Arts and Culture Books

The better of his 2 books. Truly a confident fantasy artist with a unique style. Very inspirational a must for any art book collector. His exploration of form and the illusion of tendons, fat, muscle and steel are perfect, His ability to combine so many different creatures aspects fluently together is truly amazing. This is a book I turn to when inspiration has left me.

I knew before i purchased this book that I enjoyed Carlos Huante's work - now I am a dedicated fan. I first noticed a couple of his pieces in spectrum 11, and it piqued my curiosity. There's little in the way of writing, just a quick synopsis of the artist's Bio, and some working techniques.. also a few blurbs about some of his original paintings towards the end. But honestly , most of the images don't need explanation as they seem to be the work of pure imagination. Solid anatomy, shading and subtle color usage characterize the creatures and characters that populate the pages. This book is a must - have for any aspiring concept or character artist!

it is hard o really describe this book but with one word: amazing.

the organic creatures/ monsters, the characters, illustrations and color schemes are frightening.

his sketches are perfect.

I got this book for quite some time now, and it still inspires me with new ideas every time.

his characters have such an enormous dramatic apperance that it hurts in a very good way when I watch the illustrations.

A must for all anatomy/creature- and illustration-fans.
Ah yeah, his sculpting skills...yeah, you guess right!..

Even if your not into sci-fi this book will impress. It is a mix of hand made and computer rendered illustrations that are top notch. The hand drawn images are wonderfully revealing. Would make a great technique scource book for any artist.

This is a book of the most amazing, top-quality illustrations of monsters and heros. Every time I page through it, my hear skips a beat out of excitement. If you love graphic novels or illustration, you MUST see this book!

The best Musical Movie Poster book available today! This book has it all. Beautifully photographed and reproduced in great color this book reveals the outstanding artists, designers and photographers that created movie poster "Works of Art" from the early days of movie musicals to the current. A"must have" for the movie memorabilia collector and movie musical fan. Superb!

Want to add an excellent reference to your collection of books dealing with the Hollywood Musicals? Then this book is it. Just like those musicals from the golden age of Hollywood, this book has it all. Beautiful photographed images, lots of (techni) colours, stars in their greatest moments. Truly an Oscar winning performance! The book is printed in good quality paper and images are very clear and of good size on each page. Of course it's impossible to include a poster from every musicals in any given year, but the selections Bruce Hershenson made are excellent. A page may contain an average of 5 images while some are giving the full page treatment (e.g. Grease, Singin' In the Rain). Definitely an excellent addition to your library of movie books.

Eye-catching poster art reflects changing styles throughout the history of movie musicals. This gorgeous collection is another highlight in Bruce Hershenson's delightful collection of poster books, every one of which is a great value and a treasure to own.

With the notable exceptions of Oliver! (1968), Cabaret (1972), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Tommy (1975) and Evita (1996), Hollywood has essentially turned its back on a genre that this book re-captures in all its glory. The images are superb, the color and quality are sublime. Though the book is straightforward, a thread of sadness runs subconsciously from its first to its last pages, as one ruminates about what this genre was all about, what it could have been and why it is, for all intents and purposes, dead except on the New York, London and Toronto stages. From Astaire and Rogers to Gene Kelly, Streisand and even the Beatles, it's all covered here. Though it seems awkward to most of today's audiences to see a person in the middle of a scene break out into a song with no band playing behind him on screen, this was the accepted norm and was often the the portion of a film that had an audience soaring in their seats. That such a feeling has all but disappeared makes this book all the more precious, preventing this genre from fading into the wisps of memory. The beautiful thing about this book is the unexpected. Rather than delve into the expected great musicals with the standard American images (which are included in great detail nevertheless), this book includes artwork from other countries, art that is more "in your face" and thought provoking. Who can forget the image used for the Polish version of the 1972 release of "Cabaret?" (Joel Grey's face in the center of four stocking legs bent into the shape of a swastika?) This is the kind of thing that you would never have seen printed or distributed in the U.S., works of art that can only be bought for thousands of dollars today at many of America's biggest auction houses. If you are the least bit interested in the jaw-dropping beauty of what has become a lost art -- the exercise of drawing images associated with the advertising of a Hollywood film -- this is the book to have. This book is part of movie poster maven Bruce Hershenson's exhaustive multi-volume series of books highlighting the history and beauty of what much of mainstream America has only in the last ten years begun to recognize. And that is movie posters are a "popular art" form that can stand proudly next to all other styles of art from gothic to modern, from expressionist to impressionist. Great film art borrows from all of these styles and this volume, which focuses only on posters associated with musicals, illustrates innumerable examples whereby despite the restrictive nature of the genre (musicals), not all posters went in the same direction in terms of style and presentation. From Shall We Dance to A Star is Born, from 42nd Street to Yellow Submarine, Hershenson and Allen have built an incredible archive (and legacy) of images in all of their books, capturing a period (when all posters were drawn by hand and then printed, as opposed to today's method of using photographic stock and manipulating them digitally and printing them by the thousands) that would otherwise be lost forever. A fine book for any collector (get the hardcover edition if you can, it's harder to find; if Amazon doesn't have it, it's available from Mr. Hershenson directly at mail@brucehershenson.com).

