3 comments about Giotto to Durer: Early Renaissance Painting in the National Gallery (National Gallery London Publications).

1. We are used to looking at "old Master" painting as if it were just a matter of style, but the truth is that Renaissance art was in important respects the product of a revolution in the use of binding media (water and egg yolk for tempera; oils) for pigments, and in the prepared surfaces (wood panels, paper, canvas) to which these pigments were applied. This wonderfully illustrated book distills the knowledge gained by the restorers of the National Gallery in London, from decades of well-documented, cutting-edge restorations of the outstanding Italian and northern European Old Master paintings in their care. It is much, much more than a technical handbook. Historical essays cover the categories of Renaissance painting, 1300 to 1500, and their many uses, while the second half of the book is an informative catalogue (with gorgeous color reproductions) of individual paintings by many of the best-known Renaissance artists (Botticelli, Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht Durer, to name the most obvious).



2. This is a beautiful, sumptuous book, crammed with detail and excellent colour reproductions. Other readers mightn't go for all the technical information but I can't get enough of it. I also prefer the discussions of individual works which occupy a large part of this volume -- its companion, 'Dürer to Veronese', takes a more synoptic view, which tends to obscure the fact that these are surveys of a collection.
   
   That's my only quibble, and it isn't really with the book, which is about as accomplished at it could be -- so good, in fact, that it's tempting to read it as a textbook of the whole period. Much of the material is of general relevance, of course; but don't forget that many of the major works from this period aren't in galleries at all: they're still in the places they were meant to be.



3. I'm a real art geek, and I've read a lot of books on this subject. This is one of the best. It provides a wonderful review of paintings and how they were made in Western Europe before the 16th century. This was a time of great transition in style, subject matter, and materials. This was when oil painting transitioned from an ancillary medium, believed useful for a few minor aspects of a painting, to the primary means of making visual art. This book lays it all out in ways that are accessible, yet thorough. If you are going to get one book about Renaissance painting, get this one.

No comments about Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, 2nd: AMC Guide to Hiking Mt. Monadnock, Mt. Cardigan, and the Lakes Region (AMC Hiking Guide Series).

No comments about Acadia National Park Pocket Guide (A Falcon Guide; Pocket Guide).

2 comments about Early American Country Furniture: 22 Woodworking Projects Inspired by 18th- and 19th-Century New England.

1. This book reflects the best qualities of the furniture it beautifully documents. It is elegant in its simplicity and thoroughly meets the needs of functionality. The photography is well done and shows clearly the nuances of the various pieces in authentic environments. The accompanying descriptions are brief and to the point. These points alone would make this a valuable book to own but the best part comes with the detailing of the components that make up this furniture. This covers everything from metal hardware and how it is made and used, through tools, paints and finishes, wood types and components and more.
   The part of this book that most impresses me is the illustrative method for the various projects. Speaking as a retired technical illustrator I can only say "Well done!". The projects are clear and show the proper sequencing of steps without restraining the design. This means that a project can be fitted to the materials available and the needs of the user, much as the original furniture was made. Along with this are well executed illustrations for jigs and setups for modern power tools. The details for mortise, tenons, and traditional effects using modern tools are outstanding. I would treasure this book for this aspect alone.



2. I bought this as a gift for someone, but they already had it. that goes to show it's a wanted item. I gave it to another friend instead of returning it and they love it. The illustrations are awesome. it's great for beginners and advanced. i love how it shows you the final product and also the step-by-step, color, illustrated directions. it gives info on hardware, stains, wood types, etc... i highly recommend this book. you just need some tools.

1 comments about New Hampshire: A Living Landscape.

1. Peter Randall is a New Hampshire native whose gift for capturing his local surroundings on film are only enhanced by his use of a panoramic camera. Using a special camera which records onto a 2.5 by 6.5 inch film, the author has collected images of the local scene which stop the casual browser and command close reading of the details within his compositions of farm, forest, and ordinary town scenes. This is a book to spend a quiet evening examining and exploring what someone with love of place and skill with camera can do

2 comments about A Traveller's History Of England (Traveller's History).

1. Since I was going to study abroad for a semester in England, I figured I'd read up on the history.
   
   Below are my specific opinions, but in summary, it's a decent book if you want to brush up on English history and not be weighed down with it.
   
   The good:
   -The book is short despite England's LONG history.
   -It's comprehensive. Not only does it talk about England's monarchial and wartime history, it also includes major writers, artists, and thinkers.
   -It has a rather fine index that includes, but isn't limited to, monarchs, major battles, and cathedrals.
   
   The bad:
   -The writing's poor. Not only does the author use incorrect grammar, he uses it blandly. Whereas I normally would finish a 300 page book in a day, this took me a week.
   -The book's short. Now, I know I put this in the good category, but it also works against the book. Since it's so condensed, the author glosses over some interesting bits. The War of the Roses is cut down to a page; it's never mentioned why the Boer Orange Free State was named as such.
   -It's confusing. Since hundreds of years of history are condensed into just a few pages, new names appear in every sentence, and it's hard to keep up.



2. This is an excellent single volume review of English history that makes for a great introduction for travellers, and interested readers alike. Almost by definition this relatively short volume leaves the interested reader wanting more, but it does cover such a wide span of time and topics admirably well (the ample bibliography will help interested readers to "dig deeper"). Highly recommended for travellers (it was a wonderful introduction for my 1st visit to the country, and even added intruiging insights for my spouse who had lived in London for several years).
   
