Book Description
John Powers' classic comic novel of the 1960s Catholic subculture stars Eddie Ryan, a Chicago boy who learns about the important questions in life in his years at an all-boys Catholic school on Chicago's South Side. He views it all through the prism of his Catholic mentality, which often deepens the mystery but sometimes clarifies it.
Customer Reviews:
Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?.......2007-03-28
Through the lens of a Catholic upbringing, Eddie Ryan begins his recollections from age twelve. I tumbled with laughter on every page right up through his high school graduation. The vividly painted account of his emotional responses during this time period is hilarious. John R. Powers has a way with language. With very few words, he is able to hit the laugh button repeatedly. This is a quick read and a gem!
Wonderful service.......2006-09-15
I ordered the book on Tuesday and received it on Thrusday! 2 days! perfect now I have a book for the weekend!
it was well packaged, and in very good shape.
Thank you again.
Not everyone understands . . . . .......2006-06-17
The earlier posts which don't give high ratings are probably the ones who "just don't get" the Chicago way. Unless you grew up in Chicago or its surrounding suburbs, you won't find this book amusing. Several of my friends, self-proclaimed "victims" of the Chicago Catholic School system, greatly enjoyed this book. Unless you are high-brow or artsy to begin with, you probably won't understand or get the gist of this tome. For the above average, this book is an insightful read.
A+
I barely made it through the first thirty pages........2006-02-05
If Amazon had a Half Star, or better yet, a No Star rating I would have used the latter. Powers spends the first seven pages talking about his pimple dilemma then goes on to his tediously constructed random subjects with shallow character development laced with corny humor. I get the feeling throughout the book of the author's desperate attempt to be funny.
One of his best.......2005-05-30
Powers is a brilliant, witty, hilarious writer and speaker. Now, where are the rest of his books?
Average customer rating:
- Excellent book about my old neighborhood
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Do Black Patent-Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?: A Fictionalized Memoir
John R. Powers
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The Last Catholic In America (The Loyola Classics Series)
ASIN: 0809281775 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book about my old neighborhood.......2005-07-15
This is an excellent book about my old neighborhood. I knew a few of the characters he talked about. I strongly recommend this book to any person interested in the "old neighborhood."
Product Description
Two mmpb titles for one price, The Last Catholic in America and its sequel Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
Book Description
Labeled the 'Napoleon of Crime' in Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes stories, Professor James Moriarty is not what he has been portrayed to be. In this, the third of Michael Kurland's acclaimed novels featuring Moriarty, he is once again called into action when Holmes suddenly disappears, a man on Moriarty's door-step is killed by a crossbow bolt, and his help is sought in the case of a captured English spy. From these thin threads, Moriarty quickly realizes that if he is to save all of Europe from chaos, he must find and defeat his deadliest opponent ever.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant Book,.......2004-02-19
A complex plot told in such a way to make it easy for the READER not the author - that is skill of the highest sort. Not just for Holmes fans by any means. Its full of wit, wisdom and great characters. The Great Game has a real feel for time and place with echo of what is to come. Kurland's Prof Moriarty is a first rate creation. From one puzzle after another the excitement keeps building to Kraiser Willhem himself leading a charge much to the dismay of everyone! Most of those rescued are properly thankful except for Barnett ( one of the few Americans) who was focus of the first two Moriarty novels who only grouses - what took you so long!
Highly recommended! As are the two early books, The Infernal Device, and Death by Gaslight
An enjoyable read.......2001-12-29
It is 1891, and political terrorism and assassination are sweeping Europe. Professor James Moriarty, a brilliant if often amoral scientist, finds himself sucked into the maelstrom when certain shadowy organizations take Sherlock Holmes' maundering accusations seriously, and decide they need to deal with this "Napoleon of Crime." Collecting an unusual assortment of allies, Moriarty must use all of his talents to penetrate this mystery and stop those who would set the world at war.
