Miniature Books

Kells' mini hardcovers:
The variety of exquisite little hardcover reproduction volumes are reproductions of parts of the original illuminated manuscripts. They are magnificent, with gold-leaf detailing and sumptuous full-color illustrations, making them a perfect gift for all who cherish the rich legacy of Christian art. The original illuminated manuscript, is permanently on display, since the 19th, in the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
It is one of the most beautiful of the world's most famous manuscript. It contains 680 pages (or 340 folios). Just two of the pages are without ornament, while about thirty folios, including some major decorated pages, have been lost. Two volumes can normally be seen, one opened to display a major decorated page, and one to show two pages of script.A CD-ROM version of all 340 folios from the Book of Kells is available for purchase.


Origin of Book of Kells:
The Book of Kells, was most probably copied by hand and illuminated by monks around the year 800 A.D. Its name is derived from the Abbey of Kells, in the Irish Midlands, where it was kept from at least the 9th century to 1541, it was probably begun on the island of Iona. It is uncertainly presumed, that portions of the book were made at Kells, after Viking raids on Iona forced the monastery to retreat to the isolated location. It contains the four gospels, preceded by prefaces, summaries, and canon tables or concordances of gospel passages. It is written on vellum and contains a Latin text of the Gospels in insular majuscule script accompanied by magnificent and intricate whole pages of decoration with smaller painted decorations appearing throughout the text. The manuscript was given to Trinity College in the 17th century and since 1953 has been bound in four volumes.

Book of Columba:
This same Irish manuscript containing the Four Gospels, is known also as the "Book of Columba", probably because it was written in the monastery of Iona to honour the saint. Some small portions at the beginning and end of the manuscript have been lost, but otherwise it is in a very good state of preservation. It was apparently left unfinished, since some of the ornaments remain only in outline. It is written in part black, red, purple or yellow ink, and it has been thought that the hands of two scribes, neither of whom is known by name, are discernible in the writing and illumination of the manuscript.

Book's Beauty:
This is the most copiously illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels in existence. No words can describe the beauty and splendour of the richly coloured initial letters, which are more profuse in the "Book of Kells" than in any other manuscript. The artist possessed a wonderful knowledge of the proportion of colour and the distribution of his material -sienna, purple, lilac, red, pink, green, yellow, most often used, and the shade tinting of the letters was managed with fine taste and skill. A series of illuminated miniatures, including pictorial representations of the Evangelists and their symbols, the Blessed Virgin and the Divine Child, are worthy of notice. It is no wonder that it was believed that the "Book of Kells" could have been written only by angels (very artistic indeed!).

Composition and Loss:
The date of the composition of the book can hardly be placed earlier than the end of the seventh or beginning of the eighth century, It is likely that it is to this book that the entry in the "Annals of Ulster" under the year 1006 refers, recording that in that year the "Gospel of Columba" was stolen. According to tradition, the book is a relic from the time of St. Columba (d. 597) and even the work of his hands, but, on palaeographic grounds and judging by the character of the ornamentation, this tradition cannot be sustained. This must be the book reported at Kildare in the last quarter of the twelfth century, described in glowing terms. Later, it was located at the cathedral of Kells (Irish Cenannus) in Meath, a foundation of Columba's, where it remained for a long time, until the year 1541. Archbishop Ussher presented it to Trinity College, Dublin, In the 17th century where it is the most precious manuscript in its library and by far the choicest relic of Irish art that has been preserved.

Manuscript Ornaments& Designs: The most characteristic ornaments of the Book of Kells, as of other illuminated Irish manuscripts of the period, are the coloured representations of fanciful beings, or of men, animals, birds, horses, dogs, and grotesque, gargoyle-like human figures, twisted and hooked together in intricate detail, a system of geometrical weaving of ribbons plaited and knotted together.
The versatility and inventive genius of the illustrator surpasses all belief. Lines diverge and converge in endless succession, and the most intricate figures, in lavish abundance and with astounding variety of ornament, are combined and woven into one harmonious design. In spite of the extent of the work and its thousands of exquisite initials and terminals, there is not a single pattern or combination that can be said to be a copy of another. The artist shows a wonderful technique in designing and combining various emblems, the cross, vine, dragon, fish, and serpent. The drawing is perfection itself. It has been examined under a powerful magnifying glass for hours at a time and found to be, even in the most minute and complicated figures, without a single false or irregular line.

