Book Description
Martin Venezky is not your typical point-and-click designer. While he is adept at operating a mouse, he is just as comfortable cutting and pasting type from old books or collaging found signs or making his own photographs. What results are the unique creations of a unique eye. And with this eye and his design firm, Appetite Engineers, Venezky has created beautiful and influential work for Speak and Open magazines, the Sundance Film Festival, Reebok, and numerous publishers and institutions.
It Is Beautiful...Then Gone presents Venzky's commercial design work as well as new graphic work created for the book; details of the wall collage that define his office and his aesthetic; the singular photography, collections, and notebooks that define his personality; and text that explains -- or at least questions -- it all. Venezky's philosophy that life and design are a continuation of each other permeates this elegant book filled with hundreds of idiosyncratic, deeply wrought examples.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing.......2006-10-03
Typographic inspiration at its best. Effortlessly combines interviews and stories with images of Venezky's work...every graphic designer should own this book.
Provides his commercial design work plus new graphics created just for this book: some 700 images in all.......2006-02-03
Martin Venezky's It Is Beautiful Then Gone (1568984561, $40.00) provides an unusual artistic approach: Venezky hones 'Slow Design', using raw materials and old design tools of collage and cut-and-paste to create an artwork which will intentionally age and decay over time. By this process, Martin Venezky maintains, the art evolves and changes and the artist develops a closer connection with the tool over the machine. It Is Beautiful...then Gone provides his commercial design work plus new graphics created just for this book: some 700 images in all.
Brillian.......2005-03-15
Martin is brilliant, this book is beautifully designed and his work is amazing. Definately a very inspirational book for all graphic designers out there, especially for those experiemental typographers.
SOLID GOLD!!!.......2004-12-29
If you are looking for experimental and intiguing imagery this is the book for you! I don't understand how Martin got looked over so bad? His work is from the school of Cranbrook. If you like collage work and fun typography buy it!!!
MARTIN VENEZKY ROCKS ME.......2004-12-11
this book is the most beautifulest, gorgeousest, most awesome kickass book EVAR. it is heartily recommended. keep a lookout for martin's cat, "baby girl", who makes frequent appearances. WORD.
-fish
Book Description
This is the only title on the market that gives readers a comprehensive look at negative painting. Linda Kemp shows beginning and advanced artists how to harness the power of these often overlooked areas around a painting's focal point.
The book is brimming with easy-to-follow, interactive elements, including:
*Step-by-step techniques, exercises and projects
*Do-it-yourself tests and worksheets
*Troubleshooting suggestions and secrets
*Straightforward diagrams for color and design
Whether they want to paint florals, landscapes or patterns in nature, readers will come away with the skills they need to make their next work more striking than ever!
Customer Reviews:
colorful approach to composition.......2007-07-20
some author/artists have a unique ability to provide the right image and word picture to illustrate a concept. This artist & this book demonstrate that particular talent. It is an inspiring book that will cause your palms to itch with anticipation for an opportunity to try the ideas for yourself.
Wonderful way to paint!.......2007-07-12
At first I was afraid of negative painting, but now, it is so relaxing and the outcoming is always delightfully surprising!
Really good information!.......2007-05-13
This book has helped me learn to use more paint, more water, loosen up my paintings, and go back in and paint around "found" interesting things.... I love it!
Great addition .......2007-01-15
I love Linda Kemp's concepts and have enjoyed trying new techniques. Good pictures and easy guidelines to follow to see your own styles emerge.
Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines: A Positive Approach to Negative Painting.......2007-01-03
Quite helpful. Am just starting to use this book.
Book Description
Digital editing gives editors far greater freedom than ever before to move scenes of information around and place them anywhere in a film's sequence. Apples Final Cut Pro is the most widely used Mac-based digital editor, and is especially popular with independent filmmakers and graphic artists. Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials enables readers to master the craft of digital editing on Apple's Final Cut Pro. This full-color editing workshop features eight tutorials that provide firsthand experience with the art and technique of editing. Covering the essentials capturing material, organizing it, editing, adding transitions, basic titling and sound techniques, and outputting from the application the tutorials are explained in jargon-free language by a seasoned teacher and digital editor. This book includes a companion DVD filled with graphic files for the tutorial projects to help users hone their editing craft.
Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials enables new users to develop a working knowledge of the principles and methods of editing taught in film schools.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Way In.......2006-09-13
Wolksy dives straight into the nuts and bolts. From capturing footage, to editing it, to outputting it, and to working with Final Cut Pro's new multicam functions, "Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials" rockets you through the basics. After tackling all the technicalities of titles, transitions and sound, Wolsky pauses for a moment to discuss the creative editing process. He covers the rhythm of cutting, the dangers of cutting too much, the Rule of the Line, and the different demands when cutting dialogue, documentaries and music videos. The book includes 8 real-world lessons, including a multicamera shoot, Japanese kabuki, and a scene from an indie feature starring Hilary Swank. Cutting footage of a two-time Academy Award winner? Now that's a nice tutorial.
If you want a fast and mighty way into the basics of editing on Final Cut Pro, this is the book for you.
Great book but the DVD could be more exciting.......2004-12-18
I am a new FCP user and this is the first book I purchased after looking through an assortment at Borders. It's written in a manner that is understandable and interesting for the first time user. My only recommendation would be to spice up the DVD tutorial a little. I found the supplied footage to be dull.
Compared to the other FCP books at $50 and up,FCP:Editing Essentials is a must buy for the new user!
Final Cut Pro 4: Editing Essentials.......2004-07-15
Tom Wolsky's book is an excellent resource for getting started with Final Cut Pro 4. By the time you finish the book, you'll have the skills you need to handle the vast array of tools the FCP4 has to offer.
A little over a year ago, I bought Mr. Wolsky's Final Cut Express book AFTER I had already spent several frustrating weeks with the manual Apple provided. When I decided to step up to FCP, I made the smart decision and STARTED with Mr. Wolsky's book.
The best part of his books is that he speaks in plain english making it easy for non-professionals to understand. For example, early in the book he discusses all the steps and options for getting set up (which can be a daunting task). But then he'll add something like, "If you're working from a mini DV camera, just do this . . ."
WOW! Rather than spending hours trying to figure out all of the intricacies of NTSC and PAL, I can just jump to the chase and get started.
I highly recommend this book anybody that is new to FCP--whether you're completely new to video software, or simply new to FCP.
Final Cut Pro 4 Essentials.......2003-12-13
Tom has written a very thorough guide to FCP 4. I paticularly enjoyed his approach in applying the context of editing terms/techniques in the process of getting more comfortable with FCP. As a FCP user of several years, I wasn't sure what to expect from this but, pleasantly found that Tom brought many tools and techniques to my attention that I was not previously aware of. This is a thumbs up from me.
Product Description
Picking up where he left off in
Final Cut Pro 5 Essential Editing,, author and professional video editor Larry Jordan teaches you how to add the finishing touches that make a video compelling. In
Final Cut Pro 5 Essential Effects, Larry demonstrates how to create essential effects by changing the speed of a clip or the color of a background, adding motion graphics and animated text titles, creating transitions, and more. Exercise files accompany the training videos, allowing you to follow along and learn at your own pace.
Product Description
Motion 2 Essential Training is designed for digital video editors who need to create commercials, titling, lower thirds, music videos, and other features that require moving graphics. Expert instructor Larry Jordan explains how to best use Motion 2 to fit the objectives of any project. He describes in detail the secrets and shortcuts used by pros to do everything from dissecting and customizing the Motion 2.0 interface to creating keyframes and shapes. The training also covers the process of combining still images, movies, and visual effects from scratch or using one of Motion 2's many templates. Exercise files accompany this tutorial, allowing viewers to follow along and learn at their own pace.
Product Description
With hundreds of keyboard shortcuts, dozens of tools, and a rich feature set, Final Cut is an immensely powerful video editing program. In
Final Cut Pro 5 Essential Editing, Larry Jordan teaches the essential editing techniques you need to get up and running with this complex program. In addition to introducing you to the software, Larry demonstrates the planning and organizing strategies hes developed as a professional video editor that can greatly increase editing efficiency. Exercise files accompany the training videos, allowing you to follow along and learn at your own pace.