I must admit that this is the first book by Michael Kurland that I have read. I found it quite by chance, and was intrigued by the story's premise. The story's main weakness is that none of the characters seem the least bit Victorian (I couldn't shake the idea that the Barnett's were modeled directly on the Blues (Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid), from the movie Undercover Blues). That said, though, the author does spin a great yarn, that succeeds in gripping the reader all the way through to the end.
If you are interested in a story that features the famous (or infamous) Professor Moriarty, or simply like a good thriller, then I highly recommend this book to you. I enjoyed it immensely!
Total Page Turner.......2001-11-29
Michael Kurland has written a terrific book that contains clues and subplots that will keep the pages turning. As a reader, you get an deep understand of who each of the characters are, and you develop a new perspective of Professor Moriarty. In all honesty, I think this would make a great movie. It has all the suspense and mystery.
Moriarty Triumphant!.......2001-11-05
Michael Kurland is one of those authors that sneak up on you. One finds one of his books, enjoys it, and then one day you find another, and so forth. Until one day you are surprised to notice that you have accumulated quite a lot of his work. Kurland doesn't write the kind of double-barreled, memorable fiction that sticks in your mind, but he is a grand master of the well written, highly enjoyable tale which is the meat and potatoes of a reader's library.
"The Great Game" is the third of a series of novels ("The Infernal Device" and "Death by Gaslight" are the others) that star Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes nemesis. Kurland's Moriarty is best described as a sympathetic scoundrel who has been known to indulge in less than savory activities in order to finance his scientific research. He is somewhat perplexed and irritated to be the subject of Sherlock Holmes overblown belief that Moriarty is the criminal genius of Europe. But he is quite brilliant, and exudes a fine sense of manners and charm which often, Sherlock Holmes does not.
This tale, set in 1891, takes place amidst the precursors and threats which will eventually lead to the outbreak of World War I. Anarchists and radicals of all flavors plot to bring down the tyranny of the wealthy that they see about them, and the lives of royalty and top politicians are often at risk. The primary action of the book centers around Charles Summerdane, son of a British noble acting as a spy in Vienna and with two close friends of Moriarty, Benjamin and Cecily Barnett. Charles is maneuvered into taking the blame for an assassination attempt and the death of his lover. With Charles imprisoned, Charles father, Duke Albermar appeals to Professor Moriarty to rescue him from the Viennese police without prejudice to Great Britain.
The Barnetts, innocently vacationing in Europe, manage to save the Prince and Princess of Rumelia from an attempt on their lives, and then are kidnapped themselves by plotters seeking information about Moriarty. In the meantime, Sherlock Holmes and the loyal Watson are also in the Vienna area trying to unlock the secrets of various plots before war can break out. Events in Vienna are a whirl of activity as Holmes and Moriarty form an unwilling alliance in an effort to rescue their friends and keep a shaky peace alive. The Professor seems to have a trick up every sleeve and Holmes' mind is at its deductive finest.
Kurland's characters are classics of that special Victorian world that we associate with Holmes. Men are gruff heroes or devious villains, and all woman are admirable and often more intelligent than the men. Kurland has written a delightful period piece as well as a charming addition to the Holmesian cantos. This is a great cozy up by the fire book, and is well worth the investment.
Witty and Delightful--Holmes and Moriarty.......2001-11-03
At the end of the 19th century, Europe teeters toward war. Anarchists and assassins have taken aim at the crowned heads and Sherlock Holmes, at least, sees a connecting thread. Someone, for some reason, is conspiring to overthrow the existing order.
England lacks a professional spy organization--that role being served by aristocratic young men playing 'the great game.' When one of these amateur spies is accused of murder, his father calls on Professor Moriarty to help.
Despite Holmes's profound mistrust of Moriarty, the two can find common cause against the enemies of peace in Europe. Their enemies plan to strike soon, but can either uncover the conspiracy before it is too late?
