Nick Holmes – författare

Porcupine Tree began in 1987 as a solo project for Steven Wilson but became a four-piece band when Steven was later joined by Richard Barbieri, Colin Edwin, and Chris Maitland (who was later replaced by Gavin Harrison). Their first live gig was in a pub in High Wycombe, England, in 1993, but by 2010, the band had toured Europe and America extensively, ending up playing to thousands of fans at a sold-out Royal Albert Hall in London. The band was nominated for two Grammy awards, and their final album of the first phase of their career, The Incident, made the top 30 in both the UK and the US.Although often labelled as a progressive rock band, Porcupine Tree constantly changed style. Beginning by playing psychedelic music, Porcupine Tree experimented with space rock, dance, trance and melodic pop as well as prog rock. In their last few albums, the band created a new hybrid of progressive metal riffs, melodic strength and rich vocal harmonies, with strong lyrics and powerful concepts. This aspect of the band has provided their most enduring legacy.This book analyses all of Porcupine Tree’s studio albums and EPs in forensic detail, including their most recent, if all too brief revival, which produced the album Closure/Continuation, providing illuminating insight into the band’s music.

Nick Holmes has been passionate about music ever since he joined his local church choir at the age of six. He has an English Degree from Oxford University and until recently worked for BBC Radio making programmes for Radio 3 and 4, mostly about music. He was a semi-professional classical baritone for some years and has also played guitar in various rock bands with his brother. His first live concert was Tangerine Dream at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, and he is lucky enough to have seen Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Prince live. He blogs at nick-holmes-music.com. He lives in Stockport, UK.

The Crusades shook the world. But why did they happen? 

Their origins are revealed in a new light. As part of a medieval world war that stretched from Asia to Europe. At its centre was an ancient empire – Byzantium.

Told for the first time as a single, linked narrative are three great events that changed history: the fall of Byzantium in the eleventh century, the epic campaign of the First Crusade and the origins of modern Turkey.

Nick Holmes not only presents the First Crusade in a wider global context but he also puts forwards new interpretations of the original sources, suggesting that its success was in fact largely accidental, and that the central role of Byzantium in the Crusades has been underestimated.