Here are 100 books that Paul Nash in Pictures fans have personally recommended if you like Paul Nash in Pictures. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of A Crisis of Brilliance: Five Young British Artists and the Great War

Dave McKean Author Of Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash

From my list on Paul Nash.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent two years researching and creating the graphic novel Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash for the 14-18Now Foundations WW1 centenary art commissions, and then touring a live permanence work evolved from the book. We grew up a few miles from each other, and he convalesced after the war where I live now, and I share his sense of place, and we appear to have shared many life experiences, with the obvious exception being his time in the trenches - that was the huge black hole I tried to understand with this work.

Dave's book list on Paul Nash

Dave McKean Why Dave loves this book

This book covers the drama and upheaval of the years leading up to the war to end all wars, and how five young British artist’s lives were changed utterly by their experiences, with all the energy of a great historical novel. All artists hope to find a powerful subject to drive their work, but this generation had to somehow express the madness and horror they found in those fields of Europe. A later generation would learn from these expressionists, futurists and vorticists and conjure international careers out of those lessons, but this very English group, during this century defining decade, did the heavy lifting.

By David Boyd Haycock ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Crisis of Brilliance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dora Carrington, Mark Gertler, Paul Nash, Christopher Nevinson, and Stanley Spencer were five of the most important British artists of the twentieth century. From diverse backgrounds, they met at The Slade in London between 1908 and 1910, in what was later described as the school’s ";last crisis of brilliance."; Between 1910 and 1918 they loved, talked, and fought; they admired, conspired, and sometimes disparaged each others’ artistic creations. They created new movements; they frequented the most stylish cafés and restaurants and founded a nightclub; they slept with their models and with prostitutes; and their love affairs descended into obsession, murder,…


If you love Paul Nash in Pictures...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of Poet and Painter

Dave McKean Author Of Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash

From my list on Paul Nash.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent two years researching and creating the graphic novel Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash for the 14-18Now Foundations WW1 centenary art commissions, and then touring a live permanence work evolved from the book. We grew up a few miles from each other, and he convalesced after the war where I live now, and I share his sense of place, and we appear to have shared many life experiences, with the obvious exception being his time in the trenches - that was the huge black hole I tried to understand with this work.

Dave's book list on Paul Nash

Dave McKean Why Dave loves this book

More than any other book, this volume of letters between friends, and the unguarded insight they allow, gave me a sense of the man, his rhythms of speech, his manner of expression and his character. Career details and everyday mundanities mix with deeper concerns and the kind of excavation of ideas only really close and respectful friends can express.

By Claude Colleer , Anthony Bertram ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Poet and Painter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book bears witness to the staying power of Pre-Raphaelitism & illuminates the ambivalent, relatively uncritical response in England to the modern movement.


Book cover of Paul Nash: Outline, An Autobiography

Dave McKean Author Of Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash

From my list on Paul Nash.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent two years researching and creating the graphic novel Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash for the 14-18Now Foundations WW1 centenary art commissions, and then touring a live permanence work evolved from the book. We grew up a few miles from each other, and he convalesced after the war where I live now, and I share his sense of place, and we appear to have shared many life experiences, with the obvious exception being his time in the trenches - that was the huge black hole I tried to understand with this work.

Dave's book list on Paul Nash

Dave McKean Why Dave loves this book

Nash never managed to finish his autobiography, and it was originally published with notes, letters and fragments edited into the second half to attempt to complete his story. This new edition adds his wife Margaret’s Memoirs of Paul Nash, 1913-1946, from a surviving type manuscript held at the Tate, to add many more colours and details to this fascinating portrait of an artist and his genius loci – sense of place. I’d also recommend James King’s biography Interior Landscapes.

By David Boyd Haycock ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Paul Nash as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Paul Nash (1889-1946) was one of the most important British artists of the twentieth century and an official war artist in both the First and the Second World Wars. This new edition of Nash's unfinished autobiography, Outline, is published to coincide with the Tate's major Paul Nash retrospective and incorporates an abridged edition of the previously unpublished 'Memoir of Paul Nash' by his wife Margaret.

Nash started writing Outline in the late 1930s, but it was left incomplete on his sudden death in 1946. Nash had struggled to complete the book, finding that he could not get beyond the beginning…


If you love James Russell...

