4 comments about A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics.

1. A SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF COMIC BOOK COMICS is a delightful book, emphasizing the vitality and creativity of the form. After a brief introduction giving a short history of the American comic book, the book is organized into a dozen sections composed of a short essay followed by representative stories. The first section is about the creation of Superman and includes the very first appearance of Superman. Superman inspired a host of "superheroes," including Batman and Captain Marvel, who each get a section. The book also covers the comic books aimed at young children (The Pie-Faced Prince"), war stories, comics for adult readers ("Master Race") and satirical ("Mad"). The part I enjoyed most was the section titled "Little Lulu and John Stanley." Lulu was my favorite comic as a child. I found those comics hilarious and even as a kid I appreciated the witty language. I had been giving all the credit to "Marge." As it turns out, Marge Buell created Lulu in 1935. A man named John Stanley inherited the job of writing Lulu comics in the late 1940s and was creating them when I was a child in the mid-50s. I think John Stanley was a genius. There are four Little Lulu stories included. "The Little Rich Boy" is especially impressive. The satirical Mad Comics is very well represented by the Superman parody "Superduper Man" and "Howdy Dooit," a rather scathing spoof of children's TV. This is a very entertaining book that I think offers much to think about regarding American popular culture. Four stars.



2. This book is nothing more or less than a series of reprints of what the author deems "important" comics. Each comic story faithfully reprinted, with the page emulating newsprint. (The entire comic is not reproduced, only the highlighted strip.) There is a little one or two page introduction giving a little history about each comic.

   What makes this book such a standout, is that the author's taste is singular, and not limited by a single company or genre. Characters from several different companies happily exist side-by-side in this excellent hardcover. The author has a confessed predisposition for "funny" comics, and these take up a large percentage of the book.

   This predisposition allows for several comics to be reprinted that are not normally available. There are numerous reprints of Action Comics #1 (The first Superman comic) and Detective Comics #27 (The first Bat-man Comic) but how many other collections include All-American Comics #20 with the first appearence of Ma Hunkle, the original Red Tornado?

   A list of comics included: Action Comics #1 (First appearance of Superman); Detective Comics #29 (Origin of Bat-man); All-American Comics #20-#14 (First appearance of the Red Tornado, and other Red Tornado stories); Police Comics #1 and #13 (First appearance of Plastic Man, and Woozy Winks); Captain Marvel Adventures #100 (Captain Marvel Battles the Plot Against the Universe); Sub-Mariner #4 (Dr. Dimwit by Basil Wolverton); Tessie the Typist #8 (Powerhouse Pepper by Basil Wolverton); Jingle Jangle Comics #5, 24#, (The Pie-faced Prince by George Carlson); Little Lulu Four Color 74 and Little Lulu #38, #40, #80; Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #1 (Donald Duck Christmas story by Carl Barks); Animal Comics #1, Pogo Possum #3, #8 (Pogo the Possum and Gang by Walt Kelly); The Spirit supplements August 10, 1941, September 5, 1948, September 11, 1949 (Great Spirit stories by Will Eisner); The EC Collection (Frontline Combat No. #4, Two-Fisted Tales #25, Mad #4 (Superduperman vs. Captain Marbles), Mad # 18, Impact #1)




3. This book is nothing more or less than a series of reprints of what the author deems "important" comics. Each comic story faithfully reprinted, with the page emulating newsprint. (The entire comic is not reproduced, only the highlighted strip.) There is a little one or two page introduction giving a little history about each comic.

   What makes this book such a standout, is that the author's taste is singular, and not limited by a single company or genre. Characters from several different companies happily exist side-by-side in this excellent hardcover. The author has a confessed predisposition for "funny" comics, and these take up a large percentage of the book.

   This predisposition allows for several comics to be reprinted that are not normally available. There are numerous reprints of Action Comics #1 (The first Superman comic) and Detective Comics #27 (The first Bat-man Comic) but how many other collections include All-American Comics #20 with the first appearence of Ma Hunkle, the original Red Tornado?

   A list of comics included: Action Comics #1 (First appearance of Superman); Detective Comics #29 (Origin of Bat-man); All-American Comics #20-#14 (First appearance of the Red Tornado, and other Red Tornado stories); Police Comics #1 and #13 (First appearance of Plastic Man, and Woozy Winks); Captain Marvel Adventures #100 (Captain Marvel Battles the Plot Against the Universe); Sub-Mariner #4 (Dr. Dimwit by Basil Wolverton); Tessie the Typist #8 (Powerhouse Pepper by Basil Wolverton); Jingle Jangle Comics #5, 24#, (The Pie-faced Prince by George Carlson); Little Lulu Four Color 74 and Little Lulu #38, #40, #80; Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #1 (Donald Duck Christmas story by Carl Barks); Animal Comics #1, Pogo Possum #3, #8 (Pogo the Possum and Gang by Walt Kelly); The Spirit supplements August 10, 1941, September 5, 1948, September 11, 1949 (Great Spirit stories by Will Eisner); The EC Collection (Frontline Combat No. #4, Two-Fisted Tales #25, Mad #4 (Superduperman vs. Captain Marbles), Mad # 18, Impact #1)




4. I love comic books and books about comic books. I have a collection of comic books in my room in a box. I have alot of iron man comics. I have some fantastic four comics too. My favorite comics and superheroes are Plastic Man, the Fantastic Four, and Iron Man. I love the Smithsonian Book of comic-book comics!

