Christopher Simon Sykes – författare

At the age of only 36, Sir Mark Sykes was signatory to the Sykes-Picot agreement, one of the most reviled treaties of modern times. A century later, Christopher Sykes’ lively biography of his grandfather reassesses his life and work, and the political instability and violence in the Middle East attributed to it. The Sykes–Picot agreement was drawn by the eponymousBritish and French diplomats in 1916 to determine the divideof the collapsing empire in the event of an allied victory inWorld War I. Excluding Arab involvement, it negated theirearlier guarantee of independence made by the British –and controversy has raged around it ever since.But who was Mark Sykes?A century on, Christopher Simon Sykes reveals new facetsof a misremembered diplomatic giant. Using previouslyundisclosed family letters and cartoons by his grandfather,he delivers a comprehensive and humbling account of the man behind one of the most impactful policies in the Middle East.

The highly praised biography of an archetypal great house and the family who lived there for over 250 years.‘The Big House’ is the biography of a great country house and the lives of the Sykes family who lived there, with varying fates, for the next two hundred and fifty years. It is a fascinating social history set against the backdrop of a changing England, with a highly individual, pugnacious and self-determining cast, including: ‘Old Tat’ Sykes, said to be one of the great sights of Yorkshire (the author’s great-great-great-grandfather), who wore 18th-century dress to the day of his death at ninety-one in 1861. His son was similarly eccentric, wearing eight coats that he discarded gradually throughout the day in order to keep his body temperature at a constant. He was forced to marry, aged forty-eight, eighteen-year-old Jessica Cavendish-Bentick – a lively and highly intelligent woman who relieved the boredom of her marriage by acquiring a string of lovers, writing novels and throwing extravagant parties (her nickname became ‘Lady Satin Tights’), all the while accumulating debts that ended in a scandalous court case. Their son, Mark, died suddenly whilst brokering the peace settlement at the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I; Sledmere was destroyed by fire shortly afterwards.But the rebuilt Sledmere rose from the flames to resound again with colourful, brilliant characters in the 1920s and 1930s including the author’s grandmother, Lily, who had been a celebrated bohemian in Paris.‘The Big House’ is vividly written and meticulously researched using the Sykes’ own family’s papers and photographs. In this splendid biography of place and time, Christopher Simon Sykes has resuscitated the lives of his ancestors and their glorious home from the 18th- through to the 20th-century.

Please note that some images were unavailable for the electronic edition.The highly praised biography of an archetypal great house and the family who lived there for over 250 years.`The Big House’ is the biography of a great country house and the lives of the Sykes family who lived there, with varying fates, for the next two hundred and fifty years. It is a fascinating social history set against the backdrop of a changing England, with a highly individual, pugnacious and self-determining cast, including: `Old Tat’ Sykes, said to be one of the great sights of Yorkshire (the author’s great-great-great-grandfather), who wore 18th-century dress to the day of his death at ninety-one in 1861. His son was similarly eccentric, wearing eight coats that he discarded gradually throughout the day in order to keep his body temperature at a constant. He was forced to marry, aged forty-eight, eighteen-year-old Jessica Cavendish-Bentick – a lively and highly intelligent woman who relieved the boredom of her marriage by acquiring a string of lovers, writing novels and throwing extravagant parties (her nickname became `Lady Satin Tights’), all the while accumulating debts that ended in a scandalous court case. Their son, Mark, died suddenly whilst brokering the peace settlement at the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I; Sledmere was destroyed by fire shortly afterwards.But the rebuilt Sledmere rose from the flames to resound again with colourful, brilliant characters in the 1920s and 1930s including the author’s grandmother, Lily, who had been a celebrated bohemian in Paris.`The Big House’ is vividly written and meticulously researched using the Sykes’ own family’s papers and photographs. In this splendid biography of place and time, Christopher Simon Sykes has resuscitated the lives of his ancestors and their glorious home from the 18th- through to the 20th-century.

At the age of only 36, Sir Mark Sykes was signatory to the Sykes-Picot agreement, one of the most reviled treaties of modern times. A century later, Christopher Sykes’ lively biography of his grandfather reassesses his life and work, and the political instability and violence in the Middle East attributed to it.The Sykes–Picot agreement was drawn by the eponymousBritish and French diplomats in 1916 to determine the divideof the collapsing empire in the event of an allied victory inWorld War I. Excluding Arab involvement, it negated theirearlier guarantee of independence made by the British –and controversy has raged around it ever since.But who was Mark Sykes?A century on, Christopher Simon Sykes reveals new facetsof a misremembered diplomatic giant. Using previouslyundisclosed family letters and cartoons by his grandfather,he delivers a comprehensive and humbling account of the man behind one of the most impactful policies in the Middle East.

