My Adventures as an Illustrator: The Definitive Edition

I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by this book. I had vacillated for ages about buying it as I already owned a fairly good volume about Rockwell's life and work and was unsure if I needed this one, especially since this autobiographical work had been rather slated for what it left out about his personal life when it first came out.However this turned out to be a delight. The book itself is beautifully presented, printed on heavy paper and full of illustrations that are well reproduced, which makes it a joy to view and handle. There is also a lot of it - at 5cm thick and 535 pages it won't fit through the letter box - and I had expected it to be a book I dipped into every so often. Instead I found it so absorbing that I found it difficult to put down.I had expected this to be rather anodyne and was surprised by the depth it contained. The man it revealed was an obsessive, driven and dedicated artist who was thoughtful, insecure, shrewd and surprisingly waspish. (Not what I expected.) Considering he worked non-stop, seven days a week there is far more about his work than his private life but the foreword and afterword by his relatives give more insight into this.As a painter myself I revelled in the details of his philosophy and working methods, was pleased by his honesty about his struggles and it really raised my opinion of him and his work. (Like many I had tended to see his work as superficial kitsch.)I was especially pleased with the illustrations which amplify the text so little known sketches, studies and paintings are placed to alongside what he was talking about. (Don't expect to see all his best known work here, you will need one of the many other good books available for that.)I can honestly say that this definitive edition is worthy of the title. It is a pleasure to own, a great read and has entirely altered my view of Rockwell as a painter and as a person. Worth every penny.

A very personal look at an amazing artist and his life. I enjoyed reading this fascinating book.

Why on earth are my two favourite artists American? Along with Maxfield Parrish we have wonderful fantasy and the most beautifully observed social comment.

Disliked nothing...great read, illuminating, well co-written with his son...beautifully illustrated and gives wonderful insight into his personality and working methods...

The best of a very fine bunch of trained artists. Anatomy, perspective and craft. These skills are essential if you wish to be an artist. All are demonstrated in abundance in Rockwell's work.

Too much text and to few pictures. Swapped it for 'Best of' which I'm much happier with.