No comments about The Knitter's Guide to Sweater Design.

No comments about Sustainable Fashion: Why Now?: A Conversation Exploring Issues, Practices, and Possibilities.

5 comments about Les Petites Dames de Mode: An Adventure in Design.

1. This is a wonderful book. The photography shows every detail of the exquisite designs, which are breath-taking. The commentary is very interestsing and gives an insight into life in the 1800's according to the way women dressed. I would love to be able to wear any of the fabulous dresses shown.



2. This book by Mr. Burbidge is a feast for the eyes. The book features dozens of 29-inch fashion dolls wearing costumes from the 1850s to around 1914. Being oversized dolls, each costume can have incredible detail. Mr. Burbidge has labored to create accurate period detail in each dress. Each doll is shown in a full-page picture with period hairstyles and accessories. Each accompanying page includes a description of the outfit, small inset pictures of close details, an interesting quote from historical sources about the time period and usually some tidbit about where the author found the material for the gown. Frequently the author will explain things about high society of the era and how certain items would be viewed - for instance, whether a gown would be considered racy because of its color or how young ladies didn't wear expensive jewelry with a gown until after they were married.
   
   There are only 2 things that I found lacking about this book and they are really trivial items in my mind. The first is that the color of the full-page images is sometimes a bit "off". The dolls often feature very soft colors and the images have a warm tone that can wash them out. The inset detail shots usually have a better color representation.
   
   The second is that the reader should not expect accurate period undergarments on the dolls. The crinolines and petticoats are fairly accurate, but there are no corsets shown.
   
   All in all, the book is beautiful and informative. If you didn't know better, you would almost think the images were of full-size mannequins dressed in real period costumes. And the accompanying text is suitable for anyone, even if they have no knowledge of the eras shown.



3. If you're into miniatures, or just fabulous seamestry, you will love this book and this man's work with textiles, and fashion of a romantic era like none you've seen. These are fashions we will never see again in our society, (thank goodness - can't imagine wearing this stuff). But at the same time, I love to see how elegant and fabulous ladies looked in these garments. This man was responsible for making some of the most fabulous wedding gowns in our country for over a decade and now has preserved for us a fashion era that won't be brought back in it's entirety ever again. A must see for those that are into preserving a culture and miniatures.



4. This book is a total delight for fans of couture, especially La Belle Epoch. Nothing will compare to seeing the exquisite Les Petites Dames in person, but this book comes close! I was fortunate enough to acquire some of these pictures when they were marketed in small groups, so I was thrilled to find that Mr. Burbidge had since expanded the collection and subsequently published it in its entirety (also the book goes into more detail). Just loved it!!



5. I found this book very useful as a source for inspiration. Good quality pictures of very Victorian looking dresses. It is not a "how to" book, but if you have some experience in sewing, there you can find good ideas how it all must look then finished.

1 comments about Collection by Design II: A Paper Doll History of Costume 1900-1949.

1. excellent drawings and historically accurate,I have several of these books and use them for costume reference,for theatre productions and general knowledge of the periods.
   Nice books for any one intersted in costume drawing,history and design.

3 comments about Easy Singer Style Pattern-Free Fashions & Accessories: 15 Easy-Sew Projects that Build Skills, Too (Easy Singer Style).

1. I bought this book for my daughter because she wants to learn to sew. The book explains many of the basic tools, procedures, hand sewing, and maching sewing. The projects look interesting and not too tough to tackle. The book includes directions for making a pair of jeans into a skirt. Directions for a skirt and belt are also styles that will appeal to the younger girls.



