Life Sixty Years: A 60th Anniversary Celebration 1936-1996 (Life Magazine) [Hardcover]

Life Magazine (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Life Magazine | Publication Date: November 1996

For anyone wanting to look back at the world over the last 60 years from a specifically American viewpoi nt, Life 60 Years captures events as varied as natural disas ters, Ronald Reagan''s presidency and wars ranging from D Day to Desert Storm. '

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Pr; First Edition edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821223356
• ISBN-13: 978-0821223352
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lifeless Review of 60 Lively Years, May 8, 2000

By 

Thomas M. Keane (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life Sixty Years: A 60th Anniversary Celebration 1936-1996 (Life Magazine) (Hardcover)

This surprisingly short (less than 200 pp) book attempts a vast sweep of coverage and falls short. Its failings extend beyond gaps, however, which are arguably inevitable in a survey of this sort. One might more readily excuse the gaps (such as omitting AIDS and the gay rights movement from the "Protest and Unrest" section, or JFK's assassination from the section on the presidency), if it weren't for the redundancy of having both a "Hollywood" and an "Arts & Entertainment" section, plus "Fashion, Fads & Fun," which cover far too much of the same ground. Worse, even those who expect less substance from Life than I may have hoped to see are likely to be disappointed by the all-important photos. Far too many are presented in awkward two-page spreads which are crossed in the center by the book's binding, ruining much of the photos' effect.

4.0 out of 5 stars Pictures tell story where words fail, July 9, 2008

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Life Sixty Years: A 60th Anniversary Celebration 1936-1996 (Life Magazine) (Hardcover)

LIFE Sixty Years is a look at photos from LIFE Magazine's archives from their beginning in 1936 through 1996. I am a very visual person. I need to see something to truly understand it. When reading certain books, I often have Google images open just to help me get a better idea of what's being described. I read the Illustrated edition of The DaVinci Code. During The Art Thief, I was constantly searching. This book is almost sensory overload for me, but at the same time not quite satisfying. Looking at the lush pictures of fashion, nature, and animals, I can't help but be awed by creations both manmade and from God. The pictures of disasters and unrest held my attention the longest. I find myself studying the images of faces looking for how they interpreted the scene in which they've found themselves. Seeing MLK's stoic acceptance of his arrest, the brutality of a police officer slamming his billy club on the back of a unionizer puts me in that moment. There's an image of a family in Arlington National Cemetery at the funeral of a Gulf War soldier. The children reflect complete lack of understanding. The mother is struggling for control, touching her children both for reassurance and to assure. A few pages later is the famous picture of a family running across a tarmac to greet their father who has been released as a Vietnam POW after six years in captivity. The daughter in front has completely left the ground in anticipation of meeting his arms. Her total joy moved me to tears. I wish that there had been more pictures so I could have great understanding. Great book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Sixty Years, April 6, 2008

By 

J. Schwieters "Avid Reader" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Sixty Years: A 60th Anniversary Celebration 1936-1996 (Life Magazine) (Hardcover)

This is a great book. Brought back so many memories and with such unforgetable photos.