Book cover of The Duty of Memory

The Duty of Memory by Vicki Olsen,

Separating the true stories from the myths, The Duty of Memory provides a deeper understanding of the diverse motivations that drove ordinary people to join an underground network of French Resistants despite terrible odds and horrifying consequences.

This book takes the reader inside the true story of men and women…

Book cover of Brothers in Arms: John and Paul Nash and the Aftermath of the Great War

Dave McKean Author Of Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash

From my list on Paul Nash.

Why am I passionate about this?

I spent two years researching and creating the graphic novel Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash for the 14-18Now Foundations WW1 centenary art commissions, and then touring a live permanence work evolved from the book. We grew up a few miles from each other, and he convalesced after the war where I live now, and I share his sense of place, and we appear to have shared many life experiences, with the obvious exception being his time in the trenches - that was the huge black hole I tried to understand with this work.

Dave's book list on Paul Nash

Dave McKean Why Dave loves this book

A thoroughly researched visual study of two brothers, close and highly imaginative playmates as children, but then gradually divergent adults as they came to terms with their war experiences. John had a tougher war, yet seems to have been able to leave the horror behind as he embarked on a brighter, more decorative illustrative style. Paul would be haunted his entire life by shadows of death and depression, but would become one of this country's most important and powerful artists.

By Paul Gough ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Brothers in Arms as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When brothers John and Paul Nash held their first exhibition in 1913 at the Dorien Leigh Gallery in South Kensington, London they were regarded as equally talented and equally ambitious, even though it had been Paul who had studied at the Slade School of Art amongst an extraordinary cohort of young British artists, and John was regarded as an untutored youngster with a flair for capturing the essence of the English landscape. As war broke their fortunes diverted: Paul achieved instant recognition as an Official War Artist, while John withstood the terrors of the trenches as an infantryman. In 1918…


Book cover of Landscapes of the First World War

Simo Laakkonen Author Of The Long Shadows: A Global Environmental History of the Second World War

From my list on the environmental history of war.

Why am I passionate about this?

Simo Laakkonen is director of Degree Program in Digital Culture, Landscape and Cultural Heritage, University of Turku, Finland. He is an environmental historian who has specialized among other things on the global environmental history of warfare during Industrial Age. He has coedited on this theme two special issues and three books, the latest one is The Resilient City in World War II: Urban Environmental Histories. He has selected five books that cover some main phases of the long environmental history of wars and mass violence.

Simo's book list on the environmental history of war

Simo Laakkonen Why Simo loves this book

Numerous books have been written about the slaughter of millions of young men in mud and blood during the First World War.

This is the first book that focuses on the other main actor and victim of this conflict, that is, landscapes.

This coherent and transnational study offers interesting perspectives on how landscapes of war were idealized, mobilized, destroyed, and then remembered around the world. 

By Selena Daly (editor) , Martina Salvante (editor) , Vanda Wilcox (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Landscapes of the First World War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This comparative and transnational study of landscapes in the First World War offers new perspectives on the ways in which landscapes were idealised, mobilised, interpreted, exploited, transformed and destroyed by the conflict. The collection focuses on four themes: environment and climate, industrial and urban landscapes, cross-cultural encounters, and legacies of the war. The chapters cover Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and the US, drawing on a range of approaches including battlefield archaeology, military history, medical humanities, architecture, literary analysis and environmental history.

This volume explores the environmental impact of the war on diverse landscapes and how landscapes shaped soldiers'…


Book cover of Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium

Sandra Duran-Wilson Author Of Acrylic Painting for Encaustic Effects: 45 Wax Free Techniques

From my list on mixed media acrylic painting techniques.

Why am I passionate about this?

My mixed media journey began as a kid growing up in a family of scientists and artists. I always loved to combine things, adding unusual objects to my mud sculptures and later mixing things up as a chemistry student. I created some wild concoctions as a bartender and then eventually as an acrylic painter. I began as a traditional oil painter, but I moved on to painting murals on walls, and cutting stones and metalwork. I introduced the other art students to some great construction sites where we would scavenge materials and give them new life. This passion led me to write six books on mixed media.

Sandra's book list on mixed media acrylic painting techniques

Sandra Duran-Wilson Why Sandra loves this book

Acrylic Revolution introduces the artist to an assortment of tools, products, and techniques to help you understand the many possibilities of using acrylic paint.

It is a book you want to keep handy as you explore what acrylic paint can do. Nancy provides an extensive list of tips, tools, materials, and a handy glossary.

