Product Description

The Pianist's Dictionary is a handy and practical reference dictionary aimed specifically at pianists, teachers, students, and concertgoers. Prepared by Maurice Hinson, the best-selling author of Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire, the work explains pianistic terms and performance directions clearly and concisely, with illustrations and brief musical examples. Hinson includes succinct entries concerning famous piano pieces and composers, leading performers and teachers, and piano makers -- making The Pianist's Dictionary the perfect reference for compiling program and liner notes. The volume collects many of Hinson's most useful ideas that have appeared in his popular lectures and masterclasses over the years and have not been published elsewhere.

Customer Reviews (5)

The Perfect Dictionary for the Pianist
I am so very pleased with this book.Of course the fact that it is written by Maurice Hinson was a pretty good clue that this would be a very useful book to own.The interpretations of phrases is very detailed and helpful.There are so many french terms that I've been unable to find anywhere else.This is definitely a great book for anyone that is serious about their music.

best dictionary for pianists
I love this dictionary! I'm a piano teacher and my students and I use it often to get the true meaning of a word, such as "allegro" as it was understood by the composers and the time period in which they lived. It really helps you to interpret the music correctly. I know Mr. Hinson and he has done a wonderful job in helping to educate pianists. A must for all serious pianists.

Excellent Piano Dictionary, but some important omissions, like American pianist Kenneth Amada (please expand this great text!)
I have purchased this pianist's dictionary for myself and friends, and think it's wonderful.However, there are some notable omissions.For example, the text mentions such notable American pianists like Kenneth Amada, as a student of Isidor Phillip and Edward Steuermann, but does not give him his own separate entry, as it does pianist George Katz.Amada was a superior pianist to Katz, besting him in many international competitions: including the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium (where Amada made the finals and Katz was eliminated in the semifinals) and Leventritt (where Amada bested among others Katz, Sherman, Doppmann in the semifinals, before tying Malcolm Frager in the final round (there was no first prize that year, since the judges could not choose between Amada and Frager, the only other finalist).In 1960 Leventritt did not issue a prize.The two finalists were Malcolm Frager and Kenneth Amada, who had eliminated the aforementioned pianists. Kenneth Amada not only studied with the two teachers Hinson mentioned, but was like Charles Rosen, a student of Moriz Rosenthal, Franz Liszt's last piano disciple, who also studied with Johannes Brahms and Karol Mikuli (Chopin's piano disciple).He played over 160 concerts in Europe, and quit the professional circuit to teach graduate students at The University of Iowa, where he held the chair of the piano department and retired professor emeritus.Of course, Mr. Hinson's book is fabulous and is bound to include some important omissions.Please let me offer this feedback for the next reprint of the book, or next edition.No one text includes all the terms.To supplement Hinson's book, I also recommend both the Oxford and Harvard Dictionaries of Music.But please let me recommend Mr. Maurice Hinson's book without reservation.It is an essential book that everyone who plays piano must have.It contains translations of piano terms used in French, Spanish, German, and Italian scores.It's arranged alphabetically, and also includes brief biographies that are useful.My one request is for Mr. Maurice Hinson to expand his wonderful book to include such American prodigies and virtuosos as Kenneth Amada, even though they turned away from professional playing to teaching and reclusive lives.I would be happy to offer more information if contacted.Thank you Mr. Hinson for a fabulous text.I also recommend to readers Hinson's wonderful Guide to Pianist's Repertoire, which is the most useful source of its kind.

Pianist's pianolid book!
This is a very handy publication. It answers many of the questions which can arise during piano lessons and gives piano teachers an extra "leg" to stand on. Maurice Hinson's name is a guarantee of quality and one can assume that the factual content of the book is in order. The book's 220 pages contain a wealth of information and every pianist should acquire a copy

Loving the Piano
It isn't often that a reader turns to a dictionary for pleasure.But Maurice Hinson's new work, "A Pianist's Dictionary" (2004) is a rare exception to the rule. Hinson is Senior Professor Emeritus of Piano at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has written a number of highly-regarded reference works for piano, particularly his "Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire".The "Pianist's Dictionary" is not only a reference work, but it is also a joy to read.It was a pleasure to work through this volume, to learn new things about music and the piano and to be reminded of things I already knew.I have been an amateur pianist since adolescence and throughout my adult life, and this book struck many chords.

