Average customer rating:
- Big Book of Breasts
- Worth It
- Better Than I Imagined - Great On Several Levels
- Great coffee table book
- great for the coffe table
|
The Big Book of Breasts
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Erotic Photography
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Portraits
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Nudes
| Subjects
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Erotic
| Other Media
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Expeditions & Discoveries
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The New Erotic Photography
-
Playboy: The Celebrities
-
Shaven or Unshaven
-
Private Rooms
-
100 Naked Girls
ASIN: 3822833037 |
Book Description
Say no to silicone: The greatest natural breasts of our times
Some call it the American obsession, but men everywhere recognize the hypnotic allure of a large and shapely breast. In The Big Book of Breasts, Dian Hanson explores the origins of mammary madness through three decades of natural big-breasted nudes. Starting with the World War II Bosom-Mania that spawned Russ Meyer, Howard Hughes's The Outlaw and Frederick's of Hollywood, Dian guides you over, around, and in between the dangerous curves of infamous models including Michelle Angelo, Candy Barr, Virginia Bell, Joan Brinkman, Lorraine Burnett, Lisa De Leeuw, Uschi Digard, Candye Kane, Jennie Lee, Sylvia McFarland, Margaret Middleton, Paula Page, June Palmer, Roberta Pedon, Rosina Revelle, Candy Samples, Tempest Storm, Linda West, June Wilkinson, Julie Wills, and dozens more, including Guinness World Record holder Norma Stitz, possessor of the World's Largest Natural Breasts.
Customer Reviews:
Big Book of Breasts.......2007-09-07
Quite an interesting book from both a social and historical perspective. The text deals mainly with how and why many of these women became models and the roles they played in creating an image. Many of these models come from the glossy mens magazines of the 1970's and 80's, as well as date back to the 50's and 60's when nude photography was taboo.
The photos are tasteful and the text is interesting and speaks of the models how they conducted themselves, and why they posed.
Worth It.......2007-08-10
Great publication, although it's a bit large for the average coffee table. The photos are high quality and the commentary is interesting and well written. I only wish there was a greater variety of models and more everyday women featured. Certainly a conversation starter!
Better Than I Imagined - Great On Several Levels.......2007-07-16
From the "perv" in me, the focus on breasts, frankly, is right up my alley. :)
The execution of this book, however, is clearly on the art book level. It is a beautiful, large coffee table style book. The large b/w and color photos are extraordinary and beautifully printed. The text gives both context for these photos and offers extensive interviews with various models and people involved in the business. Furthermore, the plastic cover of the book is actually a virtual bra for the woman's torso underneath it. If you look at the cover art on this page, the black bra can be "removed" by removing the plastic dust jacket. Extremely clever. This book would be worth it at its retail price of $50, but at the approximately $33, it's a bargain. Even my wife, who is not particularly interested in women's bodies, found this book fascinating.
Great coffee table book.......2007-07-05
This book had wonderfully entertaining interviews and high quality photographs. I recommend it for the aficionado in your life.
great for the coffe table.......2007-07-05
everyone that has seen this book out has wanted to look at it. its very appealing to the eye and is a great coffe table book for singles.
Average customer rating:
- Erotic and Classy
- Amazin book for fantastic subject
- The New Erotic Photography
- Misleading title
- Wonderful Collection
|
The New Erotic Photography
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Erotic Photography
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| How-to
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Erotic
| Other Media
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
French
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
German
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| French
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| French
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All French Books
| French
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All German Books
| German
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Richard Kern: Action
-
The Big Book of Breasts
-
Pervy Girls: Erotic Fashion Photography
-
100 Naked Girls
-
Shaven or Unshaven
ASIN: 3822849243 |
Book Description
The most provocative modern image makers
Imagine walking into a room filled with the world's finest contemporary erotic photographers, each with a portfolio of his or her best work. As you browse the photographs they discuss inspiration, censorship, how to find models, and how to make a living capturing beautiful women on film and in pixels.
The New Erotic Photography is the room, and 82 photographers from 14 countries are the hosts of this intimate gathering. In this 608 page volume you will meet Ralph Gibson, Jan Saudek, Terry Richardson, Natacha Merritt, Petter Hegre, Richard Kern, Bob Carlos Clarke, Thomas Karsten and the many fresh new talents currently redefining eroticism. Playful, provocative and exuberantly sexy, these aren't your granddad's art nudes; this is The New Erotic Photography.