Author Michael Kurland has created a delightful novel. Holmes fans might initially resist seeing Sherlock as improperly fixated on Moriarty, but Kurland's writing draws the reader in. Moriarty himself, as well as his friends Benjamin and Cecily Barnett are well crafted and interesting. Kurland throws both from one adventure to the next letting the reader chase after.
Sherlock Holmes takeoffs are plentiful these days, but THE GREAT GAME is a huge step ahead of the mob.
Highly Recommended
BooksForABuck.
I appreciate your 'helpful' vote.
Book Description
Criminologist Denny Colt let the world believe he was dead in order to continue his war against crime as the masked vigilante known only as The Spirit. Throughout his career, he fought some of the world's deadliest villains with nothing more than his wits, his fists and his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.The blue-suit-clad, fedora-wearing crime fighter created by the legendary Will Eisner starred in hundreds of newspaper adventure stories that thrilled readers worldwide.This latest volume in the series reprints the Spirit comics from July 3 to December 25, 1949, one of the series' greatest periods.
Customer Reviews:
A "must read" for every comic book fan!!.......2006-11-06
For me, Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT represents the EVOLUTION of the comic book language over the 20Th century! Eisner took all that's being done in comics before him - in the late thirties - and started to MIX the cinematic language - specially the NOIR's - with comics and , eventually, THE SPIRIT was WAY BEYOND that. If you read this volume, you will know why they call this tittle THE CITZEN KANE of comics! Hal Foster's Prince Valiant's art is beautifull and Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon is a visionary series in MANY ways, but, to me , Will Eisner's THE SPIRIT represents ALL THAT COMICS MEDIUM should be:inteligent,fun and, most of all, REVOLUTIONARY!! And all that stuff in a DELUXE package! Thank you,DC!!
Book Description
Autism - Asperger's and Sexuality is a groundbreaking, personal look at the sexual challenges of those diagnosed with autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Authors Jerry and Mary Newport were both diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome as adults. They spent much of their lives trying to be "normal" and never quite fitting in. Yet they beat the odds by becoming one of the few married couples with autism that have not only found love, but kept it alive. Their stories were the focus of the movie Mozart the Whale, starring Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell. Here they share their first-hand knowledge, helping to guide young autistic adults and their caregivers through this sometimes bewildering, but fascinating, topic. This book includes advice on dating, sex, birth control, disease prevention, abuse, and personal responsibility.
Customer Reviews:
An important start to a much needed topic of discusion.......2006-08-06
I appreciate the frankness which the author has decided to 'out' himself as a person with autism. This book tackles many areas which are still considered taboo for people with disabilities to know about.
Society still has hang ups thinking of people with disabilities as autonomous sexual beings. It wants to instead pretend that we are dependent children-vegetables. Even some so-called radical friends have become shocked to learn that people with disabilities participate in and enjoy sex.
Addressing people with disabilities as the primary audience will effectively help to shatter these stereotypes--although the title is also a good read for our families and friends.
However, as a heterosexual ally, I also must concur that he needed to include information on GLBT people--and avoid stereotypes. Because all people with disabilities are also outsiders to the status quo, such a limited and unfortunately one-dimensional view of sexuality is especially shocking and inappropriate.
It's great he acknowledges people with disabilities as being sexual beings, but then he seems to contradict himself by not giving adequate information when he had set out to write a book which was theoretically supposed to provide just that. Hopefully this issue will be resolved in future editions.
A much needed book.......2006-07-01
I appreciate the fact that there has been a book written on this subject especially for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Jerry and Mary Newport have done an excellent job at giving a first hand look at the difficulties of dealing with the sensitive issues of someone's sexuality and offering some very good advice. This is a much needed book. Thanks.
