If Spring Endures (The Art of Being Charlee Book 2)

Quintin, better known as Kitty to the kind old woman who keeps her. This particular outing is doomed from the start: By night one way, by day another. Finally, after losing her toe in a trap set by fellow hunter Mr. Tod the fox, Kitty renounces her hunting ways and turns to more civilized pursuits. In addition to the aforementioned Peter and Mr. Tod, characters from other Potter stories make brief appearances as well.

How does a year-old tale about a murderous cat sit with modern readers? The manuscript was discovered with only one illustration--a rough sketch of Kitty and Mr. September 9, 6: For about twenty years, my go-to reference has been the seventh edition , edited and revised by Nicolas Barker. But now the time has come--not for deaccessioning , mind you, but for shelf rearrangement--because Oak Knoll Press has just released the ninth edition of this classic , with a completely revised text and a sleek design. Words I have looked up over the years include doublure, fly-leaf, half bound, roan , and vellum , among others.

Where the new edition, edited by Barker and Simran Thadani, sets itself apart from its antecedents, apart from the brighter, glossier paper, is in the addition of dozens of new terms and the incorporation of illustrations. An increase in graphic arts and printing terminology is most apparent, though my personal favorites among the added terminology at least from the 7th to the 9th edition are: In this context, blad b ook l ayout a nd d esign might be a useful inclusion at some point. The line drawings and color photographs are a terrific complement to the text.

In petty grievances, I take exception to how the term blurb is assigned to what in my book publishing experience I have always called flap copy, i. In short, this new edition is an essential upgrade for those already familiar with their ABC , and an utter necessity for newbies. Courtesy of Oak Knoll Press. August 31, 8: In the novel, Dr. That painting sans the fictional Fenzil does indeed exist and resides at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Poe then peppers him with questions, the answers to which he will utilize in his fiction. His novel is steeped in the art, science, and culture of mid-nineteenth-century Philadelphia but truly captivates in the storytelling.

He was born on July 25, Image via Bellevue Literary Press. July 25, Book cover design by Alice Cordelia Morse. Written by Paul Leicester Ford - http: Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen discussed the influence of stained glass window design on decorative book cover creators. During the late s, many women were employed in binderies; folding, sewing, trimming, and stitching books in factories in Philadelphia, Hartford, and New York City.

A smaller group of women, such as Alice C. Morse, Sarah Wyman Whitman, and Margaret Armstrong, were primarily responsible for producing beautiful decorative bindings, and maintained successful careers in an ever-evolving industry. Their selection of color palettes, design, and style contributed to the growing field of decorative arts and led the way for future generations of artists. A closing reception in the Watson library, where original botany watercolors by Margaret Armstrong were on display, put the finishing touches on an illuminating event.

May 26, 8: Reproduced with permission from St. In an era before the morass of social media made Grumpy Cat and other creatures international celebrities, there were Baker and Taylor. Bags, posters, and other freebies from the eponymous library distributor became cult items at library conferences like the BEA taking place in Chicago this week , and remain fan favorites today, as their namesake company continues to use their likeness on promotional items.

In return, the creatures posed for company advertising, resulting in a wildly successful marketing campaign that remains a cultural touchstone for librarians across the country. The True Tails of Baker and Taylor: May 13, 7: By , 45 libraries existed in the city, holding , manuscripts, all of which needed to be saved from the looting that Haidara was sure would ensue after al Qaeda seized the city that spring.

Volunteers met under cover of darkness to pack the volumes in footlockers. No book lover should miss it. The Wall Street Journal published a mini-excerpt from the book and American Libraries posted an interview with the author. April 20, Reproduced with permission from University of Arizona Press. This year the National Park Service turns , and while plenty of new books on the topic clamor for attention, one standout will surely interest readers of this blog.

T he Sonoran Desert: A delightful hybrid of scientific exploration and creative writing, the book is a unique match for the desert topography, which is itself a study in paradoxes: To capture the biodiversity of the desert, editors Eric Magrane and Christopher Cokinos included material from fifty writers and poets based in the American West.

The writers and their styles are just as varied as the plants and animals discussed: Sketches by award-winning illustrator Paul Mirocha are crisp, bright, and lively. The diversity of the text and the species of the Sonoran offer up a rich resource that celebrates the beauty of this extraordinary biome. April 1, Her father, Tristan, is either a genius or a loon; her professor, James Orville, is a taskmaster we warm to; and her adversary, Sir John, has a dark side that borrows a bit from A.

Courtesy of Touchstone Books. March 7, Beds in the 16th century were precious commodities, and often the first items mentioned in wills. Shakespeare was simply ensuring that his wife would have a warm place to lay her head when he was gone. The Tudor era was a time of great change, and the author makes no claim that hers is the definitive guide to the period, though the book is thoroughly researched. February 5, 6: If ever there were a headline--or a book title--to entice bibliophiles, surely this is it.

In , Chimen died at the age of 93, and his library--an estimated 15,, volumes--was sold. It is an important story, and Abramsky confronts harsh truths with warmth and wisdom. He also understands and celebrates the bibliomania behind the floor-to-ceiling, double-stacked shelves. September 30, The Military Bookman, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team, Harris Colt and Margaretta Barton Colt, was established in July , after Harris lost his Wall Street job and decided to follow his dream.

Paul Newman, James Gandolfini, and Bette Midler, found their way to this remarkable place over the years. We all have favorite bookshops and even bookshop memoirs. In this bibliophilic sub-genre, numerous stories are relayed about hunting for rare books and buying trips abroad; Martial Bliss ably covers this ground.

