Themes Books

At 6'0' 185lbs of muscle, Sansone was a good example of aesthetics, health and fitness for men to aspire to, unlike the 5'9", 275 lb behemoths common to bodybuilding today.

Next to the photographs of Sansone shown here, much of today's male photography seems crude or overly "artful" [that is, with the setting as important as - and sometimes more important than - the figure itself]. Whoever Tony Sansone was when not posing - the total person, I mean, in all his complexity - the images he left us and given us here have, for me, a very moving un-selfconsciousness. There seems to be no effort whatsoever made to be alluring, provocative, "sexy", or particularly erotic. He stands there quite openly, ingenuously, a man gifted with great beauty of face and form and innate grace of movement as well, his sense of line surpassing that of many classically trained dancers. He presents us his beauty and grace as a gift to be enjoyed. It is done with great simplicity and - I have to say, at least for me - with what seems to be genuine innocence. And it is this sense of innocence that I find so very moving - even as much as his beauty is moving. There are many books full of images of beautiful men. I have found none that have Sansone's touching simplicity and, I am tempted to say, purity. This is indeed a rare book - in this or in any genre!

John Massey has created a genuine monument, a beautiful and remarkable book about a beautiful and remarkable man. It seems strange to apply "beautiful" to a man, but in the case of Tony Sansone it's the perfect word. The astounding collection of photos included in this sumptuously designed volume reveal all aspects of Sansone's near-perfect anatomy. They are rare nude poses showing not only the well-muscled landscape of Sansone's body, but the details of his classically handsome face and, who could fail to notice, his well-proportioned genitals. Many of the photos, especially those by the famous Edwin Townsend of New York, are true works of art, reproduced with painstaking fidelity in this book. Massey's biographical treatment reflects extensive research and diligent attention to detail. His clear, concise style presents a straightforward and uncomplicated view of Sansone. As the author implies, there was a complicated personality hidden behind the bold nudeness of this American Adonis. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the true sculptural beauty of the human body and the story of a pioneer of modern physical culture.

John Massey in a herculean work of original research has rescued both a significant figure in the history of the emergence of public gay culture in America in the early 20th century, Tony Sansone, and his photographer, Edwin Townsend, both of whom were on the verge of being completely forgotten. This book is a notable contribution to the history of gay culture and art and deserves to be in any comprehensive collection of such materials. It is beautifully produced by Universal, an affiliate of Rizzoli, and was printed in Italy. The book will be at home on the most sophisticated gay and gay friendly coffee tables, not that the book is overtly gay, even with all the beautiful full frontal nudes of one of the most idolized body builders in the history of the sport.

Tony Sansone is important because he circulated in fascinating intersecting circles which existed in the early 20th century in New York and Hollywood. Born the son of poor Italian immigrants in Brooklyn, by sheer grit Tony rose to become a protege of the powerful publisher Bernarr Macfadden, one of the wealthiest men in America and even once a candidate for president.
Through Macfadden and his famous bodybuilding exhibitions at Madison Square Garden he met Charles Atlas, who became a friend and fan. By his late teens Tony was stepping into the worlds of art, theater, bodybuilding, and moviedom.

None other than Gertrude Whitney facilitated his career and used him as a model as did other lesser scuptors of the period. Sculptures from these associations are still held in the Whitney Museum of American Art's collections. David Belasco, the flamboyant theater producer who was one of the most significant figures in the golden age of Broadway in the 1920s and 1930s, picked up Tony to play the semi-nude role of a demon in an opulent and phantasmogoric production of Mimi, more or less a staging of Dante's Hell as a paradigm for modern industrialization. Edwin Townsend, a fashion photographer who also did portraits of many leading artists of the period, discovered Tony in this production and asked him to model.

A series of booklets of nudes of Tony were published from this association which quickly become collectors items among the underground cognoscenti. Due to the laws of the times, these portraits were meticulously airbrushed. But photographs of Tony in all his glory were also produced and squirreled away unknown and unseen by generations of admirers and collectors of male erotica. It is these photographs which John Massey has uncovered. These works were an artistic collaboration between the photographer and model. Their serious intent still reverberates in the 21st century.

Tony also was picked up for a Hollywood role where he was associated with many stars who are still household names, but the movies were not his thing. He returned to New York, opened as series of gyms, and did his modeling and publishing. He was a lifelong habitue of the famous Washington Baths in Coney Island, New York another of whose other patrons was Paul Cadmus and a circle of New York artists and theater people.

He and his wife Rita, also a child of Italian immigrants and physical fitness aficionado, worked with poor children on physical fitness in their declining years. He died in his 80s shortly after Rita did.

