Antiques Collectibles Books

Good book! It gives you a little insight into the lives of African Americans early in the last century.

I agree with most of Donald C. Thompson's review, but wanted to add a few points.

If you are not skilled at making furniture, this is not the book for you, because the descriptions on how to make each project consists solely of a parts list, plus two to three small paragraphs. In some instances the plans are not accurate. If you are looking for examples of mission furniture, this is a good overview, but the pictures/illustrations are barely legible and there are many other much better books.

In regards to the binding, this book is of substandard quality. Paying $18-24 for the hardcover version is not suggested. The binding is that of a cheap child's textbook with a plastic feel. After opening the book about 4-6 times, the binding is already showing stress. I would suggest purchasing the paperback version for about $10. I have a huge library of furniture books and furniture plans. As a note, this is one of many recent books I have purchased that are now printed and bound in China. I purchase all my books when possible in hardcover format to make them last longer, however in almost every instance of a hardcover book bound in China, I have been disappointed. The bindings break very easily on most of these books.

This book is a reproduction of three Popular Mechanics Magazine publications from before WW I, at the height of the Mission furniture craze. It includes about 100 projects. Each one consists of a parts list, one to two pages of text (a total of about 200-500 words), a black-and-white shaded drawing of the finished piece of furniture (sort of like a bad photo) and minimalist plans. The plans are simple front and side elevations. Don't expect exploded views like one would find in a modern woodworking magazine.

A paragraph from the text for a five-drawer dresser/mirror combination is illustrative of the brevity of much of the instructions:

QUOTE: In working up the various parts, proceed in the usual manner. If not thoroughly familiar with the various tool processes involved, it will be necessary to investigate pieces of nearby furniture and to read up some good text dealing with the processes involved.

In other words, don't buy this book if you are a novice woodworker looking to have your hand held, step-by-step through the construction process.

What one really gets with the purchase of this book are two things. First, an interesting look at turn-of-the-century America and the arts & crafts period, from the perspective of a middle-class magazine for home craftsmen. Second, one gets a collection of designs for generic mission or arts & crafts furniture. To me, the vast majority of the designs are unappealing. At best, they seem just a little off target, as though a high-school woodshop class student were given an assignment to make an original mission furniture piece. However, there are a few interesting pieces.

I bought this book because I buy *EVERYTHING* about Stickley/Mission/Roycroft furniture. I do not regret the purchase, but I will probably never make any of the projects, and if I did I would have to spend a half a day (at least) making production drawings of the parts for the furniture.

I purchased this book expecting to find plans for various types of Mission-style furniture and that is exactly what I found. In addition, information on finishing wood in the authentic style is included.

This book succeeds at depicting furniture designs that in their time held a place in the Arts and Crafts movement along with the great designs of the Stickleys and a few other masters. Are these pieces as pleasing in form and sturdy in structure as those designed by Gustav and his brothers? Do they all adhere closely to the design principles of the Arts and Crafts movement? Is Harvey Ellis' influence apparent in any of these designs? Not to my eye. However, much of what's in the book appears simple to build, and some would be useful to have around the house. By way of contrast, I find the designs presented in Robert Lang's books and in the Bavaro and Mossman book to be more to my liking. Those books also include more information about construction processes and details.

I recently bought this book because I was intrigued by its old-time style. It is a reproduction of three old how-to manuals from the early 1900's. The preface states that the writing was left alone, but that the indexes and page numbering were altered to make sense in this volume. I am well pleased with this purchase because of what it is and what it is not:

IT IS - a great collection of Mission Style furniture plans, complete with materials lists and drawings to give a modern furniture maker plenty of ideas for design.

IT IS NOT - a basic how-to manual which spends half of the book explaining the basics of tools and workshop safety. It is also not a step-by-step cookbook for building the furniture listed. In many places, this book states that you should save time by having the lumber dealer surface and cut all of your stock to size to save time and effort! (apparently this was cheaper in 1910!)

The real value of this book is as an idea generator and an aid to someone trying to design their own furniture. It also provides some interesting insights into finishing practices common to this furniture in the good old days. Check it out, its worth a look.

This book was a load of crap. It was nothing but a bunch of boring common knowledge. They name a subject then give you 1/4 of the info on it. And there was only a couple pics of the bond actors except for Pierce who there was a lot of pics of. I think the author is gay for Pierce. The book was written like someone watched the movies once and wrote down a few facts here and there. I love the bond films but I wouldn't pay a dollar for this book.

This book is done in typical DK style, a fabulous pictorial representation of the people and items associated with the James Bond series of films. If you want to know more about some of what you see on the screen, this is a good choice.

But I have a bone to pick with a couple of the reviewers on this page. First of all, Ray Walker (2/14/03) doesn't seem to realize that "Never Say Never Again" was NOT one of the "official" Bond films; the reason it resembles "Thunderball" is that that was the only Bond script in the public domain, and thus the only one available to another producer. Although not a bad film (thanks in part to Sean Connery), most Bond purists do not include it when discussing the Bond series, and neither the author nor publisher should be blamed for excluding it from this book.