There will be something for every pianist, teacher, and music-lover in this book.The entries cover composers, works of music, performers and teachers, literature about the piano, performance and interpretive markings, and much else.It is a fine reference but it is more.It will stir memory and thought.

Here are some examples of what I found in the book.In 1974, Reginald Gerig published an outstanding study, "Famous Pianists and Their Technique" discussing the history of theories of playing the instrument.I was familiar with the book when it came out but haven't thought much about it since. There are entries in Hinson's dictionary for the book itself (p.52) and for Gerig (p.64)Reading the entries brought back memories and made me want to pursue Gerig's book again.

To take another example, I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have a soft spot in my heart for the pianist Ralph Votapek, who when I was a teenager inspired the city by winning the Naumberg Award and the first Van Cliburn competition.I met Votapek briefly last year when he played a recital of Debussy at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.There is an excellent entry in Hinson's book on Ralph Votapek (p. 206) which brought back my pleasure at remembering him win his competitions, meeting him years later, and hearing him play.

I recently read a book which described a passage in Brahms's second string quintet as a "roulade".I was embarassed not to know the term. But it appears in Hinson's book ("A brilliant run; ornamental florid passage") and I was able to hear the piece, pick out the roulade, and increase my knowledge and enjoyment of the music.

A composer that fascinates me in Leo Ornstein (1892-2002), an immigrant to the United States who abandoned a virtuoso peforming career to devote himself to avant-garde composition and teaching.(A selection of his piano music appears on the Naxos American Music series.) I was happy to find a detailed entry on Ornstein in Hinson's book (p. 126).

Every lover of music or the piano will be able to read this book and find his or her own similar examples.This book is a great reference and a great way to remember or find music that moves the heart and memory.Many readers will enjoy thinking about the entries in the book and, perhaps, also about the entries that might have been in it.I found one small error worthy of note.In the course of a discussion of Charles Ives, (p.85) Hinson states that pianist Ralph Kirkpatrick was a "tireless advocate" to bring Ives's piano music to public attention.Ralph Kirkpatrick was a harpsichordist best known for his work on Scarlatti.John Kirkpatrick was Ives's champion.Both Ralph and John Kirkpatrick have their own entries in Hinson's book (p. 92) where the matter is set aright.

Any lover of the piano will enjoy Hinson's dictionary. ... Read more

Product Description
Fully revised for its seventh edition, this comprehensive and detailed reference contains entries on major artists of the last seven centuries; short biographies of over 1,200 artists; descriptions of artistic techniques and styles; definitions of artistic movements; and much more. An indispensable source of information for both artists and those interested in the arts in general. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Art Education for the Non-Artist
I am a writer, not an artist, and thoroughly appreciate "The Penguin Dictionary of Art And Artists" by Peter and Linda Murray.

Though a dictionary, I am using it as a primer. While I am aware of major movements, schools and the artists, and, of course, the most major of works, there is so much I missed that I am reading now. Getting deeper into Picasso, Dali and Van Gogh is a must, as is learning about Dada (I am glad that never stuck).

As I read other materials in my attempt to acquire and bone up in all the arts (music, literature and the visual arts), this is becoming a strong tool for cross-referencing periods in artistic development, especially from a Western hemisphere perspective.

Each entry is encyclopedic, not like a dictionary. There are no etymologies or pronunciation help, just definitions.

What pleases me most is that I understand what I am reading. Lacking the rich artistic vocabulary is no problem. Everything is explained intelligently, simply but not superficially.

I fully recommend "The Penguin Dictionary of Art And Artists" by Peter and Linda Murray.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Essential Reference for the Art History Student
Excellent reference for art history research, art criticism, or for deciphering someone else's writing about art.

Examples of entries: academy, encaustic wax, Lembruck, Suprematism.So there are techniques, movements, institutions, and individual artists... all explained concisely but with essential dates and details.

