BOOKS AND EBOOKS
Below are the covers of all my books, which are available to buy from AMAZON, EBAY, LULU and other online stores....
If you would like to order a few books, either for yourself or wholesale, email me at:
wisdomtwinsbooks@hotmail.com
If you would like to order a few books, either for yourself or wholesale, email me at:
wisdomtwinsbooks@hotmail.com
LATEST BOOKS
THE CINEMA OF BOB RAFELSON (2023)
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Bob Rafelson was one of the most important and influential directors to emerge in the New Hollywood boom of the 1960s and 70s. In films like Five Easy Pieces, he captured the confused mood of the times, with his leading man Jack Nicholson embodying the dissatisfaction felt by many in the post-sixties cultural landscape. Rafelson, though, was always hard to pin down to a style, and his filmography is full of such unique gems as The King of Marvin Gardens, Stay Hungry, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Blood and Wine.
In this book, writer and musician Chris Wade explores Rafelson’s extraordinary body of work, as well as getting fresh recollections from colleagues and collaborators, including Jeff Bridges. UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
THE CINEMA OF BERTRAND BLIER (2023)
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Writer, musician, and filmmaker Chris Wade explores the filmography of the acclaimed and controversial French filmmaker, Bertrand Blier. Hailed as a genius of the absurd and heavily awarded in Europe, Blier became known for his satirical tales of macho chauvinism and twisted love, often with French icon Gerard Depardieu as his leading man. Emerging as a serious force of European cinema with his landmark Going Places (1974), Blier went on to win an Oscar for Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978), a Cesar for Buffet Froid (1979), and the Cannes Grand Prix for Too Beautiful For You (1989). Though once one of the leading lights of French cinema, Blier is spoken of less today, and his films are not as celebrated as they once were. Chris Wade’s book then, is a much needed reappraisal, as well as a celebration of a singular talent whose films deserve to be watched by generations to come. The book also features Chris’s interview with Bertrand Blier from 2021.
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UK AND USA |
REST OF WORLD |
THE KINKS: 50 GREAT SONGS (2023)
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Chris Wade explores 50 great songs by The Kinks, the hugely influential group who formed in the mid sixties and went on to become one of the most innovative and important bands of the decade. Led by songwriter and vocalist Ray Davies, The Kinks went through numerous line ups and a variety of genres over the years. Beginning their chart career with proto-metal singles like You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night, they recorded such seminal albums as The Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur…, before becoming an experimental theatrical outfit in the early to mid 1970s, and a hard rocking arena attraction in the 1980s. Wade’s book delves into the creation and lasting legacy of 50 selected tracks from the band’s rich and varied discography, including such classics as Waterloo Sunset, Autumn Almanac, Shangri-La, and many more…
164 pages. Illustrated. |
UK AND USA |
REST OF WORLD |
BELA LUGOSI: ON SCREEN (2023)
UK BUYERS |
Chris Wade explores the film career of movie icon Bela Lugosi. From his silent films in Europe, his early American movies, the iconic roles in the likes of Dracula, The Black Cat, and White Zombie, through the low budget B movies of the 1940s, up to his final screen work for Ed Wood, Wade celebrates the great man's performances in a series of essays, examining the career of a man who never escaped the Dracula persona but whose films are now highly regarded by his legions of fans. The book also features Q and As with those who knew and worked with him. Other films explored include: The Raven, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Devil Bat, Son of Frankenstein, The Corpse Vanishes, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and many more...
204 pages. A5. Illustrated throughout. USA/OVERSEAS |
THREE DAYS IN THE RAIN:
A MYSTERY THRILLER (2023)
UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
Are you still there, Mr Spencer?” Smith’s voice came out of the tiny phone speaker like a message from beyond the grave, a tinny, trebly, far away sound that didn’t seem of this world. I felt a guilt so strong it was as if I had actually killed him already and he was sending me a threat from the afterlife, using my phone as a kind of portal into the land of the living.
