Art History Books

This is a great reference movie/DVD book for all those far out films of the Psychedelic Era. From GET SMART to AUSTIN POWERS. A little flare for the 50's and 60's, CASINO ROYALE, Peter Sellers, VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and BEYOND...If you collect films from the likes of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S or IN LIKE FLINT, you'll need this reference book to see what you're missing.

Fantastic! Haven't been able to put it down.

I keep this book near. Its a great read front to back, or to just randomly flip through. Lots of insight into the wonderfully weird world of film. A must for all cinephiles.

I was attracted to this book after recognizing the author from his movie reviews on the radio. It is the perfect beach companion. I was amazed at the movies Mr. Slifkin included, many obvious selections with new insight. Others were obsure titles that I had all but forgotten seeing. Perhaps best are the movies that I have never seen, but feel compelled to do so after reading this book. Any fan of this era will love this book. In addition it introduces the unique charm of these groovy pics to a whole new audience who weren't even around the first time they hit the screen.

This book is so Groovy! If you lived through the Psychedelic era or would have loved to, this is THE GUIDE to those movies that were the center of it all. From Bond to Shaft to 2001, from Fearless Vamipre Killers to Top Secret it has it all. This book not only has those movies from the 60's and 70's but those that spoofed that Far-out time. 5 Stars

This book gave great photos of airplane pin-up girls, would recommend for any historic airplane buff.

Great buy...this is the only book I have found that includes Ice Cold Katy in it....very hard nose art to find...buy it, you will love it.

Great pictures here, a pitty that the most of them are in B/W but in general they're great.
This book is very similar to "Aircraft Nose Art: From World War I to Today (Motorbooks Classics) by Jeffrey Ethell" that in fact is better, but the couple would be the perfect buying!
:D

I have always had a great interest in WWII bombers and fighters. In addition to this my, step-uncle was a 1st Lt. Co-pilot on a B-17 stationed in Deenethorpe, England and flew 30 missions between 6/44 & 11/44 in the 615th B.S. of the 401stBG (H). I purchased this book after reading the good reviews it had. I was very impressed with the book. There are B&W pictures of nose art on B-17's, B-24's, B-29's, B-26's, B-25's, A-26's, P-51's, C-47's, C-87's, P-38's, P-47's, P-61's. There are also some color pictures and also there are some pictures of the back of a few flight jackets. The pictures are 99% bombers. This is a picture book with info below the pictures if available.

Excelent monarge of vintage photos of aircraft & crews with jackets displaying art of the times. Full color photos.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (11/07)

Anita M. Smith (1893-1968) is not only portrayed as an accomplished writer, but also as an accomplished artist as she reveals Woodstock in this wonderful second edition "art book." What a breathtaking way to create a visual tribute to 20th century artists such as Konrad Cramer, Doris Lee, Andrew Dasburg, and of course herself, Anita M. Smith.

But there is more. Smith includes history and daily life. There is an extensive chapter on the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts colony as well a section emphasizing the Maverick music and arts festivals, the predecessor to Woodstock. This coffee table book also features nearly 200 photos accentuating local individuals and attractions.

Those of us that grew up in the era of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, even if we didn't attend it, will always relate to it. But, most of us, unless we live in the area, do not know the history of Woodstock. Smith gives the opportunity for us to visit Woodstock in a way we couldn't have in 1969.

"Woodstock History and Hearsay" is captivating to say the least. The local tradition and myths, along with the researched narrative and paintings captures the splendor and magic of one of America's oldest arts communities.

Several years ago I reviewed It happened in Woodstock which was originally published in 1959 and authored by a Philadelphia debutant, artist, herbalist and author Anita M. Smith. As I mentioned in my review it was a book not only remarkable for its good look, but also its amazing chronicling of the history of Woodstock from A.D. 1614 until 1971. The 1959 book was Woodstock's first official history and documented the run-up of events that culminated in the historic three day "Woodstock Music and Art Fair" that was celebrated in mid-August of 1969.

This second edition, Woodstock History and Hearsay published by Woodstock Arts includes an abundance of new material including a comprehensive list of endnotes, a bibliography and an expanded index. It is the recipient of the 2007 Independent Publisher Award and a finalist Foreward 2007 Book of the Year.

