Art History Books

I was extremely happy with the service I receivec. I requested that this book be sent to the county jail, via Overnight Mail, for my son, and it wzs received the next day. Time was of the essence and you delivered. I can't rate the book myself, because it was not for me. I would definitely use Amazon.com again.

I have been admiring and studying the Art of Boris Valejio since 1988. This is a collection of Art (late 1970s-mid 1980s) from his career PEAK. Details and tones duplicated from a MASTER Painter. If you buy ONE collection of Boris's fantastic Art, IT MUST BE MIRAGE...

There are some beautiful pencil renderings with precision use of the eraser to bring his sketches to life. An added bonus to pages of glorious full color women and men in the god-like exploitation of the human form.

I'm a long-time Boris fan. I actually own this in hardback, purchased over twenty years ago. It still is one of my favorite art books even after two decades.

Okay, why "Mirage" and not some other Boris book? This isn't a just some anthology of book covers. Quite simply, it has the finest collection of sensual fantasy art I've seen. I say sensual and not erotic because there is a difference. Boris paints lots of skin in this collection... plenty of gorgeous female pulchritude, but it keeps to the tasteful side lecherous. Oh, there are a couple of male figures as well, and they're just as well executed as his females, so you can't fault him there, either.

But don't think this is a series of illustrations with some poetry (by the artist's then-wife) thrown in to justify a book full of nudes. There's always a heavy element of high (or sometimes low) fantasy in every scene... that's fantasy as in mythic, not fantasy as in Penthouse Letters, even though Bob Guccione would have jumped at the opportunity to have any of these women grace the pages of his magazine. And to the surprise of some, there are several very humorous images as well.

Yet there is some truly incredible art in this collection as well. There is one painting of a triton and mermaid... uh... "disporting" themselves underwater that still stands out after twenty-plus years as one of my favorite pieces of art regardless of style, genre or medium. That's saying something.

If you find nudity objectionable, skip this book... you'll never get past all the skin to see the art behind it. Some of the images are slightly disturbing. Some are what I'd consider "filler" to add volume to the book, not as appealing or creative as many of the others. Yet there are some that are simply stunning... breathtaking in color, style and subject, and that makes up for any weaknesses the rest might suffer.

And as I mentioned, there is poetry included as well, contributed by Boris' wife (before Julie Bell). As far as open verse goes, she does respectably well. Some of the poems are rather forgettable, but others may appeal to the individual reader. I like Dylan Thomas and a few other modern poets who use free verse, so the style doesn't bother me a bit. Still, on the whole, the art is why I got the book, not the poetry.

If you want art by daVinci and verse by Tennyson, save your money... you'll be disappointed. Personally, I enjoy art by Boris and poems by Doris just as well.

Overall, an incredible collection well worth the acquiring.

This book collects a series of Boris' paintings, plus a few very detailed pencil drawings, done between 1979 and 1982. If you're not already familiar with Boris' work - well, you probably are whether you know it or not. He has done years work of book covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as reams of posters. The one constant through all his work is passion for the human form and human power, both male and female.

These paintings range from the lush and sensual to humorous or macabre. A hookah come to life has a demonic presence, but a bar of soap come to life (and licking the bather) is more charming and a little silly. Even the simplest pictures have overtones - that bather is truly a beautiful woman, leaving me just a little envious of such close contact. Maybe not envious either, but off in thoughts of my own. And the preface is right, 'erotic' is much too simple a word for all the different feelings and combinations of feelings that come from having or holding a strong, healthy body.

My only complaint is a sameness in the female figures presented. The faces are beautiful, long and elegant, but mostly the same. The figures - the one figure, really is beautiful, but I value the uniqueness of a figure and the differences between figures. Cloning can serve a narrative purpose, certainly, but sameness wears. Even the loveliness of Danielle Anjou, acknowledged as a principal model and collaborator, wears.

Boris is the master of the figure in fantasy art, and has been for many years. This is a great sample from an earlier time in his career. It's almost impossible not to like.

