Renaissance Books

One of the most beautiful, complex works of art that remain with us from the middle ages, the Unicorn Tapestries at the Cloisters Museum in New York City are a priceless treasure. Their monograph on the tapestries is a beautifully produced, meticulously researched, and well-written overview of the techniques used to weave them, the selection of colors, the symbolism of the figures and flowers, and the possible meaning of the entire sequence. To this day, no one knows for certain for whom they were woven and what they truly signify. If you haven't had a chance to see these wondrous tapestries in person, consider putting them on your list of things to do before you die. If you have been fortunate enough to make a visit, this book will certainly increase your understanding and appreciation of this masterpiece. We are fortunate to have them, though they probably truly belong in France or Belgium.

I absolutely love the unicorn tapestries, and I fulfilled a childhood dream when i saw them at the Cluny museum in paris. The colors are vivid and beautiful and do justice to these awesome tapestries.

I recall seeing these tapestries for the first time as a teen, when my high school class made a bus trip to the Cloisters Museum--deigned as a medieval castle--in the uppermost park in Manhattan. As I recall, I was on crutches at the time. Through the shallow, spiral stairs tested my coordination, however, the fabulous textiles, rich in color and mythology, completely distracted me from my injury.

I've been back a few times over the years to see these priceless treasures, and each time, they have induced silent awe.

Margaret Freeman's volume provides a great record of the collection, including fine pictorial details, and scholarly (but engrossing) explanations of the tapestry themes and motifs.

This is an art book you'll be happy to have.

If you can't see these gorgeous tapestries in person, ***this book is a great way to view them up-close. Each tapestry, circa 1500, is shown in full (in color!) and in detail. All of the brilliant colors are from three dyes: madder (red), woad (blue), and weld (yellow). The hunt of the unicorn theme is possibly an allegory for love, marriage, even the death of Jesus Christ.

These now-famous works of art apparently belonged to François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, in the late 1600s. They were taken from his chateau and later used by peasants to protect their food from frosts. Fortunately, they were recovered in 1850 and later (1922) purchased by John D. Rockefeller who gave them to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I was fortunate enough to see them last October. My fiancé and I made the trek from Times Square, via subway, to Fort Tryon Park, where The Cloisters are peacefully nestled. We crawled from the sub-terrain and entered the lush, fragrant park. It's a bit of a walk up to the museum, but the garden atmosphere astonished us. We couldn't believe we were in NY! The Cloisters were quiet and uncrowded in the morning. There's a center court complete with bubbling fountains and plants from the Medieval era that is open to the sky. We crossed this courtyard and entered into the small room where the tapestries occupy their personal space. I will never forget the experience. They took my breath away.

Anthony Bailey's somewhat misleadingly titled Vermeer not-quite-biography is meticulously researched, lovingly detailed, and suffused with a powerful affection and appreciation for both Vermeer's painting and Dutch history. It is only ever less than fascinating when dealing with the old master himself.

So little is known of Vermeer as to leave his biographers only slightly better off than those of Shakespeare, imagining that this document indicated this mood, this painting signifies that political opinion...such supposition is not terribly interesting to the lay reader.

But in his detailed recreation of 17th century Delft and his lush and delicate descriptions of the major canvases, Bailey makes up for the limitations of his subject. This period of Dutch history is so rich it seems almost a shame to spend so much of the text on a figure about whom so little is known, and Bailey recounts it beautifully.

An excellent book, then, unless one really wants a biography of Vermeer.

Anthony Bailey is the ideal author to write about Vermeer: like his subject's paintings his prose is quiet, calm, introspective, and serene. He illuminates Vermeer and his work, but as in the paintings discussed the light is gentle, and golden, never harsh - like a good poet, Bailey leaves plenty of room for the reader to reflect on his/her reality as he describes his subject.

It's wonderful to think of Vermeer painting his silence-drenched, calm and mysterious images amid the noise and tumult of his house filled with eleven children. Perhaps his paintings were a world of perfect order and quiet that he could retreat to when his messy and noisy surroundings became overwhelming. I also liked Bailey's point that perhaps Vermeer painted so few images because almost all of his best work had sunlight streaming through a window, and the Dutch climate doesn't offer too many sunny days to paint from!

