Antiques Books

I happened upon this book browsing through a used book store. I sat down and started flipping through the pictures and descriptions of familiar, famous toys, and COULD NOT put the book down! I bought it that night, of course, and was even more spell-bound the more I read. I was astounded by Tim Walsh's research; the large, bright photographs; and the intimate history of the development of so many toys that are part of any American children's heritage. Learning that Mr. Potato Head originally came without the potato (children used a real one!), seeing all the variations of Candyland (found my own version: 1970's), and reading about what made the Cabbage Patch Doll craze (4th grade - I remember so clearly!) was fascinating. It was my treat to read every day coming home from work until sadly, I finished it! But, as a 5th grade teacher, I promptly took the book to school and watched with delight my students' reactions as they discovered interesting and arcane facts about toys they all knew about as well (how long some toys have been around got the biggest reactions). It was passed around the classroom for several weeks. I cannot recommend this book too highly!

The author has created an excellent book covering the most popular toys of the 20th Century. As you go through this book, you are going to come across many toys you remember from your own lifetime. While some have faded with time, many are still popular and have entertained ever since they first appeared.
The book takes a rather wide view of what a toy is; and includes many games,puzzles,and other things that have entertained young as well as those who are young at heart,if not in years.
The first toy discussed was the Flexible Flyer sled.It brought back a memory to me ,since I had one as a kid.Mine had the straight-runner,and I ran into a gutter grate and punctured my thigh. It seems it happened enough that the runners were rounded.Then, there is the Big Wheel. The kid next door had one and he loved it so much ,he wore completely through the plastic wheels.
Here, you will not only see great pictures of the toy or game ;but also the story behind its being invented and marketed. You will also learn about the person who invented it,details about patents,how many were sold;and lots of other interesting details. It's highly likely that you will find your favorite toy or game covered.
At the back of the book you will find an extensive Bibliography. The book covers many games and puzzles.I have been a long time fan of puzzles and if you are interested in them ,I suggest a search under Jerry Slocum,[...]or The Slocum Puzzle Foundation,Beverly Hills,California.
Overall,a wonderful book that would be interesting to just about anyone who enjoys toys,games or puzzles.

As someone interested in toys and collecting, I've read lots on the subject. But Tim Walsh still told me things I didn't know. The best part is that someone with no interest in the subject will still find this lavish, inviting coffee table book an enthralling read. The reason is the author, Tim Walsh. Most toy collecting books start with no criteria as to what goes in and what stays out of the book. Tim did. One criterion was that the toy had to be created or invented by an outsider. Thus, a lot of well- known toys already didn't make the cut.

The ones that did have stories a lot better than the title, Timeless Toys, makes them sound. By that I mean that this isn't one of those nostalgic "see how much better these simple toys were than all your overdone gadgetry?" books that abound in collecting circles. You might come to that conclusion, but Tim started somewhere else. When he made his own games, he started asking questions about others. Why is the box like that? Why is this that color? Where did they get that name?

Those are the same questions one asks playing with toys. The cynical answers are that marketing research showed that more people would pick up the package if it were blue, and a computer poll of all co-eds showed they liked the letter "Z". But Tim shows, thank heaven, that those cynical answers are wrong. Lots of great toys came from accidents, and many inventors began with a sense of wonder.

Tim doesn't stop there. Those outsiders need insiders to make a toy. Tim covers all that, including the most famous toy designer, Marvin Glass. As with Andy Warhol, the Glass name covered a design team, and Tim introduces some of the faces behind the scenes. Many toys were inspired by other toys, and Tim traces the roots back. His findings usually don't jibe with the urban legends surrounding their creations, and when there are multiple tales, Tim tells them all.

The most interesting parts to me are some that might be overlooked. They are small sidebars showing the origins of a toy and some of the companies that have made it. Often the company names change because the companies are bought by other firms. A decade ago Tyco was bringing back all the classic toys that ever existed, having bought those companies or their toy molds. Where's Tyco now? I wondered, until Tim revealed it was bought by Mattell.

