Book Description
From the Jim Crow world of 1920s Greenville, South Carolina, to Greenwich Village's Cafe Society in the '40s, to their 1974 Grammy-winning collaboration on "Loves Me Like a Rock," the Dixie Hummingbirds have been one of gospel's most durable and inspiring groups. Now, Jerry Zolten tells the Hummingbirds' fascinating story and with it the story of a changing music industry and a changing nation. When James Davis and his high-school friends starting singing together in a rural South Carolina church they could not have foreseen the road that was about to unfold before them. They began a ten-year jaunt of "wildcatting," traveling from town to town, working local radio stations, schools, and churches, struggling to make a name for themselves. By 1939 the a cappella singers were recording their four-part harmony spirituals on the prestigious Decca label. By 1942 they had moved north to Philadelphia and then New York where, backed by Lester Young's band, they regularly brought the house down at the city's first integrated nightclub, Cafe Society. From there the group rode a wave of popularity that would propel them to nation-wide tours, major record contracts, collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon, and a career still vibrant today as they approach their seventy-fifth anniversary. Drawing generously on interviews with Hank Ballard, Otis Williams, and other artists who worked with the Hummingbirds, as well as with members James Davis, Ira Tucker, Howard Carroll, and many others, The Dixie Hummingbirds brings vividly to life the growth of a gospel group and of gospel music itself.
Customer Reviews:
Givin' God the Glory.......2003-05-02
Jerry Zolten, co-author of 'Speaking to an Audience' and writer for Living Blues magazine, has devoted his interest into the lives and music of The Dixie Hummingbirds. What would gospel be like today if not for the influence of singers like The Hummingbirds, Fairfield Four, Skylarks, Kings of Harmony, Radio Four, the Selahs among others? They brought to us the reality that gospel was poulated by every type of people you can name. All that travels the gospel road those that succeeded were the Dixie Hummingbirds for their spiritual qualities and their unique a-capella style. It was thier backbone and their success that kept them together until now. Before there was Rock-n-Roll there they were. They sang through history from the Depression, the World Wars, Korea and Vietnam and through the decades of changing pop culture. Now that perseverance and dedication rewarded them, this will be their 75th anniversary. They have their place in the American Music Hall of Fame.
This is their story that began in 1920s Greenville, S.C. to their 1974 Grammy winning song 'Love Me Like a Rock.' Others made popular during their long career are, 'Christian's Automobile,' 'Have a Little Talk With Jesus,' 'Ezekiel Saw the Wheel,' 'Two Little Fishes & Five Loaves of Bread,' 'Let's Go Out to The Programs,' 'Savior Don't Pass Me By,' 'Devil Can't Harm a Praying Man,' 'I've Been Born Again,' and 'Wonderful to Be Alive' among a long line of memorable songs. James Davis and his friends began singing in a rural church. Their next 10 years would be jaunting from town to town, working radio stations, schools and churches. By 1939, the a-capella songbirds recorded their 4-part harmony spirituals on Decca. By 1942, they moved to Philadelphia and then New York with the Lester Young band they brought down the house each night at the Café Society. For there they catapulted into nationwide tours, major revord contracts, collaborating with Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. And they're still going stronger as ever. There are interviews of the artists who worked with the Hummingbirds. The book brings out the vivid life that shaped the gospel singers and gospel music. In the words of Ira Tucker, Sr. at the anniversary roast, he said, "There have been a lot of people that have turned their backs on us. But you know what? The man upstairs sits high and looks low. That's who we have our faith and trust in, is God Almighty. I'd like to say this to you. It wasn't the money that kept the Hummingbirds out there." In conclusion"....Don't think that we are finished. I'm glad not. AMEN. There are notes in the back of the book to further your search in Blues, Gospel, Jazz & Broadcasting with bibliography of books, articles, interviews, recordings & documentaries for more reading. n the subject of Blues, Gospel and those that influence the story of soul music, like Willie Dixon, Billie Holliday, Wynonie Harris, Mahalia Jackson and Josh White. Afterwards is a listing of the Hummingbirds recordings of their singles and albums, anthologies & collections, CD & Videos. Their collaborations with Marion Williams(Standing Here Wondering Which Way to Go), Melissa Manchester (Bright Eyes), Leon Redbone (Double Time), Harry Chapin (Living Room Suite), The Kennedys (Life is Large) and House of Blues-Music in the Air: The Dixie Hummingbirds 70th Anniversary Celebration and All-Star Tribute with Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Patty LaBelle, Wynonna Judd, Shirley Caesar and Vickie Winans. With all this, isn't that why they're so successful!