American Adois is a glimpse into a glamorous, erotic, monied, and fascinating world which touched on many facets of culture which only something as sexually charged as bodybuilding can do. That world still exists and in the career of Tony Sansone we see the paradigm worked out. John Massey has done a masterful job of piecing together this complex but highly intriguing story from rare and previously unknown materials. What stories he certainly he must have yet to tell us which he could not include in this book.

Rarely do I write reviews but I felt compelled to with this book. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in celebrating the beauty of the nude male physique. I discovered pictures of Tony Sansone a few years back on website of vintage muscle men and was immediately taken by his classical beauty--he stood out among the many other images. Needless to say, I was thrilled to discover this book and it did not disappoint. Tony has the one of the most perfectly symmetrical bodies that I have ever seen, and it is showcased beautifully throughout the book with a plethora of tasteful and classical nude poses that are pleasure to look upon. Tony appears so comfortable with himself and the camera that it makes the images all the more appealing.
As the pictures are from the early part of the 20th century, I also thoroughly enjoyed the way in which the photographer captured Tony. And though the images are not paritcular homoerotic, I did not find this to be a negative, actually I found it a refreshing respite from the Abercrombie style homoeroticism that most books in the genre love to portray. In the end, all I can say is you are sure to enjoy this book if you appreciate classic Roman/Greco beauty.

Gargoyles have gotten to be very popular recently, and any gargoyle fan ought to get the book _American Gargoyles: Spirits in Stone_ (Clarkson Potter) by Darlene Trew Crist, with photographs by Robert Llewellyn, because American gargoyles are fun. It wasn't the original job of gargoyles to be fun. One of the explanations of how gargoyles got into their exalted positions in churches is that they were placed there to entice pagans to come and worship at Christian locales. Those who ran the churches thought that pagan symbols, and scary ones at that, were a good marketing ploy. Perhaps we American moderns are simply amused by carvings of fearsome dragons, but there are plenty of gargoyles shown here that are deliberately humorous caricatures.

The pictures are a treat. This is not a big, coffee-table book, but there are scores of pictures from many American sacred, commercial, and academic buildings. Though American gargoyles reflect the traditions of Europe, many are truly American. The University of Pennsylvania, for instance, has a strictly medieval style of quadrangle, complete with gargoyles, but one of them is a football player. At Washington National Cathedral, there is a gargoyle showing a crooked politician; he has horns, a big belly, a cigar, and a pocket full of dollar bills. There are a pair of gargoyles there which were given by a grandmother in thanks for her two grandsons. One is angelic and one is demonic, and she never said which is which; the grandsons are now grown up and still don't know. A weeping sea turtle is there as a statement of environmental protection. Out of the mouth of a monstrous duck stares a tourist with a camera, a payback from the carver who was the subject of thousands of pictures as he worked.

_American Gargoyles_ could have been a lot bigger, but Crist has included a reading list for those who want to see more. It is a good-looking and informative book.

Having read this book, I have a new outlook on American Gargoyles which truely are spirits in stone. This book is very educational, picturesque,informative, well written and I simply love it!

I bought this as a gift for someone and now I wish I would have also bought myself a copy! The pics are great, as is all the information regarding gargoyles. Only drawback for me, I thought it was going to be bigger, it's no bigger than maybe 10x10 or so.

This book is one of the best books I got from amazon. I got the two books Holy Terror's and American Gargolyes... it was a great deal. The book is loaded with pictures of gargoyles from across america and desrcibes what type of gargoyle and where it is located in america. The photographs are beautiful and descriptive through out the book. If you gargoyles get the two books for the price of one. Highly Recommended!!!!

I was a little skeptical when I first picked up "American Gargoyles: Spirits in Stone" but a friend had reccomended it so I decided to read it. Boy, am I glad I did! If I hadn't I would have missed out on the wonderful details, breathtaking pictures and an all around fascinating history of American Gargoyles. The pictures are well shot, and I have to admit, were the first thing that caught my eye. But, when I sat down to read the text the author shared all these captivating little details about the gargoyles which I loved! The author tells you the story behind a particular gargoyle and if there is anything special you should look for when you see it. This book was so fascinating that I was inspired to take a trip to some of the sights mentioned in the book and check out the gargoyles for myself. I reccomend this book to all readers, it appeals to all audiences.

This is one of the best Ansel Adams books out there published by Bulfinch. It uses heavy paper stock and the print quality is excellent. To appreciate its quality, you have to view it under a brighter light setting, preferrably next to a window. You'll notice all the details in the shadow area and appreciate the overall print contrast.

In terms of subject area, the book covers many National Parks, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, Glacier... Unfortunately, it does not have all the famous Yosemite prints, but it does have many other gems that's not over exposed to the public.

Some people may complain about the price, buy I think its worth every dime. Buy one and enjoy it.

This book is flawed by the images selected to be in it. The other main weakness is that the book is clearly overpriced.

