Reviews (1)

A must for any Leicaphile
A cofee table sized book, very well organized and laid out, stating very little new for old Leica fans but giving in not too many pages a brilliant summary of the relevance of the Leica as a photographer's tool from its inception to the 21st century dawn, stressing the points where the Leica was unique in any way. The book is finelly printed and bound and has a dynamic layout chock-full of good reproductions of the pictures that made history along the century. A bargain at the current price, IMHO. ... Read more

Book Description

Joseph Eichler was a pioneering developer who defied conventional wisdom by hiring progressive architects to design Modernist homes for the growing middle class of the 1950s. He was known for his innovations, including "built-ins" for streamlined kitchen work, for introducing a multipurpose room adjacent to the kitchen, and for the classic atrium that melded the indoors with the outdoors. For nearly twenty years, Eichler Homes built thousands of dwellings in California, acquiring national and international acclaim. Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream examines Eichler's legacy as seen in his original homes and in the revival of the Modernist movement, which continues to grow today. The homes that Eichler built were modern in concept and expression, and yet comfortable for living. Eichler's work left a legacy of design integrity and set standards for housing developers that remain unparalleled in the history of American building. This book captures and illustrates that legacy with impressive detail, engaging history, firsthand recollections about Eichler and his vision, and 250 photographs of Eichler homes in their prime.

Paul Adamson, AIA, holds a Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University and has practiced in New York and San Francisco. He is currently a designer at the San Francisco firm of Hornberger + Worstell, Inc. He lives in Kensington, California.

Marty Arbunich is director-publisher of the Eichler Network, a Bay Area based company devoted exclusively to supporting and preserving the architecture and lifestyle surrounding California's 11,000 Eichler homes. He lives in San Francisco. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Eichler, I grew up near them.
My word! I remember touring Eichler homes in Orange California with my parents. The homes, to me, were spectacular. My parents thought they seemed cheap. They were from the midwest and were used to brick homes built for powerful winters. We moved into another home several blocks from the Eichler Subdivision. I walked past the homes on they way to elementary school and just admired them so much. I guess I will never know what it is like to live in one, but I do know what it was like to tour an Eichler as a model home. What a memory! These are very special homes.

Scott K Dolik

A Wonderful Book!
As a Eichler home owner I couldn't wait for this book to arrive and thankfully it was a joy to read and pour over all the original photos in the book. I always knew I owned a special home and now I own a wonderful book that validates that too. Even if you are not a Eichler homeowner, but rather just a fan of mid-century homes this is also a must have for your library as it goes into more then just Joe Eichler and his homes. Enjoy the read! ... Read more

Book Description

A highly acclaimed biography of Georgia O'Keeffe that emphasizes her ongoing struggle for autonomy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Incredible Biography
"A Life" is the best book on painter Georgia O'Keeffe available. Every moment in Georgia's life is written about with painstaking detail. Nothing is missed. From her relationship with Alfred Steiglitz and his entourage from "291" to her intimate relationship with sculptor Juan Hamilton. I can't say enough how amazing this book is and how enjoyable it is to read.

A Beautiful and Engaging Tribute to a Brilliant Artist
Georgia O'Keeffe's life was one lived with courage and beauty and Robinson does her justice by writing this beautiful and engaging biography. The author delves into O'Keeffe's life and the passion of her work by describing her family history, her evolution as an artist, and perhaps more important to O'Keeffe, her evolution toward becoming her true self. The extra and vital layer that adds even more depth to this biography is Robinson's description of the art scene and the philosophies of art circulating in early 20th century New York.

This book would be of interest not only to those who enjoy O'Keeffe's work but also to those who are trying to become themselves, those who are interested in the history of art in America, or those who like to read for the sake of feeling beautiful words flowing through their mind.

This book was difficult for me to put down and I didn't want it to end. Roxana Robinson's work is a gem. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After designing the starkly symbolic Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., when she was still an undergraduate, Maya Lin might have been doomed to spend the rest of her architecture career vainly trying to top herself. But 18 years later, her concerns clearly have nothing to do with self-aggrandizement. In Boundaries, Lin's lucid, soft-spoken collection of writings, she discusses how her work evolves, after a lengthy gestation, as a way of heightening viewers' awareness of a specific environment and perception of the passage of time. This temporal aspect can be a sequence of historical events (as in the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama) or a purely aesthetic quality, like the shifting play of light over a grassy field of sculpted earth (Wave Field at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). "I like to think of my work as creating a private conversation with each person," Lin writes, "no matter how public each work is and no matter how many people are present."

Understandably, Lin writes in greatest detail about the Vietnam memorial, a high-profile commission fraught with controversy because of its unusual form as well as the age, gender, and ethnicity of its American-born architect. But this engrossing, amply illustrated book also details the thinking and experimentation behind myriad other projects, including elemental sculptures, interiors, and furniture designed with an unusual degree of consideration for the user's needs. Influenced by her ceramist father, Lin always gravitated toward working directly with malleable materials--an experience that complements the rational precision of plans and blueprints (the Vietnam memorial first took shape as a mound of mashed potatoes). Boundaries reflects the same blend of close analysis, intuition, and quiet humility that marks Lin's public projects. --Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Beautiful
There are two ways to read this book, as Lin points out in the preface. First is just as a coffee table picture book. In that role, "Boundaries" gives a photographic tour of many varied monuments and installations. Lin is best known for the Vietnam Veteran's memorial. At the time, it was an unprecendented look and a deep controversy. Since then, I think it has become what Lin had hoped: one of the most personally involving war memorials ever. Lin has moved on since then, and this book shows many of her more recent works.

Although her family heritage is Chinese, Lin identifies herself as American. That gives her the freedom to use concepts from many Asian traditions. Many of her later works show a sense that I see as Zen-like. They are centered on stone, water, earth, and light. Like that first memorial, they invite the viewer to touch and become involved in the work. "Waves", for example, is a large-scale earthwork to be explored, offering surprising privacy in an open, sunlit lawn.

