This book is one of the 2 most desirable and collectible books on classical guitars (the other one is: Collection of Fine Spanish Guitars from Torres to the Present by Urlik, Sheldon). The figures are superb and the text informative. The hard cover edition is better in the following senses:

1. The hard cover edition is a limited edition (6000 copies only).
2. It is like a textbook which can be opened fully on its back. Easy for reading and scanning.
3. It's got a hard protective slipcase

However, getting the softcover edition might be your choice for its price and availability.

If you are a lover of guitars, specifically classical guitars, you owe it to yourself to purchase this book. There is nothing else like it. Great photography, details on some of the best guitars from some of the best makers...Romanillos, Smallman, Bernabe...They are all here. Inclusively, the book covers players (Williams, Bream, Segovia) as well as an in depth look at wood and the guitar market today. Great stuff and at ..., an incredible bargain.

Any lover of the classical guitar cannot help but appreciate this gorgeous collection of instruments, as well as the way in which they are displayed on the pages. Filled with information about the guitars and their construction, the luthiers, and which players'CDs you can hear them on, I highly recommend this fine edition. I take issue only with the subtitle "A Complete History", as the guitars are based on a single collection of instruments, owned by Russell Cleveland, and not necessarily what any other person would consider "Complete". That fact does not diminish my enjoyment of this exquisite book one bit.

This is the best biography I have ever read. It was absolutely brilliant. If you have ever wondered what it was like to live in Paris in the early twentieth century, as an emerging artist (what a cool daydream, right?) this is the book for you. All of those tales of Hemingway and Fitzgerald on the French Riviera, the women, the cafes; Richardson captures it here: the life of an artist realizing his potential as an artist -- it is truly amazing. His explanations accompanying each painting, the way they came to fruition, the stories behind the early masterworks, the market (Les Demoiselles [i.e., the 'most studied painting of the 20th Century' Richardson opines, and arguably the first cubist painting, so upset Picasso and unsettled his friends that he kept it virtually hidden for a decade [this was a young Picasso before his artwork {and ego} commanded millions] and it was touching to read and see this side of young Pablo). Sure, recent trends have tended to treat Picasso with great disdain, and while this IS only a biography, it is the most incisive biography into one of the most celebrated creative minds of the twentieth century that I have ever read. Honestly. The biography itself is an intense revelation -- thoroughly, exhaustively researched and written, and a credit to John Richardson as a human being, a researcher, and a biographical author -- an artist in his own right.

I agree largely with the other review. One of the things worth mentioning is that this book is also one of the best descriptions of cultural life in France in the first and second decades of the 20 th century I have ever read. You meet people like Appolinaire, Gide, Max Jacob, Kahnweiler, Vollard, Gris, Matisse and Bracque and begin to understand the particular, immensely productive environment of pre-war France. It was also of huge interest to read about the real friendship between Bracque and Picasso and how this lead to such wonderful, very similar pictures like "Le Portugais" (Bracque) and "Man with Mandolin" (Picasso). I look forward indeed to the next volume and aim to read the first one immediately.

Please allow me to gush. I usually labor through biographies, but the two Richardson volumes are so well written and thoroughly researched that I was done before I knew it. The illustrations are black and white, but it was little trouble to go to my Picasso catalogs to see the things in color. I was quite disappointed when I was through with each volume. I enjoyed the second even though I'm not thrilled with Cubism. I can hardly wait for the third volume. I'm also interested in Richardson himself showing up in the biography. At the risk of sounding morbid, I pray to God John Richardson is in good health. I'm looking forward to the volumes dealing with Picasso in the 1920's and 1950's.

Have this book on hand anytime you are reading history of London or books set in London. I have just read London: the Biography by Peter Ackroyd and London: the Novel by Edward Rutherford and am tempted to re-read both 1000 page books so that I can follow along in The Annals. Fascinating material!

At first glance, this book with its lists of events might appear a little dry, but as you begin reading the events' descriptions, you'll soon discover pages filled with interesting historical anecdotes.

Among the events covered are institutional foundings (such as churches, hospitals, schools, theatres and newspapers), technical and medical achievements, the various floodings and freezings of the Thames, bridge and tunnel collapses, executions, assassinations, hangings, murders, fires, and more.

Even the smallest events have interesting details... such as the blowing down of Fairlop Oak in Hainault Forest in 1820. The tree is described as having branches that spread 116 ft and it is noted: "Around it took place the annual Fairlop Fair -- an event which helped to shorten the tree's life, because visitors would use the inside of the trunk to light fires for cooking."

Another entry that appears earlier in 1741 mentions the opening of St. George's Chapel in Curzon Street by a Reverend Alexander Keith who "scandalized the clergy by his readiness to perform marriages without too many questions."

Many event descriptions run for a few paragraphs and some have illustrations. My only gripe with this book is that the font size for the print is very small. (The print would be much easier to read if it was just another 2 points larger.) Aside from that, I'm sure this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in London history.

