Oldcastle Books Ltd – förlag

Ghosts and spectres, the eerie and the occult. Why is contemporary culture so preoccupied by the supernatural, so captivated by the revenants of an earlier age, so haunted? The concept of Hauntology has evolved since first emerging in the 1990s, and has now entered the cultural mainstream as a shorthand for our new-found obsession with the recent past. But where does this term come from and what exactly does it mean?This book seeks to answer these questions by examining the history of our fascination with the uncanny from the golden age of the Victorian ghost story to the present day. From Dickens to Derrida, MR James to Mark Fisher; from the rise of Spiritualism to the folk horror revival, Hauntology traces our continuing engagement with these esoteric ideas. Moving between the literary and the theoretical, the visual and the political, Hauntology explores our nostalgia for the cultural artefacts of a past from which we seem unable to break free.

The definitive guide to espionage on film and TV.Covering more than 900 spy movies and series, from Bond and Bourne to Hitchcock and Herron, Spies on Screen is the first comprehensive guide of the modern era, exploring how the genre has evolved alongside real-world concerns about geopolitics, surveillance, cyber warfare and global conflict.In a series of compelling and accessible essays, Burke combines expert analysis with cultural history to define the trends, themes and transformations of spying across more than a century of hot and cold conflict.Whether you are hoping to discover a new series or to reconnect with a forgotten classic, look no further. Spies on Screen is an unrivalled reference guide; the essential companion to one of entertainment's most enduring genres.

K-Dramas: The Ultimate Fan's Guide is a love letter to the global phenomenon of Korean television, written by a screenwriting duo who have fallen head over heels for the genre themselves.This guide celebrates everything fans adore about K-dramas - from the slow-motion falls and umbrella rescues to the chaebol heirs, quirky small-town side characters and piggyback rides fueled by too much soju. Blending sharp cultural insights with fan-level obsession, the book dives deep into the subgenres, archetypes, tropes and storytelling quirks that make K-dramas so unique and beloved.It also explores the cultural and industrial forces behind Korea's global TV takeover, with exclusive access to major Korean production studios and behind-the-scenes interviews with creators.Perfect for readers new to the genre or seasoned K-drama watchers, this accessible guide is equal parts entertaining and informative, with playful lists and deep dives that will have them eager to cue up their next binge.

Having conquered the world's taste buds and established itself as a staple in our daily lives, coffee has mirrored the moods and movements of society for centuries - yet, how much do we know about its history?In his riveting new book, A Short History of Coffee, Gordon Kerr investigates the fascinating history behind the global obsession with coffee, from its Ethiopian origins, the legends, myths, geographical locations and somewhat eccentric characters that have helped make it the staple that it is today.Proliferating in high streets, towns and cities across Europe, coffee has become increasingly popular in recent years, and has succeeded in creating new and exciting hubs of commerce, news and debate, where deals could be done and revolution could be incited. Yet, despite coffee's very modern role, its origins stretch back to the days of intrepid travellers and merchants, who told tales of this new and exotic beverage that uplifted and enlivened the drinker.Following the growth in popularity through to the 21st century explosion of coffee shop culture, A Short History of Coffee lifts the Vegware lid on both the business of coffee, as well as the pleasures that it brings its drinkers. Gordon Kerr masterfully balances an exploration of the history of this iconic beverage, whilst also delving into the frothy brew of business, politics, and money that accompanies it.

Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays has the lowdown on how to get your thriller feature script on to the page, and how to get it in front of producers and investors.First published in 2013, this new edition offers an all-new resources section and a host of new case studies that map the considerable changes of the past decade. With marketplace disruptors such as Netflix and the first phases of The Marvel Cinematic Universe leaving their mark, new opportunities have been created for screenwriters and filmmakers who are keen to get their stories in front of industry professionals.This time around, Lucy V Hay doesn't just guide you through the writing of movies, but spec TV pilots too. Putting iconic, mixed-genre projects under the microscope -such as Stranger Things (horror thriller), Brooklyn 99 (comedy thriller) and Lost (sci fi thriller) - she considers what writers can learn from these shows.She also argues that the lone protagonist in a thriller has had its day and looks at how the genre is moving into a space beyond 'The Hero's Journey'. Case studies to support this include The Hunger Games, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and many more.Finally, the book considers how the screenplay might be sold to investors, exploring high concept ideas, pitching, packaging and the realities of film finance - all updated for the 2020s - and lays out alternative routes to sales and production, including transmedia such as novels and adaptation, and immersive storytelling online.

