Themes Books

This is really the best reference available for anyone who needs to realistically represent the human form in action. It's well-lighted, action shots are fantastic and really expose the musculature of the body in motion. There is no other single resource for artists with this much visual information in one place.

I saw this book in Barnes and Nobles and as I flipped through it I said I have to get this book and its companion. I found a better deal here on Amazon and got the book in great condition.

The content was excellent and just what I have been looking for, since I am going to be working on My own comic line in the very near future.

I want to thank the models, publishers, and Amazonfor allowing to obtain this reference guide.

One of the best photo reference books I've come across. I have it all stickied with post-its already. The CD-Rom is also packed with some good refs. I would've liked to see some more "group" shots but I'm not disappointed in the least with this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes to have a nice collection of female references handy on their shelf.

I can't wait for the "Men and Boys" version coming out!

I've always found it difficult to find decent pictures of women doing poses similar to those found in comics and action movies, most reference books contain soft poses, nudity, small pictures, and no real writing on how the photos are applicable to rendering in illustration. This book contains some very unique poses and features poses from being in pain, flying, jumping, running, sword fighting, punching, kicking, dressing, and lighting a smoke. The book features at least four to six different models with different body builds (though none are really out of shape like the Fantasy Reference) and ages.
The only thing that could be improved to make the book better is to have a spiral back like the Fantasy Reference to keep damage on the spine to a minimal. The pros of this book are that all the photos are in color, the cd is amazing and features over a thousand photos contained in the book (which can be printed from a computer to take up a whole sheet of paper), and the shadows and poses in the book are exceptional. I found it worth its price and would recommend it to any aspiring artist that needs help with drawing women and girls.

I was paid a lot for this book and it was well worth it. I am a photographer and find art books useful. This is one of my favorites!

This book is the perfect follow up to Brown's "Eternal Truths." He tells what he endured to find those truths. He talks about being kicked out of art school, dealing with acute shyness, addiction, barely able to support his family. Even more important, how he soared above all the hair raising tales with the right attitude. As an artist I've made some bad decisions that have bogged me down; this book helped me understand my insecurities and take better control of my life. I've never read a more honest, and because of that helpful artist's autobiography in my life. One more thing, there's a killer step by step demo that I wasn't expecting. My colleagues and I are discussing this book like few others. It's the one to get. Harley Brown, thank you again.

Halfway through the book I decided I must seak him out and take a class or workshop from him. Unfortunately he no longer teaches. So the book is all we have and I must say it is absolulely essential for any artist. Or any creative person who ever doubted themselves or just needed a kick in the pants to make them try a little harder and enjoy the heck out of what they're doing.
Thanks Harley, for sharing.

I knew Harley Brown wouldn't let me down after having read his first book and numerous articles. His first book is from the mind but this one comes right from his heart. I ejoyed it thoroughly - enough to briefly reveal to you some of the stories he tells:

1. The moment he decided to become an artist. At the age of seven. Parents take note.
2. There's a story about an enigmatic woman named Paula. Where is she? I'm in love with her!
3. How he dealt with what he felt were his plain physical features and his shyness. I can relate.
4. Going on an alcoholic bender for 15 years. How did he stop?
5. Why he got kicked out of art school. It really made sense.
6. He even makes a toothache into a monumental saga. Soon to be a major motion picture.
7. Selling his art door to door. It was that or "work" for a living.
8. Establishing his first art gallery just a few minutes after staggering out of a bar.
9. Down and out in London, England. But not for long.
10. Dealing with the pompous of the art world.
11. How he tried to get his wife to "take the rap." This took courage to reveal.
12. "The General Theory of Mary" gives all newcomers in the art world extra hope.

These are only a few of Harley Brown's one of a kind stories. It is not your typical autobiography. This book really connected with me and others. I was a student of Harley's many years ago at the Scottsdale Artists' School. I learned so much from him in just two weeks. I hear he teaches no more. This book brings him alive again.

I'd originally given the book a 4-star rating, but it really does rate a full 5.

Ritch Rand made a hat for me in 1994 and I'm still wearing it today. His book is like his hats- authentic, of the excellent quality and dedicated to the history of the Old West. If you believe that a hat says something about the person who wears it, if you are of the opinion that a hat is more friend and traveling companion than garment, then this book is for you. Read the book then get yourself a hat!!

Bought this book for my Dad who always wears a hat. It was a big hit!

If you would like to know any, and everything about cowboy hats this books for you.

