John Higgs – författare

''An illuminating work of massive insight'' Alan Moore''A sensational book. Heartily recommended'' Rufus HoundIt is the century about which we know too much, yet understand too little. With disorientating ideas such as relativity, cubism, the id, existentialism, chaos mathematics and postmodernism to contend with, the twentieth century, John Higgs argues, cannot fit easily into a traditional historical narrative. Time, then, for a new perspective. Higgs takes us on a refreshingly eclectic journey through the knotty history of the strangest of centuries. In the company of radical artists, scientists, geniuses and eccentrics, he shows us how the elegant, clockwork universe of the Victorians became increasingly woozy and uncertain; and how in the twentieth century we discovered that our world is not just stranger than we imagine, but ''stranger than we can imagine''.

''Smart, analytical and enormously good fun'' Stuart Maconie, Mail on Sunday''Ingenious . . . conjures a whole cultural history of the past six decades'' The Spectator''Strikingly insightful . . . page after page of glorious anecdotes'' The i Newspaper''A book to leave you shaken and stirred'' Independent''Poignant and entertaining'' Observer''If you take popular culture seriously, this is the book for you'' Jeremy DellerDr No, the first Bond film, and ''Love Me Do'', the first Beatles record, were released on the same day. Most countries can only dream of creating a phenomenon on this scale; Britain produced two on one windy October afternoon. Told over sixty dramatic years, Love and Let Die is the story of two culture touchstones that continue to define our aspirations and fantasies; of opposing values, visions of Britain and ideas about male identity; and of how a clash between working class liberation and establishment control exploded on the global stage.

''Absolutely wonderful. The book I''ve been waiting to read since I was ten years old. Full of surprising and piercing insights . . . The first thing I''ve come across that absolutely nails the extraordinary nature of the cultural phenomenon that is Doctor Who'' JEREMY DYSONOn screen, Doctor Who is a story of monsters, imagination and mind-expanding adventure. But the off-screen story is equally extraordinary - a tale of failed monks, war heroes, 1960s polyamory and self-sabotaging broadcasting executives. From the politics of fandom to the inner struggles of the BBC, thousands of people have given part of themselves - and sometimes, too much of themselves - to bring this unlikeliest of folk heroes to life.This is a story of change, mystery and the importance of imaginary characters in our lives. Able to evolve and adapt more radically than any other fiction, Doctor Who has acted as a mirror to more than six decades of social, technological and cultural change while always remaining a central fixture of the British imagination. In Exterminate / Regenerate, John Higgs invites us into his TARDIS on a journey to discover how ideas emerge and survive despite the odds, why we are so addicted to fiction, and why this wonderful wandering time traveller means so much to so many.

A journey along one of Britain''s oldest roads, from Dover to Anglesey, in search of the hidden history that makes us who we are today.''A bravura piece of writing - Bill Bryson on acid'' Tom HollandWinding its way from the White Cliffs of Dover to the Druid groves of Anglesey, the ancient road of Watling Street has gone by many different names. It is a road of witches and ghosts, of queens and highwaymen, of history and myth, of Bletchley Park codebreakers, Chaucer, Boudicca, Dickens and James Bond. But Watling Street is not just the story of a route across our island. It is an acutely observed exploration of Britain and who we are today, told with wit and an unerring eye for the curious and surprising.

''If a thing loves, it is infinite'' William BlakeA short, impassioned argument for why the visionary artist William Blake is important in the twenty-first centuryThe visionary poet and painter William Blake is a constant presence throughout contemporary culture - from videogames to novels, from sporting events to political rallies and from horror films to designer fashion. Although he died nearly 200 years ago, something about his work continues to haunt the twenty-first century. What is it about Blake that has so endured? In this illuminating essay, John Higgs takes us on a whirlwind tour to prove that far from being the mere New Age counterculture figure that many assume him to be, Blake is now more relevant than ever.

''Fascinating'' The Times''Blakeian in its singularity'' New Statesman''A wonderful adventure'' Irish Times''Rich, complex and original'' Tom Holland''A crisp, ambitious and thoroughly contemporary introduction'' Times Literary SupplementPoet, artist, visionary and author of the unofficial English national anthem ''Jerusalem'', William Blake is an archetypal misunderstood genius. In this radical new biography, we return to a world of riots, revolutions and radicals, discuss movements from the Levellers of the sixteenth century to the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s, and explore the latest discoveries in neurobiology, quantum physics and comparative religion to look afresh at Blake''s life and work - and, crucially, his mind. Taking the reader on wild detours into unfamiliar territory, John Higgs places the bewildering eccentricities of a most singular artist into context and shows us how Blake can help us better understand ourselves.

''The best non-fiction book I''ve ever read. It''s magical. Stunning'' Dan Schreiber, No Such Thing As a Fish''A pop biography for people who don''t read pop biographies'' Dorian Lynskey, Guardian''Brilliant, discursive and wise'' Ben Goldacre''Utterly irresistible and totally brilliant'' The Quietus''A thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented genius'' Alexis PetridisTHE STRANGE TALE OF THE DEATH, LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL BAND.They were the bestselling singles band in the world. They had awards, credibility, commercial success and creative freedom. Then they deleted their records, erased themselves from musical history and burnt their last million pounds in a boathouse on the Isle of Jura. And they couldn''t say why.This is not just the story of The KLF. It is a book about Carl Jung, Alan Moore, Robert Anton Wilson, Ken Campbell, Dada, Situationism, Discordianism, magic, chaos, punk, rave, the alchemical symbolism of Doctor Who and the special power of the number 23.Wildly unauthorised and unlike any other music biography, THE KLF is a trawl through chaos on the trail of a beautiful, accidental mythology.

O istorie alternativa a secolului XXJohn Higgs ne prezintă o istorie alternativă a celui mai ciudat dintre secole. Ne arată cum universul elegant și previzibil al epocii victoriene a devenit din ce în ce mai cețos și nesigur și cum am descoperit că lumea noastră nu este doar mai ciudată decât ne-am imaginat ci, pentru a folosi cuvintele astrofizicianului sir Arthur Eddington, „mai ciudat decât ne putem imagina”.