Amazon.com Audiobook Review
It's been 25 years since Garrison Keillor first began charming audiences with the goings-on of the strong women, good-looking men, and above-average children in his mythical Minnesota town. Keiller's storytelling alchemy (part literary orchestra, part gossip), gentle humor, and deadpan (or is that just Midwestern?) delivery are what have made Prairie Home Companion a stalwart of public radio. This collection commemorates the quarter century of the program's continuing success with 15 monologues (7 of which have not previously been available) and 33 of the most (in)famous songs and jingles, including "Cowpies," Keiller's tribute to the brains behind the impeachment trial; "Gospel Birds"; and "The Secret Lutherans." (Running time: 6 hours, 4 cassettes) --Natasha Senjanovic
Book Description
This anniversary release features highlights from 25 years on the air, including favorite monologues like "Truckstop," "Gospel Birds" and "Pontoon Boat," plus brand-new stories never before available on audio. Also includes a special full-length bonus music cassette/CD featuring 25 toe-tapping tunes with down-home music from long-time show regulars, including Butch Thompson, the Powdermilk Biscuit Band, Greg Brown, the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, Robin and Linda Williams, and many more.
Customer Reviews:
Purchased as a gift for Christmas.......2007-01-16
Not only did this collection arrive ahead of predicted time (as a Christmas surprise), but the content has been savoured and appreciated so much by the recipient. The dialogue is excellent and the leads to further recommendations by Garrison Keillor were very good - particularly as there are no recordings of his currently available in Australia.
A Praire Home Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection.......2007-01-11
Great fun
Garrison Keillor is easy listening.
25th Anniversary Collection a Disappointment .......2006-11-05
Make no mistake about it-- the stories were not disappointing at all. What is misleading and lacking is the sense of a radio show. The music and connecting conversations were edited out. A "music only" CD was made in addition to the "story" CD. The "collection" therefore made the sum much less than its parts. Very disappointed in not getting a sample of the best shows.
More Fun Than A NPR Membership Drive.......2006-07-21
As someone who has relied heavily on NPR almost since its inception in 1970, I've logged many an hour on the banks of Lake Wobegon, smiling as Dusty and Lefty chewed on cowboy philosophy and thrilling at the adventures of Guy Noir, Private Eye. What I found most alluring about Prairie Home Companion was the format itself, homage to the great days of radio when audiences imagined pictures for themselves. This was a marvelously collaborative process whereby, as Stan Freiberg once observed, it really was possible to fill the Grand Canyon with Jell-O.
Radio like this is theatre of the mind, every individual visited his or her own private Lake Wobegon, a place that became increasingly real because listeners believed in it and felt comfortable there. I enjoyed the long succession of musical guests, the great sound effects, and the sketch comedy.
As the years went by I developed an odd sense that there was something wrong with the show. It began as a minor irritation, a pebble in my shoe, and, like a pebble in my shoe, it became increasingly irritating over time. As thoroughly charming as PHC was, some strange force was polluting it, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was.
One fine day I had that marvelous eureka moment Archimedes had in the bath, the secret revealed itself. PHC's fatal flaw could be summarized in two words - Garrison Keillor. Suddenly evidence poured in like covered dishes at a Lutheran church filled with bachelor farmers. That dreadful guitar playing and awful vocalizing, steadfastly awful even when accompanied by talented singers. The endlessly rambling and mercilessly depressing stories - so cute, so precious, so what?
Most of all, it was the speaking voice and delivery that froze the water and made the Amish look like party maniacs. Garrison Keillor seems to have been invented to define the word "cloying." As Everett Dirksen is safely in his grave, Keillor may now claim the title, "Wizard Of Ooze."
With the Powdermilk Biscuits out of the bag, it's no longer possible for me to listen to PHC, indeed, I wouldn't listen to Keillor if he were reading my name on a winning lottery ticket. To quote Lincoln, "People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like."
