Western Books

You can't judge a book by its cover or, in the case "Following the Wrong God Home", by the advertising blurb on the dust jacket. An acquaintance who works at a local bookstore fairly frothed at the mouth while singing the praises of this book, and she had only finished half of it (the first half). As her tastes agree with my own generally and as Mormon history happens to be my bag, I bought it and started to read.

After the first chapter, I put it down and scratched my head. Somehow the reading wasn't going as planned. I've read hundreds of volumes on as many aspects of Mormonism as I can think of, but something wasn't clicking with me. I didn't want to admit to my bookstore acquaintance that I didn't "get it". So in an act of preemptive bravado, I plunged back into its pages, determined not to be outunderstood by the bookstore lady. As chapters rolled by, I grew more accustomed to Scott Chisholm's meter. Although I'm sure his method may be shoehorned into "the seven holy principles of good prose" and thereby explained, this book does not have the feel of such an effort. Rather, the structure and tenor of the tale mirror the rhythms of the difficulty of those first Mormon pioneers. Instead of simply describing the experience, he paints it as a work or art. Like the Russian masters, the most poignant observations of life are made by those who have experienced the worst of it. Suffering has no value without the introspection that follows and Scott Chisholm guides us through that experience.

Spoiler: the Mormons do make it to Utah.

Clive Scott Chisholm recounts his walking retracement of the Morman trail across Nebraska and Wyoming to Brigham Young's"Zion",Utah.This book is about people,places,perceptions,and the nebulous envisagement of the American Dream.
To Chisholm,born into a Morman Family and faith,the walk it vividly personal.He weaves parenthetical"Acccording to Hoyle" chronicles of Morman history in each chapter.
The author crosses the bounds of genre with timely placed sidebars.He touches geography,natural history,hydraulics,soil management,native indian movements,railway and highway beginnings,politics and a host of others.
He describes eating,sleeping and entertainment establishments past and present;"watering-holes",museums and libraries with a generous portion of humor.There are no sacred cows,be it presidents or prophets.
This book just gets better as it goes.Clive Scott Chisholm doesn't disappoint his readers by slipping off the rails in the final chapter.He runs strong to the end.
The last entry adds a homey"Where are they now"(fifteen years later) about many of the people and personalities we meet in the book.
End

scott MacDonald wrote a book called "The Garden in the Machine" and this book reminds me of "Following the Wrong god home" because they both discuss the meaning of landscape. But if you read both books together you can see how Chisolm's book on the mormons is much more personal mostly because he actually is doing the traveling himself and having the experiences he is talking about. I think that a lot of people who don't know anything about Mormon history could love this book because he is using the mormon history as a way of writing about the western dream. The writing of this book is superb and it is one of those rare books that I never wanted to finish.

I was enthralled by Clive Scott Chisholm's brilliant meld of personal experience, social criticism, and history. On his 1100 mile trek from Omaha to Salt Lake City, he encounters a rich variety of experiences involving the weather,the landscape, historical markers, towns, and human personalities which he describes in vivid detail. Independence Rock in Wyoming, for instance, evokes a discussion of the natural forces which created it and its role as "a geological semaphore of good-bye" for travelers venturing into the unknown West.
Threaded through this account are Chisholm's thoughts about his life, his friends, western history, and particularly about "the American Dream" and the Mormons. He is often brutally frank in his judgments, especially of the Mormon leader, Brigham Young, for whom he can say nothing good. All-in-all, this is a brilliantly written, deeply personal account of one man's adventure in space and time.

Is the American Dream an empty hole(or whole)? Clive Chisholm takes a hard look at that in his trek across the American West, following the trail the Mormons blazed in 1847. Those Mormons were seeking their dream, their promised land. Chisholm, looking deeply at their experience through their journals, overlaps them with his modern day rediscovery of what is left of their trail. In the process, he digs deeply at the Mormon faith, at himself and at all of us, trying to find what gives us the courage and the passion to get up each morning and try it all again. The stories of the young brides who, far from home, died the horrible death of cholera, and his battles with dysentery and toothache; how they drug all their worldly belongings in handcarts, and he a dilapidated hand-golfcart, soon discarded in a highway culvert. Their is no shortage of dispair and heartache for either story, yet there is hope. Chisholm fills the pages with his gift of humor, and the quirky characters that he collects like mile markers on his road. He masterfully weaves both stories together. In the end, he questions what it all meant. Americans, he determines, believe everything works out simply because they are Americans. It's not the same experience for the rest of the world but we, as americans, are comprised of the peoples of all the world. We inherit a legacy of ancestral dreams. The dream is a lie, but it's the dreaming that counts. That's what fills our "common well of human hope." Buy it.

