{"title":"Books by Alistair Wood","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781119736608","title":"Ukulele For Dummies, 3rd Edition","description":"Strum a tune on your ukulele—no Hawaiian shirt required! Picture it now: the sun sets over the shimmering sea, and, as the beach bar falls quiet, you begin strumming Queen Liliuokalani's \"Aloha 'Oe\" to a mesmerized crowd. ... Okay, while this doesn't happen every day for ukulele-players, you'll still have a lot of fun learning your favorite tunes on your ukulele. Widely associated with Hawaiian music, the ukulele has exploded in popularity in recent years as kids and adults alike have started their music education with a uke or added it to their collection of instruments.    Learning to play this versatile instrument is made easier for the experience and inexperienced alike with this new edition of Ukulele For Dummies. Following its straightforward instructions, you'll pick your way from the basics of purchasing your ukulele and accessories to confidently strumming through simple chord progressions and jamming through various styles and standards, including pop, folk, and those much-loved holiday favorites. Aloha, Santa Claus! Buy the right ukulele for youPerfect your pick and fretPractice with downloadable audioGet the best ukulele apps Whatever you want from your ukulele adventure—strumming on the beach or adding its island style to your distinctive new pop sound—Ukulele For Dummies will have you making a big splash with this tiny instrument in aloha no time at all!","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56296403992949,"sku":"9781119736608","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781119736608_87231b04-9c90-4b27-94ea-4bc9d1eac30d.jpg?v=1786018644"},{"product_id":"9781405971980","title":"My Family and Other Spies","description":"An extraordinary true story of growing up inside MI6, uncovering family secrets, and tracing a legacy of British espionage across half a century.\u003cp\u003e‘A fabulous romp of a book, part John le Carré, part Ealing comedy … compulsively readable’\u003cbr\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Tells the story of the author’s unique childhood and the extraordinary, shadowy lives of his mother and father’\u003cbr\u003eSUNDAY TELEGRAPH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Truth is stranger than fiction …’\u003cbr\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Reads like a Cold War thriller written by John le Carré with an added injection of wry humour’\u003cbr\u003eBBC SATURDAY LIVE\u003cbr\u003e–\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"It has always been inculcated into me that no good could ever come of having anything to do with my father…\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a boy, Alistair Wood lived within the (very high) walls of a Secret Intelligence Service – or MI6 – training camp, surrounded by some of the most senior - and colourful - characters in SIS history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter all, he was family. His mother was one of a handful of women to have operated behind the lines in post-war Berlin. His father, once one of Britain’s most highly-regarded intelligence officers, was an absent and perplexing figure, the reasons for his sudden departure from the Service still classified to this day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Wood’s search for the truth took him on a journey more remarkable than even he had imagined.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy Family and Other Spies\u003c\/i\u003e is a gripping exploration of an extraordinary, scarcely believable life, a globe-trotting spy story that spans a half century from the gathering storm before the Second World War to the fall of Communism, and a son’s reckoning with the secrets of the past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Simply stunning ... might be the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read about post-war SIS' CHARLES BEAUMONT\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘A remarkable insight into British intelligence in the Cold War…with all the intrigue and suspense of a truly gripping espionage novel' ALEX GERLIS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is very entertaining … a fascinating biography” STEPHEN DORRIL, author of \u003ci\u003eMI6: 50 Years of Special Operations\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A compelling personal journey to uncover the truth and an intimate view into one of Britain’s most secretive organisations' HELEN FRY\u003cbr\u003e'The intriguing story of how the author peels back the cloak of mystery surrounding his father, a member of the Secret Intelligence Service. A very good book … strongly recommended' ROBERT LYMAN\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56368821535093,"sku":"9781405971980","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781405971980_fdde72ca-d9c9-4fe6-bd76-c1f00b602b2b.jpg?v=1786019581"},{"product_id":"ukulele-exercises-for-dummies","title":"Ukulele Exercises For Dummies","description":"\u003cp\u003eTake your ukulele playing to the next level - fast! - with hundreds of fun exercises, drills and practice tunes  You have a ukulele, you know just enough to be dangerous, and now you're ready to do something with it. You're in luck: Ukulele Exercises For Dummies helps you become a better player. This practice-based book focuses on the skills that entry-level players often find challenging and provides tips, tricks and plenty of cool exercises that will have you creating music in no time that include:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreating rock-steady strumming patterns and rhythms\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecoming a better fingerpicker with patterns, arpeggio exercises, and solo fingerpicking pieces\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExpanding your fretboard knowledge and crafting your own rock, blues and jazz riffs and solos\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlaying actual songs on the ukulele - everything from the classic ukulele tunes to the 12 bar blues!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDownloadable audio files of the exercises found in the book, providing you with a self-contained practice package  No matter if you're a beginning ukulele player or you're wanting to stretch and improve your chops, Ukulele Exercises For Dummies puts you on your way to becoming a ukulele extraordinaire!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57483471683957,"sku":"9781118506851","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781118506851.jpg?v=1786178639"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-alistair-wood.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}