The Flowering of the Landscape Garden: English Pleasure Grounds, 1720-1800 (Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture)

Book Description

The park of lawns, trees, and serpentine lakes in a picturesque composition of greens has long been viewed as the enduring achievement of eighteenth-century English landscape art. Yet this conventional view of the picturesque style ignores the colorful flowers and flowering shrubs that graced the landscape garden of the Georgian era.

While the book is primarily devoted to the historical reconstruction of the formal and horticultural characteristics of "theatrical" shrubberies and flowerbeds, it also aims to animate the world of the eighteenth-century pleasure ground. Mark Laird shows how the unwritten lore of planting design was passed down by generation after generation of gardeners and discusses the interaction of landscape designer, client, nurseryman, land agent, and gardener in modifying and transforming the geometric layouts of previous generations. He traces the development of planting design theory and practice from Batty Langley to Capability Brown and William Chambers, and demonstrates how an English mania for flowering shrubs and conifers from eastern North America helped create the distinctive planting forms of the Georgian pleasure ground.

Laird offers readers a wealth of visual and literary materials--from contemporary paintings, engravings, poetry, essays, and letters to more prosaic household accounts and nursery bills--to revolutionize our understanding of the English landscape garden as a powerful cultural expression. Through his original watercolor reconstructions of planting forms and through delightful descriptions of seasonal change and sensuous effect, he makes the gardens come alive, thus recognizing both the palpable qualities and aesthetic sophistication of eighteenth-century planting design.

Laird's training as a landscape architect, garden conservator, and historian gives the book remarkable breadth and depth. It is a benchmark work, uniquely bridging the gap in landscape history between design and planting and horticultural studies.

The Metallurgic Age: The Victorian Flowering of Invention and Industrial Science

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The Metallurgic Age: The Victorian Flowering of Invention and Industrial Science
Jr. Quentin R. Skrabec
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0786423269

Product Description

Throughout history, the use and workmanship of metal has been closely associated with the very notion of civilization. Never was this connection more apparent than during the Metallurgic Age, which coincided with Englands Victorian era and the Gilded Age in America. This era, covering essentially the 19th century, saw unprecedented advances as a passion for technology and learning fueled a period of discovery and of practical application of the sciences. This work explores in depth the connection between Victorian creativity and the advance of engineering. It examines this age of accelerated invention and the evolution of new fields such as metallurgy, automotive engineering, aerodynamics and industrial arts. Numerous unsung inventorsmany of whom lost one or more of the frequent patent battles that peppered the eraare remembered here along with the concept of the meta-invention. The result is a revealing look at how metallurgy permeated all areas of Victorian life and affected changes from the kitchen to the battlefield.

Beautiful flowering shrubs, trees and heather

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Beautiful flowering shrubs, trees and heather
Gertrude Clarke Nuttall
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Shrubs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Britain's Rare Flowers (A Volume in the Poyser Natural History Series)

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Britain's Rare Flowers (A Volume in the Poyser Natural History Series)
Peter Marren
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Natural historians and botanists have always been fascinated by rare plants and plant hunters have gone out of their way to find them. Today, and in the past, rareness has been related to special habitats and to man's attraction to the environment. In these days of growing concern about nature conservation it becomes an even more important issue. Peter Marren writes engagingly about the plants, their habitats and the human and biological stories involved. Sponsored by Plant Life, this book is both an education and a delight.

Key Features:
* Presents broad coverage of all British plants (flowers, trees, grasses, etc.) identified in the Red Data Surveys
* Author is a witty and perceptive columnist on conservation issues and author of several books on conservation
* Project is backed and promoted by PlantLife, a UK charity devoted to the conservation of British plants
* Includes foreword by Barbara Young—recent Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, now the Director of English Natural Heritage
* Covers England, Scotland and Wales
* Elegant and amusing prose; covers fact, anecdote, and folklore; plus over 100 colour photographs

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British flowering plants,
George Simonds Boulger
Manufacturer: B. Quaritch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085QJ5W

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British flowering plants;: Evolution and classification of families and genera, with notes on their distribution
J Hutchinson
Manufacturer: P.R. Gawthorn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007IUMKS