Product Description
No professional movie is complete without professional title credits. In
LiveType 2 Essential Training, instructor Larry Jordan shows how professionals and novices alike can take advantage of the many templates and pre-built effects available in LiveType 2. Larry then builds upon this basic instruction, demonstrating how to edit templates and effects, create custom effects, import and export files, and create custom and editable LiveFonts. He concludes by showing how to pull it all together for a variety of projects, from a Web-based presentation to a broadcast-quality film.
Product Description
Apple's latest version of its video and audio compression application, Compressor 2.1, packs a lot of new features and produces smaller video files for publishing to the Web or DVD. In this tutorial, Apple-certified instructor Larry Jordan shares workflows and techniques to help DVD Studio Pro and Final Cut Pro users master media compression. The training covers how to work with markers, create custom destinations, improve video and audio quality, customize both interface and settings preferences, and more.
Average customer rating:
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Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials
Manufacturer: MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Final Cut
| Apple
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000GSJLVU |
Average customer rating:
- CAPTAIN ACTION IS THE BEST HOBBY BOOK EVER!!!
- Not just a GI Joe knockoff
|
Captain Action: The Original Super-Hero Action Figure
Michael Eury ,
Murphy Anderson , and
Gil Kane
Manufacturer: TwoMorrows Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Toys
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1893905179 |
Book Description
Captain Action was introduced in 1966 in the wake of the Batman TV show craze, and quickly received his own DC comic book with art by Wally Wood. Able to assume the identities of 13 famous super-heroes, his initial career was short-lived, but continuing interest in the hero led to a recent return to toy-store shelves. Lavishly illustrated with over 200 toy photos, this new trade paperback by author Michael Eury chronicles the history of this quick-changing champion, including photos of virtually every Captain Action product ever released, spotlights on his allies Action Boy and the Super Queens and his arch enemy Dr. Evil, an examination of his comic-book appearances, and "Action facts" that even the most-diehard Captain Action fan won't know! It features a foreword, new cover, and unseen package illus by Murphy Anderson, plus historical anecdotes by the late Gil Kane, Jim Shooter, Stan Weston (co-creator of GI Joe, Captain Action, and Mego's World's Greatest Super-Heroes), and Larry Reiner and Larry O'Daly, formerly of Ideal Toys, plus never-before-published Captain Action artwork by Gil Kane, Joe Staton, Carmine Infantino, Jerry Ordway, and Murphy Anderson. Includes 16 full-color pages, showcasing virtually every Captain Action collectible ever produced!
Customer Reviews:
CAPTAIN ACTION IS THE BEST HOBBY BOOK EVER!!!.......2003-09-08
CAPTAIN ACTION IS THE BEST HOBBY BOOK EVER!!! Captain Action:The Original Super-Hero Action Figure by Michael Eury is a beautiful book about Captain Action, the action figure of the 1960s that could be transformed into a variety of superhero characters through the unique use of available costumes, like Superman, Spiderman, The Green Hornet, Flash Gordon, The Phantom, and the Lone Ranger. From spectacular front cover to spectacular back cover it's one of the best written, best photographed, and best researched books I've ever seen, and that doesn't just mean for hobby books, but of all the books I've ever read!
Michael Eury does it all with this book--he talks about his own experiences as a child when from the time he got his first Captain Action figure--with two left hands!--and then he goes through all sorts of details about the creation of Captain Action in the 1960s, the accessories, the stories behind the characters used for his costumes--like Superman, Batman, Flash Gordon, and all the rest, and the failed line of Super Queens, female action figures designed as a companion line for Captain Action--and well, there's really nothing like this I've ever seen before:a book where the writer covers everything!
But Michael Eury keeps right on going, to the Captain Action comic book of the 1960s, and into the future with the resurrection of a smaller Captain Action in the 1990s, to the customized versions of Captain Action suits by fans to create new characters never used by the manufacturers, like Green Lantern and Dr. Doom.
If there's a flaw in the book, it's that Eury doesn't do enough analysis about why Captain Action failed, not once, but twice, probably due to poor design the first time--despite all the great costumes and marketing, CAPTAIN ACTION HIMSELF NEVER LOOKED LIKE A SUPERHERO!!!--and probably because he was smaller and weaker looking when he was reproduced in the 1990s!!!
But even so, MICHAEL EURY'S CAPTAIN ACTION IS THE BEST HOBBY BOOK EVER!!!