Don't judge this book by its cover.......2004-08-11
because the contents doesn't match it. The views of sexuality in this book doesn't match the nineties. It is out of touch with the ease most teenagers today talk about sex, and seems mostly like a book sent from the fifties by a time machine. Or from somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, where they still live like the fifties. It even goes as far as saying it doesn't "mean to encourage pre-marital sexual activity" in a warning before a chapter about "birth control" etc. This reads as a complete joke to a scandinavian guy.
It completely lacks any information about using the internet!!! How could such a book be relevant today? All my friends use dating sites for finding dates and friends. Everybody has a profile somewhere. Dating sites makes it much easier for asperger people to find other people, which they can relate to, and avoid the hell from normal teenager parties. But the asperger needs some good hints for dating sites, they are not without pitfalls (just like old-style dating, but just a different set of pitfalls). He just mentions it a couple of times and discards it with "As far as getting dates from the Internet, I just don't see it".
I agree with roguealleycat's critique of the very narrow view of valuable lifestyle(s).
The book is set with a large sans serif font, so it's hard on the eyes, and large sections are in italics as they felt is was very important the reader could see what was written by his wife instead of himself. A more professional publishing agency and editing would help the readability. The book is a weird mix of guidelines for the parent, and daddy comments to the young. So it doesn't have a consistent target group.
Conclusion: If you consider living in the fifties, the book might be useful, otherwise...
great review does the job!.......2003-10-09
I found the first customer review the most useful in convincing me to immediately order this book. The review was so explicit as to what was in the book (or to be more specific, what was not), that it sounded perfect for my heterosexual son with a mild case of AS. Thanks!
Only a veneer of tolerance for the rest of us.......2003-04-23
If this book had been around when I was beginning adolescence, it would have created more confusion than it solved. It is a great improvement on Newport's other book in terms of clarity and message. However, as an autistic lesbian, I would have found it very lacking.
While there is a short chapter that includes homosexuality (which it lumps in with celibacy, drug abuse, and cults!) it demonstrates little to no understanding of the subject. While it makes the point that relationships are relationships no matter what, it completely neglects that gay and lesbian courtship differs greatly from heterosexual courtship. I do not know about gay male courtship, but lesbian courtship requires a lot more subtlety and attention to tiny non-verbal cues than straight people's courtship. This is not addressed whatsoever, nor are the obvious differences in sexual practice.
While the book tries to promote the idea of equality, the comment that one of the authors wouldn't want his child to be homosexual would not have been encouraging to me as a young lesbian reader. Neither would the big bold-print "Nothing in this chapter should be taken as endorsement of an alternative lifestyle." It seems that they are trying to keep both sides happy -- to say "You are okay" to gay people and "I completely understand why you don't want your kid to be gay, and it's your choice to make good choices for the individuals concerned" to homophobic parents, so as to keep everyone satisfied. Meanwhile, there are parents who use these kinds of ideas to prevent their gay autistic adult children from having any relationships at all -- this is a pressing and real problem that appears not to be addressed for fear of offending anyone.
Bisexuality is never mentioned at all, and the authors seem to believe that a lot of people "try" homosexuality as a way of fitting in (I tried heterosexuality and it never did work for me). It always presents homosexuality as departure from heterosexuality, rather than as a phenomenon in its own right. It also discourages any political activism for gay people, derisively referring to it as a "crusade" (I wonder what the authors think of political activism for autistic equality) and telling gay people to get over being gay. Compare to Luke Jackson's observation in _Freaks, Geeks, and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence_ that people willing to be visibly autistic and visibly gay have done a lot for human rights for both groups. I would think a real exploration of the similarities of the two groups would be more useful than prejudice with a veneer of tolerance over it.
I think that this book is good if you're straight and into conformity to certain gender roles, but for the rest of us it leaves a lot to be desired. I think it could have done with a few more co-authors who had a more accurate and inside view of homosexuality, so that it would not simply be a straight-sexuality centered book with a few paragraphs tacked on for everyone else. I found parts of the straight sexuality things applicable, and others completely useless and missing vital technical and health information. I think even straight people who don't completely follow the traditional gender expectations -- like my parents, for example -- would find parts of this book useless or demeaning. I showed the section on homosexuality to both straight and gay acquaintances, and they found it everything from unacceptable to insulting -- several asked me why I liked anything in the book at all after reading that part.
