Rating: 
Summary: Good introduction...
Review: but nothing more. I would recommend it if you are interested in the history of swing (particularly the music) and want a guide to swing musicians. Do not expect to learn to swing dance from this book. The lindy hop chapter is like like a glossary of swing dance terms. Overall, it is well written and and provides a good introduction but it is too general and its focus can be too brief at times. It doesn't contain anything you couldn't learn from going to a swing dance or using a search engine.
Rating: 
Summary: A must have for any music fan!
Review: Degen Pener has really done his homework on this one. A fine book which treats its subject with respect. With the exception of a few books, Swing is usually given a brief glance in books on music and Jazz and those books often put the music and the dancers down. Pener really seems to like his subject and gives great recommendations on music to buy if you're just starting a collection. Top it all off with a reasonable price and you've got a book that Jazz lovers, Swing music lovers, and Swing dancers should clear space for on their book shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Swing from A-Z!
Review: Degen Pener has really done his homework on this one. A fine book which treats its subject with respect. With the exception of a few books, Swing is usually given a brief glance in books on music and Jazz and those books often put the music and the dancers down. Pener really seems to like his subject and gives great recommendations on music to buy if you're just starting a collection. Top it all off with a reasonable price and you've got a book that Jazz lovers, Swing music lovers, and Swing dancers should clear space for on their book shelf.
Rating:
Summary: A First-Rate Introduction to the World of Swing!!
Review: Degen Pener has written a wonderful guide/history of the culture of swing music. Starting with the greats like Duke Ellington and Louis Prima, Pener tells the story of swing in the richest of detail. The guides to dress and dance are also extremely thorough and quite interesting to learn about. Very readable, entertaining, and informative. A five star book!
Rating: 
Summary: A fun, comprehensive guide to all things swing.
Review: I'll admit it. A year ago, I was one of those cynical New York media types who thought that swing was just a passing fad. When my editor at Entertainment Weekly approached me in August of 1998 about writing merely a feature story about swing, I balked. Wasn't swing a little too saccharine? Wasn't it going to be over in about fifteen minutes? And besides, hadn't the story already been told? Thankfully, I can be as wrong as the next fella. That article-and the excitement I discovered taking swing dance classes and listening to such great artists as Louis Jordan and Louis Prima-led to a book contract earlier this year with Little, Brown. I spent a wonderful six months with a great excuse to listen to Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton every day (as if you need an excuse). I took more dance lessons, watched old movies, interviewed some of the most amazing musicians ever born, and visited some of the best retro clothing stores in the country. What I came away with is the conviction that the music, dance and fashion of swing isn't retro-it's timeless. Most importantly, I discovered a story that I realized wasn't well known. Most trends these days seem to be manufactured by large entertainment and fashion conglomerates. But swing is different. The revival of swing isn't a fad; it has been twenty years in the making. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, people all across the country who loved swing music and dance embraced it way before it was "cool." They poured their hearts into it and won people over to its joyful energy. They also did their homework and sought out the innovators of the original swing era for guidance and authenticity. In doing so, they created a truly exciting grass-roots movement. Their stories, along with much more, are in The Swing Book. Whether you've always loved swing or you're just checking it out for the first time, there's something in it for you. You'll discover how Harlem's Savoy-style Lindy Hop and the music of Billie Holiday and Benny Goodman originally came to be. You'll learn all about dancing the Lindy (from swing-outs to aerials) and why it's so much fun. You'll meet the singers and musicians, from Cab Calloway to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who swing the smoothest, croon the sweetest and even rock the hardest, plus find out what all the best albums are. There's also an entire chapter about shopping for the most stylin' retro clothes, from something as simple as a fedora or a pleated forties dress, to a full-on zoot suit. Finally, there's a city-by-city guide to the top dance spots, the best Lindy instructors, and the most up-to-date on-line events calendars across the country and even abroad. Both an indispensable yellow pages of swing for long-time fans, and a fun, passionate "Swing 101" for beginners, The Swing Book will, I hope, expose more people to the joys of this thrilling dance and music, which are as fresh, compelling and full of life as ever.
Rating:
Summary: As fast and fun as the music itself, and with real substance
Review: More than just a valentine to swing, THE SWING BOOK is highly informative and entertaining. It really all is in here, in a fast and fun way with so many original interviews. Some real research and reporting went into this book, and it shows. Pener does a great job tracing the history of swing back in the day, and the social history of its recent comeback, with great quotes from the people who made it happen. All the experts weigh in, on dancing, on fashion, on tracking down the perfect find (whether it's a full suit or outfit, a small accessory, or the right album with the right performance of the right song), and on the history and artists both then and now. Makes you want to get out there and dance, or at least run to your record store.
Rating:
Summary: An Energetic Primer of All Things Swing
Review: Swing is king ... again. Louis Prima is the last word in cool; neo-swing bands like the Brian Setzer Orchestra boogie-woogie up the charts; and in clubs and on campuses across the country, crowds are packing it in on the dance floor. The Swing Book is an energetic primer of all things swing. Originating in 1920s Harlem and popularized by stars like Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, swing exploded across America, until rock 'n' roll replaced the big band sound. But ten years ago a revival took root in San Francisco, snowballing into today's national resurgence. The Swing Book presents the complete history of swing music and dancing, then and now. It covers all the important artists, with a guide to the best albums; the coolest places to take classes and go dancing, city by city; the style of swing, with where to shop and what to look for; all the lingo; and even step charts to learn the moves. From the Lindy to the Charleston, from zoot suits to fedoras, from East Coast style to West, if it swings, it's in here.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for any music fan!
Review: The book which ( ) is the stuff! I love swing music and this book only enhanced my views and liking of the topic and music. It is a must buy book. Also, I met Scotty Morris ata show and thanked him for such a great foward. Hoppin job by Degen!
Rating:
Summary: As fast and fun as the music itself, and with real substance
Review: This is one well-done Swing guide. I have them all and while the others are great too, this one is moderately priced and of compact size for enjoyable reading and reference anywhere-anytime. Great sections on fashion, swing lingo, history, artists (both legends & today's stars) clubs, dance steps and much more... You can't do better for the money... I keep it near when I do my weekly radio/Internet Swing show (The Bo Lewis Big Band Dance Party.)
Rating:
Summary: Ounce per ounce, dollar per dollar, this is the BEST!
Review: This is one well-done Swing guide. I have them all and while the others are great too, this one is moderately priced and of compact size for enjoyable reading and reference anywhere-anytime. Great sections on fashion, swing lingo, history, artists (both legends & today's stars) clubs, dance steps and much more... You can't do better for the money... I keep it near when I do my weekly radio/Internet Swing show (The Bo Lewis Big Band Dance Party.)
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