Tim also tells the origin of many toy companies, including one started by two guys named Matson and Elliot. I've read about Wham-O before, and even interviewed an animator who made Superball commercials, but Tim reveals the secret of how Wham-O made so many great toys. Tim also breaks it all down with by decade timelines. He often shows the box art of toys that were revived in various decades. Toy art in the '50s and '60s, much of it done by comic book artists, is a wonder to behold, while the overdone, throwaway art of today really does look like the result of committees on market research.

The bad news is that this 300 page book is only about 75 toys. But that may be a good thing. Those interested might track down Bill Bruegman's Toys of the Sixties or related volumes to read on. Don't buy The Playmakers, though, because Timeless Toys is the new title of the same book. Tim Walsh convinced me that creative souls, even today, even if by accident, may still have a chance. If toys be the fruit of wonder, play on!

As a toy inventor I was surprised when I first saw the book by how beautifully designed it was as well as the extraordinary quality of the photography. On further examination, it greatly surpassed my first impression with its fascinating stories and (truly astonishing), that it got its facts right!

In addition to the fun of seeing all those cool looking toys and taking a nostalgic look back over the last century, it's an historical tribute to American and American immigrant's genius and hard work that has given us all so much pleasure.

treat yourself and your friends to this fine book.

Just spend a few minutes with this book and you will jump back to the day. Your first quest will be to find the toys you played with. This is extremely easy to do as the book is laid out in chronological order. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and write ups of the toys of my youth. Some I looked for purposely and others became a surprise reminder of things I had forgotten. The simple pleasure of remembering these things was added to by the stories about how the toys came to be, their inventors, and manufacturers. I have enjoyed this book so far, having only had it for a week or so. I imagine it will give me hours of reminiscing. I also want to go through it with my family and friends and let them tell me about their toys. Overall review would be a top quality book that can be enjoyed by children of all ages.

Everything that you wanted to know about rigging ships with square sails.
The last part of the book is about ship handling. Now I know the reason the ships are rigged the way they are. You need this book if you build model square rigged ships.

This is a great reprint of the training manual for a Royal Navy officer. It has helped my presentation for living history of a US Navy seaman incredibly.

I bought this book because I am a recreational sailor and ship modeler. I found this to be an excellent source of information on the rigging and basic operation of 19th century military and commercial sailing vessels, and it answered many questions I have had about older sailing vessels as compared to modern ones.

The subject matter is laid out logically, but must be read carefully due to its original 19th century syntax and language, and the tremendous amount of detail discussed.

The book starts with how strands are laid into ropes, how ropes are made into lines, the basic components of rigging (hooks, blocks, hearts, trucks, cleats), description and tying of basic seaman's knots, moving on to constrction and stepping of the masts, spars and sprits, standing rigging, running rigging, sail construction and rigging for each location on the ship, finishing with anchor rigging. As if that were not enough, the second half of the book is a fascinating treatise on practical seamanship of the day, including coming to anchor, when to use certain sails, reefing, laying to, heaving to and other heavy weather techniques.

The book is illustrated throughout with hundreds of highly detailed period line drawings. Truly an 19th century version of the Annapolis Book of Seamanship and Chapman's Piloting combined, it is an absolute must for any model builder or student of sailing ships who wants to know "how it was".

History and ships...
I Love History and ships, and this is simply one of the best and most enjoyable books I have read. I am still reading it, but it is one of those you want to share immediately. My hobby is building 18th century wood static model sailing vessels, and I have learned a few things already (despite my library of 40+ books on the subject). It hurls you back in time, to enjoy details that would have been forgotten, if not for this kind of book. Like the page that tells the strategy that one should use if the wind changed by three points... or taking in a topsail... or tacking expeditiously...
If you are a fan of history and the 1700's sailing... you cannot go wrong with this book (and its cheap!)

Judge this book by its cover! It's exactly what it says it is. This book is full of practical knowledge suited for the young naval officer or merchant seaman. It's one of those books that is just fun to read. Similar to "The Art of Rigging," this book has tons of information about the rigging of sailing vessels not in common use today, but it's fascinating nonetheless. A great volume for those enthralled by the sea, or who enjoy model ship building. Looks great on the coffee table, too!

