Books with author Gerry Souter

When the final tally of key movers in the plastic arts of this century is compiled, there is no doubt that maestro of movement Alexander Calder (1898-1976), the man who put the swing into sculpture, will be near numero uno. Calder took it off the plinth, gave it to the wind, and left us kinetic playgrounds of the spirit. He operated at the point where Modernity and nature fused, developing an environmental art that changed the medium forever. Visiting his Paris atelier in 1932, Duchamp coined the term "Mobiles" for Calder's delicate wire and disc pieces, constructions that would soon become immensely popular. But he didn't rest on his innovations. Friends with Miro, Mondrian and Leger, Calder also turned his hand to painting, drawing, gouaches, toys, textiles and utensil design. A graphic master who sketched as much in air as in ink, the Sixties and Seventies saw Calder take on the monumental, translating the dynamics of cities into both his Mobiles and "Stabiles". At a time when sculpture was perceived to be the antithesis of movement, Calder unmade gravity and freed the elements in a body of work that is still sending a wind of change through the art world today. Source: http://www.dailyicon.net/2009/04/books-calder-1898-1976/

The war news from Afghanistan and Iraq both fascinates and frightens children. Here, in terms they can grasp, is a clear description of the day-to-day experiences of those who are directly involved, from the big issues to the small, everyday details. Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? What kinds of weapons do our soldiers use? What do they do when they're not fighting? Featured are first-person accounts from soldiers in the field, their families back home in the USA, and ordinary Afghans and Iraqis caught in the crossfire. -Straightforward questions and answers help to provide a concise and clear background to each conflict. Also, a visual time-line shows how events led up to the start of fighting, alongside details, which show the impact of the war on the people of each country.-Looks at the everyday details of war, including the different jobs of the military, the machines they use, their plans for rebuilding cities and services, including schools and hospitals, and the daily lives of local inhabitants.

The largest such spectacle in the world, the Chicago Air and Water Show draws over three million people to the lakeshore for a weekend of low-key beach leisure and high-powered entertainment. Gerry and Janet Souter climb into the cockpit (and occasionally lean precariously out of it) to log the extravaganza's fascinating history. Even before the event became a beloved annual tradition half a century ago, visitors to the lakeshore had been treated to sights like the International Aviation Meet, attended by the Wright brothers and their daring competitors; World War II training maneuvers executed by pilots like President George H.W. Bush; and an ascension to world seaport status graced by a visit from the royal yacht Britannia. This book is for anyone who has ever participated in the show's glorious tradition and for those who haven't but who still would like to get a glimpse of the gut-thrumming majesty of the planes and learn what convinced comedian Bill Murray to jump out of one of them.