On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art

Book Description

Religion and serious art have grown apart. While Sister Wendy speaks eloquently about modern art as if it were all religious, art historians distance themselves from the very idea of spirituality. And yet there is a tremendous amount of religious art outside the art world. For millennia, art has been religious - even in times and places when there was no word for "art." Then, in the Renaissance, it became possible for art to glorify the artist, making viewers think more of his skills than of the subjects he portrayed. The modern artist faces a more complex dilemma - one that no art historian has talked about until now.

Can contemporary art say anything about spirituality? John Updike calls modern art "a religion assembled from the fragments of our daily life," but does that mean that contemporary art is spiritual? What might it mean to say that the art you make expresses your spiritual belief?

On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art is about the curious disconnect between spirituality and current art. This book will enable you to walk into a museum and talk about the spirituality that is or is not visible in the art you see.

Customer Reviews:

Skewed view, at best.......2006-03-18

Read this book with care! I recently took a class on religion in contemporary art. In the class, we used Elkins' book as duscussion fodder, and the general consensus was that the author's already rigidly formed ideas about the ideal placement of spirituality in contemporary art informed every story and it's explanation. Note the use of the word "spirituality" rather than "religion" in the above statement. Like most modern authors, Elkins confuses the definition of the two. This is a book about SPIRITUALITY in art, not religious influence or flavor. On the whole, the five stories contained within its pages are interesting illustrations of varying artists' methods and meanings, but in the last half of the book (where Elkins deconstructs each story from a decidedly skewed point of view) I found the explanations trite and tedious, and somewhat forced into the broader spectrum of art history. In short, read the book if you will, but read with care.

Not very scholarly.......2005-09-15

This book has an interesting title and an interesting cover, but that's basically where it ends. I am returning this book and I do not recommend that you buy it. The fact that Walmart also sells it should have been a give away.

Recommended for art critics and art history students.......2004-11-13

James Elkins (Professor of Art History and Theory at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago), presents On The Strange Place Of Religion In Contemporary Art, an in-depth exploration of the complex dilemma of the modern artist concerning to what extent his art should reflect his faith. Even as art historians separate art from spirituality, the long history of art has been intertwined since long, long before the Renaissance. On The Strange Place Of Religion In Contemporary Art explores the dichotomy through the stories of five individuals, and turns over key terms and ideas scholars express when analyzing religious themes and motifs found in the art world. Highly recommended reading especially for art critics and art history students, seeking to better understand both their knowledge base and their descriptive vocabulary of the great works they view.

Lorca: The Drawings, Their Relation to the Poet's Life and Work
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Lorca: The Drawings, Their Relation to the Poet's Life and Work
Helen Oppenheimer
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0531150348

Lorca The Drawings: Their Relation to the Poet's Life and Work
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Lorca The Drawings: Their Relation to the Poet's Life and Work

Manufacturer: Franklin Watts, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9I5DC

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Lorca The Drawings: Their Relation to the Poet's Life and Work
Helen Oppenheimer
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RZQBJW

Lorca: The Drawings Their Relation To The Poet's Life and Work
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Lorca: The Drawings Their Relation To The Poet's Life and Work
Oppenheimer Helen
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDWWZS

Book Description

Navee is assigned a mission by Wake to investigate the steam-punk world of planet TRI-JJ 68. It1s a glacial planet that had been inhabited by a nature-communing, peaceful lot that Wake simply passed over as unworthy. But in a recent pass, they discover that suddenly a whole civilization has sprouted and reached up to its industrial age, and this in record time! Wake is now intrigued and so is Navee, as these new inhabitants closely resemble the race of which, up until now, she had been the only representative: humans! Has she found her own people? The artwork is exceptionally good. The story line quite complex and intelligent. --SF Chronicle

The Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare
Average customer rating:

Fun to Read, and a Fantastic Reference to Tolkien's World.

Research and Viewing Enhancer Book

Not exactly the one I was hoping for...

Good book.

Most important book for LOTR fans

The Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare
Chris Smith , and Christopher Lee
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Lord of the Rings Complete Visual Companion

The Art of The Lord of the Rings

The Making of the Movie Trilogy (The Lord of the Rings)

The Art of The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings)

The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings)

ASIN: 0618391002
Release Date: 2003-11-05

Book Description

Lavishly illustrated with 1,000 photos, paintings, maps, sculptures and sketches, most appearing here for the first time, Weapons and Warfare is an indispensable chronicle of The Lord of the Rings' many creatures, warriors, armies and battlegrounds. From the graceful and proficient Elves to the horrendous war machines of the Dark Lord, each culture's approach to warfare is explained - how they fought, why they were fighting, what armor they wore and what weapons they used against their enemies. Now you can get as close to a marauding Orc as you could ever wish, without suffering the consequences!

