{"title":"Music","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780571372003","title":"Story of the Century : Wagner and the creation of The Ring by Downes, Michael","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: Downes, Michael\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eOpera\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 23 April 2026 by FABER \u0026amp; FABER in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback | 336 pages\u003cbr\u003e197 x 129 x 24 | 290g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA PRESTO BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024'Gripping.' FINANCIAL TIMES'Breathtaking.' SIMON CALLOW'Vivid.' BBC MUSIC MAGAZINEA colourful and concise telling of the fascinating story behind Richard Wagner's extraordinary masterpiece, Ring of the Nibelung.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Ring is one of the most epic and compelling stories of the nineteenth century, created by a composer who was, alongside Dickens, Tolstoy and Victor-Hugo, also one of the century's master storytellers. But the story of how Wagner created the work is one full of intrigue and triumphs against unlikely odds - as well as controversy, due to the composer's anti-semitic views and popularity with the Nazi party.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Story of the Century, Michael Downes combines cultural history and biography to offer this accessible and insightful introduction to The Ring and its mythology. He tells the story of how and why this extraordinary masterpiece came into being, why it takes the form it does, why it fascinates and obsesses so many and horrifies others, and why it matters.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Book Nook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58093526942077,"sku":"9780571372003","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/6525\/8945\/files\/9780571372003.jpg?v=1777280610"},{"product_id":"cured-the-tale-of-two-imaginary-boys-by-lol-tolhurst-author","title":"Cured : The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys by Lol Tolhurst (Author)","description":"\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003cbr\u003eThe inside story of The Cure'Beautifully realised' Irish TimesComing of age in Thatcher's Britain in the late 70s and early 80s was really tough, especially if you lived in Crawley. But against the grinding austerity, social unrest and suburban boredom, the spark of rebellion that was punk set alight three young men who would become one of the most revered and successful bands of their generation. The Cure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCured is a memoir by Lol Tolhurst, one of the founding imaginary boys, who met Robert Smith when they were five. Lol threads the genesis of The Cure through his schoolboy years with Smith, the iconic leader of the group, and the band's most successful era in the 1980s. He takes us up to the present day, a riveting forty years since the band's inception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe band's journey to worldwide success is woven into a story not only of great highs and lows but also of love, friendship, pain, forgiveness and, ultimately, redemption on a beach in Hawaii. Cured highlights those parts of the creative journey that are not normally revealed to fans, incorporating many first-hand recollections around Lol's personal odyssey. From suburban London to the Mojave desert, Cured brings an acute eye for the times to bear on a lifelong friendship, with tales of addiction and despair along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCured is the story of a timeless band and a life truly lived.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Book Nook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58110472552829,"sku":"9781784293376","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0539\/6525\/8945\/files\/9781784293376.jpg?v=1777648699"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.booknookshop.co.uk\/collections\/music-1.oembed","provider":"The Book Nook","version":"1.0","type":"link"}