From Publishers Weekly
Sicilian-born photographer Visalli offers a rousing portrayal of the Windy City, sharing striking images of Chicago's beaches, ballparks and buildings. The full-color images are divided roughly by neighborhood, with short blocks of text (featuring quotes from actors, musicians and poets) interspersed throughout. Visalli's strength lies in his attention to detail, which can be seen in his close-up of the façade of the Rookery Building, built in 1886; or in his depiction of the gold lettering that graces the front of the famous Pizzeria Uno restaurant. Many of these shots were taken on brilliantly sunny days, so that the shining skyscrapers jump out against blue skies (although the image of fog rising above Lake Michigan on a cold November day is also striking). And Visalli shows off images of famous landmarks, such as Navy Pier and the Wrigley Building, as well as lesser-known sights, like the 1960s-style parking garage that towers above the Chicago River, and Marc Chagall's vibrant mural The Four Seasons, on First National Plaza. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Library Journal
For Italian photojournalist Visalli, Chicago is heroic buildings set against earth, water, and sky. Few neighborhoods, indeed few peoplein spite of WBBM-TV anchorman Bill Kurtis's down-home introductionintrude on Visalli's elemental vision of the metropolis. This magnificently reproduced assemblage of over 200 color photographs, taken over the course of a year, are syncopated with "quotable quotes" from Chicago writers and visitors. What emerges is an oddly matched fusion of photo and text, a city portrait more architectural than urban. For regional collections. Annette Melville, Research Libraries Group, Stanford, Cal.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
In this richly illustrated book, award-winning photojournalist Santi Visalli has taken a fresh look at the city he has photographed so beautifully. He captures the fascinating contrasts of Chicago: the weather, the lake, and the urban hub. Spectacular views of the city's many neighborhoods and cultural pursuits-Old Town, Chinatown, Orchestra Hall, the Lincoln Park Zoo-are joined by images of the city's awe-inspiring architecture, including the monuments of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van de Rohe.

A new title in the travel series from Universe, Chicago is a great package at an affordable price, offering tourists the perfect memento of an unforgettable trip. A gorgeous celebration of what is one the United States' most cherished cities, the book will also be a favorite for natives who are proud to call the Windy Cindy their hometown.



About the Author
Santi Visalli's photographs have appeared in Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times. He is the author of Universe's San Francisco and New York.

Bill Kurtis is well-known to Chicagoans as co-anchor of the nightly news on WBBM-TV, Chicago.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this richly illustrated book, award-winning photojournalist Santi Visalli has taken a fresh look at the city he has photographed so beautifully. He captures the fascinating contrasts of Chicago: the weather, the lake, and the urban hub. Spectacular views of the city's many neighborhoods and cultural pursuits-Old Town, Chinatown, Orchestra Hall, the Lincoln Park Zoo-are joined by images of the city's awe-inspiring architecture, including the monuments of Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van de Rohe.

A new title in the travel series from Universe, Chicago is a great package at an affordable price, offering tourists the perfect memento of an unforgettable trip. A gorgeous celebration of what is one the United States' most cherished cities, the book will also be a favorite for natives who are proud to call the Windy Cindy their hometown.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Freelance photojournalist Visalli's superb color pictures celebrate the architecture, vistas, roadways and artwork of the Windy City. As Kurtis, a Chicago television anchor, notes in the foreword, Chicago rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1871, and new edifices were fashioned from incombustible materials like brick, stone, iron and slate. Visalli depicts such older architectural greats as the Adler and Sullivan Auditorium Theater, as well as giant newcomers like the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center. Kurtis refers to contemporary slums with their ``wanton'' hunger and violence, but Visalli reveals the fashionable Gold Coast on Lake Shore Drive, sculptures by Calder, Picasso and Henry Moore, the University of Chicago campus, the trading floor at the Chicago Board of Trade and the facade of the Art Institute. Curiously, the Baha'i Temple in suburban Wilmette is included among the examples of ``urban'' grandeur. Captions are placed at the end of the book, which is cumbersome. (January 4)

Library Journal

For Italian photojournalist Visalli, Chicago is heroic buildings set against earth, water, and sky. Few neighborhoods, indeed few peoplein spite of WBBM-TV anchorman Bill Kurtis's down-home introductionintrude on Visalli's elemental vision of the metropolis. This magnificently reproduced assemblage of over 200 color photographs, taken over the course of a year, are syncopated with ``quotable quotes'' from Chicago writers and visitors. What emerges is an oddly matched fusion of photo and text, a city portrait more architectural than urban. For regional collections. Annette Melville, Research Libraries Group, Stanford, Cal.

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION