Behind Adobe Walls: The Hidden Homes and Gardens of Santa Fe and Taos

Amazon.com

Once upon a time these New Mexico towns were rough-and-tumble settlements peopled by drifters and dreamers. Sante Fe and Taos are still very much a cultural rendezvous, but far removed from their humble beginnings; Sante Fe has lately become known as the Beverly Hills of the Southwestern U.S. Among its full-time residents are the Dennises, the husband and wife author-photographer team who host this tour of their neighbors' private homes. The owners and designers weigh in with their own words about creating these eclectic sanctuaries, making it a very personal tour.

Book Description

At last, a beautiful, affordable style book that offers a rare insider's look at the highly personal and innovative aesthetic for which the Southwest is famed. Santa Fe residents Lisl and Landt Dennis have documented eighteen of the most unusual and awe-inspiring homes and gardens of the Santa Fe and Taos area. Meet the owners and designers, tour their homes, and witness the grand vision and loving detail they have devoted to their living spaces. With two hundred gorgeous full-color photographs, Behind Adobe Walls is an essential keepsake for the Southwestern native or visitor, and a visual inspiration for anyone who would like to create their own Santa Fe, wherever they may call home.

Customer Reviews:

perfect.......2007-09-15

This book is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Perfect condition and rapid delivery. Excellent service.

Nice photography!.......2006-07-29

I am a native New Mexican and even though the others did comment on how nice a book about "real" New Mexicans would be, I do love this book for the excellent photography. It is on my coffee table now and I just love looking at it!

The photos ARE in color..........2003-08-07

Unfortunately, the sample pages are in black and white. Never fear, they're actually IN COLOR in the actual book!

Got this for my Mom, she loved it!

I Live Here!.......2001-05-01

I would NOT loan out my copy of this book! I live in Taos (moved AFTER reading the book) and have since been to some of these homes, they are wonderful...and not at all pretentious...as one reviewer said. I use this book even today for inspiration in my own Taos home.

Colorful inspiration.......2001-02-21

I was specifically on a quest for inspiration for Santa Fe style decorating with bold color schemes, somewhat off-the-wall furnishing choices and the like. This book fit my needs perfectly, I'm happy to say. I agree with other reviewers that the book is rather limited in scope, but it was exactly what I was looking for. Beautiful photographs, clear writing, overall a very dynamic book.

Art of Polymer Clay: Designs and Techniques for Making Jewelry, Pottery and Decorative Artwork (Watson-Guptill Crafts)
Average customer rating:

FOR ME, THE VERDICT IS STILL OUT.

A great overview of polymer clay techniques.

great comprehensive book

Great for just learning about Clay Jewelry making

A tad disappointed..

Art of Polymer Clay: Designs and Techniques for Making Jewelry, Pottery and Decorative Artwork (Watson-Guptill Crafts)
Donna Kato
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Ceramics | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Pottery & Ceramics | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Materials Science | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Polymer Clay Techniques Book

Polymer Clay Creative Traditions: Techniques and Projects Inspired by the Fine and Decorative Arts

Faux Surfaces in Polymer Clay: 30 Techniques & Projects That Imitate Stones, Metals, Wood & More

Polymer Clay Surface Design Recipes: 100 Mixed-Media Techniques Plus Project Ideas

The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects: Techniques and Projects Featuring Transfers, Stamps, Stencils, Inks, Paints, Mediums, and More

ASIN: 0823002780

Amazon.com

Available in a tremendous array of colors and easily cured by baking in a home oven, polymer clay is a unique medium for creating a variety of beautiful items. In The Art of Polymer Clay, noted artist Donna Kato explains the basics as well as many unusual techniques, including imitative methods that can be used to create the look of semi-precious stones, woven fabric, carved wood, metal, and realistic flowers. Kato's sense of style and color is superb, and her directions are clear and concise.