Saves lots of time when you need to refer to some movement or influencing artist but don't want to get caught up in an enormous amount of data.

Western art only.(You won't find Buddha, Sumi-e, etc).

Great resource
As an art education major this book came in handy.It is a great reference for anyone who wants to learn more about an artist as a person and as an artist.It gives short bios on many different artists from different periods through art history.It was well worth the money. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

More useful as a supplement
The New Dictionary of Scientific Biography (New DSB) is mainly a supplement rather than a revision of the Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Like its predecessor, the New DSB covers only dead scientists.Therefore, you will find Carl Sagan (d. 1996) in the New DSB, but you won't find Stephen Hawking.

The New DSB includes many scientists who died after 1980 and therefore, were not included in the original set.There are also revised articles on many scientists from the original set, such as Aristotle, Einstein, Galilei (Galileo), Planck, Plato, and Ptolemy.However, these revised articles often cover only new interpretations of the subject's work and not much about the person's life.

My three-star rating is based on the new set's usefulness, not its accuracy.Since it has been over 30 years since the original set was published, I would like to have seen a complete revision that could have replaced the old set.However, even if that were not feasible, I would have expected the following:

a) Write the revised biographies as stand-alone articles, not supplements to the previous ones.
b) Incorporate the 4 supplementary volumes from the original set into the New DSB, so there would be just one additional place to look for biographies.
c) Create a master index that covers the new set and the old one.

The publisher does have an e-Book edition that may offset some of the above mentioned shortcomings.Therefore, libraries or schools may decide if either format will work for them.


... Read more

Product Description
Richard Popkin's meticulous translation - the most complete since the eighteenth century - contains selections from thirty-nine articles, as well as from Bayle's four Clarifications. The bulk of the major articles of philosophical and theological interest - those that influenced Leibniz, Berkeley, Hume, and Voltaire and formed the basis for so many eighteenth-century discussions - are present, including "David", "Manicheans", "Paulicians", "Pyrrho", "Rorarius", "Simonides", "Spinoza", and "Zeno of Elea". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great philosopher
Well, he was the most widely read philosopher in France throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, so he must have said something smart.But, his fifteen minutes of fame only lasted 150 years, today's he's unknown. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

high value
This book covers a number of African-Americans from early American history to the first two thirds of the twentieth century.The bios are usually about a page long.No Pictures.
This book has been deemed to be a core collection book for the Miami-Dade Public Library System, because it has a lot of people that aren't found elesewhere and because it is sited so frequently.Anyone interested in this area who can afford this book will not feel they wasted their money in purchasing it. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

In the name of philosophy...
...and for the sake of sincere and honest scholarship, professor Tanguay has done "humankind" an unparalleled service, which only later on will be fully exposed and appreciated. My words will not suffice to even match the wit and scope of my fellow reviewers of this erudite work. Hence I resort to a brief examination of my understanding of professor Tanguay's project.

Over the years the late Leo Strauss has been accused of everything and anything possible. This assessments of Strauss' character found (and still finds) formulation in the mouths of the many inhabitants of the city. Similar to a phantom that is still roaming the Republic, Strauss has been associated with dictatorial pursuits and anti-liberal agendas. What professor Tanguay attempts (and achieves) is to clarify what Strauss actually meant for what he stood for, without the perennial democratic crucifixion of thinkers.

The three main points that I took from Tanguay's work is Strauss relationship between thinker and lover (lover of a world long forgotten, but desperately needed), Orthodox Jew and American citizen. Strauss, as so many of those fine critics assigned him to be, is not an atheist who rejects religion. Instead, Strauss is a person open to the Whole, neither camping in a ideological deadlock, or dogmatism itself. Possible, one might accuse of zetetic philosophy to be a dogma, but the very of idea of being open to the whole contradicts dogmatism.