Treating the filmmakers' notes, designs and props as a true archive, Weapons and Warfare describes in detail every major conflict depicted in the film trilogy - from The Last Alliance of Elves and Men to the climactic Battle of the Pelennor Fields - each accompanied by a battle diagram from the films' chief designers.

Armed with a wealth of fascinating facts and unique imagery, and with an exclusive foreword by Christopher Lee and an introduction by the Academy Award winner Richard Taylor, Weapons and Warfare promises to be the most striking companion to The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy published to date.

Customer Reviews:

Fun to Read, and a Fantastic Reference to Tolkien's World........2006-10-10

If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings and the great battles between the forces of good and evil, then the "Lord of the Rings Weapons & Warfare" is an essential addition to your personal book hoard.

1000+ color photos and drawing illustrate all the weapons of Middle Earth, the battles and the strongholds of the land.

Learn about the weapons of the elves, the elven shield, bow, sword and fighting knives.

Read about famous swords such as Hadhafang, Narsil, and Sting.

Read about the Orcs and Cave Trolls, daggers fashioned out of horn, and the Mumakil a creature of legend as fabulous and fearsome as a dragon.

Elves of Lothlorien
Bows of Middle Earth
The Black Gate of Mordor
The Balrog
Uruk-hai
Dwarves
The Men of Gondor...
And much more

"Lord of the Rings Weapons & Warfare" is a great book. It's fun to read, and is a fantastic reference to Tolkien's World.

Research and Viewing Enhancer Book.......2006-02-10

This is a good research book. It tells you about the history of Middle Earth and the untold parts of The War of the Ring. It's an enhancer of observation while viewing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the negative part is you might not be able to see it all unless you have the extended version. It talks about the Elves and Orcs of the Second Age. The book gives bios on all the characters that Tolkien created and some that you most likely have never heard of. For example there are two characters called The Mouth of Sauron, and Gil-galad. There is most likely is no other book just like this one.

This book as you most likely suspect has bios on some to the more famous weapons examples like Frodo's weapon Sting, Narsil the sword of Elendil, and the new legendary sword Andúril. Some of the weapons have elven writing on them. The book has translations to the sword Andúril; the translation is `Sun I am Andúril who was Narsil the sword of Elendil. Let the thralls of Mordor flee me. Moon'.

Did you know that the first group of Saruman's Uruk-hai (100 Uruk-hai) that were sent to fight the Fellowship were much stronger than the ten thousand Uruk-hai that attacked Helm's Deep? The reason the second group were weaker was that the 10,000 Uruk-hai were bred too quickly.

The book describes the step by step battle plans of the major battles like The Last Alliance battle at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Siege of Gondor and the Battle of Pelennor Fields (Pelennor Fields is the big plain before Minas Tirith) in Return of the King.

This is a great book buy it with this kind of deal

Not exactly the one I was hoping for..........2005-07-27

Generally it's quite a good one - lots of interesting details, nice photos, logical and easy narrative, etc. It is a reasonable contribution to the collection of the LotR books.
But why have I put only 3 stars? Because this book is based on the LotR film and not on the LotR books, except for the issues that were not covered by and revealed in the film. As a fan more of the LotR books and the STORY itself than of the film I was slightly disappointed with the author's approach to some developments that were covered wrongly by the film in the first place and therefore commented respectively in this book. For instance - death of Saruman is narrated as in the film and only a reference appears that "according to some scholars" Saruman was stabed later on in the Shire. Come on, everyone who was READING LotR knows whow Saruman ended according to the J.R.R.Tolkien himself so how can someone tell us such nonsense! While I can understand P.Jackson who was trying to cut the story into the film I can't accept people writing something as a documentary and distorting the truth.