Book Description

• A top-seller by the biggest name in polymer clay
• Classic introduction to polymer clay techniques
• Polymer clay is easy and fun to work with—perfect for beginners

When The Art of Polymer Clay first appeared in 1997, polymer clay was undergoing a revival in the U.S., but its full creative potential had yet to be explored. With this book, author and artist Donna Kato helped change all that by introducing crafters to the vast range of polymer clay techniques, from millefiori to imitative to sculpture. Today millions of people enjoy creating with exciting, easy-to-use polymer clay. This season, Watson-Guptill is pleased to present the book that helped start the craze, in a new format at an affordable new price. Updates on clays, tools and supplies, conditioning, and safety make this the definitive book in the field—and one that everyone can afford to buy and enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

FOR ME, THE VERDICT IS STILL OUT........2007-08-09

I will start by saying that I do like this book. It is well done, informative and a pure joy to read and study. I do still have some reservations though. I am a complete beginner as to this particular art form, and to be honest, I am a bit intimidated by this particular work. I can though, see where it will be of tremendous help once I master the basics. The book is well designed. The author has given us an indepth look at the tools used, the materials recommened and the vast possibilities of this are form, which are practically endless. The book is well designed, well formated and easy to use. The photographs are completely top quality. I was, at times, a bit confussed simply because I was not familiar with some of the terms and words used by the author, who, apparently, takes for granted the reader is already familiar with. This is no big deal though, as if forces the reader to do a bit of research and find out just what the author is talking about. Learning is always nice, even if it is forced upon you out of necessity. I check this one out from the local library four times before I finally broke down and bought my own copy. Those interested in this art form might as well go ahead and fork out the buck as they will probably end up doing so anyway. I recommend this one highly to those who know a bit about what they are doing. I might suggest though, that there are probably better books out there for the rank beginner, like myself. Will give it five stars though as it is indeed a fine work.

A great overview of polymer clay techniques........2007-07-01

I wish I had gotten this book sooner. It explains much about polymer clay that I found out through trial and error, and introduced new techniques I had never thought of. Besides the bare basics covered by most polymer clay books, the book includes chapters on millefiori, surface treatments, making and using molds, imitative techniques, vessels, floral forms, and sculpture.

This book is a welcome addition to my polymer clay library and I will keep it as a handy reference.

great comprehensive book.......2007-01-30

I've only just begun using polymer clay, but I found this book covered just about everything I could ever be interested in for my personal purpose- beadmaking. The techniques are extensive and varied, plus advice on what to do and what NOT to do- just as important. It's no wonder Donna Kato is known worldwide for her polymer clay art.

Great for just learning about Clay Jewelry making.......2006-12-30

I have been making beaded necklaces for only about six months. Recently I found that I wanted to try something new and different. I was very interested in clay beads and figured I would try to make my own. I read the reviews on this book and purchased it and wow it is great. It really explains everything you need to know from start to finish. The bead sections are excellent!!

A tad disappointed.........2006-12-27

I was a little let down when I got this book after reading all the rave reviews. Plus several of my other books credit certain techniques as being one of Katos so I expected to find them perhaps in more detail and others. It is a great book with lots of techniques, just not the ones I was looking for. I'm also a visual learner and alot of the examples you have to rely on visualizing the text to figure out how to make the item pictured. A few projects have great step by step photos, just not the ones I was wanting(I wish there were more descriptions on making the nonpareil marbled paper) And I'm mostly into clay for sculpting figures this book rather skims over that part. So if your a visual learner and are interested in making primarily 'cute figures' this book may not be what your looking for, tho it does have a nice section on types of clays and tools. It will be a great resource if your looking for information on making canes. I'm not a cane maker, but seeing how they're done is really interesting. Also would be good for someone looking for bead making techniques and ideas.

The Art of Polymer Clay : Designs and Techniques for Making Jewelry, Pottery and Decorative Artwork (Crafts Ser.)