Narrow Slice of the Pie.......2005-08-02
I purchased this 25th anniversary collection with great anticipation and, have to say, I was surprised and disappointed to find that this compendium consists ONLY of Garrison's monologues with a few musical selections thrown in. This collection has none of the short skits, Guy Noir bits, or cast-inclusive pieces of brilliance that punctuate and vary the pacing of the live radio show. Don't get me wrong, Garrison's stories are wonderful in themselves and quite enjoyable, but I feel that a 25th anniversary collection should consist of more than just this one aspect of the show. If, like me, you want a more rounded Prarie Home experience, you'll need to buy some of the other Prarie Home CD releases to suppliment this purchase which, I think, is a shame. This collection should be clearly labelled as monologues & music, not as an overall collection of the show.
Book Description
n Opening editorial chronicles the history and philosophy of the Arts Crafts school of design n Eye-catching exteriors and smooth, harmonius interiors celebrate the simplicity and honesty of these homes n A photographic study of several Craftsman homes and tips on creating an authentic Arts Crafts style interior are also included n Complete construction blueprints available for every home in this collection Let Arts Crafts Home Plans be your guide to this well known and beloved American home design.
Customer Reviews:
Try it, you'll like it..........2007-04-20
First off, kudos to the authors for getting the facts right regarding Sears and Aladdin kit homes of the early 1900s. I was so pleased to see the honorable mention of these companies and accurate factual info that I nearly swooned from pure joy. I truly appreciate their giving the kit home companies of the 20s and 30s their due.
As to the designs of the houses pictured in this book, I was pretty impressed with that, as well. Those are some good-looking homes. As to the other reviewer's comment that the houses had big garages and great rooms, the fact is, old-house purists buy old houses and spend 43 years restoring them to their original condition, replete with monitor-top refrigerators and old gas stoves with pilot lights and porcelain tear-drop handles.
The rest of the house-buying public may want something with an exterior look that gives them warm-fuzzy memories of Grandma's house, but with innards that are much more modern (and easy to manage and maintain). The plans offered in this book meet that criteria.
Having spent much of my life in old homes and a small time in a new home, I can see the advantages of a newer home. There is something to be said for being able to pay a utility bill without taking out a second mortgage.
The houses pictured in this book had a nice look. I don't think they'd ever be mistaken for OLD houses, but I was surprisingly impressed with their attention to detail. And the floorplans are spacious, practical and appealing to people who like 21st Century homes.
Rose
Another review to counter Kathleen's below.......2006-08-19
The book is plainly marked "House Plans." That's exactly what you get: plans to build a house. Not to decorate nor historically analyze it, but to build. To rate it low because she wanted it to be something it's *clearly* marked that it's NOT is unfair.
Good stuff working looking at.
Duh........2005-11-29
I really wish that however disappointed Kathleen might have been with what she GOT vs. what she thought she was getting, she would have rated it based on what it was, not what she wanted it to be. It sounds like she thinks it's an OK book of plans, but she only gave it one star. I can only assume that's because it's not a decorating book. That's a little like going to see Citizen Kane and calling it a crappy movie because there weren't any good battle scenes or car chases.
So... even though I haven't read it, I'm giving this 5 stars just to counterbalance Kathleen because it would be a shame if someone looking for a book of plans didn't check this out because of an artifically low rating.
Arts & Crafts Home Plans. Plans for Homes. Home plans........2005-10-23
This book is a catalog of home plans. Operative words: "home" and "plans". Plans with which you can build a home. The other reviewer missed that somehow.
If you want a book of painting tips and decorating suggestions, don't buy this book. This is a catalog of plans for a future home that you might be considering to build.
Just wanted to clear that up a little. Thanks.
Only for People Planning on Hiring Carpenters to Build Them a New House .......2005-10-18
I just have a big warning for anyone thinking of buying this book: it is a catalogue for blueprints that you can buy from the Hanley Wood Company. For some reason Hanley Wood calls their catalogues "books." Their choice, I guess.