The second reading of this book comes from its text. It explains Lin's approach to her work. I was quite surprised to fined out how important collaboration is for her. Most of her installations are undertaken with archtitects, writers, or preparators of various kinds, quite opposite the 'lonely artist' stereotype. I was also surprised to learn that her first conception of most pieces is narrative, not pictorial. To me, translating word into image and structure is a complete mystery. My own thoughts work in the other direction. That difference intrigues me.

The book itself is a pleasant artifact. It's well printed, well organized, and displays some thoughtful, unusual typography. It's a vehicle well suited to the material it carries.

"Boundaries" was printed in 2000. That means that the catalog of Lin's work has developed since then. More of her work surely exists that was locked out by the publication date. I look forward to the next book documenting her work, and I look forward to her future development as an artist.

the most famous female architect with Chinese background
Sometimes I felt really sad that I don't have enough money to bring this book home.Maya lin should be an architect who can be also known as a good writter.Her writting had combined both beauty architecturally and verbally,like a stream of purity norished readers'heart,explained her designs with pleasure of sights.She got similar passion as her famous aunt lin huiyin,composed a melody of life,mastered the way a human being might uneasy to see.I am appreciated her way of representation.That she inheritaged from Lin's family.She absolutely knew that poetics in their family traditions,a symbol of very special abilities.

A good ABC for political architecture
A very interesting book. Particularly interesting was the description of the difficulties (creative and otherwise) experienced by the architect during the building of the Vietnam Memorial. I was especially drawn to the architect's ambivalence with regard to the seemingly desperate determination (exhibited by politicians especially) that the powerful non-iconographic representational force of the monument be adulterated by the addition of traditional iconography (the three soldiers and the nurses). I think that many who have visited the Memorial will agree that it's power is only reduced by the statues that now bookend it. Still, the architect's vision carries the day--a fitting tribute to her creativity.

insight into the mind of the architect
This book is a fascinating look into the mind of Maya Lin. It describes her intimate thoughts regarding the design of her most important works, how she develops the designs, and what they mean to her. It is written in a very accessible style and is a joy to read.

A brilliant artist explains her work
Maya Lin's "Boundaries" is much like her three-dimensional creations - austere, at once both subtle and direct, outwardly detached, and ultimately effective in evoking a deep emotional response from within the beholder rather than imposing an exterior sentiment. Lin, of course, first came to prominence two decades ago when, as an undergraduate architecture student, she won the prestigious design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Her concept, popularly known as "The Wall," was fiercely criticized at that time for its radical departure from traditional memorial designs, yet from its unveiling in 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has been accorded widespread recognition for its profound aptness and - there is no better word - genius. Although Lin's work since that remarkable debut has been on a smaller physical scale, it continues to follow a line of imaginative external simplicity in use of shape and space, covertly deceptive in masking emotional complexity beneath. The title of the book is meant to express Lin's view that she and her creations inhabit the boundary between distinctly different qualities - architecture-art, natural-urban, inside-outside, Asian-American - simultaneously being neither and both.

"Boundaries" is not an autobiography. Maya Lin speaks through her architecture and her sculptures, and this book unwaveringly focuses upon that work and the creative process behind it. While the photographs in the volume are effective in presenting a broad impression of design and form, the real pictures are those drawn by Lin's words. For a visual artist, she has a rare appreciation of verbal power and substance. In fact, Maya Lin regards words as a vital basis for her designs, the reflection of her own background: her father was a ceramist and her mother a poet. As a physical object, the book itself has purposely been given a unique character to fittingly express Lin's artistic vision, occupying the boundary between "art book" and "reading book". The text literally begins on the inside front cover and spans the entirety of the volume, ending only on the inside back cover. Even the jacket has been incorporated as a harmonious, integral component of the whole. Like Lin's creations erected in public spaces and those fashioned in her studio, "Boundaries" is an exquisite embodiment of a meeting between restraint and stimulation. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beautiful Paintings, Interesting Life
This is a very well written account of Cleve Gray's fascinating life with many large color reproductions including Threnody his famous installation at the Neuberger Museum in Purchase,New York. Rediscover what really good painting is all about! I've seen his paintings in New York City at Berry-Hill Galleries and they are a knockout! Don't miss the book or the paintings!

Well written informed account
Weber's book on Gray fills the void on one of America's historically grained and distinctive artists. He draws on much of Gray's life experience, and recounts the cubist, impressionist and abstract influences on Gray's art.

Intelligently written, beautifully illustrated long overdue
This book is a long overdue review of the work of Cleve Gray, an underrated modern master of color. The book is extremely well illustrated and written in a personal, highly intelligent style. The style of writing befits this often neglected and apparently misunderstood artist. Perhaps it will help gain Mr. Gray some of the public recognition he deserves for loyally following his highly individualistic and colorful techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

In this handsomely illustrated book, Barbara Bloemink presents the first full account of the life and art of this intriguing American modernist, showing how her bold and inventive paintings, poetry, and design works provide a biting social commentary on the culture of her era. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Giving an important artist her due
In this wonderfully written book, Bloemink traces the life and work of one of the most fascinating women artists of hte 20th century.I was so excited to find a serious, comprehensive study of Stetheimer's work, and the late 19th Century European/American context in which it was written.Bloemink addresses the somewhat stiffling environment of the artist's family, and explores how her artword provided an escape while at hte same time chronicling her times with a perspicacity not seen in work by her contemporaries.An early feminist in her refusal to fulfill the roles forced on women of her time and social station, Stettheimer stands out by not using men - as spouse or gallery promoter - to further her career.An amazingly creative, analysis with sensitivity and depth. It is also interesting to learn about a woman who was socially reticent, traditional, and very private, who nonetheless carved out a significant art career. In many ways a more interesting artist than her contemporary and acquaintance Georgia O'Keeffe. Includes interesting discussions of sexuality, the role of theater, interior decoration, race and gender relations among the priviledged classes of New York during the decades after the first World War:this is not a simplistic or essentialist study but one that explores the subtleties and complexities of these issues from within the context of the times. A wonderful read for anyone intersted in women's studies or art during the period from 1890s to the 1940s.