She shares her memories in a pleasant, matter-of-fact way, as if setting straight the record for posterity--or for her former customers, who will, no doubt, adore reading her account. As will those with an interest in antiquarian books, bookselling, or military history. Sadly, those stacks were dismantled in The rise of online bookselling as well as the increased production of cheap reprints of out-of-print military titles combined to make such a specialty shop obsolete in the twenty-first century.

Courtesy of Margaretta Barton Colt. August 18, Across an ocean and more than years, America remains gripped by Shakespeare. Mays excels in the accounting, too: Framing the Folgers as romantic figures is problematic no matter where one looks. His collection can never, of course, be replicated. But the passion and the determination can be contagious. May 26, A title like this is bound to be picked up by any fiction-friendly bibliophile. But what exactly is a bookaneer? Men like Pen Davenport and his long-time rival, who goes by the cryptonym Belial, steal manuscripts and proof sheets and deliver them into the hands of greedy publishers.

But now its , and that loophole is about to close.

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Three bounty hunters embark on their final adventure--to Samoa, where an ailing Robert Louis Stevenson is finishing his final work. The tropical island, however, proves more than a challenge to this trio of literary bandits, all trying to out-sleuth one another. May 4, 9: April 24, 8: Holsinger , a medieval scholar at the University of Virginia, revels in this kind of pungent, atmospheric detail. We quickly learn how these poor souls met their gruesome end: A word new to me in that moment, though one that would shape and fill the weeks to come.

I looked out over the graves pocking the St. As in A Burnable Book , Holsinger succeeds where many historical novelists fail, in the creation of unique characters--e. Holsinger risks flaming no pun intended in taking up the history of guns and its attendant violence, even within the framework of a mystery set more than six hundred years ago, and yet his agenda, if he has one, is obscured. The Invention of Fire is substantial and smart. Those who enjoy historical fiction will delight in its layered, well-researched narrative. April 22, 9: Either way, we seem to have accepted this idea that the rare book trade is a dark underworld, peopled with deceptive booksellers, maniacal collectors, and greedy forgers.

Two new novels pull on this thread in different and engaging ways. His sister is justly horrified, and her boyfriend, Will, a bibliophile with a talent for literary forgery, avoids telling her some secrets he knew about Adam. But as they begin to move on with their lives, Will receives a series of threatening letters, written in the script of dead authors. Getting to the bottom of that mystery will involve murder, theft, deceit, assault, and desire. The dual narrative moves back and forth between a Hampshire village at the end of the 18th century, where Austen finds a literary mentor, and present-day London, where recent Oxford graduate Sophie Collingwood is trying to rebuild the library of her recently deceased and beloved uncle and choose between two romantic partners.

That is, until she is strong-armed into locating a rare, possibly unique, volume that will discredit Austen. First Impressions is nimble and entertaining. November 5, Controversial and divisive, the unofficial leader of the Young British Artists group has scaled his art to board book dimensions. November 15, 7: November 4, 8: After a decade-long hiatus, William Wegman and his loveable, huggable Weimeraners are back in print.

Flo likes dressing up and baking delicious cupcakes, while her younger brother is more interested in playing sports and causing mischief. Their hopeful parents encourage them to try and find something to do together, but with each page it seems less and less likely. Wegman playfully dissects the intricacies of sibling rivalry through simple text and engaging images. In previous Wegman books, the dogs are pictured in actual clothing; here the author departs from tradition and mixes photographs of the dogs with painted costumes and backgrounds.

This book is so cute parents may find themselves suddenly besieged with requests to bring home actual puppies. November 1, 9: The story starts innocently enough; all the critters in the arboreal hamlet of Burrow Down complete their days with a delightful bedtime tale. All is well until an unwelcome stranger flies into town one night and steals the books quicker than a bolt of lightening. Who is the book thief?

After all the books disappear, a brave bunny named Eliza Brown is determined to catch the crook. Once collared, the aptly-named Snatchabook confesses his crimes, and Eliza decides to help the creature find redemption in a most appropriate and caring manner. Children will love acting this book out - sometimes as the sneaky Snatchabook, other times as the wise Eliza Brown. October 25, 7: October 15, 9: Reproduced by permission of the publisher, The Folio Society, London. A sturdy metallic silver box keeps everything safe, and beautiful end papers covered in snowflakes set a magical mood. On the cover is an exquisite illustration of the title character looking over a little boy who sits in an ethereal white-blossomed tree.

He did; try to find which one it is in the accompanying image post. As a result these stories deal with themes that young children may not understand. Read more and see images from the book here September 27, 9: September 23, September 16, To beckon spectators, the ringmaster stands in front of a large red tent while holding a yellow box that fits in the palm of his hand.

Unfortunately the dog begins to grow, and this threatens his place under the big top. At times, the story may seem lengthy and very young children might lose patience, but most readers will enjoy following Peewee on his adventure extravaganza. July 3, 9: June 12, 9: May 29, 9: May 17, 9: April 29, 8: April 24, 9: As the story concludes, the worldly grandfather offers this reflection, one that will no doubt resonate with the readers of this blog: March 29, 8: For this project, Testa told me how he created a special storyboard that allowed him to keep constant track of the visual and literary levels he was trying to maintain.

There are two ways that I might create an image, either one image with two stories, or one large edited image. Perhaps equally important to the actual artwork itself, he added, is the pacing and the precise location of where an image is placed in a printed book.

The flowing imagery allows the reader to maintain a steady pace, while creating pauses in the storyline and breaking the text into manageable parts. To show where the action lies in what appears to be a passive image, Testa pointed to an illustration in the book. They look approachable and friendly, but an older reader will see some of the darker aspects at work here. Look at the table. This is a triangle of violence here. Testa also believes that in order to be successful at his craft, a part of him must retain a childlike understanding and appreciation for the world.

