U Books

Best of Dr. Reed's books I have read. One can't put it down. If you love the South or hate it you must read this masterpiece.

Slowing down along all those back roads of the world that is the South is the only way to appreciate the unique outlook of the southern spirit where life and events are often taken with a grain of salt due to the fact that the important things were the same yesterday, and the day before, and all the days before that. Emotional health is probably the most valued commodity, and perhaps the most scrutinized quality of southern communities. In many cases, it is the most important development to watch and gauge since much of the south is far from the pyramids of power that are often created in locations like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago or Los Angeles. It is eons away from foreign influences of Paris, London, Asia or Japan. The living is easy and the sun is hot requiring local dynamics to be the most valuable in terms of acceptance. It gives a new meaning to the idea of majority and minority but not necessarily confined to color. To know the south, time spent there is a must. Southerners appreciate the meaning of home grown and honor their own perspective on life, which sometimes isn't the same as it is in other parts of the country. Rebel yells have a different meaning than up north and don't always reflect the civil war years. It helps to understand Hank Williams, Jr. and some of the other country singers who have it in their blood. 1,0001 facts about the south can only help people appreciate this unique part of the country where life is meant to be savored, not swift. It is greatly aided by a partner of commensurable sentiments.

I had to buy this for a class I'm taking on "The Southern Identity." It was very entertaining and informative. I would recommend it.

It's about time someone compiled this valuable data concerning one of the country's most interesting areas. This book is great for Yankees AND Southerners alike. The most wonderful thing about this book is that you'll find out what some of those expressions, terms, and shibboleths mean--the ones you always heard but were afraid to ask about for fear of being labeled ignorant of your own culture! A must-have for anyone interested in the culture of America and especially the South. Highly recommend this book along with McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD--a fascinating read about Southern culture and what it means to be from the South.

This boook includes, well, a thousand interesting facts about the South. Being Southern myself, I never knew what was in a mint julep (along with 90% of the rest of the South). This is a book that you can pick up, flip to any page and just read. Everything is interesting, and you might learn something, too. Recommended!

i'm buying copies to give to family and friends. i'm buying copies to hand out to the young, disinfranchised people i meet. it's invigorating and i plan to follow all its suggestions.

This is the must-have quick reference guide for progressives and moderates. Whether you are an activist, an aspiring activist, or a someone who just wants to have the answers to shut up your conservative friends and family, this is the book for you. This is the handy go-to book for anyone looking to take on the misleading propoganda of the right in today's fractured society.

Let me also say that if you are looking 50 simple ways to take on the Right, this book will give you that and much more. Yes, it does have 50 areas in which to take on the Right, but it provides several options for doing so in each of the 50 areas. Therefore, you can choose some or all of the options depending upon what you choose. Moreover, it lists resources where you can go for assistance or more information.

But "50 Simple Things" does not stop there. Need a list of progressive news sources: it's in the book. This book is chock full of internet web sites and web logs to help you coordinate with others or gather more information. Media watchdogs: they're in the book. In fact, there are so many internet sources listed in this book that I became physically tired of linking to all of them.

But this book is not just for internet geeks like me, it has phone numbers for organizations that you can contact. Ideas for campaigns and campaign volunteers. Little ways that you can stick it to the Right.

This is the handiest quide for progressives and moderates I have yet to see. I have read many books on progressive issues, but none match "50 Simple Things" in ease of reading and coverage of major issues. And the best thing is that "50 Simple Things" is about simple things everyone can do and it is set out in a concise book that is less than 200 pages. All of the things you need in a small, very portable format.

This is a great resource for anyone concerned about the direction our country is being moved in. It's time for the "common sense" majority to stop being silent witnesses.

This is a great book for any budding political activist, or anyone who just wants to do something to help fight the rise of the conservative-religious-right movement in the United States. It's a quick read and is organized so that it can be used as a ready reference.

I found out I was alredy doing about 33% of the 50 things, but even for those I was already doing, helpful information and sources were provided that made the purchase worthwhile.

My wife read part of the book, and wound up putting a sticker for the Green Party candidate for Senate in our state; one of her coworkers noticed and asked my wife about who that person was, and as a result, the Green Party candidate has gained another vote.

As the title states, this book describes a number of things that anyone can do to counteract the Right's strong influence in present-day America.

Some of the actions included require little or no effort. Join a progressive group, be it local or international. Take back control of the American political vocabulary. Donate a subscription to a progressive magazine to your local library. Become familiar with the parts of the Bible that support progressive positions. Visit alternative news web sites. Also, visit right-wing sites to begin to understand the Right.

