History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Photographing People: Portraits, Fashion, Glamour

Average customer rating:

sorry but really not very good
dissapointing book..
Solid Book, Some Silly Setups
Ok book
Cool book!

Photographing People: Portraits, Fashion, Glamour
Roger Hicks , and Frances Schultz
Manufacturer: Rotovision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 294037807X
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Book Description

The best-selling lighting guide--now updated with even more photos and diagrams

* 100 great photographs and the setups behind them
* Side- and plan-view diagrams for each photo
* Revised and expanded to include more pictures and the latest technology

Now available revised and updated in paperback, the best-selling Photographing People is an inspiring and comprehensive showcase of exciting work from photographers around the world--and full explanations and diagrams of the lighting setups behind each picture. Portraits, fashion, and glamour photography are included here, all accompanied by detailed 3D diagrams plus expert explanations and advice on solving problems that might arise in similar situations. Helpful to beginners and professionals alike, this book is packed with inspiring photographs--and all the details needed to re-create the lighting and obtain remarkable results.

Customer Reviews:

sorry but really not very good.......2007-10-11

the idea and concept for this book is brilliant . BUT the diagrams are the only thing that look modern in this book, the pictures are really old and theres not one i'd aspire to take. Infact by todays standards of photography they look amateurish. Theres a shot of two supermodels , but they are obviously 20 years old and probably amongst the first and the worst they've done. This book should be retitled ' how not to photograph people' . If the authors kept everything the same but had decent modern looking pictures by people that would not be laughed out of a picture editors office then it would be worth its weight in gold!

dissapointing book.........2007-09-24

I was looking for a good lightning book and got this one because of the relativ good reviews. BUT BUT.. i dont even think the authors are pro photographers - just have a look at their web site - a joke!!. Anyway this is not a book with images done by them but by other pros. But it is their text, one must assume, made for every lightning setup and it is lacking everything. Just diagrams - sometimes with up to 9 umbrellas / heads for one shot without any further explanation. Totally waste of money - for learning; get cristopher greys " master portrait lightning".

Solid Book, Some Silly Setups.......2007-09-10

This is a good book, definitely not for beginners, and some of the setups shown are ridiculously overimplemented.

Ok book.......2007-08-03

This book is better to give you ideas and lighting help anything else. not techinical enough for me though.

Cool book!.......2007-01-19

This book is such a great way to find out how to shoot a wide variety of incredible portraits, with easy-to-understand diagrams and the equipment used listed. Gerat book to add to any portrait photographer's bag of tricks.

Average customer rating:

Extensive, In-Depth Look at the Breadth of Brassai's Work
For the Love of Brassai
At last, a superior Brassai monograph

Brassai: The Monograph
Brassaï , Alain Sayag , Henry Miller , and Roger Grenier
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0821226681

Amazon.com

"The meaning of art is not authenticity but the expression of authenticity," wrote the Hungarian-born photographer Gyula Halász, better known as Brassaï, whose unflinching yet deeply sensual portraits of the seamier side of Paris nightlife during the 1930s and 1940s summon up an era when decadence and desperation ran side by side. Brassaï's curiosity about his subjects and the originality of his approach highlight the depth of his identification with Paris, his adopted city. The son of a professor of French literature, Brassaï had first visited the city at the age of 5; later, in the early 1920s, he returned to make it his home after completion of studies in fine art in Budapest and Berlin. Settling in the bohemian arrondissement of Montparnasse, mixing with artists and writers, Brassaï took up photography "in order to capture the beauty of streets and gardens in the rain and fog, and to capture Paris by night." He lures us into the smoky, highly charged world of clubs and cafés, where nicotine-stained lovers in cheap clothes become impossibly desirable through the camera's lens. Streets, stairways, and canals are moodily lit; even a man rummaging for food in a rubbish bin takes on a cinematic aura. Yet Brassaï's photographs contain a strange mixture of seediness and resilience that ultimately triumphs over any false notions of glamour. He depicts scenes of poverty and its trappings--alcoholism, prostitution, violence, hunger. The chaotic social whirl of 1930s Paris dies down to the quiet suffering of a city under occupation, with its two great literary lights, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, sitting out the war, stony-faced in the Café de Flore. Accompanied by extracts from Brassaï's own writings, contemporaries such as Henry Miller, and essays from other contributors, and containing 308 images, Brassaï is a fine testament to an artist whose images of one city have proved so enduring. --Catherine Taylor, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

One of the major photographers of the century, Brassa is best known for his chronicling of demimonde Paris in the 1930s and his classic portraits of artists such as Matisse, Picasso, and countless Surrealists. Along with the superb duotone reproduction of Brassas work, this monograph will include an interview with his widow and essays on his distinguished career.

