Giants of the Arts: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Charles Dickens, Vincent Van Gogh (Exploring the Past)

Category: Books,Arts & Photography

Giants of the Arts: Ludwig Van Beethoven, Charles Dickens, Vincent Van Gogh (Exploring the Past) Details

From School Library Journal Grade 5-12-- These efforts at both collective biography and cultural history are interesting and informative but imperfect. They begin with introductions that attempt to put the biographies in the context of modern times; the essays are well written but may be obscure to readers not committed to the study of history. The actual biographies are short (four to seven pages), and presented on crowded pages filled with photographs, prints, timelines, and fairly dense text. They are followed by a ``History in the Making'' section, also busily offered. Interspersed are ``Flashbacks,'' partial pages given over to the explanation of some aspect of the culture. Giants includes Beethoven, Dickens, and Van Gogh, apparently chosen to allow discussion of the various time periods in which they lived. Pioneers includes the Wright Brothers, Robert Scott, and Neil Armstrong. A confusing element here is the final ``The Way We Were'' section that follows Neil Armstrong's biography and offers a hotel porter's recollections of the night the Berlin Wall was built--certainly a noteworthy event but of questionable placement here. Overall, the books put forth a perspective on history that may not be readily available elsewhere, and this may override concerns about the distracting layout. --Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, HoustonCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more

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