For more nuanced, accurate, and compassionate views of developmental disability and sexuality, I would recommend the works of Dave Hingsburger. While _Autism-Asperger's and Sexuality_ is better than nothing, and provided some useful ideas (the "What Do Women Really Want?" section had some very useful information in it for me), it's geared to a specific population, slightly against others, and suffers because of it. It could have been much better had the same sensitivity as it displays in the earlier chapters been carried over to the rest of us, who don't fit in those chapters. Skirting over the very real issues of gay and bisexual (among others) people with developmental disabilities does nobody any favors.
Book Description
The cocktail is as old as the nation that invented it, yet until this entertaining and authoritative account, its story had never been fully told. William Grimes traces the evolution of American drink from the anything-goes concoctions of the Colonial era to the frozen margarita, spiking his meticulously researched narrative with arresting details, odd facts, and colorful figures.
The book includes about one hundred recipes--half of them new for this edition--for both classics and innovations.
Customer Reviews:
Better as a history than a recipe book.......2003-04-20
Grimes traces the history of that uniquely American invention, the cocktail, from its origins in colonial times to its current revival. He is particularly entertaining when reviewing extinct drinks -- ever wonder what a shandy is? -- but the storied bartenders and venues are also a pleasure.
The second half of the book is recipes. For these, you're probably better off with a bartender's handbook.
Net -- mix yourself a drink and settle into your favorite armchair for this one.
Slight but charming.......2002-01-03
This slim volume offers a charming and urbane (though brief) history of what could arguably be one of America's greatest contributions to world culture.
As NY Times restaurant critic Grimes notes, cocktails turn up only fleetingly in literature -- they are everywhere and nowhere. The word itself debuted in 1806, and "bartender" arrived on the scene in 1836.
He relates delightful tales of illustrious mixers and saloons, as well as the history -- as best it can be divined -- of specific drinks from the Manhattan and the daiquiri to many lost and unlamented experiments such as the Lightning Smash, the Alabama Fog-Cutter, and the Free Silver Fizz.
Apart from anecdotes about Dickens and Washington Irving sharing a mint julep in Baltimore (1842), or the fact that Sherwood Anderson died of peritonitis brought on by the swallowing of a martini olive toothpick, Grimes's colonial pre-history of the cocktail is perhaps the most interesting part of the book. He also notes the evolution of today's standards: for example, Rangoon Ruby to Bog Fog to Cape Codder.
The text is garnished with passages from Bunuel, Ben Franklin, Dreiser, Twain, Hawthorne, O'Hara, and of course Hemingway. (Fitzgerald's Turkey Cocktail will make you laugh out loud.)
The reason I give this lovely book only 3 stars is that it's so short. There's but 126 pages of text, plus about 36 pages of cocktail recipes. That's a drawback for a stout and heavy reader like myself, but it might make this book the perfect gift for the person who does not read a lot beyond the Wall Street Journal and Forbes -- someone who truly does appreciate the cocktail in this age of Chardonnay nuts and tae bo, and might be most inclined to experiment with the 103 recommended recipes in the back.
Book Description
COMPREHENSIVEAUTHORITATIVE ACCESSIBLE
NO OTHER U.S. COIN GUIDE IS AS COMPLETE
Coin World is the most respected and widely read weekly in the entire coin collecting field; even the U. S. Government relies on their database for accurate historical information. This revised 2nd edition now includes newly discovered rarities--coins not catalogued anywhere else! It features up-to-date values, including stunning all-time high auction records, and new, sharper, actual-sized photographs of more than 800 coins, for easy and accurate identification.