Customer Reviews:
Erotic and Classy.......2007-09-28
This book is amazing. 600 hundred pages of pure beauty. Anyone who is not famaliar with erotic photographers, like myself, this is a wonderful book to start with. The cost of the book will set you back about the cost of a tank of gas. And unlike gas, you will have the book longer than a week. Every artist is a bit different from one another and shine in their own way. A great coffee table book. Except, i would absolutely put it away when the nephews are over, but not my parents. Classy and sexy. Buy this book now.
Amazin book for fantastic subject.......2007-09-28
TNEP is a amazingly book very well done, with a interesting text on this subject. The finishing, paper, photo quality are outstanding. I recommend for all who love photography and beautiful women.
The New Erotic Photography.......2007-07-26
This is a wonderful book. Full of beautiful photographs of many beautiful women. Makes a great coffee table book.
Not safe for kids!
Misleading title.......2007-06-12
The book should be called "The New Female Nude Photography". No sex here. Nothing wrong with that, I just feel the title is a bit misleading. Quality is up to Taschen standards (they're really high), but the content is somewhat dull. There's nothing terribly creative or groundbreaking here.
Wonderful Collection.......2007-05-12
The book contains a variety of photographers, with each presenting a short series of well done photos, using many different models. The overall quality of the collection is outstanding. I was particularly impressed with the highly detailed nature of the photos. For devotees of erotic photography, I would definitely recommend this book.
Book Description
Are you looking to succeed in the ever changing world of marketing? With INTERNET MARKETING & e-COMMERCE you will find the tools you need. This innovative text show you how to use the Internet to both create value for the customer and profit for your company.
Customer Reviews:
The most valuable book in Internet Marketing & E-commerce.......2007-02-07
To be successful in Internet marketing and e-commerce you have to start learning every important area that makes Internet so powerful and valuable. You have to understand about networks but also individual's behavior online. It is important to learn about traffic building and usability - and more. I will strongly recommend this book from Ward Hanson and Kirthi Kalyanam - Buy it - Read it - and start your successful road.
Just one word: A classic, out of date, no technical expertise.......2006-12-23
Internet Marketing and e-Commerce (Hardcover) by Ward Hanson, Kirthi Kalyanam appears to be a remake of Hansons Internet Marketing book; the main structure and writing style is similar to this groundbreaking marketing book from the 1990s. At that time the book was certainly interesting - several years later however one expects such titles to reflect the changes within the internet marketing industry. The book lacks references to technological changes, web metrics, search engine optimization and vice versa - as such i can not recommend this book to my students, it is simply out of date and of no practical value.
Book Description
Provides a practical, 10-step process for managing the human aspect of an M&A
M&A activity is higher than ever with acquisitions becoming an important part of every company's growth strategy. The industries heavily engaging in this activity are high-tech, emerging technologies, and utilities.
The M&A Transition Guide is written for executives, managers, and HR professionals involved with any transaction that moves employees from one company to another. Poor workforce integration is a main cause for M&A failures and this book helps managers make the M&A transition a more positive one by providing a plan of action for the integration that focuses on ten critical steps. These steps encompass the entire M&A process from due diligence to employee retention strategies.
Download Description
Provides a practical, 10-step process for managing the human aspect of an M
Customer Reviews:
Essential guide for HR staff.......2001-04-24
Anyone who has watched the matketplace over the last ten years has observed a couple of trends:
- merger and acquisition activity is on an ever-accelerating uptrend, and
- many mergers fail.
Analysis of the failures in M&A typically point to the difficulty of blending disparate cultures.
Hanson has codified her deep experience in managing the HR aspects of mergers and acquisitions. She has taken a complex and delicate topic, the merger of workforces with different cultures and backgrounds, and created a framework and approach that can be applied to this activity to assure a solid result.
This is a solid piece of work that belongs in the library of every HR professional.
Product Description
Drugs and Society, Ninth Edition, clearly illustrates the impact of drug use and abuse on the lives of ordinary people and provides students with a realistic perspective of drug-related problems in our society. Written in an objective and user-friendly manner, this best-selling text continues to captivate students by incorporating personal drug use and abuse experiences and perspectives throughout. Statistics and chapter content have been revised to include the latest information on current topics.
