5 comments about Judi Dench.

1. I read a review that had said this book doesn't go very far into Dame Judi Dench's private life, but rather sticks with her professional career, and this is very true. The book highlights Judi Dench's career from the very beginning by focusing on all that she has accomplished professionly. The book isn't totally void of private tidbits about Judi Dench, few have been generously exposed and are pleasant to read. My favorite parts of the book are told about how Judi Dench loves to play funny tricks on her costars, she will go far for a laugh. I have seen quite alot of her work and it is really neat to read about the behind the scenes antics and dramas that went on. Overall, great read and very enjoyable for anyone who is a Judi Dench fan, you will learn alot from reading this book.



2. This is a gently and beautifully written book and embues a real sense of how the great Lady has developed her craft and how it has developed her as a person. I found it particulary interesting in terms of Dame Judi's early life as she and I hail from the same city (York) and her Father was my Grandmother's family Doctor.
   What you get from this book is really what moulded Judi as an actor, by and large it steers away from her personal life and personal expose. I for one am glad of this as too often the style of the modern biographer is to seek out skeletons lerking in cupboards first and foremost, however tenious the evidence.
   This is more of a celebratory style of the working aspect of Judi's life, how it developed and what traits lie at her core, what it is that makes her one, if not "the" finest living British actress.
   It is a compliment of a book and collaborative overhaul of her career form it's inception. It manages not to be sychophantic and feels, moreover like a gentle but very interesting conversation with Judi. It delicate style almost certainly reflects Judi's personality to some degree, a private and retiring woman not given to self inflation nor aduration. It's a hark back to respectful style of biography and chronicals a remarkable career superbly. A very different genre of modern biography and worth it for this reason but moreover for it's outstanding and wonderful subject.



3. I'm an immense Judi Dench fan and waited for the publication of this paperback version of her biography. I wasn't disappointed. The author gives a complete picture of 'the Dame's' professional life--from her first stage parts up until her more widely known successes in the last couple of years.
   Reading the book made me want to know this smart, funny woman who has now added 'M' (Bond movies) to her coverage of classical stage roles, television pieces and other movie parts. I came away with a somewhat better understanding of the enormous talent it must take to get to the heart of various characters. And, I greatly enjoyed the descriptions of the practical jokes JD loves to organize. I loved the 'corpsing' (the Brits use the term to describe actors 'cracking each other up').
   Great reading for a 'Dame Judi' fan, or any fan of good acting, with an 'inside' view of the process.



4. This biography is a rarity. Its purpose is to share the tremendous career and achievements of Mrs. Judi Dench, and it happily is lacking what biography has often become. It is not several hundred pages of dubious gossip or borderline slander. It is not a litany of innuendo from those who claim some dubious relationship to the subject and then do their best to damage the individual's reputation. If you are looking for gossip-strewn trash, buy history as revised and fictionalized by Kitty Kelly. Mr. John Miller has written a wonderful book about a woman of substance and of great personal and professional merit. Unlike other biographers who survive based upon how low they will sink for tabloid attention, he did not write whatever someone would spew to relate a story that was not there.

   Dame Judi's career has spanned a period that has allowed her to work with many of the greatest names of the theatre of the 20th Century. Additionally the actresses, the Directors and Playwrights also read like a list of those most accomplished in their fields. Many fans first met her as "M" in the James Bond Film Series, or as "Mrs. Brown", in her portrayal of Queen Victoria, or Queen Elizabeth in "Shakespeare In Love". The latter two films won her nominations for The Academy Award and the trend continued this year in Chocolat.

   If you are interested in a story of a hard working actress, a woman who is a consummate professional, and respected by virtually all who have worked with her, this book is for you. However if you are like the journalist that opened a press conference by asking her a personal and intimate question, which caused her to rightfully dismiss the press conference format of dirt gathering from that day on, you will have to look elsewhere.

   This is a great book about a woman who has succeeded in all areas she chose, and has done so with style and without the sordid notoriety that passes for fame today. Hers' is not a career of 15 minutes or 15, 30, or 45 years, but more like another legend Sir John Gielgud, who when he hit his 90th birthday never thought to pause.