*Most of this review material are from Trinity web & New Advent

Fabulous illuminations;
I became fascinated with and got attached to those stunningly beautiful initials, the most amazing calligraphy I ever examined in my life. I have been also amazed by and curious about the four Symbols of the Gospel writers, since I first encountered in the Chapel of the Episcopalian Bishop of NC in Raleigh, and was informed that they were influenced by the preaching Coptic Monks to the Celts and Scots.
Only people of developed artistic orientation, could appreciate how beautiful these genuinely original decorations reach out to the overwhelmed reader. Alas that parts of the Gospel according to St. Luke are missing from the original Codex.

Religous Celtic Art:
Long before the coming of St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597, Christianity has been introduced among the Brittons, by Coptic missionaries who reached as far as the British Isles. "We do not yet know how much we in the British Isles owe to these remote Coptic hermits...Everyone knows that the handicraft of the Irish monks in the ninth and tenth centuries far excelled anything that could be found elsewhere in Europe. Their unrivaled illuminations, can be traced to the influence of Egyptian missionaries, we have more to thank the Copts for than has been imagined." Eminent historian: Stanley Lane-Poole.

Friedrich's work celebrates the solitude of the soul & man's union with nature. It is lonely, bleak & brilliant. It transports you to another place & time, one far removed from the chaos of modern life. This must be the definative work on CDF, so far as i know. A "must have", if ever there were one.

This highly illustrative tome includes pencil sketches and tracings showing lines of force for Friedrich's major works. In addition, an in-depth discussion of his life, including cultural and socio-political influences, is discussed concurrent with a review of not only his major masterpieces, but his minor, early works as well. An absolute must for anyone who has become enamored with his work, or the work of other similar sublime, landscape artists of the period.

This is a small but lovely collection of Madonna and Child artwork.
The previous reviewer-Craig Pike's review obviously is with the wrong book as this book has nothing to do with the birth process.

A must have. From the male and female hormon to fertilization to birth, a comprehensive look at the birth process. You WILL ask the question, "How'd they take that picture?" Fantastic.

The whole series of these books is great. There are four in the jungle group and four in the farm group. My three year old son loves animals so much we had to get all of them. He has played for hours with these books, first reading them, then playing with the animals, then bringing them to me to read etc. They are pretty durable and stand up to a lot of play and reading.

Lotte' daddy brought this little book home from a business trip to London. Ever since it has been her night-time pal in bed. She looks over page after page "talking" with the animals.

The book is marked as not suitable for children under 36 months because of small parts (the eyes are pasted on the cardboard face of the animal and could be picked off, I guess).

Lotte is 16 months old and giving me kisses as I write this review. I take it she approves of this book.

What I like about it is the repetitive formular ... the lion looks for the zebra and asks all the animals he finds on this "safari" if they have seen the zebra. The zebra is always hiding behind something and the child can help spot it. Since the question is always the same, children are able to relate to what they are supposed to do on each page.

The illustrations are cute and simple. The pictures are not overloaded in color and action. Yet there are those little things the child can point to and enjoy. Lotte is so proud when she can point to the zebra and help the lion.

For smaller children is is just as suitable as for older ones. There are four animals in the series: Lion, Elephant, Zebra, and Rhino.

I was going to order all four since they also make a great gift. Everyone who has small children and stopped by our house loved the book. One of the older children sadly had a fight over our Lion with Lotte and they tore it in two halves. A replacement is necessary and the reason for my visit at amazon.com :)

Enjoy the book and the smiling child that "reads" it.

Michael, Kristin and Lotte

Amazingly, this little booklet gives you an amazing amount of information about how to throw a cocktail party, including plenty of recipes for the old favs as well as trendy drinks and theme parties. With its wine markers, umbrellas, and plastic monkeys and mermaids, it's a great gift for the hostess or stocking stuffer. What fun!

This would be a swell stocking stuffer! If, like me, you think cocktails are lots of fun, then you've got to get one of these for yourself and more for your friends. The little box has a little book with recipes for all kinds of cocktails (even ones you thought you knew) and most of what else you need, too (except for barware and liquids, of course). There are six plastic hanging monkeys, six cute metal drink markers, and even six bright colorful paper umbrellas. Lots of drinking fun without the possiblity of a hangover!

