ShareThisBig, splashy, expensive books are holiday gifts that the recipients will treasure for years. There's a wide range of such publications on bookstore shelves this month, and one of them is bound to please -- and hold a place on the coffee table."Entertaining at the White House With Nancy Reagan" by Peter Schifando and J. Jonathan Joseph (Morrow, $49.50)Nancy Reagan treasured her talents as a hostess while first lady and this handsome production with many photographs showcases her efforts, along with a nod to presidents past.Included are several shots of Frank Sinatra, a frequent guest to the Reagan White House. Is that a drink in his hand?There's also a photo of Mother Teresa in the living quarters as Nancy smiles seraphically."Golden Legacy" by Leonard S. Marcus, foreword by Eric Carle. (Golden Books, $40)With a picture of a little girl reading "The Poky Little Puppy" on the cover, this history of the children's book publisher now marking 65 years, awakens the memories.The fact that the best illustrators of the craft were Golden Book contributors is another reason to acquire this book. The third is Marcus' smoothly written history of the publisher and the "golden age" of New York publishing.Finally, just seeing again the images from childhood reading makes this book a treasure."Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture" by Peter Kobel and the Library of Congress. (Little, Brown, $45).Terrific stuff for anyone interested in film history, the book dips deeply into the Library of Congress' files for rare photos and posters of the silent era.The text by Kobel is a little talky, however, as he tries to encompass a period in the early 20th century that was far more complex than a Mack Sennett short would make us believe.That aside, this well-crafted book would make any film buff happy on Christmas morning -- and probably occupy him or her the rest of the day."Marilyn Monroe: Platinum Fox" by Cindy De La Hoz (Running Press, $29.95)Put aside the depressing story of little girl lost and embrace the on-screen icon of Marilyn in this loving tribute and filmography.Even the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr. couldn't restrain himself in praise of MM and the wealth of movie stills and candid shots behind the set confirm his fascination.Again, though, another beautifully produced book for an audience of film fans."1776: The Illustrated Edition" by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, $65)Some authors can be convicted of recycling their books to pick up a few easy bucks, but McCullough is innocent of that charge with this beautifully produced new edition of his 2006 best-seller.A painter himself, McCullough uses several 18th-century paintings by Peale and Copley blended with maps, posters and newspaper pages to tell the story of that pivotal year.There are also reproductions of documents tucked into vellum envelopes throughout. The text of the original is abridged, however."The Last Wild Wolves: Ghosts of the Rain Forest" by Ian McAllister. (University of California Press, $39.95)The author is a photographer and director of the Rainforest Conservation Society in British Columbia where the wolves were extensively photographed in their habitat.The book is more than gorgeous pictures of wild animals, but a persuasive argument (for those who still need persuading) that wild areas deserve protection.The university press production is a cut above most large-format books in quality."Spider-man: The Icon" by Steve Saffel with a foreword by Stan Lee. (Titan Books, $49.95)It's a marvel what publishers can do to repackage their archival material, and few have richer material than Marvel comic books. Among recent offerings is the traditional coffee-table book. It's so heavy you need a superhero to lift it, and that's not a criticism. The heft lets you know up front that this big book is crammed with all things Spidey, from Lee's fruitful imagination to Jack Kirby's renowned drawings to the successful tri-movie franchise and even today's action figures. They tell it and sell it at the same time. Amazing."The Marvel Vault" by Roy Thomas and Peter Sanderson (Marvel Comics, $49.95).Even more of a packaging marvel is this effort which is imagined as a scrapbook you might have kept if you hung around as Lee, Kirby and the rest of the gang were creating their masterworks.The subtitle is: "A Museum-in-a-Book With Rare Collectibles from the World of Marvel." The reproductions come in various sizes and range from sturdy to fragile, readable to fine print. The success of this "Vault" is the first discovery of what's inside.(Bob Hoover can be reached at bhoover(at)post-gazette.com. Sharon Eberson contributed to this report.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
A look at what's percolating in coffee-table books
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