   Mr. Miller is to be commended for writing a worthwhile book and not a hardbound tabloid. If he seems less than objective due to the praise he has collected from her peers, it in fact only does "seem" that way. There are accomplished people today who can be admired and pointed to as role models. This book documents one. The other group tends to be long on press clippings and short on substance, but they also unfortunately sell books by the ton to book reading voyeurs.

   Mr. Miller has written a work for the other readers.




5. I became interested in Judy Dench when I first discovered the British comedies that appear on American Television. "As Time Goes By" is my favorite and of course stars Judi. When I heard about her most exceptional career I wanted to learn more about her and see more of her acting. I found this book, which does give an "arm's length" view of Judi, the person, which I understand is her choice, and more power to her. However, I was fascinated with the in-depth information on the British Theater and those who have performed there over the last 40 years as told in this biography. It certainly describes many of the wonderful theatrical productions, and all that goes into making these possible. While Judi Dench is the central character, the book shows what a career in theater is like and all the many aspects of theater that go into every presentation. I did enjoy the book, and felt I had learned far more than anticipated about the recent British Theater.

5 comments about The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Star Wars).

1. This has great illustrations and information on Star Wars vehicles.
   My son loves this.



2. Okay. Before the prequels this was a fantastic book that gave you a ton of information on the ships of the Star Wars universe. Not just the movie trilogy, but also the books. The problem is now this reference book is made obsolete by not only the prequels, but other books.
   
   These books do not have any details from the prequel movies. No Naboo fighters, no Jedi starfighters, no clone army arsenal. So if you want that information you either have to wait for the latest of the latest books or get the revised version (which doesn't include vehicles from Revenge of the Sith).
   
   Another thing I have noticed is that not all of the details in this book coincide with other books like the Incredible Cross Sections and Visual Dictionaries. Which is more accurate? Your guess is as good as mine.
   
   Still take all that away and look at how much this book is going for you are getting a ton of useful and interesting details about these vehicles. If you love getting into the technical side of things this book will suit you in at least a limited capacity. If you really want techinical hit up on the Incredible Cross Sections books. Although you only get a fraction of the ships covered here.
   
   If you want a complete listing wait. If you are happy with just the trilogy stuff and what's from the books before this was published you are in for a treat.



3. I am a huge fan of star wars, and so I decided to read some of the novels. I hated how there were so many ships that I didn't recognize. This book helped alot in visualizing the ships. It's also great if you're obsessed with details like I am. Beyond that though, I don't know if it's essential, as it focuses more on the novels thn the movies. Even then it's still lacking several ships from the novels, so all in all it's fun, but not essential for someone who is just a casual fan.



4. The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels is a key reference book for the casual Star Wars fan or avid reader keen to know what their galaxy is flying and driving. Combining fun and informative knowledge makes this a great treat, and with the newer edition now out, there's no better time to acquire this when the price is low and many entries don't appear in the second guide.

   Each ship or vehicle is rendered with an outline schematic and pencilled illustration. Though colourless, depth and detail are more than sufficient to give you an exact idea what they are. Key systems and functions are labelled, telling you the placement of guns and other technical stuff, which is useful, though some tags are no more than just telling you this a support struts, that an engine nacelle.

   Pictures are brought to life by description, and the description for entries varied considerably. It's certainly informative for a casual reader, but many fans will find it light in detail too many places, specifics too vague at times. These guides should provide the basic specs of a ship: like manufacturer, length, number and types of guns, fighter complement, speed, and perhaps cargo capacity. While the Imperial Star Destroyer had extensive stats, the Ubrikkian space cruiser didn't even have a length, while the sandcrawler's height is only given, not its length. Both guides say only the Super Star Destroyer has "over a thousand weapons", but don't provide an extra sentence or two to say its composition.

   A considerable percentage of entries came from the Dark Empire comics, whose ships and vehicles have rarely been used outside those three comics. While the World Devastator and various starfighters within are of interest, who would care for the Amphibion water tank, TIE crawler tank or Hutt Caravel, that weren't even important in their respective comics?

   The EGVV features many stuff from quaint and obscure sources, like gargantuan insectile Ithullian ore haulers, Star Home, Shieldships, Coral Vanda and private vehicles to name a few. The manufacturer section in the beginning is useful in identifying who makes what.

