Newsweek

A volume in the outstanding series of the 'Wonders of Man', it contains abou everything on would want to know about this heritage of the 'civilized' world. The book contains some breathtaking panoramic photographs of the hillock (the Acropolis) and the Parthenon and other structures in various lights, with the backdrop of the hills around Athens. On reading the history and viewing the photographs, one is struck by how short the lifetime of the intact structure was, and how it has been show more repeatedly devastated by a succession of intruders and alien forces. Ultimately the bulk of it was apparently blown away by a barrage from the Venetians attacking the Turks who were ensconced in the structures, which unfortunately included their armory which caused a huge explosion. Most of their monuments have been shattered, and we have today only some empty roofless shells and scattered bits of broken pillars and stones.
On reflection, although Western historians credit ancient Greece with much that is the best in their civilization, one cannot but regret that they had such a short-sighted and narrow vision of their own destiny, and wasted so much of their men and resources in fighting their futile battles, either within their own clans, or with outsiders like the Persians and Turks, throughout their history. show less

A nice, quick introduction to the man and the mind behind the world of Middle Earth, and the epic Hobbit/Lord of the Rings novels.

I noticed they were careful to veer away from the fractious relationship Tolkien had with his fans, and the family's apparent distaste for the movie versions (of which this magazine is stuffed).

Still good insight into Tolkien's influences and thought processes.

Another wonderful volume of the Great Museums series. Though, the El Prado's collection is not a favorite of mine; I guess a year in Rome my have prejudiced me to quantrocentro Italian art.

Despite what the title suggests, this is not a book about Museums in the Andes but about the Pre-Columbian art of Peru. The book is divided into the classic periods proposed by John H. Rowe:

Early Horizon
Early Intermediate Period
Middle Horizon
Late Intermediate Period
Late Horizon

The Horizons are characterized by the widespread influence of one or two cultures, while the Periods are characterized by a greater diversity of regional styles.

All 142 photos are in color and reproduced with high show more quality, and the descriptions of each piece are useful and readable. The book works well as either a browsable coffee-table book or a reference work. Pottery, textiles, and metallurgy are covered, while architecture is left out entirely. The focus is on the better-known cultures: Chavin, Paracas, Moche, Nasca, Tiahuanaco, Huari, Chimu, Chancay, and Inca. There are is only one Vicus piece and two Recuay, and many other cultures are left out. Still, this is a good place to start for anyone interested in Peruvian archaeology. It may be better not to get overwhelmed with an exhaustive treatment of the incredibly rich and diverse legacy of Peru's past.

The pieces are mostly from the Amano Museum and The National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History, with some from the Gold Museum. So if you were to buy one of the books on the Larco (Peru's biggest, greatest museum), it would complement this book nicely. show less