european

This book covers the now vanished world of Russian exiles from the Revolution till the 1950-60's. It covers such areas as the influence of the Ballets Russies in Paris prior to the revolution, the clothes the exiles bought with themselves, and the importance of the Kokoshnik to Russian fashion design.

We are also given the history of the now vanished Russian émigré communities in Constantinople in Turkey, Berlin in Germany and Harbin in China, with a smaller amount of discussion of the communities in Paris and London.

London and Paris mostly get discussed in context with fashion, as many émigrés, both noble and poor made a living in the various parts of the fashion industry in exile. There is a whole chapter devoted to the house of Kitmr with its exquisite embroideries and beading, which was run by Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the younger in the 1920's.

The author has also unearthed other Russian émigré fashion houses which were well known and respected in the 1920's but are mostly forgotten now, houses such as Anely, Mode, Paul Caret, Tao, Yteb and Irfe which was run by the Youssoupoff family.

The majority of the book concentrates on fashion, but there is also discussion of the theatre, cafe's and other craft oriented activities which the Russian communities produced, especially in the 1920's. Many years of painstaking research as been conducted by the author to reconstruct this lost world. The book is full of black and white photos, which I imagine would not have been easy to find. However, if you are looking for nice colour photos of Russian costume, you will not find it here, but if you are trying to find something out on the background on émigré communities or the Russian fashion industry in the 1920's this book will be the standard work for many years to come.

An appraisal of European culture from an old maid somewhere in Western Kentucky knits a ludicrously inappropriate Horatio Algerish review to satisfy her puritan work ethos, that went out of date with the blue collar culture of 50's America, Honeymooners, Flintstones etc. She could be Pat Buchanans speech writer.

What question gets asked most often by visitors to the Louvre? There is one question that tops the existential query, "Where am I?" The question is, "Where is the _Mona Lisa_?" This reflects the importance of this particular icon. A famous cartoon in the _New Yorker_ made the matter sharper. It showed a middle-aged American couple rushing into the Louvre and asking the guard: "Which way to the _Mona Lisa_? We're double-parked!" That's an exaggeration, but not much of one. According to Donald Sassoon's _Becoming Mona Lisa: The Making of a Global Icon_ (Harcourt), the crowd around the masterpiece, some illegally taking flash pictures, is like a crowd around a pop star complete with paparazzi. Sassoon has taken on the task of explaining how it is that this work has a reputation as The World's Most Beautiful Painting. That title, of course, is arguable, but it is certainly the most famous painting, and how this came to be makes a great story.

Of course Mona is good-looking, but that doesn't explain it. Leonardo painted other female portraits of handsomer women. For centuries, _The Last Supper_ was his more famous work. It was only when a cult of Leonardo rose among the romantics in the nineteenth century that his work loomed over that of, say, Michelangelo and Raphael, who were far more prolific and influential. Leonardo was busy doing other stuff, and mostly failing. His gadgets stayed on the page and his experiment with oils on the _Last Supper_ doomed it to precipitous decay. In the romantic imagination of a century and a half ago, however, dreaming big and failing was heroic, and he looked the part, although his bearded, god-like visage is probably not the self-portrait everyone assumed. Gautier and Pater wrote purple prose about the lady, and if she had hired a publicity agent, she could not have achieved greater success. In 1911 she made headlines because she was stolen, and she has been a steady focus for fiction during the twentieth century. Sasson has listed many, many references to her, such as Nat King Cole's famous song.

When in 1919 Marcel Duchamp drew a beard and goatee on a postcard of her, and exhibited this naughty French postcard under a saucy title, he continued a trend of including Mona in popular art, something that Malevich, Dali, Magritte, and Warhol have all done as well. There are good send-ups and bad, some that expand our ideas of the realm of this icon, and some that are just gross. All get included in this remarkably inclusive and wide-ranging book. Witty and lucid, it is not so much about a painting as it is about fashions and history, and the role chance plays in our search for objects of fame.

Mr. Sassoon sets out to discover why the "Mona Lisa" is the most famous painting in the world. By the end of this book I don't think we have the answer, but that's not Mr. Sassoon's fault. I really don't think that question can be answered satisfactorily, but no matter-Mr. Sassoon gives it his all and provides us with an entertaining trip through the history of "La Joconde", as "she" is known in France.

