No comments about Samuel McIntire: Carving an American Style.

5 comments about Long May She Wave: A Graphic History of the American Flag.

1. It is hard to see why the authors of "Long May She Wave" chose to burden it with a title that not only parades a demeaning stereotype misrepresenting objects as female, but rudely misquotes the words of our national anthem to do so. A check of the Smithsonian Institution's excellent web page on the history of the Star Spangled Banner and the drafting and publication of the National Anthem confirms that no one associated with the flag or the anthem ever referred to it as "she" as this book title so insultingly does. In documents from those patriots who made the famous banner, used it in battle, preserved it for posterity, and memorialized it in the inspiring poem that became our national anthem, the flag is sensibly termed it, not the coy and historically false "she" invented by the authors of this book. Since the the title signalled the authors' disregard for historical accuracy, I left it on the display shelf unopened.



2. I stumbled on this title when it appeared as the centerpiece to a local store display of flag books that went up in the wake of September 11th. The stunning production and the breadth of material represented provide a truly unique insight into the power of the American flag as a symbol (of freedom, to be sure, but also as a symbol of revolution, grief, and pride). If you want the full impact of the flag's place in our history, as a graphic element that appears in everything from memorials to toys to pop art to protest banners (and more), this is the book. The text is limited but insightful, just enough to complement the tremendous variety of objects from the author's personal collection. I never failed to find new wonders on each page (including manifestations of the flag I would never have imagined), and in sum the book also amounts to a testament to American ingenuity. There's nothing else like it.



3. This book is fascinating. It is one you can pick up and browse a bit and become lost in the art and imagery of an icon that is so familiar we rarely take a good look at it. By sharing his collection with us, Mr. Hinrichs takes us beyond the simple stars and stripes to a visual history of our country.

   Anyone familiar with graphic design should recognize Mr. Hinrichs' work. The overall presentation of the piece is incredible. I call it "the true coffee table book" because I think it is one can be opened and looked at and enjoyed a few pages at a time, and isn't that the purpose of a coffee table book?

   The timing of the work is fascinating. Although initially published this spring, it is extremely appropriate for the new wave of patriotism that has swept this country since the tragic events in September.




4. Beautiful book of American flag items from long ago to today. What a wonderful collection and interesting items. I love just looking and looking.



5. With the 9/11 display at the local history center, I took pictures of the tattered flag and other quilts and such there and at the Dogwood Festival quilt shows. Always, the flag is a major item in the photography exhibit.
   
   In Tennessee, we've had some stubborn retaliations about the original flag. According to this book, the first flag was the one used in the Civil War (which the KKK) adopted, the Confederate fighting flag. I had read and related how Betsy Ross had not designed the American Stars and Stripes but merely sewed it for her friend, George Washington. It seems that many primary school teachers were instructing the young minds that Betsy Ross had indeed made it from her own design. She used her own material, true, as she was a seamstress and used what she had on hand with this request for a national flag with no preparation.
   
   Thank God for the South being first again! Even after the American Revolution in which we were granted our freedom from the British, we continued to use the (red,white&blue) color combination (Spain has yellow and red) as no one was in a hurry to be original. They came up with something in 1777, a year after the Constitution was signed in Philadelphia.
   
   A nearby high school has had their Rebel flag taken from them after all of the heritage and history of the school. In Nashville, a crude silver & gold statute of Nathan Bedford Forrest, as designed and welded by a local attorney, was installed out by I65 with several Rebel flags in a semi-circle. Much was made of this desecreation to a united nation, and they were told to remove them promptly. Years later, they are still in place where they can be seen by all of the travelers going South of Nashville and the locals as they use the Interstate to work.
   
   A flag is a flag is a flag. In the review I did about Civil War poems and songs, there were some about the Stars & Stripes as important to all of the soldiers. In Knoxville, the families were split and all I knew about this dat-blame war was that it was 'brother against brother.' That's how it was in this town and the counties surrounding the Smoky Mountains as shown so clearly in the movie, 'Cold Mountain.'
   
   We paid for a U. S. flag which had hung over the Capital building in Washington, D.C. at the urging of Robin Beard, later an ambassador to (?) He was our district representative and I had chased him down the halls with my red, white and blue hat flapping.
   
   The flag is a symbol of this country and decorates the caskets of all veterans. It is a venerable treasure, but I let my brother take the one off my dad's, as he already had the one from his son's coffin earlier. Neither died in any war, but had been a member of the armed forces of this country. The flag is for all of us to revere and every family should own one. I know someone who said he would hang the Confederate flag out of his office window if he could get away with it, and yet his family were for the North. He is not a Rebel, nor ever would be, so I was proud of his claims, which proved to be false. He just likes to write controversial things to create some kind of action. This is such a boring, old town. The flag perks up any rally, picnic or gathering (political or non-political). Everyone in America loves that glorious old flag which stands for freedom.

No comments about Decorative French Ironwork Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series).

4 comments about Grand Complications Volume III: High Quality Watchmaking (Grand Complications).