Average customer rating:
The domestic gardener's manual: Being an introduction to gardening : to which is added, a concise naturalist's kalendar, and English botanist's companion, ... in the monthly order of their flowering
John Towers
Manufacturer: Whittaker, Treacher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Vegetables | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Horticulture | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000894T82

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Flora Britannica Book of Spring Flowers, "
Richard Mabey
Manufacturer: Chatto & Windus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Flowers | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Flowers | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 185619728X

Book Description

These twin volumes represent nature writing at its finest. Like the acclaimed Flora Britannica, from which they are drawn, these selections are the result of years of research, including the personal observations, anecdotes, and regional knowledge of people from all over Britain. The Book of Spring Flowers celebrates more than 50 of Britain's wild species, many of them in considerable detail. It features sections on woodland flowers, primroses, and the spring flowers of lanes and fields. The Book of Wild Herbs takes a broad definition of the species and includes 100 wild plants. There are also sections on wild foods, fruits, and kitchen medicines. As well as describing the plants, the books offer an account of their role in British culture, folklore, and tradition. A delightful survey of Britain's wild plants and a rich cultural record of their uses and social meanings. Richard Mabey is one of Britain's foremost writers on nature; he was awarded the Whitbread Prize for his biography of Gilbert White.

Florigraphia Britannica; or engravings and descriptions o the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Britain. 4 volume set

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Florigraphia Britannica; or engravings and descriptions o the Flowering Plants and Ferns of Britain. 4 volume set
Richard Deakin
Manufacturer: R Groombridge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KYUL0U

Flowering exile;: An autobiographical excursion

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Flowering exile;: An autobiographical excursion
Tai-mei Hsiung
Manufacturer: P. Davies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This is the 4th edition of The Hidden Places of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and Somerset, three adjoining rural counties of outstanding beauty that offer the visitor the imposing chalky heights of the Marlborough downs, the gentler slopes and pretty stone villages of the Cotswolds and the vast heights of the Quantocks Hills and low levels of Somerset. Previous editions sold very well and our reader reaction was very positive -"Thank you for sending me the Hidden Places of Wiltshire, which I find informative and enjoyable. Indeed it's a delight to find a book which goes off the beaten track!" - a reader from Swindon. ?The book is written in an attractive narrative style and is packed with information on the more secluded and little known venues for food, drink, accommodation and places of interest as well as the more enduring attractions of the county. This edition incorporates one of the redesigned covers for regional titles and features eye-catching photographs of the village of Castle Combe Wiltshire, the village of Upper Slaughter Gloucestershire and Cheddar Gorge in Somerset.?

Hidden Places of Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

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Hidden Places of Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

Manufacturer: M & M Publishing Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1871815916

HIDDEN PLACES OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE, WILTSHIRE AND SOMERSET: A beautifully illustrated guide taking you on a relaxed but informative tour of Gloucestershire, ... and Somerset (The Hidden Places Series)

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HIDDEN PLACES OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE, WILTSHIRE AND SOMERSET: A beautifully illustrated guide taking you on a relaxed but informative tour of Gloucestershire, ... and Somerset (The Hidden Places Series)
David Gerrard
Manufacturer: Travel Publishing Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1904434606

Book Description

This is the 6th edition of the Hidden Places of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset which has been completely redesigned to include a striking new cover and new page layouts. In addition, although you will still find details of places of interest and entries of places to stay, eat and drink included under each village or town, these are now cross-referenced to more detailed information contained in a separate, easy-to-use section at the back of the book. This beautifully illustrated guide explores Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset in a relaxed narrative style by guiding the reader to some of the established visitor attractions but also focusing on the more secluded and less well-known places of interest and places to stay, eat and drink. These three adjoining counties of outstanding natural beauty offer visitors the imposing chalky heights of Malborough downs, the gentler slopes and pretty stone villages of the Cotswolds and the vast heights of the Quantock Hills and low levels of Somerset. This area is a haven for 'hidden places' and the book provides readers with plenty of interesting historical facts and stories.

