Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 12, 1993 TAG: 9312050213
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MIKE MAYO Book page editor
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Michael Jordan is one of the most famous and popular human beings on the planet. "Rare Air: Michael on Michael" (HarperCollins. $50 hardcover, $25 paper) is a photographic glimpse into his life, both personal and professional. Walter Iooss Jr. took the pictures. Given the demanding standards of celebrity-sports photography, they're still remarkably imaginative. The text is supplied by Jordan himself, apparently taken from taped interviews with Mark Vancil. Beyond his immediate family, the person he mentions most is North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
This book was put together during the past year, when Jordan's team was winning its third NBA championship. His father was murdered while the book was being printed and Jordan decided to retire from the sport about the same time it was released. Oddly then, "Rare Air" captures Michael Jordan at the moment of his greatest success, and despite its generally uncritical tone, there's a note of sadness to the book.
Impressionism is, without question, the most popular form of art for the lay public. Bernard Denvir's "The Chronicle of Impressionism" (Bullfinch. $40) is a thoroughly illustrated diary of "the new painting." Beginning in 1863, Denvir traces "the inside stories of the artists' daily lives: their travels, exhibitions, sales, patrons, friends, lovers, families, finances and aspirations." He accomplishes that goal in fine fashion, so the book is an excellent introduction for those of us who haven't had any art classes. The works reproduced provide an exemplary cross-section of Impressionism. Denvir pays particular attention to Gustav Caillebotte, one of the pioneers who's often overlooked.
Despite the absolute horror of it, World War II remains the most popular of America's wars - or at least the most morally justified _ and the air war in England is the most fondly remembered part of it. That's the subject of "Round the Clock" (Random House. $50) by Philip Kaplan and Jack Currie. Relying heavily on photographs and artifacts of the time, they recreate the world of the men who flew B-17s, B-24s and Lancaster bombers. They also include some evocative paintings and drawings, and writings from the time by John Hersey, Randall Jarrell, Mae West and others. Contemporary photographs of now-abandoned airfields and the men who fought that war as boys finish the picture.
Two new books take unusual looks at Washington, D.C. "The United States Capitol" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang. $45) reveals the interior of the Capitol Building in a depth of detail that no tourist would ever see. Photographer Fred J. Maroon has done a masterful job of capturing on film the public spaces, ornamentation, architecture and backrooms of that most recognizable of Washington landmarks. Suzy Maroon's text explains the history of the place. True, the pictures have the polished perfection of an Architectural Digest feature, and one could argue that such an image belies the dirty work of politics that goes on there. But that's not really the book's point.
"Washington: Seasons of the Capital" (Elliott & Clark. $29.95) takes a broader look at the city. Though photographer Ping Amranand and writer Philip Kopper include all the conventional monuments, government buildings and public places, they also go to places that most tourists overlook - Dumbarton Oaks, Pierce Mill in Rock Creek Park, the National Arboretum, the Frederick Douglass House in Anacostia. Because the book is arranged by seasons, many of the photographs present surprising perspectives on familiar landmarks: the Jefferson Memorial and its cherry blossoms on a gray, rainy day; the National Cathedral in light snow; The Washington Monument reflected in the polished wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at sunset. All in all, "Seasons of the Capital" is one of the best of its kind.
The name Walt Disney will always be synonymous with the big round ears and the image of Mickey Mouse, but the Disney studio has also been responsible for some memorable bad guys (and bad gals). That's the subject of "The Disney Villain" (Hyperion. $45.) by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, two of the studio's veteran animators. From the evil Queen in "Snow White," who appears in a hologram on the cover to the several incarnations of Jafar in "Aladdin," the Disney villain has always been just as impressive as the hero.
They're all here - Captain Hook, Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, Ursula, Stromboli, Monstro the Whale and the resti. Johnston and Thomas use stills from the films, rough sketches, photographs and drawings to chart the development of these fascinating characters. More importantly, in a separate section, they give credit to the animators who created these villains and brought them to life. Film is a collaborative medium, but the men and women who drew the great Disney cartoons have labored in the shadow of the studio for years. Individual attention is long overdue. Johnston and Thomas quote the artists extensively and list their credits.
This is one of the year's best for Disney movie lovers.
Keywords:
BOOK REVIEW
by CNB