Excellent book - unfortunately I didn't buy the british version right away - which comes with an extraodinary CD. So I bought the british version as well and offered the american one to a friend. LONG LIVE OLD EUROPE

This is among the best car books I've ever seen. The photography is all new - no recycled press photos you've seen over and over. The writing style is clear and evocative of the best story telling. It could have been published as 21 monthly articles in Road & Track. The tone is friendly without being silly. It contains technical information without getting hopelessly bogged down in minutiae. HOWEVER - as I was reflecting how cool it would be to download audio recordings of these cars in action (imagining a website) I read that the UK version comes with a CD! Why isn't this in the US version? As the Buddhists say, all suffering stems from desire... Now if I could only buy (and maintain!) my fantasy Chaparral and Ford GT-40 and Ferrari Daytona and Mini-Cooper S and Lotus 21 and Jaguar D Type and supercharged Bugatti and Porsche 911 and Cobra and Buell superbike...

It can be ordered through Amazon UK; It's called "Into The Red" and the engine sounds on the CD are awesome.

This book is outstanding. Nick Mason's brief account of each car's history and how he came to buy it is interesting and often humorous and Mark Hales' account of the driving experience conveys great feeling. The photography is also of very high quality. BUT you must buy one that comes with the CD, the book is titled 'Into the Red' outside the USA. Listening to the CD (loud!) while reading the book is an awesome experience which should not be missed. Particularly track 5, the V16 BRM, the sound of which will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!

Recently I bought the UK-version of this book. It is called 'Into the Red' and comes with a CD with sounds of the sportscars described in the books. I agree with all other reviewers: this CD plus book is a must-have. The pictures in the book are beautiful, the text by Mason and Hales is technically, humorously and very interesting to read. Even if you are not full into racingcars, this is still a very nice book to have in your bookcase !

Johan Blaauw's incredibly large atlas - a marvel of cartography -, in a glorious edition by Taschen. The combination of full page reprints and overviews with commentary makes for one of the most luscious books I ever saw. Mesmerizing!

The quality of the pics of this book is wonderful. Several images just need a frame to decorate your wall.
You will spend hours looking any detail of the book. It makes a wonderful gift or addition to a collection. Highly recommended.
This is wonderful a coffee Table book. Buy it now!

This sits on my coffee table and is a great companion to watching any sort of historical documentary on TV etc. Also makes for good cocktail party reading/conversation.

I've seen an original copy of this in the NYPL and this printing is true to form, with insightful tidibits and good translations extras.

The Bleau Atlas Major is the most beatiful and prolific atlases ever made.

I bought the Barnes and Noble edition and save 80%. That being said the B&N version is smaller and harder to read. It is also 100 pages shorter, which is why I gave it only 4 stars. Nevertheless I found the book fascinating. But the maps were so interesting I felt a little cheated not getting the other 100 pages. I guess I'll go to this book store where they have a big one displayed compare it to mine. Also the full $100+ volume is so big the box it comes in has a handle to carry it!

I echo previous reviewers in saying this is a great book.

For those wondering about a Barnes & Noble reprint of this atlas and its relationship to this edition:

(1) The B&N edition is reduced in size quite a bit (13.5 x 9 inches versus 18 x 12 inches) making the text of some maps much too small to read.
(2) The B&N edition is missing roughly 100 pages from the map section (about 25%). The layout for the remaining pages is pretty much identical to the original.
(3) The B&N edition only contains the introduction in English; the original, larger edition has a multilingual intro. The captions of the maps in both editions are multilingual.

That said, the B&N edition is roughly 1/5 of the price, so if you're not using this as a serious reference book, it's worthwhile considering the cheaper alternative. The B&N edition is still a great "coffee table book" (in fact, a more reasonable one given its smaller--though still quite massive--size and weight).

Here's a little time travel for you. I first got my hands on this book when I was a little baseball-loving kid, back in 1974. This book scared the hell out of me back then.

Thirty years later it turned up again, and this time it blew my mind. It's one of the most creative, touching, thoughtful, mildly mean-spirited works of literature I've ever come across (And I read books for a living.)

Here's the backstory on the book. It's the early 1970's in Boston, and two witty, profound, slightly geeky local bookstore employees decide to rummage through their childhood baseball-card collections and write a book about their love of the game. Please note: this book **isn't** about baseball or even about baseball cards (here I'm citing the authors in their preface), it's a book about childhood as recalled through the prism of baseball cards.