We have to thank the tireless efforts of Weston Blelock and his sister Julia for giving us the opportunity to experience through the writings of Anita M. Smith the history, art and lifestyle of Woodstock's inhabitants from its early settlement until the 1960s.

Moreover, with Woodstock History and Hearsay we can now fully appreciate the philosophy and art of such 20th century artists as George Bellow, Charles Rosen, Konrad Cramer, Henry Mattson, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Alexander Archipenko, Arnold Blanch, Doris Lee, Henry Lee McFee, Alfeo Faggi and others.

It should be pointed out that Weston and Julia Blelock's mother, Nelle Thornton Jones Blelock was a close friend of Anita Smith and she had inherited from the latter all of her holdings, including artworks and written materials. When their mother died, Smith's estate passed onto them and they resolved to honor her and their mother through a program of restoration-including various buildings and gardens as well as the collection of intellectual property. Consequently, they had founded their company, Woodstock Arts which focus was "to embrace and celebrate a mindset and way of living that he been handed down to them from Anita." As a result, one of the first major projects was the development and publication of the second edition of Smith's 1959 Woodstock History and Hearsay.

As mentioned in the Preface, this second edition augments the original set of eighteen illustrations, always making sure that the images would be a reflection of Smith's own visual palate and sensibilities.

Divided into fifteen chapters and packed with historical detail, the book explores early settlement, frontier days, glass making in the nineteenth century which was an impetus for Woodstock's growth, Catskill farmers rebelling against feudalism, a comprehensive chapter pertaining to the famous Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony, the first Woodstock Festival, Rosie Magee who was a mother to a generation of artists, George Bellows and other leading artists, the Art Students League, Ohayo Mountain, upper Hamlets, Woodstock and World War II, and various local personalities.

It is quite obvious that Smith has done a tidy bit of research making the scenes of Woodstock, her inhabitants and neighbours from the surrounding areas come alive. And as an important added feature is the relevant Integration of 170 black and white photos highlighting works of art of several local personalities and landmarks and the book's 196 images include 7 maps and two portfolios with 19 reproductions.

Woodstock History and Hearsay will appeal to booklovers who relish a fascinating read reflecting, as Julia Blelock mentions in the Preface, "Woodstock-known internationally because of its art heritage and the 1969 festival-represents a special blend of imagination, creativity and commitment to an alternative way of life."

Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

Although I've had this book for a while, it's been difficult to find time to adequately praise it. Consequently, several others have beat me to the punch, superbly. As Ms. Borsos properly notes, Woodstock, N.Y. is known for its character and characters, the one influencing the other in ways that made the town a haven for "passionate, energetic, entrepreneurial, hard working and artistic" people.

These U.S. born bohemian types fortunately included the late Anita M. Smith (1893-1968), whose paintings Weston and his sister Julia Blelock have lovingly compiled in the latest edition of this book. How they came to do that is as much of interest as the book itself, for the Blelocks' parents had during their childhood rented Smith's home, while she lived in a cottage next door, adopted them as her "spiritual" grandchildren, and wrote the first, 1959 edition of the book.

The masterful current edition won the 2007 Independent Publisher's Award, presumably for its magnificent printing quality--and its fabulous content, including the introduction of Smith's 1920-1928 impressionist artwork, heretofore not in print. Smith's previously famous artistic renditions of New York's Catskill region had been shown in Chicago's Art Institute, Toronto (now Ontario's) Art Gallery, and Pennsylvania's Academy of Fine Arts.

But Smith was also first to write the Woodstock local history, which is far more scholarly and complete than most regional histories I have seen. Smith's life experience (recorded here in a time line) indicates the breadth of experience, knowledge and intellectual exposure she brought to her account, despite her grandmotherly familiarity with editors, during their childhoods.

Woodstock's Revolutionary-era Tory bent would not surprise anyone familiar with other rural New York areas. Setauket, Long Island, for example, has struggled (successfully) to retain its colonial feel, preserving even its circa 1730 Caroline Church, to which George II's Queen, Wilhelmina Karoline of Brandenburg-Anspach, gave its original alter cloth and Sacrament ornaments--and whose western side proudly exhibits Continental soldiers' bullet holes. Under British control for 7 years after the Revolution, Setauket was like Woodstock also home to Yankee boatmen whom the "damned Red Coats" labeled a local "Spy Ring."