Strauss paints a world where there are two lifestyles available (essentially two lifestyles). The pious adherent to the tradition and the thinker who pursues the quest for for the Whole. As such, Tanguay rejects the notions that Strauss was an elitist. If anything, Strauss was a caring member of society, who for the benefit of us all, wrote in a way to prevent, as one of my professors rebuked me once, "developing stupid ideas about philosophers." Tanguay perfectly constructs the ideas of his book so as to make the reader comprehend why there is a need for dissimulation. It is not out of malice nor because of despotic flavors. No, quite frankly nature itself mandates that a certain art of communication was and is necessary if one wants to be able to live in a city.

Tangauy vehemently reminds us that modernity has not achieved what it sought to (Machiavelli and Spinoza being the flag bearers of the modern project). Thanks to a very close reading of Strauss' works, Tanguay ruminates why exactly Strauss has a case against modernity. After having read Tanguay' work, Plato and Nietzsche, make so much more sense, not to mention of Strauss himself (and Farabi). One element that I love so much about Tanguay' work is that he gives you a run down of the past 2000 years of Western thought. Why does he do that? Because in order to understand Strauss (if one can ever!) Western thought as a Whole must be comprehended.

It is a shame that Leo Strauss is demonized. Whether we agree with him, or not, there is a universe to be awaited in his thought. One that augments the Eros, one that encourages one to go beyond what was believed possible. I am very certain that professor Tanguay's work will become the quintessential introduction to Leo Strauss (next to Strauss' five lectures on the Problem of Socrates).

One more thing, we ought to salute Christopher Nadon for his excellent job at translation professor Tanguay's work. I am so grateful to professor Nadon for taking the time and love to do so.

Excellent, objective summary of Strauss
This is a great way to get an overview of Strauss without actually having to suffer through his own writing, which is largely inscrutable, and ismeant to be inscrutable, from what I understand.Having suffered through Thoughts on Macchiavelli and Natural Right and History, I appreciate this book a lot. An additional bonus is that his thought is presented in a clear and objective manner, free of conspiracy theories. Highly reccommended.

Modern individuality is constituted by the forgetting of the soul.
Tanguay's superb book was originally written in 2003. That makes it the first major study that was written about Strauss in either English or French. In spite of my praise of the volumes written by the Zuckerts and Pangle, this is the best introduction to Strauss that I have yet to read. (If you can judge the quality of a philosopher by the quality of his/her interpreters, then Strauss was quite good.)
The reason for the superiority of Tanguay's effort is ironic. His book is by far the most Straussian interpretation of Strauss. One of Strauss' basic hermeneutical principles was that the reader should first attempt to understand the author as the author understood himself (see pp. 2-4 of the intro for Tanguay's discussion on how he read Strauss). Strauss also emphasized the importance of reading an author while being "moved by the suspicion that perhaps his teaching contains the truth about the Whole" (p.3).
I think that both the Zuckerts and Pangle are concerned about reading Strauss in such a way as to deflect somewhat his implied critique of the American regime. Tanguay doesn't care about that and that allows him to present some of the edges of Strauss' thought more sharply.
Tanguay believes that the key to understanding Strauss is his relentless focus on the theological-political issue. Strauss came to the issue early in his life as a Jew in Weimer Germany and his focus on that issue only sharpened. Tanguay is superb at examining the early texts of Strauss, e.g., Spinoza's Critique of Religion or Philosophy and Law, for how they mark the stages of development of Strauss thought on this issue. Tanguay focuses on the essay, Farabi's Plato, as a critical turning point in that development. Strauss' readings of some of the philosophers of the Medieval Enlightenment (Farabi, Maimonides, Halevi, etc.) led him both to a new understanding of Plato and to his famous theory of esoteric/exoteric levels of writing. ( By the way, this is one area where I disagree with Tanguay. He asserts throughout his book that at this point in his career that Strauss began to write esoterically. Dunderhead that I am, I just don't see it unless you limit the meaning of the idea. I do not believe that Tanguay really provides any examples of this in Strauss. If anyone who reads this believes they know of one, please comment. I need educating!)
Tanguay is really good at drawing out all the unresolvable tensions that are to be found in Strauss' beloved Athens vs. Jerusalem problem nexus and his theological-political problem. Along the way Tanguay provides some remarkable insights about the way Strauss saw the philosophical tradition. Tanguay suggests that (in Strauss' reading) Plato's ideas are not metaphysical entities so much as philosophical issues. Thus the Idea of justice becomes the issue of "what is justice" or "how do we behave justly?" Regardless of whether this is the correct reading of Plato, it is a fascinating one and suggest some ways in which Strauss' thought might be usefully compared to someone normally held far from him, say, Dworkin.
Another interesting point. Tanguay feels that Strauss does not quite see that to see the theological-political problem in terms of Athens-Jerusalem or in terms of revelation-philosophy is to place the issue solidly in a historical context. Socrates knew nothing (as far as I know) of Moses or of the giving of the Law (Torah) at Mt. Sinai. For us to see the problem in the light of this juxtaposition is to assume the superiority of our historical insight, something that Strauss would be loath to do (Tanguay's discussion starts on p.212 and, trust me, is far richer than my summary).
Another small complaint I have with Tanguay is that he doesn't engage with Strauss' later writings. As suggested by the train of his own thought, in his later years, Strauss focused on his reading of the ancients, thinkers like Xenophon, Plato and Aristophanes. None of these later books are examined in Tanguay or, for that matter, in the Zuckerts or in Pangle.
This is a small complaint about an excellent book. Tanguay has done us a great service in explicating a difficult and undervalued thinker. He is also a great stylist as a philosophy writer. [My title is a quote of his (p. 214) which perfectly summarizes one of Strauss' central insights]. I have read quite a few philosophers and historians of ideas and the good writers are few and far between. I look forward to reading Tanguay's next work regardless of subject matter.