Book Description

Prof. Spas T. Raikin is born in the village of Zelenikovo, district of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. After graduating from the Plovdiv Theological Seminary (1945) and the School of Theology at the University of Sofia (1949), he was drafted to serve his military service in a slave-labor type of unit from where he defected on May 6, l951. After forty-four days foray in the Rodopi Mountain with an armed resistance group formed by him and his fellow defectors, he crossed the border into Greece. These events are the subject of this second volume of his reminiscences (The first volume is its Bulgarian version), to be published under the title "A Political Journey Against the Winds of the XX Century." In exile he studied at the Universities of Athens, Geneva, Basel, and King`s College in England, and after migrating to the U.S. - at Columbia University where he received a M.A. degree in Political Science and History (1959). Before retiring in 1991, he taught History of Civilization, Modern European History and a number of related subjects at the Rio Grande College in Ohio, the State University of New York at Potsdam and East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. In exile he joined numerous organizations opposing communism and was the editor of several of their periodicals and publications.

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Exciting, Imaginative Probe of the Myth of Jesse James

Robin Hood and the choir boy

The Jigsaw Puzzle Of Jesse James

An Entertaining and Informative Book

Good Perspective on the American West

The Jesse James Scrapbook
George Jansen
Manufacturer: Hilliard & Harris Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1591330300

Customer Reviews:

Exciting, Imaginative Probe of the Myth of Jesse James.......2006-02-16

This superbly crafted story is the kaleidoscopic exploration of a man, a myth and the rich, entrenched culture of the old South before and during the Civil War and afterwards, when the South revolted against being stripped of money, dignity and slaves, and produced the white Southern bandit: Jesse James, and his like.

Constructed in short, fictional, first person accounts from people who knew Jesse or knew of Jesse at various times in his life, newspaper articles and letters, each chapter reveals another clue to the identity of the mysterious, mythological Southern hero, Jesse James. The author has a superb feeling for the rhythm and nuance of language, which gives each of his characters, regardless of age, sex, character or region of origin, a genuine voice.

The gifted George Jansen carefully and meticulously probes the life of Jesse James' life and the culture that produced such a violent and cruel hero, but, like a poem rather than a treatise, leaves the reader with an impression, a richly textured thumbprint on the legendary myth itself. A must read!

Robin Hood and the choir boy.......2004-04-13

The Scrapbook presents a kaleidoscopic view of the civil war and surrounding years as experienced by Jesse James and the people he touched (often not so gently) in the course of a career filled with theft, murder, and singing in church. The fictional account of the outlaw's life, which takes place mainly in the border states, views the great issues of the time from the perspectives of a diverse assortment of individuals; at the same time, the character of Jesse James radiates outward to conjure up the mythic aspect-Arthurian legend generally and Robin Hood for the outlaw-of the Confederacy's culture of nobility. Plus, it's a page turner.

The Jigsaw Puzzle Of Jesse James.......2004-02-01

Like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle, Jansen furnishes pieces of Jesse James' life for the reader to put together and see a completed picture emerge. Each of the chapters in The Jesse James Scrapbook reveals a side of Jesse's life from the points of view of his fourth grade teacher, his neighbors, newspaper articles and letters, and other observers of his time. I enjoyed hearing each character's voice, different from chapter to chapter, tell of experiences with Jesse. Although the book is fiction, the accounts ring of truth as they are based on legendary or actual accounts. For those of us who truly believe that the "story" part of history is the most fascinating and alive, this book is a "must read."

An Entertaining and Informative Book.......2004-01-31

Read the Jesse James Scrapbook for history, for a taste of life with outlaws, for stories of America's Civil War. George Jansen's fascinating novel covers more than one-half century of incidents and people connected with Frank and Jesse James. The incidents are based on real or legendary happenings, and source notes accompany this historical novel. Narrators such as Confederate soldiers, farmers, acquaintances of the James family tell their stories, chapter by chapter. The tone of each chapter, the voices of the narrators, complete with changes in speech patterns, all take the reader back to the time period -- the second half of the 19th century. This fascinating book describes people and places and encounters with carefully chosen words. I bought two books . . . so I wouldn't have to share mine.

Good Perspective on the American West.......2004-01-29

The Jesse James Scrapbook relives a tumultuous period in the history of the United States through a skillful recreation of historical figures. The aftermath of the Civil War is brought to life in the characters of the James brothers, Cole Younger, William Quantrell and various other noteworthy perpetrators of mayhem who closed out the era of continental expansion ...strife that marked the interval between Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt.