Average customer rating:

The Art of Polymer Clay : Designs and Techniques for Making Jewelry, Pottery and Decorative Artwork (Crafts Ser.)
Donna Kato
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Publications, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBNGUS

Book Description

One of the greatest war photographers of our time, Don McCullin’s new work was undertaken recently among Sudanese tribespeople. His compassionate photography respects his subjects’ dignity and heroism, while allowing us, the viewers, to be amazed by their strength and beauty.

Customer Reviews:

ASTOUNDING!!!!!!!.......2007-05-22

I ordered this blind, generally liking Don McC's work. I ordered a dozen used photo books and this was the one I was most indifferent to BEFORE it arrived. As a lover of fine art landscape, still life, street/reportage I doubted that this work would really hold me. WOW!!!! The book is beautifully made and the image reproduction absolutely spot on (better than the vast majority of quality photo books I own). The shots are first rate from cover to cover and the mood conveyed throughout truly captivating and constant. The cohesion is amazing, yet the images for me did not become repetitive. For those with experience of Africa or the desire to go and get beyond the tourist trail, this book will resonate strongly. I got mine for $29 used mint. That has to be a steal for a book that leaves a permanent mark. The image on the front cover in no way conveys the far better quality of the content. This sort of stuff has been done time an time again and i thought that it would be typical of the work done by a 'retired' reportage guy, ie lacking in purpose and true insight. I am blown away.....

review africa book .......2007-01-25

i possess already a important collection of africa books and i can say this is a collector's item very good Patrick dauwe Belgium

Average customer rating:

Cold Heaven
Don McCullin
Manufacturer: Christian Aid
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photojournalism | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Average customer rating:

Don McCullin in Africa
Don McCullin
Manufacturer: CAPE JONATHAN (RAND)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K1ZTKA

Average customer rating:

Don McCullin in Africa.
Don. Mccullin
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP33W8

Customer Reviews:

A comprehensive look at the 19th!.......2003-05-03

It is difficult finding books that cover single regiments with solid information that only pertains to the unit itself sometimes. Author Craig Dunn has put together a very comprehensive book that covers the birth of the 19th Indiana to final muster in 1865. I liked the fact that Dunn didn't dwell on only officers but brought the private soldier to life as short biographies and the details of their involvement were written about. Dunn covers early exhaustive marches, campaigns, camp life, politics and explains the many personalities within the 19th. Dunn backs his material up well with references and also many statistics are added that enhance this book tremendously. This book serves as a great resource tool in learning about the hard fighting 19th and I recommend it to many interested in learning about the tough regiment of the famous Iron Brigade.

The Best Nineteenth Indiana Book.......2001-02-16

What a great book on the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteers of the Iron Brigade. The book was maticulously researched and documented. The best part about the book was that the documentation did not detract from the enjoyable reading. The pictures and roster were very helpful. I have personally read over 200 Civil War regimental histories and this one was my favorite. I have read two other books on the Nineteenth Indiana and found them to be lacking in documentation and in ease of reading. This book is the best.

A great read about a hard fighting unit.......2000-03-26

I've had this book for about 5 yrs. and just got around to reading it. Dunn's book is very readable and informative, he blends fact with a strong human element. I look forward to more of his work

Thoroughly Enjoyable Reading.......1999-12-14

This book was simply a pleasure to read. While it was well documented, the documentation did not grind the book to a halt. I would consider this more as an anecdotal history rather than a military history. The author puts a human face on a serious topic. I have now read all of the books in print on the Iron Brigade and the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteers and this one is the best.

Best History of the 19th Indiana.......1999-12-10

As an ardent student of history I found this book to be wonderfully documented and accurate. I have read all of the books about the 19th Indiana and the Iron Brigade and found this one to be the best by far. I was so intrigued with the book that I visited the critical archives and libraries cited in Mr. Dunn's book to verify their accuracy. Each entry which I checked was quoted exactly as I found them. I have heard through some Civil War circles that there has been an attempt to impugn this book in an attempt to increase sales of the other 19th Indiana books. If so, this is sad. I have recommended this book to all of my friends.

