Lincoln Books

The drawings in this book are simply breathtaking in their detail. These lifelike images reflect the human side of a man we only see in formal portraits.

Do yourself a favor and listen to Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" as you gaze at these beautiful illustrations. It's a moving experience.

"Encounters with Lincoln" is a book for all ages about a man for all ages. It captures the image of Abraham Lincoln in different stages of his life, in a range of settings, and with a variety of media, including colored pencil, watercolor, pen and ink, scratchboard, tempera, and graphite pencil.

Encounters with works of art, Thomas Trimborn writes, are uniquely personal. They invite responses from those who experience them. That is particularly true of the images in this book. About twenty offer face-to-face encounters with Lincoln--the young man, the steadfast man (shown in five merged images), the thinker, the melancholy man, the humorous man, the determined man, the eloquent man, the reader, the speaker, the wearer of spectacles, the recipient of tributes. One image, titled "His Eyes Say It All," prompts readers to turn to earlier pages to look again at those transfixing eyes. Trimborn also presents images of persons whose encounters with Lincoln through the years have shaped our perception of the great and complex man, such as Frederick Douglas, Walt Whitman, Carl Sandburg, Mahalia Jackson, Martin Luther King, and John F. Kennedy.

Thomas Trimborn is by profession a musician and music educator at Truman State University, but he is obviously not confined by his discipline or by the walls of his university. To accompany his excellent artwork, Trimborn has crafted a compelling and historically accurate narrative. "Encounters with Lincoln" makes an excellent gift, as my brother-in-law and his grandson, to whom I gave a copy, attest.

Lincoln's image is familiar to virtually all Americans. Yet our easy cultural access to the face so closely identified with the American pursuit of freedom and equality also carries its own limitations. Our photographic record of Lincoln does not begin until the late 1840s, and that legacy often seems to mask as much as it discloses. Historians have lately become more intrigued with Lincoln's darker side, portraying him as moody, unhappy, hamstrung by depression, even suicidal. Any serious scholar of Lincoln knows the sources that can lend support to such inquiries. As is often the case, however, historians committed to deconstructing Lincoln's character become preoccupied with fragments that poorly represent the whole of his humanity, the reflective depth of his spirituality, and the playful yet sophisticated nature of his intellect. In this wonderful volume, Thomas J. Trimborn explores the many sides of Lincoln's character and thankfully never loses sight of the whole. His images--at once haunting, amusing,and inspiring--take us beyond the familiar photographic record and give us a chance to better understand why the nation's sixteenth president is placed at or near the top of nearly any presidential ranking one cares to examine. Trimborn's nimble prose provides fascinating context for his work, but the book is clearly about the art. Make no mistake, this is a frank celebration of Lincoln as author of our modern conceptions of freedom and democracy, but it is a celebration that in the end convinces us that Lincoln deserves every bit of the praise that issues from Trimborn's insightful progression of character studies. Most importantly, the artist presents us not with otherworldly iconography, but a human being whose greatness stemmed from a clear sense of his own limitations. He doubted, he feared, he hoped, and thankfully for us, he fueled his leadership with a capacity to change, to learn, and to explore. The man who in 1861 remained unsure of his racial views and not yet committed to emancipation eventually called the nation to a revolutionary understanding of its political heritage in his address at Gettysburg. Trimborn takes us beyond verbal description and gives us a fresh opportunity to feel Lincoln's passion and purpose. Offered in an affordable format and accessible to all ages, Trimborn's keen artistic vision deserves a prominent place in every Lincoln collection.

I picked this up in a general English language bookstore here in Bangkok, without any expectations, encouraged only by the fact that James McPherson strongly recommends it on the back cover. It's a beautifully researched, well-written, engaging, and convincing overview of Lincoln's attitudes to slavery and emancipation.

The author has a strong thesis and a clear point of view, but whatever your views on Lincoln are at the start, you won't feel bullied (always my experience when I read anti-Lincoln books). The author demolishes all the old arguments for the view that Lincoln had no interest in ending slavery.

The opening chapters were the best and clearest single summary of the build-up to the civil war that I have yet read.

Let me mention two things that I did not understand before I read this book, that I now understand fully, and that most people still have serious misconceptions about.