No comments about Boston in Photographs.

4 comments about India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power.

1. This is a very interesting time frame for India. It shows how well the British kept order in a huge population. It showed that the country was not prepared to rule itself. Photographs were most unique. Mountbatten ruled during the most unsettling time during partition. He also wrote a book "Freedom At Midnight" which gives detail of the process of partition. The books compliment each other. Having lived in India, it brought back many memories. A very good research book.



2. Lord Louis Mountbatten was one of the most interesting people of the 20th Century. This book by his daughter Pamela and her daughter India should not be confused with a scholarly book. It is a fascinating account from the viewpoint of an 18 year old living through some exciting and horrendous times. Lady Pamela and her mother the Vicereine worked far harder among the native peoples than anyone might have expected them so to do.
   
   It would probably be helpful to have some knowledge of the transfer of power in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan. However, I think a person could learn some about that historic occurance by reading this book. The issue of Pakistan is still a plague to many people. Lady Pamela mentions riots in the North West Frontier. This is where there are many difficulties today - 60 years on.
   
   There are pictures in this book from family albums that have not been seen in other books. I would recommend this to anyone with a healthy curiosity about the world.



3. I anxiously awaited Lady Pamela's book only to be very disappointed in the result. The photos are great as are many of the little memories. An 18 year old, fresh out of school probably isn't the best observer of any events. Her diary entries do add a lot to the personality of the players [for instance her beloved father nagged her to write her diary!] but overall this is a not a very useful book. Campbell-Johnson's "Mission with Mountbatten" is far more useful for a real account of the transfer of power.



4. I'd been looking forward to reading this book about what is a particularly fascinating period of history about politics in India during the late 1940's. The late Earl Mountbatten's critical role as the last Viceroy of India warrants a well-researched and carefully written book that should have lent a better depth of understanding about this era's significance. Unfortunately, this book fails to deliver such a substantial treatment. While I have great respect for the late Earl and his Wife, Lady Edwina and the entire Mountbatten Family, I cannot recommend this particular book about this august family. The book relys primarily on the diary entries of Lady Pamela Mountbatten which she made at age eighteen during her months in India with her Father and Mother. Additional information explaining more about highly complex historic and political issues is neither contained, nor is this book substantive with details. Unless you are interested in what the Mountbattens had at lunch, who they met on a given day and various "tea-time" social chatter about historic personages, you will be disappointed with this superficial treatment. This book is more of a family photo albumn, and therefore, best classified as a "coffee-table book." I respect Lady Mountbatten for her effort, however, this book should have been cemented with more factual and historical details along with better editing worthy of a monumental era this book fails to address.

4 comments about Love: A Celebration of Humanity (M.I.L.K.).

1. the book makes me re-look at my life, the images will reach deep into everyone's heart.

   photographers from all over the world captured that
   moment...expression...joy....

   i am very glad i found this gem




2. In this fantastic collection of photographs, the most mysterious and cherished of feelings is reflected in pure visual terms. It is truthful, moving, and a delight to behold. I can't recommend this enough.



3. This book is the best proof that says "Picture speaks louder than word". I was at the photo exhibition for the M.I.L.K project at the NYC Grand Central station and was totally amaze and impress by these photograhs. That's why i bought this book the next day itself. These are pictures taken not only by professionals but also by many amature who did wonderful works! Every single pictures in the book or exhibition speak for itself. A truly great wedding gift or just a plain coffee table book.



4. The "Love" book stirs emotions from all ends of the spectrum - joy, tears, laughter, and longing. The collection of photographs is truly a celebration of humanity. There isn't one image that doesn't belong in the book. We can all relate the moments that are captured and rejoice in them. In a time of great suffering throughout the world this book is a reminder of why life is beautiful and precious.

No comments about Robert Capa At Work: This is War.

No comments about Photographing the Holocaust: Interpretations of the Evidence.

1 comments about Cats (Cube Books).

1. This is one of the best cat books I have ever seen. It has tons of adorable bright colored pictures of all different kinds of cats and kittens . My daughter is 8 and she is a cat lover like me and we both enjoyed this book. I know we will look at it over and over again. It is a perfect size cube so it is not bulky and doesn't take up alot of space. I give this book 5 stars !

3 comments about Miami Beach: Blueprint of an Eden.

1. This fascinating look at the creation of Miami Beach and its early history is told by its authors through the looking glass of their prominent families. Both the Oka and Wolfson families have been highly visible players in Miami Beach's political and social life for decades.
   
