Illustration Books

Nothing can beat the "raw power" of Art Chantry. This book is a must in every graphic designer/student bookshelf!...

i really wasn't too familiar with Art's work before getting this. i've only seen mentionings in random other books about how influencial he is. but after seeing this i can see why. he combines the rough aesthetic of punk and shows that it can be acceptible in mainstream graphic design. it shows that there's hope for punk rock artists like myself.

In a similar manner to Paula Scher and Charles Anderson, one of the main themes of Art Chantry's work is to take old images and give them a twist. While you can see an echo of this look in almost every graphic design award annual today, Chantry has been working in this style since the late 70's. And while many have borrowed his approach, few have been able to imitate it with the same sense of grit, humor, color and power.

True to the title of the book "Some People Can't Surf" there isn't one website design to be found, but that may not be a bad thing as Chantry is a master within his medium. A very large body of work that spans three decades is showcased which includes everything from his very first poster design for a school concert to promotional work for major Hollywood record labels. One pleasant surprise is seeing quite a bit of logo design work which involves the charm and craft of hand lettering. In end Chantry reminds one of a later day Milton Glaser with a punk rock point of view.

At some points the book can become too crammed by trying to jam several posters onto a page by shrinking them down to matchbook size, however the work holds up pretty well under the strain. This volume would be valuable to any graphic designer looking for inspiration or anyone who is a fan of the Seattle music from the 90's.

Thee-anti-cool-subversive-godfather-backroad-bar-b-que shack-genius. If you are in school but this book. If you are over 50 buy this book. If you are successful buy this book. If you are struggling-steal this book.

...is that Art Chantry's groundbreaking artwork (and yes--unlike some snooty traditionalist art-weenies--I DO consider graphic design to be "art"!) is more often than not gobs more compelling than the work of the people who have directly benefitted from his work (i.e. most of the so-called grunge bands from the Pacific Northwest). Yet almost nobody outside of Seattle, Tacoma or underground graphic-design circles knows who the hell he is, even though almost everyone has seen his work in one form or other (The Sub Pop logo is one example that immediately comes to mind).

In early 1991, I discovered and became obsessed with underground garagepunk & instro-surf music, the most exciting of which was coming out of the Pacific Northwest, and specifically Estrus Records, in Bellingham, Washington. It was the Estrus label that started my appreciation, and later, reverence, for Art Chantry's ir-reverent style of graphic design. When Nirvana's "Nevermind" was released later that year, the wall that previously kept mainstream riffraff from crashing "our" underground party came crumbling down, and as a result, grungy Northwest music had become suddenly (and inexplicably) marketable. The sudden onslaught of new bands inspired by this alleged "rebirth" of punkrock quickly caused the quality of Estrus' releases to assume an inversely proportional relationship to the quantity of records they put out (well, that's MY theory, at least...). Simply put, the really good music on Estrus soon became a rare commodity. Thankfully, what didn't change was the brilliant package design that thier slabs o' vinyl and silver frisbees were encased in. Art Chantry was responsible for the bulk of these designs, and is the only reason why a big chunk of my record and CD collection isn't fermenting in some used-record store somewhere. His artwork transcended the actual product it was emblazoned on, and made it worth keeping even if the music it promoted was supremely lame.

Chantry's work led me to notice and gain an appreciation for artists such as Stealworks' John Yates, Frank Kozik and even Roy Lichtenstein. But as great as those artists are, Chantry's work is the perfect amalgam of irony, humor, subversion, obnoxiousness and kitsch, and no one that I'm aware of has yet to outshadow him in this regard, even though he is without a doubt a man with many imitators. In fact, many people directly point the finger at him for popularizing the now passè movement in "grunge" design and layout. Whether this is actually true or not is debatable (although it certainly makes sense), but "Some People Can't Surf" is interesting in that it showcases a non-"grunge" (god, I hate that term) side of Chantry that most people would be very surprised to see. The same man responsible for some of the most outrageous and iconoclastic posters and album covers in music history was at the same time designing nondescript logos and brochures for boring, faceless corporations--biotech companies, architectural firms, airlines, etc.--and it's extremely interesting to see this real-world dichotomy brought to light in this book.

Another notable section of the book recalls the time when Art creatively attempted to get around a draconian 1994 Seattle anti-postering ordinance by posting up 'zine-like tabloids to telephone poles instead, ostensibly daring the city to attempt to fine him for what is fundamentally a First Amendment issue. As someone who firmly believes that graphic design and traditional "art" are not mutually exclusive, I found it refreshing to read this shining example of how designers can use their talent to actively influence and challenge the cultural status quo, instead of simply generating pretty pictures for passive consumer consumption.