I will get to what this catalogue is in a minute. What is important is what it is not. It is not a book about the Arts and Crafts movement. It is not a book of photographs of Arts & Crafts homes since almost all of the pictures are architects' renditions of what the finished houses might look like, not actual photos of what they do look like. It is not a book about Arts and Crafts interiors, which is what I thought it was. When I read about getting 85 "home plans," I was so excited to think that I would be getting 85 ideas for room paint jobs, furniture and fixture ideas, etc. None of that. There's just a handful of photographs of interiors and no real attention paid to that side of it: the dominant imagery is of what the building might look like on the street (curb appeal).
There are a lot of other books about the Arts & Crafts movement that can give you ideas for decorating or redoing an existing home. This just is not one of them. I'm now taking a look at "Living the Arts & Crafts Style: A Home Decorating Workbook."
If you are planning on hiring a bunch of carpenters to build you a house in the Arts and Crafts style, I would buy this book for sure, even though a lot of the plans are not very original Arts & Crafts looking. They have a lot of 2000s details like "great rooms" and three car garages, and some of them look like McMansions with some Arts & Crafts features added in. A lot of them though are original looking and rather nice. You just might find your dream house and won't have to hire an architect. Even if you are planning on hiring an architect, I would buy this little catalogue anyway just to keep him or her honest!
Book Description
Both original Pretty Good Joke recordings plus a brand-new bonus CD with even more knee-slappers, side-splitters, and groaners, together for the first time at a special price. Each year, usually in April, people across the country tune in to A Prairie Home Companion's sometimes annual Joke Show. Host Garrison Keillor and guests delight listeners with jokes old and new—puns, one-liners, knock-knock jokes, bar jokes, lawyer jokes, lightbulb jokes, third-grade jokes, chicken-crossing-the-road jokes, ethnic jokes, political jokes, regional jokes, blond jokes, and more. It's a treat for the good-natured and a cure for the cranky. The set includes: Pretty Good Jokes. (All the jokes from shows 1-4) With comedian Paula Poundstone, humorist Roy Blount Jr., and other show favorites. A Few More Pretty Good Jokes. (All the jokes from shows 5-6) With humorist Calvin Trillin, comedian Monteria Ivy, fiddler Phil Cunningham, and show regulars Sue Scott, Tim Russell, and Tom Keith. Bonus CD! (Available for the first time. All the jokes from shows 7-8) "Why does an archaeologist make a good husband?" "Because the older you get, the more interested he is in you." Packaged for great gift giving ". . . a comedy vitamin for the depleted soul." —AudioFile
Customer Reviews:
The best Prairie Home shows of every year - you just have to laugh.......2007-05-13
I got a cassette tape of the first PHC joke show years ago and just about wore it out from playing it to keep me alert and upbeat on road trips. Now I found this compilation on 4 CDs and I'm laughing more than ever. Sure, there are sophomoric jokes, 3rd grade jokes, puns, groaners and old chestnuts you've heard before, but somehow they all work when presented by Garrison, Roy Blount, Paula Poundstone and the rest. I love it!
A Funny Diversion.......2007-02-13
On your next road trip, give good thought to this panoply of wit and sometimes droll but mostly rapid fire humour and you'll be laughingly delighted at how quickly that drive will pass.
Guy walks into a bar..........2006-02-05
Amazing, non-stop nuggets of gold. Playing the audience like a well-oiled violin, the Prairie Home team delivers 3 CDs worth of material plus a bonus disc of the 2003 & 2004 joke shows. Need some conversation starters? Look no further than this set.
What more do you need besides a slide whistle and a rubber chicken?
