MICHAEL TANNER

On Wednesday 4 June 1913, fledgling newsreel cameras captured just over two-and-a-half minutes of neverto-be-forgotten British social and sporting history. The 250,000 people thronging Epsom Downs carried with them a quartet of combustible elements: a fanatical, publicity-hungry suffragette; a scapegoat for the Titanic disaster and the pillar of the Establishment who bore him a personal grudge; a pair of feuding jockeys at odds over money and glory; and, finally, at the heart of the action, two thoroughbred horses - one a vicious savage and one the consummate equine athlete. Taken together, this was a recipe for the most notorious horse race in British history. One hundred years on, this particular Derby Day is remembered for two reasons: the fatal intervention of Emily Davison, a militant suffragette who brought down the Kings runner, and the controversial disqualification of Bower Ismays horse Craganour on the grounds of rough riding - the first and only time a Derby-winner has forfeited its title for this reason. The sensation of Davisons questionable interference in the name of suffrage has overshadowed the outrage of Craganours disqualification and the intricate reasons behind it. Now, with a view to allowing this scandal the attention it deserves, Michael Tanner replays the most dramatic day in Turf history - and finally uncovers the truth of the Suffragette Derby.

Ryans Daughter, winner of two Oscars, was a very successful film that lured Michael Tanner to the Dingle Peninsula. He researched this story by focusing on identifying locations and interviewing local people involved in the films shoot. The result is an unvarnished account of the troubled shooting of the film, both on and off camera, and how its stars - Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Trevor Howard, Christopher Jones and John Mills - coped with a year on Irelands west coast in 1969. The story is largely told in the words of local people who were drivers, extras, prop men, landladies, actors or mere observers. Also included is a gazetteer to the locations used on the Dingle Peninsula and elsewhere in Kerry to enable fans to follow in Rosy Ryans footsteps. With pictures and archive material, much never published before, this is the behind-the-scenes story of a film which changed the Dingle Peninsula overnight, saw more antics than usual by stars off and on set, and resulted in David Lean making no film for 14 years.

Richard Wagner remains, almost 130 years after his death, the most controversial composer in the history of music. Creator of huge and hugely ambitious operas, which have an immense immediate impact, as well as providing food for endless thought and discussion, Wagner has had an influence on many fields outside music. In this lively pocket guide, Michael Tanner gives concise accounts of all his operas - the likes of Parsifal, Lohengrin and Tristan und Isolde - showing how important it is to grasp the dramatic situations at every point, and indicating some of the key musical features. He also provides an outline of Wagners astonishing life, and shows that he has often been unfairly criticised and made a scapegoat, especially for political events which took place long after his death.Key features include:- Wagner: his life year by year - Wagner: his music work by work - Things people said about Wagner - Essential Wagner: ten great moments - Wagner on CD and DVD - Wagner bibliographyThis indispensable Faber Pocket Guide provides a wealth of insights into Wagner and is essential reading for anyone with an interest in both and the man and his music. [P]robably the best introduction ever written to this most complex of composers. Simon Heffer, Telegraph