Customer Reviews:
Life Was Good Then........2005-06-27
This decade was "the best of times" for those of us growing up then. The music was the best and is still being played on radio stations fifty years later. And yet, the Scripps newspaper left out this decade when local talent shows abounded, and even some of us did pantomimes (not just the two Don Ferguson wrote about), and one newspaper editor said it was the worst of times as you couldn't drink in a restaurant. Most of Knoxville drinks behinds doors anyway; I had one radio announcer tell me that he knows all about the solitary drinker. Poor thing!
Harry Truman was still the war president and ordered the Atomic Energy Commission to develop the hydrogen bomb. He had already made our military use the atomic bomb which was developed in Oak Ridge, a few miles from Knoxville. He was a ferocious president but a coward in doing the fighting for himself.
Innocent people were slandered and a couple of "spies" were electrocuted in New York prisons -- time has shown that the wrong people were put to death. Because of politics the career of Alger Hiss was destroyed because of malicious lies by a political informer.
The pictures in this volume are absolutely fantastic. Hopalong Cassidy is there watching an orphaned bear in New Mexico hold a poster with a U.S. Forestry offical "Help Prevent Forest Fires." Guess he is the original Smokey the Bear.
There is a photo showing a theater marquee proclaiming "Free To Public Kefauver TV Senate Crime Hearings." McCarthy tried to destroy the lives and careers of folks out in Hollywood. He did some, but others assumed different names and kept on working on films.
The U. S. Postmaster General cuts mail delivery from twice a day to only once. Now, it takes a week and the cost of postage has gotten so exorbitant that most people send e-mail. Sometimes, even a Priority Mail ($3.85) does not reach its destination in 2005.
New on T.V.: "The Jack Benny Show''What's My Line' (tried to get on that one at the tender age of 15), 'You Bet Your Life' with Groucho Marx (boy, he was a clown!), and 'Your Show of Shows.' Why'd they leave 'Coke Time' out; that was THE SHOW for that decade and Eddie Fisher was thebiggest star of the Fifties.
Douglas MacArthur is remanded to the States by Truman to a ticker-tape parade and he declared to Congress, "Old soldiers never die; they just fade away." But he didn't -- no sir, he went back to where he promised he would return and rebuilt Japan singlehandedly.
In the Fifties, the average cost of four years of college was only $1800 (what I was promised when I married my teacher -- didn't get it!), up 400 percent from 1900. What is it today?
The execution of the Rosenbergs is a black eye on this country and will forever be a travesty of justice. It is blind justice.
Really cool and really informative!.......2004-01-18
The information and the pictures in this book are both great- I really learned a lot about the '50s. Everything is covered- music legends, Hollywood stars, important personalities, major political events, even what cars and toys were tops!
I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes to learn about history- you'll be interested!
A Real Treat For Those Remembering The 1950's !.......1999-11-05
192 pages jam packed with outstanding black and white and color photos of this time many of us remember. Provides an insight of the best of time, icons of the era, living the good life, the Red threat, dream machines, equal rights, TV, sports, entertainment and much, much more. If you remember S & H Green Stamps, Erector Sets, pink Cadillacs, fallout shelters, Sputnik, and dancing Old Gold Packs, you'll appreciate this winner.
A great visual journey through time.......1999-04-18
i'm a thirteen year old girl who had to use this book for a resourse in a history project for this decade. at first i thought the fifties were very boring and sugar coated. i took what i needed from the book and returned it. i went back to the library a month later for more books and saw this one again. i opened it and saw amazing pictures of athletes, comedians, civil rights activists, tv stars and more. i learned how real the fifties were, and how it changed america. this book is a great coffee table book as well as resourse. get this book as well as the other books in the series before the millenium!!