THE COMPREHENSIVE CATALOG AND ENCYCLOPEDIA OF U.S. COINS
CATALOGS IN A SINGLE, EASY-TO-USE VOLUME:
All regular issues of the United States Mint--thousands of collectible varieties
A complete listing of pattern and experimental pieces
Colonial and Revolutionary Era coins and tokens--relics of the Founding Fathers
Pioneer gold coins from the Gold Rush of 1830-1861
Coins of the Philippines under U.S. rule during World War II
An appendix of Treasury and Mint officials
Current grading and pricing information, including auction prices
And much, much more
Customer Reviews:
Cc: Comp. Cat U.s. Coins.......2003-09-05
Excellent reference work, particularly in the area of patterns.
From beginners to novice.......2000-04-02
The Comprehensive Catalog to U.S. coins is the most informative literature to enable the beginner expand his/her knowledge of U.S. coins but also enrich the novice by broadening his/her expertise in other U.S. coins. This piece of work is very helpful for all stages of individuals seeking knowledge of early to modern type coins. I always refer to this catalog of coins when I encounter an early type piece I'm not familiar with. This book not only expands but also tantilize my mind by the many types of U.S. coins depicted. Not a book to loan out if you wish to have it returned. I've purchased my second copy and will a third when it's updated. Thanks for a excellent book.
Average customer rating:
- perfect book for lovers of decoys.
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Decoys: A Celebration of Contemporary Wildfowl Carving
Laurel Aziz
Manufacturer: Camden House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Great Gallery of Ducks and Other Waterfowl
ASIN: 0921820836 |
Book Description
By bringing their vision to life in colorful three dimensions, decorative wildfowl sculptors have raised this genre to the stratum of fine art. Celebrate this awakening with DECOYS, Ernie Sparks photographic collection of the finest sculptures.
Customer Reviews:
perfect book for lovers of decoys........2000-09-15
A perfect book for the man or women who loves decoys. No need to be a hunter to enjoy these wonderful pictures. Makes a great gift. And a beautiful coffee table book. Five stars plus.
Average customer rating:
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Plank House (Native American Homes)
Dolores A. Dyer
Manufacturer: Rourke Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 1559162481 |
Average customer rating:
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Plank Houses (Bridgestone Books: Native American Life)
Karen Bush Gibson
Manufacturer: Bridgestone Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0736837256 |
Book Description
This digital document is a journal article from Dendrochronologia, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
A dendroarchaeological survey of a traditional Nuu-chah-nulth plank house at Kiix?in, the former capital of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, on the west coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia, was undertaken in the summer of 2002. Standardized dendroarchaeological techniques were employed to collect and analyse increment core samples collected from the house known as Quaksweaqwul. Floating ring-width series were compared to a locally prepared Western redcedar (Thuja heterophylla) master tree-ring chronology (1511-2002 AD) to determine when the trees used to construct the house were felled. The findings of the survey indicate that Quaksweaqwul was built after the 1835 AD growth year. As the amount of perimeter wood loss due to weathering and preparation is difficult to ascertain, no precise felling or construction date can be presented. The results of this survey provide insights into Huu-ay-aht First Nations history and offer direct evidence for the general state of preservation of individual house posts and beams at Kiix?in. Additionally, the successful dating of a traditional First Nations village using a dendroarchaeological approach highlights the potential this technique may hold for developing similar insights at other sites along Canada's Pacific Coast.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent primary art history source .......2004-08-08
Baccio Bandinelli And Art At The Medici Court: A Corpus Of Early Modern Sources by Louis A. Waldman (Assistant Professor of Italian Renaissance and Baroque Art, University of Texas - Austin) is a collection of source information concerning Florentine sculptor Baccio Bandinelli (1493-1560). Accused by his enemies of beign foul-mouthed, greedy, and sycophantic, to the extent that he inspired the two-dimensional character Fieramosca in Berlioz's 1838 opera "Benvenuto Cellini", Baccio Bandinelli affected art history in more ways than the his detractors would have one believe - his originality was remarkable enough to become part of the image of dynastic legitimacy for his Medici patrons, and his works perpetuated his influence long after his name became memory. Baccio Bandinelli And Art At The Medici Court presents its wealth of documents, many from the private archive of the Bandinelli family, entirely in their original Italian with some English annotations; however, the many documents themselves are not translated. An excellent primary art history source for those familiar with Italian.