There is historical precedent to this approach going back to the nineteenth century, when Pinocchio was first published. Indeed, the illustration that closes chapter fifteen shows Pinocchio strung up and hanging from a large oak tree. The puppet survives the hanging, and continues on his adventures. March 22, 7: Draw Your Own Alphabets: This book takes the art of custom-drawn fonts, - lively, hand-drawn letters often perfected by middle school adepts - to an extraordinary level of sophistication.

Seddon teaches the proper techniques to create funky, personalized fonts in this very hands-on workbook. The thirty alphabet fonts all are custom drawn by a team of young designers and illustrators who each reveal a little about themselves and the inspiration for their fonts. A glossary of terms as well as an anatomy of principal font features rounds out the book. March 15, 9: March 13, We also talked about heroes, magic, and discovering hope through storytelling. I was one of those childhood readers who, once I found something that I loved, I would seek out everything that was related to it.

Inside, readers will find more visual feasts- twelve full-color illustrations and thirteen black and white drawings. Yolen discussed the era that inspired the artwork, and why it is wholly appropriate for this edition. Yet as beautiful as these pictures are, this edition is perhaps most appropriate for older readers.

At least once a summer for the past twenty years Yolen has visited the gravesite of Andrew Lang in St. Andrews, Scotland, partly because his work played a significant role in her development as a writer. After some poking around, Yolen found a chapel with a plaque dedicated to Andrew Lang.

It was a hunt. The month after I was born, in March , an Oxford professor named J. R Tolkien gave the lecture, which became the iconic essay on fairy stories - and really changed my life as a writer. March 8, 7: In The Missing Manuscript , James uses a twenty-first-century story to frame the nineteenth-century narrative, i. While on vacation in England, Samantha McDonough, an American special collections librarian who failed to finish her dissertation on Austen at Oxford, pops into an antiquarian book shop and picks up an old poetry book. Much to her surprise, a letter is found tucked into the uncut pages, and that letter turns out to be an unknown and unsigned letter from Jane Austen to her sister.

Better still, the letter mentions a missing manuscript. While that frame proved hackneyed at best, Samantha does uncover a manuscript, stowed away in a secret cupboard in an English country manor house. She also finds its handsome, young, divorced owner, Anthony Whitaker. They begin to read the manuscript, written in It involves a clerical country family named the Stanhopes, who endure financial and social ruin and an embarrassing trip to Bath. The characters of Rebecca Stanhope and the friends and suitors she encounters have more life to them than their modern counterparts in this novel.

Thankfully, their well-plotted story constitutes the bulk of the book, which will delight Austen fans. It may even gain a few new ones. Meanwhile, back in the present, Anthony Whitaker is counting his chickens, ticking off prices of book and manuscript sales at auction found via his cell phone browser.

But will he sell? January 14, 8: December 27, 9: December 5, 9: November 30, 9: November 7, 9: October 31, 9: October 18, September 7, 9: August 27, 7: August 3, 8: July 25, 8: Last week Tom Phillips celebrated his 75th birthday and the release of the 5th edition of The Humument: Mallock and effaces the pages in every which way: It was a fitting location, close to the spot where the great-grandaddy of DIY bookmaking, William Blake, hallucinated a tree full of angels, and more recently close to the now-defunct antique shop where Phillips first came across the book he would transform into The Humument.

For starters, the artist admitted that he has improved over time in cutting out words and sentences, shapes and shadows, from the book, a temperamental medium. This is the first edition of the book where it is possible for a character to check her facebook profile on an app to find pictures of Bill Toge. As Daniel Traister writes: June 5, May 18, 9: May 14, May 2, 9: April 23, 8: April 6, 8: March 20, March 12, February 13, 7: January 2, 1: December 26, 8: November 28, 8: November 2, 9: October 24, 8: September 30, 8: September 13, 8: August 16, 3: July 10, June 27, 5: June 22, June 14, 3: June 8, 9: May 19, April 3, March 26, 6: March 22, 3: March 14, 9: March 13, 9: March 10, 9: Lessons in Bad Behavior from Ancient Greece: A Brief Round-up By A.

Rise of the Centaur: Reproduced with permission from David R. Bibliophilia By Rebecca Rego Barry. Co-author Lisa Rogak was kicking around ideas for a new project about two years ago, and the story of these felines was catnip to her: I then tracked down Jan Louch, the librarian who cared for them. She emailed me back and after a brief phone conversation I hopped on a plane a week later. This ode to feline companionship confirms what librarians and literary-minded folk have known for ages: Arthur Freeman, Bibliotheca Fictiva: Bernard Quaritch Ltd, Fakes, Lies, and Forgeries: Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University, Arthur and Janet Freeman, creators of the magnificent, dare I say well-nigh unsurpassable forgery collection documented in Bibliotheca Fictiva , are surely familiar with the particular reaction that the mention of forgeries not infrequently elicits: When I received my copy of Bibliotheca Fictiva , impressively produced by Quaritch, and began reading through it, one of my first thoughts was that I might just as well give up the ghost on my own meagre collection of forgery-related material: In the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University began to acquire the collection, and this volume covers it to that time, with some of the additions made since.

But not just the original texts: No small task, indeed. While there are a whole lot of names, dates, and titles packed in here, Freeman manages to keep things moving nicely. Items retained by the Freemans are noted these include, Freeman reports, duplicates, modern reference books, certain association items, and collections related to the Fortsas hoax and the Guglielmo Libri thefts. In the introductory headnote to the Handlist Freeman outlines several areas in which the Bibliotheca Fictiva complements existing holdings at Hopkins including the Book of Mormon.