   The errors and consistencies will appear only to the fan well conversant in SW lore. The TIE Defender made no mention of its tractor beam (neither did the NEGVV), the Sun Crusher looks different from its Dark Apprentice book's cover art, Star Home was undergunned from what its book said, are just some of the many but minor tidbits you'll discover.

   But it was the excessive redundancy that was the primary failing of this guide. Many important ships were omitted like the Strike Cruiser, Corellian Gunship, Assault Frigate, Floating Fortress and Golan battle stations, all in frequent and popular usage when this was done. Alas, the NEGVV omitted them as well. Yet there are THREE landspeeder entries, THREE Death Stars, TWO swoops and TWO B-wings.

   Overall, the EGVV is a great reference guide for those wondering what their SW ships and vehicles look and are, and with most of its contents unseen in the second guide, still have value as a current purchase.




5. Like the other Star Wars: Essential Guide books this book allows you to see what ships that featured in the many books looked like. A lot of the familier ships are here TIEs, X-Wings, Mon Cal Cruisers and Star Destroyers along with many unfamilier vessels Dreadnoughts, Victory Star Destroyers and Cloakshape fighters including several vessels from the books that covered the period some 10,000 or so years before the films. Giving manufacturer names, specifacations and some facts about each craft this book is useful if you ever wanted to know a little more about the Star Wars ships and vehicles.

   However this book does have some flaws. It gives the size of the Executor SSD at 8,000 meters, it has since been agreed that the Executor is closer to 18.5 KMs in length LARGER that the Eclipse by a full kilometer Lucas himself has apparently confirmed this. Also the Victory and Imperial Star Destroyers have the pictures mixed up.

   Apart from these flaws it is an interesting book.

5 comments about How to Be a Working Comic: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Stand-Up Comedy (How to Be a Working).

1. I'm taking his one-day workshop so I bought the book to prepare for it-the book is very cool, down-to-earth, tells it like it is. It's more for 'intermediate' comedians who already have an idea about material but want to branch up and out to more than 'open mikes' or bringer shows.
   I recommend it to anyone who wants to make comedy a bigger part of their life.



2. I believe this is probabaly an obligatory book for any person aspiring to become a professional comic and/or writer. Personally I found it cumbersome and a tiring read.



3. It made me laugh, it made me cry...
   
   There are many books out there on the subject, but I've found this one to be the most concise and detailed one out there to date. Not only does it tell you what works and what doesn't in your pursuit to becoming a working comic, but it also brings you insight from some of the top working comedic minds of our generation.
   
   If you're looking to write comedy, great, they're many books out there on the subject, but this is not what this book intends to do. No, this one puts on a platter for you, what you need to (and what it takes) to make it in the business.
   
   If it works you use it; and if it doesn't you don't.
   
   I'm a working stand-up comic and I love this book, and use it. I've been fortunate to work with some really great individuals out there who all share with one another. Be it advice, tips and/or recommendations with the intent of helping you get better, while you help them get better.
   
   This book won't make you a great stand-up comic (you have to do that for yourself), but it will point you in the right direction, and provide you with a solid foundation on how to make it in the business, from headshots to resumes, and how and where to do what you do that makes others laugh.
   
   I give this book "FIVE BANANAS!"
   
   Keep smiling and laughing,
   
   Joey Z



4. Schwensen's business-like nature is sometimes annoying. He name-drops a lot and fawns over the genius of Carrot Top, offering as evidence of his creativity the fact that he makes money. But if you can supply the artistry, Schwensen definately knows the business. He has a lot of direct, useful information about how to market your act at all levels of competition, from novices to headliners.



5. This book deals exclusively with the business side of stand-up. It tells you what you need and what is important but only gives simple suggestions on how to achieve it. Also there is advice from comedieans at the end but none of the comedieans are headliners or big. Overall, this book is not for stand-up tips but basically a listing of what is needed to succeed in the business.

5 comments about Stephen Sondheim: A life.

1. I bought this for my boyfriend, a huge Stephen Sondheim fan, who has already read planty about Sondheim's works and life. He could not put this book down. I have not read it myself, but when he can't put a book down, I know I picked out something good!



2. If you want to learn about Sondheim's life in detail, this is the most thorough account. Although there are books that are mostly about his work in which you can also find biographical information, this is the first and (thus far) only biography. That's the only reason why I'm giving three stars to this generally shoddy book.