Average customer rating:

A balanced account of Jefferson Davis, a man who is rarely treated fairly and honestly by historical accounts

The Iron Will of Jefferson Davis
Cass Canfield
Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

A balanced account of Jefferson Davis, a man who is rarely treated fairly and honestly by historical accounts.......2006-08-04

Most of the history books that cover the American Civil War examine it from the northern perspective. While this is somewhat natural, after all the victors generally get to write the history books, this leads to a bias in the examination. In this book, the political and personal life of Jefferson Davis, the one and only president of the Confederate States of America (CFA) is examined. The difficulties that he had with political opponents in the CFA are described; something that is very rarely mentioned in other history books. After the war, he was captured by Union forces and held in a dank prison for some time. Then President Andrew Johnson made wild claims about his actions as CFA President and his citizenship rights were not restored until the 1970's.
The best part of the book is the recapitulation of how the CFA was forced to adopt many tactics that were counter to the very reasons why they seceded from the Union in the first place. In order to improve the prosecution of the war, Davis enforced conscription, transferred power from the states to the central government and freed many of the slaves so that they could engage in combat. In an incredible point of irony, there was a point in time where Davis held a more anti-slavery position than Lincoln did.
This is an excellent short biography of a man that has not been given an honest appraisal by history. For decades, he was painted as a traitor, when in fact he was generally pro-union until the end and conducted himself honorably throughout the war. Unfortunately, he served as a lightning rod for criticism of the Southern cause while others who were on the Southern side received much better treatment and sometimes were even praised by union voices. This book does a great deal to balance that out.

Average customer rating:

Iron Will: An Autobiography
Herman Artiles
Manufacturer: Vantage Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Educators | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0533139414

Average customer rating:

My friend

Steel Spine, Iron Will
Rod Lewin
Manufacturer: Boomerang Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

My friend.......2007-06-13

This book was written by a very good friend, but on Amazon I never received it.

The Hong Kong Sevens: A Book to Celebrarte Ten Glorious Years of Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong
Average customer rating:
The Hong Kong Sevens: A Book to Celebrarte Ten Glorious Years of Rugby Sevens in Hong Kong
Kevin Sinclair
Manufacturer: Arden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RXTKC4

Average customer rating:
Ten Glorious Years
Alex Ferguson
Manufacturer: Carlton Books Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Soccer | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Football (American) | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Soccer | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 023399047X

Ten glorious years of Kerala UF government: In the service of people (Communist Party publication)
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Ten glorious years of Kerala UF government: In the service of people (Communist Party publication)
Pauly V Parakal
Manufacturer: Communist Party of India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006E4CJU

Customer Reviews:

A relaxed approach to feeding your children.......1997-10-06

The doctors who wrote this book make an excellent case for NOT controlling your child's diet, but instead respecting his autonomy.

Crescent and Cross: The Battle of Lepanto 1571
Average customer rating:

Libel

Impressive history but a difficult read

Turkophilia Dementia

Snooze Fest

A lively but deeply researched history

Crescent and Cross: The Battle of Lepanto 1571
Hugh Bicheno
Manufacturer: Phoenix Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Naval | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Lepanto 1571: The Greatest Naval Battle Of The Renaissance (Campaign)

Confrontation at Lepanto: Christendom vs. Islam

Lepanto Lepanto

The Siege of Vienna: The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent

Renaissance War Galley 1470-1590 (New Vanguard)

ASIN: 1842127535

Book Description

"Unlikely to be surpassed."--Literary Review

Here is the first major history in decades--and the first-ever original study in English--off an epic encounter between the Christian and Islamic worlds. In 1571, at Lepanto, in the gulf between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese, the fleets of the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League clashed in the final great battle between oared fighting ships. This outstanding military event marked a significant turning point in history, and one that still resonates powerfully today. It is a must read for anyone interested in why Christianity and Islam seem perpetually at war.

