Chris Heath – författare

Marking the fortieth anniversary of Please, the duo’s first album release, the instant Sunday Times bestseller Pet Shop Boys Volume presents their entire visual output to date in a contemporary literary format. Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – are the most successful duo in the history of pop music. Three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, including No. 1 hits such as ‘West End girls’, ‘It’s a sin’, and ‘Always on my mind’, and platinum-selling albums Please, Actually, and Very. Uniquely spanning the worlds of music, art, film, theatre, design, and fashion, Pet Shop Boys have forged an identity as unforgettable as their sound. From the seminal graphic design of their record sleeves to their groundbreaking videos and innovative stage shows, they have set the bar for the visual presentation of pop. Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the release of their first album in 1986, Pet Shop Boys Volume is the definitive retrospective of the duo’s career. Expanding upon Pet Shop Boys Catalogue, published two decades ago, it presents their entire visual output to date, year by year. Sleeve artworks and packaging, stills from every video, film, and performance, stage sets and costume designs, photoshoots, publications, and even Christmas cards all feature, as does every collaboration with luminaries including Mark Farrow, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, Bruce Weber, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Derek Jarman, Scott King, Zaha Hadid, Tom Scutt, and Es Devlin. Concise commentaries by Chris Heath and Philip Hoare provide illuminating insights into the genesis of each project. Hoare’s original introduction is accompanied by a new introduction from Libby Sellers who considers the importance of Pet Shop Boys within the history of design, while a new foreword by Jeremy Deller reflects on the enduring impact of their music and image. With a jacket designed by Farrow and a new conversation between Heath, Tennant, and Lowe, Pet Shop Boys Volume is a visual feast and a sumptuous tribute to four decades of creative innovation.

The Pet Shop Boys are one of the most successful and unusual bands of the last five decades. They are the pop duo that proves pop music can be modern, ecstatic and playful as well as serious and intelligent, winning them legions of devoted fans throughout the world.In 1989, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe invited journalist Chris Heath and photographer Lawrence Watson to shadow them around Hong Kong, Japan and the UK as they embarked on their first-ever tour. This book is the result: an immersive portrait giving access into the duo’s inner sanctum, showing them in brilliantly observed detail as they work, relax, gossip, argue and occasionally try to make sense of what they do.‘As clear a picture as could be wished for of the seething mass of elegant contradictions that is the Pet Shop Boys’ on-the-road experience.’ Independent on Sunday‘This superbly reported book transcends tired rock journalism cliché. It’s about what it means to be a pop star, what it means to be a Pet Shop Boy… how to love pop, hold it to a higher standard and subvert its expectations.’ Laura Snapes

The publication of Feel: Robbie Williams by Chris Heath in September 2004 caused shockwaves of controversy and delight. Not only was its publication trumpeted in tabloids, on TV and the radio, but it was also critically lauded by the broadsheets. Finally, a book had been written on the subject of celebrity and the modern world which had intelligence, honesty and humour. Written by Chris Heath, who spent nearly two years working with Robbie on this book, every word is imbued with Robbie's humour, charisma, talent, memories and complexity. But more than ever before, this book tells the truth about his extraordinary life. You may have seen his face a million times, heard his music every day, followed him from the beginning of Take That, but this is a man with some serious surprises in store.After years of rumour and lies, the complete, intimate story of Robert P. Williams had been written.This is a groundbreaking book.

'A stunning book, a powerful investigation, utterly compelling,' James Holland, The Daily Telegraph, Five stars'Terrifying' Simon SchamaPonar, Lithuania. 1944. The Nazis have enslaved Jewish men to exhume and incinerate the bodies of more than 70,000 Jews previously shot to death in the forest. Trapped in almost unimaginable horror, a group develop an audacious escape plan. Despite being guarded day and night, they dig a tunnel with their bare hands. Twelve men escape - an act of great bravery and desperation as well as extraordinary imagination.Based on first-person accounts of the escapees and on every scrap of evidence that has been documented, repressed or amplified since, No Road Leading Back resurrects the lives of the twelve and their acts of witness, as well as providing an urgent analysis of why their story has rarely been told - and never accurately. Author Chris Heath explores the cultural use and misuse of Holocaust testimony and the need for us to face uncomfortable historical truths with honesty and accuracy.This shattering and inspiring true story of prisoners who dug their way out of torture and imprisonment by the Nazis is both a stunning escape narrative and an object lesson in how we remember and continually forget the particulars of the Holocaust.