First, it is often claimed that the civil war was at least partly, and perhaps mostly, caused by an argument over 'tariffs' and only partly by the debate over slavery. Striner points out that John Calhoun, the most famous opponent of the tariffs, was at first very much in favor of them. He later reversed his position. Why? Because it dawned on him that federally funded projects might not just lead to things like roads and railroads (which he was in favor of), but also to publicly funded emancipation of slaves (which he was against). People like Calhoun also felt (and stated at the time) that the tariff issue was just a test case for blocking the power of central government in general, and that their only goal in blocking that power was to prevent any future constitutional interference with slavery.

Second, I used to think that Lincoln 'only wanted to save the union' and saw emancipation as a means to that end. I now see that that was a very simplistic view. The threat to the union only arose in the first place because of the argument over slavery. Lincoln was against its expansion into new territories, because he (rightly) felt that its expansion meant its perpetuation, while its containment in the slave states held out the possibility of its extinction. Through his entire political career after the repeal of the Missouri compromise, he was driven by that desire to bring about the eventual extinction of slavery.

Once his election had caused secession (because of his anti-slavery stance) he then insisted on saving the union, but not if that meant compromising his goal of extinguishing slavery, his original purpose in entering politics in the first place. His goal was to preserve a union still dedicated to what he considered its original principles of human equality and freedom. This account of his thinking seems to me to make far more overall sense.

If you are cynical about Lincoln, or about politics in general, read this book and feel free to take a more positive view.

I met the author through a friend, and was intrigued at the wonderful conversations I had with Striner. As we discussed "Father Abraham," which at that point had not yet been released, I was very anxious to get ahold of it. Having finally acquired the book, I am nothing but impressed at the detailed information that backs every assertion made, and the very much conversational style writing that Striner uses. The book is an easy read and really gets the gears turning in your mind.

It has become fashionable in recent decades for historians and commentators from the extremes of the ideological spectrum to depict Lincoln as a cautious racial conservative, even a racist, only brought in the end to reluctantly embrace the destruction of slavery as a measure to win the Civil War. In such a view, Lincoln is far from the traditional "Great Emancipator"; instead he is limited to following in the wake of those persons more forward-looking, more morally courageous than Lincoln himself. Richard Striner's book persuasively demolishes such a picture and, on the contrary, portrays Lincoln as a dedicated enemy of slavery (and a friend to racial equality, at least in 19th century terms) who labored consistently and at great length to at last crush the hated institution. Striner does this with a careful survey of Lincoln's career from his earliest political days until his death. And Striner boldly takes on each of the quotes from Lincoln speeches and writings that are usually used to "reveal" Llncoln as a racial conservative who adopted emancipation much against his real will, showing those quotes in their broader contexts, describing not only what else was going on at the time and what else Lincoln was simultaneously doing, but also examining those quotes in context of what else was said in that particular speech or document. Lincoln was a politician of great skill, willing to publically advocate a course seemingly adverse to his real goals but, in the long run, laying down a pathway towards accomplishing those goals. And, perhaps more than any other American president, Lincoln was a master of language, sometimes crafting a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph that superficially says one thing while meaning, upon close examination, something else.

Stiner also provides a valuable look at the very real fears that Lincoln and his associates had in the years leading up to the Civil War that slavery was on a road towards expansion, not extinction. Moreover, Striner shows that the South's leading spokespeople on the subject of tariffs (sometimes cited as the "real" underlying cause of Southern secession, instead of the uncomfortable issue of slavery) privately admitted that their real concern was slavery, with tariffs providing a convenient stalking horse at a particular moment. The shadow of slavery lay darkly over antebellum America, and Striner's book retores the portrait of Lincoln as a dedicated leader in bringing the country forward to the end of the "peculiar institution".

this is a magnificent collection of quilts. like many other quilters, i have quite a few books devoted to antique quilts--whether museum or state project collections or the quilts of other countries. this is one of the best.

many of the quilts shown are unlke any others i've seen in any source. the range and wealth of design and originality are breathtaking and inspirational.

the sections dealing with women's roles in 19th century america and their relation to botany is well written and very interesting.

the photos and written descriptions of the quilts are very good. it would, of course, have been lovely to have had detailed shots of the quilting, but that is possibly the only criticism i have about this book.

definitely a book for any quilter's library, and also valuable to anyone interested in the lives of 19th century women.