The author, George Jansen, has written a work comparable in technique and effect to Gore Vidal's Burr, which also uses a fictional narrator to present history. Aside from its narrative thrust, The Jesse James Scrapbook makes admirable use of the argot of those distant days and is reminiscent of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn in that respect.

I recommend The Jesse James Scrapbook to readers whose interests lie in a true perspective of the American West of the 19th century.

Average customer rating:
JESSE JAMES SCRAPBOOK
George Jansen
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6KI12

Book Description

Praise for previous books from Drs. Foster & Smith:
"The authors guide owners through each system of the dog, allowing owners to cut through medical jargon and make more informed treatment choices." —The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"...Presented in a basic, well-illustrated, reader-friendly fashion that avoids confusion and answers most of your questions relating to your dog's welfare." —The Seattle Times

From puppy to senior citizen, Drs. Foster and Smith explain the care and training your dog needs and help you tackle the health and behavior problems you're likely to encounter. Right From the Start begins with the time-consuming problems of puppyhood, then discusses the trials of adolescence, the principles of keeping an adult dog healthy and happy and takes you all the way through to when it may be time to say good-bye to a treasured friend. It's the complete owner's manual for the life of your dog.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

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No charts - What were they thinking?

Excellent source of pattern stitches

I Expected More from a Vogue Knitting Book

Great Value!

Good but...

Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One: Knit & Purl: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series)

Manufacturer: Sixth&Spring Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Knitting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Two: Cables: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series)

The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Three: Color Knitting: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series)

Knitting Beyond the Edge: Cuffs and Collars*Necklines*Hems*Closures - The Essential Collection of Decorative Finishes

Knitting Over The Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors, Nouveau

Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks

ASIN: 1931543771

Book Description

An essential reference for knitters from novice to expert, this fully illustrated sourcebook is the first of three "stitch dictionaries," to be written by the professionals at Vogue® Knitting. Some 300 stitches are detailed, and hundreds of charts, photographs, and illustrations make it easy to understand how to construct each stitch, as well as the ways they can be used in projects. The experts at Vogue® Knitting demonstrate rib stitches such as brioche, herringbone, chevron, and quilted patterns; traveling patterns like parquet, ripple, and diamond stitches; lace, including daisy and wave patterns; and such unusual stitches as eye of lynx, bobble block, peppercorn, and bamboo. The most complete book of its kind, this is the definitive stitch reference!

Customer Reviews:

No charts - What were they thinking?.......2007-07-30

The patterns in this book are beautiful, but they're useless to me because they don't have charts. I've never seen a book of this type without charts.

They should have used bigger needles for the lace patterns - many of the patterns were hard to see.

Excellent source of pattern stitches.......2007-03-31

I'm delighted! This will replace several dog-eared pamphlets and one that has indelible tea stains. There are many, many stitches, and I'm using three in the sweater I'm knitting now.

I Expected More from a Vogue Knitting Book.......2007-02-08

Stitch dictionaries are useful to inspire original knitting patterns, as well as to check the accuracy of printed knitting directions. So I was excited to find Volume 1 of Vogue's 3-volume Knitting Stitchionary series. However, I must say that I am quite disappointed in this book. Having grown used to almost all knitting instructions(however simple) being accompanied by a chart to quickly show the knitter the pattern, I found the lack of charts in this book to seriously hamper its usefulness. Also, I found the lack of an index to be seriously annoying. For example, I wanted to refer to directions for the "Harris Tweed" stitch, and I ended up having to thumb through 40 pages of the book, only to discover that this quite common and beautiful pattern is not included!

The book does include 265 stitches made using only the knit and purl stitch,including a fairly extensive collection of lace patterns.

If your knitting library has room for only one stitch dictionary, I think there are better ones available. For the money, I recommend "The Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns" which is much more user friendly and available in paperback.

Great Value!.......2007-02-07

The Vogue Knitting Stichionary Volume One: Knit & Purl is a fabulous book for those looking for patterns in one book. The book is great when you want to knit something as simple as a scarf and combine the different patterns. The directions are clear and easy to read. The price of the book is also so much less expensive as the book stores as well! It's a great value!

Good but..........2007-01-19

This book needs an index with thumbnail pix. The book also could have included charts. Also I found it a bit boring with all swatches in the same color.

Overall, I am satisfied with vol 1 & 2, although a little disappointed with #3.