Woodstock's Civil, World War I and World War II histories are also admirably recounted here, in a scholarly and equally engaging manner. Students of early American history will love the local color provided in chapters on New York's time along the budding nation's "western frontier," its liberation from Tory control, its 19th Century glass-making (a common art throughout the North East and into Canada) and rural agricultural disputes with large area landholders.

Then there are Smith's word-paintings of the beginnings and life in the original Byrdcliffe art colony, founded by Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, Bolton Brown and Hervey White, the last of whom later split off to start another such early art commune, the Maverick.

As others have mentioned, the characters on Smith's word canvas include instantly recognizable popular, business, intellectual, literary and political names (Helen Hayes, Edward G. Robinson, John Burroughs, John Dewey, Thomas Mann, Eleanor Roosevelt and Pete Seeger) and less famous (Alexander Archipenko, George Bellows, Philip Guston, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Charles Rosen and Conrad Kramer) alike. In a way, Anita Smith was rural New York's Gertrude Stein.

I can't recommend this fabulous 2nd edition highly enough.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is a history of Woodstock, New York, with an emphasis on the development of its artistic community. Originally published in 1959, the book has been updated with endnotes by Weston Blelock and many new images and plates. Smith first arrived in Woodstock in 1912, when she spent a summer with the artists' colony. She soon returned to Woodstock to take up full-time residence, and in addition to painting, began collecting stories and anecdotes from townspeople. Her interest in local history became widely known, and in 1931, she began publishing papers about the history of Woodstock through the Historical Society of Woodstock. Following World War II, she compiled a history of the wartime contributions of Woodstock community members. In 1959, she published a volume of her historical research on town history, Woodstock: History and Hearsay. In this edition, family friends, Weston and Julia Blelock, have painstakingly reviewed Smith's manuscript, added endnotes, a new introduction, a biographical timeline of Smith's life, and hundreds of new illustrations and photographs. This edition includes an index, an annotated list of illustrations, a bibliography, and endnotes, as well as the World War II service record summaries from Smith's original work.

The book represents a massive work of scholarship, covering the history of Woodstock from its earliest European settlement through the period just after World War II. As well as being an active member of the artistic community, Smith was an avid collector of stories, and recorded firsthand accounts of life in Woodstock dating as far back as the early Nineteenth Century. In this book, she includes stories of frontier life, the glass-making factories, and a large section on the Down-Rent War, a rebellion against feudal land ownership. She then traces the development of the Byrdcliffe Art Colony, the Maverick Festival, and many of the artists who came to live in Woodstock. At the end of the book is a remarkable history of the WWII contributions of Woodstock residents, at the home front as well as in the services. In addition to the plates contained in Smith's 1959 edition, the Blelocks have added hundreds of photographs, color reproductions, and maps that make the present volume quite attractive as well as illustrative of Smith's stories.

The book is a delight to read, as well as highly informative. Smith writes in a down-to-earth narrative style, conveying the character of her interviewees. She clearly had a wide range of interests and cultivated friendships with people from all walks of life. She discusses some of the politics and personality conflicts of the original artists' community impartially, although she was a firsthand witness and participant in many of the events. Scholars studying artists who resided in Woodstock during these early years will find much of interest in the book, as she provides many personal anecdotes about her colleagues and mentors. Smith's details of the WWII contributions on the home front are particularly interesting for the information they provide about the effects the war had on the social climate of a representative small American town. Overall, the volume is a treasure trove of historical information, fascinating to read, and a pleasure to browse through.

