2 comments about Acting the Part: Photography As Theatre.

1. I find this book to be inspiring and creatively useful on top of it just being gorgeous! If you have any interest in photography, film or narrative image making you need to get this book.



2. ACTING THE PART: PHOTOGRAPHY AS THEATRE could also have been featured in our 'Film and Stage' section, but is reviewed here for its fine history of staged photography as a genre. A sampling of such works range from the 1840s to modern times and pairs film stills and artwork with essays by Lori Pauli and others on the use of painting as inspiration, Surrealism and plays, narrative strategies and photographic effects, and more. As the first major history of staged photography, it deserves a spot in an authoritative art library collection as well as many a film library holding.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show.

1. This book really started my serious fascination with Burlesque Striptease. It truly deserves status as an art form. Shteir has broken it down and explained the history of the style from its inception, in a studied and reverant way. If you really seek a firm understanding of the history of this art form (perhaps to better appreciate the burlesque revival we are currently experiencing) this is a wonderful book for you. Ladies will enjoy the astute feminist take on the topic, as well as the empowered women of the Burlesque world. Gentlemen with likely appreciate the eye-candy, as well as the vintage element of the tease--buy a copy, and tell prospective girlfriends that you are "...so tired of explicit internet images..."



2. After Ms. Shteir wrote a "hatchet job" of an article on a recent conference I organized, I had to take a look at her book. I wish I had done so before I had allowed her to attend and write about our conference. Her article was so filled with errors, misquotes, and mean-spiritedness. I was reassured to read the reviews online here about her book and to find that many others shared my concern about her sloppy attention to facts. She is the most unprofessional writer I have encountered. In breezing through her book, I had no faith in her historical accounts and noticed a style more concerned with its own edgy language than in conveying an authentic and accurate description and mood of its subject matter. I would alert any potential reader of this book to beware. It is self-serving, self-promoting, and provocative for the sake of being provocative. I'm sure there must be better books on this subject.



3. Shteir's thorough research is fleshed-out by her concise writing and moderate tone. This is a scholarly but entertaining review of how show-business from the early 19th century to the present has explored its outer limits, and how the clientele have responded. It will take its place in due course with contemporary accounts of gladiatorial contests, bear-baiting and the bullring: those times and places where entertainment as either the living spectacle, or the distant retrospective confronts us with just what sort of people we are, that we get our jollys in such a medium.



4. This was probably the worse book I have ever had the misfortune to examine. Did the author check anything she wrote in the book, or did she just blindly copy her "National Enquirer" type sources? Dixie Evans is NOT an alcoholic and Rose LaRose was NOT a pornographer.
   
   Burning to death from tap shoes is probably the silliest thing I have ever read!
   
   Stick to "Gypsy" or "My Journey Burlesque" for first hand accounts. There are other excellent reference books available.



5. I own a number of burlesque-themed films on VHS, mostly actual stage performances from the 1940's and 1950's. These films are discussed in the book, and I was surprised to find descriptions that sometimes seem drawn from thin air.
   
   On page 287, author Shteir tells us, "For example, in A Night At the Follies (1956), a murder provides an excuse to see undressed women backstage." There is no murder nor any other plot and no visits backstage -- it simply films an actual burlesque show.
   
   On page 287 - 288, stripper Tempest Storm in A Night In Hollywood is described as "guiding audiences through an evening of burlesque striptease, comedy, ragtime and jazz music, and stripping." Storm doesn't guide anybody through anything. She does not appear until the very end of the show, as was the custom for the star, and dances for eight minutes without one audible word.
   
   On page 288, describing female impersonator Vicki Lynn's act in Varietease, "In the last moments, Lynn takes off the wig to reveal her bald head." Actually Lynn has a full head of hair, without any sign of baldness.
   
