Picture 1 of 1
Gallery
Picture 1 of 1
Have one to sell?
Almost Nothing: The 20th-Century Art And Life Of Józef Czapski, Karpeles, Eric,
US $22.94
Approximately£16.99
Condition:
New
A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. See the seller's listing for full details.
Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.
Refresh your browser window to try again.
Returns:
No returns accepted.
Payments:
Shop with confidence
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
eBay item number:126095995327
Item specifics
- Condition
- ISBN
- 1681372843
- Publication Name
- The New York Review of Books, In
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
New York Review of Books, Incorporated, T.H.E.
ISBN-10
1681372843
ISBN-13
9781681372846
eBay Product ID (ePID)
243043117
Product Key Features
Book Title
Almost Nothing: the 20th-Century Art and Life of Józef Czapski
Number of Pages
496 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2018
Topic
Cultural Heritage, General, European / Eastern (See Also Russian & Former Soviet Union), Artists, Architects, Photographers, European, Lgbt
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Literary Criticism, Art, Biography & Autobiography
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
1.1 in
Item Weight
25.3 Oz
Item Length
8.9 in
Item Width
6.1 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2018-024071
Reviews
"The Polish painter and writer Józef Czapski lived through almost the entire twentieth century as an exception to the rule. A pacifist who became a Polish army officer being deported to a Soviet prison camp in 1939, he was one of very few to survive the Katyn massacre perpetrated by Stalin's secret police the following year....He was both a patriot and a European in the deepest sense, with friends and family connections across the continent. In this year's centenary of independence regained, a new generation of Poles in a country at the crossroads must decide whether Czapski's vision will also be theirs." --Stanley Bill, Times Literary Supplement "Engaging life of a little-known artist and writer who was on hand for some of the 20th century's major events....A central episode in Czapski's life was his internment in Russia before being allowed to go to British territory, which he recounts in Inhuman Land (just published, also by NYRB); Karpeles sheds abundant light on that episode, giving us a nuanced portrait of a man of parts. A Zelig-like figure, Czapski is, by Karpeles' account, 'largely unknown to American readers and artists.' This fine biography serves as a useful corrective." -- Kirkus , starred review "Józef Czapski was a soldier, diplomat, aristocrat, writer, intellectual, and, down to the tips of his fingers, an artist. Miraculously he has found a biographer able to grasp him on his own terms. Eric Karpeles's engrossing book is part biography, part intellectual history, part personal memoir--and finally (and this is the miraculous part) a confrontation across time and across canvas of one artist with another. He has written a beautiful, essential book." --Mark Danner " Almost Nothing is an amazing and completely unexpected achievement. It's a story with epic sweep that is apt to put you in mind of War and Peace and Doctor Zhivago . And, as it braids together the brilliance and cruelty of the twentieth century, it is told with a steadiness of vision that is breathtaking. A book you will want to get your hands on." --Robert Hass "Józef Czapski was a beautiful human being, courageous, noble but also hard-working; occasionally a soldier, journalist, diarist, always writing, drawing, always with a sketchbook in hand, always ready to help friends and strangers. In his person high intelligence and remarkable artistic talent met with an active, almost naive goodness--a rather rare combination, as we know. Almost Nothing reads at times like a political novel--when this delicate painter speaks to high-ranking Stalin's henchmen--or like "roman de l'artiste" when he talks with Anna Akhmatova in Tashkent. Eric Karpeles' generous, fantastically researched book renders justice to this exceptional figure and to the painful, monstrously brutal historical background against which Czapski's life has to be measured." --Adam Zagajewski "Józef Czapski's essays on Proust, written in a Soviet prison camp: these proved the unlikely impetus to Eric Karpeles's remarkable biography of the Polish painter and writer, who bore witness to twentieth- century history in its peculiarly brutal Polish incarnation. Karpeles's own gifts as critic and artist produce the kind of book that Czapski himself might well have applauded. His eloquence on the paintings is unmatched. The passion, intelligence, and commitment he brings to his task should finally give Czapski the English-language audience he so richly deserves." --Clare Cavanagh, "Józef Czapski was a beautiful human being, courageous, noble but also hard-working; occasionally a soldier, journalist, diarist, always writing, drawing, always with a sketchbook in