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David Bowie Is [Hardcover]

Victoria Broackes , Geoffrey Marsh
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
RRP: �35.00
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Book Description

23 Mar 2013
David Bowie is a pioneering artist and performer whose career has spanned nearly 50 years and brought him international acclaim. He has sold over 140 million albums, and been cited as a major influence on contemporary artists and designers working across the creative arts. This is the first book produced with access to the David Bowie archive of performance costume, ephemera and original artwork by the artist, which is brought together to present a completely new perspective on his creative work and collaborations. The book traces his career from its beginnings in London, through the breakthroughs of Space Oddity and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and on to his impact on the larger international tradition of twentieth-century avant-garde art. Essays by V&A; curators on Bowie's London, image, and influence on the fashion world, are complemented by Christopher Frayling, Mark Kermode and Philip Hoare on film; Howard Goodall on musicology; Camille Paglia on gender and decadence; and Jon Savage on Bowie's relationship with William Burroughs and his fans.

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: V&A; Deluxe ed edition (23 Mar 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1851777377
  • ISBN-13: 978-1851777372
  • Product Dimensions: 2.9 x 25.4 x 31.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Product Description

About the Author

Victoria Broackes is curator of Theatre & Performance at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. She has previously curated exhibitions on Annie Lennox and Kylie Minogue. Geoffrey Marsh is Director of the V&A; Theatre Collections. He co-curated the exhibition Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909 - 1929, contributing to the catalogue. Contributor biographies: Christopher Breward is Principal of Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and Vice Principal Creative Industries & Performing Arts for the University of Edinburgh, and is the former Head of Research at the V&A.; He co-curated British Design from 1948: Innovation in the Modern Age, and has worked on many other exhibitions including The London Look (2004) and Sixties Fashion (2006). Oriole Cullen is the V&A; curator of Fashion in Motion and Modern Fashion. She studied History of Dress at the Courtauld Institute and previously worked as curator of Dress and Decorative Arts at the Museum of London. She has worked on a number of fashion exhibitions including Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 (2012), Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones (2009) and Vivienne Westwood (2000). Howard Goodall is an EMMY, BRIT and BAFTA award-winning composer of choral music, stage musicals, film and TV scores, and a distinguished broadcaster. He contributed to Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909 - 1929, and has written several other books including The Story of Music (2013) and Big Bangs: Five Musical Revolutions (2011). Camille Paglia is University Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she has taught since 1984. She is the author of six books: Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (1990); Sex, Art, and American Culture (1992); Vamps & Tramps (1994); The Birds, a study of Alfred Hitchcock published in 1998 by the British Film Institute in its Film Classics Series; Break, Blow, Burn: Camille Paglia Reads Forty-Three of the World's Best Poems (2005); and Glittering Images: A Journey through Art from Egypt to Star Wars (2012). She has written many articles on art, literature, popular culture, feminism, politics and religion for publications around the world. Jon Savage is a writer, broadcaster and journalist. His previous writing includes the books Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture (2007) and England's Dreaming (1991), as well as innumerable contributions to the Guardian, the Observer, The Face and the New Statesman. The book also contains a roundtable discussion by Sir Christopher Frayling, Mark Kermode and Philip Hoare.

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Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Dame At The V & A In A Nutshell 22 Mar 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you are intending to go to see the exhibition at the V & A or not, then you need this book. It in a nutshell, it contains photos, many close up, of all the main exhibits at the museum. From all the early 'Ziggy' costumes through to the one's he wore for the Reality tour via a breathtaking section based around the Diamond Dogs tour. As no photographs are allowed to be taken at the V & A, this is the closest you will get to seeing these items again. Apart from original lyrics shown full page, and costumes mentioned above, you also get plenty of original period photos, and documents relating to stage productions, etc. My favourite photo is of the original; model of the Diamond Dogs set. As that tour didn't come to the UK, most of us have rarely even seen photos of the set, let alone a working model ! The hardback edition of the book has a lovely velvet feel to both the front and back cover. The book overall is huge, and like the man himself, beautiful.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. T. Anderson TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am a big Bowie fan and have a ton of books about him. Created as a companion to the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this is one of the best. Several reasons:

1. The exhibition was given full access to the official David Bowie Archive which means there is plenty of material you have not seen before, such as handwritten lyrics with corrections (that line in "Heroes", "and we kissed as though nothing could fall", was drafted as "and we kissed and you felt called"), minor details maybe but it is fascinating to get a glimpse at how these songs evolved. There is also a big focus on costumes, photographed in superb quality, many of which are stunning, as well as photographs, posters, artwork done for album covers complete with some early mock-ups and that I have not seen before, and other memorabilia.