The book is a perfect depiction of the roller coaster reality that can happen when a friend comes over for a visit. He is so excited and can hardly wait for him to arrive. Then when his friend plays too hard with HIS toys or beats him at a game, the friend starts to wear out his welcome. Good lessons in sharing and being a graceful loser. Overall a great story!

They're short, they're funny, they're topical, and they're cheap.

This book details a typical visit with a friend, and the havoc two children can wreak.

Little Critter puts it that he always has fun with his friend, but by the end of the day he's glad to be alone, a true sentiment if I ever heard one.

One thing to note is how the illustrations and the text don't always add up, a good introduction to the concept of an unreliable narrator :)

We bought this book (and most of the Little Critter books) to help us discuss what's going on in our child's life. When problems arose with what it means to be a good friend, we were making little to no headway until we read this book together. Somehow it's easier to understand when it's a favorite book character having the problem and not you.

This put a smile on my face --- and I'm over 30!!! The illustrations are colorful and funny and the story line and writing are very good.

Just My Friend And Me was a great book. It told you how you would play with your friend when he/she came over. It showed how to help your friend when he/she gets hurt. In someways once you have a friend come over you can't wait for them to leave so you can be a lone and do stuff you want to do and not have someone else want to do something different. Well, I hope this gives you a good idea of what this book is about. I hope all of the little children will enjoy this book. I know I did.

I have read books by this author before and this one is by far the best she has written. I would highly recommend this book. It hits home for me since the place is set around my home town. Way to go Delia!

I loved this book. It had me wondering where this was going all the way to the end. I could not put it down until I finished this book.

A beautiful story of love, faith, and redemption, Goldeneyes will surprise and inspire until the last page. Delia Latham has the ability to make her setting and characters come alive for the reader. Warm and endearing, this is one book you won't want to put down. Highly recommended.

You should get a copy. I absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down. Read it in one sitting! I'll be keeping my eyes open for the next Delia Latham title. Melinda

I absolutely loved this story. Once I got into the main storyline I could not put it down. I even gave it five stars, which I usually reserve for books that make me change my way of thinking about something, but the reason for this five stars is altogether different yet still well deserved. I felt it was a book that really got to my soul with the feelings it brought forth and made me feel right along with the characters. It all began in a farm labor camp in California when the lives of many were changed by a choice made by one man. How can his wrongs be made right many years later as truths begin to be revealed. The lives of many are interconnected, and as everything unravels, the truths will be brought to light and the workings of God throughout the whole situation will be made evident. This is a well-written story that has depth of emotion and character. I would highly recommend this book.

This is fantastic book. The threats to the Great Bear Rainforest are increasing in 2007 and support is vitally needed. To see what is happening, go to the Raincoast Conservation Society web page and see what major threats to the Great Bear are coming in 2007.

For years, I had always heard snippets here and there about the Great Bear Rainforest of Northwestern British Columbia, supposedly even more beautiful, wild, untamed, and much larger than other gorgeous temperate rainforest locales like Olympic National Park in Washington. But I didn't really know much about it. Where exactly was it? What does it look like? Is any of it protected in province or federal park land? And many more questions.

Then, years later, I stumbled upon this book. WOW. That about sums it up. This is an amazing book about a place of transcendent, almost ethereal beauty. This book is an enchanting mix of imminently readable and interesting text and absolutely stunning photographs. It almost makes you feel like you are there, immersed in this incredible rain drenched emerald cathedral of trees.