2. This was a great gift for my 20 year old daughter and 16 year old niece - snappy easy projects that really teach sewing skills. They made the Jean's skirt from their favorite jeans that were headed for the trash bin. My daughter said that it is a book that teaches you how to "EDIT YOUR CLOTHES". Fun to do and not a great cost for the projects. I had Singer Sewing books when I began to sew and I like the new, fresh, updated look. I hope there will be more in the series.
   Easy Singer Style Pattern-Free Fashions & Accessories: 15 Easy-Sew Projects that Build Skills, Too (Easy Singer Style)



3. Altho this book is geared for beginning sewers, as an experienced sewer I still found some great ideas and little tips worth knowing. The directions are clear and concise and easy to follow. I think the projects will interest teens - and other new sewers - and start them sewing early! Nice assortment of wearables and craft projects.

1 comments about Dolce Vita Style.

1. 
   Jean-Pierre Dufreigne's Dolce Vita Style starts out describing my favorite scene from the unforgettable film Fellini's Roma. The scene takes place at one of the city's innumerable cafes, where an anonymous woman asks writer Gore Vidal why he chooses to live in Rome. Mr. Vidal answers as if he had been expecting the question: "Rome is the only place to be," he says, "to wait for the end."
   
   That's pretty much true, at least if you were living in the go-go Dolce Vita years, which were already drawing to a close by the time the film was made in 1972. The over-the-top style of those days were like a candle burning not only on both ends but also at several points in the middle.
   
   But, boy, did they ever look good doing it.
   
   That's the best thing about this book: the photography really captures the feel of Rome during the Dolce Vita years. For anyone who knows the Via Veneto as is is today -- home to the U.S. Embassy and the Hard Rock Cafe -- the photos of the parties in the street there in the 1960s will cause a double take. Ditto for scenes from the Spanish Steps, the Campidoglio, and Piazza Navona. The photo selection is excellent: Mr. Dufreigne, a journalist with France's L'Express, avoids cliche shots like Antia Ekberg in the Trevi Fountain (though there is a less-well-known shot from that series near the end of the book, and a modern remake with model Claudia Schiffer in Ms. Ekberg's place) in favor of unfamiliar images that capture the mood perfectly.
   
   Sadly, beyond that there is little to recommend the book besides that. The text -- for the most part spoken in Italian, transcribed in the book in Mr. Dufreigne's native French, and then translated into English for this edition -- sounds melodramatic and forced. And although it is handsomely bound, the layout can be frustrating: captions for photos are rarely on the same page as the photo, a lack of paragraph indents can make some pages appear to be a single run-on sentence, and the lack of an index and only the vaguest table of contents makes picking and choosing what to read an exercise in frustration.

5 comments about Deliver Us from Evil: Peacekeepers, Warlords and a World of Endless Conflict.

1. Deliver Us from a Lack of Political Will, by Peter Gantz, Partnership for Effective Peace Operations.

   A review of Deliver Us From Evil: Peacekeepers, Warlords and a World of Endless Conflict, William Shawcross, Simon & Schuster, 413pp.

   So, yes, this book is about peacekeeping, that amorphous blob of activity the international community tasks the UN with accomplishing every day in conflict zones throughout the world. It is clear that expectations far exceed what the UN is capable of delivering, as Mr. Shawcross points out early on. The UN in the nineties was tasked with bringing peace to areas where conflict had erupted, following the end of the Cold War. Mr. Shawcross does an admirable job of describing how well and how often that did not work, and how deep the failures were.

   This book is not a UN bashing book, though. It certainly points out the problems at the UN, but Mr. Shawcross knows that these problems, just as the UN itself, are the creation of the member states and their political leaders. In particular, the most powerful member state, the United States, has played a spectacularly unhelpful role. Congress nearly destroyed the UN financially in the late nineties, largely driven by provincial isolationists in the Republican Party. President Clinton and his top advisors were no better, perhaps most notably during the Rwandan genocide. Muddled decisions from the administration did much to worsen crises and conflicts the world over.

   Mr. Shawcross puts his finger squarely on the problem. Time after time it has been a lack of political will. The inability of the international community to summon the courage to stop the deaths of millions of blacks in Rwanda, Burundi, and other parts of Africa is one of the more despicable features of the twentieth century, and one of the examples of problems with UN peacekeeping that Mr. Shawcross covers quite well. The U.S. and other countries are simply not willing to back up words with actions.

   Hard and fast solutions are not offered by Mr. Shawcross. The reader would be better directed to other works for that. (The book came out prior to the UN's own surprisingly honest and straightforward assessment of peacekeeping, the Brahimi Report, commissioned by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.) But to understand the problems with UN peace operations, and to understand the fundamental root cause of these problems, the lack of political will to act, or to act well, this book is better than most. Mr. Shawcross suggests in the end that UN peace operations have too often been about asking for miracles.

   But make no mistake; he does not suggest that peacekeeping should be abandoned. And certainly this book should not provoke a reader to gag at the idea of deploying peacekeepers-they should gag, however, at the antics of their elected officials. The U.S. and other countries sit at the Security Council and give the UN grand and noble tasks to save the world, but when it comes to providing the means to accomplish those tasks, failure is palpable. The abject failure of government officials to match actions to words is what we truly need deliverance from.




2. For anyone interested in world affairs, or interested in learning more about the United Nations in today's fractured and dangerous world, I strongly recommend this work by Shawcross.

   This work is essentially a survey of hotspots around the world that eventually boiled over spurring the intervention of foreign governments in the name of "humanity". Shawcross begins with the backgrounds of these conflicts and spells out the events leading up to and including foreign intervention and the aftereffects. Shawcross often begins to outline one conflict, leaves it to start another at a crucial point, may then introduce the reader to yet another, or return to the original. In this fashion, the reader is carried from conflict to conflict, without discovering a resolution until later. This device keeps the reader more interested and in the end perhaps mirrors the real world as well. Hotspots of the world don't wait for each other to resolve before cropping up.

   Much of the work also focuses on Kofi Annan the current secretary general, and it is this topic that is most enlightening. As citizens of the world, we have painted a romantic picture of the U.N and become frustrated when it does not accomplish the things we would like it to. We often forget that the United Nations are composed of individual nations with individual interests. At the heart of the U.N. lies the Security Council. A veto by any of the members of the Security Council essentially cripples the U.N.'s ability to act. The U.N.is also reliant on its members for funding and equipment. It is in this context that Shawcross presents Annan, who himself is not without blame for some of the the U.N.'s shortcomings, but nevertheless comes across in a very sympathetic light.

   The aforementioned members of the Security Council come across much more poorly, particulary the United States and France.

   The highest complement I can give this work is that Shawcross is even handed. His writing does not heap blame on any party. He is merely spelling out the limitations of the world we live in and the simple fact that states are first and foremost looking out for their own interests.

   Especially interesting is the material dealing with Saddam Hussein. He has been a thorn in the world's side for years. He also touches on Serbia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, East Timor among others.

   One comes away with a new perspective on the limitations and failings of the United Nations, but also a profound feeling that it is as indispensible and vital as ever.




3. This is a book about the role of the United Nations in international peacekeeping missions. Prior to the end of the cold war, the United Nations was not able to intervene in regional conflicts. The reason being that the split on the security council meant that one or other of the superpowers would veto actions which would conflict with their national interest. With the end of the cold war the world was faced with the possibility that the United Nations could for the first time try to act to limit human misery brought about by civil war and the collapse of civil authority in some countries. The early nineties also saw the election of the American President Clinton. Clinton at the start of his term was committed to trying to increase the importance of the United Nations as a means of bringing a rational approach to ending conflict. He appointed Madeline Albright as an Ambassador to the UN and there were expectations that something could be achieved.

   Shawncross examines a large number of conflicts and looks at the attempts of the UN to achieve some positive result. The vast majority of the cases examined by Shawncross were failures. His book is an examination of how those failures occurred and what factors led to them.