   On page 289, turning to mainstream movies, Shteir comments on the 1958 hit The Naked and the Dead, and stripper Lili St. Cyr's role. She tells us the movie "pumped up the sex and violence considerably, partly by casting St. Cyr to play Croft's wife." Wrong. Sergeant Croft's wife was played by Barbara Nichols. Lili St. Cyr played Private Wilson's girlfriend, and she was only in the film for two minutes. Shteir does not mention the brevity of St. Cyr's role, but tells us, "St. Cyr plays a selfish, cold, neurotic, sexually omnivorous stripper - a cartoon of a woman." Wrong, wrong, wrong. The only thing right is that St. Cyr played a stripper. Everything else is completely at odds with the film, where Lili is a warm, smiling, light-hearted woman who knows she'll be arrested if she strips but performs as usual because, "I gotta have integrity with my public, even if I gotta pay for it." All we see of her act is a slow dance that resembles a hula (and reveals less). Wilson adores her, and she sends him money when he's overseas.
   
   Shteir has academic credentials and a reputable publisher, but I wouldn't trust anything she says.

2 comments about I Lost it at the Movies.

1. I grew up reading Pauline Kael's reviews, mostly by walking to the public library in the small town where I grew up -- I'd snag the New Yorker off the shelf and immerse myself in what she had to say about movies, many of which would never come to my town. But I was enthralled.
   
   I love her reviews now for the same reason I loved them then -- she makes me want to see the movies she writes about. And more than that, she makes me want to see movies, period. Her passion for the medium -- even when she doesn't like a film -- is contagious, and she expresses it beautifully.
   
   Surprisingly to me, in these early reviews she frequently quotes the reviews of other critics and then mercilessly takes apart what they have said. She particularly has it in for the New York Times' Bosley Crowther, but she doesn't let others off the hook easily, either.
   
   Kael is fun to read, even if you haven't seen the movie she is talking about. I've never seen "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone", though I have seen "Suddenly Last Summer" -- both based on works of Tennessee Williams. But Kael's 1961 review of "Mrs. Stone" is a hilarious read. In one part, she says:
   
   "The men who filmed 'The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone' seem to think the idea of an aging woman seeking companionship and love so daring and unusual that they fumble around with it almost as much as the doctor in the screen version of 'Suddenly, Last Summer', who couldn't seem to cope with the simple facts of Sebastian's homosexuality and kept saying, 'You DON'T mean THAT?'-- 'No, it CAN'T be THAT?' -- 'WHAT are you saying?' -- 'What do you MEAN?' I assumed the youngest child in the audience would get the point before he did. By trying so diligently to make Mrs. Stone so sympathetic and understandable the director and writer, Jose Quintero and Gavin Lambert, kill all interest in her. We could accept a woman buying love, but why make her haggle over it?"
   
   Kael is hilarious, maddening, and most of all, thought-provoking. And if you love movies, she'll make you love them more.



2. Pauline Kael was a prophet of the times: she knew that people would eventually be addicted to the movies. But she was perceptive enough to realize from the onset that this addiction went beyond the inescapable, because grippingly overwhelming, magic of storytelling. She understood that movies were addictive because not only do they take on a life of their own, they also created a world of their own --- cult worship, technology wizardry, critical discourse, the vagaries of box-office results, and all that jazz. These Ms. Kael grasped, and armed with her stylish wit and whip, she rallied on to the cultural battlefronts of what would turn out to be our multi-media age. This book is therefore a must-read, because beyond the disparate individual movie reviews, Ms. Kael allows us to appreciate the intellectual and moral landscape of our times. She shows us that behind things are the more important scheme of things. For her, the reel is for real. And these days, who can say it isn't so

5 comments about The Essential Guide to Droids (Star Wars).

1. In the immortal words of Darth Vader..."Impressive. Most impressive." I found this book to be not only an excellent resource but also a great read. It touches on every major detail of the droids that it mentions...which is quite a bit. You can read about anything from C-3P0's internal computer to the technical details of the medical droid. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to scratch the surface of Star Wars and dig a little deeper.