The good news, however, is that the image sizes are large enough to capture the power and majesty of Adams' work. The reproduction quality is superb, as well!

The essay by William Turnage is an excellent discussion of the roles of Thoreau, Muir, and Adams in creating the awareness that has helped us to save and cherish some of what remains of our American wilderness. The artist-turned-conservation leader, Adams' role, is a particularly important function in our society. The artist helps us to experience what we have never seen while the conservation leader takes actions that galvanize the emotions that are evoked by nature and the artist into helpful improvements. When the artist and conservation leader are the same person, there is a combined power and continuity of vision that is irresistible. Thank goodness!

Adams is someone we should all admire for another reason. His nature photography and conservation efforts were hobbies, labors of love. Photography of nature is a field that offered meaningful remuneration only in recent years.

His day job was doing commercial photography. He took pictures of dead people in the Los Angeles morgue as well as of open pit copper mines in Utah.

What we admire about him was what he did on weekends, before and after work, and on vacations. Because he wanted the most remarkable images, this often meant hiking before dawn in difficult winter conditions to remote peaks to get just the right perspective.

Andrea Stillman did a good job of selecting Adams' quotes for her opening remarks. "Photography is a way of telling what you feel about what you see." " . . . [T]he turning out to the light the inner folds of the awareness of the spirit . . ." is what his work is about.

Throughout the book, you will find other quotes about Adams' reflections on the wilderness. They are well selected and add much to your consideration of what his images mean.

Here are some of my favorite photographs as reproduced in this book:

Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 1947

Monument Valley, Arizona, 1942

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 1942

Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley, 1948

Sand Dune, White Sands National Monument, 1942

The White Stump, Sierra Nevada City, 1936

Terraya Creek, Dogwood Rain, Yosemite, 1948

Clearing Winter Storm, Yosemite, 1944

Half Dome, Winter, from Glacier Point, Yosemite, 1940

Leaves, Mills College, Oakland, California, 1931

Maroon Bells, Near Aspen, Colorado, 1951

Old Faithful (4), Yellowstone, 1942

Mount McKinley and . . . Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska, 1947

After you have finished being refreshed and rejuvenated by these inspiring images, I suggest that you contemplate what the wilderness meant to your grandparents and parents, what it meant to you as a child, what it means to you now, and what it means to your children. If you are like me, you will see that wilderness is rapidly receding as a concept as well as a reality. What are we losing? How can we reverse that loss?

Understand all of Nature's message for us by living in harmony with her!

I have received this book as a birthday present from my wife. There is nothing much to critique, its really really good! Nevertheless, here it goes......

Ansel Adams shot with large format and never intended to print them small. Some of the photographs of this book could have been printed at a larger size. I have seen same photographs printed at much larger sizes in other books, for example in Ansel Adams Guides I & II.
Overall the sizes of the prints are adequate or just adequate.

For whom this book is intended?
My personal opinion is that it is primarily intended for the serious (nature) photographer and then for the nature lover.

What has it got for the Photographer?
A gallery of Master's work, in very high print quality with the entire tonal range beautifully depicted, it's simply like owning a gallery by Ansel Adams.

If a beginner or an intermediate photographer has come to the stage of learning his/her craft by looking at, and then carefully analysing, how a champion of the craft has controlled - framing, by carefully placing the subject in the view finder and then by cropping - tonality, by placing the particular areas in the `zones' he wanted - print quality, with his precise technique; this is the book for you - its a master class in photography.
For those who do not have such interests - It is still a visual treat.

My only other criticism is that there should have been some technical details about the photographs, at least one or two lines; Nevertheless, it gets my five stars!

The photographic images of Ansel Adams are among the most significant pieces of artwork which have been created within the 20th century. His techniques have revolutionized the world of the black and white photographer, and his images are the rule by which all others are measured. His art has spoken to the soul of millions, and you should not be left out! This book contains some of the most beautiful images of nature ever made, and is a bargain at twice the price! Review by Edward Lynn, student of commercial photography, The Art Institute of Seattle

... because you can put four legs on it and use it for a coffee table. If you're going to have a single Ansel Adams book, this is the one. His images just don't work in any smaller format.

There is nothing like great images and insight to bring back a long ago era. This book does a great job at setting the stage! Buy it and enjoy!

l have always been fascinated by the 1950s, it was like no other era in history,The American dream, good old fashion values, and families.It was portrayed as an era of blissful harmony and peacful existence for all. When l came across this book by charles phoenix, l was delighted, you cannot be amazed by this book of ordinary people, capturing their lives, on film in excellent quality. The fact that these pictures still remain, in wonderful quality taken by amateur photographers is truefully historical. If you never lived through the 1950s, and l didnt, because lm 35 years old, and your only glimpse of this era is in the movies, then this book is a real gem. His other book, californialand, is equally great book, which he showes more of these great photos of ordinary people living in the 50s. Great historical books.

