Classical Architecture: An Introduction to Its Vocabulary and Essentials, with a Select Glossary of Terms

Book Description

This richly illustrated book illuminates the principles and elements of classical architecture, which have been at the heart of the Western experience for over two millennia. It explores Greek and Roman architecture and the architecture of eras that found in antiquity a basis for their own design—the Renaissance, the Baroque and Rococo, Neoclassicism, and the modern era. 333 b/w illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Exquisitely Illustrated Encyclopedia of Classical Form.......2006-08-30

The ne plus ultra of visual references for classical design. Treats each component independently, both verbally and visually, and helps one aquire a weighted and balanced perspective on the full range of formal options.

The perfect companion to Sir John Summerson's slight but powerful Classical Language.

Highly recommended.

Customer Reviews:

Great reference, excellent history & materials section.......2001-06-16

This is a wonderful reference book for the watercolor painter. It contains all kinds of useful information to help you understand the medium and improve your knowledge and skills.

The first 40 pages provide a great history of watercolor painting, so often overlooked in the overall scheme of art history. Then all the aspects of setting up a work area and studio are covered followed by a very thorough materials and tools section. There are example pictures and descriptions of everything from easels to paper and brushes to paint. There is also a paper stretching demo and a watercolor color chart.

A section on the principles of drawing follows. This includes instructions on making simple shapes, creating perspective, Plato's rule, golden sections, drawing a quick sketch and more. Then various watercolor techniques such as creating washes, erasing with a dry brush and achieving texture with salt and turpentine are covered. Next, there are two chapters on color theory and mixing explaining warm, cool and broken colors as well as color schemes and values. A nice demo of painting a watercolor with three colors is included.

The last chapters deal with techniques, skills and actually beginning the painting process. Here you find information and advice on painting the human figure, skies, clouds, trees, landscapes, illustrations and seascapes. There are no real projects here and no reference photos. Rather the focus is on general advice for painting various subjects with example demonstrations. A helpful glossary is included in the back. This is certainly one of the most thorough, useful and entertaining books I have seen for the beginning watercolorist.

Product Description

This complete set of forms includes instructions for organizing every detail of pre-shoot, shoot and follow-up matters related to stock photography.

Customer Reviews:

makes it look simple.......2001-06-30

simple is the key to success !this book helps make it easy to set up your new business and keep it simple sweetie "kiss" very inexpensive for a small investment to gain so much information.

Book Description

A Call To Arms Rules Supplement 3 crucially expands Mongoose's Babylon 5 space combat game, providing new and exciting alternatives for players eager to add to what is already being hailed as a classic space combat game.

Book Description

In Caught Midstream, Janos, a successful executive, reveals the untold experiences of his youth quite unexpectedly to Sparrow—a young woman he is attracted to. She is allowed to relive his epic journey and becomes drawn into an unnerving yet moving tapestry of travails and extraordinary events that take place in prisoner-of-war camps deep within Russia. Taken by force at age sixteen from the protective circle of his family in Germany, Janos is tossed into the cataclysmic, last-gasp efforts of World War II. His journey takes him to a place of darkness, where he lives through a near-death experience and goes through physical and emotional starvation, hard labor, and ostracism; yet it also carries him into unlikely places and relationships where friendship, compassion, healing, mentoring, and love can, amazingly, still flourish. As the story unfolds, Janos's journey accelerates from adolescence into manhood. Almost miraculously, Janos survives while vast numbers of his co-travelers perish.

Customer Reviews:

Spellbinding.......2006-07-11

This book touched me deeply, and I highly recommend it. The author not only created characters that are so alive but reveals what goes on in their mind and heart, describing their every mood and emotion that lets the reader feel deeply involved.
When I started out, I liked the cheerfulness and the mystery of Part I right away. Then I became a little apprehensive because I knew something sad must be happening, I just did not know how it would unfold. It did not take long and I was totally drawn into it. The book elicited many emotions in me, first of all compassion with this extraordinary and innocent young man but also joy and excitement that always something good came to him after his sufferings. It was moving and totally satisfying to experience that kindness, friendship, and love can survive in the harsh environment of a prisoner-of-war camp in Russia.
The language is beautiful, the story is skillfully framed, and the insertion of Rilke's poetry give it a special touch. Very inspiring.

