The Best of Norman Rockwell: A Celebration of 100 Years (Courage books) [Hardcover]

Tom Rockwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995 | Series: Courage books

Commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of Norman Rockwell, a collection of popular images highlights his most noted magazine covers and advertisements, reflecting the artist's developing style and the history of his surrounding world.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Norman Rockwell was nearly as prolific an artist as he was gifted. In addition to his many paintings, he created over 500 magazine covers and thousands of commercial illustrations. In this volume, one of Rockwell's sons has carefully reviewed his father's vast collection of work and chosen his favorite representations from each decade. Many of the pieces come from the family's private collection and are published here for the first time; however, some perennial favorites, such as Triple Self Portrait, After the Prom, and Girl at the Mirror, are also included. Many of the images have been reproduced directly from the originals so details such as brushstrokes and the texture of the canvas are visible. The Best of Norman Rockwell will please readers any time of year, but there are quite a few Thanksgiving and Christmas pictures that make this a great book to have around during the holidays.

From Library Journal

Another in a long line of books of Rockwell illustrations, this is distinguished only by the fact that Rockwell's son Thomas chose the illustrations and wrote a brief preface. The result is the usual selection of popular images, plus some rarely seen sketches and paintings. The 32-page section of preliminary drawings adds substance, but the minimal text throughout is disappointing. The preface is all too brief, and each illustration receives only the barest identification. Libraries that have any of several more substantial books, such as Christopher Finch's Norman Rockwell's America (Abrams, 1985), can pass this by.
- Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Inc., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Courage Books (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561386375
• ISBN-13: 978-1561386376
• Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 10.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,783,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Rockwell is the author of a number of books for young readers. He was the recipient of the Mark Twain Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Sequoyah Award for How to Eat Fried Worms. He lives in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars printing, April 18, 2006

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Nuts Kashii "Nuts" (Takamatsu Shi, Kagawa Ken Japan) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Best of Norman Rockwell (Hardcover)

I recently received a copy of this book and found the quality of the prints very poor indeed. Printed in China, they are grainy, at times out of focus and with limited colors on some at least. A few plates are convincing but not many. This a book reminiscent of the art books printed in the sixties and seventies with analogue printing technology. Given the quantum leaps in digital printing techniques during the last ten years, this is just unforgivable. Disappointed that Tom Rockwell let this pass as a book on his father's wonderful work.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Times Have Changed..., December 16, 2005

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Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best of Norman Rockwell (Hardcover)

For many years the art world shunned the 'illustrations' of artist Norman Rockwell, suggesting that his work was commercial and created for the sole purpose of public consumption. But the tables have turned. Rockwell's prodigious output (primarily for the covers of now defunct Saturday Evening Post Magazine) chronicled a time in America in the pre and post World War II tenor and captured the spirit of the country's citizens in humor, nostalgia, celebration and insight in a manner that in many ways held the country together.

Rockwell's many paintings are generously sampled in Rockwell's son's fine book, sharing over 150 works by one of the finest draughtsman and commentators before the public. Now museums clamor for his works and touring shows reveal that Norman Rockwell was indeed a truly fine craftsman and poet. His paintings show life as we would have our memories believe it could be, was, or remembered. Many of the included works are now American icons, but it is the sharing of the less well-known works that makes this volume special.

This is a fine monograph of an under appreciated artist whose time has come. It is a joy to read and share, and mixed with the nostalgia is the reassuring knowledge that times CAN change - a message we all need at present. Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Norman Rockwell. A Celebration of 100 Years, February 22, 2001

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Nicka "Nicka" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Of Norman Rockwell: A Celebration Of 100 Years (Hardcover)

I had hankered after a good book on Norman Rockwell for years. I think out of all the books available on the artist Norman Rockwell this has to be one of the very best. While other books have gone for quantity rather than quality, using plenty of black and white pictures to fill them out, this one has quality and colour with many of MY favourite pictures whilst also showing plenty of black and white preliminary sketches. It is wonderful. And the speedy delivery from Amazon has fulfilled a big gap in my "library".