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"Here are the profiles of more than 360 men and women who have played a prominent role in the culture of the United States from colonial times to the present. Included are writers, musicians, dancers, painters, actors, architects, sculptors, photographers, and others who have left a timeless impression." "Each of the alphabetically arranged biographies summarizes the life and work of an individual and offers insight into the people and institutions that influenced these great cultural leaders. The entries describe important historical events and related cultural movements and many include little-known facts about the subject's personal life and quotes and anecdotes from friends and family."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

A general biographical dictionary that profiles 360 people in art, architecture, dance, film, literature, music, and theater (excluding radio, TV, journalism, and criticism) from the 18th century to the present, chosen for their "major contributions to American cultural, or artistic, life." "American" is interpreted broadly to include foreign-born individuals who enjoyed successful careers in the US, e.g., Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Gropius. The aims are to give a representative sampling, not to be comprehensive, and to cover the "historical phases" and "major strands" of each field--difficult to accomplish in one volume. The result is a mixed bag of entries, cursory in treatment and of varying quality. Each entry gives the subject's name, date of birth and death, and occupation; an opening paragraph summarizing the subject's importance, followed by an informative overview of his/her life; cross-references to other entries; and at least one bibliographic reference. The entries are unsigned; but, curiously, the contributors are identified on the book jacket, but not in the text. The work could have been improved by an index to professions, and a general topical index. Libraries with strong referene collections will not need this book, but it merits recommendation for its broad range of entries and can serve as a starting point for student research. L. E. Jorbin; Cleveland State University

Booklist Review

American Cultural Leaders follows the pattern of the previous ABC-Clio volumes, American Political Leaders and American Social Leaders. If the scope of those volumes was wide, Cultural Leaders is panoramic. Essays cover 360 actors, architects, artists, dancers, directors, musicians, photographers, writers, etc. Individuals range from such authors as Stephen Crane to David Mamet, artists from Sargent to Warhol, and musicians from Sousa to Bob Dylan; the spectrum is wide in other fields as well. Entries appear for individuals not traditionally considered American, such as Duchamp and Hockney. Essays open with birth and death dates and field of endeavor, then discuss important activities and contributions. Profiles close with a brief bibliography. The essays range in length from approximately 400 words for Willie Dixon to more than 1,000 words for Walt Disney. Some entries include a black-and-white photograph. Due to the scope of the book, the individuals included are the cr{{Å }}eme de la cr{{Å }}eme of their field, so information on them can be found many other sources. The convenience is having them all in one volume. American Cultural Leaders will be a good purchase for public and high school libraries. (Reviewed Jan. 15, 1994)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Robert J. Clark is professor of art and archaeology at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

Richard Ludwig is professor emeritus of English literature at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

Peter Westergaard is professor of music at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.