When I first saw Art years ago in the documentary film, "Hype!" (which I also HIGHLY recommend), talking about the early Northwest music scene, and then proceeding to chop up his super-rare (and super-expensive) posters with a paper cutter, it completely validated what I always thought--this man is an ironic and wonderfully irreverent genius. "Some People Can't Surf" bolsters this fact even further, and I enjoyed reading this book's narrative at /least/ as much as looking at all the cool, full-color images of his brilliant work. I highly recommend this to any graphic designer who is tired of all the c.r.a.p. that tries to pass itself off as "cool", "grungy" or "retro" nowadays.

You simply CANNOT beat Spectrum for the wide variety of art it displays and the quality. I hope to grace it's pages some day! I own this copy and #10.

Any interested in science fiction and fantasy art will find all the masters represented here, from Michael Whelan and Brad Holland to Linda Bergkvist and Daren Bader. Each artist's works are rendered in full color and includes contact information plus notes on clients, medium, and picture size. A jury selected the 2005 Spectrum winners, surveying over 4,000 works both individually and in light of overall fantasy artist accomplishment to cull the best: the result is a winning pick of top winners any involved in fantasy art will find compelling and superior.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a dandy of an issue. It really allows the artists to be able to showboat thier talent in a fabulous format.

As always, the annual Spectrum compiles hundreds of samples of the very best of 2004's fantasy art. The work is divided into categories that reflect the generally commercial origin of each work: ads, comics, books, etc. Every category displays a range of subjects and style. Lush realism predominates, including two of Royo's fantasy pinups. Other styles appear, too, including ink paintings by Vess and Kaluta, Justin Sweet's Rorshach-like watercolors and some raw, expressive work from the "Blood" comic.

Some of the most remarkable work appears in the sculptural (dimensional) category. That group includes a few pieces based on standard comic superheroes. Works by Davis and Northey are clever, and one by Loroux is clearly a work of great affection. A political piece by Ross, in the editorial grouping, displays chilling wit.

With roughly 250 artists represented, and multiple works by many, there's an exciting assortment of topics and approaches. Although I recognize only a few of the names, the quality and wit meet very high standards throughout. I recommend this to anyone that values fantasy images, as a spectator or as a creator.

//wiredweird

I discovered my love of science fiction illustration about ten years ago when I perused a book by an artist named Boris Vallejo. Different epochs in time, different places in the universe, epic battles, astonishing spacecraft, beautiful women, courageous warriors, gothic weapons...all fused together into simply beautiful, dramatic art. From Vallejo I followed what I presume is a pretty common route of exploration: Frazetta, Chesley Bonestell, and assorted others, and then compilation books like "Infinite Worlds" and "Tomorrow and Beyond" and then the "Spectrum" series. Unfortunately I discovered Spectrum too late and didn't get in until Spectrum 7. The earlier editions are out of print, and used they are selling for prohibitive amounts, often into triple digits. They did do a reprint of Spectrum 1, which I bought in a heartbeat and I keep hoping there will be reprints of the other editions.

As the other reviewers have mentioned, this is just amazingly beautiful and exciting art. Some images are total exotica, some progressive and avant garde, and some appear to be well within classical conventions. Almost all of these artworks are astonishing and will have your imagination just buzzing. Most are paintings, many are photos of sculpture and other media. I find myself gasping as I flip the pages, saying "Unbelievable!" You really just have to see this work to fully grasp it. I implore my six year-old to look at the pictures, hoping to inspire neurological pathway formation with the colorful pictures of the stuff of our wildest dreams , but I slap her little paw whenever she tries to touch! Spectrum books are a peanut butter-free zone!

I personally do not see this edition (12) being that different from its predecessors in terms of content. Every volume I have is first-rate and a stone-cold must-have. This is exactly in that tradition in terms of quality and quantity of art.

Why the four stars instead of five: Okay, I should have griped last year. With Spectrum 11 they switched over to a cheaper cover. It is a shiny cardboard cover which will get dinged up and scuffed over time. The book loses its high-quality outer lustre with the downgraded binding and I think the Fenners (the wonderful people who produce this series and several other magnificent books) have made a significant mistake by allowing this to happen. As someone who went through a twenty-year phase of haunting used bookstores I can testify as an expert: this cover does not come close to matching the quality of the work (and paper, for that matter) on the inside. These books deserve the high quality cloth "buckram" covers which earlier editions had. Those covers will last forever and preserve these works as the historical momentos which they are indeed. If the price has to be raised a few bucks, so be it. I suspect demand will only go up; people who appreciate this type of art obviously are discriminating, and they will gladly pay for the extra attention to quality. Please, put Spectrum 13 back in a high-quality cover. Otherwise, keep up the fabuluous work.