//wiredweird

If you are a fan of Boris Vallejo, or are thinking about buying a book of fantasy art -- this book should be the first one you buy. This is an absolute must-have for any art book collection, fantasy art or otherwise. Of all of Boris Vallejo's work to date -- this book by far has all his best art.

Boris Vallejo is by far the best fantasy artist EVER! His 1970s and 1980s art is by far much better than his current work, as is evident from the Mirage book. The figures/subjects in his early work in the Mirage book look like they actually belong in the painted scene. Many other fantasy artists draw subjects in scenes that look like models posing for a painting -- and look really stiff like cardboard. Boris meshes the scenes perfectly and transports you into another world with his vivid depictions of fantasy characters.

I recommend buying Boris Vallejo books in the following order:
1) Mirage
2) Fantasy Art Techniques -- buy it even if you're not an artist.
3) Enchantment
4) Dreams
5) Sketchbook

Verdict: Buy it!
Reviewed by Harrison Chua.

Judith Dupre's book is a keeper, a volume to be read and treasured for generations. It's for those with a relative who fought in World War II, and those who have visited Gettysburg, seen the Liberty Bell and marveled at Mount Rushmore.
Ms. Dupre infuses major historical events with glowing new life. She fills her pages with interesting facts and profound truths, explaining, for instance, why the triumphant Indian Americans were not commemorated in the first 120 years after the Little Bighorn Battle in Montana. Other battles -- from Gettysburg, World War II, Korea -- yield important cemeteries. Ms. Dupre's presentations range from the familiar (Statue of Liberty) to the unfathomable (Saint-Gaudens's monument to Clover Adams in Washington's Rock Creek Cemetery.) In a book that easily stirs emotions her description of New York City prisoners burying the unclaimed bodies of convicts at Hart Island ("the marginalized are interred by the marginalized with dignity") is especially poignant.
The book will be valued by those with connections to these sacred sites, but it belongs in the collections of all who are tuned into American history.

Bravo! MUCH MORE than a "coffee table" book! Dupré's thoroughly researched and cogently presented text outshines the fascinating graphics. "Monuments" taught me more than I had intended to learn about the subject, and made me realize memorials talk about history in an unique way. I would recommend this book to any and all readers, especially those interested in getting a new and intriguing take on presidential and military history.

What impressed me of this work is how well it was researched. It has many side stories. Names and dates are carefully reported. The linkages to similar memorials or concepts are included in shaded boxes as ancillary threads. Was also impressed on the timeline, that reveals how the event that is memorialized eventually came into fruition of an actual memorial.

My only criticism is not clarifying the geographical location of the monument (it assumes the reader knows where it is).

The bonus is including ample space on the mass-conscious inpromptu memorials, such as leaving teddy bears, flowers, notes on the side of a tragedy or catastrophic event. I would add to that the silent and passive solitary memorials left by people along roadsides, memorializing a traffic accident. Or even the placement of a geocache, a box in the woods containing a logbook, such as the one in Western Pennsylvania in remembrance of two teenagers killed ["In Memory Of Clairenda and Loretta" GCQHZP]

On the discussion of people mourning by leaving items at places such as the Vietnam Memorial, Oklahoma City, Columbine, the author however missed to mention that the same people that visit such memorials can actually take an object that is laying there. The items left are considered as abbandoned property by the National Park Service for 30 days, and only thereafter picked up and inventorized into the national museum system. In the meantime, the same item can be picked up by visitors, and the memorial acts as an exchange place. ... very much like a geocache.

This fascinating and unusual book is beautifully produced- it would make an excellent gift. It's a kind of treasury of richly detailed visits to a wide variety of different kinds of monuments. Dupre describes each one historically, evoking the powerful emotions behind the monument or memorial so that the original need can be felt and understood. The book gives us access to the people who created these monuments, and for whom they were created. Scholarly and also profoundly intuitive, Judith Dupre understands that a monument is by definition a labor of love, and has given us one.