Major Scholarship.......2004-06-17
Baccio Bandinelli and Art at the Medici Court: A Corpus of Early Modern Sources by Louis Alexander Waldman (American Philosophical Society) More than five centuries after his birth, the contradictions embodied by the Florentine sculptor Baccio Bandinelli (1493-1560) remain as mysterious as ever. Revered by contemporaries as one of the most important sculptors of his time, he was reviled by his enemies as a truculent, foul-mouthed, avaricious, sycophantic, craven humbug-the farcical image immortalized as the character of Fieramosca in Berlioz's 1838 opera Benvenuto Cellini. But the originality and power of Bandinelli's work, and the long shad-ow it cast over the arts in sixteenth-century Florence and Rome, are as unmistakably clear today as they were to the artist's Medici patrons, who recognized his art as a potent tool for constructing an image of dynastic legitimacy.
Based on a decade of research in archives all over Italy, Baccio Bandinelli and Art at the Medici Court: A Corpus of Early Modem Sources brings this great but often neglected Renaissance artist into sharper focus for modern scholarship. It comprises a comprehensive collection of the documentation on Bandinelli's life and work. The great majority of the texts included in this volume were discovered by the author and are published for the first time, and many come from the private archive of the Bandinelli family.
This book presents a rich, balanced, and at times surprising picture of an artist whose career has all too often been viewed through the jaundiced eyes of his enemies-especially Giorgio Vasari and Benvenuto Cellini-whose far from impartial accounts have long exerted an unduly preponderant influence on Bandinelli's place in art history. All of Bandinelli's major artistic commissions are fully documented, as is his establishment of one of the earliest artistic academies. The sources presented here make it possible to know Baccio with a degree of intimacy that has few parallels in the historiography of Renaissance art. In this rich mosaic of contemporary sources, one can watch Bandinelli wringing commissions and rewards from his patrons, and one can hear his pithy views on art, artists, and the Medici family. But there are also many glimpses of Baccio the man-his amorous exploits, his brawls at fisticuffs, and his persistent struggles to elevate himself to the status of the Florentine patriciate through a trumped-up claim of nobility.
All the documents are furnished with historical commentary and textual apparatus discussing their broader historical con-text, problems of chronology and interpretation, and later interpolations-including hundreds of forged passages inserted by the artist's grandson, the genealogist Baccio Bandinelli the Younger (1578-1636), whose role as forger of the Bandinelli legacy is exposed here for the first time.
Average customer rating:
- A Good Book for All Audrey Hepburn fans
- Worthy of its subject
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Audrey Hepburn: A Star Danced
Robyn Karney
Manufacturer: Arcade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Entertainers
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General
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Hepburn, Audrey
| ( H )
| People, A-Z
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Biographies
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ASIN: 1559703008 |
Customer Reviews:
A Good Book for All Audrey Hepburn fans.......2001-12-30
At first glance, this book, in its fairly oversized hardcover edition, may come across as something more suited for a coffee table. There would be some truth to this assumption as the true strength of this book lies in the wonderful collection of pictures encompassing the life of Audrey hepburn. Some have been published in previous works but there are many pictures that are unique to this book. From refreshing candid shots to stunning stills from all her films, it is very visually enjoyable. I found a few excusable inaccuracies in the captions under some of the photographs (a still from "Roman Holiday" refers to a different scene than what is mentioned) but this would be noticable only to die-hard Audrey Hepburn fans such as myself. It does not take away from the high quality of this product. What makes this more than your regular coffee table book is the accompanying text. It features a relatively condensed biography along with many quotes and observations from the people in Hepburn's life. It is very interesting, straight-forward, and well organized. All of these combine to create a great package for any reader interested in getting to know Audrey Hepburn either for the first time or just a little better than before.