Really nice collection of all sorts of fantasy art..from the cliche "dragon with muscle man" stuff to really really abstract images.Even has a few nice sculptures! Get it!

As with every year, the Spectrum series has proven itself to be an indispensible resource for any fantasy art fans. It doesn't matter if you're a casual fan, like myself, or an art connoisseur... There's something in here for you.

Spectrum 8 is more or less just like previous Spectrum books. The art is broken down into sections (Books, magazines, unpublished, etc.) and each section has a Gold & Silver award for the best pieces of art in that section (based on what the Spectrum jury thinks). You can spend hours looking through this book, only to pick it back up again a month later and spend another hour or two reading through it.

I suggest you purchase the hardcover edition and stash it away in your bookcase, because you'll be looking through it for years to come.

this book is such a great collection of artwork with artists ranging everywhere from well known designs such as those from the resident evil, spawn and a little of the sandman comic to many unknown artists who are just as highly talented. they use every different medium in this book, each with their own distinct praises. some of this artwork inspired me to start my own drawing and painting again, that's how good it is. i highly recommend this to any true fan of fantasy art.

I just got my copy of "Spectrum 8". What a great collection of fantastic art. The series gets better with each volum and I like the fact that sculpture pieces is also included. I can spend and hours just observing the colors and details of the images, not to mention the fact that Moebius is finally recognized as 2001 Grandmaster. Well worth the price I paid for the hardcover. I don't need to mention much about the reproduction quality of the artwork, because it is superb. Enough said.

There's a lot of imagination and talent in this book, and with such a varity of styles it's sure to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Personally, I enjoy the edgier, more contemporary material, but there is also plenty of more traditional "faries and unicorn"-type stuff as well. I especially like seeing some comic book covers being treated as the art they are, w/o the title covering up a good chumk of the work.

All in all, a GREAT collection! May it inspire you to write, drwa or create something outstanding of your own...

I am a fan of the "Golden Age" of American Comics which ran from the late 1930's through the 1940's. "The World on Sunday" is a compilation of some of the best graphic art that appeared in Joseph Pulitzer's "The World" from 1898 to 1911. Most fans of American comic book history know about the history of the early American comic strips of this period. The creators of the Golden Age undoubtedly were influenced by these early comic strips. However, they always were profoundly influed by the rich visual art work that came out in the newspapers of the era. "The World on Sunday" is beautifully produced and is a must purchase for all those interested in American popular culture. Finally, I would also recommend Cordula Lebeck's "Kiosk". In this volume, Lebeck follows the development of popular journalism into the age of photography in the 1930's.

Joseph Pulitzer's New York WORLD flourished at the turn of the 20th century and grew from a modern daily paper to a sensationalist publication packed with striking colorful art, from photos to cartoons and drawings. THE WORLD ON SUNDAY gathers over a hundred of the best from WORLD and places them in an oversized presentation to display their color on single and double-page spreads. A chronological arrangement lends to a fine sequence of reproductions tracing editorial and news highlights of the times, while colorful commentary accompanies the pieces and provides the necessary background for appreciation by all audiences. THE WORLD ON SUNDAY: GRAPHIC ART IN JOSEPH PULITZER'S NEWSPAPER (1898-1911) is a top pick not just for art or newspaper library holdings, but for general-interest collections as well: it captures the art, craft and style of a bygone era and is a lush example of newspaper history at its finest.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A treasure of a lost time and a lost art. Aside from the short-life expectancy and lack of modern conveniences like, uh, cars, ATMs, antibiotics, radio, microwave ovens, television, computers, etc., this book makes you wish you lived back then- when science, technology, and journalism were in their infancy and every day held some new, authentic wonder- not just a smaller cell phone. It's also quite amazing to see how advertisements, typefaces, layouts, and prose have radically changed in a century, and not necessarily for the better- unless you're one of those "Form Follows Function" kooks. A must for all you Luddites out there.