Average customer rating:
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American Dream: The 50s
Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Popular Culture
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0756778840 |
Average customer rating:
- Exciting memories of cars past
- cars of style and grace
- sundaes & saturday nights
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The Great American Dream Machines: Classic Cars of the 50s and 60s
Jay Hirsch
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Classic Cars
| Automotive
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Automotive
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General & Reference
| Technology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0025518305 |
Book Description
A tribute to American cars of the 1950s and 1960s - cars with style and soul. 65 classic cars are illustrated in 100 color and 50 black and white photos. Index.
Customer Reviews:
Exciting memories of cars past.......2006-08-25
My first and second cars were a 1961 Rambler and a 1967 Chevy respectively. The cars owned by my friend Ron were a 1951Chevy and a 1964 Chevy. Gary owned a 1968 Charger and Tom a 1965 Barracuda. My brother's first car was a 1965 Ford and then a late sixties Mustang. My all-time favorite car is the Z-28 Camaro of the late sixties. When I was growing up, my elderly neighbor owned a pristine 1956 Chevy.
While not all of those cars are illustrated in this book, there are enough photos of similar cars to bring back very fond memories of times past. Ron was a mechanic and I often helped him and Tom work on cars. We took them apart and put them back together, so I have seen the complete insides of some of these vehicles. There was nothing like getting behind the wheel of my '67 Chevy with a powerful V-8 engine, kicking the gas pedal to the floor and feeling the physical effect of being pushed back into the seat. It gave you a particular feeling of power that nothing else can give you. While I always drove the speed limit, there was no law regarding the time you had to spend getting to that speed.
While there is a lengthy caption explaining each car pictured, I did not read all of them. Even though the captions are complete, in most cases I was too busy looking at the pictures and enjoying the memories to worry about reading.
cars of style and grace.......2001-03-10
A celebration of the great American cars of the late 1940's through the early 1970's. In addition to all the iron turned out by Detroit there are a few cars that were improved upon by their owners. We are talking Kustoms, the forgotten art of the 50's. The livley anecdotal text is accompamnied by the best car photography today. Many of the cars featured are former participants of the 1950's and 1960's submarine races.
sundaes & saturday nights.......2001-03-10
Great book. The text is informative, witty and quick paced. The photography is outstanding. No reprints of old photos. The author/photographer is obviously a great photgrapher who happens to love American Cars. Unlike the majority of car books where someone has a camera, it is high noon and they take a picture This book has set a standard which leaves all the other car books in its dust.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2004-10-30
I bought this book years ago. I still enjoy it today. It is a fantastic book filled with trivia and tibdits about all the episodes, the cast and characters, and more.
Average customer rating:
- Unintentionally funny
- A bit soft for a university press book
- This book is a great idea in theory...
- Fun!
- "Illuminating food for thought."--Library Journal
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Gen X TV: The Brady Bunch to Melrose Place (Television Series)
Rob Owen
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Popular Culture
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Social Situations
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Media Studies
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Media And Society
| Communication
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
1970's
| Shows
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0815604432 |
Customer Reviews:
Unintentionally funny.......2004-07-12
Like a bad monster film where you can see the monster's wires sticking out, "Gen X TV" is so bad it's good. Not only good, but downright hilarious. Let me explain...
As someone raised on TV (but cognizant of its bland way of repackaging whatever works for one show to fill up the rest of the schedule, and other crimes), I am always wary of attempts to document the "history" of any particular movement in television. What's more, so much on television (especially at the time this book was released) is unworthy of being discussed in such grandiose terms that you can't help but feel books like this miss the point. Television is so ephemeral that it seems almost foolhardy to try and document it.
Now for the fun part, and why you should rent this from the library (save your money, folks): the now-canceled or forgotten shows that the author profiles. Sure, "Living Single" might have been a decent show, but it doesn't merit an entire portion of the chapter. The embrace of "The Brady Bunch" by Gen X (which thankfully, due to Owen's chronology, I don't belong to) is proof positive that they deserve all the mockery you can hoist.
And a serious discussion of "Melrose Place"? Give me a break!
What's also funny (at least to those of us who never cared for a certain much-hyped sitcom about twenty-somethings in New York) is the way the author lauds certain shows like "Friends" and how they "impacted" television. If by "impact" you mean "caused other networks to rush out clones on the air and ever since try to repeat the same tired formula as a sure way of suckering the American people into watching said crap", then I guess you've got a point.