2. I really think they are stretching to come up with more "Essential" books for Star Wars, but nonetheless, this is still a good book full of all the information you knew, know, wanted and didn't want to know about the lovable robotic droids of the Star Wars movies and books. Star Wars fans won't be disappointed, however there is not much here for the non-Star Wars fan, as they probably won't even know what their reading about (or if they did, they wouldn't care). I recommend this to all Star Wars fans.



3. The Essential Guide to Droids is better than the rest of the EG series thus far. It has good pictures and relatively informative schematic drawings of each of the droids, with better art than has been seen yet in a Guide. It also has the obligatory listing and brief description of all the major droid manufacturors in known. Another helpful feature is that it lists the droids according to their function, rather than in the standard alphabetical order, a la EG to Weapons. But the author goes beyond simply describing each droid and its function. He created background lore about the droids, and their developers. He doesn't make each droid individual, but rather trases entire product lines, for example, he goes from the R1 to the end of the R- series, creating the whole product line development, etc... What he doesn't do is spend the entire allotted text space for each droid simply relating the adventures it has had. This is a very helpful, informative, and readable SW book, and I'm glad I bought it.



4. I have all of the Essential Guides and have been pleased with all of them to one degree or another. The Essential Guide to Droids, however, is one of the better ones. The author and artists have done their homework in researching the novels, but for all their work-there are some really silly designs in here, usually written into novels or whatever, because the author thought it would be cute, but only comes across as annoying or dumb (the C2-R4 comes to mind). Other designs have not been well thought out-the M38 Explorer droid is too tall, it seems logical that if you want an automated robot for planetary surveys, then something with a lower center of gravity would be a much better design. I would recommend that everyone ignore the fact that Anakin made C-3PO and keep his manufacturer as Cybot Galactica, since that is a little more believable. As always The Essential Guide to Droids would make an ideal addition to the Star Wars role playing table as well, and it has a good spread of robots from domestic, industrial to combat and medical droids. A solid effort with great art work and well written.



5. This is where I go to get information on Droids. You never seem to get really good description of the droids so this is where reccomend that you go and if you can't find out what you need to know the I would reccomend th Star Wars Encyclopedia.

5 comments about The Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology: Soprano Vol. I.

1. It has a great variety of vocal selections. If you want modern, rock musical stuff though, this is definitely not the right choice. I think that, since this is soprano, they have put much of the music into a slightly higher key (when compared to the sheet music for the musicals themselves).



2. I'm a teenager and I'm using Musical Theater Anthology volume 3 as one of my books in voice lessons. It contains musical theater songs that some people might not have heard of, but all the songs are very good. At the same time it includes many well known songs. My only complaint is some of the accompianment is a little strange and some of the keys of the songs are weird. Other then that its a great book!



3. I only say that the review titled, "Some Fantastic Unknown Songs!" is inappropriate, because those are NOT the songs in this volume. I bought this volume thinking I would get the songs like "Moonfall" and "Unusual Way," but I didn't. This book is great don't get me wrong; I'll still get a lot out of it. Just don't read reviews thinking they are totally accurate.



4. Even after a year of heafty exploring in the genre of musical theatre, I feel as though I have only brushed the first layer off and have dozens more to go. PErhaps this is why I can't appreciate this more. The book's not bad at all, I just don't know most of these songs!
   HOwever, when it comes down to it, I have to say the arrangements here are FABULOUS! Songs from Phantom, Les Miz, and Jekyll and Hyde(all my favorites) are arranged well for solo performance, and my particular favorite "IN his Eyes", though it does not contain the gorgeous duet part or characters, makes it easy to pick and change to a solo piece. In fact the arrangement is ten times better than the actual song book version.
   Overall, definitely a great book to own; highly recommended from a theatre geek!



5. It's best to purchase all 3 of each anthology - I find Vol. 2 to be the best selection, but since each song is in the original key, it's a far cry from the pablum of typical "vocal selections" available. The only drawback - all the good audition pieces are showing up in these, and now everything's getting overused! :P

5 comments about The Making of the Wizard of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM.