The book opened with a bit more 15th and 16th century Dutch history than I would have cared for, but hold tight, once he switches his focus to Vermeer's paintings the book takes flight, and you will never look at the paintings in the same way again. The black and white reproductions don't do the paintings justice however - I'd recommend having a book of color reproductions of the paintings (there are only 37 known Vermeers!) next to you as Bailey gently helps you see these familiar images in wonderfully new ways.

Anthony Baily's biography of the elusive Vermeer is really a study of the Netherlands, or more specifically, the town of Delft, in the mid-seventeenth-century. I suppose there is no other way to write a biography of a man of whom so little is known, and Baily's efforts are resoundingly successful. His descriptions of city scenes, cultural events, churches, houses, markets, etc., are rendered with astonishing skill and verve. His thumbnail history sketches are always lively and never seem rushed. There are surely more detailed studies of Vermeer's work, but Baily is far more interested in placing the artist in his context than he is in producing the definitive read of the master's painting. And while readers interested in all of Dutch culture in the Golden Age might find Simon Schama's "Embarrassment of Riches" a more detailed and global work, I think Baily is by far the superior writer, and the reader comes away with a full and stimulating picture of Vermeer's world.

I'm certainly no expert on the non-fiction genre and definitely no expert on art history but I do know a well-researched and enjoyable piece of work when I come across it. I came in the backdoor on this one having become fascinated by Vermeer after reading Tracy Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring. I followed that one up with Susan Vreeland's Girl In Hyacinth Blue and then came across Anthony Bailey's book. What a wonderful way to continue my journey into this author's own portrait of this master painter and what a surprise to find that it contains black and white and some color pictures of Vermeer's paintings as well.

While very little is known about Vermeer's life, through the genius of Bailey, you come away from this book feeling you know the man. What we do know is that he lived in the mid 17th century, was a Reformed Protestant until he married the Catholic Catharina Bolnes and fathered 11 children as well as 35 masterpieces. At a time when painters were in abundance in Delft and industry was striving, the picture of Vermeer is still that of a struggling artist trying to feed and clothe a large family. It is a wonder, Bailey points out, that amidst all the noise and commotion that must have gone on in his house and the financial problems that must have weighed heavily on his shoulders, that he was still able to paint such masterpieces that put the beholder at ease merely by their stillness. Vermeer was never an "all-inclusive artist" notes Bailey and none of his paintings incorporate a single flower. He favored the use of the "local colours" of yellow, white and blue. Bailey also notes that he was "fond of rendering the effects of sunlight and sometimes succeeded to the point of complete illusion."

The author mentions the trademarks found in Vermeer's paintings -- the white wine jug, the map on the wall, the bowl of fruit on a carpeted table, finials in the form of a lion's head at the back of the chair and, my personal favorite, the black and white floor tiles that helped the artist establish perspective. He also explains Vermeer's possible use of the camera obscura to focus his view. There were so many interesting things presented by the author, one of which was the different way Vermeer signed his name. Bailey shows five different signatures all playing around with the V and M in Vermeer's name. Another thing I found engrossing was how Vermeer put things into his paintings and then painted them out. We can only see this now because of modern X-ray and infrared equipment.

I could go on and on about all I learned after reading this book but some of the more interesting parts occur after Vermeer's death and have to do with Hitler's possession of some of these masterpieces as well as Van Meegeren's forgeries of Vermeer's works in the 1900's. Of the 35 known Vermeer works, one painting, The Concert, is still missing, having been stolen in 1990.

I culminated my fascination of Vermeer with a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this week to see the Delft/Vermeer exhibit. Having just read Bailey's book, I felt quite knowledgeable not only concerning Vermeer but all things Delft in general. Upon exiting the exhibit, I walked directly into the gift shop where Anthony Bailey's book was not only on sale but being purchased by all those around me. So not only do I congratulate this author on a work well done, but also on the best timing possible for publication that one could imagine.