At the age of only 36, Sir Mark Sykes was signatory to the Sykes-Picot agreement, one of the most reviled treaties of modern times. A century later, Christopher Sykes’ lively biography of his grandfather reassesses his life and work, and the political instability and violence in the Middle East attributed to it. The Sykes–Picot agreement was drawn by the eponymousBritish and French diplomats in 1916 to determine the divideof the collapsing empire in the event of an allied victory inWorld War I. Excluding Arab involvement, it negated theirearlier guarantee of independence made by the British –and controversy has raged around it ever since.But who was Mark Sykes?A century on, Christopher Simon Sykes reveals new facetsof a misremembered diplomatic giant. Using previouslyundisclosed family letters and cartoons by his grandfather,he delivers a comprehensive and humbling account of the man behind one of the most impactful policies in the Middle East.

The fully authorised biography of the late, great David Hockney. Discover the life and legacy of one of the greatest British artists of our time.David Hockney's career spanned and helped to define the major art movements of the last five decades. His story is one of precocious achievement at Bradford Art College and the Swinging Sixties in London, where he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the era; of California and the iconic swimming-pool paintings that became synonymous with his work; and of the acclaimed opera set designs and major retrospective exhibitions that cemented his international reputation, including landmark shows at Tate Britain and the Royal Academy of Arts.Drawing on unprecedented access to interviews with family, friends and collaborators, as well as Hockney's own notebooks, archives and paintings, this volume delivers an honest and revelatory account of an extraordinary artist whose influence on British and international art continues to resonate. Widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest artists, Hockney leaves behind a remarkable body of work and an enduring cultural legacy.

The fully authorised biography of the late, great David Hockney. In this fascinating and entertaining second volume, discover the life and legacy of one of the greatest British artists of our time.Hockney's career spanned and helped to define the major art movements of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Volume 1 covered his early life: his precocious achievement at Bradford Art College and the Swinging Sixties in London, where he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the era. Picking up Hockney's story in 1975, this volume follows him between Notting Hill and California, where he found inspiration for his celebrated swimming-pool paintings; charts his acclaimed work designing opera sets around the world; and explores his embrace of emerging technologies, from photography and the fax machine in the 1970s and 80s to the iPad in later life. Hockney's boundless energy extended beyond his art, and this volume sheds light on the glamorous circles in which he moved, as well as his sometimes turbulent relationships.Drawing on unprecedented access to Hockney's paintings, notebooks, diaries and personal archives, this second volume continues the lively and revelatory account of an acclaimed artist whose extraordinary life and work left an enduring mark on British and international culture.

The fully authorised biography of the late, great David Hockney. In this fascinating and entertaining second volume, discover the life and legacy of one of the greatest British artists of our time.Hockney's career spanned and helped to define the major art movements of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Volume 1 covered his early life: his precocious achievement at Bradford Art College and the Swinging Sixties in London, where he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the era. Picking up Hockney's story in 1975, this volume follows him between Notting Hill and California, where he found inspiration for his celebrated swimming-pool paintings; charts his acclaimed work designing opera sets around the world; and explores his embrace of emerging technologies, from photography and the fax machine in the 1970s and 80s to the iPad in later life. Hockney's boundless energy extended beyond his art, and this volume sheds light on the glamorous circles in which he moved, as well as his sometimes turbulent relationships.Drawing on unprecedented access to Hockney's paintings, notebooks, diaries and personal archives, this second volume continues the lively and revelatory account of an acclaimed artist whose extraordinary life and work left an enduring mark on British and international culture.

The fully authorised biography of the late, great David Hockney. In this fascinating and entertaining second volume, discover the life and legacy of one of the greatest British artists of our time.Hockney's career spanned and helped to define the major art movements of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Volume 1 covered his early life: his precocious achievement at Bradford Art College and the Swinging Sixties in London, where he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the era. Picking up Hockney's story in 1975, this volume follows him between Notting Hill and California, where he found inspiration for his celebrated swimming-pool paintings; charts his acclaimed work designing opera sets around the world; and explores his embrace of emerging technologies, from photography and the fax machine in the 1970s and 80s to the iPad in later life. Hockney's boundless energy extended beyond his art, and this volume sheds light on the glamorous circles in which he moved, as well as his sometimes turbulent relationships.Drawing on unprecedented access to Hockney's paintings, notebooks, diaries and personal archives, this second volume continues the lively and revelatory account of an acclaimed artist whose extraordinary life and work left an enduring mark on British and international culture.