   There have however been some successes. The intervention in Cambodia, although it did not lead to the setting up of democratic institutions (Hun Sen was able to quickly set up an authoritarian state after elections were held which should have removed him from power) did lead to the end of the civil war in that country. Although it is only dealt with in a sketchy way the UN intervention in East Timor led to and end to the killing and it now seems possible that a democratic state will emerge.

   The failures are however significant. The UN failed to do anything to prevent the genocide in Rwanda. What effectively happened in this case was that the Rwandan population was divided into two ethnic groups. One group the Hutus moved to kill the minority group the Tutis. Over 100,000 Tutis were murdered brutally with the UN taking no action at all. However the story did not end there. A guerilla movement consisting of Tutis was able to take control of the country. The Hutu groups responsible for the initial massacres forced huge numbers of their own people out of the country into neighbouring Zaire to form the basis of a guerilla army. This fought for some time against the victorious Tutis. Eventually the Tutis invaded Zaire massacring huge numbers of Hutu and in the process overturning the government of Mobutu. Some peace keepers were put in place to prevent this but the mission failed abysmally.

   Another disappointment was Somalia. Again Somalia was a small country which had experienced a total break down in civil society. The collapse of order led to large numbers of rural people moving to the capital and a fall in food production. In place of civil authority the country became ruled by armed gangs. Both the United Nations and the United States became obsessed with one gang leader and spent most of their efforts trying to capture him. Alternative strategies might have involved the provision of food aid in country areas to move people out of the city as a means of increasing rural productivity. In addition attempts to disarm the groups one would have thought productive. Instead the UN and American troops fell into a confrontation with some gangs in the capital and suffered casualties which in the view of the US were not sustainable. This led to a pull out.

   The book is interesting. It does not really propose a solution but it raises a huge number of issues. One interesting point made by the author is that it cost the Sierra Leone government $36m to hire a mercenary outfit Executive Solutions to deal with its rebellion. (The rebels involved were brutal and routinely amputated the limbs of village people for no good reason). The cost of hiring these mercenaries was cheaper than the cost of a UN force ($46m for the same period). As a number of the UN members do seem to have a stomach for the work one wonders if this may not be the future of peace keeping.




4. This book is a good overview of the UN work as peace keepers during the 1990's and the horrible different wars that took place during the decade. Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, East Timor, and Iraq are the locations / wars the author takes us through. The descriptions of what these people did to each other are almost more then can be believed. The author also provides a good overview with each conflict as to why it was happening and the internal politics, which kept the killing going. He also gives us just enough details on the people effected that you really get a feel for the catastrophic impact the wars / slaughters have had on them. It really makes you wonder how people can do this to their neighbors.

   The author also describes the deployment and efforts that the peacekeepers and aid works go through in these war zones. It is truly an aggravating reading experience to see the amount of internal and world politics that slows down the deployment of the soldiers to the point that thousands more people die waiting for the help. With that said that book also makes a very good point that the ideas and people that drive the push for peacekeepers are doing so in a misguided effort. The peacekeepers are solders and solders are not law enforcement officers, they are not trained or equipped for this function. The international and internal UN politics are so vast and ingrained that once a direction is proposed it is often too late in the execution, not well thought out, and ends without a plan for continued safety or improvements. The effect is often that the situation that brought the peacekeepers to the area quickly returns once the solders go home.

   The book also covers a review of the politics and diplomacy that occurred during the 1990's in the world covering these events. We get an inside, but abbreviated view of these politics of the nations that are members of the UN Security Council. The author spent of good deal of time with the current UN Secretary General Kofi Annan so we get a lot of detail from his point of view. The author also gives us a few insights into some of the other world leaders involved in these issues. The pressures that the UN Secretary General faces trying to get pledges of funds, personnel, and approval for peacekeeping operations are very interesting and one wonders how anything gets done at all.

   I thought the author was letting a little of his own politics or views into the writing by his comments that detailed the deliberate lack of intervention by the United States. The U.S. does surfer from not always having a clear path to follow in these type of issues, but I felt the author was trying to lay out that if the U.S. took the lead then many of the negative issues with peacekeeping would disappear. I would have liked the author to have included some maps of the parts of the world discussed. The fact geek in me would have liked to have seen a list of the UN peacekeeping missions they have done sense inception and a more in depth discussion on the criteria for choosing who sends men.

