The Ukulele: A Visual History

by Jim Beloff

Book Overview

From its birthplace in Portugal to its famous Hawaiian home, the jumping flea has left its mark on popular music and pop culture worldwide. This book traces the uke's evolution with colorful whimsy. Readers will meet some of the world's greatest ukulele players through profiles, photos, and a list of recordings. Splendid color photos show more than 100 of the finest and most unique ukes and vintage catalog illustrations, fanciful sheet music covers,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879304545
• ISBN13: 9780879304546
• Release Date: November 2003
• Publisher: Backbeat Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Nothing Like It

Very simply a MUST HAVE for any ukulele aficionado. I bought five of them and gave them to friends. Every page is a delight. As a builder, it is a Wealth of information.

A fun little book!

If you've ever thought about owning a uke you should pick this book up and learn a little bit of the history behind it. Well worth it for the pictures if nothing else. Personally I would like some more comprehensive but until something else comes along this will have to do!

a great resource for the ukulele enthusiast

great book, full of colour photos, covers from the most basic to the most up-market instruments. Excellent history of the instrument and also of the well known players, such as George Formby. Discusses some of the speciallised techniques used by these people. I look on it as the ukulele enthusiast's bible. Thoroughly recommended!

One of kind title

I absolutely loved this book and it fills a void with information about the 'ukulele that is not available elsewhere. The pictures are excellent and the writing is quite enjoyable. It's the sort of book that you're likely to read more than once. The only drawback is that I wish the book were bigger so that it would have lasted longer. On the less-than-positive side I was a bit disappointed that it didn't deal more deeply with the contemporary 'uke scene and glosses over some of the major players of today. Perhaps in the next new edition it will contain more of this type of info.

Packed from cover to cover with full color photographs

Now in a revised and expanded edition, The Ukulele: A Visual History by Jim Beloff is the fascinating and informative saga of this widespread and popular musical instrument. From the history and spread of the Ukulele since its origin in Portugal, to the great ukulele players, to the sagas of businesses that manufacture ukuleles, to the ukulele's impact on musical culture worldwide, and more, The Ukulele is simply packed from cover to cover with full color photographs. The Ukulele: A Visual History is a most enjoyable learning experience for anyone curious about this unique and popular instrument.