Average customer rating:
Flora Exotica: A Collection of Flowering Plants
Gordon Dewolf; Woodcuts Jacques Hnizdovsky
Manufacturer: DAVID R. GODINE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WSCCD8

Average customer rating:
Flora exotica;: A collection of flowering plants
Gordon P DeWolf
Manufacturer: D. R. Godine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0879230452

Average customer rating:

Great reference guide!

wonderful book

Ok book if you have others to get advice from

Waste of Money

A must read

The Everything Toddler Book: From Controlling Tantrums to Potty Training, Practical Advice to Get You and Your Toddler Through the Formative Years (Everything Series)
Linda Sonna
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Child Development | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Toddlers | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

What to Expect the Toddler Years

The Happiest Toddler on the Block: The New Way to Stop the Daily Battle of Wills and Raise a Secure and Well-Behaved One- to Four-Year-Old

The Toddler's Busy Book

The Girlfriends' Guide to Toddlers

The Mother of All Toddler Books (Mother of All)

ASIN: 1580625924

Book Description

No parent needs a child care book as much as the parent of a toddler! The toddler years are an exciting and rewarding time, as your child learns to stand, walk, say words, and use the potty for the first time. Yet, along with all of these incredible milestones come all sorts of daunting parental challenges - from continuous cries in the middle of the night to the first boo-boos to erratic eating habits to public temper tantrums. What is a parent to do?

The Everything Toddler Book offers professional advice on handling every aspect of your child's physical, emotional, and social development. With quick, easy-to-understand advice and positive reassurance, this helpful book provides frustrated - and often sleep-deprived - parents the quick answers they need to their toughest questions.

Featuring true stories from the trenches and ample space to record developmental milestones, The Everything Toddler Book is an indispensable guide to enjoying these wild and wonderful years. It tells you how to:
Prepare great meals toddlers will actually sit still for and eat
Provide comfort for teething and other common problems
Travel by car, train, and airplane with minimal hassle
Handle a child who refuses to listen
Toddler-proof your home
Buy the best toys and games
Get your child on a workable sleep schedule
Resolve jealousies among siblings

Customer Reviews:

Great reference guide!.......2007-03-12

Details on everything you need to know and don't know to ask!

wonderful book.......2007-02-08

This book has been very helpful to me. I plan on using it for several more years as my daughter grows up.

Ok book if you have others to get advice from.......2006-10-21

This book was good for some very basic info on toddlers. I didn't like the format because it jumped from one thing to another. Most of the info seemed to be geared toward 2 years and up, and the section on feeding was boring. It was mostly about the food pyramid and RDA's. Ugh.

Waste of Money.......2005-03-03

I found this book to be a total waste of money. Sure it has a few interesting pieces of information, but nothing I haven't heard before. This book may be useful if you have never had any experience with children. If you have been around children at all, you will find everything in this book to be pure common sense. I was looking for something with more concrete usable information.

A must read.......2004-06-28

I borrowed this book from the library and loved it so much that I decided to purchase one for myself. I highly recommed it to any parent with toddlers. Touches on so many subjects with useful, reasonable suggestions.

Book Description

In 1653, the artist Johannes Vermeer, the twenty-one-year-old son of an innkeeper, registered as a master painter with the city's Guild. He went on to enjoy a respectable local reputation as a painter until his death in 1675; it was not until the mid-nineteenth century, however, that his genius was widely appreciated. Today, Vermeer's thirty-five paintings are regarded as masterpieces.In Vermeer, Anthony Bailey presents an intriguing portrait of Vermeer's life and character, long lost in history. Bailey re-creates the atmosphere of the times, introduces Vermeer's colleagues, portrays his domestic life in vibrant detail; he also sheds light on the science and artistry behind the glorious, almost mystical, paintings. Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Vermeer will stand as the classic work on Vermeer for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Non-Biography.......2002-10-17

Anthony Bailey's somewhat misleadingly titled Vermeer not-quite-biography is meticulously researched, lovingly detailed, and suffused with a powerful affection and appreciation for both Vermeer's painting and Dutch history. It is only ever less than fascinating when dealing with the old master himself.

So little is known of Vermeer as to leave his biographers only slightly better off than those of Shakespeare, imagining that this document indicated this mood, this painting signifies that political opinion...such supposition is not terribly interesting to the lay reader.

