Just got back from the
Full Circle Bookstore.
What a great place!
Steve's book is absolutely magnificent from the vantage point of one who enjoys Oklahoma City history. OKC, Second Time Around, A Renaissance Story, covers the 1955-2006 period of time.
The back cover jacket somewhat describes the time span covered ...
Quote:
Downtown is dead and we helped kill it. There is no major retail, no major attraction and no place to eat. -- Oklahoma City Councilman I.G. Purser, April 17, 1988
[DL note: the above may have been immediately before the MAPS tax vote ... I've not checked]
... today Oklahoma City's downtown is thriving. The Bricktown district is buzzing with nightlife, people are moving downtown ... add to that two successful stadiums, a performing arts center, a central library, a "Riverwalk" type canal, clubs and restaurants, and the downtown of the once-sleepy city ... is bustling. -- Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2005
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Inside the book are outstanding images Doug Dawgz eyes have never lusted over before ... too many to mention, but a few that stand out are ...
Interior of the Criterion Theater (p. 5 and absolutely gorgeous),
detailed images on what was proposed in the original Pei Plan, including drawings of the kinds of buildings we would all like to have seen develop but did not, and many others ... and,
personal to me, an image on page 55 of my former boss and friend (and godfather of my outstanding son), lawyer Bill Peterson, but as a
sculptor who poses with a bust of Charles Colcord he made for the lobby of the Colcord Building (p. 55).
But, there is so much more ... and the book is well indexed and tells the text story so very well of this period.
I bought 2 copies, one for me, and one for Bill Peterson's godson (for a Christmas gift, so don't tell him if you know him ... he's developing his dad's interest in Oklahoma City history, too!). Bill Peterson's godson's name is David, and I'm right proud of my little boy (though he is much bigger than me, these days)! We'll be going to the Hornets opener in Okc next Tuesday, with his son and my grandson, Tyler, ...
MY RATING: 5 stars ... a superior contribution to Oklahoma City historic stuff.
Steve earlier said that something I'd done at my website had "inspired" an inside cover ... well, if that is so, it was so much better done in Steve's book than anything at my website that it was beyond my ability to see any similarities! Ha ha!
MalibuSooner, you asked where to get this book. It was published by
Full Circle Press (same as the bookstore) and as far as I know the only place to get the book is from it's website (other than what Steve mentioned, The Painted Door, the gift shop which is part of Nonna's in Bricktown) ...
Full Circle Bookstore ... the cost is $39.95 and the money is well spent, imo.
Of course, being an Okie junkie, and not having been to
Full Circle for many months, I had to have a look around ... before I left, my pocketbook was about $220 lighter ... there is no place in Oklahoma City that I know of that has a better range of books about Oklahoma and/or Oklahoma City than does
Full Circle Bookstore ... and, sadly, that includes the
Oklahoma History Center's gift shop ... it would do well to emulate the offerings of this great locally owned book shop at 50 Penn Place!
Addendum for ksearls: I've stopped by your place at least 3 times to meet you ... my barber is immediately to the west of your shop ... but you've never been there! I get only 4-5 haircuts annually, so it's a hit and miss proposition! Maybe next time, in December or so.