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.
Organized chronologically from early Renaissance precursors to the Mannerist movement, from Giotto to Titian, Key Monuments of the Italian Renaissance describes and analyzes in depth from various points of view major works and major artists, from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. Artists included are Cimabue, Duccio, Giotto, Lorenzetti, Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Massaccio, Gentile da Fabriano, Uccello, Rossellino, Castagno, Piero della Francesca, Alberti, Botticelli, G. Bellini, Verrocchio, Mantegna, G. Sangallo, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, Giorgione, and Titian. The Florentine Renaissance, the High Renaissance in Florence and Rome, and High Renaissance Painting in Venice are covered. Includes a glossary, a bibliography of works cited, and suggested readings.
Iguazu Falls, an extensive series of 275 waterfalls on the Brazil-Argentina border, described by one naturalist as an ocean pouring into an abyss
Here are breathtaking locations on every continent—sites so spectacular that once seen they are never forgotten. Hundreds of full-color photos.
Customer Reviews:
Not a sit down and read book.........2007-07-26
I found this not to be a sit down and read book but a dream, reference book. It takes many visits, each one a brain adventure. Great book.
Best Buy on Travel books!.......2007-03-18
This book was amazing... I wasn't expecting it to be 3inches thick! It is chock-full of beautiful pictures and helpful discussion on destinations all over the world. A must for any curious traveler!
1001 Natural Wonders.......2007-01-18
Very useful if you are going to do some traveling or are just interested in the natural wonders around the world. Many beautiful pictures with details and stories about the area.
Could be better, but..........2007-01-14
Given the enormity of the task of identifying 1,001 of the world's greatest wonders, the authors did a pretty good job. But they were clearly biased in their selections. This book was originally published in England. Not coincidentally, 54 pages are devoted solely to the British Isles. This represents about 6% of the book. This may not seem like that much until you consider that the Britsh Isles have about 0.2% of the world's land mass. Likewise, about 170 pages were devoted to Western Europe ... 19% of the book for 2.5% of the world's land mass. Other sections of the book seemed to be given disproportionate coverage as well. 10% of the entire North America section was devoted to New Mexico. The whole of Canada barely got more coverage than this. The enormous country of Russia got just 7 pages. New Zealand - an incredibly scenic country - got just 13 pages. The breathtaking islands in French Polynesia got 2 pages of coverage (and they completely ignored Moorea Island).
All of this being said, this is still a fairly impressive book that can be used to get a general idea of places you might like to visit. It has nearly 1,000 pages, so even with the disproportionate coverage, it still provides a pretty good glimpse at a lot of the natural wonders around the world. And there are some pretty nice photos, though I do wish there was a photo of every place, rather than a photo of about 1 in every 2 or 3 places. Photos can say more about a natural wonder than a couple paragraphs of text. Hopefully, the authors will someday come out with a new edition with more photos and less biased coverage of places throughout the entire world.
Very highly recommended indeed.......2007-01-07
Some of the world's leading explorers lend their contributions and advice to the extensive travel reference 1001 NATURAL WONDERS YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE, which holds very nearly 1,000 pages packed with photos and descriptions of such wonders. From Loch Ness in Scotland to Lake Natron in Tanzania or Daisetsu in Japan, the world's wilderness places are all under one cover, with extensive descriptions charting why they stand out. While some of these places pepper other books, no other coverage is so extensive - or so well laid out, blending modern color photos with cultural and natural insights. Very highly recommended indeed; way above any other 'natural wonders' guides, and perfect for both armchair travelers and travel planners alike.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
Do you want to know about Washington DC's monuments, festivals, museums, history and shopping? Well, look no further the Eyewitness Travel to Washington DC has all of the information about the city and more! This guide is packed with illustrations, photographs and maps to help you navigate around the District. The floor plans of all major sites and the 3-D aerial views of Washington's most interesting districts allow you to feel practiced in the art of tourism. There are also three specially devised walking tours that will point out all of the intriguing things to do around town. Make yourself feel at home with DK's Eyewitness Travel Guide to Washington DC.