This book isn't for everyone. It's for grown-up men who loved baseball as boys, weren't very good at it (as the authors admit about themselves), and were probably picked near the end in gym class when teams were being chosen.

This book is probably best (and most mind-blowing) for people who grew up during the late 1950's and early 1960's, as the authors did. But the generations of childhood baseball fans ever since will also find great pleasure in this entirely irreverent and clever book.

"GOOD NIGHT, SIBBI SISTI, WHEREVER YOU ARE." When I read this line in the book back in 1974, it gave me the willies. Now I just grin.

Beautiful, brilliant and witty. Once you have the book, you'll never forget it, and you'll probably keep wanting to show parts of it to fellow fans. However, in the name of humor, the book is a little cruel to some players -- for example, "Hal Griggs was to pitching as Wayne Causey was to hitting -- that is to say, nothing." Even as a kid I was made uncomfortable by things like that. But, some of those things, I just LOVED, like the teasing about how ugly Don Mossi was and about how lousy a hitter Hank Aguirre was ("...I mean to tell you, he couldn't even come close..."). So, where should they have drawn the line? Heck if I know. Also, the book seems to show a bias toward players from Boston and Philadelphia, giving them more space than they deserve, and a lot more kindness. But actually I enjoyed that, since, as a New Yorker, I've always been embarrassed about the disproportionate attention that is usually given to the Yanks and Mets. It's nice to see a couple of other towns getting their turn.

I received this as a Christmas gift one year and was initially disappointed. I had only heard of a few of the guys that were showed on the cards and I set it aside, figuring on sticking it up on my bookshelf with the other boring books that I had and never bothered with. Several days after Christmas we went on the annual family gift return, a day I truly hated. In desperation I grabbed this book off of my pile and took my accustomed place in the back of the station wagon. For the rest of that day and night the only time I put the book down was to eat, and then only briefly. This is a completely irreverent look at baseball as a whole, and the thing that really sealed the deal for me was the card of Whammy Douglas and the comments made by the author. I tried to get my dad to read it because I figured he would get more out of it than I did, (I'm 41 and consider myself to be on the trailing edge of those who might "get it",) but he wasn't interested. Maybe I'll try again. This book might have a limited range of interest, but if you have fond memories of baseball in the 50's and 60's, I think you'll fall right into that range.

This book is a treasure. I think if I had to pack one bag of books for a long stay on a desert island, this would be one of the first ones included. Like one of the other reviewers, I have worn out more than one copy and find myself puzzled why it's been allowed to go out of print.

"The Great American Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Card Book" has three principal sections. The first, "Where Have You Gone VINCE DiMaggio" is a warm and very witty recollection of the co-author's childhoods in the 1950s and the central role that baseball cards played in them. Part two, "This Kid Is Going To Make It," is a look at how the baseball card business operated circa 1973, the date of the book's original publication.

As entertaining as these openers are, the best (and largest) part of the book is the one simply called "Profiles." Reproduced in full color are hundreds of cards from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, accompanied by the author's observations about the players immortalized on them. You'll find greats on these pages, like Richie Ashburn, Stan Musial and Ted Williams...but the real joy is the rediscovery of the men on the fringes of the game's glory...."immortals" like Chris Cannizzaro, Frank Leja, Foster Castleman, Clyde Kluttz and Coot Veal. It's tempting to quote from the book at length, but that would spoil the fun. Just to give you a sense of the flavor though, I opened at random to the page featuring Hector Lopez, poor-fielding third baseman for the Yankees and Kansas City A's. After judging Lopez not to be just a bad fielding third baseman for a baseball player, but for a human being, they declare, he did not "simply field a ground ball, he attacked it. Like a farmer trying to kill a snake with a stick."

This is a wonderful book for any baseball fan, and should especially be treasured on those short, cold winter days when the crack of the bat and the warm blue skies and green grass of summer seem oh-so-far away.--William C. Hall

Each of us occasionally has experiences that are so vivid that they make immediate and permanent imprints upon the memory. For example, I can still remember my excited first day of kindergarten, as well as my first glimpse of Three Rivers stadium, as our family car approached it along the jumbled, congested streets of the North Side.

