Life Sixty Years: A 60th Anniversary Celebration 1936-1996

Rating:
Summary: Lifeless Review of 60 Lively Years
Review: This surprisingly short (less than 200 pp) book attempts a vast sweep of coverage and falls short. Its failings extend beyond gaps, however, which are arguably inevitable in a survey of this sort. One might more readily excuse the gaps (such as omitting AIDS and the gay rights movement from the "Protest and Unrest" section, or JFK's assassination from the section on the presidency), if it weren't for the redundancy of having both a "Hollywood" and an "Arts & Entertainment" section, plus "Fashion, Fads & Fun," which cover far too much of the same ground. Worse, even those who expect less substance from Life than I may have hoped to see are likely to be disappointed by the all-important photos. Far too many are presented in awkward two-page spreads which are crossed in the center by the book's binding, ruining much of the photos' effect.

Rating:
Summary: Lifeless Review of 60 Lively Years
Review: This surprisingly short (less than 200 pp) book attempts a vast sweep of coverage and falls short. Its failings extend beyond gaps, however, which are arguably inevitable in a survey of this sort. One might more readily excuse the gaps (such as omitting AIDS and the gay rights movement from the "Protest and Unrest" section, or JFK's assassination from the section on the presidency), if it weren't for the redundancy of having both a "Hollywood" and an "Arts & Entertainment" section, plus "Fashion, Fads & Fun," which cover far too much of the same ground. Worse, even those who expect less substance from Life than I may have hoped to see are likely to be disappointed by the all-important photos. Far too many are presented in awkward two-page spreads which are crossed in the center by the book's binding, ruining much of the photos' effect.