The Great Bear Rainforest is located on the British Columbia coast. It starts a few miles north of Lund and extends all the way north in Canada to the BC's northernmost limit, around Port Rupert, and extends only a few miles inland. It is home to the largest remaining contiguous temperate rain forest anywhere in the world. You probably already know this, but a temperate rain forest is much different than a tropical rain forest because of climate. Temperate rain forests are cool and moist, whereas tropical ones are hot and moist. Anyway, enough of the obvious.

What I really like about this book is that it isn't a condescending piece of fluff, and it gave me *exactly* what I wanted from it. Even though it's no easily readable, it is no fluff piece that waxes prettily poetic but doesn't really tell you anything. It takes you on an incredibly detailed tour of nearly every major rain forest valley in the Great Bear Rainforest. And it doesn't just name-drop valleys that have no meaning to you, it provides you with maps that show exactly where it is that they are talking about. I think this is the greatest feature of the book, I've read too many books about geographical places that tell you the names of certain interesting areas, but you don't quite know where they are. Not so with this book.

Not only that, the book covers a wide range of topics concerning The Great Bear Rainforest. Ecology, economic pressures, animal and plant life, geography, even a lot of interesting history and contemporary issues concerning the First Nation (who we in the U.S. refer to as Native American) tribes who traditionally lived (and still live) in and around the Great Bear Rainforest. I found the parts about the Haida tribe to be particularly edifying. All of these facts and themes are woven into the narrative of the authors' journey through the Great Bear Rainforest (which spans many years) incredibly seamlessly - you might think it's difficult to talk about the flora and fauna of the area while giving a history lesson on the Tlinglit people, but like I said, this point interweaves all points flawlessly. It also does social justice by presenting an unflinching look at the environmental horrors that await the Great Bear Rainforest through resource extraction and recreation at the hands of an apathetic public if current trends remain unchecked.

And then there are the photos. Gorgeous. Vast stands of huge, majestic trees, so much green it's almost blinding; a spirit bear chowing down on salmon in an unbelievable action shot; stunning shots of a coastline where fjord and mountain come together; and of course, the grand British Columbia ocean itself.

This book is a real gem. It's crime more people haven't had a chance to go through it. Read it. Take your time, don't just skim through it and goggle over the pictures. Trust me, the time will be worth it, you'll be glad you did. A must-have for anyone who considers themselves an environmentalist, a nature lover, and especially for people who have stood in awe in a temperate rain forest and said "I need to know more."

A powerful book on this special place. But, now she's discovered

This book is written as a journal of a sailing voyage. Although the authors had previously visited the remarkable areas they photograph and describe six times before, the seventh visit is chronicled in these pages. Thus there is a great depth of knowledge and experience inherent to this work which transforms a simple if elegant journal into a powerful, somewhat doleful, environmental monograph.

This is a beautifully done book with many fascinating photographs of rainforest topography and the diverse life forms which abide therein. The accompanying text is well-written and consistently informative and interesting. But the overarching theme here is that pristine environments which are critical to the survival of untold species of flora and fauna are in jeopardy. Grave jeopardy. Moreover, the McAllisters take great pains to point out that the small islands of preserved and protected ecosystem created in compromise between commercial interests and environmentalists are insufficent to protect wildlife (bears, for example) that depend upon an interlinked vastness of unspoiled terrain in which to flourish.

So this book is as much an alarm and a plea for action as it is a wondrous presentation of its picturesque subject matter. As such, it is urgent reading for those of us concerned about the ravages unleashed when a society values short-term economic advantage (as when untouched river valleys are clear-cut by logging companies) over the work nature takes eons to complete.

This is a wonderful book for both nature and bear lovers alike. It is packed with beautiful color photos. Many interesting facts about the wildlife & plants of the area are detailed in the captions.

The landscape photos feature vibrant wildflowers, ancient forests, & mountains. There are also many remarkable pictures of several bear types. I loved the close-up shot of a bear eating a fish & another of a sprit bear on a log.

Stunning photos of some other animals include a puffin close-up, a bald eagle mother with baby, & an elephant seal gathering. If you can tear yourself away from the pictures, the text is equally impressive.

The authors tell of their experiences while exploring the rainforest. They also discusses the environmental concerns of the area. Journal entries from the trip are scatted throughout the book.