This book presents 53 full color quilts from the Ardis and Robert James collection at the Nebraska State Museum. The quilts are all superb examples of cut-out chintz applique, album style, applique, pieced and some crazy quilts. It examines the influence of gardening and botanizing on 19th century quilt designs. I highly recommend this book to the quilter, or quilt lover. It gives a detailed description of each quilt, and brings out design elements that might otherwise be overlooked. I own many quilt documentation books and have not seen most of the quilts in this book before. Many have never been publicly displayed before. It is absolutly gorgeous. Buy it!!! You will not be disappointed.

Enhanced with 53 color plates, 11 b/w illustrations, five charts and an index, A Flowering Of Quilts is a superbly presented compendium of the quilter's art with selections drawn from the Ardis and Robert James Collection of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska. A spectrum of quilting styles is presented including cut-out chintz applique quilts, album-style quilts, red-and-green floral applique quilts, pieced quilts, crazy quilts, and more. Each botanically inspired quilt is supported with a detailed description of its applique, piecing, and quilting techniques, as well as historical, horticultural, and botanical background information on the quilt's design and execution. Informative essays explore the nineteenth century women's sustained interest in botany and examine the parallels between their flower garden designs of the era. A Flowering Of Quilts is a strongly recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library needlecraft reference collection.

This book is out of print, but you can get it used through amazon and others. It's a great collection of Lincoln's speeches, correspondence and other writings, and it includes an approx. 200 page biography. The bio was written around 1940, and no doubt there's more recent scholarship missing, but we're spared the fashionable speculation about whether Lincoln was gay or some other insignifica which seem to be focal points for so many contemporary biographers and historians. Stern, as the reviewer on amazon says, "wisely respects the mysterious alchemy by which a plain man became a statesman; this respectful anthology seeks only to present Lincoln, not to explain him." The bio's a useful bonus, but the real matter belongs to Lincoln, and there's 700 pages of it beyond the bio. Hopefully Modern Library will reissue this book, and it would be great if the bio were to be updated while maintaining the same cautious and sober approach.

I have a large Civil War library, and if there was a fire, this is the one Lincoln book I would try to rescue. Despite being written almost 50 years ago, the book's strong point is not its selection of Lincoln's writings (although that is quite good), but its masterful biographical sketch of Lincoln by Stern. Almost seven score since Lincoln's death, there is still no other satisfying BRIEF biography. In about 200 pages, Stern has managed to capture, in skilfull prose, all the important facts while still having room for some less-wordy, interesting comments. Each important event is succinctly captured in a couple paragraphs. I like that Stern actually calls Lincoln "neurotic" in certain personal aspects. I also like his passages on Willie Lincoln's death, emancipation, and the war's closing. There's really not enough room for any heavy politically-influenced interpretations of issues like those in modern long biographies,and that's why Stern's sketch can't be considered outdated. Some people may not like the short description of Lincoln's assassination, and I thought Stern spent too much ink on Lincoln's final attempts to compensate the South. Since the book predates the most comprehensive, closely-inspected collection of Lincoln's letters, there may be some inaccuracies in the writings reproduced here. However, the selection is an excellent one, linked together well with intros by Stern. I can't imagine this was an easy job for Stern and I'm lost why it's been virtually ignored. But all in all, I can only repeat, if you want to know the most about Lincoln in the fewest words, and have your interest held throughout, just buy this book and you're set!

This is a great book. I think the introduction is the best. It is interesting plus you really feel Lincoln was a man of the people. My favorite part was when Lincoln had one of his sons in a wagon. Lincoln was so much in his thoughts that the child fell out and was crying loudly and Lincoln kept walking dragging an empty wagon behind him.

A number of years ago, I made my first trip to Europe during the off season--the colder months. The days are shorter, but the museums are less crowded, you can usually find a reasonable air fare, and the Europeans have returned to their cafes and pubs giving them an ambiance missing when too many tourists are about.

I enjoy photography, and I particularly like shooting architecture and gardens. I've taken plenty of shots when the foliage and flowers were in full bloom, but until I made my first trip to Amsterdam one December, I had never realized churches, cathedrals, and fine old houses and gardens have an entirely different look in winter. One can see and photograph the structures of buildings and the "bones" of gardens when foliage dies back. "Bones" of course are the underlying design of the garden beds, plus trellises, porticos, arbors, paths and pots. Not only can one see more of the archtecture of the garden in the middle of winter, but the well constucted garden is not dead. I came to understand what the European Christmas carol, "Lo, a rose er'e blooming" was about after a visit to a garden in the middle of winter--the Christmas rose is a type of Hellebore, and Hellebores can bloom all winter long.

