Summers at the Vauxhall pleasure garden in London brought diverse entertainments to a diverse public. Picturesque walks and arbors offered a pastoral retreat from the city; while at the same time the gardens attractions indulged distinctly urban tastes for fashion; novelty; and sociability. High- and low-born alike were free to walk the paths; the proximity to strangers and the danger of dark walks were as thrilling to visitors as the fountains and fireworks. Vauxhall was the venue that made the careers of composers; inspired novelists; and showcased the work of artists. Scoundrels; sudden downpours; and extortionate ham prices notwithstanding; Vauxhall became a must-see destination for both Londoners and tourists. Before long; there were Vauxhalls across Britain and America; from York to New York; Norwich to New Orleans.This edited volume provides the first book-length study of the attractions and interactions of the pleasure garden; from the opening of Vauxhall in the seventeenth century to the amusement parks of the early twentieth. Nine essays explore the mutual influences of human behavior and design: landscape; painting; sculpture; and even transient elements such as lighting and music tacitly informed visitors how to move within the space; what to wear; how to behave; and where they might transgress. The Pleasure Garden; from Vauxhall to Coney Island draws together the work of musicologists; art historians; and scholars of urban studies and landscape design to unfold a cultural history of pleasure gardens; from the entertainments they offered to the anxieties of social difference they provoked.
#1876017 in eBooks 2013-04-22 2013-04-22File Name: B00B4FJOQG
Review
93 of 95 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely superb biography.By B.O.E.Short form: if you are interested in Alex Chilton or Big Star to any degree; this book is a must read. An incredibly well-researched and superbly written biography of a really complex; interesting man and his music.Longer form: I know at least a bit about the subject matter. Im the author of the 33 1/3 book Big Stars Radio City. I started out in the mid 70s as a Big Star / Chilton fan. Eventually met Alex in 1979; played some shows with him and stayed in touch over the decades. I spent two years doing research and interviews for the 33 1/3 book and even before doing that; had read pretty much every article written about him. I also provided material for the Nothing Can Hurt Me film. (I didnt know Holly when she started the book but gladly provided her with all of my research materials; notably Alexs last extended interview.) So before I got to read the book; I was thinking that Id probably be pretty familiar most of the details. Well; as Lou Reed once observed; "Just goes to show how wrong you can be."Even if youre the biggest Alex Chilton fan on the planet; youll be amazed at how much new material (much of it from previously unexplored sources) Holly has uncovered and how many new details and insights she adds to the parts of Alexs story that you think you know all about. Start reading and youll immediately know that youre in the hands of serious major league biographer. One paragraph in I realized that I wasnt going to be skipping past a single sentence.Most rock /music biographies read like an extended magazine feature and dont bring anything really new to the table. Way too many are just cobbled together from already existing material thats repeated over and over as gospel truth without any reexamination (it takes a lot more work to do real research). A Man Called Destruction reads like Peter Guralnicks bios of Elvis and Sam Cooke or the Gary Giddins bio of Bing Crosby. Its on that level and thats about the highest praise I could give a book in this genre. If youre not totally familiar with Alexs work; the book will make you want to explore it all. If youve heard it all; youll hear it in a new way. Id write more but its time for you to stop reading this and start reading A Man Called Destruction.16 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Id rate this a ten if I could!By James H. LynchDespite the Dawn Eden quote; this is an exemplary bio of a difficult man... Spent the last two nights with forty years of his music playing in the background as I filled in all the holes left in the other books covering the same subject matter8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. A Job Well DoneBy CustomerHolly George-Warren has done it. She has written the perfect biography of Alex Chilton. Any person who has been touched by his artistry yet sometimes confused by Chiltons mercurial persona will leave this book with the most thorough understanding of this talented and troubled icon / iconoclast. George-Warren approaches her subject with an enormous amount of affection and respect but never shies away from Chiltons troubled and troubling personal behaviors. Read Bruce Eatons Radio City book to understand Big Stars magical studio work. Watch the Nothing Can Hurt Me documentary to see the visual representations of Big Star and Alex Chilton. Read A Man Called Destruction to understand the real Alex Chilton.