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Biography

Mary Todd, with and without Abe

Review by Faye Jones

On Good Friday, 1865, during a carriage ride, Abraham Lincoln told his wife Mary, “We must both be more cheerful in the future; between the war and the loss of our darling Willie—we have been very miserable.” Perhaps Mary Lincoln did hope the end of the Civil War pointed to a happier time. If so, her optimism was short-lived. That night, she witnessed her husband’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre. Even this horror was not her last: her youngest son Tad died in 1871 and a few years later, her only surviving child, Robert, had her committed to an insane asylum.

Yet Mary Lincoln did not garner sympathy from journalists of her own time or from later historians. Instead she has been vilified as a spendthrift, Southern sympathizer, even a syphilitic. In Mrs. Lincoln: A Life, Catherine Clinton provides a more balanced picture of this controversial first lady. While admitting Mary Lincoln’s faults, Clinton places her life in the context of 19th-century American womanhood.

Mary Todd came from a wealthy Kentucky family. Well-educated and vivacious, she was expected to focus her energies on being a wife and mother, roles she enthusiastically accepted. Some considered Abraham Lincoln a poor prospect for a Todd, but Mary believed in and fully supported his political ambitions. As first lady, she expected to continue her active partnership with Lincoln, something his advisers resented. Yet, even when Mary Lincoln did something “ladylike,” redecorating the White House, the press accused her of overspending. She wasn’t the only Civil War widow to have financial struggles or dabble in spiritualism, but she was forced to play out her grief and troubles on a national stage.

Clinton’s biography presents a complicated woman who endured unimaginable difficulties. She was far from perfect; still as Clinton notes, “she provided Abraham Lincoln with the space and support he required to achieve his goals, and with the emotional yeast he needed to become the wartime president he became.”

Faye Jones is Dean of Learning Resources at Nashville State Technical Community College.

On Good Friday, 1865, during a carriage ride, Abraham Lincoln told his wife Mary, “We must both be more cheerful in the future; between the war and the loss of our darling Willie—we have been very miserable.” Perhaps Mary Lincoln did hope the end of the Civil War pointed to a happier time. If so, […]
NonfictionAudioPhotographyArts & Culture

Looking at lives

Review by John T. Slania

Reza War + Peace: a Photographer's Journey is a look at the human impact of war through the eyes of the renowned photojournalist Reza Deghati, known by his first name. This book is a three – decade retrospective of his war photography for National Geographic, Time and Newsweek, in locations around the world. Reza captures the ravages of war in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia and other countries. The images sometimes are of the frontline soldiers in battle, but just as often, they are pictures of the citizens who are affected by the war. There are images of violence and death, but there are also photos of courage and strength, as ordinary people struggle to make a better life amid the surrounding tumult. As a result, Reza War + Peace presents a message of both sorrow and hope.

In stark contrast to this worldview is The Oxford Project, which focuses on the roughly 700 residents of Oxford, a peaceful, rural community in eastern Iowa. A young photographer named Peter Feldstein came to Oxford in 1984 after landing a teaching job at the nearby University of Iowa. He soon set out on an ambitious project: to photograph every resident in town. His studio portraits of the modest townsfolk were displayed in galleries and exhibitions, then filed away until 2005, when Feldstein decided to return to Oxford to photograph his subjects again.

The resulting images are a fascinating look at how people age and develop, a kind of real – life "before" and "after" experiment. What makes The Oxford Project more interesting is that Feldstein brings along writer Stephen G. Bloom to interview and write about the subjects to see how their lives have changed over the 21 years between the shots. This informal sociological study works largely because most of the residents of Oxford chose to stay there, making it an intriguing look at small – town America.

The best picture show

Give Encyclopedia Britannica and Getty Images credit for ambition in the publication of History of the World in Photographs: 1850 to the Present Day. This thick edition is a comprehensive look at the development of photography, from the grainy sepia portraits of the late 19th century to the colorful, high – resolution digital images of the early 21st century. The book presents a year – by – year exploration of the most important photos in history, including images of the Civil War, World War II, Tiananmen Square and 9/11. It also includes a DVD with 20,000 additional photos. This volume is a must for any serious photography buff.

This book is something to see

Visions of Paradise is a compilation of some of the best images found in National Geographic, chosen by its award – winning photographers. Each photographer was asked: "Where – or what – is heaven on Earth?" The answers were as varied as the parts of the world where the pictures were snapped. Chris Johns' image of paradise is four bushmen walking in the arid desert of Namibia. O. Louis Mazzatenta's picture is of a lone white wolf crossing the Arctic tundra. Robert Clark's definition of paradise is an early – morning shot of a worker checking the rails of the wooden roller coaster at King's Island in Ohio. These and hundreds of other photographs transport readers to some of the most beautiful places around the globe.