For lovers of film, film history, and specifically, poster art, Bruce Hershenson's series of full-color books is the cream of the crop! And, the quality of printing and photography is superb, with razor sharp images and vibrant colors.

This concise, well-researched and entertaining reference is an engaging and informative way to meet the people behind the origins of some of today's most common words and familiar names.
Written in a clear, conversational and often amusing style, it introduces the reader to more than 600 of the lighthearted, silly, fascinating, tragic or unbelievable stories of those who immortalized the names of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Rambo, Vick's Vaporub, M&M chocolate candies, Firestone tires, James Bond and Singer sewing machines, among others. The sources of some well-known eponyms (words derived from people's names) like mausoleum, academics and boycott, are also explained.
The book is divided in two sections, "The Names" and "Shorts," according to the length of the treatment given to each word's history, and the entries are presented in alphabetical order, which makes this book perfect for either browsing or consultation.
To add to your knowledge of name origins, I would recommend also buying the author's second volume in the series, "The Name's Familiar II." Both are excellent, interesting and fun resources you will keep referring to again and again.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

I met Laura Lee in Michigan when she was doing radio. I knew then that she was going to do great things. She has a great mind for trivia and facts and of course, music. Love her...loved her book. In fact, later I'm ordering 2 more copies.

This is one book that is needed on everyones shelf. Truly an entertaining and creative read. Great gift for that hard to buy for person. I was unable to put it down this summer until I realized I was getting a sunburn! Looking forward to a sequel.

This book is an excellent source for classrooms, from English to History to Science. The stories of words is fascinating and a part of our culture. Students find the information interesting and they end up learning along the way. Ms. Lee's presentation style keeps the reader engaged, so they want to keep reading. My students end up talking about what they learned from her book, and look forward to my posting the next story each day. I also enjoy the book on my own as a source of entertainment as well as knowledge. Her writing style is fun and she has obviously done her research. I look forward to her next book.

This is truly a book everyone can enjoy. From the opening introduction, to the very last page, this book is a charmer.

It's chocked full of names, stories and origins. It's laid out in easy to follow segments. If you've ever wondered why "hookers" are called that, or how a frisbee came into being, this is the place to find out. There are so many names and subjects, it's impossible for me to do it justice in this mini review. But, the story of Aesop (as in fables) is truly sad, and I'm sure he never imagined how long his name/stories would last.

It is wonderfully entertaining and enlightening to learn the lives behind so many of our everyday words, phrases, household items, and even body parts!!

I plan on taking mine to work tomorrow, to see who all I can "stump" :-) It makes a great ice breaker or conversation maker for that first date or just fun reading with an old mate or friend. Some stories are very lighthearted, while others are tragic, and still others unbelieveable. But, as they say, "truth is stranger than fiction" (somebody says that don't they? :-)

I have an Early 1970's copy. I bought it used and in the inner sleeve was written Merry Christmas 1972 Mom and Dad, From Bob and Carrol. I found this book is as old as I am and has lived another life altogether.