Three Days in the Rain is the story of a private detective named Chris Spencer, who is hired by an ageing millionaire to observe his beautiful young girlfriend, fearing infidelities and perhaps something more sinister. Getting straight on the case, Spencer begins to track her every move, though he finds himself becoming increasingly fascinated with his subject. When the pair meet, the woman reaches out to the detective, asking for his help. But how far is he willing to go in order to aid the woman he barely knows? A suspenseful mystery, Three Days in the Rain also explores such themes as identity, perception, greed, and obsession. It is writer and musician Chris Wade’s first thriller. |
DAVID HEMMINGS ON SCREEN
UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
Chris Wade explores the career of actor and director David Hemmings, one of the most unfairly overlooked figures to emerge during the British cinema boom of the 1960s. Primarily known for his lead role in Michelangelo Antonioni's iconic masterpiece Blow Up (1966), Hemmings appeared in dozens of films and TV shows. He also worked prolifically as a director for both the cinema and the small screen. This colourful body of work, which includes roles in such stand out films as Tony Richardson's The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) and Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975), is crammed full of surprises and hidden treats. In a series of articles on each era of his life, Wade studies the key work from the Hemmings canon; cult classics like Barbarella (1967), unsung masterpieces like The Long Day's Dying (1969), lost gems such as Fragment of Fear (1970) and Voices (1973), important directorial films including The 14 (1973) and Just A Gigolo (1978), not to mention Hemmings' final screen appearances in such fare as Gladiator (2000) and Last Orders (2001). From early rock and roll pictures to directing The A Team, plus everything in between, the career of David Hemmings is endlessly fascinating. Paperback. 140 pages. |
THE CINEMA OF HENRY JAGLOM (2023)
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Chris Wade takes a look at the films of Henry Jaglom, one of the most fiercely independent filmmakers in American history. Beginning with his earliest pictures, A Safe Place and Tracks, Wade delves deep into Jaglom’s 80s period, charting his rise as an artist, before going on to the 90s and more recent work, when Henry’s unique style cemented itself into popular culture. Often covering taboo issues and subjects few other male directors would consider, Jaglom’s singular filmography is one that deserves to be discovered and cherished by any serious film buff. Peppered with recollections from Jaglom himself, plucked from various email and phone interviews conducted by Wade, THE CINEMA OF HENRY JAGLOM is a celebration of a true one-off maverick. 128 pages.
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WORKING WITH BOB DYLAN (2022)
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Over the past decade, Chris Wade has written extensively about Bob Dylan’s music. This book brings together all the interviews and Q & As Chris has done with some of the many varied people who’ve worked with Dylan over the years, from violinist Scarlet Rivera to guitarist Denny Freeman. Producers, musicians, artists and engineers alike discuss their memories of Dylan, creating a portrait of an eccentric, brilliant man who’s defined our times and continues to fascinate his millions of fans across the globe.
138 pages.
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READING PAUL AUSTER (2023)
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Writer, musician, and filmmaker Chris Wade explores the bibliography of his favourite author, Paul Auster. In a series of essays, Wade delves deep into such seminal novels as 4 3 2 1, The New York Trilogy, and The Book of Illusions, as well as Auster's non fiction work, including The Invention of Solitude and Winter Journal. This is a celebration and an affectionate homage to one of the greatest writers of our time.
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THE FILMS OF OLIVER STONE (2022)
UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
Oliver Stone is one of the most daring and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, a man whose monumental films have lodged themselves into the world’s collective consciousness. From Oscar winning classics like Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, to controversial masterpieces such as Salvador and Natural Born Killers, Stone has consistently made us sit up, pay attention, think, and see the world from a different viewpoint, one that has often been outside the “official” narrative. A fearless maverick unafraid to express his opinions and reveal his conclusions, his movies are often deemed controversial, and it’s certainly true that no one went away from an Oliver Stone film feeling indifferent. His work provokes reaction, encourages thought, and demands your full attention on both a visual and intellectual level.
In this book, writer and musician Chris Wade takes a look at Oliver’s staggering career as writer and director. A master of visual storytelling, Stone’s movies are events, many of which have sparked major debate and achieved wide acclaim. His rich filmography also contains such gems as Nixon, JFK, Any Given Sunday, Heaven and Earth, and Wall Street, awe-inspiring films that will be re-watched and studied by generations of film-goers for as long as people remain interested in cinema as art. Featuring a foreword from regular Stone collaborator James Woods, THE FILMS OF OLIVER STONE is a warm and affectionate tribute to one of the cinema’s finest artists. |
CHRIS WADE AND RIK MAYALL
CUTEY AND THE SOFAGUARD COMPANION BOOK
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For fans of the cult comedy audiobook CUTEY AND THE SOFAGUARD, here is Chris Wade's essential companion book. It features a diary of the recording, Chris's personal memories of working with Rik Maayall, photos, scans of work notes, plus a 2010 interview conducted by Chris with Rik at the same studio where they recorded the audiobook. The book also features additional material, including an essay on Rik's career, and interviews with directors Ate De Jong (Drop Dead Fred) and Jane Spencer (Little Noise). The book is both a personal memoir and an appreciation of Rik Mayall's talent.