What the River Knows, An Angler in Midstream

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What the River Knows, An Angler in Midstream
Wayne Fields
Manufacturer: New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LUU30Q

Average customer rating:

Oh, it does not get much better than this
An outstanding reflection of one man life and your own.

What the River Knows: An Angler in Midstream
Wayne Fields
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226248577

Book Description

At the age of forty-two, Wayne Fields set upon a sort of pilgrimage when he waded the near twenty-mile stretch of a small river in northern Michigan with fly rod in hand. He emerged with a beautiful and poignant memoir, a meditation on families and aging, and a whimsical response to what time, and streams, and those we care about bring into our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Oh, it does not get much better than this.......2004-07-10

Cook's Run is a short stream in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Professor Fields wants you to know its every mile, and the complexities of each. That discovery is interleaved with a life in mid current: family, dog, and cabin.
One would expect an instructor in American literature to work the language well, and the reader will get just this. "But wait, there's more": extraordinary understanding of the trout of Cook's run, superb vision of the inhabitants and geography of the U.P. Fishermen/fisherwomen & families take note: this is a special piece of work.

An outstanding reflection of one man life and your own........1999-02-22

The authors challenge of fishing the entire length of Cook's Run takes you on down reflecting path of the authors life and your own. If you have a family and enjoy fishing you should read this book.

Chinese Economic Policy: Economic Reform at Midstream (China in a New Era)

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Chinese Economic Policy: Economic Reform at Midstream (China in a New Era)

Manufacturer: Paragon House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0943852692

Horses in Midstream: U. S. Midterm Elections and Their Consequences, 1894-1998

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Great Study of Obscure Subject
An excellent study of the results of midterms

Horses in Midstream: U. S. Midterm Elections and Their Consequences, 1894-1998
Andrew E. Busch
Manufacturer: University of Pittsburgh Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Elections | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Horses in Midstream breaks the mold of midterm election literature by focusing on the consequences of midterm elections rather than on the causes of the anti-administration pattern of those elections. The book concludes that the midterm pattern has two primary consequences: it stymies the President and provides an opportunity for the revitalization of the opposition party-and that numerical losses by the President's party is really only a small part of the equation. Consequently, midterm elections can be considered an additional check in the U.S. political system, acting as a mechanism that helps to assure rough two party balance.

In examining the historical results from midterm elections dating back to 1894 and extending to the surprising result of 1994 and 1998, Busch has uncovered seven consistent ways in which the president and his party are harmed by midterm elections. These elections unfavorably alter the composition of congress, both between the parties and within the President's own party; they deprive the President of the plebiscitary power derived from his original electoral mandate; they give an intangible sense of momentum to the opposition party, leading to renewed opportunities for the opposition to put forward new leaders and to develop winning issues; they exacerbate splits within the President's own party; and they provide the opposition party with expanded party-building opportunities at the state level. Busch also places the midterm elections into four categories: "preparatory" midterms, which contribute to a subsequent change in party control of the Presidency; "calibrating" midterms in which voters slow but do not reverse extraordinary periods of Presidentially-driven change; "normal" midterms when midterm elections stymie the President without contributing to a White House takeover; and the rare "creative exceptions" when an administration escapes the midterm curse at the polls and find themselves invigorated rather than weakened. Busch's new approach to policy studies, his well supported conclusions, and his clear, consistent style will certainly be of interest to political scientists and policy analysts, and will translate well to the classroom.

Customer Reviews:

Great Study of Obscure Subject.......2002-07-14

Midterm elections are a lot more than just the ugly stepchild of American politics. They are an important feature that (with three exceptions since 1894)have consistently hurt the president and his agenda in one way or another. Why does the president's party almost always lose ground in Congress in midterm elections? And what are the short- and long-term effects of midterms?

In this book, Busch takes at look at every midterm election from 1894 to the present. He then divides each midterm election into one of four categories: the preparatories (1894, 1910, 1918, 1930, 1950, 1958, 1966, and 1978) in which the opposition party gained seats in Congress and set the stage for their winning the White House two years later, the calibrating elections, (1938, 1982, 1986) which forced the president to moderate his agenda, but didn't reverse it, the exceptions (1934, 1962, and 1998)in which the party holding the White House gained the advantages usually gained by their opponents, and the normal midterms (somewhat surprisingly, 1994 is in this category).