I'll end this review with my favorite lines from the book -- those that sum up Vermeer's life in the eyes of Anthony Bailey. "He remains in some respects, the missing man in some of his own paintings: the person who has just left the room, or who is expected at any moment. He is impatient to be found, to be seen, but while he waits, he paints stillness."

Anthony Bailey has made Johannes Vermeer come alive for me with interesting stories, things that might have been and a wonderfully descriptive Delft region by which Vermeer was obviously inspired. To me he is no longer lost, but found on the pages written by Bailey.

I really liked this book. i always like books about knights. if you read this book and don't acutally think about it, it's not very good. it's not really about a war, it's really about a boy learning about loyalty. it's really about a boy following his dream, yet not upsetting his dad. over all, this is a really good book.

THE WARHORSE was one of the best adventures for young people I have ever read. It combined action, romance, life lessons and family relations in ways that any parent would approve and any kid would enjoy reading. In a world of video game violence and quick fixes to teenage restlessness, this book shows what patience, honesty and occasionally breaking the rules for the right reasons can do for a boy trying to find his way in the world. By using the Lorenzo's sketchbook as the basis for the illustrations, I was free to imagine the scenes on my own, while learning more about the period and the background of the characters. I would compare THE WARHORSE favorably to Johnny Tremaine, a true classic of the genre. Despite the fact that both boys dream of going to war, neither book has a pro-war message. In fact, Lorenzo follows his heart into a very peaceful life. The lessons that are taught are presented as realistic choices that any young man faces, not just as things that only happen to Lorenzo or only happened during the renaissance. They also don't come across as lessons, which will be a relief to the young readers who can just enjoy a great story.

I read this book aloud to my fourth graders and they loved it! At least once a day I would hear from them...Can you read The Warhorse today? They thought it was a thrilling adventure story, and at the same time they enjoyed learning about what life was like during the Italian Renaisance. I would highly recommend this book not only for children, but for adults as well. It is a wonderfully written story that readers of all ages will surely enjoy. Bravo, Don Bolognese, bravo!

Don Bolognese has presented the romance of art and war placed in Renaissance Italy with exciting text and detailed illustrations. Hidden between the lines and behind the words the author has successfully described the ever present conflict of adolescent immediate gratification versus adulthood. It's absorbing and wishful, even lusty yet presenting the youthful reader with history while reassuring him/her that time can place us back on the right track, whatever and wherever that may be.

If you want to get the complete story, what the papers didn't tell you, read this book. It's a quick read, yet gives you in-depth details about Jennifer and Robert's lives, from their not-so-normal childhood upbringings right until the night of the incident. And the book delves into how cold, calculating and blind with denial a mother's love can be for her son.

This guy looks like a Kennedy. Indeed, his mother has styled him as a Kennedy. An Irish Catholic nurse born in Ireland, she has devoted her life to climbing up the social ladder of New York society and pushing her very handsome son through the best prep schools, etc. Only one problem. Robert Chambers is a pretty boy loser, a druggie and a sociopathic sickie. He bombs out of prep school after prep school, mainly because he is caught stealing to support his cocaine habit. He just parties. That's about it. Mommie, nonetheless believes her son will turn it around and amount to something. He is irresistible to the girls. They see him as an alpha male. They think his unsavory character is sexy. Along comes Jennifer Levin, a not completely pretty, but sexy, lively girl, who just wants to have fun. She finds Robert and wants to have fun with him. Unfortunately, his idea of fun is to get wasted, and while wasted he chokes her to death, and then realizing what he has done, tries to make it look like a rape in Central Park. Then while being questioned he has a brilliancy. He claims she raped him! And in fighting back he accidentally strangled her to death.

Well. It's a sick scene. All the Studio 54 party preppies and wanna-bes think this is just the coolest scene. They now feel so important and they support Robert, one of their own. Meanwhile Mom hustles up bail and more to buy a high priced lawyer to defend her boy. We get a semi-competent judge, a not really talented ADA, and a "star of the show" defense lawyer. I'll leave it to the reader see how this sad story about the decadence of the New York-preppie scene, circa 1988, turns out.