As a librarian, I am horrified, but unfortunately not too surprised to learn that few libraries have kept back issues of the newspaper put out by one of the great figures in USA publishing. And that's before I saw how beautiful it is! The idea that not only all this information but all this art was nearly lost is appalling. (I'm glad Duke University took it, but I hope the gift requires them to return it if they decide to throw it out.) I've been on the losing end of these fights, and no, one can't always assume that someone else kept the material.

Meanwhile, enjoy a glorious and gorgeous piece of historic publishing. I had no idea that color printing was so widely used ad so good at such an early time. The pictures often show great artistic skill and witty humor. There are also some fascinating bits of newpaper history.

A fantastic gift to the nation and the world. I can only show my appreciation by buying my own copy.

This book celebrates one of the high points in American popular culture. In the late 1800's, Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, purchased the first great high quality color printer for newspapers. He then used it to publish beautiful color graphics every Sunday. This is both great art and great entertainment. But the story of how the author Nicholson Baker and his wife, Margaret Brentano, tracked down the last surviving complete collection of this work just before it was to be lost forever is just as thrilling. This is an exquisite book that is the product of great work by great people. Get ready to enjoy a true treasure.

My wife asked for this for her birthday. She absolutely loves it. So much so that we recently purchased 7 more as gifts for her friends in different crafting groups. She insists that 4000 Flower and Plant Motifs has inspired her with tons of quilting/craft ideas. This book is a great gift.

Sam Hendricks, author of "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comrehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" and "Fantasy Football Almanac"

I love this book for the quilting designs it inspires. If you're stuck for ideas, open McCallum's book and start drawing.

I have a collection of books on designs and historical motifs. This is one of the most useful. I'm using it to create designs for decorating pottery.

I've been looking for a good sourcebook for a long time now. At last a book that meets all my expectations. I've been able to use it in many of my creative endeavours. There are so many designs(in varying styles) to choose from. Once again, I'm excited about my creative endeavours ahead.

This book has found a permanent spot in my home, namely, on my desk, where I do all my hobbies. It has loads of great ideas that I've already used. Can't wait for the author's next book --apparantly its a sourcebook on animal designs.

Very typical of this series, plenty of fascinating glossy magazine ads that capture the period as well as anything can. A really impressive series; I've got just about all of them. This one is more foreign than the others since it's period is now bordering on history, rather than just nostalgia.

At that time photography was not used in commercials. Beautifully ilustrated and full in text this book a real back to American Life Style in the 20's, throught products that made that age.

Lots of hand drawn type. The pictures are happier and more whimsical than the 30's or 40's.

If you're into copying type, don't bother with the 60's -- the type is really boring. The 20's has one has everything from campy to elegant type... I'm looking forward to the release of the 00's-10's (turn of the century).

As an illustrator I have found this book to be a valuable resource for color combinations, patterning and clothing styles.

I finally caved in and bought this volume in the _All-American Ads_ series, and now I'm going to have to buy the others. I'm doomed.

I'm in love with this book, and there's a lot to love about it. The production values are outstanding--the colors are brilliant, the images as crisp as they can be, and the selection of ads is wonderfully varied. It's a visual treat--Taschen has done it again.

If I do have one complaint, it is that the emphasis is on full-page, full-color ads. While I am a painter and find this book a visual delight (the colors! Oh, joy!), I'm also a geeky cultural historian. I've looked at a lot of magazines from the period--enough to know that some of the most telling ads about the anxieties, attitudes and preoccupations of the time aren't the largest, most sophisticated, or visually striking ones. But since this book has been produced primarily as a showcase for graphic design of the period, and not by hopeless history nerds, I have no trouble giving it five stars.

This book is big and chock full of beautiful Linsner paintings (many of which are of his greatest creation: Dawn). If you have ever seen any of his work and you liked it, I would recommend this book. There is an intro by Linsner that's pretty interesting and there are snippets about each painting throughout the book. It's a stout book that would be better as a hardcover, but that's my only complaint.

The Art of Joseph Michael Linsner is essential to any JML collector, but also an awesome item for anyone who appreciates the beauty of art. The softcover edition of this collection makes it affordable to the big fans with small bank accounts. Looking through the eyes of Joe, one will see a woman as a work of art or poetry and not a piece of meat. The colors are vibrant, the details are lucid, and the annotations throughout truly give insight into the mind of the artist, who he is, how he feels, and what inspires him.