The character and essence of a community is based on the quality and type of people who settle in it. From its early beginnings and into the present times, Woodstock, NY has attracted a cast of charismatic, passionate, energetic, entrepeneurial, hard working and artistic group of people to grace her historical stage. Different eras attracted a different type of characteristic in its settlers. All helped build the community into the dynamic, artistic community which it is today. Each person left his or her imprint and indelible presence ... Anita M. Smith the author of this book is no exception. She first became well known for her impressionistic paintings of the region which were exhibited at such prestigious locations as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Art Gallery of Toronto (now called the Art Gallery of Ontario). Such recognition speaks volumes about her artistic talent. Ms Smith had a strong presence in the community and was the first person to research and record the complex history of Woodstock which was published as the first edition of Woodstock: Hearsay and History. We can thank Weston and Julia Blelock for including more colorful photos of her paintings in the second edition. They also provided an outstanding biographical timeline of Anita's life which gives the reader an idea of how well traveled and broad her outlook on life was. I particularly enjoyed the preface where they provide a background of why this book is so important to them and how personally meaningful it is. When growing up, they knew Anita by the dimunitive "Nietsie" ...

This book is a richly textured volume, a multi-layered historical document filled with fascinating detailed accurate history obtained from local archives. It also contains anecdotal stories, similar to local legends about various residents from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, through World Wars I and II and into the present. Reading about local residents and their experiences during the Revolutionary War made this most important event in US history come alive with meaning. What stands out most is that prior to 1775, loyalty to the King of England was the expected political position. However, shortly thereafter *if* anyone expressed support for England it was considered treason, punishable by imprisonment or worse. Revolutionary War politics comes alive for the reader, making one realize that the mood of the people had shifted towards independence, to making a break from the Crown a reality. The following chapters are especially captivating, filled with many unique stories which engage the reader's attention from start to finish: "Chapter Two - Frontier Days: Indian Forays, Revolution and Liberty", "Chapter Three - Glass Making in the Nineteenth Century", "Chapter Four: The Down-Rent War: Catskill Farmers Rebel Against Feudalism".

Each chapter stands out for its well documented and researched contents, indicating meticulous attention to accuracy which makes the book so great. Along with real history, the hearsay keeps the reader hooked, wanting to read more. Anita interviewed local residents and preserved their human interest stories, providing amusing and entertaining tales from the past. Most especially intriguing are her insightful stories about the local artists who started two famous art colonies in Woodstock: the Byrdcliffe and the Maverick. Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, Hervey White and Bolton Brown were the founders of Byrdcliffe. Later, Hervey White separated from the group and started the Maverick. He was also the founder of the first Woodstock Festival (not to be confused with the 1969 rock concert which went by the same name but was held on a nearby farmland). I loved reading about their life stories, as young adults when they broke with convention, travelled to Italy and experienced other cultures. The wonderful true stories about Rosie Magee a local resident who provided food and lodging to a generation of artists is a thrill to read. One's heart goes out to this generous, kind-hearted, hard working lady who was a kindred soul to the artists ... A most highly recommended book. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

I picked up this book at my local Borders. I was there on a whim, browsing the art section, when I saw this gem. After noting the VERY attractive price, I decided on the spot it had to come home with me, as I'm a fan of Giger's work.

As I perused this volume, I fell in love with more than just the art (admittedly, Giger is just not to everyone's taste...if you're not a Giger fan, then this book and this review will do nothing for you, and it's not an attempt to convince you to otherwise). Designed and penned by Giger, it contains prints of finished art and sketches, photographs, selected images from Giger's personal collection of art (that is, art by other people that he collects)--which I think is VERY insightful; it's interesting to see what kind of art an artist appreciates.

As an artist, myself, I revel in the collections of sketches... Sketches can be a chronicle of how a finished work comes to be, and it's interesting to get a glimpse of how other artists--especially masters, such as Giger--work through their ideas and arrive at a final product. Sometimes sketches are just a fleeting idea that gets caught on a page. These are just as fascinating, because they are an insight into how an artist captures a thought and translates it into something visual. Excellent stuff!

Another detail I want to elaborate on are the "3D" versions of a few of Giger's paintings. I hesitate to say "Magic Eye", because those are often horribly muddy, chaotic and nonsensical when viewed normally, and the Giger images in this section are not at all like that. These images are crisply defined and look "normal" at a glance, but nevertheless have that 3D "popping" effect when you view them correctly. Of course, they're accompanied by commentary from Giger. It's an unexpected and delightful treasure to find tucked away in these pages.