Customer Reviews:
Altho a difficult read this is a great teaching text.......1998-07-06
This text provides informative and up to date information regarding a broad range of drug related topic. Althought the reading level is not easy, the information is extremely useful for drug counselors. The information presented regarding psychopharmacology provides an excellent base of preparation for the certification test used in many states. I highly recommend this text as well as many of the web site exercises.
Book Description
"Just Take a Bite" takes parents and professionals step by step through he myths about eating to the complexity of eating itself, which leads to an understanding of physical, neurological and/or psychological reason why children may not be eating as they should.
Customer Reviews:
FINALLY!!!! A book with a real plan..........2007-09-17
My son has high functioning autism. He is so smart and Non-autistic in many ways..but NOT with food. I have asked so many "professionals" for YEARS for help..and I have never been able to get anything other than "He'll eat when he's hungry" or "You're worrying too much."
After reading this book, I cried..literally CRIED because I had FINALLY found a book that described my son..and that I was right thinking these people had no idea what was really going on.
I cannot begin to express how happy I am that we have a plan..a real plan..on what we ALL can do. I purcahsed a copy for his school so that his speech therapist AND his occupational therapist can get some insight on how they can help my son also.
It will be a slow process, but I am confident that with real goals we can do this. It is such a relief to have some help in this area..FINALLY!!
Disappointed with the book........2007-07-29
This book is probably an excellent resource for children with various medical and developmental issues; however, I found it disappointing for my situation. My son is a healthy, normally developing 6 year old child in every aspect except eating. I was disappointed that the book did not offer ideas for expanding his foods beyond providing new foods with ones he likes at mealtime.
wish I'd had this book when my child was younger.......2007-03-27
I think this is a terrific resource. No, it's probably not cutting-edge for a professional, but that's not the audience, which is intended to be broader. My daughter was extremely overselective as a young child--she's merely extraordinarily picky as a 10-year-old. Just by browsing the book, I've gotten a number of ideas about how to expand her food repertoire. She's alerady eating more fruit than she had been a few weeks ago.
The book also does a good job of reassuring parents who've been subjected to the same damn food myths ("If she's hungry enough, she'll eat." Not my kid).
O.K., but pretty basic.......2007-02-23
Contains some interesting ideas for parents just exploring their options, but too basic for the professional
Good first-line resource .......2006-11-10
For years I have told parents not to create a "clean plate club" or "just one bite club." When I heard someone praise "Just Take a Bite" I had to see what it had to say. The authors do a very good job of discussing common eating issues for young children with and without disabilities who are having trouble at meal time. The descriptions of sensory issues is done quite well. I found many of the same techniques I use and describe in my book, "The Down Syndrome Nutriton Handbook" mentioned as well including "Offering the child at least one preferred food item at every mean ald/or snack" and "Make sure the meail time schedule includes snacks."
The authors focus on the dysfunctions parents are feeling, which is a very important area!
I do wish there was more attention to the relationship between parent and child that can become very broken when there are eating issues. Having a list of tools is great, but it's also important to continue a loving and trusting relationship for the child to feel the limits, rules, and expectations are mutually respectful.
Also, although the authors do not come out and say the target audience is parents of children with sensry dysfunction, autism, or other disabilities, these are likely the main audience (especially considering the publisher focuses on books for people with autism). That is fine, but I was dismayed to see yet one more progression of skills and abilities based on age, which becomes a barrier for parents of kids with cerebral plasy, Down syndrome, and other disabilties where there may be a delay due to altered motor tone. I would like to see the authors offer a paragraph for parents whose children are following a different developmental schedule so they can feel comfortable accessing this important information!
All-in-all, a good first-line book for families who hare having tough mealtimes.
Book Description
Experience the rest of your life with restorative yoga, the supported poses and breathing practices that will help you heal the effects of chronic stress. In Relax and Renew, the first book exclusively devoted to this work, the author offers in-depth guidance in the Basic Relaxation Pose (Savasana), the heart of restorative practice. In addition, this book provides yoga sequences for busy days, including a fifteen-minute practice, yoga at your desk, and the Totally Invisible Relaxation; programs for back pain, headaches, insomnia, jet lag, and breathing problems; a special section for women during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause; a guide to props; and resources for finding a yoga teacher, recommended books, magazines, newsletters, audio programs, yoga vacations, and more.