The book has steps to take you through everything from gluing, creating textures to how to change your paint to act like other mediums. The technique steps have helpful photos but limited finished art.

However, there are many beautiful pieces at the end of the book with handy page references to go back and see the techniques that were used to create them.

This is a great book for someone starting out in the acrylic painting.

By Nancy Reyner ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Acrylic Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Acrylic Revolution is your essential, all-in-one guide for acrylic painting techniques and more. Use any of the over 101 strategies to break through the boundaries of conventional painting and redefine your creative potential with the world's most versatile medium.
Every page is packed with insights into using acrylic paint in ways you never thought possible to create stunning visual effects and textures.
A gallery of finished art at the back of the book will show you how to combine different tricks to use in their artwork offering you real-life applications for acrylic techniques.


If you love Paul Nash in Pictures...

Book cover of The Deviant Prison: Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and the Origins of America's Modern Penal System, 1829-1913

The Deviant Prison by Ashley Rubin,

What were America's first prisons like? How did penal reformers, prison administrators, and politicians deal with the challenges of confining human beings in long-term captivity as punishment--what they saw as a humane intervention?

The Deviant Prison centers on one early prison: Eastern State Penitentiary. Built in Philadelphia, one of the…

Book cover of Creative Illustration

Richard Yot Author Of Light for Visual Artists

From my list on light for artists.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a professional artist, and I’ve been fascinated by light and lighting for most of my life. About twenty years ago, I realized there were no books available on this subject at all and very little information around, so it was difficult to take a deep dive into the topic of light in relation to visual art. I wrote some articles on my website, which became very popular, and this resulted in a book deal with Laurence King. My book was published in 2011, and in the interim period, more books have appeared, offering a wider and more diverse range of knowledge from differing perspectives and different artists.

Richard's book list on light for artists

Richard Yot Why Richard loves this book

This was a book I wanted for a long time but it was out of print for decades. Finally, back in print in 2012, this has long been considered the bible for illustrators and visual artists of all stripes. Packed to the brim with useful and unique insights, this book covers figurative art comprehensively. From lighting to shadows, mood, and composition, it’s all here and explained in the clearest and most insightful way imaginable.

If ever there was a truly timeless book that explained the core principles of visual art, this is it. For me, it is an academy in itself. A book that will give you a lifetime of enjoyment and reward you with fresh insights every time you pick it up.

By Andrew Loomis (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Creative Illustration as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Creative Illustration" is considered Loomis' magnum opus, which is aimed primarily at the professional-level illustrator. It's divided into seven sections: Line, Tone, Color, Telling the Story, Creating Ideas, Fields of Illustration, and Experimenting and Studies. The book is filled with instructions, tips, insider experiences, and incredible illustrations.


Book cover of American Environmental History: An Introduction

Nancy C. Unger Author Of Beyond Nature's Housekeepers: American Women in Environmental History

From my list on American environmental history.

Why am I passionate about this?

History is my passion as well as my profession. I love a good story! When I was teaching courses in environmental history and women’s history, I kept noticing the intriguing intersections, which inspired me to write Beyond Nature’s Housekeepers. Most of my work focuses on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (1877-1920) and includes two award-winning biographies, Fighting Bob La Follette and Belle La Follette Progressive Era Reformer. I’m also the co-editor of A Companion to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era and have written dozens of op-eds and give public talks (some of which can be found in the C-SPAN online library and on YouTube). 

Nancy's book list on American environmental history

Nancy C. Unger Why Nancy loves this book

There are many general introductions to American environmental history. This one, by a pioneering leader in the field, is excellent. The comprehensive narrative provides a good mix of facts and interpretation, and Merchant provides as well a list of agencies, concepts, laws, and people, in addition to resource guides to print, film, video, archival, and electronic sources, plus bibliographies and essays on a variety of topics

By Carolyn Merchant ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked American Environmental History as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By studying the many ways diverse peoples have changed, shaped, and conserved the natural world over time, environmental historians provide insight into humanity's unique relationship with nature and, more importantly, are better able to understand the origins of our current environmental crisis. Beginning with the precolonial land-use practice of Native Americans and concluding with our twenty-first century concerns over our global ecological crisis, American Environmental History addresses contentious issues such as the preservation of the wilderness, the expulsion of native peoples from national parks, and population growth, and considers the formative forces of gender, race, and class. Entries address a…