Anyway here's my review. This is the biggest Norman Rockwell book I have ever seen and I own 90% of the popular ones. This being said, i must comment on the greatness of the printing. Some paintings like The Land of Enchantment, A problem We all Live With, Strictly a sharp shooter, Yankee doodle and quite a few others are available in a gigantic fold out version in startlingly great color. Thats not all....The book is also full of small Prints glued into the pages. WOW!!! and to add to all that theres a Ton of color pictures printed directly in the book. Alternate sketches, Pictures he used as reference for the paintings such as shuffletons barbershop. I paid Under 5 bucks for this used and Its a crime. But its now one of my treasures and hopefully you'll get one too.

If you must buy only 2 Rockwell books get this one (Norman Rockwell Artist and Illusttrator) and The Saturday evening Post (The Complete Cover collection 1916 to 1971)

I have the one that is published in 1970. I have picture that can be removed out of mine, and I just love it I don't know if the 1997 published version has the same but I will never part with my book.

Just Great !

My mother bought this book in 1970 and it is a precious family treasurer. Our library board which is in the process of fund-raising for a new library is considering this book as a drawing card for donations for a give-away. It is one which board members said they would love to own. Mother's large heavy book has several large prints that can be framed. It's a heartwarming book which emphasizes the truth that a picture can say a thousand words.

My family is artsy, and when I was little, my dad or my uncle (I was too young to notice) gave this book to Grandpa for Christmas. It was the BIG GIFT that year. We all ooohed and aaahed over it. Grandpa and Grandma handled it so reverently. Whenever I would visit Grandpa and Grandma, I loved to sit down and look at every picture. (I had to wash my hands first.) This is a big book, like a coffee table book, with many, many pictures in full color, and big enough to see all the details. I could see how he painted each picture, how he handled the light, the expressions on the faces, how he made each person seem like someone you knew (or yourself), and how he make each story in the paintings reveal itself. The pictures are not shrunken down, black-and-white half-tones. They are reproduced like fresh Post Covers. I would sit there for a long time absorbing every page. I don't know if it has EVERY post cover, but it seems to, as well as other things like calendar pictures. When I grew up, I wanted that book so badly, so I went to a used book store (before the Internet) and bought it for $80, which was a lot for a young adult, but worth it. If you can get it for less, more power to you. This has more Norman Rockwell pictures than another Norman Rockwell book that I have ever seen. So if you only get one Norman Rockwell book, this is the one to get(except for his autobiography, which is hilarious.)

I was certain this was a 100 dollar book. It's a work of art. You will never get a book of this quality for so little money ever again.

I have just recently become interested in the whole horror film genre and a friend recommended that I read Mr. Soister's book. I'm glad I did. I learned lots of interesting stuff about the whole Universal horror film business and had an easy time pouring through the chapters. It was fun reading and Mr. Soister's keen insights and humorous style kept me wanting more. I hope he has another book waiting in the wings! Congratulations on delivering a winner.

John Soister has been a contributor to various horror books in the past. His ability to capture the details of the horror films of the 20's & 30's truly entertaining. He expresses his opinions with humor yet based on fact.

Mr. Soister has done a remarkable job here! Not only has he covered some of Universal's greatest horror films, he has given them a new, fresh perspective. All the greats are covered here, FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, THE MUMMY, etc., but he has also written about much lesser known and borderline horror films that I've NEVER seen written about, like the entire Crime Club series of the late 1930's. His book covers in great detail Universal's horror and mystery output from the 1930's, and wonderfully so! Here's hoping he does another volume for the 1940's films. Can't wait to see what he writes about JUNGLE WOMAN!! A 'must have' for any horror film fan!

