<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Superb
Review: Beautiful, extraordinary and definitive. No other survey of the tapestry presents reproductions of such size, quality and detail. The color is vibrant, the individual stitches are visible, every detail is clearly shown. There are more modern texts on the subjects (though Wilson's holds up well), but there is no more visually important book on the subject -- and a bargain, to boot.
Rating: 
Summary: Be warned...
Review: I have checked the details of this edition on the publishers web site, and it only appears to be 34.0 x 26.0 cm.
This is NOT the gorgeous 58% full size original edition, which was nearly twice that size. I don't know how good this edition will be, but it is not the book I know. That said, I expect the text and pictures to be the same, if smaller, and they were both very good in Wilson's original book.
Rating:
Summary: The next best thing to visiting the tapestry in Bayeux
Review: If you are at all familiar with the Bayeux Tapestry, which is a staggering masterpiece, then this may sound incredible, but this book does it full justice. I can not get over my amazement and my feeling of being incredibly lucky to have discovered a book that reproduces the entire work-all 70 meters-in plates large enough to show fine details of the embroidery stitching (invaluable for the historical needleworker!), in what I believe (or at least devoutly hope) is faithful color. You don't miss anything at the edge of each page because an inch or so of the edge of each plate is reproduced on the next. The author wisely saved the historical and cultural explanations for another section of the book, allowing each plate to fill a full page. The historical explanations are printed in the last third of the book (the first two thirds being given entirely to the color plates) under a small black-and-white reproduction of the tapestry which is marked with plate numbers so that you can easily refer back to the large color reproduction. The author's commentary is very readable, and he sometimes demonstrates dry, British wit. The book also includes a stylistic analysis of the tapestry, and, with the aid of photographs, dicusses artifacts similar to those depicted.
Rating:
Summary: The next best thing to visiting the tapestry in Bayeux
Review: If you are at all familiar with the Bayeux Tapestry, which is a staggering masterpiece, then this may sound incredible, but this book does it full justice. I can not get over my amazement and my feeling of being incredibly lucky to have discovered a book that reproduces the entire work-all 70 meters-in plates large enough to show fine details of the embroidery stitching (invaluable for the historical needleworker!), in what I believe (or at least devoutly hope) is faithful color. You don't miss anything at the edge of each page because an inch or so of the edge of each plate is reproduced on the next. The author wisely saved the historical and cultural explanations for another section of the book, allowing each plate to fill a full page. The historical explanations are printed in the last third of the book (the first two thirds being given entirely to the color plates) under a small black-and-white reproduction of the tapestry which is marked with plate numbers so that you can easily refer back to the large color reproduction. The author's commentary is very readable, and he sometimes demonstrates dry, British wit. The book also includes a stylistic analysis of the tapestry, and, with the aid of photographs, dicusses artifacts similar to those depicted.
Rating:
Summary: Reproduced in full color over 146 pages
Review: Perhaps the most famous tapestry of the western world, the 1000 year old, 230 feet long, Bayeux Tapestry is housed in a museum in Bayeux, Normandy. Embroidered in brightly colored wools, the Bayeux Tapestry portrays the complete story of the invasion of England by William of Normandy which was hallmarked by the Norman victory over the Anglo-Saxon English under King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Now in a new edition, the complete tapestry is reproduced in full color over 146 pages. Captions on a fold-out page allow for easy reference, while a second black & white reproduction offers detailed accompanying commentary. Perfect as a Memorial Fund Acquisition selection, no college or community library collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of David M. Wilson's The Bayeux Tapestry from Thames & Hudson.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful, but stuffy
Review: The Bayeaux Tapestry is a gorgeous work of art that has great historical importance. This book does it full justice. The first section is simply the tapestry itself, with a pullout section of brief explanations of each scene. This allows you to look at the work itself and appreciate its beauty and craftsmanship and to form your own opinions and interpretations. (By the way, the photographs are so good you think you can reach into the page and feel the stitching.)
Following this are translations of the Latin inscriptions, further explanations of the story and explorations of the artistic and historic significance of the tapestry. The author's language gets a bit technical in the latter sections, but with the help of a basic dictionary are easy to understand. Even without looking up the scholarly words, one can appreciate what the author is saying.
I highly recommend this book. More than worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Actually, this IS a faithful reprint of the 1985 book...
Review: This is indeed a faithful reprint of Wilson's superb 1985 survey of the Bayeux Tapestry. (The previous reviewer mistook his numbers. The original book was 13.6 inches, reproducing the tapestry at about 55% scale. 13.6 inches IS 34 centimeters. Double that would be over 27 inches, larger than the actual tapestry.)The original book was prohibitively expensive even when new, and has sold used for astronomical sums. We are fortunate indeed that Thames & Hudson has decided to reissue the book, with superb, large plates, at such a reasonable price. A few glitzy touches have been sacrificed, such as the slipcase, gold-embossed cover and decorative endpapers. But the book itself is as good as ever. The first section shows the entire tapestry in vivid color and crisp detail, fine enough to see the individual stitches, at more than half-scale. Smaller, black-and-white images accompany a detailed description of the people and events depicted. A full translation of all the latin texts is included. So, too, are excellent essays on the history behind the tapestry, and the history and artistic context of the tapestry itself. Simply put, this is THE definitive book on a major piece of history. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Actually, this IS a faithful reprint of the 1985 book...
Review: This is indeed a faithful reprint of Wilson's superb 1985 survey of the Bayeux Tapestry. (The previous reviewer mistook his numbers. The original book was 13.6 inches, reproducing the tapestry at about 55% scale. 13.6 inches IS 34 centimeters. Double that would be over 27 inches, larger than the actual tapestry.) The original book was prohibitively expensive even when new, and has sold used for astronomical sums. We are fortunate indeed that Thames & Hudson has decided to reissue the book, with superb, large plates, at such a reasonable price. A few glitzy touches have been sacrificed, such as the slipcase, gold-embossed cover and decorative endpapers. But the book itself is as good as ever. The first section shows the entire tapestry in vivid color and crisp detail, fine enough to see the individual stitches, at more than half-scale. Smaller, black-and-white images accompany a detailed description of the people and events depicted. A full translation of all the latin texts is included. So, too, are excellent essays on the history behind the tapestry, and the history and artistic context of the tapestry itself. Simply put, this is THE definitive book on a major piece of history. Highly recommended.
<< 1 >>
|