Chari Krishnan RESEARCHKING
Not just a GI Joe knockoff.......2003-02-11
Captain Action represented an enigma to me, as I have vague memories of Batman and Superman costumes in boxes high on store shelves but never knew what they were all about. It was only much later (as an adult) that I learned the odd - but irresistable - concept behind this strange plastic hero.
Michael Eury presents the story of Captain Action in an impeccably researched, illustration-packed book that presents the information collectors want ("silver shirt variations," etc.) without crowding out the intriguing tale detailing the toy's journey from toy shelves to comic pages (a short 5-issue run with art by Wally Wood and Gil Kane), then on to oblivion and back.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for fans of pop culture.
- JOHN MICHLIG, author of IT CAME FROM BOB'S BASEMENT, GI JOE: THE COMPLETE STORY OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE MAN OF ACTION, and creator of THE GI JOE MASTERPIECE EDITION
Average customer rating:
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Wooden Valley: A Teacher's Memoir
Donna Connell
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Educators
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0595193978 |
Book Description
There was a serious shortage of teachers in the middle of the last century. At that time, after a career in journalism, Donna Reid Connell was persuaded to be the teacher of a one-room rural school. She had no teaching credentials and no experience in the field.
During the next twenty-five years she then taught at all levels, preschool through college, and along the way she acquired several credentials and degrees. However, Dr. Connell still looks back at what she calls the most significant teaching experience of her life, the one-room rural school.
Average customer rating:
- King Kenny will never leave the hearts of Liverpool Fans!
|
Kenny Dalglish Autobiography
Kenny Dalglish
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
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
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Fowler: My Autobiography
ASIN: 0340660120 |
Customer Reviews:
King Kenny will never leave the hearts of Liverpool Fans!.......2001-03-01
This book is one of the best I have ever read. It gives you more information about him, more then the newspapers could give you in 5 years. He tells you about all the good times he had at Liverpool being both manager and player. Explaining some of the arguments as well. My dad has met Kenny in the late 70's. He went to go and watch Liverpool play and on the way home he got on the bus with the full squad. My dad also stayed with them and in the morning Kevin Keegan asked him to nip down to the chemist for him. So the helpful man my dad is he zoomed off to the chemist but only forgot the money!!! So he had to run all the way back for the money. Now back to Kenny Dalglish. The greatest footballer Liverpool have ever had. This book is one of a kind. I would reccommend anyone to buy this book.
Average customer rating:
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King Kenny: An Autobiography
Kenny dalglish
Manufacturer: Arrow (A Division of Random House Group)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Soccer
| Biographies
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000OGLAG8 |
Book Description
" . . . Provides a particularly good discussion on feminist perspective, male privilege, and gender-responsible leadership. This is a real highlight for this book and one that is missing from much of the current literature. I would recommend this book for family/parent education preparation courses and I look forward to using this text in the parent education course I teach!"
--Kim Riordan, University of Minnesota, Duluth
"I see this book as a valuable work that will contribute to the field of parent education training in an effective manner. It is appropriately targeted to professional parent educators who would like to improve and refine their facilitation skills; potential parent educators; and university students being trained to become child/parent/family educators."
--Roberta Magarrell, Brigham Young University
Group Parent Education: Promoting Parent Learning and Support is a unique and important contribution to the growing field of parent education and support programs. The book builds upon the rich traditions of group parent education while incorporating contemporary theory and practice. The authors draw upon their experiences as parent educators and their expertise as teacher educators to combine different conceptual frameworks for understanding group processes with practical strategies for leading parent groups that blend education and support. The book also includes a chapter on parent-child interaction time as a rich component that enhances parent discussion and learning in parent group settings.
Key Features:
- In-depth focus on group dynamics in group parent education
- Integration of diverse conceptual frameworks (developmental, levels of involvement, systems theory, feminist perspective) to examine group parent education
- Focus on the educator-parent relationship and the process for developing caring and trusting relationships
- Careful analysis of parent group dynamics and difficult situations.
- Examination of the stages of professional development for parent education
- Broad appeal to professionals and programs that provide group parent education
Group Parent Education will be a valuable resource for students in the field of parent education, as well as child and family studies, social work, early childhood education, psychology, and related fields that work with parents in groups. Current parent education practitioners will also appreciate the detailed case studies and examples and the discussion of specific techniques for addressing important issues in typical parent groups as well as populations of parents with greater needs.