Book cover of Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape

Adam M. Sowards Author Of An Open Pit Visible from the Moon: The Wilderness Act and the Fight to Protect Miners Ridge and the Public Interest

From my list on helping you get deep in the wilderness.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I first started reading about wilderness, I accepted it as an obvious thing—a place without people. That lasted a short time before I realized the enormous historical complexity of such places. Rather than places without people, without history, without politics, “wilderness” became a laboratory of American society. I tried to capture that vibrancy in my book An Open Pit Visible from the Moon where I showed all the claims various people made on one wilderness area in the North Cascades. I'm a writer, historian, and former college professor who now calls the Skagit Valley of Washington home. As much as I enjoy studying wilderness, I prefer walking through it and noticing what it teaches.

Adam's book list on helping you get deep in the wilderness

Adam M. Sowards Why Adam loves this book

To read Trace is to go on a mesmerizing journey with the wisest of guides. Savoy searches for American identities, and her own multifaceted ones, in the history and memory of landscapes across the continent. Every turn reveals tragic histories and surprising connections and omissions with the most beautiful language. Savoy excavates the palimpsest of stories embedded in landscapes’ histories in a helpful reminder that “nature” is always entangled with the richness and complexity of human life. With each careful word, Savoy deepened my appreciation for how landscape absorbs and reflects its history—and my admiration for her unbelievable gifts as a writer. Trace is one of those books you can read each year and your respect for it grows and the insights from it enlarge your life every time.

By Lauret Savoy ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Trace as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Through personal journeys and historical inquiry, this PEN Literary Award finalist explores how America’s still unfolding history and ideas of “race” have marked its people and the land.

Sand and stone are Earth’s fragmented memory. Each of us, too, is a landscape inscribed by memory and loss. One life-defining lesson Lauret Savoy learned as a young girl was this: the American land did not hate. As an educator and Earth historian, she has tracked the continent’s past from the relics of deep time; but the paths of ancestors toward her―paths of free and enslaved Africans, colonists from Europe, and peoples…


If you love James Russell...

Book cover of Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South

Pioneer Paddles of the Colonial South by William D. Auman,

Award-winning novelist William Auman, author of If Trees Could Testify..., takes the reader on a time-traveling odyssey featuring 345 bodies of water in six states within the historical context through which they unfold.

Journey into remaining Colonial-era wilderness with stories of pirate treasure, epic frontiersmen, Indigenous Peoples, and Revolutionary…

Book cover of The Making of the American Landscape

Michelle M. Metro-Roland Author Of Tourists, Signs and the City

From my list on understanding cultural landscapes.

Why am I passionate about this?

While at UC Berkeley, pursuing a PhD in Ancient History, I took a seminar on the American Landscape and was fascinated. Here was a topic that was far from the pomp and grandeur of the Roman Empire and yet there was something compelling about looking deeply at what was right there in the everyday world around me. The idea of the prosaic, the banal, as a legitimate topic of inquiry was eye-opening and led eventually to a PhD in Cultural Geography. While these books might not alter the reader’s life trajectory, they will hopefully offer an invitation to view the everyday world with a bit more curiosity. 

Michelle's book list on understanding cultural landscapes

Michelle M. Metro-Roland Why Michelle loves this book

This book takes the physical and built environment as the centerpiece for looking at the historical trajectory of the United States. The multiple essays highlight the ways in which the country was being shaped by the interaction of both the physical environment of North America and the cultural forces acting upon the land from Native Americans to the Federal Government.

The landscape is seen as a text that, if one stops to observe, reveals itself as a rich artifact to be examined. Place names, architecture, and land use patterns are not arbitrary but are the result of culture, politics, economics, imperialism, etc.  

By Michael P. Conzen (editor) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Making of the American Landscape as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The only compact yet comprehensive survey of environmental and cultural forces that have shaped the visual character and geographical diversity of the settled American landscape. The book examines the large-scale historical influences that have molded the varied human adaptation of the continent's physical topography to its needs over more than 500 years. It presents a synoptic view of myriad historical processes working together or in conflict, and illustrates them through their survival in or disappearance from the everyday landscapes of today.


Book cover of A Crisis of Brilliance: Five Young British Artists and the Great War
Book cover of Poet and Painter
Book cover of Paul Nash: Outline, An Autobiography

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Interested in Paul Nash, painting, and World War 1?

Paul Nash 5 books
Painting 63 books
World War 1 980 books