portraying Marilyn Monroe that her pictures of

her are some of the most individuating, hence

Nicky Epstein Knitting in Tuscany: most iconic, of that quintessential movie star.
Fabulous Design, Luscious Yarns, Shopping For the humbler people she lensed in ground-
Secrets, Food & Wine, Travel Notes. breaking assignments to Afghanistan in 1969,
By Nicky Epstein. South Africa in 1973, and China in 1979, she
July 2009. 112p. illus. Sterling/Nicky Epstein, $19.95 depended on a developed photographer’s intu-
(9781933027753). 746.43.

A
ition that was virtually nonpareil. —Ray Olson
lthough design comes first in the subtitle, that’s
not the real draw of this book for knitters. Only
How the Beatles Destroyed Rock ’n’
a few will be inspired to take on projects like
Roll: An Alternative History of American
a felted Etruscan jug, a rooster pillow, or an oversize
Popular Music.
vest with a Roman lad on the front. What is fabulous, however, is following popular
By Elijah Wald.
designer­-author Epstein as she knits her way through northern Italy. The handsome-
June 2009. 352p. illus. Oxford, $24.95
ly designed book, filled with lovely photos, is divided by region (Florence, Chianti,
(9780195341546). 781.640973.
Siena and environs, and Montepulciano) and offers suggestions about where to stay,
Wald contends that the Beatles, when they
what to eat, which sights to see, and, most importantly, where to find great knit
became a studio-bound band, split listening
shops. The personal tone of the narrative makes readers feel like they’re (almost)
music away from dancing music, creating a bi-
along for the ride. All of the knitwear projects are shown with the Italian sights that
furcation in pop music as a whole that limits
inspired them; for instance, the “Carrara Marble Cardigan” is faced by a stunning
cross-pollination and separates white and black
building made of the stone. Those who cook as well as knit will enjoy a few simple
music makers because the latter rarely achieve
recipes. Perhaps the knitters’ travel book of the year. —Ilene Cooper
the financial security to stop playing live for
dance-oriented fans. Adamant that he is writing
hibition essentials and information on IRS followed by pulp paperback covers. The cute history, not criticism, Wald avoids qualita-
reporting, grants, and legal contracts. On the bombshells that painters like Elvgren and Vargas tive assessment as he chronicles popular music
more nuanced side, she addresses the isolation made every GI’s dream were succeeded (but not from the early 1900s to rap, making frequent
of solitary creation and need for community displaced—whew!) in the 1950s by the tough comparisons between Paul Whiteman’s band
building via collectives, support groups, and, beauties Maguire made his forte. Although the and the Beatles. Whiteman, though largely dis-
of course, the Internet. A wealth of reproduced women Maguire painted to grace the covers missed by critics today, was nearly as popular
art and profiles of artists complete this inspir- of novels with titles like Violence in Velvet and in his time as were the Beatles in theirs, but for
ing, useful, and, given the rise in do-it-yourself Private Eyeful were surely luscious, they looked Whiteman the technology to allow his band to
careers, timely resource. —Whitney Scott street-real; they weren’t remote glamourpusses. stay active without live appearances didn’t exist.
They were often, if not in trouble, pure trouble Wald’s quarrel isn’t with the Beatles as much as
Conquest of the Useless: Reflections all by themselves, and their vulnerability on the with mainstream media and music-biz public-
from the Making of Fitzcarraldo. one hand and availability, not to say inevitabil- ity that lionize certain musical influences so that
By Werner Herzog. ity, on the other, were qualities Maguire made the past looks simpler than it was and pop-music
July 2009. 320p. Ecco, $24.99 (9780061575532). nearly palpable; given the intent to grab male history is skewed toward particular artists and
791.43. eyes, the more palpable the better. Silke, no styles whose importance is fundamentally more
Considered one of the finest filmmakers in slouch at painting sirens himself, writes with mythic than real. And that’s just Wald’s main
the world, Herzog is certainly among the most an acolyte’s rapt enthusiasm about Maguire’s argument. Engrossing stuff. —Mike Tribby
perfectionist. In his idiosyncratic anti-journal distinctions, but he never gushes, probably be-
on the making of Fitzcarraldo, he employs a cause that would consume page-acreage that is The Rough Guide to Anime.
style that is less straightforward account than much better devoted to scores of brilliantly re- By Simon Richmond.
stream-of-consciousness attempt to convey produced color paintings, finished book covers, June 2009. 292p. illus. Rough Guides, paper, $18.99
the film’s quixotic nature. Based on an early- details, and sketches as well as black-and-white (9781858282053). 791.43.
twentieth-century Peruvian rubber baron, reference photos. Commercial idealist illustra- Richmond on Japanese animation will be
Fitzcarraldo’s protagonist attempts to build tion as close to fine art as it gets. —Ray Olson useful to both new fans and regular viewers,
an opera house in jungle-bound Iquitos, Peru, despite a few flaws. The first chapter’s his-
and the film’s major set piece involves pulling Eve Arnold’s People. tory of anime is informative and interesting,
a steamship over a steep hill. Herzog recalls the Ed. by Brigitte Lardinois. and in chapter 2, Richmond presents the
production’s physical hardships and the tense 2009. 176p. illus. Thames & Hudson, $40 50 greatest anime by his lights, which will
relationship he had with temperamental lead- (9780500543719). 779.2092. probably stir up controversy among fans
ing man Klaus Kinski. Mick Jagger, supposed One of the first women in the photojournal- about what was selected and what left out.
to be in the film but eventually a dropout be- ists’ collective Magnum, Arnold was in her late The guide bogs down in the middle, where
cause of scheduling conflicts, also enters the thirties when she launched her career. She re- the chapter on how anime are created fails to
story, as do ongoing financial difficulties and tired a half-century later and receives this tribute give the level of detail devout fans will want.
health-related issues that affected the crew as in her ninety-eighth year. She became famous Nor will such fans find any surprises there-
shooting fell ever further behind schedule. for exceptionally personalizing, on-the-wing after, though those without prior knowledge
Herzog’s stylistic approach captures the desper- portraits of everyone from Queen Elizabeth will learn more about understanding anime.
ate, dreamlike atmosphere of the shoot, such II to an old woman glimpsed in a darkened The guide is packed with Web-site citations,
that his fans and film buffs in general will ap- doorway. Arnold wasn’t merely lucky, as erst- summaries and critiques of anime new and
preciate all the sacrifices that went into making while subjects Anjelica Huston and Isabella old, and even anime travel sites for fans
this particular movie. —June Sawyers Rossellini attest, as do eight of her colleagues planning to visit Japan. Minor typos and a
quoted in editor Lardinois’ commentary. With tendency to repeatedly mention the same ti-
Dames, Dolls & Gun Molls: The Art of subjects who expected her—basically, the fa- tles keep this from being a terrific book, but
Robert A. Maguire. mous ones—she took time for them to become it’s still a strong read for its potential audi-
By Jim Silke. inured to her presence, all the while studying ence. —Snow Wildsmith
June 2009. 112p. illus. Dark Horse, paper, $24.95 them so that when she photographed she would YA/S: Plenty of history, cultural significance,
(9781595822727). 741.6. have a feeling for their most characteristic ges- and viewing recommendations for those
Like day by night, the pinup’s heyday was tures and expressions. She became so adept at moving beyond basic fandom. SW.
16 Booklist June 1 & 15, 2009
Adult

adJe1.indd 16 6/3/2009 9:37:35 AM