with an art expert, Costa follows clues hidden in the mysterious Caravaggio canvas. As he moves through a maze of history, he begins to make stunning connections to the present case. And each discovery brings him closer and closer to a terrifying conspiracy dating back four hundred years - and to men who will stop at nothing to protect their own private garden of evil. Fans of Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti, Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano and Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen, as well as Louise Penny, Jeffey Siger and Martin Walker, will love this thrilling mystery series - perfect for readers who enjoy dark and complex character-led mysteries with multiple twists. PRAISE FOR THE GARDEN OF EVIL: "Opens with a shocker that will have series fans reeling . . . Arturo Perez-Reverte has long set the gold standard for mixing history, mystery, and modern life into literary stews of mouthwatering flavor and incredible subtlety, but it's time to agree that Hewson now shares that position-and is on the verge of claiming it outright" Booklist Starred Review "A dark jewel of a thriller" Publishers Weekly Starred Review "A thought-provoking blend of art history and mystery . . .A treat for readers who like their entertainment literate" Richmond Times-Dispatch "This one took my breath away . . . Worth a read if you love art, history, the renaissance or police procedurals, especially if you love a mixture of all three" Kirsten, 5* GoodReads review "I could not recommend a book in this genre more highly. For me it is right up there with Donna Leon's wonderful series featuring Venetian Detective, Guido Brunetti" Blair, 5* GoodReads review "I've enjoyed all of Hewson's Nic Costa series but this one proved to be my favourite so far" Vivienne, 5* GoodReads review "One of the best crime series out there, and this volume, to date, is the best of the series" Linda, 5* GoodReads review THE NIC COSTA MYSTERIES, IN ORDER: 1. A Season for the Dead 2. The Villa of Mysteries 3. The Sacred Cut 4. The Lizard's Bite 5. The Seventh Sacrament 6. The Garden of Evil 7. Dante's Numbers (aka The Dante Killings) 8. City of Fear (aka The Blue Demon) 9. The Fallen Angel 10. The Savage Shore

The #1 Wall Street Journal ebook bestseller about the murder that shocked Savannah society and inspired the blockbuster film. As a premier antiques dealer in Savannah, Jim Williams had it all: style, culture, charisma, and sophistication. But three decades of hard work came crashing down the night he shot Danny Hansford, his wild young lover. Jim Williams stood trial four times over the next decade for premeditated murder. While Clint Eastwood’s movie—starring Kevin Spacey and Jude Law—and the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt portrayed the natives of Savannah as remarkably decadent, exotic characters, they missed the surprising dark side of Jim Williams himself. He was a smooth predator whose crimes could have put him behind bars long before the death of Danny Hansford. After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is Marilyn Bardsley’s continuation of the story, which includes crucial testimony recreating the courtroom drama between a gifted prosecutor and a brilliant defense attorney as they battle over the future of a self-made aristocrat. More than forty photos and revealing insider interviews bring new life to the vivid cast of characters in this unique southern crime story.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Funny, insightful, illuminating . . ." —The Boston Globe Twelve years ago, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil exploded into a monumental success, residing a record-breaking four years on the New York Times bestseller list (longer than any work of fiction or nonfiction had before) and turning John Berendt into a household name. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic Fenice opera house. Encountering a rich cast of characters, Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to portray a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting.

The triptych is reproduced here for the first time complete & in life-size detail.

The Quiet Eye is a book of great charm, imbued with a love and understanding of art that speaks directly to the heart. The thirty-three pictures selected by the American sculptress Sylvia Shaw Judson cover a wide spectrum of subjects and styles, from the seventh century to the modern day. They include works by artists ranging from Durer and Brueghel to Rousseau and Klee, pottery and sculpture from ancient Greece, Oriental scrolls and wall paintings, and are accompanied by quotations from Plato and Shakespeare to Wordsworth and Walt Whitman. In making her choice, Sylvia Judson's intention was "to communicate a sense of affirmation, of wonder, of trust. This is a spirit alien to much of the art of our insecure time, but one which I am confident will some day return." The Quiet Eye was first published as a large format art book in 1954, when it won immediate acclaim. The 1982 edition features a more convenient size and some color images that were originally published in black and white.

After leaping off the pages with he unforgettable debut in John Berendt's bestselling Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the unabashed personality known as The Lady Chablis now brings her irresistible charisma to the remarkable odyssey of fabulousness that USA Today calls "sassy" and "provocative...." Born Benjamin Edward Knox in Quincy, Florida, "The Doll" always knew she was different. At a Tallahassee club, in her teens, she found the drag mother who would set her on the path to stardom. Before long, The Lady Chablis had a headline drag act replete with trademark saucy wit, down-home wisdom, and, of course, breasts. The rest is "Miss Thang" history....