Web-savvy post-Gen-Xers will laugh out loud at the "glossary" the book provides for technical terms that have since become part and parcel of the English language. Then again, what is a "world wide web" anyway, right?
It's almost cruel of me to point out how bad this makes the Gen-Xers look, but people who offer testimony on how "The Real World" changed their viewing habits really deserve much worse. I remember the same Gen X tv this book documents, and it just reminds me how bad some of this garbage was.
Oh, and the talk about how Gen Xers "demand more realistic content" should serve as a bellweather for anyone looking into the reasons behind reality TV. Thanks again, Gen X.
If anything, this book makes you laugh when you shouldn't, with serious discussion of (among others) "Models Inc.", "Partners", "My So-Called Life", and various other waste paper collecting at the bottom of TV's dustbin. I'm not saying post-Gen-X TV is all that much better (reality shows, the promotion of Paris Hilton to superstar status, etc), but at least we have "Arrested Development". The greatest cultural contributions of Gen X? "Beverly Hills 90210". I believe that makes my point.
All in all, this book was written with good intentions, but comes off as dated and even laughably bad to anyone post-1997. The simple fact that it was published too early to document the single greatest crime of Gen X ("Dawson's Creek" and other ripoff teen angst shows) is a point in its favor. Read it to remember, read it to laugh, read it to feel superior to your older brother or sister; anyway you slice it, you will get some enjoyment out of this. It might not be the kind the author had in mind, however...
A bit soft for a university press book.......1998-11-23
I hoped this book would have more insight into the topic than just a collection of overviews of the particular series. That's been done before and better.
This book is a great idea in theory..........1998-10-23
I loved the idea of this book. I love TV and Owen is an outstanding TV writer (for a good sample, read his column on-line). The book has some interesting ideas, but the book gets dull. It breaks no new ground and doesn't shed light on others. I liked the fact that it wasn't steeped in the usual "media criticism", but there is no depth to much of the book. I think Owen will write a great book on TV one day...he just isn't there yet.
Fun!.......1997-06-19
What fun! Rob Owen's book took me back to days when the TV (especially Scooby-Doo) was my
babysitter. It's hard to believe that someone
could get paid to write something so fun.
Gen X TV is a must-read for anyone between the ages of 20 and 35!
"Illuminating food for thought."--Library Journal.......1997-06-12
"Owen, a TV critic for the ALBANY TIMES UNION, takes a look at American youth between 22 and 32 years old
and the impact of TV on their collective attitude.
He deftly analyzes programs watched during the growing years
(THE BRADY BUNCH), landmark series (BEVERLY HILLS,
90210), SHOWS ABOUT GEN X ITSELF (FRIENDS), and, in
an intriguing but sobering look at cyberspace, the
impact of the Internet as a means of communicating
about cutting-edge favorites. . . . Some illuminating
food for thought here on contemporary culture.
Recommended."--LIBRARY JOURNAL
Product Description
Dot-to-dot, things to make, mazes, crosswords, and pencil games featuring characters from the ABC TV Network series.
Book Description
Ready to put the newest, most advanced features of OpenGL to work in your games? "More OpenGL Game Programming" is more than simply a continuation of the successful "Beginning OpenGL Game Programming" and "OpenGL Game Programming." This new version of the book contains contributions by more than 20 OpenGL and game-programming experts, designed to take you beyond the limited scope of most introductory game-programming texts. Focusing on the graphical components of games, More OpenGL Game Programming introduces you to advanced OpenGL features, such as shaders and advanced texture mapping and lighting, and then shows you how to put these features to use by accomplishing such tasks as creating special effects, simulating natural effects, and rendering terrain. Finally, you'll learn how to animate and render models, as well as how to efficiently manage your game objects. If you're an intermediate game programmer who is ready to move on to advanced OpenGL game programming, this book is the reference you need to get you started.
