Front Cover: Great Book Jacket and Cover Design (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

After considering the 300 colorful illustrations in this book, readers will find it difficult to avoid taking a more discerning look at the designs on hardbacks, paperbacks, and wraparound paper covers. These paper book jackets (more commonly known to Americans as dust jackets) have often been discarded as temporary, resulting in the loss of graphic designs characteristic of their times. While the purpose of any cover design is to serve as a marketing device to catch a potential buyer's eye, British author Powers (Univ. of Greenwich Sch. of Architecture and Landscape) discusses the importance of cover design in visually conveying (or not) the book's essence. An introduction giving historical context starts with the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Powers then groups his examples into four categories: the impact of modernism (1920s and 1930s), the creation of style (1940s through 1960s), a revolution in print (1960s and 1970s), and design in the digital age (1980s and 1990s). Within each, he insightfully discusses genres, individual books, designers, and publishing houses. The lists of designers and publishers at the end, however, do not include all those he refers to in the text. Nevertheless, the book is definitely recommended for both academic and public libraries. Anne Marie Lane, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

In this revealing and highly entertaining look at the great book jackets of the 20th century from around the world, author Alan Powers tells the story of the book jacket from its early days, via the advent of the paperback, to the most eye-catching covers produced today. With over 300 illustrations, including first editions by famous artists, jackets by key designers and artists, groundbreaking series from major publishing houses, and classic pulp-fiction jackets, this unique and fascinating insight into the world of the front cover will appeal to anyone with a passion for books and graphic design.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Mitchell Beazley (September 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840004215
• ISBN-13: 978-1840004212
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,002,060 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literary billboards., May 4, 2002

By	Robin Benson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A comprehensive look at book jacket design from the twenties to the nineties. The book only covers fiction and is divided into themed spreads with between five and nine covers on each. Author Powers writes detailed captions to each cover as well as providing short essays on each decade and genre. Nearly three hundred covers are shown in this well designed and printed book, none of them are angled or overlap other covers.

As the title covers the last eighty years there is not much opportunity to show lots of great covers in the same style put out by some English publishers, only two examples are shown of the unique designs created by Brian Cook for Batsford in the thirties and although there are several Penguin paperbacks included you can plenty more in 'Penguin by Design' (ISBN 0713998393) by Phil Baines. An excellent visual coverage of the company that published hundreds of titles with knockout covers.

Most of the jackets were designed in the UK but there is a good showing of well designed US covers. There are some pulp fiction and thriller covers apart from the literary stuff. A very similar book with 270 American covers is `Jackets Required' by Steven Heller and Seymour Chwast, covering jacket design from 1920 thru 1950 and if you have both these books it will make an excellent visual record of some of the best twentieth century fiction.

Have a look at my Listmania about book jackets for more visual titles.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for your collection, not a how-to book., August 31, 2004

By	Virginia (British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews

I ordered this book looking for some direction & inspiration while designing a book cover. It's a beautiful book, covering decades of work, with small blurbs on each book. These blurbs help clarify the subject the artist was trying to convey, which is sometimes fun to figure out.
HOWEVER, if you're looking for a how-to book, this is not one. Maybe I should have read the other review a little better. But if you're looking for some history and inspiration, this is a great book. I'm glad I bought it, even though it's not what I was looking for.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, August 14, 2006

By	Cathi Stevenson "Cover Designer, http://www.b... - See all my reviews

I am a book cover designer, and this book never seems far from my bedside. It's not a how-to, just a really great collection of book cover designs through time. Great for inspiration.