We learn many interesting facts along the way: The painting was acknowledged as a masterpiece even during Leonardo's lifetime. One reason was Leonardo's use of the "contrapposto" position, which shows the model's torso in a three-quarter view, while the face looks in a different direction. This is meant to bring movement to what, in a full straight-on view, would otherwise be static. Surprisingly, there was nothing special about "the smile." Smiles were common in Renaissance portraiture. What would have been unusual would have been someone looking sad in a portrait of the time. Interestingly, Leonardo tried that in his portrait "Ginevra de'Benci". That model was also "prettier" than the model for the "Mona Lisa", at least by current standards. But that painting is nowhere near as famous as the "Mona Lisa".

Mr. Sassoon takes us through all the hoops in trying to explain why the "Mona Lisa" is most famous. Besides the fact that Leonardo painted it, the author mentions the fact that the painting is in the Louvre; that it was stolen in a famous theft just a few years before WWI; that the advertising industry has latched onto the painting ad nauseum, etc. We reach the end of the book not really believing that any of this is sufficient to explain the superstar status of this painting. Mr. Sassoon himself points out that there are many other paintings by equally famous artists; many such paintings in the Louvre; many famous paintings that have been involved in famous thefts, etc. So, why the "Mona Lisa".....

So, just read this book for the interesting history of the painting and for the author's trenchant observations on the "art world". It helps that Mr. Sassoon has a great sense of humor about the whole thing, also. What other painting could inspire a man to sell his business so that he could take a job as a Louvre guard? This is what a man named Leon Mekusa did in 1981. He explained that he considered "being able to greet the 'Mona Lisa' before anyone else in the morning as such a privilege that he had asked not to be paid."!! People even write letters to the painting, care of the Louvre....

Oh, by the way, in case you're wondering about the title of this review; The "Mona Lisa" bears the Louvre inventory number of 779. That's one mystery cleared up anyway...

Written by/for the Brits, but a must have if you plan to visit the Western battlefields (From the Channel at Calais, Ypres, Mons, Cambrai, Amiens to Verdun). I used it in the fall of 2001 to visit the Ypres area, and really loved the detailed explanations and tours. Found places I would not have had without the book.

This book is filled with magnificent photographs of memorials in Belgium and France. I read the whole thing, altho one ordinarily doesn't read a guidebook word for word. After I read it I said :"I now can probably save the expense of a tour of battlefields. Included in the book is a lesser known poem by John McCrae which starts out: O Guns, fall silent till the dead men hear Above their heads the legions passing on! (Those fought their fight in time of bitter fear, And died not knowing how the day had gone.)

O flashing muzzles, pause, and let them see The coming down that streaks the sky afar; Then let your might chorus witness be To them, and Ceasar, that we still make war.

Tell them, O guns, that we have heard their call, That we have sworn, and will not turn aside, That we will onward til we win or fall, That we will keep the faith for which they died.

Bid them be patient, and someday, anon, They shall feel earth enwrapt in silence deep, Shall greet, in wonderment, the quiet dawn, And in content may turn them to their sleep.

Like just a handful of poets (Yeats comes instantly to mind), Czeslaw Milosz has surrendered none of his artistic powers to old age. Yet the poems collected here, which date back as far as 1936, indicate that the future Nobelist was playing at the top of his game from the beginning. The shorter lyrics, like "Ars Poetica?", are true marvels. And while the longer sequences can be a touch uneven, devolving into prose-like paragraphs, they remain object lessons for any poet in any language--and any intelligent reader.

In Bells in Winter, Milosz tells us he doesn't quite fit into our age with its 'chess games' of 'killing for the common good,' that 'like the mermaid from Andersen's tale, I tried to walk correctly but a thin pain reminded me that I was foolish to try to imitate people.' No other book connects Milosz's essays about the pain of living in our Blakean 'Land of Ulro' to his poetry as well as this, with its shocking poetic insights into how humans got themselves into this mess, often given in a single swift, double-edged metaphor, as in the Notes section: 'The tempter in the garden: A still-looking branch, both cold and living.' A ton of philosophy, sorrow, and hope in a crafty little phrase -- the quintessential Milosz.

These poems are brilliant and inspiring because they were written by a socialist. They were written to make you think about the system.

Questions by a Worker Who Reads is one of my favourite poems. The freeways, offices, electricity system and everything else in our civilization were not built by politicians or company executives - they were built by workers.

