Books about music and film

Marilyn Monroe 100 – The Official Centenary Book

Authors: Christian Siriano, Rachel Syme, David Wills and Louie Conway

Marilyn Monroe 100 is the only official book celebrating Marilyn Monroe's hundredth birth year. This exclusive centenary book is published in close cooperation with the Marilyn Monroe Estate and offers an unparalleled and complete portrait of one of the greatest icons of the twentieth century.

The book brings together the work of seventeen photographers who closely followed Marilyn between 1945 and 1962. From early images of a young Norma Jeane to world-famous glamour portraits and intimate, candid behind-the-scenes moments. Photographers such as André de Dienes, Joseph Jasgur, and Bernard of Hollywood show her first steps. Photos by John Florea and Philippe Halsman reveal a rising star, while Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt, Bruce Davidson, and Henri Cartier-Bresson capture Marilyn on the sets of her most iconic films. Cecil Beaton and Richard Avedon highlight her timeless beauty, and photographers such as Alfred Eisenstaedt, Sam Shaw, George Barris, and Milton Greene reveal a more personal, vulnerable side.

The book concludes with Bert Stern's legendary Last Sitting, complemented by recently rediscovered photographs by Allan Grant for Life magazine, published just two days before Marilyn's death. Together they form an impressive visual testament.

In addition to photography, Marilyn Monroe 100 contains a rich selection of quotes from Marilyn herself, combined with essays by leading writers and cultural experts. They paint a picture of a woman with a unique personality: complex, intelligent, and far ahead of her time. One hundred years after her birth, it becomes clear how avant-garde Marilyn Monroe truly was.

This beautiful coffee table book is a monumental and stylish tribute to a woman who profoundly changed the world.

What you can expect:

• The only official jubilee book, approved by the Marilyn Monroe Estate
• A luxurious oversized coffee table book with gold print, gilded edges, spot gold, and fold-out pages
• The most complete photo collection ever, from 17 top photographers who documented Marilyn's life and career
• Marilyn in her own words, supplemented with sharp cultural analysis
  The ultimate collector's item for fans of Marilyn, Hollywood's Golden Age, and timeless fashion

About the author(s)

Marilyn Monroe 100 features contributions from a select group of leading voices in fashion, culture, and photography. Fashion designer Christian Siriano, winner of multiple CFDA awards, reflects on Marilyn's lasting influence on style and beauty. Rachel Syme, cultural critic and writer for The New Yorker, illuminates the complexity of Marilyn's public and private life.

David Wills, author and photographic preservationist, provides profound insights into the historical and visual significance of the imagery. Louie Conway, writer and editor at Iconic Images, places Marilyn's photography within a broader cultural context. Together, they offer a layered and contemporary perspective on an icon who continues to inspire.

Gered Mankowitz: Photographs

Gered Mankowitz is among the absolute top in the history of photography. With Photographs, he presents his most comprehensive book to date: an impressive overview of no less than 65 years of photography, from 1960 to 2025. The book will be released around his 80th birthday and feels like a crowning achievement for an exceptional career.

Mankowitz became a leading name in London during the Swinging Sixties. A photoshoot with Marianne Faithfull marked the beginning of his long-standing collaboration with The Rolling Stones, for whom he was the official photographer in the mid-sixties. This was followed by iconic portraits of music legends such as Jimi Hendrix, The Yardbirds, Elton John, and Kate Bush.

However, his oeuvre extends far beyond music. Mankowitz continually developed: from promotional photos of movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to award-winning advertising campaigns for brands such as Heineken and British Rail. He also continued to capture new generations of artists and published several books about his work. With his own texts, Mankowitz shows how he always remained in dialogue with his medium – curious, sharp, and relevant.

What to expect:

• The most complete overview ever of Gered Mankowitz's work, spanning six decades
• Rare and never-before-published photos that highlight his unique vision and signature
• Personal commentary from Mankowitz himself, full of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insights
• Contributions from close collaborators and subjects such as Noddy Holder, Dave Stewart, and Suzie Quatro
• An indispensable reference work for lovers of photography, music, and visual culture

About the Author

Gered Mankowitz was born into a family of creatives and intellectuals. He left school at fifteen, without qualifications, but with a clear direction: photography. Encouraged by a friend of his father – the legendary actor Peter Sellers – he picked up the camera. After a short period in fashion photography, he broke through with his images of the vibrant music scene of the sixties. Later, he expanded his field to film and advertising, where he further refined his versatility and craftsmanship.