Wonderfully written, full of intelligent, objective opinions, Soister's book is a breath of fresh air on a subject that I suspect most fans feel they already know thoroughly. "Of Gods and Monsters" opened my eyes to the many dozens of "forgotten" Universal films made in the 1930s, particularly their oddball mysteries (like the fascinating "Inner Sanctum" series). Sadly, few of these films are available on home video... yet. One hopes that perhaps NBC-Universal's execs will read this book and learn about their past history, and open up the vaults so that fans can enjoy these classics again, instead of having them gather dust.

If you have Soister's book, along with the Brunas/Brunas/Weaver "Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films" (also from McFarland), you've got a fairly well-rounded coverage of Hollywood's great horror classics. I only wish that the publishers would consider allowing the author to do a second volume covering the rest of Universal's classic mystery/SF/horror films from 1940-1959. That would tell the rest of the story, particularly for the 1940s, which was a very rich period for the studio.

Usually I skip long, detailed plot synopses in movie books, but with Soister I look forward to them. Like most critics, Soister is even more entertaining when discussing a bad film -- I laughed out loud through his description of several stinkers in this entertaining book -- but this teacher from Pensylvania is never less than authoritative. Soister covers all the Universal horror, sci-fi, and related films 1929-1939 in this handsome volume, which no fan of the genres should be without. It doesn't matter that "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" have been discussed at length in previous works -- do yourself a favor and "see" them once more through the eyes of John Soister!

I love this book The Official All My Children Trivia book from the hit abc television show and at the first of it had the horse. This book looks like Tuck Everlasting, Tuck Para Siempre a spanish book of Tuck Everlasting, Owls in the Family, Black Beauty, Rodeo Bloopers 1. the video, Toby Keith's album Pull My Chain & Clay Walker's album If I Could Make A Living. In 2000 I made videos of William's America's Funniest Home Videos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 which is the Tenth Year Anniversary, 11 which is the tenth year anniversary, Special Edition of Bareback Riding, Calf Roping & Steer Wrestling the three rodeo events on video & All My Children/Roping Funnies the graduation of William's Funniest Videos 13 and someday I will put them in the store so people will by mine and order them on the website ...and they will love them ...My favorite T. V. shows on abc are All My Children, General Hospital & Who Wants To Be A Millionaire my favorite T. V. shows on abc. This book also looks like Mary Kate and Ashley's videos How The West Was Fun & The Case of The Logical I Ranch. This is an amazing trivia book.A

This is just a fun trivia book for fans of ALL MY CHILDREN. It has a lot of facts, some you might know, some you might not. A lot of quizzes, even one for the famous Erica Kane! While its not as comprehensive as the 1994 ALL MY CHILDREN coffee table book, it still has loads of facts and fun for trivia and AMC fans alike. It's pretty cheap too so its worth it if you want to know more about AMC or just enjoy trivia books.

This book is great. It is filled with so much information which the dedicated fan should know. It also has some great pictures. However, it is paperback and not hardcover like they say.

It's a great book, so pick it up because it's a low price for all that info.

This is an excellent book for ALL of us AMC fans: I'm pretty much a novice and it really gave me a good background and tidbits. It helped me learn the history and about characters who were gone before I started watching. It really helped put pieces of the puzzle together. My sister is a veteran and she was kept going "I remember that!" or "No way! Even I didn't know that!!!" And, it has great pictures. I recommend it for those of you who starting watching in the 1970's, and for AMC fans who were born in the 1970's.

As a 20+ year fan of All My Children, this book not only brought back great memories of my years in Pine Valley, but let me in some stuff I did not get to see, because I was too young.This is a MUST HAVE for an All My Children fan, old or new!!

A VERY GOOD JOB ON DOING WHAT YOU DO BEST I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY ONE MISTAKE IN LIFE AN THAT WOULD BE NOT GETTING YOURSELF RIGHT WITH THE (LORD)BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR LAST BREATH ANYTHING ELSE,IS MEANT TO HAPPEN TO LEARN FROM, AN BEOME A BETTER PERSON FROM IT. THANKYOU!

