Readers who are nostalgic for the Obama years will appreciate this unique tribute.
A look back at the presidency of Barack Obama.
Denver, Colorado–based photographer Duncan (A Defining Moment, 2010) got a front-row seat to history when she began documenting then U.S. Sen. Obama’s journey to the White House for local African American newspapers in 2006. She photographed the candidate and his supporters at numerous events in the Rocky Mountain state, including the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. After his election, she continued to document his career nationwide. In this handsome coffee-table book, she couples striking, full-color photos with the full text of many of Obama’s most notable speeches, including his famous 2008 speech on race, his victory-night speech that same year in Chicago, his 2009 and 2013 inaugural addresses, and his 2017 farewell address. Because the book focuses heavily on Obama’s many visits to Colorado, it sometimes neglects other important events. Two Air Force Academy commencement addresses are included, for example, while his remarks on the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2010 and on the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march are notably absent. Some speeches by other political figures are included as well, such as Hillary Clinton’s acceptance of the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination and U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ speech at the 2008 Democratic convention. Supplementary material includes a list of Obama’s accomplishments; information on the presidential limousine, nicknamed “The Beast,” and Air Force One; and Electoral College maps. But it’s the numerous, revealing photos that are the main draw, including one image of a smiling Obama walking onstage to accept his party’s nomination and another of the jubilant faces of his supporters on election night in 2008. The book even provides an inside look at the White House, as Duncan shares photos that she took during the 2014 Holiday Reception, during which she got a few candid shots of the Obamas’ dogs Bo and Sunny. The author’s sincere admiration for Obama shines through in this collection, which effectively commemorates a historic presidency.
Readers who are nostalgic for the Obama years will appreciate this unique tribute.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9847316-4-0
Page Count: 344
Publisher: IJABA Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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