The Handlist is organized into thirteen sections--roughly corresponding to the eleven above--next by forger or topic, and finally by date the index will be of great use. Some 1, entries follow, often with annotations as to their provenance, some with descriptions of the binding, and most with a short explanation of their significance. Reading right through these entries, or at least for any particular area you have an interest in, will be well worth it: He builds a good case for the relevance and usefulness of studying forgeries and their creators as a key component of the historical and cultural record: Along with a checklist of the exhibition, five interpretive essays are included.

Finally, John Hoffmann delves into the nastiness, tackling the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as well other 19th- and 20th-century racist productions about miscegenation and the like. His conclusion is a fitting one for the whole book and for the topic: Fakes, Lies, and Forgeries is beautifully designed and produced, with lovely color illustrations throughout.

I await its companion volume with anticipation, and I hope that its contents, along with those of Bibliotheca Fictiva , will prompt much future scholarly inquiry. There could be no better monument to the work of the great collectors who built the Bibliotheca Fictiva. Macbeth was recently adapted into a graphic novel by acclaimed artist Gareth Hinds, whose previous works include adaptations of Romeo and Juliet , The Merchant of Venice , and King Lear.

In graphic-novel format, Macbeth is surprisingly easy to follow. An image where Macbeth contemplates his next bloody move shows a shirtless and heavily muscled man in the throes of his malevolent imaginings. Even Banquo has a tattoo. Swimming pools full of blood, sword-fighting, murder, wonderfully witchy-looking sorceresses, personality disorders, and the temptation of evil are all rendered by a deft artist who clearly enjoys his subject. That being said, the images are fascinating, and that the artist even produced a book nominally geared towards child-age readers will no doubt provoke discussion among readers.

Since then, several editions have been released to an avid collector base. Form prevails, and that form is an elegant large quarto bound in cream canvas with gold lettering and laminated decoration, containing thick, textured paper. In it, Serafini tells us that the true author of the Codex was a stray white cat found on the streets of Rome. Who Stole The Books?

By Barbara Basbanes Richter. Obviously, this list often contains books, old and new. There were three new books that made the list this year -- Art Made From Books: Compiled by Laura Heyenga, with a preface by Brian Dettmer and an introduction by Alyson Kuhn, it is, by coffee table book standards, rather slim and handy. The first thing one notices about this book is the creative binding -- the front and back boards seem to float in place while the sewn and glued signatures are fully visible along the spine, where a strip of chartreuse binding tape holds it together.

Inside is a beautifully illustrated look at working book artists. Some of them will be familiar to readers of this magazine--in the past we have featured the work of Brian Dettmer, Guy Laramee, and Jeremy May--while others no doubt have a following among artists, collectors, and dealers. There are also great photos of the book sculptures left around Edinburgh by an anonymous artist in For example, Doug Beube is one of the most experienced book artists in this book.

He started altering books in On the other hand, reading up on the newer artists is ideal for collectors. Its dual narrative concerns two writers--one a former journalist whose primary job these days is stay-at-home dad, the other a successful thriller writer with waning talent and confidence. An uneasy friendship develops between them when a Chicago book collector with a penchant for reclusive authors makes a provocative offer and sends the plot spinning.

As fate would have it, the author is Adam Langer, a magazine editor with whom I worked a dozen years ago at a start-up called Book Magazine. In fiction, collectors are often depicted as sinister and compulsive, but you give it a bigger twist. Do you think collectors get a bad rap?! And do you collect anything? Well, I would hate to think of my collector character representing collectors as a whole group of people. When I was younger, I collected baseball cards and stamps and my father gave me his stamp collection, which I still have and cherish.

The real reason for using my name is because I thought it was as good a method as any to get the reader to trust me, which, of course, is almost always a silly thing for a reader to do. I wanted to start out with some basic realities, then totally warp them into a funhouse reflection of reality, and the easiest way to do that was to use a lot of elements of my own biography.

Was it hard to plot out? How long did it take you to conceive and write it? Both taught me how much you could play with form in a novel and still tell an engaging story. I follow the plot where it takes me.

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I let it surprise me and then I spend a lot of time backtracking and making sure it all makes sense. In college, it was Calvino and Borges. There has been a Graham Greene phase and a G. And with a title like The Salinger Contract , I have to ask, will you see the new Salinger documentary? As the last child born to year-old copper king and briefly Senator William A.

Clark and his year-old wife, Anna LaChapelle, Huguette was perhaps bound from the beginning to be odd. Nor did the immense amounts of money and attention. Still, hers was a charmed life, full of travel and music and lengthy correspondence with friends.

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But, in many ways, that was just the beginning of this strange tale, because the patient recovered, and yet ended up staying in the hospital for the next 7, nights. This is a story that very much needed to be told. How much money did Huguette have? Among other things, her father had founded Las Vegas. Like her parents, Huguette was a collector. Mainly she collected dolls and doll houses, but she also had Stradivarius violins and major paintings, including Manet, Monet, and Renoir.

She seemed fond of books, as well. The relatives believe that Huguette was mentally incompetent when the last will was signed and that she may have been the victim of fraud. Such a manuscript does indeed exist, having surfaced in a Pennsylvania barn in the s. It is owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. An anonymous Romanian buyer then employs Barkeley to purchase and deliver the document to the legendary Castle Bran. Once there, Barkeley realizes he is dealing with the devil. His descriptions of Romanian history, geography, and lore add much to the tale.

To say that this novel had me at its title would be silly, but the title does say it all: Manhattan with historical flair. When Amanda is called to appraise some clothing in the apartment of year-old Jane Kelly, she makes an important discovery among the mod A-lines and mid-century cocktail dresses.