Customer Reviews:

Libel.......2007-06-13

I am the author and a colleague has just drawn my attention to some of the detritus that has washed up on this site. The fellow who accuses me of Turkophilia needs help in more than the reading department. It was the OTTOMAN Empire, and it spent a great deal of energy keeping the Turks down. Furthermore, anyone who has cracked a single book on the subject knows how far ahead of 'the West' the Ottomans were in the sixteenth century. I am surprised to see 'Beretta' Morin's review still there: it is plainly libellous under the laws of England and the fact that he wrote a far more careful review on Amazon.uk shows that he knows it. Morin's fulsome review of Niccolò Capponi's 'Victory of the West', which admirably restates and develops in depth the traditional - dare I say it - Italophile point of view, may have something to do with the fact that the author cites one Marco Morin as his foremost research assistant and inspiration. But hey, that's show business. All the same, you ought not to publish defamatory remarks - someone might decide that suing you was a quicker way to make a buck than writing books.

Impressive history but a difficult read.......2007-01-04

The narrative of this thorough and extensive work is divided in two: Iconic Battle and Military Battle. The first section deals with the Mediterranean in the 16th century (The Stage), ships and weapons (The Props), the empires, states, peoples and leaders of the time (The Players), international politics and role of the Catholic Church in the formation of the Holy League (Billboard). Part Two looks at the immediate background (Scene Setters), the campaign of 1570, the Ottoman offensive of 1571, the Holy League response and the details of the battle, concluding with an epilogue.

The book opens with a Chronology of rulers from 1500 to 1600 and important events from 1492 to 1600. Eight pages of colour plates include, inter alia, portraits of Don John, Sultan Selim II, Pius V, and various battle scenes by artists like Vasari, Vicentino, Veronese, Titian, Sebastian de Caster and Juan Luna. The 8 pages of black and white plates include the flagships of Ali Pasha, Don Juan, various types of armor and weaponry, papal galleys and some battle scenes. In addition, there are three diagrams in the text: a depiction of a Venetian light galley, fortification systems and the decorative stern of Don Juan's galley La Real. Thirteen excellent maps enhance the text, focusing on relevant parts of the Mediterranean and Adriatic, on the Ottoman expansion into Europe, Africa and Asia, the 1570 and 1571 campaigns, the battle site at Navpaktos at the mouth of the Gulf of Corinth, the deployment of ships and different stages of the battle.

The vast scope of the book encompasses discussions of culture, religion and representations of the famous clash in Christian art and iconography. Bicheno deals extensively with the myth and the legend in literature by discussing and quoting works by Cervantes, Felix Lope de Vega y Carpio, Luis Velez de Guevara, Shakespeare (Othello), Thomas Moravius, Fernando de Herrera, Alonso de Ercilla y Zuniga and of course GK Chesterton and his magnificent poem Lepanto. The account of the battle itself is quite detailed as Bicheno draws on all available sources (whilst evaluating them) to analyse the vessels, the weaponry, the tactics, the terrible carnage and the liberation of the Christian slaves.

The author is highly critical of Europe and the fractious Christendom of the time in his introduction. He compares the world of the 16th century with our own time and is a Eurosceptic (good) but a bit too repetitive in his assertions of the supposed tolerance and civilizational superiority of the Ottoman Empire against the supposed backwardness of Europe (bad). Bicheno insists time and again that the battle had no major military significance and that the Catholic Church largely nurtured the legend of the great Christian victory. In this, he does not fully convince. Yes, the Turks immediately rebuilt their navy but it was done in great haste to produce a ramshackle fleet that never again threatened the West.