Gered Mankowitz: Photographs is therefore not just a coffee table book; it is also the story of a photographer who constantly reinvented himself.

The Big Shot, Photographs by Greg Brennan

The Big Shot is an impressive ode to three decades of press photography at the highest level. In this coffee table book, Greg Brennan, one of Britain's longest-serving and most respected press photographers, opens his archive and his memories. The result is an intimate and sometimes surprisingly personal portrait of the world behind the spotlights.

From Hollywood icons and music legends to sports heroes, fashion visionaries and members of the British royal family: Brennan was there. Always looking for that one moment when the mask briefly slips. With encounters with, among others, Jack Nicholson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth II, The Big Shot shows how history, celebrity and humanity converge in a fraction of a second.

The story is told in Brennan's own words, supplemented by a personal narrative from his son Dylan. Together, they not only paint an exceptional photographic portrait of an era but also the life story of a photographer for whom the perfect shot sometimes took years to capture. With over 100 photos, this book is a visually powerful parade of famous faces and an honest look behind the public personas they represent.

What to expect:

• The first overview of this iconic British press photographer's work, featuring images spanning three decades
• A fascinating 'who's who' of international celebrity culture
• Personal, captivating stories from Greg Brennan about the moment, the place, and the encounter

About the Author(s)

Greg Brennan is among the absolute top of British press photography. As one of the longest-serving photographers in his field, he has captured countless influential figures over the past decades: rebels, world leaders, icons, and trendsetters. His strength lies in timing and instinct – the ability to capture people at their most unfiltered moment. With The Big Shot, Brennan shows that behind every famous photograph lies a story, and behind every public figure, a human being.

Jazz: Best of the Apollo, Village Vanguard and Riverside Sessions
Authors: Richard Scheinin and Steve Scharpiro

In Jazz: Best of the Apollo, Village Vanguard, and Riverside Sessions, a rarely seen chapter of jazz history comes to life. The legendary photographer Steve Schapiro – globally renowned for his compelling social documentaries from the 1960s – turned his lens to the New York jazz scene early on. Even before his big breakthrough, he captured musicians in clubs, studios, and backstage moments, precisely at the intersection where music, zeitgeist, and personal expression converge.

In the early 60s, jazz experienced a golden age in New York. Schapiro, raised in the Bronx and working as a freelance photographer, gained access to the intimate world of Riverside Records. There, he not only photographed performances but also the moments in between: Sonny Rollins lifting weights backstage, Bobby Timmons engrossed in a sudden musical insight, musicians completely absorbed in their craft. His images exude proximity, respect, and a keen eye for the decisive moment.

The photographs in this coffee table book – largely never before published – feature icons such as Cannonball Adderley, Melba Liston, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, and Count Basie. Together, they form a visual historical document of exceptional value, presenting jazz not as a myth, but as lived reality.

What you can expect:

• An impressive photo archive by Steve Schapiro featuring jazz legends from the early 60s
• Narrative context and interpretation by renowned jazz journalist Richard Scheinin
• Iconic names like Miles Davis, Dorothy Ashby, Bill Evans, and many others, captured in their purest moments
• A foreword by Sonny Rollins, an afterword by Kurt Elling.

About the Author(s)

Richard Scheinin is a leading American jazz journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, GQ, and other national publications. He is a staff writer at SFJAZZ and was the classical and jazz critic for the San Jose Mercury News for over a decade. Scheinin has interviewed and profiled numerous public figures, from Sonny Rollins to the Dalai Lama, and is the author of Field of Screams: The Dark Underside of America’s National Pastime (W.W. Norton).

Steve Schapiro (1934–2022) was one of the most influential American photographers of his generation. He achieved global fame for his photojournalistic coverage of the American Civil Rights Movement, including the March on Washington and the Selma to Montgomery marches. He also created iconic portraits and film stills for The Godfather and Taxi Driver, among others. His work is held in collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. In 2017, Schapiro received the Lucie Award for his exceptional contribution to photojournalism.