Reza War + Peace: a Photographer's Journey is a look at the human impact of war through the eyes of the renowned photojournalist Reza Deghati, known by his first name. This book is a three – decade retrospective of his war photography for National Geographic, Time and Newsweek, in locations around the world. Reza captures […]
Religion & SpiritualityPhotographyArts & Culture

Soul-soothing reading for the faithful

Review by Joanne Collings

Does the thought of Christmas shopping get you down? Put yourself at the top of the list and pick up a copy of Rick Warren's The Purpose of Christmas. Warren, the founder of the mega Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose – Driven Life, is all for celebrating the holiday. In fact, he's been having a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve since before he was three; five decades later, it's a family tradition. But he sees the purpose of Christmas lost in the frenzy surrounding this holiday. Warren aims his book at both new believers and those who have just gotten distracted by life: "Because of today's pace of life, we quickly forget all the good things God does for us, and we move on to the next challenge." The short chapters are ideal for reading in those unanticipated free moments, and the book is prettily illustrated. The closing section is about peace and reconciliation, giving readers a helpful boost into the New Year.

Pictures worth 1,000 words

Those longing to visit the Holy Land have two new books to pore over this holiday. Reflections of God's Holy Land is by Christian writer Eva Marie Everson and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, a tour educator specializing in Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land. The women traveled together, although Vamosh, being Jewish, could not enter some sites. Each section covers an area of Israel and, in addition to the narrative, usually written by Everson, includes Scriptures, rabbinic quotations from various sources and wonderful photographs. It's an excellent armchair book, filled with history, beauty and Everson's joy at finally fulfilling her goal of seeing Israel.

In the Footsteps of Abraham: The Holy Land in Hand – Painted Photographs covers much of the same ground, quite literally, but it's an altogether different kind of book. The photographs, of Christians, Jews and Muslims and their homes and villages, were commissioned in the 1920s by Ari Speelman, a devout Dutch Christian. All of them have been hand – colored, which sometimes involved painting with a single human hair. There are excellent short essays providing information about the photographs, Speelman and the collection, and brief introductions of each image, but otherwise the story is told entirely by the photographs. And they are grand, full of rich detail and without the spooky aspects that often mar hand – painted photographs.

Monasteries and Monastic Orders: 2000 Years of Christian Art and Culture, a coffee – table book only in the sense that it is far too heavy to hold, is absolutely dazzling. The photographs, by Achim Bednorz, are extensive and accompanied by all manner of other helpful and fascinating illustrations, including maps, building layouts, interiors and images of various kinds of art. Kristina Kruger provides extensive text on the history of monasteries, their influence on the development of Europe and the different orders. This is not a book for everyone, given both the subject and the price, but it could provide the right person with a wonderful reading experience during the coming winter (and do wonders for his or her biceps).

Meeting your maker

God Stories: Inspiring Encounters with the Divine lives up to its title. I found many of these stories, collected by former CNN reporter and producer Jennifer Skiff, encouraging. Skiff, who has her own God story, transcribes the reports she has collected from a website she developed for the purpose; there's no editorializing. Divided into sections like "Listening to the Voice," "Accepting the Warning" and "Coming Back from the Other Side," the stories can seem similar, but can also be surprising and, in one notable case, humorous. It's a good devotional book: short testimonies by all kinds of people with one thing in common.

Return of the prodigal

The authors of two current spiritual memoirs, Anne Rice and Joe Eszterhas, don't have much in common beyond returning to the Roman Catholic Church after years away from it. In Called Out of Darkness, Rice recounts her long struggles with her religion – though in this reviewer's opinion, she never totally left it. Rice bought a former church to live in and surrounded herself with Catholic memorabilia (even her most famous novels, the Vampire Chronicles, seem tied to religion). Though her reasons for going back don't seem as persuasive as her reasons for leaving, this is a fascinating book in its own, very weird way, and Rice fans should enjoy it.

Joe Eszterhas, best known for his screenplays for Basic Instinct and Showgirls, had a serious cancer scare. Afterward, he moved with his wife and four young sons back to their native Ohio and became active in their local parish, only to see the priest they loved and respected caught up in a sexual abuse scandal. But they stay, and Crossbearer tells of Eszterhas' daily struggles to be a good Christian and a good Catholic and still make a living, not such an easy thing, especially in his line of work. He's heroic in an everyday kind of way and his memoir is a celebration of how positive change is possible for those with faith.