Overall, if you're a fan of Giger's work, this is a very worthy addition to your collection. I've poked around, and there are other versions of this title available, some of which are very limited (and expensive) editions. If you haven't the luxury of purchasing one of those, this "no frills" edition is still very solid, and will be a pleasure to thumb through again and again.

While browsing sale books I found an amusing little item. With a title like WWW HR GIGER COM I was intrigued.

This book was designed by H.R. Giger and contains commentary from the artist about his various interests and his art. Among the pages of art and commentary is a section devoted to the Giger Bar in Tokyo. Giger designed all of the furnishing from the front door all the way to the lavatories. Now, I don't know about you but the idea of being in a building designed by H.R. Giger while getting drunk sounds like a hair raising experience.

This book, having been designed by the artist, is a bit different than others portraying Giger's work. If anything, this one is superior in the detail it provides. I recommend this book to Giger collectors and if you can't find a copy just log on to www.HRGiger.com like the title suggests.

Mr. Giger, I have experienced your biomechanical drawings and such from your book. The theme "Tracing Thoughts" came to me from your drawing of No. 625 Pump Excursion, when suicide was an option. Then I gotten control of myself by expressing my thoughts, feelings, and for free lance of my own personal amusement. It inspired me (No.625) to pick up biomechanics and hopefully get the chance to meet you in person. Because of the biography on you, your intellect seems avanced to were I would enjoy an intelligent complex trade in art expressionism. Well life is short and so shall this review. Continue the well deserved talent and rake in the DOUGH .Signed, fellow artist Eric Everett.

I own the first print of www.HRGiger.com book & I wasnt sure if I needed buy this updated edition but after scanning thru the entire book I realized the answer was Yes! Lots of cool new stuff has been added & the book is laid out better & even more informative not to mention the amazingly cheap price of this book. I own every book Giger has ever put out including the hard to find stuff from the 70's I've been collecting his stuff since the mid 80's. If you're new to HR Giger there is no book better than this one as a starting point into his creative genius. Buy Now!

This book have the personal design of Giger, and the quality of Taschen Books. The book includes very rare pieces like the first giger`s drawings and oleos, and explores every side of his work. The stereograms include Li II, and The cascade, in 3D.

Good book for the beginner to seek out. Contains some history and some nice plates. Publisher, time for a reprint to renew interest in this artist. Those interested in Tanguy should also look up Kay Sage.

Can someone recommend a book that is NOT out of print about Tanguy? I saw some of his works at the Guggenheim this weekend and am interested in learning more about him....

very very interested in Tanguy

Good book for the beginner to seek out. Contains some history and some nice plates. Publisher, time for a reprint to renew interest in this artist. Those interested in Tanguy should also look up Kay Sage.

It is with great dissapontment to realize that having the opportunity of achiving partial access to the work of this XX century master, is somehow a matter of luck, by chance I got hold of a copy, and although is recommendable and good starting point, is modest in bringing justice to the quality and outstanding conceptual and technical dimension of this artist. That is not Mr. Soby's fault, he did a good job, but a far more extensive volume is required. It is important for curators and publishers to bring this artist into the light, to promote it, even with purest commercial interest, this artist will deliver joy to any individual, and shall create demand for whoever publisher that treats his work with respect.

I should have borrowed this book or checked it out at the local book store first before making the mistake of purchasing it from Amazon and wasting my money.

The author's lofty premise is that in order for any movie to make it into his top 1000 list in this book, it has to be a great movie PLUS it must have great video transfer quality. Ah, only if Mr. Travers had actually watched the DVDs for the movies in his list.

The book fell apart when I started noticing movies that are well known for their extremely poor video transfer quality being promoted by the author as fantastic editions of the movie. For example, on page 127, he listed The Last Emperor, Director's Cut as the version of the movie on DVD to get. Any movie or DVD buff who loves this movie will know that this is probably the most atrocious video transfer, butchering job ever done for a movie. check out the reviews here on Amazon for this DVD version listed in the book:The Last Emperor - Director's Cut The DVD's video quality is poor, it is unwatchable, I know this for a fact because I own this DVD and I watched it! The author should be ashamed to be listing such a crappy DVD edition in his top 1000 list against his "criteria." This is just one example, and he lists many more DVDs of poor quality (both in terms of video transfer and just bad movies.)