70 pages. A5. Illustrated. UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
CLASSIC ALBUM SERIES: THE STRANGLERS (2022)
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In this edition, writer, musician and filmmaker Chris Wade looks at The Stranglers’ first two albums, Rattus Norvegicus and No More Heroes, both released in 1977 amidst the punk rock boom in the UK. Seen as the dirty old men of punk, the great outsiders of their time, the fact is that The Stranglers were one of the most commercially successful groups of the late 1970s. Their music has stood the test of time, and these two albums especially still pack a punch. The book explores the creation of both records, and also includes interviews with those who were there, such as the late producer, Martin Rushent.
UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
A PORTRAIT OF CATHERINE DENEUVE (2022)
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Catherine Deneuve is one of the greatest stars in the history of cinema, an international legend whose exceptional film career is matched by her status as a French icon. Her performances in such films as Luis Bunuel’s Belle De Jour, Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, and Francois Truffaut’s The Last Metro, all examined in this book, cemented her reputation as one of film’s true immortals, and she continues to excel to this day with daring, challenging roles.
In this book, Chris Wade explores Deneuve’s rich body of work, beginning with her early bit parts, through the legendary 60s in such films as Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Bunuel’s Tristana, horror cult classic The Hunger, the likes of Indochine and My Favourite Season, all the way up to her current era as the queen of French cinema, with such movies as The Truth, The Midwife, and The Brand New Testament. A5. Illustrated. Black and White. UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
THE FILMS OF JAMES WOODS (2022)
UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
James Woods is one of the most versatile and captivating actors in American film history. From his breakthrough performance as Greg Powell in The Onion Field (1979), Woods has grabbed the attentions of filmgoers the world over, and remains a firm fixture in our collective cinematic consciousness. In such films as Oliver Stone's Salvador (1986), Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America (1984), David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983), Martin Scorsese's Casino (1995), and John Carpenter's Vampires (1998), he has portrayed some of the most memorable anti-heroes of our times. Twice nominated for an Oscar (for Salvador and Rob Reiner’s Ghosts of Mississippi), he is also the winner of a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award, and three Emmys. Performances in such landmark TV productions as My Name is Bill W, Promise, and Citizen Cohn have gone down as some of the greatest in history. An exciting and engaging performer, throughout his fifty year career he has committed himself tirelessly to his craft, remained at the top of his game, and collaborated with some of the world's finest filmmakers and actors.
Drawing on new interviews with the man himself, James Woods discusses his whole career, taking the reader on a journey from his beginnings on stage and TV, through the iconic films and TV movies of the 80s and 90s, to his most recent work. In these free-wheeling conversations, James Woods shares his thoughts and memories with the reader, revealing key moments of movie history in the process. On top of Woods’ vivid insights, Chris Wade explores every single acting credit, and also speaks to such friends and collaborators as Oliver Stone, Debbie Harry, Dolly Parton, Sharon Stone, Tim Metcalfe, Harold Becker, Jim Belushi, and Joe Wambaugh. 396 pages. Black and white. Illustrated. A5. |
FILM CLOSE UP: SMOKE AND BLUE IN THE FACE
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Chris Wade takes a look at two cult classics from the 1990s, Smoke and Blue in the Face, made by writer Paul Auster and director Wayne Wang. Released during a golden era for American independent cinema, Smoke focuses on a Brooklyn cigar shop run by Auggie Wren (Harvey Keitel), and the various characters that revolve around it. Blue in the Face is the companion film to Smoke, a loose, free, often wild comedy, with star cameos and unforgettable ensemble sequences. Wade explores these two films, of which he has been a fan for 25 years, and delves into their making.
The book also features an interview with Paul Auster himself, conducted by Wade in 2022. UK AND USAREST OF WORLD |
FICTION AND POETRY
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NON FICTION
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