This coffee-table type book contains a detailed history of the cowboy hat, specific information about how to choose a hat, measure properly for fit, clean it, store it, travel with it, and much more. Even discusses "hat hair!" Numerous historical photos show the development of the cowboy hat across the west and around the world. Exceptional photos of famous hats (who doesn't recognize Festus' Gunsmoke hat or Hoss Cartwright's 10-gallon monster on sight?) and great hat-wearers such as James Garner, the Duke, Henry Fonda and Clint Eastwood. A must for Western lovers, cowboy buffs, and everyday folks who own their own Stetson and want to know how to keep it nice!

This book is great! It has some great photos, and the info in the book is very interesting! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Well-worth buying if you love London!

This gorgeous coffee-table volume is the outgrowth of a TV series created by the most artistic of the HRHs. While the book has certain problems, it's nevertheless easy to lose a whole Sunday engrossed in its beautiful photography and anecdotal history. From the Saxon kings on, London and the monarchy have had a very close relationship -- though not always a friendly one. Edward's goal here is to explore the physical remnants of that relationship, from the assortment of present and past palaces (not only Buckingham Palace, but Hatfield House, Whitehall, Westminster, Kensington, Hampton Court, and many more), other structures assorted with the Sovereign (the Tower, Blackheath, St. Paul's, Kingston-upon-Thames, etc), and, naturally, the River Thames itself. The problem is, whoever the principal editor was (probably not Edward himself) didn't do a very careful job. Often the same descriptive sentences are repeated in the text, then in the sidebar in the same spread, and then often in the photo captions as well. (One would think there would be plenty of other nonrepetitive things to say.) There are also an unsettling number of awkwardnesses and infelicities which lead the reader to stumble. Often the capsule history of a location jumps around chronologically, causing one to say, "Wait -- what?" Finally, the fact-checking is rather sloppy for a royal who took his degree in history: Christopher Wren did not use "dynamite" to demolish the ruins of Old St. Paul's after the Great Fire, . . . dynamite having not been invented until the 19th century by Alfred Nobel. Still, it's a lovely book.

This book is a must for anyone who enjoys Englands long and interesting Royal history. The photos are awesome, and text very well written. I have to get the whole video Tape series. Buy this book, you will be pleasantly surprised, it is wonderful!

This a great book. Every site that is mentioned in this book is lovingly told with witty and paranormal anecdotes and pictures galore. Well worth the money! I Highly recommend this book. BUY IT NOW!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful diversion from some of my more esoteric readings. If you want to pontificate with some interesting tales at your next dinner party, regale them with any that you find in this fascinating tome and you will be the center of attention. A fun read!

As a budding Folklorist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, I have derived great pleasure from, and relied heavily upon "Curious Myths of the Middle Ages." It supurbly outlines the basic myths themselves, while providing a highly rational and non-biased discussion upon their origins, relevance, and truthfullness.

It is highly entertaining, and to anyone who loves folklore and mythology, is like being let loose in a candy shop!

The chapter on The man in the moon inspired my website. Some real gems. In one chapter, the author proves convincingly that William Tell never existed, and then uses the same logic to prove that Napoleon was entirely mythical. More than just a collection of stories, this book shows how history and myth, reality and imagination are frequently interchangeable

_Curious Myths of the Middle Ages_ by Sabine Baring-Gould offers a fascinating account of various myths and legends from the Middle Ages. Baring-Gould was an interesting character who was a member of the Anglican clergy. He is perhaps most famous for writing the hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" but is also known for his works on folklore and myth (in addition to this work he also wrote on werewolves). This book reveals his learning and scholarship when dealing with various accounts from the beliefs of the Middle Ages. The book is based extensively on the lives of the saints, including such famous works as the _Legenda Aurea_ of Jacques de Voragine, the writings of Jacob Grimm on Germanic folklore, but also many legends and beliefs issuing from the Orient, including Jewish, Islamic, but also Hindu beliefs. This book contains brief chapters on each of the following legends, each featured with a corresponding woodcut from the work of Albrecht Durer:

The Wandering Jew - a Jew cursed to wander the earth till the end of time for his refusal to give rest to Christ as he carried the cross,
Prester John - a Christian king rumored to rule in the Orient (or perhaps in Africa),
The Divining Rod - a rod used to aid in the discovery of hidden treasures or perhaps the location of murderers,
The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus - seven Christians persecuted by the emperor who rested in the earth for three hundred and seventy-seven years,
William Tell - an archer who shot an apple off the head of his child,
The Dog Gellert - a loyal dog (or other beast) who faithfully guarded an infant yet was accidentally killed by his master who believed the dog had killed the infant,
Tailed Men - the rumor of the homo caudatus,
Antichrist and Pope Joan - the legend of the Man of Sin who will reign before the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ as well as the spurious legend of a female pope,
The Man in the Moon - a man who gathered wood on the Sabbath and was thus cursed to appear on the surface of the moon,
The Mountain of Venus - a mountain under which lived the pagan goddess Venus and the legend concerning the debauches there,
St. Patrick's Purgatory - an underground region leading to purgatory,
The Terrestrial Paradise - rumors of the Oriental location of the Garden of Eden,
St. George - the famous saint who underwent seven martyrdoms yet continued to live and slew a dragon in another legend,
St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins - a virginal saint who asked that eleven thousand virgins be made to sail the world for three years before she offered herself up for marriage,
The Legend of the Cross - the legend of the cross in pagan myth as well as the legend of the Cross of Christ,
Schamir - a stone used by Solomon to build the temple in lieu of iron,
The Piper of Hameln - a piper who led the rats out of the city but who later cursed the city and led the children away,
Bishop Hatto - the story of an evil bishop who was eaten by rats,
Melusina - a mysterious wife who was half sea serpent,
The Fortunate Isles - a legend of an earthly paradise across the sea,
Swan-Maidens - the legend of maidens who appear in the form of a swan,
The Knight of the Swan - a knight who took the form of a swan and had six brothers,
The Sangreal - the legend of the Holy Grail, the vessel used to catch the blood of Christ as he died upon the Cross in both Celtic and Christian myth,
Theophilus - a priest who made a pact with the devil.

These legends provide a fascinating look into the mind of the Middle Ages. Baring-Gould's expert learning and understanding of their historical origins is revealed throughout. This book is an excellent source for these medieval myths and legends.

If you're looking for a book of a photographer who single-mindedly captures fashion, portraiture, landscape and still life flawlessly with his unique style, Albert Watson's Cyclops is the book for you. Included in the book is a brief overview of Watson the man who since birth has had only sight in one eye and has been given the gift of dazzling every other eye known to man. In the interior you can indulge yourself with black and white photographs that can instantly give rise to a feeling of sensuality, pain and pleasure. Whether it be celebrities or artifacts Watson manipulates the subject to create a vision only he can see and we can enjoy and recognize as his signature style. The book is a bit small but beautifully made.

When I first saw the book, I was transfixed. I must have spent quite a number of hours going through the pages, standing up, the world dissolving around me. My particular favorite is one picture of Gary Oldman lying in a coffin. It captured him perfectly. I don't know much about photography, but the beauty of his works is that it can be understood and loved by anyone - there is a human association within every shot. For a while I was reluctant to buy it - the price was a bit too much for me, but I kept on returning to the bookstore to see it, taking a half an hour bus ride each time at the other side of the city. I grew restless when I didn't take the ritual visit. Eventually I did get it - and I finally feel complete. He captured perfection.

Cyclops is more than a vision, but some of the most emotionally moving frames one will ever look upon. He is a genius and can capture beauty, pain, anger, and delight all in one single image.

Albert Watson's images in this book are quite simply some of the best images of Black & White photography in any book! They are technically perfect and arrestingly beautiful. His images are powerful, moving, creative, and always well composed. Furthermore, the printing in this book is one of the best I've ever seen.

If you appriciate masterful black & white images you would probably be happy with this book even if you had paid 5 times what this costs!

This book is truly a must-have for anyone who appriciates great photography

I purchased French Bulldogs: Lightweights Littermates and Dachshunds: Lightweights Littermates together, as gifts... I flipped through them prior to sending them off to their final recipient and was pleased to find that the photography and composition was appealing to my tastes. Sharon Montrose's composition skill is what sets these photos out from the rest. I like the bold imagery. And having tried to take pictures of my own pets, I know it's a VERY tough experience to have them pose... they're curious little creatures. My 1-star off of the review is pretty much for repetitiveness; the concept is fresh to begin with, but it gets boring, real fast.

I have always loved dachshunds and owned a couple. It is a race you can get addicted on: loads of personality and energy and the funny shape - despite which they are really highly mobile and athletic and strong and brave - and cleverness that can baffle humans. I found this book by accident, opened it - of course - and adored it. There are litters of dachshund puppies, mostly 4-5 weeks old, together and then on individual portraits, each of the puppies on a scale, their name and weight written on the page. And that's all. The scales are of different types and puppies come in smooth- and long-haired variations and several colours, all of them are cute and clearly have their own personality already. Just watch these coy, mischievous, sulking, endearing faces and their round little bums, short legs and long ears! You need to get a living dachshund puppy after these pictures - but watch out: I can tell you from personal experience that a 2-month-old dachshund puppy can wear down two young, healthy, highly fit retrievers and still bounce around yapping "What are you lying there for? I just got started!! Get up and play!!!"