Genius, yes, but let's not forget spinster
I'm reading this now, and find myself unutterably depressed by the tone of Ms. Bloemnik's writing. It's obvious she researched this dedicated, dynamic, gifted painter and early feminist, but the book so far is pepperred with stupid, defeatist comments aboutwhy Florine never married- even as it cites Florine's own dislike of marriage in favor of her career and her vision of herself as dedicated to painting.

Check this out:

"Indeed, as with certain male artists, most of Stettheimer's energy went into formulating and creative work. It is not clear to what extent this was the result of an overwrought nineteenth century modesty, a desire to remain perpetually a young maiden (not married, childless), or anger against men and fear of marriage because of her father's desertion."

Or maybe, say, she wanted to paint instead of having children. It was, after all, the late 1890's. Ms. Bloemnik says that Ms. Stettheimer considered herself a feminist and a serious professional painter and that she thought marriage and children would hinder her ability to paint, but in sentences like the gem I've just quoted, she makes it clear that it must, after all, have come down to neurosis.

I'm a woman artist, and I'm inspired by Florine Stettheimer, but I'm also really scared that someone like Ms. Bloemnik, (who clearly thinks she is a feminist) will promote my work. It seems like Florine Stettheimer got more of a break in her own time than she did in this one.

MS. Bloemnik, by the way, has written all the books on Florine Stettheimer, and is now the new director of the Guggenheim Los Vegas. And she recently wrote about Barbara Bloom, Lisa Yuskavage (!), and Laurie Simmons. God help them.

Left wanting to know more of who this fanciful artist was...
Just finished this book last night and am left wondering who this incredibly gifted, decorative woman was. Her sister Ettie remains in my mind a jealous monster for having taken her scissors to much of Florine'spersonal papers and diaries...this is such a shame as we will never knowthe personal, driving force behind this talented woman. Reading aboutFlorine felt more like reading about a vauge ghost...I just know there wasso much more. The author did her best to unearth and explain this woman andher art but it felt more like I was reading someone's academic assignment,a master's theisis. However I am glad that this book was written....thepictures inside are incredible and allow a glimpse into the magical qualityof this very important female artist the lovely Florine Stettheimer. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

just like us other comic geeks
STwow. that is all I have to say. I have read this book twice now, and I'm sure I'll pick it up again. It is perhaps the BEST buy I have ever made. This book is a must read if you, like me, idolize R. Crumb. I am 22 years old which is about the age he wrote these letters. When I read it I felt like I was him, like I was in his skin, I was as close to greatness as I think I'll ever get. It also made me realize he was a hell of a lot like me and other social misfits. If you are nerdy, overly intellectual, sappy, idealistic and long for the path to a meaningful life, well so was R. Crumb and he found it. THis book gives me hope that I too can find hapinness, success, and your inner genius as he had.

Probably for completists , mostly...
This collection of letters focuses primarily on R. Crumb's life from age 16 to about age 21. It's particularly useful in its presentation of how the budding artist formulated his views while he was still in such an impressionable stage of life. All 50 of the letters printed in this volume are addressed to one or the other of his youthful friends (Mike Britt and Marty Pahls), with whom he shared the primary interests of comic-book collecting (fandom) and collecting records from the 1920s. A lot of the content of these letters consists of lists of comics and records with the accompanying minutiae relating to them. While this makes for tedious reading at times, it demonstrates the obsessive passion Crumb had for the worlds of these particular collectibles. Sprinkled among the letters are incompletely formed philosophical tracts about isolation, religion, the commercialism of American society, and personal relations. It also includes some examples of early artwork which Crumb included within his letters to his friends. While this collection does not present Crumb's evolution past his early-20s, it does give the reader a sense of an idealistic, youthful, and sometimes sweet R. Crumb that his fans are unlikely to find elsewhere. So while I would recommend this to Crumb completists, I would suggest that those less knowledgable about the artist start with Zwigoff's documentary, "Crumb", or "The R.Crumb Coffee Table Art Book".

Pre-fame R. Crumb is just like us other comics freaks
This book is for established Crumb fans only.

The subtitle "Robert Crumb Letters 1958-1977" is a bit misleading. Most of this book contains very LOOOONNNG letters written by R. to two different friends, all in the days BEFORE he got famous! Only the last 15 pages contain anything during or past his rise to power in the national spotlight, in 1968+.

This is still interesting reading for Crumb fanatics, though! It gives a really concentrated and personal look at his state of mind, as a high school student, to the days of his indentured servitude to the establishment as an American Greetings commercial artist.

This is mostly a book full of text, but there are still many, many pages printed as copies of the actual letters, on the many occasions when R. would illustrate many, many letters. So this is an excellent look at his formative years and state of mind.

What we get is not the jaded celebrity, world reknowned artiste' of the trashy comix medium. No, no, no. Here is a hopeful loser clinging to a hopeless but relentless passion for an unrequited goal of success as an artist ON HIS OWN TERMS, but realizing that this is a astronomically unlikely goal. Cowering in the shadow of his recently past childhood of humilation and oppression, the young Crumb is resigned to his small life and grim fate, yet holding on to his dream because there simply is nowhere else to go. This is a young man at the end of his rope, at the end of hope. In other words, he is just like us, the typical Crumb fan.

What makes this book so fascinating is seeing that the young Crumb truly is an immature fanboy, yet a trailblazing fanboy. He's out there as R. Crumb the pioneering fanzine maker! He's R. Crumb the obsessed collector of small, forgotten treasures of trashy pop comics and old, forgotten music. He is the prototypical comic book collector, as well as the ultimate comic collector because he eventually makes it to the other side - fame and (mis)fortune, and his world lies at his feet! But this "Vigor for Life" book only shows us the formative years, when he still writes and thinks like us, his future fans. We are like him, and this book shows R. Crumb when he truly is like us still, unknown yet dreaming hopeless dreams not based on reality.

Initially, I was disappointed with this book, in that it gives so little insight into the successful R. But the book truly redeems itself with the in-depth coverage of the pre-fame R. It is also surprising to see that R. is equally obsessed with discussing his extensive musical finds of old 78s records. He talks about the fine details of obscure musicians and their releases with as much passion, love, and detail as he discusses comics! Believe me, this book contains pages and pages of nothing but talk about trivial details of release dates and catalog numbers, etc... But he also touches on plenty of life and philosophical issues. A real deep thinker for a comics fan, just like any comics fan.

