John Hopkins – författare

John Hopkins brings back to life all the decadence and flamboyance of Tangier in the 1960s and 1970s.Tangier in the 1960s and ’70s was a fabled place. This edge city, the 'Interzone', became muse and escapist's dream for artists, writers, millionaires and socialites, who wrote, painted, partied and experienced life with an intensity and freedom that they never could back home.Into this louche and cosmopolitan world came John Hopkins, a young writer who became a part of the bohemian Tangier crowd with its core of Beats that included William Burroughs, Paul and Jane Bowles and Brion Gysin, as well as Tennessee Williams, Jean Genet, Yves Saint Laurent, Barbara Hutton and Malcolm Forbes. Those intoxicating decades – Tangier's 'Golden Years' – are long gone. Grand old houses that once sparkled with life are shuttered and dark and most of the eccentrics who once lived and loved in the city have died.But here, in the pages of John Hopkins' cult classic, all the decadence and flamboyance of those days is brought to life once more.

A riveting coming-of-age journey and a tantalising glimpse into a time when Africa was an oyster for the young, the brave and the free.It all began at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, in 1961. Two young Princetonians have returned to New York from South America, where their dream of buying a coffee plantation in the Peruvian jungle evaporated. With the fire for adventure still burning in their veins, they are tempted by a mysterious letter from Kenya and plan a trip across Africa. They buy a white BMW motorcycle and paint the words ‘The White Nile’ on the tank, to honour the route they will follow.In limpid, elegant prose John Hopkins describes deadly salt flats where tourists vanish without a trace, mysterious Saharan oases and the funerals of young Tunisians killed by the French Foreign Legion. In Leptus Magna, he conjures visions of ancient Rome and visits Homer’s fabled island of the Lotus Eaters.The adventurers escape armed vigilantes in the Tunisian desert, and are chased by the border patrol across Libyan sands. They climb the Great Pyramid at Giza at dawn, endure ‘The Desert Express’ across the Nubian desert and travel by paddlewheel steamer through the Sudd, a swamp bigger than Britain. Their final adventure, at the idyllic Impala Farm at the foot of Mount Kenya, turns out to be a poisoned paradise.The places, the people, the writing, and the emotional reverberations of The White Nile Diaries hold the reader enthralled.

Devolution in Context (2002) is a work of comparative law that studies Western Europe’s revolution in regional governance. It weaves history, politics and law into a coherent examination of the various structures of regional government, as well as examining the theory and practice that underpin Europe’s regional revolution and the systems of regional government that developed as a result.

From the first sketch to handling a prototype, Fashion Design: The Complete Guide is an all-inclusive overview of the entire design process. This second edition begins with an exploration of fashion in the context of different histories and cultural moments, before fashion designer, and educator John Hopkins walks you through fashion drawing, colour, fibres, research methods, and studio must-knows such as pattern making, draping and fitting. You’ll also learn how to develop your portfolio and practice as a professional designer. Each of the six chapters ends with activities to help you hone your skills.Interviewees include Stefan Siegel (founder and CEO of Not Just A Label), Maggie Norris (Founder of Maggie Norris Couture and former designer at Ralph Lauren), Samson Soboye (Creative Director and Founder of Soboye Boutique) and Jessica Bird (a fashion illustrator, whose clients include Vivienne Westwood and matchesfashion.com). With discussion of the evolving role of social media and the practicalities of incorporating sustainability at the centre of the design process this is an essential text for any aspiring fashion designer.

Whether it’s a military inspired trench coat or a Savile Row tailored suit, menswear design increasingly demandsoriginality, innovation and above all, choice. Menswear, 2nd edition explores the evolution of menswear styles,from the origins of tailoring right through to modern sportswear – showing how historical and social influencescontinue to endure and influence the menswear collections of today.Interviews offer insight from a range of practitioners, including designer Lou Dalton, fashion entrepreneurAlan Maleh and tailor Ray Stowers. There’s also practical advice on research for design innovation, street style,trends and forecasting and collection development. With a wealth of stunning new images and contemporaryexamples, new to this edition are end-of-chapter exercises to encourage design work, such as Designfor Sportswear Fabrication and Tailoring for Menswear. Featured topicsHistorical Research for Design InnovationCounterculture DressingDesign ProcessStreet StyleTrends and ForecastingTailoring for MenswearCollection DevelopmentDrawing for MenCAD for MenswearMenswear PortfoliosFeatured intervieweesLou DaltonGuy Hill and Kirsty McDougall,Dashing TweedsAlan Maleh, Man of the WorldRay Stowers, Stowers BespokeSeung Won Hong, Fashion IllustratorMatthew Zorpas, The Gentleman Blogger

Communicate your ideas and designs through a variety of sketches, drawings and expressive illustrations, with guidance from a seasoned professional. With more than 150 colour examples, John Hopkins takes you through the different styles, techniques and approaches to drawing in the fashion industry. This second edition offers advice on selecting appropriate materials and media, with examples demonstrating their different uses and applications. You’ll also learn the theory and history of fashion drawing, and the range of styles used by contemporary designers, from quick sketches to sophisticated digital drawings.In addition to new interviews with designers and illustrators, a glossary, resources directory and revised templates, this edition also has exercises to get you pencilling your fashion figures, painting your collections and developing that all-important portfolio right from the start.

Injury. Adrenaline. Addiction. These are the things that fuelled one man's race to international stardom as he pushed boundaries and took life on and off the bike to the limits.Starting out as a talented youth riding the desert tracks of California, his reckless nature and incredible talent earned him a position in the rarefied world of professional motorcycle racing. Despite the success in his professional life, his personal life was crumbling around him - John was battling with depression and temptation, which began to threaten his career, health and marriage, ultimately bringing him to a life of alcoholism, addiction and even smuggling.In his remarkable memoir, one of the world's most renowned riders takes us on a raw and unique journey to the extremes of fast living.John 'Hopper' Hopkins is an icon for motorsport fans worldwide. He won't let anything hold him back. He has broken almost every bone in his body (twice), suffered a bleed on the brain, and had a finger amputated... yet he continued to race. Finally, at the age of 35 - with his latest crash at Brands Hatch in 2017 putting him in rehab for two years - he decided to hang up his helmet.Leathered tells the incredible story of an unparalleled career. From bone-crunching injuries and alcohol-fuelled antics to the breakdown of his marriage, it unveils the true stories behind the lurid headlines.