Although I am not new in the "Work", it is always very stimulating to come across a nice and well written literary work about such a man as Mr Gurdjieff, or simply G. No matter how much deep we dig into our selves, to me at least, this man still stand above us in his sharp and compassionate view of our own possibilities. In reading Mr Shirley book, one gets the feeling and the atmosphere of those first years of the "work", in a time where the world was (like today!), very much immersed in deep sleep (wars...).
But I do have one little piece of criticism, nothing that denegrates the work itself, but an attitude commom among orthodox Gurdjieff followers. That is, the subtle negativity directed towards Mr Ouspensky. One can feel that throgought the book, and it is my belief that the work (or Mr G) does not need anyone defending its purity, or making sure everyone undertands that Mr G was really THE TEACHER.
Other than this minor mistake (in my view, of course), the book is very pleasent to read and well structured. I do recommend.

The depth and complexity of Gurdjieff's teachings simply do not easily lend themselves to explanation. While there are many books on Gurdjieff which detail his complex philosophies, they require basic level of understanding of the Gurdjieff to understand them. Until now, that basic level of understanding could only be achieved through years of research. For the first time, this introduction is available in a single book. Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas is the seminal stepping stone toward all other Gurdjieff teachings. The clarity and charisma with which Mr. Shirley wields his pen, place this work apart from all other explanations of Gurdjieff and his teachings. Most of these other books, while indeed enlightening, are a true labor to digest. Mr. Shirley's book stands in stark contrast to these difficult reads. Without eschewing detail, Mr. Shirley enlightens and entertains with his splendid introduction. Finally, a definitive background on Gurdjieff and his philosophies, you will not want to put down.

John Shirley has written an invaluable biography of the philosopher and mystic G.I. Gurdjieff. His writing is clear and incisive, and he gives the reader a very good sense of the man, "warts and all."

Gurdjieff was a very difficult man to be around, according to those who were his students and companions. He relentlessly strove to shake people from their "dream" and get them to see reality. While he had many faults, he also had a compelling vision of what humans were and could become.

I would recommend reading this book to anyone who wants to study Gurdjieff or Ouspensky in depth, before they take on the original material. Gurdjieff's writing style is very difficult, while Ouspensky is much clearer, conveying the same general orientation. Shirley's book will help clarify the distinctions, and give a good overview of the body of Gurdjieff's thought.

This was an easy to read book of a complex and complicated person.

My best friend passed away last year on Earth Day. I was able to spend some time with her just after the new year last year and she mentioned that we had mutual friends that were very involved with his teachings. It was news to me so I put him on my reading list. A year later, I have finally gotten around to it.

He seems to have been a very interesting man who developed - as a result of his own studies and travel - some very complicated but useful theories. From what I have read about him he seemed to have a love him or hate him personality. There also is a very strong patriarchal bent to what he developed and what came from his developments. That may or may not have been his intention, were he alive today, but it is there nonetheless. I would agree that humanity needs to wake up but some of his methodology - to me - is questionable, and in untrained hands possibly dangerous.

Georgia O'Keefe and Frank Lloyd Wright seem to be two stars of his teachings. They have obviously done well in their lives. Creative, lively and lived to the bone.

It was good to read - interesting. However, it is not my path and not anything that calls to me or makes me want to run out and get involved with it. The deeper I read on the internet and in a few other books the more I realized that this is not for me. To his credit - I have heard some of the music that is based on his philosophy and it is beautiful.

The author manages to make some extremely complicated ideas as clear as any introduction can make them and does so in a highly readable manner. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the teachings of Gurdjieff, knows nothing of them, or is already acquainted with his ideas, reading this book will be a rewarding experience. Gurdjieff has always been a controversial figure, but he founded no religion and neither have his followers, but those with an interest in religion, spirituality, philosophy, or just looking for an interesting biography of a fascinating chracter.

my son, 18 mos, loves this book. we read it several times during book time. he becomes shy and buries his head into me when he sees some of the illustrations of the little girls in the book, very cute. no regrets about this purchase.

Enjoyable to read and to listen to, with the added bonus of learning about body parts.

