The New York Times Great Lives of the Twentieth Century

New York: Times Books [a Division of Random House], 1988. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing per Random House convention (printing line starts with 2, but First Edition is stated below it--if this was not stated, we would state as 2nd printing). Hardcover. Very good/Very good. The format is approximately 7.5 inches by 9.5 inches. xxi, [1], 723, [7] pages. Illustrations. Index. A few pencil erasure residues noted. Note to Hank Seiden paperclipped to fep. Hank Seiden was a noted New York City citizen, undisputed fan of the New York Yankees, and generally a beloved figure. The note to him highlights the fact that the write-ups on these fifty 20th Century notables contained information not generally known. Among the persons included are: Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van de Rohe, and J. Robert Oppenheimer. Most of the personalities included are treated with several essays addressing aspects of their lives and impacts. Among the contributors are Vincent Canby, Shimon Peres, Walter Kerr, Drew Middleton, Ada Louise Huxtable, James Reston, Hanson Baldwin, Max Frankel, V. S. Pritchett, Tom Wicker, Bill Moyers, Doris Kearns, Ruth Gordon, J. Anthony Lukas, Red Smith, Pee Wee Reese, Dean Acheson, Brooks Atkinson, and Harrison Salisbury. The contributors may be considered, given the passage of time, to be of equal or greater noteworthiness than the subjects they wrote about. This has been variously described as a combination reference book and an entertaining and informative compilation drawn from important lives of the 20th century. This compendium is a compilation of obituaries and other writings about 50 pioneering figures of their time. The editors selected individuals they considered to be significant who had died after 1963. Creativity, impact on popular culture, career attainments and political power influenced choices, which range from Louis Armstrong through Mies van der Rohe to Tennessee Williams. Each entry contains a thorough obituary, and most contain selections about the subject, including selections form their writings, and interpretive essays or personal reminiscences.