Reviews for Ocean City, N.J.: An Illustrated History

The average rating for Ocean City, N.J.: An Illustrated History based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-04-30 00:00:00 Allan Dwyer Hmm, Just realised that this was one of those purchases that I didn't really need because I already had a copy off the book. Anyway, as i haven't already reviewed it I will do so here and I can donate one of my copies to the Lifeline booksale..or maybe even both copies. This is one of those lovely modern books on beautiful gardens filled with luscious photos of tropical vegetation, artfully posed with a ceramic urn in the foreground etc. Well the photos really are great. The colours for reproduction are also great and to top it off the text is also excellent. I learned quite a lot about the points of the compass in Bali....more or less ...north means pointing towards Mount Agung...and in North Bali....the mountains are actually to the South but are still referred to as "kaja" (More or less meaning north ..though perhaps better translated as "towards the mountains"). There are sections on gardens in Sanur and Kuta and I've stayed in both places and been enchanted by the gardens there. My first time in Bali we stayed in Kuta...well Legian really at the Legain Beach Hotel if memory serves me correctly and the hotel was very new then and it was referred to as being away from the hustle of Kuta itself. Still even the new gardens were quite lovely. (This was in 1977). Later we stayed in Sanur in a lovely little lodge set amongst beautiful gardens, then in Ubud...more lovely gardens and impossibly green rice terraces. And still later in Nusa Dua in one of the big hotels there. Gardens good but obviously drier and a tougher landscape. All of these areas are featured in the book; all have lovely accompanying photos which capture both the spirit and the natural beauty of some of the gardens in Bali. There are also a few photos of the temples which hint at some of the other side of Bali......packed earth underfoot, heat and dust. But rather fewer of these. Also there are a few pics that hint at the way things can get rapidly run-down if left...moss overgrowing statues , pools chocked with weeds and so on. Anyway, this is really nit-picking about a place which so many artists and travels have considered close to paradise ...and the gardens certainly contribute to this impression. Maybe there is just a tad too much concentration (2 chapters) on the gardens in two of the Hyatt hotels. But maybe it's justified because these are both exceptional gardens. Though I think I would have liked to see glimpses into the private gardens that one never really gets to see. Bottom line; a lovely book with beautiful photographs.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-08-10 00:00:00 Martin Egan This richly illustrated production captures the natural landscape and man made gardens of Bali in 250 sumptuous color photos by renowned international photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni. The first half of the book walks us right through the Garden of Eden, past rushing rivers and volcanic mountains to Bali's flourishing profusion of plants, flowers, fruits, palaces, temples, pavilions, and traditional village gardens. Landscape designer William Warren calls in specialists to provide ecological and cultural information to complement the riotous, full-page photographical/geographical orgies. Bali's natural beauty leaps out at you from every page--exotic hothouse hibiscus, bougainvillea and frangipani flowers, sacred springs, rice paddies, and ornamental sculptures. The book uncovers the Balinese people at home in their lush green environment: we see the deeply engrained Balinese reverence for nature and its role in and impact on their culture. Nature informs and underlies the widespread (animist-based) religious beliefs and practices on Bali: as an example, the waringin or banyan tree, as the sacred abode of spirits, is considered to be an auspicious spot to construct a temple or shrine. The rest of the book shifts focus to explore contemporary residential, restaurant, and hotel garden construction, plant life, and decoration (the Bali Hyatt at Sanur has its own chapter). The authors also do full justice to the island's naturally spectacular ravines, lotus ponds, waterfalls, and sacred pools. Balinese Gardens gives us a special final treat: a tour of modern horticultural masterpieces in Ubud, the island's center of art and creativity. These new gardens (of wealthy expatriates) exude special charm and beauty with jungle-like plantings of teak, mahogany, tamarind, avocado, mangosteen, durian, and breadfruit. Warren proves that landscape art can successfully imitate (and compete) with nature in a superb Balinese dance of visual perfection Review written by Dr. Vivienne Kruger, Ph.D. Author of Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine and Food Culture of Bali (Tuttle Publishing, 2014)