The Good Priest's Son: A Novel

The Good Priest's Son: A Novel
Average customer rating:

Great post 911 novel

another classic from one of our nations great authors

A joy to read

The Gospel According to Price

The Good Priest's Son: A Novel
Reynolds Price
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Price, Reynolds | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0743254015

Book Description

Flying home to New York after a much needed getaway abroad, private art conservator Mabry Kincaid learns that his downtown loft has been devastated by the World Trade Center attacks. Unable to resume his normal life, he flies south to North Carolina to visit his aged father, a widowed Episcopal priest who is cared for by live-in nurse Audrey Thornton and her grown son, Marcus. During his stay -- with help from his cantankerous father, Audrey, Marcus, and an alluring old flame named Gwyn -- Mabry is compelled to explore his tormented relationship with his father and a world he fondly remembers but has long since abandoned. Back in New York a week later, Mabry faces his old life, which lies in ruins before his eyes. There, he must once again confront change and uncertainty -- and a daunting disease that may prove fatal.

In an elegantly crafted and profoundly moving novel, Reynolds Price follows one man's wrenching journey to come to terms with two familiar worlds that have been radically altered.

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"Reynolds Price, one of America's most distinguished and honored writers, has produced such masterpieces as Noble Norfleet, Roxanna Slade, and Kate Vaiden, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. Now in The Good Priest's Son, his fourteenth novel and thirty-sixth book, Price gives us another penetrating study -- full-length portraits of five arresting characters. On September 11, 2001, Mabry Kincaid -- a fiftyish art conservator -- is flying home after a much-needed rest in Rome and Paris. Halfway across the Atlantic, his plane is diverted from New York to Nova Scotia. Two days later, when the United States has recovered sufficiently from the attack on the World Trade Center, Mabry discovers that his downtown New York loft is uninhabitable. He flies south to North Carolina instead to visit his aged father. A widowed Episcopal priest, Tasker Kincaid has been injured in a recent fall and is cared for by live-in Audrey Thornton, an African-American divinity student at Duke University, and her grown son, Marcus, an ambitious painter. During a week in North Carolina -- with help from his cantankerous father, from Audrey and Marcus and from Gwyn Williams, an old flame -- Mabry is compelled to explore his tormented relationship with his father and with a world that still harbors much that he's loved but has long since abandoned. On his return to New York -- and in a swift and unexpected return to the south -- Mabry must deal with the near-ruin of his loft, with haunting memories of his infidelities to his recently deceased wife, with the end of his childhood family, the uncertainty of his professional career, the ambivalence of his adult daughter, and with a daunting likelihood that is terrifyingly at work inside his body. Reynolds Price writes at peak form in this lean and masterful, comic yet profoundly moving novel -- one that unfolds the stages of one man's hope for ransom in old familiar worlds that are now forever changed. "

Customer Reviews:

Great post 911 novel.......2007-07-05

A thoughtful perspective on America immediately post 911. If you enjoy Reynolds' other work, this is definitely worth reading.

another classic from one of our nations great authors.......2006-04-02

to start with,i'll admit i am more than a little prejudiced when it comes to the very talanted mr. reynolds price. his books as well as his characters are always compelling and are much anticipated by me, considering i read very few modern authors.

what i like most of price's characters is though they are flawed,they have an obtainable redemption that they seem to either be chasing, or is chasing them. in this novel the character mabry is no exception. mabry is a man who is spending his time chasing the living ghosts who have comprised his life, and is coming to terms with each of them, but not always in the way he intends.

this book is very well written, but as always when you read a novel by price, you also have to kind of breathe in the words as you go along, because as an author, mr. price has more to be said in his prose than most writers say. that is where the beauty of price's writings really shine.

this book however moves very slowly, and i have seen a few reviews complaining about that. i believe the pacing in this book gives it a more meaningful quality. i believe that it is not just a book, but another fine piece of craftmanship that needs to be read by a large audience, like all of his works. for price is not only a fine novelist, but also a poet, commentator, religious scholar, essayist and playwrite.

A joy to read.......2005-08-06

This book is a gem. Southern fiction at its best. Price is a master at the art of story telling. History will regard Price as one of the finest, if not THE finest, southern writer of our times. Don't be misled to think this book is all about Sept. 11th, however. That is merely the setting for this master's tale.

