1 comments about Classic Jewish Postcards for All Occasions: 31 Tear-and-Send Cards from Around the World.

1. I've never seen such a diverse collection of Judaica. There are postcards of the Jewish people from many regions of the world, from many generations, and on many topics. Wonderful! I don't know whether to mail these or save them!

No comments about Florida Rivers: On Old Picture Postcards.

2 comments about Thanksgiving and Turkey Collectibles Then and Now.

1. A very practical book illustrating a hugh plethora of thanksgiving related collectibles in all shapes and sizes of which I was not aware. The author must have a hugh collection which was beautifully photographed over 13 full chapters with very detailed captions and price values. It seems to be the definitive guide in this holiday collectibe arena.



2. Thanksgiving and Turkey Collectibles is the most comprehensive book on turkey memorabilia that I have ever seen. This book is a handy reference guide for those who collect and value turkey memorabilia. The author no doubt has one of the largest collections of its kind.
   
   G. Bruin, Los Angeles, CA

No comments about Classic Model Trains: 24 (Post) Cards.

3 comments about Miller's: Postcards: A Collector's Guide (Miller's Collector's Guides).

1. This short book does a fair job of picturing the breadth of post cards: from an Austrian 1897 card to a 1990's Barbie card. There are many categories introduced, with some great pictures, but I would have appreciated more information, such as how to buy cards on EBay, or how to send cards. The "Where to buy" section has no dealers in the United States. The US post card history is sparse, particularly in dating cards; for example it doesn't include dates for divided backs (1907). Some basic definitions such as "linen" aren't presented.



2. I personally found this book sketchy and superficial.Unless you are for example a general dealer who just wanted a few basic guidelines about a subject you previously knew nothing about then please avoid like the plague...



3. For someone considering getting into postcard collecting and hasn't decided on a specialty yet, this guide is a great overview
   of what postcard collecting is all about. The guide also has limited information on postcard values. These days you can
   find out most of this information on the web. Certainly the experienced collector will need to look elsewhere.

1 comments about Black Hills and Badlands in Vintage Postcards (SD) (Postcard History Series).

1. I think the book is escellent, the postcards from the 20th century. Dick Cryer, Publisher, Longenecker Family Newsletter

3 comments about Postbooks: Monet at Giverny.

1. When famed French Impressionist Claude Monet brought his family to Giverny, a small village northwest of Paris, he began the most productive period of his life.

   Today millions visit the fabled gardens the artist helped design, where they are entranced by the ponds, landscapes, and bridges.

   Although Monet's retreat has been described as simple and countrified, it was not at all humble. He enjoyed the services of six gardeners, a chauffeur, a cook, a washer woman, and a housemaid.

   His love of entertaining and good food focused his attention on his yellow dining room decorated with Japanese woodcuts. For this area Monet designed color coordinated china - a sunny yellow with a soft blue trim.

   This intimate look at the influence of Giverny on Monet and his work reveals another dimension of the artist's oeuvre.




2. Pendant ses 40 derniers decades, Claude Monet etait pionnier de l'art moderne. Il choisissait peindre des sujets villageois groupes en serie, de differents points de vue ou de formats distincts. La serie La Matinee sur la Seine s'agissait du temps et de la lumiere changeants, jusqu'a ne pas distinguer la realite et le reflet. La serie Les Peupliers presageaient les couleurs coordonnees et la ligne decorative 2-D de l'art nouveau. Les Meules et Les Nenuphars presageaient l'art abstrait et ouvertement fait. Car le ciel et l'eau y alternaient, dans les formats gigantesques et sans cadres.