Worthy of its subject.......1997-05-05
This slender book, with its dark, attractive
cover and glossy, gorgeous pages, is a work of
tribute to Miss Hepburn which skillfully evokes her tremendous appeal. The text is slight but smoothly readable, and filled with amusing and often touching recollections from directors,
actors, and other friends of the late movie
legend. The real attraction of the book is of course the pictures, in particular the stunning black-and-white gatefold taken from a session
with Richard Avedon.
Average customer rating:
- A star danced, and under that was I born
- A Classic Look at the Life of a Star
|
A Star Danced : The Life of Audrey Hepburn
Robyn Karney
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Actors & Actresses
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0747515816 |
Customer Reviews:
A star danced, and under that was I born.......2004-04-11
As revealed before the title page, the book's title was taken from Act II, scene I of Much Ado About Nothing: "...but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born." Definitely apropos for Audrey Hepburn.
Robyn Karne's biography on Hepburn is a combination truncated but effective text that emphasizes the highlights of her life with a series of photos accompanying each movie or phase of her life. They are either in colour or B&W, and she sizzles in costume or relaxing in ordinary clothes. One set of photos that were cute was her and Ip, the tame fawn that became a temporary pet during her work on Green Mansions, and with she is photo'd taking a nap with, her terrier Famous also resting at the further end of the sofa. The beginning of each chapter is prefaced by two quotes, one from Audrey, the other from a third party, be it Billy Wilder, Henry Mancini, or Alfred Lunt on what characteristics the star had, and a pretty clear picture is formed from them.
A need for stability and comfort as opposed to luxury is also shown the way up to fifty-five pieces of luggage accompanied her wherever she was making movies. The result was that she dispensed the hotel's finery and replaced them with her own, thus making the illusion of a home away from home.
Like Harris's book, Karne lists two big names who actually hated her. One was Humphrey Bogart, who was purposefully excluded because he was not fun to be with, due to racist things he said about Jewish Billy Wilder, and how he saw Audrey as "an inexperienced upstart." The other was Alfred Hitchcock, who never spoke to her after she refused a role that exceeded her line of taste. The movie he intended was never made.
She was a great actress, that much can be established without debate, but one thing made clear is that she mostly wanted to settle down and cook and spend quality time with her family and enjoy nature's tranquil scenes. Who knows what would have happened had she been a cinematic one-hit wonder, but the hits kept coming with Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Charade, and My Fair Lady, to name some. But it is clear that despite her career, she tried hard to maintain her first marriage by giving it her full attention, but in vain. Like her character Sabrina, Audrey was clearly an idealist.
The one thing I observed in this bio as opposed to the other one I have was how Audrey's legendary charm and status even moved Sidney Sheldon to rewrite ten pages of his novel Bloodline so that the main character was 35 and not younger, for Ms. Hepburn.
Karne is supportive and positive on the star, not emphasizing anything bad about her. Come to think of it, there didn't seem to be.
The photos are wonderful and succeed in illuminating Hepburn's best traits: "Grace, dignity, charm, and compassion". Of the reviews included in the biography, they all single out Audrey as the dazzling star of the show, or the only good thing about the movie (e.g. The Children's Hour, Paris When It Sizzles, They All Laughed). Nothing wrong with Karne's praiseworthy bias of Audrey
A Classic Look at the Life of a Star.......2000-03-26
This book was an incredible find and gives the reader a personal look into the life of Audrey Hepburn. A Star Danced goes behind the scenes to show her real, not always so perfect life. Through this gook I realize that Audrey was more then a movie star, she was a real person with strugles and triumphs. This book would be a great read for any Audrey Hepburn fan.
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