Of course one might say that the real villain here is, if you will, Mom. She doesn't care what evil things her boy has done. She doesn't care that it is obvious he is a degenerate sickie, all she cares about is he is her Hope. She lies to herself. She self-deceives and even though any idiot can see that her son needs to be put away she continues to let him party and do drugs and rob while she keeps working seventy hours a week to support his debased life style. Of course he doesn't work at all. If she had ever said "NO!" and put him on his own, the earlier the better, say at twelve, he might have amounted to something. But Mom had to indulge her mother...lust.

Linda Wolf does an outstanding job of vividly bringing this tale to life. She has a literary novelist's eye for detail and the narrative control of a best selling thriller writer.

I read this book when it first came out so I don't remember much about it & I have seen the true crime show about it many times & everything I remember about this crime is from that show but I just wanted to say the the review by Dennis Littrell was great. He totally wrote what is was all about.

The story of Jennifer Levin and Robert Chambers made headlines in the late 80's and is summed up in this book. Wolfe's inciteful manner brings this story to life from all angles. This is a story of teenagers who live on the edge and do not understand the true consequences of their actions (or do they even care?). Society in it's hunger for sensationalism is seen as the catalyst for this unacceptable behavior. Everyone wants their 15 seconds of fame, don't they? At what cost

I found this book fun and insightful. Any Dads or partners to be can learn from this no nonsense guide to helping and supporting the woman in your life who is pregnant. The illustrations are delightful. It's really a must have for the guy who wants to help his pregnant wife, but doesn't quite know where to start. It should be called "the boyfriend's guide to pregnancy".

Finally, the definitive book for expecting fathers! Here Mr. Dunton combines the sensitivity of Spock with the writing talent of a modern Fitzgerald. I've read alot of baby books, but this one is the best. I recommend it to all Dads and Moms.

Most fathers-to-be have no idea of the changes taking place in the bodies of their wives other than what they have read in pamphlets about pregnancy.Even the most self-reliant woman needs babying while she is herself "babying".

Excellent, excellent, excellent! This is by far the best book available on this subject. A friend of my wife quietly slipped me a copy a few weeks back and I couldn't be more grateful. I've since bought several copies to hand out to all my "expecting" pals. I (and my wife) look forward to more from Mr. Dunton in the future.

This is a wonderful book that gives the reader a feel for all social levels during the medieval times. I especially enjoyed The Wife of Bath's Tale. I recommend this book to anyone. It is interesting while being entertaining at the same time.

It was so lovely

Chaucer has given me a greater insight into life in the 14th century. We see the hypocrisy of the "genteel" people of the time. He has also transcended the boundaries of time for we can still see evidence of this hypocrisy in todays society. The Wife is a strong female character and the reader can not be certain if she is feminist or anti-feminist nor can they be certain if Chaucer is laughing at her or with her. This was a very crafty device by Chaucer's and he must be commended for it. This device is shown in how long Chaucer allows the Wife to speak about herself, it is the longest prologue in the book except of course for the General Prologue. The Wife's views and issues can also be seen in her choice of tale but her voice seems somewhat more subdued here and we can distinctly see Chaucer's own views and ideas coming out in the tale.The very poetic style in which it is written also intices the reader to read on. Altogether quite an insightful piece of literature.

There is no poet in any language of more extravagant wit and wisdom than old Geoffrey Chaucer, and no more universal, but for the challenge of the language. Like Homer in Greek, Dante in Italian, Chaucer set the bar too high for anyone ever to exceed him. And how fundamentally English he was, as if all the "personality" of our literature flowed from the same cultural spring!