Americana the Beautiful is a trip down memory lane; especially for us Baby Boomers.

These old shapshots are great! What a wonderful trip we took every summer when we visited my mother's family in South Carolina. Remember those luggage racks on station wagons? I remember being on the New Jersey Turnpike one time and luggage thtat was tied to the roof blew off. Dad had to pull our station wagon to the side of the road and pick up a suitcase full of diapers for my younest brother!

I have fond memories of the Dairy Queen and the Good Humor mah. The smell was sweet mixed with raw exhaust fumes! What great times those were!

Charles Phoenix has done it again! We've loved each of his books, and the last few we've bought almost as soon as he released them. This one has even more of Charles' trademark old, but crisp, bright and clear, color Kodakchrome slides, all taken by amateur photographers like you and me (or our parents and grandparents!), from all across America, and all with brief, nondistracting, colorful, very witty and informative commentary. It's a perfect gift for a "Fourth of July" Party. You'll laugh as well as be a little saddened by this colorful, visual reminder of our treasured, more innocent and playful past. Cheers and thanks once again to Charles Phoenix. And if you get a chance, check out his website and go see one of his hilarious live shows or tours.

Another selection of snaps rescued by Charles Phoenix just before they might have ended up in the local landfill. In the same format as his excellent 'Southern Californialand' (ISBN 1883318424) and so much better than the earlier 'God Bless Americana' book. The two hundred amateur slides feature a rich seam of everyday life full of white middle class detail (which of course does raise the question: didn't colored folk take photos back then or perhaps they never junk them).

Overall I thought the photo selection was fascinating and grouping them in themes worked well. The last few pages have some intriguing architectural and transport slides like the 1964 flying saucer style State Capitol Bank in Oklahoma City or the late fifties General Motors Aerotrain pulling into a station. On page thirty-six onward there are several pages of people at home showing all kinds of domestic activity, food on tables, kitchens, watching home movies or just enjoying company. It's interesting looking at these photos because they are so unlike anything taken by professionals though sometimes the composition, lighting and color does lift them out of the mundane.

Like 'Southern Californialand' the editorial format works well with photos one to a page, allowing for a deep caption or several slides butted together. My only criticism is that sometimes out of focus images are too large, for example the soft-focus Jefferson Drive-in on page ninety-seven would have worked better much smaller or even rejected. Also captions frequently describe in words what the reader can obviously see in the picture but fortunately many of them also have plenty of historical background detail about things in the photos.

Charles Phoenix has hit on a successful publishing genre and there surely will be more titles to come but until the next one you can follow the latest finds on his website.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Beautifully photographed portraits of wearers of tattoos and body markings in many locations around the world.
A must for the library of anyone interested in the topic.

Ancient Marks contains absolutely stunning photography. It was great to see some rock markings from Western Aus. This book delievered way more than i expected. It is so beautiful i was wasnt sure how to turn the pages without touching them and getting marks all over them. I was absolutely blown away at the quality
Great stuff

This is truly a wonderful book. Rainier's other book, "Where Masks Still Dance: New Guinea" was fabulous in its presentation and images, but this book goes one better with a dvd enhanced with music by Anoushka Shankar which can be viewed on its own. The music perfectly complements the starkness of the haunting images. Tattoos,scarification, and other bodily modifications of many cultures are showcased here without calling unecessary attention to these adornments as bizarre/freakish as in some other books which are designed to shock/titillate.

I bought this book as a gift for my girlfriend but stole it back. It isn't all about tattoos, which it may lead you to believe, but includes bits about all types of body modification techniques. The photographer is a well known National Geographic photographer, and his work certainly doesn't fail here. Good coffee table book if you have stuck up inlaws like I do that would be made uncomfortable by the sight of it.

The subtletly and artistry of this book is apparent from the very first turn of a page. Chris Ranier, one of the world's foremost documentary photographers, has created a artful, evocative record of the human canvass posed against the natural landscape. The photographs focus mostly on tattoing and scarification, and are oriented toward the tribal, both traditional and modern. This is an essential addition to any body art library, and at less than $30, the paperback version (which also includes a DVD) is a real bargain. I cannot recommend this enough.

An excellent and amazing collection of photos and stories about animals involved with early aviation pioneers.

Probably the most unusual book I've ever seen. Who in the world would have thought of searching zillions of airplane related photographs to assemble a collection that also includes animals.

A very unique gift for animal lovers and/or aviation buffs. Definitely not one they are likely to already have in their collection and it is a real first-rate hardback edition -- not a cheap photocopied paperback.