Midterm elections have many important effects besides just damaging the president, as Busch notes. For example, the 1946 elections and the subsequent GOP Congress established bipartisan support for an activist foreign policy that is still, for the most part, with us today.

Don't let my summary fool you. Busch goes into great depth (for example, he even shows that the president usually suffers damage within his own party i.e. many of the Democrats who survived the 1894 elections were silverities and thus Cleveland's enemies) about an important topic.

An excellent study of the results of midterms.......2000-05-26

Professor Busch pens a superb book that deals with a topic that few other political scientists have written on: the results of midterm elections. Prof. Busch looks at each midterm election since 1894 (up to 1998) and classifies them, finally explaining their results. It is an excellent book, and is a must for anyone trying to understand what midterm elections mean to our republican government.

Average customer rating:

Lincoln the President Midstream
J.G. Randall
Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PA3GR4

LINCOLN THE PRESIDENT MIDSTREAM Lincoln At the Height of His Powers, Caught in a Swirling Current of War, Politics and Personal Tragedy

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LINCOLN THE PRESIDENT MIDSTREAM Lincoln At the Height of His Powers, Caught in a Swirling Current of War, Politics and Personal Tragedy
J. G. Randall
Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RRM5DG

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Lincoln the President, Midstream
J.G. Randall
Manufacturer: New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1953
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O3NQEU

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Lincoln the President: Midstream
J. G. Randall
Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H3NVA6

Customer Reviews:

A delightful and intriguing journal.......2006-10-10

This relatively short (64 pages) account of a trip made between Milford, Connecticut and Warren, Ohio, in 1810, is fascinating in its depiction of conditions and people met along the way. The route taken follows pretty much the old Forbes Road across central Pennsylvania, which by 1810 was the main "highway" across the Allegheny Mountains to the West. It was chiefly a waggoners road, used to transport freight from the eastern states to Pittsburgh and beyond (and vice-versa). Conditions of both the road and accommodations along the way were crude and, in many instances, downright appalling to Ms. Dwight. They (she was traveling with the Wolcott family of Milford) averaged about 10 miles a day, most of it on foot to spare the horses. It was November and much of the weather was rainy with streams running high (there were snow showers in the higher elevations). I was particularly interested in her description of central Pennsylvania; she refers to the three mountains crossed west of Shippensburg along the Three Mountain Road as "Brother 1" and "Brother 2," names I've never heard used before (or since). Her itinerary is easy to follow, however.

Taverns and residences they stay at are invariably dirty and crowded, though once beyond Bedford, PA conditions improve somewhat on occasion. Pittsburgh makes little impression on the party and they are through it in the course of a day. Her views of the people encountered on her trip are perhaps the most intriguing thing about the book: she is sometimes shocked by their behavior or manners and sometimes just outright amused. She's a good observer, though, and we get a good feel for what any traveler across PA could expect to find and experience in 1810. One thing that would have made this book even better is annotations by the editor explaining Dwight's references; this absence leaves the reader wondering at times. But there is plenty to savor here in this fascinating little journal.

Boring yet somewhat interesting.......2000-11-21

It was a very very boring book that put me to sleep every time I picked it up to read. Yes it did have some interesting things in it, it was more boring than it was interesting.

Book Description

Although light infantry tactics formed one of the cornerstones of Napoleonic warfare, their employment was by no means restricted to Light regiments. Thus, from the early 1800s if not before, the distinction between Light and Line infantry was largely one of costume and tradition. One marked difference from the Line infantry, however, was in the superior ésprit de corps of the Light regiments. Their attitude of superiority was reinforced by their different (and often more impressive) uniform, the theoretical difference in role, and supposed superior training. Philip Haythornwaite examines their uniforms in a volume including eight superb colour plates by Brian Fosten.

Customer Reviews:

Unreliable Uniformology.......2001-07-14

This volume while colorful (the color plates are beautifully done, but some are highly inaccurate), is an unreliable reference for the Grande Armee's light infantry. The author, in my opinion in these early Osprey's, has trouble with many things about the Grande Armee, such as French military terms and the details of the uniforms. However, he is reliable when it comes to the British Army and the volumes he has done in that area are well-worth having. Thankfully, his more recent efforts, such as the new Osprey on Napoleon's commanders is an excellent book and reference.