'A stunning book, a powerful investigation, utterly compelling,' James Holland, The Daily Telegraph, Five stars'Terrifying' Simon SchamaPonar, Lithuania. 1944. The Nazis have enslaved Jewish men to exhume and incinerate the bodies of more than 70,000 Jews previously shot to death in the forest. Trapped in almost unimaginable horror, a group develop an audacious escape plan. Despite being guarded day and night, they dig a tunnel with their bare hands. Twelve men escape - an act of great bravery and desperation as well as extraordinary imagination.Based on first-person accounts of the escapees and on every scrap of evidence that has been documented, repressed or amplified since, No Road Leading Back resurrects the lives of the twelve and their acts of witness, as well as providing an urgent analysis of why their story has rarely been told - and never accurately. Author Chris Heath explores the cultural use and misuse of Holocaust testimony and the need for us to face uncomfortable historical truths with honesty and accuracy.This shattering and inspiring true story of prisoners who dug their way out of torture and imprisonment by the Nazis is both a stunning escape narrative and an object lesson in how we remember and continually forget the particulars of the Holocaust.

'A stunning book, a powerful investigation, utterly compelling,' James Holland, The Daily Telegraph, Five starsPonar, Lithuania. 1944. The Nazis have enslaved Jewish men to exhume and incinerate the bodies of more than 70,000 Jews previously shot to death in the forest. Trapped in almost unimaginable horror, a group develop an audacious escape plan. Despite being guarded day and night, they dig a tunnel with their bare hands. Twelve men escape - an act of great bravery and desperation as well as extraordinary imagination.Based on first-person accounts of the escapees and on every scrap of evidence that has been documented, repressed or amplified since, No Road Leading Back resurrects the lives of the twelve and their acts of witness, as well as providing an urgent analysis of why their story has rarely been told - and never accurately. Author Chris Heath explores the cultural use and misuse of Holocaust testimony and the need for us to face uncomfortable historical truths with honesty and accuracy.This shattering and inspiring true story of prisoners who dug their way out of torture and imprisonment by the Nazis is both a stunning escape narrative and an object lesson in how we remember and continually forget the particulars of the Holocaust.

This by turns shattering and hope-giving account of prisoners who dug their way to freedom from the Nazis is both a stunning escape narrative and an object lesson in the ways we remember and continually forget the particulars of the Holocaust.No Road Leading Back is the remarkable story of a dozen prisoners who escaped from the site where more than 70,000 Jews were shot in the Lithuanian forest of Ponar after the Nazi invasion of Eastern Europe in 1941. Anxious to hide the incriminating evidence of the murders, the S.S. later in the war enslaved a group of Jews to exhume every one of the bodies and incinerate them all in a months-long labor—an episode whose specifics are staggering and disturbing, even within the context of the Holocaust. From within that dire circumstance emerges the improbable escape made by some of the men, who dug a tunnel with bare hands and spoons while they were trapped and guarded day and night—an act not just of bravery and desperation but of awesome imagination. Based on first-person accounts of the escapees and on each scrap of evidence that has been documented, repressed, or amplified since, this book resurrects their lives, while also providing a complex, urgent analysis of why their story has rarely been told, and never accurately. Heath explores the cultural use and misuse of Holocaust testimony and the need for us to face it—and all uncomfortable historical truths—with honesty and accuracy.

Denby & District in the First and Second World Wars: Their Ultimate Sacrifice, commemorates and celebrates the lives of the soldiers from this part of the world and the role they played during hostilities. For the vast number of people the local War Memorial is something taken for granted, it has always been there and though it is respected it is not really understood anymore. The names upon it might be familiar to some but the lives and stories behind those names have largely been forgotten. The same is true of the local War graves in the churchyards. Interest sometimes peaks when a major anniversary occurs or a new film such as the recent ‘1917’ is released but this generally wanes after a while. This book provides a unique and timeless insight into our knowledge of the men of Denby Dale, Upper & Lower Cumberworth, Birdsedge, Upper & Lower Denby and Ingbirchworth and throws up many surprises. The soldier’s families are examined in detail, their civilian occupations, their homes and achievements. Their War service histories, where they fought, how they died and where they are buried are included where those records have survived. It is not just the fallen contained in these pages and the stories of many who returned from the arena of the two World Wars are printed here for the very first time. With 130 illustrations and 30 family tree’s this book is a tribute to all those that made the Ultimate Sacrifice and their comrades in arms who made it home.