This book is like a fascinating evesdropping on a guy who, at this point in his life, is so much like us that he truly is R.selves. Revealing, but not spiritually uplifting, if you like Crumb, then this is worth a read, and it's an important addition to any true Crumb fan's library.

If you've cared enough to read this far, then you will most likely enjoy the Crumbiness of this personal book. Recommended!

Glimpses into the psyche of a comix genius
It is easy to deconstruct the graphic ouvre of R. Crumb. This does not mean that understanding his creative mind is an easy task. This collection of his letters from the early years of his career gives the reader a glimpse into the passions and motivations of America's formost cultural iconoclast.

This book is not for the Politically Correct crowd, which is a blessing. Crumb is not only honest in his creative work, but in describing his attitudes about American popular culture--the more obscure the expression, the more he appreciates it.

A must-have for any scholar of pop culture. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

The best book of Gil Elvgren's art you can buy
This is a great collection of his work. There are few artists to rival his ability, not only in drawing the female form, but in capturing innocence, playfulness, and seduction all at the same time. He's been called the "Norman Rockwell of pin-up art" and in a way, it's a shame that he is limited to that category of art, but the comparison to Rockwell's ability is warranted. Some of Elvgren's advertising art is in this book too, and it is all well worth having.

All hail the Master of Pin-Ups!!
This book is a good 300-400 pages thick, all in colorful high quality papers! It pretty much contains all(about 99%) of Gil Elvgren's works ever painted. It's even got some exceptional nude pictures that Gil had presented to his close friends as gifts. Buy this book for its beautiful American sweet hearts! Buy this book for its vivid brush works. Buy this book for its historical value as an momento of America! :)

The Best Pin-Up Book Ever
Gil Elvgren was the best of all the pin-up artists and also the most prolific and this book collects much of his work. The plates, nearly six hundred of them, are almost all in color and each one is of decent size. This book is the definitive volume on pin-up art to any collection, his art, a masterwork on the same level as any of the great painters. The fashions on his models may change throughout the forties, fifties and sixties, but their beauty (and cuteness) remain consistent. His fleshtones are truly amazing and the poses suggestive and fun. Elvgren's models weren't just gorgeous, they were friendly, inviting and playful. Just having this book lifts your mood, recalling an earlier time when life was a lot simpler.

I've found my cheesecake Eden right here!
If I was to choose a coffee table book of cheesecake and magically, could live on an island surrounded by the models in that book, I'd have to pass up Sorayama, Olivia, and Vargas, and go for Gil Elvgren, the collection being this 200+ page work that covers Elvgren's work from the 1930's to the 1970's.

The girls in Elvgren's paintings not only come alive, but seem more warm and human, innocent with a twinge of spice. So this is what they meant by "sugar, spice, and everything nice." Maybe because most of them are smiling, with those pearly whites showing. I could spend hours looking through those pages, forming stories around the paintings.

Many look like celebrities. In "Let's Go (1957)," the blonde getting out of a white car looks a lot like Marilyn Monroe. The girl in "True To You (Sitting Pretty) (1950)" also resembles Marilyn but with brown hair. And the honey in "Evening Out (1969)" reminds me of Geri Halliwell.

Okay, so many of the drawings can be construed as sexist. The particular theme on that being girls who get their skirt lifted up by well handles, pipes, fence rails, ladders, and elevator doors, revealing two very shapely legs.

Equally interesting are paintings that were repaints of earlier work. "In For A Tanning" featured a sitting nude girl holding her bikini with a black dog to her side. "Dumb Pluck" featured the girl in the same pose, except she was wearing a candy-cane striped bathing suit and holding a shovel, the dog still on her left.

Some were risque even for their time and the more amusing ones are beach shots where the girls get into distress, such as having their beachware stolen by a dachsund (Taking Ways, 1950) And his nudes were never full frontal, only seen from the rear or side, the sole exception being "Harem," an undated painting of an innocent maiden captured by Arabs.

It's when looking at his work during the 1960's and 1970's, that yes, the models have changed with the times and despite having Elvgren's signature style, their hairstyle are with their times.
Other notes: the paintings are clearly better than the real-live model replications hands and legs down.

So, my favorites? That's a difficult one, as the models are oh so cute, but I'd have to settle for "Well Picked," of a girl in yellow dress wading in a pool and picking up a lily flower, "Golden Beauty," of a Diana Dors-lookalike, "Surprise Package," where the girl wrapping the X-mas present is clearly the title object, and "Lazy Days," of the girl lying leisurely on the summer grass.

Proof that too much of a good thing is better, and that too much cheesecake can be good for one and not be fattening. And with all apologies to the Beach Boys, "I wish they all could be Gil Elvgren girls!"

Fabulosamente Increible
Esta compilación es una obra de arte total, que parece emana de las musas. Vale mucho mas de lo que pague por ella!!!!! Es inspiradora e increible. ... Read more

Book Description

Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower worked more closely between 1945 and 1952 than any other two American presidents of the twentieth century. They were partners in changing America's role in the world and in responding to the challenge of a Soviet Europe, yet they are remembered more for the acrimony that ended their friendship. Both were men of character, intelligence, and principle, and as the nation learned in the 1950s, they could also hold a grudge.

Drawing on letters, diaries, and interviews with close associates, this is the first examination of the warm friendship, bitter rupture, and eventual reconciliation between two remarkable Americans. From the author of The Eisenhowers: Reluctant Dynasty and Dark Horse comes a unique volume focusing exclusively on the relationship between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman.

