Product Description
Aimed at the general reader, enthusiasts and wargamers. Sharpe and Patrick O'Brian have ensured that the period has never been more popular. Authoritative and complete: 200,000 words and 1000 separate briefings There has been no single volume reference work of this scale to date. Strong backlist potential. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Don't Sell Your Chandler!
This new dictionary of the Napoleonic era is roughly comparable to that written by David Chandler. Pope has previously written Hornblower's Navy, as well as historical dictionaries of the First and Second World Wars and of the Third Reich. Pope describes his purpose in writing this dictionary as an attempt "to lay out the basic shape and structure of the wars, using dictionary format and rigorous cross-referencing to enable a balance between overview and detail, highlighting the many links between that particularly exciting slice of the past and our present." (p. 10)

The Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars is divided into four sections. The first, the "Introduction," provides a brief narrative overview of the background and events of the era that Pope defines as 1792 to 1815. The second section is the dictionary itself, which includes more than 1000 entries, ranging in length from a single sentence for "Sappers" to seven pages for "Bonaparte, Napoleon". The book covers the War of 1812 and conflicts fought elsewhere, as well as the European conflict. The third section is a thirteen page "Chronology of the Wars 1792-1815." Finally, a collection of thirty maps is included which range from a political map of Europe in 1812 to a map showing the opening positions of the battle of Borodino. The author states that the maps are "primarily intended to help the reader navigate around those places discussed in the entries, and are therefore most concerned with naming and marking locations."

As in any undertaking of this sort the author must steer a precarious course between detailing minutiae and painting the era in too broad strokes. Specialists in the era will likely always be disappointed as to the space devoted or slant given to a particular subject. The book, as the title implies, confines itself mainly to military aspects, with non-military topics receiving, naturally, less attention.

Three drawbacks with Pope's Dictionary are a lack of references or bibliography, a lack of an index and a lack of illustrations. At first glance one would question the need for an index, but if readers want to know about Plancenoit they will be at a loss. They might look under "Waterloo, Battle of," if they were knowledgeable enough to know to look there, but even then they would not know what other entries to search under. I tried to find some information on the Spanish prison camp on the islet of Cabrera and was unable to locate any entries that mentioned the "death camp" where 9,000 to 16,000 French prisoners were detained (of which only a third survived). I checked under "Cabrera," "Dupont," "Bailen," "Prisoners of War," etc. all to no avail. Is there an entry somewhere in the book on the camp at Cabrera? There's no way to know. Bibliographic references under at least the longer entries would both give the casual reader additional sources of information and also give a more well-read user an idea of what sources the author used to write that entry. No pictures illustrating either portraits of individuals mentioned nor of concepts covered are included. A reader would have to look elsewhere if the wished to know what a mortar looked like, what a hussar wore or to see the difference between a brigantine and a frigate.

Not an essential book if you already own Chandler's Dictionary, especially considering the price. Facts on File, the publisher, produces books mainly for the library trade, therefore I'd recommend trying to get your local library to purchase it. ... Read more

Product Description
The most important, comprehensive, and sumptuously illustrated addition to the literature of quilting since Quilts in America. Most of the book's 250 stunning full-color quilts have never before been published. With them as a reference, Kiracofe shows us how to read a vocabulary of fabrics, dyes, patterns, and other clues to put quilts in their social and cultural context. Full-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

I LOVE this book!
I LOVE this book. I've read every single word--studied every picture. It's been fascinating matching the history of American women to the evolution of the various styles of fabrics and quilts. I have a large collection of rather shabby but beloved quilts that span 170 years. After reading this book, I finally feel that I could arrange them all in a timeline format. I have little post-its sticking out from all edges of my book so I can continue to use it as a reference. If you have a passion for older quilts and an interest in understanding their importance you will enjoy reading this big, heavy book. If you're not a reader, the photographs alone will suffice.

great book!
I like history of American quilt.That makes me excited.
in fact,I bought this book by my mistake. but this is another chance~!
I meet this~!!
well... this includes so many pictures, histories and quilt...
you mustbe like this, too.