The Gospel According to Price.......2005-06-29

In THE GOOD PRIEST'S SON, Reynolds Price continues a theme that runs throughout his recent fiction: redemption based on some sort of repentance-- perhaps having to do with black characters-- by a middle-aged white sinner, usually male, i.e., prodigal son, whose roots are in North Carolina. The character here is Mabry Kincaid, who at 53 is staring down the barrel of a gun-- he is awaiting further tests to determine if he is in the early stages of multiple sclerosis. A restorer of old paintings, he is on a flight back to the United States from Paris when the twin towers of the World Trade Center are hit by the terrorists on September 11, 2001, and his plane is diverted to Nova Scotia. He then returns to his old home in North Carolina to visit his ailing father, a retired Episcopal priest whose live-in housekeeper is Audrey Thornton, an African American doctoral student in divinity at Duke University. She is also the mother of Marcus, a 19-year-old who has fathered at child at 17 with his cousin and has hopes of becoming a successful artist one day.

The earmarks of Price's recent fiction are all here. A middle-aged Caucasian male apparently has just discovered that African Americans might be his equal. I suppose Mr. Price is to be commended for finally writing about sympathetic black characters. Both white Southern writers and readers certainly had to get to this place although other Southern artists were way ahead of Mr. Price. Carson Mccullers who over 60 years ago created memorable, decent black people in THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER as well as William Styron in THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER come to mind, just to name two. Mabry does much soul-searching and opines frequently about the cosmos. Some of his findings: men are base; men love nobody; men are sexually promiscuous; women are better; men have no friends; black people are better than white people, all other things being equal. Perhaps America on 9/11 was being paid back in part because of slavery. The contrast between whatever Mr. Price would call the North Carolina he writes about, whether rural or small town, and the rest of America. Then there is the religious overlay. The characters are usually pretty much main-line Protestant with a quirk here or there. Mabry, who has some residual religious feelings but not too many, is mildly repentant of his past life. He had many affairs while married but did see his wife through her final illness.

Whether you care for Mr. Price's story or not, he certainly can spin one and obviously knows his territory. Remember when folks put peanuts in their Cokes and ceiling lights were often turned on with a string suspended from the bare bulb? What man hasn't checked, for instance, to make sure his pants are zipped up before he enters a room? And most of us have acquaintances we only regard as "Christmas card" friends.

Price's characters sometimes stretch credibility. Some for instances: Mabry, who describes himself as not having one "gay gene" when the Australian Man Friday for a gay attorney who most assuredly was killed in he World Trade Center, thinks Mabry is making a pass at him, apparently has been totally comfortable from day one that his daughter is lesbian and is living with another woman. He is 53 and totally okay with that? Maybe. And, of course, the author's insistence on making saints out of his black characters although he does not go quite as overboard here as in his last novel, if I remember correctly. Marcus does have a child he's not supporting but then he's only 19. (There is a strange exchange between Marcus and Mabry when each person is to tell the other one "sixty seconds' worth of some private business that eats him up" They both relate stories of sexual excess. I suppose that shows that both black men and white men are roosters and equally red-blooded, equally decadent.) Finally, without giving away the ending, I'll point out that the priest's housekeeper has only worked for him for a month.

As always Mr. Price's language is beautiful. I just wish I liked these characters more, particularly Mabry.

Customer Reviews:

Just enjoy.......2007-04-03

Don't read this book as a thriller or a love story. Read this book just to have a good time and enjoy the story. I read this book in one sitting on a long flight and I think it was the best thing could happened to me on-board. Is really an easy and enjoyable book to read.
Sometimes the story is out of reality -I don't think it'll be so easy to get away from a psychiatric hospital- but still is a good reading.

A Fun Read.......2006-04-03

While you will find the scenario on the ridiculous side. Courtney marrying a man she hardly knows. But I promise you will enjoy this novel. The suspense alone will captivate you. While this isn't my favorite Jasmine Cresswell novel but isn't not the worst. Buy it and enjoy the ride.

Look to the past for the answers in the present.......1999-12-27

Courtney Tanner cannot understand why her husband Justin has confined her to a mental hospital. After five months of maximin confinement, she escapes, only to find that Justin is not all that he appears.

Justin Tanner is surprised when he finds Courtney at his doorstep, more surprised when she claims that she married Justin Tanner. A different Justin Tanner that lived in his house. Justin is determined to find out who impersonated him, married under his name and lived in his home. The secret lies in Courtney's past, a past she cannot remember.