Customer Reviews:
Another partially completed project........2007-02-18
I'm rating this 2 stars primarily because of the incomplete nature of the project. It's not just that the code samples won't compile, or are so disorganized as to be nearly worthless. Much more irritating are the constant references to code samples that simply don't exist. Time and again the author(s) refer to sample programs that can be 'downloaded from the books web site'. These programs do not exist. The authors lame explanations for the lack of a CD (cost, etc) lose all credibility when one comes to the realization that the likely reason a CD doesn't exist is because the vast majority of the sample programs referred to in the text don't exist, either. Any hope that new code samples my someday appear on the book site seems futile as well - the site hasn't been updated in a year and a half. One is left with the feeling that this is clearly a project that was shipped when only partially completed. I feel ripped off; taken advantage of.
On the plus side, portions of the book are well written and informative. It is, in spite of it's shortcomings, one of the better books I've found for explaining a variety of GL techniques commonly used in games. It's a shame it doesn't live up to it's promise; if the authors had been a little more diligent in completing the project before publishing it, it could have been a world-beater. Instead it's just another slightly below average dissapointment.
I also have a real problem with the fact that the author is writing reviews (typically 4 star ratings) for books that his own organisation is involved in publishing. If that isn't a conflict of interest I don't know what is. I feel Amazon compromises their credibility by allowing clearly non-objective 'reviews' to be listed with the books. If the author wants to write a little blurb, thats fine, but don't let them rate products they have a financial interest in.
Great book.......2007-01-18
This is one of the best books I've ever read about the OpenGL...
Not so interesting.......2007-01-17
Some of the stuff in this book is redundant in a sense that language specs and extensions spec are already available online then why put in there.
Second, I found the explanation more like notes+spec form. Not at all for an newbie person and for an expert it does not offer anything new. As it starts with FBO, RenderTarget, PBOs etc. many things have changed over the period, including GLSL specs.
Book structure is also quite confusing to me, it starts with some concepts of advance OpenGL(!) and then it is more like ShaderXn series with appendix and last chapeters full of GLSL and ARB specs.
Buy this book if you know what you are looking for, check appendix first.
An excellent overview of advanced graphics.......2006-03-07
"More OpenGL Game Programming" takes the basic foundation of "OpenGL Game Programming" and takes it to a professional level. I currently am taking advanced graphics courses in college, and this book has managed to match pound-for-pound the amount of graphics techniques covered in advanced courses. This book is definitely designed with the serious programmer aimed at professional-level work in mind, and it delivers generously.
The book is structured as a series of articles of varying lengths addressing a large number of advanced topics in graphics. It starts with giving better methods to store and pass data around than in the previous volume, which can be applied to all of the techniques thereafter. A few small articles about mildly interesting topics serve as appetizers to the main course: shaders. The author clearly recognizes the importance of shaders and spends a fitting amount of time discussing them. The examples start out simple and demonstrate practical uses of shaders, making sure the reader comes out of these large chapters with a working knowledge of what shaders are for and how to use them.
With shaders mastered, the rest of the book dives into a feast of useful graphics techniques and tricks. It effectively covers the various solutions available to common graphical goals and effectively conveys when they can and can't be used, their costs and benefits, and other important information that not only helps implement but also helps the reader decide when to use each technique for the best effect.
Don't underestimate this book; it is massive as well as meaty. If you are passionate about computer graphics you won't be able to skip a page. If you're a professional, this book is full of valuable reference material and details about implementing the latest innovations in graphics. This book doesn't have a place on my bookshelf; it has a place on my desk.
That said, the only thing that is badly lacking is the source code. The book does not come with a CD, but rather allows the reader to download source code from the author's website. The included examples are fairly well-constructed, but the code base is incomplete. Most depressingly, the source code for the shader wrapper - which the author uses in most of the code examples for shaders - is not available currently. While having the interface design is nice, it does require that the reader implement it in order to directly copy the code examples from the book, which might feel tedious when one is anxious to actually start messing around with shaders. However don't think that the source code is totally useless; there's a good deal of useful source on the web site to sift through.
The complaints out of the way I must reiterate that this is the best graphics book I have seen available and was worth not only every penny but more. I strongly recommend "More OpenGL Game Programming" to to student who's looking to take amateur graphics programming to the professional level or the professional looking for a good resource for the latest graphics techniques used in games today.
Average customer rating:
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More Opengl Game Programming
Dave Astle
Manufacturer: Course Technology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
OpenGL
| Graphics & Multimedia
| Programming
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000N66PFK |
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