A Must Have for quilters!
I love this book, having received it last week.I read it cover to cover by the second day it arrived.I have already picked it up again to research a specific quilt type.A wealth of information and wonderful color photographs of numerous quilts.I recommend this book highly for those of you who are looking for inspiration, as there are no patterns.All in all, quality reference material.

This is a classic
I'm very picky when I purchase books because I want them to be worthy of my time, money, and shelf space.This book fits all of my needs!It contains excellent information about the history & culture of quilts and has fabulous photographs. It's 264 pages have a welcome spot on my shelf.

Phenomenal reference book for quilters and historians
As a history buff, Civil War reenactor, and (very) beginning quilter, I wanted a basic reference book to help me learn about quilting styles and techniques from the Colonial through Victorian periods. This book provides that information and much more. In simple yet evocative language the authors lead us through the development of American quilting and discuss how social, economic, and political circumstances affected how quilts were designed and constructed over the years.

This book is a fascinating glimpse into the past, tracing the evolution of our country through the stitches of quilting. The supplies and tools that were available at any given time, together with the imagination and ingenuity of women at each point in history, resulted in the emergence of new techniques and designs. It's amazing to page through this book and see how something as seemingly simple as a quilt block takes on a whole new meaning in the context of its time. For example, in the 1840s, a time of migration to the West: "As family and friends were uprooted and separated from one another, a great many women carried quilts composed of blocks with precious messages from those left behind, whom they would likely never see again."

Chapters include:

Fabrics - fiber production; weaving and dyeing; fabric printing; fabric designers

1750-1825 Preindustrial America - how the settling of the colonies related to trade and in particular the production of fabric; seaports; the role of women in the New World; quilt styles of the period including whole-cloth, medallion, and mosaic piecework

1825-1850 Rise of the Cult of Domesticity - how social and economic changes were reflected in the fabric arts; women working in the mills; friendship and album quilts

1850-1875 A Tranquil Nation is Ripped Apart - reform movements; effects of the Civil War; children's and dolls' quilts; new block designs; indigo and white designs; influence of the sewing machine

1875-1900 The Grand Epoch - prosperity in the centennial period; effect of availability of education; crazy quilts; log cabin quilts; decorative styles shown at the Centennial Exposition of 1876; Hawaiian quilts; mourning quilts; fundraising quilts

1900-1950 A New Century of Quiltmaking Begins - influences of the World Wars, Depression, and the New Deal; small piece "competitive" quilts; fairs and exhibitions; African-American women's quilting; Amish quilting; flour and feed sack quilting; 20th century quilting personalities

Additional resources include tips on dating and investigating antique quilts, how to conserve and maintain antique quilts, where to view antique quilts, and more.

'The American Quilt' has hundreds of beautiful color plates of quilts, quilt blocks, and textiles. This is a lovely and engrossing book for anyone interested in American history or women's history, as well as in quilting and other fabric arts. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Black Issues Book Review, published by Cox, Matthews & Associates on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1067 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: "Urban thunder" tears black communities asunder; displacement and development whittle away at the collective psyche.(Root Shock: How Tearing Up City Neighborhoods Hurts America, and What We Can Do About It)(Along Martin Luther King: Travels on Black America's Main Street)(American Babylon: Race and the Struggle for Postwar Oakland)(Bridges of Memory: Chicago's First Wave of Black Migration An Oral History)(L.A. City Limits: African American Los Angeles From the Great Depression to the Present)(No Fire Next Time: Black-Korean Conflicts and the Future of America's Cities)(The Other Side of Middletown: Exploring Muncie's African American Community)(To Build Our Lives Together: Community Formation in Black Atlanta, 1875-1906)(Urban Injustice: How Ghettos Happen)(Book Review)
Author: Daphne Muse
Publication: Black Issues Book Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Cox, Matthews & Associates
Volume: 7Issue: 2Page: 40(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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