People on People: The Oxford Dictionary of Biographical Quotations FROM THE PUBLISHER
From Martin Amis on Jimmy Connors and Jane Austen on Henry VIII, to Liz Hurley on Marilyn Monroe and Madonna on Eva Peron, here are more than 4,000 quotations about both historical and contemporary figures from all over the world.
The speakers are as well known as the people they are talking about, and come from a broad range of disciplines and professions, including actors, architects, dancers, historians, mathematicians, literary figures, politicians, academics, sports personalities, and scientists. We read Margot Fonteyn's praise of Fred Astaire: "His technique is astounding, yet everything is accomplished with the air of someone sauntering through the park on a spring morning." Albert Einstein on Madame Curie: "Very intelligent but as cold as a herring." El Greco on Michaelangelo: "He was a good man, but did not know how to paint." And Barbara Streisand in defense of Bill Clinton: "We elected a President, not a Pope." All the quotations about an individual are brought together in an entry headed by a brief description, making it possible to compare what different people have said about one particular person. A detailed author index gives a context line from each quotation, biographical information on authors, and an overview of their comments, often revealing their personalities.
A colorful source of information on famous personalities past and present, People on People is an entertaining read, perfect for browsing.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Ratcliffe (Oxford Dictionary of Thematic Questions) offers some 4000 quotations by famous folks about other famous folks, living and dead, throughout history and throughout the world. Subjects from all walks of life including the arts, the sciences, sports, and politics are identified by dates and accomplishments; the author index provides the same information on sources, along with a list of citations. Quotations per subject vary from just one (often by the subject him- or herself) to two pages each on Churchill and Shakespeare. Some subjects get shortchanged (for example, there's only one quotation each for Pope John XXIII and Johann Strauss), and there are notable omissions, such as Irish playwrights Sean O'Casey and John Millington Synge, American writers Washington Irving and Eugene O'Neill, and all the Deweys. This work is similar to Richard Kenin and Justin Wintle's Dictionary of Biographical Quotation of British and American Subjects (LJ 12/1/78), but since the earlier work is limited to deceased Britons and Americans, public libraries might wish to purchase this new volume. Denise J. Stankovics, Rockville P.L., Vernon, CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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