Three errors stand out immediately in this volume. First, the Tirailleurs Corses, the elite, deadly, Corsican light infantry battalion is shown wearing a blue, light infantry style iniform, when they were uniformed in brown until they amalgamated in 1811 with the Tirailleurs du Po and the Swiss Valaison Battalion to reconstitute the 11th Legere. Second, some of the uniforms are shown as a lighter shade of blue than was regulation. This might have happened on purpose, but it also might have been the result of poor dyes, which should be brought out in the text. Third, the bearskins shown in the color plates are too small. They are shown at the approximate size of a circa 1900 British fusilier cap, not a Napoleonic bearskin. Comparing these with those originals in the Brunon collection and in the Musee de l'Armee in Paris, the error is quite noticeable and blatant.

As noted previously, the artwork is wonderfully done, but is unreliable. For a better appreciation of what the Grande Armee probably looked like, the first two volumes of the four volume uniform study on the period, Napoleonic Uniforms by John Elting, should be used. As Roger Forthoffer, a noted authority on uniforms, once stated, there are three types of uniforms: those the troops were supposed to wear, those the NCOs tried to get them to wear, and those that were actually worn. This volume was an excellent opportunity to present the light infantry arm of the Grande Armee as they might have appeared in garrison and in the field, but it falls far short. It is unreliable as a reference and is not recommended.

A good source book.......1999-12-29

This is a very excellent book. I am a repro uniform collector and I used this book to make the 1er Leger regt uniform. Any historian, collector, modeler, or re-enactor should find this book most useful.

The Letters of Private Wheeler (of the 51st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the Napoleon Wars)

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The Letters of Private Wheeler (of the 51st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in the Napoleon Wars)
Capt. B.H. Liddell (Editor/Foreword) Hart
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

RIFLEMAN: Elite Soldiers of the Wars against Napoleon (Classic Soldiers Series)

Average customer rating:

The same old circle jerk of Sharpe and regimental lore...
Enjoyable reading for buffs and novices alike
the élite troops of Wellington's army
RIFLEMAN-Elite Soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars

RIFLEMAN: Elite Soldiers of the Wars against Napoleon (Classic Soldiers Series)
Philipp Elliot-Wright
Manufacturer: Military Illustrated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1903040027

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

The same old circle jerk of Sharpe and regimental lore..........2005-01-26

Puh-leeze.

Somebody has got to stop this train, and, to mix metaphors, call a spade a spade.

There is no new research in this book, even though everyone's buying it for the "new, collected" research contained therein.. It's the same old, undocumented Victorian era regimental lore passed off as fact, mixed in with Crimean War equipments passed off as Napoleonic, since there was thought to be none left. It ain't necessarily so, as the old song goes.

My beef is especially with the uniform/ kit info presented. There's no footnoting to speak of, no new sources presented, it's the same old info as seen in Osprey books and Haythornthwaite's Rifleman book. Why can't people actually go to the National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office) and look at things like Inspection Returns, instead of just passing on the same old uncorroborated uniform "info", such as the bogus raincovers on light infantry caps (they didn't have them- they were only made for the "Belgic" cap). The Riflemen in the Peninsula did not wear the wood-sided so-called "Trotter" knapsacks, black (tarred??) (with a green oval with a 95 on it in the case of the 95th Rifles), they wore a small grey painted knapsack from around 1811 and an envelope pack before that. The "Trotter" box pack is a Crimean War item. One from the Guards is in the National Army Museum. Check the REAL records, real artifacts, not totted-up regimental histories like Willoughby Verner and backdated guesses of late 19th century gear. The riflemen also did not wear the so-called "pillbox" forage cap as pictured in the book, that is a later Rifle Brigade item. Look at the picture of the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo or Badajoz in the book- it shows a fellow in such a cap, but the fellow next to him is wearing an Albert shako, from the 1840s....Riflemen did not carry powder horns after 1808 at all. They had a tendency to break and blow up - it's in official records, but the book is full of people and drawings/paintings of horns, etc. It's details like this that ostensibly sell such a book, but when the details are wrong, or incomplete, it removes the raison d'etre for such a book.

