Antiques Collectibles Books

This paper doll book is beautifully rendered (like all of Tom Tierney's work), but it disappoints with it's lack of historical accuracy. Firstly, the doll itself bears no resemblance to the extant portraits of Marie Antoinette. In fact, the doll and a gown(plate 4) look as if they were based on a portrait of Madame de Pompadour. Marie Antoinette would not have been amused!
There are also a few costumes which would have been more at home in a Jeanette MacDonald musical than in the eighteenth century (most notably plates 4 & 15).
Having been a fan of Tom Tierney's work for many years, as well as someone who is fascinated with the eighteenth century, I expected more from this publication.

This was a gift to a 14 yr old collector who lives in Rome Italy, He says it is wonderful, read the whole thing right thru. He actually finds this stuff (parts of)in fields near Rome!

The "Writings of Thomas Jefferson" is an outstanding book...

Not a classic book, though: it is a compilation of many of the letters that Thomas Jefferson wrote during his long life.

My only regret here, is that many of these letters, are reply to other letters.
And it would be great to have, in either the same book, or another books, the "Letters to Thomas Jefferson" to better understand the topic, the whole story! Ideally, and easy cross-reference would be available!

There are a few letters, that I especially recommend to my friends, but it is better if you find them on your own!

I hold Thomas Jefferson Writings in such esteem, that I offered several copies (four so far) to my friends.

Thomas Jefferson is also a great bridge between European and American philosophy, wisdom... or lack of it!

This book, should be on your bookshelf, next to:

Montesquieu "Spirits of Laws" (Also "Causes de la grandeur et du declin de l'empire romain")
Rousseau "Du contrat social"
John Locke "First and second treatises of tolerance"
Edward Gibbons "Fall and decline of the Roman Empire"
And a few more, "golden nuggets of knowledge of recent US/Europe history".

I will never be able to write a suitable review for this book - the scope of what lies between it's covers is far too great to do justice to in a review, and I am vastly inadequate to the task in any event. So, the one I write today comes from the heart - as one of the "posterity" they speak of as they went forward in their remarkable undertaking. As one of those they "did it for."

The constructive writing of the "Articles of Confederation" was especially intriguing. The pesky issue of slavery presented an immediate and daunting problem early on within the erection of the articles of confederation. It forced an issue never dealt with before, from those educated, mostly wealthy men who would "free themselves from oppression" but had obviously never before seriously considered the oppression of others - or that it would present so large a problem in the overall picture of establishing Independence "for all". They struggled with it, agonized over it; and as can be imagined, could not agree over it. It was spell-binding to watch the process unfold - not from the pen of the "historian" but from the rapidly evolving mind of the Rebel himself - because no matter how you view it, these brilliant men were elitists within their own, considered themselves to be conceived in somewhat of a Royal Nature, too, while at the same time viewing the Crown itself as a symbol that could not longer be tolerated. The "free labor population" (Benjamin Franklin himself would have been categorized into this second group early in his career) presented essentially the same problem to them as did the slaves in the proportioning.

As a result, they found themselves dealing with their own consciences too, something that may have been a unique concept for most of them - an exercise much needed of themselves as they extended their own quest for Independence and found themselves having to deal with "all of us" into the bargain. They knew they would have only "one shot" at establishing the best of it; and amazingly they were honest and earnest in that Quest. (try that today with the political assortment we have now)

In the "republican legislature" and "revisal of the law" section of this original accounting, the struggle for the distinct separation of Church and State is one of the most important conquests ever undertaken; uprising from a birth in the human mind; and clearly demonstrates the chasm of thought processes that existed between Jefferson and other honest, though less broad-minded men who still clung to the "status quo" and did not possess the courage, judgment or the vision to want to support the concept which became a cornerstone of our Constitution.

The 'original papers' poignantly illuminate the intimate, internal working of the mind of Thomas Jefferson for the reader as nothing else can, something the "historical accounting" written by others somehow leaves wanting in the translation. To read the words straight from the mind and the pen of the "original", uncensored language, spelling, phrasing and all - is an experience anyone interested in keeping the torch of the Forefathers burning will enjoy.