Some actions require a little more effort. Adopt a blog. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper (even if your letter is not printed, it might encourage the editor to print a similar letter). Did you know that the Pledge of Allegiance was written by a Christian socialist named Francis Bellamy? Talk to your neighbors, and to your congressperson's local office. Attend local meetings, like school board, city council or planning and zoning commission; the Right will be there. Support public education, along with local arts and artists. Stand up for science in the classroom. Volunteer for a political campaign.

For the committed individual, become an expert on a particular subject. Look for right-wing spin in your local media. Start your own media. On Election Day, become a poll watcher. Spread the word the "person of faith" does not automatically equal "conservative." Last, but not least, why don't you run for office?

The only part of this book that may cause disagreement is the assertion of the publishers that the Democratic Party needs to be reformed back into the progressive party it once was. Like it or not, America is a 2-party system, and reforming the Democratic Party is easier than starting over with a third party. On the other hand, many people in America believe that the Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans, and, therefore, not worth saving.

Aside from that, this is a gem of a book. It contains plenty of inspiration for people of any age or income level. Even if the reader can do only 1 or 2 of the things mentioned in this book, it will help to change the tide in America. This book is very much worth reading.

All american girl is the storyr of the golden oldies of the Womens National soccer team! It shows how some 10+ ordinary girls came together to make a HUGE difference in the history of sports! Best book ever!!!!!!

This book will give you the facts and inside scoop of the wonderful ladies. Some of the stories the team tells are hilaroius. It's not the best book I've read but it's great for young girls to see how they got to the highest level.

This book is fantastic. It gives an inside look at each player to pass through the National team program for an extended period of time. Includes player interviews and a sort of "rap"sheet for each player, like their most embaressing soccer moment, their favorite number, and other interesting facts. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about the Womens National team. Don't Miss it!!

If u don't have this book, u must buy it because i never liked soccer untill my friend bought me it. I was hooked. I read it 5 times that is how good it was. Please buy the book. If u don't, you are missing out....... BIG time.

If you are a fan of any player on the US womens team and wonder what they do in there life (Yes they do have a life out side of soccer)this is the book for you. Your brothers picking on you saing girls cant play sports. Will now you can prove him wrong. Hand him this book tell him to read the first page, it will make him think twice before he makes fun of womens soccer again. This book has each player tell about there life in and out of soccer. They tell of all the interesting hobbies they have and some of am even rat on there team mates. If you buy this book and dont enjoy reading it you are not a true womens soccer fan.

I like this road atlas because of its spiral binding. It lies flat when open -- a real plus when you're trying to manipulate it with one hand while (heaven forbid!) driving. Otherwise, it's pretty similar to most other road atlases with state and city maps, distance charts, an index, and national park maps. The colors are vivid and the maps are pretty and easy to read.

Smallchief

THis is a pretty good looking road atlas. The spiral binder makes it less likely to end up like the glued and stapled atlases. The large scale maps are easy to read, even across the cab so you can see what she is telling you.

This is the best Road Atlas that I've have ever seen.
Great product!! Great Price!! and you can't beat Amazon's Great service!!

Without a doubt the best road atlas you can buy. Spiral binding makes it so much easier to handle without destroying it.

Exceptional detail on State, County and other secondary roads. Larger size and scale provide much improved readability when you're on the move (of course I never try to read the map while driving). Excellent detail on city maps and way more notation of landmarks and points of interest than the other brand.

Why waste your money on Rand McNally when this is available?

Most atlases have entire states on only one page. Consequently, many smaller towns are omitted. Most states in this atlas are on two (if not more) pages. Larger print. Easy to use.

This is the best, most-amazing book on US WWII fighter aircraft that I have ever read, and I've read a lot of them. There are other good ones out there, but this one is very special. I didn't even know about it until it was mentioned by a fellow pilot in Aces High. I'm very glad for that chance method by which I learned of this fine work.

This is more of an echo/chorus to the previous reviews. Thus, it is only helpful in the context of reading those first...

If you want technical information overload on U.S. WWII fighters this is the place to find it.

It would be nice to see other writers and publishers be as successful, as this book has, on similar subjects.

I second Dan Fords review in its entirety, except that I do not think the book either too big or heavy. I would have liked even more, at least the P 35A, P 36 and P 43. It is an incredible compilation of data. It is obviously not Mr. Deans fault that some of it is wrong, (e.g. If the data was right, the P-39 would have had enough climbing capacity to perform well over Guadalcanal in 1942.) It is too much to ask to expect him to tell us everything.

