Peace: The Biography of a Symbol

Ken Kolsbun with Michael S. Sweeney

ISBN 10: 1426202946 / ISBN 13: 9781426202940

Published by National Geographic, 2008

About this Item

In brand New, unread condition with a New dust jacket. The author signed "Ken Kolsbun 2008" along with a peace sign in black sharpie on the first free page. Filled with color and black & white photos of people, places, and peace sign memorabilia. We pack all our books with care and ship in new boxes.

Seller Inventory # 8-8-08-1A

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Peace: The Biography of a Symbol
• Publisher: National Geographic
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1426202946
• ISBN 13: 9781426202940
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New
• Dust Jacket Condition: New
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • POPULAR CULTURE
  • HISTORY BIOGRAPHY

About this title

Synopsis

As the boomer generation moves onward through the milestones of life, 1960s nostalgia holds tremendous meaning today. And nothing more eloquently symbolizes the counterculture era than the peace sign. How did this simple sketch become so powerful an image? Peace: The Biography of a Symbol tells the surprising story of the sign in words and pictures, from its origins in the nuclear disarmament efforts of the late 1950s to its adoption by the antiwar movement of the 1960s, through its stint as a mass-marketed commodity and its enduring relevance now. As the symbol’s popularity blossomed, so did an entire generation, and author Ken Kolsbun’s expertly selected images―from his own collections as well as a variety of historical archives―illustrate both the sign itself and the larger history that it helped to shape. Along the way, the book recounts the controversy inspired by the peace symbol, bringing to light several trials that challenged its very existence. Drawing on exclusive archival interviews with Gerald Holtom, the late creator of the symbol, Peace recounts its birth and goes on to build a historic portrait using both iconic and rarely seen photographs. With guaranteed appeal for audiences who flocked to Hippie several years ago, Peace will also capture fans of symbology, art, and history―and will pose an interesting counterpoint to the 2008 election. The compact trim size and low price point will help to position Peace as both affordable gift and easy impulse purchase.

About the Author

Ken Kolsbun is a photographer, writer, historian, peace activist, game inventor, landscape architect, baseball fan, bicyclist, mail-order catalog designer, husband, and father. Kolsbun continues to be active in the peace movement and is an authority on the peace symbol itself. Michael S. Sweeney is a professor of journalism at Utah State University. He is the award-winning author of the acclaimed book Secrets of Victory, which was named 2001 Book of the Year by the American Journalism Historians Association, and of the National Geographic book God Grew Tired of Us, with Jon Bul Dau.