Customer Reviews:

Extensive, In-Depth Look at the Breadth of Brassai's Work.......2000-11-13

This book deserves more than five stars.

Before going further, let me mention that Brassai's images contain many sinners and show the seamier side of Paris. For example, there are many photographs of prostitutes here. If such subjects upset you, do avoid this volume.

The collection of Brassai's work at the Musee National d'Art Moderne at the Pompidou Centre in Paris was recently expanded from 300 to 500 items due to a large deposit by Mme. Gilberte Brassai, his widow. This monograph greatly benefits from these additions. The monograph also commemorates the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1899.

Best known for his photography, Brassai had many other dimensions: collector, scholar, sketcher, sculptor, and writer. His self description was as "a creator of images." This book does an excellent job of capturing all of these elements so we can better understand the entire man and his work.

As Brassai said, "The meaning of art is not authenticity . . . but the expression of authenticity." Why does he say that? Well, his method of photography required careful staging because of the bulkiness of his equipment and its slow speed. So, although an image may seem like something taken by a news photographer from the Daily Blurb, Brassai's techniques required that subjects hold their poses for long periods of time. Much like Cindy Sherman does today using herself as the model, those in the photographs were often friends of Brassai's who were posing as someone else. So what is remarkable about these "candid" photos is his "use of re-creation and reconstruction" to produce them.

Taking the photograph was really just the beginning. Using darkness as his ally, it is the print that makes the difference to his representations. "A negative means nothing for my kind of photographer." "It's the artist's proof that counts."

Here are my favorite photographic images in the book:

Notre-Dame, c. 1930-32

The Pont Neuf, c. 1932

The Viaduc d'Auteiul, 1932

The Baker, c. 1930-32

Public Urinals, c. 1932

For a Detective Story, 1931-32

The Big Night at Longchamp, July 1937

False Sky, 1934-35

Nudes of 1934

Matches, c. 1930

Picasso, His Studio and Works, 1932-46

Montmartre, c. 1935-37

Metro Pillar, 1934 (you will see a man's face in the shadow of the pillar)

Odalisque Transmutation, 1934/1967 (this is clearly influenced by Picasso)

The essays in the book are excellent. I especially liked Alain Sayag's comparison of his work to Chinese painting.

I also learned a lot about his life. Like many famous photographers he had to earn a living by doing more commercial work. These images often were done on his own time, late at night. Interestingly, many great photographic images were created in only 1-3 takes. In part, this reflected his poverty.

Actually, he had earlier earned a living from writing about France for German newspapers. The Depression began to cut off that source of funds, and photography was taken up in part to supplement his income. By selling the story and the images, he could get paid a little more. He also worked for Harper's Bazaar taking photographs by day for many years.

The text also contains many selections from what Henry Miller and he had to say about each other and their long-term friendship. This emphasizes "seeing only what is."

My appreciation of the photography was improved by seeing his drawings and sculptures. Clearly influenced by prehistoric and primitive art, many of these images look like fertility gods. His women are all bottom. From these, I could understand his graffiti photographs of images that could literally have come from the caves at Lescaux. So in looking for the "reality" Brassai was reaching deeper into our ancient psyches than other photographers before and since.

I came away very much more interested in Brassai, as I am sure you will be.

After you finish consider Brassai, I suggest you ask yourself how you could add more dimensions of expression to your personal life. What can you share that is both "real" and important for others? How can you best accomplish that?

Au revoir.