The Theologico-Political Problem and Zetetic Philosophy

Daniel Tanguay has written what is perhaps the best introduction to Leo Strauss's philosophical journey, a book that should be helpful for anyone interested in Strauss's thought.

At the beginning of the book's conclusion, Tanguay summarizes the book's main purpose:

"The name of Leo Strauss is generally associated with the attempt to revive the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns and with the proposal for a return to ancient natural right in order to protect liberal society against the deviations introduced by relativism, radical historicism, and nihilism.We have sought to show that this theme certainly does not constitute the essential problem in Strauss's thought, which can be genuinely understood only to the extent to which it is put into relation with its central problem, that is, with the theologico-political problem.Strauss himself claimed that this was 'the' theme in his inquiries"(193).

Defending liberal society and reviving the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns are certainly two of Strauss's aims, but his primary philosophical interest emerged in the 1920s, while he was studying Spinoza and experiencing the theologico-political problem firsthand as a Jew in interwar Germany.What is clear, however, is that the theologico-political problem goes far beyond `the Jewish Question' and extends beyond the Jewish world.The problem emerges in the tension between politics and religion and between theology and philosophy.

Strauss originally sought to discover whether the philosophical critique of revelation, in its most radical, Enlightenment form, had succeeded, and he began a long study of the history of philosophy to find the sources and forms of the theologico-political problem.His journey took him from Spinoza, Hobbes, and Machiavelli back to Maimonides and the `Islamic Aristotelians'--especially Farabi--and in the process he rediscovered the art of esoteric writing.Tanguay does a fantastic job drawing out how Strauss's thought and writing style changed after this point, which Tanguay appropriately names `the Farabian turn.'Strauss's text "Farabi's `Plato'" emerges as one of the key documents for understanding his thought.

Strauss moves after his reflections on Farabi to `the ancients'--specifically, the zetetic philosophy of Socrates and Plato, of the skeptic in the original, ancient meaning of the term--and explores the deepest conflict in Western intellectual history, the conflict between Jerusalem and Athens, a metaphor for the theologico-political problem.Strauss ultimately sought to revive the dispute between the two Western ways of life--between philosophy and revelation, between the life defined by philosophic eros and the search for wisdom and the life defined by the fear of God and obedience to the divine law.

Leo Strauss has been getting a fair bit of bad press lately (and some good press as well).Reading the criticism, one gets the suspicion that, unlike Strauss's critics of the mid-20th century, his current critics have not actually bothered to read very much, if anything, of what he wrote.Before making political or character judgments about Strauss, it is probably prudent to seek for oneself what he thought and what he believed.This book can be useful here.