I can't say enough about these Two Great Minds of Tavis Smiley&Tom Joyner.it's important to bring to Light about Slave AUctions at Christys? folks have to Understand that Majority of AMericans don't Care about No African-Americans.Slavery is treated like Properity or a joke.folks don't really want to know the full History of this country and how the past is still very much the present.it's Important that our voices are heard mad Props to Brother Tavis&to the Hardest working Man on Radio Brother Tom Joyner.Thank you for Given up The Real On The ONE.

Mr. Smiley receives two thumbs up, two snaps, one exaggerated smile (all teeth included), a complete roll of the eyes, and a full Sista girl neck rotation. Tavis did not talk off the "cuff" but had back-up for his commentaries. It is great to know someone is letting actions speak louder than words. Tavis, Keep on! Keeping on!

If you're a Tom Joyner Morning Show listerner, you will be quite familiar with this one. It is an easy read since it refreshes your memory of Tavis' commentaries and those well known campaigns; like saving Living Single & New York Undercover, Texaco's boardroom racism, Christie's planned auction of slave "memorabilia?" and bringing hate crime cases to light. As I read it I could hear and feel the voice and emotion of the original spoken words. I really liked it and read it in just one day.

If you catch Tavis Smiley on BET here's your chance to read what millions of radio listeners get to hear each week. As the cover and text designer for this title, I had a coveted front row seat for Mr.Smiley's "AIR" show. This book is a welcome insite into the author's advocacy (a planned- then aborted auction of slave memorabilia at Christies in New York), opinions and reflections on a variety of subjects from voter registration to Tiger Woods. He's at his candid, passionate, verbose and articulate best.

Too bad we in the central NY/NJ area don't get the Tom Joyner Morning Show! Every radio within range would surely be tuned in for the fun and commentary. I look for it on the dial whenever I'm out of town. So why didn't I give it a 10? I wanted more!

The Best to Tavis, Tom, and Denise!

The Broadway hit A Chorus Line is returning to Times Square in a major revival this fall - and ON THE LINE: THE CREATION OF 'A CHORUS LINE' provides an oral history from the nineteen original cast members who recall how they become involved with the project, how it evolved from workshops, and how it made many of them lasting successes in their fields. Robert Viagas collaborated with original cast members Baayork Lee and Thommie Walsh to provide this memoir, which is a 'must' for any prior or present fans of the Broadway musical production. Many insider's views here can't be found elsewhere.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book captures the show perfectly from people who were there: The Original Cast. This book never ceases to amaze, and move.

Broadway is always exciting. It's constantly in a state of change with dozens of new shows every year. But it's only once in a while that a supershow comes about, and 'A Chorus Line' was one of those. It was the 'Phantom of the Opera,' the 'Rent,' the 'Wicked' of its day. And it's back. Go see it, but you go to the show, read this book.

This book, originally published in 1990 is about the creation of the show, the actors, the people who put it on, and a bit about why the show was such a tremendous success. The book was expanded and updated for publication in 2006 to reflect what has happened to the people and the show since.

The theme of the show is on a bare stage where casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. The field's been narrowed down to just 17 dancers. For these men and women, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It's what they've worked for -- with every drop of sweat, every hour of training, every day of their lives. It's the one opportunity to do what they've always dreamed of. Not to be the star, but to get the job ... to have the chance to dance and come through.

The show illustrates getting onto Broadway in a better way than I can say. This is how it is, except the book is better, as one of the actors says, he looked around the theater and finally realized that he had accomplished what he had worked for so many years to accomplish.

The biggest Broadway hit is coming back this Fall, and the book that tells the story of how it was created back in the mid 70s has come back for a revival as well.

The bulk of the book has stayed the same including the black and white photos. It is a collective oral history of the nineteen original cast members of how they got involved with the project, how they labored through the months of workshops that shaped it, and what its success has meant for their lives and careers. The new edition includes an update on the cast and what they have been doing for the past 16 years.

This is a must have for any fan of A Chorus Line.

Viagas, Lee and Walsh, together with the rest of the original cast have made an insightful book which documents the life of this great musical. Filled with remembrances by the cast and with a good collection of photographs by several photographers their book is a treasure chest of facts and memories of Broadway's "Singular Sensation". It is nice to know that author Baayork Lee continues her association with the show after twenty five years, still directing companies of the show and now opening up a website dedicated to the show... I only hope that some day they will provide an updated version concluding with the gala final performance.

