Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts From a Life



Michael Katakis 
Scribner
Biographies & Memoirs
EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781501142086
PRICE $35.00 (USD)

Description

Beautifully designed, intimate and illuminating, this is the story of American icon Ernest Hemingway's life through the documents, photographs, and miscellany he kept, compiled by the steward of the Hemingway estate and featuring contributions by his son and grandson.

For many people, Ernest Hemingway remains more a compilation of myths than a person: soldier, sportsman, lover, expat, and of course, writer. But the actual life underneath these various legends remains elusive; what did he look like as a laughing child or young soldier? What did he say in his most personal letters? How did the train tickets he held on his way from France to Spain or across the American Midwest transform him, and what kind of notes, for future stories or otherwise, did he take on these journeys?

Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts from a Life answers these questions, and many others. Edited and with an introduction by the manager of the Hemingway estate, featuring a foreword by Hemingway’s son Patrick and an afterword by his grandson Seán, this rich and illuminating book tells the story of a major American icon through the objects he touched, the moments he saw, the thoughts he had every day. Featuring over four hundred dazzling images from every stage and facet of Hemingway’s life, many of them never previously published, this volume is a portrait unlike any other. From photos of Hemingway running with the bulls in Spain to candid letters he wrote to his wives and his publishers, it is a one-of-a-kind, stunning tribute to one of the most titanic figures in literature.



My Review

The ebook  Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts From a Life has been waiting on me a while to open and I felt July was an appropriate month to start it.

I believe there are times when a person reaches a celebrity that they are no longer viewed as human. This book shows us the human factor of Ernest Hemingway. 

We know Hemingway was an ardent hunter who served in the military and enjoyed being outdoors.  

In this book, we learn of his concern for his parents in the way to tries to explain to them about his process of writing, and closes out his letters Love Ernie. 

We get a look-see at his potential titles for his books and see his proper use of communication in addressing employers. We view him jotting things down on a pad of paper and we are aware his writing was highly recommended.

I love the way this book is compiled! It is a beautiful collection of documents and photographs. It's an intimate mixing of memorabilia such as what you would find stored away in old scrapbooks or a box of family heirlooms. Many of the photographs included have no captions. And I like this, as it allows the reader to draw their own conclusions. 

This book is for Hemingway enthusiasts and may indeed inspire readers to revisit Hemingways work.

I reviewed this wonderful book for Net Galley.


Michael Katakis is the author of a number of books, including Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts From a LifeDespatches (special limited edition), The Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, A Thousand Shards of GlassThere Is Another America, Traveller: Observations From an American in Exile and Photographs and Words (with Kris L. Hardin). He is the editor of Sacred Trusts: Essays on Stewardship and Responsibility and Excavating Voices: Listening to Photographs of Native Americans. His work has been translated into multiple languages and his writing and photography have been collected by a wide range of institutions, including The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC; the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Library in London; and Stanford University’s Special Collections Department. In 1999, Michael was elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He lives in Paris and Carmel.