One costume example is Natasha Korniloff's "cobweb bodysuit" designed for the 1980 Floor Show, which has a pair of hands clutching Bowie's chest stitched into it. First we see Mick Rock's photo of Bowie wearing this on stage, then pictures of the costume itself. Fantastic.

2. This is not just a picture book. There is a lot of text, and it's good stuff. The authors are various, but the editors are Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh from the V&A;, who take a scholarly approach though they still convey enthusiasm for their subject (and overall this is a book for fans, there is not much here that is negative). There is a lot of factual information though, both biographical and cultural. The cultural bit is important. As you would expect from people working for a museum, the editors are interested in how Bowie was influenced by the culture of his times, and in turn how he influenced it.

The book is organized into nine main chapters.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars It's a great year to be a Bowie fan 22 Mar 2013
By markr TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a beautiful book created to accompany the David Bowie Is exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum. Beautifully illustrated throughout with photographs of clothes and other items from the exhibition this covers the full 40 plus years of Bowie's outstanding career up to the Reality tour. Clothes include the Life on Mars sky blue suit, the Station to Station black suit, the Sound and Vision stage wear designed by Armani, the Ashes to Ashes pierrot costume, numerous examples from the Ziggy and Aladdin Sane tours and the blue suit stage costume from the Diamond Dogs tour which Bowie also wore in the 1985 Live Aid performance, as well as many others.

But there is much more here too, including images of the lyrics from Heroes, Lady Stardust, and Oh! You Pretty Things, complete with Bowie's handwritten scoring outs and amendments. Interspersed through the photographs are a variety of narratives covering Bowie's career and influence from several angles, including his album covers and his influence on fashion and style throughout the years.

2013 is already one of the great years to be a Bowie fan, and this beautiful book just adds to the joy of the new album, and the anticipation of the what might still be to come

Cant wait to see the V&A; exhibition for myself!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars David Bowie Is...Dazzling! 16 July 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
After visiting the exhibition at the V&A; I really wanted to buy this at the time, but two things stopped me. The first thing is the weight - this is a heavy, heavy book to be carting round busy streets. The second thing was the equally hefty price, which was much more expensive than Amazon.

Anyway, all that aside, I can guarantee that this is a fantastic book, and a must-have for any true Bowiephile. Many things that are in the exhibition are listed - from the rare photos and scrawled lyrics to many of the classic songs, to a large well illustrated section on all the costumes. The latter here is especially welcome, as anyone who's been round the gallery knows that due to the volume of people milling about, and the fact that it's difficult to get too close the costumes. The pictures here are amazing and zoom right in on all the details. There is an extensive text throughout, but this is really more of an ultra-stylish coffee table book. It's well worth going for the hardback edition, which is much more impressive than the paperback.

As someone who has a huge library of Bowie reading material I thought I had just about every book worth having, but this blew me away.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Bought for someone that was going to the exhibition and it was fantastic!!! Great quality and photos and very interesting...
Published 4 days ago by Espinosa De Los Mont
5.0 out of 5 stars Collector's item
It has all the unexpected bits of information, quirky details, mix of iconic images and lesser-known ones which made the exhibition at the V&A; so compelling. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Marina Sofia
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it
This is such an impressive book. Loads to read beautiful pictures. So happy I bought it. Everything Lady Gaga has done style wise was done by David Bowie.
Published 7 days ago by matt123
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
I reckon this book will appeal to Bowie nerds (like me), and to everyone else too.

It's ostensibly a companion to the recent V&A; exhibition, but don't let that put you... Read more
Published 11 days ago by Paul Ockenden
5.0 out of 5 stars Bowie is.
I went to the exhibition in London which was great. This book is excellent.
It is a coffee table book ,very heavy that is why I got it at Amazon instead of carrying
It... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Phil Gillborn
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have.
Perfect! Simply perfect.
A must have for all Bowie fans.
I'll wait for an italian traduction.
The hardback version is the best.
Published 17 days ago by Lorenzo
5.0 out of 5 stars Bowie Is
Excellent book with a very comprehensive and detailed review of Bowie and his work. The hardcover edition is top quality. Read more
Published 24 days ago by PETER VILA
1.0 out of 5 stars Lovely book
I read this before I went to the V&A.; I think it enhanced my visit. Great colour photographs good quality paper bound in a good cover. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Janet Gregory
5.0 out of 5 stars A lifetime of Bowie!
I ordered this book for my mothers birthday. She had tried and tried to get tickets to the event at the V&A; to no avail and I thought this would serve as a fitting alternative and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. N. Shefford
5.0 out of 5 stars Birthday Gift
I bought this for my daughter's birthday and she loved it. Lots of never before seen pictures and interesting articles. It arrived promptly and was well wrapped.
Published 1 month ago by Florence Joan Beech
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