What makes the writing difficult to enjoy, if not exhausting, are the frequent detours that the narrative takes into the events leading up to 1571. Instead of pursuing a thread from beginning to end, the author frequently digresses by smothering the reader with a plethora of minor events, details and personalities so that the plot does not unfold smoothly. This occurs frequently as he deals with flashpoints of the conflict in Malta, Cyprus, Crete, Tunis, Djerba and along the Dalmatian coast. It really makes your head spin if you seek a linear progression of events.

The four appendices discuss the principal actors, the estimate of forces, orders of battle and casualties. There are 5 pages of bibliographic endnotes, a complete bibliography and an index. Despite my irritation with Bicheno's non-linear or frequently interrupted presentation of the conflict between the Holy League and the Ottomans that culminated at Lepanto, Crescent And Cross is a masterpiece of sorts, a most valuable reference work and a detailed study of the culture, weaponry, politics and personalities of the time.

Turkophilia Dementia.......2006-04-22

I give this book two stars because the parts about ships and weapons are passable. But the author's understanding of the nature of the conflict between Christianity and Islam approaches dementia. His Turkophilia exceeds all sane bounds.

According to Bicheno, the harem was actually "a welfare system for deserving young ladies," and the Ottoman custom of using the harem to produce large number of royal siblings, then murdering all but one, a highly superior method of arranging the succession. He claims that the Turkish custom ("dervisma") of systematic kidnapping Christian children from villages so that they could be converted and enslaved, far from being barbaric, was actually so beneficial to the Christians that those who lived in cities actually sent their children out to the villages so they could have an equal opportunity to be snatched. (I am NOT making this up.) He describes the Ottoman society as being "highly dynamic."

These ravings don't just occur here and there, but are a drumbeat, which only let up when he launches into diatribes against Western civilization in general and Catholicism in particular. In short, the book is mostly politically correct nonsense, taken to extremes.

Snooze Fest.......2006-01-06

Mr. Bicheno seems rather impressed with his collection of facts and tidbits which he manages to jumble together in the most incoherent fashion.

I did not expect this work to be a running screed against Catholicism and Western Civilization in general. As an Ottoman apologist supreme, Mr. Bicheno continuously points out the shortcomings of Christendom, while ignoring the entire point of the necessity for this great Battle - Islamic Jihad!

Is it really too much to ask what the Ottomans/Muslims were doing penetrating into Greece and Europe in the first place? For a much better discussion of this topic, please see "The Legacy of Jihad" by Andrew Bostom.

A lively but deeply researched history.......2004-03-10

This is far more than a history of a particular battle. Bicheno devotes the first 248 pages of his book to setting the political and military stage, including previous conflicts between European Christians and Ottoman Turks. The actual clash of fleets at Lepanto takes up less than thirty pages. Nonetheless, this book is a lively read. Bicheno has ranged widely in his research, touching on everything from religious attitudes to fortress design. And he knows how to tell a story, or in this case many stories. The book includes color and black and white plates, plus some diagrams. Three appendices provide details.

Crescent and Cross: The Battle of Lepanto 1571

Average customer rating:

Crescent and Cross: The Battle of Lepanto 1571
Hugh Bicheno
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSNN7A

Book Description

In 1877 a US ornithologist stumbled across a small indigenous Caribbean population, the Caribs, still living in a remote part of the small island of Dominica. His account of his stay among the Caribs started a trickle of visitors which grew to a steady stream and is now in the full flood of
mass tourism. Remnants of Conquest offers an account and analysis of these visitors' writings as they struggle to understand the way of life of a twentieth-century indigenous community, inhabitants of a postcolonial world.