This book highly recommended.

At approximately $10.00 I expected a little more material than this 32 page, index card size book, provided.

I have this book (I checked the IBSN#). It's 32 pages of quotes, and that's it. No papers, no index, etc. I think the other customer reviews are innacurate in that they are probably about an entirely different book.

So about *THIS* book, I love it. It's got the well-known quotes like "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." and lesser-known quotes like "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."

It's not a scholarly work. It doesn't have citations to explain where the quotes came from, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

If you are a fan of Liberty, this book is a must buy.

Mr. Jefferson was a brilliant man. I enjoy reading his works and appreciate this opportunity to gain insight into his logic and thought process as it evolved throughout his lifetime. His intellectualism and that eternal curiosity about his world place him head and shoulders above those men of his time. He bought Louisiana upon the suggestion of Thomas Paine and our nation spread westward as a result. He no doubt made major contributions towards the creation and founding of this nation. Thousands of accolades for his brilliance and achievements are in order. I'm not putting him on a pedestal, there was a dark side. He did own slaves. He was however in many ways morally and intellectually bound by the time he lived in. His thoughts regarding the mentality of slaves scream racism. His solution was to abolish slavery and export them back to Africa. He believed most would never fit in to American culture based on their resentments against enslavement and the racism they endured from white society at the time. His letters to American Indians in which he addressed them as "My Children" and assured them of his eternal blessings belied the fact that their lands were being taken away from them and they were being forced to be assimilated or slaughtered. He did not foresee the industrialization of America and wanted to leave manufacturing to the Europeans to preserve the American way of life. In short, Mr. Jefferson was all too human, who no doubt would be appalled at the antics of modern day Republicans and Democrats.

A thorough reference book on charms as art, momentoes and talismans around the world and through the ages. Beautifully photographed, this book shows you that charms are not just decorative bits of silver and gold but also cultural tokens which remind us of people, places, things and significant events. It is clear that the number of charms that you can collect is limited only by your imagination!

Charms and Charm Bracelets: The Complete Guide is a price guide to charm bracelets from the 19th century to the present, illustrated with over 300 color photographs and featuring jewelry ranging in composition from gold to plastic. Written by an enthusiastic collector of antique jewelry, Charms and Charm Bracelets discusses techniques in making charms, trends in charm and jewelry making throughout the decades, factors to consider when evaluating and appraising specific pieces of charm jewelry, and much more. A "must-have" resource for serious collectors, and a treasury to page through for art lovers interested in this unique form of adornment.

Charms & Charm Bracelets: the Complete Guide is well researched and entertaining. This book gets it right! I read plenty of jewelry books and Charms & Charm Bracelets avoids most of my pet peeves. It is well organized and includes an accurate glossary, bibliography, and index. The photos are clear and well composed. Missing are photos that show more background than jewelry. You know the pictures I'm talking about. "Gee, is that an earring, bracelet, or waste processing plant?" Helpful information including measurements, prices, and circa dates is included in the captions. This is a fun and useful book.

This is an extremely useful resource for any one who collects charms. The coverage of the subject is comprehensive and the illustrations are exquisite.

I have every book there is on collecting charms and charm bracelets. This book is the best written, contains the best history, best advertisements, etc. The book has over 300 color pictures of charms, bracelets and advertisements. Unlike other books, this one gives equal time to both gold and silver charms and bracelets. You get a wonderful history of charms, charm bracelets and how they are made - decade by decade.

What really sold me on this lovely book is the fact that it has lots of additional information. There is an appendix explaining metal markings and one showing pictures of actual metal markings with explanations. You also get a nice glossary of frequently used terms, a bibliography, and a wonderful index.

If you want to know the history of charms and charm bracelets, their metal markings, and you can only get one book - get this one. This is great for collectors and for people who actually sell charms and bracelets. The author has done an outstanding job of compiling a lot of useful information and photographs in a wonderful, easy to read guide to the world of charms and charm bracelets.