   What's wrong? First, there is an astounding number of factual errors.

   In addition to the outright errors, Secrest also makes many misleading, imprecise, or incomplete statements. Loose ends and chronological confusions abound.

   Some of the people Secrest quotes also make statements that are factually incorrect, and neither she nor her editors (who must take a good share of the blame) caught these mistakes. All of this suggests that she knows little about musical theatre in general or Sondheim's work in particular. She actually gets major plot details of Sondheim's shows wrong. Unbelievable.

   There are also numerous places where she makes statements that contradict what she writes elsewhere.

   All these problems seriously call into question how much of the material here that isn't public knowledge can be trusted. You end up wondering how someone who is so clearly unqualified persuaded the people at Knopf to give her this assignment, much less how she got Sondheim to cooperate. She must talk well, but she certainly doesn't write well.

   Which brings us to the final problem: She isn't a very good writer.

   Still, if you want a Sondheim bio, this is it. Since Secrest had access to Sondheim and to many of his friends and associates, I'm sure that some of what she writes is accurate. But if you read this, you should just realize that a good deal of what is here is unquestionably wrong.




3. Secrest has written a book on Sondheim that skims the surface and gives a broad overview. It rarely has insights, however, except a few "anaylses" of the musicals themselves that often border on the ludicrous (such as how many references to S&M there are in his works). There are misspellings of people's names, wrong dates, and some confused plot descriptions as well. But most of all, she seems too polite and distanced from her subject, offering facts but not insight or exploration. I'm not asking for National Enquirer-style dirt, but there is more on the inner-workings and intrigue of such works as "Merrily" in Craig Zadan's "Sondheim & Company," which unfortuantely is out of print, I believe. Furthermore, Secrest is often a confusing writer. She switches pronouns without always making it clear who is now doing the talking, or includes an out-of-context quote without explaining its meaning or context. She also repeats herself in several spots, making me think she revised one segment while forgetting what she had written just a page later or earlier. In short, this book needed an editor, as well as a more probing and insightful author. Most biographies suffer from excessive speculation. This one has just the opposite flaw.



4. The prospective purchaser of "Stephen Sondheim: A Life" is likely to be misled by this remark: "people seem to be missing the point--this isn't a critical biography, but a personal one". In fact, until she undertook to write it, the author of this book had no personal or professional relationship with its subject whatsoever. It is a thing anyone sufficiently motivated could throw together, and I can't in good conscience recommend it. I can and do recommend Craig Zadan's "Sondheim & Company", and for those interested in musical theatre in general, Richard Rodgers's "Musical Stages" and Alan Jay Lerner's "The Street Where I Live".



5. Meryle Secrest presents a balanced, authoritative, comprehensive view of Sondheim. Secrest does "get" Sondheim: the man, the composer, the lyricist. She also "gets" his musicals, both as chronicler and as listener. Virtually all Sondheim screenplays, plays, musicals, and individual songs are intelligently discussed. Extensive and intimate interviews with Sondheim provide the basis, but alternative outlooks from his principle collaborators, associates, friends, and enemies also appear. (Insights of his peers are not present since Sondheim has no peers.) The book carries an inside, but not reverent feel. Sondheim's troubled relationship with his mother leading to extensive therapy, his difficulty in coming to grips with his homosexuality, and his periods of self doubt and perceived failure are sensitively covered. Secrest does not hesitate to call attention to perceived shortcomings, but her undisguised love and admiration for her subject continually shine through. The book is geared toward an audience with a serious interest in Broadway musicals with emphasis on beauty and meaning in lyrics. Secrest does footnote her interviews and references meticulously, but I would also have enjoyed a discography and a listing of his songs by musical as elements of an appendix. I especially enjoyed the insight on Leonard Bernstein.

5 comments about The Classic Ballet: Basic Technique and Terminology (Borzoi Books).

1. I purchased this book because I wanted an updated copy of the 1971 version. This book is practically identical to the older copy, but it's still great information and a really cool book.



2. This is a wonderful book for beginners as well as experienced dancers. In particular, this is one of the best references for barre exercises, but the center steps are well covered, too. This is actually my first choice when recommending barre exercise references, which is reason enough to include it in a ballet library.