Book Description

Sir Joseph Banks was man of science, of affairs, and of letters. He circumnavigated the globe with Lieutenant James Cook on H.M.S. Endeavour, 1768-1771, taking with him a team of naturalists, illustrators and assistants at a personal cost of £10,000. Together they made unprecedented collections of flora and fauna in many of the places H.M.S. Endeavour visited. Banks also led the first British scientific expedition to Iceland in 1772. Later, he settled in London, and assembled an enormous library and herbarium at 32 Soho Square. His collections were remarkable both for their size and for the unique material from the Pacific they contained. In 1778, Banks was elected President of the Royal Society, a position he held for over 41 years - the longest anyone has served in that capacity. As President he fostered enlightened relations between scientists across Europe throughout a period of conflict and turbulent change. He was also Special Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, which flourished under his control, becoming greater than any other. Voyages of discovery were mounted with his help to explore new lands, to obtain and move plants from one part of the world to another, and to further British interests abroad. He was also an influential privy councillor, and an advisor to George III and successive governments.

Banks was at the scientific and social centre of Georgian life for more than five decades. As such he developed a global network of correspondence, using letters to further knowledge, and ultimately to shape events in the cause of empire. He suggested the possibility of establishing colonies on the east coast of Australia, and then he actively supported them for the remainder of his life. He has therefore been regarded by some as the 'Father of Australia'. Furthermore, in the Napoleonic Wars he acted to save the population of Iceland when its trade was seized by the British. His views could hardly be avoided on matters of botany or horticulture, drainage or agriculture, on coinage, exploration or science in general. Yet he was a warm, authoritative writer with a direct, flowing prose style. His letters make fascinating reading for their variety, as well as the insight into his public and private life they provide.

This selection is made from the remaining 6,000 letters Banks wrote, and will introduce many readers to a deeply impressive figure, who is rapidly being recognized as one of the great men of his age.

Customer Reviews:

The Letters of Sir Joseph Banks: A Selection.......2007-10-16

"Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was President of The Royal Society for over 40
years. During his long and autocratic rule, he made scientific research essential to the government's plans for imperial, commercial and industrial growth. Yet despite this crucial role in the nation's development, he has become an Australian hero rather than a British one, celebrated thanks to a very brief visit during his Pacific voyage with James Cook. Back home in his London study, Banks became the central hub of an international correspondence network. As he exchanged information and objects relating to an extraordinary breadth of topics, he extended his scientific control over Britain's expanding empire."

"This present selection of his letters is designed to show non-specialized readers how powerfully Banks's influence stretched over a wide range of fields. From the 6000 or so letters written by Banks himself, the editor has chosen 137 and arranged them chronologically. Footnotes give useful background information; they are supplemented by illustrations, maps, brief biographies of Banks's correspondents, and an index to subjects as well as people and places..."

"Browsing through these letters gives a splendid indication of Banks's changing and comprehensive interests. He was only 25 when he wrote the first vivacious letters, trembling with excitement `On the Brink of Sailing on the Expedition' in the Endeavour, and enthusing about the fish and plants he collected in Brazil. Ten years later, his tone starts to become officious, as he assumes Presidential tasks of sending formal notes of thanks to Benjamin Franklin, and arranging the translation of Alessandro Volta's announcement of his electric pile. He orders Matthew Boulton to explain how his steel rods and wings can enable a man to fly, designs a ship to transport breadfruit, organizes wheat growing in India, and reports on the king's health. Diverse topics intrigue him: how to predict the sex of an unborn child, the history of coins, the intelligence of birds. By 1799 he is discussing how the extraction of gold in Africa can be combined with governing the local people and converting them to Christianity: the boundaries between mutual benefit and exploitation often seem blurred."

"Banks would surely have been delighted to see this book, which, it is to be hoped, will do much to establish Banks's reputation in his native country."

Dr Patricia Fara, Notes and Records of the Royal Society, May 2002. pp. 264-265.

Full text of this review is available at

http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/content/ebyadvrxcqhurt4g/fulltext.pdf

excellent.......2001-08-28

A thoroughly well thought out articulate book with all the relevant information to give you a good understanding of the titled subject. I recommend a long slow read to enable all the details content to be absorbed. Well done to the editor in collating all the relevant facts neede to complete this project.

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