Almost everyone is familiar with Monte Carlo's association with gambling, and its famous Casino. Many may also have come across the Monte Carlo fallacy, so-called after the Casino's roulette wheel ball fell on black 26th times in a row, costing players, who believed that the law of averages made such streaks impossible, millions of dollars. However, the Casino also lends its name to a tool of statistical forecasting, the Monte Carlo simulation, used to model the probability of uncertain outcomes that cannot be easily predicted from mathematical equations. This book provides a detailed account for how aspiring sports bettors can use a Monte Carlo simulation to improve the quality, and hopefully profitability, of their betting, and in doing so unravels the mystery of probability and variance that lies at the heart of all gambling.

Wide-ranging, irreverent and humorous, packed with fascinating - and sometimes tragic - details on lands and people who are rarely heard from.Princes Amongst Men is the only book to provide an overview of Gypsy music across the Balkans, documenting remarkable artistry in former Yugoslavia, Romania and Bulgaria. It is also the only travelogue available through terrain many consider to be Europe's 'Badlands', covering ghettoes and villages, railways and motorways, weddings and funerals, festivals and dive bars.No other writer has emulated the spirit of Jack Kerouac on the Balkan roads, in search of adventure, artistry and romance.

London, more than any other city, has a secret history concealed from view. Behind the official façade promoted by the heritage industry, lies a city of esoteric traditions, obscure institutions, and forgotten locations. Occult London rediscovers this history, unearthing the hidden city that lies beneath our own. From the Elizabethan magic of Dr Dee and Simon Forman, to the occult designs of Wren and Hawksmoor; from the Victorian London of Spring-Heeled Jack, to the fin de siècle heyday of Madame Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley. This book describes these practitioners of the occult and their unorthodox beliefs, alongside the myths and legends through which the city has always been perceived. The role of the occult within London's literary history is also outlined, while a gazetteer maps the sites of London's most resonant occult locations.Today we are experiencing a renewal of interest in the occult tradition, and Merlin Coverley examines the roots of this revival, exploring the rise of New Age philosophies and the emergence of psychogeography in shaping a new vision of the city.

Before It Went Rotten takes a trip back to the world before punk.When Anarchy in the UK appeared, London enjoyed one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world. A network of mainly Irish owned pubs and clubs provided music every night, much of it free of charge, whilst working as a testing ground for up and coming talent.This book traces the evolution of what was quickly labelled 'pub-rock': from rock and roll revival acts via late blues bands, country rock, funk, soul and art school bands to the sound that eventually burst on the scene as punk rock in 1976. Specific chapters cover the career of Brinsley Schwarz, the Southend bands and the step by step rise of the Sex Pistols.Among those interviewed are former members of Fumble, Darts, the John Dummer Blues Band, Blue Goose, Legend, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Brinsley Schwarz, Bees Make Honey, Ducks de Luxe, Kokomo, Roogalator, Burlesque, Kilburn and the High Roads, GT Moore and the Reggae Guitars, Clancy, the Fabulous Poodles, the Sex Pistols and Meal Ticket.With acts like Dire Straits, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and Graham Parker all emerging from this terrain, the reader is asked to consider, what, if anything, would have been different if McLaren's band had never been around.Extensively researched, and drawing on contemporaneous reviews and articles from the music press of the time, Before It Went Rotten bids fair to be the definitive study of an overlooked era.

Script Readers play a crucial role in the film industry, often responsible for determining whether a script is even looked at by a producer or development executive; yet those accountable for reading can be on the first rung of the industry ladder and have had little or no training for the task. This user-friendly 'how-to' guide written by one of the UK's leading script analysis specialists, lays bare the process of analysing film scripts. This is invaluable to anyone looking to work as a script reader, anyone who wants to work in development with writers, and for screenwriters themselves who are seeking guidance on how the industry might respond to their work. An essential reference tool, the book includes information on: How to write a brilliant script reportStorytelling and screen genresTreatments and other short documentsWriting clear and detailed analysis of the craft of storytelling for filmBest practice in reading and reporting on scriptsIt also includes a full Resource Section listing useful print and online publications, organisations and associations.

Africa. The cradle of civilisation. From the dawn of human time in prehistoric Africa right through to the so-called 'Arab Spring' of 2011, Gordon Kerr offers a comprehensive introduction to the sprawling history of this enormous continent.He begins with the origins of the human race and the development of stone age technology, through ancient and medieval times and the significance of the Arab presence, the Muslim states and the trans-Saharan trade.Kerr continues with the rise and fall of nation states and kingdoms prior to the arrival of Europeans , Ghana, the Kingdoms of the Forest and Savanna, Yoruba, Oyo, Benin, Asante, Luba, Lunda, Lozi and many others, on to the beginning of the slave trade, and the European conquest and colonization of sub-Saharan Africa, the 'Scramble for Africa'.Finally moving onto the often bitter struggles for independence from that period of colonization and exploitation, Kerr concludes with an assessment of Africa in the 21st century.