Edited by JML and Eva Hopkins, with special thanks to Zeke Feldhaus, The Art of Joseph Michael Linsner is cleverly divided into sections. It begins with a nice introduction by Richard Kane Ferguson, then proceeds to a fabulous story by JML about the first artbook he bought which reveals how his taste for art began when he was just a boy. After that, we see exquisite images of Dawn, Death, and Dark Ivory along with many others (women, men, and vampires, oh my!) throughout the Love, Hate, Heaven and Hell sections. Then we move on to About the Art, comments by JML (about art, of course) which include images from the creation of the Dawn: Three Tiers #1 cover from its birth/sketch stage to the gorgeous finished painting. And of course, no collection of art would be complete without an About the Artist segment (with pictures). But wait, that's not all, there is also a two-page spread with photographs of Dawn Lookalikes from DragonCon, some Dawn collectors items, and a few other odd and end pictures. This definitely adds a personal touch to the entire thing. Well, if you've read this far, you must be interested, so what are waiting for? Get your copy today.

WOW! If one could give out 10 stars on the 5 star scale this would be the book to score that high.

More that just a detailed, beautiful look into one of America's leading illustrators, this is an insightful prose into the mind of that artist. Here is the successor of the great artists of the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Done in a style that is very today, and very much his own.

An amazingly well produced book, with quality throughout. From the paper, the binding, to the wonderful reproductions, everything is top notch. This is an art book you would expect to pay two to three times more for.

I feel this is a chance to glimpse into tomorrows major gallery artist, before he explodes on the scene. Live a little dangerously and venture into some unknown areas. ENJOY!

WOW! If one could give out 10 stars on the 5 star scale this would be the book to score that high.

More that just a detailed, beautiful look into one of America's leading illustrators, this is an insightful prose into the mind of that artist. Here is the successor of the great artists of the 40's, 50's, and 60's. Done in a style that is very today, and very much his own.

An amazingly well produced book, with quality throughout. From the paper, the binding, to the wonderful reproductions, everything is top notch. This is an art book you would expect to pay two to three times more for.

I feel this is a chance to glimpse into tomorrows major gallery artist, before he explodes on the scene. Live a little dangerously and venture into some unknown areas. ENJOY!

I believe the book is now out of print, but if you're lucky you might be able to pick it up at a comic book shop which is where I got mine. This book is FANTASTIC!!! Definitely one of the best fantasy art books out there. Great colors, excellent depictions of Dawn - the fiery redhead with one eye showing *grins* and some of the most imaginative and creative art pieces you'll ever see!

Even the backgrounds are incredibly detailed, with everything from dragons to architecture to detailed walls and textures. He really sets the mood in every piece he does.

Excellent work of art. Absolutely excellent.

The Artist Within showcases comic artists and cartoonists, usually inside their own workspaces, for a unique and thrilling look at how these creative people surround themselves (and therefore what drives them to do the work they do). The photos are stunning, the reproduction brilliant, and any fan of comic art will find many favorites represented inside, with huge black and white photos by Greg Preston, brief bios, and samples of their work.

There is no other book quite like this on the market, and it's about time we got one--and more than that, such a splendid one.

This book, without question is AMAZING! This book should be in every photography class, on every library and a standard for what the artist behind the camera can do.

Mr. Preston has run us through all emotions with this stellar work - he obviously threw his heart and soul into it - enjoy it!! The background of his shots makes one feel they are getting the best vew from his eye.

Thanks for a superior work!!

This book is an amazing study of artists and people. Even if you're not a comic book fan, these images open up the unbelievably private world of an artists' workspace and it's a fascinating study. Every time I leaf through these pages, I notice something new, some detail that you can see reflected in the pen and ink beside it.

And if you are a comic book fan... how can you resist this glimpse backstage?!

You can't. This book is irresistible. Thanks, Greg Preston!

Greg Preston has done an amazing job of photographing some of the worlds most talented and creative artists and getting that extra insight into their personalities by having them pose where they work, in their studios. Since he's been at it for well over a decade, the book luckily remembers many that have since passed away. It's fantastic to see so many people that have inspired me while turning page after page of this huge hardcover, Hogarth, Toth, Wrightson, Kaluta, Smith, Romita among, well, around 95 others! This collection should also put Greg on the map as an exceptional artist himself. You wouldn't even have to care about who he's snapping a camera at to enjoy and appreciate his knockout skill. I'm looking forward to a volume two!

As an artist myself, I am always fascinated to see the working environments of other artists. This book shows a ton of them. It's a huge, over sized book filled with gorgeous photos. I highly recommend it!