This book is well worth the cover price of $27.00. Nearly every page is filled with large color plates of very high quality. If you want a high quality collection of Palencar's work this book delivers. Many of the color plates also have smaller versions of the pencil study for the work next to them. This is a great book for artists and art lovers. Palencar has extraordinary talent in drawing, painting and composition.Some of the book is devoted to some bazaar and creative fantasy work, but what I like most are his extraordinary figurative paintings. This is one book that can be judged by it's cover. If you like the cover then you'll find much inside to like.

This is a fabulous collection of work, I have never come across this artist before and am thrilled to dicover him. Do not make the mistake of thinking of Mr Palencar as a Fantasy artist, although there are some fantasy elements in some of his work, he is an Aritist period. His work has an exceptionally strong figurative element and calls to mind the work of Odd Nerdrum.

The other great thing about this book, is the inclusion of many of the preliminary drawing the Artist has produced for each of the final works, this is a great aid to anyone who has also embarked apon the path of learning to paint and draw. I have no hesitation in recommending this book

John Jude Palencar's art is beautiful and horrifying. Contradictory descriptions perhaps, but thoroughly fitting. Origins: The Art of John Jude Palencar, is the first collection of the artist's work. Palencar's work has been seen on hundreds of book covers as well as in the pages of magazines such as TIME, National Geographic, and Smithsonian. Even if you didn't know him by name, you've probably seen his work, and been mesmerized, just as I was.

The first Palencar cover I recall seeing was for the cover of the H.P. Lovecraft collection "Dreams of Terror and Death" back in 1995. This cover is included in the book and never has a title had a more fitting cover painting than Palencar's disturbing images of death and madness. He would also provide the covers for other Lovecraft collections: "The Road to Madness", "Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos", and "Shadows over Innsmouth." All of these covers capture the essence of Lovecraft's work superbly. These are some of the most disturbing Lovecraft images ever seen!

What is striking about Palencar's work is the strong feelings of isolation they convey, although not necessarily loneliness. A perfect example is the two-page spread of his painting "The Forest House" for the Marion Zimmer Bradley book of the same name. This painting depicts a Celtic woman, wandering in the moonlight of the foggy moorland with a Stonehenge-like ring of stones in the background.

Palencar has also tried his hand at the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, producing covers for each of the books of the trilogy for the Houghton Mifflin published editions. The most striking is his cover for "The Two Towers" showing one of the hobbits riding on top of Treebeard the Ent. The face of Treebeard was based on a photo of Tolkien himself.

One of the most simple, but effective pieces is Palencar's "Macbeth" depicting a horned, and skull-headed figure wearing a spiked crown with several small men impaled on the spikes. It's a gorgeous piece...

In all, the book features some 200 illustration in the 128 pages. Thank the good people at Underwood books for giving Palencar fans a long-overdue collection of his work.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

The general public is probably most familiar with Palencar's work via the portraits of dragons for the covers of the "Eregon" series of fantasy novels. Those illustrations are included in this book, as well as a number of other works, mainly designed for jackets for books in the SF / fantasy genre.

Palencar's work has a unique character to it, focusing on depicting human forms in contemplative poses against background landscapes often featuring intricately detailed tree branches and shrubbery. His color schemes rarely stray far from sepia tones and some whites and grays. The closest affinity he has to another artist is probably Edward Burne-Jones, the Victorian painter who also used a subdued palette and liked to place human figures against flat, high stylized backgrounds. Like Burne-Jones, Palencar is a skilled draftsman with expertise in rendering the human body, and his art combines realism with symbolism in an engaging manner.

Palencar contributes an interesting introductory essay in which he lays out his attitudes and opinions on contemporary art, the "artist Vs illustrator" debate, the workings of the fantasy book market, and the creative processes behind his images. Physically, 'Origins' is well-produced, with reproductions of very good quality. It should appeal to anyone interested in SF / fantasy illustration.

