Book Description
This addition to the Britain in Old Photographs series brings together a collection of black-and-white pictures spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawn from family albums, local collections and professional photographers, they show the way things were and how they have changed. Every photograph is captioned, providing names and dates where possible, revealing historical and anecdotal detail and giving life to the scenes and personalities captured through the camera lens. Bringing together all aspects of daily life - celebrations and disasters, work and leisure, people and buildings - the collection should inspire memories, as well as serve as an introduction to visitors.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous detailed and illustrated history of The Tower.......2000-06-28
I bought another book by Parnell about the Tower (The Tower of Londong Past & Present) that basically consisted of the past 150 years of photographs of the Tower. I was a little disappointed by that book because I wanted juicy history. As a result, I was a little hesitant to order this book without really knowing anything.
Let me tell you- this book is FABULOUS. It is a thorough history of the Tower chock-full of photographs of the Tower and its archaelogical finds, paintings representing the history of the Tower, diagrams, writings, you name it. There's even a picture of the head of Simon of Sudbury.
The book is broken down into two parts. The first part is "The Tower in the Middle Ages" which is largely architectural information about the start and development of the castles, covering the years AD 43 to 1485. Of course, the architectural info only makes sense in light of the political and social realities that dictated the Tower's structure, and there is plenty of that info as well.
The second section continues telling the story of the physical history of the Tower, but talks more about its functions (royal lodgings, arsenal, prison, etc.). "The Tower and its Institutions" covers the years 1485 through 2000 and really covers the role of the Tower in the history of England.
The history provided about the Tower is incredibly thorough and detailed. If you are planning a trip to England, I highly recommend reading this book before you meander through the Tower- it will really let you know what you are seeing so you could appreciate it better. If you've read a lot of British history and just want to see the places where some of that history took place, you'll really appreciate this book. I'm so excited about this book I can't stand it.
A small caveat- this is a history of the Tower, and not a story about the history of England that took place in the Tower. For example, this book does not discuss the fact that Henry the VI was likely killed in the Wakefield Tower in the Tower of London, even though there is a picture of the oratory where tradition says his murder occured (at least, if it's in there, I missed it).
But this is a small complaint- there is plenty of information about the beginnings, growth, development, political role, and all kinds of other good stuff. I've looked a while for a good book on the Tower and so far this is the best one!
Good but narrowly focused.......2000-05-01
I was a little disappointed in this book mostly because I didn't read the description carefully enough. A book that shows the history of the Tower of London in photographs can really only show, say, the last 150 years of changes. Given the thousand years of Tower history, the information this book provides is from a somewhat narrow time frame. I recommend it as long as you know what you are getting into because the changes to the Tower really are fascinating- but if you want to "experience" the eras of Anne Boelyn or the Princes in the Tower, look elsewhere.
Book Description
A potent and beautiful symbol of India's rich artistic past and a major treasury of Buddhist art.
In 1819, a group of British soldiers on a hunting expedition chanced upon the Ajanta caves some 200 miles northeast of Bombay. Ranging in date from the second century BC to the sixth century AD, the exquisite Buddhist paintings and sculptures found there now rank among the world's most important cultural treasures.
The murals were created using only the glow of lamps and candles, quite unlike the harsh light employed in modern professional photography. For this book, Benoy K. Behl has used long exposures that pick up natural ambient light, capturing the art for the first time in all its glory and luminosity. The early followers of the Buddha created an isolated haven where they could meditate in peace. Stonecutters carved out massive caves decorated with lithe and graceful figures, fashioning beams and rafters from the rock in imitation of wooden buildings. Painters worked on exquisite murals that depict scenes of princely processions, ladies with their handmaidens, bejeweled animals, ascetics in monasteries, fantastic birds and beasts—all demonstrating a startling degree of sophistication.
Ajanta provides virtually the only evidence remaining of painting styles that first developed in India and then traveled with the spread of Buddhism into the Himalayan regions, across Central Asia into China, and from there to Japan and Korea. Over 200 illustrations, 189 in color.