For the Love of Brassai.......2000-09-06

It was only several years ago that I had noticed the brilliant work of Brassai. The Chicago Institute of Art was having a special exhibit featuring his work. I stood before each photograph for what seemed like an eternity. The way that he captures the essence of the human life, the laughter along with the tears, brings a flood of emotions to any observer. My interest in Brassai only grew from this exhibit. I then started to hunt out books on him, his life, his work but I wound up a little disappointed due to most of his work is out-of-print. When I had been scanning Amazon.com and found a new book, Brassai, I was highly interested. I awaited the day that it would finally be published. That day came. As I turned the pages of the book, I felt as if I am back in the Art Institute. The quality of the photographs, the meaning of the words, by close friends, and from Brassai himself add to the pleasure and overall joy of the book. He depicts a time in history that is meant and needed to be cherished. Brassai reaches into the human heart and soul and brings out strength, determiniation, and a smile. These feelings are only emphasized on the pages of this magnificant book. I only hope that more will follow so that Brassai can touch more lives, touch more hearts, and bring emotions to the forefront of everyone's lives.

At last, a superior Brassai monograph.......2000-08-01

When Abrams released their long-delayed book on Brassai last December, THE EYE OF PARIS, I was very critical of the entire piece. The images weren't well-printed, the selection was mundane, and the whole thing had an oddly slapped together quality, especially for such a major publisher. Now we have Bullfinch's answer to the recent Brassai gap, and it is a clear success, head and shoulders above this earlier release. After only a relatively cursory look at the book, it is clear that this is what we've been waiting for. The selction of images is deep and varied, mixing both the iconic with the lesser known, the printing is lustrous and dimensional, and the layout is both attractive and compelling. The production may not match the incredible PARIS BY NIGHT reissue of the late 80's, but nothing probably ever will. That said, this book looks very good indeed. I haven't read the impressively credited text yet, but the visuals are certainly terrific, the most important thing, obviously, in a photography book. It is hard to imagine a superior monograph on this seminal figure forthcoming anytime soon. Grab it and feast.

Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman (Grove Great Lives)

Average customer rating:

Stefan Zweig, a truly amazing writer
A dated interpretation!
Was She Average?
Stands the test of time very well.
The Wicked Austrian Queen

Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman (Grove Great Lives)
Stefan Zweig
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802139094

Book Description

Life at the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette has long captivated readers, drawn by accounts of the intrigues and pageantry that came to such a sudden and unexpected end. Stefan Zweig's Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman is a dramatic account of the guillotine's most famous victim, from the time when as a fourteen-year-old she took Versailles by storm, to her frustrations with her aloof husband, her passionate love affair with the Swedish Count von Fersen, and ultimately to the chaos of the French Revolution and the savagery of the Terror. An impassioned narrative, Zweig's biography focuses on the human emotions of the participants and victims of the French Revolution, making it both an engrossingly compelling read and a sweeping and informative history.
"Certainly no one can arise unmoved from the reading of this powerful work." -- The New Republic
"Excellent biography." -- The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

Stefan Zweig, a truly amazing writer.......2007-01-10

I love all the works of Stefan Zweig; even in translation, you can tell what a brilliant storyteller that Stefan is. In Marie Antoinette, you could almost feel pity for the unfortunate woman that fate so harshly dealt with the responsibility of a queen. The book is excellent in detailing the emotional stages of her life as a young child into womanhood, & all that she had to endure amid all the royal duties, gossips, struggles & fights behind the palace doors. All in all, an execellent book that I enjoy over & over again.

A dated interpretation!.......2006-07-28

As a disciple of Freud, Zweig was fascinated with the new psychoanalysis and applying it to historical characters. I think he overdoes it in his biography of Marie Antoinette, attributing her love of clothes, gambling, and partying to supressed desires rather than youthful vivacity, since she was a teenager, married at fourteen. This is a book that has outlived its time. Unfortunately, Zweig's Freudian interpretation has been imitated by other biographers and gives a false view of Marie Antoinette even to this day.

Was She Average?.......2005-09-14

I think the title should read, "The Portrait of an Average Woman's Behavior". I think one would find it hard to accept that Ms. Antointte was anything but an average woman of her time. Yes, it is true that her behavior was typical of an average woman, but she was raised to become a queen, not your average woman. Finding true love with a warm, romantic, and compassionate man in comparison to her husband Louis XVI and the manner in which she handled the affair are truly average. Her thoughts and behavior as the momentum of the French Revolution accelerated are those of an average woman. Aside from the misnomer, I truly enjoyed the information and the manner in which Mr. Zweig presented it to the reader. Mr. Zweig exposed Ms. Antoniette to the reader as if he had known her personally. After reading this biography I now feel that beneath all the hair pieces and hats, she behaved as any woman would have done in her situation.