Judith's books are always enjoyable but there is something especially wonderful about this one. It isn't just history or architecture, she finds the heart of why we remember, the purpose of these places. The histories are told with sensitivity and care, and the dozens of people that inhabit the book are portrayed colorfully and with close observation of their humanity, something usual lacking in ordinary history books. Having been to Manzanar several times and wandered over its acres myself, her narrative touched me and brought alive the people and the time.

I would recommend this book to anyone with even the slightest interest in the human side of history.

as film student, this text is very inspirational and i keep going back to it for motivation. i read the whole book through the moment i turned the first page. this is a great inspirational book for anyone who is interested in studying or working in film.

This is, hands down, the best collection of advice -from the world's best directors- that I've ever laid my hands on. I came away from each of the interviews feeling illuminated and motivated to tackle my next directing job.

If you want to read something that is actually helpful, rather than some long-winded, boring 'how-to' book (which, let's face it, are almost always terrible) then this is the book to pick up. It is loaded with practical advice, articulated by very intelligent and respected individuals.

Want to know how Woody Allen shoots his films? He sums it up in about two paragraphs! Want to know what lenses Cronenberg shoots with? Well, he tells you! Whether you agree with the techniques of each of these directors, it is fascinating to hear them describe their unique approach.

I will always reference this book before tackling a film project...

Great stuff. Gives a lot of info on each director. For example; Sidney Pollack was an acting coach before he became a director.
This book is filled with insight, knowledge and terrific stories all from the top directors of our time.

This book is great and has a wealth of insightful conversation with some amazing directors but my one complaint is that the bulk of the book is framed too similarly. While the directors all have their unique take and insights, Tirard essentially asks them all the same questions which leads to repetition over the bulk of the book. In no way am I saying not to purchase this book but I'm simply criticizing it's redundancy.

This is exactly what a moviemakers master class should be. It asks technical and artistic questions to some of the greatest directors of all time.

If you want to hear why Tim Burton likes wide lenses, which contemporary directors Scorsese admires and why, Jean Pierre Jeunet's theory of camera movement, David Lynch's "secret dolly move", John Woo's method of shooting and cutting scenes to music, The Coen brothers writing process, Lars Von Trier's take on the rules of Dogme 95, Jean-Luc Goddard's theory of filmmaking out of desire vs. need, then this book is your ticket.

This is a goldmine of knowledge. There are no fluff interviews here; only the best filmmakers in the world relating solid technical advice and tried and true shooting strategies developed from years of experience.

When a newspaper goes out of business, it's sometimes as if it never existed and everything it did is buried, rarely to be exhumed again unless it is some researcher.

Wire service people have labored in obscurity for decades and only in recent decades have credit lines become common for photos in newspapers or other print sources. Even Magazine credits were sometimes astonishingly small.

There is a UPI still in business, but it is unrelated to the great wire service that competed with the powerful Associated Press. But the photographs made by UPI photographers and others for UPI will live on in the Corbis library, much of it buried in cold underground storage.

What this book has done is to reach down into that vault and pull out some of the more memorable pictures from the UPI days when it covered the world. The names of the photographers may not be familiar except to those in the trade, but they are among the best as these images demonstrate.

An excellent book, well-written and well-edited. More please.

If you like pictures - news pictures that tell a story even after 70 years - you'll love "Picture This! The Inside Story and Classic Photos of UPI Newspictures." If you like good captions that flesh out the images with background information, you'll love Picture This!. The book of 238 black-and-white photographs, written and compiled by Gary Haynes with a foreword by Walter Cronkite, showcases the work of UPI's band of aggressive, talented and serious photojournalists who chronicled the life of the world in images that resonate even after 70 years.

You'll recognize the world-famous photograph of a saluting John-John Kennedy following the funeral of his father and discover the photo of the Dionne quintuplets and the image of George H.W. Bush campaigning in a Chicago suburb.

I have no vested interest in whether you buy Picture This! and never met Gary Hayes. But, I was a newsman with United Press International for 18 years in four states and I am, obviously, partial to UPI and have a sense of the toil and trouble UPI photographers encountered in chronicling news events.