Customer Reviews:
If you have never been to the Ajanta Caves..........2006-03-04
If you, like me, have never been to the Ajanta Caves and would like to get a feel for the treasures they hold this is the right book to get. The quality of the prints is great - the artistry is beautiful. Very delicate and sensual in most places and quite bewildering in others. At times I wished the captions offered even more insight on the individual scenes but then I remember that this is not what this book is about. It is a delight to simply sit there, browse through this book and imagine what life must have been like in those faraway days. This book takes you places. If you are into ancient India you will not be disappointed.
magnificent and moving.......2005-10-24
although many of the old frescos hardly survived,
their essence and perennial beauty remains intact in the excellent reproductions, taken without any flashlights of this masterly book
I consider this book the most impressive in my big collection of works on Oriental and Buddhist art,
the expression of the faces, their compassion and their gestures are so delicate
and well represented in this book
Beautifully Photographed.......2001-02-24
If you are planning a trip to India, you should consider visiting the caves at Ajanta. If you are planning to visit the caves, you should read this book before the trip. You will get a lot more out of the experience of the caves if you know the Jataka stories and understand the Buddhist iconography described in this book.
Even if you have no plans to travel to Ajanta, the boook contains beautiful photograpghs which will make a nice addition to any collection of art books or, for that matter, to any coffee table.
The best photographs of the Ajanta murals.......1999-11-28
The Ajanta caves can be considered among the wonders of the ancient world, both in terms of their artistic and their spiritual value, and this book captures the beauty and detail of the remarkable murals. If I were to make one criticism, it would be that it emphasizes the murals at the expense of largely neglecting the sculptures, which are magnificent in their own right. The book might better be titled, "Murals of the Ajanta Caves." I ordered it without seeing it first, and I was a little disappointed to see how few photographs were included of the sculptures. Nevertheless, the beautiful and clear photographs of the murals alone are worth the price of the book, and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone interested in the Ajanta caves, or in ancient Indian or Buddhist art.
Excellent Overview of the Adjanta Caves.......1999-07-26
This book offers the best color photographs of the Ajanta caves that I have seen. The text offers an excellent explication of the history and iconography of the images. Having been to the caves, I can honestly say that you see the paintings more clearly in this book than at the caves themselves. (This is due to crowded conditions and poor lighting at the caves.) This book is an important adjunct to any study of Buddhist art and inconography. If you're planning to travel to Ajanta, buy this book first.
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Ajanta
Debala Mitra
Manufacturer: Archaeological Survey of India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007JJKVY |
Average customer rating:
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Ajanta and Ellora: Cave Temples of Ancient India
Pushpesh Pant , and
Pushpesh Pant
Manufacturer: Roli Books Pvt Ltd, India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| India
| Asia
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 8174370994 |
Product Description
Includes a 24 page introduction by Benjamin Rowland,and 28 beautiful color illustrations of the early Buddhist paintings, some of which are larger and on fold out pages. Includes Bibliography.
Customer Reviews:
As clear as actually being there.......2006-07-21
The illustrations in this UNESCO book - both the few black and white ones in the text and the exquisite color ones in the back section - are superb. Though brief, the text fully details the murky history of preservational thought during the time following first discovery in 1817 of what had been magnificently accomplished within the first century A.D. It also provides fascinating details such as how the rock walls were prepared and how the actual painting was done. The religious or sacred background here forms the foundation for later artistic developments in Asia much as Western art was influenced by early classical Greece and Rome. Both style and method could be instructive and inspirational to contemporary artists.
Book Description
Perfect for novices, photography students, and amateurs looking to brush up on the fundamentals, this is the most accessible 35mm photography guide available. Starting with the very basics of holding and loading a camera, Basic 35mm Photography moves on to more complicated subjects of shutter speeds, film types, lenses, light meters, exposure, automatic settings, and special effects. Explanations of key topics are given, photography jargon is defined, and photos are used to illustrate how to get the best results. Working step-by-step through the book, photographers learn how to take a great picture using a 35mm camera of any type-semiautomatic or automatic. Various brands of lenses, filters, flashes, and cameras are evaluated, and photographers find out how to choose, use, and care for each piece of equipment.