But Hellebores are not the only interesting plant. As Rosemary Veery says in her book, THE GARDEN IN WINTER, some plants such as the Rosa chinensis, Viola, Bergenia, Anemone, and Cyclomen, bloom intermittenly throughout the winter, and there are "characteristic" winter-bloomers such as many types of bulbs, Camellias, Arbutus, and Buddleja.

Veery says beauty in the winter garden is not restricted to flowers. Plenty of trees, bushes, and grasses provide color, form, and texture thoughout the winter winter months, and some of them are stunning in a snowfall. Depending on your growing zone you may have Holly, Viburnum, Nandina, Pyracantha, and Barberry covered with berries for the birds. Many trees have beutiful bark that shows best in winter including Crepe Myrtle, Sycamore, Birches, and Red-Twig Dogwood (Cornus alba 'Siberica'). Other trees have interesting shapes that can only be appreciated when the foliage is spent, such as Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. And, there are grasses in every size, shape and texture, and ground covers that stay green or red or brown throughout the growing seasons.

Veery is one of the premiere gardeners in England, and although you may find some of her suggestions beyond your pocketbook or the space you have available (box topiary anyone??) you will find many interesting ideas and wonderful photographs that are sure to inspire you to begin thinking about gardening all year round. You might also be inspired to visit some of the gardens Veery pictures in her book, or other gardens closer to home in winter. My favorite is garden is Sissinghurst, one of the most beautiful sights around in the middle of winter or anytime of year.

I bought this book in 1989 shortly after it was first published. I still read it and find it fresh and inspiring even now, 17 years later.

Most gardeners put away their tools and forget about their gardens until Spring, especially those of us who live in snowy winter locations! But Rosemary Verey brilliantly shows that there's no reason to ignore winter as a flowering season. This book proves that every garden should have a winter corner to enjoy by showing us that there are so many treasures to brighten up the dreariest season. Beauty can be found in any weather! This book is also a lovely reminder of gardening in the UK.

Garden Planner is one of my favorite books to consult when searching for ideas and inspiration. As a newer gardener (only been at it for three years), I have found the plan variations and tips in this book both useful and practical. Paired with a regional plant guide, I was able to create a lovely, perennial flower garden in my front yard last summer. I plan to use Garden Planner for inspiration again, when we landscape around our newly built deck.

I studied with Robin several years ago and he is not only a lovely man but a gifted teacher. I now work for one of the largest plantscapers on the east coast, in large part because of Robin's expert tutelage. (Thank you Robin!) Just about anyone that is interested in garden planning and design will benefit from this book. I heartily recommend it!

The Garden Planner is an excellent book and it is one that serves a definite purpose, i.e., how to get started with garden/landscape design.
While there is much written on landscape design, there is not all that much on how to get started actually doing it. I am a member of the APLD, Association of Professional Landscape Designers. I taught landscape-gardening for a dozen years and I write garden books myself (Allergy-Free Gardening, Safe Sex in the Garden, Ten Speed Press) and I have a large collection of garden landscape books. Many of these books were presents and although interesting, many are not all that useful. But this one is highly useful.
The author, Robin Williams (not the actor!) is an experienced designer and is skilled at explaining how to do it, how to get started, how to end up with something to be proud of. In garden/landscape design there are certain principles for success and they are all well covered here. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get started doing landscape design. I would also recommend it to people who are already designers as I think even they would be pleasantly surprised.

What a great book this is. The lavish photos by Mr. Lord are stunning, but the real deal is all his detailed inside information about Sissinghurst Garden. I assume most gardeners have heard of the place, but for those who haven't, this is widely considered to be the most beautiful garden of its kind in the world. Sissinghurst was created among the ruins of an English Tudor castle by Vita Sackville-West, her husband Harold Nicolson, their kids and gardening staff from the 1930's through the 1960's.

The book is organized with one chapter for each garden area or outdoor room. A history of the area is given, with much failure and success along the way. Happily, the story doesn't stop with the passing of the Harold and Vita.

The book continues the amazing efforts of Nigel Nicolson and the gardening staff once the property became a public trust in the 1970's. Not only has the original vision been preserved, but in many cases, it's been improved. A private garden originally made for a small family and their circle of friends had to learn to accomodate hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Stunning when you consider that a garden is among the most ephemeral things on earth.

