This year again, publishers pulled out all the stops with many choice offerings in the Fine Books section. Here are our favorites.
GENERATION Amstrad CPC
It's difficult to miss Génération Amstrad CPC, an imposing work devoted to the range of computers released from the mid-1980s. For the occasion, the specialist journalist Patrick Hellio (already author of a superb story in Point'n click in 2021) did not shy away from his pleasure and took us on a total journey. Machines, flagship games, anecdotes, advertisements from the time, official or unofficial accessories… Nothing is left aside and for the 40th anniversary of the Amstrad, the tribute lives up to the myth, with very numerous photos which will bring back fond memories to many.
Amstrad CPC Generation, by Patrick Hélliot, Ed. Pix'n Love, €49.90
Fashion Eye Iceland
The Fashion Eye photo album collection, developed by Louis Vuitton, is enriched with three new destinations at the end of the year, with Mexico, Scotland and Iceland, by Jackie Nickerson. It is this last volume that we present with pleasure here, as the fabulous volcanic island still seems an ideal playground for the photographer's eye. The American portrait painter, who has already traveled the length and breadth of the world, has here given free rein to her talent to try to create a panorama worthy of the monumental height of this strange place, punctuated by craters, lava deserts or waterfalls. .
Fashion Eye Iceland, ed. Louis Vuitton, €55
The Splendid on the Splendid
“The Splendid”, or how a group of high school friends pulled off an incredible heist on the French comedy. In “Le Splendid par le Splendid”, which is published by Le Cherche-midi, the most eminent members of the troupe provide fascinating feedback on their collaboration launched in the mid-1970s and which became a social phenomenon. For the first time, here they are brought together to tell their story(s) by opening up their family albums to us. Time has passed, and the very recent death of Michel Blanc sadly reminds us, but the cult lines and the laughs remain.
The Splendid by the Splendid, ed. Le recherche-Midi, €26.50
Hi-fi: A history of high-end audio design
Design is everywhere, and cutting-edge Hi-Fi is no exception. Since the 1950s, discerning enthusiasts have venerated certain objects, some of which now have their place in a museum. Vinyl or CD turntables, tape recorders, tube amplifiers… the Hi-Fi book brings together in its pages the best of exceptional audio equipment, with, which spoils nothing, magnificent photos. From Ampex to Marantz via Bang & Olufsen, Braun, or Zellaton, almost everything is there, which will not fail to interest experienced audiophiles as well as the emerging generation. From analog to all-digital, the circle has come full circle.
Hi-Fi: a history of high-end design, ed. Phaidon, €69.95
Trompe-l'oeil cakes
Fans of “Best Pastry Chef” on M6 are already won over. The book Gâteaux trompe-l'oeil, signed by the essential duo Emily/Thibaut, heroes of season 12, doesn't lie on the goods, with a real manual for bringing succulent creations to life. Kiwi, Clementine, Lemon… the whole orchard goes there. And thanks to the proposed and numerous step-by-step sketches, the laurels are yours.
Trompe l'oeil cakes, by Emily Misson and Thibaut Lefils, ed. Larousse, €25.95
Napoleon, in the privacy of a reign
Imperial and playful. This splendid book, dedicated to the fascinating destiny of the little Corsican corporal who became emperor, does not skimp on beautiful illustrations and facsimiles to immerse us at the crossroads of the 18th and 19th centuries. The story is captivating from start to finish, and covers the entire period from Bonaparte's birth in Ajaccio in 1769 to his death in Sainte-Hélène on May 5, 1821, with many anecdotes and details. Because behind the political myth and the national romance, there is an incredible personality, “Bigger than life” we almost dare.
Napoleon, in the intimacy of a reign, ed. Larousse, €39.95
One man one watch
Nas' Patek Philippe, astronaut Wally Schirra's Omega Speedmaster, Sir Edmund Hillary's Rolex… The world of watches fascinates ordinary mortals as much as the most illustrious personalities. And this fascination is not limited to reading a technical sheet, however long it may be. In the book “One Man, One Watch”, specialist Matt Hranek interviewed 20 personalities to ask them to open the memory box and extract some secrets from them about their favorite timepiece. In total, 76 exceptional watches are reviewed, with very beautiful photos.
One man, one watch, ed. EPA, €35.90
Nirvana
The Nirvana revolution came to an abrupt end 30 years ago with the tragic death of Kurt Cobain. The fans were left on their feet, but the legend has continued to grow ever since. This beautiful book published by Glénat retraces the meteoric journey of the Seattle band, made up of Kurt, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. An almost unrivaled artistic odyssey, completed in just three studio albums: Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero, released between 1989 and 1993. Richly illustrated, the book perfectly links Nirvana's musical style, its favorite themes and evil. being bottomless of its charismatic leader, in the face of the society that surrounds him.
Nirvana, the group, the albums, the music, ed. Glénat, €45
Normandy and Provence Landing Box
For the 80th anniversary of the Landings, the publisher Glénat is leading the Overlord and Dragoon operations in bookstores. Several titles are in fact available at the end of the year, and we particularly appreciate the box set bringing together the two volumes of the “The Second World War in Color” collection, one dedicated to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy and the other at the landing in Provence. Especially since both books are splendidly illustrated and full of fascinating details which plunge us into the heart of one of the major events of the 20th century.
Landing box set 1944, ed. Glénat, €79.95
Welcome to The Simpsons
36 seasons, 768 episodes, memes like it was raining… The Simpsons are certainly the most famous dysfunctional family in the world, far ahead of the Kardashians. The record-breaking animated series, created by Matt Groening, owes its success above all to its caustic humor and its constantly renewed ability to expose the society of yesterday and today. Characteristics that you will be able to decipher in depth thanks to the work of Thomas Pillon, author of the book “Welcome to the Simpsons”. Whether you are a connoisseur or a simple amateur, it opens wide the doors to a rich and much deeper universe than one might believe.
Welcome to The Simpsons, by Thomas Pillon, Third Editions, First print edition at €34.90 and classic edition at €29.90
Multiverse, all the art of Aleksi Briclot
His trait is omnipresent in pop culture. At Marvel, Ubisoft, and even Capcom and in Magic cards, French illustrator Aleksi Briclot quickly weaved his web. The edition, by Huginn & Muninn, of this very beautiful monograph called Multiverse is therefore only fair, and it allows us to capture all the richness of the artistic palette of the co-founder of the Dontnod video game studios. We also appreciate the anecdotes and memories shared by Aleksi for the first time, who looks back with pleasure on twenty years of creation and graphic adventures.
Multiverse, all the art of Aleksi Briclot, ed. €39.95
Top Craft: the origins of Studio Ghibli
Ghibli before Ghibli? The Top Craft studio, founded in 1972 by Toru Hara, was the birthplace of the giants Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, to the point of producing Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, in 1984. But the adventure did not last much longer , since the studio went bankrupt in 1986 and the animators continued their careers elsewhere. It is this relatively short story and its twists and turns that the book “Top Craft” by Maroin Eluasti, published by Ynnis, tells.
Through fascinating files and interviews, the author dives for us into dusty archives to unearth numerous treasures and manufacturing secrets (sketches, notes, period photos, etc.). The result is an incredible, human-level account of a few years that changed the face of animation in Japan.
Top Craft: the origins of Studio Ghibli, by Maroin Eluasti, ed. Ynnis, €35
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