Items related to The New York Public Library's Books of the Century

The New York Public Library's Books of the Century - Hardcover

 
9780195108972: The New York Public Library's Books of the Century
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
What are the books that helped shape and define the last hundred years? This was the question put to the librarians of The New York Public Library as part of the Library's 100th anniversary celebration. Which books had influenced the course of events for good or ill? Which interpreted new worlds? Or delighted millions of readers? Their answers to these questions formed "Books of the Century," a highly popular exhibit during the Library's centennial celebration (1895 to 1995), highlighting an exhilarating collection of important works by some of the greatest writers of our times.
Now, the companion volume, The New York Public Library's Books of the Century takes readers on a thought-provoking tour of the last hundred years, through the medium of the printed word. Here readers will find over 150 pivotal works organized into topical categories, reflecting themes that have informed the century, among them "Mind & Spirit," "Protest & Progress," "Women Rise," or "Nature's Realm." Each is introduced with a brief commentary illuminating the themes and issues the books in that section address, followed by an annotation for each title offering a brief description and a key to its significance. The range of books is remarkable, embracing Chekhov's Three Sisters and Bram Stoker's Dracula, as well as Galbraith's The Affluent Society and Durkheim's Suicide, or Timothy Leary's The Politics of Ecstasy and W.E.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk. Readers will find many illuminating juxtapositions. In "Utopias & Dystopias," for instance, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and Lost Horizon are in the unexpected company of Nineteen Eighty-four, A Clockwork Orange, Brave New World, and The Time Machine. The century's darkest moments are mirrored in "War, Holocaust, Totalitarianism," where we find Koestler's Darkness at Noon, Hersey's Hiroshima, Anne Frank's Diary, and Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. But the volume ends on a happier note, with "Optimism, Joy, Gentility," and such wonderful works as Helen Keller's The Story of My Life, Shaw's Pygmalion, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon, and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.
Illustrated throughout with imaginative paper cut-out murals by artist Diana Bryan, The New York Public Library's Books of the Century is a reflection of our times, featuring both the books we love--whether The Cat in the Hat or Ulysses--and books like The Surgeon General's Report or Mein Kampf that, for better or worse, have been an inescapable part of our century.
"For 100 years, the librarians of The New York Public Library have shared our passion for books with a diverse and literate public," said curator and editor Elizabeth Diefendorf. "That experience has given us a unique perspective in making our choices for the books of the century. We hoped that visitors to the exhibition, and now the readers of this book, will be drawn into our choices and reflect on what their own selections would be."

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
To celebrate the library's 1895-1995 centennial, the librarians at the New York Public Library were asked which books helped shape and define the last hundred years. This book is their response: From The Time Machine by Herbert George Wells in 1895 to The Whole Internet: User's Guide & Catalog by Ed Krol in 1992, the librarians present their 204 selections. There's a page devoted to each work, with the author's dates and a few paragraphs summarizing the content and significance of the book. Divided into 12 categories (such as Landmarks of Modern Literature, Protest & Progress, Popular Culture, and Favorites of Childhood and Youth) the books form a fascinating view of the 20th century's literary canon while the text makes for a useful literary reference and excellent browsing. --Stephanie Gold
About the Author:

About the Editor:
Elizabeth Diefendorf, the curator for the Library's exhibition, "The Books of the Century," is the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Chief Librarian of the General Research Division, Center for the Humanities.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780195117905: The New York Public Library's Books of the Century

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780195117905
Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1997
Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Diefendorf, Elizabeth [Editor]; Bryan, Diana [Illustrator];
Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Gulf Coast Books
(Memphis, TN, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). Seller Inventory # 0195108973-11-11390060

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 7.49
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Diefendorf, Elizabeth [Editor]; Bryan, Diana [Illustrator];
Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Your Online Bookstore
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). Seller Inventory # 0195108973-11-12081418

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 7.49
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Diefendorf, Elizabeth [Editor]; Bryan, Diana [Illustrator];
Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
zeebooks
(Foley, AL, U.S.A.)

Book Description hardcover. Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). May have light shelf wear due to warehouse storage and handling. Seller Inventory # 240307105

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 7.50
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Mr. Bookman
(Franklin, PA, U.S.A.)

Book Description hardcover. Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). All books are mailed out in a bubble wrap mailer to protect your purchase. Orders are ALWAYS shipped same day or next day with FREE TRACKING emailed to you automatically. (WE TRY HARD TO DESCRIBE OUR BOOKS ACCURATELY SO YOU CAN BUY WITH CONFIDENCE). Seller Inventory # 352D410028FO

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 3.62
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Elizabeth Diefendorf (Editor), Diana Bryan (Illustrator)
Published by Oxford University Press, USA (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Ergodebooks
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). Seller Inventory # DADAX0195108973

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 11.04
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Soft cover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BooksByLisa
(Highland Park, IL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Soft cover. Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). Book. Seller Inventory # ABE-1674836512320

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 12.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Diefendorf, Elizabeth
Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover First Edition Quantity: 1
Seller:
Enterprise Books
(Chicago, IL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover, illus. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). First Edition; First Printing. Book and DJ New. NO notes, names or ANY markings. DJ not clipped ($14.95) ; 230 pages. Seller Inventory # 67816

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 11.50
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Diefendorf, Elizabeth (editor);
Published by Oxford University Press, US (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover First Edition Quantity: 1
Seller:
Keeper of the Page
(Enumclaw, WA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New DJ. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). First Edition SD. Oxford University Press 1996 First Edition SD New/New DJ Very Fine. Seller Inventory # 365020

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 12.10
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 7.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GF Books, Inc.
(Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0195108973-2-1

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 19.95
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Diefendorf, Elizabeth
Published by Oxford University Press (1996)
ISBN 10: 0195108973 ISBN 13: 9780195108972
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Bryan, Diana (illustrator). New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0195108973

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 22.17
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book