Hollywood, Beverly Hills, & Other Perversities: Pop Culture of the 1970s and 1980s

Rose, George. Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Other Perversities: Pop Culture of the 1970s and 1980s.Ten Speed. Oct. 2008. 192p. photogs. ISBN 978-1-58008-924-1. $30. PHOTOGRAPHY~Verdict: Glorious black-and-white photographs capture the decadence of the 1970s and 1980s in this fun and fascinating time capsule recommended for photography collections. Background: Rose, an LA Times press photographer in the 1970s and 1980s, profiles celebrities of every ilk, old Hollywood royalty (Cary Grant, Gene Kelly), then rising stars (Meryl Streep, John Travolta), writers (Truman Capote), singers (Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton), sports figures (Tommy Lasorda, Steve Howe), and politicians (Ford, Reagan). Although straight posed portraits are included in the collection, Rose excels at catching the beautiful people at their most raw (wonderful shots of Liz Taylor past her prime and an awkward Farah Fawcett). His pictures of club-hopping punks and disco queens convey the full flavor of the era, and readers will get a feel for the frenzied nature of the work in shots of paparazzi firing squads.-Mike Rogers, LJX/Library Journal.