An old trunk with Edwardian-era garb hides the century-old diary of a year-old woman named Olive. Against her better judgement, Amanda makes a deal on the dresses and pockets the diary. Unmarried and childless at 39, Amanda is beginning to search for something more in life than a married boyfriend, a struggling business, and rampant insomnia. The upwardly mobile Olive enjoys many luxuries and yet has a burgeoning feminist streak. She even buys herself a book on the female body since no one has bothered to provide her with the basics.

She eschews marriage and instead hopes to pursue a career as a department store buyer. When tragedy strikes, Olive relies on willpower and ambition to succeed in a city full of binding corsets, foul tenements, and, for many ladies of her station, a woeful lack of sex education. The two narratives effortlessly braid together, each with its own tensions and well-developed characters, and each a welcome sight when I removed the bookmark and read well beyond my bedtime.

Souvenir Nation by William L. A related exhibit opens at the Smithsonian Castle in August. Relics, Keepsakes, and Curios shows off items preserved in the Smithsonian but often gathered or collected by laymen. Bird, curator at the NMAH, prompts us to think about the idea of souvenirs, not so much in the way of plastic knick-knacks we pick up at landmarks these days, but the ones chipped from monuments and clipped from heads in years past. As always, I enjoy the format of Princeton Architectural Press books. This trim red, white, and blue hardcover resembles a history textbook, if textbooks were a bit groovier.

The endpapers are decorated with patriotic stars, and the book even contains two ribbons red and blue for placeholders. The Civil War in 50 Objects has a narrower focus and yet is a heftier read. Holzer, a Fellow at the N-YHS, offers a more narrative approach, allotting each artifact--iron slave shackles, a draft wheel for drawing names, a Confederate cipher key--a mini-chapter instead of a page. Illustrated with fine color reproductions, this book is a collection of treasures for anyone interested in Civil War history. The more I learn about old books, the harder it is to enjoy the type of biblio-fiction that should appeal to me.

I have always enjoyed novels that feature books, particularly antique books and manuscripts, as an essential element, e. I quibble over bibliographical points and still demand a hardy plot, which makes me a more persnickety reader than most. It opens in a bookshop in Hay-on-Wye where antiquarian bookseller Peter Byerly finds what he believes to be a watercolor portrait of his recently deceased wife, Amanda, tucked into a copy of An Inquiry into the Authenticity of Certain Miscellaneous Papers by Edmond Malone. And yet, as the story continues, we are meant to think of him as a something of a hapless genius.

As my colleague Jeremy Dibbell pointed out last week, this may be the only novel to feature a Hinman Collator, which is pretty neat. Peter uses it to compare two copies of Pandosto while trying to prove that one is a genuine first edition. The final quarter focuses on forgery, through which Lovett develops narrative tension and delivers an interesting ending. Continue reading I is for Imagination in Appalachia. There are few things quite so charming as the images of sea monsters that turn up on old maps -- personal favorite: Singer was a New Jersey podiatrist with a great eye before his botanical photography became so popular.

Using his Hasselblad camera, he began photographing rare and exotic plants. Singer ended up snapping pictures there; he selected to print and publish as Botanica Magnifica. Singer also recently published Fine Bonsai: Primula auricle , from Botanica Magnifica. Read the rest at LiteraryKids. Draw your own alphabet By Barbara Basbanes Richter. So when a new biography appeared last month titled The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things , I rejoiced!

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And the good news is that--unlike most of the Austen material flooding the market--this book delivers. Written by Paula Bryne, author of the acclaimed Evelyn Waugh biography, Mad World , this new bio of Austen takes an innovative approach: What does that humble gold and gemstone ring tell us about what was important to the author, or what relationship did it inform? After several hours amiably passed, you, dear Reader, will know the answer to that.

Which means a week of leisurely reading and browsing new books. A handsomely illustrated book for map lovers, this book is not a history of cartography per se, but a look at the graphic elements and beautiful imagery of maps from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century. In other flights of whimsy, cherubs with chubby cheeks blow in the directions of the prevailing winds. These features drive up old-map prices at auction. Flora and fauna are common ornamental elements too. One of my favorites is Islandia, a map of Iceland, from the edition of Theatrum.

It shows all manner of fantastic beasts off the coast, including man-eating monster fish. The Pegasus-shaped map of Asia, , is also pretty neat. For anyone who studies or collects maps, The Art of the Map will be a welcome addition to your library. In our holiday gift guide for book lovers, we were proud to feature the Ideal Bookshelf poster.

Casting a wide net out to novelists, artists, designers, chefs, filmmakers, and journalists, the duo asked contributors to create a shelf of books that they could not live without, that had changed their lives as readers. Jane Mount then illustrated the list of books in her charming, colorful way. I am often tempted to flip through coffeetable books without quite reading them, which would have been a shame in this case. Did anyone else know that Johnny Cash loved old books?

Rosanne Cash remembers one treasure: He loved books more than anything. I was surprised to see her so often. Needless to say, it is a perfect gift for the book lover in your life. The very last page of the book is a blank ideal bookshelf, beckoning readers to fill it in for themselves. I, for one, could not resist, and so here it is: By Rebecca Rego Barry. So Shakespeare was obsessed with syphilis, does that mean he had it? Did Jack London overdose, or commit suicide?

In this immensely readable and enjoyable book, Dr. This book grew out of an article on syphilis he originally published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Because Ross is a real M. There are chapters on Milton, Melville, and Swift, all of which will cause readers to gasp and chuckle in turn, as Dr. Ross provides a light history of the medicines and treatments they endured. Tuberculosis picked off the five Bronte children one by one, a sad story with many dimensions deftly explained by Dr.