Customer Reviews:
If you aren't an Absolute Beginner don't bother.......2002-04-02
I purchased this book on based on the numerous favorable reviews on how useful folks had found it, even those who had some photography experience, albiet minor. I thought I was in that same class, being someone who's had his 35mm SLR for a couple of years but only just did quick point and shoot stuff with it, never really using it to its capacity. If you are one of those people, avoid this book. I already know how to load and unload my film, I've figured out what film works best in my camera and for what situation and I've definately learned how to hold my camera. Unless you went out and bought your first camera just before reading this review I wouldn't bother with this book. Even then I'd be wary, you could probably pick up most of the techniques discuss just by using your camera, and I'm a firm believer in on the job training, though it can get expensive on the film. To sum up, use your camera, become familiar with it and then to refine your technique pick check out something other than this book.
VERY BASIC.......2001-09-13
First- the Positive: The book has very good pictures that helped to illustrate the points the author was trying to make. It is very basic. If you have never done anything with photography, this is a good book. It helps explain some concepts in very easy to understand terms.
Next- The Negative: This book is VERY BASIC. If you read your owners manual that comes with the camera, much of what is in this book is covered in the owners manual.
I bought this book after I read my owners manual and took a simple photography course at the local college (non-credit for fun course!) This book was much more basic than I wanted. I found that I learned very little from this book because I had read the owners manual of my camera. However, I can see how this book might be helpful to a very beginner.
"Basic" is an understatement..........2001-07-27
If you know nothing about 35mm photography; if you have never held a 35mm SLR in your hands; if you need the low down on "how to" in the simplest form, then this may be the book for you. Otherwise, skip it--"basic" is an understatement. I gave my copy to a needier friend. Nat'l Geographic's "how-to" and the Kodak guide to 35mm photography (although both on the heavy side) are better choices and are both packed full of more advanced information (and exciting color photos)for down the road.
Start your introduction to photography here.......2001-06-30
I started here and couldn't be more thankful. First, I must concede that to find any value in this book, you pretty much have to be totally ignorant about 35mm photography. However, if you are (like I was), it is EXACTLY what you need. To me, an absolute novice photographer is someone who has never shot a photograph using a camera other than a simple "point and shoot" model. You know you're this type of person if someone has ever asked you to take a photo for them with a non-point & shoot (e.g. a 35mm SLR) and you panicked because you didn't know how or didn't think you could. If this example doesn't suffice, then ask yourself this question: Do you know what "SLR" stands for and what it means? If not, then you need this book.
All told, this book is something like 112 pages long. However, I was able to read it in about 30 minutes. The reason is because the author gives you only the absolute basics you need in three or four sentences per page, with one or two visually explanatory accompanying photos. As such, it's PERFECT for explaining (and demonstrating) the nuts and bolts that you absolutely must know if you want to step up into a camera in which you have some control over the camera functions.
Beyond that, you will admittedly learn little. However, what little you learn is absolutely essential. I recommend buying it too (rather than just reading it in a library, for example) because I still refer back to this book every now and then to make sure I'm correctly understanding the more advanced techniques I'm trying to learn in other books. I can't say enough about this book. If you want a small compact easy-to-read introduction to the bare basics of 35mm cameras and photography, this is the one and only book you will need. Enjoy!
Great info on taking pictures for the beginner!.......2001-04-07
This book was originally released awhile ago and I just flipped through it again recently to check out their "5th Edition." The content's been updated in the book, even if the pictures haven't, and it still gives you all you need to know to start taking pictures with the average manual camera.
It looks like all of the pictures dealing with equipment have been updated, even if the demonstration ones haven't. So, all of the equipment is current and the information is still valid. There's nothing on digital in there, but I think that would dilute the idea of the book.
The whole point is to have a very stripped down book on taking pictures with 35mm film. The title says it all, and isn't really misleading.
As far as that goes, it's still the best book out there for beginning film buffs.
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Managing Your Organization's Records (The Successful Lis Professional)
Elizabeth Parker
Manufacturer: Library Assn Pub Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Workplace
| Organizational Behavior
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
MIS
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Library Management
| Library & Information Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1856043355 |
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Missouri Real Estate Exam Prep, Second Edition
Manufacturer: Dearborn Real Estate Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Real Estate
| Business & Investing
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General
| Education
| Reference
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General
| Test Prep Central
| Reference
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ASIN: 0793158559 |
Book Description
Although the siege of Wake Island was not one of World War II's biggest campaigns, it had a profound psychological effect on the course of the nation's struggle. This was the battle that first raised American spirits in the dark weeks following Pearl Harbor. For sixteen suspenseful days, 449 U.S. Marines, assisted by a handful of sailors and soldiers and a few hundred civilian construction workers, withstood repeated attacks by numerically superior Japanese forces. Although Wake finally fell on 23 December 1941, its garrison made the Japanese pay an embarrassingly high price for a tiny coral outpost.