1. Not worth the money unless you like pictures. Needs more technical background information on the various watches.



2. Big book, full color photos, explanations of all the majoy watch works. Perfect for any watch affectionado.



3. The book arrived on time, in perfect condition and it is a great gift for somebody who enjoys watches.



4. Grand Complications Volume III: High Quality Watchmaking (Grand Complications)
   This was my second purchase of these mostly high quality photograph compendiums of examples of famous brands' masterpieces. These pictures are divided into groups, based on the types of complications( the things the wristwatches do with mechanical parts in addition to telling time)they display. Between each grouping is a well written essay about that kind of watch function, and how to tell the characteristics that collecters look for and prize. The authors of these articles are usually famous makers of fine timepieces and use their own work to illustrate what they write about. I enjoy reading about making horological art, but I get my most fun from using a good magnifying glass to examine each photo to see how they made every detail. It is the careful research into the various imaginative ways of solving microengineering problems, and how to align the discovered solutions with the philosophic and artistic principles professed by company spokesmen and examples of past work that make studying watch collecting so interesting. Any person looking through this book will easily see why some companies are famous. The more a person learns about how quality work is different from the common cheap watch, the greater facination and amazement grows. You see, for every difficulty there are many solutions for good engineers and artisans to choose and express. Different companies have traditions about how each decides. That is what makes each brand recognizable. This book is better than volume 2, that I bought last year and still keep close. I have other books by the same company that have more words than pictures, and I like both ways of learning.

5 comments about Antique Trader Indian Arrowheads Price Guide (Antique Trader Arrowhead Identification and Price Guide by Jason Hanna).

1. Great photos of arrowheads and other stone tools/slate items. The prices are very accurate and NOT over inflated like the Overstreet arrowhead price guide. I like the fact the artifacts shown are all authentic and not a bunch of "stamped out" fake reproductions like some guides out there. As far as some of the complaints listed: I think it should be understood that this is a price guide and not suppose to be a technical analysis of arrowheads. I like the photo album style. This book simply points the collector or antiques dealer to what to look for, what he/she may own, and what time period it is attributed to in prehistory. The best thing about the guide is the price is very affordable for this book, where else nowadays can you get 300 color pages for $13 bucks!!!



2. The book is way off on the price values with very low quality examples of points. Appears to me its nothing but a album of someones collection, with just basic names for types. It was a waist of time and money buying this book.



3. Scale from 1 to ten. Ten being the best I would rate this book a BIG 1.



4. Although this book looked promising at first glance (nice cover, written by a member of the Archaeological Society of Ohio of which I am also a member), upon further review it was disappointing. Most of the artifacts were only field grade in quality and there were too many inaccuracies in terms of time period assigned to the artifacts and/or the names. Someone needed to edit this book more closely before it was published. It would be a decent reference guide for Midwest artifacts if it was at least corrected for errors.



5. This book is nothing more than color pictures of the author & friends collection. Lacks information. More print should have been used on Material types. Not "Grade" "Grade" is nothing more than the Opinion of the Person doing the grading. Lacks coverage. Spectrums of point values are missing. If you want to see color photos of $30. points "Buy It" Other wise spend your money on the new Overstreet Book.
   M. H. Clark

No comments about The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps 35th ed (Postal Service Guide to Us Stamps).

No comments about Kitchen Antiques, 1790-1940.

5 comments about Sock Monkeys: 200 out of 1,863.

1. about... there isn't much to read in this book, it is just pictures of sock monkeys and a few page silly stories... but i love the pictures. a great great quirky coffee table book! i am gonna buy more so i can give em to friends.



2. When this book arrived, it was perfect timing. Sick at home, I couldn't have asked for a better pick-me-up when UPS arrived with my Sock Monkey book.
   
   Although I was hoping the photos showed the monkeys in various poses vs. portraits, the portraits are all so cute that it made up for my disappointment. (I'd love to see the author shoot them in various situations.)
   
   The text is cute, and the photography is top notch.
   
   If you're a sock monkey fan, this is a must have for your library. Makes a great coffee table book too - especially since it looks very hip (not childish).
   
   Show a little sock monkey love and pick up a copy!



3. what a crowd pleaser! I gave this to my friend for Christmas and it was such a hit. its unexpected and charming and some of the pictures just make you laugh out loud. its a great coffee table book. they have such personality, and you can tell that some of them have been really loved over the years. I recommend this book to anyone that has ever been a child....



4. What an incredible partnership between the collector and the photographer. These photographs are beautiful. The images capture the whimsy and personality created by anonymous hands. I have collected books of photographic images since the late 1970's and sock monkeys since the early 1990's. This is a wondrous book!
   I hope they consider a new edition with more of the collection.(They also have a terrific box of note cards from images in the book)



5. I loved this pictorial book about a Sock Monkey collection...just their pictures and a few speculatve stories...No two alike, and each has their own personality...Great gift for almost anyone...

No comments about The Great Collections (Modern Custom Knives).

5 comments about In Search of Rhett Butler.

1. The first part of this wonderful book is a tale of coming of age
   in the small-town-South. The story line and characterizations are good and the author's observations and metaphoric descriptions are keen and witty but not overdone. Tom Wolff massaged by Sue Grafton. The rest of the book is memoir-like, with the early characters continuing to devlop as the later charaters come aboard, adding breadth to the story without confusing it. We are drawn into their lives with extremely intelligent but very readable prose. As with GWTW, the reader is left wanting more.



2. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend it.



3. This was a fun book. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and the only bad part about the book for me was that it was over too soon!



4. Excellent writing, however, it is a book written by a female, about a female, for females. The ladies will enjoy it,



5. I just couldn't make it through this one. Terrible story, poor writing (no imagination) on the author's part. I loved "Gone With the Wind", "Scar;ett" was just OK, "Rhett's People" so-so. This one is trading on GWTW names only. Save your $