   This book is filled with interesting black and white photos -- many from family archives -- not found elsewhere. The book tells the story of Miami Beach from a uniquely personal perspective. From its early development from a huge mangrove swamp through the glamorous sixties when world famous entertainers lived, performed and partied in Miami Beach, this book is evokes Miami Beach's romantic past. [...]



2. A stunningly beautiful photographic history of Miami Beach. The photographs are from the archives of 2 prominent Miami Beach families. They took the community from a small tropical village into a world class posh resort. Its fascinating to read and see the evolution of one of my favorite places. A great coffee table book.



3. I grew up in Miami Beach a bit later than the authors. When the book arrived I couldn't put it down. I loved the photos and historic reference; they showed just how special Miami Beach was. My only wish is that the authors would have expanded their history a bit.
   
   Perhaps add info on Central Beach Elementary, Ida M Fisher Junior and Miami Beach High as well as some of the other early landmarks (the Post Office on Washington Avenue). I realize the authors wrote through their own families' experience, but there is so much more... and so many others who contributed so much to the city.
   
   Hopefully one day they'll do another book to immortalize a truly "Magic City."

3 comments about Beautiful Death: The Art of the Cemetery (Penguin Studio Books).

1. Dean Koontz did a beautiful job with this book of photographs of cemeteries, writing words that whisper softly into the ear and which match the photos perfectly. This is a lovely book.



2. To appreciate this is book of art you have to be able to look past all preconceived ideas of cemetaries and dying and look further into a higher realm of spirituality. The monuments featured in this book speak of something other than death - they speak of the person that lives on and the people that are left behind to remember them. Looking through the pages I felt a connection to another world that was very much alive. When you look at each picture you can feel the emotion. The monuments whisper to you from beneath the vines and the algae that threaten to keep their secrets forever. Looking at all of this one must wonder why so many feel the need to express their grief in such a manner? When I look at the pictures, the beautiful aged monuments tell a story of their own and possess their own mortality, especially the ones that mimic our image. Seeing their bodies covered in snow or their faces that have aged like our mortal ones instill a sense of fragility among the living and the dead alike. There is no escaping the inevitable and if you could just look past the marble and granite you would see the souls that are trying to tell you their story. After I read this book I longed to see Pere-Lachaise in Paris. I finally got the opportunity five months ago. Being there was the most surreal experience I have ever had. I found many of the monuments shown and I have to say David Robinson's photography speaks to us in a way that no spoken language can. Pere-Lachaise is over 105 acres of remarkable ethereal beauty. Cemetaries are usually thought of as the land of the dead but this book will show you how alive death can be. After you view this book you will not only see beauty, you will feel it. And if you are one of the lucky ones you will realize that cemetaries are alive and if you listen closely, you will feel what they have to say.



3. Cemeteries are like galleries of the dead, mausoleums and tombstones etched with the intricacy of a sculptor's chisel. Art of the Cemetery is a gorgeous visual journey into some of the most elegant and quaint gravesides around the world. Horror writer Dean Koontz reflects upon mortality while discussing his personal insights about death, and speaks about the sense of quiet charms that permeate cemeteries from New Orleans to tiny cemeteries hidden away in corners of the world. The pictures in the book represent lavish and sometimes forgotten memorials, and serve as ceremonials to the dead, whether the dearly departed are famous graves buried within Paris' Pere Lachaise cemetery or unmarked tombs decorated in simple yet loving care. Many of the tombs are studies in beauty, and photographer David Robinson's pictures paint an ethereal eye over many of the locations, giving testimony to cemeteries as artistic havens of extraordinary form and decadence. Koontz explores the perceptions of death and the afterlife by reflecting on the history of cemeteries, his eloquent words giving a sense of humanity to the imagery of death. The pictures show remarkably beautiful cemeteries, such as the Montmartre in Paris and the Jewish cemetery in Prague. The idea of transcendence is evoked through the pages, with images of exquisite emblems of wreaths and personal items left on graves to remember the dead. There seems to be a story behind many of the grave sites shown, which makes the book a fascinating exploration each time it's looked at. While the book does depict symbols and artwork of the silent world of the cemetery, it's not a somber portrayal that will sadden. The book's depictions of angelic statues and carven marble resting places serves to uplift the common misconception about death as a final end. To view the pictures and epitaphs from tombs of lovers and children is to visit an unknown soul's home, leaving your thoughts like flowers at their feet.

1 comments about Water's Way: Life along the Chesapeake.

1. Water's Way is a stunningly photographed, and exquisitely written glimpse of life in the Chesapeake region. The book celebrates beauty, both in the natural and human worlds. Author Tom Horton's essays are insightful, humorous, and well-crafted. His words flow like the many creeks and rivers that he describes on the Delmarva peninsula. Dave Harp's photography defines the people, animals, and landscape in such concert with Horton's words that the book should be considered the National Geographic of the Eastern Shore. This a worthy addition to anyone's coffee table.