This book is a beauty. It's a coffee table tome, but slightly smaller, so it fits easily in the hand, and the historic photos, both black & white and color, are crisply reproduced and delightful to study. The text manages to be both learned and droll; the author is evidently a lover of both airplanes and animals, and an elegant, engaging writer. You'll choose your own favorite airborne animal. Mine was Billy, the goat with a parachute, and Kiddo, the airship cat. And there's the Red Baron's flying Great Dane! Not that he's likely to have had a hamster. Highly recommended!

Terrific amusement for pet lovers, history buffs, airplane aficionados, etc. A very original approach for pulling selections from the Air and Space Museum's vast photographic collection.

In addition to their marvelous airplane collection, the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum also has a collection of over a million and a half photographs related to Air and Space.

This book is made up of photographs selected out of that collection by the author who is a museum specialist in he Archives Division. The first pictures come from the earliest days of flight in hot air balloons. They continue through some of the experiments run in space. Inbetween are photographs throughout aircraft history, including Roy Rogers and Gene Autry loading Trigger and Champion onto plances.

It is clear that whatever happens, people regardless of what they are doing will have pets, and they will take these pets along with them wherever they go.

No recommendation could be higher than that which I read in "The Economist" as follows:

Photographs to swell the heart of any armchair traveller. Like a Patek Philippe, this is a book you don't own, but merely look after for the next generation - once, of course, you've repaid the loan you took out to buy it.

This is from the "Books of the year 2003" recommended by "The Economist" Dec 6 - 12 th, 2003 issue. I don't choose to wear a watch, but I do appreciate the refined elegance and quality of a Patek. Likewise, ANTARCTICA is an heirloom.

ANTARCTICA by Pat & Rosemarie Keough

Reviewed by Charles Swithinbank,
Scott Polar Research Institute
for: The Antarctican Society Newsletter
Vol. 01-02, No. 2, January 2002

This is the first Antarctic book that may require a Sherpa to bring it to your home, a lectern to display it, and a special book-case to put it in. But make no mistake, it is something that you will treasure for life.

While is not the first large-format volume of Antarctic photographs by professionals who have spent years traveling in the Antarctic, what distinguishes this is the unmatched quality in every aspect of its production. The book is published in a limited edition of 950 leather-bound volumes, each one signed by the authors and by Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Honorary President of BirdLife International. An advance copy was unveiled on January 14th, 2002 during a reception hosted by HRH Prince Charles at St James's Palace, London. The authors have agreed to give the net proceeds from Antarctica to BirdLife International for their Save the Albatross campaign. An incidental consequence of current longline fishing practices is that 17 of the world's 24 species of albatross are now at risk of extinction. Attracted to the baited hooks, seabirds are hooked or entangled and then drowned as the trailing lines sink behind the fishing vessels.

Antarctica weighs 12.6 kg (27.8 lb) in its linen-bound presentation case, and 8.6 kg (19 lb) by itself. The book itself measures 44 x 34 x 6 cm (17 x 13 x 2.5 inches), contains 330 color images taken by the authors, a 15-page narrative, a map and a glossary of ice and snow terms.

The Keoughs have assembled a stunning and eclectic portfolio of such artistry that your reviewer was left speechless. It embraces wildlife, landscapes, abstract patterns in nature and touches of man from the heroic era through the heyday of whaling to the present. I was transported from the windswept interior plateau to the mountainous coast, from off-lying islands to the icy seas and the stormy ocean. The volume is a stress-free way to experience the wonders of Antarctica with all its savagery and beauty. For connoisseurs of photographic art and for collectors of fine books, Antarctica will greatly please.

My own regret is that I was not able to rummage through the Keoughs trash bin on the morning after they made their selections for the book. I could have sold my redundant camera. But remembering Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley before them, I expect they will have fuelled their log fire in the backwoods of British Columbia with most of the rejects.

The authors traveled to the Ross Sea, the Weddell Sea, Ellsworth Land, the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. The book includes a map of the continent with insets of the Ross Sea and the Antarctic Peninsula showing place names mentioned in the text. South Georgia, being peripheral to the main theme of the book, has no map of its own.

Each image has a brief but adequate caption. Most of the scenes would look fantastic on an IMAX screen. Having myself been to most of the places that the Keoughs visited - some in their company - many of their photographs brought a pang of nostalgia. But as I lack the eye of an artist, I had looked but seldom appreciated the stark beauty of what I was seeing. If tempted to tear out the pages to frame, Antarcticans will discover that with a properly bound book like this, it is almost impossible.

As I watched the Keoughs in the Antarctic, they almost always had their cameras on a tripod, surely a major factor in creating such pin-sharp images. The authors themselves inspected each page of every book (some 400,000 pages in all) before sending them to the bindery. To make the high quality binding, some 2000 goat skins from India were specially tanned in Scotland. To counter the squeamish, we are told that semi-wild goats are destroying plant diversity, and that fewer goats equate to a healthier natural environment.