Book Description
From the most important leaders and the most courageous victories to the earliest machines of flight and the most advanced Stealth technology, this book presents a fascinating look at 50 turbulent years of Air Force history.
Customer Reviews:
To The Wild Blue And Beyond!.......2004-04-21
To anyone wondering what "Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force 1947-1997" is about, I would recommend a careful look at the title. The title tells one exactly what the book is and is not. It is not a history of American Airpower, although the development of the Army Air Corps is briefly presented as background. It is not a history of the Air Force in war, although the war record of the Air Force is given its due. Beyond the Wild Blue is the history of the U.S. Air Force during the first 50 years of its existence. It is, in essence, an organizational history of the Air Force.
Reviewers often report that an historical book "reads like a novel". I would say that Beyond the Wild Blue develops like a novel. At the end of a novel the reader often realizes that it possesses a theme or a point to which the whole book has contributed. That is the case with this book. The ultimate point of "Beyond the Wild Blue" is that the Air Force has been an organization which has constantly striven, through a continuing research and development program, to achieve its mission through the advancement of aerospace technology. Through his telling of the story of the Air Force as it developed from a stripped down force in the years after World War II to the technological marvel which won the Gulf War, Walter Boyne brings us to realize how the organizational strategy of the Air Force has brought it to the point at which it is the power which it is today. He also makes us realize the degree to which the Air Force depends on the technical expertise of its officers and enlisted personnel in achieving its mission.
Throughout this book, Boyne mixes facts with his candid assessments of personnel who have affected the history of the Air Force. Generals, Secretaries of Defense and the Air Force as well as politicians all come in for forthright praise or criticism. Two of Boyne's heroes figure prominently in the story. General of the Air Force Hap Arnold, who had commanded the Army Air Corps in World War II, guided the Air Corps to its birth as an independent service and inspired its quest for technological superiority. General Curtis LeMay, more than any other officer, imprinted his personality and ideals on the Air Force, much to the benefit of the service and the nation.
Through this book we see the Air Force, at its inception, as a force poorly equipped with World War II leftovers. Ill-prepared at the start of the Korean War and handicapped by politically imposed rules of engagement, the Air Force was, nonetheless, able to establish air superiority throughout the peninsula and, thereby, contribute to the United Nations' successes.
Through the Cold War years of the fifties and early sixties, the Air Force preserved the peace largely through its capability to deliver nuclear weapons, both by manned bomber and ICBM.
The Vietnam War was, for the Air Force as well as all of the American military, a frustrating conflict. The handicaps imposed by politically inspired rules of engagement were more serious even than those imposed in Korea. As an example, pilots were forced to risk their lives trying to destroy trucks individually, while being prevented them from destroying freighters full of trucks in North Vietnamese ports.
After Vietnam, the Air Force continued its technological improvement at an uneven pace, varying with the political winds of the day. The ultimate payoff for the Air Force research and development programs would come in the Gulf War. In this war air control was established, not by defeating an enemy challenge in the air, but by preventing the challenge from arising. The destruction of Iraqi radar and communications kept the enemy planes hunkered on the ground. The ability of air power to pick apart Iraqi defenses and destroy and demoralize its ground forces proved the ultimate vindication of the Air Force research and development programs.
Throughout this book, Boyne presents an agreeable blend of narration about individuals, equipment, organizational concepts and war stories, detailed enough to hold the interest without leading to boredom.
This book addresses all aspects of Air Force service. Fighters, Strategic and Tactical bombers Air Lift and refueling all are given proper attention. The recent reorganization of the Air Force Commands was clearly explained. The changing demands of the American public that victory must be swiftly achieved with few casualties, either of friendly or enemy forces or noncombatants, and the Air Force's ability to meet those demands were presented as a logical result of the continuing research and development programs.
I was particularly impressed by the description of the refueling capabilities which can now keep aircraft flying virtually indefinitely. Equally impressive is the story of the B-52, which may have a useful life of 75 years from first flight to final retirement.