1. MGM's movie,based on the book by L. Frank Baum,"The Wizard of Oz,"is nearly 70 years old. But its stars, Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton, still shine brightly as ever, and the movie continues to be a particular favorite of young and old.
   
   Aljean Harmetz is the daughter of a woman who worked backstage at MGM. Harmetz's mother worked in the Wardrobe Department; she was able to estimate sewing costs on thousands of costumes, from 1937 to 1951 --including the nearly one thousand needed for "The Wizard of Oz,"alone.
   
   So starting from this birds' eye view, Harmetz is well able to explain how "movie magic and studio power in the prime of MGM" resulted in "the miracle of Production #1060." To that end, she did hundreds of interviews, with actors, singers, songwriters, cameramen, screen writers, costumers, directors, and technicians. She succeeded in bringing the great glory days of MGM, under its sentimental czar L.B. Mayer, to technicolor life.
   
   Harmetz explains how the Emerald City was designed and built; how the cyclone was created. She tells us how Judy Garland's immortal "Over the Rainbow" was nearly lost, as envious, nitpicking producers responded after the film's first screening: "Why does she sing in a barnyard? Take it out!"
   
   The author gives us fine portraits of Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West--"she enjoyed every moment screaming about those slippers." Binnie Barnes, who played the Good Witch Glinda, retiring to her pink and blue dressing room to await her next call. Bert Lahr creating the endearing cowardly lion-- his costume weighed over 50 pounds. "It was like carrying a mattress around with you," he said. And he could only sip liquids once in full makeup. Ray Bolger, the dancer who created the Scarecrow, " I have no bones. I have nothing inside me. It's just the wind holding me up." And Jack Haley who inherited the Tin Woodman's part after an allergic reaction to the aluminum paste makeup, put Buddy Ebsen, first cast for the part, in hospital.
   
   You should find you read these marvelously detailed pages with great enjoyment, and if you're as sentimental a fool as I can sometimes be, even with emotional involvement. If you love the movie, you might want to try to find this book.



2. The making of the Wizard of Oz is a wonderful book to anyone who has grown to love the Wizard of Oz. You don't even have to be an obsessive fan of the movie like myself to enjoy it. It is extremely well researched. If information is not known the author says it so and does not attempt to recreate history as some nonfiction works do.

   Perhaphs what makes the 1939 movie so wonderful is learning all the behind the scenes things that went into making it. This book gives respect and a knew sense of understanding as to what movie making was like in the biggest studio of that time. It is written so that it doesn't need to be read front to back. You can start in the special effects section and finish in the chapter about the script, or the music, or the directors (did you know there were four?).

   Did you know that the movie had the work of 10 writers or do you know how the surrender dorothy scene was done? Well, in this book you find out his and thousands more did you know facts to impress friends. I recommend this to anyone who has watched the Wizard of Oz. And if Oz didn't win an academy award for best picture in 1939 than that was because the academy didn't have this book to help choose.




3. If you're a die hard fan of this classic film then you'll want to read this well-researched "making of" tome. The book is filled with all sorts of wonderful trivia tidbits but most of all it gives an insightful review of those behind the camera in a way I've yet to find in other "OZ" related books. The one and only shortcoming of this book is to be found in the number of pictures, in my opinion there could have been more, otherwise it's a behind the scenes look that most OZ fans won't be disappointed with.



4. It doesn't matter unduly if you didn't grow up watching MGM's 1939 color movie "The Wizard of Oz" in re-release or on TV. You might think that a "Munchkin" is what used to be called a "doughnut hole." You may think of Judy Garland only as Liza Minnelli's mother, and avoid prewar movies like the plague. Maybe you didn't feel that shock of recognition that "Cora the Coffee Lady" in Maxwell House TV commercials was none other than Margaret Hamilton, the green-faced Wicked Witch of the West.