Harry and "Ike" grew up 150 miles apart in the heart of America. They met during World War II, when Truman became commander-in-chief after FDR's death. Together they would oversee not only the great Allied victory but also the restructuring of the U.S. military and the reconstruction of Europe. Together they would forge history's most successful alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Their initial relationship was so respectful and warm that Truman offered to step aside in the 1948 presidential election if Ike would agree to run on the Democratic ticket. Preferring to remain out of politics, Eisenhower declined and instead became president of Columbia Uni-versity. Truman helped make Ike a wealthy man by granting him a special tax break for his memoirs. Eisenhower later prepared to remove himself from contention for the presidency in 1952 if Robert A. Taft supported Truman on NATO. But Ike's friendship with Truman would not survive the 1952 presidential campaign, and for nearly a decade the former allies were engaged in an epic feud. It was not until the funeral of John F. Kennedy that the two men put aside their differences and reestablished a semblance of their previous bond.

In exploring the complexity of character, intelligence, and principle, Neal provides a fresh perspective on two giants of the twentieth century, and on the American presidency. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Flawed premise, but brilliant history
Steve Neal's historical biography "Harry and Ike" nearly fails right from the start by building on a premise that is non-existent: the 'close' relationship between Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. It's well known that Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower were never close working partners, even prior to the epic, decade-long feud that began during the 1952 election. It's a stretch to building a book on the premise of such a partnership and Neal does very little support his theory. Harry and Ike were two men who initially had great respect for each other and occasionally worked together on issues of common interest, but otherwise had little to do with one another. The failure to make a case otherwise should have torpedoed this book. What saves it, however, is that, even with the flawed premise, it is a fascinating historical record.

While Neal is unable support his premise, he does an excellent job and revealing the histories and backgrounds of these titans among men. He tracks their lives and developments independently until their disparate paths crossed during the last, mad days of World War II. From there, Neal uses the framework of this supposed friendship to provide informative and interesting accounts of history as it happened during that era. He covers moments like Truman offering to step aside and run as Eisenhower's Vice President in 1948 if Ike were to run as a Democrat (possibly the foundation of Neal's assertion of a 'close' relationship). He covers the major events like the hostile 1952 Presidential election, the beginning of the Korean War, and firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Neal uses these events to show the impact it had on each man and the reactions it prompted.

"Harry and Ike" serves as a good primer for studying the historical events of that time. It has the effect of making the reader want to probe deeper into those events. Reading this book led me to seek out and read the incredible Douglas MacArthur biography "American Caesar". Given that strong historical narrative of "Harry and Ike", Steve Neal should not be penalized too much for his flimsy premise. There's no doubting that it still serves as an effective historical record.

Finally, a satisfactory explaination
Harry was wild about Ike, until Ike gave him hell, sending Harry on a crusade in Illinois. I have read a dozen or so books by and about Harry and Ike, none of which adequately explained the root causes of their falling out or their eventual reconciliation. This book fills that gap. Ike was politically naive, as Harry feared. I agree with the author that Ike would have been a better President if he had followed the advice of more of his friends, including HST, and less advice from his political handlers. This is an excellent book.

Another buddies in history book. We have Napoleon &
Hitler, Hitler & Stalin, FDR & Stalin, FDR & Truman among others.
Some with no connection. Obviously Naploeon didn't know Hitler. I'm kinder that most reviewers. But this was cooperation, not a partnership. The author strains for similarities. They were both poor boys growing up at the same time in mid-America 200 miles apart.
Childish & paranoid come to mind in decribing their relationship after Ike decides to run in 1952. Truman's problem was he idolized generals such as Pershing, Marshall, MacArthur & Eisenhower. He would have stepped aside for MacArthur or Ike if either had wanted to run as a Democrat in 1948. Then he became paranoid that Ike might take him up on it. Ike said he wouldn't run & Truman thought that meant forever. When Ike did run as a Republican to deny Robert Taft the nomination Truman felt betrayed, even though Ike was doing him a favor. He attacked Ike & his character viciously. Of course Ike responded in kind. There were other issues mostly personal. Their foreign policy was seamless from one administration to the next. They basically ignored each other until Kennedy's funeral when they had to sit next to each other. Good history of two great Americans leaders 1945-52 & slightly tarnishing their image after that.

Very light reading about two powerful men.
I had hoped this would be an in-depth exploration of
the inner workings and motivations of Presidents Truman
and "Ike" -what I discovered was a poorly researched, boring
book. It's almost as if Mr. Neal assumed putting both
names on the book's cover would make it a seller. Buyer
beware. You can find more in-depth material on these
men and their times right here on the internet. Also,
it turns out, Mr. Neal received monies from a Truman
Foundation, which is a poor ethical choice on his part, in
presenting a history that the reader assumes is unbiased.
If you like to see pictures of "Harry & Ike" -many which
have been printed elsewhere, you may enjoy "Harry & Ike"
the book. Quite a letdown as to what I expected.

New Information
Steve Neal presents new information from recently released primary source material and demonstrates the ability, integrity and patriotism of Presidents Truman and Eisenhower despite their differences. Few people are aware of their reconciliation, not unlike that of Presidents Adams and Jefferson also mentioned by another reviewer in these columns.
One example of a little gem in the book describes President Truman's anger at Senator John Sparkman, the 1952 Democratic vice-presidential candidate, during that campaign. This volume has many well documented anecdotes that have not been told before and Steve Neal has both an ear and a voice for politics that few possess.
As an individual who has spent most of his life involved in politics and public affairs I found this a fascinating, informative and enjoyable read. My wife and I have chosen to send it as a Christmas/Hanukkah gift this year because of its originality and intelligibility. ... Read more

Book Description

Originally published as a serial in The New Yorker, this is the dramatic true-life tale of the man who single-handedly built some of the world's great art collections. "You can get all the pictures you want at fifty thousand dollars - that's easy. But get pictures at a quarter of a million apiece - that wants some doing." Joseph Duveen's words were not idle chat, as this evocative chronicle of the legendary character shows. A virtuoso salesman who died in 1939, Duveen exploited the simple idea that Europe had art and America had money. The story of his masterful maneuvering against competitors (including the czar of Russia) and his manipulation of American industrialists - first to buy, then to bequeath, major art collections - makes for rousing reading. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Is it real or is it Duveen?
While this book is enormously entertaining, it's value is limited as a serious work of history. The reality is; Lord Duveen, grandson of a blacksmith from Delft, who went on to be an English Baron, was much more of a hustler than this 1950's era fantasy makes him out to be. For a more modern take on Lord Duveen try: Artful Partners: Bernard Berenson and Joseph Duveen by Colin Simpson.

