In 1961 Scotland's biggest bus company, W Alexander & Sons of Falkirk, was divided into three separate businesses. A new Midland company took over what had been the southern area of the business, & retained Alexander's blue livery & its Falkirk head office. It operated local services to the north & east of Glasgow, & in Stirling, Falkirk, Alloa, Perth & Oban. It also operated inter-urban services throughout this area, & to Edinburgh & Dundee. Operations in Fife passed to a new Fife company, with local services throughout the region, & long-distance services to Glasgow. The Fife company had around 500 buses & adopted a new livery of Ayres red. It established its head office in Kirkcaldy. Alexander's northern region became the new Northern company. Its operations covered the east of Scotland from Dundee to the Moray Firth. As well as a comprehensive network of services throughout the area, it had limited local operations in Dundee & Aberdeen, & ran long-distance services south to Glasgow & east to Inverness. For the following 24 years the three companies' operating territories remained largely unchanged. Each of them acquired many of the small number of independent bus operators in their areas as the 1960s progressed. The Scottish Bus Group was reorganised in June 1985 & this affected two of the Alexander companies. Midland lost its Glasgow area operations to a new company, Kelvin, while its operations in Perthshire went to another new company, Strathtay. Northern lost its operations in & around Tayside to the new Strathtay business, reducing the Northern fleet from 320 to 250 buses. Fife was unaffected by the changes. They were privatised in 1990-91 when Midland was sold to GRT Holdings & continues today as part of First Group. Northern & Fife were sold to Stagecoach, which would later also acquire Strathtay. This book outlines the Alexander story in its early years, then examines the effect of the split in the company in 1961, & the following years up to privatisation. It also

Includes:: a postscript, looking briefly at the vehicles inherited by Stagecoach & First, & at the former Alexander operations as they are today. Alongside various colour photographs, the book will also features tables showing a summary by vehicle type of the three fleets in 1961, 1985 & at the time of privatisation & a map copied from a 1960s timetable to illustrate the extent of the three companies' operating areas.

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The first major retrospective of the work of Alexander Calder (1898-1976) in the UK for twenty years opens at Tate Modern in November 2015. Calder was one of the most popular American artists of the 20th century. He is known for his invention of the mobile &, as a pioneer of kinetic sculpture, played an essential role in reshaping the history of modernism. Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture will explore the notion of performance as a driving force in Calder's sculpture & his use of other media including drawing, design, film & theatre. It traces the evolution of his kinetic vocabulary, from his initial years entertaining the artistic bohemia of inter-war Paris with performances of his Circus, to his later life, when he became hugely popular for his mobile & stabile sculptures. Focusing on this aspect of performance in Calder's work, the catalogue will feature new research from a panel of expert writers, & will draw on the relationship between gallery presentation & the interpretation of Calder's work, considering the theatricality of sculpture within the gallery space. ...

' Geddes was incontestably a man of great learning & independence of mind & his work as a pioneer of modern biblical scholarship is one of the greatest historical importance' (J.G. Macgregor). Yet the work of this eighteenth-century scholar is largely unknown today, though his name is often linked with the 'fragment hypothesis' of Pentateuchal composition which he initiated & which was developed by Vater. But perhaps his most significant contribution is in the field of mythology at the moment when J.G. Eichhorn was himself engaged in this development. Making full use of contemporary sources, & drawing upon hitherto unpublished material, Dr Fuller writes the first full-scale study of this remarkable man who with courage, not unmixed with rashness, stood almost alone in his endeavours to introduce principles of literary & historical criticism into Bible study in Britain. ...

Alexander Hamilton was an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean who overcame all the odds to become George Washington's aide-de-camp & the first Treasury Secretary of the United States. Few figures in American history are more controversial than Alexander Hamilton. In this masterful work, Chernow shows how the political & economic power of America today is the result of Hamilton's willingness to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time. He charts his titanic feuds with Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Monroe & Burr; his highly public affair with Maria Reynolds; his loving marriage to his loyal wife Eliza; & the notorious duel with Aaron Burr that led to his death in July 1804. This book was adapted into a hugely successful Broadway musical
- nominated for a record 16 Tony awards & winner of 11
- opens at the Victoria Palace Theatre in November 2017.