Second of two large soft cover books by Richard O'Brien, specifically aimed at the identification and fair value of American Made Toy Soldiers. Includes brief history of each manufacturer pre and post WWII styles of soldiers. Top quality materials, mine has traveled thousands of miles in suitcases, back packs and the backseat. Opened and closed hundreds of times, it is still in great shape. Crisp and clear photos of most of the listed items have helped avoid confusion and misidentification.

With on-line auctions setting the pace in the toy soldier collecting world. An identification guide of this quality is a must in establishing a BEGINNING bid, while desirability sets how high the actual cost will go. Hopefully, an update of this book is in work as in my opinion the on-line auctions have driven the price of many of the toys to often double their listed price.

I've been collecting American toy soldiers all of my life, and this is by far the best guide that I've ever found. It works as a good overall history of the subject, as well as, a specific historical guide to the companies and individuals involved. It is also superb as an identification guide and for approximate pricing.
Whether you are into cast metal figures like Maniol, Barclay, or Grey Iron, or the classic Marx, Ideal, MPC, or Lido plastics, this is one great guide. It even covers comic book flats, paper soldiers, cerial premiums, and the original G.I. Joe. You can spend hours just flipping though this hefty book and reminiscing, even if you don't currently collect.

Another great book covering the art form of miniature painting. A valuable contribution to any artist or collector's library to help appreciate the development of miniature art.

This book MUST be the definitive guide for any one interested the the art of Miniaturists. The presentation is excellent, content outstanding. There are more than 1,000 illustrations and the author has detailed the methods for dating minatures from clothing and style. It has been thoroughly researched and can be regarded as THE standard reference work.

This is a great deck to take along anywhere. The pictures are beautiful and look like stained glass. This is my favorite deck. Worth the money.

These cards are beautiful and made into a mini deck. A larger deck is also available.

I cannot believe the art on these cards. I would think with the artwork shrunk down so small, the quality wouldn't be so great. But these are wonderful. Great for a trip or to put in your purse. I used to read with them when I had downtime as a security guard. I would highly recommend them!

Our little boy listens to this book over and over again. He loves the pictures and the words (which he knows by heart). He enjoys lifting the flaps to find the eggs. The book has held up well through many many readings! I am now going to look for more books like this one with D.W. and Arthur.

All children need to learn about color and Marc Brown always enlighten's the mood of reading to children. He is a wonderful author and I would reccommend any of his books.

Great Artwork, and Perfectly coordinated with the Fluff, recommended for any fantasy or warhammer fan.

Darkness Rising: A complete history of the Storm of Chaos is the second art/background book produced by Games Workshop for its dark, gritty, and detailed Warhammer Fantasy setting and the new standard by which they will be measured. Darkness Rising covers the Storm of Chaos, the most horrific continent wide war that shook the nations and peoples of the Old World and beyond to their very core.

This is a beautiful book. Don't let the simple description of "paperback" fool you, this is a large book rather than a simple market novel one might obtain at the bookstore. The binding of this book is top notch and is composed of reinforced paper. The interior pages are a high quality gloss and beautifully designed. The artwork was created by a vast cast of spectacular artists who capture the mood of the Warhammer Fantasy setting and the trying times of the Storm of Chaos perfectly. Their images are at times subtle, playing second fiddle to the prominence of the text and at other points beautifully dynamic and spread across both pages in massive works that draw the eye to the minutest of details.

Darkness Rising: A complete history of the Storm of Chaos is written from the perspective of Frederich "Old" Weirde of Altdorf the capital city of the Empire. Old Fred is a self described noted scholar, professor of esoteric studies, historian, antiquarian, fellow of the Altdorf Men's Historical Society and connoisseur of the finest Estalian Port. It is from his eyes that we bear witness to some of the most dramatic events of the Storm of Chaos and thanks to the correspondence he receives from his son who is out in the fields we are given a profound impression of not just the events of this dark time but their effects on the populace and the nation as a whole.

A beautiful book for both collectors and enthusiasts alike, Darkness Rising will add detail to the imagination of any fan of the Warhammer Fantasy miniatures game, readers of the novels, or players of the recently released Warhammer Fantasy RPG. Particularly, the images contained within will allow people unfamiliar with the setting to, in a glance, be seduced by the dark grandeur of this immersive world. You will not be disappointed.