Customer Reviews:
not really yoga.......2007-09-02
if you want to learn how to relax by not doing yoga then this is the book for you! this book describes ways to relax by breathing and lying on the floor using towels and blankets to make your self more comfortable.. which seems more like a great way to fall asleep than yoga.
Who couldn't use a little renewal?.......2007-07-28
I love this book. I use at least one restorative pose in my practice each day.
Must Have.......2007-06-17
This book is a must have. The poses are explained well. The poses are very restorative.
Fabulous book from an accomplished yogini.......2007-06-03
Great, great book, very approachable and lots of modifications and options to make it doable for your needs.
Boring.......2007-02-15
I was hoping for a yoga book with pictures that allows me easy and safe postures -- maybe modified -- of the standard beginner yoga. Instead I got pictures - a book full of them -- of people lying on the floor on their backs sleeping. Waste of a book.
Customer Reviews:
Comfort in a time of need.......2007-09-28
This wonderful book gave me such a sense of comfort after the tragic deaths of my sister-in-law and a dear friend. I have passed it on to relatives and friends who have told me that this book helped them during the most sorrowful time in their life. Although simple and child-like in its writing, it is profoundly powerful and inspiring. For all who grieve, this is a must read.
"The Next Place".......2007-09-14
I bought this book for myself and my Mom after my Dad passed away. It is really lovely... and just what I was looking for. It is spiritual but not religious. The pictures are pretty and the verse is very simple and poetic. It gives us both a sense of peace and calm when we read it...
Profound, Peaceful.......2007-09-05
Although this book was so highly rated, I admit I still had a few uncertainties about how it would portray the next part of our journey after we leave this earth. I need not have feared - the previous reviewers knew what they were talking about! This has fast become one of my new favorite reads. It is a book that just as easily reaches a younger audience as an adult reader. However, the concept may be slightly beyond children under 3 or 4, although still a pleasant and beautiful read. This book offers a universal perspective on what our "next place" is like, calling on all things peaceful, warm, and safe. The author brilliantly unifies many faiths in his descriptions, managing to stay general yet specific enough that any person could find deep meaning. While reading, it is impossible not to feel completely captivated. The beautiful illustrations combined with the perfect message on each page surround your heart and you nearly feel transported to that next place, easily imagining it in the very way he describes. By the time you reach the closing, expect to feel uplifted, hopeful, peaceful, and perhaps, not without a tear of longing, and renewed faith.
Thought provoking.......2007-08-31
I gave this book to my mother. Mom has terminal cancer and found this book to be very inspiring. She has read it several times and says each time she takes something more away from it. She has shared this book with her visitors and her hospice caregivers. The subject of the hereafter is beautifully portrayed both in word and art.
This Place.......2007-08-25
"This" is a book for a child in "this place" who is dealing with the kind of dichotomous relationship with someone not living "here" anymore.
I bought it to comfort a little girl, Angelina(not her real name), who lost her father to a tragic aneurysm at the end of her second grade year. At that time she was in the classroom of my best friend and we were almost paralyzed thinking about how to help her through the next years ...an ever on-going cycle of growth and the child's spiral of becoming her beautiful self. I recall coming here on line thinking I will validate this to her with something that is beautiful,artful, something that will just "be".
It was then I found the book. The Next Place.
Luckily I was a part of her support systems in third and 4th grade and surely hope to be this year as well.. I say luckily because from her I have seen a child show me that even in such an overwhelming situation, we've seen clearly that her father and mother were able to give her a tremendous amount of love and self possession. The best of her Dad living in her being I think, as she is going on living a complete life. Just as we wish for all those we love. To have the life with all the joy they deserve. Angelina is here in "this" world and loving her days, dealing with her sometimes sadness as valid, having her friends, supports, helping in my classroom, extending herself in her community. It's amazing. She really liked this book and still takes it out to look at once in awhile.. It's basically a poetic series of statements. A comment in a way on the things missing here in "this" ..but how we can go in peace, freed of the "mistakes" and the notions of a life now that may hold us down and pull us away from our true selves. Or perhaps I should say it says that it is a kind of journey to a form of freedom... It could be seen as a religious book, it could be seen as free of an orthodoxy. In some ways it hits everything man lets stand in the way of our finding joy together on earth and in that way I find it a call to action to see these things in "this" world and not to just let it be. But that is me. Like many things it can be "read" in many ways, many, many ways. It's core strength is validation.