Also, behind Professor Tanguay's exposition of Strauss's scholarship is the person of Strauss.While that is not Tanguay's main subject, it is extraordinary, reading this book, to see Strauss's personal struggle as he makes his intellectual journey.In his heart and mind he lived the conflict between Jerusalem and Athens, between his struggles with the Jewish tradition and his love of philosophy. I must admit that I felt a connection with Strauss when reading these parts of the book--after all, in the Jewish tradition, Israel/Yisrael can translate as `Godwrestler,' and Strauss wrestled with some of the most fundamental questions in both revelation and philosophy.It is also fascinating to read about Strauss's focus on the permanence of the questions of revelation and philosophy, and how cautious and reluctant he is to suggest sweeping solutions to them or to the theologico-political problem.The questions and problems are central for him, not the answers, and this attitude brings with it a certain nuance and what ultimately amounts to an invitation from Strauss, an invitation to study the questions, even though answers may ultimately elude our grasp.

Daniel Tanguay deserves congratulations for writing this book.The biography is lucid, useful, and succinct, and Strauss's thought becomes more coherent after reading this book.It is probably helpful to have read some of Strauss's works before reading this book, but not all of them.Anyone approaching Strauss for the first time can probably get a sufficient introduction by reading Tanguay's biography and Thomas Pangle's edited volume, 'The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism,' which is also an excellent introduction to the main themes of Strauss's thoughts.Strauss's difficulty is often exaggerated, but it is true that it can at times be unclear what the guiding problems are for him.This book identifies and explores them, and can serve as a useful guide when reading Strauss.It is an extraordinary book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1877.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description
This best-selling dictionary brilliantly reveals the lives and works of a host of fascinating individuals, from Biblical saints to those most recently canonised. It is a worthy companion to any study of Biblical or Church history, and includes details of feast days and special patronage to aid personal devotion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A excellent book on the Saints
This is a excellent book on all the Saints known up to the time of its publishing.

I purchased it for exactly that information. I wanted to learn more about the many..manySaints known to the Catholic Religion. I discovered that there are far many more that even devout persons have probably heard of. !!

This is a thick volumed book --that lists the Saints not only in alphabetical order --but also in chronological order as well.

Its listings gofar back ..and includeds many from the Roman period...but also ecompasses all time periods and countrys throughout Europe and other countrys as well !

Very highly recommended for those that want to simply learn more on the subject...especially the past.If you are looking current or newly made Saints--they will not appear in this older volume !

It is remarkable history
Who were these people?
Here we see people burnt alive, flayed alive and tortured.
Mostly for being "too good", "too brave"
or justvery totally strange in a religious way.
People pray to these people...
No one at Amazon books would fit...
they can't even spell Fedorov
right ( a saint of modern physical science and mathematics).
You don't find Srinivasa Ramanujan or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhihere either.
It is a long history and I've even found names of saint not in the book!
A good reference when dealing with Spanish/ Mexicanplace names.

Not patronizing (pardon my pun)
As a Rome-based freelance writer who frequently publishes articles about the Vatican and its history, I knew I needed a good reference book to help me recognize saints in history, art, and tradition and understand why they are important. I did some research to decide between this volume, the Oxford Dictionary of Saints, and the Delany's Pocket Dictionary of Saints and I decided to buy this one.

Then some time passed, and I decided I needed still more information and so I bought the Oxford version about a year later. And six months ago the Delaney edition found its own place in my book shelf. And do you know what? After familiarizing myself with the new additions to my religious library on their arrival, I have hardly opened either of the Penguin edition's rivals.

To be clear, none of these books contains all the information in the other two, but I believe this edition -- in terms of authoratative (even if sometimes brief) biographical information, good organization, data on symbolism related to saints, a helpful glossery of terms, and an impressive bobliography -- is the best to have if you'll only buy one book.

As another reviewer here pointed out, the book's great weakness is its lack of significant information about patron saints. And that's important, because many lay people first decide to learn more about the lives of saints because of the patron saint of some area of interest (the Delaney book is best in that regard).