Good book........2004-10-10

This is an amazing book for any LOTR fans and anyone who is crazy about battles, weapons, armour etc. It has a load of really detailed descriptions of the key battles of the history of Middle Earth. Last Alliance, Helms Deep, Pelennor fields etc. It also has a detailed analysis of all of the warriors you see in the films, the Elves, Uruk-hai, men of Gondor, Numenorean men, riders of Rohan, the list is almost endless.
I found this book thoroughly absorbing and interesting. Drawing inspiration from both the film and the book it gives you series of detailed descriptions. For anyone who likes LOTR this book is a MUST.
The only criticism is that it draws to heavily on the warped events of the film which dissapointed me but then again I hate films getting things wrong. However this could be expected as it is a book of the film and has to draw largely on important events rarely touched on by Tolkien. the last alliance is a good example. It also tends to write as a history instead of a myth which i personally find uncomfortable and a bit pompous. Other than that this book is excellent. Go buy!

Most important book for LOTR fans.......2004-10-10

Buy this book first, then you might not need the visual companion. This book has better information that all the visual companions combined (except for the small maps). The information inside are more than just about weapons and warfare, but also ALL the battle plans (which the visual companion only include some of the plans), all rings design, and ancient archieves of Moria, Saruman etc. IMHP, if you are new to LOTR movies and never read the novel itself, this book will be the first to buy event before the novel itself.

The "Return of the King" Weapons and Warfare ("Lord of the Rings")

Average customer rating:

If you are a LOR fan, this is must have book

The "Return of the King" Weapons and Warfare ("Lord of the Rings")
Chris Smith , and John Howe
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 000717201X

Customer Reviews:

If you are a LOR fan, this is must have book.......2005-02-10

This book from the start shows all the details, from clothes to the the weapons that the races of middle earth wore and used. Besides breaking down the armour and weapons that each race wore, it takes the main charcters that were in story and shows what they used and carried. If you like the little things that really go in depth into a story, you'll love this book. It is very entertaining to read and the book is full drawings and frames from the movie, some you wont see unless you watch the extended version.

The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth.(Book Review): An article from: Cartography and Geographic Information Science

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The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth.(Book Review): An article from: Cartography and Geographic Information Science
Denis Wood
Manufacturer: American Congress on Surveying & Mapping
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00081WXZQ
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Cartography and Geographic Information Science, published by American Congress on Surveying & Mapping on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1615 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth.(Book Review)
Author: Denis Wood
Publication: Cartography and Geographic Information Science (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: American Congress on Surveying & Mapping
Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Page: 255(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare: An Illustrated Guide to the Battles,

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Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare: An Illustrated Guide to the Battles,
Chris Smith
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1417717394

Customer Reviews:

An Interesting if Flawed Look At The History Of Bootlegs.......2006-09-29

While a very interesting book with a few enjoyable stories about bootlegging this book was also a bit of a disappointment.Firstly the authors own feelings about certain bands and performers is rather clear.For example its fairly obvious that the author has a great love of The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan and is not to fond of The Beatles,a point of view I admit I do not entirely share.I love Dylan and The Stones but The Beatles will forever be my favorites.Granted its clear that while not involved in bootlegs himself at any point the author is a big fan of them thus a hard core music fan and hardcore music fans do tend to have even stronger opinions than most people.Still I must say it would be nice to have a book that gives an overview of bootlegs from a more unbiased point of view,maybe thats to much to ask but I am still hoping to find a book like that someday.I don't need someone that loves The Beatles to write such a book(since there are already such books out there)simply someone that can keep themselves out of the book a bit more so to speak.At times the book reads a bit more like a critique of rock music and thats not what I was looking for in this particular book but an overview of the history of the rock bootleg industry.
The other problem with this book is at times Clinton Heylin also has a habit of going off into long explinations of the workings of national and international copywrite law.I would understand at least some of this being in there as it relates to the subject but he goes a bit far with it and it makes the book drag at times(unless of course you want to study copywrite law that is).
Overall this is a fairly enjoyable book and worth reading with a number of worthwhile stories in it but it could have been better.Personally I am still looking for the book that will give a real insightful look at the history of rock bootlegs.

Fell a Bit Short.......2004-04-29

I was excited when this book came out, but it fell short of my expectations. I was hoping for some great stories from the good old days of bootlegging, but this reads more like a history book and is, sadly, written by someone who wasn't even involved in the business.

This book is good for someone who is interested in learning a bit about bootlegging, but I'm holding my breath for the day that a first person account of the world of early bootlegging comes out!!

A true Representation of Bootleg History.......2003-12-07

I found the stories acuratly represented the bootleg buisness at the time. I had indirect involvement and the book filled in those missing pieces that I always wondered about. Great explainations of the copywrite law and how it kept changing to keep up with the times. Some pretty funny stories involving many characters throughout the book. If you were into the old bootleg vinyl, you'll find these stories interging.