"The next place that I go won't really be a place at all."
This is a very hard topic to broach. I have the book because in teaching 25 years I know years take you all kinds of places. And sometimes you need something to help you into a discussion or dialog about these things. One of my students two years ago lost his Grandma and felt it all the time. So we started talking through the book. On days I saw him reading the book you knew to move in to give a hug and just let him be with his feelings.
Loss is about many things for children including the loss sometimes of things they never had. To cut out away of a complex thing, let's say where I teach and am in the world we also lose imperfect beings that aren't always functioning to the ideals and the "images", roles and in the ways that might be needed....It's deeply held this kind of knowing and touches their core. The book speaks to this.
Letting it go. Gently away.
This book is a metaphorical construct of "that" for a child who is living in the "this". It's a daunting task to speak to and worthy of bringing into the library of the classroom.
Book Description
By mastering all techniques described in the book, you will be on your way to elevating the Travis pick from a basic chordal accompaniment to a complex solo style!
Customer Reviews:
Good instruction - Lame tunes.......2007-07-12
Many have already described how good the instruction in this book is. And rightfully so. So I will bring up the one negative which made me regret getting this book.
Apart from 2 or 3 songs such as John Barley, Sloop John B, etc., the songs used for demo are mostly lame ballads and fail to generate much excitement about playing them in me. The best tune is probably the opener, written by Mark Hanson himself. Also, most of these are sing-along types in which the vocal does most of the work instead of letting the guitar stay front and center. It would have been much better to feature mostly instrumentals where the lessons learned can be displayed in full glory.
Corny vocals detract from decent book.......2007-05-24
The whole series of Mark Hanson books is excellent. I have this one as well as "Beyond Basics Fingerstyle Guitar", "The Art of Solo Fingerpicking", "Hymns & Spirituals For Fingerstyle Guitar". All highly recommended. He has a talent for breaking a piece down into manageable chunks. And his arrangements are accessible to the beginning to intermediate picker while still sounding awesome.
"The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking" rates at the bottom of the list due to the corny vocals on the CD. Perhaps incorrectly seeing this one as a follow on to "Beyond Basics," I was also a bit disappointed with the complexity of the arrangements. Otherwise, it is a decent book for beginning Travis pickers. "The Art of Solo Fingerpicking" is an excellent follow on.
Not bad.......2007-05-19
Could use more chord tablature. The CD is not good quality. I tried to contact the publisher for a replacement and was told (by Mark Hanson himself in fact) that since I bought it from Amazon I'd have to take it up with them and 'Good Luck, nyuk nyuk'.
Pretty shoddy. I won't be buying any further products from them. Buy a used copy if you must.
Superb intro to Travis Picking.......2007-04-13
This is an excellent book. I started off with the Beyond the Basics book and went to this when I finished. My playing has improved dramatically. I went at a very slow pace, however, so it did take me many months to finish. I had a lot of trouble on the 3rd to last song (the Water is Wide) and was stuck on it for over a month, but had no trouble with the last two songs. If a new edition is ever printed I'd recommend resequencing that song to the end. I'd also recommend that Mr Hanson film a video for this, as the videos for the Beyond the Basics book helped me a lot.
My ultimate goal is to be able to play Leo Kottke music as well as write my own fingerstyle pieces. A year ago I would have thought such results were at least 3 years away, but after sweating this one through, I think I'm less than a year away...We will see if I still feel this way after I finish Hanson's Art of Solo Fingerpicking. See my review of that hopefully within the next 3 months (wishful thinking??).
I LOVE this book.......2007-03-04
I am an advanced beginner/intermediate guitar player yearning to learn fingerpicking. This book is a graded, simple and easy to understand instructional manual in learning fingerpicking. From the first lesson, there are examples that sound great, can be used with a multitude of songs and are a lot of fun to learn. I've been through A LOT of books and am going to use this book (with Solo Fingerpicking as the next book I'll use when I'm done with this one) to assist my guitar lessons (in fact my guitar teacher is coming tomorrow night and I'm excited to share it with him and ask we use it as our workbook.
How to say it? I LOVE this book.
Zach
'
Book Description
One of our most provocative military historians, Victor Davis Hanson has given us painstakingly researched and pathbreaking accounts of wars ranging from classical antiquity to the twenty-first century. Now he juxtaposes an ancient conflict with our most urgent modern concerns to create his most engrossing work to date, A War Like No Other.