Believe it or not, I can similarly remember my first experiences reading this book, as though they were yesterday. I was in grad school in California, and a friend was visiting me with this book in tow. As he spread out a sleeping bag and nodded off to sleep, I curled up with his magnificent book. I can still picture that entire scene, my old apartment as it was then, and even one particular page on which I lingered in fascination (the Joe Fornieles profile.) The feeling of reading it was that electric, that hyper-engaging.

A book has got to be good if reading it is remembered as a formative experience.

Let me try another way to explain how much I loved this book. When I couldn't find this book anywhere (it being out of print), I directed a nationwide book search to try to find it for me. They did, a flawless hardback edition that I still treasure, and still maintain in carefully guarded, pristine condition. Mind you, I was a starving grad student when I did this, and could hardly afford such luxuries.

As you can see from the other reviews below, this book takes that type of hold on those who love it.

There are three major sections in this book; one covering the sensory atmosphere of a 1950s suburban childhood, one on the baseball card industry as it existed in 1973, and one a series of profiles of players as depicted on samples from the authors' baseball card collection. The first and third of these are the great ones.

I adore the opening chapter, which brought childhood back to me even though I didn't grow up in the same era as the authors. But some things are universal I guess, including the way that childhood memories exist as scraps and floating debris of the odd popular cultures through which we guide our children.

Boyd and Harris's childhood world will be recognizable to anyone who grew up in America -- a world of advertising jingles, cap guns, yo-yos, Pez, and of course, baseball cards. A time cycle in which the kids learn to break down the interminable flow of their school year according to the changing weather, the holidays and favorite activities of each mini-season. And even those of us whose childhoods weren't so innocent nevertheless cling to those small fragments of memory of a time when we had no responsibilities and the world was a fascinating and wondrous place. I once wrote a newspaper review of this book in which I referred to this opening chapter as Marcel Proust in Levittown, and I think it still fits.

But the real core of the book is the "Profiles" section. This is a procession of baseball cards, one after another, two per page, each of which triggers a particular set of memories from the authors. Many of these, if not most, are really funny. But others are poignant.

Not all of the little capsule profiles are about the players themselves. Sometimes the authors take the opportunity to laugh over the baseball card itself -- a goofy pose, a bad airbrushing job, an inexplicable caption, an ill-considered description on the back.

It's an exquisite feeling, thumbing through their card collection with them. You feel the pang of reverence for the Ted Williams card. You snicker over Choo-Choo Coleman and the lousy catchers collected by the New York Mets. You ponder how it could be that Charlie Smith was traded straight up for Roger Maris. You nod knowingly over the author's continual confusion of Mike de la Hoz and Bob del Greco.

The visual design of the book is central to its power, which is why I particularly treasure my hardback edition. One page of umpire cards has a colored backround on which is stamped,simply, "Boo, Boo, Boo, Boo. . ." A page with the cards of Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente contains no commentary, just a respectful black background (each had recently passed at the time of the book's original publication.)

Somehow it all seems to mean something, even without seeming to try to mean anything. And therein lies the book's genius.

I know of no other baseball book like this one. It defies categorization, and despite my poor effort above, it really defies description. Buy it, hide it, shut the door and turn out the world, savor it, ponder it, laugh at it, love it.

Have a good time. It's meant to be fun, you know. Let's play two.

It's a wonderful work. More information you will ever see anywhere. Beautiful and detailed photos that help a lot in identification. I'm enjoying so much reading it.

Like a few other military books Bayonets: An Illustrated History by great author Martin J. Brayley gives us an accurate descritpion and amazing, extensive photographic material to illustrate each and every example.
For collectors and simpatizers alike this is a book worth having in any military collection.

Written by a military photographer of 24 years' experience, Bayonets: An Illustrated History offers an in-depth examination of the role of the bayonet in military conflicts worldwide from 1650 to present. More than 500 photographs enhance Bayonets: An Illustrated History. 300 different types of bayonets are closely scrutinized; almost every photograph features a capsule of notes specific to its topic. The text, while intended more for serious military historian than the lay reader, is highly accessible as it traces the design evolutions and purposes of bayonets as history passed. A welcome contribution to military and weapon history shelves.