At the conclusion we are presented with an Air Force which has the potential to deliver military punch of unprecedented scope and dimensions. In an era in which the availability of overseas bases may be limited, the Air Force has the capability, through refueling, of delivering ordinance to virtually any place on earth through missions originating in the United States. Although beyond the temporal scope of this book, the continuation of the technological advancement was seen in the Bosnian operation in which bombing runs originated and ended in Missouri by warriors who would spend their nights at home with their families .
This book is a fitting tribute to the men and women who have carried the story of the United States Air Force into the Wild Blue and Beyond.
An interesting narrative.......2000-09-18
This is a clear logical and easy to follow history of the Air Force. Some interesting observations are made, especially regarding the Vietnam conflict. This is a book obviously written by someone who was watching the Air Force develop from the inside.
A Good read that happens to inform.
Just for some messages of airforce!.......2000-06-15
I want know some messages of airforce!Help me!
Book Description
Beyond the Wild Blue is a fascinating look at fifty turbulent years of Air Force history. From the prop-driven armada of World War II to the most advanced Stealth weaponry, from pioneers like General Henry "Hap" Arnold to glorious conquests in the Gulf War, Beyond the Wild Blue is a high-flying study of the triumphs (and failures) of leadership and technology
Customer Reviews:
Almost Perfect..........2006-07-27
Walt Boyne, who invented the magnificent "absent friends" writing approach later blatantly stolen (but perfected) by USAF hating W.E.B. Griffinth, (end of BOW book #6? Son-Toy raid? ...yeah...) began his writing career with a VERY good docu-drama novel on the history of the AF in "The Wild Blue". Later, he went on to produce the finest mini-mini series the History Channel has ever seen, "Beyond The Wild Blue", which not only chronicled the history of our AF perfectly, it also SOUNDLY discredited & destroyed the adoption of Bill Creech's terrible TQM philosophy by Tony McPeak. TQM, a good idea, wrecked the service into institutionalized chicken****. Unfortunately, when it came time to turn this wonderfully truthful and effective segment into a book, Mr. Boyne, apparently now aware of some high-ranking feathers he had ruffled, spends a good portion of this volume's middle now PRAISING Total Quality Management, or as those of us who saw the sad rhetoric pushed into practice heard it called SO many times, QAF. The hard-earned gains of the "Project Warrior" program and General Creech's good work to clean up TAC vanished in the space of a single Clinton administration. Mr. Boyne should stick to what he does best, praising our best service, the USAF, and avoid trying to jump (back) onto a bureaucratic bandwagon whose "fad" express has long since sailed.
The battle between the Air Force and the politicians.......2003-09-10
Walter Boyne is a retired Air Force colonel who has written four books of fiction and twelve non-fiction all of which deal with the Air Force.
In Beyond the Wild Blue, Boyne sketches the early days of the air arm of the Army Signal Corps then expands through the years of growth with its importance in military and national security through the establishment of the Air Force in 1947.
General Billy Mitchell is recalled as a fighter for air power as well as the continuing impact of General Hap Arnold through and following World War II. It was most interesting (and surprising) to learn of Arnold's brief bout with the fear of flying and year's hiatus from flying. When he returned, he never again wavered and even with continuing heart problems was one the greatest generals to espouse and forward the importance of air power.
Boyce deals with two main themes:
First, the battles that the air staff and chiefs of staff had in promoting air power and the belief of its importance particularly when there was the contentiousness of the Army and Navy.
Second, the effect of Secretaries of Defense such as Robert McNamara during the Vietnam War and his absolute, solitary control of the military which was largely responsible for America's military defeat. It is certainly damning of McNamara (and to some extent, President Lyndon Johnson) in the complete micro-management of the war. This led to a philosophy by the Defense Department which reared its ugly head again in the personalities of several follow-on Secretaries of Defense (specifically, Rumsfeld and Cheney) during and following the Persian Gulf War. Boyce defends the professionalism and patriotism of chiefs of staff who stayed on despite the harassment and undue solo performances from these secretaries. McNamara, by way of escape, resigned in the midst of the obvious failure at his job to become president of the World Bank.
One must note that several present day commanders have refused the job of Joint Chief of Staff. While personal reasons are cited, I would opine that these military men are not interested in being frustrated and used as Boyce describes.