Product Description

"Better Days"

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Elephants arrive at half-past five
Ilka Chase
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Africa | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007DU2J4

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Famous Artist of the Past
Alice Chase; Elizabeth
Manufacturer: PLATT AND MUNK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1199410241

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FAMOUS ARTISTS OF THE PAST
Alice Elizabeth Chase
Manufacturer: Platt & Munk
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWDLX8

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Famous Artists of the Past
Alice Elizabeth Chase
Manufacturer: Platt & Munk
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CMB10

Famous Artists of the Past, Great Masters and Their Masterpieces

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Famous Artists of the Past, Great Masters and Their Masterpieces
Alice Elizabeth Chase
Manufacturer: Platt & Munk Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VA4EIS

Famous Artists of the Past: Great Matsers and Their Masterpieces

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Famous Artists of the Past: Great Matsers and Their Masterpieces
Alice Elizabeth Chase
Manufacturer: PLATT & MUNK, PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OJKXAO

Book Description

In the aftermath of the destruction of the Genesis planet — and a Klingon ship — in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the Klingons are after Captain Kirk... with a vengeance! And when Kirk manages to infuriate the crazed Nasguls, a bidding war breaks out for the price on his head!

Meanwhile, the Enterprise Captain and crew must face a host of challenges, including a vicious civil war and a plague outbreak... not to mention a duplicitous Admiral in Starfleet Command, and a new — highly attractive — protocol officer!

By comics writer and Star Trek novelist Peter David (Fallen Angel), with art by James Fry, these never-before-collected comics are the most explosive yet!

Always Open: Being an Anglican Today
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Everything You Want to Know Without Being Prosletyzed

Always Open: Being an Anglican Today
Richard Giles
Manufacturer: Cowley Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anglican | Protestantism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Episcopalian | Protestantism | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1561012599

Book Description

Always Open explains the essentials of the Anglican approach to authority, the Bible, social and moral questions, dialogue with people of other faiths, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Everything You Want to Know Without Being Prosletyzed.......2005-12-21

I hate books about churches that "try too hard". This one doesn't. It's "playful", intriguing, even entertaining without insulting your intelligence. I admit some bias. As an Anglican
convert its hard to fault a book like this. Its brevity gives the reader enough to spur on one's own research including visit to a local church to see if it matches what is described in the book. The author seemsat home with many Anglican clergy and associates I have met over the years. You won't be disappointed.
Atreides

Book Description

Southern soul food that is known for deep fat frying gets re-energized with a collection of recipes that takes southern favorites and converts them into healthful, vegetarian renditions that are still finger-lickin good.

Customer Reviews:

appreciation.......2003-10-17

I don't consider myself a "reader", though I read. I wouldn't say I am a "lover of books" as some love books. However, this book, WHOLE FOOD, SOUL FOOD, has my attention. The colors on the cover and the title caught my eye from across a room. Who could resist 'Finger Lickin' way to fight fat. Incongruent!,
I thought.

Closer examination of this book proves it to be educational. The chapters are just the proper length to hold my attention. The "To Do" lists relieve guess work and frustration. The recipes inspire the taste test. I am impressed with the content and format --- so much so I have recommended WHOLE FOOD, SOUL FOOD to the Health Leader of our church for use in the upcoming vegetarian cooking class.

Whole Food, Soul Food.......2003-10-16

This is a fun book to read. It is easy, quick reading and loaded with information which will enable you to develop and maintain a healthy life style. The author has used a great deal of humor, which makes the information even more receivable. Most of us have been crash dieting for years.
This information provides an incentive to eat right, and maintain a healthful outlook on life. The "To Do Lists" are wonderful. This is an exciting way to help the reader organize and remember key information. The recipes offer easy to obtain ingredients and they appeal to the appetite. I like the idea of having friends or family members test the receipes and bring them along for dinner.
This book is small enough for you to put it into your purse and take it along with you while grocery shopping. I love it! The busy person will enjoy this book and find it filled with wonderful, finger lickin' tasty meals. What a fun way to lose weight and stay healthy!

Cooking Soul Food in a Healthy Way.......2003-10-06

For Many years I have been looking for a way to prepare traditional soul food in a healthy way without compromising the taste. My favorite dishes such as macaroni and cheese, greens, sweet potatoes, has become almost synonymous with cholesterol. The author of the book "Whole Food, Soul Food," approaches the standard "soul" dishes from a different perspective. She introduces the concept of cooking our favorite dishes using whole foods. She clearly defines what whole food is for those of us who may be clueless. She provides a chart comparing the calories of certain soul food dishes cooked the traditional way versus the "whole food" way.

The author writes in a way that is educational and informative, yet interesting and humurous. She discusses the pros of incorporating whole foods into our every day diet and gives you a step by step approach to achieve that goal. Every chapter concludes with a "Things to Do" list which gives more structure to your planning. She gives you a shopping list to get you started and sample menus which are extremely helpful.

