|
| Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture | 
 enlarge | Authors: Tommy Hilfiger, George Lois
Publisher: Universe
Category: Book
List Price: $60.00
Buy Used: $20.00
You Save: $40.00 (67%)
New (30) Used (23) from $20.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 285506
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 350
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 12.3 x 9.2 x 1.5
ISBN: 0789315734
Dewey Decimal Number: 746
EAN: 9780789315731
ASIN: 0789315734
Publication Date: November 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
What is America? It’s Monopoly and Mickey Mouse, but also Sinatra and Fred Astaire. It’s the Declaration of Independence, but it’s also Barbie and Playboy, Winslow Homer and Rudi Gernreich’s topless bathing suit. This juxtaposition of images reflects America’s unique eclecticism, and the unprecedented influence that the images of America’s pop culture have had on the world. This book works as a great treasury of Americana, and as a mischievously enjoyable observation on all things truly American. Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and famous adman George Lois have crafted an enlightening book, searching American history to find over 350 people, symbols, and things of import. Their iconic and iconoclastic choices are entertainingly presented through surprising visual juxtapositions. Inspired by Tommy Hilfiger’s passion for Americana and George Lois’ wit, Iconic America dramatizes the national ethos, and makes us think about who we are and what we stand for, with humor and charm.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 A Coffee Table Book from Hell December 15, 2008
The title of this review stems from my reaction to the size and heft of this book when I first saw it. Clocking in at some 300+ pages, and a hefty size, it's one monster of a book. And it has just about everything that is a part of the American iconography over the past 225+ years of existence. It has Burma shave signs. It has Andy Warhol. It has the Nike Swoosh. It has apple pie. It has Santa Claus.
Tommy Hilfiger may not be the best writer in the world, but he does have an eye for the most memorable icons of the past almost 2 centuries. There are iconic paintings that have captured American History and Americana (Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware and Wood's American Gothic to name a couple). There are the brand names that are associated with America (Mc Donald's the Pillsbury doughboy and the previously mentioned Nike swoosh). Cinematic memories (Frankenstein, Dracula, Jimmy Stewart, etc.) architecural masterpieces (the Guggenheim, the Empire State Building, Penn Station, etc.) and moments in history (The Hindenburg, the Kennedy assasination, Lou Gehrig's farewell speech) all vie for your attention in these pages.
Some may be scandalized by the appearance of an actual Playboy centerfold (from a 1971 issue) in these pages, or a picture of a topless bikini by Rudi Gernreich, but myself I was more scandalized by the pictures of Michael Jackson and O. J. Simpson and their respectively famous gloves. Yeech!
Great book but there's something you should know about it. August 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I think this is a VERY awesome book and actually a history of life in America. I just want to caution anyone who MAY be shocked by a Playboy, nude centerfold in the middle of the book. I had bought the book for an elder member of my family and hadn't realized the photo was there. It was not well received. The photo may actually make you WANT to purchase the book now but just in case you may be offended...just know that it IS there.
 eh, so-so August 8, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book looked more interesting than it really is. I wanted a nice coffee table book, but this one has a lot of nudity that I embarassingly found out about as my church group was thumbing through it!
Iconic America August 3, 2008
This book was a gift for my husband for his birthday. Not only is he spending lots of time reading about fascinating people and things in America, our children are also enjoying finding out the origin of these things. It's a beautiful large book with great color pictures. I would highly recommend it.
 I bought this book for my husband..... August 2, 2008
I purchased this book for my husband after we saw it on TV. He absolutely loves it!! I haven't even looked at it yet because he always has it and is always quoting some trivia or something from it to me....A very worthwhile purchase!
|
|
|
| |