   After reading this book you will understand that sending in United Nations peacekeepers means there is a huge mess that probably will not be resolved quickly. This is an interesting book and well worth it if you are interested in the topic.




5. Deliver Us From Evil provides a front row seat to the agonizing development, completion and aftermath of the most dramatic global post cold-war intranational conflicts: Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda and others. Shawcross's intimate access to the negotiations and communications surrounding the United Nations Secretary-Generals provide a revealing look at the deliberate lack of intervention by the United States and other members of the Security Council despite public statements to the contrary. Shawcross provides comprehensive background information to allow a thorough understanding of these intranational conflicts that continue to shape our current political state.

1 comments about Be Dazzled! Norman Hartnell, Sixty Years of Glamour and Fashion.

1. The only words must be "Absolutely Fabulous". Layout is gorgeous AND it's readable which is more than can be said for many books of this kind. No lover of fashion or "beaux livres" should be without it !

4 comments about Full-Color Victorian Fashions: 1870-1893.

1. A wonderful informative stylish review of fashion at the turn of the last century. Delightful color prints, many black & white and patterns to make doll clothes - if you so desire. A really great purchase and marvelous if you are trying to dress French Fashion correctly.



2. What would romance writers do without Dover and their marvelous historical books? These books and even era paper dolls are inexpensive, and yet, thorough works that really can put you into the period. This book is stunning. Full color 9 ¼ x 12 ¼ inch plate rather than just a book, these are suitable for framing. Each drawing is two or three ladies in costumes, often with child/children in magnificent costumes of the Victoria era.
   
   Done is seasonal wear, it covers everything from ball gowns to a stroll in the park. There is a corresponding section that has a details analysis of the clothing, item by item. It starts out going year by year, but then jumps a bit missing some. So while this is a super reference book, you really need Blum's Victorian Fashion from Harper's Bazaar 1867-1898 as well.
   
   High recommended.



3. This book contains a variety of rare hand-colored plates from French Victorian fashion magazines. The plates are glorious: they're full of detail and really give a good idea of what the clothes looked like, from fur-trimmed winter outfits to cool outfits for high summer, everyday walking dresses to evening and ball dresses, children's clothes, hats, and more. Most of the plates also have detailed descriptions, including the hats as well as the dresses. As a bonus some of the prints are oddly droll and amusing, such as a July 1887 print of seaside costumes depicting a little girl shoveling sand at the feet of one of the elegant ladies, who looks down tolerantly. Another rather startling print for fall 1891 hunting outfits depicts two ladies holding guns, with a dead pheasant, rabbit, and birds lying at their feet.
   However, the book suffers from one unfortunate flaw: several years are missing entirely, including 1872, 1873, 1876, 1879-1881, 1883-1886, 1889, and 1890. The styles changed a lot between some of these years, too. It leaves the slim, just slightly bustled 1882 styles juxtaposed with the huge, jutting bustle of 1887, and the still-full bustle and plain sleeves of 1888 jump right to the bustle-less bell skirt and high gathered mutton sleeves of 1891. On the other hand, some years are given particular focus with several pages of plates, including 1870, 1871, 1878, 1887, and 1888.
   If you want to learn about Victorian fashions in depth, this book would work best as a complement to a large black-and-white compilation such as Stella Blum's "Victorian Fashions from Harper's Bazaar".



4. Full-Color Victorian Fashions is excellent. The book is exactly what I was looking for. There are a few pages of history, but mainly the book is pictures of victorian fashions. I have other books that deal with the in-depth history of fashion, but when you are wanting to "picture" what types of colors they might have used, the trims, etc. this book becomes very useful. In this case a picture is worth a thousand words.

No comments about American Style.