Gi Joe: The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action

Rating:
Summary: Still bring tears to my eye!
Review: *SNIFF*

I love my GI Joes. They were like the family I never had. The last time we were together was during the Sandbox campains. Most of our squadron was swallowed by the fine grains of sand and some fell victim to the artilery fired from the distence by enemy plastic toy soldiers (the ones on the littleplastic stands) My best friend and I were the only survivors. The rescue chopper was on the other side of stovetop flats. We could here the rotors. we made our way carefully across, but not carefully enough. I turned intime to see my pal melt into a puddle of molten plastic, char black, and burst into flame. after I said a prayer for his soul all that remained was the putrid smell of burt plastic and the rubber that held his legs to his body, and a metel screw that held together his torso. I picked up the screw and headed for the choper and today I have the screw on my bathroom counter so every time i'm sitting on the throne i will remember him.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Joe Chronicle
Review: All other books about GI Joe take note: You have just been left in the dust. Michlig's authoritative and highly readable GI Joe: The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action is the best single source of information about the origin of GI Joe that exists. Colorful anecdotes illuminate this exhaustively informative, definitive work about America's Movable Fighting Man. It belongs on the bookshelves of everyone interested in the history of playthings.

Richard C. Levy
Washington, D.C.

Rating:
Summary: Well researched and a tale well told
Review: Don't confuse this book with the "GI Joe collector's guides" that exist in various forms. This is a different animal - - gripping, well-written nonfiction, telling the story of a small family-owned business and its leap of faith on a brand new type of toy for boys, the now-ubiquitous "action figure."

The story of the GI Joe product illuminates the story of the toy industry itself. I found this look inside the process of bringing a product to market and maintaining its value over the course of decades fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Joe history
Review: Excellent review of the life and times of America's Moveable Fighting Man. Especially interesting are the details of the conception and behind-the-scenes work in creating the prototype figure and marketing concept, an aspect of the story that may interest even non-Joe devotees. Collectors may wish to note that this is a much-expanded (and therefore more essential) version of the slender book included with the G. I. Joe Masterpiece Edition boxed figure.

Rating:
Summary: Well researched and a tale well told
Review: I don't normally give a Five Star rating, but my god, this book is wonderful. The story is fun and indepth. The design is AMAZING and the images of the GI JOE figures are wonderfully shot.

If you have even a slight, passing interest in GI JOE, buy this book, you won't be dissappointed!

Rating:
Summary: GI Joe's history comes alive
Review: This book is so wonderfully written and designed, it's hard to imagine anybody not enjoying it's large closeup photos and detail rich text. The history of one of America's favorite toys is told with relish, humor and a great deal of "insider info". Mr Michlig's love of original design art also is evident in the use of many photos of prototypes, box art and samples. The attractive, large sized volume looks very impressive and tempting on the coffee table too.