Denby & District in the First and Second World Wars: Their Ultimate Sacrifice, commemorates and celebrates the lives of the soldiers from this part of the world and the role they played during hostilities. For the vast number of people the local War Memorial is something taken for granted, it has always been there and though it is respected it is not really understood anymore. The names upon it might be familiar to some but the lives and stories behind those names have largely been forgotten. The same is true of the local War graves in the churchyards. Interest sometimes peaks when a major anniversary occurs or a new film such as the recent ‘1917’ is released but this generally wanes after a while. This book provides a unique and timeless insight into our knowledge of the men of Denby Dale, Upper & Lower Cumberworth, Birdsedge, Upper & Lower Denby and Ingbirchworth and throws up many surprises. The soldier’s families are examined in detail, their civilian occupations, their homes and achievements. Their War service histories, where they fought, how they died and where they are buried are included where those records have survived. It is not just the fallen contained in these pages and the stories of many who returned from the arena of the two World Wars are printed here for the very first time. With 130 illustrations and 30 family tree’s this book is a tribute to all those that made the Ultimate Sacrifice and their comrades in arms who made it home.

No other pop group in recent history has faced fame with such intelligence, humour and shrewdness as the Pet Shop Boys. In 1991, the band toured North America for the first time shadowed by journalist Chris Heath and legendary rock photographer Pennie Smith. They visited fourteen cities in one month, confronting the American music industry and colliding with the likes of Liza Minnelli, Steven Spielberg and Axl Rose. This is more than a documentary of a tour; it is an unusually intimate portrait of two maverick British musicians always reluctant to compromise.‘There was a time when the Pet Shop Boys seemed to exist entirely on radio, television and in magazines. This is the other world of the Pet Shop Boys in concert, travel and backstage, as they bring their art and glamour to America. It’s funny too.’ Johnny Marr‘A brilliant book, to be read over and over again. How could anyone not love these men?’ NME

The Pet Shop Boys are one of the most successful and unusual bands of the last five decades. They are the pop duo that proves pop music can be modern, ecstatic and playful as well as serious and intelligent, winning them legions of devoted fans throughout the world.In 1989, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe invited journalist Chris Heath and photographer Lawrence Watson to shadow them around Hong Kong, Japan and the UK as they embarked on their first-ever tour. This book is the result: an immersive portrait giving access into the duo’s inner sanctum, showing them in brilliantly observed detail as they work, relax, gossip, argue and occasionally try to make sense of what they do.‘As clear a picture as could be wished for of the seething mass of elegant contradictions that is the Pet Shop Boys’ on-the-road experience.’ Independent on Sunday‘This superbly reported book transcends tired rock journalism cliché. It’s about what it means to be a pop star, what it means to be a Pet Shop Boy… how to love pop, hold it to a higher standard and subvert its expectations.’ Laura Snapes

Prepare to take a stroll back through time in and around the villages of Denby Dale, Skelmanthorpe, Clayton West, High Hoyland, Cumberworth, Scissett and more.

This book is a wonderful visual celebration of the villages and hamlets of the Upper Dearne Valley, sited in the beautiful countryside between Huddersfield, Barnsley and Wakefield.

Over 400 previously unpublished images dating from the late Victorian era through to the mid twentieth century have been brought together in this new collection which complements and adds to previously published works by the Author. These images capture the essence and spirit of this rural area and also document the changes that have occurred over the years.

The quiet, rural, unassuming village of Denby Dale, situated by the river in the Upper Dearne Valley between Huddersfield and Barnsley has a major and unique culinary claim to fame.Once a generation, a gigantic meat and potato pie is cooked and eaten by the villagers amidst scenes of pomp, splendour and celebration, the occasions of which are attended by many thousands of people.This book investigates and celebrates the origins of a tradition that dates back more then two hundred years. It examines the people involved, and captures the social history of the village as it developed amidst its pie baking traditions.Included within this volume are the full details of the twelve tonne monster pie cooked in 2000 as well as the complete stories of earlier successes and failures including the riots and disasters connected with some of the previous bakes.With over 350 photographs, many of which have never been published before, this book represents the definitive history of the Denby Dale Pies.

The quiet, rural, unassuming village of Denby Dale, situated by the river in the Upper Dearne Valley between Huddersfield and Barnsley has a major and unique culinary claim to fame.Once a generation, a gigantic meat and potato pie is cooked and eaten by the villagers amidst scenes of pomp, splendour and celebration, the occasions of which are attended by many thousands of people.This book investigates and celebrates the origins of a tradition that dates back more then two hundred years. It examines the people involved, and captures the social history of the village as it developed amidst its pie baking traditions.Included within this volume are the full details of the twelve tonne monster pie cooked in 2000 as well as the complete stories of earlier successes and failures including the riots and disasters connected with some of the previous bakes.With over 350 photographs, many of which have never been published before, this book represents the definitive history of the Denby Dale Pies.

Utilising the very best archive photographs that have survived the ravages of time, Ye Olde Townships is a unique record of the changing face of the district. This book provides an historical window into the landscape and lives of the people who created the villages we know today.

Utilising the very best archive photographs that have survived the ravages of time, Ye Olde Townships is a unique record of the changing face of the district. This book provides an historical window into the landscape and lives of the people who created the villages we know today.