Make no mistake, this book isn't for military enthusiasts who want to know about the operational history of the planes mentioned and who shot down what with it, leave that to the hundreds of other books out there on the same subject. The purpose of this book is to give you a true in-depth and technical understanding of each of america's fighter aircraft.

This is a true technical resource book that is also fun to read and will educate you on the true handling characteristics of the aircraft contained in it. It constitutes more of a pilot-related information bible than anything else, this is the book to hit if you ever get lucky enough to be offered to fly a warbird, it also makes an excellent resource to those who want to create simulations or wargames.

In the end, military aviation buffs will find it extremely interesting, but this is truely a pilot's guidebook.

If you need info on how these planes worked, real detail, not the typical picture book fluff, in the average book, this is the book for you.

Nuts and bolts info you can really learn from.

A complete Day to Day timeline for each plane, pilots comments on everything from the cockpits to the ground handling and how good of a gun platform.

Info about all the systems and structures.

Simple the best, short of Warren Bodies Books on the P-38 and P-47.

When I finished this book I had a new understanding of the Revolutionary War. The book contains writings from all perspectives about all aspects of our fight to be born as a nation. At the end I felt a real sense of suprise in my new understanding of what this struggle meant to the participants as it was occurring.
The Library of America makes an excellent book with first class binding and paper. They also get the highest marks for scholarship. The editors of this volume used all contemporary sources and documented them carefully. At the same time they produced an entertaining book on a subject that has been covered in thousands of volumes.
As I read the accounts from privates and generals and everyone in between I was suprised by the high level of literacy of all parties. They all expressed different points of view with a level of articulateness that is missing in most of the writing of today. I learned a new appreciation for the letter as a means of communication. An amusing suprise was the spelling of that era, which was not was not near as uniform as today.
Reading this book gives an insight into the experience of the revolutionary war that is unique. I have read many volumes on the political and military history of that era without gaining the understanding of the events I gathered from this book. If you are interested in the subject at all reading this volume is an investment of time well worth the effort.

This book is like having our founding fathers in the room and talking to you. It's history as told by the participants, not filtered through another author's interpretations. If you care about our country and want to know what really happened, read this book. You'll come away understanding why we fought the war of independence, and you'll also see the roots of both the Bill of Rights and the Civil War as well. I've given away perhaps 10 copies of this book to judges, attorneys and politicians and they all rave about it. Open your mind and find out what really happened to make our country great.

This book not only has a lot of important names in it (I won't repeat them here), it also has letters from people of lower ranks, or townsfolk. You not only get to know what the generals and officers were thinking, but you also get to know what the people in the soon-to-be United States were doing and thinking. There is an incredible diary from a 14 year old girl included in the collection. She recounts the officers who were quartering in her home and what she thought of them and what she thought in general. Her original orthography is preserved as much as possible. Also included are various diaries of people who lived in the areas where battles or troop movements were taking place. Much insight into what life must have been like during the Revolution can be gleaned from these. There are also glimpses of the violence of warfare in those days through the letters and diaries of the people who were surrounded by it.

This collection is made doubly valuable by its comprehensiveness. You'll read the big names, but also quite a bit of the lesser known ones. Each author also has a biography which can be referenced in an appendix of notes, so you know what happened to them. An amazing collection of the famous and the not so famous of the American Revolution.

No matter what you have learned about the American Revolution, this terrific volume from the wonderful Library of America will give you a richer understanding of how it happened and who was involved and when. It is full of documents that are contemporary with key events of the Revolution from various points of view. They are from diaries, newspapers, letters, speeches, key official documents, excerpts from books, and so on.

Of course, part of the problem of reading contemporary documents is that the non-specialist will need some helps to put them in context, understand who wrote them, who the key participants are, and so on. The editor has provided a very fine chronology of the War, Biographical Notes, Notes on the Texts, Explanatory Notes, an index, and a surprisingly helpful table of contents.

The documents are presented chronologically with the dates along the top of the page. You can read it front to back or jump into it here or there. While this volume will enrich your understanding of and appreciation for our Founding, it will also provide a jumping off point for further study. Since these are all source documents that historians use in their writings, having read them will allow you to read secondary writings on our founding with more authority and their biases and any agenda they have will stand out more clearly as your read their work.

A must have for your American History shelf.