Book Description
"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon..." For 20 years, radio fans have warmed to these words, knowing they're about to hear another signature monologue from Garrison Keillor. This retrospective collection of A Prairie Home Companion features complete monologues drawn from 20 years of radio broadcasts, most never before available on audiocassette. Filled with gentle humor, downhome truths, and amazing depths of tenderness and meaning, these tales of "the little town that time forgot and the decades could not improve" are classics of American storytelling. Accompanied by an illustrated booklet featuring A Prairie Home Companion memoir by Keillor. 6 hours on 4 audiocassettes or 4 CDs Table of Contents Tape 1 Hello Love; O Captain, My Captain; I Will; Tomato Butt; Barnyard Dance; Casey at the Bat; Rhubarb; Life is a Ballgame; Revival Tent; Calling My Children Home; The Perfect Day; The Warm Welcome Tape 2 Regina; Carl's Dog Story; Vincent; Pontoon Boat; Goin' Home; The Lake Superior Canyon Project; Cotton; Emily Dickinson's Birthday Pizza; Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam; Troublesome Ivories Tape 3 The Little Match Girl; The Elegance of Winter; Answering Machine; A Kohler Thanksgiving; Not the Cheapest Kind; Homecoming; You Drive Me Crazy; Six Minute Hamlet; The Living Flag; Stars and Stripes Tape 4 Pioneer Waltz; Buddy Holly and the Pharaohs of Rhythm; My Life; Cherry Picker; Graduation Day; Julia; Raccoons; Lover's Waltz
Customer Reviews:
Removed material: Beware.......2007-01-31
Color me displeased. I bought this for Julia, Pioneer Waltz and some other items from my cassette and lo and behold they have been removed from this package. I still give it 5 stars overall because it is PHC but this is a warning for others. Kinda of sneaky of them to sell this without a table of contents in the first place but then removing content from one edition to another makes this just plain wrong.
Pioneer Waltz by Peter Ostroushko.......2006-12-28
I had this set on cassette long ago and recently replaced it with a set on CD from amazon.com. I enjoy A Prairie Home Companion and enjoyed listening to the rest of the humor and music in this set, but the reason I bought a second set is for a Peter Ostroushko composition called "Pioneer Waltz" which is so beautiful it literally moves me to tears.
The same composition appears on another Peter Ostroushko CD, but this version is significant superior. Incredible music, easily worth the price of this set and then some. I've never heard anything like it. It is a profound work of art.
Highly Entertaining.......2006-12-19
Garrison keeler is at his best when he is telling these stories which he is best known for. Radio shows are way before my time and this was sort of an "acquired taste" for me. Now I can't get enough of him. I can listen to this over and over. It is very comforting and, as others have said, excellent on the road!
I love Garrison, but wanted more.......2003-04-10
I love Prarie Home and Garrison, and this is a great collection. However, it is all music and Tales from Lake Wobegon - none of the other sketches or comedy routines I was hoping for. So, no complaints about what's on the four CDs - just complaints about what's not! I will try one of the other anniversary collections!
Wonderful!.......2001-12-19
This series was wonderful, especially when I listened to it during a cross country trip. It was peaceful and gave the trip even more meaning. Radio shows were before my time, this was a Godsend!
Average customer rating:
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New and Not Bad Pretty Good Jokes (Prairie Home Companion)
Garrison Keillor
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A Few More Pretty Good Jokes
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Pretty Good Joke Book 4th edition
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Plenty of Pretty Good Jokes (Prairie Home Companion)
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It's Only a Show (Prairie Home Companion)
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The Christmas Companion
ASIN: 1565119967
Release Date: 2005-01-01 |
Book Description
All the pretty good jokes from "A Prairie Home Companion" Joke Shows 7 and 8, available separately for the first time. "Jokes are good for your health," Garrison Keillor says. "They reduce stress, even jokes as old as ‘Does this bus go to Duluth?’ ‘No, this bus goes beep beep.’ Or the blind man who picked up a hammer and saw. They keep on pleasing us, year after year." And year after year, "A Prairie Home Companion" annual Joke Shows keep on drawing huge audiences of radio listeners. They’re among the most popular shows in the program’s history—and they stay funny no matter how often you hear them. The puns and one-liners still make you groan. You still fall for the knock-knocks and the lightbulb jokes (how many does it take?). Somehow the bar jokes never grow old. And somehow the e-mail jokes already sound like classics. This CD was originally part of the Plenty of Pretty Good Jokes collection, released in 2004. Now available separately, it features every morsel of hilarity from Joke Shows 7 (2/1/03) and 8 (4/17/04). Garrison’s guests include Paula Poundstone. The jokes are audience-tested and certified Not Bad.