We started reading to my daughter when she was 2 months old. By three months she'd sorta figured out to actually look at the books while we were reading and was showing preferences (some got her wiggly and excited, some did not). She's 4 months now and this is probably her very favorite book. The two-page pictures are adorable, the rhyme is catchy, and body parts are one of the very few things in life she can relate to. I touch the matching body part (hands, feet, head, neck, and so on) as I read and she stares at the book as if greatly interested and wiggles and babbles when I touch the body part in question. There aren't many books for really little babies but this one does just fine. (I also highly recommend "Snail" by Fiona Watt and "Everyone's Sleepy" by Ed Vere.)

Somehow, my 14-month-old started identifying several of her own physical features (including "neck"!) by close approximations of their names after only 3 or 4 nights of reading this book before bed. Very shortly after, she started pointing out the same features in pictures of animals and people around the house. The illustrations are crystal clear in their intent, with only the last two pages presenting any difficulty (one covers elbow, arm and chin in one breath, and the other is for skin, which I imagine is tough to illustrate). I would recommend this book to anyone teaching the easy body parts to her/his child.

This book was a gift and will be a gift for others from us. It taught my 1 year old through it's wonderful sing song rhyme to it's beautifully colorful illustrations, her body parts in two days. She brings it to me and can't read it enough. We highly recommend this for any age.

Hard Text Book with CD - Excellent Condition no markings, no highlites and bends, the soft books cover has wrinkle.

This is a beautiful book by any standards, I think, and is supplied in a protective box. It is jam-packed with excellent colour images and informative text on high quality paper. I saw an older version of this book in a local shop and when I checked Amazon, found I could buy the uptodate version for far less money. I study interior design and I have found that History of Art is marvellous as a reference tool, or even for just browsing through when seeking inspiration for designs. So much work has been put into this book over many years and editions. It is amazing value for money! Be warned - it weighs a ton!

In the introduction to this edition, Anthony Janson (whose father, H.W. Janson, still has top billing for the volume) talks about the long tradition he and his father have had toward this volume and the larger work that carries the same name. It has been a standard in Western art education for decades, and the revisions periodically placed serve to bring new interpretations, perspectives and finds into the mix of history.

Prior to diving into the depths of art, Janson provides a primer - art history is a relatively new discipline, and often studied by historians and others with interest but relatively little training in artistic areas themselves. This book is about the visual arts (those of drama, music, etc. are not included here, but architecture is to some degree); Janson gives a brief survey of key concepts that are critical to understanding the mediums (artists, Janson states, prefer to use the plural of medium as mediums rather than media). Geometric and visual appreciation concepts are introduced, as are philosophical/aesthetic ideas.

The majority of the text is divided into four broad sections: The Ancient World, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance through the Rococo, and the Modern World. This is a book that really a survey or history of Western art - it does have a brief section at the beginning of the Ancient World on cave art and neolithic art in North America, but apart from this never wanders outside the main courses of Western art even in the modern period. As an introductory text, this is not surprising - many of the values and concepts of art in non-Western cultures require more explanation for adequate aesthetic appreciation of their art than an introductory survey course could cover. Still, it is a deficit worthy of note for those who are looking for a more comprehensive volume.

The Ancient World covers art of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent and Persia, Aegean/Greek art, Etruscan art, and Roman art. The section on the Middle Ages begins primarily with the rise of Christendom as the dominant political power - this includes Byzantine art, early Medieval art (Carolingian and Ottonian times), Romanesque, and the ascendancy of the Gothic style, including the great Abbey of St-Denis. The Renaissance focusses early on Italy, but also explores the Renaissance influences in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England. The Modern Period is the most diverse, with movements such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau and other schools that had a greater tendency to cross national boundaries. The twentieth century brought about a great explosion of artistic expressions, in architecture, sculpture, painting and photography, each of which get a chapter. While the fourth section begins with a discussion of modernism, it ends with the discussion of post-modernism, a period of transition.

The colour reproductions throughout are stunning, and the use of black-and-white images to highlight details is also useful. Two-thirds of the 600 illustrations are in colour. The photographs showing architectural styles are interesting, far from being boring 'sample' shots. The text is engaging and informative, achieving a good balance between the artistic, the philosophical and the historical. There are maps, chronological tables, a glossary of terms, suggestions for further readings arranged topically, and a very useful index (always a plus for students and scholars).

