Plan to make a little room under your tree for the phenomenal books being offered as gifts for the holiday season this year. Even with this small sampling of titles offered below, you might need more than just a little room. Many of these are weighty in not only subject, but also in presence. My arms ached from carrying the stack home. Plan on numerous hours immersed in art, history, nature, and the delights of travel, to name only a few of the subjects covered, and plan on hefty appreciation from the recipients as well.
30,000 Years of Art
Phaidon Press Limitedó2007
Hardback, $49.95
With art and artifacts from the earliest-known times through to the modern day, 30,000 Years of Art presents 1,000 pieces of extraordinary art from different countries, cultures, and civilizations. Each piece includes a detailed explanation of the creation, date, artist (if known), and its location. An excellent reference for novice and expert alike, it can create, as well as sustain, an art enthusiast.
1776: The Illustrated Edition
by David McCullough
Simon & Schusteró2007
Hardback, $65
Brought together in one book are the outstanding treasures from art museums, historical archives, and personal collectionópaintings, maps, rare documents, portraits, and moreóto bring to life the most important year in the war that made America. On parchment-shaded pages, the story of the "Glorious Cause of America is told with assistance from replications of maps and letters