Customer Reviews:
Good Fun .......2007-02-06
The Prarie Home Companion's annual joke show is always a treat. Paperback or CD - the whole family can take the edge off with many good laughs (and groans).
Book Description
"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my home town…." Each week, more than four million radio listeners hear these words, and settle in for some old-fashioned, up-to-the-minute storytelling.
During live broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor takes us to "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve," where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." These expertly crafted tales touch the heart and tickle the funnybone. Warm, poignant, often hilarious, each is a classic of live storytelling, full of gentle humor, genuine emotion, and (more often than not) surprising insights into family, community, love, faith, and hope.
"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my home town…." Each week, more than four million radio listeners hear these words, and settle in for some old-fashioned, up-to-the-minute storytelling.
During live broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor takes us to "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve," where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." These expertly crafted tales touch the heart and tickle the funnybone. Warm, poignant, often hilarious, each is a classic of live storytelling, full of gentle humor, genuine emotion, and (more often than not) surprising insights into family, community, love, faith, and hope.
Customer Reviews:
Never better..........2007-07-31
I enjoyed the vignettes and thought I was going to have to resuscitate my husband because he was laughing so hard. Pure enjoyment through the eyes of Garrison Keillor.
A compilation of ten new stories.......2007-07-07
Never Better: Stories from Lake Wobegon is a compilation of ten new stories from live radio broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion", the popular, gently humorous show by Garrison Keillor. From the mighty effort of the girls' volleyball team to the migration of turtles to a reflection upon 2006 Christmas and how the most hardcore of traditionalists seem to be children, listening to Never Better is a truly heartwarming experience, sure to stir up fond memories of home and hearth. Highly recommended. 2 CDs, 2 1/4 hours.
Average customer rating:
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Home on the Prairie
Garrison Keillor
Manufacturer: Highbridge Audio
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Pretty Good Bits
ASIN: 1565117867 |
Book Description
An all-new collection of Lake Wobegon monologues from original live broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion, never before available on audio. "It's been a quite week in Lake Wobegon, my home town..." Each week, more than three million radio listeners eagerly anticipate these words—and the gentle, meandering, expertly crafted, frequently funny, and often deeply moving tale from Garrison Keillor that follows. The latest in a line of best-selling collections that began with News from Lake Wobegon, this new set selects monologues from four years (1999-2002) of A Prairie Home Companion live radio programs. Some were broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater, the show's St. Paul home. Others were recorded on the road: in Dublin, Ireland; Pasadena, California; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and other exotic places.
Book Description
Enjoy the best of Garrison Keillor's comic fables from A Prairie Home Companion, all about true love and other tribulations, brought to life by a cast of brilliant radio actors. A woman stupefied by New Age music realizes, "Feeling good isn't the same as having a life." Talk-show host Tom Paine (The Liberal's Limbaugh) struggles with his tiny conscience in "Adventures in Ethics." Passionate mismatched lovers lurch toward each other in "Another One of Those Things" and in the opera "La Influenza." Here are the whiskey-drinking Scrabble-playing cowboys, the homebody husband and his glamorous CEO wife, and the Silver Lining man who believes in cheerfulness as he slogs from one defeat to another. Plus Famous Celebrities, Bebopareebop Rhubarb Pie, Bertha's and LOL (Lutherans on Line) and a bonus 36-minute collection from the 1996 Joke show.
Customer Reviews:
Laugh Your Sanctified Brethren Butt Off!.......2002-02-21
Where do I start?
(A pretty good impersonator of) Mr. Rogers tells little kittens everywhere that "when you get that special feeling inside, that means it's time to visit Mr. Litter Box" in the "Mr. Rogers Catbox Video".
Guy Noir, the sardonic private eye, makes yet another appearance (minus the wise-cracking, tongue-twisting Pete), being handpicked by an ex-con-turned-poet to publish some poetic parodies in the Paris Review, including a hilarious take-off on Robert Frost's "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening".
