Heartthrob: A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men [Hardcover]

Donald F. Reuter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1998

The twentieth century has given us that male phenomenon who, with the wink of an eye and the flash of a gleaming smile, can send whole populations into near-hysteria--the heartthrob. Over the last hundred years the male ideal has shifted through myriad categories, and readers will find them all here in this dazzling array of heart-stopping faces, from Robert Mitchum and Robert Redford to Matt Damon and Leonardo di Caprio.

This lavish photographic celebration is the result of years of combing the finest archives for the best images, many of which have rarely been seen. Personal recollections, written especially for the book by some of the beset-known figures in fashion, film, photography, and literature--including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Tyson Beckford, Isaac Mizrahi, Geoffrey Beene, Gloria Steinem, Helen Gurley Brown, Nancy Friday, Eileen Ford, and Herb Ritts--explore the allure of the mediagenic male as he has evolved over time.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Donald F. Reuter was creative director, illustrator, and designer for the New York Times #1 bestseller Making Faces by Kevyn Aucion, and also served as creative director for Aucion's previous book, The Art of Makeup. He spent ten years in fashion as Creative Director at Geoffery Beene and Designer at Anne Klein.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Universe (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789302241
• ISBN-13: 978-0789302243
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sorely disappointed, March 26, 2002

By 

John Lee (Singapore

Singapore, Singapore Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heartthrob: A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men (Hardcover)

The gorgeous Guy Madison on the cover was the sole reason for my purchase of this book on this website. Photos of this actor seem to be very rare, especially from here in Singapore and I'd been thinking about buying this book for the longest time, hoping to see more of Guy. The only thing that made me hesitate was that I had recalled flipping through it once before when I saw it in a bookshop in New York last year and decided against buying it, although I had forgotten exactly why.

When I received the book a few weeks ago after I'd ordered it, I remembered why I didn't buy it... This book, to me, is an inconsistent and insubstantial collection of photos of the men of Hollywood. Admittedly, there are some very interesting and rare photos and portraits, particularly from the 30's to the 70's, but that took up perhaps only 50 percent of the content. The other half was mostly filled with out-of-focus (Richard Chamberlain in mid-stride - I'm sure there are sexier pictures than this one), common (Leonardo DeCaprio in a tux at some awards dinner - how common is that), fanzine pictures that were sadly & disappointingly included. In his introduction, Donald Reuter mentioned that it was difficult to include too many pictures in this book because "... it would either be twice as big (and expensive), or the pictures would have to be the size of postage stamps..." But, looking at the (poor) layout, it seems that there could have been so many more photos that could have been added; for instance, only 2 pictures illustrated the "Golden Boy" section! It is also surprising that Donald Reuter, whose resume includes being creative director, illustrator and designer, can produce such an amateurishly designed book (for all who are short sighted, the captions are TINY-- probably 2 or 3 point text!!)

This book could have been a wonderful tribute to the men of Hollywood, but it is lacking in so many aspects... and there were only 2 pictures of Guy Madison - including the one on the cover!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most in-depth book on the male celebrity I have read yet, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Heartthrob: A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men (Hardcover)

I bought this book back in August and it is a treasure! I was not surprised to see ALMOST all of my favorite Hollywood movie stars in here (except Kevin Kline...come on, he's a heartthrob, especially when he takes off his shirt, exposing that beautiful chest). Cary Grant (the ideal), Liam Neeson, Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford (the hunks), Gary Cooper (the hero), Robert Mitchum (the he-man) and Ty Hardin (the stud; check out that absolutely SEXY photo of him with that barrell chest of his) are all in there and they are my favorites in Hollywood. There should have been about ten to fifteen more guys in there (like Mel Gibson, although he is mentioned but where's his picture?; also Billy Zane, Dennis Quaid, Nicholas Cage, and Bruce Willis). This is a great book for any woman who loves to look at a gorgeous guy with a muscular physique and a fearless image. Makes a great gift!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a bunch of cutie-pies!, September 3, 2003

By 

Leana J. Murphy (Phoenix, AZ. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heartthrob: A Hundred Years of Beautiful Men (Hardcover)

i thought the pictures of some of the most handsome cutie-pies of the entertainment world were wonderful. i even loved the large colored photo of guy madison in it! gosh, what a great looking man he was!! i wished i was a grown woman back then. i would have dated him in a heart beat! ha! ha! van johnson, robert walker, and woody harrelson pictures were a delight also. this book is a must have for any woman who loves looking at men a lot or "men watcher's". ha!