Far from being yesterday's fading, forgotten format, vinyl records have survived and flourished as the music medium of choice for not only baby-boomers, but all ages. Every record a collector acquires comes with a story of its own, and the recent Covid-19 lockdowns prompted many vinylholics, including Graham Sharpe, to look more closely at their reasons for collecting, take stock of existing collections and rediscover old favourites.Vinyl Countdown followed Sharpe's journey to over a hundred record shops across the globe, from Amsterdam and Angus, to Bedfordshire and Budapest, Tennessee and Wellington. Now, ON THE RECORDs: Notes from the Vinyl Revival explores the impact of recent global events on the record industry and considers the reasons why vinyl remains a beloved - and booming - format. It includes interviews and contributions from voices across the industry - shop owners, record company insiders, online/postal sellers, auction organisers, market traders of vinyl, amateur collectors - who share their stories with candour, warmth and humour.A mesmerising blend of memoir, travel, music and social history that will appeal to anyone who vividly recalls the first LP they bought and any music fan who derives pleasure from the capacity that records have for transporting you back in time.

Jersey fishing captain, Jean Cotterell is rescued by a French frigate - The Hortense - off the Grand Banks of Nova Scotia in May 1794. His fishing vessel has foundered and he is the sole survivor. The Hortense is part of Republican Admiral Jan Van Stabel's great fleet of over 100 ships bringing corn to France. Lord Howe's Channel Fleet is off Brest, hoping to intercept them.Life on The Hortense is like France under the Terror; chaotic, ungovernable, obsessed with savage, radical political theories. Separated from the French fleet in the Western Approaches she is intercepted by two British frigates and battle is joined...The Antigallican is the first in a series of novels set at the end of the 18th century at sea, in Britain, in the Channel Islands and in Revolutionary France. In Jean Cotterell we find a character that bears comparison with Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe, in a narrative that will delight fans of Patrick O'Brian.

'You hold in your hand a miracle. A book about a passion, and the hipsters, oddballs and old heads who share it, written by one of their number, albeit a ludicrously erudite one' - Danny KellyA revival of interest in vinyl music has taken place in recent years - but for many of those from the 'baby boomer' generation, it never went away.Graham Sharpe's vinyl love affair began in the 1960s and since then he has amassed over 3000 LPs and spent countless hours visiting record shops worldwide along with record fairs, car boot sales, online and real life auctions. After leaving his job at William Hill, his retirement dream was to visit every surviving secondhand record shop across the world.Whilst Graham still has a little way to go on his travels, Vinyl Countdown follows his journey to over a hundred shops across the globe including the many characters he has encountered and the adventures he accrued along the way. From Amsterdam and Angus (Scotland), to Bedfordshire and Budapest and Tennessee and Wellington (NZ), always returning to his local record shop Second Scene in Bushey to report on progress.Vinyl Countdown seeks to reawaken the often dormant desire which first promoted the gathering of records, and to confirm the belief of those who still indulge in it, that they happily belong to, and should celebrate the undervalued, misunderstood significant group of music-obsessed vinylholics, who always want - need - to buy... just one more record.Vinyl Countdown is a mesmerising blend of memoir, travel, music and social history that will appeal to anyone who vividly recalls the first LP they bought and any music fan who derives pleasure from the capacity that records have for transporting you back in time.

After the Second World War, divided Germany was saturated with spies. Among them were the 'first class comrades' of the Stasi - the East German Ministry for State Security. The early Cold War saw the Stasi establish itself as one of the world's most notorious spy and secret police agencies.Drawing on rarely seen files from the Stasi archives, First Class Comrades tells the Stasi story from a fresh perspective: how it helped to create a new European state, how its foreign intelligence service became one of the most successful ever, and how its spy-catchers tackled vigorous attempts by the West to infiltrate East Germany - attempts that influenced the decision to build the Berlin Wall.Full of new insights on Cold War espionage, and featuring newly discovered details of the Stasi's operational methods, First Class Comrades shines a light on this lesser-known period of Stasi history, and why its stories and lessons still matter today.

