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Going up, going down...
Our Top 10 chart is updated monthly, compiled from sales and clickthroughs by visitors to the CannySites.com portfolio of sites. Chart last updated February 2012.
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Top 10 Chart
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No. 1
The Best Gardens in Italy: A Traveller's Guide
NON-MOVER
Sapling.info chart trend: 1-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 1
Months on chart: 2
Kirsty McLeod
(2011)
Hardcover - 256 pages
Frances Lincoln
ISBN: 0711231834
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Italy's gardens speak to us all. In the history of gardening they are the bridge between our world and the ancient world. Their harmony, symmetry and serenity are at once inimitable and universally copied. During the past few years Italy has awoken to a realisation of its gardens. In a gardening renaissance, interesting new gardens are being created all over Italy, and there has been exemplary restoration of some historic gardens. In this pioneering new book, Kirsty McLeod and Primrose Bell celebrate over a hundred of the finest Italian gardens open to the public. They take the reader with them on a journey to these gardens: they explore their history and context, and we meet the owners, hear the stories behind the gardens, and learn how they were made and how they are maintained.
Check Amazon.co.uk for pricing and availability
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No. 2
Building Construction Handbook
UP 3
Sapling.info chart trend: 5-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 2
Months on chart: 17
Roy Chudley, Roger Greeno
(2010 - 8th Edition)
Paperback - 828 pages
Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN: 1856178056
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Building Construction Handbook is an authoritative reference for all students and professionals. It is full of detailed drawings that clearly illustrate the construction of building elements. The principles and processes of construction are explained with the concepts of design included where appropriate. Extensive coverage of building construction practice and techniques, representing both traditional procedures and modern developments, are also included to provide the most comprehensive and easy to understand guide to building construction.
The new edition has been reviewed and updated to include further material on energy conservation, sustainable construction, environmental and green building issues. More details of fire protection to elements of construction are now provided.
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No. 3
Nordic Interior Design
DOWN 1
Sapling.info chart trend: 2-1-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 1
Months on chart: 3
Manuela Roth
(2011)
Hardcover - 208 pages
Braun
ISBN: 3037680709
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
In scarcely any other European region are technological advances and contemporary interpretations of tradition in such harmony and so self-evident as in the Scandinavian countries, Europe's northernmost region. Here, alongside Ikea's mass-produced designs, a uniquely creative architecture and design scene has developed. The frequent utilisation of natural and traditional materials allows design trends to emerge that inspire around the world. Furthermore, this close relationship to nature demands the respectful handling of natural resources. This volume reveals that it is not only the functionality of the represented interior spaces that is of foremost importance, but also the skilful handling of light, color and material. Around 50 recent examples from both the private and the public spheres are presented from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. In English and German.
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No. 4
Collins Complete DIY Manual
DOWN 1
Sapling.info chart trend: 3-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 3
Months on chart: 2
Albert Jackon, David Day
(2011 - New Edition)
Hardcover - 552 pages
Collins
ISBN: 0007425953
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Collins Complete DIY Manual has sold over 3 million copies and is the most comprehensive and authoritative DIY manual ever produced.
For novices, DIY enthusiasts or professionals, this essential book continues to be the most in-depth, up-to-date and user-friendly DIY book on the market, covering everything from decorating and repairs to electricity, plumbing and much more.
This fully updated version features an even more accessible design to help you navigate easily through the info, and thousands of new photographs and illustrations to make sure you get your job done quickly and safely. There have been many changes to regulations in recent years, particularly in electricity (the new Part P legislation and changes to cable colours) - the Manual not only lists but also clearly explains these new regs and helps you work with them.
And as we all become much more conscious of the environmental impact our homes have, new material on energy-saving DIY is essential reading for any householder - saving you money too in the process.