Over the course of a generation, the Hellenic city-states of Athens and Sparta fought a bloody conflict that resulted in the collapse of Athens and the end of its golden age. Thucydides wrote the standard history of the Peloponnesian War, which has given readers throughout the ages a vivid and authoritative narrative. But Hanson offers readers something new: a complete chronological account that reflects the political background of the time, the strategic thinking of the combatants, the misery of battle in multifaceted theaters, and important insight into how these events echo in the present.
Hanson compellingly portrays the ways Athens and Sparta fought on land and sea, in city and countryside, and details their employment of the full scope of conventional and nonconventional tactics, from sieges to targeted assassinations, torture, and terrorism. He also assesses the crucial roles played by warriors such as Pericles and Lysander, artists, among them Aristophanes, and thinkers including Sophocles and Plato.
Hanson’s perceptive analysis of events and personalities raises many thought-provoking questions: Were Athens and Sparta like America and Russia, two superpowers battling to the death? Is the Peloponnesian War echoed in the endless, frustrating conflicts of Vietnam, Northern Ireland, and the current Middle East? Or was it more like America’s own Civil War, a brutal rift that rent the fabric of a glorious society, or even this century’s “red state—blue state” schism between liberals and conservatives, a cultural war that manifestly controls military policies? Hanson daringly brings the facts to life and unearths the often surprising ways in which the past informs the present.
Brilliantly researched, dynamically written, A War Like No Other is like no other history of this important war.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Best book of its kind.......2007-09-20
I am a big fan of those authors like Jared Diamond who try to look at the big picture, but I also occasionally read more "conventional" history which focuses on events during a particular time and place. "A War Like No Other" is the best book of that kind I have ever read. It tries to understand the "why's" of the Peloponnesian War. Why was their a stalemate for so long; why was the effectiveness of Hoplites limited, and why didn't the Greek world realize this earlier; why was cavalry important and why wasn't more use made of it; why were the Greeks so poor at conducting sieges; what determined success at sea; why did Athen invade Syracuse, a fellow democracy, and one very distant; why was the war marked by a greater frequency of atrocities than the Greek world had previously experienced; what was the nature of democracy and oligarchy and what form did social tensions take; why were a few critical battles won or lost. The book also implicitly explains why any one with a classical background might be distrustful of democracy. Finally, students of modern history know the importance of economic might; Hanson, in answering some of his questions, shows the importance of economics in this ancient conflict.
I have a few minor complaints. The maps provided don't always show the places referred to: in fact, the reader would be advised to refer to the map on p.182 when reading the earlier chapters. It would have been helpful if the chapters on armor and cavalry had been earlier. Hanson is a like a home team announcer in sports, the home team being Athens, so that the failure to conquer democratic Syracuse, not just the loss of life (p.212), was a "tragedy". However one may dislike the Spartan state, it was Athens, not Sparta which was expansionist. For a celebration of the Spartan way of life, I would recommend Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Hell", which while a novel, focuses on the Spartan ethos.
Excellent.......2007-05-29
Hanson has crafted a history of the Peloponnesian War which breaks form the traditional, chronological storyline. Instead, Hanson has broken down the conflict into the types of warfare and the whole book is essentially detailing the evolution of Greek warfare into the tactical juggernauts of Thebes and later, Macedon. Basically, Hanson contends that the Peloponnesian War exerted such stress on the Greek city-states, over twenty-seven years, that the old politics of pitched hoplite battles and open sea engagements, a la the Persian Wars, were too ineffective and inefficient. Sparta's armies were preeminent on the field of battle and Athens' fleets ruled the seas without equal, until the final stages of the war. Because of their absolute dominance in their respective fields, the real fighting took place elsewhere: in nightfighting, sieges, the novel use of auxiliaries who attacked with ranged weapons (javelins, bows, slings), a newfound appreciation for the cavalry wing and the impact of the plague on Athens. Hanson's book falls short of the elusive 5-stars because his style sometimes dragged. However, this is a clear, concise, well-researched and well-written analysis of a war that changed everything in the eastern mediterranean, opening the power vacuum for Thebes and Macedon.