"Cold Weather" tends to cheer you up on those super-cold December evenings when the apartment has no heat (hopefully that's just me). Cold weather, according to Mr. Keillor can come in many forms including, but not limited to, your teenage son kicking you out of your own house because he's afraid of his friends coming over and finding the dad in the house.
"You come to New York looking for one thing, and you find another. And Bob Dylan and Carol Channing found each other," in this spoof of the young sixties generation livin' for today in New York City, hanging out with Truman Capote, Larry King, Kirk Douglas, Paul Harvey, and Mr. Rogers ("Found the mushrooms that were so amazing...right here in the neighborhood.").
"Little House On the Desert" is a guarantee side-splitter for any "Little House" enthusiasts out there, when Ma fakes tuberculosis in order to convince Pa to load up the wagon and get the heck out of Minnesota.
For Mother's Day, be sure to take your mom to "Mel's Big Boy Cafe" at the mall. Chewing is optional.
"Newt" is a toe-tappin' little tune about the former Speaker, which is sure to draw laughs from conservatives and liberals alike. Likewise, the Bemidji Boroughway [sic?] song provides a strong warning to ice-fisherman everywhere about the dangers of mistaking cigars, brautwurst, and dynamite.
I could go on and on and on about how great a collection of laughs this is, but I'll end my rambling with "Getting Older", my personal favorite from the three compact discs. This monologue warns us about the dangers of getting older: your grown children getting you as a present one of those stupid books about "the joys of aging"; similar to "Cold Weather", the teenage son lectures his dad on not dropping him off at the front door of school anymore; the vegetarian waitress goes ballistic when her patron orders "the 47-ounce beef-butt in the hot lard sauce" with french fries and butterbrickle ice cream.
In short (a little late for that), this collection has something for everyone.
very impressive.......2000-06-13
i found this audio book funny and very impressive because he really tried to make the listener feel he was in each situation.
Book Description
Civil War and history buffs--as well as all lovers of fine writing--will delight in the detail and accuracy of Carl Sandburg's definitive, best-known biography of "Honest Abe". Representing a lifetime of study by the great American poet, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years distills Sandburg's monumental six volume set into a single one-book edition. By gleaning every possible reference from history, literature, and popular lore, Sandburg successfully captures not only the legendary president, but also Lincoln the man. He reveals exactly who Lincoln was, and what forces in his life shaped his personality. More than 100 black-and-white historical photographs and linecuts show Lincoln himself, the places he went, and the people who knew him.
Customer Reviews:
A Thorough and Artistic Teatment.......2002-10-08
Abraham Lincoln comes to life through the words of his devoted and talented biographer, Carl Sandburg. This edition is an excellent compromise between Sandburg's six-volume edition and the shorter, incomplete texts that abound regarding Lincoln. Take your time with this masterpiece and follow Lincoln from youth through the climax of his political career in Washington.
definitive Lincoln by one of America's best.......2002-08-24
Thousands upon thousands of Civil War books are available, as American readers seem to have a limitless appetite for that era. If you are looking for the best, read Sandburg on Lincoln. A major American poet takes on one of the best-known, best-loved, most tragic of American historical figures.
When I was a freshman in high school, our English teacher offered us a deal: Anyone who read Sandburg's biography (then in six rather daunting volumes) would not have to attend class for a semester. I took him up on that offer, and was blessed to find my way through Sandburg's gift to the American people. Here is the highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and articulately written story of Abe Lincoln's years among us.
If you have time to read only one of the Civil War books from that burgeoning genre, read this one. You will come to know, from the inside out, this prairie boy who became a towering figure in American history.
A Pulitzer Prize winner's master work........1999-10-28
I believe Sandburg is the only author to win the Pulitzer for both poetry and history. Originally a multi volume history taking decades to complete, this single volume work is an appetizer. I read it in the 1960's and went on with relish to the full multi volume work.