But in his detailed recreation of 17th century Delft and his lush and delicate descriptions of the major canvases, Bailey makes up for the limitations of his subject. This period of Dutch history is so rich it seems almost a shame to spend so much of the text on a figure about whom so little is known, and Bailey recounts it beautifully.

An excellent book, then, unless one really wants a biography of Vermeer.

Gentle and Serene.......2001-05-29

Anthony Bailey is the ideal author to write about Vermeer: like his subject's paintings his prose is quiet, calm, introspective, and serene. He illuminates Vermeer and his work, but as in the paintings discussed the light is gentle, and golden, never harsh - like a good poet, Bailey leaves plenty of room for the reader to reflect on his/her reality as he describes his subject.

It's wonderful to think of Vermeer painting his silence-drenched, calm and mysterious images amid the noise and tumult of his house filled with eleven children. Perhaps his paintings were a world of perfect order and quiet that he could retreat to when his messy and noisy surroundings became overwhelming. I also liked Bailey's point that perhaps Vermeer painted so few images because almost all of his best work had sunlight streaming through a window, and the Dutch climate doesn't offer too many sunny days to paint from!

The book opened with a bit more 15th and 16th century Dutch history than I would have cared for, but hold tight, once he switches his focus to Vermeer's paintings the book takes flight, and you will never look at the paintings in the same way again. The black and white reproductions don't do the paintings justice however - I'd recommend having a book of color reproductions of the paintings (there are only 37 known Vermeers!) next to you as Bailey gently helps you see these familiar images in wonderfully new ways.

THE MASTERY OF DELFT -- THE MASTERY OF ANTHONY BAILEY.......2001-05-20

I'm certainly no expert on the non-fiction genre and definitely no expert on art history but I do know a well-researched and enjoyable piece of work when I come across it. I came in the backdoor on this one having become fascinated by Vermeer after reading Tracy Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring. I followed that one up with Susan Vreeland's Girl In Hyacinth Blue and then came across Anthony Bailey's book. What a wonderful way to continue my journey into this author's own portrait of this master painter and what a surprise to find that it contains black and white and some color pictures of Vermeer's paintings as well.

While very little is known about Vermeer's life, through the genius of Bailey, you come away from this book feeling you know the man. What we do know is that he lived in the mid 17th century, was a Reformed Protestant until he married the Catholic Catharina Bolnes and fathered 11 children as well as 35 masterpieces. At a time when painters were in abundance in Delft and industry was striving, the picture of Vermeer is still that of a struggling artist trying to feed and clothe a large family. It is a wonder, Bailey points out, that amidst all the noise and commotion that must have gone on in his house and the financial problems that must have weighed heavily on his shoulders, that he was still able to paint such masterpieces that put the beholder at ease merely by their stillness. Vermeer was never an "all-inclusive artist" notes Bailey and none of his paintings incorporate a single flower. He favored the use of the "local colours" of yellow, white and blue. Bailey also notes that he was "fond of rendering the effects of sunlight and sometimes succeeded to the point of complete illusion."

The author mentions the trademarks found in Vermeer's paintings -- the white wine jug, the map on the wall, the bowl of fruit on a carpeted table, finials in the form of a lion's head at the back of the chair and, my personal favorite, the black and white floor tiles that helped the artist establish perspective. He also explains Vermeer's possible use of the camera obscura to focus his view. There were so many interesting things presented by the author, one of which was the different way Vermeer signed his name. Bailey shows five different signatures all playing around with the V and M in Vermeer's name. Another thing I found engrossing was how Vermeer put things into his paintings and then painted them out. We can only see this now because of modern X-ray and infrared equipment.

I could go on and on about all I learned after reading this book but some of the more interesting parts occur after Vermeer's death and have to do with Hitler's possession of some of these masterpieces as well as Van Meegeren's forgeries of Vermeer's works in the 1900's. Of the 35 known Vermeer works, one painting, The Concert, is still missing, having been stolen in 1990.

I culminated my fascination of Vermeer with a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this week to see the Delft/Vermeer exhibit. Having just read Bailey's book, I felt quite knowledgeable not only concerning Vermeer but all things Delft in general. Upon exiting the exhibit, I walked directly into the gift shop where Anthony Bailey's book was not only on sale but being purchased by all those around me. So not only do I congratulate this author on a work well done, but also on the best timing possible for publication that one could imagine.