Stands the test of time very well........2005-05-23

Dating from 1933 in its first edition, this book is part biography and part psychological analysis of the great Austrian Empress Maria Theresa's daughter who died a hated Queen of France. While both its writing style and its ideas - particularly its author's assumptions about the fundamental nature of womanhood - may seem quaint to the 21st Century reader, it's still very well worth reading. Zweig refuses to rely upon a number of commonly used sources that he has reason to consider suspect, and he approaches his subject with genuine interest that's refreshingly uncontaminated by awe. The Archduchess Antoinette, the Dauphiness of France, the giddy young Queen to Louis XVI, the maturing mother of the Dauphin who would have become Louis XVII - Zweig captures them all, and then takes us with him through this woman's terrible final transformation into the prematurely white-haired "Widow Capet" who mounts the scaffold. He writes her life with frankness that's remarkable, truly, considering the era in which his work was originally published.

The Wicked Austrian Queen.......2003-02-22

Portraying Marie Antoinette as an "average woman," as the title of Zweig's work provocatively suggests, is a debatable proposition. On the one hand, as Zweig shows throughout this study, Marie Antoinette was no prodigy: she was flawed, egotistic, intellectually limited and ... indiscreet. Her greatest passions were for clothes, vast flowery gardens, [fancy] jewelry and good looking Swedish men; she was a compulsive spendthrift; her political self-awareness was zero and her policy meddling was uniformly disastrous. Her indiscipline at court was flagrantly exploited by her political enemies - notably her jealous and ambitious brothers-in-law Louis and Charles (the later Bourbon Restoration kings) - who portrayed her as a modern day Jezebel. In all of these respects, her life was far from "average". But the "ordinariness" within, argues Zweig, left her ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of an extraordinary life.

Once the Revolution happens, however, Zweig's "averageness" argument makes a dog-leg turn. Under the extreme pressures of her imprisonment, her husband's guillotining, her separation from her beloved children and her state trial for treason, she rose above the "average," drawing on her Habsburg dignity and treating her Committee inquisitors with the contempt they deserved. In death, if not in life, she proved herself to be a true daughter of Maria Theresa. Even ordinary people can be martyrs, Zweig seems to be saying.

Zweig is a natural storyteller, and the fact that he, like Marie Antoinette, was Viennese gives him insights into her sensibilities and predilections. Another Viennese voice can be heard in this narrative: the psychological narrative owes much to Dr. Freud - particularly when we come to her early womanhood. Can it be, as Zweig dares to suggest, that Louis XVI's early impotence, and young Marie Antoinette's consequent frustration, fueled her shallow materialism? Was her scandalously profligate lifestyle an outlet for ... frustration? Did one man's "shortcomings" thus cause the revolution? And what of the bizarre Strasbourg ceremony whereby the newlywed Marie Antoinette was forced to [unclothe] at the frontier, lest the new Dauphine of France cross the border wearing foreign clothes? Surely an emotionally scarring experience? Her tale is a gift for the Freudian, and Zweig milks it for all it's worth.

Average customer rating:

Breaking the canvas ceiling

An interesting book, a nightmarish editing job

Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun: The Odyssey of an Artist in an Age of Revolution
Gita May
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300108729

Book Description

The foremost woman artist of her age, Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755—1842) exerted her considerable charm to become the friend, and then official portraitist, of Marie Antoinette. Though profitable, this role made Vigée Le Brun a public and controversial figure, and in 1789 it precipitated her exile. In a Europe torn by strife and revolution, she nevertheless managed to thrive as an independent, self-supporting artist, doggedly setting up studios in Rome, Naples, Venice, Milan, Vienna, St. Petersburg, and London. Long overlooked or dismissed, Vigée Le Brun’s portraits now hang in the Louvre, in a room of their own, as well as in all leading art museums of the world.