A word of warning, however. When you try leafing through this book with the intention of spending only a few minutes, you will find yourself stopping to peruse an image, reading a caption and re-discovering, and perhaps discovering, forgotten events. Invariably, you will ask yourself: What was I doing at that moment in time, captured by a UPI photojournalist.

Unfortunately, Picture This! does not have the glitz and glitter of a huge table top book. Perhaps, however, that is the charm of a wire service book that underscores the art of black-and-white photographs and the talents of UPI photographers worldwide. These pictures and these photographers never tried to be pretty or charming, only tell a true, accurate story.

PICTURE THIS! THE INSIDE STORY AND CLASSIC PHOTOS OF UPI NEWSPICTURES comes from a veteran syndicate editor and photographer who pairs the best of UPI news photos with an insider's account of the stories behind them. But it's more than just a gathering of key photos linked to major news stories: it follows the wire service industry as a whole, providing a history of its development and evolution, competition with other news services, and how its library ended up in a Pennsylvania cave. An outstanding survey essential for any student of journalism.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

We all take the camera for granted ;but someone having a camera availible at the right time and place;has meant that memorable moments and events have been recorded for posterity.There are many books that have tried to sum up the best photographs of the Century;some are very average,some are very good,and some are excellent;this one is that type.
I often wondered which I would choose if I had to pick 3 favorite photographs.It is very difficult;but three that come to mind immediately,and I don't really know why,are;

The Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima ,as the best photograph from
the Second World War.

Oswald being shot in Dallas,probably since iI saw it "live" on TV.

and,

Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to President Kennedy,again
watched "live" on TV.

Anyway those are my picks,but with a little more thought,I could think of others just as momentous;such as the collasping of the World Trade Center on 9/11;which I watched being built;when I worked in the next block at the corner of Broadway Ave. & Nassau St.
UPI published many of the great photographs of the Century and if you've wondered what happened to all their 11.5 million photographs;they ended up in a cave in Pennsylvania,owned by Bill Gates's Corbus.
Gary Haynes has put together this wonderful collection from these archives ,along with comments on the photographs,circumstances and photographers.
In this large book of 256 pages and 238 B&W photographs, Haynes will enthrall you and bring back many memories. You'll remember seeing many of them,you may have even watched sone take place (live or on TV);and others will be new to you.But one thing is for sure,you'll enjoy this remarkable collection.
Here are some of what is included;

The Hindenbury exploding in 1937.

Barrels of wine being dumped in the gutter in Los Angeles,in the
1920's.

The KKK parade in Long Branch,NJ,on July 4,1924.

Truman holding up the Chicago Times announcing "Dewey Defeats Truman"
November 3,1948.

People viewing John Dillinger on a slab,July,1934.

Rare photograph of JFK in a hat;and not the top hat at the Inaugural.

Hermann Goering ,accustomed to ostentatious luxury,eating from a tin
plate during a break in his Neurenberg tria.

JFK and Sinatra as best of pals.

President Truman playing a tune with Lauren Bacall draped across the
piano.

Louis Armstrong serenading his wife Lillian in front of the Sphinx.

and even some humor ,such as;

Lee Travino ,emerging from a rough ,holding a large snake on the end of
his club.Though it was a prank rubber snake,it always startled the
bystanders.
What a wonderful collection of photographs and many thanks to both Haynes for putting them together and least, but not all,to the photographers who took them.

My husband worked for UPI Newspictures from 1961 to l981 and shared the ups and downs of UPI and Gary Haynes has captured the story of the wonderful photographers and their work who were always out numbered by the AP and were able to compete and win many stories by sheer determination. UPI Newspictures had a great planner,Charley McCarty who out thought the oposition and two fantastic photo editors Ted Majeski and Larry Desantis who could find the best images on the film they edited. This books shows some of the photos they found on the film made by the hardworking photographers who never were willing to let the AP beat them. Thanks to Gary Haynes for putting it all in this book.

Owning many books on Pompei and having visited many times, I approached this book not expecting to learn anything new. I was wrong. There are many Pompei picture books that repeat the same old stuff that I am leery of buying any more. This lavishly illustrated book shows the ruins and artifacts in detail that you cannot see with a throng of tourists milling about or rushing past at the Museo Archaeolgico Nazionale in Naples.