The images are printed on custom-made acid-free and chlorine-free heavy paper, hand-sewn with Irish linen thread using centuries-old techniques. Treated with care and kept in dry and pollution-free conditions, the book should last for 1000 years. It is the first photographic art book in the world to have been printed with 10-micron stochastic spots, a leading edge printing technology with three times the resolution of traditional high- end lithography. Pat and Rosemarie's company, Nahanni Productions inc., have previously published six books featuring their images exclusively. Titles include The Nahanni Portfolio and The Niagara Escarpment. Antarctica is the first of their Explorer series. In buying the book you will help to ensure that your children may live to see the albatross still wheeling and soaring over the ocean - no longer threatened by the greed of man.

This book is an amazing and mind-boggling effort to bring the continent of Antarctica to life for all to see and experience, albeit vicariously. The work, endless dedication, and exacting attention to even the minutest detail set this magnificent book apart from all others of its genre. It is, in my opinion, the most beautifully conceived art book that I have ever seen. Not only is the photography in "Antarctica" exceptional and awe-inspiring, but in addition, the leather, binding technique, paper selection, etc.--all contribute to its incredible uniqueness.

I had the pleasure of sharing a tent with Rosemarie Keough during the photographing of the Emperor Penguins at the Dawson-Lambton Glacier in November/December 2000, and I can attest first hand to her ceaseless pursuit to capture on film as many phases of Emperor Penguin activity that constantly changing weather conditions would allow. No easy task, to be sure, but one done with much caring and love for Nature and its handiwork.

Anyone who would like to own a rare masterpiece of shear exquisiteness should not hesitate to add this magnificent volume to his/her collection.

ANTARCTICA arrived this morning. I've never seen anything so beautiful; it takes my breath away. The photos are so incredible that even as the viewer, it feels like I'm behind the lens. Thanks to Pat and Rosemarie Keough for completing this important work and sharing it with the rest of the world, especially for those of us who will never set foot on Antarctica--but we have visited there--because of the Keoughs and their photographic genius.

ANTARCTICA is a stunning book of such exceptional quality that it almost defies an adequate review. Pat and Rosemarie Keough have produced and edited this volume, and filled this first book of their Explorer Series with world-class photographs, each individually captured and carefully selected, to lovingly show the wildlife, the structural landscapes, and the stark physical beauty of this rarely visited continent and the subantarctic islands. Accompanying the stunning photographs is a beautifully written description which further amplifies the unique features of this frozen land. The pages of this book have been carefully handsewn, and the cover is bound in fine goatskin. The book is delivered in a well constructed presentation box.
The final product is an exceptional example of uniting the craft of publishing, handsewn book binding, and stunning photography with flowing text. The photographs themselves leave one amazed at the beauty of this continent.
The Keoughs have received fourteen major publication and artistic awards for the overall excellence of this tome. For me, this exceptional book has such beauty and lasting value, that I plan to bequeath it to the next generation for their pleasure and enjoyment.

Since there are already some long reviews of this book, I will just make one specific comment. On reading about the book, a person could get the idea that these are poems for Jews & Jews alone. The publisher leads one to think that. However, even though the poems are thoroughly Jewish, they can be enjoyed by people of any religious background, including athiests such as myself. Marge Piercy transends the genre her publisher tries to confine her in, being a brilliant poet of incredible depth & talent.

I've just finished reading "The Art Of Blessing The Day" for the third time, and every time I read it, I discover something new. There is so much depth and so many levels of meaning that each reading seems like the first for me. It's such a rich, marvelous collection that it's almost impossible to convey how much it affected me. She composed it like a piece of music. Each section has its theme, and moves from poem to poem with so much variation and skill. There's a gorgeous rhythm to her work and the harmonies are equally beautiful. Her voice is like an instrument creating vocative music...elegiac...celebratory...even though pain surfaces from time to time. It's okay! It belongs! She has awakened in me so many memories, and in reliving them through her art, I arrive at new insights, new understandings. The poem about her mother refusing to wear her gifts really struck a chord. When my mother died, I returned home and together with my sisters went through all her stuff systematically, and we simply wept when we saw every gift we had ever given her over the years was wrapped in tissue paper and had never been worn. We could almost hear her voice saying "Es eez tzu goot far mihr" "It's too good for me. I am unworthy". That is a terrible weapon wielded by our mothers.You can't give them anything...but that's an old story and she tells it so well. To return to the music in Piercy's poetry: she begins with a fanfare "The Art of Blessing...."and I know what's coming but she continues to astonish me with the variety of rhythms, the way one poem flows subtly and skillfully into the next. She moves from lyric passages to sophisticated tempos, witty interludes, a few jazz riffs, and the tension and tone doesn't allow me to sit back and relax because even in the quieter poems there is such depth and power. My god! Where does all that energy come from? It must be exhausting for her but exhilerating for the reader. Her passion and belief strike a very deep chord in me, and, I'm certain, in anyone who reads this moving and generous collection. Thank you, Marge Piercy, for the many wonderful hours I spent with you "In the Art of Blessing the Day" and all of those still to come.