3. During his last 40 years, Claude MONET AT GIVERNY pioneered modern art with his three painting series. Like the serial painting methods of Japanese woodcut artists Hiroshige's "Hundred views of Edo" and Hokusai's "Hundred views of Mt Fuji," the Giverny village area series painted the same or closely related subjects from different viewpoints and in different formats. The "Early morning on the Seine" series colored varying weather and followed changing light under influences from Eugene Boudin; Barbizon school artists Camille Corot and Charles-Francois Daubigny; and Johan Barthold Jongkind. As in the later waterlily paintings, water, light and reflection mixed natural and reflected realities so well as not to be able to tell the difference. The "Poplars" series brought to mind influences from Japanese woodcuts and Van Gogh while setting the stage for art nouveau's coordinated color series and decoratively two-dimensional line. Very 20th-century were the abstractly treated "Grain stacks" series and the open-ended, open-formed waterlily paintings alternating sky and water across huge formats without frames. Karin Sagner-Duchting gives beautiful examples for what she says in her clear text, so the book is a must for going on to Joachim Pissarro's MONET AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, William C. Seitz's CLAUDE MONET, and Paul Hayes Tucker's MONET AT ARGENTEUIL, MONET IN THE '90S and MONET IN THE 20TH CENTURY.

4 comments about Victorian Faries.

1. As someone basically not interested in cute little mythological creatures, I'm fairly amazed at both the variety of such creatures and also the amount of sometimes beautiful artwork the Victorians poured into them. I thought this would be a cutesy book to buy for a young girl, but I admit I got hooked by the lucid commentary and the social context. (It may expand my niece's thinking.... It did mine.) This little book is of much wider interest than it may at first appear. And in terms of accomplishing what it sets out to do, it is an outstanding success.



2. This is not a large book, but the physical quality of the publication surprised me. The book is packed with images, and the quality is superb. The pages and typesetting are very appealing.
   
   The commentary is well-written. I particularly enjoyed the historical context, which is engaging without slipping into the tedium that only a collector could enjoy.
   
   In my opinion, this book is an excellent value.



3. Visually impressive and highly informative on a topic of both historical interest and current relevance, Dave Cheadle's Victorian Fairies equally gives readers a fascinating browse and a meaningful introduction to images used a hundred years ago and the culture that popularized them.
   
   The book is striking in a number of ways. Premium Press of Nashville lives up to its name with this imprint. Victorian Fairies is a 7.25" square hardback with dust cover. The 112 full-color pages inside are attractively designed around more than 100 images. The typesetting complements the images and text.
   
   Building on the work's visual appeal, author Dave Cheadle explains the world of belief behind the popular art of the Victorian period. The depth and variety of his information is absorbing. Most of the images are stunning in and of themselves. Even so, the richness of the art is enhanced by this knowledgeable writer. Whether via text or captions, he enlightens readers about the art by incorporating everything from Shakespeare to Krampus, Santa's evil helper out of Austria. Cheadle's prose is fluid and clear and his vocabulary is always on target. He also divides the topics into sensible and manageable pieces. While focused on unique and specialized art, Victorian Fairies is broadly appealing due to the range of topics and the multiple worlds brought into focus.



4. I found this exquisitely illustrated little "coffee table" edition an enjoyable romp through the magical realm of fairies, elves, sprites, gnomes, etc. What I most appreciated was Cheadle's remarkable balance between objective referencing of Victorian fairy themes with an obvious personal attraction to things mysterious and supernatural. He seems to genuinely enjoy exploring Victorian culture's infatuation with such entities. Especially useful is Cheadle's positional proclaimation at the end of the book; a useful conversation prompt for engaging in the current cultural wrestlings over all things spiritual. At this price, Victorian Fairies is definitely a "Why Not?" book to give to those near you who appreciate a little mischief and misdirection.

No comments about Memories of Memphis: A History in Postcards (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

3 comments about Postbooks: Roses.

1. You don't have to know a thing about building and Rick Peters will help you build your deck from scratch.
   The book includes clear and accurate explanations of terms, beam spans, tools, materials and everything else you need to know to build a deck. Step by step instructions with photos are easy to follow.



2. Good book if you are only interested in the very basics. If you want a deck with any style - look elsewhere.



3. Once you know what you want to build, Rick Peters gives you clear step-by-step instructions (with great illustrations) for constructing and then maintaining outdoor structures. I find this book very useful in my business of renovating and decorating porches, decks & gazebos.