Does the thought of Christmas shopping get you down? Put yourself at the top of the list and pick up a copy of Rick Warren's The Purpose of Christmas. Warren, the founder of the mega Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose – Driven Life, is all for celebrating the holiday. In fact, he's been […]
Biography

Still the man

Review by bookpagedev

Michael Streissguth, who has written extensively about Johnny Cash before, essays a final summation of the singer/songwriter’s career and personal struggles in Johnny Cash: The Biography. As the author points out, Cash had a direct hand in shaping his earlier biographies, from which he emerged as a flawed but larger-than-life figure who ultimately had gained control of his demons. While clearly a great admirer of Cash and his music, Streissguth nonetheless chips away at the sanitized version of The Man in Black. In so doing, he makes Cash more human and, thus, his achievements all the more remarkable.

To piece together this complex artist, Streissguth interviewed dozens of people who knew him well at every stage of his development from distant and long-forgotten high school classmates to such inside observers as his daughters Rosanne and Cindy; managers Saul Holiff and Lou Robin; producer Jack Clement; former band members Marshall Grant and Marty Stuart; Bill Walker, the music director for Cash’s TV show; and numerous record company executives who witnessed and/or contributed to Cash’s rise and fall. Of particular relevance are Streissguth’s portraits of two of the most influential figures in Cash life’s his flinty and love-withholding father, Ray, and his second wife, June Carter, who emerges as both self-sacrificing and self-aggrandizing. Obsessed by religion and the desire to live righteously, Cash, nonetheless, was more of a drug addict than he ever admitted and, says the author, a womanizer even as he publicly trumpeted his love for June. This is the best study of Cash to date.

Edward Morris is the former country music editor of Billboard and currently a contributor to CMT.com.

Michael Streissguth, who has written extensively about Johnny Cash before, essays a final summation of the singer/songwriter’s career and personal struggles in Johnny Cash: The Biography. As the author points out, Cash had a direct hand in shaping his earlier biographies, from which he emerged as a flawed but larger-than-life figure who ultimately had gained […]
MusicArts & Culture

Face the music

Review by Martin Brady

At the top of the holiday wish list for many music lovers is With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars by Jonathan Kellerman. Yes, it’s that Jonathan Kellerman, the best – selling suspense novelist, who also happens to be a foremost guitar collector. Gorgeous multi – view color photos of each of the 120 – plus guitars in Kellerman’s personal collection are the big draw here, but the author also provides marvelous rundowns of how he came to acquire each instrument and what is so special about its design and musical properties. There are acoustics and electrics of various shapes and sizes, brand names like Gibson, Martin, Fender and Rickenbacker, plus particularly rare instruments crafted by independent artisans, including a double – necked 17 – stringer. A foreword by former Police guitarist Andy Summers testifies to the jaw – dropping experience of viewing the Kellerman collection in person.

Roots music

Country star and longtime Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart has been hanging with legends since he was a teenager. During that time, Stuart has amassed a considerable collection of music – biz memorabilia, including his own on – the – road photographs and informal portraits, all of which are gathered in Country Music: The Masters. Stuart’s coverage of the greats and near – greats is comprehensive and often very candid, and even his blurred, snapped – on – the run photos have historic value. There are also pictures of elaborate costumes, tour buses, concert posters, song lyrics, instruments, album covers, etc. Perhaps best of all is Stuart’s gallery of gifted but generally little – known country music sidemen, whose talents have infused thousands of important recordings. The book’s cover shot of

Richard Carlin’s Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways tells of Folkways Records, which from 1948 to 1986 was the foremost source of seminal U.S. jazz, blues and folk recordings. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and children’s entertainer Ella Jenkins were the label’s leading artists, but founder Moses Asch and his team of traveling producers also searched the world over to record African, Asian and island music; animals; the sounds of cities and rural areas; poetry and political events. Asch ran things on a shoestring from his Manhattan office, but he provided opportunity and freedom to writers, singers and instrumentalists and developed a treasured catalog, all of which was purchased by the Smithsonian in 1987. This remarkable volume features noteworthy black – and – white and color photos of the artists plus fascinating album – cover reproductions and catalog lists. It also includes a CD sampler of representative Folkways cuts.