People have been gambling, in one form or another, for as long as history itself. Why? Money, entertainment, escape and a desire to win are all traditional explanations. Arguably, however, these are secondary considerations to a higher order purpose: a craving for control. Gambling offers a means of gaining authority over the unknown, granting us a sense of control over uncertainty. Almost always that sense is illusory - gambling, including betting and investing, is essentially random - yet for many it is nonetheless profoundly rewarding. This book attempts to explore the reasons why.Along the way, it examines: The science of probability and uncertaintyWhy gambling is often condemnedThe difference between expectation and utilityThe irrationality of human beingsEvolutionary perspectives on gamblingLuck and skillMarket efficiency and the wisdom of crowdsWhy winners take allCheatingWhy the process matters more than the outcome

The First in the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mystery SeriesWhen Caroline Bingley marries a rich, charismatic American, her future should be secure. But strange incidents soon follow: nocturnal wanderings, spooked horses, carriage accidents, an apparent suicide attempt.Soon the whole Bingley family seems to be the target of a sinister plot, with only their friends the Darcys recognizing the danger. A jilted lover, an estranged business partner, a financially desperate in-law, an eccentric supernaturalist - who is behind these events? Perhaps it is Caroline herself, who appears to be slowly sinking into madness...Pride and Prescience is the first novel in a series of romantic mysteries featuring Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as reluctant sleuths who become embroiled in intrigues surrounding their friends and family.The newlywed Darcys' courtship hasn't ended, and their adventures have just begun...

The Second in the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mystery SeriesPersuaded by Mrs. Bennet to sponsor a London social season for Elizabeth's sister Kitty, the Darcys reluctantly return to the glittering ballrooms and parlors of the fashionable world.There Kitty meets Harry Dashwood, the handsome young owner of Norland, and they quickly fall in love. But for the Bennet sisters, it seems the course of true love simply cannot run smooth. . .No sooner do Harry and Kitty announce their engagement than Harry begins to change. His disreputable behavior, unexplained absences, mysterious gatherings, questionable new companions, and sinister activities lead all to wonder: Who is the true Mr. Dashwood - the respectable gentleman Kitty thought she knew, or the dishonorable rogue now reflected in the mirror?A clue from Harry's family tree sends the Darcys once more on a quest to discover the truth before history can repeat itself. For if Harry and Kitty are to have a future, the past must first be put to rest...

East End landlady Mrs Drabdump is alarmed when she cannot rouse her lodger Arthur Constant. She summons the assistance of her neighbour, retired Scotland Yard detective George Grodman. He breaks down the door to Constant's room, only to find the man lying dead on his bed, with a deep cut to his throat. No-one, it seems, could have got in or out of the locked room and there is no sign of the murder weapon. Who was the killer and how will he be identified? A man is condemned to death for the seemingly impossible crime but Grodman is unconvinced that he is guilty. With its sardonic style and vivid, Dickensian characters, Zangwill's short novel remains a cleverly plotted and ingenious murder mystery which will still appeal to readers today.

The Triumphs of Eugene Valmont (1906) is a collection of lively, enjoyable stories about a French detective resident in London. Whether dealing with a gang of anarchists in 'The Siamese Twin of a Bomb-Thrower' or flirting with the supernatural in 'The Ghost with the Club-Foot', the resourceful M. Valmont rarely loses his sang-froid and self-confidence. He may not always catch the criminal but his sense of style and Poirot-like conceit remain intact.

The first title in The Victorian Mysteries series, sure to delight fans of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha ChristieKathryn Ardleigh is everything the Victorian English gentlewoman is not: outspoken, free-thinking, Irish-American, and a writer of penny-dreadfuls, sensational tales of adventure, romance, and crime-and-detection.When she takes possession of Bishop's Keep, the Ardleigh estate in Essex England that she has inherited, she shocks the household and captures the attention of amateur detective Sir Charles Sheridan. Sir Charles is interested in the developing forensic sciences: toxicology, ballistics, fingerprints, X-ray, and crime scene photography.Soon there is something to interest both Kate and Sir Charles: a recently-dead body just uncovered at a nearby archaeological dig. The investigation provides the perfect research background for Kate's next novel. But the inquisitive writer may be digging too deep-especially when the trail leads her into a secret occult society known as the Order of the Golden Dawn.

In Death at Bishop's Keep, Kathryn Ardleigh captured the interest of amateur detective Sir Charles Sheridan as they solved their first case together.Now the death of a local constable and the disappearance of a child have Kate and Charles once again on the trail of deadly greed and criminal mischief. They team up with the shy, uncertain (but tactful and deeply perceptive) Miss Beatrix Potter to discover who killed the constable in Mr McGregor's garden and kidnapped the constable's daughter.Helping with this urgent task or blundering clumsily into the way are Miss Potter's animal companions, Mrs Tiggywinkle and Jemima Puddleduck, as well as the beastly Mr Tod and Mr Brock.