Any passionate gardener will identify with the stories. Inspiration abounds for any garden. It is tremendously fun and informative to see the plan drawings and plant lists for each garden area. Not every plant is detailed. That would take many volumes. But a good representative sample is given for each garden area so you feel you really get the full story. The book was published in 1996, so the chronicle ends there. If Mr. Lord's other Sissinghurst book carries the story further, I'll need to pick that one up too.

For anyone who wonders how such a miraculous place of beauty can be created, preserved, and carried to even greater heights, this is the book for you.

Could a British garden be taken seriously if it had no pleached limes, no white garden, no boxwood hedges? I should think not. Nor should any good book about important British gardens skimp on coverage of these features. This is not an issue for Tony Lord's Gardening at Sissinghurst.

Lord has photographed the garden in all seasons and in all kinds of flattering light. Where structure, foliage, and texture were important the light is diffuse. Where color makes the scene interesting, the light is warm, clear, and direct.

There's neither shortage of things to photograph nor of good photographs. Ten chapters are organized around specific garden regions: the rose garden, the lime walk, the cottage garden, the white garden, and so on. In each region the style of planting varies to match the theme. It's formal in the courtyards, less so in the cottage areas, and nearly wild in the orchard.

American gardeners in the northwest will be able to replicate the gardens thanks to watercolored plans by Frances Lincoln. Those in other parts of the country will have to reconsider plant selections. Limes, verbenas, boxes and lupines will have limited applicability outside the northwest. And in many of the drier parts of the US the lushness would not make sense. In all cases, though, the use of structure to create 'rooms' is relevant.

The text strikes a nice balance between talking about design aspects and discussing horticultural details. We get drawn into the scene, feeling at times like landscape architects and at others like master gardeners.

Who should buy this book? People interested in transforming outside spaces into interesting and vital living spaces, people who love good gardening photography, and people who plan to or wish they could visit the monumental English gardens of the early twentieth century.

I live in a climate where the classic english garden of borders and meadows is unattainable. However, this book satisfies in many ways: as a souvenir of a visit, as a delicious geardening feast for the eyes, and as the story of one garden.

I was lucky enough to visit Sissinghurst in early summer and see one of her moods. This book introduces the other seasons and readily transports me when I am in the mood to think of faraway places, and need a bit of restful beauty in my reading life!

I had a glance at this book some fithteen years ago in o book-store and... I didn't buy it! My interest in garden design was fairly recent I thought "I can't buy every book on the topic". But the name and the images keept haunting me as other writers referred to Mr Page and pictures of some of his gardens flickered by. By then the book was out of print and unavailable alas. So one snowy day I went to a second-hand book-seller and there it was in the window! I got it instantly and spent the next weeks travelling to England, Italy, USA and his other places of work over and over again, slowly turning the pages of this book. If you have an interest in classical gardens of the Renaissance and Baroque - here is the modern version of their ideals to make you gasp. But it doesn't stop there; wood-lands, ponds and pools, Arab-style and more are to be found in excellent photos. The Italian projects (La Landriana, Villa Silvio Pellico, La Mortella e.g.) are perhaps the most famous ones. They are showed of course, along with the best kept of the many places he designed (far from all his gardens have survived to the present). This is actually the only book on a single designer that I've felt I've had to own. But then I am a lover of classical art and design...

No words to describe this genius!.How as a landscape gardener,could I have taken ten years to discover his works!!.He is obviously and sadly unknown for his contribution to timeless gardening.This is the "Bible" of landscape gardening,and he is the Van Gogh of gardeners.How can such a valuble and essential book be unavailable!?

I hadn't even heard of Russell page until I perchanced upon this book in my local bookstore some 5 years ago. I was moved to tears by some of the photographs, and that doesn't happen easily to me. The man was a genius, clear and simple, and his designs reached out and spoke to me in a way very few designers ever have. In my own landscapes, I have been immensely influenced by Russell Page, both through this wonderful book, and his own 'Education of a gardener'. This book is superbly illustrated with colour photographs throughout. The photography is excellent, and the written descriptions are well penned, informative, decriptive but not too long-winded. My copy of this book would be on my list of my top ten material possessions.

