Raise a glass to iconic character and toast to their timeless tales in this charming cocktail book that masterfully blends classic literature with exquisite drinks."Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large, thins lice of lemon peel. Got it?" James Bond knows what he's about when it comes to cocktails. Now you can too with this collection that brings cocktails from the page to the glass. Whether you're a fan of classic literature or simply love a good drink, this book is sure to delight. Each recipe is thoughtfully crafted to reflect the essence of its literary inspiration, resulting in a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds and stoke the fires of your imagination. Inside you'll find:Daisy's mint julep in the Great GatsbyThe famous James Bond vesper martini from Casino RoyaleEbenezer Scrooge's smoking bishop in A...

Beethoven's Skull is an unusual and often humorous survey of the many strange happenings in the history of Western classical music. Proving that good music and shocking tabloid-style stories make excellent bedfellows, it presents tales of revenge, murder, curious accidents, and strange fates that span more than two thousand years. Highlights include: A cursed song that kills those who hear it A composer who lovingly cradles the head of Beethoven's corpse when his remains are exhumed half a century after his death A fifteenth-century German poet who sings of the real-life Dracula A dream of the devil that inspires a virtuoso violin pieceUnlike many music books that begin their histories with the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, Beethoven's Skull takes the reader back to the world of ancient Greece and Rome, progressing through the Middle Ages and all the way into the twentieth century. It also looks at myths and legends, superstitions, and... *Beethoven's Skull* is an unusual and often humorous survey of the many strange happenings in the history of Western classical music. Proving that good music and shocking tabloid-style stories make excellent bedfellows, it presents tales of revenge, murder, curious accidents, and strange fates that span more than two thousand years. Highlights include: *A cursed song that kills those who hear it *A composer who lovingly cradles the head of Beethoven's corpse when his remains are exhumed half a century after his death * A fifteenth-century German poet who sings of the real-life Dracula *A dream of the devil that inspires a virtuoso violin piece Unlike many music books that begin their histories with the seventeenth or eighteenth-centuries, *Beethoven's Skull* takes the reader back to the world of ancient Greece and Rome, progressing through the Middle Ages and all the way into the twentieth century. It also looks at myths and legends, superstitions, and musical mysteries, detailing the ways that musicians and their peers have been rather horrible to one another over the centuries.

Shakespeare's Ear presents dark and sometimes funny pieces of fact and folklore that bedevil the mostly unknown history of theater. All manner of skullduggery, from revenge to murder, from affairs to persecution, proves that the drama off-stage was just as intense as any portrayed on it. The stories include those of: An ancient Greek writer of tragedies who dies when an eagle drops a tortoise on his head. A sixteenth-century English playwright who lives a double life as a spy and perishes horribly, stabbed above the eye. A small Parisian theater where grisly horrors unfold on stage. The gold earring that Shakespeare wears in the Chandos portrait, and its connections to bohemians and pirates of the time.Journey back to see theatrical shenanigans from the ancient Near East, explore the violent plays of ancient Greece and Rome, revel in the Elizabethan and Jacobean golden age of blood-thirsty drama, delight in the zany and subversive antics...

Raise a glass to iconic character and toast to their timeless tales in this charming cocktail book that masterfully blends classic literature with exquisite drinks."Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large, thins lice of lemon peel. Got it?" James Bond knows what he's about when it comes to cocktails. Now you can too with this collection that brings cocktails from the page to the glass. Whether you're a fan of classic literature or simply love a good drink, this book is sure to delight. Each recipe is thoughtfully crafted to reflect the essence of its literary inspiration, resulting in a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds and stoke the fires of your imagination. Inside you'll find:Daisy's mint julep in the Great GatsbyThe famous James Bond vesper martini from Casino RoyaleEbenezer Scrooge's smoking bishop in A...