Paul Robert Walker

Nine boisterous Tall Tales are included in Paul Robert Walker's Big Men, Big Country, which features the legendary adventures of many well-known figures, as well as those of a few more obscure characters. Here is Davy Crockett, that "ring-tailed roarer" who - in Davy Crockett Teaches the Steamboat a Leetle Patriotism - confronts a steamboat captain who won't allow his friend, Death Hug the Bear, on board his boat. Here too is Old Stormalong, the greatest sailor of them all; Big Mose, the show more tallest, strongest fireman in nineteenth-century New York City; that massive North Woods lumberjack Paul Bunyan, and his giant blue ox, Babe; and John Henry, the fastest steel-driving man ever. Less famous characters, like John Darling of the Catskills, Ol' Gabe of Yellowstone, and Gib Morgan, the oil-driller, also make an appearance. Finally, Pecos Bill and his wife, Slue-Foot Sue, round out the collection.

Told in true Tall Tale style, with embroidered words and an informal, colloquial tone, these tales are full of humor and fun. As the name of the collection would suggest, they are also heavy on the masculine side of adventure, and those looking for a more contemporary take, which gives more attention to female heroes, will be disappointed. Walker addresses this in his brief introduction, where he (rightly) notes the dominance of men in this type of tale. I don't really have a problem with his approach, especially since his book can be paired with Mary Pope Osborne's American Tall Tales, which does include more women, or Robert D. San Souci's Cut from the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale. Not every folk collection has to focus on women, or even give them equal "air time," as long as a diversity of collections are available. In addition to presenting nine engaging stories, Walker also provides detailed source notes for each of the selections in Big Men, Big Country, something I particularly appreciated. All in all, an excellent addition to any library with a shelf devoted to Tall Tales. show less

This book is a history of the the first decades of the Quattrocento in Florence. The most prominent Florentine artists during this period were Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed and built the dome of the Duomo, and Lorenzo Ghiberti, who created two of the three bronze doors for the Baptistery. Brunelleschi and Ghiberti were among the vanguard of the Renaissance art world, and their work influenced later generations of artists. Brunelleschi also shaped the landscape of Florence with his show more famous dome as well as other architectural projects.

The author's note and source notes provide evidence of extensive research. However, the author is not an art historian. The book is filled with speculation about the authors' motives, feelings, and interpersonal relationships. No illustrations are included, so readers who aren't already familiar with the buildings, sculptures, and paintings discussed in the book will need to look for images elsewhere. This is at best an introduction to the art world of early Renaissance Florence. The lack of illustrations limits its usefulness for this purpose. show less

Competition between the two men for the Baptistry Doors certainly changed pre-Renaissance Italian Art from a focus on Painting and Sculpture to Architecture.

That this "sparked" the Renaissance is still being debated.

(f the Woodcutter "prank" is true, readers may lose interest in F. Brunelleschi as a moral person,
but rather, a cruel jerk. As well, his trips back and forth and back and forth to cities made for very boring interludes.)

Descriptions of the Doors and Dome are totally show more enthralling!

Yet, where are all the photographs??? show less

These stories were well told in a manner that was great for the young reader. Using dialogue and research from historical sources, Walker tells these stories in a word of mouth fashion that is inviting and comfortable. The stories are exaggerated, yet often explain naturally occurring phenomena and show light on past cultural belief systems.