Classy books make classy holiday gifts

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, December 4, 2004

Most books are churned out, thousands at a time, on printing presses and binding machines.

Not “Antarctica.”

Each volume (photo above) of Pat and Rosemarie Keough’s photographic tour of the South Pole is assembled by hand, bound in goat leather with French velvet endpapers, and housed in an archival box covered in Dutch linen and lined in velvet.

Such a pampered book doesn’t come cheap: It costs $3,000 for one of the 950 copies of this luxurious, limited-edition album that weighs 19 pounds – 27 pounds with the storage box. And since holding such a hefty book on one’s lap might prove tiring, there’s also a custom-designed stand of solid African mahogany – for an additional $1,500.

The book’s 336 thick pages measure 17.5 by 13.5 inches and display 330 magnificent color photos and 15 duotones of the landscapes, seascapes, flora and fauna of Antarctica. Other features include the authors’ essay describing their expedition, a map, a glossary and a list of images.

“Antarctica” would be a cool gift to give or get this holiday season, as would any of several other new illustrated books.

Their subjects vary widely, and include great art, the Great White Way, vintage cars, inventors, menorahs, memorable photos, New England and antiques. And although these books aren’t handmade like “Antarctica,” one of them could seem just made to order for someone on a holiday gift list.

For art lovers, two books each offer an armchair visit to one of the world’s great museums.

“Paintings in the Musee d’Orsay” (Abrams, $75) takes browsers to the Paris museum that has the world’s largest collection of impressionist and postimpressionist paintings. Editor Serge Lemoine, the museum’s director, has assembled more than 800 color illustrations that feature works by Cassatt, Gauguin, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Whistler and other artists from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries.

And “National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings From the Collection” (Abrams, $60) by John Oliver Hand features 400 illustrations of works by Botticelli, da Vinci, Homer, Picasso, Vermeer and others. The paintings are among the 3,000 pieces housed in the Washington, D.C., museum, home to one of the world’s foremost collections of European and American art.

Behold more beauty in the nation’s capital in “Spectacular Washington” (Hugh Lauter Levin, $50) by Van Hardesty. This broad volume – 32 inches wide when open – contains 175 color photos and several foldouts that visit, inside and outside, the city’s monuments, museums and government buildings, as well as Ford’s Theater, Arlington National Cemetery and Georgetown University.

Admirers of cartoon art will be drawn to “The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker” (Black Dog &Leventhal, $60), edited by Robert Mankoff. This 11-by-13-inch volume includes 2,500 cartoons by Charles Addams, Roz Chast, Peter Arno, James Thurber and others, and essays by Roger Angell, Lillian Ross, Calvin Trillin and John Updike. More chuckles lurk in the two accompanying CDs that contain every cartoon – a total of 68,647 – published in the magazine since its debut on Feb. 21, 1925.

The life and work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright is right at hand in “Frank Lloyd Wright: The Interactive Portfolio” (Running Press, $40, slipcased) by Margo Stipe. Besides text and 100 illustrations, there are removable facsimiles of 65 documents, photographs and architectural sketches in glassine envelopes bound into the book, and a 60-minute audio CD of Wright’s interviews and lectures.

Clothing and home-fashions designer Tommy Hilfiger has put his label on “New England Icons and Inspirations” (Rizzoli, $75). Its 200 illustrations, many in color, include archival photographs, paintings, artifacts and graphics that celebrate the New England lifestyle – its people and places, art and architecture, lobsters and lighthouses – in all six states. Scattered throughout this mostly visual book are quotes by Longfellow, John Adams, E.B. White and others.

Travel books often focus on one country or region. But “The Travel Book” (Lonely Planet, $39.99) visits every country – 230 of them, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – in its 444 pages, 1,200 images and 100,000 words. Stops include the obscure and the obvious: Brazil and Belarus, Nauru and Netherlands, Tuvalu and Tahiti, South Africa and North Korea. Also on hand are maps, recommendations about when to go and what to do, and a simple sample of the native tongue.

A great way to travel would be in a vintage automobile – 100 of which appear in “Automobiles of the Chrome Age: 1946-1960” (Abrams, $50) by Michael Furman. The era’s cars are typically huge, with bold colors, globs of chrome trim and, in later years, soaring tail fins. Also shown, however, are the exceptions – the Nash Metropolitan, VW Beetle and BMW Isetta, in which excess took a back seat to economy and practicality. Besides production models, some limited-edition cars are shown, including the Firebird III, which resembles a jet fighter on four wheels.

In “They Made America” (Little, Brown, $40), Harold Evans salutes two centuries of innovators whose creations, “from the steam engine to the search engine,” helped shape the nation. Text and 500 illustrations laud, among others, Singer’s sewing machine and the Wrights’ flying machine, Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and Levi Strauss’ blue jeans, Garrett Morgan’s gas mask and Edwin Drake’s oil drills, and Eastman’s Kodak and Polaroid’s Land cameras.

It might not be the book for everyone, but “Human” (DK, $50) is the book about everyone. Robert Winston and others, in association with the Smithsonian Institution, have compiled a 512-page visual guide to the body with thousands of photos, drawings and maps that show how we evolved, how our bodies develop, and how the body and mind function during various stages of life.

