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Through The Looking Glasses
The Spectacular Life of Spectacles
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
A personal and insightful look at the extraordinary life and times of eyewear from the Ancient Greeks to Google Glass by the author of The Bus We Loved and A Walk in the Park.
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Description
‘Elegant and multi-focal. Glorious!’ Simon Garfield
‘It will make you look at specs with fresh eyes’ New Statesman
‘Lively, engaging and admirably wide-ranging’ The Times
‘Fascinating’ Observer
The humble pair of glasses might just be one of the world's greatest inventions, allowing millions to see a world that might otherwise appear a blur. And yet how much do many of us really think about these things perched on the ends of our noses?
Through the Looking Glasses traces the fascinating story of spectacles: from their inception as primitive visual aids for monkish scribes right through to today's designer eyewear and the augmented reality of Google Glass. There are encounters with ingenious medieval Italian glassmakers, myopic Renaissance rulers and spectacle-makers, as well as the silent movie star Harold Lloyd, the rock'n'roller Buddy Holly and the full-screen figure of Marilyn Monroe. This is a book about vision and the need for humanity to see clearly, and where the impulse to improve our eyesight has led us.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Through The Looking Glasses by Travis Elborough is widely praised for its engaging and comprehensive exploration of the history of eyeglasses. Reviewers highlight its elegant and witty writing style, along with its thorough and entertaining examination of topics such as technology, fashion, and society in relation to eyewear. The book is noted for providing fresh perspectives, intriguing insights, and being an informative guide through cultural history, enriched by the author's personal experiences.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780349144115
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 April 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Abacus
Illustration: 20 b/w integrated pics
Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 30.0mm
Width: 126.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 280g
Pages: 352
About the Author
Acclaimed by the Guardian as 'one of the country's finest pop culture historians', Travis Elborough has been a freelance writer, author, broadcaster and cultural commentator for nearly two decades. Elborough's books include Wish You Were Here: England on Sea, The Long-Player Goodbye, a hymn to vinyl records that inspired the BBC4 documentary When Albums Ruled the World, in which he also appeared, and A Walk in the Park, a loving exploration of public parks and green space. Elborough regularly appears on Radio 4 and recently wrote and presented the five-part series, The Rise and Fall of the Antique, and is a frequent contributor to the Guardian and Observer, among other newspapers and magazines.
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