As a budding artist I benefited from the Art the Way it Is in several ways; 1. the book introduced me to know how to look at a painting and learn from the artist; 2. when I visit a museum I can honestly appreciate the experience because of how the author explains the fundamentals, and 3. unlike other publications similar in subject, the book is not boring, nor is it so simple as to be insulting, the book takes care to explain details and uses many comparisons to demonstrate a point. As an artist the book has contributed to my own critique of my work. The book does not teach one how to critique one's work, however if one really takes in what the author is writing about other works it does inspire. Great book for art appreciation at your finger tips. I think the hardcopy of the book is the best buy.

Refreshingly free of obscure jargon, this discussion of the principles and elements of art is clear and understandable. Elements of the great works of art are explained through examples which will be familiar to most readers, so that comic strips and popular illustrations are discussed along with Michaelangelo and Rembrandt. Orderly and informative, and scholarly without resorting to snobbery, this book is an excellent introduction to art appreciation and the field of art.

My Granddaughter received this book for Christmas two years ago when she was two. She still enjoys hearing the stories about Budgie. It is a throughly enjoyable book for children. The video is great too. Wish there were more of them.

Budgie: The Little Helicopter is wonderfully illustrated and catches the child's eye with all it's bright colors. The story is intriguing and my two children, 5 & 6 at the time (now 7 & 8) were totally absorbed by it. My son slept with the book for weeks.

John Rush gives us a present day triumph of faith. The book is masterfully written in a personal down to earth style. The author takes you from the California gold country, to the most remote location on earth to a little island in vanuatu which is home to an an amazing tribe of people. He tells the true story of a young man's struggle to come to grips with the reality of God, and the blessings that come from obedience to God.

Mr. Rush presents us with a thrilling account of faith and a journey to an isolated island. The book is a masterpiece, detailing an early life as an atheist to a switch to a missionary to the islands around Vanuatu. Everything from being made a temporary pastor to avoiding drive-by shootings. This book proves that God is active in the world today, and deeply cares for those unreached people in the world. A true-life account of a missionary, and a wonderful example of God's work in our world.

A professor of mine required this text for class, and I loved it! It is simply a collection of articles published throughout the year on the subject of marketing. These are topics and views that you don't see in any marketing textbook! I plan on buying every new addition even though I have graduated because they are so relecant and it will certainly impress collegues when you can reference articles from such various publications.

A good range of essays about Richardson's key films. Most of the essays are easily read (not overly academic)--the work with TOM JONES is especially solid. Recommended as an overview of a talented man's career

Hanf, a German social scientist, has produced a massive and original study of the Lebanese civil war. By thoroughly immersing himself in things Lebanese he has produced the book that finally does justice to the enigma and the tragedy of that war. Relying on an exceptionally wide sources (including survey research), Hanf brings all the pieces together and gives the reader a better feel for the conflict than even its many first-hand accounts. The book's thesis appears in its subtitle: the crucible of war forged the Lebanese into a people. Or, putting the same thought in social science jargon, "surveys have revealed that the majority of Lebanese have little difficulty in reconciling communal identity and national identity." Looking to the future, Hanf has a keen appreciation for the Syrian insistence on "unreserved recognition of Syrian ascendency in a formally independent Lebanon," an objective which Damascus finally attained in 1991-92. Should the death of Hafiz al-Asad lead to a struggle for power, the author expects Syrians may have to cut back on their current predominance, but "it is unlikely that any post-Assad government will voluntarily abandon Assad's Lebanon policy." In other words, Hanf advises the Lebanese to get used to living under the Syrian thumb. How ironic: the war that finally made the Lebanese a nation also ended their independence.

Middle East Quarterly, December 1994

If you talk to ANY Russian in the world, and mention "The Twelve Chairs" from their cultural heritage, or the "Rogei e kapuuta" phony business in the book, ALL Russians will spontaneously and uncontrollably smile. Normally glum Russians are unable to resist a smile at remembering the hilarious antics and insights in "The Twelve Chairs." It is set in the 'crazy time' when Russian society was in upheaval and some men just wanted to make their fortune. What do the Russians know that you are MISSING out on? They get the joke. You should get it, too! This English translation is a MUST read.

I've read the novel together with its sequel, The Golden Calf, in Russian about a dozen times. Now I simply have to get an English copy to share it with my non-Russian speaking friends! It is true: the speech of an average Russian contains quite a few quotations from the novel (also due to a number of film versions). Twelve Chairs is something definitely worth having in your home library: you can open it at any time and start reading on any page. In minutes, you're guaranteed, if not to laugh, then to smile.

This is a farcical tale of three men in search of treasure buried in one of 12 identical armchairs. The story is very much a buddy tale of adventures and misadventures as the characters do almost anything to get their hands on the chairs in the Soviet Union of the 1920's. However, the story of the treasure hunt and the Marx Brothers like characters is really only the backdrop to a much deeper purpose, as The Twelve Chairs effectively describes the period of transition from czarist to Soviet rule. In between the tribulations of the heroes are many details of the food that was being served, student accomodations, railway and public construction projects, housing sooperatives and less than honest public servants. It is also very interesting to see how helpless the former upper class - the nobility - had become and how the Soviet Union, at least in its early days, could be exploited by the street smart like Ostap Bender. This is a very funny book that is also informative and is well worth reading. Inevitably, Bulgakov comes to mind as a complementary read; though he is somewhat more direct in his accusations of the regime.