More than 240 photos illustrate “Sports Illustrated, 50 Years” (Sports Illustrated Books, $29.95). Images, organized by decades, include Muhammad Ali standing triumphantly over a knocked-out Sonny Liston, 1965; Jackie Robinson dancing menacingly off third base in the 1955 World Series; and Sarah Hughes figure-skating her way to Olympic gold in 2002. There are features by Jimmy Breslin, Frank Deford, George Plimpton and others, and reproductions of each of the magazine’s 2,585 covers – from its debut on Aug. 16, 1954, through mid-2004.

James Balog found himself up a tree when he set out to photograph “Tree: A New Vision of the American Forest” (Barnes &Noble, $50). He photographed huge redwoods and sequoias by rappelling down a neighboring tree to take hundreds of tiny images that were later pieced together. The book – which, at 32 inches when open, is wider than many trees – offers a photographic record of the forest, stressing its oldest, tallest, broadest and just plain biggest trees.

Many people keep a scrapbook; Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz kept more than 100 scrapbooks. “Lucy &Desi” (Running Press, $35, slipcased) by Elisabeth Edwards contains artifacts culled from the stars’ collection of letters, telegrams, photos, newspaper clippings, magazine covers and even traffic tickets. Among the removable items are facsimiles of Arnaz’s passport, the couple’s marriage license and a typewritten shooting schedule for a September 1951 episode of “I Love Lucy.”

Alfred Eisenstaedt, Gordon Parks, Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Capa and Larry Burrows are among the subjects of “The Great Life Photographers” (Bulfinch, $50). Parks wrote the foreword to this 600-page album of 698 photos, some in color and many of which depict famous faces and events: Ted Williams, FDR, Ella Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe and Georgia O’Keeffe; and the Woodstock Music Festival, the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, and V-J Day celebrated in New York’s Times Square.

Among other worthy choices:

Art and Architecture

“China: Dawn of a Golden Age 200-750 AD” (Yale University Press, $75) by James C.Y. Watt. Text and 500 illustrations exhibit 300 objects from the Han and Tang dynasties.

“Great Expectations” (Bulfinch, $60) by Barbara Dayer Gallati. U.S. painter John Singer Sargent’s depiction of children, with 180 illustrations.

“Hero, Hawk, and Open Hand” (Yale University Press, $60), edited by Richard F. Townsend. Ancient art and artifacts of American Indians, with 300 examples in stone, ceramics, wood and metal.

“I, Goya” by Dagmar Feghelm; and “I, Michelangelo” by Georgia Illetchko (Prestel, $59 each). Generously illustrated slipcased albums of each artist’s life and work.

“Impressions of New York” (Princeton Architectural Press, $50) by Marilyn Symmes. City views in 150 prints from the New-York Historical Society’s collection.

“Matisse: From Color to Architecture” (Abrams, $125, slipcased) by Rene Percheron and Christian Brouder. The French artist’s paintings and architectural designs, with 400 illustrations.

“MiMo: Miami Modern Revealed” (Chronicle, $40) by Eric P. Nash and Randall C. Robinson Jr. The architectural style that flourished in South Florida from the mid-1940s to late 1960s, in 250 illustrations.

“Miro” (Flammarion, $85) by Jacque Dupin. The life and work of the 20th-century Spanish artist, told in text and 450 images, many in color.

“Skyscrapers” (Prestel, $35) by Andres Lepik. The world’s tallest buildings, from Barcelona to Beijing, are described in text and 260 illustrations, many in color.

Fashion and Style

“American Style” (Assouline, $50) by Kelly Killoren Bensimon. An illustrated study of 200 American style icons, from “Afro” to “zoot suit.”

“Art Deco New York” (Watson-Guptill, $40) by David Garrard Lowe. The history of art deco design in New York buildings, fashion, interiors and artifacts, with 200 illustrations.

“Glamour: Fashion, Industrial Design, Architecture” (Yale University Press, $45), edited by Joseph Rosa et al. Glamour in clothing, cars, furniture and buildings, in 300 photos, most in color.

“New Scandinavian Design” (Chronicle, $50) by Katherine Nelson. With 450 color illustrations of contemporary designs in housewares, furniture and electronics.

“Panama: A Legendary Hat” (Assouline, $45) by Martine Buchet. The history, production and variety of the familiar topper.

History and Biography

“Alexander the Conqueror” (Da Capo, $35) by Laura Foreman. The ancient ruler’s life and exploits, illustrated by 250 paintings, artifacts, maps and photos.

“Diana: The Portrait” (Andrews McMeel, $50) by Rosalind Coward. Interviews and 500 photos profile Diana, Princess of Wales.

“Jackie: A Life in Pictures” (Powerhouse, $60) edited by Yann-Brice Dherbier and Pierre Henri-Verlhac. A biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 250 images.

“Historical Atlas of the United States” (National Geographic, $40). Key events in U.S. history, accompanied by 200 illustrations and maps.

“World War II” (DK, $40) by H.P. Willmot et al. The war, its causes and consequences, illustrated with hundreds of photos, maps, graphics and artifacts.