Unfortunately the Bronte sisters are the only women under examination here -- what does Dr. Who would have thought. Once he begins snooping around a bit and applying his techie skills--hacking, data visualization--to the mystery, he discovers that his boss, Mr. The problem is, the book is in code; Jannon and his Silicon Valley friends aim to break it open and free the text, as it were. After all, we do find ourselves in a subterranean library vault pouring over an antiquarian book said to contain the key to immortality. But Sloan is very bright, and that shines through -- even to his glow-in-the-dark dust jacket.

Plus, if he entices even a handful of younger readers to the coolness of rare books, well then, all is forgiven. Incidentally, Sloan was pictured in the New York Times last month hiding away in the Grolier Club stacks, where he poured over Aldines, printed by the real Aldus Manutius. Read an excerpt here. And whether or not your local is featured in the forthcoming book, My Bookstore: A full list of contributors and featured shops is here. Paul, Minnesota, pinpoints the beginning of his bibliomania to the purchase of a couple of Signet Classics in high school.

There are many reasons I love books: With an introduction by Richard Russo and whimsical line illustrations by Leif Parsons, My Bookstore offers some perspective on contemporary bookselling, and it is as much about writing as it is about bookselling. A common theme in the essays is the support a young writer finds in a community bookstore -- these are the stores that zealously promote author events, hand-sell first novels, even slip manuscripts to publishing insiders. Without these stores, where do readers go? Sep 23, Steven rated it it was amazing.

Words cannot describe the roller coaster of emotions I experienced while reading "The Boy's of '67" these past few weeks. I stumbled upon this book online, reading the preview of the prologue, describing the authors background and inspiration to writing this book. I immediately had to go out to my local bookstore to read this book, as I had to read about the young men who served in Charlie Companies and their story of their service in Vietnam. I've read a few books regarding the Vietnam war, most Words cannot describe the roller coaster of emotions I experienced while reading "The Boy's of '67" these past few weeks.

I've read a few books regarding the Vietnam war, mostly from the grunts of the USMC perspective who were gung ho to serve their country and fight for freedom in Vietnam. What was most appealing to me was, In "The Boys of '67" just about the entire company was made up of draftees. Reading about the backgrounds of the young men whose lives were cut short of the futures they were writing to head off to fight into a foreign land that most Americans could not even locate on a map at the time. So many families getting started, As a young recent married man myself, these stories particularly hit home with me only to say painful goodbyes with some never to return.

The author made excellent use of letters home and first hand accounts to really bring the reader in and make them feel as if you knew the men of Charlie Company and their feelings. The war was brutal and changed everyone who served with Charlie Company forever. The reader is taken on the full tour with the originals and replacements and the author holds nothing back as to what these brave men had experienced in the deltas of Vietnam in The most difficult thing I had in reading this book was not hearing about the brutal tales of killing and seeing your friends die, but was the emotions I had in the very last chapter of the book.

I could not tell you how many tears came to my eyes reading about the men coming home to their families some living happily ever after, others struggling just to survive and adapt to civilian life. It was not easy to hear about the horrible treatment our country gave to these brave young men for answering their countries call to serve their nation. I wish that I could go back in time and give each and every one of these soldiers the proper welcome they deserved.

God bless the men and families of these brave veterans and I am so glad that I stumbled upon this book. Their stories of brotherhood and sacrifice will remain with me forever.

Charley Bland

Oct 03, Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it Shelves: I have been forever fascinated with the Vietnam War -- most especially with the politics and behind-the-scene machinations behind America's involvement, but also with the growth and outright explosion of US opposition to the war, and the aftermath, as the soldiers came home, or did not. But what really gets to me are the compelling stories of the people who were actually there. The Boys of '67 briefly but powerfully examin this is the short discussion; if you want a longer one, click on through.

The Boys of '67 briefly but powerfully examines the lives of a group of men from Charlie Company in the US Army's 9th Infantry Division -- from the time they received their greetings from Uncle Sam through their individual returns home and beyond. It is a fine addition to the already-existing collection of personal histories of the war, focusing largely on the special bonds forged between these former strangers throughout their year in Vietnam.

The book is the result of author interviews with several surviving members of Charlie Company, as well as their families and the families of some of those who went to Vietnam and never returned. The personal accounts of these men or their surviving families -- the letters, the interviews, etc. The author presents these people not only as the fine soldiers they were, but also as human beings who suffered from serious psychological trauma both in Vietnam and afterwards. While highly personal, there is also insight into just what types of situations these men faced there via several accounts of the battles they fought, complete with tactical maps that give the reader a harrowing visual perspective on what these soldiers faced during their missions.

The Boys of '67 is emotionally powerful and if you're at all interested in the Vietnam war and its personal aftermath from the points of view of the soldiers who were there, this would be a great reading choice. Sep 30, Dave Moore rated it it was amazing Recommended to Dave by: I didn't enjoy reading this book. Would you enjoy watching an inevitable train wreck, or a tragic accident unfold before your eyes? Particularly if it touched you personally?

That having been said this is extremely well written. Based upon actual interviews and recollections, this unsettling work puts the reader in the same atmosphere as the guys it's written about. You feel their anxiety and confusion. You share their conflicting emotions. The 9th Infantry endured a two-day I didn't enjoy reading this book. Wiest brings these guys to life with back stories and anecdotes. This isn't necessarily a good thing. Inevitably, several are lost; you feel each one. This was not our father's war. A series of tragic missteps followed like dominoes wasting 58, young lives.