Based on interviews with over seventy American and Japanese participants, the riveting, you-are-there narrative pulsates with the crack of rifles, the stutter of machine guns, the roar of cannon, and the concussion of bombs. This is a military history from the bottom up, an unforgettable reading experience told from the perspective of enlisted men and junior officers who served on the front lines.
Customer Reviews:
Alamo of the Pacific.......2007-07-16
Most people only know about wake Island from the William Bendix movie made in 1942 when very few facts of the battle were known. What was know was that in 1941, as most American outposts in the far east fell in hours, this small Island with a garrison of some 450 marines and a few airmen held out for weeks and became a symbol of hope for Americans in a world of otherwise bleak news. The papers called this unlovely rock "The Alamo of the Pacific" in rememberance of that other famous last stand.
What Dr Urwin goes into is the detail beyond these facts, having interviewed survivors from both sides of the battle and poured over navy records he takes Marines who were little more than faceless icons, and made them human, with fears and hopes and lives all their own, and in so doing makes their stand more iconic. He gives them lives and personalities with annecdotes and humor as remembered by their friends in later years that shows them as a uniquiely American force.
Is it a big book? yup. Is it easy to read? Oh Yeah! The early chapters are about the finding, losing and refinding the atoll known as "Wake," then going into how it was developed in an attempts for commercial air travel in the 1930's. These chapters were so easy to read I found myself wondering if there were books on this, A topic I'd previously had no knowledge of or desire in. The writing is that good.
"What better way for man to die, then facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers and the Temples of his gods." yup, sums it up well.
Arguably, the best book on the subject. A dignified scholarly look at the Wake saga, Extraordinary!.......2007-01-25
Professor Urwin has contributed a priceless addition to the collection of great American historical letters. Perhaps one of the best compilations of Wake Island information that at no time reads like the encyclopedia it resembles.
This is a huge and potentially intimidating book that is worth every bit of its seemingly steep price tag. Invest in your brain, you get what you pay for and then some!
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ, AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!
So well written.......2006-10-20
I am a student in one of Dr. Uwrin's classes and he assigned this book for us to read. Usually I get annoyed when this happens because it is usually a way for teachers to throw their ideas further onto students and make them pay (literally) for it. Urwin's is one of only two professor written books that I have enjoyed reading for class. Dr. Urwin's writing is extremely clear and easy to follow, and he grips the reader. The language is not the pompous scholarly language one usually finds in books like this. You don't have to be a student of WWII to read this, anyone could pick it up and read it without problems. And to answer someone's musing that if Dr. Urwin's lecturing is as good as his writing, it is and then some! READ THIS BOOK!
Thorough and well written.......2004-08-21
The title, Facing Fearful Odds, is taken from Macaulay's "Horatius at the Bridge" (a poem I lovingly remember reading as a schoolboy), and it's evocative of the dramatic siege of Wake Island in the immediate aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Gregory Urwin is a fine writer who vividly portrays the drama of a handful of Marines and civilian construction workers who repelled daily assaults by the Japanese navy and air force for 16 harrowing days before finally capitulating to overwhelming force. In stunning detail, the author depicts the frantic preparatory events leading up to the siege, the fierce resistance, and the bitter aftermath. It is sad that these heroic events are little known by today's generation.
What is compelling about Mr. Urwin's account of the Wake Island story is his depiction of ordinary men thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Although the Marines were volunteers, many of them joined the Corps to escape the Depression, and many of them never expected to find themselves in such a perilous position. Nonetheless, like Horatius at the Bridge, these men did more than their duty.