Homes and Gardens

“American Writers at Home” (Library of America, $50) by J.D. McClatchy. Erica Lennard’s photos show the private homes where Melville, Longfellow, Wharton and other U.S. writers toiled.

“Castles From the Air” and “Gardens From the Air” (Frances Lincoln, $40 each) offer bird’s-eye views of European examples in more than 100 color photos each.

“Country Homes” (Filipacchi, $39.95) by Jean Demachy. With 250 color photographs showing weekend retreats, from cabins to contemporaries.

“50 of the World’s Best Apartments” (Images Publishing, $60), edited by Robyn Beaver. Floor plans and 300 color photos visit posh “pads” in New York, Sao Paulo, Sydney and elsewhere.

“The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World” (Abrams, $60) by Alain Le Toquin. Author’s photo album of 32 public and private gardens, on five continents, includes 150 color photos and 12 foldouts.

Nature and Science

“Earthsong” (Phaidon, $59.95) by Bernhard Edmaier. Unspoiled and remote places on Earth in 250 color aerial views.

“The Encyclopedia of Animals” (University of California, $39.95). An illustrated guide to 2,000 species, from “aardvark” to “zorro.”

“Flying Flowers” (Welcome, $40) by Rick Sammon. Butterflies up close in 80 color photos.

“Jardin de la Malmaison” (Prestel, $180, slipcased) by H. Walter Lack. Reproductions of colored engravings by 19th-century illustrator Pierre-Joseph Redoute show 120 rare plant species in Josephine Bonaparte’s garden.

“Weather: A Visual Guide” (Firefly, $29.95) by Bruce Buckley et al. Meteorology explained, from isobars to acid rain, with 500 illustrations.

Photography

“Anonymous” (Thames &Hudson, $45) by Robert Flynn Johnson. More than 200 “enigmatic images from unknown photographers.”

“Beaton Portraits” (Yale University Press, $50) by Terence Pepper. Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn and Tennessee Williams are among those who pose in 160 portraits by Cecil Beaton.

“Fall” (Powerhouse, $39.95) by Christopher Griffith. Close-up views of autumn leaves in 48 color photos.

“In Focus” (National Geographic, $30) edited by Leah Bendavid-Val. With 280 portraits from 100 years of National Geographic magazine.

“Magnum Stories” (Phaidon, $79.95), edited by Chris Boot. Magnum photographers discuss their work, illustrated with 800 photos, some in color.

“Picture Machine” (Abrams, $40) by William Hannigan and Ken Johnston. With 300 historical newswire photos from the archives of United Press International.

Show Business

“Burlesque” (Collectors Press, $39.95) by Jane Briggeman. A generously illustrated history of the medium’s “golden days.”

“Made You Laugh!” (Andrews McMeel, $29.95) by Joe Garner. Text, 200 photos and a three-hour DVD offer classic comedy moments.

“Oscar Night: 75 Years of Hollywood Parties” (Knopf, $75) by Graydon Carter and David Friend. A massive volume of 500 photos of Hollywood celebs in party mode, since the 1929 Oscar bash.

“Sinatra” (DK, $40) by Richard Havers chronicles the crooner’s life and career in text, sidebars and more than 1,000 photographs, while “The Sinatra Treasures” (Bulfinch, $45) by Frank Pignone does so in 200 photos, 30 removable facsimiles of documents and memorabilia, and a 60-minute audio CD.

“U2 Show” (Riverhead, $35) by Diana Scrimgeour. Text and 500 photos accompany the Irish rock band on tour.

Sports

“Golf Courses of the PGA Tour” (Abrams, $50) by George Peper. Third edition’s 250 photos take armchair duffers to each venue of the 2005 Tour.

“The Gridiron’s Greatest Quarterbacks” (Sports Publishing, $24.95) by Jonathan Rand. Text and 75 photos honor Otto Graham, Joe Montana, Y.A. Tittle and others.

“Thunder and Glory” (Triumph, $34.95) by the editors of NASCAR Scene magazine. A one-hour DVD accompanies this illustrated survey of memorable Winston Cup races.

“Ultimate Basketball” (DK, $30) by John Hereas. The game’s history, with 500 photos.

“Unhittable” (Triumph, $34.95) by James Buckley Jr. and Phil Pepe. Baseball’s outstanding pitching performances since 1876; includes 100-minute DVD.

Travel

“Call of the Desert” (Abrams, $50) by Philippe Bourseiller. A huge volume with 200 color photos of the Sahara.

“Island Dreams: Mediterranean” (Thames &Hudson, $40) by Jeremy Horner. With 246 color images.

“Japan” (Norton, $59.95) by Hiroji Kubota. The landscape, people and customs of author’s homeland in 175 color photos.

“Last Places on Earth” (Graphis, $60) by Eric Meola. People, places and things in remote and exotic corners of the world are shown in 100 vivid color photos.

“Paris” (Flammarion, $95), edited by Gilles Plazy. The city’s lifestyle, history, art and architecture, with 600 color photos.

“Wanderlust” (Powerhouse, $50) by Michael Clinton. Author’s trek to 100 countries, illustrated in 200 color photos.