The Promise of Space is written for the same intelligent laymen the author had in mind in The Exploration of Space (1951) "all those who are interested in the 'why' and 'how' of astronautics, yet do not wish to go into too many scientific details." Even the least scientifically inclined reader will be able to follow some of his history of space flight, his explanation of how one proceeds when there is "nothing to push against," his run-through of an Apollo mission or discussion of time dilation and the Theory of Relativity. Dr. Clarke eschews the military in his space probe (the moon may be of value for radio astronomy, as a colony, for example), accentuates the positive. "In the long run, the Comsat will be mightier than the ICBM." He bemuses with such thoughts as a million year trip to Proxima Centauri, or the fact that if there were an elevator to the moon, it would only cost ten dollars per passenger. Somehow he convinces that while the universe may be way out, it is also within reach. Publication is aimed to coincide with the release of the Clarke-Kubrick production, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Pub Date: June 5, 1968
ISBN: 0425075656
Page Count: 340
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1968
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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