Paul Rees – författare

'Consistently entertaining... Splendid' Mail on Sunday'Crammed with personal, often priceless insights about cut-throat life in the fast lane' Irish TimesA massively entertaining oral biography of the golden era of critically derided yet monumentally popular radio rock, when Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Toto, and more ruled the airwaves.Paul Rees's Raised on Radio is, remarkably, the first biography of AOR ('Album-Oriented Rock'), critically derided at the time but massively popular during its 1976-1986 heyday when artists such as Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Toto, REO Speedwagon, Heart, Pat Benatar, Bryan Adams, and Styx sold many millions of albums and toured stadiums. Today, those very same songs are streaming in record numbers and many of the artists continue to play to sellout audiences around the world. They may have been dismissed at the time as terminally uncool by elitist rock critics in thrall to punk and new wave, but their music was, and is still, the soundtrack to so many people's lives.For better or worse, AOR's prime movers lived life in the fast lane. Cocaine use was rampant, egos were unchecked, and intra-band fighting became par for the course. What's more, their influence stretches across generations and through the fabric of popular American music. AOR invented the power ballad, and the sound of it has travelled on through hair metal, pop rock, and right up to Taylor Swift.Raised on Radio is a stadium-sized, massively entertaining oral and pop-cultural history in the bestselling tradition of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Nothin' But a Good Time, and Please Kill Me, capturing a time and place that was as big, booming, and unabashed as the music that provided its soundtrack.

A Resident Book of the Year'A masterpiece. Beautiful, tragic and immaculately researched.' - Matt Everett'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming LipsIn 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse. Yet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century.Now, two decades after Elliott's death, Shooting Star seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul. With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he achieved: the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music.This is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.

'They call me a madman but compared to Pete Way, I'm out of my league.' - Ozzy OsbourneThere are rock memoirs and then there is this one. A Fast Ride Out of Here tells a story that is so shocking, so outrageous, so packed with excess and leading to such uproar and tragic consequences as to be almost beyond compare. Put simply, in terms of jaw-dropping incident, self-destruction and all-round craziness, Pete Way's rock'n'roll life makes even Keith Richards's appear routine and Ozzy Osbourne seem positively mild-mannered in comparison. Not for nothing did Nikki Sixx, bassist with LA shock-rockers Motley Crue and who 'died' for eight minutes following a heroin overdose in 1988, consider that he was a disciple of and apprenticed to Way.During a forty-year career as founding member and bassist of the venerated British hard rock band UFO, and which has also included a stint in his hell-raising buddy Ozzy's band, Pete Way has both scaled giddy heights and plunged to unfathomable lows. A heroin addict for more than ten years, he blew millions on drugs and booze and left behind him a trail of chaos and carnage. The human cost of this runs to six marriages, four divorces, a pair of estranged daughters and two dead ex-wives. Latterly, Way has fought cancer, but has survived it all and is now ready to tell his extraordinary tale. By turns hilarious, heart-rending, mordant, scabrous, self-lacerating, brutally honest and entirely compulsive, A Fast Ride Out of Here will be a monument to rock'n'roll debauchery on an epic, unparalleled scale and also to one man's sheer indestructability.

No one explodes one of the longest-held misconceptions of music history better than Steve Lukather and his band Toto. The dominant pop-culture sound of the late-1970s and '80s was not in fact the smash and sneer of punk, but a slick, polished amalgam of rock and R&B that was first staked out on Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees. That album was shaped in large part by the founding members of Toto, who were emerging as the most in-demand elite session muso-crew in LA, and further developed on the band's self-titled three-million-selling debut smash of 1978. A string of hits followed for the band going into the '80s and beyond. Running parallel to this, as stellar session players, Lukather and band-mates David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and Steve Porcaro were also the creative linchpins on some of the most successful, influential and enduring records of the era. In The Gospel According to Luke, Lukather tells the Toto story: how a group of high school friends formed the band in 1977 and went on to sell more than 40 million records worldwide. He also lifts the lid on what really went on behind the closed studio doors and shows the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Roger Waters and Aretha Franklin. And yet, Lukather's extraordinary tale encompasses the dark side of the American Dream.Engaging, incisive and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir. It is the real thing . . .

'A masterpiece. Beautiful, tragic and immaculately researched.' - Matt Everitt'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming LipsIn 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse. Yet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century.Now, two decades after Elliott's death, Shooting Star seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul. With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he achieved: the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music.This is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.