I am very pleased with Botanical Illustration in Watercolor
by Eleanor B. Wunderlich. It is a beautifully illustrated book both in presentation and in demos. It combines both worlds of wc and botanical illustration in a clear and precise manor. I would highly recommend this book for both beginner and serious botanical illustrator and/or for a good reference book for your art library. It is a very pleasing book just to browse through.

Not only is this a comprehensive guide to painting botanical subjects, but the book is just gorgeous.

Drawings and paintings of wild flowers and fruits bring out their beauty in ways photographs cannot. So this book is a really good resource if you like to sketch and hike, or if you garden and want to make a beautiful record of what you see. This is also a great resource if you are getting into journal writing and want to put in pictures of plants and flowers (many people keep a garden record journal, for example.)

The instructions are very good, from how to draw and sketch plants to choices of color. There are good examples to copy to learn the technique. I don't think there is a better book on this subject, nor a more beautiful book.

Since I started learning botanical illustrating I have seen many books on the subject but few have held me spellbound like this one. The intelligence, helpfulness and sensitivity of the instructions would make it a book worth having on their own, but the glorious illustrations will keep you referrring to the book again and again. Their complexity and detail will hold you enthralled.

Not only is the author a super artist, rendering her illustrations with fine, exacting detail, but she's also creative in the way she frames the subject. She also provides excellent and extremely helpful, easy-to-do (inexpensive) instructions on setting up a studio/supplies, etc. I love it.

This is the best book on botanical illustration I have found. It is suitable for all levels including complete beginners like myself. Although some artistic talent is certainly an asset, closely following the instructions here will come as close as possible to teaching virtually anyone to paint. From drawing to painting, it offers everything you need to create your own beautiful botanical artwork.

The book starts out by helping you choose a subject with practical advice on fruits, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, bulbs, roots, trees, ferns, vines and more. Then, creating a space to work in and selecting materials from brushes to paper is covered. I love the many excellent tips on mixing colors.

The next section focuses on the many aspects of drawing including setting up a still life, planning the picture and transferring your drawing to watercolor paper. There are detailed step-by-step instructions for drawing a huge variety of botanical subjects including orchids, tulips and foxgloves. I really liked how the author discusses the various shapes of flowers such as round, teacup and tubular and then shows you how to block them out.

The final section covers the painting process. Along with numerous step-by-step demonstrations on painting botanicals there are hints on correcting mistakes, protecting your paper and tips on painting white flowers. Creating the initial washes, adding shadows, shading, layering and highlighting are included as well. To finish your artwork the author gives advice on matting, framing, exhibiting and selling your artwork.

The finished illustrations throughout the book are so beautiful. Each one has information on the kind of paper they are painted on, size and title.

This book has long been a nautical standard among small craft owners. It is packed full of information for boat owners and those who love the sea.

still one of the best books available, on small craft handling.
--- would prefer the older edition , as it was more portable !
and much of the new material will be dated before the year is out!
---this is a volumne at once , serious , and readable,
many an old trick , well preserved , well presented make it quite useful for nearly all navigational tasks,
did remark , a lot of typos , and was surprised , but then this is the cyber era !? so it goes !? --- a real tool !, however!

I just replaced my 54th edition with the 64th. Much of it is the same but much has also changed in the past 16 years. If you are new to boating this book might literally save your life. If you're a seasoned skipper you'll find yourself using it for a reference more often than you'd imagine. Covers every thing you need to know for boating in either sail or power. This book is "the Boater's Bible". If for no other reason than learning the "rules of the waterway" Chapman's is worth it's weight in gold.

Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship is required reading for anyone
involved with boating. The Coast Guard Auxiliary uses this book for a reference tool for their courses along with applicable CG Publication. The book is heavy though, get a soft bound edition if possible.

CHAPMAN'S PILOTING AND SEAMANSHIP is one of the half-dozen or so "essential" technical texts that any sailor should own. Coming into it's 65th edition in September 2006, CHAPMAN'S is the only book that offers serious competition to THE ANNAPOLIS BOOK OF SEAMANSHIP as an overall guide to sailing fundamentals.

Unlike Rousmaniere's book however, CHAPMAN'S is just as applicable to power boating, and because it is updated much more frequently, it's information on changeable topics such as boating regulations and new technologies, among others, is far more current---CHAPMAN'S is in its 65th incarnation, ANNAPOLIS in its seven-year-old third version (Where's the Fourth Edition?).

Did I say "competition"? Actually, the two volumes complement each other, and both are absolutely crucial for the serious skipper.