hand, always ready to help friends and strangers. In his person high intelligence and remarkable artistic talent met with an active, almost naive goodness--a rather rare combination, as we know. Almost Nothing reads at times like a political novel--when this delicate painter speaks to high-ranking Stalin's henchmen--or like "roman de l'artiste" when he talks with Anna Akhmatova in Tashkent. Eric Karpeles' generous, fantastically researched book renders justice to this exceptional figure and to the painful, monstrously brutal historical background against which Czapski's life has to be measured." --Adam Zagajewski "Józef Czapski's essays on Proust, written in a Soviet prison camp: these proved the unlikely impetus to Eric Karpeles's remarkable biography of the Polish painter and writer, who bore witness to twentieth- century history in its peculiarly brutal Polish incarnation. Karpeles's own gifts as critic and artist produce the kind of book that Czapski himself might well have applauded. His eloquence on the paintings is unmatched. The passion, intelligence, and commitment he brings to his task should finally give Czapski the English-language audience he so richly deserves." --Clare Cavanagh
Synopsis
A compelling biography of the Polish painter and writer J zef Czapski that takes readers to Paris in the Roaring Twenties, to the front lines during WWII, and into the late 20th-century art world. J zef Czapski (1896-1993) lived many lives during his ninety-six years. He was a student in Saint Petersburg during the Russian Revolution and a painter in Paris in the roaring twenties. As a Polish reserve officer fighting against the invading Nazis in the opening weeks of the Second World War, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets. For reasons unknown to this day, he was one of the very few excluded from Stalin's sanctioned massacres of Polish officers. He never returned to Poland after the war, but worked tirelessly in Paris to keep alive awareness of the plight of his homeland, overrun by totalitarian powers. Czapski was a towering public figure, but painting gave meaning to his life. Eric Karpeles, also a painter, reveals Czapski's full complexity, pulling together all the threads of this remarkable life., A compelling biography of the Polish painter and writer Józef Czapski that takes readers to Paris in the Roaring Twenties, to the front lines during WWII, and into the late 20th-century art world. Józef Czapski (1896-1993) lived many lives during his ninety-six years. He was a student in Saint Petersburg during the Russian Revolution and a painter in Paris in the roaring twenties. As a Polish reserve officer fighting against the invading Nazis in the opening weeks of the Second World War, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets. For reasons unknown to this day, he was one of the very few excluded from Stalin's sanctioned massacres of Polish officers. He never returned to Poland after the war, but worked tirelessly in Paris to keep alive awareness of the plight of his homeland, overrun by totalitarian powers. Czapski was a towering public figure, but painting gave meaning to his life. Eric Karpeles, also a painter, reveals Czapski's full complexity, pulling together all the threads of this remarkable life.
LC Classification Number
ND955.P63C9235 2018
Item description from the seller
Seller business information
CRN: 03516865
About this seller
amm_books_uk1
99.2% positive Feedback•13K items sold
Registered as a business seller
Seller Feedback (4,876)
- i***i (7211)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseA fab seller - superfast delivery, and a lovely book, expertly packaged. Very highly recommended service!!!
- r***o (1195)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseGreat quality, well packed and quick delivery. Recommended eBayer.
- r***r (17)- Feedback left by buyer.Past yearVerified purchaseWorked like a charn from the seller. As described and sent promptly. Item got stuck in the Swedish customs for a few days, but was released without costs. Can't blame the seller for that. Would definitely buy again.Essence of Photography,The: Seeing and Creativity, Bruce Barnbaum, Very Good con (#126909016694)
More to explore:
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Fiction & Non-Fiction Books,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Fiction & Non-Fiction Books in English,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Non-Fiction Paperback Fiction & Books,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Non-Fiction Hardcover Books in French,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Non-Fiction Hardcover Books in English,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Non-Fiction Board Books-Fiction Books in English,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Non-Fiction Fiction Books & 1950-1999 Publication Year in English,
- Life Magazines,
- Eric Carle Art & Culture Non-Fiction Hardcover Non - 1950-1999 Publication Year Books,
- Eric Hill Fiction & Non-Fiction Books