Kiawah Island; located on the picturesque South Carolina coast in the heart of the Lowcountry; has a well-deserved reputation as a world-renowned destination. With its pristine beaches; award-winning golf courses and spectacular resort; Kiawah beckons to thousands of visitors from across the globe each year. Kiawahs charm; however; goes far beyond its breathtaking natural beauty and vaunted destination status. Unknown to many; the history of this beloved sea island is as captivating as its celebrated shoreline; its past as compelling as #17 on the Ocean Course. This landmark new book reveals the history of Kiawah Island as never before. Since the early eighteenth century; Kiawah has been used for myriad purposes by a wide variety of inhabitants. Kiawah Island: A History; by historian Ashton Cobb; provides a comprehensive consideration of the diverse factors and factions that have combined to shape Kiawahs fascinating history. Cobb calls upon a wide array of sources to tell the story of a South Carolina sea island that has been the site of great change through the centuries; but has remained a treasured location for generations of inhabitants and devoted visitors.
#2704971 in eBooks 2015-03-26 2015-03-26File Name: B00XQ9C1Q8
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Hundreds of Character Sketches As We Look at People Looking at Art; With JokesBy Pop BopThe Louvre has copublished at least a half-dozen graphic novels that feature the Louvre as interpreted by different independent artists. The ones Ive read range from pretty awful; (DeCrecys "Glacial Period" is a rework of "Planet of the Apes" with the ice covered Louvre subbing in for the Statue of Liberty); to mildly charming; (in Durieuxs "An Enchantment" a vaguely bored retiring museum director wanders the Louvre pursuing a Muse).But here; in "Cruising Through the Louvre" they get it just right. Both the story approach and the drawing are quite satisfying.The story is clever. Our artist wanders the Louvre mulling over what sort of Louvre book hes going to draw. Thats simple enough; theres no dialogue; theres minimal internal monologue. But; we get a real sense of the artist; his life; and the challenge he faces. Nothing heavy or profound; but remarkably engaging and self-effacing; which is the exact opposite of what one expects.And the drawing is loaded with amusements and jokes. Hundreds and hundreds of character sketches as the artist basically watches people look at the art. The range of characters is varied and diverse. Lots of visual jokes about people adopting the same positions as the objects they are contemplating. Jokes about how people interact with art. A clever set of drawings showing what Mona Lisa sees as she looks out at the tourists looking at her. And all of this is done with understated charm and great technique and restraint.So; while it would be possible to dismiss this as just a long; clever Louvre souvenir book; it is actually quite accomplished and entertaining; and loaded with style and humor. A nice find.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Journey though art galleries and their inhabitantsBy Johanna Draper CarlsonInstead of a story centered on the many works of art the Louvre museum contains; Prudhomme focuses here on those who come to see it.The pages appear to be reproduced from pencils; giving everything a smudgy look; without strong definition between the viewers and the art viewed. Thatrsquo;s part of his point; but stylistically; the eye doesnrsquo;t have many resting points; blurring elements together. I also didnrsquo;t care for the opening; where the artist has a cell-phone conversation about the progress of his book. (Later; he acknowledges that in real life; taking phone calls in the museum is against the rules.) Like hearing someone in a real museum; I found it a self-centered distraction.Some individual images are interesting; particularly in juxtaposition between life and art mdash; a teacher surrounded by kids in front of a picture of the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels; a striking woman viewing the Mona Lisa mdash; but I found the people too often appearing insubstantial. Itrsquo;s hard to make out details at times. I expect a book like this to make me want to visit the museum; and Cruising Through the Louvre was surprisingly ineffective in this regard. This is a better memento; after visiting the Louvre; than an invitation.ldquo;You can drown yourself quickly here;rdquo; says our narrator. Thatrsquo;s true; particularly as so much of the book is a grey wash; sweeping over without drawing the reader into the images. (The publisher provided a review copy. Review originally posted at ComicsWorthReading.com.)