The recipes in the book are straightforward and easy to follow. In addition, the author gives the nutritional break-down of each recipe (calories, protein, fat grams, carbohydrate, etc...) and the dietary exchange.

I have already tried a couple of the recipes including the "Home Fried Chicken" and "Pa's Sunrise Scramblers" and was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful and enjoyable the dishes were. I would highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a healthier way to cook traditional soul food dishes. I can wait to try more!

Victorian Furniture: Our American Heritage
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Victorian Furniture: Our American Heritage
Kathryn McNerney
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Furniture Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0891451641

Book Description

This paperback volume is full of useful information and great photographs on Victorian furniture. Kathryn McNerney presents a detailed informative look at this beautiful furniture. 1999 values. AUTHORBIO: Kathryn McNerney was well-known for her expertise in many fields of antiques and collectibles, including kitchen antiques, antique tools, primitives, blue white stoneware, American oak and Victorian furniture, and antique iron. Her books saw many revised editions, and her books became standard references in the field. She left behind many followers who continue to consult her books and who have made them part of their permanent libraries. REVIEW: Besides showing hundreds of pieces of furniture, from chairs, desks, and headboards, to couches, stands, and tables,this book gives an overview of the time periods and characteristics of Victorian furniture and their historical influences.

VICTORIAN FURNITURE: OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE

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VICTORIAN FURNITURE: OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE

Manufacturer: Collector books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQT8VA

Book Description

Edith Head is widely considered the most important figure in the history of Hollywood costume design. Her career spanned nearly half a century and included such classic films as Rear Window and Sunset Boulevard. Her private life and professional achievements have been the subject of speculation since she rose to the top in the late 1940s. Ruthlessly competitive and intensely secretive, Head had few close friends and many detractors. Her longtime friend, protégé, and confidant David Chierichetti offers a privileged glimpse into the personality behind the famously impenetrable "schoolmarm" façade and a comprehensive account of her creative process.

With more than 150 images –– including family snapshots, sketches, and studio portraits of the stars and roles she helped to create, Edith Head is a fresh and vital portrait of the designer, as well as of the era she epitomizes.

Average customer rating:

Very entertaining with lots of amusing stories

Edith Head's Hollywood
Edith Head
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Customer Reviews:

Very entertaining with lots of amusing stories.......1998-11-19

"Edith Head's Hollywood" goes where "The Dress Doctor" failed to by giving readers a more in depth look into the woman behind the enigmatic designer. This book also dispells various rumors about Edith and gets behind the truth to several false claims and accusations (some by Edith herself). Very well researched and put together with an extensive listing of the films Edith worked on over her successful 50 year career as Hollywoods most proclaimed costume designer.

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Edith Head's Hollywood
Edith & Paddy Calistro Head
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Edith Head's Hollywood
Editih & Calistro, Paddy Head
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Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer

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Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer
David Chierichetti
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ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Edith Heads Hollywood
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Kilim and Tribal Rug Book (Decorating With Fired Earth)
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The Kilim and Tribal Rug Book (Decorating With Fired Earth)
Elizabeth Hilliard
Manufacturer: Pavilion Books
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Binding: Paperback

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Kilims: Decorating With Tribal Rugs
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Great, High Quality Pix & Production Make Informative Book

Kilims: Decorating With Tribal Rugs
Elizabeth Hilliard
Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery, and Lore of the Persian Carpet

ASIN: 075675741X

Book Description

Woven with rich, jewel-like colors and intricate symbols, tribal rugs have a timeless quality that fits into any decor. A handmade rug adds comfort and pulls a room together. This is the story of Persian rugs both ancient and modern. It delves into their history and manufacture, and explores their decorating potential and care. In addition, the foreword explains how to select and purchase these rugs wisely -- a major concern of North American consumers. With their vivid colors and patterns, kilims, decorating potential is not limited to the floor. They can be used as pillows, curtains, and wallhangings or to co ver tables, beds, and sofas. From the oldest known rug found in a frozen Siberian tomb to modern weaving done by women nomads and village dwellers, kilims are living art.