A lifetime playlist

With a virtually impossible task before him, music writer Tom Moon set out to select 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die: A Listener’s Life List. This all – styles wander through the greatest recorded music of all time finds Moon doing an honest job of trying to isolate the important artists and their work. His alphabetically arranged text is by artist, by composer (in the case of classical recordings), or by individual album title or song. In order to extend the coverage, Moon offers references to related important artists who don’t get a main entry. Hence, Burl Ives and Charles Ives sit side by side having made the grade, yet Moon can’t muster even a passing reference to the pop group The Four Seasons, whose incredible string of classic ’60s recordings certainly might earn a mention above the work of the Beau Brummels or sultry jazz/pop songstress Julie London. Meanwhile, the Smashing Pumpkins are only a footnote, which just seems wrong given the other contemporary groups who earned main entries. There’s probably too much Bart

Icons remembered

Already the author of a biography of Kurt Cobain – Heavier Than Heaven (2001) – Charles R. Cross now offers the late grunge rocker’s many fans Cobain Unseen, described as “a secret visual history of the things [Cobain] created and collected.” Cross’ text tends mostly to explore the youthful pain, obsessions, emotional difficulties and addictions that plagued Cobain but were also key motivators in the emergence of his powerful rebellious image and musical anthems. The book features many previously unseen Cobain family photographs plus reproductions of personal memorabilia including Cobain’s offbeat artwork, his informal writings and letters, song lyrics, early concert posters and samplings of the eccentric things he deemed collectible. The book includes an audio CD on which Cobain recites spoken-word material along with an interview with Cross about his research experience.

The Elvis Encyclopedia, by Adam Victor, is a valuable one – stop source of all things informational about The King. The A-to-Z reference covers seemingly every person, place and thing that touched Elvis’ eventful life, and it’s nothing if not exhaustive. There’s also a bevy of photos, many printed full-page, of Elvis onstage, in front of the movie camera or hobnobbing with family, friends and fans. Occasional typos creep into the text, yet Victor has certainly cast his net widely in search of rarely seen pictures, and on that nostalgic note alone his is a regal book – fit for a king.

The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions is yet another paean of praise to a huge musical figure. This colorful, well – illustrated hagiography is generally chronological, from Jones’ early life in Chicago and Seattle, through his growing career as a horn player for ensembles led by Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, to his stint as producer of pop hits like Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party” plus award-winning albums by Sinatra, Streisand and, of course, Michael Jackson (Thriller). The text also covers Jones’ work as a composer of TV and movie scores, plus his role as the mastermind behind “We Are the World.” Jones’ private life – three marriages, two notable affairs, seven children – is rarely discussed, but there is frank coverage of his life – threatening 1974 brain aneurysm and discussion of his humanitarian work. Big names provide the prefatory essays – Maya Angelou, Clint Eastwood and Bono – and Sidney Poitier’s afterword closes the book.

Hear my words

Paul Simon is one of America’s great popular songwriters of the past half century, and Lyrics 1964 – 2008 pays tribute by comprehensively collecting his songs, from the early days of Simon & Garfunkel (“The Sound of Silence”) through his solo period (“Kodachrome”) and on to his later ethnic experimentations (“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”). It’s a treasure trove for Simon’s legion of fans.

Grander still is The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II, a stoutly elegant compilation of 850 of the theatrical master’s song lyrics, arranged chronologically from early efforts and revue contributions through his incredible collaborative output with composers such as Jerome Kern (Show Boat, etc.) and Richard Rodgers (Oklahoma!, etc.). The text offers cast lists for Hammerstein’s many Broadway musicals, along with revealing tidbits about show history, song origins and lyrics that were cut from opening night or went unused altogether. Of equal note are the wonderfully printed production stills from stage and movie versions of the Hammerstein oeuvre, sheet music covers and photos of Hammerstein himself, hanging with family members and his composer buddies.

At the top of the holiday wish list for many music lovers is With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars by Jonathan Kellerman. Yes, it’s that Jonathan Kellerman, the best – selling suspense novelist, who also happens to be a foremost guitar collector. Gorgeous multi – view color photos of each of […]
NonfictionChildren's & YAReligion & SpiritualityArts & CultureArt

Many happy returns from perennial favorites

Review by MiChelle Jones

A special holiday gift from a picture-book master, Eric Carle's Dream Snow Pop-up Advent Calendar. In this scene from Carle's bright, colorful world, a tree stands in the snow with presents underneath and Santa nearby – and a field of windows hiding trinkets to be added to the tree. (Meanwhile, the calendar's cover, sleeve and dimensions will likely trigger a visceral reaction in those old enough to remember when music came on vinyl!)