My generation may have been almost the last to memorize the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales and to learn the few easy rules of pronunciation and syntax we needed to enjoy Chaucer. Helas! The times, they are a-changing. Still, a few years ago I had an irrational lust to revive my ability to read Middle English, just for fun. I discovered that there were audio-books of many of the Canterbury Tales, including the Wife of Bath's salacious masterpiece. Of all Chaucer's dramatis personae, the Wife of Bath is surely the most humanly convincing, the randy old dame! "Why, I'm probably just the right age to be husband number six," thought I. So I ordered this CD. By the time the CD reached me, I'd forgotten my urge to make use of it. In fact, I forgot I had it until yesterday, when it somehow popped out of the shelf at me.

Elizabeth Salter and her unnamed male foil speak the poetry of Chaucer with enough 'naturalness' to persuade me, particularly since recording technology was still rather crude in the 1300s. With the ability to pause the disk by remote, I find that I can follow the most familiar parts of the Wife's narrative comfortably. For most of the tale, however, I have to keep my eyes on the text. I wouldn't mind if Salter had delivered her words just a trifle slower, but then perhaps the rollicking cadences wouldn't have frolicked so mirthfully. There are lots of editions of the Canterbury Tales available with old and new English on facing pages, making the effort much easier.

This is probably not everyone's idea of fun, what with movies of Beowulf starring naked babes as Grendel's Mother and such. But Chaucer is too good to be lost. If YOU the parents of America no longer have the willpower to compel your teenagers to labor through the Canterbury Tales, then it's YOUR obligation to do so yourselves!

Dan Jenkins is at his best when he's making fun of himself. You Gotta Play Hurt appears to be based on Jenkins' time at Sports Illustrated. I've heard the characters are based on very real folks. It's funny...and most of it apears to be true!!

Simply the funniest book I've ever read, while still ringing true to life. The picture of big time college football is more accuarate today than when the book was published, and the new corporate face of publishing is a vicious satire of what sportswriting has become.

Only read this is you want to laugh you a@@ off!

I never wanted this book to end and couldn't stop myself from finishing it. I received many strange looks from people as I grabbed my side and laughed out loud at Dan Jenkin's comic masterpiece. I couldn't help myself. Adding to the hilarity is the fact that the events and characters are all too real in the world of sports. The puritanical may be offended. Swearing and sex are a part of big time sports. I'm jealous of everyone, sports fan and non sports fan, who will be reading this book for the first time. You will not be disappointed.

This book is an amazement to me; purely because I don't know how Dan Jenkins keeps coming up with this hilarious stuff. But perhaps I do. As one of the world's best sports writers, he's been everywhere and done everything. He's seen the sports world for what it is -- a lot of fun and excitement to be around when the game is involved; and fall down laughing funny when those around it begin to think that it all actually matters. If you are one of those who confuses sports with reality - don't read this book. It will probably just tick you off. If you are one of us who enjoys sports and actually have lifes -- READ THIS BOOK. You will never watch a sportscast the same way again. If you are one of us who enjoys learning about the ins and outs of big time sports and entertainment, and don't mind the generous portions of sexy humor and humorous sex that Mr. Jenkins does so well -- you've probably already read this book several times, just like me. WARNING!!! DO NOT LEND THIS BOOK TO LIKE MINDED FOLKS (MALE OR FEMALE). YOU'LL NEVER GET IT BACK.

Though a short book, the author certainly packs a lot of punch into it. It's incrediably sexy and starts from the first page.

99 Martinis was like nothing I've read before. It was steamy and hot and had a good story, too, which you don't often see in erotica. The characters were well drawn and it actually had a plot. Loved it!

While 99 Martinis is somewhat literary, it is the erotica that heats up the pages of this novel. Told as a novel within a novel, it is the story of two people who come together and of obsession. Interesting read.

Sidonie Quince, a bright, pragmatic, and humorously sharp-tongued girl in Elizabethan England, prefers the "reassuring certainties" of Euclid and mathematics to the misty world of alchemy and fortune telling.

Yet she has inherited the talent of scrying (crystal gazing) from her late mother. For good reason, Sidonie views the gift as a curse rather than a blessing even though her alchemist father Simon wants her to use her skills to earn money for the family and win favor at court.