Centuries ago, a visiting philosopher remarked: never has such a great tragedy brought such great pleasure to posterity as did the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The city frozen in time by the ash of Vesuvius has opened a window onto life in the early Roman empire. Maiuri invented a technique for making plaster casts of space left in the volcanic ash by the decomposed bodies of the victims of Vesuvius. It is possible two millenia later to see death agony on the faces of these victims. One of these victims, a chained guard dog can be seen curled up, howling in agony while straining against the chain that binds it. The author details the thousands of graffiti discovered, some sexual, some politically-oriented, some are insults directed at rivals. Many of these give insight into scenes of everyday life that allow the modern reader to feel a kinship to Pompeiians that is lacking even in our understanding of day-to-day life a mere few centuries ago. The ancient Romans, lacking our Christian moral code, expressed themselves in ways that until recently were self-censored as being too sexual, too self-centered or amoral.

As a large heavy folio it is too large to carry to Pompeii as a guide book. Look to the Knopf guide to Naples and Pompeii for a portable guidebook.

Highly recommended. Above average photo reproduction. Well written. A worthwhile addition to my Pompeii library.

Great value! We visited recently and having this book really completes the experience. Photos are terrific too.

Like all the other reviewers, I think this is a great book. There is one thing nobody else mentions, however (that I would have known had I read the product information more carefully). This book is huge! It overwhelms the average size coffee table I have, but I can't bear to put it away.

This book is stunning! The photography is breathtaking. The first class photos are huge, many double fold out. The essays are thorough - written by specialists of Pompeii in a gracious, informative style!

The photographs primarily cover art: the amazing wall paintings, furniture, architecture, gardens, rooms, and possessions of wealthy Pompeiians. The photographic perspectives are superb! Not included are the tragic plaster figures of victims and a map of Pompeii. Nor is Herculaenium depicted.

Nothing has been spared to make this THE BOOK of Pompeiian art. It is a "coffee table" book... heavy and large. The pages are the highest grade quality, very thick and glossy. It looks, feels, and reads like it should cost well over $100 and probably does at fancy book stores. It's the nicest book I have ever owned.

Lots of wonderful pictures and information. I was really surprised. It's not a book you can bring along to Pompeii (it's really heavy and large). That was my orginal idea. However, it's filled with amazing pictures and details that I'll note and try to see. It will also be nice to have after my trip because there is no way I'll have the pictures that this book provides. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Pompeii or is planning to visit.

This is a splendid book, intelligent,stimulating, the best kind of cultural history. It illuminates the origins of photography, cinema, and the construction of the American west.

Rebecca Solnit is an amazing writer. She brings to the surface all the hidden currents of the Muybridge story in a narrative that is at once informative and moving. This book constantly surprised and delighted me with its deep insights and fascinating details. Not only is it well researched, but the results of the research are germane to the story and are all neatly brought together. It was a pleasure to discover that fine writing like this still exists. I can't wait to read her other books now that I have found her.

Muybridge was an interesting character aside from his pioneering landscape photography and motion studies. Rebecca Solnit is an interesting character aside from her accessibility and easy readable style. She is uncommonly skilled in describing her subject and what he did as well as explaining the historical context and landscape into which Muybridge inserted himself.

Gold rush California was a wild and raw landscape, filled with the last gasps of the American frontier as the Sierra was trampled by the world's riffraff. Muybridge dragged his huge camera into the mountains capturing images of Yosemite from perspectives many of us with much lighter cameras and easier trails wouldn't dream of attempting.

While Solnit makes a reasonable case for Muybridge's pioneering technology work in pre-motion pictures as well as still photography, she misses the continuing photographic California thread down the road from Leland Stanford's Palo Alto ranch, where Silicon Valley turned the telephoto lens around and photographically shrank designs onto silicon wafers. A minor point.

Nevertheless, this book, like her Savage Dreams, is an exquisite bit of California and photographic history. Anyone with an interest in Yosemite, landscape and nature photography should have this on their bookshelf!