   Of course, if you love "The Wizard of Oz" you've love THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ all the more. I just read this book for the second time (the first upon its initial publication), and was astonished and pleased by how well it has held up. Author Aljean Harmetz has crafted a book relevant not only in terms of one particular "prestige" movie off the Hollywood assembly line; but indeed her insight, research and friendly presentation make the book stand as a metaphor of all Hollywood filmmaking during the height of the Studio Era, ca. 1940. Perhaps the late Irving Thalberg was one of the few Hollywood insiders who could "keep the whole equation of pictures inside his head," but Ms. Harmetz opens up this world for us, and shows us both its realism and its wonder.

   We return to an era in which studio moguls were as eccentric and powerful as today's software barons, when studio hands were nonunionized yet intensely loyal to their studios, when no movie studio even thought about a future containing broadcast TV, when movie stars were better known than Presidents or Kings, and when Technicolor would give you any color except the one you wanted. Nonetheless, solving the creative problems inherent in bringing L. Frank Baum's novel "The Wizard of Oz" to the screen was seen as an invigorating set of challenges to be met and conquered.

   Back then, MGM had a real "can-do" attitude. So no one had
   ever created a moving tornado for a film? After two tries the MGM tech people got it right, and the depiction of that horrendous twister so set the tintype for what a tornado ought to look like that it persists in our collective consciousness today, despite today's ubiquitous video cameras.

   There were no tape recorders. How, then, to raise or lower voices artificially for dubbing? This book tells how. What happened when Buddy Ebsen almost died from an allergy to aluminum dust he had worn as the (originally intended) Tin Man? Why was Margaret Hamilton burned severely and ignored, yet Billie Burke turned an ankle and was whisked off the set in a white ambulance? Why did the film need four directors and half a dozen screenwriters, yet was fondly recalled as a labor of love by practically everyone except a prematurely embittered Judy Garland? Was the film the great commercial and critical success you might think it would be? And, by the way, what about those Munchkins' alleged sexual proclivities? Excellent answers provided by excellent research present a fully-formed world view, warts and all.

   THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ would be a wonderful companion to the new restored DVD version of the film, which is so crisp you can count the gingham checkers on Dorothy's blue dress (which was actually violet, to fool the Technicolor process). How were the ruby slippers made? What about that poppy field? Read on. Some critics have said that Harmetz's later work is not as excruciatingly well researched as THE MAKING OF THE WIZARD OF OZ, but I don't care. This book and the movie are not only as much fun as ever, but a great education in the good old/bad old days of the Hollywood "Dream Factory." Don't miss it!




5. "The Making of the Wizard of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM--And the Miracle of Production No 1060" is just downright enthralling. It is an expose' that breaks down the machinery and the machinations of what it took to get a major movie made in the days of the autocratic studio heads. The book offers an entertaining and totally engrossing look at the legendary film. Judy, Ray, Jack, Bert, Margaret, and Toto, too, are all analyzed in this brilliant work. The songwriters, the respective directors, the many other craftsmen, as well as the "little people," in more than the figurative sense, are all here. Vividly embellished with stills from the production, the book's text is just as captivating. The familiar as well as the unfamiliar stories about the production make for a most satisfying read for any "Oz" fan. It is also a good primer for anyone with an interest in pursuing film as a career.

3 comments about Stella Adler on Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekhov.

1. Whether you are an actor, director, or just someone interested, these lectures of Stella's make you feel as though you are in the room with her, gaining the benefit of her years of experience in the theater. Given her father's noteworthy accomplishments in the Yiddish theater coupled with her own experience, especially that in the Group Theater, she has a unique background and a wealth of understanding that fuels her ability to convey the essence of these three playwrights and their works.