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No. 5
Churchill and Chartwell: The Untold Story of Churchill's Houses and Gardens
RE-ENTRY
Sapling.info chart trend: X-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 3
Months on chart: 6
Stefan Buczacki
(2007)
Hardcover - 384 pages
Frances Lincoln Publishers
ISBN: 0711225354
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
This book is a biography of Winston Churchill through the houses he lived in and the gardens he made. It culminates with the full story of his purchase, alteration and creation of Chartwell, Kent, where he lived for more than forty years before and after the war, and which is now owned and run by the National Trust in keeping with his intentions. Churchill was born amidst the splendour of Blenheim Palace but, ever a restless spirit, he owned or rented many houses, both grand and relatively modest, over the course of his long life, including country retreats, modern town apartments and, as First Lord of the Admiralty, Admiralty House. But it was his house at Chartwell that would be for ever associated with the name Churchill. Based on extensive and scholarly archive study, this unique book brings to light an array of previously unpublished details and reveals a fascinating side to Britain's greatest war leader. Winston Churchill was named the Greatest Briton of all time in a BBC poll that attracted nearly a million votes. He remains a hugely popular figure. This is the first book on Churchill to focus on this relatively private aspect of his character. It contains material from the Churchill archives, including reproductions of his paintings.
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No. 6
Great City Parks
RE-ENTRY
Sapling.info chart trend: X-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 4
Months on chart: 3
Alan Tate
(2004)
Hardcover - 224 pages
Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 0415306361
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Great City Parks is a comparative study of twenty significant public parks in a number of major cities in Western Europe and North America. As a collection they give a clear picture of why parks have been created, how they have been designed, how they are managed, and what plans are being made for them at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The examination of each park looks at the size and condition of the sites at the time of designation, and looks at the reason for their designation and at the key figures behind the decisions to build them. The principal designers are profiled in terms of their backgrounds and the values that they brought to the projects. Each park is then examined in terms of its planning and design - looking at its location in the city, and the shape, size and existing landform of the site. The original design concept is reviewed in terms of spatial structure, circulation systems and intended character. The examinations then review the current status of the parks, looking at the organisations which manage them - how they are appointed; how they canvass their users' views; how the parks are funded - and at the patterns of use. The final sections of each park study looks at current plans for each of the parks. The study concludes by considering whether there are clear planning, design and management criteria for 'successful' city parks. Great City Parks is a celebration and rationale for some of the finest achievements of landscape architecture in the public realm. Based on unique research including extensive site visits and interviews with the managing organisations, the text is amplified by clear plans and professional photographs for each park. This book reflects a belief that well-planned, well-designed and well-managed parks remain invaluable components of liveable and hospitable cities. This fascinating book will appeal to Landscape Architects, Architects, Urban Planners, Park Managers, and anyone who appreciates the special role of parks in our urban environment.
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No. 7
Fertile Fortune: The Story of Tyntesfield
RE-ENTRY
Sapling.info chart trend: X-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 2
Months on chart: 17
James Miller
(2006 - New Edition)
Paperback - 192 pages
National Trust Books
ISBN: 1905400403
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Situated on a ridge overlooking the beautiful Land Yeo Valley, Tyntesfield is one the last remaining examples of a great country house built in the Victorian High Gothic style. It survives intact with visitors able to view an unrivalled collection of Victorian decorative arts, experience an insight into life below stairs and see a sumptuously decorated private chapel. Each year thousands of visitors come through its doors and since its acquisition by the National Trust in 2002 it has become one of the jewels in the Trust's crown. But behind the house there exists the fascinating story of the Gibbs family. "Fertile Fortune" reveals their history and how each generation stamped its own identity on the house and estate. William Gibbs came from an Exeter merchant family. His company began to export guano from the offshore Pacific islands. These bird droppings, rich in nitrate, proved a godsend as fertiliser for British farmers. A fortune was made, and Tyntesfield built in 1864. Filled with stunning images of Tyntesfield and descriptions of some of the arts held within its walls, "Fertile Fortune" is both a fascinating read and a pictorial tour of the house.
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No. 8
Great British Railway Journeys
DOWN 4
Sapling.info chart trend: 4-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 4
Months on chart: 2
Michael Portillo (Foreword), Charlie Bunce
(2011)
Hardcover - 320 pages
Collins
ISBN: 0007394764
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
A glorious insight into Britain over the last 150 years - its history, landscape and people - from the window of Britain's many and magnificent railway journeys.