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The America that Alexander Hamilton knew was largely agricultural & built on slave labor. He envisioned something else: a multi-racial, urbanised, capitalistic America with a strong central government. He believed that such an America would be a land of opportunity for the poor & the newcomers. But Hamilton's vision put him at odds with his archrivals who envisioned a pastoral America of small towns, where governments were local, states would control their own destiny, & the federal government would remain small & weak. The disputes that arose during America's first decades continued through American history to our present day. Over time, because of the systems Hamilton set up & the ideas he left, his vision won out. Here is the story that epitomises the American dream--a poor immigrant who made good in America. In the end, Hamilton rose from poverty through his intelligence & ability, & did more to shape our country than any of his contemporaries. ...

Alexander Mc Queen (1969-2010) was one of the most influential, imaginative & inspirational designers at the turn of the millennium. His fashions both challenged & expanded the conventional parameters of clothing beyond utility to a compelling expression of culture, politics & identity. Focusing on the most iconic & acclaimed designs of his prolific career, this stunning book examines Mc Queen's inimitable technical virtuosity & its subversion of traditional tailoring & dressmaking practices. This book also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures found in Mc Queen's collections & in his astonishing & extravagant runway presentations, which suggested the most avant-garde installation & performance art. Intended as an assessment of Alexander Mc Queen's entire career, this book

Includes:: in-depth studies of six collections that illustrate & encapsulate thematic chapters as well as an interview with Sarah Burton, the new creative director of Alexander Mc Queen who had been the designer's right-hand design aide since 1996.

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A tribute to Alexander Mc Queen, 1969-2010. An iconic, imaginative, & inspirational fashion designer whose work turned heads & hearts all over the world. 125 stunning fashion show/catwalk photographs, with commentary by an experienced fashion journalist. ...

A retrospective of Lee's groundbreaking work & a salute to his artistry, the book showcases the wonderful world of Mc Queen, from his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins to his latest designs created just days before his untimely death, & finally his ideas carried on through Sarah Burton, including the royal wedding dress. Celebrating his work & vision, Alexander Mc Queen: The Legend & the Legacy traces the designer's ascent to becoming one of the world's most respected couturiers
- a story marked by celebrity friendships, unrestrained creativity, theatrical fashion shows &, ultimately, tragedy. The chronological organization allows the reader to understand Mc Queen's most seminal collections & the progression & underlying themes of his ideas. This book is dedicated to Mc Queen's work & talent, & exhibits not simply visually electrifying fashion images, but also reveals the deep reservoir of the designer's imagination.
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When Alexander Mc Queen committed suicide in February 2010, aged just 40, a shocked world mourned the loss of its most visionary fashion designer. Mc Queen had risen from humble beginnings as the youngest child of an East London taxi driver to scale the heights of fame, fortune & glamour. He designed clothes for the world's most beautiful women including Kate Moss & Naomi Campbell. In business he created a multi-million pound luxury brand that became a favourite with both celebrities & royalty, most famously the Duchess of Cambridge who wore a Mc Queen dress on her wedding day. But behind the confident facade & bad-boy image, lay a sensitive soul who struggled to survive in the ruthless world of fashion. As the pressures of work intensified, so Mc Queen became increasingly dependent on the drugs that contributed to his tragic end. Meanwhile, in his private life, his failure to find lasting love with a string of boyfriends only added to his despair. & then there were the dark secrets that haunted his sleep...A modern-day fairy tale infused with the darkness of a Greek tragedy, this book will tell the sensational story of Mc Queen's rise from his hard East London upbringing to the hedonistic world of fashion. Those closest to the designer
- his family, friends & lovers
- have spoken for the first time about the man they knew, a fragmented & insecure individual, a lost boy who battled to gain entry into a world that ultimately destroyed him.

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A retrospective of Mc Queen's groundbreaking designs & a salute to his artistry, the book showcases his work from his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins to his latest designs created just days before his untimely death. Celebrating his work & vision, Alexander Mc Queen: The Life & the Legacy traces the designer's ascent to becoming one of the world's most respected couturiers
- a story marked by celebrity friendships, unrestrained creativity, theatrical fashion shows &, ultimately, tragedy. The chronological organization allows the reader to understand Mc Queen's most seminal collections & the progression & underlying themes of his ideas. This book is dedicated to Mc Queen's work & talent, & exhibits not simply visually electrifying fashion images, but also reveals the deep reservoir of the designer's imagination.
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