Love the adorable pictures! I have had dachshunds my whole life, and these pictures capture just how precious they are, especially as puppies. I would highly recommend this book if you are a dachsie lover!

Ok.. i dont need to say much for this adorable cute book!
This book has everything!!! high quality book, great photographs, bright color backgrounds make the book alive! and of course, Dachahund puppies! The photographs are very well taken and trust me!!! you can hear the puppies's "sigh...." , you want to jump into the book and give them kissy and smoochies their bellies......and you can smell puppies's breath!!!!!! at least i do.... great book for all dachshund lovers out there!! worth every penny!

Book is well done - Beautiful photography ! Recommended to anyone that likes great photographs.

Some of the finest modern photography from Japan has been produced by Daido Moriyama. Defying any categories (including the "modern" one I gave him above, Moriyama stretches the boundaries of photography and peers into the dark and blurry places that scare us. The book's comments on each photo are extremely worthwhile also, providing an insight into Daido's work that isn't found elsewhere.

I've seen several books and articles on Japanese photography that seem to feature bad cameras, low resolution, muddy printing/reproduction. This is one of them. However, the pictures are disturbing, affecting. Some don't work for me.

Does it help to say, I lost a copy of this in a fire, and am buying it back?

Or that I recommend it highly to anybody who thinks they need better equipment to take good photographs.

As someone who saw Moriyama's fantastic show at the SF MOMA I had to buy this book. Great gritty black and white photos examining post WWII Japanese Culture. Includes a fairly extensive intro detailing his influences and his career.

A very worthwhile read. The author has used terrific and verifiable sources for this inspirational daily devotion. Perfect for those of us who don't have much time for reading; yet desire personal growth. These reflections offer depth of insight and encouragement. I highly recommend it.

This volume of readings for a year sets the tone for each week with a reading from the Torah. For each day of the week there is a selection of readings. These readings may be a single sentence, a poem, a paragraph, a teaching tale. They are a variety of traditional Judaica, philosophers, poets, Christians, Hindus, Buddhist, Taoist. They are so well selected that they create a coherent whole not a mishmash and reflect a deep, mature spirituality on the part of the collector. While the weekly cycle may target a Jewish audience, the book is so well put together that it can be recommended for individuals of any religious persuasion.

A concrete example of the variety. For week 28 (Leviticus 14:1-15:33) Sunday: Emily Dickinson, Jacob J. Halevi, Dag Hammarskjold; Monday: psalm, Talmud; Tuesday: psalm, Chasidic, Kenneth Hildebrand, Leigh Hunt; Wednesday: Talmud, Blaise Pascal, Sigrid Undset, Sir Thomas Browne; Thursday: Psalm, Yiddish proverb, Janet Harrison, Archibald Rutledge, Juvenal; Friday: Abba Kovner, Chasidic, Elinor Wylie, Helen Keller; Shabbat: Psalm, Lion Feuchtwanger, Clarence E, Pickett, Booker T. Washington, Albert Camus. Wonderful.

This is a the work of a brilliant man--a compilation of thought and stories, poems and prose from the world's great thinkers and writers. Wonderful for anyone with any interest in contemplation of the great themes of life. Truly spiritual.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Chaim Stern, the editor of this book. He had a profound impact on my life. Through his prayer books and other writings, he has touched millions of people. Please, allow yourself the joy of being touched by his work, and buy this book! He is an inspired man who shares wisdom that will have a lasting impact on you. He was one of the greatest thinkers of our time. His passing is a tragic loss, since he remained so prolific. Yet, his words will live on and on. Please enjoy the richness of this book for years to come, and let his memory and influence continue forever!

"A Day's Work: A Sampler Of Historic Maine Photographs, 1860-1920: Part 1" is compiled with annotations by Maine historian, author, cattleman, and businessman W. H. Bunting who labored for almost 30 years assembling his collection of historic photographic images of the people, buildings, activities and landscapes that comprise Maine's history, commerce, and communities. Each of the 225 black-and-white photos is accompanied by a narrative caption that are as entertaining as they are informative. From a lumber batteau working on a log jam, to an eccentric cobbler traveling from island to island by sailing scow, to trains wrecks, hootchie-cootchie dancers, coastwise cargo schooners, and so much more, readers are treated to unique perspectives captured by a camera's lens and documented life and work in the state of Maine during a sixty year span that begins in 1860 and ends in 1920. Also available in a hardcover edition, "A Day's Work" is especially recommended for academic library Regional History reference collections in general, and Maine's community library State History collections in particular.