The definitive biography of John Mellencamp featuring exclusive interviews and never-before-told details about the life of the iconic American rock and roll original.John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star.With music inspired by the work of William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and other giants of American literature, Mellencamp is a complex, colorful and larger than life character who walks to the beat of his own drum. Or, as he told author and veteran music journalist, Paul Rees: 'I just refuse to take shit off anyone'. Now, this fascinating biography fully charts the life of one of this country's most important voices in American music.Mellencamp's story is also the story of the American heartland. His coming of age as an artist and evolution into legendary status directly reflected the major changes of the last fifty years. From the Summer of Love to the growing divisiveness of American politics and beyond, his music has served as the backdrop of this evolving country for millions of fans.For the first time, this story written with the cooperation and support of Mellencamp and his management will include extensive interviews with members of Mellencamp's family, many of his bandmates and collaborators, past and present, and Mellencamp himself. Together, they shed new light on a man hailed by none other than Johnny Cash as 'among our greatest living songwriters'. An exploration of everything from the founding of Farm Aid to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is a fresh and expansive look at a true original.

Robert Plant is one of the few genuine living rock legends.Frontman of Led Zeppelin, musical innovator and seller of millions of records, Plant has had a profound influence on music for over four decades. But the full account of his life has barely been told … until now.Robert Plant: A Life is the first complete and comprehensive telling of Plant’s story. From his earliest performances in folk clubs in the early 1960s, to the world’s biggest stages as Led Zeppelin’s self-styled ‘Golden God’, and on to his emergence as an emboldened solo star.The sheer scale of Zeppelin’s success is extraordinary: in the US alone they sold 70 million records, a figure surpassed only by the Beatles. But their success was marred by tragedy.These pages contain first-hand accounts of Plant’s greatest highs and deepest lows: the tragic deaths of his son Karac and his friend, Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.Told in vivid detail, this is the definitive story of a man of great talent, remarkable fortitude and extraordinary conviction.

This inspirational book from Kew Gardens' cacti and succulents expert is the perfect guide to growing and maintaining a wide variety of these fascinating plants.Indoors or outside, in the smallest spaces or as features in large gardens, succulents and cacti are popular in homes and gardens all across the world, regardless of climate. They’re resilient, beautiful and easy to care for as long as you’re armed with the right knowledge.Packed with information and inspiration, and with the guiding authority and expertise of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this book teaches you everything you need to know about 50 speciments of succulents and cacti, from ideal humidity, light and temperature, to maintenance instructions so that your plants can thrive.This book also contains 12 easy-to-follow projects for you to carry out at home, so you can grow a vibrant array of succulents and cacti for your home, whether you are a complete beginner or a keen enthusiast.Combining beautiful botanical illustrations and practical advice, The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents is the definitive introduction to growing these wonderful plants.This book is from the Kew Experts series, in which the top gardeners and botanical scientists from Royal Botanic Kew Gardens offer up advice and information as well as suggesting handy projects on a range of gardening topics. Other titles include: Companion to Medicinal Plants, Guide to Growing Bulbs, Guide to Growing Fruit, Guide to Growing Orchids, Guide to Growing Herbs, Guide to Growing Roses, Guide to Growing Trees, Guide to Growing Vegetables and Guide to Growing House Plants.

When Cyrille Regis became one of the first black players to be selected for the full England team, he was sent a package in the mail. Inside it was a silver bullet and a note that read: ‘You’ll get one of these through your knees if you step on our Wembley turf.’ In the 1978/79 football season Regis' club West Bromwich Albion, an unglamorous and little publicised club from the West Midlands, became the first British football team to field three black players: Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson. They did so against the backdrop of the most divisive and poisonous racial tension in the UK’s history – a time when the National Front movement was at its most virulent. This book will tell the story of a defining and groundbreaking chapter in the history of British football and the country as a whole. The story is one about sport but also as much one about social change.

No one explodes one of the longest-held misconceptions of music history better than Steve Lukather and his band Toto. The dominant pop-culture sound of the late-1970s and '80s was not in fact the smash and sneer of punk, but a slick, polished amalgam of rock and R&B that was first staked out on Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees. That album was shaped in large part by the founding members of Toto, who were emerging as the most in-demand elite session muso-crew in LA, and further developed on the band's self-titled three-million-selling debut smash of 1978. A string of hits followed for the band going into the '80s and beyond. Running parallel to this, as stellar session players, Lukather and band-mates David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and Steve Porcaro were also the creative linchpins on some of the most successful, influential and enduring records of the era. In The Gospel According to Luke, Lukather tells the Toto story: how a group of high school friends formed the band in 1977 and went on to sell more than 40 million records worldwide. He also lifts the lid on what really went on behind the closed studio doors and shows the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Roger Waters and Aretha Franklin. And yet, Lukather's extraordinary tale encompasses the dark side of the American Dream.Engaging, incisive and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir. It is the real thing . . .

