5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Experiencing the historical through the fictional, February 19, 2012
This review is from: Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention (Hardcover)
Where the previous book "Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel" fooled people into believing that a Victorian-era robot was real, "Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention" has readers believing that the Frank Reade Library was a fictional magazine.
Once the most popular dime novel in the country, Frank Reade Weekly and the Frank Reade Library have faded into obscurity. Guinan and co-author Anina Bennett have spun the original concept out into a family of intrepid inventors who participated in some of America's greatest (and most regrettable) events.
Combining the coffee-table history book with the adventure story, "Frank Reade" entertains and slyly educates. From the Indian Wars of the 1860s to the run-up to WWII, the Reades and their amazing vehicles were constantly on the move, for causes both noble and greedy. It's quite revealing to see how much American history is left out of our textbooks.
Guinan's skillful Photoshop use creates realistic photos of the vehicles in use, and the original engravings from the Frank Reade dime novels are incredibly crisp.
In all, another rollicking good book from this Portland couple!
Reade Jr's aid to the government which, at the time, was a positive and exciting adventure for contemporary readers, is shown in a more modern light. As a result, Reade's bringing of "civilization" to uneducated savages is less of a holy mission and more of a pragmatic land-grab. Real Reade stories are set against the actual historical events, allowing the reader to learn more of the country's involvement in Central and South America.
Readers who are expecting a scholarly analysis of the dime novels will be disappointed. Just as with Boilerplate, Frank Reade creates a fictional protagonist who can be our focus through the time period. In Boilerplate's case, it was a wholly invented robot (and its inventor), and in Frank Reade it's the fictional hero of long-forgotten adventure stories. Reading Boilerplate first would definitely give you a good introduction into the world and style of Guinan and Bennett.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read for Reade, February 19, 2012
This review is from: Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention (Hardcover)
Just finished Frank Reade and enjoyed the heck out of it. Great graphics and wonderful adventure. If I wasn't secretly in love with Boilerplate it would be my favorite.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, Fanciful and Historical, February 26, 2012
This review is from: Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention (Hardcover)
An amazing follow up to Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel in which illustrator Paul Guinan and writer Anina Bennett portray actual history with a fictional element running through it. With their newest book, Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention they add a twist; introducing us to a once popular dime novel that hasn't seen print in more than 100 years.
Frank Reade Jr. was the main character of several popular dime novels in the late 1800s. Bennett and Guinan take the characters from the dime novels and depict them as though they were real people taking part in the historical events from when the novels were published (a bit like Forrest Gump, they're present but don't greatly shape history). Illustrations and text excerpts from the actual dime novels are included throughout the book in sections with yellowed pages.
Within the narrative of the book the Frank Reade Jr. dime novels are said to have been based on the "real" Reade family.
The story of the "real" Reade family (as depicted by Guinan and Bennett) is set against the history of the mid-late 1800s. The (primarily) American history of the period is obviously painstakingly researched and well presented. Including photoshopped historical photos with airships and other fantastic vehicles along with the fictional Reade family makes for an engaging and fun story. Showing the historical setting in which the dime novels were written and enjoyed helps set the context for their often racist, violent, and imperialistic content. The Guinan/Bennett team show us popular culture in the context of history in a way that is seldom done. All the while we're dazzled by the beautifully restored illustrations from these forgotten dime novels along with masterfully photoshopped historical photographs that tell the fantastical story of the fictional Reade family.
The layout of the book is like a history text book. And the authors treat it all as actual history, which could be pretty confusing if you don't know what you're getting into. There are sections of the book that show actual reprinted illustrations and text from the Frank Reade dime novels from the 1800s. The American and world historical events depicted in the book are real (and well researched) but the story of the Reade family is entirely fictional. If you don't know that, this book may be a frustrating read for you. This book is a historical fantasy and an introduction to the forgotten dime novel that the fantasy is based on. Very meta.
This book may not satisfy the hard core fans of the Frank Reade dime novels or exacting history buffs but this book introduces the rest of us to both of those things expertly. You will never see a book quite like this. I'm of the opinion that Guinan and Bennett have done a great service by giving us a very entertaining reminder of the history of our world and of early popular science fiction. It's hundreds of reprinted illustrations along with the photographs are beautiful and exciting to look at. The story has a solid grounding in history as well as a flight of fancy in the clouds.
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