`one hell of a seminal read ... Here is a book that grapples; with energy; ingenuity and terrific intellectual rigour; with a bewildering forest of issues around gender and politics ... illuminating; insightful; perceptive. - Womens Review
#2607471 in eBooks 2014-04-24 2014-04-24File Name: B00IAQJLTM
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. A fascinating readBy A. ThieleThis is a great book; very well researched and written in an easy-to-read manner. I dont understand the other two reviewers - I even checked to see if I had bought a second edition when I read about the language being a "disgrace". There are a couple of typos early on; but the rest of the book is beautifully written.I cant judge about the correct year of a movie being 1915 or 1916 or 1918; which another reviewer lists as one of the "wince-making" errors in the book; but in my opinion this is beside the point. Scholars interested in a specific person profiled here will not buy this book; they will buy a biography of that person instead.This book is for anyone who wants to learn more about the impact of a sudden change in culture on peoples ability to make art - the change being of course the ascent of the Nazis to power and World War II; which drove many Europeans to exile in the United States. The author doesnt restrict himself to one genre; instead choosing to cover dance; music; cinema and theater; as a result; he spends only a few pages on each of the many celebrities (Toscanini; Dietrich; etc) he writes about; but there are enough notes at the end of the book to help the curious reader find references regarding this or that person. Besides; many artists with high potential did not fare too well after they arrived in the States and are now largely forgotten. I can see how the lack of space devoted to any one person might frustrate some readers; though. The book is more an overview than an in-depth examination of how exile has affected specific individuals.I loved that book; and highly recommend it to anyone who wonders how changing cultures in adulthood affects artists and their ability to make art.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. InformativeBy MichyVery interesting3 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating But SloppyBy KennethGreat subject; interestingly told; but did anybody edit the language? Its a disgrace. If so many mistakes made it through; I wonder whether anybody did any fact-checking either.
