Arts and Culture

In this photo-filled compendium of fun facts and fascinating trivia, every aspect of the world's most famous secret agent is explored and celebrated. From Bond's cars and gadgets to his women and villains, the 007 universe comes to life for fans new and old. Secrets are revealed and myths are dispelled about Fleming's novels and Hollywood's movies, from Casino Royale to No Time to Die.

Arizona-based architect Mark Candelaria is recognized for his timeless luxury designs and signature style rooted in classical form and functionality. In Mark Candelaria Homes, the architect presents 12 pivotal projects from the past decade and pulls back the curtain to share the stories behind them. Each project is accompanied by full-color photographs, floor plans, and sketches.

The Vickers Armstrong Wellington, affectionately dubbed the “Wimpy” after the hamburger-scoffing cartoon character, lays claim to two distinctions within RAF WWII annals. The first related to its geodetic structure, with a cloth covering that proved to be superior to previous designs for surviving battle damage.

"Kudos to Sandra Sider, for bringing simple tools to guide quilters to the playful side of design! Understanding 'the grid' can turn a simple square into a personal expression!" —designer Victoria Findlay Wolfe Your resource for a lifetime of planning and designing template-free geometric modern quilts. This compact guide is like many of the best things in life: simple.

Temporary natural arrangements have captivated people across the world. Learn how a professional artist creates these outdoor installations, and get inspired to create your own with a detailed look at the outdoor world of artist James Brunt. Brunt makes art that works with the environment while not changing it or having a permanent impact on the world in which he creates.

In many ways, the M26 Pershing was the most advanced and most powerful tank fielded by the US military during the Second World War. The prototype T26 "heavy" tank design was developed to answer the threat of the German Panther and Tiger tanks. Unfortunately for US Army tankers, the T26 tank wasn't ready for field use until 1945.

Reborn in 1951, the Myasishchev design bureau made its mark by creating the M-4 strategic bomber. Yet, this subsonic aircraft was soon made obsolescent by supersonic fighter technology—any new strategic bomber would need supersonic performance to avoid being intercepted. Hence in 1952, Myasishchev started work on supersonic bomber projects, which led to the M-50 of 1955.

Anzio Annie, Anzio Express, "Leopold"; known by many names, the German 8 cm Kanone 5 Eisenbahngeschütz (railway gun), commonly abbreviated K5(E), was the most successful and widely used of Germany's railway gun designs.

The PBY Catalina, designed and produced by Consolidated Aircraft, whose production was supplemented by that of Boeing Canada, Canadian Vickers, and the Naval Aircraft Factory, was the most widely used flying boat of all time.  Developed in the 1930s, the famed patrol bomber was used around the world by the United States and its allies—the Soviets even produced hundreds of duplicates.

During WWII, Germany fielded a variety of six- and eight-wheeled armored cars, which were used in numerous ways, including reconnaissance, antitank, infantry support, and other roles.  The earliest of these vehicles, the 6-Rad, or six-wheeled vehicles, were based on 6 × 4 truck chassis.

SS United States was the flagship of the United States Lines and was representative of the apex of steam-engineering technology. Designed by William Francis Gibbs, the ship was designed to be both fast and safe, due to the use of new materials with an emphasis on being fireproof. This book chronicles the design, construction, and operation of the liner.