The definitive no-holds-barred biography of John Entwistle, The Who's legendary bass guitaristIt is an unequivocal fact that in terms of rock bands, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who represent Year Zero; the beginning of all things, ground-breakers all. To that end, John Entwistle - the Who's beloved bassist - is also without question one of the most important and influential figures in the annals of rock. He is also among an even more rarefied few by virtue of his being such a fascinating, transfixing and gloriously oversized character. However, Entwistle has not been the subject of a major biography. Likely, this was due to no-one being able to gain close access to the subject himself: the still in many other respects enigmatic Entwistle's enduring legacy has been carefully guarded by his surviving family. With the full co-operation of the Entwistle family, The Ox will correct this oversight and in doing so, shine a long overdue light on one of the single greatest, and most impactful figures in rock history.Drawing on his own notes for an unfinished autobiography that he started before his death in 2002 (and which will be quoted from extensively), as well as his personal archives and interviews with his family and friends, The Ox will give readers a never-before-seen glimpse into the two very distinct poles of John Entwistle. On the one hand, he was the rock star incarnate, being larger than life, self-obsessed to a fault, and proudly and almost defiantly so. Extravagant with money, he famously shipped two vintage American cars across the Atlantic without having so much as a driver's license, built exponentially bigger and grandiose bars into every home he owned, and amassed an extraordinary collection of possessions, from arachnids, armor, and weaponry, to his patented Cuban-heeled boots. But beneath this fame and flutter, he was also a man of simple tastes and traditional opinions. He was a devoted father and family man who loved nothing more than to wake up to a full English breakfast, or to have a supper of fish, chips, and a pint at his local pub.After his untimely death, many of these stories were shuttered away into the memories of his family, friends, and loved ones, but now, for the first time, The Ox will introduce us to the man behind the myth-the iconic and inimitable John Entwistle.

John Mellencamp is an American original. Now, for the first time, the authorized story of his life will allow his millions of fans to look behind the curtain.

An understanding of ecology is an important requirement of a wide range of academic areas, including biology, zoology and environmental science. This book is a study and revision guide for students following programmes of study in which ecology is an important component. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: · The history and foundations of ecology · Abiotic factors and environmental monitoring · Taxonomy and biodiversity · Energy flow and production ecology · Nutrient and material cycles · Ecophysiology · Population ecology · Community ecology and species interactions · Ecological genetics and evolution · Ecological methods and statistics The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of ecological terms, the basic processes operating in ecosystems, the dynamics of populations, ecological genetics and the process of evolution, the methods used in ecological surveys, and much more. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of graphs, data or photographs, providing a useful tool for independent study.

An understanding of applied ecology and conservation is an important requirement of a wide range of programmes of study including applied biology, ecology, environmental science and wildlife conservation. This book is a study and revision guide for students following such programmes. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: History and foundations of applied ecology and conservation Environmental pollution and perturbations Wildlife and conservation biology Restoration biology and habitat management Agriculture, forestry and fisheries management Pest, weed and disease management Urban ecology and waste management Global environmental change and biodiversity loss Environmental and wildlife law and policy Environmental assessment, monitoring and modelling The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of terms used in applied ecology and conservation, study the effects of pollution on ecosystems, the management, conservation and restoration of wildlife populations and habitats, urban ecology, global environmental change, environment law and much more. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of graphs, data or photographs.

An understanding of biodiversity is an important requirement of a wide range of programmes of study including biology, zoology, wildlife conservation and environmental science. This book is a study and revision guide for students following such programmes in which biodiversity is an important component. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: 1. Principles of classification and taxonomy 2. Comparative anatomy and physiology 3. Protoctists, monerans, fungi, lichens and acellular organisms 4. 'Lower' plants and pteridophytes 5. Seed-bearing plants 6. Sponges, cnidarians, nematodes and minor animal phyla 7. Platyhelminths, annelids and molluscs 8. Arthropods and echinoderms 9. Fishes, amphibians and reptiles 10. Birds and mammals The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of terms used in animal and plant classification, the principles of comparative physiology, and the characteristics of, and diversity in, the major animal and plant taxa. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area or group of taxa at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to identify organisms and biological structures from drawings or photographs.

An understanding of animal behaviour and welfare is an important requirement of a wide range of programmes of study including biology, zoology, animal welfare, animal behaviour, psychology and zoo biology. This book is intended as a study and revision guide for students following programmes of study in which animal behaviour and welfare are an important component. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: 1. Foundations and history of animal behaviour and welfare 2. Basic concepts and mechanisms in behaviour 3. Biological basis of behaviour 4. Learning, memory and training 5. Territoriality, navigation and migration 6 Animal cognition and communication 7. Behavioural ecology and social behaviour 8. Measuring, recording and analysing animal behaviour and welfare 9. Animal exploitation and welfare 10 Animal rights, ethics and law The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of terms used in the study of animal behaviour and welfare, methods of recording behaviour and assessing welfare, the physiology of behaviour, learning, memory, cognition, behavioural ecology, animal rights and much more. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of graphs, data or photographs.