3. This beautiful classic, repackaged by Alfred A. Knopf, will remain a treasured addition to the library of any lover of the ballet. Six hundred stunning illustrations, in 156 plates by Carlus Dyer bring life to the concepts.



4. I have the hard bound edition of this book, published some time ago by Alfred Knopf, and I never tire of looking at the drawings and appreciating the mathematical precision of classical ballet. The reading of this book will be of an enormous assistance to studying ballet, and it is also invaluable if one wants to study the more technical facets of the subject. Ballet is one form of dance that can be mathematically systemaitized and characterized, and this book is a great reference for such an undertaking. Definitely worth having and the paperback edition with its low price makes it completely accessible to all.



5. I thought this book contained good information and the drawings are incredible- although confusing at times. There are many steps described in this book, both advanced and beginner. I find this book a great addition to my ballet collection. As a dancer, it is a good reference book for me when I have a question or uncertainty about a step. This book describes in detail how to preform barre exercises, allegros, turns, pointe work, etc. This is a necessity for all dancers and dancer-wannabes.

2 comments about Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star: And Don't Have Sex or Take the Car.

1. Dickie Moore is best known for appearing in The Little Rascals, but he also graced films like Blonde Venus, So Big, and Sergeant York. He wasn't the biggest of the child stars, but he certainly mingled with great stars and suffered the consequences of having fame at such a young age.
   
   This book is not a biography although Moore does relate some childhood experiences and lightly grazes on moments from later in life, always relating them to the effect stardom had on them. The book is filled with interviews from countless other child stars like Natalie Wood, Edith Fellows, Shirley Temple, Donald O'Connor, Jane Powell, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Coogan, etc etc. Each provide insight into the main theme of the book: how are child stars supposed to have "rosebuds" (a symbol from the film Citizen Kane) when they didn't have normal childhoods?
   
   The book is highly entertaining and it takes an interesting slant on delving into some of the brightest stars of the Depression era and later. It is by no means an auto-biography or a monumental study; it is simply a therapeutic exploration by one of my favorite child stars.



2. This book allowed me to EXPERIENCE what it is like to be a child actor. I'm a 100% left brain person, but I was still able to FEEL the frustrations and exhaustion from long rehersals and from the long waits while the crew set up the next shots. I EXPERIENCED the anguish of always missing childhood events such as being in little league. I watched kids playing little league, knowing that I would never be able to particiate, because I had to be on the all day including Saturdays. I missed sleep overs with my friends, because I had to get up 4:00 AM the next day, so that I could be in make up at 5:00 AM and be on the set for filming at 6:00 AM. I could go on and on.
   
   I EXPERIENCED this these things so vividly that I can talk about them in first person, even though I've never even seen a sound stage and I don't know anyone in the entertainment business.
   
   It should be noted that this book deals with people who were children in the 1930's such as Mickey Rooney. It would be nice if a book exists which deals with people who were child actors in the 1970's and 1980's. If you know about such as book, please contact me.
   
   Jay Roberts (Jay9751Roberts@Comcast.net)

5 comments about But Darling, I'm Your Auntie Mame!: The Amazing History of the World's Favorite Madcap Aunt.

1. This is a well written and interesting book that gives the reader an "insider's" view of the history of all of the varied productions, stage and screen, of both Auntie Mame and Mame. It's interesting to see the personalities and egos of the playwrights, the actors, producers, directors and choreographers interplay with the characteristics of the character herself. Auntie Mame always wins. She embraces those who are in tune with her and easily dispatches those who are not. Mame remains invincible.



2. I enjoyed this compendium of backstage lore, but other reviewers are correct in saying that Jordan provides little context for the phenomenon of AUNTIE MAME. But who cares about that really when you have all these wonderful stories of difficult people and the tantrums they throw to get their own way?
   
   Sumner Locke Elliott, the playwright and novelist originally hired to adapt Patrick Dennis' 1955 novel to the stage, gives a chiseled portrait of the late Rosalind Russell, depicting her as a sort of sacred monster who made sure everything went her way. Russell was never a great star but she knew how to adapt her act for changing times, and turned from comedy to drama to musical to farce to suspense to religion, whatever paid the rent. Her efforts at drama were pretty feeble, she was no Nazimova that's for sure, but in the annals of high comedy she will always have a shining place due to the sheer intensity of her performances in HIS GIRL FRIDAY, THE WOMEN, and of course AUNTIE MAME.
   