Ruth Daigon

Marge Piercy's poems are all treasures, many people know that. Here though are particular, specific treasures that relate to her Judaism. Especially poignant and full.

Easiest though, and most precious to me, are the ones available to each of us for our own siddur of our creation. Her Nishmat is, itself alone, priceless. For instance.

Unique and invaluable!

Marge Piercy's poems are made of the substance and stuff of life. The taste of a fresh peach, the joy of picking the first garden tomato, become sources and places of contact with the mystery of creation and the Creator! However,it takes a disciplined eye that has time to pay attention to the detail of ordinary daily events to see something eternally extraordinary. !!Piercy's has the eyes to see , the mind to imagine and the skill to tell us where, and how to look!

Among the many blessings to be found in American literature and poetry are the works of American-Jewish writers. Jewish-American poets have been celebrated in two recent anthologies: Telling and Remembring edited by Rubin and Jewish-American Poetry edited by Barron and Sellinger. Ever since Emma Lazarus, writing in the late 19th Century, the poetry written by American Jewish women have played a large part in this literature.

Marge Piercy may well be the best of the Jewish-American poets writing today. Her work is featured prominently in both the Rubin and the Barron and Sellinger anthologies with the latter collection including an essay as well. Both anthologies draw heavily from Ms. Piercy's "The Art of Blessing the Day" which prompted me to explore the entire volume.

The book as written, the dedication states, "for all who may find here poems that speak to their identity, their history, their desire for ritual -- ritual that may work for them". The collection is, indeed, specifically Jewish but its themes transcend any particular religious commitment and reach out to those who seek themselves in a spiritual path. The broad theme of the book is announced in the title poem (from which I have taken the title of this review) as "to taste/each moment, the bitter, the sour, the sweet/ and the salty, and be glad for what does not hurt." Again "Bless whatever you can/with eyes and hands and tongue. If you/can't bless it, get ready to make it new."

I was struck by the unity of the collection. Unlike most books of poetry where the reader may pick and choose among poems, this collection is best read as an integral whole from beginning to end. The unity of the collection is particularly impressive because many of the poems had been published earlier in a variety of places.

The book is divided into six sections with themes running cross-currently. The opening section, "Family" describes the poets difficult relationship with her mother and her loving relationship with her old-world grandmother. The section on her marriage was for me the most beautiful of the book with its celebration of erotic, physical and spiritual love. My favorite poem in the third section, "repair of the world" is the poem "to be of use" which celebrates the value of the world of work. (too infrequently praised). The next section is titled "Of history and Interpretation", explores women's issues and the Holocaust, as seen from the eyes of an American, among other themes. The final two sections "Prayer" and "The Year" are based respectively on the daily liturgy used in Judaism and on the yearly cycle of the Jewish holidays including the New Year, the Day of Atonement and Passover. Her versions of the traditional prayers I found insightful and eloquent.

Ms Piercy writes beautifully, with elegance and understatement. Her poetry, with its reflections on the past and on nature and on her surroundings is informed by love rather than anger and by an effort to understand. It is a book that may be turned to repeatedly and thought about over time.

Poetry is an underappreciated art in America, even though many of our writers have shown high achievement. This book is one woman's contribution to the form.

This book will have you in tears with its beauty in the face of diversity so extreme you can't imagine unless you've talked with a survivor of these internment camps. The level of the art is very fine, museum quality. It is hard to believe they had to scrounge the materials from dump piles and surplus. Anyone who doesn't think art can save lives should get this book.

The heart and spirit of the japanese internees continued to shine within the walls of their confinement. They found beauty and admiration of beautiful things living in desolate and inhumane conditions of the prison camps. This is a understated book with touching stories to tell.

Delphine Hirasuna is to congratulated on producing a fascinating and moving tribute to the 120,000 Japanese who were interned, firstly in makeshift Assembly Centers for a few months then in Relocation Camps until 1946. It took until 1988 before a Presidential apology was forthcoming for the blatant violation of their civil rights by the federal government.

I think the strength of the book is the background to why the art and craft was produced. Hirasuna explains the rounding up process and public perceptions towards the Japanese only a few months after Pearl Harbor, the locations of the camps (as remote as possible it seems) and daily struggle in a hostile environment.