   Her goal is to get the actor (or director, for that matter) to understand the heart and soul of a play and any of the roles (characters) within. Not until one really understands what's hidden between the lines, can one even think of approaching a role. Stella offers her humanity by sharing her perspectives on life and society and how they might relate to understanding a role. In the case of any playwright, she points out through wonderful examples that one must not only seek to understand the playwright, but also the time in which he or she lived. It is essentially a book sending that critical message that it's not about the lines but the life given to the role by the actor's understanding of the life of the character, which comes by seriously seeking to understand the material, its creator, the time period it takes place, etc. She reveals her life in the lectures in a way that provides a wonderful example as to how one might want to hone one's ability to find the deeper meaning hidden between the lines.

   It's a great read with a lot of soul: Stella lives!!! ... and you can sit there with her while she shares her life. What a great thing!

   Possibly helpful suggestion: If you aren't familiar with Ibsen, Strindberg, or Chekhov, a great way to dive in (and the approach I took) is to pick up this book along with the plays she references within. Read each play before she discusses it in the book. Or, read all of the plays for a given playwright, then approach that section of the book. This way the play is somewhat fresh in your mind. If you aren't familiar with any of the plays I'd imagine that it might be overwhelming to read all of the plays at once followed by the book.




2. This is definitely a theater must. Stella Adler, probably one of the best American acting teachers talking about three of the greatest playwrights (Ibsen, Strindberg, and Chekhov) ever. It is hard where to categorize this book for it points out ways (or I should say one way for Chekhov) to approach the plays of these Playwrights to the Actor but it is also very academic and analytic of the plays at the same time. Most of the entries, broadly discuss the play going from the actor's point of view to the directors to historical facts to the author's life etc. It is very insightful and inspring but There is only one problem I have with this book is her aggressive assumption that the only approach to Chekhov can be through Stanlisvaski's method and any other way is wrong. Now I agree that Stanislavski goes hand in hand with the Realism period but as Chekhov himself said "I wrote vaudevilles and Stanlisvaski has staged them as sentimental dramas". What is my point? That in theatre you cannot approach everything from one school of thought. We in the Theatre fight too much about Technique instead of moving audiences and transforming them. Still though, this book is worth reading and has great insights on these three playwrights.



3. This book is a must for serious actors who wish to further their understanding of the great writers for the stage. Before reading this book, I was, as an actor, very intimidated by the works of all three writers, but now feel like I can approach their plays with some degree of clarity and purpose. Adler writes from the point of view of performer, literary analyst, and teacher, a combination that serves to leave the reader inspired to tackle these three catalysts of the theatre.

3 comments about The Film Sense.

1. Though no book will make you a filmmaker, some will help you refine your vision. This book, for me, added some poetry and texture to the imagery already in my mind. Pretty much the only thing that will improve your film skills, is making them.



2. If you want to improve your own films, this book will not help you (I doubt that any book would). If you can actually figure out what Eisenstien is trying to say (which would probably take 3 readings, but who has the time?) you will find only obscure and vague theories. They are interesting in what they reveal about Eisenstein and his films, but they will not help you as a filmmaker!



3. Eisenstein thoughts on montage and how the mind interpets film is invaluable when creating films of one's own. Read the book 3 times to learn it for the first.

3 comments about Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882.

1. Frances Grimble shares her meticulous vision with us once again. A great two book series full of facinating information and patterns galore. I cannot wait to clothe many a pretty lady using them. Not for the faint of heart. The patterns are period correct and I would advise an advanced skill level, or a great deal of patience. Always do a mock up. Remember these are patterns of the age. So start at the skin and work your way out to a glorious new costume.
   Enjoy.



2. This is a great book, but you should know that it is not a second edition of Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 1. It is the second volume of the anthology, and a different book with all different patterns. The title is actually Fashions of the Gilded Age, Volume 2: Evening, Bridal, Sports, Outerwear, Accessories, and Dressmaking 1877-1882. It's just as good as Volume 1, none of the information is the same except the intro on how to use the patterns, and the dressmaking manual is really unique.
   
   I heard both volumes were published but it took me awhile to find the second one on Amazon because it was mislisted. So I thought I'd warn other people.