Excellent book, in need of a 21st-century update.......2003-05-25

_Bootleg_ is a fascinating, enthralling book, which I expect would be interesting to anybody regardless of their particular position on the morality of bootlegging. To be sure, Heylin comes solidly in the corner of "let the music be free," but is hardly obstrusive about that fact. Small research errors aside, Bootleg is an amazing look at a once-thriving musical subculture.

Which is, I guess, my one point of reservation here. The bootleg scene has changed so massively and, perhaps, immeasurably, during the past ten years that _Bootleg_ begins to read as more of a pure history book on days long past than as a record of something vibrant. The advent of CDRs, in particular, has totally changed the dynamic in which bootleg recordings are distributed and manufactured. A 21st century update which recognizes the birth of these trends would be very appreciated.

A LOST ART, HA,HA,HA!.......2000-04-26

Growing up in Los Angeles. I remember going into music stores that had rows of Bootlegs. I did have Zeps (or not zeps) Blueberry Hill. Lots of Deep Purple & Alice Cooper. It was true! You could see a show,10 days later? Thar she blows! RECORD WORLD in LA PUENTE did have the best! You can tell the world was Bob Dylon for Clinton Heylin. Listening to the Beatles fart was about the leval of most Bootlegs. But thats what we wanted to get a wiff of,right?,lol! }:-D My step-brother Rick had at least 200 or more! But for me nothing like the real deal.

Bootleg The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry

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Bootleg The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry
Clinton Heylin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0NAA8

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BOOTLEG THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE OTHER RECORDING INDUSTRY
Clinton Heylin
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTG498

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Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry.
CLINTON HEYLIN
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQRSEI

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BOOTLEG: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE OTHER RECORDING INDUSTRY
Clinton Heylin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin 1996
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KP5JY2

Book Description

"This new collection on interpersonal and family relationships, edited by Donna L. Sollie and Leigh A. Leslie, makes a worthy contribution to our understanding of the strengths and challenges of feminist research methodology." --National Forum Feminist research is increasingly being used in the study of families and close relationships. In keeping with this trend, the contributors skillfully trace how gender has been incorporated into a research program informed by feminist ideas, methods, and ethics. The authors then use these personal statements to reflexively examine their own work, and the work of others, on many of the central topics in the study of families and close relationships--love, caregiving, sexuality, friendship, aging, work/family interaction, violence, and aggression. The end result is both a powerful set of autobiographical essays on the link between each writer and feminist thinking, and an incisive, feminist-informed analysis of many of the subjects integral to the study of families and relationships. Cohesive and insightful, this book will be an essential resource for students and professionals in such areas as family and gender studies, interpersonal relations, sociology, and psychology. "This is a fine volume about how feminist values have shaped some family studies researchers' work at various stages of their development as feminists. Their research journeys are gems. At the journeys' conclusions, I longed for the opportunity to read more and to question the authors further about the puzzles and struggles of their research processes. If you would like to listen in on a conversation about how being or becoming a feminist has shaped the lives and work of numerous family studies social scientists, you should read this book." --Journal of Marriage and the Family

Customer Reviews:

First Day At Gettysburg.......2005-05-26

A slim but useful collection of four essays by noted scholars.

I found Nolan's article on Lee's leadership particularly useful in its examination of the cavalry's role and of Lee's actions in general, although I'm not as convinced as Nolan that going into Pennsylvania in the first place was a bad idea. Krick's analysis of the appalling incompetence of two Confederate brigadiers is both horrifying and hilarious -- his vivid writing creates clear images of egregious individuals who sound like characters in a movie, except that unfortunately they were real.

I felt that all of the essays contained strong scholarship that supported its arguments with evidence from primary sources such as the OR, diaries, official communications and personal letters, treating memoirs with caution while not avoiding them absolutely. This is what one would expect in a book of this kind and to my observation it was not lacking here. Nolan's analysis of Lee's orders to Stuart, in which he categorically lists four ways in which the text of these orders offered insufficient direction, is one example of the clear and incisive work to be found here.

A little limited in its contents -- based on the publication date I wonder if this was one of Gallagher's first collections -- but definitely a useful text.

Studies of the First Day at Gettysburg.......2004-08-20

The Battle of Gettysburg, (July 1 --July 3, 1863) is widely regarded as the pivotal battle of the Civil War and as one of the defining moment of our country's history. The battle ended Robert E. Lee's second invasion of Union soil and put the Confederacy in a defensive posture from which it never recovered.