This gripping biography tells the story of a singularly gifted and high-spirited woman during the revolutionary era and explores the development and significance of her art. The book also recounts the public and private lives of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, connecting her with such personalities of her age as Catherine the Great, Napoleon, and Benjamin Franklin, and setting her experiences in the context of contemporary European politics and culture. A generous selection of illustrations, including sixteen of Vigée Le Brun’s portraits presented in full color, completes this exceptional volume.

Customer Reviews:

Breaking the canvas ceiling .......2007-01-12

One of the nice things about being interested in art and history, is that you find out the most amazing things -- if I had read this as the plot of a novel, I would have harrumphed and muttered Balderdash! But once I started reading this slim biography, I was hooked about this story of a woman who not just held her own in the French court before the Revolution and Terror, but managed to survive and thrive in a world where women were certainly a second class.

Author Gita May takes on the intriguing and adventuresome story of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun and fleshes it out into a portrait of a woman that took on the establishment, and yet was very much a traditionalist. Born into an artistic family, Elisabeth Vigee showed a precoious talent for drawing and portraits, something that delighted her father, an artist of middling stature who encouraged his daughter's education in art. Her mother, however, was disappointed in Elisabeth, and clearly favoured her son instead. While most young women of her class were busy planning for marriage, Elisabeth poured her passions and desires into art, and while she could not attend the formal sessions that the professional artists gave, she was still able to get private lessons. Still it was expected that she would marry, and Elisabeth Vigee soon married an art dealer, Le Brun, in what everyone thought would be a suitable match.

Her earliest portraits were of her own family and friends, and soon she was building a clientele of minor nobility. While today, portrait art is respectable, in the eighteenth century, portrait work wasn't held in that high of a regard, being not as worthy as say, history or landscape painting. But there was certainly a market for portraits, and Vigee Le Brun soon found that her talent was appealing to buyers. Soon she was having commissions to fill, and painting some of the more famous in the land -- a talent that soon had her walking in the halls of Versailles.

Her ability to capture liveliness and expression in her sitter was just the sort of thing to appeal to the circle of courtiers that surrounded Marie Antoinette. Soon Elisabeth was named official portraitist to the Queen, and she was spending her days working in her studio, and at night she had established a salon, where the titled and those of leisure could gather for intellectual conversation. All appeared well until Paris erupted in revolution, and the King and Queen of France were forced to live in Paris.

And now, is where the story gets interesting. Elisabeth watched her earnings and savings dry up. Her nerves were frayed, and she feared for the lives of herself and her daughter, Julie, for she had never been shy about admitting her ferverent royalist leanings. Before she could be arrested, she and Julie fled Paris, and France. Officially, she was going to Italy to 'study art,' but the reality was that she was an exile. To make matters worse, her husband had frittered away her earnings on other women and gambling. Could she succeed in a world where revolution was taking hold and being a woman at that?

Gita May uses Le Brun's own memoirs to tell the story, padding out the narrative with letters and biographies of the various people that she met while traveling around Europe. Her royal connections and sympathy for Marie Antoinette made it possible for her to have plenty of commissions, and she was able to carve out a reasonable living for herself, supporting herself while traveling to Italy, Vienna, Germany and even as far as St. Petersburg, Russia. In Russia, she found immense success, and acceptance from the Francophile courts of Catherine II and Paul I.

But what struck me about the book, despite the fact that it's rather short, are the portraits that Le Brun created. They are full of life, especially those of the women and children that she portrayed. There are several of Mare Antoinette herself, from the full-blown pomp of the formal attire of wide skirts and powdered hair, to the imfamous en gaulle portrait where the queen was shown in a simple muslin gown, a painting that was dismissed as showing the queen being far less than royal, and the one where the queen transforms herself from a frivolous girl into the regal mother of France's next generation of princesses and kings. Some have derided Le Brun as being overly flattering to her subjects, and far too sentimental, but I think that is exactly the charm of her work. Instead, she shows the sitters as they are, full of movement and life, and her studies of children are exquisite.

The text does tend to be a dud in places, and May tends to be repetitive in a very wearying way. But throughout there are black and white reproductions of various paintings and self-portraits, along with a few of the various places that Le Brun visited. There are also two full-colour sections of this book as well, and it has the self-portraits that Le Brun created, which are among the best of her work. While the narrative is on the weak side, it is still a very readable book, with plenty of notes and bibliography to read, and makes a decent study of Le Brun's work.