Customer Reviews:

Great, High Quality Pix & Production Make Informative Book.......2004-03-22

The high quality of the photographic reproductions and the high book publication production values make this book. If you've ever begun to look at so-called Persian carpets, you've no doubt been bewildered by the huge variation in price and quality in these things: Hand woven, powerloomed, hand tufted, machine made, vegetable dyes, artificial dyes, cotton, silk, wool, gabbeh, kilim, rug, Indian, Pakistani, Kurdish, Iranian -not to mention the various tribal and trade names for these things. In other words there is just a head-spinning, mind numbing variety of "Persian" carpets available today and it is super easy to pay too much for inferior quality rugs without knowing a bit about them. Thus, this book is a great first step toward finding some excellent floor covering for your home (and, as evinced by this author, for your pillows, furniture, walls and windows). The book is done in roughly two parts. The first half of the book is a discussion of the history of the rug, with a description of how rugs are made and what goes into them. This discussion is accompanied by a large number of excellent color reproductions to inform the reader. The last part of the book is given over to decorating tips also with many photographic examples, and while this part held little interest for me because I'm not into such things, I suspect a few of the author's many great ideas will be employed by a large percentage of those who read this book. Don't expect a discussion of values, costs, etc. Also, do not expect a reference guide to symbology or a guide to specific tribal motifs, etc. Look for that kind of info instead in more formal studies or books about collectible carpets. Having said this, the author does thoughtfully include a list of carpet retailers at the back of her book, a couple of whom I recognized as well-respected carpet merchants with international reputations. Presently there is a fair number of this book available from Amazon sellers for less than the original publication price and as such I believe this presents an excellent value; kind of like paying for the author's output and getting the great pictures and high quality paper, binding and printing of the book for free. I highly recommend this book to the beginning rug buyer, or perhaps a decorator who wants a great coffee table book for an excellent price.

Customer Reviews:

Classic Campaigns.. Billboard-sized images!.......2000-03-28

A great design reference.. and a visual feast. These are the roadside images we actually WANT to see. This collection of 166 outdoor works of art brings each decade of the 20th Century to life.. from the birth of the automobile through to modern times. Large images, usually one to the page and sometimes stretching across two, showcase the best in roadside advertising with original art and photos of supersites. Most of the eyecatching designs are award-winners and you can see why.. with traffic-stopping images and snappy copy.

The book's text is minimal.. but the captions tell all you need to know.. including fascinating trivia: "Although the Marlboro audience was originally thought to be female, a tough and rugged cowboy has long been the brand's signature." .. A truly fascinating book!

Great American Billboards: 100 Years of History by the Side of the Road
Average customer rating:

May be the most comprehensive catalog of billboard photos throughout the 20th Century!

Great American Billboards: 100 Years of History by the Side of the Road
Fred E. Basten
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580086586

Book Description

Early in the 20th century, as Americans climbed into their Model-Ts and took to the open road, American manufacturers and retailers discovered miles and miles of new advertising space, and the audaciously oversized billboard was born. For a century, billboards have recruited, congratulated, teased, sold, and seduced us, promoting everything under the sun, from hosiery to war bonds, presidential candidates to rock shows. GREAT AMERICAN BILLBOARDS not only offers a lively look back at changing styles, products, and tastes, but is also an important visual record of this largely unheralded yet ubiquitous American art form.

Customer Reviews:

May be the most comprehensive catalog of billboard photos throughout the 20th Century!.......2007-06-20

In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the world to his first Model T automobile, and with only 150 miles of paved road in America, the American billboard industry first took hold. Billboard advertising is unlike any other advertising in that the sponsor has only a few split seconds to get his message across. By nature, billboards have historically been about immediacy and impact. One need only look through Fred Basten's chronicle, "Great American Billboards" to see the sudden impact an advertiser's message must convey to be an effective marketing tool. Basten's quest began at a 1995 luncheon where he was introduced to Joe Blackstock, the historian for the famed outdoor advertising company Foster and Kleiser. By gaining access to F&K's vaults. Basten was able to assemble what may be the most comprehensive catalog of billboard photos throughout the 20th Century. From the early days of motorcars and now defunct consumer goods companies, to the years of the war effort of WWII ("Smash the Axis. Pay Your Taxes") liquor, movie ads and cigarettes (including the famous Camel smoking billboard in Times Square) America's billboards reflect the times we live in. Basten chronicles the evolution of outdoor advertising from one-color product shots and clever slogans from the 20's and 30's to the 70's era 'less is more' statements to the 80's and 90's versions of the construction board, where three dimensional installations were used to expand the borders of the traditional board to grab drivers attention. (Shamu, anyone?) Unfortunately, most of the book relies on Basten's access to one company's archives and thus it's examples are more limited than they might otherwise be, but 'Great American Billboards' is nonetheless a look at our consumer society from a unique historical perspective.

Average customer rating:

The American Billboard: 100 Years
James FRASER
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RJJQEU

Average customer rating:

The American Billboard 100 Years
Fraser James
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDPRD2

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