Customer Reviews:
Get to know Washington, D.C. - a perfect book for the first-timer.......2007-07-14
For the first time visitor to Washington, D.C., this book is invaluable. With it's excellent descriptions and insights, grasping a sense of the city's many offerings is easy and fun. But what truly sets this book apart from other travel guides, are the unique and informative full color layouts of the city streets, complete with 2-D images of the buildings for reference. It's nearly impossible to 'get lost' with this guide in your hands!
My favorite guide to DC.......2007-05-13
Another success for the DK Eyewitness series. Well thought out, with the excellent graphics that are DK's hallmark. Well indexed, user friendly, and pocket sized. As a DC resident I own a lot of DC guidebooks; this is the one I'd recommend first, to both visitors and new arrivals alike.
Pictorial Guide to Washington.......2007-02-14
A very clear guide book. Well organized with helpful facts and photos to help identify buildings and key contents. It proved most useful.
This guide needs a lot of UPDATING.......2007-01-17
As a 10 year resident of Washington DC, I think that there are many areas that have developed recently that deserve to be mentioned here. Also, there are quite a few inaccuracies. Although crime and racial discrimination are part of the city living so is the new development of a multicultural city. For example, there is a large number of Latinas/os all over the city who have their own newspapers, radio stations, health centers, neighborhoods (despite the gentrification efforts by the new rich or yuppies), restaurantes, theaters (e.g. Teatro Gala), bars and discos, which are very good and cheap, and a large number of Latina/o intellectuals; also the Ethiopian community is quite strong here with lots of restaurants to enjoy so there is more than black and white but the whole rainbow of human beings are here and every one has some cultural influence on the city. Also, I think that far beyond the Mall there are quite a lot of interesting and beautiful sights that this guide fails to mention such as the National Shrine (Catholic cathedral) with some pretty sights around as the Franciscan Monastery with their catacombs and the new Jean Paul II museum among many other sights and places beyond the Mall such as 14 St. and U St. areas. DC is very expensive place to live in. Although it is not NYC or San Francisco, DC is not far behind in rent and housing prices so even a very tiny one bedroom apartment can reach $5,000 a month, depending on the location. DC is also a college town. Yes, a college town! Did you know that the city itself has ten major colleges such as Georgetown Univ., George Washington Univ., Catholic University, Howard University, Gallaudet University, Trinity University, American University, University of the District of Columbia, Southeastern University, and Corcoran College of Art and Design. Plus the nearby University of Maryland (one of the top ten largest campuses in the US), George Mason University, and John Hopkins University, and many local chapters of other institutions of higher education which amount to 500,000 (yes, half a million college students!). I guess this is something worth of mentioning it in a tourist guide, right? There is a new Museum too which is the Native American Museum and the Newseum is coming up by the end of 2007 and also there is an initiative to build one for Latinos. There is a lot more to see than the Mall in DC and Georgetown and that beyond is pretty as well and very multicultural. In summary, I wish that the people from this publishing company did a better job at talking to the locals and looking beyond what is classic and researched ten years ago.
The best book on DC.......2006-12-17
There is tons to do in Washington DC and despite several trips there I have yet to see it all. This book has been invaluable in planning things from the obvious like the Smithsonian's and the mall to the obscure like the international Espionage museum. I highly recommend its use for planning a trip in the area. Good DC Subway map as well as excellent recommendation on restaurants and hotels. The pictures are wonderful for understanding the various areas.
Book Description
A respected art historian examines over thirty key monuments of the Baroque period, from stylistic, biographical, social, and culturalpoints of view
The most important works of art and the artists who created them of the Baroque period and style from about 1600 to 1750 are described and analyzed clearly and thoroughly from various points of view. The book covers Mannerist precursors, Baroque painting, sculpture and architecture in Rome, Velázquez in Spain, French Baroque, Flemish Baroque, Dutch painting in the seventeenth century, and Late Baroque and Rococo. Artists included are Cellini, Veronese, Vignola, Alberti, Bramante, Bernini, Borromini, Caravaggio, Gentileschi, Caracci, Velázquez, Poussin, Le Vau, Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Ruisdael, Claesz, Vermeer, Wren, Watteau, Neumann, and Chardin. Includes a glossary, a bibliography of works cited, and suggested readings.