Fantastic collection of sources (American, Tory, Whig, British, etc) that tells the chronological tale of the American Revolution. Troop movements, political undertones, the effects on the communities, the horrors and kindnesses of villains and heroes, and the full kaleidoscope of the human experience are generously provided here. The book moves from the ride of Paul Revere to the moving resignation of Washington's commission, a very dramatic narrative pieced together skillfully by a wide variety of independent accounts.

Primarily a pictorial of weapons and equipment of the Confederacy apparently compiled by Time-Life while doing their series on the Civil War. The photography is excellent and the quality of the book is unquestionable. Well worth it if you are a Civil War buff.

Here it is: the holy of holies. ECHOES OF GLORY is it for the Civil War re-enactor. From the major items such as jackets, muskets, and pants to smaller items like eating utensils, smoking devices, and gambling implements, it's all here. Everything (almost) a soldier of the Confederacy might have had during the period of 1861 through 1865 is here, in beautiful color.

The introduction is a well done over history of the Confederacy's need to self-equip and arm for the conflict. Each chapter has it's own dialogues, each pertaining to the subject matter, but also well written. But, the real wealth is in the photos. Hundreds of them, each beautifully detailing artifacts from the War Between the States.

Re-enactors should especially note the sections on jackets, trousers, and shirts (let's face it, we're limited on musket choices due to the inablilty for most of us to make our own; clothing is something we can better control!). It's obvious several of the better hat makers for re-enactors raided these photo galleries to create their wares.

For the non-re-enactor, there is plenty here to keep your intrest. However, as a former re-enactor myself, I found this tome invaluable during my four year run.

I'm a history teacher and this is the book I use the most in my Civil War research. Very clear and descriptive photos of "authentic" weapons and uniforms. Excellent reference for the reenactor.

This book helps to illuminate a hazy area of history, namely the equipment and uniforms used by the Confederacy. So many "Rebs" did their own thing as far as armaments and accoutrements that there really isn't a comprehensive guide available (or even possible). This book, though, definately goes a long way in providing information for the serious collector of Civil War memorabillia. Data on uniforms, buttons, insignia, weapons, etc. are found here with many color photographs so collectors can see exactly what an item looks like and not have to make do with a sketch.

Definate must for the Civil War collector's library

What a fascinating and interesting book this is. It provide invaluable material to anyone who has a serious interest in the Civil War. This book was made by the editors of Time/Life and I must say that they did their research accurately. This book describes the arms (weapons) and the equipment (from canteens to buttons) that the average Confederate enlisted soldier to the Confederate General used during the Civil War.

Each section of the book is divided into weapons (Pistols, Rifles, etc) and tells not only the type (with great photographs that are in color) but who issued them as well. From Rifles, Guns, Knives, Swords (Officer and Enlisted), to regualar camp knives, they are in this book if they were issued by the Confederate Government. Even those that were homemade are listed in here as well.

The most interesting parts in my opinion are the Uniforms that the Confederate Soldier wore and the flags that were flown by individual regiments. The Confederate Soldier wore a uniform that was diverse as to the regiment each one served in. From home-spun uniforms to those acquired overseas and in stylish clothing stores, those that the editors could find and be able to use are in here (alot of Uniforms, Flags, etc were supplied for the book by the Museum Of The Confederacy). Some of the hats that are in this book, show the holes where bullets either killed the wearer of the hat, or made it a VERY close call. Uniforms great and small are in this as well.

There is also a narrative throughout the book that is easy to follow and VERY interesting. There is a background story to some of the uniforms that tell of the wearer of them, if they died in battle, or lived to a prosperous old age.

The division/regimental flags are also in here and give the story to how they were made, if they were captured, or if they survived the war.

What a great book this is, and it is an absolute must have to any Civil War enthusiast, as well as those who have anytype of interest on the War fought between the states.

Highly recommended!!

Like every Discworld fan, I've always had in my mind a good idea of what the characters looked like. I pictured Ridcully as Brian Blessed, Vetenari as David Warner, Granny Weatherwax as either Judi Dentch or Maggie Smith, Lady Sybil as Dawn French, CMOT Dibbler as Eric Idle, and Vimes as Russell Crowe. This book doesn't present the characters exactly as I've pictured them, but it's not far off and what it shows is certainly great!

Consider the picture of A'Tuin flying through space, or the picture of Granny Weatherwax smiling broadly. Look at Greebo, oozing feline malevolence (though too bad we didn't get a look at his human form, once described as being the sort of person who can commit sexual harrasment by sitting quietly in the other room).