There is an extensive section on the Vietnam War. As a participant in that fiasco, I felt close to the comments and the history of the escalation. Boyce recognizes that the B-57 Canberra was the first jet aircraft to strike in both North and South Vietnam, which pleased me as a Canberra driver. However, I was disappointed to read nothing of the work of the civilian-type small aircraft such as the OV-10 which were so effective and so vulnerable as Forward Air Controllers (FAC). Again, there was an error in not mentioning the T-34 and T-28 (the latter was recognized as a combat aircraft in Vietnam) as trainers following the ubiquitous T-6 and starter trainer PA-18.
The B-52, F104, F100, C-130, C-47, KC135. B-66 and air rescue aircraft and crews are duly recognized for their work. The contribution to air power by the bombers of WWII, the fighter aircraft of Korea and the mistakes of that "police action" are well documented. There is enough in the anecdotes to stir an interest in the reader to find more on the subjects. He gives due credit to the magnificent men who flew and maintained the aircraft, the heroism of many and the failure of decisions made by non-military men to prosecute and win. Boyce maintains that there were several "holds" such as bombing halts which were instrumental in prolonging the conflict and making the loss of 58,000 men meaningless.
We read of "Tooey" Spattz, Curtis LeMay, Bernard Shriever and the other generals who had the clout to make a difference in the Air Force mission. Above all, Boyce makes clear that the difference in air power and the future of the Air Force depends on the professionalism of the men and women in its ranks who support its mission.
It will interesting to see the follow-on reports of the impact of the Air Force since September 11, 2001, Afghanistan and Iraq, but - we are witnesses to that. The future of the Air Force (or will it be the Aerospace Force?) will be as changeable as its past as it adapts to the needs of America.
Dry, Uninspiring.......2003-03-12
Rather than explain what the book is about (done rather well by others at this site), I'd like to give you feedback about what I didn't like. As one who reads WWII military and aviation history books for casual reading, I was disappointed in Boyne's book. I was expecting the book to read as a historical novel. I found the book to be very dry reading. The sections about the development of the USAF in 1947; its involvement in the Korean/Vietnam/Desert Storm wars was interesting reading. However, the story flow was interrupted by jumps to other topics which I felt belonged elsewhere.
As a result, I felt that the book read more as a textbook on the subject rather than a novel. I found that this book would be better suited for someone doing research (writing a report, e.g.). There was lots of information about current training; the politics within the USAF; the four major current commands of the USAF; current philosophy. The book is not for the casual reader. You may find the book to be a bore unless you are a hard-core USAF fan/veteran.
To the Wild Blue-And Beyond!.......2001-08-12
To anyone wondering what "Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force 1947-1997" is about, I would recommend a careful look at the title. The title tells one exactly what the book is and is not. It is not a history of American Airpower, although the development of the Army Air Corps is briefly presented as background. It is not a history of the Air Force in war, although the war record of the Air Force is given its due. Beyond the Wild Blue is the history of the U.S. Air Force during the first 50 years of its existence. It is, in essence, an organizational history of the Air Force.
Reviewers often report that an historical book "reads like a novel". I would say that Beyond the Wild Blue develops like a novel. At the end of a novel the reader often realizes that it possesses a theme or a point to which the whole book has contributed. That is the case with this book. The ultimate point of "Beyond the Wild Blue" is that the Air Force has been an organization which has constantly striven, through a continuing research and development program, to achieve its mission through the advancement of aerospace technology. Through his telling of the story of the Air Force as it developed from a stripped down force in the years after World War II to the technological marvel which won the Gulf War, Walter Boyne brings us to realize how the organizational strategy of the Air Force has brought it to the point at which it is the power which it is today. He also makes us realize the degree to which the Air Force depends on the technical expertise of its officers and enlisted personnel in achieving its mission.
Throughout this book, Boyne mixes facts with his candid assessments of personnel who have affected the history of the Air Force. Generals, Secretaries of Defense and the Air Force as well as politicians all come in for forthright praise or criticism. Two of Boyne's heroes figure prominently in the story. General of the Air Force Hap Arnold, who had commanded the Army Air Corps in World War II, guided the Air Corps to its birth as an independent service and inspired its quest for technological superiority. General Curtis LeMay, more than any other officer, imprinted his personality and ideals on the Air Force, much to the benefit of the service and the nation.