3. I just reviewed Volume 1, where I said the book contains a huge selection of patterns. Volume 2 focuses on patterns for evening dresses, bridal wear, sports wear, and outer wear. The chapters on accessories and trimmings contain some needlework patterns, embroidery and so on. I figure if I don't do the handwork I'll still have learned a lot about buying appropriate materials.
   
   I bought both volumes, but they are organized so you can use them separately. Both contain the instructions for using the book and the special rulers that allow you to draft patterns to fit you. They also both have a big glossary, a bibliography, and two indexes.
   
   Volume 2 has something really special though--a dressmaking manual. The book says it was rewritten from numerous rare original sources that are listed in the bibliography. But it's been rewritten so it doesn't read that way; you can't tell where any source begins or ends. That makes the manual a lot easier to use. And it's so long it could have been published as a book by itself. I'm glad to have it, because I've never been able to find a comprehensive sewing manual for this period. It even has corset-making instructions (the corset patterns are in Volume 1).
   
   Both volumes are very well edited and produced. This is not a cheap printing job.
   
   Anyone who does Old West reenactment or Victorian teas would love these books!

5 comments about Across A Dark & Wild Sea.

1. In the Year of Our Lord, 521, in the Dark Ages that haunted Europe, was born Columcille, the son of a minor king in Ireland. This is the story of Columcille, his growth, his education, and his founding of the great monastery on Iona, in Scotland. The book itself is written for the younger reader, and contains many colorful and extremely beautiful illustrations.
   
   Overall, I found this to be a very good book. It does a good job of telling the story of St. Columcille in an easy-to-read, no-nonsense way. It's a very entertaining read, and an educational one. I highly recommend it.



2. This book was read as part of the Catholic Mosaic program with our kids. It happened to be read around the first week of school and the subject of being a scholar and how important books are to EVERYONE was highly appropriate. Definitely a keeper!



3. The only thing that I can add to the professional and reader reviews is that St. Columcille is also known as St. Columba. All the other reviews do a great job of describing this book.



4. Deftly written and superbly illustrated by Don Brown, Across A Dark And Wild Sea is the true story of Columcille (also known as Columba), a beloved figure from Celtic history. Columcille loved books so much that he secretly copied a volume of psalms from Rome against it's owner's wishes. The resulting and bitter fallout in 521 A.D. caused Columcille to deliberately leave Ireland in a tiny boat, vowing never to return. He founded a famous monastery on the Scottish island of Iona and left a legacy that endures to this day. Brought to life with moody, windswept color illustrations, Across A Dark And Wild Sea is a most engaging picture book and recommended for readers of all ages.



5. "Columcille was born in 521. He was the son of a king, from a corner of Ireland scrubbed hard by ocean winds, in a time that came to be known as the dark ages..." So begins Don Brown's marvelous picture book biography of the scribe and monk, known now as Saint Columba. Brown traces the Celtic legend of this remarkable man who desperately wanted to bring learning and books back into the world after much was lost with the fall of the Roman Empire. After a bloody war was waged over the copying and ownership of a special book of psalms, Columcille left Ireland forever and with twelve followers "set sail on a dark and wild sea." Landing on the tiny Scottish island of Iona, he and his followers built a monastery and scriptorium where books were copied and scribes were trained. "Books were made and dispatched, like small boats on a dark and wild sea, to places where reading and writing had been forgotten or ignored. The books made colonies of learning, and people's minds, once dark with ignorance, were brightened." Mr Brown's poetic text is filled with imagery, is rich in history and drama and complemented by powerful and evocative artwork in quiet and subdued tones. Together word and art bring Columcille's inspiring story to life with passion and respect. Perfect for youngsters 8 and older, or as a read aloud for younger children, Across A Dark And Wild Sea includes an Author's Note to enhance and complete the story, the Unical alphabet used by scribes, and a bibliography. This is a rare and wonderful story celebrating books and learning, that shouldn't be missed. "Columcille, the man who loved books, helped the world love books. So we remember him and retell his story."