For those who are interested in Revolutionary France, eighteenth century painting and the lives of women in the past, this makes for an interesting study into that world. I wouldn't however, recommend it for the casual reader as the story gets bogged down in spots, and it's more of a travelogue and listing of the works that Le Brun made. Too, paintings are mentioned without listing where they can be seen, or without reproducing them, which makes it hard for the reader to figure out just what May is getting at here.

Recommended, but with reservations.

An interesting book, a nightmarish editing job.......2006-04-17

I must point out that I am reading this because I don't know that much about the subject; I can't really speak to its accuracy. I have always been charmed by Vigee Le Brun's work, and this is a relatively brief (237 pp.), but insightful and informative account of her life. Since Vigee Le Brun's memoirs ran to three volumes, I assume that this could have been much longer, but I thought it was a satisfying length, giving me the feeling of having a good sense of the person without being overwhelmed by detail, cant and speculation. There are a couple of other monographs, noted below, if the reader wants more detailed information.

May is quite aware that Vigee Le Brun, who became official painter to Queen Marie-Antoinette, might be considered politically incorrect, being rather conservative, lacking social awareness for the plight of the poor, and a Royalist with regard to the French revolution. I thought she handled this well, signalling her understanding that this might distress some readers and critics, while accepting her subject as she was. Unlike some writers, she keeps artistic talent, personal qualities and political thinking separate, without neglecting any of the three.

The book is gorgeously illustrated. There are sixteen color plates, plus a number of black and white reproductions scattered throughout the text. Of course, there are never enough illustrations. In reading about artists, I would like to see examples of the work of close associates, in this case Vigee Le Brun's father and mentors. Of course, I want this without having to give up any reproductions of the main subject's work. One can dream.

I was originally going to give this fewer stars because of the problems listed below. However, outside of being bewildered at a few points, I really enjoyed the book and I'm glad that I read it. I leave the reader to decide how much bad editing bothers them. I urge the Yale University Press to correct any other editions.

I believe that this is the most badly edited book I have ever read. Among less serious flaws, an allegorical painting entitled 'Peace Bring Back Abundance' is described as, "the figure of peace gently guiding and protecting peace." I believe that should be "protecting abundance." Further, it is frequently repetitive; e.g., the sad end to the life of Lady Hamilton is described twice (pp. 97 and 173.) More seriously, it is sometimes repetitive and self-contradictory. Plate 2 is a reproduction of a Vigee Le Brun portrait of a man in a yellow vest, identified as Hubert Robert. On page 16, this painting is described in detail and identified as "Joseph Vernet ... (plate 3)" and on p. 62, described again and identified as Robert. This is particularly pathetic for a university press.

The notes are nicely done and, one of my pet causes, the running titles is used to identify the sections of notes, making them easier to match up. There are some explanatory notes included with the bibilographic information. There is a fairly good index, although only one of the above noted accounts of Lady Hamilton's death is listed in her entry under "death". The other is included under "in London"; she actually died in Calais. There is not a bibliography as such, but May points to other monographs on the artist such as Mary Sheriff's "highly theoretical and ideological interpretation" Exceptional Woman; and Angelica Goodden's "more straightforward narrative" The Sweetness of Life. I very much appreciate that she explains the difference in approach between the two. (Introduction, note 7, p. 205)

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B.B.-Bad
LOVE THIS BOOK!
A Beautiful Soul

Bardot: An Intimate Portrait
Jeffrey Robinson
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556114524

Amazon.com

Though she retired from the screen in the early 1970s, Brigitte Bardot remains an enormously popular sex symbol. Her image continues to be mimicked and recycled almost as often as Bardot herself continues to be hounded. Jeffrey Robinson sees Bardot's life as a story about the enormous cost of fame. He follows her as she rockets to stardom in her teens and ever after consumes the attention of the merciless media while making films, championing humanitarian causes, and bedding lovers.

Customer Reviews:

B.B.-Bad.......2005-02-14

"Bardot: An Intimate Portrait" is both a good and bad title -- on one hand, Jeffrey Robinson lets us in on lots of love life info. On the other, he seems uninterested in Brigitte Bardot as a person, and more as an icon. As the book goes on, it becomes obvious that Robinson cares more about worshiping Bardot than telling the world about her.