Based on this example and numerous others in this book, you can't trust anything this guy tells you in the book. Don't waste your money, you and I already know a lot more than Travers the "Rolling Stone Movie Critic."

Peter Travers has made his book "1,000 Best Movies on DVD" a "must have" for all avid TV movie viewers. It is easy to use, and a pleasure to read while reminding you of wonderful movies you have already seen and helping you select movies you will definitely want to see.

I bought this book because I wanted to take full advantage of online movie rental services. "1,000 Best Movies on DVD" is a great resource for selecting movies from the large libraries available from online service providers.

Give you ideas of things to watch that you may not have considered.

I loved this book and recommend it highly. My only caveat is to have some time set aside to read through it. I was up for hours and hours, reading his reviews of movies that I have already seen, remembering the highlights of great movies. I couldn't put it down. If you love movies, and if you love your DVD machine, this book is a match made in heaven. Buy it. Buy it now.

My newly discovered hobby is tucking this book under my arm, stuffed with an array of bookmarks, old business cards and straw wrappers -- to help seek out these cinematic gems when I enter my video store. Author DiLeo has unearthed a wealth of fantastic performances in films that I never would've thought to view or even knew existed! I actually called in sick to work one day after viewing three of his recommended classics back-to-back till the wee hours. What a glorious night! Mr. DiLeo... you're gonna cost me my job! BUY THIS BOOK!

John DiLeo's opinions and quips are quick, tart, and fun. But this book wouldn't be as fascinating if that was all that was going on. The depth of his film knowledge, his obvious love of movies, and the acuteness of his recommendations make this a wonderful book for anyone--from cinemaniac to cultural reader.

My newly discovered hobby is tucking this book under my arm, stuffed with an array of bookmarks, old business cards and straw wrappers -- to help seek out these cinematic gems when I enter my video store. Author DiLeo has unearthed a wealth of fantastic performances in films that I never would've thought to view or even knew existed! I actually called in sick to work one day after viewing three of his recommended classics back-to-back till the wee hours. What a glorious night! Mr. DiLeo... you're gonna cost me my job! BUY THIS BOOK!

Anyone who loves watching classic movies should buy this book! The author gives thorough reviews of all one hundred movies. He doesn't focus on just one genre and there is a good mix of comedic, dramatic, and musical performances. Some of my favorite performances are here including Jeanette MacDonald in Naught Marietta, Vivien Leigh in Waterloo Bridge, and William Powell in Libeled Lady. After reading this book there are many more films I want to see.

Overlooked performances from the movie stars of old or the present crop, take your pick. Whichever you prefer make sure you read John DiLeo's book. He captures the performances in such a way that you feel you are watching the film while reading his eloquent, captivating description. It is an absolute joy for any movie buff.

This book is a 7 course meal for the eyes and mind! You will love the photographs of the rare Oz treasures, which are organized by decade.

This book is one of my favorite Oz reference books! John Fricke is truly the leading Oz expert!!

With Willard Carroll's Oz collection as a backdrop, John Fricke has cataloged the fabric of Frank Baum's stories of Oz. I am certain that Frank Baum could not have been aware this fabric would become a great tapestry upon which the world could identify what it meant to be human. Oz has permeated our society with its influence. It is found in our languages, our politics, human behavior, and is probably used more often as a simile than any other imagery in our language.

From the opening pages of this book to the last, the book is a compelling journey through Oz. The collection of Mr. Carroll's Oz memorabilia is so large that it is like trying to comprehend the distance between stars or that a few people actually have a billion dollars. This colligation of Oz collectibles somehow unites every civilization, geographic location, and human condition. It is one of the few things that have true universality.

After reading John Fricke's take on Oz, of course, based on Willard Carroll's collection, I am left wondering how history would be different were it not for Frank Baum's Oz?

The pictures are glorious, the layout intelligent and thoughtful-I will never see Oz in quite the same way again. John Fricke's writing is stellar. Willard Carroll's collection ---what can I say, WOW! 100 years of Oz is entertaining, educative and provides a new look at Frank Baum's Oz through the other end of the spyglass. This is a visit to a museum with a very knowledgeable guide through an unforgettable exhibit. Thanks for the tour. I'll be back again.