Book Description
A fascinating study of this amazing archaeological discovery.
Book Description
This poignant, first-of-its-kind book celebrates words that define America's storied past and symbolize the drive of its people—from the boardrooms of Manhattan to the farm fields of Iowa. Author Ryan Coonerty highlights profound phrases inscribed on 52 monuments and public sites. Some are famed monuments like the Lincoln Memorial; others are simple or stark places of honor, such as Angel Island, where immigrant Chinese scrawled their words on imprisoning walls.
Etched In Stone unfolds the American saga from four perspectives. "In Praise of Public Lives" (Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King gravesite) celebrates leaders, thinkers, and innovators. "Ordinary Heroes" (Gettysburg Battlefield, Korean War Memorial, Memphis Firehouse) honors ordinary people who did extraordinary things. "Bearing Witness" (Salem Witchcraft Victims Memorial, Clayton Jackson McGhie Museum in Duluth) seeks to remind future generations of horrendous moments in history that must not be repeated, while "A More Perfect Union" (IBM School House, Dexter Gate at Harvard University, New York Public Library) reveals the promises of America—freedom and future.
Stunning images by noted architectural photographer Carol Highsmith enhance the powerful messages and give each site a life and purpose beyond stone. The dramatic interplay of words and photographs makes this a beautiful gift book that will strongly appeal to all readers interested in American history, architecture, culture, and art.
Customer Reviews:
Great history lesson.......2007-04-01
This book could be a great teaching tool for young people. It passes over great periods in our country giving a bit of context and sometimes up to date information about each monument and the area it inhabits. The pictures are striking and I feel it could get kids to want to learn more about their nation's history without the constraints of a traditional history book. I know in our family it has prompted quite a bit of discussion about traveling to Washington D.C. Awesome, beautiful book.
A coffee table book that resonates.......2007-04-01
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The impressive photography coupled with the author's thoughtful and evocative words make it a great read. It's coffee table-light but at the same time it can be an intense reminder of where our country has been and how we continue to address our history and heroes. I appreciated the diversity of the monuments and some of the lesser known monuments were impressive. The story about the slavery statue in Savannah is inspiring and will hopefully motivate people to organize and get the monument they feel is missing in their area built. I loved the book and it really makes me want to travel to these places.
Book Description
Through fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses of the White House captured in more than 200 photographs, many of which were taken specifically for the book, and unprecendented personal interviews with the staff so that their faces and voices could be brought to life, weaved together with an engaging narrative that leads the reader through the lifespan of the house, The White House: An Illustrated is an all encompassing look at this famous American landmark. The author explores the four main roles of the White House:
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating look at the history and rooms of the White House.......2005-12-24
"The White House: An Illustrated History" was published in cooperation with the White House Historical Association and includes an introduction by the current First Lady, Laura Bush. No wonder this is a first rate look at the most famous building in America. Catherine O. Grace not only looks at the history of the building but also behind the scenes at what it takes to run a mansion with 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 12 chimneys. Regardless of whether you are old enough to remember Jackie Kennedy taking television viewers on a tour of the White House or learned most of what you know about the Executive Mansion from watching "The West Wing," you will find this a fascinating look at the home that is also an office, a museum, and a ceremonial stage.
Grace interviewed current staff members, such as the chief usher and president's photographer, and throughout the book these people are profiled in Faces & Voices sections. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1, Rooms with a View: Building the President's House, looks at the history of the building century by century, including a cutaway of the White House and a look at the Visitor Center located near the mansion. Chapter 2, "Working at the White House," looks at key parts of the White House such as the West Wing, Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and Residence. Chapter 3, Celebrating at the White House, covers everything from state dinners and rose garden ceremonies to celebrating the arts and various holiday traditions. Chapter 4, A White House Tour, Room by Room, looks at what you actually get to see when you visit the WHite House, starting with the library and ending up in the state dining room, with the China Room, East Room, and others in between. Chapter 5, Living at the White House, looks at the family quarters, famous White House pets like Millie and Socks, and what various first families have done there.