An understanding of the work of zoos and aquariums is central to many programmes of study in wildlife conservation and more specialised programmes in zoo and aquarium science and management. This book is intended as a study and revision guide for students following these programmes. It contains 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: 1. History of zoos and aquariums 2. Zoo and exhibit design 3. Aquariums and Aquatic exhibits 4 Visitor studies, zoo education and zoo research 5. Nutrition and food presentation 6 Reproductive biology and genetics 7. Conservation breeding and assisted reproductive technologies 8. Behaviour, training and environmental enrichment 9. Animal welfare and conservation medicine 10. Zoo organisation and regulation The book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of terms used in zoo and aquarium biology, the principles of animal husbandry and enclosure design, the behaviour of zoo visitors, the operation of captive breeding programmes, the international organisation of zoos, their legal regulation and much more. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Many of the questions require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of graphs, diagrams, data or photographs.

This Students' Dictionary of Zoo and Aquarium Studies contains over 5,000 terms (illustrated by 88 figures) used in zoos, aquariums, safari parks, birds of prey centres, petting zoos, animal rescue centres and other facilities that make up the 'zoo industry'. It covers a wide range of topics including animal behaviour, animal husbandry, animal welfare, ecology, law, taxonomy, classification, nutrition, parasitology, physiology, reproduction, experimental design, statistics, veterinary science, disease, visitor studies, water management, wildlife conservation and zoo design and architecture. It should be of great interest to those studying zoo biology, animal management, veterinary science and related subjects along with zookeepers and aquarists in the early stages of their careers. Dr Paul Rees has a long-standing interest in animals and in zoos. He has taught a wide range of subjects including ecology, animal behaviour, zoo biology, and wildlife and zoo law. While lecturing at the University of Salford he created the first undergraduate programme in Wildlife Conservation and Zoo Biology in the United Kingdom and over a period of some 20 years was an external examiner for BSc and MSc programmes in zoo biology and wildlife conservation at the Universities of Edinburgh, Chester, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Gloucestershire and Nottingham Trent University. Dr Rees has published research on the large mammal fauna of Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, the ecology and behaviour of elephants and cheetahs living in zoos, and the laws concerning wildlife reintroductions and the regulation of zoos.

Law plays an essential part in the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems. The study of wildlife and nature conservation law is an important component of a wide range of programmes of study including wildlife conservation, environmental management and environmental law. This book is a study and revision guide for students following such programmes. It contains 600 multiple choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - and grouped into 10 major topic areas: 1. Principles of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Law 2. History of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Law 3. Species Protection and Exploitation I - EU and International Law 4. Species Protection and Exploitation II - National Laws 5. Protected Areas and Habitats I - EU and International Laws 6. Protected Areas and Habitats II - National Laws 7. Planning, Pollution, Restoration and Conservation Funding 8. Wildlife Trade, Animal Collections and Alien Species 9. Wildlife Law Enforcement and Penalties 10. Legal Texts This book has been produced in a convenient format so that it can be used at any time, in any place. It allows the reader to learn and revise the meaning of terms used in wildlife and nature conservation law and study the role of legislation at national, European Union (EU) and international level in the protection of individual species, habitats and landscapes. It uses examples from a wide variety of taxa, habitats and protected areas selected from a range of jurisdictions from the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia to Antarctica and the High Seas. Topics include the control of hunting, the conservation of trees and forests, the protection of National Parks and wilderness areas, wildlife trade and the organisations involved in the enforcement of wildlife laws. The structure of the book allows the study of one topic area at a time, progressing through simple questions to those that are more demanding. Some of the questions require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of photographs and legal texts.

Although mammals comprise a relatively small proportion of total biodiversity they are disproportionately represented in courses in biology and zoology and they are the dominant taxon in zoos around the world. Mammalogy is well-established as a discrete element of biological courses in some parts of the world, notably in North America. This book is intended as a study and revision guide for students following programmes of study in which mammalogy is an important component. It comprises 600 multiple-choice questions (and answers) set at three levels - foundation, intermediate and advanced - grouped into 10 major topic areas: 1. The history and principles of mammalogy 2. Origins, evolution and taxonomy 3. Anatomy 4. Physiology 5. Behaviour 6 Ecology and genetics 7. Zoogeography 8. Conservation and management 9. Parasites and diseases 10. Domestication and human use of animals The book is designed to be used at any time in any place. It allows the reader to study the meaning of terms used in mammalogy, the history of mammalogy, the taxonomy, evolution and genetics of mammals, their zoogeography, their anatomy, physiology and adaptations to their environment, their behaviour, their conservation and management, their diseases, and their domestication and use by humans. Some of the questions will require students to use their knowledge to interpret information provided in the form of graphs, data, maps or photographs