Revolutionary Experience by Scott Ross
After much hype about Transmedia and hypermedia, Ethan Russell hyper jumps it all. A new way of reading and experiencing. A true interactive journey that, with a little help from his friends, gives the reader both an intellectual and an emotional epiphany about America, Rock n Roll, TV, and the meaning of the 60’s. A must read/experience.
Wall Street Journal: The Short List: “A Slice of History”
Brilliant Piece of Work by Piltren
“Ethan Russell: An American Story” is a stunning piece of work that is extraordinary on many levels. The photos alone are amazing and could easily have been presented as a captivating coffee table book that everyone would have loved. But Mr. Russell has gone light years beyond the ordinary here.
“American Story” is the story of America from the sixties to the present, told through the lens of a man who just happened to be there, again and again, when a lot of cultural history was being made. So, among other things, it’s an insider’s account of events we all wish we could have witnessed personally (such as the Beatles rooftop concert, for just one example).
But even beyond that, it is an important work of social insight and analysis. Mr. Russell lays out an argument – breathtaking in its scope – that the world has mis-remembered the Sixties and has been overtaken and increasingly polarized by a media culture run amuck. It is actually difficult to overstate the magnitude and importance of what Mr. Russell is sharing with us; I believe the book has the potential to influence significantly how our society thinks about the Sixties and, by implication, about the current state of the country and the world.
And as if all that weren’t enough, “American Story” represents what may be the first full exploration of the e-book format’s inherent technological possibilities. This is not your basic book converted for electronic viewing; this work was designed specifically to take full advantage of the electronic medium. Innumerable live links to supplemental content (including Mr. Russell’s own blog) allow the user to shape his or her own experience by exploring instantly whatever he or she finds fascinating, and users are invited and encouraged to join in the discussion and make their own contributions to our collective historical record. In that way the book has the potential to be incredibly empowering and perhaps to set a new precedent for how history gets written.
In sum, “Ethan Russell: An American Story” is brilliant and not to be missed. It’s also a tremendous value. Buy it now and be fascinated.
From a reader in Spain
This eBook is truly enjoyable and rewarding. As an eyewitness account from someone who was present at many of the cultural turning points of the 60s you can’t get much more up close and personal. This is a book by one of the most inspirational rock photographers around and on display are loads of iconic shots that will surprise you when you realize they were taken by this one man. It is not solely a photo book. It is much more with hundreds of pages of text that are revelatory in the first part (of the book) and reflective in the second. This coupled with the fact that it is an interactive eBook filled with links to the relevant videos, articles, etc. which invite the reader to participate, makes it the best value you’ll find in a long time. In short: download it. You won’t regret it. You might not agree with everything posited but the beauty of it is you can contribute to the discussion.
Ethan Russell An American Story by RT from Santa Monica
I have pretty much restricted my ebook reading to fiction and biographies. Normally, I would have been hesitant to buy an ebook with so much visual material like Ethan Russell’s “An American Story”. My concern would have been that the photos would not have the same impact on an iPad or other reader as they would in a physical book. However, being a great fan of Russell’s photography and his epic book “Let It Bleed” I decided to purchase “An American Story” and I’m simply blown away with what he has accomplished. This is the future of publishing. I cannot stop reading it and delving into all of the various layers. And the concept of The Blog is incredible. It keeps the book a living thing. I purchased it as an iBook and haven’t found any issues. I may invest in the Kindle version as well so I have it on both platforms that I use on my iPad. OK. Back to the book.
TOWN&COUNTRY
Our favorite memoir this week is by @ethan_russell, who photographed every major rock star and lived to tell the tale.
Ethan Russell An American Story
A Reader
This is a great testimonial from someone who was there and capture moments so dear.
A Reader
Feels like being there… I think, June 18, 2012
As a fan of the music if not the culture these images are fascinating. To have been a fly on the wall to all these amazing moments and to capture them so well is truly amazing.