Inspired by George Bradshaw, a 19th-century cartographer who mapped Britain's railways as they sprung up around him, Charlie Bunce and Michael Portillo take a journey along nine classic British railway routes and surround themselves with the history, the charm and the people at the heart of the railways.
More than just a practical mode of transport, Britain's railways are richly representative and evocative of British society and how it has developed over the last 150 years. Symbols of progress and change, they tell of remarkable breakthroughs in technology, industry and travel. Iconic in their design they have both made a distinctive impact on Britain's landscape and opened it up to millions of people who, through train journeys alone, became acquainted with wonderful new places and sights. And as fond staples of childhood experiences they evoke deep, memorable feelings of nostalgia, of holidays and home.
Great British Train Journeys is a passionate, charming and insightful look at Britain from a window seat: a compelling read for all who look forward to travelling by train.
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No. 9
The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design
DOWN 2
Sapling.info chart trend: 7-3-7-X-X-X
Peak position: 3
Months on chart: 4
James Van Sweden, Tom Christopher
(2011)
Hardcover - 224 pages
Random House
ISBN: 1400063892
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Guided by world-renowned landscape architect James van Sweden and horticulture expert Tom Christopher, any gardener can learn the secrets of the gardener's art and absorb the essence of inspired garden design. In their gifted hands, creating your own perfect garden, with its own alluring mysteries, turns out to be not only easy but a delight.
Whether it's a ten-foot-square city terrace or a ten-acre expanse, the same principles apply: the intelligent use of positive and negative space, of form and scale, of light and shadow, of rough and smooth textures. Do you want a garden you can immerse yourself in? A garden you can smell and listen to as well as observe? An exuberant garden or a contemplative garden?
In this elegantly written and visually stunning book, van Sweden reveals the secrets of famous gardens around the world and encourages you to find inspiration in the arts - in painting (from America's classic regional artists to the abstract expressionists), music (from classical to jazz), sculpture, even dance. He introduces you to famous artists who share how their art has influenced the design of their own gardens, and teaches you to think not in terms of borders and beds or even paths and meadows but of a tapestry woven from sky, trees, rocks, vines, flowers, grasses, and space.
Richly illustrated throughout with magnificent photographs, The Artful Garden both tells and shows, sharing with beginning and experienced gardeners a wealth of inspiration and practical help. "What's my message?" van Sweden asks in conclusion. The wise answer: "Don't squander the potential for surprise and wonder." This beautiful book guarantees everyone who reads it a priceless store of gardening wisdom.
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No. 10
Sea Room
DOWN 2
Sapling.info chart trend: 8-X-X-X-X-X
Peak position: 8
Months on chart: 2
Adam Nicolson
(2002 - New Edition)
Paperback - 256 pages
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0006532012
Synopsis by Amazon.co.uk:
Biographies are supposed to deal with people, not places, but Adam Nicolson's lyrical new book, Sea Room, is best seen as a biography. Dealing with the geology, history, natural history, sociology, and emotional resonance of the Shiants--a trio of Hebridean Islands between Skye and Harris --Nicolson's book is an all-encompassing characterisation of this remote corner of the British Isles.
Nicolson begins by describing how, inheriting the islands from his father as a young man, the islands have come to have an unusually deep meaning for him. This comes out in his painstaking reconstruction of the geological formation of the islands, of their ancient bronze and iron age settlements, and of the harsh lives of the families that lived here until large-scale economies destroyed traditional Hebridean life.
There is much sadness and anger in Nicolson's account of these changes, but also joy--joy at the richness of life in such a place, and joy that these changes have allowed Nicolson himself to experience the Shiants' beauty. The precision with which almost every inch of the islands' physical and historical identities are described is, literally, marvellous; Nicolson eschews generalities, and writes with a love of detail that is increasingly rare. Although the book is a little maudlin at times, this is only the reflection of Nicolson's own sensitivity to the place. The Shiants are anthropomorphised, becoming a character in their own right, proof that the tiniest place can reflect the passage of time.
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