All your favorite characters are here, and most of them are so well-done you can look at them and just KNOW who it is, without being told. Look at the totally gormless picture of Fred Colon, for example, or Carrot, looking quite noble... almost... regal...

Basically what it boils down to is that if you enjoyed, The Last Hero: A Discworld Fable you'll like this book. There's no story, just some lovely artwork. A definate must-own for any Discworld fan!

This book is a collection of Artist Paul Kidby's illustrations of the various characters in Terry Pratchett' Discworld. And boy howdy, what a good job he does. Personal favorites of mine are the picture of Discworld on the back of the elephants on the back of the turtle swimming through space!! Kidby gets it perfect! I am also very fond of his pictures of DEATH.. one of my favorite characters in the series.

If you are fond of the series, I highly recommend this book! I would also suggest that you check out The Last Hero: A Discworld Fable, which also features the art of Paul Kidby.

All the best,

Jay

"The Art of Discworld" is a beautiful collection of images by Paul Kidby - some are pen and pencil essays, others are more advanced sketches and many form completed paintings. They are grouped by theme and portray the Discworld itself, several landscapes (Ankh-Morpork, Lancre, Überwald...) and buildings (Unseen University, several Guilds, Night Watch HQ...) and almost every named character in the Discworld universe. In addition, Terry Pratchett adds interesting, lengthy comments on characters, how they came to be and his opinion on Paul Kidby's view of them.

There are a couple of inexplicable omissions (for instance, Magrat Garlick is barely shown in the background of a picture, even though she is mentioned repeatedly in the accompanying text) and several images have already been featured elsewhere (e.g. several book covers, the Mapps,the Calendars).

Finally, the illustrations and the text correspond to the Discworld situation as it was by 2006, which means there are some serious SPOILERS in the text for those who haven't read the corresponding books.

Overall, this is an absolute MUST for any serious Discworld fan. It's gorgeous to look at, interesting to read and at times hysterically funny like only something written by Terry Pratchett can be.

I would say that the art depicting the various characters of Discworld looks exactly like I had imagined them. This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend if you are a Discworld fan. The only thing missing in this book is a depiction of Sybil, Vime's wife. I would liked to have seen her included in "The Art of Discworld". All in all, an excellent Discworld resource for the Discworld fan!

It's amazing how a well written description or the good development of a character can put an image in someone's mind.

I found Paul Kidby's illustrations to be as I expected the assorted characters to appear. And it motivated me to further pursue reading more of Pratchett's work.

This book has a defined scope. It does not address all the questions of a scholarly mind or an inquisitive mind... but that is not within it's scope. The fact that some reviewers find it does not address all the contemporary questions may be related to a misunderstanding of when this material was written. J. E. Esselmont lived from 1874-1925. Keeping the context of history and the author's personal involvement in the faith, it shares a view of the emerging Baha'i faith by one taken up in the swell of the changes of the day. The author's introduction clearly states that when he first glimpsed the teachings, he was struck by their power and beauty. The author thus disclaims his bias and his position. This is not a dispassionate, dry, recitation of the purports of the day. This is the writing of a man in love with something greater than himself, attempting to put his learning into a context historically and socially.

No book will be perfect, but this one is intriguing. A preview of contents is available by project guttenberg online.

As with many Bahai writings (I'm not a member, but I have been to Bahai functions, read much of their literature, and have close friends in this faith), one doesn't have to be a member to enjoy this book. A lot of what Esslemont says here is practical for anyone. Partricularly such advice as-

"For a child, a teacher is necessary, but the aim of a true teacher is to teach his pupil how to do without a teacher."

"The time has come when narrow national patroitisms should be merged in the wider patriotism whose country is the world."

Want more? Buy the book and see.

I'm not going to get into much detail here, because this a book that you really just need to read for yourself. Verily, every Earthling should read this. Okay, that is a biased thing to say. ( I believe in Baha'u'llah's revelation ) But to view this as a reader and not a theologian, it is a remarkable introduction to the 2nd most widespread and youngest of the world religions. It is a source of the Baha'i view on a very large number of issues that face the world today. I think its easy to at first be utterly confused by the Baha'i faith, but this book should aid you in a comprehension of Its message and what it means to be one of Its adherents.

To be a Baha'i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood." - Abdu'l-Baha

"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility." - Baha'u'llah

It was an exciting experience.