And the reviewer on 5/7/03 needs to realize that this book is not intended to be an in-depth study along the lines of "The Essential Bond", which is another excellent book. The reviewer should have taken into account that this is essentially a picture book, and should be purchased in addition to, and not in place of, the type of book he claims to prefer.

This turned out to be a truly wonderful book!!!! Very detailed, very accurate(besides for a few mistakes in fight sequences). Great thing to read to become even more acquainted with James Bond.

I've been a Bond fan since my Dad used to take me to the public library so I could take out the hardback versions of Fleming's master spy.

I honestly like this book, although it IS for a younger audience. The cutaway views of the "Bondmobiles" and "Little Nellie" are well rendered and make for a detailed insight behind the sheetmetal.

I would have liked to have seen a newer edition, featuring Brosnan's last film as 007...DIE ANOTHER DAY. I think the VANQUISH and the Jaguar would have only added to the fun aspect of this book.

It's definitely NOT a wordy book, but does offer the missions (films) in a nice concise chronological order, complete with places in these movies of note such as Dr. No's island base, Blofeld's oil rig, Stromberg's "Atlantis", etc.

All in all, a nice addition for ANY Bondian library...or even a good starter book for the "next generation" of 007 fans!

((that's SHAKEN...not stirred))

This book was really amazing. It has almost every little detail of every Bond movie from Dr. No to The World Is Not Enough. Book also contains some spectacular large photos from the movies. For each section of the movies, it describes basically what it was about, and it gives some of the information about charcters, villains, settings, and the "gadgets" used in the movie. It also contains hand-drawn pictues of scenes and places from the movie. Labels are also on the pictures (pointing out what is what). Really amazing, and you might learn a thing or two as well which is nice. At the end of the book after it has discussed all of Bond's missions, it has info on the movies themselves like the cast and crew. Then there is the index. This is a MUST BUY for any true James Bond fanatic. It is a fun book to look at, and to this day, I look through it as well and it sparks many memories. If you are not too familar with Mr. Bond, then do not bother with this item. A tremendous book, definitly worth your hard earned money.

The earlier review is accurate. This is a handy little guide if you want to look up some basic information about a type of ship of which you have heard, or if you just want to browse and pick up a little bit of nautical history. I am a D&D dungeon master, and I have used the book to show my players what various types of ships which they may encounter actually look like.

This book is great if you want to know what kind of rigging each
ship had. You will not get how many crewman it took to sail each ship unless its a galley then you can figure it out by how many oars it had. On some you will get the tonnage of a particular ship but not always. You don't get any idea the cargo it was able to hold in tonnage or what type of cargo it mainly shipped. Nothing about what kind of weaponary ie cannon
6pounder,12pounder etc. I did like the pictures. I did learn about ships that I never knew existed. Thats why I said fluff
in the title.

Essentially a reprint of a book published originally in 1924, the book manages to have both modern prose and a dated (nonpajorative in this case) perspective. Because the author is chronologically close to his subject, his focus on the meat of the matter is excellent. Complemented by excellent illustrations from Gordon Grant, Culver's prose flows forth, at once detailed, humourous, and filled with romance. An easy read that will probably be enjoyed by enthousiast, history buff, and devout non-fiction reader alike. We can only hope that this book does not go out of print for another 75 years.

The author presents a history of sailing ships through illustrations and descriptions that span 2-3 pages. He breaks the subject matter between long ships and round ships and presents the ships in chronological order from ancient galleys to clippers.

The content of the description seems to be drawn from personal experience, where possible, and various research sources. The author does use a lot of naval terminology for rigging and ship structure that may leave the young or unversed in the dark. The real glory of the book is not, however, the entertaining prose, but the drawings of the ships. The art ranges from mostly black ink renderings of the ships to a few water colors (at least in my hardcover copy) that are simply beautiful pieces.

If you are lucky enough to find a decent early copy (like my 1924 copy) jump on it. Or, if you are interested in seeing what various sailing ships looked like, any copy will do.
P-)

If you're looking for a good interpretation of excellent illustrations, then this is your book! The illustrations are par none, but the writing lacks substance. Much of the descriptions are but interpretations, some based on fact, but many imagined. Readers looking for a very broad overview will enjoy this book. Those looking for detail about the ship or about the history of the time-period would do better with something else.

As an avid collector of just about everything, I was delighted to receive this book as a gift one Christmas. Its organization into topics and subtopics make it extremely easy to find information on any particular subject; the photographs are excellent; and the prices well-researched. Obviously the prices will change with time, and hopefully the author will revise the book in a few years. But meanwhile, the current edition can't be beat for its extremely interesting and informative articles on each topic. The best part about this book is that the reader not only gets an education about black collectibles, but a good read as well!