   Jordan shows us how Hollywood got it wrong, casting Lucy as Mame when the cognoscenti wanted Lansbury in the musical version of Dennis' play. After reading this book I felt sorry for Lucy for the first time in my life, for reading the savage reviews attacking her physical appearance is actually painful, as though all the critics in the world had turned into John Simon for this one occasion. Lucy was 61, is that really 15 or 20 years too old to play Auntie Mame? Why? Not that Lucy was any good, I'm not standing up for her, but no one deserves the venom she got for playing in that one movie, shooting herself in both feet for her arrogance and pride and vanity.
   
   Jerry Herman wrote the foreword to this book, but could he really have read it? He comes off like a spoiled princess, scuttling plans for a TV remake of MAME with Bette Midler for no good reason, then lacing into a great screenwriter for daring to pen an adaptation of MAME with the temerity to cut two horrible Herman numbers (Saint Bridgette and That's How Young I Feel) which are, apparently, sacrosanct. Jerry Herman always seems so good natured and sweet, but now after reading this book I know he's a Teri-Hatcher style diva.



3. I don't know what edition of this wonderful book some of the reviewers had read, but in the current one I just purchased from Amazon, there are none of the grammer errors or typos mentioned in other reviews.
   
   For anone who loves Auntie Mame in any of her creations, play, musical or R. Russel film, this is a must have book. (I won't mention the disaster film with Lucille Ball although it is also covered in the book).
   
   I was lucky enough to have seen Miss Russell on stage and Angela Lansbury twice on stage. They were so different yet so right as this wonderful lady. That is the clue to Mame, she is not a funny woman, she is an excentric LADY. Her humor comes from being elegant, beautiful and excentric. (The only real failure I saw was Bea Lilli in London.)
   
   This book is filled with terrific backstage stories, confirming some already told and stating new ones. It is a book impossible to put down once you pick it up.
   
   For a really fun and enjoyabloe read, a Mame fan could not do better.



4. I looked forward to reading this book, having discovered the novel Auntie Mame as a child and then finding Around the World with A,M. years later.
   As a few other reviewers have remarked, there is a disconnect in the book between the novel and the movies/plays, There is a small effort to explain the differences among performers but it is perfunctory.
   I found this book rather shallow and superficial. There is little substance or depth to it. It would have been nice to read some analysis of how so many actresses could portray the same role in the musical play and whether that enhances the play's value or detracts from it,
   It is occasionally enjoyable and certainly a quick read but the style is that of a
   gushing fan with very little discrimination and a very elementary view of the
   phenomenon of Auntie Mame. The book is almost too tactful and respectful sometimes, e.g., not naming individuals who behaved badly or summarizing Uncle Mame, the biography of Tanner but leaving out major facts.



5. I'm so thankful that Kensington has republished this wonderful, long out-of-print treasure and went several steps beyond by having the author UPDATE the book. We now have a fuller picture of the recent battles to bring AUNTIE MAME to the big and small screen with Richard Jordan detailing all the initial interest, demands for script changes, and collapse of various projects when scripts were written (and REWRITTEN) for actresses like Angela Lansbury, Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Cher. Jordan not only read many of the scripts--which range from misguided (Goldie Hawn's script would have been set in the 60s and present day) to the glorious. BUT DARLING... is filled with great B&W photos and whether you're a fan of the Rosalind Russell AUNTIE MAME or even the Lucille Ball musical MAME (did you know Madeline Kahn was fired from that film by Lucy?), there's plenty of gossip and deep affection for the creators (not only Patrick Dennis but Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee and Jerry Herman). A fascinating, enlightening tale of the evolution of this eternal gay icon who told us to "Live! Live! Live! Life is a banquette and most poor suckers are starving to death!" The perfect gift for movie and theatre buffs.

2 comments about The Beauty of the Beasts: Tales of Hollywood's Wild Animal Stars.

1. Great book by a great author. If you like animals you will enjoy this book. Helfer is a rare breed.



2. This book was very interesting and well-written. It is reassuring to read about how Helfer was so dedicated to keeping these working animals safe and well.