Sir Charles Sheridan is many things - an amateur scientist, a renowned photographer, and a skilled detective. And due to Victorian customs, he will soon become a baron, making Irish-American penny-dreadful writer Kate Ardleigh an unsuitable candidate for a wife. But even as custom keeps them apart, murder seems to bring them together . . .The Countess of Warwick, Lady Frances Brooke (known to all as Daisy), is the subject of endless gossip about her fiery temperament, willful ways, and decidely unladylike behavior. But what happens during a weekend house party at her Easton estate is uglier than any rumor - especially because Bertie, the Prince of Wales and Daisy's current lover, has joined the party.First, a stableboy is killed. Then a nobleman is murdered at the Easton folly, the small, decorative garden building that is Daisy's well-known trysting spot. Anxious to avoid scandal, the Prince of Wales asks Sir Charles to identify the killer - and Charles finds himself in need of the talents of Miss Ardleigh.

Newlyweds Charles and Kate Sheridan have moved into Kate's ancestral Georgian home Bishop's Keep, where Kate plans to devote herself to her writing and Charles to the responsibilities of the landed gentry. He agrees to host an automobile exhibition and balloon race at Bishop's Keep attended by Europe's foremost investors and inventors, among them the young Mr. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce.But speed, competition, and money prove to be more explosive than gasoline - and for one automobile builder, more deadly....

Lord and Lady Sheridan (Charles is now Baron of Somersworth) have taken a house for a few quiet weeks in the late summer of 1897, in the sea-coast village of Rottingdean. Long known as Smugglers' Village, the hamlet sits on a labyrinth of ancient tunnels. When the body of a coast guard is pulled out of the Channel, Kate and Charles suspect that the town is still plying the illicit trades of its past. With the help of Rudyard Kipling (who is just beginning his novel Kim), they discover that something is rotten in Rottingdean...

Kathryn Ardleigh is becoming accustomed to the high-society circles of her husband, Lord Charles Sheridan. She has found a kindred spirit in Jennie Jerome Churchill, an American who married the second son of the Duke of Marlborough.When Jennie faces a serious scandal that threatens the political future of her 23-year-old son Winston, she calls on Kate for help. Winston's political career is jeopardized by someone who claims to have proof that his father was none other than the notorious Jack the Ripper...

It's time for the Derby at Epsom Downs, and Lord Charles Sheridan and his American-born wife, Kate, are on the scene - Charles to take photographs, Kate to gather information for her latest novel.The race becomes life-and-death when one of the jockeys doesn't make it to the finish line... and race officials suspect his horse may have been doped. But the murder of bookie Alfred Day makes it clear that doping isn't the only crime that must be solved.Meanwhile, Kate puzzles over the long-ago theft of an actress's jewels. And soon the Sheridans can't help wondering if these strange events are, somehow, connected.

'A sentence to Dartmoor Prison is a sentence to a living hell...'Lord Charles Sheridan and his American wife, Kate, have heard some truly awful things about Britain's most notorious prison. But Dartmoor and its mist-shrouded environs hold special appeal for both Sheridans. Kate hopes to find inspiration for her new Gothic novel, while Charles plans to implement a fingerprinting program at the prison - and arrange a meeting with one of its most infamous inmates, Samuel Spencer. He's convinced that Spencer - a Scotsman who admitted to killing his wife - is, in fact, innocent. What's more, he believes he has the evidence to prove it. But Spencer continues to maintain his own guilt - and, as if to confirm it, he soon stages a daring prison escape. Lord Charles and his acquaintance Arthur Conan Doyle are most perplexed by this odd turn of events. And when a body turns up on the moor, it's up to the two men - and the clever Kate - to discover if the missing convict is connected to this murderous new case...

Charles and Kate are summoned to Scotland on a mysterious errand for the Crown. Upon their arrival, they discover they will be staying at Glamis Castle, the most historic castle in Scotland, a place haunted by shadows and dark secrets. They learn that Prince Eddy, who had been heir to the throne until his supposed death in 1892, is still alive, ten years later. Only now the prince has gone missing - on the very morning that the body of one of his servants was found, her throat slashed. Now, Charles and his clever Kate must find Eddy and clear him from suspicion of murder, while keeping his true identity a secret.