This small review relates to an older edition of the work, and not to the revised and expanded one ( sixth edition) listed here. The Janson Art History textbook I know has a skillfully written text and many beautiful illustrations of the masterpieces of world - art. Janson was a first- rate historian who was in contact with the giants of the generation, Panofsky, Meir Schapiro, and others. The work itself is an overabundant one rich in detail and insights. As a reader I would have liked to take it all in so as seemingly to have in my mind a full - map of world history. I do not think I managed it all, but wherever I read I found much to learn and study.
I do not think anyone who wishes to begin to understand the history of the world's great Art can go wrong with this volume.

I purchased this book to prepare for an art certification exam. I used this test back in 1984 while earning an art degree. It traces the history of art from the Ancient World to the Modern Art. It has four sections stating the primary sources which serve as a self review. The illustrations are beautiful, and the text contains plenty of interesting facts and descriptions of the art and their meanings. I found the typeface size slightly small, but it is clear and precise. The book weighs seven lbs. and it has 1,032 pages. It is a hardback and it comes in its own hardcover pocket.

Hard Text Book with CD - Excellent Condition no markings, no highlites and bends, the soft books cover has wrinkle.

This is a beautiful book by any standards, I think, and is supplied in a protective box. It is jam-packed with excellent colour images and informative text on high quality paper. I saw an older version of this book in a local shop and when I checked Amazon, found I could buy the uptodate version for far less money. I study interior design and I have found that History of Art is marvellous as a reference tool, or even for just browsing through when seeking inspiration for designs. So much work has been put into this book over many years and editions. It is amazing value for money! Be warned - it weighs a ton!

In the introduction to this edition, Anthony Janson (whose father, H.W. Janson, still has top billing for the volume) talks about the long tradition he and his father have had toward this volume and the larger work that carries the same name. It has been a standard in Western art education for decades, and the revisions periodically placed serve to bring new interpretations, perspectives and finds into the mix of history.

Prior to diving into the depths of art, Janson provides a primer - art history is a relatively new discipline, and often studied by historians and others with interest but relatively little training in artistic areas themselves. This book is about the visual arts (those of drama, music, etc. are not included here, but architecture is to some degree); Janson gives a brief survey of key concepts that are critical to understanding the mediums (artists, Janson states, prefer to use the plural of medium as mediums rather than media). Geometric and visual appreciation concepts are introduced, as are philosophical/aesthetic ideas.

The majority of the text is divided into four broad sections: The Ancient World, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance through the Rococo, and the Modern World. This is a book that really a survey or history of Western art - it does have a brief section at the beginning of the Ancient World on cave art and neolithic art in North America, but apart from this never wanders outside the main courses of Western art even in the modern period. As an introductory text, this is not surprising - many of the values and concepts of art in non-Western cultures require more explanation for adequate aesthetic appreciation of their art than an introductory survey course could cover. Still, it is a deficit worthy of note for those who are looking for a more comprehensive volume.

The Ancient World covers art of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent and Persia, Aegean/Greek art, Etruscan art, and Roman art. The section on the Middle Ages begins primarily with the rise of Christendom as the dominant political power - this includes Byzantine art, early Medieval art (Carolingian and Ottonian times), Romanesque, and the ascendancy of the Gothic style, including the great Abbey of St-Denis. The Renaissance focusses early on Italy, but also explores the Renaissance influences in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England. The Modern Period is the most diverse, with movements such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau and other schools that had a greater tendency to cross national boundaries. The twentieth century brought about a great explosion of artistic expressions, in architecture, sculpture, painting and photography, each of which get a chapter. While the fourth section begins with a discussion of modernism, it ends with the discussion of post-modernism, a period of transition.

The colour reproductions throughout are stunning, and the use of black-and-white images to highlight details is also useful. Two-thirds of the 600 illustrations are in colour. The photographs showing architectural styles are interesting, far from being boring 'sample' shots. The text is engaging and informative, achieving a good balance between the artistic, the philosophical and the historical. There are maps, chronological tables, a glossary of terms, suggestions for further readings arranged topically, and a very useful index (always a plus for students and scholars).