Bertolt Brecht has acquired the same status as those other artists whose work is known, but not appreciated. Like Faulkner, Joyce and Proust, he has become transmuted into an adjective; even worse, he has followers who describe themselves as "Brechtian" and who are happy to discuss his theories of drama instead of the dramas themselves. But things get even worse when you get closer to the man himself, for there is a wealth of evidence that "der arme B.B." was, in fact, a conscienceless thief who stole credit from everyone with whom he worked and, in particular, from the women he charmed into professional and emotional liaisons. Add to this his craven attitude towards Stalin, and his theories of epic theater seem to be, at the very least, a gross exercise in self-deception. All very off-putting. But his poetry is a different matter. Brecht approaches the reader without the arrogance of a theorist interested in instructing the audience how to think. He is more candid, both personally and politically, willing to condemn his own weaknesses and, in his later years, those of the movement that he had defended at any cost. And, most importantly, his poetry is fresh, direct, cutting and beautiful, even in translation. This is a volume that those who are interested in writing poetry should have.

Croatia's turbulent history has resulted in a varied cuisine seldom reflected in regional cookbooks, and The Best of Croatian Cooking provides an excellent selection of over 200 dishes from classic main courses to desserts. Recipes have been modified for easy preparation and American kitchens but are filled with appeal and retain their cultural authenticity.

This book covers all regions of Croatia! The dessert chapter is comprehensive and includes some desserts made with chestnut puree, my all time favorite! I visited the web site and was pleasantly surprised to see comments by Croatian celebrities endorsing the book! I also felt good buying the book knowing that some of the proceeds are going to "Warchild". The book makes a great wedding shower gift too...I'd originally purchased it for my best friend but I've also bought one for myself too! A great way to re-connect with our Croatian roots and learn to cook like our mothers and "babas"

My first of " The Best of Gourmet" I purchased from the Department store just because it was on sale.
In that same evening I was cooking by that book. Now I am hunting for all editions.
Beautiful photos and absolutely the best gourmet food recipes, easy to follow and you will get what its promised.
I know, you will love it.
Also, what a great section " Featuring the flavours of ....(every edition will have different countries).

Gourmet is the best cooking magazine and the "Best of" books are even better. Forget the magazine, just get these books. No tiresome ads for Rolex and rich people on pristine tropical beaches. Just the food and great recipes. The thyme scented apple galette (either in this issue or another one) was an instant winner in my house. The Greek recipes are great. I particularly remember the recipe for gigantic lima beans.

Most recipes are thoughtfully staged. They tell what can be done ahead of time. They also give suggestions on complimentary dishes.

All this and in durable hardback.

This book is one of the best books on bestiary that I have read. The author, Ron Baxter, uses his knowledge and reseach in the making of this book and it shows. The illustrations play a very important part in the understanding and enjoyment of this book. Baxter uses a detailed description on the animals and beasts that were believed to exist during the middle ages. I recommend this book to the people that likes mystical creatures and the important role they played on religion and art in the Middle Ages

This book is the best book on bestiary that I have read. Ron Baxton really uses his knowledge and reseach in the making of this book and it shows. The magnificant illistrations play an inportant part in the understanding and enjoyment of this book. Baxton uses a detailed description on the many differant animals and beasts that were believed to once roam this earth in the middle ages. This book I recommend to all people with the love of mystical creatures or even the love of animals.

I picked up this cookbook hoping to discover some recipes to make for my mother that would remind her of the cooking that she grew up with. I was not disappointed! There were several old favorites and many recipes that I could swear were family secrets. The Dandelion Salad with Bacon Dressing and Potato Filling recipes were very similar to what we make for special occasions, and the Apple Fritters, Hot Potato Salad, Coconut Cake, and the Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes dishes reminded us of several other recipes we had not made in a long time. Listed by food type in an easy-to-follow format, the only thing missing in this book was a beautiful picture of each of the recipes. If you enjoy cooking, are from Penn Dutch country, or just want to sample some regional cooking, this book is a great choice for you! Enjoy!

This is one of my most used cookbooks. I was raised eating a lot of Pa Dutch food but the aunt who cooked it passed away before I could pick her brain for all of her secrets. Ms. Groff's recipes are always exactly how I remember my aunt's dishes tasting.

A masterpiece of Norwegian literature. It's an exploration of the boundaries between madness and "normality", and the story of a young man's sacrifice on the altar of common sense and social unwritten rules. How much reality can we stand before loosing our mind? And how much nature, with its power that dances on our fears and on our weaknesses. It would be a great book to read in the language it was written: a bodily and full consistent Telemark dialect. Something goes lost in the traslation, though it couldn't have been otherwise and the trans-cultural re-codificatoion must have been a hard work. I suggest this book to everybody, especially to those who sometimes ask themselves questions about life.

This is a norwegian classic. The book is a painful reminder of the impossibility of being a human. It's warm and intense and has an exciting perspective. Vesaas was not far from a nobel prize with this book.