Few authors have tied together the many facets of the post civil war, pre-modern West as well as Rebecca Solnit. Her literary vehicle is a man as strange as his name, Eadweard Muybridge. Of course you can also read this book to learn about the early days of photography and the technology which preceeds motion pictures. For either reason this is an excellent biography and will serve the inteerests of many readers.

Solnit has some interesting things to say about Muybridge's photography, and about how photography, our self image as a society, and even California's culture of rebirth, innovation, and redemption are tied up. But even apart from such heady stuff, Muybridge was a rascal who lived an interesting life (besides his photography, he murdered his wife's lover and invented the technology that is the basis for movies). So read this book, you'll enjoy it, and maybe learn a bit too.

If you're an artist, you need this book. Even if you don't like Irwin's work (or never heard of him.) Remarkably, this biography of the most minimal of minimal artists contains no abstruse language, no mysteriously self-important pronouncements, nor even a single reference to any French esthetic theorist. Not only is this written in clean, straightforward prose; you can hardly put it down. It also raises critical, fascinating questions about the nature of art, and of the way we see. I've recommended this book to several people. It's never what they expect. They've always thanked me.

if you want to understand the mind of a modern conceptual artist and his life...read this....profound,interesting,illuminating,inspiring...read this

*

I am fascinated by the creative process. I am fascinated by physical manifestations born from the spark of an idea. I am fascinated by the complex psychology, rigorous philosophy and simple backbone evinced by those devotees of method. And I am blown-away by Robert Irwin.

My first contact with Robert Irwin's work came in graduate school when a few friends and I drove from Philadelphia to Manhattan to visit the Dia Center for the Arts. There on an upper floor I encountered a truly shocking, yet subduing, experience. Irwin had taken over the entire level and divided into rooms demarcated with translucent scrim. I walked slowly, from space to space, enclosed but not, silent in presence yet bursting with internal applause, and in awe. I marveled at the solidity of light that slid through the Dia's industrial steel windows, tracing its way across two layers of the thin white fabric and gently landing on the concrete floor. My eyes were tickled by the subtlety of color emanating from the vertical fluorescent lights wrapped in gels. There must have been thirty others there at the same time, meandering like ghosts whitened by one, two, three layers of scrim, yet the space was absolutely quiet. This was the first time that I truly understood the word ?perception.? It came in a space filled with exacted simplicity.

Since then I have tried to follow Irwin's work, both past and present, only to find that it is rarely photographed, as the medium cannot do the work justice. However, Lawrence Weschler's biography on the artist is a tremendous piece of writing that will give you much more appreciation for Irwin than any catalog ever could. Weschler spent years interviewing the artist, tracking down collaborators and researching the works. He exhibits an amazing understanding of Irwin's intentions and adds much needed commentary to keep the story straight while tracing the complex and highly personal evolution of the man and his art. From descriptions of Irwin's self-imposed eight month exile in Ibiza, to his two year long rigorous exercise (and again, exile) to create what amounted to twenty lines, Weschler gives us an in depth look at the zen-like disposition of the artist in his search for the perceptual (and hence, not conceptual). Irwin's diligence and rigor will stupefy even those most devoted to their process, and discussion of his material experimentation will act to spur imaginations. Robert Irwin supplies the majority of storytelling, however, and lets the reader in on often humorous tales of the art world from the point of view of a very personable and highly influential artist.

In short, I highly recommend that anyone devoted to design, be it fine art or architecture, read this book. I also recommend that you travel to San Diego to see the first major exhibition of Irwin?s work since 1993, "Robert Irwin: Primaries and Secondaries" at the MCASD through February 23rd.

Note: The installation at the Dia Center was reviewed thoroughly, with an included history of the artist?s work, in an article entitled "Robert Irwin?s Doors of Perception" by Carol Diehl in Art in America magazine, December, 1999, findarticles.com

This is simply the best book about art I have ever read. Like other reviewers, I can say that this book permanently altered the way I see the world (and art). Irwin did it and he still does it.