This single volume is insightful, laser like in it's detail yet painting the times of Lincoln in a broad and beautiful brush. Did you know that in 1860 tools could be honed to within one ten thousandth of an inch of accuracy? That magazines and newspapers said the world would change for-ever because of the new "instant" communication nation wide?
This is more than biography. It is a woven fabric depicting the times and life of Abraham Lincoln.
An American Classic on a Classic American.......1999-03-16
I collect old and rare books. My mother bought me a copy of Sandburg's one-volume edition published in 1954. Honestly, it was slow to start, but once it got to the 1850's, I couldn't put it down. Lincoln's deeds are so often trivialized in our history books. But Sandburg meticulously builds up the background in a way that forces his reader to appreciate the magnitude of the moment, and the importance of each decision--whether right or wrong--that President Lincoln made. It easily took three full weeks to read, but it was more than worth it. I closed the book thinking, "I can't believe it's over!" My advice: Read this book right away, and make someone else read it too. You'll need someone to talk to when you're through!
Lots of facts to chew on and not a book to be taken lightly........1999-03-12
This biography of lincoln is an unbiased look into the man's life. You'll find everything you would expect and much, much, more. This is not a book for the weak hearted reader. Many of the sections seem to be endless. This is not however a negative, the opposite is true. Sandburg's quest for a truly indepth redering of the Lincoln story creates these long spells and the pay off is just. Much of the humor in the book is dated and therefore will be lost on many readers. Once again, an outstanding book that gets an easy 5 stars.
Book Description
The houses of William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie built mainly in the Midwest and Northeast are the embodiment of the early 20th century marriage of fine craftsmanship and modern technology. Masterpieces of the Prairie Style, each home was designed with the groundbreaking idea that comfort and utility could harmonize with grace and style. Characterized by open plans and site-specific designs, Purcell and Elmslie residences are tied to the land by local materials and low, spreading forms. Their signature use of nature-based ornament and brilliant color further distinguished them from their contemporaries, Frank Lloyd Wright's houses among them. In 24 residential profiles and gorgeous new photographs, Prairie Style expert Dixie Legler and photographer Christian Korab vividly bring to life the pair's enduring dedication to simple elegance and honest design. At Home on the Prairie is the deluxe treatment that this ingenious duo deserves.
Customer Reviews:
Filling a Gap.......2007-02-13
This book helps to address the problem of a dearth of material on Prairie School architecture by anyone other than Frank Lloyd Wright. Not that Wright wasn't an important proponent of the school, but he was far from the only architect of this style. More needs to be done to document the works of the others such as Griffin, Mahoney, Tallmadge and Watson, and Purcell and Elmslie.
This book does an admirable job of this in regards to the latter two architects and their brief but productive joint practice. The two produced a remarkable number of very liveable houses in the space of ten years, houses that are notable for the quality of detail often achieved on quite modest budgets.
The book itself includes a brief history of the practice and then a description and pictures of a selection of many of the houses that they designed. The pictures are first rate. The descriptions, though necessarily brief, cover not only the construction and features of the house but some of their subsequent history as well.
I found this book an important and welcome addition to my collection of books on the Prairie School.
A Step Leading towards Today's Homes.......2006-12-22
The partnership between Purcell and Elmslie lasted only about a dozen years (1909-1921). But during that time their firm was second only to Frank Lloyd Wright 's in the number of houses they designed. In addition, the work of Purcell and Elmslie, to me anyway, seems to have generated more features seen intoday's architecture than the houses of any other architect of the period.
To be sure the Purcell & Elmslie lack the dramatic styling features of say 'Falling Water.' But then so does everything else. The Purcell& Elmslie features that I see today include the internal fireplace (dramatically designed), the wide use of windows, built in cabinets, open designs that lead from room to room, and more.
This book is a beautifully photographed and printed review of some two dozen Purcell & Elmslie homes. Most of the homes included are of the prarie home style extremely common in the midwest, but in reality seen from coast to coast and Canada to Louisiana. It is a beautiful book.
I can only ask that Korab and Legler consider another book on Purcell's later work when he moved to Portland, Oregon and designed houses the fit into a more urban setting.
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