I have relatives in South Africa so I have bought several "South African" children's books for my son over the years (he is now almost five), but this is definitely our favorite. The folk-art-style illustrations are beautiful -- every page is a gem. They are realistic, too, in the way that they depict the characters, their house, and possessions -- accurately capturing the simple poverty.
The wording of the story is poetic and engaging.
My son really likes this story and will read it with me night after night.
It is just a very appealing book overall and a nice way of introducing little ones to Africa. (Too bad it is no longer widely available.)

In South Africa, Thulani is tired of milking his cow every dayso he exchanges it at the store for a goat. That doesn't work - toomuch trouble so he makes some more exchanges ending up with a pocketful of seeds. As his wife Dora tends the fields of growing sunflowers, Thulani goes back to dozing beneath the hot sun. When the sunflowers drop their seeds & he feeds them to his chickens - ah! amazing things begin to happen & Dora is happy! Lively story & lovely pictures with some good ideas about work & play, labor & results. A treasure! Great gift material...

I read the Swedish translation of the book in the fall of 1997. This was one of the best childrens books I have read for my 7 year old daughter Kimia. We both liked it. I must admit though that I liked the book more than she did. I had no choice but to start translating it to Persian. I just visited www.amazon.com to purchase the English version of the book.

The message in the book in my opinion is that Thulani is not really lazy. It just appears so. The story shows how an apparently lazy person who aimlessly sits in the sun is a wonderful loving individual full of life, energy and ideas. I'd like to see the story as applicable to most of us humans. We are all full of life, energy and ideas. We just have to try. Hopefully, our love, for someone like Dora, will lead us to the right place and time.

A wonderful book, with beautiful and inspiring pictures. Always a pleasure to go back again and again at its pages.

Gardens are meant to be paradise on earth. The idea of paradise as a garden has a long history, even before the Garden of Eden was presented in the Bible. What the paradise looks like, there is hardly specific description. The description of the Garden of Eden was not very specific either, yet it gave the garden designer some ideas.

In every culture, garden designers seek paradise through their own creative ways. Penelope Hobhouse, one of the most talented garden writers of our time, started her tour of paradise on earth in Asia: the serene naturalistic gardens and symbolism in China, and the Zen gardens and tea gardens in Japan. She then took us to continental Europe: the hilly regions of Italy where lavish gardens are balanced with the use of axes and symmetry, and gardens in Germany, Netherlands and Russia, as well as the climax of formal gardens, the French gardens.

Penelope Hobhouse's next stop is England. She discussed in detail the naturalistic Landscape Gardens, the Cottage-style Gardens, and the Eclectic Gardens. She also explored Mediterranean gardens and gardens in America: European influences and naturalistic gardens.

Last but not least, Penelope Hobhouse discuss today's gardens: water in gardens, gardens and nature, selecting right plants for right sites, reclaiming and revitalizing, and roof gardens, etc.

To Penelope, an ideal garden is "at the balance point between human control and untamed nature."

"Great Gardens of the World: In Search of Paradise" has 240 pages and many beautiful interior color photos. It is a fine garden book that every garden lovers should have.

Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA

The ideal garden we are given to understand is a paradise - "a haven of comfort, abundance, and beauty." Many of us try to achieve that paradigm in our own way, as have countless others before us. Now gathered in one gorgeous volume are the results of those endeavors gleaned from diverse cultures and climes.

We begin our armchair tour with "Gardens Through the Centuries," a journey covering four thousand years beginning with the earliest gardens alive in the deserts of the Middle East. The first Mughal Emperor Babur (1483 - 1530) had a number of gardens including the Garden of Fidelity which was divided into four parts with a central pool.

Of course, the gardens designed in China and Japan expressed a respect for nature, evidenced in vast areas where the placement of each stone had meaning. Places for contemplation, stroll and moss gardens were found in Japan.

For this reader what can compare with the gardens of Italy? Hadrian's Villa near Tivoli boasts open porticoes, enclosed atriums, fountains, basins, statuary. It is a wonder. La Mortola on the Italian Riviera is a place for dreaming with a steep slope to the sea rich in agaves, aloes, white roses, salvias and citrus trees. A virtual Eden on earth.

Ms. Hobhouse continues our tour with a look at modern garden design as represented by such designers as Roberto Burle Marx, Fernando Caruncho, and Beth Chatto.

"In Search of Paradise" holds 240 pages and 200 illustrations all in glorious color contributed by the world's foremost garden photographers.

The is a volume to be savored and returned to again and again.

- Gail Cooke