Icons of the 20th Century: 200 Men and Women Who Have Made a Difference [Hardcover]

Barbara Cady (Author), Jean-Jacques Naudet (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

Our century has been marked by extraordinary cultural, political, and technologiacal change: the winds of war, the starbursts of celebrity, the poltergeists of politics, the bits of bytes. The dynamic driving forces of this change are two hundred astounding men and women who have most shaped the last one hundred years. "Icons of the Twentieth Century" is a permanent record of their -- and our -- time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who becomes a legend most? For more than two years, a panel composed of such arbiters of culture as Leo Castelli, Rita Dove, Bruce Jenner, Joyce Carol Oates, Daniel Schorr, Gay Talese, Pierre Trudeau, and Eli Wallach pondered that question and came up with a list of the 200 most important icons of the 20th century. Their choices are compiled in this wonderfully designed book. Each icon merits a tall, vertically oriented, two-page spread. A full-page portrait is expertly reproduced on the right-hand side, and, given its length, a surprisingly informative biography takes up the facing page. Uncommon photos of the usual suspects are here--Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King Jr., James Joyce, Babe Ruth, Bette Davis, Jesse Owens, Marlon Brando, JFK, Anna Pavlova, even Michael Jordan. But some of the most pleasing inclusions are the surprises--the people who shaped the century but whose faces are less recognizable. This group includes philosophers Hannah Arendt and Carl Jung; South African doctor Christiann Barnard, who performed the first successful human heart transplant surgery; scientist Enrico Fermi, whose work led directly to the discovery of nuclear fission; Maria Montessori, who revolutionized early childhood education; legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini; and James Watson and Francis Crick, who discovered the shape of DNA. This is a well-timed book, for as the century draws to a close, one can hardly think of a better way to take stock of the dramatic events, advances, and--arguably--declines that have shaped the human experience over the past 100 years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover; 1 edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879518936
• ISBN-13: 978-0879518936
• Product Dimensions: 14.3 x 10.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,448,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real collectors Item, October 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Icons of the 20th Century: 200 Men and Women Who Have Made a Difference (Hardcover)

Unlike a number of other books about the ranking of the "greatest" of the 20th century, this book does not rank anyone. This book lists the 200 men and women, in alphabetical order, who have made a difference during the last 100 years.

Cady blends detail with a personal touch in each biographical synopsis. The photos, in black and white, give the reader a face to put to the story. Photographer Jean-Jacques Naudet is a master of capturing the essence of the person on film.

While the price of the book is a bit hefty, your money is well spent in this collectable piece of work. For the past hundred years you have read stories about JFK, Ali, Mother Theresa, Michael Jordan now you can own a part of history.

I was most impressed by the author's ability to remain unbiased in the reporting. While I may not have include some of the people, I was no doubt impressed by the list. I am certain that this book will be real family or school crowd pleaser well into the next century.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, well-designed & -illustrated book, February 1, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icons of the 20th Century: 200 Men and Women Who Have Made a Difference (Hardcover)

But, alas, too American in the perspective. The selection includes people who are only of importance in the U.S. area. I.e. baseball & football players and t.v. entertainers (Oprah!)And in choosing Oppenheimer and Fermi instead of the far more important Niels Bohr. Further, Karen Blixen is presented by her alias Isak Dinesen - quite embarassing. The photos, though, are phantastic and the layout creative. In spite of an American chauvenism in the selection, the book makes a brilliant statement heading for the millennium.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous photography and brilliant historical esssays., December 19, 1998

By 

Valerie (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Icons of the 20th Century: 200 Men and Women Who Have Made a Difference (Hardcover)

If history is indeed personality, this book is the most fascinating take on the history of the 20th Century, refracted through the faces and the lives of 200 of the world's cultural icons . Every facet of 20th century life is invoked: political, military, scientific, literary, cinematic, musical, spiritual and pure personality are all represented. The selection of the iconic personages is itself fascinating and puts the century into a new perspective: only 66 years, for example, separate the Wright brothers first faltering flight from the first steps on the moon! This is a terrific book that would make a fine present for anyone born in any year of the 20th century.