I bought this book with the idea that it would be a valuable resource for me when I sell some of my collectibles. While I did find most of my items and the current market value is there for me to sell or get insurance, the one thing I needed most was the issue price. I have no clue as to what I paid 25 years ago. No one thought to keep receipts back then. Since these items are considered collectible, IRS regulations require that it be reported on Schedule D and you pay tax on the gain. If you have no idea as to the cost, you end up paying tax on 100% of the sale price! Who wants to do that!!! If this book contained the issue price, that could be used as a cost basis.

The subject book is very well illustrated with actual photographs. The descriptions of each item are not consistent throughout. In some places dimensions are entered in fractions while in other places they are entered as decimals. We purchased the book to satisfy an insurance claim. Dimensions was one of the insurance requirements; however, none of the items in the book have their original cost which was also another requirement of the insurance forms.

I love this book. Now I can have an idea what to pay for these items.

This book is wonderful! It has beautiful photographs and price estimates for each piece! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in collecting the 1876 Cape Cod Collection!

Fashions are compiled chronologically and the fashion plates are very detailed. Many plates don't just show the front of the models, but they also show the same posed women from the back. One of the main things I like about this book is that it's not just all formal wear. There's also a lot of day wear being featured which helps in understanding the lifestyles of Victorian and Edwardian ladies (albeit the privileged class). This book is simply a beautiful resource and should be included in every Victorian/Edwardian fashion-lover's library.

This book is one of the most comprehensive, well-done and complete guide to both Victorian and Edwardian fashion I've ever seen. Although the illustrations are black and white, they are surprisingly well done (most costume design books don't detail hair styles, patterns, etc, but this one does.) I recommend this book as a very accurate guide to the period for researchers, costumers or fashion enthusiasts. The book, along with fantastic illustrations, includes a summary of the times and fashions and a very helpful glossary. Also it is much more than any other book I've seen--- it included SEVERAL fashions for each year and several different occasional wear layouts. If you are curious about this period, you must buy this book. I only wish they had a similar book for every period!

"La Mode Illustree" was to 19th-century fashion mavens what "Vogue" and "Elle" are today, with its gorgeous color and B&W line illustrations of the latest in fashions for men, women and children. Joanne Olian, former curator of the costume collection at the Museum of the City of New York, has painstakingly assembled a huge collection of the finest illustrations showing beautiful ladies' fashions from 1860 to 1912, with almost every year getting at least one page (though, as another reviewer mentions, some years unfortunately aren't examined in much detail). Every illustration is full-page and accompanied by a paragraph or two of text, generally taken directly from the original description of the item in LMI. Nobody who is at all interested in fashions of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods should be without this book!

I was leery of ordering this book, because most of the books that claim to illustrate both the Victorian and Edwardian eras merely skim over the Edwardian. But I was pleasantly surprised.

The book covers the years 1860-1914 and gives equal (or slightly superior) coverage to the Edwardian and pre-WWI years. The illustrations are large and detailed, allowing for very good views of the trimmings of the garments, and the smaller rear views of many garments are invaluable to the recreationist. Also included are period captions describing the intended uses of the garments (tea or opera, for young girls or women "of a certain age"); these are both interesting and very helpful for the self-educated costumer. The selection of dresses, coiffures, hats, parasols, coats, lingerie, nightdresses, and children's clothing is well chosen and the garments are lovely.

My only complaint is that a few years are either entirely skipped, or skimmed over: 1866, 1872, 1875, 1878, 1883, 1893, 1899, and 1911. However, the existing material is excellent and very useful--I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I bought this book for my mother for Christmas. She wanted a picture book about the wine country in CA so she could paint some of the scenes. She had just visited my sister in S.F. and loved every minute of her visit. She LOVES this book. It contains beautiful photographs of Northern California and she looks forward to painting many pictures.

California Wine Country is a most impressive guide.

In 1973, I worked in the wine industry and was given the assignment to visit every winery in California of any size. Since then, I haven't been able to duplicate the feat as the number of new and interesting wineries has expanded rapidly.