I picked up this book in 1984 because it was on a reading list for an Art History class I was taking at Oberlin College. I stayed up all night in the library that night. I couldn't put it down. My mind has never been the same.

I still often think of it,tell stories from it and give it as a gift. I always say "skip the first chapter-it gets much better." If I remember right, the book begins with a description of Irwin's perfectionism when cleaning the engine of his car. I figure that will bore my friends.

I tell my students about Irwin's many years attempt to make the perfect line, to his wife's chagrin and his painting the back side of his paintings because it matters to him. They like the story of the riots that occured in South America due to the disorientation of his discs-concave and convex-the viewers couldn't tell where the wall started and the disc stopped. I have given the book as a graduation present.

I thought about this book at the mechanic the other day. My engine is very, very dirty.

I will never forget,forgetting. Great book.

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK VERY MUCH AND THE AUTHOR FOUND SOME NEAT SILENT FILM PERSONALITIES TO TALK WITH. GOOD INSIGHT INTO WHAT THOSE EARLY YEARS WERE LIKE BUT FOR WHAT I PAID FOR IT I FEEL THE BOOK SHOULD AT LEAST BE RELEASED IN HARDCOVER. STILL, IT WAS ENJOYABLE.

I have been a cinema fan quite while, silent films more recently as I research. Finally, I see a book on the market where the author actually sought out former stars and interviewed them!
We get a sense of their personalities and the whole era through this book;
I recently bought SILENT PLAYERS, thinking it a similiar book but many of the subjects were dead before the author wrote it and those who are quoted have little or nothing to say. The chapters are one page at most.
I hope for more good reading. It is sad now but I imagine all the silent players are gone. Are there any still alive? If so, who are they and have they been interviewed?
Another good read is the new bio of Valentino. He must have been quite the loverboy!

Mr. Villecco interviews 12 former silent film players and a director Andrew Stone. We learn about the early scandals and first Academy Awards and early working conditions. It is fascinating. These pioneers really worked, often under undesirable conditions. As far as sex, drugs and rock and roll, the 1920's were no different. Read the chapters on Baby Peggy, Anita Page and Pauline Curley! It's also amazing that Villecco was able to even locate living silent stars. Are there any left?
I rate this book 5 stars-the photos and filmogs are also wonderful.

"Silent Stars Speak" is a superb book! This is a treasure chest of information about Hollywood's roots. Tony Villeco's interviews with the 12 stars are facinating. He's done a marvelous job, giving us a glimpse into the past. Since many of these stars have now passed on, he's captured wonderful memories and a bit of history as well. It was a joy to read, as well as informative and insightful. The book is full of beautiful, vintage pictures that truly take the reader back to the magical era of silent films. Tony Villeco has created a work of art, in this wonderful book. One can only hope to read more from him future! Bravo!

Tony Villecco writes articles on silent and sound films for CLASSIC IMAGES magazine and he has assembled twelve of his articles for this book. Subjects range from clild actors Baby Peggy Montgomery and Jean Darling to major stars like Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and even a director, Andrew Stone. The book has very detailed filmographies of each person profiled, except for director Stone. This book is a fast read, and it would be a great introduction to someone who is new to silent films. Many of the people profiled in the book had long careers in sound films also. The best parts of the book are when he interviews some little know people like director Stone, actress Pauline Curley, and actress Priscilla Bonner and they actually talk about their careers and filmmaking. Sometimes the subjects just give us a list of the many people that they worked with and don't give us much detail about their experiences. In fairness to the author, his subjects were all very old at the time and may not have been able to remember that many details. If you are really interested in interviews with silent film stars, Kevin Brownlow's THE PARADE'S GONE BY and William Drew's AT THE CENTER OF THE FRAME are much better. Baby Peggy's story is told much better in hour autobiography, HOLLYWOOD' CHILDREN.

Guy Windsor teaches at the fencing school he founded in Helsinki, Finland (School of European Swordsmanship). In this manual, he introduces us to the two-handed longsword, one of the primary close-quarter weapons of the Middle-ages and Renaissance, a weapon highly prevalent in many ancient European martial texts.