I'll end this review with my favorite lines from the book -- those that sum up Vermeer's life in the eyes of Anthony Bailey. "He remains in some respects, the missing man in some of his own paintings: the person who has just left the room, or who is expected at any moment. He is impatient to be found, to be seen, but while he waits, he paints stillness."

Anthony Bailey has made Johannes Vermeer come alive for me with interesting stories, things that might have been and a wonderfully descriptive Delft region by which Vermeer was obviously inspired. To me he is no longer lost, but found on the pages written by Bailey.

A Dutch Treat.......2001-04-07

Anthony Baily's biography of the elusive Vermeer is really a study of the Netherlands, or more specifically, the town of Delft, in the mid-seventeenth-century. I suppose there is no other way to write a biography of a man of whom so little is known, and Baily's efforts are resoundingly successful. His descriptions of city scenes, cultural events, churches, houses, markets, etc., are rendered with astonishing skill and verve. His thumbnail history sketches are always lively and never seem rushed. There are surely more detailed studies of Vermeer's work, but Baily is far more interested in placing the artist in his context than he is in producing the definitive read of the master's painting. And while readers interested in all of Dutch culture in the Golden Age might find Simon Schama's "Embarrassment of Riches" a more detailed and global work, I think Baily is by far the superior writer, and the reader comes away with a full and stimulating picture of Vermeer's world.

A View of Delft: Vermeer and his Contemporaries

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A View of Delft: Vermeer and his Contemporaries
Walter Liedtke
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300090536

Book Description

This book is a collection of writings on aspects of painting in Delft during the period 1650-1675. Walter Liedtke, highly respected curator and scholar of Dutch and Flemish art, discusses at length the work of four artists: Carel Fabritius, Gerard Houckgeest, Pieter de Hooch, and Johannes Vermeer. Liedtke considers recent interpretations and research on these artists' works, exploring in particular the relationship between style and observation in their paintings. The book begins by examining the question of whether such a community or tradition as the "Delft School" ever existed and by reviewing earlier opinions on the matter. The second chapter is devoted to Fabritius's small townscape A View in Delft, its reconstruction as an illusionistic image originally mounted in a perspective box, and the painting's significance in the narrow and in the broadest sense. In the third chapter, Leidtke focuses on a specialized genre in Delft--views of actual church interiors--and offers another explanation of how naturalistic paintings, even those that carefully record existing sites, inevitably depend upon pictorial precedents. The fourth chapter on De Hooch and the "South Holland" tradition of genre painting prepares the way for the fifth, a look at Vermeer's early work. In the final chapter, the author considers Vermeer's work as a mature artist, one who has completely mastered his means.

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Vermeer: A View of Delft
Anthony Bailey
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0701169133

Book Description

Johannes Vermeer has always been considered the most elusive of great artists, but this book tracks him down to his home town, taking us back to seventeenth-century Delft in a piece of historical writing that does justice to its now timeless subject. A brilliant blend of scholarly research and more recent findings, A View of Delft sketches a vivid portrait of the Protestant innkeeper’s son who married a prosperous Catholic girl and had 15 children of whom 11 survived. It also introduces us to Vermeer’s colleagues and fellow-citizens, and charts his celebrity out of Holland, including his effect on Proust and Hitler, among others. Vermeer died in obscurity at the age of forty-three, leaving fewer than forty paintings, many now considered masterpieces.

Vermeer: A View of Delft (ISBN: 0805067183)

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Vermeer: A View of Delft (ISBN: 0805067183)
Anthony Bailey
Manufacturer: Henry Holt Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RBN7Z2

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Vermeer Illuminated

Manufacturer: V+K Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9066110341

Product Description

A report on the restoration of the "View of Delft" and "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer. Well-illustrated, with text.

View of Delft, A: Vermeer and His Contemporaries

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View of Delft, A: Vermeer and His Contemporaries
Walter A.; Von Sonnenburg, Hubert Liedtke
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OROL3Q

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A View of Delft: Vermeer and his Contemporaries
Walter Liedtke
Manufacturer: Waanders Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LEWIH8

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