Facing Fearful Odds describes how the United States failed to marshal its considerable resources during the year and three months that Europe had been at war; we were dreadfully unprepared militarily, economically and psychologically for the sudden impact of the terrible defeats Japan dealt us. If we view the events of late 1941 in the context of the smug condescension most Americans felt toward Japan, and the fact that we woefully underestimated Japanese military prowess, we can begin to understand how shattering Pearl Harbor was. Americans were angry as hell and damned scared.
Then, a few gritty Marines and civilian construction workers - every one of them a regular "Joe Everyman" with whom any American could identify - held off the mighty Japanese navy and air force for more than two weeks and dealt them a stunning, crushing blow. That we ultimately lost Wake Island mattered little. That these brave men showed the world that Americans could - and would - fight back meant everything to the people at home and to those in the service. These few men lifted America from its fear and helped focus its anger in a powerful resolve to defeat the enemy.
The Marines of Wake Island were expendable, and they knew it. Mr. Urwin enables the reader to imagine why a man would willingly put himself in harm's way knowing - with near certainty - that he was unlikely to survive. One could argue that the man doesn't have a choice, but of course he has a choice - he can surrender. Urwin shows us that the willingness to fight and not surrender came from something more than patriotism. Though they fully expected to die, it was a matter of pride; though they believed no one would ever know it, they were determined to make the enemy pay dearly for American lives. They knew if they did that, someone else might live a little longer.
Facing Fearful Odds is about defiance in the face of certain death, of abject determination to make the enemy pay a terrible price for their arrogance. The men of Wake Island didn't save the world - that was for the men and women who came after them to do. But they saved America's face. Guam surrendered immediately. Wake Island did not.
Several weeks before the battle of the Alamo, Mexican troops marched into San Antonio demanding a siege cannon that the Texan rebels held. The Texans' reply was, "Come and take it." Implied were the words, "...if you can." Gregory Urwin gives the reader a rare opportunity to know how the men of Wake Island felt when they made the Japanese Navy "come and take it."
Greatest Tribute to the Wake Island Defenders!.......2003-11-21
Author Gregory Urwin spent years researching the epic defense of Wake Island using uncovered documents, personal interviews of civilian and military survivors, diaries, library archives and just plan hard leg work. The author to this day still honors those that served at Wake by staying in touch with the survivors at their yearly reunions and was instrumental in making the documentary on The History Channel become a reality. 'Facing Fearful Odds' brings the battle to life again through the eyes of those that were there and gives a balanced view on the Devereux-Cunningham contravercy which showed beyond doubt the shabby treatment given to the Navy Commander. The book is a must read to anyone who wants to learn about dedication, friendship, survival and love of country.
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Maori Origins and Migrations: The Genesis of Some Pakeha Myths and Legends
M. P. K. Sorrenson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
New Zealand
| Australia & Oceania
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Cultural
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Folklore & Mythology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
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General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
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General
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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ASIN: 1869400534 |
Book Description
This is a brief but fascinating study of European theories about where the Maori people came from, how they reached New Zealand and how they lived when they arrived. Some of these theories now seem bizarre but others hardened into myths that became accepted truths. This is an illuminating,
sometimes amusing, account of the making of myths.
Book Description
Part documentary, part nostalgic history, and part informational catalogue, Waterfowling on the Chesapeake, 1819--1936 explores a century of hunting on the Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries -- from the heyday of gun clubs and market shooting to the rise of conservation law. Drawing on oral histories and period documents and artifacts, C. John Sullivan, a longtime collector of decoys and hunting paraphernalia and a frequent guest curator of exhibits, looks at the effects of technological change, the relationship between hunter and dog, the recognition of decoys as folk art, and the history of hunting. He also introduces us to famous and lesser-known carvers and others who share an enthusiasm for this feature of Chesapeake cultural history and life.
Books:
- The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age: Architectural Aspirations, 1879-1901
- Theories and Manifestoes of Contemporary Architecture
- Traditional Style Kitchens: Modern Designs Inspired By The Past
- Tropical Style: Private Palm Beach
- U.S. Landscape Ordinances: An Annotated Reference Handbook
- Uncommon Structures, Unconventional Builders
- Up from Zero: Politics, Architecture, and the Rebuilding of New York
- Visionary Clients for New Architecture
- Watercolour Landscapes in Detail
- Work/Life : Tod Williams Billie Tsien
Books Index
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