No comments about Dance, Spectacle, and the Body Politick, 1250-1750.

5 comments about The Little Corset Book: A Workbook on Period Underwear (Little Costume Workbooks).

1. Buy it, then go sew, December 27, 2007
   
   
   
   
   
   I had made the Laughing Moon Dore corset by the time I bought this book, and I also own the How to Build and Fit a Victorian Corset DVD, by JoAnn Peterson. Bonnie Holt Ambrose isn't telling me much I haven't already seen, but she does have enlargeable patterns for three corsets, and she's basically reinforcing what I know: corsets are tricky and the best way to learn how to make them is to make them. Let your first one be an experiment, and in the worst case, you can cut it up and re-use the steel.
   
   Reviews of some patterns suggest that Laughing Moon has perhaps the best instructions, and between that and the DVD I had about as much information about MAKING a corset as it was possible to get. If you're using a different company's pattern, or coming to this cold, or with a very limited budget, then BHA's book will probably help you out. If you're inclined to make your own patterns, the book will be useful. If you will have to make lots of different-styled corsets for theatrical events and need a starter pattern, this book will be useful. If you want historical exactitude, keep looking. In terms of data-for-the-dollar, this little book is worth everything I paid for it.
   
   I certainly don't think the book is "rubbish" in any way. Corsets are probably the trickiest garment I've ever made. There is, IMO, no way to "get it exact" on the first pass, because even making TWO muslins, the garment acted VERY differently once the steel was in place. It's not about the pattern, exactly. It's about the pattern plus the steel plus the lacing plus the individual's body. Some of us squish more than others.
   
   For the record, the book also contains instructions for a chemise and drawers.
   
   You might also want to google the author and visit her website to see the kind of costume work she does. If her work parallels yours to any extent, the book is likely to be all the more useful to you.
   
   Three stars because: It's not a great book. I save five stars for books that change my life, and this one won't. It's tiny (4" x 6"). It's good value for the money.



2. I was exicited when I received this book, as it looked like it was full of useful information. Upon closer inspection, I found an astonishing amount of typos and misplaced information. Also, the author draws her patterns with seam allowances, which makes initially fitting the pieces together distracting, given the vague measurements she provides. She tells the reader incorrect information about the quantities of fabric to cut. She gives the reader poor information about how to cut a facing pattern. I'm surprised she found a publisher for this rubbish! I have done more research on this subject and it was recommended to me by experienced corset makers to stay away from this useless book and to get Jean Hunnisett's Period Costumes for Stage and Screen, 1500-1800. In fact, all of her books are much more thorough and better thought out.



3. This is a nice little information book if you are just starting to look for corset info. Instructions are vague at times. No expense was put into this little book. The size chart goes to size 6, so you'll have to do the figuring if looking for smaller and doll sizes. Materials chart looks to be misplaced and put on page 12. You do need sewing experience for these instructions.



4. This teeny volume shows b/w hand-drawn construction diagrams for reproduction corsets from the eras of 1700, 1750, 1860, and 1890, plus basic chemise and basic drawers. Drawings are very clear, and include some suggestions on fabric selection and decoration. Text covers step-by-step construction, fabric/notion requirements, and a chart to assist in getting the right number of the right size of corset bones. Anyone who has attempted a corset without instructions has probably ended the attempt in frustration, but this inexpensive guide and a friend to help with fitting, that will change. No historical info is included, this volume is about simplified construction and it hits the mark. Not for beginning sewers, but that's because of the project nature, not the book. The only improvement I'd like to see would be more detailed guidelines to determining correct dimensions of cut pieces, maybe even fullsize pieces. But the information contained would be worth twice the full price. Certainly cheaper than a single period pattern for a corset, regardless of your source, and those are a gamble with regard to adequate instructions. This compact book is ideal for amateur costumers, especially Ren Faire or re-enactment folks. Professional costumers will probably not find any new information here, but it's really a gem.



5. I found this book to be helpful, but only if a person already knows a little about what they are doing. Some of the intructions are vague, leaving out important information. I found her scale a little difficult to figure out at first. Other than that the book is pretty good and I don't regret adding it to my collection!