Written by a military photographer of 24 years' experience, Bayonets: An Illustrated History offers an in-depth examination of the role of the bayonet in military conflicts worldwide from 1650 to present. More than 500 photographs enhance Bayonets: An Illustrated History. 300 different types of bayonets are closely scrutinized; almost every photograph features a capsule of notes specific to its topic. The text, while intended more for serious military historian than the lay reader, is highly accessible as it traces the design evolutions and purposes of bayonets as history passed. A welcome contribution to military and weapon history shelves.

Photography in this book is excellent and sometimes the visuals are better than the text in aiding identification. The author points out some nuances in transitions that I had not encountered before. I felt it was worth the price and very handy as a quick reference.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the projects on beading around freeform crystals and seaglass. The beaded eyeglass and small bottles were also great. There are a few other quirky beaded items, but the rest of the book is useless. I should say I am an advanced beader, so the many projects on beading around a simple bezel don't interest me. So, if you're a mid to advanced beader, there isn't that much new.

I was very pleased to find this book! Basic instructions for right angle weave that are easy to follow, Ladder Stitch, Even Number Flat Peyote, Vertical Netting (or Lattice Weave,) Back Stitching and Couching.
Good Chapter for Straps, Necklaces and Fringe WITH PICTURE INSTRUCTIONS. Lots of ideas for odd ball beads and not beads that you can use in your beadwork.

It has a Wonderful Chapter (4) on Beading cabochons with some fresh Unique ideas for beaded straps and the stones. One is done with a Amethyst crystal wedge. Very clear instructions. She has some pictures of beaded brooches made with doughnuts and disks embellished with with beads that start in the center and work their way to the edges that I find inspiring. SHe even beaded a Magnifying Glass Necklace!

I found this book by accident while searching for beadwork books on Amazon.com and I'm soooooo glad I did! It includes many techniques for incorporating a variety of things into your beadwork and rather than offering only one design solution it gives lots of options. For example, I especially appreciated the inclusion of techniques for incorporating cabochons and larger found objects such as rocks and slabs without using the technique of gluing the object to a backing and couching around it but rather using beadwork exclusively to capture the object. Lots of eye-candy and interesting suggestions. This turned out to be a better all-around book of techniques than I expected it to be and I know I will refer to it often. It does have lots of projects in it if you want to just follow along and more or less copy them, but it also gives different techniques for straps, focals, etc. so you can mix and match them. I wish more beading books were like this one -- it really helps to expand a beader's design options!

This book is a keeper. The projects are delightful and instructions are clear. With Carole's pointers in mind, there are so many places to look other than bead shops for findings and inspiration. In addition, the book describes new ways of using old stitches that leave the reader with ideas of her own to pursue. Included are pictures of what other bead artists have done using the instructions from this book as a springboard for their ideas. "Beaded Jewelry with Found Objects" is a treasure for anyone who loves beading, and just looking through it is fun. Warning: looking through this book will leave you twitching to start a new beady project ... okay, okay, it'll leave you twitching to start A LOT of new beady projects.

I passed by this book a few times but I needed a bead book fix so I ordered and I'm happy I did. The designs are imaginative and there is a wealth of techniques to try. They are explained well with excellent diagrams. Lots of eye candy to boot.

I liked the book. It could of had alot more information in it because there was a few things that I did not get answered...like I had hoped. But I guess you can't expect one book to give you all the information that a person seeks.

The book is very thorough and spotting every important and relevant issue concerning old and newer cameos. Very easy to read and remember, giving all that's good to know about cameos. Recommended for anyone interested in knowing them - collectors, dealers, teachers...

The only thing is that almost all of the photographs are in black & white, and in a rather poor quality. If the photos were in good quality color, this would have just made the book perfect. I, for one, would be happy to pay for the difference.

If you love cameos and collect them this is a wonderful little book for you. Tells you the history, the types, the reasons for certain styles, how to tell the age, how to tell the value, and all the necessary terminology for discussing them. Good illustrations are also a plus.