"The First Day at Gettysburg" is the first of three collections of essays edited by Professor Gary Gallagher devoted to the three days of the battle. It consists of four detailed and lengthy studies examining critical leadership decisions on both sides of the line. On the first day of the Battle, portions of the Union and Confederate armies collided north and west of Gettysburg. The fighting continued for most of the day. At the close of the day Union troops from the First and Eleventh Corps were pushed back through Gettysburg onto the heights of Cemetery and Culp's Hill northeast of Gettysburg. The Confederate command did not attempt, at the close of the first day, to take these heights, a decision that will be forever debated. Thus, ironically, the Confederate Army won a victory on day 1 at the cost of pushing the Union Army to an overwhelmingly strong position. This is the stuff of the discussion of the events of July 1.

Thie first essay in this volume "R.E. Lee and July 1 at Gettysburg" is by Alan T. Nolan. Most of Nolan's work is critical of Robert E. Lee, and this essay is no exception. The essay argues that Lee erred fundamentally, after the Battle of Chancellorsville, by invading the North at all. Thus, for Nolan, there should have been no Battle of Gettysburg. He argues that any likely benefits of the invasion were not worth the risk to the Army of Northern Virginia and to the loss of manpower. Nolan also criticizes General Lee's role in allowing "Jeb" Stuart to ride around the Union Army and for failing to exert sufficient control over his Corps commanders, particularly General A.P. Hill on July 1.

The second essay "Confederate Corps Leadership on the First Day of Gettysburg: A.P. Hill and Richard S. Ewell in a Difficult Debut" is by Professor Gallagher himself. This is a good follow-up essay to Nolan's study. As Gallagher emphasizes, Generals Hill and Ewell were new to Corps command. They received this responsiblity following Lee's reorganization of the Army after the death of Stonewall Jackson. Both Hill and Ewell have been criticized for their conduct on the first day. Hill has been criticized for rashly bringing on the Battle and for failing to follow-through at the conclusion of day 1. Ewell has been criticized for his failure to attempt to take the heights -- Cemetery and Culp's Hills -- following the defeat of the Union Army. Gallagher offers a balanced account of the actions of the two Confederate Corps commanders during the first day together with an account of the command decisions of General Lee. He argues that both Hill and Ewell performed adequately, but not with any special distinction, and that responsiblity for Confederate military decisions on July 1 ultimately rested with Lee as the commanding general.

A. Wilson Greene's essay "From Chancellorsville to Cemetery Hill: O.O. Howard and Eleventh Corps Leadership" is the only essay in this volume that focuses on leadership. The Union 11th Corps and its commander, General Oliver Howard, have been much criticized for their role on July 1. As does Gallagher's essay on Hill and Ewell, Greene's essay attempts to rehabilitate the 11th Corps, its commanders, and General Howard. Greene offers an account of the disaster that befell the 11th Corps at Chancellorsville and emphasizes how that Corps was determined to redeem itself at Gettysburg. He argues that the Corps fought bravely on July 1 and was instrumental in the Union goal of delaying the Confederate attack to allow the concentration of the Union Army and the occupation of the heights. Although he is critical of certain decisions that General Howard made in placing the Eleventh Corps, and the First Corps as well, Greene argues that Howard's approach to the action on July 1 was sound and saved the day for the Federals. He also credits, as did Congress, General Howard with earmarking Cemetery and Culp's Hills for the anchor of the Union position.

The final essay in this volume "Three Confederate Disasters on Oak Ridge; Failures of Brigade Leadership on the First Day of Gettysburg" by Robert S. Krick, offers a more straightforward description of events on the Battlefield than do the three companion essays. Krick explains how and why three Confederate brigades came to grief on July 1 amidst the Confederate victory. He also explains the consequences of these failures on the subsequent course of the Battle. Only two of the three disasters Krick discusses occured on Oak Hill. The first disaster, involving the Brigade of Confederate General Joseph Davis occured in the fabled railroad cut at Gettysburg in the morning fighting. Krick does a good job in explaining what happened, the consequences, and how the loss could have been averted. The two disasters on Oak Hill during the afternoon of July 1 involved the brigades of Colonel Edward O'Neal and General Alfred Iverson under the command of Major General Rodes of Ewell's Corps. Iverson's and O'Neal's attacks constituted two of the poorest led actions of any during the Civil War resulting in needless loss of life. The result was that Rodes took Oak Hill, the linchpin of Confederate success on July 1, but at an exorbitant cost in casualties that would haunt the Southern Army for the remainder of the Battle of Gettysburg.