   As a follow-on, consider reading Smith's English History Made Brief, Irreverent, and Pleasurable. A wonderfully insightful and funny read once you understand the rudiments of English history from the "Traveller's History".

3 comments about Moon Handbooks Massachusetts: Including Boston, the Berkshires, and Cape Cod (Moon Handbooks).

1. This book is great and I would recommend this book to anyone coming to Massachusetts that is able to spend some time here. If you know roughly what part of Massachusetts you want to see then this book will be a godsend as it will tell you everything, and I mean literally everything about your trip from history to sights, dining, accomodation ,etc. However, that's also a small drawback as there is so much information that at times, it can be a little disconcerting because you don't exactly know where to start. So, if you're planning a trip to MA and you're only going to be here for 1 or 2 days this book isn't for you. However, if you've got a week or more (and even for all of us that live in MA) this book will give you a real feel for the state and take you to places that other books don't. I recommend purchasing this book for anyone that's serious about understanding MA ; not only it's sights but it's history too. Well done to the author and for Moon for publishing such a comprehensive guide to such an interesting and beautiful state.



2. I realize that it is impossible to keep a travel guide up to date and current with changes that occur in the hotel and restaurant industries, but this book is very outdated. Despite being published three years ago, it features places that have been closed five-seven years. Apparently, no follow-up research was done in publishing this second edition.
   
   I was very disappointed with this purchase.



3. I can't quite put my finger on it, except to say that in my travels around New England I've found this to be somewhat less useful than the Moon guidebooks for N.H. & Maine. (The Moon guidebooks for Maine by Kathleen Brandes are just terrific, in many trips to Kennebunkport & Portland I've found them to be incredibly useful, & would give them 5 stars).
   
   Like another reviewer said, this 2nd (2001) edition is somewhat dated. I actually have the 1998 1st edition, but from other comments, it doesn't sound like they did a lot of updating between those editions.
   
   HOWEVER: This book is chock-full of detailed & useful info. that you won't find in the more generalized travel books, like Frommer's, that cover all of New England, & can start to be like "if today is Tuesday, it must be Belgium".
   
   For instance: Recently I've been exploring newburyport, MA. It's one of the most beautiful & historic waterfront towns in N.E. MA, with tons of restaurants. This book has about 1 & 1/2 pages on newburyport, (altho with almost no restaurant suggestions, which is frustrating). The Frommer's 2004 "New England" has absolutely no mention of newburyport(?).
   
   Also, there's there's a great section on Cape Cod here, that even goes into the Geological History of the Cape, with a present analysis, & future prognosis (that it's eroding, & may disappear w/in 5,000 years).
   
   This book may not be perfect, but then no guidebook is, & especially for the prices it sells for used, + shipping, is well worth having.

1 comments about Backroad Bicycling on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket, Second Edition (Backroad Bicycling Series).

1. Imagine a ride guide for those who love to ride, but don't do 5K a year in the North East. I have ridden the Cape a good bit and appreciate the honest evaluations of terrain and difficulty in this book.
   
   
   Even though some of these rides can be challenging (that is bike-speak for 18% or better), the Cape traffic is as bicycle litterate as you are likely to find.

No comments about Rhode Island: An Explorer's Guide, Fifth Edition (Explorer's Guides).

3 comments about Frommer's England 2007 (Frommer's Complete).

1. Apart from the 2 chapters about London, this book is useless as it doesn't provide much information for other major cities in England.



2. It's probably too much to ask any one book to cover all of England in detail. But Frommer's has packed this 784-page monster with all the information they could in an attempt to do just that. Did they succeed? Mostly. For starters, they offer over 20 "Best of" lists that help you zero in on the finest the country has to offer in all sorts of categories ranging from museums to pubs and everything in between. Basic travel information is offered for those completely new to the country to help you start off on the right track. There's even a short offering to help you learn a bit about art and architecture so that you can better appreciate what you will see on your visit. And, of course, there are four suggested itineraries for complete trips. Finally, the remaining 700 pages detailed information on the various geographic areas of England.
   
   Without diminishing the rest of the book, I found the "Best of" lists and the itineraries a great starting point because it helped me zoom in on the part of England that I would most want to visit. From there, I started worrying about the specifics of what I would do there and that's when the rest of the book started to come in handy. But I also purchased the The Unofficial Guide to England (Unofficial Guides) and found that I often went back and forth between the two. For information on the Cotswolds, Lake District, and some other aspects of the trip, I found Frommer's to be the most helpful. At the same time, when it came to reviewing the sight-seeing attractions in London I preferred the content and format that the Unofficial Guide used. It's not that Frommer's didn't cover it at all, or that the coverage was poor. But comparing the two, I definitely found the Unofficial Guide easier to use for touring London. Leaving London aside, Frommer's has certainly put together the most comprehensive guide you will find on England. It has every city you could possibly be interested in as well covering the Lake District, the Cotswolds, and other rustic areas of interest to tourists.
   
   In summary, I found the Frommer's Guide to be highly useful and I certainly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to England. I also believe that no one book will have everything when covering a place as diverse as England, so don't limit yourself to just one book.



3. Comprehensive, no frills, gives you what you need to know, but somehow more dense and less flashy than other books of this type. It's informative, but a bit like some sort of catalog. Good to get and read but I don't think it's the best choice on the market or one you'd want to take with you after you've gleaned everything in it you want to know.