This book is a must for all collectors.

"100 Years of Oz" is a delight for everyone who has ever fallen in love with "The Wizard of Oz" (which includes just about everyone.) The success of the book lays in John Fricke's capabilities as a writer. His words are consise, thoughtful, and honest. The photographs, likewise, catch the eye like flashes of brilliant light. It is not easy to take one of America's most chershed series of books, its favorite film, and 100 years of mechandising and condense it all into one volume. Thankfully, Mr. Fricke has done that- impeccably. Buy this book today. I highly recommend it to everyone as an example of first class research. Above all, it is a time capsule of memories. Fricke will long be heralded as "Oz"'s best friend. Congratulations to all who made this book such a beautiful addition to my library.

Lions and tigers an bears? Oh my! Add Munchkins and Winged Monkeys and a Horse of a Different Color to the list. This is Oz Country, and things simply don't get better than this. To celebrate the centennial of the publication of L. Frank Baum's novel (and the 60th anniversary of the classic MGM flick), preeminent Oz historian John Fricke has written a glorious homage of all things fun and fantastical. Not only does the book offer a fascinating chronicle of the Ozian phenomenon, but the illustrations, culled from Willard Carroll's priceless collection of more than 10,000 museum-quality pieces, are breathtaking. Oh Auntie Em, there's no place like home . . . provided you're snuggled up in front a fire with this gem.

When I first saw this book years ago on "the Inernational Wizard of Oz Club", I wasn't really keen to get it (I guess the front cover looked a little too dull for me), but after seeing it in a bookstore and actually looking through it, I then knew I had to get this book, because (unlike the small "All Things Oz" collection), this book includes things OTHER than Baum's Book and MGM's Wizard, such as an unknown song from the 1904 Musical (not mentioned in "Oz: Before the Rainbow"), the Silent Films, 'Journey Back to Oz', 'The Wiz', both the Rankin Bass & Disney versions of 'Return to Oz', the 4 1987 CANADIAN-Animated Cinar Films (YES!! The mystery of their animation origin is written here!!), "the Wizard of Oz - Animated Series", "Oz Kids", the Asian "Space Adventures of Oz" TV series, "On Ice" Productions . . . it not only has all of this but also INCLUDES the most important and best of all, "The Dreamer of Oz"!! other language editions of the Oz books, and we also get a few 'Baum's Non-Oz' stuff, like his "Last Egyptian" Film and "Queen Zixi of Ix" book (plus a "Denslow's Picture Books for Children",) games/items/figurines, a few design sketches for MGM's Oz props/Emerald City and lots of other things that have to do with 'Oz' too - even though we don't get like 1-full page on info on every particular item, we still get some good information and lots of pictures too. Just like "All Things Oz", this book has lots of written information, pictures in the background/inserts and quotes from "the Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (and I'm glad to say that it doesn't have so many mistakes as "All Things Oz" does). But we also get a glimpse at some not-so pleasant Oz stuff, like the "Oz Comics for Adults" and a horrific Winged Monkey Creature Features model.
The Chapters of this book go by 10 Years (e.g. 1900's, 1910's, 1930's, 1940's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, etc.).
This was a pleasant surprise to find on a bookshelf (along with many other Oz books) and it was an absolute pleasure for me to buy it.
Also, what you see is a slip-on cover. The actual front cover is (an Italian poster of MGM's) Dorothy looking at the Crystal Ball and seeing the Wicked Witch of the West flying on her broomstick.
Trust me, get this book, and you'll love it - maybe even more than "All Things Oz"!

This book was extremely useful to me, it really provides me a clear picture of the colors,textures and designs of that time.

Gorgeous and fascinating! I love embroidery, so the history and reference in this book are especially interesting. Very good value.

This book has an abundance of photos of actual gaments to illustrate the various stitches. Anyone who loves this period of dress, and the details of fabric decoration that made the 18th C.costume unique, should have this book. Whether they are into making their own pirate coats, or just admiring the amount of work that our ancestors put into the highest fashions of the day, this is a valuable reference.