By the end of the first chapter I knew this was a great look at the White House. I like the history aspects more than the decorating, but even the latter gets pretty interesting (the paintings in the Red Room include Gilbert Stuart's portrait of Dolley Madison). The back of the book has an Epilogue: A White House Album, which looks at what each president from George Washington to George W. Bush has done about the White House. There is also a Selected Bibliography, Internet sites where readers can go For More Information, and Other Media about the White House. You also learn where to write (or fax) the president (or first lady). If you are looking for something specific the Index at the end will be of help as well, but the Table of Contents will certainly get you in the ballpark.
There are over 200 photographs and other illustrations showing both the people and the events that mark the history of the White House. You will find a painting of First Lady Abigail Adams watching a servant hang laundry in the East Room, a photograph of the White House when it was gutted during the Truman administration, and a diagram of some of the trees planted by presidents and first ladies. There are several shots of the model White House built by the Zweifels on a scale of one inch to one foot, a photograph of President Eisenhower cooking burgers, and Amy Carter carving a jack-o-lantern with her friends in the China Room (on a white sheet to protect the concert). There are also five special double pages that open up for a close up look at the amazing building through a 19th-century painting of Washington, D.C. or a shot of the Oval Office.
The Real West Wing.......2003-11-01
This is a great book for children and adults alike. It is filled with fascinating details and beautiful illustrations about our nation's most important residence. The book artfully covers the long history of the White House and offers behind-the-scenes insights into how it lives, breathes, and operates today. I particularly appreciate the Epilogue, which features vignettes about the influence of each President (and First Lady) and gives readers a real sense of the house's evolution. Also enjoyable are the interviews with White House staff, such as the director of student correspondence and the pastry chef. After reading Catherine Grace's delightful volume, I can appreciate John Adams' benediction, now carved in the State Dining Room mantlepiece: "I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."
Book Description
For over 100 years, Touring Club of Italy has been regarded as Italy's foremost publisher of guidebooks and maps. Written by a uniquely qualified editorial board of specialists, many of whom are respected art and architecture historians, TCI's comprehensive guide to Sicily provides travelers with unparalleled information on one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations. The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily offers an exceptional wealth of history and art, set in a landscape of remarkable intensity and variety. An overview of the island's geography and history is followed by an exploration of its cities and sights, divided into ten chapters focusing on different regions within the island. The book features 29 excursions starting from the capital, Palermo, and traveling along the coast, to outlying islands, and through the interior. Each itinerary is packed with archaeological sites, museums, examples of baroque architecture, and descriptions of numerous other cultural attractions. Meticulously drawn street plans, road maps, and plans of archaeological sites help travelers plan their routes. Throughout the book, fascinating tidbits bring to life the island's many-layered history. Also included are practical travel tips, useful addresses, and a large detachable map. This edition contains 20 percent new material, including over 200 color photos and an all-new introduction geared toward American travelers.
Customer Reviews:
So-So.......2005-08-16
I didn't really use this book very much -- It was accurate, but very dry and the book only describes locations by their Italian names without reference to how it is pronounced in English which made it difficult to use.
Looks good in print!.......2005-07-25
I like the format and content of this guide. It seems to cover the most important sites and details of many Sicilian towns and cities that I will visit in Feb '06. I look forward to taking it with me and trying it out!
Wonderfully Informative.......2000-08-31
This guide is extremely helpful in planning a trip to Sicily. It is also an excellent source of information for anyone interested in the beautiful island and its culture.
Many already popular attractions are covered as well as some lesser known ones. For a traveler seeking to get off the "beaten path" this guide will offer some good ideas on where to find less popular, but equally beautiful, areas of the island.
The extensive history of the island and its towns will appeal to history buffs and make the trip much more interesting.
