Great American Carousel

This is an easy to buy, easy to read and easy to look at book on carousels. It is filled with wonderful full color pictures and a great written history of the carousel. If you enjoy looking at carousels, you will adore reading this book.

As a lover of carousels, history, and books, I was captivated by Tobin Fraley's presentation of American carousel art. This book is lovely to look at, richly illustrated with all kinds of carousel animal photographs as well as historical photos and memorabilia about carousels and carousel carvers. I liked how the book was divided, chronologically outlining carousel manufacturers and master carvers. Each carver had a different style ("the eyes of a Zalar horse always have a certain sadness to them" and"Charles Carmel captured a whimsical element that no other carver could match.") and this book does a great job of showing off these masters' beautiful work and individuality. If you're looking for a book that visually captures the fantasy and beauty of carousel animals while providing a highly interesting dose of American history, this book is for you.