Simon has spent a lifetime laboring in his laboratory in search of the philosopher's stone and believes he is close to success in the Great Work. Rashly, he promises the Queen he will soon be able to turn lead into the gold the nation desperately requires to prepare for the looming threat of attack by the Spanish Armada.

Though Sidonie fears he will fail again, incurring the Queen's displeasure, she sets off on a mission with her good friend Kit to locate a missing ingredient for the alchemical recipe. In the process, she finds herself in a whirlwind of danger in which her life and the fate of the nation hinge on her ability to see the future.

In this richly detailed novel, we're handed a mysterious elixir created with a brightly written mix of Renaissance events, historic personages (including Queen Elizabeth, Lord Burleigh, Sir Philip Sidney, Francis Walsingham, William Shakespeare) and real and fictional intrigues well seasoned with magic.

Eileen Kernaghan, who received the Aurora Prize for "The Snow Queen," once again works her own brand of alchemy to transform vowels and consonants into a reading experience of pure gold.

Decades have past since I was a young adult and yet I found "The Alchemist's Daughter" just as suitable for an 'old' adult.

I read it in one sitting, revelling in the details of Elizabethan England and the world of alchemy. Kernaghan has captured the lively, bustling era with the spoken word of the times and descriptions that catapault the reader into London, Glastonbury, an aristocratic country house, and the royal court. Her research is impeccable; she carries the plot along at a good pace; and includes all the elements that are essential for a page turner.

Don't miss this latest book by Eileen Kernaghan.

THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER - A REVIEW

The striking cover of this young adult fantasy novel raises expectations about what's inside, and the content doesn't disappoint. True to form, Eileen Kernaghan's tale about an educated young Elizabethan woman caught up in a tide of court intrigue and political events is full of adventure and vivid detail.

When alchemist Simon Quince convinces the charismatic Queen Elizabeth I that he has the much-sought formula for making gold almost in hand, his dismayed daughter Sidonie journeys to historic Glastonbury in search of a substance which may help him realize his goal. Sidonie has earned the favour of the Queen through her talent for scrying; a means of seeing the future in a crystal. The Queen's interest and Simon Quince's rash claim make the trip a treacherous one for Sidonie and her companion, Kit. The two encounter a number of enemies and pitfalls during their quest, as well as happening upon the assistance and generosity of the powerful Lady Mary Herbert. Lady Mary's informed influence and closely guarded spiritual practices are a source of revelation to Sidonie, and help her resolve her father's dilemma. Drawn into yet a darker intrigue through her talents and her association with the Queen, Sidonie ultimately helps defeat an enemy of England and the Crown.

The extensive detail of the lives of everyday Elizabethans and nobility alike lends solid authenticity to both setting and plot, as does the careful crafting and inclusion of historic information and personalities pertinent to the time. The lush descriptions of the Royal Court and of Lady Mary's ancestral home deserve particular mention. This is an exciting novel for readers of any age, and Elizabethan enthusiasts especially should delight in the abundant detail and sumptuous settings found throughout the book.

In Morrison's book, set in Renaissance Italy, the reader learns the way of the artist. Antonio is apprenticed to his uncle to learn how to paint frescoes. With Morrison's full color plates, the reader enters the world of Renaissance Italy with its beautiful full- colored plates.

Morrison has included a very thorough glossary which would be helpful to any novice artist or anyone interested in learning the way of the artist. Helpful for art history buffs, or those interested in Renaissance history. Useful for school children interested in art.

Antonio, a young boy in Renaissance Italy, apprentices with his uncle, to learn how to paint frescoes in the Roman Catholic Church. Techniques used are described by the young author-illustrator. An interesting picture of Renaissance times for younger readers,with enough specific art descriptions to appeal to adults. Glossary included.

With the push of technology we can literally work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For most of us this has meant specialization. Not so in the renaissance. Mr. Morrison's work takes us back to a time of patience, hard work and delayed gratification. It's not surprising that he was recognised for his work by the Academy of Illustrators (a lifetime achievement for most illustrators - rarely bestowed on freshman attempts). Antonio is sure to be a classic for children as well as parents. It is a great model for how "quality time" can be cultured