Brigitte Bardot was born into a strict middle-class family, who considered actors "gypsies" and expected her to be a dancer. But her life changed when she met Roger Vadim, an energetic young film director who made her his muse, and married her as a teenager. Soon "B.B." was a legend for her free-lovin' movies and sultry image.

But B.B. wasn't as crazy about movies as the movies were crazy about her. While going through a succession of lovers and husbands that would make J.Lo proud, she quit the movies and devoted herself to animal care -- sometimes at the expense of the humans around her -- and living an ultra-reclusive life.

Robinson does a passable job of telling Bardot's life story, from her life as a feted star to her work as an animal rights activist. That stuff is interesting. But he pads it out with stories about how amazing, wonderful and exquisite she is -- barely a page goes by without a quotation burbling about how extraordinary she is.

The problem is, the way he tells it, she is not an exceptional person -- she comes across as a bit dizzy, rather bland, and alternately obnoxious and sweet. Oh yeah, and obsessed with lawsuits. Not a single quote of hers is memorable, and only a few of her good deeds are. It's difficult to take Robinson's adoration seriously when he says in the epilogue that she is better than perfect, she's "unique." Not the way he tells it.

Were she not an exceptional beauty, it's doubtful anyone in this book have been so quick to talk about how glorious she is. As a person, she comes across as very, very ordinary. It certainly doesn't help that Robinson devotes most of the book to A) telling us how saintly Bardot is, B) dismissing false rumors, and C) excusing all her bad behavior. All people who are less than 100% complimentary toward Bardot are dismissed as "nasty," such as great Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni.

Far from being nasty, Mastroianni's candor is refreshing in a book full of rosy worship. In essence, only die-hard fans of Brigitte Bardot will be able to stomach all this praise... which appears to center on Bardot's beauty, and nothing more.

LOVE THIS BOOK!.......2003-08-16

Brigette Bardot has a very amazing and interesting life story. I really enjoyed reading this and found it very inspiriting. She is very raw in her words and emotion and passionate about her love for animals. She was a free sprirt and really changed to way alot of people thought. She inspired pop culture and rock n' roll and the entire sexual revolution!!! I hope her own bio "initials B.B." will be released in English format someday. I also enjoyed Tony Crawleys book "The Films of B.B.". She was the French Marilyn Monroe!

A Beautiful Soul.......2002-04-14

This book is about one of my heroes, Brigitte Bardot. It isn't the best written book but it is interesting. It has a lot of interviews with people who were close to Brigitte at different times in her life. It goes from the beginning of her life when as a young teenager encouraged by her mother she started down the road to becoming an international film star and sex symbol. This was before people had much consciousness about the objectification of women and Brigitte was so beautiful and sensual that she was exploited to the maximum degree. She has been hounded by fans and photographers all of her life but she has remained gentle and good-natured. She has had several failed marriages and suicide attempts and a life of drama, drama, drama. Yes, all that is true, but that is not why I enjoyed this book nor is it why I admire this incredible person. This book also tells about her involvement in and dedication to Animal Rights activisim. She has tirelessly supported and protected the humane treatment of animals around the world and particularly in her home country of France. She has brought about huge changes in the way animals are treated in France and has raised consciousness throughout the world. Her foundation fights animal abuse worldwide. Perhaps because of her experiences as a "sex kitten" she came to understand the cruel and degrading way that human beings can treat other living beings as objects for their use. This book is the only one I could find that tells her story so I enjoyed it, but I don't think it does justice to this enigmatic, courageous and beautiful soul. Her story is more complex than this book indicates, but if you are interested in a pioneer in the Animal Rights movement or if you just love BiBi it is worth the read.

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Very Interesting
Outstanding review of how women artists see themselves

Seeing Ourselves
Frances Borzello
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810941880

Customer Reviews:

Very Interesting.......2003-01-16

Better then any Art History/Woman's History class out there.