This small review relates to an older edition of the work, and not to the revised and expanded one ( sixth edition) listed here. The Janson Art History textbook I know has a skillfully written text and many beautiful illustrations of the masterpieces of world - art. Janson was a first- rate historian who was in contact with the giants of the generation, Panofsky, Meir Schapiro, and others. The work itself is an overabundant one rich in detail and insights. As a reader I would have liked to take it all in so as seemingly to have in my mind a full - map of world history. I do not think I managed it all, but wherever I read I found much to learn and study.
I do not think anyone who wishes to begin to understand the history of the world's great Art can go wrong with this volume.

I purchased this book to prepare for an art certification exam. I used this test back in 1984 while earning an art degree. It traces the history of art from the Ancient World to the Modern Art. It has four sections stating the primary sources which serve as a self review. The illustrations are beautiful, and the text contains plenty of interesting facts and descriptions of the art and their meanings. I found the typeface size slightly small, but it is clear and precise. The book weighs seven lbs. and it has 1,032 pages. It is a hardback and it comes in its own hardcover pocket.

Hard Text Book with CD - Excellent Condition no markings, no highlites and bends, the soft books cover has wrinkle.

This is a beautiful book by any standards, I think, and is supplied in a protective box. It is jam-packed with excellent colour images and informative text on high quality paper. I saw an older version of this book in a local shop and when I checked Amazon, found I could buy the uptodate version for far less money. I study interior design and I have found that History of Art is marvellous as a reference tool, or even for just browsing through when seeking inspiration for designs. So much work has been put into this book over many years and editions. It is amazing value for money! Be warned - it weighs a ton!

In the introduction to this edition, Anthony Janson (whose father, H.W. Janson, still has top billing for the volume) talks about the long tradition he and his father have had toward this volume and the larger work that carries the same name. It has been a standard in Western art education for decades, and the revisions periodically placed serve to bring new interpretations, perspectives and finds into the mix of history.

Prior to diving into the depths of art, Janson provides a primer - art history is a relatively new discipline, and often studied by historians and others with interest but relatively little training in artistic areas themselves. This book is about the visual arts (those of drama, music, etc. are not included here, but architecture is to some degree); Janson gives a brief survey of key concepts that are critical to understanding the mediums (artists, Janson states, prefer to use the plural of medium as mediums rather than media). Geometric and visual appreciation concepts are introduced, as are philosophical/aesthetic ideas.

The majority of the text is divided into four broad sections: The Ancient World, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance through the Rococo, and the Modern World. This is a book that really a survey or history of Western art - it does have a brief section at the beginning of the Ancient World on cave art and neolithic art in North America, but apart from this never wanders outside the main courses of Western art even in the modern period. As an introductory text, this is not surprising - many of the values and concepts of art in non-Western cultures require more explanation for adequate aesthetic appreciation of their art than an introductory survey course could cover. Still, it is a deficit worthy of note for those who are looking for a more comprehensive volume.

The Ancient World covers art of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent and Persia, Aegean/Greek art, Etruscan art, and Roman art. The section on the Middle Ages begins primarily with the rise of Christendom as the dominant political power - this includes Byzantine art, early Medieval art (Carolingian and Ottonian times), Romanesque, and the ascendancy of the Gothic style, including the great Abbey of St-Denis. The Renaissance focusses early on Italy, but also explores the Renaissance influences in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England. The Modern Period is the most diverse, with movements such as Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau and other schools that had a greater tendency to cross national boundaries. The twentieth century brought about a great explosion of artistic expressions, in architecture, sculpture, painting and photography, each of which get a chapter. While the fourth section begins with a discussion of modernism, it ends with the discussion of post-modernism, a period of transition.

The colour reproductions throughout are stunning, and the use of black-and-white images to highlight details is also useful. Two-thirds of the 600 illustrations are in colour. The photographs showing architectural styles are interesting, far from being boring 'sample' shots. The text is engaging and informative, achieving a good balance between the artistic, the philosophical and the historical. There are maps, chronological tables, a glossary of terms, suggestions for further readings arranged topically, and a very useful index (always a plus for students and scholars).