Hard to Follow.......2007-04-17
This book breaks the Peloponnesian War into its component parts and discusses how each influenced the strategy of the two sides. The author seems to presuppose a working knowledge of the conflict on the part of the reader. Because this was my first effort at educating myself about the war I found Hanson's explanations hard to follow. "A War Like no Other" is not for beginners. Prior to tackling this book I would suggest first reading Thucydides and some other more basic text about the complicated conflict between Athens and Sparta.
A Landmark History.......2007-02-04
I was encouraged to read Hanson's history, "A War Like No Other", because John Keegan heaped praise upon it in his "History of Warfare". As a devoted reader of Keegan's, I took his advice, picked up a copy, and was not disappointed. It is easy to think that Classics scholarship has little room for innovation, but Hanson manages to break new ground with a history that is also compelling and readable. Indeed, Hanson's work shares much in common with Keegan's seminal masterpiece, "The Face of Battle". Hanson's goal is to explore and, as accurately as possible, reconstruct the raw, local experience of the Peloponnesion War from the eyes of participants.
Hanson's chief innovation is a common-sense, experiential approach to the conflict which yields surprising results. Hanson asks the question, for example, "Was it really possible for the Spartans to ravage the countryside of Attica?" To answer this question, Hanson actually assembled primitive implements that the Spartans would have had, and attempted to "ravage" sections of his farm over a period of time. The conclusion is impressive: estimating generously, it would have been extraordinarily difficult for the Spartans to have inflicted meaningful damage to Athenian surroundings.
In a similar fashion, Hanson explores the physicality of phalanx combat, and shows its relatively modest significance in the war. One gets a sense of the carnage, the noise, terror and psychological intimidation that a Spartan hoplite unit could produce. Even more impressive is Hanson's narration of naval conflict -- specifically, the difficulties in maneuvering, the environment on-board, and the participants.
Hanson's experiential approach does not preclude analysis of the strategic considerations and cultural motivations behind decisions. His analysis of the Athenian assembly -- its demagoguery and passions, or the Spartan oligarchy -- constantly in fear of Helot revolt, is excellent.
Hanson not only covers phalanx and naval combat, but examines siege warfare, terror, strategy, disease, and the overall influence the conflict had on Greek civilization. Indeed, it is this last item that is the most depressing. If there is any difficulty in reading the history, it is the foreknowledge of the tragedy -- the reduction of Athens and other cities, the senseless, pyrrhic victories, the massacres, the waste. It is a tragedy worth witnessing however, for the lessons are meaningful and lasting. One sees the tyranny of the majority, the passions of the mob, and sees also the wisdom of the American Founding Fathers' crafting of an indirect democracy. One sees as well the influence of demagogues, men who felt little compunction ruining their society for personal gain -- demagogues who are still with us, unfortunately, even if the faces, names, times and places have changed.
Hanson does it again.......2007-01-11
If like me you have read previous books on Greek history by Victor Davis Hanson you will know what to expect. This has all the usual Hanson fingerprints - lively but prolix, at times repetitive, with one or two stylistic quirks (in this book Hanson seems to be fixated on the word "calculus"), and a somewhat irritating tendency to draw parallels with more modern events. Yet he can be a compelling writer and this after all is a compelling story.
For a detailed chronicle of the Peloponnesian War go to Donald Kagan's authoritative three-volume work which I recommend highly. For an interesting and very evocative discussion of key themes in the war, Hanson's "A War Like No Other" is well worth your attention.
Books:
- The Birth of Tragedy & The Genealogy of Morals
- The Cantatas of J. S. Bach: With Their Librettos in German-English Parallel Text
- The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band
- The Elton John Keyboard Book
- The Enjoyment of Music: An Introduction to Perceptive Listening (Standard Version)
- The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
- The First Stage Guitar Book: Learn How To Play Guitar Easily & Quickly!
- The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun
- The Jazz Image: Masters of Jazz Photography
- The Jungle Book: A Pop-Up Adventure (Classic Collectible Pop-Ups)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
- The Big Book of Ceramics: A Guide to the History, Materials, Equipment and Techniques of Hand-Buildi
- Rhetoric, Innovation, Technology: Case Studies of Technical Communication in Technology Transfer
- Natural Resources: Ecology, Economics, and Policy
- Secrecy and Liberty:National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
- The House of Seven Gables
- The Dog Who Rescues Cats: True Story of Ginny, The
- The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition
- Morality in Accounting
- A history of Japanese accounting reforms as a microfoundation of the democratic socio-economy: Accou