Antiques and collectibles covers such a vast array of knowledge, that no one book could ever cover it all. This book is an excellent resource for someone like myself who wants to get his feet wet. I covers a lot of topics lightly. They include: Pottery and Porcelain, Glass, Bottles, Furniture and furniture construction, Lighting Devices, Silver, Pewter, Tinware and Toleware, Clocks, Needlework, Jewelry, Prints, Paintings, and Pictures to Hang, Paper Antiques, Store stuff (that is what they called that chapter), Books, Music, Toys, and other collectible items.
I was interested in learning more about French Provincial furniture, and several other furniture types were covered-briefly. I learned that if you want to get a good deal of information about any one type of item, it is best to consult a book that specializes in that area. A short paragraph, or page or two about something really scratches the surface. Most likely the specific piece you have in mind will not be covered.
This is a great book for general education. After all, you never know what you will stumble on that is of great value, and is ready to be given away. I think collecting is a matter of, if you really like it, then it is for you. It is just as well to know how much it is worth, and where it came from, and how old it is. In a general sense, this book will give that all to you. A nice read for someone like myself who is not seasoned in antiquity.
A lot of museums, historical societies, and collectors helped to provide the information that is in this book. Highly recommended.

Good general info, but not enough entries or detail. Photos are bad.

This book offers excellent and basic information on a cross-section of antiques as well as odds and ends. It is well organized and easy to read. I started to just scan it but found each section I would begin, too interesting, so I would finish reading that particular section. Worthwhile for the novice and those who are open to picking up some new information.

I gave this book as a birthday present to my boyfriend, who is a lover of vintage robots. He was thrilled with the book! Lots of great pictures and interesting bits of information. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys in robots or vintage toys, either as a serious collector or just someone with a general interest.

As the author of ZAP! Ray Gun Classics, I've looked at a LOT of books on vintage space toys and in my opinion this is the very best one. The diversity of items, production values, factual information and other comments are all superb. I return to this book whenever I need a space toy "nostalgia fix" and I always seem to find something new. No vintage space toy collection should be without it.

More than merely a definitive catalogue of the subject, Blast Off is a socio-historical journey. Toys offer provide the prism through which the authors examine fascinating sociological phenomenon. Make no mistake this is the definitive book for this topic, but it becomes a tour de force by examining the history, economics, and sociology implied by these fascinating products from our recent past.

More than merely a definitive catalogue of the subject, Blast Off is a socio-historical journey. Toys offer provide the prism through which the authors examine fascinating sociological phenomenon. Make no mistake this is the definitive book for this topic, but it becomes a tour de force by examining the history, economics, and sociology implied by these fascinating products from our recent past.

Blast Off! is a fun and fascinating read for any fan of science fiction, space toys, or comic books. It's a beautiful coffee table-sized book with sexy images of robots, ray guns, and toys of all types that make you feel nostalgic even if you don't remember these toys from the first time around.

This book offers a history of "in the know" type stories about specific toys and the personalities who created and purchased them. There's the Buck Rogers XZ-31 rocket pistol that led Macy's and Gimbels into their most vicious price war ever, dropping prices by the hour to support the most successful toy promotion the world had ever seen. And there's the collector Bob Lesser who pays double the sticker price to win dealer loyalty. And there's a never-been-published story of the untimely death of Flash Gordon creator Alex Raymond. Plus the authors offer insight into how toys have affected history, entertainment, and the space program.

If you're a fan of Buck Rogers like I am, you should also check out Blast Off! author S. Mark Young's interviews with Erin Grey in Filmfax (Oct/Nov 2002 and Feb/Mar 2003) for a sensitive rendering of a sensational story.

This marvelous collection of movie posters from the '40s sure brought back a flood of memories to this older viewer (71). As with all collections of this type, there will be many movies, that are favorites of other readers, that have been left out, but likewise, there are several that I was not familiar with myself. Some of these, especially in "Film Noir", I will be looking for to view in the near future. The printing and binding of this volume are very well done, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject of movies. I also have several other books in this series that are equally good. All recommended.

Just think about it - what are the movies you enjoy watching over and over again? "Casablanca" will probably top most lists. Which movie does your family gather to watch each holiday season? The feel-good "It's A Wonderful Life," of course. "Citizen Kane" is probably in the running for one of your all-time favorites, as is "Gilda" with an unforgettable performance by Rita Hayworth.

As you may know, all of these films are from the 40s, often called the golden age of Hollywood. And now, in this collectible volume are found the stunning movie posters that served as advertisements in those days. There's "Key Largo" with Bogart and Bacall about to lock lips; "The Maltese Falcon" boasting the sinister stare of Peter Lorre, and what was steamier than "The Postman always Rings Twice" with Lana Turner and John Garfield?

"Film Posters of the 40s" holds 118 full color illustrations of these posters highlighting your favorite stars in their most memorable roles. It's a must-have for film and entertainment buffs.

- Gail Cooke