No other pop group in recent history has faced fame with such intelligence, humour and shrewdness as the Pet Shop Boys. In 1991, the band toured North America for the first time shadowed by journalist Chris Heath and legendary rock photographer Pennie Smith. They visited fourteen cities in one month, confronting the American music industry and colliding with the likes of Liza Minnelli, Steven Spielberg and Axl Rose. This is more than a documentary of a tour; it is an unusually intimate portrait of two maverick British musicians always reluctant to compromise.‘There was a time when the Pet Shop Boys seemed to exist entirely on radio, television and in magazines. This is the other world of the Pet Shop Boys in concert, travel and backstage, as they bring their art and glamour to America. It’s funny too.’ Johnny Marr‘A brilliant book, to be read over and over again. How could anyone not love these men?’ NME

*THE INCREDIBLE STORY BEHIND THE BETTER MAN FILM*''It''s much more interesting to be a little bit broken and talk about your vulnerabilities.''An intimate, funny and frank account of the moments behind the music, the truth behind the headlines and the fascinatingly complicated man behind the imperious entertainer, Robbie Williams.Bestselling author Chris Heath has been working closely with Robbie for many years to create a personal and raw account of fame, fortune, family and music. This vivid and detailed portrait shows the real highs and lows of Robbie''s life as he found his way forward, one that is unprecedented in its intimacy and honesty.Long-awaited by millions, Reveal is the uncensored and compelling portrait of Robbie as you''ve never seen him before.

*THE INCREDIBLE STORY BEHIND THE BETTER MAN FILM*'It's much more interesting to be a little bit broken and talk about your vulnerabilities.'An intimate, funny and frank account of the moments behind the music, the truth behind the headlines and the fascinatingly complicated man behind the imperious entertainer, Robbie Williams.Bestselling author Chris Heath has been working closely with Robbie for many years to create a personal and raw account of fame, fortune, family and music. This vivid and detailed portrait shows the real highs and lows of Robbie's life as he found his way forward, one that is unprecedented in its intimacy and honesty.Long-awaited by millions, Reveal is the uncensored and compelling portrait of Robbie as you've never seen him before.

«Ich glaube, es ist so: Am Anfang tut man alles, um ein Star zu werden, und den Rest seiner Karriere verbringt man damit, als Star zu überleben.»Wie er zum Star wurde, beschrieb Robbie Williams 2004 in seiner Autobiographie «Feel», einem weltweiten Bestseller. In seinem neuen Buch schildert er, was danach passierte. Wie er gegen Depressionen und Alkoholismus kämpfte, sich aus dem Popgeschäft zurückzog, UFOs beobachtete und die Einsamkeit suchte, wie er Ehemann und zweifacher Vater wurde und nun, nach der Versöhnung mit seinem musikalischen Partner Guy Chambers, mit seinem elften Album «The Heavy Entertainment Show» wieder in die Öffentlichkeit zurückkehrt. Auch sein neues Buch entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Musikjournalisten Chris Heath, der Williams in den vergangenen Jahren intensiv begleitete, ihn beim Komponieren und im Umgang mit seinen Kindern beobachtete. Daraus entstand ein intimer, unzensierter Bericht über den Robbie Williams der vergangenen zehn Jahre; eine Reportage über den Popstar und Privatmann und darüber, was es heißt, als Star zu überleben. Denn Robbie ist zurück – Vorhang auf!«Es ist das Tagebuch eines modernen Entertainers und seiner unsteten Gedankenwelt, die Geschichte eines Popstars, der versucht, sich selbst wiederzufinden, nachdem er aus dem Vorruhestand zurückgekehrt ist. Es ist wahr, lustig, manchmal traurig, gut geschrieben und sehr unterhaltsam. Ich hoffe, dass die Menschen Spaß daran haben.»Robbie

Robbie Williams, einer der größten Stars unserer Zeit, erlebte als Teil von «Take That» und später als Solokünstler einen Aufstieg, der seinesgleichen sucht. In diesem Buch berichtet er gemeinsam mit dem Musikjournalisten Chris Heath von den frühen Jahren seiner Weltkarriere, einer Zeit, in der Williams zwar auf dem Zenit seiner Karriere stand, aber dennoch gebrochen und einsam schien. Chris Heath begleitete Robbie Williams zwei Jahre lang und beobachtete den Ausnahmekünstler bei der Arbeit, sprach mit ihm über persönliche Vorlieben und berufliche Erfahrungen, über Kollegen und Vorbilder, Freunde und Feinde. Entstanden ist eine einzigartige Nahaufnahme, die den Menschen Robbie Williams in all seinen Facetten zeigt.