But I believe that flaw is more than compensated for by the book's strengths. At the risk of envoking a tired cliche, the book is written in a fact-packed and yet accessible style that makes it a good option for the novice and a valuable resource for more experienced saint watchers.

Best Out of Three
Of the three dictionaries of saints that I use (Delaney's Pocket Dictionary of Saints and the Oxford Dictionary of Saints are the others), this possesses the most benefits.It not only includes the usual capsule biographies (don't expect any book of saints to include the same information) and appendices about Patron saints and symbols, but also a glossary of terms used in hagiography (the study of saints), something which neither Delaney nor Stone offer.If the book has any weakness, it is that the list of patron saints is too brief and incomplete.(Delaney's appendix is the best of the three, but his work has other faults.)Attwater and daughter also do not treat us to discussions of saintly relics (one of the joys of Stone's excellent work).Despite these minor flaws, I would choose this volume over the other two were I able only to own one of the books.(It is better, still, to own all three.)

Excellent Book on Saints
This book is a great addition to the library of anyone who wants to know more about the lives of the great men and women of the Christian Faith.It includes Saints from the New Testament/Apostolic Age until the modern day. Each entry gives an excellent description of each Saint's life and work. It also has the reason for canonization (martyr, bishop, etc.) and the dateit occurred, the date of birth and death, and the person's feast day in theChurch (usually in the western calendar).Although the entries usuallyinclude only the basic information (about half a page on average), at theend of each entry the authors have added a reading list for those who wishto learn more about each Saint.The book also has an introduction thataddresses such issues as sources, confessors, martyrs, and canonization.Aglossary of terms is present, which includes a basic definition of wordsthat may be difficult for some (e.g. Monothelism and Cenobite).TheDictionary has a useful appendix that contains a list of patron Saints,emblems, and a calendar of the feast days of the Saints listed.AlthoughThe Penguin Dictionary of Saints is very useful, I should mention that itincludes mainly Roman Catholic Saints.Many of those canonized only (ordeemed more important) in the Eastern Orthodox Church arenot present, although the authors have included most of the universallyaccepted Saints (and even many minor ones) from both the East and GreatBritain.Overall, this is an excellent resource that no Christian shouldbe without; I use it all the time. ... Read more

Product Description
The “colossal affair” that is Jay Gatsby’s mansion, Owl Eyes, Wolfsheim and his “gonnegtions,” West Egg, East Egg, the valley of ashes, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Fay—they belong to all time as does the American classic in which they appear. But a classic belongs to its own time, too, and this meticulously compiled, handsomely designed and generously illustrated volume documents the social reality out of which The Great Gatsby grew and the cultural milieu in which F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote. It thus identifies for contemporary readers the crazes and events, the celebrities and the criminals, the music and dances and books, that the novel’s first readers in 1925 would have immediately recognized. This invaluable companion to The Great Gatsby also examines—and illustrates with facsimiles of pages from Fitzgerald’s handwritten drafts and revised typescripts—the arduous process of composition that ultimately produced the book hailed by critic Gilbert Seldes as “vivid and glittering and entertaining.” Reviews and promotions as well as correspondence and comment from such literary figures as Edmund Wilson, Ernest Hemingway, Edith Wharton, and H. L. Mencken illuminate Gatsby’s mostly favorable critical reception. Still, in the wake of the 1940s’ Fitzgerald revival, as this volume’s final chapter on the enduring reputation of The Great Gatsby shows, the novel has fulfilled Fitzgerald’s boast that he wrote for “the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters ever afterward,” as well as the moviemakers, play producers, choreographers, and composers. And all students of Fitzgerald and general readers will find new insights into what makes Gatsby great in this generously illustrated, engaging reference book’s every chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

In-depth Fitzgerald
Matthew Bruccoli is one of the most noted contemporary Fitzgerald scholars. The extensive research into the writer's life, which is one of the most complete available, is not only thorough but also entertaining and insightful. Many a reader of Gatsby and Fitzgerald's other works will gain a new appreciation of the book by delving into Bruccoli's work.Very accessible.F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: A Literary Reference ... Read more