This guide is a wonderful addition to any Sicily lover's library. Through its fascinating text and pictures, a new appreciation for this culturally rich island will be formed.
Book Description
This book is about the Byzantine monuments of Istanbul, most notably, Haghia Sophia. The remains of the land and sea walls, the Hippodrome, imperial palaces, commemorative columns, reservoirs and cisterns, an aqueduct, a triumphal archway, a fortified port, and twenty churches are also described in chronological order in the context of their times. These "monuments" are viewed in relationship to the political, religious, social, economic, intellectual and artistic developments of the Byzantine dynasties.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding survey of the Byzantine remains.......2006-03-28
Great book on the Byzantine remains of Istanbul. Beginning with a topographical analysis of the Greek city, it takes you through the structures chronologically, so you can see what remains from which time periods. Floor plans are useful as well, although surprisingly little was done to upgrade them for this high quality book. Also suffered a bit from insufficient photography - needed more photos and less technical text.
A Comprehensive Gazetteer of Istanbul's Byzantine Survivals.......2004-09-27
For co-author John Freely, at least, this book represents a summing-up of everything he's learned in more than 30 years of tramping around Istanbul and studying its Byzantine monuments. Assisted by Ahmet S. Cakmak, a professor of Civil Engineering at Princeton and a specialist on the Haghia Sophia, he has produced a comprehensive gazetteer of Istanbul's remaining Byzantine survivals that should gratify the hearts of both academic specialists and of non-professional Byzantium buffs. The book obviously belongs in academic libraries, but it should also find a place in general circulation libraries that want to ensure thorough coverage for both actual and armchair travelers of a city that is an increasingly popular tourist destination.
Over the past five decades, the remaining Byzantine monuments in Istanbul have begun, one-by-one, to struggle back from years of indifference and neglect. Freely and Cakmak do an inestimable service by providing a comprehensive survey of the skeletal remains of the Byzantine city. Even the most obscure Byzantine sites are catalogued, and not merely that - all of them are also illustrated with at least two photographs or nineteenth-century lithographs and frequently a site plan as well. In all, the book includes 51 color photographs in full-page plates and 162 building plans and black-and-white illustrations - mostly photographs, but also including 19th century lithographs where (as with St. John of Studion) the condition of the structure has declined significantly over the last 100 years.
The chapters are arranged chronologically, and each chapter begins with a historical overview that will be useful for the layperson. Haghia Sophia, not surprisingly, receives comprehensive coverage - almost 40 pages of text, 17 plans and black-and-white illustrations, and 8 in color. (If you review this book before leaving for Istanbul, you will have no excuse for missing anything of substance in Justinian's great church.) Monuments in the second rank like the Church of SS. Sergius & Bacchus or the Kariye Camii are also well-covered, with 7 pages on each.
But the book really shines in its treatment of the most obscure (and often precarious) Byzantine survivals. The Kefili Mescidi, which may (or may not) be the refectory of the monastery of Manuel, rates two photographs and one plan, as does another church known as the Manastir Mescidi. A ruined church called the Sinan Pasa Mescidi also rates two photographs, and Freely and Cakmak cover the Isa Kapi Mescidi, even though they report that it consists of merely "two walls of a Byzantine church and the wreck of a medrese by Sinan." And if you've ever wanted to get the skinny on the Atik Mustafa Pasa Camii (Church of SS. Peter & Mark), or the walls that Nicephorus II Phocas erected around the core of the imperial palace complex, or the Palaces of Antiochus and Lausus near the Hippodrome, then this is the book for you.
There's also coverage of a few well-known and important monuments that no longer survive or do so only in fragments or foundations, like the Baths of Zeuxippos, the Church of Anicia Juliana, the Church of the Holy Apostles, and the Hippodrome itself. And the chapter on pre-Constantinian Byzantium fleshes out what is known about the city of Septimius Severus.
This book is expensive, but there are reasons for that. It is printed on very high-quality paper, in part so that the dazzling color photographs will appear to full advantage. Save your pennies, if you must, but this is definitely a book every lover of Byzantium will want to acquire.
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