This book will make anyone who reads it pray that the lessons learned in this horrible mistake of a conflict will never be repeated. Then we have Iraq Nov 27, Alison rated it really liked it. If you want to know what being in the Army was really like during the Vietnam War, not what the politicians fed us, not what the media wanted us to know, then read this book.

Put together with memories of the men who served in Charlie Company, the reader gets to know these men - where they were from, how they grew up, what training they had, the friendships that bonded them together, the need to work together as a team to survive, and how many of them died. But the plot doesn't stop there, we le If you want to know what being in the Army was really like during the Vietnam War, not what the politicians fed us, not what the media wanted us to know, then read this book.

But the plot doesn't stop there, we learn about the families left behind, the new wives, the babies born while the men were "in country", and how the war affected them, and how their loved one's deaths affected them. Apr 12, Mike Kershaw rated it really liked it. Charlie Companies War in Vietnam. The company was assembled from draftees at Fort Riley, Kansas and took basic and advanced training as a unit prior to deployment.

The whole draft, stateside training and deployment of the company and battalion and by extension the division certainly seemed to harken back to previous conflicts although I found it somewhat interesting that even then, guys from the same areas in the States, found themselves together in the same company — which differs considerably from most account of infantry service in Vietnam. Similar to more recent experiences, the unit literally had to create its own base camps as it deployed to areas which had only seen episodic US troop employment previously.

The pace of the company's fight in the Delta reminded me somewhat of my brigade's experience in Iraq -- long, slow, hot and uncomfortable days losing Soldiers primarily to mines booby traps there, IEDs in Iraq. Throughout their year tour, the author narrates four or five major engagements — battles without names but known throughout the company by dates — but engagements which last the better part of a day and into the night, are generally close range and brutal.

Their opponents know the terrain and know how to employ their weapons effectively. And losses amongst the original cohort, not surprisingly, make the greatest impact. They seemed to have been relatively fortunate in their officer leadership -- with only a few exceptions. However, only a few SNCOs seemed to be part of the narrative -- the First Sergeant and one strong platoon sergeant primarily, but the remainder who normally form a strong part of the company's identity -- this has been true in most companies I have served in -- seemed to be absent in the narrative.

The story remains focused on the company and, in particular, those of the original cohort as they navigate their year-long tour in Vietnam. The wounded are followed through the various stops in the medical system, many returning to the States via Japan. Some, however, return to Vietnam to complete their tours. Not surprisingly, these Soldiers want to return to their original company.

It would be interesting to see how the Army viewed the exigent action and its effect on the combat efficiency of the units involved. The post-war accounts of the various members of the company was certainly disturbing. Having left prior to the outbreak of large protests, the draftees return to a much changed country after their year in Vietnam. The Soldiers alcohol and drug problems seemed to follow them into their civilian lives and certainly dominated this portion of the narrative. It is difficult to tell if this is just due to the author's sampling of the company -- few SNCOs, focusing on the severely wounded and those with the most difficulty readjusting to civilian life.

As we has been discussed elsewhere, this seems to fit the stereotype of the Vietnam Veteran who has trouble adjusting because of his war experience — and yet seems remarkably different from the ones who I served with on active duty or know as civilians, who seem well-adjusted by comparison. In fact, I went to their facebook page https: Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the life of an infantryman in Vietnam.

Jul 23, Ray Palmer rated it liked it. I picked this book up at the library because I was interested in the day to day experiences of a US soldier fighting in Vietnam. When you read about most wars they seem to have some sort of geographical goal. The strategists running things are trying to move the front forward with a final aim of conquering a something. Sometimes they would patrol the exact same area where that they had previously fought a bloody battle only a few months prior.

This aimlessness combined with the normal rigors of war seems to have horrible effects on morale. Imagine if our police force was tasked, not with sustaining law and order, but with prowling around various neighborhoods and killing as many perceived criminals as possible.

The emotional effect on both the police and the people being policed would be enormously traumatic.

The soldiers in Vietnam consequently spent lots of their free time drinking, doing drugs and availing themselves of prostitutes. The book also describes the bouts with PTSD the soldiers experienced after coming home from the war. One man, once he was diagnosed with PTSD, was kicked out of the army. The quality of writing is merely sufficient, and it has a tendency toward being overly sentimental. May 07, L. Just finished this book a few days ago. Most boys trained and then were sent off separately to join their respective companies based on assignment and military needs.

Needless to say, they formed a tight-knit group and shared everything with one another. As many of them are killed or wounded, their numbers dwindle qui Just finished this book a few days ago. As many of them are killed or wounded, their numbers dwindle quite radically, leaving the "originals" to cling to one another almost desperately while distancing themselves from the newbies that are brought in as replacements. Author Andrew Wiest does a great job of portraying the individual men from their time before the war to training to combat and then their return to "the world".

So many suffered with PTSD, a condition that was unknown and poorly addressed for most of the years after their return. One thing was clear throughout: In fact, the only thing that truly helped these men was finally reuniting with their old buddies again after many, many years. Excellent and important read. Mar 18, Adam Christian Smith rated it it was amazing Shelves: His name was Harley Arlen "Sam" Smith. I finished reading this months ago but didn't know what to say. My father was 19, and a brave young man.

I feel him in my blood even though I lost him when I was 6. It is hard to get vets to talk about war, and as best I can, I understand that. This book is as close as I've gotten, other than maybe "Dispatches" highly recommend. But if there are any 1st Cav guys out there who would like to help honor his father and if you were bravely in Ia Drang, I'd love to hear from you. Doesn't have to be public and won't be used publicly. The bullets that hit him are still ricocheting down time, affecting my mom, my younger brother and myself - and probably ended this particular Smith lineage forever.