Outstanding review of how women artists see themselves.......1998-11-08

An outstanding gift for all those interested in women's history and art. Lavishly illustrated, this book provides a fascinating text which raises provocative questions about how and why women artists chose to represent themselves in the way they did. This is a particularly useful contribution to both women's studies and art history." I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Mirror Mirror: Self-Portraits by Women Artists

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Mirror Mirror: Self-Portraits by Women Artists
Liz Rideal
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823030717

Book Description

The self-portrait is an artist's most intriguing vehicle for analysis and self-expression. Serving a dual role as both creator and subject, artists are offered unusual freedom; as a result, self-portraits offer special value and high interest for both artists and art lovers. Mirror Mirror explores the role of the self-portrait in the work of 40 women artists from the mid-17th century to today. Filled with gorgeous, full-color reproductions, this unique guide covers a wide range of media-from oil painting to photography, woodcut to ceramic sculpture. Readers will discover the rare work of major painters including Mary Beale, Gwen John, and Dame Barbara Hepworth, as well as portraits by women known primarily for their work in other media, such as photographer Lee Miller and ceramicist Susie Cooper. Each of these wonderful self-portraits appears chronologically and features fascinating biographical details of each artist, as well as inspiring essays from two leading art historians: Whitney Chadwick, who discusses style, technique, and how the artist explored her own identity; and Frances Borzello, who presents the historical background and artistic context of each portrait. Whether you're interested in history, art appreciation, or general women's issues, Mirror Mirror offers a rare look into the work, intrigue, and genius of some of the most creative women artists throughout the centuries.

Guibert of Nogent: Portrait of a Medieval Mind

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the ultimate study of an intriguing mind and fascinating era
Noteworthy and Sophisticated
urgently relevant

Guibert of Nogent: Portrait of a Medieval Mind
Jay Rubenstein
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415939704

Book Description

Guibert of Nogent has provided us with much of what we know about life in Europe in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. His autobiography, his crusade chronicle, and his critique of relics create a rich and textured portrait of this vibrant and violent social landscape. His observations range widely from the philosophical to the extremely personal with topics including his mother, sexuality, cleanliness, and life in a Benedictine monastery. Yet, in spite of his importance to our understanding of his era, Guibert himself has not been the subject of an historical biography in nearly a century. Guibert of Nogent: Portrait of a Medieval Mind remedies this an in doing so challenges many of the long held assumptions about this enigmatic man.
Instead of being a neurotic, as earlier historians have described him, Guibert is revealed as one of Europe's most sophisticated early psychological thinkers who led the way in transforming hagiography, biography, historiography, and theology. He interactedwith the most important minds of his time and fearlessly espoused his views even at the risk of being charged with heresy.
This is a well written and valuable study of the life of a familiar but still somehow shadowy figure and an important contribution to medieval intellectual history, with insights into the meaning of the twelfth-century renaissance, the monastic mindset, the invention of psychological thought, the birth of the university, and the historiography of the Crusades.

Customer Reviews:

the ultimate study of an intriguing mind and fascinating era.......2004-01-22

brilliantly researched and exquisitely written - one of the more readable and enjoyable academic texts i've ever had the pleasure to devour! a necessary tome for anyone mesmerized by the times, be you a serious scholar, a history-phile, or someone looking for an intelligent and very readable great book...!

Noteworthy and Sophisticated.......2003-02-22

As the now definitive scholarly work on Buibert of Nogent, Rubenstein's delightful insight into Nogent's life is a well-written and thoroughly researched book that deserves a place on any scholar's bookshelf.

urgently relevant.......2002-11-23

An impressive work of erudition. Rubenstein has written the definitive work on Guibert of Nogent. I would recommend this work to specialists and non-specialists alike.

Pierre et (&) Gilles: The Complete Works, 1976-1996 / L'Oeuvre Complet / Samtliche Werke

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Watch Out For High Prices

Pierre et (&) Gilles: The Complete Works, 1976-1996 / L'Oeuvre Complet / Samtliche Werke
Dan Cameron , Bernard Marcade , and Maison Europeenne De La Photographie (Paris)
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3822880965

Customer Reviews:

Watch Out For High Prices.......2004-06-19

This is a wonderful book about these brilliant guys.

I found that this book is out of print, but the other day a found a copy at Virgin Store San Francisco. They have two copies left. 6.17.04---selling price $40.00

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