Duveen
This book was horrible! There was no logical order to the book because it is just a bunch of stories put together about Duveen. It is so boring, all the book does is talk about how dumb millionares were and how they were stupid enough to buy from Duveen and his crazy ways. This book was so bad, please save yourself the time and money and not buy this book.

Witty History
This is one of the most fabulous books that you will ever read. At about 100 pages it is a fast read. Too fast. Duveen is the most amazing art dealer that the world will ever see and Behrman tells the life story of this undeniably interesting man with quick wit.

Duveen's divine
Excellent biography of a forgotten man and his times - a man that changed the way Americans collected European art. Funny, witty and appallingly honest. A must read for anyone serious about art buying. ... Read more

Book Description

Audrey Munson was once called "The most perfect, most versatile, most famous of American models, whose face and figure have inspired thousands of modern masterpieces of sculpture and painting." It was not an exaggeration. Audrey's career is the classic tale of meteoric rise and tragic downfall--from "Queen of the Artists' Studios" to fragile psychiatric patient.

Her best known clients included Daniel Chester French and Karl Bitter for whom she provided inspiration beyond her physical grace. The consummate professional, she modeled for dozens of civic monuments and was called "America's Venus." At one time, thirty pieces of art based on her poses were housed at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition to many public edifices throughout the U.S., she has adorned the estates of John D. Rockefeller and George Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan's yacht, and U.S. Mint coins.

At the peak of her career she was selected as the primary model for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition (P.P.I.E.) in San Francisco, eventually appearing in 24,000 feet of mural decorations, scores of groups of statuary, and the Exposition's exquisite symbolic figurine which graced the cover of Sunset magazine. Audrey Munson's life as a fine art model was the subject of four controversial silent films in which she starred--mostly nude. After a media spectacle linking her with a murder case her career faltered and ultimately doomed her to a life of reclusion in a psychiatric facility at the age of 39. She lived there largely unacknowledged by her family until the astonishing age of 105. This then is her story. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dignity Restored
This is an illustrated account of the tragic life of Audrey Munson (1891-1996) who modeled for leading American sculptors (e.g., Daniel Chester French, A. Sterling Calder, and Sherry Fry) in the so-called "guilded age" of art. She posed for both the head and tail of the 1916 U.S. dime (the Mercury dime); as well as for statues that stand at the front of the New York Public Library and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, on the fountain outside of the Plaza Hotel, in the pediments at the entrance to the Frick Collection, and (as the figure of Evangeline) at the Longfellow Memorial in Massachusetts. When the Beaux Arts tradition in sculpture was quashed by the rise of Modernism, she tried to survive by performing in films about artists' models, resulting in a great scandal because she appeared on the screen totally nude. In 1919, when rumored to have been involved in the murder of her landlord's wife (she wasn't), she collapsed emotionally (described back then as "mental blight"), was ostracized as "Crazy Audrey," and, after a quest for a husband that failed, attempted suicide. At age 39, she was committed to an asylum, where she remained in obscurity until her recent death at age 105. This book is a belated but sincere attempt to restore her dignity. (Copyright © by Roy R. Behrens, from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 15 No 2, Winter 1999-2000.) ... Read more

Reviews (12)

M.C. Escher
Definitely the first book every Escher fan should purchase. It's helpful in getting to know about the man himself as well as his brilliant artwork. It may seem pricey, but it's totally worth it, being hardcover (at least the one I got), and high quality photos of his work. It also shows his lesser known works (ones never released apparently), as well as photos of himself and his family. A very informative read and a quality edition.

More than that
This book is amazing not only because of Escher's works itcontains (very nice, of course), but also because of the details onhis life that it has - and that many other books on the subject failto give. After reading this book - and there's plenty of text to read- one will really understand who was Escher, and how did his workimpact on the society on his days.

A Complete look!
I haven't even had a chance to go through all of this remarkable book yet, but I am so impressed with it so far I cannot burble enough about how delighted I am with my purchase. This is a beautifully produced, designed, and wonderfully complete book. Many tales of the personal life an vision of the artist, countless, cleanly reproduced graphics, many works I have never seen or heard of before. Terrific! Can't recommend enough!!!

mind-bending
Most artists challenge us to reconsider things within the context of certain boundaries. Those rare artists such as Escher challenge us to reconsider the idea of boundaries themselves. The mathematician Bruno Ernst classified Escher's work into 11 categories: 1-regular spatial figures, 2-regular division of the plane, 3-spirals, 4-Mobius strips, 5-perspective, 6-metamorphoses and cycles, 7-approaches to infinity, 8-the conflict between depicting something on a plane and the three-dimensional reality which is depicted, 8-the penetration of more worlds, 10-spatial anomalies (impossible figures), 11-relativities. The book includes not only, as the title indicates, a good biography of Escher and all his graphic work, but a most interesting essay by Escher himself wherein he outlines his poetics, so to speak, and his general worldview very nicely, entitled appropriately enough, The Regular Division of the Plane. A must have.

Where Art And Mathematics Meet
A very good to get a feel for the life and work of a true genius. In mathematics we strive even today to understand the plane as well as M. C. Escher did! His tessellations are still amazing! We bought this in hardback originally at twice this price an never regretted it! ... Read more

Book Description

Lazzell's true contribution to American art history was never fully appreciated during her lifetime (1878-1956). A renewed interest in her work has developed over the last fifteen years, due largely to the critical appreciation of her color wood block prints. She is worth remembering not only for her own work, but also for her role as a translator of the achievements of the European modernists for her colleagues in America. In "Blanche Lazzell: The Life and Work of an American Modernist," nine essays and hundreds of full-color illustrations bring this incredibly talented and influential artist's work to life. ... Read more

Book Description

Laurie Anderson is one of the most acclaimed and innovative performance artists working today. This book, written by a leading authority on performance art, delivers a comprehensive look at Anderson's multifaceted career, from her performance pieces of the early 1970s to her 1999 electronic opera,

Songs and Stories from Moby Dick. Filled with photographs of Anderson's performances, sculptures, books, installations, instruments, and inventions, stills from her films and videos, reproductions of her drawings and sketches, and including song lyrics and excerpts from many of her stories, the book vividly conjures up the artist's achievements. It also offers fresh insights into her pioneering multimedia pieces (such as United States and Stories from the Nerve Bible), her musical recordings (including the pop hit "O Superman"), and her provocative collaborations (with William Burroughs, Spalding Gray, and Lou Reed, among others).

