Book Review: 1964: Eyes of the Storm by Paul McCartney

1964: Eyes of the Storm
by Paul McCartney (Music 781.66 McCartney)

For anyone with an interest in the Beatles or the photography of Paul McCartney, this very large book of photos taken in 1964 shows the response to the Beatles in their first tour to Paris and America as seen through the lens of Paul McCartney’s camera. The social commentary along with the excellent photos make this a fascinating book to read. I was especially struck by the comments made by Paul as he describes seeing a gun and bullets on a police officer for the first time in his life on his visit to America. Violence was always an unspoken fear during their tour, especially in this period of civil unrest following John F. Kennedy’s assassination. I found many similarities between the social upheaval in the early 1960s with current events in the world now. I highly recommend this book.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present (volumes I and II) also by Paul McCartney.)

 

( official 1964: Eyes of the Storm page on the official Paul McCartney web site )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!

Book Review: Photo Art Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom by Joel Sartore

Photo Ark Wonders: Celebrating Diversity in the Animal Kingdom

by Joel Sartore (779.59 Sar)

 

This latest entry in Nebraska photographer Joel Sartore’s series of “Photo Ark” nature photography books is what I would call a “coffee table” book. It’s large, thick, and filled with some of the most gorgeous photos of animals you’ll ever see. Sartore’s goal is to photographically document every single species of animal under the care of humans, in zoos, sanctuaries and other controlled environments.

 

Photo Ark Wonders features 462 different animal species. Each example (sometimes more than one per page) lists the animal’s common name, scientific name and a little blurb with a small humorous or fascinating anecdote about the species. Interspersed among the myriad photographs are profiles of Sartore, and his wife and children, who’ve grown to put up with Sartore’s photographic obsession over the years, but not always happily. Sartore also throws in a few fascinating background stories about some of the experiences he’s had while traveling internationally to get his photos taken.

 

Chapters in the book focus on Shape (animals with unusual shapes), Pattern (animals with unique patterns), Extra (a grab bag of various animal features that don’t all go together), and Attitude — my favorite section — in which the photographs Sartore took of various species show off almost human-like attitudes and personalities.

 

Absolutely gorgeous — and don’t forget to check out Sartore’s earlier Photo Ark books!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Photo Ark: One Man’s Quest to Document the World’s Animals by Joel Sartore, and Rare: Creatures of the Photo Ark — on DVD.)

 

( National Geographic’s official The Photo Ark web page ) | ( official Joel Sartore web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Least Interesting Place by Matt Steinhausen

The Least Interesting Place

by Matt Steinhausen (978.2 Ste)

 

What a hoot! And gorgeous, to boot — speaking of which, boots on fenceposts have their own 2-page spread. This is a book which I wish I had written. Nebraska farmer and amateur historian and photographer Steinhausen has put together a satirically loving tribute to Nebraska, ranked 50th of 50 in the states which people want to visit… The skill, knowledge, affection, and eye for the prairie aesthetic he shows in this deservedly large-format photo book are impressive. Aside from all the tongue-in-cheekiness, there are many tidbits of historical and geographical information included. As a native of Nebraska myself, I thoroughly enjoyed it and think it could be a great marketing tool. Not only is Steinhausen 6th-generation Nebraskan but he lives ‘right here’ in Lancaster County, in which the capital city, Lincoln, is located!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Nebraska: An Illustrated History by Frederick C. Luebke, Along the Edge of Daylight: Photographic Travels from Nebraska and the Great Plains by Georg Joutras, Nebraska Impressions by Steve Mulligan, Abandoned Eastern Nebraska: Rural Wandering by Nicole Renaud, Abandoned Nebraska: Echos of Our Past by Trish Eklund or Nebraska: 150 Years Told through 93 Counties by David L. Hendee.]

[ official The Least Interesting Place Facebook page ] | [ Nebraska Photography page on the official Matt Steinhausen web site ]

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Man-Made Wonders of the World and Natural Wonders of the World by Smithsonian/Dorling Kindersley

Man-Made Wonders of the World and Natural Wonders of the World
by Smithsonian/Dorling-Kindersley (551.4 Dor and 720 Dor)

I saw these two books on the New Books Displays at the downtown library, within days of each other. Both are gorgeous “coffee table books”, filled with incredible photos. The Natural Wonders of the World volume includes chapters on North America, Central & South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Antarctica, The Oceans, and Extreme Weather. There are tons of maps, scientific sidebar boxes, blow-up 3D illustrations, nuggets of statistical information, and more.

 

The Man-Made Wonders of the World volume is slightly smaller, and includes chapters on North America, Central & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia & Australia. In addition to hundreds of beautiful photos, there are blueprint-like illustrations of various building designs, and many sidebar articles about the history of the development of hundreds of recognizable man-made structures. The structures covered range from ancient (Chaco Canyon, Serpent Mounds, pyramids at Giza, Great Wall of China) to 21st-century contemporary.

 

The amount of information in both of these volumes is, at times, overwhelming. These are NOT books to sit and read cover-to-cover, but are rather books to revisit and read bits of when you’re in the mood to sit and marvel. Whether you are a fan of nature or architecture, you’ll definitely appreciate both of these publications from Smithsonian. Stunning images! My only complaint is that each entry gets only a page of information (and often far less) — sometimes that’s barely enough to whet your appetite! 

 

[ publisher’s official Man-Made Wonders of the World web site ] | [ publisher’s official Natural Wonders of the World web site ] [ Smithsonian Institution web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Where We Find Ourselves by Hugh Mangum

Where We Find Ourselves: The Photographs of Hugh Mangum, 1897-1972
by Hugh Mangum and Margaret Sartor (779.12 Mag)

For me, it’s a delight to get a glimpse of the period in American history known as “The Jim Crow South” through the viewfinder of Hugh Mangum’s camera.

Mesmerizing individually, taken as a whole, these portraits tell the enlightening story of the people who came to have their images recorded. Mangum, in an economical solution to the expense of negative plates, often used the same negative for multiple exposures. This is fascinating for two-fold reasons: his clients were not segregated by color—here they are recorded for posterity in the order that they came to the studio, and I believe the smaller exposure area made for a quicker portrait, allowing the subject to strike a natural pose. Many of the portraits are charmingly informal.

On one plate, you will see a young black man, experimenting with different poses, different hats, with his jacket on, or off. He’s followed by another black man, also experiments with hats and “looks”. Next two white women are recorded with fancy hats, without hats, together and individually. Another plate starts with a joyful portraits of four white young women, group photos where they take turns being in front of the camera, reminiscent of a modern photo booth. They are followed by five poses of young white man, in some he’s wearing a distinguished bowler hat, in some he’s sideways, and some looking straight at the camera. The final subject on this plate is a spirited young black woman, smiling and posing playfully at the camera.

This book tells a story, not of separate water fountains and separate establishments, but the story of people who were living alongside each other. It’s a moving, spectacular witness to an age and mental geography in America that is still rife with stereotypes and assumptions.

[ page at Duke University dedicated to Hugh Mangum exhibit ] | [ official Margaret Sartor web site ]

See our specialized reading list The Essential Photographers on BookGuide for works by/about other noteworthy photographers

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!