When most people think of cameos, they think of the standard woman's profile carved from shell and mounted as a brooch or necklace. But the art of the cameo encompasses far more than that. Historically, it dates back to the ancient world, and over the centuries many materials have been used in making these works of art. Although female heads are probably the most common subject, mythological figures, animals, portraits of individuals, and many other things have found their way onto cameos. The quality can range all the way from cheap mass-produced modern items to fine hand-crafted pieces worthy of any museum.

Anna Miller's "Cameos" is a wonderful introduction to cameos. She covers the history of the form, the subjects normally found and what each one looks like--very useful in an age where few people know their mythology. She describes the different materials that have been used in making cameos--including lava from Mt. Vesuvius, shell, agate, onyx, plastic, and glass. There's an extensive section on how cameos are made and on the people who made (and make) them. One particularly useful discussion describes the differences between traditional hand-carved works and those made by modern ultrasonic machines (vital for any modern buyer). The author also gives information on how to evaluate quality and condition and on market value. The book is illustrated throughout with black and white pictures, and there is an extensive color section in the middle. One of the best things about this book is that the author is able to convey her appreciation of the art of cameos to the reader. "Cameos" is an essential reference for anyone who wants to acquire a knowledge and understanding of this art. Highly recommended.

I am one of the small number of portrait cameo carvers on gemstone.

I found this book to be excellent. There is a wealth of detail on all aspects of cameos. There are also good illustrations. There is valuable info for collectors on identifying and valuing Cameos.

Information on how to distinguish Ultrasonic Cameos from the more valuable hand-carved cameos is given.

You will gain a lot of knowledge on how Cameos are made and valued from reading this title.

This book really is a must have for the old car enthusiast. It went perfectly with the 50's car book I had from the same author. Great pictures and lots of detail.

Im a classic car lover, and this book had awesome information on how models came to life, matured, and even died in the 60's.

There are lots of great pictures and information on the cars of the '60s. Broken down by year and by manufacturer, this is a great book for classic car enthusiasts!

This book is arranged with one chapter per year from 1960 through to 1969. For each year, each of the major American car brands is profiled with pictures of the models that they were producing and the updates and innovations that were notable. Along with this are many insights and observations in easy to read point form. The book contains thousands of pictures (mostly in colour) of cars, car ads, and anything else related to cars. Simply brilliant to flick through because so many great cars are listed and pictured. If you love the cars of this area then you will love this great book. There are many book that go into detail about specific makes models and years, but this one covers an entire decade of the US auto industry in a way that allows you to look at one manufacturers cars alongside another's to get the overall historical picture. This is a very well presented book and now I'm keen to get the similar ones for the 70s and 50s. Overall, very good value for money.

Buy this book for the great pictures, appreciate it for the snappy trivia. Lots of cool color images and rare factory stuff. A car-lover must have.

This book is a must have for African Americans who are collectors of fine African American art. Gives great information regarding the artists and on what to look for in fine art.

Although filled with very valuable information for anyone interested in collecting African American Art, I was looking for info on particular artist. I/E: James Denmark, Kadir Nelson, Alix Beaujour, Leroy Campbell,etc. These are just a few to give you an idea of what I was looking for. The book had great detailed info. I recommend this book to anyone...

If you have ever thought about purchasing a piece of art by an African American artist you should read this book. It is a rare gem. I met Ms. Taha at an opening some years ago at which time she told me she would be releasing this book, I had no idea it would be the treasure that it is. It is insightful, informative, beautifully illustrated, and gives you all the information needed to begin collecting art or to continue adding to your collection. Having a passion for art and the history of African American artist in this country, I want to thank Ms. Taha for encouring me to continue my pursuit for collecting and sharing much needed tools that will help me as I continue in this endeavor.

Ms Taha hit the nail on the head. Anyone with an interest in African American Art, this book is a must buy. The Author, takes the reader step by step through the African American art Market. Any work presented in the work is a fine example of the work that a collector and or an art lover should own. Too often, collecting african american art is thought of as buying $50.00 posters and placing a $500.00 frame around the work. Ms Taha describes how African American Art is here for all and how one can begin the road to sucessful lover affair with ART. Please support this Author.

This book is a wonderful addition to the library of African American Art History and a tremendous resource for both artist and collector. What an opportunity for the expansion of our work. Thanks, Halima. -Nadine LaFond, fine artist, Art Lives