Through this book we see the Air Force, at its inception, as a force poorly equipped with World War II leftovers. Ill-prepared at the start of the Korean War and handicapped by politically imposed rules of engagement, the Air Force was, nonetheless, able to establish air superiority throughout the peninsula and, thereby, contribute to the United Nations' successes.
Through the Cold War years of the fifties and early sixties, the Air Force preserved the peace largely through its capability to deliver nuclear weapons, both by manned bomber and ICBM.
The Vietnam War was, for the Air Force as well as all of the American military, a frustrating conflict. The handicaps imposed by politically inspired rules of engagement were more serious even than those imposed in Korea. As an example, pilots were forced to risk their lives trying to destroy trucks individually, while being prevented them from destroying freighters full of trucks in North Vietnamese ports.
After Vietnam, the Air Force continued its technological improvement at an uneven pace, varying with the political winds of the day. The ultimate payoff for the Air Force research and development programs would come in the Gulf War. In this war air control was established, not by defeating an enemy challenge in the air, but by preventing the challenge from arising. The destruction of Iraqi radar and communications kept the enemy planes hunkered on the ground. The ability of air power to pick apart Iraqi defenses and destroy and demoralize its ground forces proved the ultimate vindication of the Air Force research and development programs.
Throughout this book, Boyne presents an agreeable blend of narration about individuals, equipment, organizational concepts and war stories, detailed enough to hold the interest without leading to boredom.
This book addresses all aspects of Air Force service. Fighters, Strategic and Tactical bombers Air Lift and refueling all are given proper attention. The recent reorganization of the Air Force Commands was clearly explained. The changing demands of the American public that victory must be swiftly achieved with few casualties, either of friendly or enemy forces or noncombatants, and the Air Force's ability to meet those demands were presented as a logical result of the continuing research and development programs.
I was particularly impressed by the description of the refueling capabilities which can now keep aircraft flying virtually indefinitely. Equally impressive is the story of the B-52, which may have a useful life of 75 years from first flight to final retirement.
At the conclusion we are presented with an Air Force which has the potential to deliver military punch of unprecedented scope and dimensions. In an era in which the availability of overseas bases may be limited, the Air Force has the capability, through refueling, of delivering ordinance to virtually any place on earth through missions originating in the United States. Although beyond the temporal scope of this book, the continuation of the technological advancement was seen in the Bosnian operation in which bombing runs originated and ended in Missouri by warriors who would spend their nights at home with their families .
This book is a fitting tribute to the men and women who have carried the story of the United States Air Force into the Wild Blue and Beyond.
One of the best books ever written........2001-01-11
I had first seen this on the History Channel. It was a documentary hosted by the author, Walter Boyne. I really enjoyed the documentary. When I found out that it was going to also be a book, I purchased it immediately. I think that the U.S. Air Force is one of the most effective, efficient units of the Armed Forces next to the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Army. I was glad that the book was written by a former Air Force officer instead of someone else. The book goes into detail about the history of air combat from World War I to the Persian Gulf War and makes suggestions about the role of the U.S. Air Force in the future. I really enjoyed reading this book. I think that it was well-written and that it's worth reading.
Customer Reviews:
Great analysis of the little researched Buffalo Soldier.......2001-02-03
Dr. Arlen Fowler has done an excellent job in writing about the little known and researched "Buffalo Soldier" who was vital in establishing and maintaining law and order in the west during the 1860s-1890s. Drawing on resources, Dr. Fowler has writtemng in an excelelnt and easy to read prose.
Dr Fowler researched extensively for this book from little known and altogether scares resources of material. However, all the resources that were available about the Buffalo Soldiers were used and cited accurately in this book. But, the MOST important plus about this book is the interesting stories about the Buffalo Soldiers daily life is told. From the dreary and wretched living conditions the soldier had to endure on a daily basis, to the evident discrimination that the African-American Buffalo Soldier had to endure, to the loyalty and bravery that the Buffalo soldier displayed from guarding a stagecoach run, laying miles of telegraph line, fighting fierce Indians, all these accounts and more are in this book.
I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a great story and documentation about the little known Buffalo Soldier, the American West and fighting the Native Americans. A Great Read!
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Provides an overview of the organizational alternatives available to libraries by addressing activities and explaining the models used in public, academic, and school libraries. It provides an overview of possible structures and indicates some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
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