This book does an outstanding job in setting forth many of the controversies surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg. The essays will give the reader a good idea of the fascination this struggle continues to exert. The book will be of most interest to those students who already have a good basic understanding of the events of the Battle.

A leadership look at the 1st Day!.......2002-07-08

Instead of overstated positioning and endless biography, Civil War Historian Gary Gallagher and other noted historians have come together to offer their views on various leadership tactics involved during the first day of battle. Alan Nolan covers Confederate strategy and Lee's leadership role in the Pennsylvania campaign how certain maneuvers lead to dire consequences. Gary Gallagher offers his thoughts in the role of A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell and questions their leadership during the fighting. Could they have been more involved? Did they listen to Lee's orders? Was Ewell fairly treated in his reasons for not advancing further on the late afternoon of the 1st? Gallagher opens and answers these questions while prompting new insight.

Wilson Green explores Union tactics and leadership involving Howard and the 11th Corp operations. Did Howard coordinate and properly lead this Corp at Gettysburg? Could disaster been avoided? Robert Krick brings to life the failure of Heth's approach in bringing in his weakest brigade, Iverson and Oneal's poor executions leading to disastrous failures along Oak Ridge.

Finally, this book isn't for those just looking to understand the 1st Day, it is for those who have a higher knowledge of the the battle and are looking for answers in regards the above mentioned. Does it get in to all of the issues of the 1st Day? No. It does exactly what the cover says, it explores leadership on popular issues.

Good narrative, no analysis.......2001-02-18

Edited by Gary W. Gallagher, The First Day at Gettysburg offers several fresh looks at leadership from both Union and Confederate perspectives. As an essay book, it quite naturally should cover topics that are controversial, yet the essays in this book seem to dance around the issues and not really make a firm statement. With the exception of A. Wilson Greene, the authors of these essays do not take a clear position and provide evidence to support that position. The first two essays by Alan Nolan and Gallagher ruminate on the Confederate high command's leadership on July 1st. Nolan attempts to show that Lee did not give enough direction to the Confederate movements on that day, and that this is what led to heavy casualties and incomplete victory. Nolan gives a very good, succinct account of Lee's reasons for invasion, and the decisions that led to a battle on July 1, 1863. However, he fails to prove that Lee did not provide leadership, and actually spends most of his writing discussing A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell. From his writing, it appears that Nolan does not fully believe what he is trying to prove, but is instead writing according to his reputation as a Lee detractor. Gallagher falls into a similar trap in discussing the leadership of Hill and Ewell. While he is more on topic, he spends an inordinate amount of time discussing Lee-something that Nolan should have done. His conclusions are not definite, and he does not offer any view of the two generals that has not already been discussed at length. Robert Krick's essay seems out of place in this book. He concentrates on three incidents of poor brigade leadership in the Confederate army. While interesting to read, he does not show how these failures altered the outcome of the first day. Also, his obsession with Jackson is very clear and detracts from the point of the essay. It seems that the three essayists on Confederate leadership keep coming back to the Jackson question, but it is most out of place in Krick's writing. It is fun to ask what if, however it does not deserve a place in a supposedly analytical book. Only Greene seems to accomplish his goal in his essay. He methodically shows that the reputation of the Eleventh Corps and its much-maligned commander was misplaced. This is the sort of writing that is to be expected in such a book-fresh, insightful, and informative, not merely a recitation of facts that many people already are aware of. Though an excellent look at what happened on July 1, 1863, just west of Gettysburg, The First Day at Gettysburg, does not answer the why questions nor provide any new perspectives on the action that occurred. In this way, the book fails to accomplish its purpose.

A fine look at generals.......2000-04-23

A good look at the leadership during the first chaotic day at the battle of Gettysburg. Robert Krick's "Three Confederate Disasters on Oak Ridge" was my favorite reading of the four. I do wish there was a reading on Doubleday and his command after Reynolds was killed. I would recommend this to anyone with a knowledge of the Battle of Gettysburg who would like four new looks at General leadership.