I enjoyed Palencar's surrealistic cover art for years without knowing his name. I think the first may have been for Connie Willis (both her collections of short fiction). I remember stopping and studying the cover and thinking, "Wow, this is really, really something." I saw more work, recognizably "that artist's" work, on other covers--Octavia Butler novels, Charles de Lint books. Oh, "The Onion Girl", that's another one that made me pick up the book. He makes you do that-- stop, look. He makes you stare. He does things to your insides with this amazing unreal reality he presents.

Look at the cover of FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS? I remember being stopped cold in the bookstore for that one. "What does this mean?" It's eerily beautiful. Startling. It's something special.

And he is that. Really, really something special. There is a moodiness, a sort of solitude and mysticism, that you can feel in the artwork. I've gotten this same feeling enjoying the work of Remedios Varo--though without the consistent weight of Varo's symbolism, I gather-- that dazzling surrealist obsessed with alchemy. Palencar seems to be interested in the isolation of the humans in his worlds of wonder or terror. (The Lovecraft cover art paintings are very difficult to behold. Chilling, nauseating, as they should be.) (Then again, I could be totally wrong. This is, after all, just my impression, and I am neither an artist nor an art historian. I'm merely someone who loves SF novels and enjoys SF art.)

So, after years of enjoying cover art by JJP, I was delighted to discover that this book was out there. I have it, I've perused it, I sigh over it, and it will sit next to my other books on SF art, including my Richard Powers one. I'll be enjoying it for years.

What's inside? Well, open it and get to a fabulous two-page title page spread with a robed angel, all soft pale colors and that gorgeous face. (Palencar does faces with marvelous skill. Beautiful, dreamy, thoughtful, inward-looking, trance-y, aesthetically superb faces. And hands and feet, too. I love studying his painted feet and faces. He makes them beautiful.) ORIGINS: The art of John Jude Palencar. Turn the page for another two-page spread with the copyright info. A brunette woman with an exquisite upper back, bared by the robe that's fallen off her shoulders. Slim-fingered hands reaching out to the left, up to the right, strands meticulously painted at her nape. Again, pale colors, greys and whites,and the browns of the woman. That texture that you associate with Palencar--a graininess, like wood or granite or some other natural object with a FEEL to it. Turn one more page and you get to the painting used in ELDEST by CHristopher Paolini, and it is Paolini who pens the foreword, which he ends with, "Welcome, then, to this collection of one man's visions. You may find them thought provoking, you may find them awe-inspiring, but if nothing else, I hope you find them memorable."

I think they are memorable.

Turn the page again and you find the painting "Angelica", painted for the Sharon Shinn novel of that title. A brunette, eyes closed, face turned up, seemingly in prayer, a subtle moon to the right, unattached wings flying off to the left, and a dawn (or maybe dusk) palette of pale lavenders/grays/charcoal, and the soft and pale wings. Note the fingers and that exquisite bone structure. Opposite this painting is "Burning the Midnight Oil" : A biography of the artist, complete with photos.

After several pages of insight into the life and work of the man, the great stuff parades for you: sketches, fully realized works, titles. Page after page of the subtly painted, gorgeously executed, profoundly pleasurable art. Don't expect commentary. This is the only thing lacking in the book, although some may say it's not needed. Me, I love when works are commented on by the artist. What does it mean to him? Why that object? Why these colors?

But sans commentary, you still have paintings that speak well for themselves of wonder and the fictional or theatrical works they relate to.

Palencar just got nominated for a Hugo award for his art. I, for one, hope he wins. These paintings say he's already a winner, just by having this grand talent.

Buy ORIGINS and just abandon yourselves to his art. It's not a bad way to spend a few hours. Not bad at all.
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This is a great book for university students in the field of history or Latin American politics. Usually we are accustomed to reading only the interviews of Dr. Fidel Castro but rarely do we get a glimpse of others who did battle as well during the Cuban Revolution--1956-58--and these are the three Cuban-Chinese generals. This is a great oral history book on Cuban history as well as Cuban-Chinese relations. It is fascinating to read what these--highly intelligent--generals have to say about their Cuban Government and its role on international relations. A must have for any University student studying Latin American history and/or politics.