My only objection to this book is that it's a tease waiting for the third book. Sometimes I wish it were more integrated topically, or at least that the index were more expansive. But few would want to miss any page. Each reads by itself, with valuable insight (and entertainment). The printing, layout, author's style, comprehensive research, and especially the photographs are all wonderful. In a way, the non-topical approach is exciting too: the penultimate in "coffee table" books. One never grows tired of it, rarely if ever skips a section, looks forward to the next session, and cherishes it as much as the spectacular first volume.

NO author of Maine historical and cultural subjects writes better, or has done more comprehensive research. I would certainly include it in the parcel I would assemble for exile to Boon Island.

I pray for the author's health, happiness, and continued productivity. He is the best of Maine writers and scholars, and sets the best example and model for the generally motley group of Maine "writers", especially the very narrowly-scoped academicians who slavishly follow fixed models of interpretation and presentation. I'm sure Fanny Hardy Ecstorm, Elizabeth Ring and James Baxter (god bless their beautiful souls) are smiling at this wonderful, wonderful writer.

BOOK REVIEW

A Day's Work: A Sampler of Historic Maine Photographs, 1860-1920, Part I, annotated and compiled by W. H. Bunting. Sponsored by Maine Preservation, Tilbury House Publishers, 132 Water St., Gardiner, ME 04345, 1997. 380 pp., oversize, paperback, $35.00

This is a wonderful book, so don't let the title drive you away. You must read halfway through that forbidding title to find out that it's about Maine, farther yet to learn that it's photographic, and "Part I" leaves you dangling. I would have called it Maine at Work, 1860-1920: Photographs and Text; the rest is superfluous--and I have added the word "text" because the text is just as delightful as the photos. I am writing this review because it's a book that people who love Maine shouldn't miss.

I have been summering in Maine for about forty years. The mountains and the skies and the rockbound coast make one constantly aware that Maine is different--the most northern and most eastern state in the USA, with a thousand of miles of shoreline and huge expanses of forest wilderness. Its wild geography has shaped its people and determined how they live. Vestiges of the past are everywhere, from the old docks and windjammers and lighthouses to the barns and sawmills and huge piles of firewood. If one wants an understanding and a feeling for those old times, this book is for you.

William Bunting's fascination with these historical photographs is communicated through the text. He has spent decades immersing himself in local history, and he not only explains each photo but goes behind it, delving into the history and significance of what is shown. If you want to know how to make hard cider, see p. 150 opposite the superb photo of the farmyard with a pile of apples by the old barn. The complex process of logging in the wilderness and getting the logs downriver to the mills and eventually by ship to market is followed through many photos with descriptive text (see pp. 34-44, 86-88, and more). Many buildings in Boston and points south were built of Maine granite; here you can see the granite cutters and the ships and men that carried that heavy cargo to market. Would you like to know and see how in the old days lobster fishing, seining, dip-netting, and canning were done? Or railroading, hunting, or harvesting ice? They're all here, and much more.

Start reading at the Introduction, a fine evocation of Maine today in relation to the past, and a convincing demonstration of the value of photos as historical documents. You will also discover that the author raises cattle and is a bulldozer operator, which doesn't quite explain his mastery of local history (this is his third book) but puts him closer to the down-to-earth people in the pictures. The introduction takes you directly into the text; there are no breaks or chapter headings. Bunting explains that the book is like "taking a journey," one that he took himself--and fortunately it has a good index. I began by looking up the places I know best: Waldoboro, Boothbay, Edgecomb, Casco, Bath, Damariscotta, but the book is a trap--once in, it's hard to get out. You go from photo to photo and from text to text.

The content of the pictures and text is absorbing, but I have said nothing about the aesthetic quality of the photographs. These old black and whites, from the days of heavy cameras and glass plate negatives, have a crispness and wealth of detail rarely seen in today's polychromatic action photos with artificial photo-effects. Many of them were taken for the purpose of making a record, and they project an authenticity that makes the viewer a participant. They have the grip of reality. The photos are worth the price of the book, and the text multiplies their value.

A Day's Work (Part I) focuses on many economic aspects of life in Maine in the late eighteenth and early twentieth century. The author, or annotator and compiler as he calls himself, says that some topics will appear in both volumes, but Part II will emphasize the pulp and paper industries, cotton textiles, coopering, axe manufacturing, etc. Perhaps he's waiting to sit down with the photographs and see where the journey leads. If it's anything like this one, it will be worth waiting for.

Herbert S. Bailey, Jr.
Fearrington Post 248
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Wow! Once in a while a book comes along that is so satisfying that one wonders if you really read it. I can't praise the author enough for bringing to life the life of Maine 100 years ago.