Garden of Dreams: Madison Square Garden 125 Years by George Kalinsky, Pete Hamill, George Kalinsky (Photographer), Pete Hamill (Introduction)

From Barnes & Noble

New York City's Madison Square Garden is touted as the world's most famous arena, "the place where legends grow." Since it opened as a "grimy, drafty, combustible" abandoned railroad shed in 1879, the Garden has been improving its physical plant and its image, serving as the venue of papal visits, political conventions, high-voltage rock concerts, NBA playoff games, and Stanley Cup contests. Garden of Dreams celebrates that 125-year achievement with a pictorial featuring more than 100 spectacular pictures by longtime Garden photographer George Kalinsky. In addition to the action photos, the large-format book includes essays by 25 luminaries including Bill Bradley, Peggy Fleming, Billy Crystal, Woody Allen, John McEnroe, Spike Lee, Mary Tyler Moore, and Christopher Reeve. Pete Hamill adds a heartfelt intro about the Garden's storied past and exciting future.

From the Publisher

"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere!" When Sinatra sang those immortal words from "New York, New York," he must have had Madison Square Garden in mind. After all, Ol' Blue Eyes played the Garden, as did Judy Garland, John Lennon, and, in the past four decades, every major rock band or rap artist from the Beastie Boys to U2. That lineup doesn't even begin to take into account the all-star roster of athletes-Muhammad Ali, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Carl Lewis, Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, and John McEnroe, to name a few-who have set records there. Since it first opened in 1879, the Garden has been a magnet for fans intent on expressing their passion in person for their favorite performers. Currently home to the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, it is also the venue for everything from the Westminster Dog Show to the 2004 Republican National Convention-which is why it's called "The World's Most Famous Arena."

In Garden of Dreams more than 100 knockout images by longtime Garden photographer George Kalinsky capture all the glorious highlights in the arena's history. From Ali to Sinatra, Garland to Gretzky, Kalinsky has shot the greatest. Adding insight and context to the photos are essays by 25 luminaries who have witnessed or participated in some of these legendary Garden events. The list of contributors includes Billy Crystal, Bill Bradley, Woody Allen, Peggy Fleming, Spike Lee, John McEnroe, Mary Tyler Moore, and Christopher Reeve. Pete Hamill's introduction recounts the Garden's storied past, and reminds readers why MSG evokes such powerful emotions for New York residents and visitors alike.

Author Bio: GEORGE KALINSKY's work has been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the International Center of Photography, all in New York, and Tokyo's Olympus Plaza Gallery; his work has also appeared in such national publications as Time, Newsweek, People, and Sports Illustrated. Kalinsky is the recipient of numerous awards, and he was honored by the photography industry (PMDA) as the International Photographer of the Year in 2001. He is the author of nine books, which together have sold more than two million copies.

Publishers Weekly

Madison Square Garden bills itself as the "world's most famous arena," and taking in this nostalgic tome makes it easy to see why: since the original arena's 1879 inception, it has witnessed a remarkable array of sports, entertainment and even religious events. In his introduction, writer Hamill (Forever; etc.) chronicles the evolution of the Garden from a "drafty old building" that hosted P.T. Barnum's circus, through its opulent 1890 redesign by Stanford White, to the current model, unveiled in 1968. He deftly demonstrates how the physical changes, in location as well as building, the Garden has undergone over the years reflect New York's changing perception of itself from growing city to "gilded" metropolis, gangster's party town to capital of the world. Hamill's piece gives way to official Garden photographer Kalinsky's photos (as well as some non-Kalinsky images from as far back as 1920), which cover the entire spectrum of photographic styles as well as the diverse types of events that have called the Garden home, if only for a night. Short essays by entertainers (Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Billy Crystal), athletes (George Foreman, Peggy Fleming, John McEnroe) and other high-profile friends-of-the-Garden round out the volume. Although there are no behind-the-scenes or unusual photos here, this is still a bubbly, impressive chronicle of a New York landmark. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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