Al Hirschfeld Books

This expanded edition features the iconic illustrations of Al Hirschfeld, capturing the vibrant culture of Harlem. Accompanied by text from William Saroyan, it offers a unique blend of art and literature that reflects the lively spirit and rich history of the Harlem Renaissance. The book serves as a visual and narrative homage to the influential figures and artistic movements that defined the era, making it a valuable resource for those interested in American art and culture.

The book showcases Al Hirschfeld's extensive body of work dedicated to British subjects, revealing his lifelong fascination with the UK through over five hundred pieces. Curated by Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, it features commentary from notable figures in the arts, including Julie Andrews and Simon Callow. The collection highlights iconic personalities from the West End, such as Gielgud, Olivier, and Coward, captured in their theatrical moments by Hirschfeld's distinctive pencil style. This volume celebrates nearly eight decades of Hirschfeld's artistic legacy in Great Britain.

Set against the backdrop of Prohibition-era Manhattan, this book captures the essence of speakeasies, showcasing their unique atmospheres and characters. Al Hirschfeld's artistic interpretations bring these hidden bars to life, while each featured speakeasy includes its signature cocktail recipe. The work serves as a nostalgic antidote to modern coffee culture, inviting readers to indulge in classic drinks like Manhattans and old fashioneds. With witty commentary, it celebrates the vibrant spirit of an era defined by creativity and rebellion in the face of the law.

"Al Hirschfeld redefined caricature and exemplified Broadway and Hollywood, enchanting generations with his mastery of line. His art appeared in every major publication during nine decades of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as well as on numerous book, record, and program covers; film posters and publicity art; and on fifteen U.S. postage stamps. Now, The Hirschfeld Century brings together for the first time the artist's extraordinary eighty-two-year career, revealed in more than 360 of his iconic black-and-white and color drawings, illustrations, and photographs--his influences, his techniques, his evolution from his earliest works to his last drawings, and with a biographical text by David Leopold, Hirschfeld authority, who, as archivist to the artist, worked side by side with him and has spent more than twenty years documenting the artist's extraordinary output" --

Introduction by Pete Hamill.When Manhattan joints were hung out to dry, the Booze-oizie sniveled, then pirouetted on their stools to find reasonably palatable Speakeasy facsimiles. These Prohibition hangouts each had their own flavor, decorum, décor and formula for ducking the law. Each found its own alcoholic its own inimitable characters behind, at and under the bar.Fear not – all has not been lost to the repeal of the 18th Amendment, Starbucks corporate latte, and the wrecking ball. One intoxicating artifact remains, a book of lustrous vintage – Al Hirschfeld's The Speakeasies of 1932 , wherein Hirschfeld nails these dipsomaniacal outposts with his pen and brush in the manner of a dour Irish bartender sizing up a troublesome souse. Provided as well is the recipe for each of the speakeasy's cocktail claim to fame. The resulting concoction is the perfect antidote to the Cappuccino Grande Malaise, a book that will make everyone yearn for a Manhattan, old fashioned, and straight up.“His comments are as swooping and witty as his lines.”– The New Yorker

The Young Karl Marx is an innovative and important study of Marx's early writings. These writings provide the fascinating spectacle of a powerful and imaginative intellect wrestling with complex and significant issues, but they also present formidable interpretative obstacles to modern readers. David Leopold shows how an understanding of their intellectual and cultural context can illuminate the political dimension of these works. An erudite yet accessible discussion of Marx's influences and targets frames the author's critical engagement with Marx's account of the emergence, character, and (future) replacement of the modern state. This combination of historical and analytical approaches results in a sympathetic, but not uncritical, exploration of such fundamental themes as alienation, citizenship, community, anti-semitism, and utopianism. The Young Karl Marx is a scholarly and original work which provides a radical and persuasive reinterpretation of Marx's complex and often misunderstood views of German philosophy, modern politics, and human flourishing.