Prepared with Anderson's cooperation and participation, this book will be the ultimate gift for her many fans and will gain her many new ones.

ROSELEE GOLDBERG is the author of Abrams' definitive books Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present and Performance: Live Art Since 1960. The former curator of the Kitchen Center for Video, Music, and Performance in New York City, she contributes to Artforum and teaches at New York University. Goldberg lives with her family in New York City.

320 illustrations, 117 in full color, 203 in black and white, 9 7/8 x 9 7/8" ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Must have
No LA fan could be without this book. The bio part is excellent and gives another dimensions to the artist we love, the photos are great (Laurie with long hair!) and it has lyrics for hard-to-find songs.
I would have been a little bit more happy (and given 8 stars) if EVERY lyric, poem or shopping list Laurie wrote was here, but, well, I am asking too much.
Spend your money here, you won-t be dissapointed.

good job Roselee and Laurie
If it says Laurie Anderson on it I'll probably buy it. This is just another example of the great work they both work towards and accomplish.. If i may digress, the first time I heard Laurie was at a party before Big Science was released. Rick Wakeman (YES) was the guest DJ at the radio station..Talk about a brick wall ! the party came to a complete standstill during O Superman. I swear nobody said a word except for wow! As far as this book goes..yeah get it before it gets hard to find..United States is hard to find now, and its a great companion to United States Live (the CD)

Highly recommended reading for all Laurie Anderson fans.
Blend a social history with a fine survey of complete panoramas and you have an elegant, sophisticated presentation. Roselee Goldberg's Laurie Anderson covers the works of the multi-media performance artist/pop star, moving beyond her rock image to establish her skills in art and performance pieces alike.

Monograph template
Wow. This sumptuously illustrated monograph has redefined the manner in which monographs will probably be executed in the twenty-first century. How fitting that RoseLee Goldberg, who penned and organized the equally breath-taking "Performance: Live Art Since 1960," has joined forces with maverick Laurie Anderson.

Ms. Goldberg not only unravelled the complexity of Laurie Anderson's works, but did so without jargonizing. She, instead, chose wisely to tell Laurie's story through pictures with extended captions. She was spare with her words--something few art historians can claim to do.

On that note, I better stop writing, myself....

Don't ask why!
I can't say exactly why I like this book. It's difficult for me to determine if my passion for L.A. overides my ability to be objective about it. The info has been mostly done before in other books, but none have been any better laid out nor more complete.

This book's major value to me is the validation of why L.A. -- and especially her live performances -- continues to intrigue and challenge me after all this time. Few artists in any medium have matured so completely yet unpredictably. This book catalogues her sustained growth while never falling into the biography trap of idoltry.

Unfortunately, since L.A. tours so infrequently it's difficult to study her creativity at close range. We're forced to make broad artistic assumptions about L.A. on very limited exposure.

Since what I want is more L.A., this book helps keep the flames buring inside my soul. ... Read more

Book Description

Egon Schiele (1890-1918) was one of the most influential and popular painters to emerge from the cultural ferment that characterized Vienna at the turn of the century. Yet despite the appreciation of his art, the "real" Egon Schiele has remained elusive. This biography, first published together with Abrams' catalogue raisonné of Schiele's work, offers fascinating insights into the artist's brief and sometimes troubled life.

Basing her text chiefly on firsthand sources, many of them previously unpublished, Schiele expert Jane Kallir provides a vibrant account of the artist's childhood and early adulthood, his turbulent encounters with Vienna's patron class, his sexual escapades and imprisonment on a morals charge, his ultimately disappointing marriage, and his premature death at the age of 28. Interwoven with the story of the artist's life is a balanced presentation of his art-the mature and relatively placid pieces together with the turbulent Expressionist work-lavishly illustrated with 94 full-color illustrations and 107 duotone plates. Printed on extra-fine paper with extraordinary reproductions, this beautiful volume stands as the definitive biography of Schiele the man and the artist. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beautiful
Great buy--Just trust me. If you like his work--you will have much to indulge in. Ah Schiele--the original tortured artist--"In the name of art I will endure to the end!" ... Read more

Amazon.com

Winston Churchill was querulous, childish, self-indulgent, and difficult, writes English historian Roy Jenkins. But he was also brilliant, tenacious, and capable--in short, "the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street." Jenkins's book stands as the best single-volume biography of Churchill in recent years.

Marked by the author's wide experience writing on British leaders such as Balfour and Gladstone and his tenure as a member of Parliament, his book adds much to the vast library of works on Churchill. While acknowledging his subject's prickly nature, Jenkins credits Churchill for, among other things, recognizing far earlier than his peers the dangers of Hitler's regime. He praises Churchill for his leadership during the war years, especially at the outset, when England stood alone and in imminent danger of defeat. He also examines Churchill's struggle to forge political consensus to meet that desperate crisis, and he sheds new light on Churchill's postwar decline. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (79)