Too many errors, too much unquestioned lore, too much connection with good-time Charlie reenactors and with the Sharpe series. The Sharpe series is a fantasy, and, when you think about it, has little to do with the real 95th (Rifles) Regiment of Foot, but at least it's honest, in that it's not touted as fact.

The truth is, there's a lot of new info out there on the Rifles and their deeds, uniforming and equipment, but you won't find it here. It's a book written for fans of the fictional series "Sharpe" as well as for reenactors, most of whom pictured are dressed according to research done in the 1970s and not much updated since. An entertaining read for the younger set, but don't use it as documentation for figure modelling or reconstructed uniforms for reenactors.

Enjoyable reading for buffs and novices alike.......2001-12-29

If you've seen the "SHARPE" films but want to know what the British Riflemen were REALLY ALL ABOUT, this is the book to get.
This work traces the history, clothing and equipment of the sharpshooters of England's army. Contrary to popular belief, the American "Dirty Shirts" were NOT the FIRST rifle armed soldiers.
Much emphasis is placed on both the 60th and the 95th. There are numerous period paintings, sketches and actual equipment shown. You'll meet such legendary officers such as "Coote" Manningham and "Black Bob" Crawford. The exploits of rifleman Tom Plunkett are also covered.
Interspaced between the pages are photos of reenactors in period uniform, showing what these troops looked like in the field. The Baker rifle is given center stage as it should be.
Even if you are not a "green jacket", you'll find this book well worth having on your shelves. Don't be surprised if you find yourself singing the 95th official song; 'OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY'

the élite troops of Wellington's army.......2000-10-31

Although this new volume in Military Illustrated's "Classic Soldiers" series emphasizes the Napoleonic Wars, the author also covers the precursors of the Rifles and their distinguished service down to the present day. The numerous color illustrations will be a must for artists, wargamers and re-enactors. Every army has among its establishment a unit which is considered its élite. In the British Army under the Duke of Wellington one or two units, such as those of the Light Division, could lay claim to élite status on the basis of their records. But surely the élite troops of Wellington's army were the Rifleman. This volume places much emphasis on examining the lives and experience of the rank-and-file soldiery. Living conditions, training and career patterns in the British Army during this time of reform and re-equipment are examined, as are the recruitment and social backgrounds of the bulk of the force. The book also pays attention to tactics and weaponry, and in combining these two complimentary strands under one title presents an important insight into the reasons for the rise of Britain as a major military power during the Napoleonic period.

150 color and b/w illustrations

RIFLEMAN-Elite Soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars.......2000-07-03

A very good source book for those wanting information on the regiment made famous by the "Sharpe" series. The book covers the origins of the Rifles, from their Prussian and American counterparts, as well as covering their tactics and involvement in some of the most decisive battles of the Peninsular War. There are numerous prints and photos, both of period soldiers and equipment, as well as some modern shots of today's reenactors. The book contains valuable source references, but still reads easily even for someone with a casual interest in the genre. Well worth a look.

Napoleon's Light Infantry. Men-at-Arms No 141

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Napoleon's Light Infantry. Men-at-Arms No 141
Philip Haythornthwaite
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J337NA

Customer Reviews:

A meticulous examination of Qualla Cherokee history.......2005-04-11

Written by psychology professor and sociology expert Laurence Armand French, The Qualla Cherokee Surviving In Two Worlds is volume 5 of Mellen's "Native American Studies" series, offering a meticulous examination of Qualla Cherokee history, daily life and social issues. The Qualla Cherokee Surviving In Two Worlds ranges from prehistoric times to the establishment of the boundaries delineating the Qualla Cherokee in particular, to the difference between the real Qualla Cherokee and the "imaginary" Cherokee perpetuated not only in myths and commercial iconography, but also in misrepresentations by the Cherokee Historical Association itself and the legacy of "cultural genocide" that was once American governmental policy. Extensive reasearch and citations, as well as a brief seletion of color photographs enhance this serious-minded and highly realistic look at how ordinary people live their lives as Qualla Cherokee as well as the past, present, and future of Qualla Cherokees as a whole. Especially recommended for Native American studies shelves, due to its willingness to shy away from the commonly repeated party line search of the plain truth of how people live and what they do today.

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