Customer Reviews:

Where's the Beef?.......2005-10-08

This book is precisely what is not needed at this time: a generic look at "transforming" intelligence by a group of intelligent and sincere individuals who have virtually no understanding of how intelligence is actually produced. The authors who collaborated on this book include many with experience in the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) yet that experience scarcely extends to actually engaging in working level analysis and reporting, recruiting agents, interpreting fuzzy photographs or attempting to convert distorted signals into readable data. Burton Gerber, one of the authors is a retired CIA operations officer it is true, but my guess is that was a long time ago in a galaxy far away. If the IC is to be truly transformed, someone had better start considering such difficult problems as the culture of the workforce, the actual processes by which raw data is transformed into intelligence and the antiquated organizational structures and governance of U.S. intelligence agencies. So far no one either in the IC or at its fringes (with the exception of General Odom U.S.A. retired in a rather flawed book "Fixing Intelligence") have made any effort to even consider these problems except in the most general way. Creating an impotent Director of Central Intelligence and changing the faces managing the agencies of the IC is not going to solve anything.

Saying this book is not needed is not to say it is without value. Its contributing authors are thoughtful and careful writers. They are scholars or senior intelligence experts who clearly have thought long and hard about the issues presented the book. For your average private citizen or congressman who knows little about the IC this is a very good if very general book. Unfortunately what is needed is a detailed analysis of the operational working levels of the IC and the culture that guides it. I don't think the authors of this book are the ones to do that.

"Must Read" Superb Collection, But Not Transformative.......2005-10-04

This is a valuable book and merits careful study by policymakers, practitioners, and students who may be future intelligence professionals. The book is not, however, transformative, nor is it particularly innovative, and for that, I must with reluctance limit it to four stars, but with the caveat that it is a "must read."

Some of the best contributions are those of Jennifer Sims, and the deeper that I read into the works of others, the more I wished that she had had the time to make the entire book her own, casting a broader net for iconoclastic thinkers, foreign intelligence practitioners, non-governmental experts in open source intelligence, religious and labor experts on foreign threats from foreign religions, whose thoughts do not appear in this book.

The book's major premise is that it was not the institutions that failed, but rather leadership--that all that is needed is a change in priorities, perspective, and methods. This is typical of books written by those who, by their own admission, were "part of the problem."

The section on new requirements is more than adequate if one wishes to continue to focus on unilateral secret intelligence about major state threats but fails to acknowledge that we earned a D, at best, on everything else, to include terrorism, proliferation, environmental scarcity, ethnic conflict, and dictatorial corruption (our friends) as a long-term threat to our vision of participatory democracy and moral capitalism. The requirements section suffers from a rather staid focus on states and "actor" threats, with little mention of history, geography, culture, religion, or demographics, all forces vastly more potent than your average failed state or single transnational group.

The middle third of the book, on capabilities, is the strongest part of the book. It opens with a chapter on open sources by Amy Sands that I would say is now the best available short summary of that discipline's potential. I especially applaud the focus on the need for analysts (who are NOT under cover) to have professional networks that transcend borders and cultures, and to be comfortable with local as well as global information. Where this important chapter falls short, however, is in failing to recognize that 90% of what we need to know from open sources will never be shared with U.S. "intelligence" and we therefore need an Open Source Agency under diplomatic sponsorship; and that we will never unilaterally collect and process all that we need to know, hence we need a global network of regional information-sharing centers, initially doing open sources, eventually doing all sources. These latter two ideas are transformative, the chapter itself, while very solid, is not.

Clandestine intelligence is well covered from a traditional perspective, but stops short by contenting itself with asking for more authority, tighter lanes in the road, and "staying the course." It does have gems of insight on both possibilities and obstacles, and is a good read. It does not, however, make the transformative leap toward a much larger non-official cover cadre hired at mid-career; toward regional multinational clandestine stations with mature officers on rotation from other nations; toward a much larger career principal agent network; and toward the excellent idea of one recently retired ADDO, that of one-time "it's just business" contracts for specific operations.

Digital dimension is very fine but could have benefited from a much stronger appreciation of what can be done in addressing the contributions that can be made now by man-machine translation networks with automated online dictionaries, and advanced geospatially-based analytics including predictive analysis.

I have no quarrel with the substance of either the analysis or denial sections, other than to observe that they completely eschew multinational, multiagency analysis.

The management section is strong in terms of understanding what insiders think the problems and solutions are, but for one who has read most books in this field, it is so deeply tied to the past and to past biases and perceptions as to forego any claim to being transformative.