Mr. Windsor's text explains the history of this particular sword, with commentary on the philosophies of Italian fencing-masters who wrote some of the most influential early fighting-manuals. Inside, you will recieve instruction in drills of footwork, armed-practice (alone and with a training partner), principles of fencing, and warm-up for sword-practice.

Thoroughly illustrated with black & white photos, as well as historical line-drawings from the original Medieval manuals, you will find this to be a true gem among the new wave of Eurocentric martial-arts books.

Also to be recommended: Medieval Combat by Hans Talhoffer, translated by Mark Rector

This is an excellent book. The demonstrations of the techniques are clear, and easy to understand. Guy Windsor intended for this to be a workbook for the Historical Western Swordsman, and this is. He does an excellent job at conveying the subtlety of the Italian longsword tradition. I look forward to other works by Windsor on the Longsword and other weapons used on the battlefields of medieval Europe.

The broadsword in s good place to start for anyone interested in learning Historic Swordsmanship. This book is well written for those who want to learn the basics. I personally found many new drills and new ways to teach my students.
Personally I have been in the martial arts for over 20 years and have been doing Western Martial Arts for about 8 and I really liked this book. It is always good to return to the basics and make sure they are solid.
I would recomend this book to anyone who is starting or thinking about getting into Historic Swordsmanship, also and well equiped sword library should have this book.

Although I read this a few years ago, it remains for me the best book on the subject of swordplay that I've ever picked up. Although I may disagree with some of his interpretations (and that may simply be the result of his models handling blades too long to accurately demonstrate some of Fiore's guards), his decriptions of the fundamental principles of swordfighting are both elegant and insightful. This book was a pivotal experience in the evolution of my understanding of medieval swordplay.

When I saw this book advertised on Amazon, I said to myself...oh no!!! not another one of those books written by these whackos who think they can swordfight, just because they played with metal bars in their backyard !!!! Then as I looked through it I said .....Finalmente ....Finally....a well researched book written by an intelligent man who has studied the period manuals and presented his theory on the subject!! What is great about Guy Windsor is that even on his discussion forum he admits that he is learning everyday, and that he feels no shame in changing something that he might be wrong on. Great book written by a great author !!! If you want to learn to fight with the Longsword by this book !!!!!!

Remedios Varo is simply a wonderful painter with a very interesting life that you will discover in these easy to read pages... If you are interested in her art and want to go deeper to understand "hows" and "whys" of Remedio's... then this book is for you.

One of my favorite books. The visuals are unmatched and the thoroughness of her research really gives you an understanding of Varo both as an artist and a women. Will treasure it always.

I go to Moore College of Art and Design in Pliladelphia and Janet Kaplan is a teacher there so needless to say i read this book and Remedios Varo is ALWAYS taught in art history classes in my school. But the book is amazing. I love the artist and if you like surrealism I would highly recomend it.

This book is not only an excellent account of Remedios Varo's life and work, but also of all the other artist who integrated a group in the 1940's in Mexico. It is very interesting and illustrative of a side of the Mexican art that still deserves more research, the expatriate artists who found a home in this country during the forties and fifties.

If you have stumbled upon this wonderful book, then I congratulate you. The next step is to buy it, because it is the only comprehensive book on Remedios Varo I know of. If you are not familiar with the work of Varo, she was a Surrealist painter and a contemporary of such artists as Dali, Magritte, and Leonora Carrington (to whom she is frequently compared, though in my humble opinion Varo's work is much more fantastic and delicate). Her work, though shamefully underrated, establishes her as an extremely talented artist with an eye for incredible detail and an imagination that rivals that of Bosch and Dali. As for the book itself, Janet Kaplan has done an incredible amount of research (she actually had to travel to Spain and Mexico to get the information) for this book, which offers Varo's biography and some excellent interpretations of her paintings, which are reproduced on the pages in gorgeous, large color plates and even more black and white sketches and prints. Please buy this book and familiarize yourself with Remedios Varo, despite the brow-raising price: to allow her to remain unnoticed would be a travesty.