This is an incredible book which outlines the basics of a new, world-wide faith known as Baha'i. It discusses such topics as:

- The unity of science and religion

- The way to peace

- Health and healing

- Prayer

- Education

- Fundamental justice

- Baha'i history and religion

It contains a number of profound ideas and meaningful insights which can be applied to any life and every society, and offers a basic understanding of this young religion. For some, it leads to still greater questions -- the answers of which can be found in other, further reaching books and studies.

I highly recommend this book.

This is an outstanding summary of Bettie's life and her impact on modeling, art, pin-up, photography, and those needing encouragement in overcoming obstacles. The book is a nice way to learn about Bettie Page and those individuals she worked with during her career and growing up. It stops short of telling about recent events, but gives one a good understanding of the lady. The information is factual and well written. Much speculation has been made about the time she walked away through the present, but this is a nice account with the facts that we know to be true without the speculation. The pictures within this book are amazing and many won't be seen anywhere else. The information about those individuals she touched, encountered was interesting as well. Good read.

So said one of her photographers. What a marvelous book. If you're like me, and have been a Bettie fan for years, you've been waiting for this book. For years one could find stuff on her only in comic shops and the like, dealing in old memorabilia from the Fifties, or in various "alternative" shops that sold her image on T shirts. As a teen that's where I learned about her, thanks to "The Rocketeer," the comic "The Bettie Pages," and psychobilly trash-punk band the Cramps, who for a short time had a bass player the spittin' image of our fair maiden. Now that we've finally opened our eyes, we can buy several books on her, this being by far the best. It is the ne plus ultra of Bettiebooks, of pin-up books in general. What a trend-setter; a humble, troubled, open and honest woman who was not exploited, who has not turned herself into a PC victim--she's idolized by smart, hip young women who see in her freedom, sexuality, playfullness, life itself. This book had better be reprinted--it's an absolute crime to be unavailable. Get this book by any means necessary!

I bought this book for my husband's birthday last year; he has always thought Bettie Page was great, and he is the one who enlightened me about her. As an artist, I was drawn to her style and unpretentiousness, and have drawn her twice so far.

This book is well-written and leads the reader through Bettie's life; from her start and to her present day in a respectful and fascinating manner. I came away from this book understnanding the appeal she had to men, and wanting to draw her portraits over and over.

There was one another 50's icon who rivals Marilyn in popularity today--Bettie Page. True, she didn't make any A-movies, but like Marilyn, embodied that woman who drew a fine line between good girl/bad girl and crossed the lines as easily as one drank Coca-Cola. Unlike Marilyn, Bettie survived, but like Marilyn, her legend lives on for one simple reason: she dropped out of sight in 1957 following the fall of Irvin and Paula Klaw by the Kefauver Committee on indecency and pornography and refused to have herself be photographed as she is now. Thus, she is remembered as she was back then. And as her life has become simpler, she values her privacy. She says so as much in the hand-written foreword, at the same time surprised and honoured that so many people are interested in her.Karen Essex and James L. Swanson book is a great place to start for those curious about Bettie Page. Basically, it's a biography accompanied by lots and lots of colour and b&w photos, many of them topless. There are two of them which has her completely nude. She also posed for countless magazine covers and photographers. Art Amsie's photos are the best of the lot here. Bunny Yeager is touched on briefly, but that woman has a book on herself so... Looking at the early Bettie, before she became a pin-up from 1947, is also quite a revelation. She is still beautiful, but in an ordinary way, like a typical girl growing up in 1940's America.There is clearly a dualism going on here. There's the pretty wholesome girl in the bathing suit or maybe not, and then there's the darker leatherbound fetish girl, be she receiver or giver. That latter half led to her downfall. The point also was that she enjoyed her work, mainly the lighter beach stuff. You can see it in those twinkling eyes and smile of hers.The last section of the book features models who have been influenced by her, be they in clothes or just looking like her. Of the lookalikes, Eva Herzigova, Debi Mazar, and Janice Dickinson have got it down to the bangs, (it's the bangs that did it for Bettie, after all), long black hair, and prominent eyebrows.Apart from being one of fantasy artist Olivia's favourite subjects, Bettie's images appear on album covers by My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and the David Lee Roth Band. Her three videos, Teaserama, where she acts opposite stripper legend Tempest Storm, Varietease, and Strip-O-Rama have come out. She'll live on, no doubt about it.Anyone interested in Bettie Page-start with this book. You won't be disappointed.

This is the ultimate book on Bettie Page. This book is for every true Bettie fan. Even contains an introduction from Bettie herself.

If you really want to follow the history of legend, this is the ultimate book on Betty Mae Page!