The section on homeland defense is well-meaning, but incorrect in its assertion that the FBI has done well with a good model for joint terrorism task forces (JTTF). First off, the FBI remains a completely dysfunctional organization when it comes to either counterintelligence or sharing with state and local organizations. Secondly, as more than one expert has noted, it is the height of ignorance, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane KATRINA and the imminent bird-flu pandemic, to obsess on terrorism as the sole area where national to state and local sharing will take place. 50% of the "dots" that will help prevent the next 9/11 are bottom up dots observed by citizens and cops on the beat, and those dots have no place to go. We need 50 state intelligence centers and networks.

Britt Snider is unique in America-one of two people, the other being Loch Johnson-who have served on both the Church Committee staff and the Aspin-Brown Commission staff. He is one of America's foremost observers of national intelligence, and his chapter on Congressional oversight is one of the best pieces in the book. Having said that, I would note that it lacks two transformative thoughts, both being explored at this time: first, the time has come for every Congressional committee to have its own Sub-Committee on Intelligence and Information Operations (I2O), and for the ranking members of those sub-committees to form a new Special Committee on I2O with concurrent jurisdiction over both secret and open source information expenditures and capabilities across the entire U.S. Government; secondly, and enabled by this new committee, it is time for a new form of hybrid agency, an Open Source Agency that integrates the Library of Congress and is equally responsive to Congress, the Governors, and the Executive as well as the public, with its Director appointed for life, as are Supreme Court justices, and a fixed percentage of the disposable budget (1%) for complete independence from the White House.

"Must read," but not transformative.

Customer Reviews:

Title is misleading.......2005-09-12

While the book is supposed to be about redheaded woodpeckers, much of the information is really just general information about woodpeckers in general. Moroever, most of the pictures in this book are not of the redheaded woodpecker, most being of the gila woodpecker, and a few pileated woodpeckers as well. Moreover, each page of text has a small drawing of a woodpecker at the top. Is it a redheaded woodpecker? Nope. For some reason it's an ivory-billed woodpecker. As this book is meant for young children, I could imagine that all of this would cause some amount of confusion. Added to this is the fact that the information is very basic. So overall, I can't see why such a high price is justified for this book.

Wanted: The Heart of a Red-Headed Woodpecker, An Anthology of Stories on Eastern Oklahoma

Average customer rating:

Wanted: The Heart of a Red-Headed Woodpecker, An Anthology of Stories on Eastern Oklahoma

Manufacturer: Adams Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Territories and caching-related behavior of red-headed woodpeckers wintering in a beech grove.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin

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Territories and caching-related behavior of red-headed woodpeckers wintering in a beech grove.: An article from: Wilson Bulletin
Paul F., Jr. Doherty , Thomas C., Jr. Grubb , and C.L. Bronson
Manufacturer: Wilson Ornithological Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B00096PS3O
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on December 1, 1996. The length of the article is 2968 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: We describe caching and related behavior of Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) wintering in a beech grove during a mast year and relate territorial behavior and territory size to territory-specific mast abundance. We found no difference between territories of adults and juveniles in either territory size or abundance of mast. Rates of caching and social interaction decreased over the course of the winter. Received Oct. 1995, accepted 8 Mar. 1996.

Citation Details
Title: Territories and caching-related behavior of red-headed woodpeckers wintering in a beech grove.
Author: Paul F., Jr. Doherty
Publication: Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1996
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: v108 Issue: n4 Page: p740(8)

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The first red headed woodpecker
Anne L Hall
Manufacturer: Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The red-headed woodpecker
Olive Webb Lark
Manufacturer: Press of Traci Ann Schori
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006RKONK

The Red-headed Woodpecker - an Essay (ORINTHOLOGY, BIRD-WATCHING, NATURE)

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The Red-headed Woodpecker - an Essay (ORINTHOLOGY, BIRD-WATCHING, NATURE)
Neltje Blanchan
Manufacturer: AREPRINT SERVICE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H4HXWM

Red-headed woodpecker: Melanerpes erythrocephalus (The Birds of North America)

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Red-headed woodpecker: Melanerpes erythrocephalus (The Birds of North America)
Kimberly G Smith
Manufacturer: Birds of North America, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006RGYW0

Seasonal foraging and habitat requirements of red-headed woodpeckers in North-Central Florida

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Seasonal foraging and habitat requirements of red-headed woodpeckers in North-Central Florida
Ann Venables
Manufacturer: Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Nongame Wildlife Program
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000727I2O

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Wanted : the heart of a red-headed woodpecker: An anthology of stories on eastern Oklahoma
Claire Woodward
Manufacturer: Claire Woodward
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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