This small review relates to an older edition of the work, and not to the revised and expanded one ( sixth edition) listed here. The Janson Art History textbook I know has a skillfully written text and many beautiful illustrations of the masterpieces of world - art. Janson was a first- rate historian who was in contact with the giants of the generation, Panofsky, Meir Schapiro, and others. The work itself is an overabundant one rich in detail and insights. As a reader I would have liked to take it all in so as seemingly to have in my mind a full - map of world history. I do not think I managed it all, but wherever I read I found much to learn and study.
I do not think anyone who wishes to begin to understand the history of the world's great Art can go wrong with this volume.

I purchased this book to prepare for an art certification exam. I used this test back in 1984 while earning an art degree. It traces the history of art from the Ancient World to the Modern Art. It has four sections stating the primary sources which serve as a self review. The illustrations are beautiful, and the text contains plenty of interesting facts and descriptions of the art and their meanings. I found the typeface size slightly small, but it is clear and precise. The book weighs seven lbs. and it has 1,032 pages. It is a hardback and it comes in its own hardcover pocket.

This book provides a thematic discussion of the Renaissance at War, with many excellent illustrations and maps of battles--some famous, some more obscure, and all dealt with in a factual and often humorous manner. I have not read any of the other books of this series, but this volume--easy to read and an excellent reference as well. The excellent discussions in this volume about the spread of gunpowder and the subtle challenge it posed to chivalric nobility, as well as the way in which kings and nobles straddled between the old and new ways of war are discussed well here. In addition, this book contains the finest description of the French Wars of Religion, the complicated battles in Italy between the French, Swiss, Germans, Spanish, and Turks I have seen, as well as a well-done examination of the Dutch Revolt. In short, if you like military history at all, and you are curious about the wars of the Renaissance, you will find much of value in this book.

This slim but lavishly illustrated volume offers a very perceptive analysis of the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth century re-examination of military matters that occured in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. It discusses the technological and tactical advances, in a more concise manner than similar works like David Eltis's, but it also integrates them into the renaissance of military philosophy, and indeed of all facets of society, that was occuring at the time. That analysis, combined with illuminating sidebars, several key case studies, and gorgeous artwork make this perhaps the top general reference for Renaissance military history.

First off, I knew nothing about war during the European Renaissance before reading this book, so I went in with pretty low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised- this book is fascinating. Thomas Arnold writes in a very clear style, that is easy to follow. His research is detailed, but he does not bog the reader down with too many minute details.

Also, this book is full of excellent graphics. It has many period prints, maps, tapestry images, and some well done battlefield graphics. I thought this illustrations really helped emphasize many of the author's key points.

This is the first book in the series that I have read, so now I have rather high expectations for the other volumes I purchased with this one. I highly recommend this book to any military history student, or anyone interested in learning more about how warfare changed in Europe during the Renaissance.

Indeed a very nice book, with a lot of interesting information. The writer avoids the complicated style most historians dealing with the Renaissance prefer, and writes clearly, with regard of and respect to the ones who never have dealt with the complexities of the history of warfare, especially in a period such as this, when the wide use of gunpowder marked a turning point in the style of warfare and the perception of military tactics. Arnold covers every basic aspect of the Renaissance warfare, the decline of the Knight (in that old, medieval sense), the change in styles of fortifications, the change of the role of the general, the use of the artillery, etc, and does so while giving in the same time an accurate account of the main historical events (of military nature, obviously). Thus, the reader has an accurate, viewed from all sides, perspective of the matter. If there were more stars to give, I would definitely give them (!) although one must remember that this is an introductory study, and for particular details and a more in depth analysis there are other books to consider. In all this book is...a great place to start.

Thomas Arnold is a great writer, and having John Keegan as the editor of could only have helped the text. It is very easy to read and still extremely interesting, covering first the technical evolution of warfare from the 15th to the 17th centuries and then covering the major conflicts of the era.

Added to the strong writing and editing are many computer generated maps of individual battles and some great illustrations, many taken from period tapestries and paintings.

This book is probably the most clear, well-written book available on the subject, while still encompassing many lesser known facets of the Renaissance and even injecting some humor in a couple of passages.

Don't judge it by its textbook appearance and odd dimensions...it is anything but textbook-like and will undoubtedly lead you to buy more of the books in the series.