Mar 21, Sven rated it liked it. I missed a more broader and balanced view on the war. He did a great job in collecting the memories from the men of charlie company drafted in but totally missed to answer the most decisive question: What makes Americans run from war to war even with the experiences of Vietnam in the collective memory?

He portrays a Vietnam Vet proud of sending his daughter to Iraq I missed a more broader and balanced view on the war. He portrays a Vietnam Vet proud of sending his daughter to Iraq, years later. Because he the father knows from own experience, the benefit of services for maturity. The stories of the young men suffering and dying in Vietnam are tragic.

But May Lai was too. Abu Ghraib was too. This book is a sentimental collection full of heartbreaking anecdotes, nourishing the spirit, which will repeat these tragic events again and again, from war to war: Mar 03, Chuck Thomas rated it it was amazing. The Boys of '67 is a very good book recounting Charlie Co. Not just a story about the deadly battles that this unit fought in, the book also goes into detail about the makeup of Charlie Co. This unit was a "Band of Brothers" in the truest sense of the phrase, drafted, The Boys of '67 is a very good book recounting Charlie Co.

This unit was a "Band of Brothers" in the truest sense of the phrase, drafted, trained and fought together A well written book. Appreciated the maps that were included with the stories of each battle, helped me visualize where each platoon was located and where Viet Cong bunkers were. Surprised that there were no actual photographs included Kindle edition but the author did include a link to the 9th ID's website to visit to see pictures. Jul 22, Clayton rated it really liked it. I wanted to read this book because it occurred to me that I probably didn't have a very complete picture of Vietnam.

When I learned about Vietnam in school it was about the mistakes, regret and a lot of armchair quarterbacking on what we should and should not have done. I specifically picked this book because it told the stories of actual soldiers and their progression from basic training, to combat and into old age. Reading this helped me better understand the phrase "War is Hell" and I found m I wanted to read this book because it occurred to me that I probably didn't have a very complete picture of Vietnam. Reading this helped me better understand the phrase "War is Hell" and I found myself frequently surprised at what these guys who were, at the time, much younger than I am now were experiencing on a daily basis.

Mar 04, Edy rated it really liked it Shelves: As a teenager in the 60s, I lived through the Vietnam War.

The Boys of ’ Charlie Company’s War in Vietnam by Andrew Wiest

I lost friends in the war. I think my hatred of war began when I realized that more than 58, soldiers, mostly boys near my age, died in that far away land--and for what? Within a short time after the war ended, Saigon fell. Reading this book was difficult because I thought of those kids I knew who served in Vietnam and wondered how many of the them had similar experiences. That being said, I'm not sorry that I read it.

Sergeant Benito Alaniz was the first to die. Shot and killed accidentally by his own men when he got separated from his squad. Then Ronald Schworer, the eldest of four children from Lancaster, CA, was lost down river during an ambush on April 10, his body never recovered. Donald Peterson, from Arroyo Grande, CA, was the happy-go-lucky jokester, everybody's friend, who lifted Charlie Company's spirits with his smile and optimism.

He died in the mud on May 15, two AK47 bullets to the chest. The battle on June 19, , near Can Giouc, a little village in the muddied rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, was Charlie Company's baptism by fire. The plans, dreams and hopes of 11 of Charlie's Company's boy warriors ended that day. The Boys of '67 knew now they were in the fight for their lives, as dead and wounded lay all around them.

In the spring of , as the war escalated in Vietnam, the military tried an experiment: So, the majority of Charlie Company's men read: Lead by experienced cadre, such as Captain Larson and 1st Sergeant Crockett, they went through Basic and Advanced skills training together at Fort Riley, Kansas, bonding strongly and closely before boarding ship for the 21 day "cruise" to the beaches of Vung Tau, Vietnam in December, Can Giouc was just one deadly battle. There would be more. Sometimes one at a time, sometimes in clusters. Fred married his sweetheart, Barbara, during his training in Kansas.

Little Freddie, the son whose picture Fred shared with everyone, was born while Fred was on the troop transport ship bound for Vietnam. By now, only 40 of the "originals" remained, the company devasted by KIA and wounded. Bill "Doc" Geiger, medic with 2nd Platoon, died on June 19 while aiding a wounded brother.

His family still supports and honors today Bill by attending Charlie Company reunions. LT John Hoskins, West Point graduate of Class of '66 and 3rd Platoon Leader, was wounded by a bullet to the thigh on July 11 while leading a charge against a fortified bunker line. Some made it home with scarred bodies and disturbed minds. They honor their fallen comrades by a gathering of warriors and families, the reunions acting as remembrance and as catharsis for all who attend.

His story of being homeless on the streets of Las Vegas was heart-breaking. In this book, you read of the hopes, dreams and aspirations of our national treasure, the youth of our country. You also read of how those hopes and dreams were cut short for the boys of Charlie Company and over 58, other valiant brothers and sisters, fathers and sons, husbands and lovers, friends and comrades. This is their gritty and tragic story. Go with God, brave warrior. Dec 06, jakekellsaol.

Hard book to read I could only take reading this book for short intervals because I found it so incredibly heart breaking. The author puts you among the men of You get to know them so well that you hurt like hell when on of them becomes a casualty. You suffer their pain and their families pain. War sucks so bad. To have been drafted even makes it worse. I hope the s c u m who threw eggs and called them baby killers stumble across this book. I received my draft status as 1A in June of Hard book to read I could only take reading this book for short intervals because I found it so incredibly heart breaking.

I received my draft status as 1A in June of after H. My father wanted me to join the Marines to "represent the family.