From the heavens

Two chance encounters inspired Chuck Fischer's move away from the holiday themes of his two previous books: a 1960s children's Bible in New York, and a daytrip during a stint at the American Academy in Rome. Fischer's paintings are always gorgeous, but In the Beginning: The Art of Genesis, features especially outstanding works, inspired by and based on religious masterpieces (all of which are listed on a pullout at the end of the book). Working again with paper engineer Bruce Foster, Fischer includes a stunning mosaic – like spread recounting the saga of Adam and Eve, a monumental Tower of Babel and a Tiffany-esque depiction of Jacob's Ladder. Text by Curtis Flowers retells the stories and discusses symbolism in the images, making ample use of mini books and pullouts.

Cosmic: The Ultimate 3-D Guide to the Universe starts with a bang – a pop-up of the Big Bang, complete with sound. From there, it's off on a journey through planets, asteroids and other space – bound objects, including the Hubble Telescope and the Space Shuttle. As spectacular as paper engineer Richard Ferguson's pop – ups of the planets and the Apollo 15 lunar lander are – and they really are incredible – author Giles Sparrow's text makes it a great gift for space fans, whether they love pop – ups or not.

You might as well make it a twofer with Moon Landing, by Richard Platt and paper engineer David Hawcock. Published in advance of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the book is also loaded with history on space flight, referencing the people, politics and technology that put men on the Moon. The representations of the spacecraft – a command module and lunar module that dock (!), a super-long Saturn V, a Gemini capsule – are beyond cool. Lucky ones who receive both Moon Landing and Cosmic will end up with two pop-up lunar landers.

Children's tales

Big brother Charlie was able to convince the irascible Lola to try peas and other foods in I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato; now he faces another seemingly impossible task in Lauren Child's made-for-bedtime story Charlie and Lola's I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed Pop-up!. This year the pops are even better, with twirling pajama-clad dogs, Laura up a tree and milk-sipping tigers. Flaps, dials and oozing toothpaste will help wear out little tykes trying to resist sleep (maybe even Lola).

Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart released the first book in their new Encyclopedia Mythologica series, Fairies and Magical Creatures, this summer. In Brava Strega Nona!, the pop-up wizards interpret Tomie dePaola's Caldecott Honor – winning depiction of a magical grandma as only they can. Spreads of a sea of pasta, a courtyard full of celebrating villagers, and a meal served al fresco under an arbor bring the beloved tale to life.

Nonfiction pops

With Sabuda and Reinhart having left beasts behind, Lucio and Meera Santoro, the husband-and-wife team who soared to great heights in 2007's Journey to the Moon, take on Predators. They start with a gigantic spider, even more menacing rendered in the Santoros' trademarked swing pop-ups; pull out the informative mini-pops if you dare. Much pleasanter – even if the actual animals might be just as dangerous – are the bald eagle rising majestically from a navy-blue background, a scaly crocodile and snow – white (naturally) polar bears. Clever mini flaps advise on distinguishing between crocodiles and alligators (here's an idea: stay away from both); discuss how a species hunts and whether it's endangered and how to tell a leopard by its spots (a tiger by its stripes, etc.)

For the past few years, Robert Crowther has explored various transportation options, Trains in 2006 and Flight the following year. Now he's onto Ships and he starts at the beginning of the story, with Egyptians, Romans and Vikings. Crowther's books pack a lot of information into a deceptively simple, accessible design that combines pulls and flaps with large – and small – scale pops of vessels. He explains everything from propellers to ports, poles to oars, simple sailing craft to complex ocean liners and aircraft carriers.

As easy as . . .

The cover of French designer Marion Bataille's ABC3D alone – a hologram that cycles through the first four letters of the alphabet – is worth the price of admission. Inside is no less enchanting: letters spring, unfold or flip into place as the pages are turned. "C" flips to become "D," conjoined lowercase "i" and "j" share a red spiraled dot, appropriated angled black strokes on vellum change "O" and "P" to their successors, and so on.

David A. Carter's Yellow Square continues his inventive pop – up puzzles. Using his signature palette, he challenges readers to find the graphic element, in this case a yellow square, hidden amid a pull – up "swirligig," net – encased Seuss – like towers, a Mondrian – inspired construction and a jiggly tree.

Do it yourself

If reading the above has left you inspired to try your own pop – ups, you won't find a better resource than The Pocket Paper Engineer, the second work by renowned instructor Carol Barton. The book is a step – by – step guide to 10 projects exploring two essential pop – up elements: platforms and props (spirals, tabs, etc.). Barton's own works are in collections such as the Getty Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

A special holiday gift from a picture-book master, Eric Carle's Dream Snow Pop-up Advent Calendar. In this scene from Carle's bright, colorful world, a tree stands in the snow with presents underneath and Santa nearby – and a field of windows hiding trinkets to be added to the tree. (Meanwhile, the calendar's cover, sleeve and […]

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