ONE OF THE BEST ONE- VOLUME BIOGRAPHIES OF SIR W.C.
This book by Roy Jenkins, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, of the Oxford University, member of the House of the Lords and President of the Royal Society of literature is THE BIOGRAPHY of Winston Churchill. Very well written, outstanding in the breadth of material researched and deliciously witty, this one of the best single volume approach to the life of one of the human milestones of the 20th Century.
Unless you have the time and purpose to go through the 8 volumes of the official biography started by Randolph Churchill but really attributable to Sir Martin Gilbert (ed. from 1966 to 1988), you will not be able to get a better factual assessment of the life and deeds of THE PRIME MINISTER par excellence. It covers every important aspect of Churchill's life, and then some. From birth to schooling, his first exposures to war and politics, then early triumphs, despair, resurrection and demise, we get a clear picture of one of the principal players in English politics for almost 60 years.
The book has a very well organized index, for reference purposes. For instance, under Churchill, Sir Winston Spencer, we have subtitles that address topics such as Characteristics and qualities (memory, self-confidence, personal bravery, argumentativeness, etc.) Education, Health, Honors, Military Career, etc. that much facilitate a cross reading of important topics. We derive the impression that in such a difficult task ( a portrait of a man so complex and about whom so many have written) Jenkins has succeeded.
WHY READ THIS BOOK ? This work might be even superior to Jenkins biography about another giant of English politics: Gladstone. This may be just a coincidence, but a double one if we recall the final assessment that Jenkins provides about Churchill:
.."When I started writing this book I thought that Gladstone was, by a narrow margin, the greater man, certainly the more remarkable specimen of humanity. In the course of writing it I have changed my mind. I now put Churchill, with all his idiosyncrasies, his indulgences, his occasional childishness, but also his genius, his tenacity and his persistent ability, right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, to be larger than life, as the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street........"

Political Biography, Lots of Details
Roy Jenkins is probably the perfect scholar to write the definitive biography of Winston Churchill. His credentials are impeccable: as a former Home Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and member of the House of Lords, he has the necessary political insight and knowledge to write the biography. On top of that, he is the author of several well received books on politics, including a biography of Gladstone that won the Whitbread Prize, giving him the literary spurs as well. All of these skills and experiences are evident in the reading of the book. It even has a glossary of parliamentary terms, which I found particularly helpful. There is an abundance of detail in the less famous years of Churchill's life, particularly the years between World War I and Hitler's rise to power. But, there is very little detail about Churchill's pre-political life. Some of the most exciting years were his years in the army, and very little is told about them. However, the detail in the other areas makes up for this. It is mostly a political biography, and not for the faint of heart. With this book, the reader will need Churchill's resolve just to finish it. But, like many other long books, the rewards far outweigh the time put in. It is safe to say that the reader will have a mastery of British politics in the 20th century after reading this book.

Packed With Knowledge!
Perhaps the greatest tribute to the work of author Roy Jenkins is that, at times, he seemed to know what Winston Churchill was actually thinking - and you're pretty sure he's right. When the mind you're reading about belongs to perhaps the greatest Prime Minister in the history of Great Britain, Nobel-prize winner Winston Churchill, that is a pretty impressive accomplishment. Jenkins' biography is essentially unsentimental, and reveals Churchill's idiosyncrasies and errors in an honest manner that serves only to elevate, rather than tarnish, the legacy of the man who rallied the free world to resist the tyranny of National Socialism. Jenkins has written an extraordinary volume which we highly recommends to any student of history.

Excellent Read
First off, its important to note that this is a political biography and focuses on Churchill's career in parliament, not his family or friend relationships. It does not focus much on his childhood or his inner feelings that much. The book is great for giving us a sense of who Churchill was through his speeches and political actions. Its written in a matter of fact style that lets Churchill's penchant for the grandiose come out on its own. Despite its restrained manner, you feel the desperation of the days before and during World War II. You also sense the incredible vision of Churchill to see what would happen and to warn of it, when no one else could see. To his credit, he also demonstrates Churchill's weaknesses/flaws. Overall, a great book!

Well detailed.....perhaps a bit too much so
This book, while well researched, is a tedious read. Overwhelming detail in areas of limited relevance tend to clutter excellent underlying content and compromise big picture issues that demand broad based review. I had to shelve this book after every 150 pages and return to it weeks later. Which begs the question, Why is a biography on one of the most extraordinary characters of the 20th century not more captivating? ... Read more

Book Description

THE PAINTER'S DAUGHTER brings to life the artistic and political turmoil of fifteenth-century Florence through the stories of Alessandra Lippi, who follows Botticelli's career and reveals the mystery and controversy surrounding the the celebrated "Birth of Venus." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Entertaining masterpiece
Having returned from Florence and viewing such masterpieces, my interest in Botticelli's art was satisfied with research and other works of fiction of this time. This novel transportsyou to the time period and gives great perspective of the different works of art of Botticelli and Lippi. Amost enjoyable novel.

In search of my roots!
I will go out and buy the book, since I'd never heard of it, and am trying to find information on my ancestors! I didn't even know Fra Filippo had a daughter! I traveled to Ancona, birthplace of Fra Fillipo Lippi and my grandfather, Cipriano Lippi. I don't know where Alessandra was born exactly, so I'm definately buying the book!

Combining art history and fiction
I found this book to be a carefully crafted, entertaining and educational experience. The author has clearly undertaken a great deal of research and paired it with her talent for telling a story. Much of Botticelli's work has been described as "lyrical precision," I honestly don't think it would be too far-fetched to use the same description for this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Alexis Rockman, born in 1962, is a leader among a young generation of artists who have returned to figurative content. Inspired by the natural sciences, he creates perverse yet seductive paintings that explore the intersections between biology and technology, reality and fantasy. Rockman's earliest work deals with natural history in ways that are eerie but believable; his latest work is inspired by a trip to Guyana and by late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century science expedition narratives. The graphic presentation of this full-color monograph is a tour-de-force, with striking reproductions of Rockman's beautifully rendered and thought-provoking paintings. ... Read more

Download Description

The gentlewoman, also slightly blushing, said: You know well that I want you to serve me; and reaching me the lily, told me to take it away; and gave me besides twenty golden crowns which she had in her bag, and added: Set me the jewel after the fashion you have sketched, and keep for me the old gold in which it is now set. On this the Roman lady observed: If I were in that young mans body, I should go off without asking leave. Madonna Porzia replied that virtues rarely are at home with vices, and that if I did such a thing, I should strongly belie my good looks of an honest man. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An entertaining autobiography
Cellini was one of the most famous jewellers in the Rennaisance. He was also a sculptor, connoseur, lover and fighter. Not too blessed with modesty, this book filled with intrigue and mania is fascinating reading. Cellini is hedonistic and yet passionate about his art. We get t