This is my favorite book, bar none. I know, weird, but I'm a fiber artist. The contents of this book take the mystery out of the "how'd they do that?" It explains clearly what and how embroidery, especially of royalty and the royal court, was accomplished. IF it was still clear as mud after I read it, there were pictures and drawings. The pictures, BTW, are amazing. The content, superb. The writing, clear and personal.

This book is well researched and presents clear detailed descriptions of a fascinating subject. I love the inserted quotes especially those from the ever chatty Mrs Delany. (I highly recommend the wonderful book by Ruth Hayden "Mrs Delany Her Life and her Flowers") The only reason I chose to give this book 4 stars rather than 5 is the lack of color photos of the garments. Too many of the items are represented by simple line sketches making them difficult to visualize.

a great book to review past Academy Award winners and nominees
i really enjoyed the notes from previous award winners and their thoughts on receiving the award
i have given this as a gift to fellow movie lovers and it is a big hit
has also helped me in a few movie trivia contests too!!

This is a must-have of any film buff and is the most comprehen-
sive book of its kind that I have seen.

This book is not a history in the since of most history books. It does not detail how the academy began, or how it changed over the years, or give you any kind of insider view of its workings. Instead, it is a complete listing of every nominee and every winner in every category since the award ceremony's inception in 1927. There are plenty of photographs of the nominees and images of scenes from the nominated films for each year, so it is not dry in the way many reference books are. In fact, Mr. Osborne's love of film and its history really shine through in the book. It is interesting to look through this book and see what we consider to be films that have withstood the test of time versus which ones were rewarded by the academy at the time. For example, in 1939, the Academy did recognize that "Gone with the Wind" was the best picture of the year, which people were lining up to watch in movie theaters until its television broadcast premiere in 1976. However, in 1941, "How Green was My Valley" won best picture, which is a film that hardly anyone watches anymore, while "Citizen Kane" was completely ignored. It's also interesting to see how the Academy compensated for past oversights by awarding performances that were less than stellar in subsequent years. For instance, in 1934 Bette Davis was overlooked in her performance in "Of Human Bondage". This caused a huge public outcry. The following year the Academy gave her the best actress award for her performance in "Dangerous"- a move that has largely been seen over the years as a consolation prize for what happened the year before.
This book is full of little insights such as these, and it is a fun book that gives hours of entertainment for film history buffs. I bought my first copy of this history by Mr. Osborne back in 1987 when he was then detailing the 60 years of the Oscar, and I enjoyed it so much I have been updating my copy every time he releases a new edition. Highly recommended.

Over the years, I have picked up a few books about the Academy Awards. I did so primarily to get a list of winners but I have also been interested in knowing the nominees. In the early days of the award it wasn't unusual to have eight or nine nominees for a particular award. However, the inference was still that there was something special about this particular movie in regards to this particular awards. I like that "75 Years of the Oscar" lists not only each award winner but each award nominee as well. I espcially appreciate the listing of all nominees for the Best Foreign Language award. I hadn't come across that before in any of the books I'd found.

"75 Years of the Oscar" makes for a large tome and I did have to send back the first edition of the book that I received due to weak binding for a book this size. The book provides an overview of each individual year as well as each decade of the award. Over the years the Academy Awards have over-rated some turkeys and ignored some movies now considered classics. The Academy has had a tendency, over the years, to focus on five to eight movies a year for 95% of all nominees. It certainly seems that it is a popularity contest more than an artistic examination. However, it's still a fairly reliable source for finding good movies of the past and that's what I use it for.

This book is chock full of facts about everything to do with the Academy and it's evolving from nothing to what it is today. It tells how and who started it, and how the different categories for Oscars were added as the years went by. The first 2 chapters or so overwhelm you with dry details which make it tedious reading; at least that is how I felt about it.
The rest of the book's chapters go year by year telling you all the nominations and winners of Oscars in all the different categories, and show you dozens of good pictures of the stars. You can also read the acceptance speeches given in the book by the stars that won Academy Awards.
There also is a section that lists the names of all the stars that have won 2 or more Academy Awards. This is what I really liked. This is what I bought the book for.
It is a huge book to read, so just take your time and read a little bit at a time.
I'm glad I bought it because I am a movie fan and have learned from it; and can always refer back to it when I want to find something out.