On page seventeen there is a map of the US and some camp statistics including a reference to Crystal City in Texas which bizarrely held 2264 ethnic Japanese from Latin and South America (1811 from Peru) who, having been forcibly taken to the camp, were then accused of entering the country illegally! After the war the Peruvians were not allowed to return home until Congress sorted out this injustice in 1953.

Look at the paintings, sculpture, craftwork and furniture and be amazed that most of it was created from whatever materials were available, discarded wood, sacking, vegetation, rocks, shells and anything that could be cut, woven or molded. My favorites are twenty-two brooches made from shells, ribbon and wire and they look just stunning. On pages 104-5 you can see a Buddhist shrine, five foot tall, with the most intricate carvings and hard to believe that it was probably made from firewood.

In the back of the book there is some background information about Japanese history museums and a short bibliography which strangely misses out Manzanar: Photography by Ansel Adams, Commentary by John Hersey. A more recent look at the subject is Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment a portfolio of photos by Dorothea Lange. Unfortunately the reproduction and design of the book don't do the photos justice.

The Art of Gaman is beautifully printed and designed (by Kit Hinrichs of Pentagram) and a suitable tribute to creativity in hard times.

***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.

This book shows artwork done with minimal supplies in the Japanese-American concentration camps of the western US during WWII. The images are high quality, in color, and very thought-provoking.

This work documents the extensive detainment of Japanese
citizens during the later period of WWII. These prisoners
were kept in whitewashed horse stalls in California, Oregon
and the State of Washington. The camps emphasized education
including arts/crafts with a shortage of teachers.

Fine works of art include:
- The Natural Form of a Snake by Obata
- Kobu by Matsuhiro
- A Bonsai Notebook by Iseyama
- Shell Broaches and Corsages by Iwa Miura and Shintaku

The volume is a solid value for the price charged. It is a must
for serious students of WWII and historians everywhere.

I would recommend this book to anybody, words don't even begin to describe what these pictures make you feel.

I love to give some of these pics away as gifts, because they capture so many different situations, and I can usually find a photograph that suits a friend at a specific point in time. Love it!! Great gift!!!

These photographs will bring you joy beyond what five stars can express.

Bertram Bahner, who is Kim Anderson, has created an amazing collection here that will inspire you to see the world afresh, and take heart.

You are familiar with his work, because it is everywhere, but the combined effect of seeing 240 of his best will overwhelmingly free your heart.

The classic Kim Anderson shot has children around age 3-4 wearing adult clothes (sort of like dress-up) in an adult pose, with simple props (like a single rose), in a black and white image with muted hand-painted color to highlight key elements of the composition, especially the symbolic ones.

But the best parts of these shots are the expressions of pure joy on the faces and in the eyes of the children. They're having a ball, doing something that should be great pleasure for adults as well. By looking at the images, you can touch (and remain in touch with) a purer part of your heart and soul.

The book is divided into different sections built around a theme. These are first love, thoughts, friendship, let's pretend, little girls, and little boys. Each section is introduced by an essay describing the author's own child or children and impressions of this aspect of childhood. The little boys and little girls essays contain lovely fold-out photographs in their midst.

Here are my most favorite images in the book: Gentleman caller; Sweet surprise; All smiles . . . ; Trespass not on their solitude; Just imagine; Youth dwells in possibility; Once upon a time; Happily ever after; Special delivery; Summer idyll; Elfin damsels; Sitting pretty; and Free spirit. In selecting these photographs, let me observe that these are of extremely high quality -- a level I would call "sublime." If I had chosen the "outstanding" photographs instead, the list would have been much longer. Few of the images in the book are less than interesting and less than meaningfully memorable.

What is most remarkable is the way that Mr. Bahner captures the spirit of his tiny models to match the physical moment portrayed. "The emotion is perfect."

He began by photographing his 3 year old daughter, Nicole, playing with her friends. Later he added his son. Eventually, other children joined the process. I am positively in awe of his ability to work with the children to create such effortlessly appealing and fascinating images from their play. The concept of adding handpainting to create greater imagery is also brilliant.

Regardless of your taste in photography, you will find this collection to be very rewarding. I recommend this book to everyone who likes portrait photography.

After you finish enjoying these images, focus on what goes through your mind when you find yourself in these situations that steals the joy away from you. Then imagine having a giant mental eraser and eliminating those thoughts, so you can be more in touch with your inner self -- your original perceptions of the wonder and joy of the the world.

Live in pure joy, using these images as your guide!

After viewing this book, I was touched greatly at the preciousness of children. They are an amazing gift and expressed wonderfully in this book. I highly recommend it and think the photography is phenominal.

In his book, Kim presents an amazing selection of handpainted photos. If you are a hobbist who wants to take some ideas, or if you like Kim's art (which you probably have seen in many postals) or if you just want to see some beautiful and inspiring photos, I STRONGLY recommend this book.