This book focuses on the highest quality winemakers in the Golden State, and gives you both an advance view and a sense of what's there before you visit. With this guide, you will vastly increase your enjoyment of touring wineries and vineyards by being able to pick from among the most interesting sites for you.

The photography represents a lot of visits to each area. I doubt if you could capture all of these views, variations in lighting and seasons in less than three years of visits. Even areas I know well I saw differently.

The book places about equal attention to the images of vineyards and the exteriors of wineries, many of which are magnificent structures to behold.

Mr. Leffingwell is not as talented a writer as he is a photographer. But his prose is more than adequate to extend your knowledge of the industry as he explains about the history of each region and winery. For detailed information on wine making, I suggest you supplement this book with other resources. There is a limited discussion of the process except as applied to super premium reds and whites. There is no mention of how sparkling wines are made.

The historical information is a little over focused on religion, Prohibition, the Depression and marketing.

I was pleased to see the extensive discussions of the microclimates in each area. Very nice!

I was disappointed not to find a better description of the wine qualities at each vineyard. Again, I suggest you supplement this book for that with one of the better wine guides.

I hope that Mr. Leffingwell will update this book quite frequently.

As a final test of how good this book is, my wife and I visited several of these areas last year around when the book was published. We used another guide, and had a wonderful time. However, if we had had this guide, I think we would have had a much better time . . . because we appear to have missed half of what we would have wanted to see.

A final word of caution: Contact the wineries directly to verify times for tours and tastings. The information here was different from what we discovered on site in July 2002 in a few cases.

Before you leave this wonderful volume, I suggest you consider where else a preview of what you are going to see adds a great deal to your enjoyment. What about a complimentary appetizer from the chef to whet your palate for what is to come?

This book is obviously intended to be purchased for its beautiful pictures, and does a great job at covering all wine regions in California - not just Sonoma or Napa, but Mendocino and Lake Country down through San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.

If you are looking for a book with some great photos of wineries and vineyards across California, then I can heartily recommend the book. However, some of the text leaves much to be desired, with some obvious omissions and flatly incorrect information. Some examples:

On grape varieties: Petite Sirah is identified as being the same as Syrah and Shiraz (it isn't). Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer are not mentioned at all, but I would consider them more important than Sylvaner in California white grapes.

On locations: Livermore Valley is "to the west in Alameda County", which must surprise people living in the eastern half of the county. Woodside Vineyards in Woodside and Thomas Fogerty Winery in Portola Valley are listed as being in Santa Clara Country (they are in San Mateo County). Morgan Hill and Gilroy are identified as being in Santa Cruz County (they are in Santa Clara County), and there are others too.

The choices of wine labels are odd too. In a list of wine labels for a particular geographic area, often the wines come from someplace else. In the Mendocino County section, a wine made from Lodi (in the Central Valley) is listed. The San Francisco Bay section shows labels from three Monterey wines.

Despite these faults, the book is definitely interesting - containing many nice photographs, and reasonble listings of wineries with contact information in all parts of California, even fairly obscure ones missed in many books, such as the wineries in Santa Clara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Nevada, and Calaveras counties.

Great guide to Frankoma Pottery and price information. Great experience in ordering and receiving the book.

Gary Schaum's book, Frankoma Pottery, Copyright 1997, is a superb achievement. However, the 'new' book purporting to update 2005-2006 prices is a total ripoff. The title page simple reads "Copyright 1997, 4th Printing 2004" The "new" cover, in a different color, includes the words: 2005-2006 Prices. How on earth anyone could publish a new Frankoma 'price guide' in 2004 for 2005-2006 prices, is beyond belief to begin with, but there are almost no changes from the 1997 price guide pages. Either L-W Books, or Gary Schaum, or both is at tremendous fault here. Do NOT buy the 2005-2006 update. You are wasting your money.

I use this book as a reference for my collecting of Frankoma. It provides a lot of information about colors, clays as well as pieces. The values provided are also helpful in determining whether a piece is a good value. I have met the author and he is devoted collector who is happy to share his knowledge with others. The book reveals this love.