The collaborative work of Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui and Moises Sio Wong, Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story Of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals In The Cuban Revolution is the personal testimony of three individuals of Chinese-Cuban ancestry who became involved in the 1956-58 revolutionary war that ended the America-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, with lasting repercussions for socialist revolution in Latin America. Their stories cover not only the excitement of fifty years ago, but also the years since up to the modern day from problems with food shortages to postmodern wars of ideas. An appendix includes two essays by Fidel Castro and one by Nelson Mandela. Most Of Our History Is Still Being Written is told in interview/narrative format, directly from the mouths of the authors; black-and-white photographs offer glimpses of key turning points in Cuban history. A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics.

If you are at all serious about fundamental social change in this century, READ THIS BOOK:

Although this book takes the form of interviews with three Cuban generals of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Chinese origins-- yes there are Chinese in Cuba, propotionately the immigration there was many times greater than to the U.S.; three are yes, generals in the armed forces and leaders of the revolution;no, not everyone of Chinese origins fled the Revolution-- the best part is that you get a wide ranging, broad-scope picture of the Cuban Revolution from the war against the Batista dictatorship through the "Bay of Pigs"/Playa Giron imperial invasion ( attempted, anyway) ; the October 1962 "missile" crisis; Cuba's role in defending Angola fron then-racist-apartheid South Africa, speeding the democratic revolution throughout southern Africa; the economic crisis of the early to mid 1990s; all the way to Cuba's solidarity aid to Venezuela in the teeth of the Empire's threats to both countries, and the current revolution-within-the-revolution known in Cuba as the Battle of Ideas. All this recounted by fighters who PARTICIPATED in these events ! The Cuban Revolution is not "holding out" or merely "surviving"; it is marching foward even if the future is one of struggle amid difficulties...the Cuban people, governemt and Revolution are WINNING. They are beating The Empire every day. Find out why-- read this book !

The three Cuban generals interviewed for this book are all of Chinese descent and shed interesting light on the Chinese-Cuban community (proportionately the largest in the Americas). But the heart of this book is the tremendous opportunity the Cuban Revolution has given these men to advance the cause of human solidarity. They have a down-to-earth approach and their reflections include striking examples as well as razor-sharp observations. Although all three are past retirement age, they all play leading roles in the revolution today, which they discuss in these interviews. This is ongoing history, which they are still living. In this book you get an inside look at the tremendous role Cuba played in Angola as well as a picture of the type of critical humanitarian solidarity Cuba is able to extend to Venezuela today. They show why a society based on international solidarity can successfully challenge the fangs-bared, dog-eat-dog example of the U.S. These interviews cover a variety of topics, such as racism, underdevelopment, the environment, agriculture, military strategy, and the role of youth. The photographs in this beautiful book are an education in themselves. While amazon may list this book as not available from time to time, it is always available from the Pathfinder z store listed under "new and used" at the top of this page.

Full of unexpected and detailed stories about Cuba in the world today...Yugoslavia could have withstood NATO bombings in the 1990s if army officers had used underground tunnels and the system of reserves put in place during World War II to allow the population to sustain itself, one of the Chinese-Cuban generals interviewed in this book says. He explains that Cuba's defense relies on such a system of reserves (not only food but also pencils and paper to keep schools open!): to give the rest of the world time to come to Cuba's aid and organize solidarity in the event of a military attack. So he spearheaded a wildly successful program in Cuba to develop urban agriculture and increase domestic food production. A part of this effort: convincing Cubans to eat veggies...the generals went to Angola to help fight the South African invasion in the 80s, one lost a leg there; one went to Venezuela on the recommendation of the UN to help them develop a food production program like the Cubans'...they all talk about what it was like growing up Chinese under the Batista dictatorship...Who would have guessed that the number of Chinese who moved to Cuba in the mid1800s was roughly the same as the number who moved to the US? An easy read, and you just never know what the next chapter will talk about.